4

COMMUNICATION AND
COMPUTER NEWORK

4.1 INTRODUCTION
Today computer is available in many offices and homes and there-
fore there is a need to share data and programs among various
computers. With the advancement of data communication facilities,
the communication between computers has increased and thus it
has extended the power of computer beyond the computer room.
Now a user sitting at one place can communicate with computers of
any remote sites through communication channel. The aim of this
lesson is to introduce you to various aspects of communication and
computer network.
4.2 OBJECTIVES
After going through this lesson you would be in a position to:
l explain the concept of data communication
l identify different components of computer network
l define types of network
l explain communication protocols
l differentiate between Internet and Intranet,
l appreciate the use of satellite communication.
l explain the utility of EDI, E-commerce, voice messaging and tele-
conferencing
 Communication and Computer Netwrok :: 71

4.3 DATA COMMUNICATION

We all are acquainted with some sorts of communication in our day
to day life. For communication of messages we use telephone and
postal communication systems. Similarly data and information from
one computer system can be transmitted to other systems across
wide geographical areas. Thus data transmission is the movement of
information using some standard methods. These methods include
electrical signals carried along a conductor, optical signals along an
optical fiber and electromagnetic waves.
Suppose a manager has to write several letters to various clients.
First he has to use his PC and Word Processing package to prepare
the letter. If the PC is connected to all the client’s PCs through
networking, he can send the letters to all the clients within sec-
onds. Thus irrespective of geographical areas, if PCs are connected
through communication channel, the data and information, com-
puter files and any other program can be transmitted to other com-
puter systems within a short time. The modern form of communica-
tion like e-mail and Internet is possible only because of computer
networking.
Basic Elements of a Communication System
The following are the basic requirements for working of a communi-
cation system.
1. A sender (source), which creates the message to be transmitted.
2. A medium that carries the message.
3. A receiver (sink), which receives the message.
In data communication four basic terms are frequently used. They
are
l Data: A collection of facts in raw form that become information
after processing.
l Signals: Electric or electromagnetic encoding of data.
l Signaling: Propagation of signals across a communication me-
dium.
l Transmission: Communication of data achieved by the process-
ing of signals.
(a) Communication Protocols
You may be wondering how do the computers send and receive data
across communication links. The answer is data communication soft-
72 :: Basic Computing Skills

ware. It is this software that enables us to communicate with other

systems. The data communication software instructs computer sys-
tems and devices as to how exactly data is to be transferred from
one place to another. The procedure of data transmission in the
form of software is commonly called protocol.
The data transmission software or protocols perform the following
functions for efficient and error free transmission of data.

1. Data sequencing: A long message to be transmitted is broken

into smaller packets of fixed size for error free data transmis-
sion.

2. Data routing: It is the process of finding the most efficient route

between source and destination before sending the data.

3. Flow control: All machines are not equally efficient in terms of

speed. Hence the flow control regulates the process of sending
data between fast sender and slow receiver.

4. Error control: Error detection and recovery is one of the main

function of communication software. It ensures that data are
transmitted without any error.

(b) Data Transmission Modes

Based on the direction of transmission, there are three ways for

transmitting data from one point to another.

1. Simplex: In simplex mode the communication can take place

only in one direction. The receiver receives the signal from the
transmitting device. This mode of flow of information is Uni-
directional. Example: Radio, T.V., Pager transmission.

2. Half-duplex: In half-duplex mode the communication channel

is used in both directions, but one direction at a time. Thus a
half-duplex line can alternately send and receive data. Example
is the wireless communication.

3. Full-duplex: In full duplex mode, the communication channel

is used in both directions at the same time. Use of full-duplex
line improves the efficiency as the line turn around time re-
quired in half-duplex arrangement is eliminated. Example of
this mode of transmission is the telephone line.
 Communication and Computer Netwrok :: 73

