A COMPENDIUM

OF TOPICS FOR
LIVING IN THE
IT ERA (GEE-LIE)

Prepared by:

JEAN LY FE L. TAMBOBOY
Lesson 4.
Information Technology in
personal, professional, social
advancement, modern living and
human relationships

4.1 IT in Education; Business; Infrastructure; Travel; Food

Industry; Banking; Communication and Services.

The Use of Information Technology in Education

The evolution of technology has brought about with it, several benefits the world over.
Apart from enhancing efficiency, it has turned the world into a global village and made
access to information quite easy.

The education sector has also not been left behind in tapping into the deep resource-
well of technology. The use of information technology in education has become more
than just an option. For effective learning, the education sector stakeholders have found
ways of integrating the use of information technology in the everyday learning
processes.

 Reasons why IT (Information Technology) is essential in Education:

1. Access to learning the material

The internet is full of a lot of learning material that the learner can access and use to
supplement whatever is provided for in the classroom. There are e-books, revision
guides and past examination papers that are available on the world wide web and
students can take advantage of these to improve their knowledge base. Learning
institutions provide computers and internet that the students can use to this end.

2. Continuous learning

In the modern world, you don’t have to be in the classroom to learn. Using information
technology in education has made it possible for students to keep on learning,
irrespective of where they are. Teachers and professors can send assignments to
students and they can complete and submit them even without physically stepping into
the classrooms and so learning never has to stop. Students can keep on learning even
when they are at home. This has greatly enhanced efficiency in the education sector.

3. Sharing of knowledge

Through online discussion forums, students can share knowledge, engage in intellectual
debates and generally learn from one another. Using information technology in
education has basically made it possible for students from all over the world to come
together and share experiences, the geographical distances notwithstanding.
Information technology in education has also made students develop an appreciation for
cultural diversity and in turn, create a more tolerant and unified world.

4. Using audio and visual material as learning aids

The use of information technology in education has made it possible for tutors to
teach students much more easily. By using audio and visual materials, students can
develop a better understanding of the topics being taught. It is now much easier to
perform demonstrations and put some practical aspect to the theory taught in class.
Slow learners, therefore, have an opportunity to catch up with those who had grasped
whatever was initially taught in class.

5. Distance learning

To adapt to a changing population with unique demands, learning institutions

have employed the use of information technology in education to cater to this new
demographic. Online courses have enabled most of the employed and young population
to go back to class and get second degrees or additional certifications. It is possible to
attend a college overseas without even getting out of your home country and at your
own convenience.

6. Proper record keeping

It is possible to keep student records in a more systematic and secure manner

using technology. Unlike in the past when records used to be kept manually and there
were many cases of lost files, the incorporation of information technology in education
has made it possible for safe and proper record keeping. Retrieving of information has,
therefore, become much easier.

7. Video Conferencing Tool

With video conferencing technology, teachers can easily conduct virtual classes
and deliver high quality learning experience to students from anywhere at anytime.
Apart from this, it improve the communication among parents, teachers & other staff
member as PTA meeting, conferences, training session and more can be easily conduct
without the requisition of the physical presence of the attendees.

The Importance of Information Technology In Business Today

Information technology drives innovation and innovation is the path to business
success. Innovation in business has the same impact that steam had on the industrial
revolution.

In fact, it’s hard to imagine any business that has not benefited from the digital
revolution. Even something as hands on as agriculture uses computers. Farmers use
computers for production records, financial planning, research on technical issues, and
procurement. Nowadays the formula for business success is simple: drive innovation
with information technology. So, the first thing startups in any industry try to figure out is
how to make smart IT recruiting choices. Without a backbone of information technology,
a business is not going to go far.
 The Love Affair with Innovation
We like to imagine that the human race has always been innovative. But innovation
was a slow and steady affair for most of the 20th century. It was the work of individual
genius or think tanks. For the most part, brilliant people innovated and the public slowly
adopted the idea. The mainstream love affair with innovation began with the invention of
the computer. It attained momentum with the birth of the Internet.
In the 1980s, innovation was not necessary for business success. A business could
do well just deploying a proven business model. Efficiency was not a prime directive.
Following tradition was a sensible way to stay in business. A store owner, for
example, was content with using a cash register similar to the one invented by James
Ritty in 1879 to prevent his employees from pilfering his saloon profits in Dayton, Ohio.
 All this changed on 6 August 1991, a little-remembered date, when the World Wide
Web went live to the world. There was hardly a mention of it in any newspaper on the
planet. Most people around globe had no idea that the Internet existed. Although Tim
Berners-Lee’s invention changed the world as we know it, it was only toward the end of
the decade that the Internet became popular.
 The Rise of Innovation
The rise of innovation can be traced to the human race getting smarter. According to
the Flynn Effect, general IQ has begun to rise since the 1930s. The average IQ has
risen from 80 points to 100 points.
While innovations in travel and multimedia improved collective intelligence, these
were mainly passive forms of learning. Today, computer applications and the global
brain have switched on active learning and improved how fast people learn new things .
 Innovation in Business
Information technology fosters innovation in business. Innovation results in smarter
apps, improved data storage, faster processing, and wider information distribution.
Innovation makes businesses run more efficiently. And innovation increases value,
enhances quality, and boosts productivity.
Innovation through information technology has created the following radical changes in
business:
· Online shopping is more efficient than shopping in a store.
· Digital marketing is more efficient than high cost newspaper, television, and radio
advertising.
· Social networking is more efficient than going to clubs.
· VoiP communication is more efficient than legacy telephony.
· Cloud computing is more efficient than a private computer network.
Businesses that have embraced the innovation paradigm tend to have the following
characteristics:
· They have more accurate business planning
· They have more effective marketing
· They have higher global sales
· They have more systematic management
· They use real time monitoring
· They offer instant customer support
In fact, it’s hard to think of long term business growth without the push of information
technology.
 5 Reasons for Accelerated Business Growth
The technological revolution has improved businesses this century in the following five
primary ways:
1. Information technology has given business the tools to solve complex
problems.
Improved hardware (more memory, faster processors, sharper visual displays,
etc) combined with smarter applications (Mindmapping software like X Mind,
collaborative software like Kanban boards, organizers like Google calendar, etc) have
made it easier to research data, analyze it, and plan scalability. Many tools available to
solve complex problems.
2. Information technology allows businesses to make better decisions.
Good decisions in business are based on solid market research. This can be
done through engaging teams through video conferences, reviewing public sentiment
on social media and industry forums, and using online surveys to get customer
feedback. There are also tools like Microsoft CRM Dynamics and Google Analytics.
3. Information technology has improved marketing.
Internet marketing using online advertising methods (SEO, PPC, Facebook Ads)
are far more accurate ways than traditional marketing of finding target audiences,
discovering their needs, and building a marketing campaign to persuade them to buy.
It’s difficult to see how many people read a newspaper ad. It’s easy to figure out how
many people clicked on an online banner.
4. Information technology has improved customer support.
Customers can receive support from multiple channels telephone, emails, social
media platforms, webinars, and so on. Additionally, customer relationship management
systems help businesses understand customer behavior.
5. Information technology has improved resource management.
Cloud computing allows a company’s employees to use any device anywhere in the
world to access their enterprise level software.
 Innovation is the Wave of the Future
If the purpose of business is to increase profits, then innovation is the way to make
more profits, faster. The story of Jan Koum gives us a clue how much big businesses
value innovation. He went from food stamps to billionaire because of his invention of
WhatsApp.

