Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
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Asynchronous.
Asynchronous technologies allow participants
to engage in communication through delayed response systems.
Because users may review, respond, and interact with other mem-
bers whenever time is available, these technologies have a high level
of user acceptance and a low level of intrusion into scheduled activ-
ity and operations. These forms of communication are subject to a
high degree of latency in transmission, because each participant may
not receive a message or respond until time has passed since its ini-
tial transmission. Asynchronous communication systems form the
communication backbone for operations that are distributed across
widely disparate time zones, because participants need not even be
awake at the same time in order to conduct an ongoing discussion.
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Synchronous.
Synchronous technologies require users to coordinate
participation, reducing latency at the cost of convenience. Because
users are actively engaged in communication at the same time, cor-
rections and amplifications address misunderstandings very rapidly.
These technologies experience a lower level of user satisfaction for
some users because of the potential for disruption of other activities
to attend synchronous engagements.
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Te le pr e s e nc e .
The most interactive forms of synchronous commu-
nication involve the ability for parties to share information beyond
simple text or vocal communications. These systems allow groups
to share common whiteboards or desktops, engage actively in face-
to-face remote video conferencing, and even control and manipu-
late remote physical systems directly, through tele-operation. On
the very edge of technology, some organizations are beginning to
blend real-world and virtual world spaces in order to extend ser-
vices and access to participants who would otherwise be unable to
interact with their remote peers. Linden Labs' popular Second Life
environment is one such shared-presence venue, allowing real-world
and virtual-world interaction in real time. Because these solutions
involve technology-mediated face-to-face communication and other
forms of direct interaction, they produce the greatest impact on per-
formance and operations, because participants are actively engaged
in the communications medium and cannot typically perform other
tasks simultaneously, while all communications are dependent on
availability and bandwidth availability, which is not necessary for
synchronous in-person meetings.