A B
Simplex A to B only

A B
Half-Duplex A to B or B to A

A B
Full Duplex A to B and B to A
Fig. 4.1: Simplex, Half-duplex and Full-Duplex

(c) Digital and Analog Transmission

Data is transmitted from one point to another point by means of
electrical signals that may be in digital and analog form. So one
should know the fundamental difference between analog and digi-
tal signal. The transmission pattern, which is in continuous wave-
form, is analog signal. It varies over a continuous range with respect
to sound, light and radio waves. On the other hand, a digital signal
may assume only discrete set of values within a given range. (Fig.
4.2 and 4.3) Examples are computer and computer related equip-
ment. Analog signal is measured in Volts and its frequency in Hertz
(Hz). A digital signal is a sequence of voltage represented in binary
form. When digital data are to be sent over an analog form the digi-
tal signal must be converted to analog form. So the technique by
which a digital signal is converted to analog form is known as modu-
lation. And the reverse process, that is the conversion of analog
signal to its digital form, is known as demodulation. The device,
which converts digital signal into analog, and vice-versa is known as
Modem.
(d) Asynchronous and Synchronous Transmission
Data transmission through a medium can be either asynchronous
or synchronous. In asynchronous transmission data is transmitted
character by character as you go on typing on a keyboard. Hence
there are irregular gaps between characters in transmission. How-
ever, it is cheaper to implement, as you do not have to save the data
before sending. On the other hand, in the synchronous mode, the
saved data is transmitted block by block. Each block can contain
many characters. Synchronous transmission is well suited for re-
74 :: Basic Computing Skills

mote communication between a computer and related devices like

card reader and printers.

Fig. 4.2 : Analog Signal

Fig. 4.3 : Digital Signal

(e) Communication Media

Following are the major communication channels used today.
1. Twisted-Wire Pair: Twisted wire pairs are commonly used in
local telephone communication and for short distance digital
data communication. These are usually made up of copper and
the pair of wires is twisted together. Data transmission speed is
 Communication and Computer Netwrok :: 75

normally 9600 bits per second in a distance of 100 meter. They

are affected by noise. They get weakened over long distances
and therefore need to be boosted.
2. Coaxial Cables: Coaxial cable is a group of specially wrapped
and insulated wires that are able to transfer data at higher rate.
They consist of a central copper wire surrounded by an insula-
tion over which copper mesh is placed. They are used for long
distance telephone lines and local area network for their noise
immunity and faster data transfer.
3. Microwave: Microwave system uses very high frequency radio
signals to transmit data through space. The transmitter and re-
ceiver of a microwave system should be in line-of-sight because
the radio signal cannot bend. With microwave very long distance
transmission is not possible. In order to overcome the problem
of line of sight and power amplification of weak signal, repeaters
are used at intervals of 25 to 30 kilometers between the trans-
mitting and receiving end. This is a non-physical or un-guided
communication media.
4. Communication Satellite: The problem of line-sight and re-
peaters are overcome by using satellites, which are the most
widely used data transmission media in modern days. A com-
munication satellite is a microwave relay station placed in outer
space. INSAT-IB is such a satellite that is accessible from any-
where in India. In satellite communication, microwave signal is
transmitted from a transmitter on earth to the satellite in space.
The satellite amplifies the weak signal and transmits it back to
the receiver. The main advantage of satellite communication is
that it is a single microwave relay station visible from any point
of a very large area. In microwave the data transmission rate is
16 giga byte per second. They are mostly used to link big metro-
politan cities.

INTEXT QUESTIONS

1. Define communication protocol.

2. What is the difference between asynchronous and synchronous
transmission?
3. State whether True or False.
(a) The basic requirements for working of a communication sys-
tem are sender, medium and receiver.
76 :: Basic Computing Skills

(b) Electric or Electromagnetic encoding of data is called Trans-

mission.
(c) In full duplex the communication channel is used in both
directions at the same time.
(d) Analog signal is measured in Volts and its frequency in Hertz.
(e) The technique by which a digital signal is converted to ana-
log form is known as modulation.

4.4 COMPUTER NETWORK

A computer network is an interconnection of various computer sys-
tems located at different places. In computer network two or more
computers are linked together with a medium and data communi-
cation devices for the purpose of communicating data and sharing
resources. The computer that provides resources to other comput-
ers on a network is known as server. In the network the individual
computers, which access shared network resources, are known as
workstations or nodes.
Computer networks may be classified on the basis of geographical
area in three broad categories.
1. Local Area Network (LAN)
2. Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)
3. Wide Area Network (WAN)
(a) Local Area Network
Network used to interconnect computers in a single room or rooms
within a building or nearby buildings is called Local Area Network
(LAN). LAN transmits data with a speed of several megabyte per
second (106 bytes per second). The transmission medium is nor-
mally coaxial or twisted-pair cables. This usually spans about 0-5
kms and is generally a private network owned by an organization.
For example: Office LAN, Hospital LAN, Campus-wide LAN, etc.
LAN links computers through software and hardware in the same
area for the purpose of sharing information. Usually LAN links com-
puters within a limited geographical area and are therefore con-
nected by a cable. Addition of a new computer in the network there-
fore requires cabling to be done. People working in LAN get more
capabilities in data processing, work processing and other informa-
 Communication and Computer Netwrok :: 77

