Rapid Internet Growth and Its Sustainability - Literature review Example

Rapid Internet Growth and its Sustainability Name Course title Date Internet is regarded as the greatest breakthrough in the field of telecommunication as well as the most significant invention to interconnect the whole world. It is viewed as the highway to achieving the global village vision in the near future that will change the way business transactions are handled, advance how people communicate and improve efficiency in all areas of operations. The recent growth of the technology has led to internet being embraced in almost all sectors of operations for improved services and products. The benefits reaped from the growth of technology are remarkable since it has revolutionized the production processes, service provision, telecommunication sector, and opened up more opportunities globally (Goggin 2011, p.12). On the other hand, there raises concerns whether internet has the capability to sustain the growth, demands and the new services required by the ever evolving world. The concerns are accelerated by the fact that there has been increased usage of internet in the developing countries that adds to the huge number of users from the developed countries. The growth in the number of users requires improved internet platform to cater for their needs and demands for a health growth to be realized globally. Developers have a higher task in the growth of internet technology since they are required to be at per with the demands of the users while at the same time predicting the new inventions that will shape the world of technology in diverse ways (Goggin 2011, p.16). Some sceptics have stated their fears by predicting that if the rapidly growth of internet users continue, then if the developers will not be careful then it will lead to reduction in service and application quality that will eventually lead to collapsing of the internet. However, the developers have lived to their expectations by ever-producing innovative services, applications, and products to the market hence providing hope and high expectations to internet users that will guarantee sustainability, productivity and evolution in all sectors (Christoph, Susanne, & Maria 2012, p.99). This paper seeks to look into what explains the growth of the internet and how the technology will sustain its growth taking it to higher heights. The history of the internet can be traced back since the invention of electronic computer systems. Internet invention started in late 1960s when Professor Leonard form University of California, Los Angeles sent a message through ARPANet to Stanford Research Institute laboratory. Inventions continued with introduction of variety of protocols to the developments leading to creation of packet switch networks such as Tymnet, Merit Network, Mark I and Telenet. Standardization of the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) was achieved in 1982 leading to worldwide network connectivity and was referred as the internet (Schaller 1997, p.53). During its initial stages, the internet was used solely for education and research organizations to gather and store information. By the late 1980s as well as early 1990s, there arose Internet service providers (ISPs) for commercial purposes to provide internet connectivity to organisations and individuals (Campbell-Kelly & Aspray 1996, p.8). Ever since there has been development of emails, online phone calls, instant messaging, interactive video calls, as well as World Wide Web that hosts blogs, online shopping sites, discussion forums, music and video sites, social networking and research platforms. This growth in technology has triggered to development of innovative gadgets for provision of these services since they are internet enabled; people from all age limits use these gadgets (Hilbert & López 2011, p.61). The following paragraph addresses the internet traffic issue. There has been increases internet traffic over the years with research showing that the traffic doubles every year. This determines the amount of data received by the users on the receiving end. The growth of telecommunication companies has helped in growing this trend since users increase require more stable network service providers able to cater for consumers demand and needs. One of the rapidly growing sectors in telecommunications is the wireless communication service providers; this is evident by the increasing number of cell phone users globally. However, the growth that was experienced between 1965 and 1970 in United States showed an increase in modem usage by 60% growth rate; if the trend was maintained then there would have approximately 200 billion modems by 2000 (Rheingold 2002, p.37). The inventions over the years have seen the data transmission rise from bytes to kilobytes, to megabytes, to gigabytes and now to terabytes. This improved development has introduced the invention of fibre optic network connection that transmits data in super normal speeds. These improvements in the network innovations can guarantee growth and sustainability in the internet usage since provision of services will be at a faster rate than it was previously even with the rise of complex online services. Bandwidth improvements in many countries worldwide have been realized resulting to effective communication that is free of delays and traffic clogging (Hillebrand 2002, p.53). The following paragraph analyses innovative gadgets and services in perspective of sustained internet growth. Hilbert and López (2011, p.64) claim that, the ever-growing internet usage can be explained by the rise in production of advanced gadgets and services. Developers worldwide have caught users by surprise by creating gadgets that meet the today’s market and exceed it by far. The needs of internet users and demand for classic gadgets keeps the developers on toes to conduct informed research to guide them on the manufacture of these gadgets according to users preference and tastes. Samsung one of the leading cell phone manufactures invests significantly to market research and this has led this organisation to reap greater profit margins since their products have a competitive edge. Samsung has succeeded in providing gadgets that suit the market needs and demands. Apple, an electronic manufacture and software developer, has recently produced a series of gadgets depicting high level of creativity and innovation such as iPhones, iPads, iPods and iTunes software. With such trends in the internet technology and the future for sustained growth and usage is brighter. Most of the gadgets manufactured currently are internet-enabled and they provide the users with a variety of services to access to the internet. Recent studies showed that there are 2.27 billion internet users globally and they are almost double the number of users five years ago that was merely 1.15 billion. The improvement of the gadget manufacturers and developers points as a contributing factor of the increased internet users. These gadgets have improved access to information for researchers and students hence more innovations expected from conducted projects, studies and surveys (Christoph, Susanne, & Maria 2012, p.134). The following paragraph looks into availability and affordability of the advanced gadgets. Availability and affordability of the manufactured gadgets in the market contributes remarkably to the increased internet users and provides sustainability in terms of keeping up with the pace of users’ needs and demands. In the past decades, accessing a computer gadget in the market was expensive and was only affordable to wealthy class and organisations. Usage and availability of computer services was limited since the prices of the machines were extremely high for typical individuals as well as upcoming companies to afford (Susmita, Somik, & David 2001, p.2). This inhibited the growth of internet usage as well as the exposure of internet services and products to users. Different multinational internet gadget manufactures have representatives in almost every country to expand their market share and beat the stiff competition in the market. Companies such as Nokia, Samsung, Apple, Toshiba, HP, Sony and BlackBerry have opened stores in many countries to serve