How Technology Has Changed the Way You Travel

Technology has changed the world tremendously. It has made life easier and more
convenient. The tasks that used to take days can be completed in hours and minutes
with the help of the technology. It is hard to imagine life without technology nowadays
as it has become an integral part of daily life.
 Travelling has evolved with the advent of technology. People are often hesitant to
travel because it seems like too much trouble. Planning a trip is a time-consuming
process and people often have difficulty in finding time to plan the trip. Technology has
made it easier for people to plan the trip because it saves time and helps in efficient
planning.
Here are a few ways technology has changed travelling and made it more fun
and convenient.
 Quick planning:
Technology has made planning the trips easier. All the information you need to
plan a perfect trip is available online. By spending just a few hours surfing the
internet you can find all the essential information you will need about the chosen
destination. Even if you need professional help you can find the best UK holiday
travel agents online and contact them for guidance. All you need to plan your
trip is a computer and internet connection.
 Easy booking:
With the help of technology, people can book flights, accommodations and even
desired activities in minutes. The internet has made it possible to find the best
flights and accommodations. There are platforms that can give you flights and
accommodation options that are perfect for your requirements and travelling
budget. You do not have to print the tickets or hotel reservations as you have the
option of e-tickets and mobile check-ins. It will save you the trouble of carrying
around a lot of documents and also save a lot of paper.
 Efficient packing routine:

Technology has made it possible for people to improve the packing routine.
Packing is a difficult task because if you forget something important it can ruin
the journey and the trip. The technology allows you to squeeze in a lot of things
without worrying about the weight limit. You do not need to pack in paperback
books to read while waiting at the airport or long flights. You can also have all the
music on streaming platforms so no need to pack in an iPod.

 Great travelling experience:

Technology has made it possible to travel efficiently. You no longer have to worry
about reading maps and getting lost because now you can use Google maps to
reach the destinations that you want to visit. t will save you the trouble of reading
the map and asking for directions. Google maps can guide you anywhere
anytime and it also offers suggestions.

The language barrier is a major issue people face when people are travelling in a
foreign land. The technology has made it possible for travellers not to get
hindered by the language barrier. There are translation apps that can make it
possible to communicate with the natives.
  Stay connected:

Technology allows you to stay connected with the world while you are travelling.
If you cannot take time off work then you can work from a remote location. Apart
from that, you can keep in touch with loved ones. It makes travelling to foreign
land safer as people will know where you are.

 Personalized traveling experience:

To have the perfect travelling experience people like to have a personalized and
unique experience. The technological advancements have made it possible to
have a unique experience that is perfect for you. There are a lot of platforms like
blogs, apps, chatbots, services, etc. can help in planning the dream trip and
enjoy your time.

How Technology Is Transforming the Food Industry

When it comes to food, tech isn’t always the first thing that comes to mind. However,
technology over the years has changed how we produce and find our food through
applications, robotics, data and processing techniques.

According to a recent report from ING, technology helps food manufacturers produce
more efficiently for a growing world population. There are 7.5 billion people in the world
right now and that means a higher demand for food each year. By using tech to improve
processing and packaging, it can improve the shelf life and safety of food.

 Robotics and Machines

The use of machines in the food industry also ensures quality and affordability. By using
machines, it drives down the costs of keeping the food fresh and increases productivity.
According to the report, “The rise of robotics in the food industry is a tangible example
of food tech. The number of robots in the European food industry is well over 30,000,
while the number of robots per 10,000 employees rose from 62 in 2013 to 84 in 2017.
Although Germany is the largest market, robot density is relatively highest in Sweden,
Denmark, the Netherlands and Italy.”

Robotic machines can help to eliminate safety issues for the more dangerous jobs in the
food industry. In 2016, a tech company rolled out a program for butchery. By using
robots to cut the more difficult of the meats, they can save many work injuries. This is
just one of the many ways technology can improve the industry.

 3D Printing

In the past few years, 3D printing has really taken off across many industries and the
food industry is one of them. There have been several applications of 3D printing food
from NASA printing a pizza to creating soft foods for those who cannot chew hard food
to consume. It opens the door for innovation being able to create many things that we
were unable to before while also being able to help with food sustainability. There are
many ways 3D printing is shaking up the industry.

 Drones

Precision agriculture is a major player when it comes to how technology can make a
difference. It is the use of GPS tracking systems and satellite imagery to monitor crop
yields, soil levels, and weather patterns to increase efficiency on the farm. Not only can
they see all that is happening across the fields, but they can also use analysis from the
findings to test the soil and the health of the crops. A major way they are doing this is
through the use of drones. These drones can locate and identify diseased or damaged
crops and tend to them immediately. The use of these robots does not eliminate the
need for food workers but helps them be more efficient with their work. With strict
product requirements at large volumes and demand for lower pricing, the robotic
elements help create a faster environment to produce more goods than regular labor.

 Packaging and Waste

One of the biggest concerns for consumers right now is having healthy and sustainable
goods. Consumers pay attention to labels and harmful ingredients, especially with social
media, there is not much that companies can get away with anymore. Many companies
use technology to help them “go green.” By using robotics and digitizing, companies in
the food industry are able to find alternatives to plastics and other harmful packaging to
the environment.

There are many different ways we are using technology in packaging now from edible
packaging, micro packaging and even bacteria fighting packaging.

Consumers are also looking for where companies are sourcing their products and how
they are handling their waste. Currently, 40% of America’s food is thrown away each
 year. With the help of technology, there are strides being taken to reduce that number
and utilize the extra food.

One app, Copia uses its extensive food waste reduction dashboard to connect
businesses with surplus food to local shelters, after-school programs, and other
nonprofit organizations. Copia’s analytic software manages and tracks their surplus to
save money and reduce their overall food waste.

With all these advancements in technology, there are so many different ways that it can
really change how we produce food. Evolving technology could be the key to eliminating
world hunger and solving our waste problem- we will just have to wait and see.

Impact of Technology on Banking sector

Positive impact of technology on banking sector :-

 The biggest revolution came in banks is Digitization.

 Banking process is faster than before and more reliable. Maintenance and retrieval of
documents and records have become much faster and easier.
 Computerized banking also improves the core banking system. With CBS (core banking
system) all branches have access to common centralized data and are interconnected.
 With the innovation of MICR cheque processing system, the processing of cheques
becomes more faster and efficient h than before.
 USSD (Unstructured supplementary service data) was launched by Government , so
people with no internet-connectivity too can access their bank accounts without visiting
the branch.
 With increasing internet reach, Internet Banking was developed and now offered by
almost every bank. Through this, every transaction details and inquiries can be
performed online without visiting the bank.
 It offered more transparency in transactions.
 The scope of frauds in banks is being minimized through the use of passwords, double
authentication in online banking.
 Technology also leads to competition among the banks which eventually provides better
services to people.
 With introduction of mobile banking, one can access their bank from anywhere-anytime.
Everything is one quick tap away.
 To facilitates better services, Banks have introduced Automated Banking Services
Solution like Cash Deposit Machine, Cheque Deposit Machine, Passbook Printing
Machine through these service have become easier.

Negative impact of technology on banking sector :-

 The biggest negative impact of technology is loss of Jobs as automation has replaced
number of jobs in banking sector.
 Through technology comes the threat of Cyber Attack, a loophole in the system, millions
of data can be lost in the blink of an eye.
 These technologies consumes less time, it also sometimes makes people careless-
which causes loss of personal details as happened last year in 2016,many debit cards
details of big banks were compromised.

How Technology Affects Communication

For better or worse, technology affects communication because it is a part of our

everyday lives. It impacts the way we work, entertain ourselves, and stay in touch.

You might see the average elementary-aged child with their head buried in a
smartphone and tempted to take a gloomy outlook on what technology has done to us.
But is it all bad?

From a business perspective, you could argue that technology communication is

beneficial.

With this in mind, here’s a breakdown of everything you need to know about how
technology affects communication with customers, plus how to use these developments
to your advantage.

 How Has Technology Affected Communication?

Technology communication affects us continuously. As we make technological
advances, new trends in communications emerge and often become the norm.

Machine learning and artificial intelligence will have a significant impact on how we
communicate. Chatbots currently field over 25,000 conversations per month.
Furthermore, 75% of all companies now use automation tools. Many of the processes
we automate involve communications, e.g., email marketing, messaging/chatbots,
and social media engagement.
Another recent trend is the growth and widespread adoption of video conferencing
technology. Approximately six in ten Americans use video chat platforms for social or
work purposes. 38% of the six in ten had never previously used video conferencing.
 Is Technology Good for Communication?
There are pros and cons to the ways we use technology to communicate with
customers.

On the one hand, technology affects communication by making it easier, quicker, and
more efficient. It allows you to track conversations and therefore provide better
customer service. Tech also makes it easier to gather customer insights and improve
the entire customer experience.
However, some fear technology affects communication by hindering our ability to build
relationships with clients and will lead to brands becoming faceless entities.