tion exchange compared to stand-alone computers. Because of this

information exchange capability most of the business and govern-
ment organizations are using LAN.
Major Characteristics of LAN
l Each computer has the potential to communicate with any other
computer of the network.
l High degree of interconnection between computers
l Easy physical connection of computers in a network.
l Inexpensive medium of data transmission
l High data transmission rate
Advantages
l The reliability of network is high because the failure of one com-
puter in the network does not effect the functioning of other
computers.
l Addition of new computer to network is easy.
l High rate of data transmission is possible.
l Peripheral devices like magnetic disk and printer can be shared
by other computers.
Disadvantages
If the communication line fails, the entire network system breaks
down.
Use of LAN
Following are the major areas where LAN is normally used
l File transfers and Access
l Word and text processing
l Electronic message handling
l Remote database access
l Personal computing
l Digital voice transmission and storage
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(b) Metropolitan Area Network

The MAN is used to describe a network of computers spanning a
metropolitan city usually 5-50 kms of range. A company having
multiple offices in various parts of a city generally uses this type of
network. Example is the Cellular or mobile Phone network.
(c) Wide Area Network
The term Wide Area Network (WAN) is used to describe a computer
network spanning a regional, national or global area. For example,
for a large company the head quarters might be at Delhi and re-
gional branches at Bombay, Madras, Bangalore and Calcutta. Here
regional centers are connected to head quarters through WAN. The
distance between computers connected to WAN is quite large. There-
fore the transmission medium used is normally telephone lines,
microwaves and satellite links. Internet is an example of a WAN.
Characteristics of WAN
Followings are the major characteristics of WAN.
1. Communication Facility: For a big company spanning over dif-
ferent parts of the country the employees can save long distance
phone calls and it overcomes the time lag in overseas communi-
cation. Computer conferencing is another use of WAN where
users communicate with each other through their computer sys-
tem.
2. Remote Data Entry: Remote data entry is possible in WAN. It
means sitting at any location you can enter data, update data
and query other information of any computer attached to the
WAN but located in other cities or country. For example, sup-
pose you are sitting at Madras and want to see some data of a
computer located at Delhi, you can do it through WAN.
3. Centralised Information: In modern computerized environment
you will find that big organizations go for centralized data stor-
age. This means if the organization is spread over many cities,
they keep their important business data in a single place. As
the data are generated at different cities, WAN permits collec-
tion of this data from different sites and save at a single site.
Examples of WAN
1. Ethernet: Ethernet developed by Xerox Corporation is a famous
example of WAN. This network uses coaxial cables for data trans-
 Communication and Computer Netwrok :: 79

mission. Special integrated circuit chips called controllers are

used to connect equipment to the cable.
2. Arpanet: The Arpanet is another example of WAN. It was devel-
oped at Advanced Research Projects Agency of U.S. Department.
This Network connects more than 40 universities and institu-
tions throughout USA and Europe.
Difference between LAN and WAN
l LAN is restricted to limited geographical area of few kilometers,
but WAN covers long distance and operates nationwide or even
worldwide.
l In LAN, the computer terminals and peripheral devices are con-
nected with wires and coaxial cables. In WAN there may or may
not be a physical connection. Communication is done through
telephone lines and satellite links.
l Cost of data transmission in LAN is less because the transmis-
sion medium is owned by a single organization. In the case of
WAN the cost of data transmission is very high because the trans-
mission medium used is hired, either telephone lines or satellite
links.
l The speed of data transmission is much higher in LAN than in
WAN. The transmission speed in LAN varies from 0.1 to 100
megabyte per second. In case of WAN the speed ranges from
1800 to 9600 byte per second (bps).
l Few data transmission errors occur in LAN compared to WAN. It
is because in LAN the distance covered is negligible.
4.5 NETWORK TOPOLOGY
The term topology in the context of communication network refers
to the way the computers or workstations in the network are linked
together. According to the physical arrangement of workstations and
nature of work, there are three major types of network topology.
They are bus topology, star topology and ring topology.
(a) Bus Topology
In bus topology all workstations are connected to a single commu-
nication line called bus. In this type of network topology there is no
central server and all the computers can talk or communicate to all
other systems connected to the cable. Transmission from any station
80 :: Basic Computing Skills

travels the length of the bus in both directions and can be received
by all workstations. The advantage of the bus topology is that
l It is quite easy to set up.
l If one station of the topology fails it does not affect the entire
system.
The disadvantage of bus topology is that any break in the bus is
difficult to identify and addition of more computers (nodes) slows
down the network performance.

