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Basic computer network components

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Network components Servers

Client Router, switch, and PCs

Ethernet cable
Computer networks share common devices, functions, and features including servers,
clients, transmission media, shared data, shared printers and other hardware and
software resources, network interface card(NIC), local operating system(LOS), and the
network operating system (NOS).
Servers - Servers are computers that hold shared files, programs, and the network
operating system. Servers provide access to network resources to all the users of the
network. There are many different kinds of servers, and one server can provide several
functions. For example, there are file servers, print servers, mail servers,
communication servers, database servers, fax servers and web servers, to name a few.
Sometimes it is also called host computer, servers are powerful computer that store
data or application and connect to resources that are shared by the user of a network.
Clients - Clients are computers that access and use the network and shared network
resources. Client computers are basically the customers(users) of the network, as they
request and receive services from the servers. These days, it is typical for a client to be
a personal computer that the users also use for their own non-network applications.
Transmission Media - Transmission media are the facilities used to interconnect
computers in a network, such as twisted-pair wire, coaxial cable, and optical fiber cable.
Transmission media are sometimes called transmission medium channels, links or
lines.
Shared data - Shared data are data that file servers provide to clients such as data
files, printer access programs and e-mail.
Shared printers and other peripherals - Shared printers and peripherals are hardware
resources provided to the users of the network by servers. Resources provided include
data files, printers, software, or any other items used by clients on the network.
Network Interface Card - Each computer in a network has a special expansion card
called a network interface card (NIC). The NIC prepares(formats) and sends data,
receives data, and controls data flow between the computer and the network. On the
transmit side, the NIC passes frames of data on to the physical layer, which transmits
the data to the physical link. On the receiver's side, the NIC processes bits received
from the physical layer and processes the message based on its contents.
Local Operating System - A local operating system allows personal computers to
access files, print to a local printer, and have and use one or more disk and CD drives
that are located on the computer. Examples are MS-DOS, Unix, Linux, Windows 2000,
Windows 98, Windows XP etc. The network operating system is the software of the
network. It serves a similar purpose that the OS serves in a stand-alone computer
Network Operating System - The network operating system is a program that runs on
computers and servers that allows the computers to communicate over the network.
Hub - Hub is a device that splits a network connection into multiple computers. It is like
a distribution center. When a computer requests information from a network or a
specific computer, it sends the request to the hub through a cable. The hub will receive
the request and transmit it to the entire network. Each computer in the network should
then figure out whether the broadcast data is for them or not.
Switch - Switch is a telecommunication device grouped as one of computer network
components. Switch is like a Hub but built in with advanced features. It uses physical
device addresses in each incoming messages so that it can deliver the message to the
right destination or port.
Unlike a hub, switch doesn't broadcast the received message to entire network, rather
before sending it checks to which system or port should the message be sent. In other
words, switch connects the source and destination directly which increases the speed of
the network. Both switch and hub have common features: Multiple RJ-45 ports, power
supply and connection lights.
Router - When we talk about computer network components, the other device that used
to connect a LAN with an internet connection is called Router. When you have two
distinct networks (LANs) or want to share a single internet connection to multiple
computers, we use a Router. In most cases, recent routers also include a switch which
in other words can be used as a switch. You don’t need to buy both switch and router,
particularly if you are installing small business and home networks. There are two types
of Router: wired and wireless. The choice depends on your physical office/home setting,
speed and cost.
LAN Cable A local area Network cable is also known as data cable or Ethernet cable
which is a wired cable used to connect a device to the internet or to other devices like
computer, printers, etc.
TYPES OF COMPUTER NETWORK

Personal Area Network (PAN)

As the most basic type of network, a PAN consists of a wireless modem, one or two
computers, mobile phones, printers, tablets, etc. These types of networks are usually
found in small offices or residences and are managed from a single device by one
person or organization. It can also be used to communicate between personal devices
to connect to a digital network and the Internet itself.

Local Area Network (LAN)

LAN connect a number of computers and low- voltage devices over short distances (in a
building or in close proximity between two or three buildings) to share information and
resources. Companies normally manage and maintain LAN. All machines on LAN are
connected to one cable. Usually, it is a private network. LAN can connect to wide area
networks (WANs) with routers to transmit data quickly and safely.

Wide Area Network (WAN)

The WAN connects large number of computers spreading across a long geographical
distance. This allows computers and low- voltage devices to communicate remotely over
a large network. Due to WAN’s capacity of wide reaching; it is usually owned and
maintained by several administrators or the public. The majority of WAN networks are
used to transmit large data blocks between their users.

Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)

These network types are larger than LANs but smaller than WANs– and include elements
of both network types. MANs cover a whole geographical area (typically a city or town,
but sometimes a campus). Ownership and maintenance are carried out by one person or
company (local council, large company, etc.).

Campus Area Network (CAN)

Campus area network consists of a LAN connection with a limited geographical area.
Network devices such as switches, routers, optical fiber etc. are entirely owned by the
campus network owner. Typically, these types of networks are seen in universities, large
K-12 school districts or small companies. They can be spread over several buildings
which are relatively close together so that users can share resources.
Computer architecture is the organisation of the components which make up a
computer system and the meaning of the operations which guide its function. It defines
what is seen on the machine interface, which is targeted by programming languages
and their compilers.