The truth is that as long as you’re aware of such pitfalls, you’re less likely to fall victim to
them. There are many more ways to use technology communication to build customer
relationships than you may have realized.

How to Use Technology to Affect Communication

Positively
Let’s take a look at six of the best ways you can implement technology to not
only streamline communications but also make interactions more meaningful:

 Monitor Brand Mentions on Social Media

You can use social media analytics to gather customer feedback, manage your online
reputation, provide excellent customer service, and gain customer insights.

Though 56% of marketers use social data to research their target audience, it seems
they aren’t using data in other useful ways as often.

Only 39% use data to build customer connections, 31% report their findings to
management/colleagues, and 30% use it to analyze trends.

This gives you a chance to gain a competitive edge. Use a tool such as Hootsuite to
track social analytics, monitor brand mentions, and track customer feedback.

Explain to your customers how you will use this data and their feedback to inform your
brand and its social media presence. This will make followers feel more of an affinity
with you as a brand that genuinely listens to its customers.
These days, many tools also include features that go beyond standard performance
analytics, such as likes and shares, to allow you more in-depth insights, e.g., sentiment
analysis.

There is tons of insightful data you can glean from analytics tools that can help you
improve comms and, ultimately, your relationship with your audience.

 2. Offer Immediate, 24/7 Communication

Some find the idea of chatbots as a means of communication impersonal, and maybe
even creepy. However, it seems chatbots are here to stay. They are now able to
answer up to 80% of routine questions.

If you can let a customer service bot handle frequently asked queries from your
customers, saving you time and resources, it’s not just beneficial for you. It’s beneficial
for your customers too.

Customers want a quick response time when they engage with brands. Customer
service bots mean that customers can get the help or answers they need around the
clock and in many cases, get answers immediately.

If you’re worried a chatbot could be impersonal, keep in mind that chatbots are able to
hand the customer off to a real human when the conversation needs a personal touch.
Services such as Tidio combine customer service bots and live chat on one platform.
You might want to add a bot like this to your site or online store.

Some chatbot services, such as SnatchBot, also offer omni-channel communications.

This enables your customers to get in touch on their preferred channel, whether it’s
Facebook Messenger, Skype, WhatsApp, etc.

Essentially, feature-rich chatbots are becoming a ubiquitous form of communication

these days. It’s a technology trend that most will eventually adopt to streamline
communications.

 3. Automate Communications
Automation puts small businesses and entrepreneurs on an even playing field with large
corporations. If you don’t always have the resources or time to speak to your customers
directly, you may benefit from automated communications. Marketing automation boosts
productivity by 20%.

Social Media Communication Automation

There are several ways to automate communications. For example, there are some
social media management tools, such as HappyFox, which act as a sort of social media
helpdesk. Using a tool like this allows you to automatically filter conversations and direct
them to the right person.

Automation can provide useful, speedy responses to customer queries, issues, or

complaints. After all, consumers say the most important attribute of customer
experience is fast response times (75%).
Email Automation Communication
Email automation is also a huge time-saver. Tools such as Mailchimp or Drip can help
you automate the following:
Sending a series of onboarding emails
Sending an invitation reminder
Chasing up an abandoned cart
Re-engaging subscribers who haven’t opened an email in a while
Delivering special offers on occasions like birthdays
Use your chosen tool to set up behavioral triggers for specific emails. The example
below shows the behavior “abandoned cart” that triggers an abandoned cart email.
You can also create email workflows based on user actions. For example, let’s say you
send a webinar invitation. Those who sign up get put into one email sequence with
event reminders and so on. Those who don’t sign up enter a different sequence with
more nurturing to encourage a sign-up or they receive a different, more relevant offer.

 4. Keep Track of Communications

When you have lots of customers it can be difficult to keep track of your interactions,
even if you have the best intentions. However, the customer or client you’re speaking to
doesn’t necessarily care that you have tons of other customers.

Your customer’s needs and their experiences are always going to be most important to
them. If you can’t provide a seamless customer experience, then inevitably they’re
going to be dissatisfied.

This kind of thing can have an impact on your business. The majority of
consumers shop more with companies that offer consistent experiences.

This is where technology affecting communication comes in. A CRM (customer

relationship management platform) means you can keep track of all interactions with
clients or customers across multiple communication channels.
You’ll save all of the vital information for each client, record notes, monitor the status of
sales, etc. on a platform that may look something like this example from Zoho:

This means even if your customers speak to a new team member, that person can have
all of the client’s information right there in front of them to make sure they offer a
personal and valuable conversation.

There are many popular CRMs out there, such as Zoho, HubSpot, and Salesforce.
Choose one that fits your budget and the size of your company. Also, consider whether
the CRM allows for integration with other software you might need and if its features are
going to allow you to work collaboratively and efficiently.

 5. Make Self-Service Easy

Nowadays, some technologies seem like they belong in a Sci-Fi movie. For example,
you can order products by voice command on IoT devices and even try products via
augmented reality.

The point is, thanks to technology communication, sometimes you won’t have to interact
with customers on a personal level at all. Many consumers prefer that these days. Over
60% of US consumers opt for a digital self-service tool such as a website, app, or voice
response system when they have a simple inquiry.

It’s of the utmost importance that you make it as simple as possible for customers to
find the information they need for themselves. There are a few ways you can do this.

First, we’ve mentioned chatbots that answer routine queries.

Another option is to put a forum or knowledge base on your site. Figure out what kind of
information both potential and existing customers need to know. You can do this
by carrying out surveys or gaining insights from your sales and customer support teams.

Then serve up the information in the form of help articles, onboarding emails,
walkthrough guides, video tutorials, and so on.

Even when communication isn’t a two-way thing, you need to have the tools in place for
customers to self-serve.

 6. Make the Most of Video Chat

The shift towards remote working, freelancing, nomadic entrepreneurship, and the like
has been on the rise for some time. Technology affects communication by making it
possible to work closely with clients who may even be on the other side of the planet.
 It is possible to maintain communications with clients from a remote setting, using apps
such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet. What you may still be getting used
to, however, is how to get the most from video chat.

Be sure to make use of the features your chosen app has to offer. For example, utilize
screen sharing on customer service calls as you’ll be able to show, rather than tell, a
customer exactly how to fix their problem (or find what they need on your website).

As well as recording your session, some video chat services can also automatically
transcribe the conversation for you. This makes it easier to save and search for key
information at a later date in order to keep communications consistent.

However, be wary of features that may do more harm than good. For instance, a
slideshow running behind your head while you’re talking is just going to distract your
clients

You need to explore the capabilities of the video platform you’re using to make client
calls more efficient and useful.

4.2 Internet Of Things (IoT)

What is the IoT? Everything you need to know about the Internet of
Things right now
What is the Internet of Things?

The Internet of Things, or IoT, refers to the billions of physical devices around the
world that are now connected to the internet, all collecting and sharing data. Thanks to
the arrival of super-cheap computer chips and the ubiquity of wireless networks, it's
possible to turn anything, from something as small as a pill to something as big as an
aeroplane, into a part of the IoT. Connecting up all these different objects and adding
sensors to them adds a level of digital intelligence to devices that would be otherwise
dumb, enabling them to communicate real-time data without involving a human being.
The Internet of Things is making the fabric of the world around us more smarter and
more responsive, merging the digital and physical universes.
 The Internet of Things? It's really a giant robot and we don't know how to fix it

What is an example of an Internet of Things device?

Pretty much any physical object can be transformed into an IoT device if it can be
connected to the internet to be controlled or communicate information.
 A light bulb that can be switched on using a Smartphone app is an IoT device, as
is a motion sensor or a smart thermostat in your office or a connected streetlight. An IoT
device could be as fluffy as a child's toy or as serious as a driverless truck. Some larger
objects may themselves be filled with many smaller IoT components, such as a jet
engine that's now filled with thousands of sensors collecting and transmitting data back
to make sure it is operating efficiently. At an even bigger scale, smart cities projects are
filling entire regions with sensors to help us understand and control the environment.
The term IoT is mainly used for devices that wouldn't usually be generally
expected to have an internet connection, and that can communicate with the network
independently of human action. For this reason, a PC isn't generally considered an IoT
device and neither is a Smartphone -- even though the latter is crammed with sensors.
A smart watch or a fitness band or other wearable device might be counted as an IoT
device, however.

