INTERNET & EE-BUSINESS

Understanding the scope of E-Business

Course Instructor: Ms. Hira Jawaid

How Internet Works

Internet Technology

Servers & Clients

Types of internet connections

Internet service providers (ISPs)

Protocols

Domain names

World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)

Internet Society (ISOC)

What is INTERNET
Internet is an electronic interconnected worldwide network of computers
that allows sharing or networking of information at remote sites from
universities, private companies, government agencies & individuals.

INTERNET

The Internet' refers to the massive network of connected computers stretching all over the
world.

It connects millions of computers together globally, forming

a network in which any computer can communicate with any
other computer as long as they are both connected to the

Internet.

Course Instructor: Ms. Hira Jawaid

Internet Technology Components

To understand the Internet, it helps to look at it as a system with two main
components; Hardware and Protocols.
1.

Hardware

2.

Protocol

Hardware

Hardware that supports the Internet

routers, servers, cell phone towers, satellites,

radios, smart phones and other devices.

All these devices together create the

network of networks.

Examples of Hardware
o The computer, smart phone or other device you're using to read may count as end
points. We call those end points clients.
o Machines that store the information we seek on the Internet are servers.
o Other elements are nodes which serve as a connecting point along a route of traffic.
o And then there are the transmission lines which can be physical, as in the case of
cables and fiber optics, or they can be wireless signals from satellites, cell phone or
4G towers, or radios

Protocols

Protocols are sets of rules that machines follow to complete tasks.

Without a common set of protocols that all machines connected to the Internet must follow,
communication between devices couldn't happen. The various machines would be unable to
understand one another or even send information in a meaningful way.

The protocols provide both the method and a common language for machines to use to
transmit data

A 'protocol is a particular way of doing something.

When the Internet was first being developed by computer scientists in America there had
to be common agreement about how computers would speak' to each other. What has
emerged is a set of protocols that everyone using the Internet must follow. There are
several important ones.

IP

TCP/IP

HTTP

TLS

SHTTP

SMTP

Protocols and Its Types

Internet Protocol : IP

This is the protocol that establishes a unique name for every computer on the Internet.

This is a twelve digit number, e.g. 216.24.62.132.

This identifies every network, host and organization on the Internet.

Each device connected to the Internet has an IP address. This is how one machine can
find another through the massive network.

Transmission Control Protocol: TCP/IP:

TCP/IP normally works together. TCP/IP provides end-to-end connectivity specifying

how data should be formatted, addressed, transmitted, routed and received at the
destination.

IP addresses let the Internet find the right route for messages, so that they get to where
you want them to go.

But it is Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) that takes the overall piece of data, breaks
it down into 'packets' and checks for errors, reassembles the packets at the other end
and re-sends anything that gets lost.

Protocols and its Types

Hypertext Transfer Protocol: HTTP

The Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) was created by Tim Berners-Lee while working
for CERN (a research centre based in Geneva, Switzerland) in 1991.

Berners-Lee is therefore correctly regarded as the creator of the worldwide web. T

he function of HTTP is to specify the way in which browsers and web servers transmit
data to each other.

HTTP defines how messages are formatted and transmitted, and what actions Web
servers and browsers should take in response to various commands.

For example, when you enter a URL in your browser, this actually sends an HTTP
command to the Web server directing it to fetch and transmit the requested Web page.

Hypertext transfer protocol is what we use to view Web sites through a browser -- that's
what the http at the front of any Web address stands for.

Protocols and its Types

Transport Layer Security: TLS

Transport Layer Security (TLS) is a protocol that ensures privacy between

communicating applications and their users on the Internet.

When a server and client communicate, TLS ensures that no third party may eavesdrop
or tamper with any message.

Secure Hyper Text Transfer Protocol: HTTPs

Its a communications protocol for secure communication over a computer network, with
especially wide deployment on the Internet.

