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In
the nineties we non-university types began to access the Internet, mostly through
the universities. Our first web site appeared on the University of Manitoba's server
in December of 1994, a full four years ago. Our business site came to life on that
same server in October of 95 and we still have single page reference that redirects
traffic from our old address to our present "ftlcomm.com" domain.
Our
first business site had all of the elements that we associate with the wwwconcept,
small animations, music, pictures and information. Since 95, we have only added navigatable
(virtual reality) images. But one part of the Internet and the world wide web has
really changed a lot. My first modem was 300 baud in 1984 the standard today is 33,000
baud. Immediately, it becomes apparent that this is the most obvious trend. Generation
after generation of technological breakthroughs have pushed the volume of data transmittable
upward. The present marketing flop, the 56K modem, exceeds the throughput capability
of the telephone switching equipment in North America, which allows only enough electrical
energy to support transmissions of 53,000. However, Northern Telecomhas developed
and is about to market devices that will provide a throughput of 1MB per second and
of course Cable Reginaand SaskTel's ADSLoffer transmission volumes of
this level on special lines now, but in restricted areas (there is a limit on distance
from the switch gear as it relates to line length). But as things stand today the
amount of information that can be moved grows at a progressively steady rate.
This
one factor predetermines the fate of the Internet and of the world wide web. More,
means just that, more and more. The sale of personal computers is steady and we are
about to see the release of low cost network computers(NC) that will rely exclusively
on the ability to connect to the Internet in order to function. We expect computers
to simply keep on being found on more and more desks, counters and where ever people
are as time goes on. We already have seen this in the schools. Information, is the
stuff of education and reeducation, old information is useless, so the schools of
today are now reliant upon the Internet to provide their students with resources.
Paper is becoming less and less the primary means of getting information and more
and more, the short term means of creating the tangible results of research activity.
So it is in business that the first source is becoming the Internet or an online
information source of some kind. The process is irreversible and shows no sign of
altering the established trend. Certainly, some industries and businesses have been
early adopters of the Internet as their main source, but the flexibility of the system
and its widespread availability, will invariably force all industries and transactions
to rely upon computer-to- computer communications. |
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