Information and communications technology

Information and communications technology or information and

communication technology (ICT), is often used as an extended
synonym for information technology (IT), but is a more specific term that
stresses the role of unified communications[1] and the integration of
telecommunications (telephone lines and wireless signals), computers as
well as necessary enterprise software, middleware, storage, and audiovisual systems, which enable users to access, store, transmit, and
manipulate information.[2]
The phrase ICT had been used by academic researchers since the 1980s,[3]
but it became popular after it was used in a report to the UK government
by Dennis Stevenson in 1997[4] and in the revised National Curriculum for
England, Wales and Northern Ireland in 2000.
The term ICT is now also used to refer to the convergence of audio-visual
and telephone networks with computer networks through a single cabling
or link system. There are large economic incentives (huge cost savings
due to elimination of the telephone network) to merge the audio-visual,
building management and telephone network with the computer network
system using a single unified system of cabling, signal distribution and
management.
As computer technology has become more efficient and less costly, an
increasing variety of hardware and software options are available that can
help people recovering from stroke.
Faced with new challenges and cost reduction pressures, businesses must
weigh the demands of profitability with providing services to customers.
To help enhance your communications capabilities whilst streamlining
processes and reducing costs, ReachTEL offers three types of
communication technology: voice broadcast services, email marketing
tools, and SMS broadcasting, as well as associated data validation
capabilities. Whether it's delivering better customer service, increasing
brand awareness or enhancing your bottom line, find out how ReachTEL
can help you reach your goal.
Voice broadcast services are among the types of communication
technology we do best. Our campaigns can be designed to deliver prerecorded messages to your audience, whether they have a mobile device
or fixed telephone line. We provide transferring capabilities so that
businesses can act upon customer interest without having to contact them
again. ReachTEL can also solicit responses from the people we contact so
that your business can gather valuable data about its target
demographics. Other aspects of voice broadcast that can be implemented

include customisable text-to-speech features, live campaign statistics, and

as always, a cost far lower than that of direct mail campaigns.
SMS broadcasting is a cutting-edge way to reach consumers no matter
where they are. It is incredibly effective, when you compare its cost to the
awesome communicative power that it has. We can instantly deliver
customisable messages to the target markets mobile devices. In
traditional SMS broadcasting, recipients cannot respond to marketing
messages. ReachTEL believes in Full Circle Communication and recipients
can reply or opt-in to messages. This not only helps businesses
communicate with their audience, it provides actionable information to
increase sales.
It is common knowledge that a lot of email marketing messages get sent
straight to the trash can, unless you are working with ReachTEL. Our antispam technology is associated with all email marketing campaigns to
ensure your potential customers will see your message. As the original
low-cost advertising tool, email campaigns are a part of the foundation of
your business marketing strategy. Just like our other tools, email
marketing campaigns provide detailed reporting of information that can
help you better understand your market.
The actions companies take in their industries are only as good as the
data those decisions are based on. Businesses use market data everyday
to make strategic decisions, and that information does have a shelf life.
Our data validation services can perform tasks such as reducing errors
and duplicates, and comparing current data against governmentgenerated do-not-call lists. Some of the most common reasons that
messages do not reach recipients is because of misspelled name and
address information. ReachTELs data validation programs help to lower
the chances of undelivered marketing messages to help you increase your
bottom line or your brand awareness.
Since the end of the 19th century, the way people communicate has been
completely transformed. No longer beholden to pen and parchment,
people can now deliver massive amounts of data with the push of a
button. New communication technologies have connected not only people
but also businesses, changing the way people interact on a daily basis.
1. Telephone
o

Alexander Graham Bell revolutionized the way people

communicate with his patent on the telephone in 1876. Over
the past century, advances in technology have replaced the

heavy hardware and metal wiring of the original design with

lightweight microcircuitry. These advancements have also
allowed for the transition from landlines to wireless, freeing
people to communicate from remote locations. All over the
world, millions of people can talk to each other, expanding
businesses and improving relationships that might not
otherwise have survived across long distances. Telephones
also allow for instant communication, and new technology
integrates video and Internet.
The first telephones, as well as their modern counterparts,
consist of a ringer, transmitter, dialer, switch hook, power
source and anti-sidetone circuit, all of which have been
advanced by new technology.
2. Radio
o

In 1906, Reginald Fessenden, creator of the first sophisticated

radio transmitter, expanding on the ideas of Guglielmo
Marconi, sent music and speech across the airwaves. This
invention of the radio allowed sound and information to be
broadcast to an extremely wide audience. Radio reached its
golden age during the 1920s, and companies advertised their
products to consumers around the world. During the 1930s
radio expanded further into news, politics, vaudeville routines
and sporting events, broadcasting into millions of homes
every day.