Technically, it is not a protocol in and of itself; rather, it is the result of simply layering the
Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) on top of the TLS protocol, thus adding the security
capabilities of TLS to standard HTTP communications.

Protocols and its Types

Internet Message Access Protocol: IMAP
The Internet Message Access Protocol is an Internet
protocol that allows an e-mail client to access e-mail on a
remote mail server.

File Transfer Protocol: FTP

FTP is built on a clients server architecture and uses
separate control and data connections between the client
and the server

Simple Mail Transfer Protocol: SMTP

SMTP is generally used to send messages from a mail
client to a mail server.

URL

A uniform resource locator, abbreviated as URL (also known as web address, particularly
when used with HTTP), is a specific character string that constitutes a reference to a
resource.
In most web browsers, the URL of a web page is displayed on top inside an address bar.

An example of a typical URL would be "http://en.example.org/wiki/Main_Page"

Domain Names

The IP addresses containing twelve digit numbers could never be remembered by people.
So web servers hold lists of human readable names (sometimes called 'symbolic names')
called domain names. Unlike IP addresses, you will probably know many domain names
by heart, e.g.

www.yahoo.com;

www.google.com;

www.msn.com

Types of connection to Internet

There are different ways of connecting to the internet.

56K modem (dial-up) uses an analogue connection and phone

lines. Access to the internet comes from dialing a number and
entering user and password identification information.

Broadband permanent/always on connectivity with no need to dial

a telephone number for service. Types include DSL and cable.
Broadband advantages:
o Carries more data
o Faster than dial-up
o Increasing in popularity.

Related Technology
Wi-fi

It is now possible to connect computers without the use of physical wires.

Wi-fi (wireless fidelity) uses specified radio frequencies to send and receive data.

It is mandatory for the client to have a wi-fi receiving device and for a router to have a
wifi transmitting device.

Bluetooth

This is a low-speed, short-range wireless protocol designed to allow a variety of enabled

gadgets' to connect.

Once a device fitted with a Bluetooth chip is within a 10-metre range of other Bluetooth
devices, it can connect by using a small, 'personal area network'

Once connected, each device announces its presence on the network and it can then
pair off with others. Devices can be phones, laptops, printers, or anything fitted with the
chip.

Related Technology
3G mobile phones

This is the 'third generation' of mobile phones.

These devices use WAP (wireless application protocol) technology to offer

'always on' connection to data services as well as a range of other features.

These phones can send and receive data by connecting to the Internet, albeit at a
significantly slower rate than modern broadband connections.

Personal Digital Assistant (PDA)

A PDA is a handheld computer that runs a reduced version of standard software.

A PDA comes with personal information management software and can be used
as an organizer or a diary planner that is portable and capable of connecting,
using Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, to a PC.

It is capable of connecting to the Internet; it can act as a global positioning system

(GPS) and run multimedia software.

Smart phones

A smart phone is either a PDA that has mobile phone capabilities, or a mobile
phone with PDA features. A smart phone therefore combines the features of both.

Worldwide Web Consortium

Although no one actually owns the worldwide web, there are leading bodies which try to
ensure it develops in an open and accessible way, so that it will benefit as many people
as possible.

A major contributor is the Worldwide Web Consortium (known as W3C) and they
amongst others attempt to define web standards.

A web standard is made up of elements and structures.

The purpose of developing a core of web standards is to ensure as far as possible that
web based content is designed and structured in such a way that the greatest benefit will
be gained by the greatest number of web users.

see www.webstandards.org.

Uses of the Internet by Business Organizations

The web is now a key aspect of business life for a growing number of businesses.

Nevertheless, there are still some large businesses today that do not have a website;
they could be called 'siteless' or 'sightless' if you prefer.

Eventually, all business will be on the Internet. They will all have a 'web presence'.

Business can benefit in following:

Procurement
Research
Promotion
Customer Service
Public Relations
Providing Information
Influencing others

Accounting on the Internet

Product development on the Internet