![Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc.
16
decisions that have to be made in determining whether to adopt this technology? Use the
web, if necessary, to find out more about unified communications and its costs.
Because the costs of purchasing and implementing a unified communication system will vary
based on the chosen system, so too will student answers.
(The following information was copied from www.networkworld.com, Nov 2010)
From a broad perspective, Verizon Business suggests that organizations need to evaluate and
measure how UC&C will benefit their organizations, determine whether the enterprise has
adequate in-house technical resources, personnel and network capacity; and define how to
integrate UC&C into business processes to align the deployment with critical business
initiatives.
At a more detailed level, Verizon Business suggested that in preparation for UC&C,
enterprises should:
• Invest in advanced IP networks because “UC&C starts with a capabilities-rich IP
infrastructure. . . [and] flexible and expansive IP networks serve as the foundation of
a successful UC&C deployment.”
• Inventory technology and personnel resources to better understand the technological
scope of UC&C deployments and “help identify potential network, equipment, and
application gaps.” Verizon Business also recommends a skills-assessment of technical
staff “to identify possible new hires and individuals requiring additional training.”
• Align technology with business objectives to “make purchasing decisions with a
focus on meeting specific business goals.” Any deployment should be designed to
maximize the impact of UC&C on business processes. The enterprise should also
establish benchmarks for success to better understand its ultimate objectives.
• Create a comprehensive roadmap that is “far reaching and covers areas such as
technology and finances, as well as detailed deployment and implementation plans.”
• Tackle security at the onset, with a design that integrates “seamlessly with a business’
current network and leverage existing technology investments.”
• Determine capabilities for ongoing management and decide “whether in-house staff
has the skills and time required to effectively manage and troubleshoot performance
issues.” As needed, enterprise should “select a managed services provider with the
people, tools, and processes to help provide consistent performance of UC&C
applications.”
• Develop support systems and processes so that the corporate IT staff is prepared to
address end-user performance issues and questions.
• Train and educate end users “to help users adopt and embrace these new tools so they
can work more efficiently and productively.”
• Measure and modify, with built-in milestones planned that “go beyond reliability and
availability measurements to assess the impact of UC&C from a financial, customer
service, business process, and end-user satisfaction perspective.”](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/14057-250609015000-289cc29d/85/Essentials-of-MIS-12th-Edition-Laudon-Solutions-Manual-20-320.jpg)
![(Hausmann concludes) that they have great influence over its
formation and nature, and therefore upon the more perfect
vegetables, and especially those which are the objects of cultivation;
and that although the fertility of the soil is much increased by these
vegetables themselves, yet the first foundation of their vigour is
derived from the disintegration and decomposition of rocks. If this
be correct, the constitution of the solid crust of the earth has a much
more extended influence. For, by preparing a habitation for the
greater and most important parts of plants, it also exerts a high
degree of influence upon the animals which derive their sustenance
from them, and, at the same time, affords the means of subsistence
to man[416].
NOTE.
ACCOUNT OF THE IRISH ELK, FOSSIL ELEPHANT OR MAMMOTH, AND THE
MASTODON.
As the Irish Elk, the Fossil Elephant or Mammoth, and the
Mastodon, are among the most remarkable of the fossil and extinct
species of quadrupeds mentioned in the preceding pages of this
work, we, with the view of farther gratifying the curiosity of our
readers, now lay before them the following additional details from
the writings of Cuvier, Goldfuss, and others.
1. Fossil Elk of Ireland, Cervus megaceros[417].
(Noticed at p. 286.)
One of the most magnificent of the bisulcated animals met with in
a fossil state in the British Islands is the Elk of Ireland, the Cervus
megaceros. Bones and horns of vast size of this species are almost
daily dug out of the bogs and marl pits of Ireland. Similar remains
have been met with in alluvial strata in Britain, and also in the Isle of
Man.](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/14057-250609015000-289cc29d/85/Essentials-of-MIS-12th-Edition-Laudon-Solutions-Manual-32-320.jpg)
![“So frequently do these remains,” Mr Hart remarks, “occur in most
parts of Ireland, that there are very few of the peasantry who are
not, either from personal observation or report, acquainted with
them by the familiar name of the horns of the ‘old deer.’ Indeed in
some parts of the country they have been found so often, that far
from being regarded as objects of any extraordinary interest, they
have been either thrown aside as lumber, or applied to the
commonest economical uses[418].
“I have made diligent but fruitless search for an account of the
particular time when any of these remains were first discovered. As
they generally occur in marl, it is most likely that they did not begin
to attract attention until the advanced state of agriculture had
created an increased demand for that mineral as a manure. We can
very easily imagine the astonishment which the appearance of horns
so large, and of such strange form, must have excited in the minds
of those who discovered them for the first time, and how readily
they obtained a place in the hall of some adjoining mansion, where
they were deposited as an ornament of great curiosity, from the
contrast which they formed with the horns of the species of deer
known at present. In this way we may account for the preservation
of so many specimens as are found in the possession of the gentry
in different parts of this country.
