Telecommunication Services

Communication

Communication is the exchange of information between two end users or even a group of people. There are various means of communication such as Email, SMS, Social Media, Chatting Applications, etc. One of the main ways of communication especially for firms and professionals is emails, which is when users are able to send and receive messages electronically to each other. This is a very easy and fast way to communicate with each other which is not time consuming. There are many examples of people emailing each other in a working environment such as, at school as users may need to email their teachers as a way of communicating outside of school if they need help on their coursework, the main reason for doing this is because teachers would be able to email more than one person which can be done very quickly.

Discussion Boards

A discussion board is a forum where users leave their own message such as a question, a point of view or a response based on the topic being discussed. Discussion boards can be for educational purposes, i.e. students gathering information for some school work or employees attempting to learn about something regarding their work that they might not understand. Discussion boards are mostly carried out online on various websites because they are easy to find and access from anywhere as long as there's an internet connection. A major disadvantage of discussion boards is that people may post links to viruses which will then harm the users' computers.

Remote Access

Remote access is when you are able to access / log on to computer, server or network which is physically not at the same location. An example of remote access is sharing a session between two devices or online login onto a different server/network; this allows the user to have authorized control over various files from a different computer or file server. Remote access is useful when someone needs to access their resources from elsewhere for example accessing work files from home or at a client's place or for example when a student needs to access their school work from home.

File Services

File Transfer

File transfer is a very popular network service which allows users to move all sorts of files and data across the network. Transferring files can also involve users downloading information from the internet or perhaps buying various application software such for example the Office Package which is then downloaded. Some files can harmful to the user’s computer as they might be a virus attached to it so it's very important that when transferring files over the internet for users to make sure that the files are clean and harmless of any potential malicious viruses.  The internet is a globally used network which is also an example of a WAN.

File Sharing

File sharing is when the users share resources between each another. Files can be shared between just two end users but at the same time they can be shared in a group or on a public network for more people to have access.  Only the owner of those resources can choose what is to be done with those specific files and if they choose to share it then they can do so. Furthermore, the owner also decides exactly to who the files are shared. File sharing often occurs on the internet because it is fairly secure but mainly because it's fast and simple. 

Application Services

Application Software

Application software are computer programs used for carrying out everyday tasks on a computer that any user would want to do such as writing a letter, sending an email, making a leaflet, editing a picture, etc. All application software works though the OS and is operated using the hardware components. Various examples of application software includes Word Processor such as Microsoft Word, Spreadsheet such as Excel, Photo Editor such as Adobe Photoshop, Web Design Software such as Adobe Dreamweaver, Media Player such as VLC.

Shared Resources

As in the word, a shared resource is a file or piece of data from one computer which is made available to various other devices within that network through the LAN or Intranet that connects all of the devices together. Therefore that resource can be accessed from any of the devices within that network as if it was originally on that computer. Some of the most common shared files include application software, data, files, folders, etc. Hardware resources such as printers, storage devices, fax machines and scanners can also be examples of shared resources although these are physical/tangible.

Storage Space

This service allows users to save and store all their files and data in a safe and secure place within the network without any risks of losing those resources. This is very useful and important for users as it allows them to store important resources in a secure place. Storage space is usually provided by a hard disk or hard drive which can be installed to a computer. If it's a public or shared network then the resources will be stored within a large file server which in itself is a computer that stores all those files.

Directory Services

Account Management

Account management creates, manages and maintains all the accounts in a computer network. It also allows the users to store and manage all their files and data on the file server within the network. Furthermore, through account management, users are given a user name and password (which can be changed later on) in order to be able to access all their files securely. Account management reduces costs for the network company as less file servers are needed for storing all the data.

Authentication Management

Authentication management allows the network to identify all the users from that network using their username and password. In other words it ensures that the person trying to access that account is the owner of that account. An example of authentication management is when the user chooses a security question and answer which they can later user to prove that it's them attempting to access that account. Furthermore, you can add an email address or a contact number which can be user for authentication purposes later on.

DNS (Domain Name System)

DNS is a protocol within the TCP/IP Suite which allows users to exchange files and data on the internet and other private networks. It carries out a basic job of turning a domain name into an IP Address which is  then used by the computers to identify each other within the network. For example when For example, when you enter "http://www.blogger.com" into the browser, DNS will automatically turn that domain name (address) into an IP Address which in this case is "74.125.29.191".