Fig. 4.4 : Bus Topology

(b) Star topology

In star topology a number of workstations (or nodes) are directly
linked to a central server (see, Fig.4.5). Any communication between
stations in a star LAN must pass through the central server. There is
bi-directional communication between various nodes. The central
server controls all the activities of the nodes. The advantages of the
star topology are:
l It offers flexibility of adding or deleting of workstations from the
network.
l Breakdown of one station does not affect any other device on
the network.
 Communication and Computer Netwrok :: 81

The major disadvantage of star topology is that failure of the central

node disables communication throughout the whole network.

Fig. 4.5: Star Topology

(c) Ring Topology

In ring topology each station is attached to nearby stations on a
point-to-point basis so that the entire system is in the form of a
ring. In this topology data is transmitted in one direction only. Thus
the data packets circulate along the ring in either clockwise or
anticlockwise direction. The advantage of this topology is that any
signal transmitted on the network passes through all the LAN sta-
tions. The disadvantage of ring network is that the breakdown of
any one station on the ring can disable the entire system. The com-
munication of data takes longer time as flow is only in one direction.

Fig. 4.6 : Ring Topology

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INTEXT QUESTIONS

4. Differentiate between LAN, MAN and WAN.

5. What are the different types of network topology?
6. State True or False.
(a) Networks used to interconnect computers in a single room,
rooms within a building or buildings on one site are called
Wide Area Network (WAN).
(b) The term Wide Area Network (WAN) is used to describe a
computer network spanning a regional, national or global
area.
(c) The speed of data transmission is much higher in WAN than
in LAN.
4.6 INTERNET
The Internet is a network of networks. Millions of computers all over
the world are connected through the Internet. Computer users on
the Internet can contact one another anywhere in the world. If your
computer is connected to the Internet, you can connect to millions
of computers. You can gather information and distribute your data.
It is very much similar to the telephone connection where you can
talk with any person anywhere in the world.
In Internet a huge source of information is accessible to people across
the world. Information in every field starting from education, science,
health, medicine, history and geography to business, news, etc. can
be retrieved through Internet. You can also download programs and
software packages from anywhere in the world. Due to the
tremendous information resources the Internet provides, it is now
indispensable to every organization.
Origin of Internet
In 1969 Department of Defence (DOD) of USA started a network
called ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Administration Net-
work) with one computer at California and three at Utah. Later on
other universities and R & D institutions were allowed to connect to
the Network. ARPANET quickly grew to encompass the entire Ameri-
can continent and became a huge success. Every university in the
country wanted to become a part of ARPANET. So the network was
broken into two smaller parts MILNET for managing military sites
 Communication and Computer Netwrok :: 83

and ARPANET (smaller) for managing non-military sites. Around

1980, NSFNET (National Science Foundation Network) was created.
With the advancement of modern communication facilities, other
computers were also allowed to be linked up with any computer of
NSFNET. By 1990 many computers were looking up to NSFNET giv-
ing birth to Internet.
How Internet functions?
Internet is not a government organization. The ultimate authority of
the Internet is the Internet Society. This is a voluntary membership
organization whose purpose is to promote global information ex-
change. Internet has several million computers attached to it.
E-mail
E-mail stands for electronic mail. This is probably one of the fastest
and most convenient ways of communicating. It is also fast becom-
ing the cheapest mode of communication. The burden on the ever
so popular khakhi uniform clad Postman has been reduced consid-
erably with the availability of the E-mail facility to Indians in most
cities and parts of the world.
All the Internet subscribers in India get the E-mail facility free with
each subscription from their Internet Service Provider such as VSNL,
MTNL, Satyam, etc. Thus all Internet subscribers in India have unique
and separate E-mail address. This E-mail account can be accessed
by the subscriber from anywhere in the world.
The facility of E-mail has several features that are of immense help
to us. One can send common circulars/letters to all those clients or
other recipients who have E-mail facilities. This would result in sav-
ing a lot of stationary as well as postage charges. By creating Ad-
dress Books in the computer, one does not have to remember the E-
mail addresses of others. Further a lot of time, energy and money
can be saved by creating a Mailing List of all clients and using it to
send common letters/notices/circulars. Another advantage of us-
ing E-mail is that as long as the sender has keyed the correct E-mail
address of the addressee, the chances of the addressee not receiv-
ing the message without the sender being aware of this are remote.
Also only the person to whom it has been sent can read the e-mail
message. In addition, the transmission of messages to the server of
the addressee is virtually instantaneous. Thus, E-mail beats the Post-
man and the Courier boy in the race by miles; E-mail transcends all
time zones and barriers.
84 :: Basic Computing Skills

