Telecommunication+Services

=Telecommunication Services= Telecommunication services cover these areas.
 * Communication
 * Email
 * Internet Relay Chat (IRC)
 * Remote access
 * Via mobiles
 * Remote desktop
 * Files services
 * File transfer
 * File sharing

Communication
Communication technologies allow people to connect and communicate with each other and allow collaborative development and work.

E-mail
An e-mail is an electronic message that is sent over the internet and can include attached files such as word documents and are usually limited in file size by the e-mail provider. The main advantage of e-mails are that they are sent and received much faster than standard mail and e-mails have no postage fee making them much cheaper as well. The disadvantages of e-mails is that attachments could contain malware instead of genuine attachments. Also there is a risk of spam e-mails cluttering up the users inbox. Additionally both the user and recipient must have an active internet connection and subscription to an e-mail service in order to send and receive e-mails.

In order to use an e-mail service a user must be connected to an e-mail server. e-mail servers facilitate the sending and receiving of emails using SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) and allow users to access their mailbox using either a webmail interface (web browser) or POP/IMAP (Post Office Protocol/Internet Mail Access Protocol) client. Mail servers require large amounts of storage space in order to store all the received emails and a consistently active network connection to allow mail to be received an allow users to access their mail.

An e-mail Client Provides access to e-mail services through a variety of methods including a dedicated client (which is installed on the local machine and accesses mail from the server) and web-mail (Which is accessed by a web page and runs inside a browser). Email clients use one of two mail access protocol: POP3 (Post Office Protocol) which downloads the mail to the local device and then deletes the mail on the server. IMAP (Internet Mail Access Protocol) accesses the mail on the server without downloading the entire archive (although some clients download a cache for offline mail access).

Internet Relay Chat (IRC)
IRC, which is also known as Instant Messaging (IM), is a method of rapid text based communications betwen many different people using a message relay server. In order to use IRC a user must connect to a relay server, many require registration to use, and have a username. Once connected the server the user will be in the deafult channel and can chamnge channel depending on their access rights.

IRC is used in many applications and sites for example MSN or Skype as well a many different gaming applications. IRC uses TCP (Transport Control Protocol) to prevent communication errors and know who is connected to the server.


 * The primary business advantage of IRC is that it requires both people to be logged on to the IRC server at the same time meaning that a business would be able to negotiate with their supliers in real-time and would allow that buseness to make a decision much quicker than they would by using e-mail**. **IRC technology also allows IT technicians to indicate they are available to help the staff they are supporting as well as communicate with them in solving minor problems without having to create a support ticket.**

Remote Access
Remote access technologies allow people to have the same level of access to their computers and files regardless of distance betweren them.

Via Mobiles
Many modern devices and programs allow smartphone access and control which allows users to operate devices and applications without having to be using the device that the software is loaded onto. Smartphone access can be used for remote control of applications such as media players allowing the user to load and play videos without having to be at the computer. **Mobile access technology also allows businesses to be able to access their internal network resources while outside the office. This would most likely be done using a VPN (Virtual Private Network) tunnel across a 3G or satellite connection. The advantages of this varies between businesses such as an estate agent would be able to obtain real-time information on a property while showing it to a potential customer or reporters who need stable real-time video communications to carry out their work. Tbhe benefites also go as far as the police who can check their databases while out in the field.**

Remote Desktop
A remote desktop application allows users to access their desktop and have full control of their computer from any computer that can connect with theirs. This technology means that technical support staff can simply remotly gain control of a computer and whatever problem that the user is having without having to go to that computer and fix the problem. this saves the technicians considerable time and allow them to provide technical support over a longer distance. **Another advantage of remote desktop is that it allows someone to remotely access all their files for example to collect one they forgot. however there is a risk to this ease of acces, the risk is that because the technology is specifically designed to allow remote access to a computer system and the only protection given is a password, it is entirely possible for an attacker to gain full access to a computer system without the legitimate user even knowing that they have control.**

File Services
File services provide remote file storage and access and allow users to make use of files stored in a centralised configuration.

File Transfer
File transfer technologies are what move files between computers and people using the internet. Most internet based file downloads are website based however the best way of moving files over remote distances is FTP. FTP (File Transfer Protocol) servers provide remote file access to clients that are running appropriate software. A good file server usually has high storage capacity and a reliable network connection. File servers allow networks to make use of large centralised storage and allow users to access files anywhere. **Most webmasters (site managers) use FTP to upload and manage files on the http servers which host their site allowin them rapid access to their coding for update or analysis. FTP software can also be used to access online storage areas such a Windows skydrive in a method which is faster and more efficient than a web based interface.**

File Sharing
File sharing technologies allow users to store files on their local hard drive and allow others to access the files stored on that hard drive as well as store files on remote drives for individual or shared access. **File sharing technologies also allow the usage of large centralised software repositorys that store many different applications on one server. Adittionally the cheap availability of online storage and sharing is used for collaborative development of software whihich is usually hosted on sites such as [|www.github.com] or [|www.sourceforge.net]. These sites provide free project hosting including source code repositories and distribution of application binaries.**