Present Services Available Via the Internet

Present Services Available Via the Internet

Video Conferencing

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With a small video camera fixed to your PC, your image can be sent

down the network to another user (and vice versa). Audio signals can

also be sent using microphones and speakers. This means you can see

and talk to another user.

Companies can set up meetings with eyeball-to-eyeball communication

between people who are not in the same room, building or even country.

Using advanced communication methods, you can even talk to astronauts

orbiting in satellites in space.

Email

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Email is a system, which allows Internet users to send messages.

Each user has a unique email address - usually provided by their ISP

(Internet Service Provider).

Jake sends an email message to Susan...

Jake writes the message and sends it to Susan's email address

The message is uploaded from Jake's PC to his ISP server.

Jake's ISP server sends the message to Susan's ISP server where it is

stored.

When Susan logs on, she can check to see if there are any messages

waiting for her, and then download them to her PC.

Advantages of Email over traditional 'snail' mail.

It is much faster to send a message (seconds instead of days)

It is cheaper (the cost of the few seconds phone-call)

One message can be sent to a number of people.

You can send 'attachments' - pictures; sounds; video clips etc

The effects of E-Commerce

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Shops, banks, travel and entertainment companies have adapted to the

Internet by developing websites that often do parallel business to

their shops based in the high street. They can sometimes offer a

discount for ordering online as it saves them costs.

The many effects of E-commerce include:

Distances are reduced.

People can find even specialist shops in their living rooms on the

computer.

Isolation is reduced.

Banking and other services that used to be concentrated in the town

are now available wherever an Internet connection is available.