We can also send files created in any application such as say, a

Word Processor or a Spreadsheet, or a Picture File as attachments
with the E-mail messages. For example, if we have created a spread-
sheet containing the computation of total Income of a client, then
we can write a letter to him in E-mail and inform him that his com-
putation is ready and also attach the spreadsheet and send it to
him for verification. Of course, care must be taken to ensure that
the attachments are not very large files; otherwise, the recipient’s
mailbox is likely to get jammed. Further, the recipient, to be able to
open the file at his place, must also have the same application soft-
ware in his computer. In certain cases, the recipient must also have
the same version of the software that was used for preparing the
attachment.
The E-mail software supplied with Internet connection comprises of
some important and useful features, which are as follows:
Composing messages: With the help of the Internet Browsers, it is
possible to compose messages in an attractive way with the help of
various fonts. It is also possible to spell check the message before
finalizing it.
Replying to the mail received: It is possible to reply to any mail
received by merely using the “Reply” facility available on the Internet
Browsers. This facility also allows one to send the same reply to all
the recipients of the original message. This facility results in saving
of a lot of time in terms of remembering addresses, typing the sub-
ject matter etc.
Address Book: This is an electronic form of Address Book wherein
the following features can be saved: Name, full name, E-mail ad-
dress, name of organization to which the person belongs, the desig-
nation of such person, telephone numbers, etc. When one has to
send an E-mail, by merely typing the first name, for example, it
would be possible to recall the E-mail address of the recipient. It is
also possible to store addresses on the basis of categories. Thus, a
group containing addresses of all clients, one has to merely type in
the name of the category in place of the addresses. This would auto-
matically send the letter to all persons listed in that category. This
does away with the tedious task of retyping or reprinting the same
letter again and again and putting the letters in envelopes, address-
ing and stamping the envelopes and finally, mailing the same.
Printing of messages: It is possible to print messages received as
well as sent. Thus, if a person wants to keep a hard copy of any
message, it would be possible for him to do so.
 Communication and Computer Netwrok :: 85

Offline Editing/Composing/Reading: One does not have to be con-

nected to the Internet all the time to be able to read/edit/compose
messages. This is a very important feature which many people do
not make use of. Ideally, one should log into the Internet, download
all the messages into one’s own hard disk and then disconnect from
the Internet. Once the user is offline, he should read all the mes-
sages that have been received. Even composing one’s own messages,
editing the same or replying to messages received ought to be done
when one is off-line. This result in saving of Internet time as also
helps in keeping telephone lines free. It is also possible to compose
messages and save them as drafts so that at a later stage, the same
can be edited or continued and then sent.
Forwarding of messages: It is possible to forward any message re-
ceived from, say, Mr. A to Mrs. B without retyping the message.
Transfer of Data Files: An important use of the E-mail is the ability
to send/receive data files to/from a client. For example, at the time
of consolidation of accounts of a client, the data files containing
final accounts of the branches of that client can be obtained via E-
mail and after consolidation and finalization, the same can be sent
back to the client’s branches for closing entries etc. This would re-
sult in considerable saving of time, energy and money.
Greeting Cards: On the Internet, there are several sites which offer
free greeting cards for thousands of occasions to anybody who wants
to send greeting differently. To send an electronic greeting card,
one has to simply visit a site offering this facility, select a card from
amongst the several available, type in one’s message, name and E-
mail address of the recipient, name of the sender and with a simple
click, send the card. The recipient is notified by E-mail that he has
been sent a greeting card. He can then access the card by simply
clicking on the web-site address of the site, which has provided the
facility of the greeting card. Most such cards also come with anima-
tion i.e. music and video with movements. This makes the card ex-
tremely attractive, interesting and many times better than the tra-
ditional printed cards.
4.7 VOICE MESSAGING
Voice messaging is a new communication approach, which is simi-
lar to electronic mail except that it is audio message, rather than
text messages that are processed. A sender speaks into a telephone
rather typing, giving the name of the recipient and the message and
the sender’s voice signal is then digitized and stored. The system
can then either delivers the message at a specified time in the fu-
ture or the recipient can retrieve it from a database. The message is
86 :: Basic Computing Skills

