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TSR Wiki > Study Help > Subjects and Revision > Revision Notes > Business Studies > Electronic Communication for Businesses

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Computerised electric telecommunications have created a global village in terms of the immediacy within which people across the world can share conversations, televised pictures, and interactive software on VDU’s, maps, graphics, and circuits. The process of making decisions has also increased in speed due to the instant access to databanks of information held in huge mainframe computer memory banks. A disadvantage to all of this would be that employees, managers’ etc wouldn’t have much time to properly understand and provide feedback to the large amounts of information inputted everywhere. Fax, email, telex, tele / video conferencing and telephone link ups now have a complex policy and strategy decisions which can be made across the world.

Due to the electronic technology, jobs, working locations and cultures are likely to change. The term ‘telecommuting’ is already being used for people who work from home, who are linked to the office by modem and computer terminal. Local and Wide Area Networks (LAN / WAN) messaging systems, fax, telex and view data communication modems used as a personal computer enable a manager, secretary etc to access world wide communication links without even having to move from their desk.

The amount of face to face oral communication, across the office desk or around tables will also decrease because of computer based videos, telephone or computer screen hook ups.

The advantages

• Speed of transmission (WAN)
• Versatility (Fax can transmit text, number, graphics, artwork and photographs all on one side of A4. Tele and computer conferencing provide interpersonal exchanges visually and via VDU screens).
• Accuracy (Instant message reading and checking of electronic circuits operating between sending and receiving equipment during the transmission of high speed ‘bits’ of the message in packet switching of computer data ensure the message is accurately received in remote locations).
• Feedback exchange (Computerised telecommunications allow for a virtually simultaneous exchange of information and responses).

The disadvantages

• Volume of transmitted data (The volume of tele communicated information is increasing at such a fast rate that business personnel are unable to absorb it within the relevant time limits).
• Costs (Tele communicated messages have billing premiums placed upon them to pay for the enormous development and hardware investments made nationally and internationally. However, the cost of fax, telex, and communication modems etc is falling rapidly in an expanding market).
• Legal implications (Words printed on paper at source still have a legal currency that a faxed message does not).
• Instant delivery (The almost instant delivery of LAN / WAN email messages etc can cause upsets if messages are composed in anger and then unretreivable after being sent).

One method of internal electronic communication would be video conferencing. Videoconferencing is an interactive tool that uses video, computing and communication technologies to allow people in different locations to meet face to face and perform most of the same meeting activities they would perform if all the participants were in the same room.

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