ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS
Electronic communication
systems help people work together by exchanging or sharing information in many
different forms. New communication capabilities have changed the way many
businesses operate by making it possible to do many things at a distance that
previously required being present in a specific location. These tools are
grouped into four general categories. Teleconferencing systems make it possible
to hold same-time, different-place meetings. Messaging systems make it possible
to transmit specific messages to specific individuals or groups of individuals.
Groupware systems start with messaging but go further by facilitating
access to documents and controlling team related workflow. Knowledge
management systems facilitate the sharing of knowledge rather than just
information.
Teleconferencing
The use of electronic
transmission to permit same-time, different-place meetings is called
teleconferencing. We can think of a traditional telephone call as a minimal teleconference,
but the term is normally applied to other options including audio conferencing,
audio graphic conferencing, and video conferencing.
The distinction between
these approaches is related to the type of information that is shared. Audio
conferencing is a single telephone call involving three or more people participating
from at least two locations. If several people on the call are in the same office,
they can all participate using a speakerphone, which includes a
high-sensitivity microphone and a loudspeaker that can be heard by anyone in a
room. Audio graphic conferencing is an extension of audio conferencing
permitting dispersed participants to see pictures or graphical material at the
same time. This is especially useful when the purpose of the meeting is to
share information that is difficult to describe, organize, or visualize, such
as a spreadsheet or model used to perform calculations under different
assumptions. Video conferencing is an interactive meeting involving two
or more groups of people who can see each other using television screens. The least
expensive forms of video conferencing are tiny cameras and 4-inch screens add to
telephones or separate video conferencing windows displayed on computer screens.
In typical business video conferencing, remote participants appear on a television
screen.
