Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
added each day); the ability to communicate with one individual or with
many, for whatever purposes we choose; to send and receive not only text,
but pictures, movies and sounds; the ability to browse, order and buy a vast
range of goods and services. Whether at an individual level, within organi-
sations, or between communities and nations, the Internet is changing lives
in innumerable ways.
1.5
1.25
1
0.75
0.5
0.25
0
Computing power
Transmission
capacity
Radio network
Internet provision
Projected growth to 2020 unless saturation is reached
Fig. 2.1.
Growth rates for web-related technologies (European Commission 2000).
Devices such as personal computers, laptops and personal digital assis-
tants (PDAs)
mean that
all this information and communication power can
(theoretically at least) be accessed by individual citizens. High speed digi-
tal telecommunications deliver the services of the Internet; mobile phones
allow us to communicate almost anywhere, accessing both voice and a
wide range of other data. Broadband services carry data more quickly and
at greater volumes. Wireless telecommunications mean that we can access
these resources without the need for physical connections. Geographical
Information Systems (GIS) enable us to gather, transform, manipulate and
analyze information related to the surface of the earth, in a variety of for-
mats. They are used by citizens as well as by agencies for navigating in
vehicles, and also for locating and tracking. Virtual reality - advanced 3-D
graphics and immersive facilities enable us to create and explore simula-
tions for a multitude of purposes, including gaming. Digital media (e.g.
CDs, DVDs, MP3 players) allow us to store, manipulate and retrieve
digital information for a wide range of uses including entertainment and
education. These capabilities are being exploited not just to provide new
functions and features for individuals to use, but to deliver a vast range of
services such as e-learning, e-banking, e-commerce, e-science, e-medicine,
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