THE THREE CATEGORIES OF COMPUTER ARCHITECTURE

There are three categories of computer architecture, and all work together to make a
machine function.

SYSTEM DESIGN
System design includes all hardware parts of a computer, including data processors,
multiprocessors, memory controllers, and direct memory access. It also includes the
graphics processing unit (GPU). This part is the physical computer SYSTEM.

INSTRUCTION SET ARCHITECTURE (ISA)

This includes the functions and capabilities of the central processing unit (CPU). It is the
embedded programming language and defines what programming it can perform or
process. This part is the software that makes the computer run, such as operating
systems like Windows on a PC or iOS on an Apple iPhone, and includes data formats
and the programmed instruction set.

MICROARCHITECTURE

Microarchitecture is also known as computer organisation and defines the data

processing and storage element and how they should be implemented into the ISA. It is
the hardware implementation of how an ISA is implemented in a particular processor.

THE EVOLUTION OF PROCESSORS

Complex Instruction Set Computer (CISC) and Reduced Instruction Set Computer
(RISC) are the two major approaches to processor architecture.

CISC processors have a single processing unit, external memory, and a small register
set with hundreds of different instructions. These processors have a single instruction to
perform a task, and have the advantage of making the job of the programmer easier, as
fewer lines of code are needed to get the job done. This approach uses less memory,
but can take longer to complete instructions.

The RISC architecture was the result of a rethink, which has led to the development of
high-performance processors. The hardware is kept as simple and fast as possible, and
complex instructions can be performed with simpler instructions.
Microprocessors are digital systems which read and execute machine language
instructions. Instructions are represented in a symbolic format called an assembly
language. These are processors which are implemented on a single, integrated circuit.
Common microprocessors used today are the Intel Pentium series, IBM PowerPC, and
the Sun SPARC, among others. Nearly all modern processors are microprocessors,
which are often available as standard on von Neumann machines.

THE VON NEUMANN ARCHITECTURE

Mathematician John von Neumann and his colleagues proposed the von Neumann
architecture in 1945, which stated that a computer consists of: a processor with an
arithmetic and logic unit (ALU) and a control unit; a memory unit that can communicate
directly with the processor using connections called buses; connections for input/output
devices; and a secondary storage for saving and backing up data.

The central computation concept of this architecture is that instructions and data are
both loaded into the same memory unit, which is the main memory of the computer and
consists of a set of addressable locations. The processor can then access the
instructions and data required for the execution of a computer program using dedicated
connections called buses –an address bus which is used to identify the addressed
location and a data bus which is used to transfer the contents to and from a location.

THE PROS AND CONS OF THE VON NEUMANN ARCHITECTURE

Computers as physical objects have changed dramatically in the 76 years since the von
Neumann architecture was proposed. Supercomputers in the 1940s took up a whole
room but had very basic functionality, compared to a modern smartwatch which is small
in size but has dramatically higher performance. However, at their core, computers have
changed very little and almost all of those created between then and now have been run
on virtually the same von Neumann architecture.

There are a number of reasons why the von Neumann architecture has proven to be so
successful. It is relatively easy to implement in hardware, and von Neumann machines
are deterministic and introspectable. They can be described mathematically and every
step of their computing process is understood. You can also rely on them to always
generate the same output on one set of inputs.

The biggest challenge with von Neumann machines is that they can be difficult to code.
This has led to the growth of computer programming, which takes real-world problems
and explains them to von Neumann machines.

When a software program is being written, an algorithm is reduced to the formal

instructions that a von Neumann machine can follow. However, the challenge is that not
all algorithms and problems are easy to reduce, leaving unsolved problems.
HARVARD ARCHITECTURE

Another popular computer architecture, though less so than the von Neumann
architecture, is Harvard architecture.

The Harvard architecture keeps instructions and data in separate memories, and the
processor accesses these memories using separate buses. The processor is connected
to the ‘instructions memory’ using a dedicated set of address and data buses, and is
connected to the ‘data memory’ using a different set of address and data buses.

This architecture is used extensively in embedded computing systems such as digital

signal processing (DSP) systems, and many microcontroller devices use a Harvard-like
architecture.

Types of IT Security
IT security deals with all aspects of protecting IT assets
against cyber threats. The modern business’s IT assets are
spread across multiple different platforms, meaning that IT
security must secure a wide range of different platforms from
cybersecurity threats.

IT security includes:

 Identity Security: Identity security includes methods and

processes to identify, verify and authorize machines,
devices, users, groups, applications, and functions. This is
essential to identity and access management (IAM).
 Network Security: Network security involves securing on-
prem networks, wide area networks (WAN), and the
Internet. Network segmentation, secure transport, secure
access and content inspection to prevent threats are
some methods used for securing networks.

 Cloud Security: As organizations increasingly adopt cloud

technologies, they need cloud-specific security solutions.
Common aspects of cloud security include solutions for
IaaS security (covering infrastructure and workloads),
PaaS security (securing applications and containers), and
SaaS security (protecting office suites and email).

 Endpoint Security: As employees increasingly work from

home, endpoint security is more important than ever. This
includes device compliance and threat prevention for both
traditional endpoints and mobile devices and securing
Internet of Things (IoT) devices with device discovery,
segmentation, and threat prevention.