and reach their customers sufficiently and effectively. This helps in improving the availability of the computer gadgets to the users. The stiff competition in the market has seen prices lowered and becoming more affordable to most people in the world hence increased internet usage. Most companies can currently afford computers to assist them perform and improve their operations raising the number of internet users as well as exposing more people to it. With approximately 40 dollars, one can purchase a gadget that is internet enabled and enjoy internet services (Hilbert & López 2011, p.65). The following paragraph looks into how computerization has been integrated in business operations even at online platforms. It also looks on how business transactions shifting to the online platform. Most business transactions are shifting to the online platform in order to reach a greater number of customers and offer diverse services. This is due to the effectiveness and efficiency of the internet. Unlike previously when a company was supposed to have a physical store located in a certain town to serve the needs of their customers, current companies are having virtual stores located online where they are accessible to more customers. Buying and selling of products and services can be transacted online between buyers and sellers globally. This has improved service delivery and customer support to their esteemed customers. Payment services such as PayPal, Visa, Western union, and Maser card services enable the payment of online transactions, easing business transactions that were impossible some years ago (Christoph, Susanne, & Maria 2012, p.165). Likewise, business advertising has taken online platforms by storm with many businesses preferring to publicize their services and products online. Google provides online advertising services to individuals and organisations hence making advertising easy and efficient, this would not be possible without the internet. Research shows that almost every established business, organisation and company owns a website to increase ways of reaching out to their customers as well as expanding their market globally. Companies like eBay and Amazon are perfect examples of online shopping stores. This can be attributed to the realization of increased internet users as well as its effectiveness and efficiency (Mueller 2010, p.80). The following paragraph looks into communication needs that will sustain increased internet usage. The need for affordable and effective communication among individuals, corporations, organisations and governments has led to embracing of internet platform to conduct such undertakings. It is the objective of every profit-making business to maximize the profit margins, hence it will embrace all the strategies that cut the operational costs. The advent of emails helped many organisations and companies to market their new products, improved services and communicate with their customers. This reduces the cost of sending letters that is tiresome, costly and ineffective since surety of information reaching the destination is not guaranteed (Odlyzko 2001, p.495). The rise and growth of applications like Whatsapp, Google video calls, and Skype has been achieved courtesy of internet usage and they are increasingly gaining fame over telephone services since they are cheap and available. Moreover, social media like Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Google plus, and LinkedIn among others has attracted a lot of attention in the online platform by its provision of diverse services both to individuals and to organisations. They support sharing of information quickly hence making it effective, affordable and time saving. They also increase the scale and scope of information shared unlike in the past when sharing of information was complicated. Advertising, chatting, and linking people in different locations globally has been achieved by the social media making communication easy and cheap to all internet users (Stross 2009, p.38). Existence of online games attracts gamers all over the world to interact and communicate in some way. These trends support the sustainability of internet usage in the near future as well as making life easy and fun. The next paragraph looks into the reasons why internet usage has led rapid technology growth in this field. Christoph, Susanne and Maria (2012, p.185) allege that, the contributions of the current internet usage as well as its sustainability in the near future can be viewed as promising. There are major benefits that have been reaped from embracing internet in today’s world. Internet has helped people tour places they could not have toured, access information they could not have accesses and improved interaction among people in different localities. This continues to expose places to the world, information to individuals and nurture all forms of communication (Stross 2009, p.27). The future predictions of high internet speeds are expected to be invented and this will improve internet accessibility as well as stabilize the high demands from the existing users. In addition, the fun achieved from internet platforms such as gaming, live streaming, video accessing online shopping and social media interaction attracts new users daily, this trend is expected to grow with increased internet exposure. Manufacturing of high-end gadgets is expected since users have rising demands for gadgets that can perform tasks like typical computers. This poses a challenge to the manufactures to improve their creativity, innovation and invention strategies for growth to be realized (Mueller 2010, p.79). In concluding this topic, it can truly be revealed that internet has led to different technological contribution that has helped the rapid growth of its usage in the current world. Since internet has had different phases of growth and development, starting from its invention until currently, the small footsteps that were achieved in the past have laid a concrete foundation of its development. There has been advancement in networks for effective provision of internet at the right broadband that is free from heavy trafficking hence promoting internet usage to as many users as possible. Furthermore, computer gadget manufactures have done a remarkable job in the recent past by producing affordable gadgets that are available in the market. Likewise, many individuals, organisations, and companies have embraced shifting of business transactions to the online platform hence contributing to growth of internet usage. Finally, the need to communicate effectively and efficiently has contributed to increased internet usage since it is cheap and convenient. The future of internet usage and sustained growth can be predicted to be brighter due to the factors that have been discussed in this paper. References Schaller, R R 1997 Moore’s law: Past, present, and future, IEEE Spectrum, Vol. 34, no. 6, pp. 52-59. Odlyzko, A M 2001 “Internet pricing and the history of communications”, Computer Networks, vol. 36, pp. 493-517. Campbell-Kelly, M & Aspray, W 1996 Computer: A History of the Information Machine. New York: BasicBooks, Rheingold, H 2002 Smart Mobs: The Next Social Revolution, Cambridge, MA: Basic Books, ISBN 0-7382-0861-2 Goggin, G 2011 Global Mobile Media New York, Routledge, p. 176. ISBN 978- 0415469180. Christoph, C, Susanne, K & Maria, L 2012 “Towards Web History: Sources, Methods, and Challenges in the Digital Age” Historical Social Research Journal, vol.37, no.4, pp. 97–188. Hillebrand, F 2002 GSM and UMTS: The Creation of Global Mobile Communications. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 0-470-84322-5. Susmita, D, Somik, V L, David, W 2001 “Policy Reform, Economic Growth, and the Digital Divide: An Econometric Analysis”. World Bank Publications. pp. 1–3. Stross, R 2009 Planet Google: One Company's Audacious Plan to Organize Everything We Know. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-1-4165-4696-2. Mueller, M L 2010 Networks and States: The Global Politics of Internet Governance. MIT Press. pp. 79–80. ISBN 978-0-262-01459-5. Hilbert, M & López, P 2011“The World's Technological Capacity to Store, Communicate, and Compute Information”, Science Journal, Vol.332, No.6025, pp.60–65. Read More

