The Changing Nature of Communication Technology

1
The Changing Nature of Communication Technology
2
Contributions of the Past

• The history of communication systems is rich with
  spectacular innovations and inventions.
• Many of them completely changed peoples lives.

3
Changed our lives

• Johannes Gutenbergs use of moveable type in
  the middle of the fifteenth century made it
  possible to print books quickly.
• For the first time books became available to all
  people, not just the elite.
• Alexander Graham Bells telephone allowed two
  people to talk to each other without being face
  to face.
• Computers have changed our lives in countless
  ways.

4
Industrial Revolution

• Until the middle of the 1800s, the majority of
  people spent most of their waking hours growing
  and harvesting food.
• The Industrial Revolution of the mid-nineteenth
  century changed that.
• For the first time in history more people began
  to work in Industries that on farms. The Age of
  Industry had begun.

5
Information Age

• Now we live in the Information Age.
• As our factories become more automated, fewer
  people are employed in the production of goods.
• At the same time there has been an explosion of
  information.
• This information is often called data.
• New communication systems allow us to handle this
  information with relative ease.
• That is why may people refer to our time as the
  information age.

6
Changes in Communication

• If you look at the big picture of communication,
  you can spot some changes taking place.
• These include
• Computerization
• Digitization
• Integration
• Growing use of computers in the home

7
Computerization

• Single most significant change is
  computerization.
• More and more, communication systems are relying
  upon the power of computers to make them work.
• There are microprocessors inside your telephone,
  television, radio, cd player, camera, photocopier
  etc.

8
Many Benefits of Computerization

• Increased quality and reliability
• Quick turn around time computers eliminate some
  tasks resulting in quicker communication.
• Save money speeding up communication process
  means fewer work hours and reduced wage expenses.
  

9
Miniaturization

• Miniaturization means to make things smaller.
• Computers used to be monstrous in size. Now they
  are smaller and getting smaller all the time.
• As they get smaller, they will also get cheaper.
  (Calculators of the early 70s cost hundreds of
  dollars and took up most of the desktop)

10
Digitization

• A watch with hour and minute hands is an analog
  time keeper.
• Since it is in constant movement, it is never
  really the exact time.
• Communication systems have traditionally been
  analog systems.
• Since computers are now taking over communication
  systems, they are becoming digital.

11
Integration

• Digital data can be transferred easily between
  systems.
• A digital photograph can be passed to a digital
  printing system very easily.
• Fax machines send digital text and graphics over
  the telephone lines.
• This trend is called integration, or combining,
  of communication systems.

12
Computers in Every Home

• More and more computers are finding their way
  into peoples homes.
• Businesses are finding more ways to communicate
  with consumers through the home computer.
• You can now shop online, book reservations, trade
  stock, online banking etc. etc.

13
Different World

• The ability to transmit information instantly
  around the globe makes it a much different world
  than it was just a few decades ago.
• It truly is The Information Age