A communications realignment

摘要

In the last decade, business and personal communications have undergone a major realignment. At the heart of the change is the PC. Ten years ago, typical IBM-compatible PCs came without modems and operated as stand-alone appliances. The World Wide Web did not exist, and even if it did, access on a 9,600 bps or lower speed modem would have been excruciatingly slow. Today, e-mail has become commonplace in business and many homes, and people frequently access the Web for information, entertainment, or shopping. Computers now use 56k modems or even faster broadband technologies. What's more, as computer access to the Internet has become faster and less expensive, other appliances as varied as cellular phones, air-conditioners, refrigerators, and video game consoles are being linked to the Internet. While the "dot-com" bust and the current recession have set back some technology projects and expectations, there is still much interest in connecting appliances to the Internet and to each other. Getting to an "interconnected" future depends to a large degree, on wider use of broadband, wireless connections, and digital technology. Progress is being made in all these areas. Also, work is continuing on a number of fronts to develop necessary technology standards.