A case where company has successfully taken advantage of the Internet

The company that will be the case study is FedEx Corporation. This company was incorporated in the year 1997. It is an import and export company that specializes in delivery of products and offers shipping services to various companies around the globe. Initially FedEx used to deliver small packages using manual means, whereby customers had to call every time to inquire about the location of their shipping. The company needed to expand their operations and make the process seamless at the same time customer and user friendly. The links are the channels through which communication to various channels or devices are connected. The link can be an actual physical or a logical one. The terminals on the other hand are the endpoints of telecommunications link, the point where the signal can enter or leave the network devices.

Describe the characteristics of a simple network and the infrastructure of a network for a large company. A simple network comprises of two or more computers that are connected. Campus Area Network (CAN) is larger than LAN but smaller than MAN and is used in a university, large institutions or colleges. Can be used in small businesses or districts. Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) are larger than LANs but smaller than WAN. It has components of both networks and covers a wide geographic region, hence its owned by local councils or a certain company. Wide Area Network (WAN) is a network that connects computers together over a long distance to enable communications among them its owned and maintained by different players in the world.

The TCP/IP referencing model forms the biggest component of the internet. The internet enables presence of harmony in the business world through access of multiple software and operating systems. Each computer that uses the internet has a unique IP address that identifies it. The basic services that the internet offers include email transmission, transfers of news from newsgroups, chatting and messaging to enable communication across people. E-business relies on the use of the internet to be operational, hence with the worldwide presence of the networks and the internet, an online store can be present in any computer that is connected to the internet as long as a person wants to access the business using the unique domain provided to the e-business.

List and describe the main services of the Internet. The various services include the email services, that enable communication from one person to another and sharing of documents. Newsgroups discussion services, chatting and messaging services, Telnet and teleconferencing services. Other services include File Transfer Protocol (FTP) which is a means of moving files from one computer to another. World Wide Web services form also part of the many functions of the internet where individuals can access a wide range of information. The mostly used means include search engines which is a platform supported by Google, Yahoo, Baidu and Bing to find relevant information on the web. Intelligent systems use software such as MySimon and Google Product Search to locate information in the internet.

Describe how online search technologies are used for marketing. Majority of Americans adding up to 60 percent use internet to find products at least once in a day hence making search engines the best marketing tool. The search results come with sponsored content appearing first then followed by the results of the content searched. The highest speed of transmission is 54mbps for 2. 4 GHz band. It is effective for a distance of up to 50 meters WiMax is an abbreviation for worldwide interoperability for microwave access. This technology is used in areas where Wi-Fi access is limited. The antennas used for WiMax have the ability to reach longer distances to be accessed in homes and businesses. RFID works by having the details of the good being transported in a chip.

The chip sends signals to nearest RFID readers which in turn send the information to computers in the network. This technology enables automation and secures trust amongst customers in a business. Define WSN networks, explain how they work and describe the types of applications that use them. Wireless sensor data is a network consisting of organized wireless devices with thousands of nodes. iii. Use of biometric identification. In this method a user’s eye, finger prints or the face are used to identify the individual. Describe the roles of firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and antivirus software to promote security. The firewalls provide a robust means through which unauthorized users are not allowed to access a private network. Indicate the difference between disaster resource planning and business continuity planning.

Disaster resource planning are measures that are put in place to be prepared for any disaster that is likely to happen. The processes are related to the technology used the infrastructures put in place by the company or business. On the other hand, business continuity planning plan are the processes that are put in place after a disaster has happened to ensure the business returns to profitability. The plans identify the critical sections that need keen interest so that more resources are allocated to them. Wholesaling and warehousing model-in this model the owner of the business have a warehouse and selling is done offline and purchases are made directly from the manufacturer or middlemen at cheaper or discounted prices. This model requires a lot of investment and is suitable for individuals with enough money for this purpose.

iii. White-labelling and manufacturing business model- this model is suitable for the company which does not have enough investment to manufacture their own products. The company can outsource a manufacturer then label the products as their own. Network companies, internet service providers and security or payment services companies are also users of this model. iii. Transaction fee revenue model- in this model the company receives revenue from the transactions made by users, through the transaction fees the customers pay for using the platform. The major customers are the individuals that have products to sell. Some of the commonly known models include eBay and Amazon. Diagram of the new process How might information systems support these changes? Automation of the whole process can make the whole procedure more straightforward and user friendly.