Networking information technology

Networking Information Technology is technology which people use to communicate with one another through local and wide area net works[computer networks. Email, wiki sites, and Facebook are only a small number of examples of networking technologies which allow users to communicate with one another.
General Overview
Networking technology over the past few years has been adopted not only by individual users but also by small to large corporations in order to increase communication in the workplace. Communication among employees not only fosters the free flow of valuable information but if done correctly builds key relationships to improving processes across divisional boundaries.
Below is a reference to some key technologies being used personally and in the work place: Aggregators, blogs, podcasting, photosharing, Wikis, social networking sites, text messaging, and skype are just a few.
History
Networking technologies as we know them today first took the shape of bulletin boards, CompuServe servers, and AOL member created communities.
Bulletin board systems allowed users to communicate with one by posting messages to a central system where other users could read and post messages as well. These systems used telephone lines and modems to communicate. <10>
During the same time another technology was emerging in the business environment known as CompuServe. CompuServe was a business oriented main frame which allowed users to communicate, share files, get news, as well as spawned the emergence of email. CompuServe allowed there users to join forums and begin to share information similar to that of a blogging. <10>
AOL communities was one of the first networking sites to require member profiles, allow member to member searches, and give users the opportunity to post information about themselves. <10>
E-Communication Emerging in the Corporate Environment
As technology grows exponentially, in accordance with “Maslow’s Theory”, so does the availability of new technologies to improve communication in the work place.
The aggregator is a type of technology which pulls content from other websites and can be used by companies to instantly retrieve or “Feed” on the latest information from these specified sites. The public relations department of a large company may use an aggregator in order to pull the latest news casts on its company. <2>
Web Blogs or Blogs, are sites that can be used to publish the latest information about a company and to provide hyperlinks to additional online resources. Companies such as Travelocity, use blogs to promote their business and to provide the consumer with valuable information on their latest and greatest products. This can also be a place where the company tries to connect with the consumer by adding a personal or human feel to their website.<2>
Podcasting is the use of audio files to provide employees or consumers with an auditory rather than visual medium of communication. Podcasts are used by companies to convey high level initiatives from the president of the company to employees as well as to connect employees around the world to a meeting that may have been held during their sleep. Podcasts can often be supplemented with presentations, fulfilling both the auditory and visual stimulation to sell a product and make an impact on a customer.<2>
Wikis are web sites which can be made public or limited, used to collaborate ideas and provide a platform for group initiatives not bound by geography or time. Wikis are evolving repositories for information, utilized by a group, team, or committee to accomplish an identified goal. Companies can use Wikis to task a cross functional group with a problem or task, utilizing the Wiki to evolve that idea or task into a finished product. Wikis are ideal because they document the thought process of the team and provide a medium to store the resources used as well as share to share the finished product. <2>

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