Networking and Telecommunications for Information Systems

In the 1990s computer networking is set to have a revolutionary impact on our lives. From the small local network to the international public network and telecommunications systems, the trend is towards the integration and globalization of information access and delivery. This book examines the development, current state and future plans of computer networking. It provides a basic introduction to the technical issues for each type of network, and its impact on the information activities of users and on the delivery of integrated information services which are illustrated by individual examples. The potential for multi-media information services over high bandwidth networks is examined through netwroking in the public domain, library and bibliographic networking and the development of open systems approaches to message transfer and document delivery.