 What is the history of the Internet of Things?

The idea of adding sensors and intelligence to basic objects was discussed
throughout the 1980s and 1990s (and there are arguably some much earlier ancestors),
but apart from some early projects -- including an internet-connected vending machine
-- progress was slow simply because the technology wasn't ready. Chips were too big
and bulky and there was no way for objects to communicate effectively.

Processors that were cheap and power-frugal enough to be all but disposable were
needed before it finally became cost-effective to connect up billions of devices.
The adoption of RFID tags -- low-power chips that can communicate wirelessly -- solved
some of this issue, along with the increasing availability of broadband internet and
cellular and wireless networking. The adoption of IPv6 -- which, among other things,
should provide enough IP addresses for every device the world (or indeed this galaxy)
is ever likely to need -- was also a necessary step for the IoT to scale.

Kevin Ashton coined the phrase 'Internet of Things' in 1999, although it took at least
another decade for the technology to catch up with the vision.
 "The IoT integrates the interconnectedness of human culture -- our 'things' -- with the
interconnectedness of our digital information system -- 'the internet.' That's the IoT,"
Ashton told ZDNet.

Adding RFID tags to expensive pieces of equipment to help track their location was one
of the first IoT applications. But since then, the cost of adding sensors and an internet
connection to objects has continued to fall, and experts predict that this basic
functionality could one day cost as little as 10 cents, making it possible to connect
nearly everything to the internet.

The IoT was initially most interesting to business and manufacturing, where its
application is sometimes known as machine-to-machine (M2M), but the emphasis is
now on filling our homes and offices with smart devices, transforming it into something
that's relevant to almost everyone. Early suggestions for internet-connected devices
included 'blogjects' (objects that blog and record data about themselves to the internet),
ubiquitous computing (or 'ubicomp'), invisible computing, and pervasive computing.
However, it was Internet of Things and IoT that stuck.

 If you want to succeed you must fail first, says the man who dreamt up the
Internet of Things

How big is the Internet of Things?

Big and getting bigger -- there are already more connected things than people in the
world.

Tech analyst company IDC predicts that in total there will be 41.6 billion connected IoT
devices by 2025, or "things." It also suggests industrial and automotive equipment
represent the largest opportunity of connected "things,", but it also sees strong adoption
of smart home and wearable devices in the near term.

Another tech analyst, Gartner, predicts that the enterprise and automotive sectors will
account for 5.8 billion devices this year, up almost a quarter on 2019. Utilities will be the
highest user of IoT, thanks to the continuing rollout of smart meters. Security devices, in
the form of intruder detection and web cameras will be the second biggest use of IoT
devices. Building automation – like connected lighting – will be the fastest growing
sector, followed by automotive (connected cars) and healthcare (monitoring of chronic
conditions).

Image: Gartner

What are the benefits of the Internet of Things for business?

The benefits of the IoT for business depend on the particular implementation; agility and
efficiency are usually top considerations. The idea is that enterprises should have
access to more data about their own products and their own internal systems, and a
greater ability to make changes as a result.

Manufacturers are adding sensors to the components of their products so that they can
transmit data back about how they are performing. This can help companies spot when
a component is likely to fail and to swap it out before it causes damage. Companies can
also use the data generated by these sensors to make their systems and their supply
chains more efficient, because they will have much more accurate data about what's
really going on.
"With the introduction of comprehensive, real-time data collection and analysis,
production systems can become dramatically more responsive," say consultants
McKinsey.

Enterprise use of the IoT can be divided into two segments: industry-specific offerings
like sensors in a generating plant or real-time location devices for healthcare; and IoT
devices that can be used in all industries, like smart air conditioning or security systems.

While industry-specific products will make the early running, by 2020 Gartner predicts
that cross-industry devices will reach 4.4 billion units, while vertical-specific devices will
amount to 3.2 billion units. Consumers purchase more devices, but businesses spend
more: the analyst group said that while consumer spending on IoT devices was around
$725bn last year, businesses spending on IoT hit $964bn. By 2020, business and
consumer spending on IoT hardware will hit nearly $3tn.

Image: IDC

Worldwide spending on the IoT was forecast to reach $745 billion in 2019, an increase
of 15.4% over the $646 billion spent in 2018, according to IDC, and pass the $1 trillion
mark in 2022.

Top industries for the IoT were predicted to be discrete manufacturing ($119 billion in
spending), process manufacturing ($78 billion), transportation ($71 billion), and utilities
($61 billion). For manufacturers, projects to support asset management will be key; in
transportation it will be freight monitoring and fleet management taking top priority. IoT
spending in the utilities industry will be dominated by smart-grid projects for electricity,
gas, and water.
 Consumer IoT spending was predicted to hit $108 billion, making it the second largest
industry segment: smart home, personal wellness, and connected vehicle infotainment
will see much of the spending.

By use case, manufacturing operations ($100 billion), production asset management

($44.2 billion), smart home ($44.1 billion), and freight monitoring ($41.7 billion) will be
the largest areas of investment.

What is the Industrial Internet of Things?

The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) or the fourth industrial revolution or Industry 4.0
are all names given to the use of IoT technology in a business setting. The concept is
the same as for the consumer IoT devices in the home, but in this case the aim is to use
a combination of sensors, wireless networks, big data, AI and analytics to measure and
optimise industrial processes.

If introduced across an entire supply chain, rather than just individual companies, the
impact could be even greater with just-in-time delivery of materials and the
management of production from start to finish. Increasing workforce productivity or cost
savings are two potential aims, but the IIoT can also create new revenue streams for
businesses; rather than just selling a standalone product – for example, like an engine –
manufacturers can also sell predictive maintenance of the engine.

What are the benefits of the Internet of Things for consumers?

The IoT promises to make our environment -- our homes and offices and vehicles --
smarter, more measurable, and... chattier. Smart speakers like Amazon's
Echo and Google Home make it easier to play music, set timers, or get
information. Home security systems make it easier to monitor what's going on inside
and outside, or to see and talk to visitors. Meanwhile, smart thermostats can help us
heat our homes before we arrive back, and smart lightbulbs can make it look like we're
home even when we're out.

Looking beyond the home, sensors can help us to understand how noisy or polluted our
environment might be. Self-driving cars and smart cities could change how we build and
manage our public spaces.

However, many of these innovations could have major implications for our personal
privacy.

 Hive thinks it knows how to get the smart home buzzing

The Internet of Things and smart homes

 The House that Alexa Built: An Amazon showcase in London in 2017.

Image: Steve Ranger/ZDNet

For consumers, the smart home is probably where they are likely to come into contact
with internet-enabled things, and it's one area where the big tech companies (in
particular Amazon, Google, and Apple) are competing hard.

The most obvious of these are smart speakers like Amazon's Echo, but there are also
smart plugs, lightbulbs, cameras, thermostats, and the much-mocked smart fridge. But
as well as showing off your enthusiasm for shiny new gadgets, there's a more serious
side to smart home applications. They may be able to help keep older people
independent and in their own homes longer by making it easier for family and carers to
communicate with them and monitor how they are getting on. A better understanding of
how our homes operate, and the ability to tweak those settings, could help save energy
-- by cutting heating costs, for example.

 Qualcomm: Mesh networking is the future of smart homes

What about Internet of Things security?

Security is one the biggest issues with the IoT. These sensors are collecting in many
cases extremely sensitive data -- what you say and do in your own home, for example.
Keeping that secure is vital to consumer trust, but so far the IoT's security track record
has been extremely poor. Too many IoT devices give little thought to the basics of
security, like encrypting data in transit and at rest.

Flaws in software -- even old and well-used code -- are discovered on a regular basis,
but many IoT devices lack the capability to be patched, which means they are
permanently at risk. Hackers are now actively targeting IoT devices such as routers and
webcams because their inherent lack of security makes them easy to compromise
and roll up into giant botnets.
Flaws have left smart home devices like refrigerators, ovens, and dishwashers open to
hackers. Researchers found 100,000 webcams that could be hacked with ease, while
some internet-connected smartwatches for children have been found to contain security
vulnerabilities that allow hackers to track the wearer's location, eavesdrop on
conversations, or even communicate with the user.