 Application and API Security: Applications and

application programming interfaces (APIs) are a major
part of an organization’s attack surface and should be
secured via code review, analysis and runtime analytics.
In the modern organization, security is no longer bolted on
or added as an overlay on top of Infrastructure as Code
but is included in the CI/CD pipelines as part of Shift Left
Security and DevSecOps initiatives.

 Management: Deploying an array of security solutions

means that organizations need to manage them as well.
This includes device configuration, monitoring,
optimization, automation, and orchestration.
  Visibility And Incident Response: The goal of IT security
is to protect the organization against cyber threats. To do
so, organizations need to maintain visibility into their
network, ingest threat intelligence, and engage in
forensics, threat hunting, and threat mitigation as needed.

IT Security Threats
IT assets are a vital part of how organizations do business and
a valuable target for cybercriminals. A number of threats to IT
security exist, including:

 Vulnerability Exploitation: IT assets commonly run

software that contains potentially exploitable
vulnerabilities. Cybercriminals can take advantage of this
by attacking these systems directly over the network or
sending malicious files to exploit the vulnerabilities.

 Account Takeover: Cybercriminals can steal account

credentials via phishing and other social engineering
attacks. With these credentials, attackers can take over
user accounts to steal sensitive data or use them in their
attacks.

 Financially-Motivated Attacks: Cybercrime is a business

with many opportunities to make money. These include
ransomware, data exfiltration, and Denial of Service (DoS)
attacks for financial extortion.

 Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs): APTs are

sophisticated threat actors financed by nation-states or
organized crime. These groups can launch very
 sophisticated attacks, such as exploitation of supply
chain vulnerabilities.

 Poor Security Practices: Lax security configurations and

access controls are a common problem in both on-prem
and cloud-based environments. Examples include the use
of default and weak credentials exploitable via brute
force attacks.

IT Security vs Cybersecurity
IT security and cybersecurity are closely related. Both
address the security of an organization’s IT assets and the
data that they contain, and this includes protecting these
assets against digital threats. IT may also include measures to
secure IT from physical threats.

The main difference between IT security and cybersecurity is

that cybersecurity goes beyond IT security. While
cybersecurity encompasses IT security, it also includes other
areas, such as protecting the sensitive and personal data of
individuals or consumers and the telecommunications and
critical infrastructure sectors.

IT Security vs OT Security
Operational Technology (OT) systems are used in
environments such as critical infrastructure. The role of these
systems is to interface with and manage industrial control
systems (ICS), such as systems in a power plant or on an
assembly line. While many of the systems used in OT
environments are the same as those used in IT environments,
others are different and quite specialized.

Additionally, OT environments differ from IT environments in

their priorities. In OT environments, availability and uptime are
often the primary concern, so systems may remain unpatched
if the update would cause downtime.

The differences between the systems and priorities in IT and

OT environments mean that IT and OT security can be seen
as very different areas. However, IT and OT environments are
increasingly converging as OT environments become more
connected, so robust IT security practices have a significant
impact on an organization’s OT security posture and vice
versa.

What is Web Design?

Web design is the process of planning, conceptualizing, and arranging content online.
Today, designing a website goes beyond aesthetics to include the website’s overall
functionality. Web design also includes web apps, mobile apps, and user interface
design.
Choosing a Web Design Tool
There are two main ways to design a website: using a desktop app or using a website
builder. The tool you decide to use will vary greatly based on your team size, your
budget, and the type of site you wish to build and its technical requirements.
1. Desktop Apps
Desktop apps require designers to create their design and send it to a development team
who can then convert the design to code. The most popular desktop apps for designing
websites are Photoshop and Sketch.

Typically, this is the standard for large and/or complex websites because it allows the
designer to focus on the overall look and feel, while all the technical challenges are
transferred to the development team. Unfortunately, this process can be expensive and
time-consuming because multiple resources, skill sets, and team members are required.

To avoid involving a developer, it is beneficial to use a website builder to design a

website with fewer technical requirements.

2. Website Builders
There are many website builders on the market today that offer a wide range of features
and services. Wix, Squarespace, Webflow, and Pagecloud, are just a few examples of
popular website builders that vary in design capabilities, template options, price, and
overall editing experience. Be sure to do your research, experiment with free trials, and
determine which platform best fits your website needs.
Website builders create either adaptive or responsive websites, which offer different
building experiences. These concepts will be discussed in more detail below so you can
best understand which builders will work for you. If you don’t know how to code,
becoming familiar with the freedoms and limitations of various website design tools is
essential. For example, although Wordpress is the most used website platform, it’s not
popular with visual designers because of its limited customization options.

Web Design Elements

When designing a website it’s important to consider both the site’s appearance and
functionality. Integrating these elements will maximize the site’s overall usability and
performance. Your site’s usability includes elements such as an easy-to-navigate
interface, appropriate use of graphics and images, well-written and well-placed text, and a
color scheme. Your site’s performance refers to its speed, ranking, searchability, and
ability to capture your audience.

Visual elements
Here’s a quick overview of the elements you should consider while designing your
website to make sure everything works well together. Each section will provide tips and
tricks to help you get started.

