Information Technology and Telecommunication in Apple and Microsoft - Essay Example

IT and telecommunication IT is the short for Information Technology. More often than not we pronounce IT as separate letters. It is a comprehensive subject that concerns with all features of handling and processing information, particularly within a big institute or company. Furthermore, since computers are central to management and coordination of information, departments and sectors of computer within firms and universities are often referred to as IT departments. However, some firms refer to such department as IS. IS in full is Information Services. Harvard Business Review coined the term Information Technology. That was in a bid to make a discrepancy concerning purpose-built equipment intended to accomplish a partial scope of tasks and general-purpose computing equipment that could be preset for numerous tasks. Moreover, as the IT industry progressed from the mid-20th century, it incorporated transistors and integrated circuits. Furthermore, the computing capacity progressed although device cost and energy intake fell lower, a cycle that endures today when innovative technologies appear. Nonetheless, Information Technology comprises more than a few layers of physical equipment also known as hardware. It also includes virtualization and controlling and running or automation tools, functional systems and applications also referred to as the software. That is essential in performing important functions. Notwithstanding, User equipment, peripherals and software, for example laptops, smartphones and tablets or even recording devices, can be contained within in the Information Technology domain. On the other hand, Information Technology can also denote to the architectures, approaches and guidelines controlling the use and data and information storage. Moreover, commercial applications comprise databases that include SQL Server, transactional structures such as here and now order record. Furthermore, it includes email servers such as the Exchange, Web servers such as the Apache, and not to mention customer affiliation administration and enterprise reserve development systems. These applications perform automatic instructions to operate, amalgamate, diffuse or else affect records for a commercial purpose. These computer servers manage the business enterprise applications. Moreover, these Servers cooperate with customer users and added servers through one or more corporate linkages. Storage is any kind of expertise that holds facts as data. Moreover, information can take any form comprising file data, hypermedia, telephony data besides Web data, and records from sensors or yet to come formats. Nonetheless, the storage takes account of volatile random access memory (RAM) besides non-volatile solid-state flash drives, hard disk and solid-state flash drives. Additionally, Information Technology architectures have progressed to embrace virtualization and cloud computing. These are possible, where bodily resources are distracted and pooled in dissimilar conformations to meet application necessities. Clouds may be disseminated crosswise places and pooled with further Information Technology users, or delimited within a company center of data, or certain blend of both placements. On the other hand, telecommunications, also known as telecommunication, is the interchange of data or information over important distances by electronic means (Huurdeman, 2003). Furthermore, a comprehensive, distinct telecommunications circuit comprises of two stations. These two stations are fitted with a transmitter and a receiver. Moreover, the transmitter and receiver at these two stations may be jointed into a particular device known as a transceiver. Besides, the means of transmission of signal can be wire that is electrical or cable, ophthalmic fiber or electromagnetic fields. Nonetheless, the free-space spread and reception of information by electromagnetic fields ways is referred to as wireless. However, the meekest telecommunications form occurs amid two stations. Nevertheless, it is general for multiple transmitting and reception stations to interchange the information amongst themselves. Moreover, these arrangements are known by people as the telecommunications network. As a matter of example, internet is the largest example. Other examples may include taxicab dispatch network, Telephone networks, corporate and academic wide area networks, police and fire communication network, and groups of amateur radio network. Furthermore, information is carried in a telecommunications course by the electrical signal means and is known as the carrier or carrier wave. Moreover, in order for a carrier to carry data, some means of modulation is vital (Huurdeman, 2003). However, mode of modulation can be largely classified as either digital or analog. Just to begin, in analog modulation; certain feature of the carrier is speckled in an unceasing fashion. However, the ancient form of such modulation is known as amplitude modulation (AM). Such modulation is still used in radio set propagation at some frequencies. The second type is the digital modulation that in point of fact preludes analog