converted back into its analog format when it is delivered or re-

trieved so that the recipient hears it as the original sender’s voice on
a telephone.
Voice messaging (or mail) requires a computer with an ability to
store the audio messages in digital form and then convert them
back in an audio retrieval. Each user has a voice mailbox in second-
ary storage, and special equipment converts the audio messages to
and from the digital form. The main advantage of voice mail over
electronic mail is that the sender does not have to type. Voice mail
also makes it easy to include people in the firm’s environment in a
communication network.
Several types of voice messaging products and services are available.
Some are standalone systems while others are integrated into PABX
telephone exchange, etc.
4.8 ELECTRONIC DATA INTERCHANGE
The term electronic data interchange has many definitions. Ameri-
can National Standards Institute (ANSI) has defined it as:
Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) is the transmission, in a standard
syntax, of unambiguous information of business or strategic signifi-
cance between computers of independent organizations. The users
of EDI do not have to change their internal databases. However, us-
ers must translate this information to or from their own computer sys-
tem formats, but this translation software has to be prepared only
once.
In simple terms, EDI is computer-to-computer communication us-
ing a standard data format to exchange business information elec-
tronically between independent organizations.
It is not a glamorous technology but EDI is helping many busi-
nesses cut the costs associated with shipping, receiving and main-
taining paper communication.
The principle of EDI is simple. It is set of standards that define the
way the paper forms should be rendered electronically. EDI can be
used to send an invoice, for example, or an order form from one
company to another. A sending computer, usually located at a
customer’s premises uses telecommunication technology to trans-
fer order data instantly to the “receiving computer”, usually located
at the suppliers distribution center. Software on each company’s
computer translates the item into standard codes, so it would not
matter if one company calls product a cog and the order calls the
 Communication and Computer Netwrok :: 87

same thing a sprocket, EDI will make sure that the right part is
ordered. After the received order data is manipulated and formatted
to match the order entry files, in the “order data base” of the sup-
plier, the information is transferred into the database and appropri-
ate error messages, and/or exception reports are generated. The
“sending computer” stores the order and follows up on it. The “re-
ceiving computer” automatically transfers the data to the warehouse
of the factory, the accounting and billing department, and the ship-
ping department.
4.8.1 Advantages of EDI
(i) Issue and receive orders faster: Since most purchasing trans-
actions are routine, they can be handled automatically, utiliz-
ing the staff for more demanding and less routine tasks.
(ii) Make sales more easily: Quotes, estimates, order entry and
invoicing will proceed more smoothly and efficiently. Orders
received electronically ensure that information is available im-
mediately, so that an organization can respond faster and be
more competitive.
(iii) Get paid sooner: Invoices received electronically can be recon-
ciled automatically, which means they are earmarked for pay-
ment in one’s trading partner’s accounting department sooner.
And, in turn, your own purchasing department is in a position
to negotiate for better terms including faster payment.
(iv) Minimise capital tied up in inventory: For manufacturing
organizations with a just-in-time (JIT) strategy, the right bal-
ance is crucial but every organization stands to benefit from
reducing order lead times.
(v) Reduce letters and memos: Letters and memos do not follow
rigid rules for formatting. They can be handled by an electronic
mail system.
(vi) Decrease enquiries: Customers or suppliers can make direct
on-line enquiries on product availability, or other non-sensitive
information instead of consuming the staff’s precious time.
(vii) Make bulk updates of catalogues and parts listings: One can
provide updates of data files, such as catalogues to customers
or part listings to franchisees.
EDI is vastly implemented in the trucking, marine shipping and air
88 :: Basic Computing Skills