“Very lately an entire skeleton of the Irish Elk was dug up in that
country. The following statement of the circumstances under which
the bones were found, with their geological position, was laid before
the Dublin Society, in a letter from Archdean Maunsell to the Right
Hon. George Knox.
“Middleton Lodge, March 8. 1825.
“MY DEAR SIR,
“I deferred replying to your letter of the 1st, as it was my
intention to proceed to Limerick in a few days, and I was
anxious to look over some notes I had taken, and which I left
there, of the circumstances connected with the discovery of](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/14057-250609015000-289cc29d/85/Essentials-of-MIS-12th-Edition-Laudon-Solutions-Manual-33-320.jpg)
![zygomatic arch is parallel to the horizon, as it would be during
progression, or whilst the animal stands in an easy posture.
The antlers are the long pointed processes which project
from the horns, two of which grow from the beam anteriorly;
the first comes off immediately from the root, and is directed
downwards, overhanging the orbit; this is called the brow
antler, which, in this specimen, is divided into two points at its
extremity[419].
The other antler, which comes off from the beam, we may
call the sur-antler: in this specimen it consists of a broad
plate or palm, concave on its upper surface, horizontal in its
direction, and forked into two points anteriorly,—an
appearance which I have not observed in any other specimen
of upwards of forty which I have seen, nor do I find it marked
in any of the plates of those bones extant.
There is one antler given off posteriorly from the junction
of the beam with the palm: it runs directly backwards parallel
to the corresponding one of the opposite horn. The inferior
edge of the palm beyond this runs outwards and backwards:
it is obtuse and thick, and its length is two feet six inches.
From the anterior and external borders of each palm there
come off six long pointed antlers. None of these are
designated by any particular name. The number of the antlers
of both sides taken together is twenty-two.
The surface of the horns is of a lightish colour, resembling
that of the marl in which they were found; they are rough,
and marked with several arborescent grooves, where the
ramifications of the arteries by which they had been
nourished during their growing state were lodged. The horns,
with the head attached, weighed eighty-seven pounds
avoirdupois. The distance between their extreme tips in a
right line is nine feet two inches.](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/14057-250609015000-289cc29d/85/Essentials-of-MIS-12th-Edition-Laudon-Solutions-Manual-39-320.jpg)
![———
100.00
Dr Apjohn of Dublin made the following observations with
regard to the animal matter in the bones:
‘The bone was subjected for two days to the action of
dilute muriatic acid. When examined at the end of this period,
it had become as flexible as a recent bone submitted to the
action of the same solvent. The periosteum was in some parts
puffed out by carbonic acid gas, disengaged from the bone,
and appeared to be in a state of perfect soundness.
‘To a portion of the solution of the bone in the muriatic acid
some infusion of galls was added, which caused a copious
precipitate of a dun colour. This proved to be tannate of
gelatine, mixed with a small portion of the tannate and
gallate of iron.
‘The cartilage and gelatine, therefore, so far from being
destroyed, had not been perceptibly altered by time.’”
Until Baron Cuvier published his account of these remains[420],
they were generally believed to have belonged to the same species
as the moose deer or elk of North America, an opinion which
appears to have been first advanced by Dr Thomas Molyneux in
1697[421], and which depends principally on the exaggerated
description of that animal given by Josselyn in his account of two
voyages to New England, published in 1674, in which he states that
it is sometimes twelve feet high, with horns of two fathoms wide!
This was the more readily believed by the learned Doctor, as it
tended to confirm him in a favourite theory which he seems to have
entertained, that Ireland had once been joined to the New
Continent.
But the assertions of Josselyn regarding the size of the American
moose have not been confirmed by the testimony of later travellers,
from whose observations it is now clearly ascertained that the only](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/14057-250609015000-289cc29d/85/Essentials-of-MIS-12th-Edition-Laudon-Solutions-Manual-42-320.jpg)
![large species of deer inhabiting the northern parts of America are
the wapiti or Canadian stag (Cervus canadensis), the rein-deer (C.
Tarandus), and the moose or elk (C. Alces).
The peculiar branching of the brow antlers of the rein-deer, and
the rounded horns of the wapiti[422], are characters sufficient to
prevent us confounding either of these animals with the fossil
species.
The palmate form of the horns of the elk gave greater probability
to the opinion of its specific identity with the fossil animal.
A little attention, however, to a few circumstances, will shew a
most marked difference between them.
First, as to size, the difference is very remarkable, it not being
uncommon to find the fossil horns ten feet between the extreme
tips[423], while the largest elk’s horns never measure four feet. This
measurement in a pair in the Museum of the Royal Dublin Society, is
three feet seven inches: the largest pair seen by Pennant in the
house of the Hudson’s Bay Company, measured thirty-four
inches[424].
The horn of the elk has two palms, a lesser one which grows
forward from the front of the beam, where the principal palm begins
to expand. This is called brow antler by Cuvier, but it corresponds in
situation rather to the sur-antler, there being, properly speaking, no
brow antler attached to the root of the beam. The elk has no
posterior antler similar to that of the fossil animal, nor does its beam
take a similar arched direction, but runs more directly outwards.
