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Section X
Directions in Communications Systems

Any handbook covering communications systems would be incomplete without focusing upon the future. Although the rate of change in the field of communications is very rapid, making any prediction of future events difficult at best, it is quite possible to note key trends or directions occurring in this field. Thus, this concluding section consists of a series of chapters that were selected to provide us with information concerning emerging areas within the field of communications that can be expected to provide a considerable impact upon the manner by which we communicate.

The first chapter in this section, “The Superhighway: Information Infrastructure Initiatives,” turns our attention to the key factors driving technology and issues associated with developing an information superhighway. In this chapter we examine the role of the user, government, and industry in developing an information superhighway infrastructure and several current and emerging technologies, such as the Internet and broadband-ISDN, cable TV, and computer-integrated telephony. Thus, this chapter introduces us to several future trends which are elaborated upon in subsequent chapters in this section.

Continuing our investigation of directions in communications systems we turn our attention to intelligent agents in the second and third chapters in this section. The second chapter in this section, “Using Intelligent Agents to Maximize the Benefits of the World Wide Web,” we are first introduced to some of the limitations of the World Wide Web, and the capabilities of intelligent agents that can be used to overcome those limitations. To ensure we are not oversold on the value of intelligent agents, this chapter also acquaints us with some of their limitations, providing us with a background in their potential use and utility. Following this chapter, the third chapter, titled “Using Intelligent Agents to Manage Multivendor Environments,” turns our attention to the use of intelligent agents to facilitate the management of networks and equipment. In this chapter we are introduced to disk monitoring agents, application monitoring agents, file monitoring agents, file distribution agents, event management agents, and process scheduling agents. After this is accomplished we will become acquainted with several system management products that make use of intelligent agents, and investigate interoperability issues and the ultimate focus of the chapter — agent management.

In the fourth chapter in this section, “Voice Recognition Interfaces for Multimedia Applications,” we examine two areas of communications technology that can be expected to have a considerable influence upon the manner by which we communicate beyond the approaching millennium. In this chapter we are first introduced to the speech recognition process to include the problems associated with speech recognition and how good systems overcome some or all of those problems. Once this is accomplished, this chapter provides us with information concerning current and emerging voice recognition applications, and the functions and features we should consider when choosing a system. This information is followed by information concerning how we can build voice recognition applications to include a six-step development process which, when followed, can greatly facilitate a pending voice recognition project, as well as enhance its potential for success.

In the last chapter in this concluding section we turn our attention to the most important aspect of any organization, its employees. In the fifth chapter, “Workforce 2000: Top Career Strategies for the Professional,” we will examine four different strategies that can be used to develop a plan of action to improve career longevity. Although written from the point of view of strategies managers can use to increase their career longevity, this chapter is applicable for managers developing strategies to retain employees. Due to the extremely tight technical market during the late 1990s, any technique or strategy that may enable managers to retain employees warrants consideration.


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