cargo industries in developed countries. Implementation need not

be expensive. All that a small firm needs to have is a personal com-
puter, a modem and telephone line and the necessary software.
4.9 E-COMMERCE
Electronic Commerce or E-Commerce as it is popularly known is a
natural development, which has followed in the footsteps of the
Internet. The Internet is like a shop, which is permanently open, all
24 hours and all 365 days in a year. This makes the Internet the
ideal place to do business in. In this kind of an electronic shop,
there is no requirement of a shopkeeper or a cashier or a security
guard. Further, the shop can be accessed by anybody in any part of
the world. It also does away with the necessity of having an expen-
sive piece of real estate and furnishing the same. All these attractive
features have made the Internet an immensely popular place to set
up shops.
In India, E-commerce is not as widely popular or prevalent as in the
western countries. The main reason for this is that at present, it is
not possible to make payments by credit card through the Internet.
Once the credit card companies are in a position to offer the
cardholders some kind of assurance about the security aspect of
making payments via the Internet, the volcano of E-commerce will
erupt with a force that will shake the entire Indian business sce-
nario. Even today, there are already several outlets that have set up
their own web sites and who accept purchase orders through the
Internet. A popular super market in New Delhi, several cinema halls
in Mumbai, numerous book shops in many cities are some such
examples of businesses which have already started making use of
Internet for commercial purposes. Thus, for example, one can book
tickets of a film running at a particular cinema hall through the
internet and then go to the hall a few minutes before the show,
identify one’s self and get the tickets without having to wait for
hours in a queue.
E-commerce throws up several new challenges. The most important
issue that is thrown up by such commerce is that of taxation. For
taxation purposes, the first question that has to be addressed is
where did the sale take place? Since there is no physical form of the
place of business in case of E-commerce, it becomes difficult to de-
termine the country/state/city from where the sale was concluded.
Accordingly, jurisdictional disputes arise about the taxation of the
same especially with respect to indirect taxes. Even the most ad-
vanced nations such as U.S.A, Japan, France, and U.K have not yet
been able to satisfactorily solve this problem.
 Communication and Computer Netwrok :: 89

Similarly, another problem that arises is about the transaction es-

caping the tax net all together. Since there is no paper work in-
volved and all the interaction between the buyer and the seller is
done electronically, there is a possibility of the transaction being
kept out of the books of account of either or both sides of the trans-
action. As auditors, Chartered Accountants would have to deal with
this problem increasingly as E-commerce takes firm roots in India.
Another problem area of E-commerce is regarding fraud detection.
E-commerce comes to us along with the in-built dangers of elec-
tronic crimes and frauds. Detection and Prevention of such frauds
would be an area of great concern.
Some more areas where Charted Accountants would be called upon
to lend their expertise would be:
(a) Internet web site security-web trust audit;
(b) Knowledge of encryption techniques;
(c) Attesting integrity of databases;
(d) Interpretation of new tax laws covering E-commerce.
4.10 THE INTRANET
The driving force behind the first data communication networks was
the need to transmit data and information within the organization.
This internal focus was then broadened to include the firm’s busi-
ness partners, such as customers and suppliers; eventually, the
electronic data interchange (EDI) became a reality. Then, came the
Internet, with its user-friendly protocol for retrieving information on
an almost limitless number of topics from a seemingly limitless num-
ber of sources.
The success of the Internet in tapping into entirely new information
sources, however, did not blind data communication experts to the
potential for applying the technology to a more local level. If the
Internet is good for communicating with individuals and organiza-
tions outside the firm’s scope of operations, it should be good for
internal communications as well. This is the reasoning that gave
rise to the Intranet. Intranet is the use of the Internet Technology
for communication within the firm and between the firm and those
organizations and individuals with whom the firm does business.
90 :: Basic Computing Skills

4.11 TELECONFERENCING
The term teleconferencing refers to electronic meetings that involve
people who are at physically different sites. Telecommunication tech-
nology system allows meeting participants to interact with one an-
other without traveling to the same location. Three different types of
teleconferencing exist: audio teleconferencing, video teleconferenc-
ing and computer conferencing.
4.11.1 Audio Conferencing
Audio conferencing is the use of voice communications equipments
to establish an audio link between geographically dispersed per-
sons, one that allows them to conduct a conference. The conference
call was the first form of audio conferencing and is still in use. Some
firms install more elaborate systems consisting of private, high-quality
audio communications circuits that can be activated with the flip of
a switch.
Audio conferencing does not require a computer. It only requires a
two-way audio communications facility, as illustrated in figure be-
low.
Audio conferencing is best suited for firms that are spread over a
wide area. However, since it is a form of synchronous communica-
tion that requires all participants to be present at the same time, it
is difficult to schedule conferences when time zones are far apart.
4.11.2 Video Conferencing:
Video conferencing is the use of television equipment to link geo-
graphically dispersed conference participants. The equipment pro-
vides both sound and picture. Like audio conferencing, video
conferencing also does not necessarily require a computer.
With video conferencing, participants can see and hear each other.
Generally, participants gather in relatively expensive, specially
equipped rooms that can handle the complexities of simultaneous
video and audio transmission.
There are three possible video conferencing configurations.
One-Way Video and Audio: Video and audio signals are sent from a
single transmitting site to one or more receiving sites. This is a good
way for a project leader to disseminate information to team members
at remote locations.
 Communication and Computer Netwrok :: 91