This improved development has introduced the invention of fibre optic network connection that transmits data in super normal speeds. These improvements in the network innovations can guarantee growth and sustainability in the internet usage since provision of services will be at a faster rate than it was previously even with the rise of complex online services. Bandwidth improvements in many countries worldwide have been realized resulting to effective communication that is free of delays and traffic clogging (Hillebrand 2002, p.53). The following paragraph analyses innovative gadgets and services in perspective of sustained internet growth.

Hilbert and López (2011, p.64) claim that, the ever-growing internet usage can be explained by the rise in production of advanced gadgets and services. Developers worldwide have caught users by surprise by creating gadgets that meet the today’s market and exceed it by far. The needs of internet users and demand for classic gadgets keeps the developers on toes to conduct informed research to guide them on the manufacture of these gadgets according to users preference and tastes. Samsung one of the leading cell phone manufactures invests significantly to market research and this has led this organisation to reap greater profit margins since their products have a competitive edge.

Samsung has succeeded in providing gadgets that suit the market needs and demands. Apple, an electronic manufacture and software developer, has recently produced a series of gadgets depicting high level of creativity and innovation such as iPhones, iPads, iPods and iTunes software. With such trends in the internet technology and the future for sustained growth and usage is brighter. Most of the gadgets manufactured currently are internet-enabled and they provide the users with a variety of services to access to the internet.

Recent studies showed that there are 2.27 billion internet users globally and they are almost double the number of users five years ago that was merely 1.15 billion. The improvement of the gadget manufacturers and developers points as a contributing factor of the increased internet users. These gadgets have improved access to information for researchers and students hence more innovations expected from conducted projects, studies and surveys (Christoph, Susanne, & Maria 2012, p.134). The following paragraph looks into availability and affordability of the advanced gadgets.

Availability and affordability of the manufactured gadgets in the market contributes remarkably to the increased internet users and provides sustainability in terms of keeping up with the pace of users’ needs and demands. In the past decades, accessing a computer gadget in the market was expensive and was only affordable to wealthy class and organisations. Usage and availability of computer services was limited since the prices of the machines were extremely high for typical individuals as well as upcoming companies to afford (Susmita, Somik, & David 2001, p.2). This inhibited the growth of internet usage as well as the exposure of internet services and products to users.

Different multinational internet gadget manufactures have representatives in almost every country to expand their market share and beat the stiff competition in the market. Companies such as Nokia, Samsung, Apple, Toshiba, HP, Sony and BlackBerry have opened stores in many countries to serve and reach their customers sufficiently and effectively. This helps in improving the availability of the computer gadgets to the users. The stiff competition in the market has seen prices lowered and becoming more affordable to most people in the world hence increased internet usage.

Most companies can currently afford computers to assist them perform and improve their operations raising the number of internet users as well as exposing more people to it. With approximately 40 dollars, one can purchase a gadget that is internet enabled and enjoy internet services (Hilbert & López 2011, p.65).

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