Governments are growing worried about the risks here. The UK government has
published its own guidelines around the security of consumer IoT devices. It expects
devices to have unique passwords, that companies will provide a public point of contact
so anyone can report a vulnerability (and that these will be acted on), and that
manufacturers will explicitly state how long devices will get security updates. It's a
modest list, but a start.

When the cost of making smart objects becomes negligible, these problems will only
become more widespread and intractable.

All of this applies in business as well, but the stakes are even higher. Connecting
industrial machinery to IoT networks increases the potential risk of hackers discovering
and attacking these devices. Industrial espionage or a destructive attack on critical
infrastructure are both potential risks. That means businesses will need to make sure
that these networks are isolated and protected, with data encryption with security of
sensors, gateways and other components a necessity. The current state of IoT
technology makes that harder to ensure, however, as does a lack of consistent IoT
security planning across organisations. That's very worrying considering the
documented willingness of hackers to tamper with industrial systems that have
been connected to the internet but left unprotected.

The IoT bridges the gap between the digital world and the physical world, which means
that hacking into devices can have dangerous real-world consequences. Hacking into
the sensors controlling the temperature in a power station could trick the operators into
making a catastrophic decision; taking control of a driverless car could also end in
disaster.

What about privacy and the Internet of Things?

With all those sensors collecting data on everything you do, the IoT is a potentially vast
privacy and security headache. Take the smart home: it can tell when you wake up
(when the smart coffee machine is activated) and how well you brush your teeth (thanks
to your smart toothbrush), what radio station you listen to (thanks to your smart
speaker), what type of food you eat (thanks to your smart oven or fridge), what your
children think (thanks to their smart toys), and who visits you and passes by your house
(thanks to your smart doorbell). While companies will make money from selling you the
smart object in the first place, their IoT business model probably involves selling at least
some of that data, too.
What happens to that data is a vitally important privacy matter. Not all smart home
companies build their business model around harvesting and selling your data, but
some do.

And it's worth remembering that IoT data can be combined with other bits of data to
create a surprisingly detailed picture of you. It's surprisingly easy to find out a lot about a
person from a few different sensor readings. In one project, a researcher found that by
analysing data charting just the home's energy consumption, carbon monoxide and
carbon dioxide levels, temperature, and humidity throughout the day they could work
out what someone was having for dinner.

IoT, privacy and business

Consumers need to understand the exchange they are making and whether they are
happy with that. Some of the same issues apply to business: would your executive team
be happy to discuss a merger in a meeting room equipped with smart speakers and
cameras, for example? One recent survey found that four out of five companies would
be unable to identify all the IoT devices on their network.

Badly installed IoT products could easily open up corporate networks to attack by
hackers, or simply leak data. It might seem like a trivial threat but imagine if the smart
locks at your office refused to open one morning or the smart weather station in the
CEO's office was used by hackers to create a backdoor into your network.

The IoT and cyberwarfare

The IoT makes computing physical. So if things go wrong with IoT devices, there can be
major real-world consequences -- something that nations planning their cyberwarfare
strategies are now taking into account.

US intelligence community briefings have warned that the country's adversaries already
have the ability to threaten its critical infrastructure as well "as the broader ecosystem of
connected consumer and industrial devices known as the Internet of Things". US
intelligence has also warned that connected thermostats, cameras, and cookers could
all be used either to spy on citizens of another country, or to cause havoc if they were
hacked. Adding key elements of national critical infrastructure (like dams, bridges, and
elements of the electricity grid) to the IoT makes it even more vital that security is as
tight as possible.

The Internet of Things and data

An IoT device will likely contain one or more sensors which it will use to collect data.
Just what those sensors are collecting will depend on the individual device and its task.
Sensors inside industrial machinery might measure temperature or pressure; a security
camera might have a proximity sensor along with sound and video, while your home
weather station will probably be packing a humidity sensor. All this sensor data – and
much, much more – will have to be sent somewhere. That means IoT devices will need
to transmit data and will do it via Wi-Fi, 4G, 5G and more.

Tech analyst IDC calculates that within five years IoT gadgets will be creating 79.4
zettabytes of data. Some of this IoT data will be "small and bursty" says IDC – a quick
update like a temperature reading from a sensor or a reading from a smart meter. Other
devices might create huge amounts of data traffic, like a video surveillance camera
using computer vision.

IDC said the amount of data created by IoT devices will grow rapidly in the next few
years. Most of the data is being generated by video surveillance, it said, but other
industrial and medical uses will generate more data over time.

It said drones will also be a big driver of data creation using cameras. Looking further
out, self-driving cars will also generate vast amounts of rich sensor data including audio
and video, as well as more specialised automotive sensor data.

Internet of Things and big data analytics

The IoT generates vast amounts of data: from sensors attached to machine parts or
environment sensors, or the words we shout at our smart speakers. That means the IoT
is a significant driver of big-data analytics projects because it allows companies to
create vast data sets and analyse them. Giving a manufacturer vast amounts of data
about how its components behave in real-world situations can help them to make
improvements much more rapidly, while data culled from sensors around a city could
help planners make traffic flow more efficiently.

That data will come in many different forms – voice requests, video, temperature or
other sensor readings, all of which can be mined for insight. As analyst IDC notes, IoT
metadata category is a growing source of data to be managed and leveraged.
"Metadata is a prime candidate to be fed into NoSQL databases like MongoDB to bring
structure to unstructured content or fed into cognitive systems to bring new levels of
understanding, intelligence, and order to outwardly random environments," it said.

In particular, the IoT will deliver large amounts of real-time data. Cisco calculates that
machine-to machine connections that support IoT applications will account for more
than half of the total 27.1 billion devices and connections, and will account for 5% of
global IP traffic by 2021.

Internet of Things and the cloud

The huge amount of data that IoT applications generate means that many companies
will choose to do their data processing in the cloud rather than build huge amounts of in-
house capacity. Cloud computing giants are already courting these companies:
Microsoft has its Azure IoT suite, while Amazon Web Services provides a range of IoT
services, as does Google Cloud.
The Internet of Things and smart cities

By spreading a vast number of sensors over a town or city, planners can get a better
idea of what's really happening, in real time. As a result, smart cities projects are a key
feature of the IoT. Cities already generate large amounts of data (from security cameras
and environmental sensors) and already contain big infrastructure networks (like those
controlling traffic lights). IoT projects aim to connect these up, and then add further
intelligence into the system.

There are plans to blanket Spain's Balearic Islands with half a million sensors and turn it
into a lab for IoT projects, for example. One scheme could involve the regional social-
services department using the sensors to help the elderly, while another could identify if
a beach has become too crowded and offer alternatives to swimmers. In another
example, AT&T is launching a service to monitor infrastructure such as bridges,
roadways, and railways with LTE-enabled sensors to monitor structural changes such
as cracks and tilts.

The ability to better understand how a city is functioning should allow planners to make
changes and monitor how this improves residents' lives.

Big tech companies see smart cities projects as a potentially huge area, and many --
including mobile operators and networking companies -- are now positioning
themselves to get involved.

EXECUTIVE GUIDE

What is 5G? Everything you need to know about the new wireless revolution
It's a capital improvement project the size of the entire planet, replacing one wireless
architecture created this century with another one that aims to lower energy
consumption and maintenance costs.
Read More
How do Internet of Things and 5G connect and share data?

IoT devices use a variety of methods to connect and share data, although most will use
some form of wireless connectivity: homes and offices will use standard Wi-Fi, Zigbee
or Bluetooth Low Energy (or even Ethernet if they aren't especially mobile); other
devices will use LTE (existing technologies include Narrowband IoT and LTE-M, largely
aimed at small devices sending limited amounts of data) or even satellite connections to
communicate. However, the vast number of different options has already led some to
argue that IoT communications standards need to be as accepted and interoperable as
Wi-Fi is today.