 Written copy
Written copy

Fundamentally, your website’s appearance and text go hand-in-hand. It’s important to

have your content writers and designers work together in order to create a cohesive
design with balanced elements. Focus on creating chunks of text (using text blocks) in
order to compliment your graphics and images.

Related: Written Content or Design, Which Comes First?

Fonts
Choose a font that compliments your overall design. Font should pair with your color
scheme, graphics, images, and strengthen the overall tone of your website. Tools
like Canva’s Font Combinator can help you find a perfect match for your font. Web
design tools like PageCloud even include numerous font pairings within their app.
Related: The Easy Way to Add Fonts to Your Website (Including Custom Fonts)

Colors
Colors are one of the most important elements to consider when designing a website.
Keep in mind there are many misconceptions about the psychology of color, and it’s
more important to focus on colors that compliment your overall design and tone of your
website. Align your color scheme with your brand and the messages you want to convey
to your audience.
Layout
How you decide to arrange your content will have a dramatic impact on both the usability
and functionality of your site. There are no specific rules to follow when choosing a
layout, however, there are a few main principles to keep in mind. Make sure to consider
the needs of your target audience and avoid using an overstimulating layout that might
detract from the messages you want to convey.

Shapes
The use of graphic elements in web design can help seamlessly integrate text and images,
and help with the site’s overall appearance. Combining beautiful colors and shapes can
help direct the attention of your sites visitors and contribute to your site’s overall flow.

Spacing
Spacing is a key element to creating visually pleasing and easy to navigate websites.
Every element in your design will incorporate spacing in one way or another. Appropriate
use of whitespace is crucial in creating a design that perfectly balances text, photos, and
graphics. Keeping your spacing consistent can help your users navigate your website with
ease. The concept of whitespace is definitely a priority of modern web designers.
Images & Icons

Amazing designs can communicate a lot of information in just a few seconds. This is
made possible with the use of powerful images and icons. Choose images and icons that
support and strengthen your message. A quick Google search for stock images and icons
will generate thousands of options. To help simplify your search, here are a few
favourites:

Free images and icons

 Pexels
 Unsplash
 IconMonstr
Premium images and icons
Videos

Integrating videos into web design is becoming increasingly popular amongst designers.
When used properly, videos can help your users experience or understand a message that
can’t be properly conveyed through text or image. Keep in mind that like having a TV
screen on in a restaurant, visitors’ eyes will be drawn to moving images. Make sure your
videos don’t compete with or detract from other important elements.

Related: How to use Video Background on Your Website - The Right Way!

Functional elements
These functional elements are imperative to consider when designing your website. A
website that functions properly is crucial for ranking highly on search engines, and giving
your users the best possible experience.
Navigation
Your website’s navigation is one of the main elements that determines whether your
website is functioning properly. Depending on your audience, your navigation can serve
multiple purposes: helping first time visitors discover what your site has to offer, giving
easy access to your pages for returning visitors, and improving every visitor's overall
experience. Check out these best practices for more tips on navigation.

User Interactions
Your site visitors have multiple ways of interacting with your site depending on their
device (scrolling, clicking, typing, etc.). The best website designs simplify these
interactions to give the user the sense that they are in control. Here are a few examples:
 Never auto-play audio or videos
Never underline text unless its clickable
 Make sure all forms are mobile-friendly
 Avoid pop ups

 Avoid scroll-jacking

Animations
There are tons of web animation techniques that can help your design grab visitor’s
attention, and allow your visitors to interact with your site by giving feedback. For
example, adding “like” buttons or forms can keep your site’s visitors engaged. If you’re
new to web design, we’d recommend keeping your animations simple to avoid developer
intervention.
Speed

No one likes a slow website. Having to wait more than a few seconds for a page to load
can quickly deter a visitor from remaining on or returning to your site. Regardless of how
beautiful, if your site doesn’t load quickly, it will not perform well in search (i.e. won’t
rank high on Google).

Top site builders typically compress your content for faster load times, however, there are
no guarantees. Make sure to research which site builders will work best for the content
you will have on your site. For example, PageCloud optimizes your images to ensure fast
loading times for sites with large and/or multiple photos.

Site structure

A website’s structure plays an important role in both user experience (UX) and search
engine optimization (SEO). Your users should be able to easily navigate through your
website without encountering any structural issues. If users are getting lost while
attempting to navigate through your site, chances are “crawlers” are too. A crawler (or
bot) is an automated program that searches through your website and can determine its
functionality. Poor navigation can lead to a poor user experience and site ranking.

Related: How to Create a Site Structure That Will Enhance SEO

Cross-browser & cross-device compatibility

A great design should look polished on all devices and browsers (yes, even Internet
Explorer). If you’re building your site from scratch, we’d recommend using a cross-
browser testing tool to make this tedious process faster and more efficient. On the other
hand, if you’re using a website building platform, the cross-browser testing is typically
taken care of by the company’s development team allowing you to focus on design.

Types of Website Design: Adaptive vs.

Responsive
Understanding the pros and cons of adaptive and responsive websites will help you
determine which website builder will work best for your website design needs.

You might come across articles online that talk about a whole bunch of different website
design styles (fixed, static, fluid, etc.). However, in today’s mobile-centric world, there
are only two website styles to use to properly design a website: adaptive and responsive.