modulation. The initial form was the Morse code. However, during the early 1900s, lots of fresh forms of modulation were established and used. Such were predominantly during the era of "digital revolution.” During the period the use of computers amongst common citizens was widespread. In certain settings, a broadcast network, entailing of a distinct transmitting station and many receive-only stations, is regarded a system of telecommunications (Ghokale, 2004). Most common examples of such are the Radio and television broadcasting. Milestone of telecommunication Telecommunication started with the usage of smoke signals and beating of crude things like drums in some places in African continent, Asia and some parts of America. However, later own in the early forth century, fixed in semaphore system began in Europe. These could only make use of a small range of messages and information. Moreover, in early 1830 electrical telecommunication system emerged. In the middle age, chains of beacons were generally in use mainly on top of mountains or hills as a way of transmitting their signals. These beacons however could only convey single information of data at a go. It was commonly in use in Spain. The short coming called for more advancement in the industry. During the late 1790 Claude Chappe the greatest French engineer of his time began struggling on visual telegraphy. However his invention could not convey messages over long distance. A great improvement in the industry came into existence during 1870s. That was the invention of the telephone. However, it borrowed some knowledge from the telegram. It brought very significant financial impacts. The cities of London and New Haven began the telephone business. The mastermind behind the invention of the telephone was Graham Bell. He and Gardiner Greene Hubbard came up with the first telephone company. Moreover, another significant milestone was the invention of Radio and Television. The Italian scientist by the name Guglielmo Marconi succeeded in building wireless telegraphy system that depended on radio transmission. Moreover September 1929 experienced the commencement of British Broadcasting Corporation. Karl Braun invented the cathode rays used by the televisions. Phylo Farnsworth invented the lead the world in representing rough shaped images and pictures. Another significant discovery in the industry was the discovery of video telephony. It made use of live videos as well as the audio telecommunications. The advancement in video technology begun in United States and United Kingdom Furthermore, the industry saw the invention of Satellite. The first satellite to transmit information was in the year 1958. It was very crude and comprised a tape recorder that forwarded the stored voce information and data. NASA came up an echo satellite. Later on telephone services was developed through the messaging satellites. The most complicated but significant invention in the telecommunication industry was the invention of the computers. It begun by transmission of problems using the teletype by George Stibitz who transmitted difficulties with teletype to his composite numeral calculator that was in New York and he ended up by receiving those computed figures at Dartmouth College found in New Hampshire. In 1970 the Local Area Networks (LAN), came into existence. Porter’s analysis of the industry Rivalry Usually the antagonism among rival firms in the industry drives their intended economic profit to zero. However, the various firms and enterprises in the telecommunication and information technology are price takers thus they strive for struggling competition over their opponents in the industry. Most of these firms have very high exit barriers. Threats of new entrants and entry barriers In the current past, the industry has had threat of entry into the industry. More firms mare springing up and are showing competitive abilities relative to long time ago. However, the existing firms also enjoy more profits that act as a barrier to newer firm. They have gained more benefits of scale. Moreover, the patent and proprietary skills and know how act significant barriers to entry in the industry. Threats of substitute The prices of products in the telecommunication and information technology industry are impacted in by the substitute products since there are close substitutes in the industry. Buyer power The customers have great impact on the industry. However, to some extent the buyer may not be able to set the prices of the commodities. Supplier power There is close relationship between the industry and other compliment industries that supply them with the raw material necessary for their production process. They are interdependent. Comparison between APPLE and Microsoft Apple Company is one that designs, produces, and shops mobile communication and media appliances, personal computers and laptops, moveable digital song and video players. Moreover, they vend a diversity of connected software, facilities, peripherals, networking clarifications, as well as the third-party digital content and software applications. The products of Apple Company and their services comprise iPhone, iPod, iPad, Apple TV, Mac, a portfolio of