One area of growth in the next few years will undoubtedly be the use of 5G networks to
support IoT projects. 5G offers the ability to fit as many as one million 5G devices in a
square kilometre, which means that it will be possible to use a vast number of sensors
in a very small area, making large-scale industrial IoT deployments more possible. The
UK has just started a trial of 5G and the IoT at two 'smart factories'. However, it could
be some time before 5G deployments are widespread: Ericsson predicts that there will
be somewhere around five billion IoT devices connected to cellular networks by 2025,
but only around a quarter of those will be broadband IoT, with 4G connecting the
majority of those.

Outdoor surveillance cameras will be the largest market for 5G IoT devices in the near
term, according to Gartner, accounting for the majority (70%) of the 5G IoT devices this
year, before dropping to around 30% by the end of 2023, at which point they will be
overtaken by connected cars.
Image: Gartner

The analyst firm predicts that there will be 3.5 million 5G IoT devices in use this year,
and nearly 50 million by 2023. Longer term the automotive industry will be the largest
sector for 5G IoT use cases, it predicted.

One likely trend is that, as the IoT develops, it could be that less data will be sent for
processing in the cloud. To keep costs down, more processing could be done on-device
with only the useful data sent back to the cloud – a strategy known as 'edge computing'.
This will require new technology – like tamper-proof edge servers that can collect and
analyse data far from the cloud or corporate data center.

IoT data and artificial intelligence

IoT devices generate vast amounts of data; that might be information about an engine's
temperature or whether a door is open or closed or the reading from a smart meter. All
this IoT data has to be collected, stored and analysed. One way companies are making
the most of this data is to feed it into artificial intelligence (AI) systems that will take that
IoT data and use it to make predictions.

For example, Google has put an AI in charge of its data centre cooling system. The AI
uses data pulled from thousands of IoT sensors, which is fed into deep neural networks,
and which predict how different choices will affect future energy consumption. By using
machine learning and AI, Google has been able to make its data centres more efficient
and said the same technology could have uses in other industrial settings.

IoT evolution: Where does the Internet of Things go next?

As the price of sensors and communications continue to drop, it becomes cost-effective

to add more devices to the IoT – even if in some cases there's little obvious benefit to
consumers. Deployments are at an early stage; most companies that are engaging with
the IoT are at the trial stage right now, largely because the necessary technology –
sensor technology, 5G and machine-learning powered analytics – are still themselves at
a reasonably early stage of development. There are many competing platforms and
standards and many different vendors, from device makers to software companies to
network operators, want a slice of the pie. It's still not clear which of those will win out.
But without standards, and with security an ongoing issue, we are likely to see some
more big IoT security mishaps in the next few years.

As the number of connected devices continues to rise, our living and working
environments will become filled with smart products – assuming we are willing to accept
the security and privacy trade-offs. Some will welcome the new era of smart things.
Others will pine for the days when a chair was simply a chair.
4.3 Smartphones and Mobile Technology

Mobile technology is the technology used for cellular communication. Mobile

technology has evolved rapidly over the past few years. Since the start of this
millennium, a standard mobile device has gone from being no more than a simple two-
way pager to being a mobile phone, GPS navigation device, an embedded web
browser and instant messaging client, and a handheld gaming console. Many experts believe
that the future of computer technology rests in mobile computing with wireless
networking. Mobile computing by way of tablet computers is becoming more popular.
Tablets are available on the 3G and 4G networks. Mobile technology has different
meanings in different aspects, mainly mobile technology in information technology and
mobile technology in basketball technology, mainly based on the wireless technology of
wireless devices (including laptops, tablets, mobile phones, etc.) equipment information
technology integration.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of

smartphones?
Smartphones are the friendly gadgets which have made everything reachable through a
touch. They have occupied such a huge place in our daily lives that it is no wonder that
for most of us, a smartphone is the first thing we look at in the morning and it is the last
thing we see before going to bed.
Now, there will certainly be some advantages and a few disadvantages while using any
electronic gadget. Let’s observe them:
Advantages
 Keep your loved ones in touch, either through calls, text or images, .which
express the feeling in a sweet and amusing way.
 You may know where you are and find easy ways and routes to go anywhere,
especially in an unknown place.
 You can make the world listen to your voice in a touch.
 You can spend your time wisely reading the news or doing some official work.
 Can entertain yourself with games, music or movies.

 Can always be available socially.

 Can avail the Customer service offers to be easily accessible.
 Food and groceries can be ordered online.
 Email and Banking become easy.
 Endless apps are available to make your dreams come true.

Disadvantages
 The electromagnetic radiation will be high because of the heavy internet usage
and might lead to health problems such as a brain tumor and Skin Cancer.
 The HEV light emitted from the screen of a smartphone leads to severe eye-
strain during long-time use and would slowly damage the retina.
 Even many psychological issues such as loneliness, being suspicious all the
time, feeling self-centered etc. are caused by using a smartphone and being
online, for most of the time.
 Spending most of the time on your phone creates neck problems and sleep
deprivation.
 Exposure to unwanted things on the internet affects a child’s growth mentally and
even physically.

 As too much of anything is good for nothing, depending on a smartphone for

everything makes you addicted.
 Being online for most of the time keeps you away from having real experiences
and having real friends, to share your mind.
 Having checked all the time for online security, you start losing trust in people
around you.
 Forwarding the messages and sharing the videos online regarding humanity, one
might forget the real meaning behind it.
 With all these things around, the family life gets affected.
  Few of them get really addicted that they text or watch videos while on roads and
talk on the phone while driving, which causes serious trouble as being busy
makes you react slow.
 Chances of losing money due to fraudulence on the internet.
 Usage of Apps by not having complete awareness might lead to the leakage of
personal information, which could be really dangerous.
 With every emerging new model, there come new features which are really
tempting to use and you may get into the crazy whirlpool of going for new models
always.

However, there are two sides of a coin. No harm can be caused by anything if you do
not get indulged into it blindly. Wiseness lies where you take the positive and helpful
aspects of anything and leave the negative and unnecessary attachment to that. One
should be careful and should not get involved completely into something. Hence, being
aware of the pros and cons and having self-control could save you from many disasters,
which is really necessary.

4.4 Social Media

Social media are interactive technologies that allow the creation or sharing/exchange of
information, ideas, career interests, and other forms of expression via virtual
communities and networks.
While challenges to the definition of social media arise due to the broad variety of stand-
alone and built-in social-media services currently available, there are some common
features:

1. Social media are interactive Web 2.0 Internet-based applications.

2. User-generated content—such as text posts or comments, digital
photos or videos, and data generated through all online interactions—is the
lifeblood of social media.[2][4]
3. Users create service-specific profiles for the website or app that are designed
and maintained by the social-media organization.[2][6]
4. Social media helps the development of online social networks by connecting a
user's profile with those of other individuals or groups.[2][6]
Users usually access social media services via web-based
apps on desktops and laptops, or download services that offer social media functionality
to their mobile devices (e.g., smartphones and tablets). As users engage with
these electronic services, they create highly interactive platforms through which
individuals, communities, and organizations can share, co-create, discuss, participate,
and modify user-generated content or self-curated content posted online.[1] Additionally,
social media are used to document memories; learn about and explore things; advertise
oneself; and form friendships along with the growth of ideas from the creation
of blogs, podcasts, videos, and gaming sites.[7] This changing relationship between
human and technology is the focus of the emerging field of technoself studies.

The centralization of the web by dominant social media platforms

Some of the most popular social media websites, with over 100 million registered users,
include Facebook (and its associated Facebook
Messenger), TikTok, WeChat, Instagram, QZone, Weibo, Twitter, Tumblr, Baidu Tieba,
and LinkedIn. Depending on interpretation, other popular platforms that are sometimes
referred to as social media services
include: YouTube, QQ, Quora, Telegram, WhatsApp, LINE, Snapchat, Pinterest, Viber,
Reddit, Discord, VK, Microsoft Teams, and more. Wikis are examples of collaborative
content creation.
Social media outlets differ from traditional media (e.g.,
print magazines and newspapers, and TV and radio broadcasting) in a variety of ways,
including quality, reach, frequency, usability, immediacy, and permanence. Additionally,
social media outlets operate in a dialogic transmission system, i.e., many sources to
many receivers, while traditional media outlets operate under a monologic transmission
model (i.e., one source to many receivers). For instance, a newspaper is delivered to
many subscribers and a radio station broadcasts the same programs to an entire city.
Since the dramatic expansion of the Internet, digital media or digital rhetoric can be
used to represent or identify a culture. Studying how the rhetoric that exists in the digital
environment has become a crucial new process for many scholars.
Observers have noted a wide range of positive and negative impacts of social media
use. Social media can help to improve an individual's sense of connectedness with real
or online communities and can be an effective communication (or marketing) tool for
corporations, entrepreneurs, non-profit organizations, advocacy groups, political parties,
and governments. Observers have also seen that there has been a rise in social
movements using social media as a tool for communicating and organizing in times of
political unrest.