Adaptive websites
Adaptive web design uses two or more versions of a website that are customized for
specific screen sizes. Adaptive websites can be split into two main categories based upon
how the site detects what size needs to be displayed:

1. Adapts based on device type

When your browser connects to a website, the HTTP request will include a field called
“user-agent” that will inform the server about the type of device attempting to view the
page. The adaptive website will know what version of the site to display based on what
device is trying to reach it (i.e. desktop, mobile, tablet). Issues will arise if you shrink the
browser window on a desktop because the page will continue to display the “desktop
version” rather than shrinking to the new size.

2. Adapts based on browser width

Instead of using the “user-agent”, the website uses media queries (a CSS feature that
enables a webpage to adapt to different screen sizes) and breakpoints (certain width sizes)
to switch between versions. So instead of having a desktop, tablet, and mobile version,
you will have 1080px, 768px, and 480px width versions. This offers more flexibility
when designing, and a better viewing experience as your website will adapt based on
screen width.

(image credit: UX Alpaca)

Pros
 WYSIWYG editing (what you see is what you get)

 Custom designs are faster and easier to build without code

  Cross-browser and cross-device compatibility
 Fast-loading pages
Cons
 Websites that use “device-type” can look broken when viewed in a smaller
browser window on a desktop
 Limitations on certain effects that only responsive sites can accomplish

Responsive Websites
Responsive websites can use flexible grid layouts that are based on the percentage each
element takes up in its container: if one element (e.g. a header) is 25% of its container,
that element will stay at 25% no matter the change in screen size. Responsive websites
can also use breakpoints to create a custom look at every screen size, but unlike adaptive
sites that adapt only when they hit a breakpoint, responsive websites are constantly
changing according to the screen size.

(image credit: UX Alpaca)

Pros
 Great experience at every screen size, regardless of the device type
  Responsive website builders are typically rigid which makes the design hard to
“break”
 Tons of available templates to start from
Cons
 Requires extensive design and testing to ensure quality (when starting from
scratch)
 Without accessing the code, custom designs can be challenging
It’s important to note that website builders can include both adaptive and responsive
features. For example, Pagecloud recently introduced a series of features that allow your
content to act responsive even though the website itself is still adaptive.

Adaptive Website Builders

Wix and Pagecloud are arguably the two best visual website builders on the market
today. Both use an adaptive approach, meaning their drag-and-drop and WYSIWYG
capabilities are second to none. You can build just about anything without having to write
a single line of code.

Wix has been around since 2006 and has since developed a wide range of features and
templates to suit just about every business need. Today, it’s considered one of the easiest
tools for beginners.

Wix has been around since 2006 and has since developed a wide range of features and
templates to suit just about every business need. Today, it’s considered one of the easiest
tools for beginners.

Although it’s hard to choose a winner in this category, here are few things to keep in
mind:

 If you’re looking for the most customizable experience, choose Pagecloud.

 If you’re looking for something really easy and don’t have much design
experience, choose Wix.
 If you’re looking to work with a developer, choose Pagecloud.
  If you want many template options, choose Wix.
 If you like shortcuts and the experience found in desktop publishing apps, choose
Pagecloud.
As both platforms offer free trials, we’d recommend trying them both before deciding.
Responsive Website Builders
Tools like Squarespace offer responsive website builders, however, this means your
editing experience is more limited. Creating a fluid responsive website is hard, and
without knowing how to code, it is nearly impossible to build unique websites using
responsive website builders.
This is where more complex web design tools, like Webflow and Froont, come into play.
Here are some of the pros and cons to consider when looking to adopt one of these tools:
Pros
 Ability to create custom responsive sites without having to write code

 Unmatched control over every element on the page

 Ability to export code to host elsewhere
Cons
 Complex tools with steep learning curves
 Slower design process than adaptive website builders

E-commerce
E-commerce websites are an important part of website design. Creating an online store
that is easy to navigate, informative, and accurately displays your products is crucial to
creating the best online shopping experience for your customers.

If you want to learn more about starting an online store, check out our article for 5 easy
steps to creating an e-commerce website!

Next Steps
Hopefully this article helped you to better understand the essentials in web design. To
review, let’s take a look at some key elements in designing a website that is both
beautiful and functional:

1. The user always comes first: user experience should be at the forefront of your design,
as your users will ultimately be the ones to determine whether your website is worth
visiting.
2. Choose the best website builder for your needs: ask yourself what your website’s
major functions will be, and choose a website builder that will ensure those needs are
met.

3. Balancing visual elements: it’s important to maintain a balance between your text,
graphics, multimedia, and color scheme to avoid an overstimulating website that detracts
from the messages you are trying to convey.

Now that you’ve mastered the basics in website design, be sure to check out more
posts to learn more about types of website builders, design trends, design elements, and
much more.

What is ecommerce?
"Ecommerce" or "electronic commerce" is the trading of goods and services
on the internet. It is your bustling city center or brick-and-mortar shop
translated into zeroes and ones on the internet superhighway. An
estimated 2.14 billion people worldwide buy goods and services online, and
the number of Prime members shopping Amazon stores globally now
tops 200 million.

Ecommerce is one way people buy and sell things in retail. Some companies
sell products online only, while other sellers use ecommerce as a part of a
broader strategy that includes physical stores and other distribution
channels. Either way, ecommerce allows startups, small businesses, and
large companies to sell products at scale and reach customers across the
world.

