The New Communications Business
Mark Norris · 2001
In this opening chapter, we take a whistle-stop tour of some of the key concepts and influences in the modern telecommunications world. It is very clear we are looking here at an industry driven by a set of technologies that have come together to enable a hugely powerful set of communications capabilities. This power is provided by telecommunications providers upgrading their established voice-orientated network to create an information net, and by computer suppliers adding communications to their wares. In doing so, a vast array of technology has to be brought together, integrated and deployed. Some background to the technology base in our new world of communications is outlined in this chapter, along with the underlying principles in each case, the fundamental operations of the telephone network, the Internet and distributed computing systems.