History of social media

Early computing
The PLATO system launched in 1960, after being developed at the University of
Illinois and subsequently commercially marketed by Control Data Corporation. It offered
early forms of social media features with 1973-era innovations such as Notes, PLATO's
message-forum application; TERM-talk, its instant-messaging feature; Talkomatic,
perhaps the first online chat room; News Report, a crowdsourced online newspaper,
and blog; and Access Lists, enabling the owner of a note file or other application to limit
access to a certain set of users, for example, only friends, classmates, or co-workers.
ARPANET, which first came online in 1967, had by the late-1970s developed a rich
cultural exchange of non-government/business ideas and communication, as evidenced
by the network etiquette (or 'netiquette') described in a 1982 handbook on computing
at MIT's Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. ARPANET evolved into the Internet following
the publication of the first Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)
specification, RFC 675 (Specification of Internet Transmission Control Program), written
by Vint Cerf, Yogen Dalal and Carl Sunshine in 1974. This became the foundation
of Usenet, conceived by Tom Truscott and Jim Ellis in 1979 at the University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill and Duke University, and established in 1980.
A precursor of the electronic bulletin board system (BBS), known as Community
Memory, had already appeared by 1973. True electronic BBSs arrived with the
Computer Bulletin Board System in Chicago, which first came online on February 16,
1978. Before long, most major cities had more than one BBS running on TRS-80, Apple
II, Atari, IBM PC, Commodore 64, Sinclair, and similar personal computers. The IBM PC
was introduced in 1981, and subsequent models of both Mac computers and PCs were
used throughout the 1980s. Multiple modems, followed by specialized
telecommunication hardware, allowed many users to be online
simultaneously. Compuserve, Prodigy and AOL were three of the largest BBS
companies and were the first to migrate to the Internet in the 1990s. Between the mid-
1980s and the mid-1990s, BBSes numbered in the tens of thousands in North America
alone. Message forums (a specific structure of social media) arose with the BBS
phenomenon throughout the 1980s and early 1990s. When the World Wide
Web (WWW, or 'the web') was added to the Internet in the mid-1990s, message forums
migrated to the web, becoming Internet forums, primarily due to cheaper per-person
access as well as the ability to handle far more people simultaneously than telco
modem banks.
Digital imaging and semiconductor image sensor technology facilitated the development
and rise of social media. Advances in metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) semiconductor
device fabrication, reaching smaller micron and then sub-micron levels during the
1980s–1990s, led to the development of the NMOS (n-type MOS) active-pixel
sensor (APS) at Olympus in 1985, and then the complementary MOS (CMOS) active-
pixel sensor (CMOS sensor) at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in 1993. CMOS
sensors enabled the mass proliferation of digital cameras and camera phones, which
bolstered the rise of social media.
Data compression
An important feature of social media is digital media data compression, due to the
impractically high memory and bandwidth requirements of uncompressed media. The
most important compression algorithm is the discrete cosine transform (DCT), a lossy
compression technique that was first proposed by Nasir Ahmed in 1972. DCT-based
compression standards include the H.26x and MPEG video coding
standards introduced from 1988 onwards, and the JPEG image compression standard
introduced in 1992. JPEG was largely responsible for the proliferation of digital
images and digital photos which lie at the heart of social media, and the MPEG
standards did the same for digital video content on social media. The JPEG image
format is used more than a billion times on social networks every day, as of 2014.
Development of social-media platforms

SixDegrees, launched in 1997, is often regarded as the first social media site.
The development of social media began with simple platforms. GeoCities was one of
the earliest social networking services, launched in November 1994, followed
by Classmates.com in December 1995 and SixDegrees.com in May 1997.
Unlike instant-messaging clients (e.g., ICQ and AOL's AIM) or chat clients
(e.g., IRC, iChat, or Chat Television), SixDegrees was the first online business that was
created for real people, using their real names. As such, according to CBS News,
SixDegrees is "widely considered to be the very first social networking site," as it
included "profiles, friends lists and school affiliations" that could be used by registered
users.
Websites that are Social-Media Launched

 Open Diary - October 20, 1998.

 LiveJournal - April 15, 1999.
 Friendster - March 22, 2003.
 LinkedIn - May 5, 2003 (the corporate and job-oriented site).
 hi5 - June 27, 2003.
 MySpace - August 1, 2003.
 Orkut - January 22, 2004.
 Facebook - February 4, 2004.
 Flickr - February 10, 2004.
 YouTube in February 14, 2005 (video streaming service with no limitations except
for copyright).
 Yahoo! 360° in March 16, 2005.
 Bebo in July 2005 (Day unknown).
 Twitter July 15, 2006 (the text-based service, in which posts (called tweets) were
limited to 140 characters.)
 Tumblr in February 12, 2007.
 Instagram in July 5, 2010.
 Google+ in June 28, 2011.
 Snapchat in September, 2011.
 TikTok in November, 2016.

4.5 e-Commerce and e-Operations

E-commerce (electronic commerce) is the buying and selling of goods and services,
or the transmitting of funds or data, over an electronic network, primarily the internet.
These business transactions occur either as business-to-business (B2B), business-to-
consumer (B2C), consumer-to-consumer or consumer-to-business. The terms e-
commerce and e-business are often used interchangeably. The term e-tail is also
sometimes used in reference to the transactional processes that make up online retail
shopping.

In the last decade, widespread use of e-commerce platforms such as Amazon and eBay
has contributed to substantial growth in online retail. In 2007, e-commerce accounted
for 5.1% of total retail sales; in 2019, e-commerce made up 16.0%.

How does e-commerce work?

E-commerce is powered by the internet, where customers can access an online store to
browse through, and place orders for products or services via their own devices.

As the order is placed, the customer's web browser will communicate back and forth
with the server hosting the online store website. Data pertaining to the order will then be
relayed to a central computer known as the order manager -- then forwarded to
databases that manage inventory levels, a merchant system that manages payment
information (using applications such as PayPal), and a bank computer -- before circling
back to the order manager. This is to make sure that store inventory and customer
funds are sufficient for the order to be processed. After the order is validated, the order
manager will notify the store's web server, which will then display a message notifying
the customer that their order has been successfully processed. The order manager will
then send order data to the warehouse or fulfillment department, in order for the product
or service to be successfully dispatched to the customer. At this point tangible and/or
digital products may be shipped to a customer, or access to a service may be granted.

Platforms that host e-commerce transactions may include online marketplaces that
sellers simply sign up for, such as Amazon.com; software as a service (SaaS) tools that
allow customers to 'rent' online store infrastructures; or open source tools for companies
to use in-house development to manage.

Types of e-commerce
Business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce refers to the electronic exchange of
products, services or information between businesses rather than between businesses
and consumers. Examples include online directories and product and supply exchange
websites that allow businesses to search for products, services and information and to
initiate transactions through e-procurement interfaces.

In 2017, Forrester Research predicted that the B2B e-commerce market will top $1.1
trillion in the U.S. by 2021, accounting for 13% of all B2B sales in the nation.

Business-to-consumer (B2C) is the retail part of e-commerce on the internet. It is

when businesses sell products, services or information directly to consumers. The term
was popular during the dot-com boom of the late 1990s, when online retailers and
sellers of goods were a novelty.

Today, there are innumerable virtual stores and malls on the internet selling all types of
consumer goods. The most recognized example of these sites is Amazon, which
dominates the B2C market.

Consumer-to-consumer (C2C) is a type of e-commerce in which consumers trade

products, services and information with each other online. These transactions are
generally conducted through a third party that provides an online platform on which the
transactions are carried out.