One-Way Video and Two-Way Audio: People at the receiving sites

can talk to people at the transmitting site, while everyone views the
same video images.
Two-Way Video and Audio: The video and audio communications
between all sites are two-way. Although this is the most effective of
the electronically aided conferencing approaches, it can be the most
expensive.
4.11.3 Computer Conferencing
A third form of electronic conferencing is computer conferencing.
There is a fine line between this system and E-mail. Both use the
same software and hardware. Two factors determine the applica-
tion-Who uses the system, and the subject matter.
E-mail is available to anyone who has access to the network-and
that includes practically everyone in the office. Also, the E-mail sys-
tem can be used for any purpose. Computer conferencing, on the
other hand, is the use of a networked computer that allows particu-
lar topic. Computer conferencing is more disciplined form of E-mail.
Unlike an audio conference, a computer conference group can con-
sist of large number of participants. One of the largest computer
conferences was formed within IBM to include anyone who had an
interest in the IBM PC. Its members exceeded 40,000, and there
were over 4,000 separate topic areas.
Computer conferencing differs from audio or video conferencing be-
cause it can be used within a single geographic site. A person can
use computer conferencing to communicate with someone in the
office next door. Such use would not be practical with audio or video.

INTEXT QUESTIONS

7. Differentiate between Internet and Intranet

8. Define the following terms briefly:
(a) E-mail
(b) EDI
(c) Teleconferencing
92 :: Basic Computing Skills

4.12WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNT

In this lesson we discussed the importance and modes of communi-
cation through computers. Computers can communicate with one
another through computer networking. There are three types of com-
puter network: LAN, MAN and WAN. We discussed about the physi-
cal arrangements of computer and peripherals in network topology.
There are three types of network topology: star topology, bus topol-
ogy and ring topology. Also we discussed about Internet and Intranet,
E-mail, Voice messaging, EDI, E-Commerce and Teleconferencing.

4.13 TERMINAL QUESTIONS

1. Define computer Network. What are its main objectives?

2. Differentiate between analog and digital transmission of data.
3. Explain in brief different communication media.
4. Differentiate between
(a) Simplex and Full-duplex transmission
(b) Audio and Video conferencing

4.14 KEY TO INTEXT QUESTIONS

1. The data communication software instructs computer systems

and devices as to how exactly data is to be transferred from one
place to another. The procedure of data transmission in the form
of software is commonly called protocol.
2. In asynchronous transmission data is transmitted character by
character as you go on typing on a keyboard. On the other hand,
in the synchronous mode, the saved data is transmitted block
by block.
3. (a) True (b) False (c) True (d) True (e) True
4. LAN is a private network restricted to limited geographical area.
MAN is restricted to a city (5-50 km range), whereas WAN covers
great distance usually a country or the world. In LAN the com-
puter terminals and peripheral devices are connected with wires
and coaxial cables whereas in WAN communication is done
through telephone lines and satellite links. The speed of data
transmission is much higher in LAN than in MAN or WAN.
 Communication and Computer Netwrok :: 93

5. There are three major types of network topology. They are star
topology, bus topology and ring topology.
6. (a) False (b) True (c) False
7. The Internet is a network of networks Information in every field
starting from education, science, health, medicine, history, and
geography to business, news, etc, can be retrieved through
Internet. Intranet is the use of Internet technology for commu-
nication within the firm and between the firm and those organi-
zation and individuals with whom the firm does business.
8. (a) E-mail stands for electronic mail. Through e-mail we can
transfer data anywhere in the world within seconds.
(b) EDI stands for Electronic Data Interchange. In simple terms,
EDI is computer to-computer communication using a stan-
dard data format to exchange business information elec-
tronically between independent organizations.
(c) It refers to electronic meetings that involve people who are
at physically different sites.