Saturday, July 5, 2008

Communication Technologies

Technological advancement has brought about changes in the way people communicate. In order for organizations to communicate effectively with constituents organizations need to tap into this advancement. Various platforms for communication are available today for organizations to communicate efficiently. Some of them are traditional while some are new.

Mail

Letters have been used for centuries for communication purposes between individuals and organizaitons. It is particularly important for sending original documents certificates to far off locations. But the main disadvantage is that it is time consuming. Unless time is a constraint it can be used and is still in use today. Today its not just letters but parcels, clothings, books, machines etc. that is sent via mail.

Telephone

One of oldest mode of communication is the telephon. Communication is one on one and instant. Penetration is higher as almost every second person in the world knows how to use it and feels comfortable using it. Easy to procure, install and maintain has made it one of the most economical communication tool of the century.

Cell Phones and PDAs

The world is considered a global market and managers need to continue making decisions virtually everywhere they go. Business on the run would not be possible without the use of mobile phones. Globalization has even more increased the need for mobile communication. Personal Digital Assistants (PDA) and Smartphones have further developed the functionality of mobile phones. With internet enabled features, managers can also send and receive e-mails while on the road.

Video Conferencing

With globalization companies have recognized the need for communication across borders. Even shareholders and investors demand visual communication if not in person. Therefore, video conferencing has become a common tool to conduct cross national communication. Advancement in technology also have made it cost effective as compared to travelling and meeting in person. Communication is instant and is as good as the other person is in the room evenif its not for real.

E-Mail

With the increase in popularity and usage of the world wide web electronic mail (e-mail) has become the primary form of communication for many people around the world. The advantage of E-Mail is that the message is received immediately by the recipient. Plus it costs very less. Disadvantage of E-Mail is spamming. Microsoft founder Bill Gates, for example, receives literally 5 million spam mails per day.

Corporate Intranet



Companies can also make use of a corporate Intranet for communication purposes within the organization. Like the Internet it is a collection of web pages and informations but only accessible to employees of the company. Employees can mine important information, documents, or communicate with co-workers by using the corporate Intranet. Intranets are mostly used as a knowledge management system. Documents and results from previous projects/processes are uploaded on the Intranet and can be accessed by other employees.

Blogs

Blogs are a form of diary on the Internet or a corporate Intranet. Many executives use blogs to share experience, provide information about the development of a corporation. Blogs are a good way to keep employees and other constituencies informed about what is happening in the company. Visitors can post comments about the topic and this increases interaction.

Reference:

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/

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