Online auctions and classified advertisements are two examples of C2C platforms, with
eBay and Craigslist being two of the most popular of these platforms. Because eBay is
a business, this form of e-commerce could also be called C2B2C -- consumer-to-
business-to-consumer.

Consumer-to-business (C2B) is a type of e-commerce in which consumers make their

products and services available online for companies to bid on and purchase. This is
the opposite of the traditional commerce model of B2C.

A popular example of a C2B platform is a market that sells royalty-free photographs,

images, media and design elements, such as iStock. Another example would be a job
board.
Business-to-administration (B2A) refers to transactions conducted online between
companies and public administration or government bodies. Many branches of
government are dependent on e-services or products in one way or another, especially
when it comes to legal documents, registers, social security, fiscals and employment.
Businesses can supply these electronically. B2A services have grown considerably in
recent years as investments have been made in e-government capabilities.

Consumer-to-administration (C2A) refers to transactions conducted online between

individual consumers and public administration or government bodies. The government
rarely buys products or services from citizens, but individuals frequently use electronic
means in the following areas:

 Education. Disseminating information, distance learning/online lectures, etc.

 Social security. Distributing information, making payments, etc.

 Taxes. filing tax returns, making payments, etc.

 Health. Making appointments, providing information about illnesses, making health

services payments, etc.

Mobile e-commerce (M-commerce) is a type of e-commerce on the rise that features

online sales transactions made using mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets.
M-commerce includes mobile shopping, mobile banking and mobile payments.
Mobile chatbots also provide e-commerce opportunities to businesses, allowing
consumers to complete transactions with companies via voice or text conversations.

Advantages and disadvantages of e-commerce

Benefits of e-commerce include its around-the-clock availability, the speed of access,

the wide availability of goods and services for the consumer, easy accessibility and
international reach.

 Availability. Aside from outages or scheduled maintenance, e-commerce sites are

available 24x7, allowing visitors to browse and shop at any time. Brick-and-mortar
 businesses tend to open for a fixed number of hours and may even close entirely on
certain days.

 Speed of access. While shoppers in a physical store can be slowed by crowds, e-

commerce sites run quickly, which is determined by compute
and bandwidth considerations on both consumer device and e-commerce site.
Product pages and shopping cart pages load in a few seconds or less. An e-
commerce transaction can comprise a few clicks and take less than five minutes.

 Wide availability. Amazon's first slogan was "Earth's Biggest Bookstore." They
could make this claim because they were an e-commerce site and not a physical
store that had to stock each book on its shelves. E-commerce enables brands to
make a wide array of products available, which are then shipped from a warehouse
after a purchase is made. Customers will likely have more success finding what they
want.

 Easy accessibility. Customers shopping a physical store may have a hard time
determining which aisle a particular product is in. In e-commerce, visitors can browse
product category pages and use the site search feature the find the product
immediately.

 International reach. Brick-and-mortar businesses sell to customers who physically

visit their stores. With e-commerce, businesses can sell to any customer who can
access the web. E-commerce has the potential to extend a business' customer base

 Lower cost. pure play e-commerce businesses avoid the cost associated with
physical stores, such as rent, inventory and cashiers, although they may incur
shipping and warehouse costs.

 Personalization and product recommendations. E-commerce sites can track

visitors' browse, search and purchase history. They can use this data to present
useful and personalized product recommendations, and obtain valuable insights
about target markets. Examples include the sections of Amazon product pages
labeled "Frequently bought together" and "Customers who viewed this item also
viewed."
The perceived disadvantages of e-commerce include sometimes limited customer
service, consumers not being able to see or touch a product prior to purchase and the
wait time for product shipping.

 Limited customer service. If a customer has a question or issue in a physical store,

he or she can see a clerk, cashier or store manager for help. In an e-commerce
store, customer service may be limited: The site may only provide support during
certain hours of the day, or a call to a customer service phone number may keep the
customer on hold.

 Not being able to touch or see. While images on a webpage can provide a good
sense about a product, it's different from experiencing it "directly," such as playing
music on speakers, assessing the picture quality of a television or trying on a shirt or
dress. E-commerce can lead consumers to receive products that differ from their
expectations, which leads to returns. In some scenarios, the customer bears the
burden for the cost of shipping the returned item to the retailer.

 Wait time. If a customer sees an item that he or she likes in a store, the customer
pays for it and then goes home with it. With e-commerce, there is a wait time for the
product to be shipped to the customer's address. Although shipping windows are
decreasing as next day delivery is now quite common, it's not instantaneous.

 Security. Skilled hackers can create authentic-looking websites that claim to sell
well-known products. Instead, the site sends customers forfeit or imitation versions of
those products -- or, simply collects customers' credit card information. Legitimate e-
commerce sites also carry risk, especially when customers store their credit card
information with the retailer to make future purchases easier. If the retailer's site is
hacked, hackers may come into the possession of customers' credit card information.

E-commerce applications
E-commerce is conducted using a variety of applications, such as email, online catalogs
and shopping carts, Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), the file transfer protocol, web
services and mobile devices. This includes B2B activities and outreach, such as using
email for unsolicited ads, usually viewed as spam, to consumers and other business
prospects, as well as sending out e-newsletters to subscribers and SMS texts to mobile
devices. More companies now try to entice consumers directly online, using tools such
as digital coupons, social media marketing and targeted advertisements.

The rise of e-commerce has forced IT personnel to move beyond infrastructure design
and maintenance to consider numerous customer-facing aspects, such as
consumer data privacy and security. When developing IT systems and applications to
accommodate e-commerce activities, data governance-related regulatory compliance
mandates, personally identifiable information privacy rules and information protection
protocols must be considered.

E-commerce platforms and vendors

An e-commerce platform is a tool that is used to manage an e-commerce business. E-
commerce platform options exist for clients ranging in size from small businesses to
large enterprises. These e-commerce platforms include online marketplaces such as
Amazon and eBay, that simply require signing up for user accounts, and little to no IT
implementation. Another e-commerce platform model is SaaS, where store owners can
subscribe to "rent" space in a cloud-hosted service that does not require in-house
development or on-premises infrastructure. Other e-commerce platforms may come in
the form of open source platforms that require a hosting environment (cloud or on
premises), complete manual implementation and maintenance.

A few examples of e-commerce marketplace platforms include:

 Amazon

 eBay

 Walmart Marketplace

 Chewy

 Wayfair

 Newegg

 Alibaba
 Etsy

 Overstock

 Rakuten

Vendors offering e-commerce platform services for clients hosting their own
online store sites include:

 Shopify

 WooCommerce

 Magento

 Squarespace

 BigCommerce

 Ecwid

 Salesforce Commerce Cloud (B2B and B2C options)

 Oracle SuiteCommerce
Government regulations for e-commerce
In the United States, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Payment Card
Industry (PCI) Security Standards Council are among the primary agencies that regulate
e-commerce activities. The FTC monitors activities such as online advertising, content
marketing and customer privacy, while the PCI Security Standards Council develops
standards and rules, including PCI Data Security Standard compliance, which outlines
procedures for the proper handling and storage of consumers' financial data.

To ensure the security, privacy and effectiveness of e-commerce, businesses should

authenticate business transactions, control access to resources such as webpages for
registered or selected users, encrypt communications, and implement security
technologies, such as the Secure Sockets Layer and two-factor authentication.
History of e-commerce
The beginnings of e-commerce can be traced to the 1960s, when businesses started
using EDI to share business documents with other companies. In 1979, the American
National Standards Institute developed ASC X12 as a universal standard for businesses
to share documents through electronic networks.

After the number of individual users sharing electronic documents with each other grew
in the 1980s, the rise of eBay and Amazon in the 1990s revolutionized the e-commerce
industry. Consumers can now purchase endless amounts of items online, from e-tailers,
typical brick-and-mortar stores with e-commerce capabilities. Now, almost all retailer
companies are integrating online business practices into their business models.

Disruption to physical retail

Given the large rise in e-commerce in recent years, many analysts, economists and
consumers have debated whether the online B2C market will soon make physical, brick-
and-mortar stores obsolete. There is little question that online shopping is growing at a
significant rate.

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