What is an ecommerce website?

An ecommerce website is your digital storefront on the internet. It facilitates
the transaction between a buyer and seller. It is the virtual space where you
showcase products, and online customers make selections. Your website acts
as the product shelves, sales staff, and cash register of your online business
channel.

Businesses might create a branded store experience on a store like Amazon,

build their own commerce site on a dedicated domain, or do it all for a multi-
channel approach.

What are the types of

ecommerce?
Ecommerce takes as many different forms as there are various ways to shop
online channels. A few common business models that shape the world of
ecommerce are:

 B2C– Businesses sell to individual consumers (end-users). The

most common model with many variations.

 B2B – Businesses sell to other businesses. Often the buyer

resells products to the consumer.

 C2B– Consumers sell to businesses. C2B businesses allow

customers to sell to other companies.

 C2C – Consumers sell to other consumers. Businesses create

online marketplaces that connect consumers.

 B2G – Businesses sell to governments or government agencies.

 C2G – Consumers sell to governments or government agencies.

 G2B – Governments or government agencies sell to businesses.

 G2C - Governments or government agencies sell to consumers.

What Is Data Science?

What Is Data Analytics?

Data analytics focuses on processing and performing statistical analysis of existing

datasets. Analysts concentrate on creating methods to capture, process, and organize
data to uncover actionable insights for current problems, and establishing the best way
to present this data. More simply, the field of data and analytics is directed toward
solving problems for questions we know we don’t know the answers to. More
importantly, it’s based on producing results that can lead to immediate improvements.

Data analytics also encompasses a few different branches of broader statistics and
analysis which help combine diverse sources of data and locate connections while
simplifying the results.

What Is Data Science?

Data science is a multidisciplinary field focused on finding actionable insights from large
sets of raw and structured data. The field primarily fixates on unearthing answers to the
things we don’t know we don’t know. Data science experts use several different
techniques to obtain answers, incorporating computer science, predictive analytics,
statistics, and machine learning to parse through massive datasets in an effort to
establish solutions to problems that haven’t been thought of yet.

Data management systems and

components
Data management systems are built on data management platforms and include a range of
components and processes that work together to help you extract value from your data.
These can include database management systems, data warehouses and lakes, data
integration tools, analytics, and more.

Database management systems (DBMS)

There are many different kinds of database management systems. The most common ones
include relational database management systems (RDBMS), object-oriented database
management systems (OODMBS), in-memory databases, and columnar databases.

Different data management systems

 Relational database management system (RDBMS): An RDBMS is a database

management system that contains data definitions so that programs and retrieval
systems can reference data items by name, rather than describing the structure and
location of the data each time. Based on the relational model, RDBMS systems also
maintain relationships between data items that enhance access and avoid
duplication. An item’s basic definition and characteristics, for example, are stored
once and linked to customer order detail lines and pricing tables.

 Object-oriented database management system (OODBMS): An OODBMS is a

different approach to data definition and storage, developed and used by object-
oriented programming system (OOPS) developers. Data is stored as objects, self-
contained and self-described entities, rather than in tables as in an RDBMS.

 In-memory database: An in-memory database (IMDB) stores data in a computer’s

main memory (RAM), instead of on a disk drive. Retrieval from memory is much
faster than retrieval from a disk-based system, so in-memory databases are
commonly used by applications that require rapid response times. For example, what
once took days to compile into a report can now be accessed and analyzed in
minutes, if not seconds.

 Columnar database: A columnar database stores groups of related data (a

“column” of information) together for quick access. It is used in modern in-memory
business applications and for many standalone data warehouse applications where
retrieval speed (of a limited range of data) is important.

Data warehouses and lakes

 Data warehouse: A data warehouse is a central repository of data accumulated
from many different sources for the purpose of reporting and analysis.

 Data lake: A data lake is a vast pool of data stored in its raw or natural format. Data
lakes are typically used to store Big Data, including structured, unstructured, and
 semi-structured data.

Master data management (MDM)

Master data management is the discipline of creating one trusted master reference (a single
version of the truth) for all important business data, such as product data, customer data,
asset data, finance data, and more. MDM helps ensure businesses don’t use multiple,
potentially inconsistent versions of data in different parts of business, including processes,
operations, and analytics and reporting. The three key pillars to effective MDM include: data
consolidation, data governance, and data quality management.
A technology-enabled discipline in which business and the IT organization work together to
ensure the uniformity, accuracy, stewardship, semantic consistency, and accountability of
the enterprise’s official, shared master data assets.

Gartner definition of MDM

Big Data management
New types of databases and tools have been developed to manage Big Data – massive
volumes of structured, unstructured, and semi-structured data inundating businesses today.
In addition to highly efficient processing techniques and cloud-based facilities to handle the
volume and velocity, new approaches to interpreting and managing the data variety have
been created. In order for the data management tools to be able to understand and work
with different kinds of unstructured data, for example, new pre-processing processes are
used to identify and classify data items to facilitate storage and retrieval.

Data integration
Data integration is the practice of ingesting, transforming, combining, and provisioning data,
where and when it’s needed. This integration takes place in the enterprise and beyond –
across partners as well as third-party data sources and use cases – to meet the data
consumption requirements of all applications and business processes. Techniques include
bulk/batch data movement, extract, transform, load (ETL), change data capture, data
replication, data virtualization, streaming data integration, data orchestration, and more.