3. Television
o

Television was introduced to the public in 1946, even though it

had been experimented with since the late 1920s. Television
exploded in homes around the world, going from 940,000
households in the beginning to 20 million by 1953.
Corporations suddenly had the opportunity to show their
products, not just describe them. Over the following decades,
television became the predominant source of communication
to a wide audience, and it changed the political and cultural
landscape forever. People were suddenly able to witness iconic
events, such as the first moon landing and the progression of
the civil rights movement.

A major criticism was that television reduced complex events

into simple entertainment, but television was here to stay,
changing the way people received their news.
4. Internet
o

The creation of the Internet allowed computer networks from

around the globe to network with each other, giving
individuals access to an incredible wealth of information. In
2010, about half of the world's population has access to the
Internet, growing from only 6 percent of the population in
2000.
Email, social networks, newsgroups and video transmission
have connected the world like never before. Privacy concerns
have arisen with the proliferation of the Internet, especially
with government monitoring and certain social networking
sites, but the Internet has woven itself into the fabric of
society and business. High-speed connections allow for an
immense amount of information to be transferred in seconds.

The History of Communication Technology

The Information Superhighway is one stage of communication technology
history.
Humans have relied on communication from time immemorial to relay
messages to one another. Nowadays, we use complex technology to send
important information to our loved ones, friends and business associates.
However, the technologies we use today did not always exist. Human
beings have relied on various methods to communicate with each other.
These methods have depended on the progress science had made at that
time.
1. Drawing
o

Prehistoric cave drawings are considered the first form of

human communication. Some early humans dwelt in caves,
which provided shelter from the elements and predatory
animals. To convey past events of importance, rituals or ideas,
cave dwellers would draw pictures on the walls of their homes.
Language had not developed to the point at which it was

adequate to convey these concepts, so drawings

communicated what words could not.
Writing
o Written language developed as humans settled into agrarian
communities. The switch from hunting-based societies to nonnomadic lifestyles based on agriculture took place roughly
9,000 years ago. Writing became important as humans
recognized the need to keep records of property and trade. At
first, pictures represented the objects that were being written
about. As societies developed further, pictures then
represented sounds. Ultimately in the West, the language of
pictures gave way to letters, which were graphic
representations of particular sounds. Stringing letters together
created words.
Printing
o For hundreds of years, documents were written by hand,
which could be time consuming. The skill of writing was
confined to an elite, well-educated class, most of whom were
clergy. In the 14th century, block printing became popular.
Block printing involved using individual etched wooden blocks
to print single words or letters. This process was expensive
and inefficient. In 1454, German goldsmith Johannes
Gutenberg invented a printing machine that contained
movable blocks. Gutenberg's invention revolutionized book
production, making books affordable and accessible.
Telegraph
o The invention of the printing press certainly made it easier to
communicate, but it could take days or weeks for the written
word to arrive at its destination. Scientists searched for a
faster way to transmit information. French scientists
developed a communication system that used light to
transmit signals in the late 18th century. American inventor
Samuel Morse improved this system by creating a machine
that transformed speech into electric signals and then into
written words. His telegraph became a popular method to
communicate quickly.
Telephone
o The invention of the telegraph was the inspiration for further
advances in communication technology. Using the principle

behind the telegraph, American inventors Elisha Grey and

Alexander Graham Bell transformed speech into an electrical
signal. Unlike the telegraph, this electrical signal was
transformed back into speech. This invention ultimately
became more popular than the idea it was based on, and the
telegraph became a thing of the past.
Digital Technology
o Computers represented a huge leap in communication
technology. Originally, computers were used perform complex
mathematical equations. Eventually, scientists realized that
computers could be used to communicate as well. The
precursor to the Internet was created in 1989, and it allowed
scientists to share documents with each other through their
computers. It was not long before the Internet became
publicly accessible. This technological innovation made
communication faster than ever before.
The Evolution and Future of Communication Technology
Weve come a long way since the very first instances of verbal and written
communication. From the early stages of speech, along with the primitive
use of symbols and pictures to convey messages to one another, weve
evolved into a communications powerhouse. Data has never been
transferred faster and communication has thus never been more
sophisticated than it is right now.

