This chapter introduces you to many of the hardware and software technologies that make electronic commerce possible. First, you will learn how the Internet and the World Wide Web work. Then, you will learn about other technologies that support the Internet, the Web, and electronic commerce.
In this chapter, you will be introduced to several complex networking technologies. If you are interested in learning more about how
computer networks operate, you can consult one of the computer networking books cited in the For Further Study and Research section at the end of this chapter, or you can take courses in data communications and networking. Let’s Begin ……….
The Internet and The World Wide Web
A “computer network” is any technology that allows people to connect computers to each other.
An internet (small “i”) is a group of computer networks that have been interconnected. In fact, “internet” is short for “interconnected network.” One particular internet,which uses a specific set of rules and connects networks all over the world to each other, is called the Internet (capital “i”). Networks of computers and the Internet that connects them to each other form the basic technological structure that underlies virtually all electronic commerce.
The part of the Internet known as the World Wide Web, or, more simply, the Web, is a subset of the computers on the Internet that are connected to one another in a specific way that makes them and their contents easily accessible to each other. The most important thing about the Web is that it includes an easy-to-use standard interface. This interface makes it possible for people who are not computer experts to use the Web to access a variety of Internet resources.
The Intranets and Extranets
An intranet is an interconnected network (or internet), usually one that uses the TCP/IP protocol set, and does not extend beyond the organization that created it.
An extranet is an intranet that has been extended to include specific entities outside the boundaries of the organization, such as business partners, customers, or suppliers.
A Virtual private network (VPN) is an extranet that uses public networks and their protocols to send sensitive data to partners, customers, suppliers, and employees using a system called IP tunneling or encapsulation.
PUBLIC AND PRIVATE NETWORKS
A public network is any computer network or telecommunications network that is available to the public. The Internet is one example of a public network.
A private network is a private, leased-line connection between two companies that physically connects their intranets to one another.
INTERNET CONNECTIONS
The Internet is a set of interconnected networks. Most organizations have their computers connected to each other using a network. Here are some familiar connection that we used in our daily live’s to fulfill our wants and needs. or to provide us what we need to shop online.
Voice-Grade Telephone Connections – The most common way for an individual to connect to an ISP is through a modem connected to your local telephone service provider.
Broadband Connections – Connections that operate at speeds of greater than about 200 Kbps. It is the newest technologies that uses the DSL protocol to provide service in the broadband range is asymmetric digital subscriber line.
Leased-Line Connections – These connections use a variety of technologies and are usually classified by the equivalent number of telephone lines they include.
Wireless Connections – For many people in rural areas, satellite microwave transmissions have made connections to the Internet possible for the first time. The most common wireless connection/WI-FI technology for use on LANs is called Wi-Fi, wireless, Ethernet, or 802.11b.
One version of fixed-point wireless uses a system of repeaters to forward a radio signal from the ISP to customers.
Cellular Telephone Networks The devices that combine the latest technologies available today are called third-generation (3G) mobile phones. Many mobile phones have a small screen and can be used to send and receive short text messages using a protocol called short message service (SMS).
SUMMARY
In this chapter, you learned about the history of the Internet and the Web, including how these technologies emerged from research projects and grew to be the supporting infrastructure for electronic commerce today. You also learned about the protocols, programs, languages, and architectures that support the Internet and the World Wide Web. TCP/IP is the protocol suite used to create and transport information packets across the Internet. IP addresses identify computers on the Internet. Domain names such as http://www.amazon.com also identify computers on the Internet,
but those names are translated into IP addresses by the routing computers on the Internet.
Internet service providers offer many different types of connections to the Internet. Basic telephone connections are the most economical and easiest to install, but they are the slowest. Broadband cable, satellite microwave transmission, and DSL services provide Internet access at relatively high speeds. Other, more expensive options provide the bandwidth that larger businesses need. A variety of wireless connection options are becoming available, including fixedpoint wireless. The wireless connection options available through mobile phones show promise in creating new opportunities for revenue generation, cost reduction, and payment-processing applications.
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