The Internet Encyclopedia (Volume 3)

P1: IML/FFX P2: IML/FFX QC: IML/FFX T1: IML

Thompson2 WL040/Bidgolio-Vol I WL040-Sample.cls June 19, 2003 17:7 Char Count= 0

CONCLUSION 175

three areas of control that need to be considered: strategic

control, growth control, and day-to-day operations.

Strategic control of a network is designing and imple-

menting a network to satisfy the organization’s unique re-

quirements. If the organization operates its own private

network then it can determine the configuration of the

network. But, if the organization uses a public network

the organization does not have strategic control over the

configuration of the network. The public network provider

designs the network for the average subscriber.

Growth control of the network is the ability to expand

and make modifications to meet the changing require-

ments of the organization. It includes adding switching

nodes and leased lines, modifying the capacities of the

leased lines, and changing the network technology. A pri-

vate network provides the maximum flexibility for growth

control since the organization has complete control over

the network. If an organization is a subscriber to a pub-

lic network it has almost no growth control. All require-

ments are constrained by the capabilities of the public

network.

The other type of control is the day-to-day operation

of the network. This includes the ability to handle traffic

during peak times, to diagnose problems, and to repair

problems quickly. In a private network the organization

sets the priorities of the day-to-day operation to fit their

business. But, with a private network they also have to

hire or develop in-house expertise to maintain the often

complex network. Also the organization has to address the

reliability of the network by determining where to install

redundant packet switching nodes and dedicated leased

lines. If an organization is a subscriber to a public network

then it is dependent on the public network provider. There

are peak traffic times and the public network provider may

focus its efforts on the overall health of the network and

not on an individual user. On the other hand, the provider

can afford more redundancy and hire or develop more in-

house expertise because these costs are spread out over

several subscribers.

Other Factors

Other factors that are important in choosing a network

solution include breadth of service, security, installation,

repairs, and remote access. Many network providers offer

a wide breadth of value-added services, as previously

described. A provider that can provide value-added

services such as Web hosting bundled with its network

service can have a big advantage. If the server is on the

same network that other customers are connected to

then performance is better.

Security of a network includes restricting access to in-

formation located on corporate servers and preventing

malicious activities like denial-of-service attacks that shut

down a Web site. A network provider can provide firewalls

to restrict activity to sites, VPNs to encrypt and restrict ac-

cess between sites, and intrusion detection to detect ma-

licious activity.

The installation and repairs category includes the time-

liness and quality of an installation. Networks are complex

and often require coordination between multiple organi-

zations. For example, in the U.S. if a leased line crosses

two different LATAs then at least one local provider and at

least one IXC will be required. Also, realistic time sched-

ules are important because a rushed installation usually

results in a poor quality installation and long-term prob-

lems.

For many businesses remote access is important to be

competitive. Remote access permits users in a business

to communicate often with e-mail and to access corpo-

rate data. Remote access is dependent on the number and

location of the network provider’s in-dial modem pools.

If this is an important part of the business model then

a business should look for a provider that has multiple

access points in the areas that their employees travel.

PUBLIC NETWORKS IN THE INTERNET

AND E-COMMERCE ENVIRONMENTS

Public networks provide a cost-effective solution for small

businesses to connect to the Internet and participate in E-

commerce because they provide connections to the pub-

lic Internet through one or more locations. Access to the

Internet is restructuring the marketing, sales, manage-

ment, production, accounting, and personnel manage-

ment in businesses (Moody, 2001). The Internet provides

online up-to-the-minute reports for marketing. Market-

ing can easily monitor their competitors by accessing

the online information and competitors can easily mon-

itor a business. The Internet has had two effects on

sales. First, a business can have a worldwide presence.

Second, customers are demanding the correct informa-

tion for deciding which business to buy from. The on-

line purchase is now being handled automatically by

software (e-commerce). Members of the sales depart-

ment can access corporate information over the network

while on the road. Management can now have access

to more of the organization. They can access informa-

tion from marketing, sales, production, accounting, and

personnel including previous years’ sales and regional

performance of a product. They can have online meet-

ings and stay in contact with e-mail. Production can re-

ceive quicker feedback from the field and have feedback

from suppliers about their stock levels. Accounting can

pay online and receive up-to-the-minute information. Per-

sonnel information such as directories can be provided

online and manuals and training material can be placed

online.

CONCLUSION

Public networks are an increasingly popular solution for

businesses to link multiple sites together to exchange in-

formation and to connect to the Internet. Public networks

offer several advantages over private networks composed

of leased lines, including lower cost for a given per-

formance, value-added services, and fewer requirements

of maintaining in-house expertise for network mainte-

nance, support, and similar administrative and manage-

ment tasks. Public networks do have some disadvantages,

including potential variation in performance due to con-

gestion on the public network, and lack of control over

day-to-day operations, upgrades, and long-range planning

for capacity changes. However, public networks combine