Data governance, security, and compliance

Data governance is a collection of rules and responsibilities for ensuring data availability,
quality, compliance, and security across the organization. Data governance establishes the
infrastructure and names the individuals (or positions) within an organization that have both
the authority and the responsibility for the handling and safeguarding of specific kinds and
types of data. Data governance is a key part of compliance. The systems will take care of
the mechanics of storage, handling, and security – it is the people side, the governance
side, that ensures that the data is accurate to begin with and is handled and protected
properly before being entered into the system, while being used, and when retrieved from
the system for use or storage elsewhere. Governance specifies how responsible individuals
use processes and technologies to manage and protect data.

Of course, data security is a major concern in today’s world of hackers, viruses,

cyberattacks, and data breaches. While security is built into systems and applications, data
governance is there to ensure that those systems are properly set up and administered to
protect the data, and that procedures and responsibilities are enforced to protect the data
outside of the systems and database.

Business intelligence and analytics

Most, if not all, data management systems include basic data retrieval and reporting tools,
and many incorporate or are bundled with powerful retrieval, analysis, and reporting
applications. Reporting and analytics applications are also available from third-party
developers and almost certainly will be included in the application bundle as a standard
feature or as an optional add-on module for more advanced functionality.

The power of today’s data management systems lies, to a great extent, in the ad-hoc
retrieval tools that allow users with a minimum amount of training to create their own on-
screen data retrievals and print-out reports with surprising flexibility in formatting,
calculations, sorts, and summaries. In addition, professionals can use these same tools or
more sophisticated analytics tool sets to do even more in the way of calculations,
comparisons, higher math, and formatting. New analytics applications are able to bridge
across traditional databases, data warehouses, and data lakes to allow incorporation of Big
Data with business application data for better forecasting, analysis, and planning.

What is an enterprise data strategy and

why should you have one?
Many companies have been passive in their approach to data strategy: accepting whatever
their business application supplier has built into their systems. But now, that is not good
enough. With today’s explosion of data, and its importance to the operation of every
enterprise, it is increasingly necessary to take a more proactive and comprehensive
approach to data management. What that means, from a practical standpoint, is
preparation, setting a data strategy that:

 Identifies the specific types of data your company will need and use,

 Assigns responsibility for each type of data, and

 Establishes procedures to govern the acquisition, collection, and handling of that

data.
One of the key benefits of a corporate data management strategy and infrastructure is that it
brings the organization together – coordinating all activities and decisions in support of the
enterprise’s purpose, which is to effectively and efficiently deliver quality products and
services to customers. Having an all-encompassing data strategy and seamless data
integration eliminates silos of information. This allows each department, manager, and
employee to see and understand their individual contribution to company success – and
keep their decisions and actions aligned with those goals.
What is Telecommunications?
Telecommunications, also known as telecom, is the exchange of information over large
distances. It's a broad term that includes various sectors, but all include a transmitter and a
receiver. The medium of signal transference can be via various means—fiber, electromagnetic
fields, light, cable, etc.

The internet is a large example of telecoms, dwindling to smaller wide-area networks (WANs),
telephone, WhatsApp messaging, emails, and broadcast networks, including radio and television.
Voice was the original medium of communications, but these days, video, data, and text are also
sent back and forth to communicate.

People generally refer to telecommunications as a product and a system and service provided by
larger corporations. Telecommunications service providers provide the service that allows
individuals and businesses to do everyday tasks to communicate with others.

Telecommunication Sectors Explained

Telecommunication sectors are protected by the Telecommunications Act of 1996. The Act
serves the public and makes telecommunication available to them at a reduced rate. When
President Bill Clinton signed it, it included a provision that schools, libraries, and hospitals
receive telecommunications services at a reduced cost. "This simple act," said the Clinton, "will
bring us one giant step closer to realizing the challenge I put forward in the State of the Union, to
connect all our classrooms and libraries to the Information Superhighway by the year 2000."

Another primary goal of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 was to prevent telecom sectors
from monopolizing the industry, limiting their exposure so that everyone could have a fair
chance to provide a service to the public. It also allowed single market sectors to concentrate
their efforts, produce better and more effective communication services. This encouraged some
healthy competition for those masters of the communications industry.
Mitel is the #1 leader in cloud communications. Learn about the benefits of choosing us
for your telecommunications needs >

Telecommunications Products
Like a kid in a candy store, your eyes will grow large at the range of telecommunication products
out there. It may seem daunting, but a telecommunications service provider will be able to direct
you on the best choice for your enterprise. Telecommunication products include:

• Analog phones

• Conference phones

• Digital phones

• DECT phones

• IP phones

• Wireless devices

• SIP phones

• Internet service

• Satellite television services

• Mobile connectivity

These products, and more, can be tailored for everyday employees, and executives, in businesses,
large and small. The telecoms technology includes telephony and video conferencing, email,
distributed electronic collaboration, broadcast and interactive television, instant messaging, and a
range of web and Internet-based communications and data transmissions.
The Importance of Telecommunications
Telecommunications are an important tool for business. Communication is vital for basic day-to-
day operations between suppliers, businesses, employees, and clients. For successful customer
service, various communications methods need to be set in place. Whether local, remote, or
oceans apart, telecom services bridge the gap, offer a seamless communications channel, and get
work done.