Communication: Past to Present

From ancient writing techniques and newspapers weve moved on to text
messaging and email. From Morse code and telegraphs to telephones and
radios, we now moved on to televisions, computers and cell phones.
TVs that utilized tubes with vacuum seals and boasted analog signals and
black and white color are now Flat Screen LCDs or Plasmas that boast all
digital High Definition Signals, thousands of lines of resolution and millions
of color pixels. Rotary phones and dial up communication has been
transformed to portable phones. From there they moved on to satellite
communication cellular phones. Hand written symbols, numbers and
letters went from being carried to being digitally transferred. We no longer
have to wait for days to receive information as most of our data messages
can be transferred in a matter of seconds over high speed broadband

internet connections with computers that boast Gigabytes of Ram and

Gigahertz of processor speed.
Whats Next?
With all of the evolution that has taken place, with TVs, phones, and
computers, we wonder what is going to be the next best thing. Despite
the popularity of all of these forms of communication individually, I cant
help but pick a technology that does all three. The technology that can
host phone calls, transfer data, and hosts television broadcasts gets my
vote.
The Inadequate Cell Phone
You may be thinking that your cell phone is where Im headed with this.
Granted, cell phones can transfer data (text messaging, email, webbrowsing, etc), and they obviously allow you to make phone calls. Some of
them do stream live video broadcasts. They are highly mobile too! I,
however, want something that is better equipped for the challenge. Cell
phones cannot process information as fast as a computer can send out
emails or internet surf. They cannot produce the visual stimulation that a
TV is capable of. So, although they can do all three, Im not picking a
super cell phone as the next best thing.
The Impractical Television
This leaves me with my TV and my computer. I am not sure how you feel
about this, but I dont think I want my LCD TV to serve as my phone. For
practical purposes, my TV is on my wall, in my living room. Two problems
with this are that I would not be able to pick my TV up and move to
another room to make a phone call if I wanted privacy and if you have
people over watching a game I doubt they would want you to interrupt the
game to take a call. If you know how annoying that phone number that
pops up on your TV when you have Digital Phone service can be, then you
know what Im talking about.
The Super Computer!
Process of elimination leaves the computer as the last tech standing.
Computers are highly capable of data transfer. They can host live video
broadcasts with exceptional quality. Now if we can just get them to host
phone calls wed be on to something. Oh wait, they already can! I know
that making phone calls through your computer has been something you
could do for a long time with a microphone and headphones/speakers.
However, with the help of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone
technology it simply has not been easier. In addition, the development of
ridiculously great laptops has pretty much made phone calling through

your computer as mobile as your cell phone; sort of. An explanation is

coming up soon.
The Integration of VoIP
VoIP allows you to make phone calls in three different ways. Youll need a
high-speed broadband internet connection for all three options. First, you
can still make that phone call through your computer using a microphone
and headphones/speakers, or a headset that does both. Second, you can
actually still use an old phone you have lying around your house to make
an internet phone call with the help of a VoIP adapter that hooks up to a
broadband connection. A third option, (mainly for businesses that have
multiple incoming/outgoing calls) is to buy a special VoIP phone that is just
like many other businesses phones but it plugs directly into a broadband
connection. It has all sorts of special features right on the user interface
so that you can easily answer and transfer calls multiple phone calls.
Picking the option that best suits you depends on what your intended use
is.
The Need for Networks
The main component of all of these options, the backbone as so to speak,
is the network. Without the network that connects all of us to one another,
none of this is possible. Therefore, development of a network that is
sophisticated enough to meet the demands of modern communication is a
necessity. In addition, having all of the necessary networking products to
stay connected to it is vital. After all that is said and done, I feel as though
VoIP is a great leap in the communications technology field. Combined
with the mobility of a laptop and you basically have the recipe for a
mobile communications powerhouse.
Network Shortcomings
Right now wireless hotspots are limited. For this combination to really
develop, wireless networking must develop. Until your laptop can get
connected to the network and stay connected no matter where you go
and what you do, you will not always have access to phone calls or your
data transfer and television communication options. While you can usually
wait to tune in to your favorite TV station or send out an email, you cannot
always wait to make or receive an emergency phone call. Therefore, in
most cases, VoIP and a laptop will always rank second to a cell phone for
speech communication purposes.
Conclusion
When that wireless network expands and can guarantee connectivity in
more places I feel VoIP makes a name for itself in our society. After all, if
you have a laptop already capable of high speed data transfer that can

now allow you to make phone calls and watch TV; you probably will spend
a lot less paying for all three services individually. Lets look forward to
network development and VoIP to take us into the future of
communications technology.