customer and qualified and essential software applications. Besides, they also have the iOS and OS X operating systems, accessories and iCloud, service alongside support contributions. Besides, the Apple Company also vends and distributes digital application and content by use of the, App Store, iBook Store, iTunes Store, and Mac App Store. Furthermore Apple Company sells its merchandises internationally through its retail stores. Moreover, they also sell through their online stores, and straight sales force as well as third-party cellular grid carriers, brokers, sellers, and value-added resellers to the customer. Nonetheless, Apple Company also trades in third-party iPhone, iPad, Mac and iPod companionable goods, together with application software, and fittings, by its online besides retail stores. The Apple Company was started by both Steven Paul Jobs and Steve Wozniak and Ronald Gerald Wayne. The Apple Company came to existence in the year 1976. The company has it’s headquarter in Cupertino, CA. Whereas, Microsoft is an American international company that advances, produces, permits, supports and vends computer software, user electronics and personal computers such as laptops and services. Moreover, Microsoft is best known as software producer for instance it’s known for delivering such things as Microsoft Windows line of effective systems as well as Microsoft Office set, and internet web browser like the Explorer web browser. Moreover, its leading hardware merchandises are Xbox game solace as well as the Microsoft Surface chains of tablets. The contrast with Apple company comes in their headquarter. The headquarter of Microsoft is in Redmond, Washington. Furthermore, Microsoft is the realms biggest software firm in terms of income (Musolf, 2013). Besides, it is also regarded as one of the globes most treasured firms and one of the most prosperous startup firms of all time by market capitalization, proceeds, advancement and traditional impact. Unlike Apple that was started by Steve Jobs, Microsoft Company was established by the great Bill Gates and his counterpart Paul Allen in the year 1975 month of April. Their main aim was to advance and sell elementary transcribers for the Altair 8800 microcomputer. The name of the Company is very vital to the Company. Moreover, its original name, ""Micro-Soft,"" was derived from a blend of both” “microcomputer"" and ""software"" Just like most companies in the World, Microsoft also partnered with other Companies. In the year 1980, the Microsoft Company fashioned a corporation with IBM. Such a step allowed the Microsoft Company to vend its software set with the CPUs and other computers that the IBM Company manufactured. Furthermore, the company rose to take over the personal computer operative system shop with MS-DOS, ending up followed by Microsoft Windows. Nonetheless, since the early 1990s, it has little by little expanded from the operating system market and put forward into hardware that include the Zune, a digital media player for melody and audio song, videos, podcasts, and photographs; Xbox, a video game soothe; and Surface, a successions of tablets. Moreover, Microsoft Company has also made a manifestation on the web with its MSN internet entrance as well as its Bing search engine that has led to vital advancement in the industry. Additionally, Microsoft Company has also made a number of communal attainments. Such attainments include Forethought, and Visio Corporation. During the month of May the year 2011, Microsoft Company developed Skype Technologies that Cost $8.5 billion. As history can tell, that is the company’s largest achievement to date. In conclusion, the telecommunication and IT industry is one of the most vital industries in the world and requires good and proper consideration in all aspects. Secondly, both Apple and Microsoft industries share a lot of things in common. Probably, they are competitors in the industry. References Goleniewski, L., & Jarrett, K. W. (2006). Telecommunications essentials: The complete global source. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Addison Wesley Professional. Valdar, A. R. (2008). Understanding telecommunications networks. London: Institution of Engineering and Technology. Butler, R. E., & International Telecommunication Union. (1983). TELECOMMUNICATION: 4th world forum, and TELECOM 83 exhibition. Pt. 1. Symposium on policy, financial and economic aspects of telecommunications, Geneva, Oct. 1983, speakers papers, pres. R.E. Butler. Geneva: s.n.. Gokhale, A. A. (2004). Introduction to telecommunications. Normal, IL: Illinois State University. Huurdeman, A. A. (2003). The worldwide history of telecommunications. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley-Interscience. Freeman, R. L., John Wiley & Sons., & Wiley InterScience (Online service). (2004). Telecommunication system engineering. Hoboken, N.J: Wiley-Interscience. Lüsted, M. A. (2012). Apple: The company and its visionary founder, Steve Jobs. Minneapolis, MN: ABDO Pub. Musolf, N. (2013). Story of microsoft. S.l.: Jaico Publishing House. Lashinsky, A. (2012). Inside Apple: How Americas most admired-and secretive-company really works. New York: Business Plus. Read More