With mobile telecommunication services, employees' ability to work from home, or their outdoor
hammock, has grown exponentially, and more and more people can work with a flexible
schedule. Increased productivity is the rewarding result of easy communication access. It's safe
to say that telecom systems are a basic foundation needed for all businesses. It gives companies
the empowering ability to reach their network, whether internally or externally, with time-saving
resources.

Telecommunications allows people to do what we can now while simultaneously sipping a

coffee or brewing up a business plan. Web browsing, email, social media, and networking, web-
conferencing, phone services, file sharing, and more are second nature to many.

Looking for video collaboration and remote-working capabilities in your

telecommunications? Learn about how Mitel products can increase productivity >

Crucial Benefits of Improvements in

Telecommunications for Companies
The transformation of telecommunication continues as we head into a new decade.
These trends will take telecommunications to new heights, so keep an eye on them.
Greater 5G Coverage and Action
Imagine a future of uninterrupted 5G coverage for major roads and railroads. Make it even better
with lower data rates and enabled network slicing. This is the five-year plan for the EU's 5G
action plan.

Robotic Process Automation (RPA) Will Reduce Business Costs RPA is being taken advantage
of in the telecom industry to streamline processes and complete various business tasks.
Businesses can look forward to seeing accurate work from RPA systems, which will serve to
reduce costs and mundane tasks. Forbes contributor, Bernard Marr emphasizes the importance of
RPA: "RPA offers high levels of scalability and agility for telecoms and can take over many
tasks such as report generation, responding to customer questions, order processing, price
tracking, and more."

Big Data Means Big Capacity for Telecom Providers Wireless data is continually rising with
more and more devices needing an internet connection to exchange data. Companies are faced
with the challenge of increasing their capacity to offer large data bundles within their network.
Keeping up and evolving to support new technologies that arise in the next decade will make or
break telecommunications service providers. Along with this capacity growth, increased
measures need to address security breaches and challenges.

Cloud Computing Takes Telecoms One Step Further

Cloud computing is the delivery of services through the Internet. We've seen this in the form of
data storage, servers, databases, networking, and software. Telecommunications service
providers can adopt cloud computing technology, thereby becoming efficient in their service and
in-house tasks.

Stronger Cyber Security and Resilience

Cyberattacks can ruin a company's reputation, put confidential information at risk, and destroy
sensitive data. With an increase in telecoms, so too is there an increase in attacks. Improving IT
infrastructure, resiliency against attacks, and more unyielding security is a crucial improvement
that will benefit telecom companies.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) To Speed Up Client Services

Already so prevalent, AI is only going to get better. With improved customer service, more
personable chatbots allow companies to take on high call volumes and quick responses
to queries. Detection of fraudulent activity will also improve. With the progression of AI,
telecoms will record volumes of data and act on needs faster than ever before.

Never-ending Connections

Businesses need a connection to thrive. Ask a telecommunications expert to offer advice on what
your company needs to thrive. Be one step ahead of your competitors and give your clients the
best service possible.

What is software engineering?

Software engineering is the process of developing, testing and deploying computer applications
to solve real-world problems by adhering to a set of engineering principles and best practices.
The field of software engineering applies a disciplined and organized approach to software
development with the stated goal of improving quality, time and budget efficiency, along with
the assurance of structured testing and engineer certification.

Though the original use of the term is uncertain, the first software engineering conference was
held and sponsored by NATO in 1968. The conference addressed the inconsistency and
unreliability in software development as well as the need for better quality assurance (QA) and
reliability. The conference gathered international experts who agreed the systematic approach of
physical world engineering should be applied to software development, as it already was
developed with those goals in mind.

Types of software engineering

Even though a software engineer usually manages many coding projects, software engineering
entails more than just writing code for the software. In reality, software engineering encompasses
every phase of the software development lifecycle (SDLC), from planning the budget to analysis,
design, development, software testing, integration, quality and retirement.
 Software
engineering encompasses every phase of the software development lifecycle (SDLC).

Most software engineering tasks can be broken into the following three categories:

 Operational software engineering. It includes all decisions and tasks pertaining to how the
software will perform within a computer system. This may include anything related to the
software budget, the way teams and users will interact with the software and any potential
risks such as those associated with defective and outdated software.

 Transitional software engineering. This type of software engineering entails duties related
to the software's adaptability and scalability when it's moved outside of its initial setting.
  Software engineering maintenance. It entails activities connected to enhancing
and debugging current software to account for environmental changes, new technologies,
bugs and risk factors that might have been disregarded during a previous development
cycle. Over time, retirement takes over as maintenance of certain software is gradually
reduced.
Software engineer roles and responsibilities

Software engineering is typically used for large and intricate software systems rather than
single applications or programs. While a software engineer is typically responsible for the design
of systems, programmers or software developers are often responsible for coding its
implementation. In some cases, people may also confuse the functions of network engineering
with software engineering, despite the fact that these are two completely different roles. An
engineer who plans, deploys and constructs networks, for instance, is different from an engineer
who creates, tests and delivers software.