Cuvier remarks, that the palm of the fossil horn increases in
breadth as it extends outwardly, while that of the elk is broadest
next the beam.
The palm of the elk’s horn is directed more backwards, while the
fossil one extends more in the lateral direction. The antlers of the elk
are shorter and more numerous than those of the fossil animals.](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/14057-250609015000-289cc29d/85/Essentials-of-MIS-12th-Edition-Laudon-Solutions-Manual-43-320.jpg)
![As the horns of the fossil animal exceed in size those of the elk,
so, on the contrary, does the skull of the latter exceed in size that of
the former; the largest heads of the fossil species not exceeding one
foot nine inches in length, while the head of the elk is frequently two
feet. The fossil head is broader in proportion; its length being to its
breadth as two to one; in the elk they are as three to one, according
to Parkinson.[425] The breadth of the skull between the roots of the
horns is but four inches in the fossil skulls; in that of the elk in the
Society’s Museum it is 6½ inches.
Cuvier thinks it probable that the females of the fossil species had
horns[426], an opinion to which I am very much disposed to
subscribe, from having observed that these parts present differences
in size and strength, which appear not to be dependent on
differences of age. For instance, the teeth of the specimen in Trinity
College are much more worn down, and the sutures of the skull are
more effaced than in the specimen described in this paper; yet the
horns of the latter are much more concave, and more expanded,
than those of the former; and on comparing a single horn of each of
these specimens together, that belonging to the Society exceeds the
other by nearly a sixth in the length, and little less than a third in the
breadth; it is not, therefore, unlikely that the animal whose horns
were larger and more curved was a male. Something similar to this
is observed in the rein-deer, both sexes of which have horns, but
with this difference, that they are smaller and less branched in the
female. Hence we find that this animal possessed characters of its
own sufficient to prove it of a species as distinct from the moose or
elk as this latter species is from the rein-deer or any other.
Therefore, it is improper to retain the name of elk or moose deer
any longer: perhaps it might be better called the Cervus megaceros,
a name merely expressive of the great size of its horns.
That this animal shed its head furniture periodically, is proved by
the occasional occurrence of detached horns having the smooth
convex surface below the burr, similar to what is observed on the
cast horns of all deer. Specimens of this are to be seen in the](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/14057-250609015000-289cc29d/85/Essentials-of-MIS-12th-Edition-Laudon-Solutions-Manual-44-320.jpg)
![Museum of Trinity College, and I possess one myself, of which I have
had a drawing made. As every other species of deer shed their horns
annually, there is no reason for supposing that that process occurred
at longer intervals in this.
It is a popular opinion with the Indians that the elk is subject to
epilepsy, with which he is frequently seized when pursued, and thus
rendered an easy prey to the hunters. Many naturalists affect to
disbelieve this account, without, however, assigning any sufficient
reason. But if it be considered, that, during the growth of the horns,
there must be a great increased determination of blood to those
parts, which are supplied by the frontal artery, a branch from the
internal carotid, it is quite conformable to well established
pathological principles, to suppose, that, after the horns are
perfected, and have ceased to receive any more blood, that fluid
may be determined to those internal branches of the carotid which
supply the brain, and establish a predisposition to such
derangements of its circulation as would produce epilepsy, or even
apoplexy: if such an effect were produced in consequence of the size
of the horns in the elk, it is reasonable to suppose that it prevailed in
a greater degree in the fossil animal whose horns were so much
larger.
What could have been the use of these immense horns? It is quite
evident that they would prevent the animal making any progress
through a thickly wooded country, and that the long, tapering,
pointed antlers were totally unfit for lopping off the branches of
trees, a use to which the elk sometimes applies his horns[427], and
for which they seem well calculated, by having their antlers short
and strong, and set along the edge of the palm, somewhat
resembling the teeth of a saw in their arrangement. It would rather
appear, then, that they were given the animal as weapons for its
protection, a purpose for which they seem to have been admirably
designed; for their lateral expansion is such, that should occasion
require the animal to use them in his defence, their extreme tips
would easily reach beyond the remotest parts of his body; and if we](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/14057-250609015000-289cc29d/85/Essentials-of-MIS-12th-Edition-Laudon-Solutions-Manual-45-320.jpg)
![consider the powerful muscles for moving the head, whose
attachments occupied the extensive surfaces of the cervical
vertebræ, with the length of the lever afforded by the horns
themselves, we can easily conceive how he could wield them with a
force and velocity which would deal destruction to any enemy having
the hardihood to venture within their range.
From the formidable appearance of these horns, then, we must
suppose that their possessor was obnoxious to the aggressions of
some carnivorous animals of ferocious habits; and such we know to
have abounded in Ireland, as the wolf, and the celebrated Irish wolf
dog. Nor would it be surprising if limestone caves should be
discovered in this country, containing the remains of beasts of prey
and their victims, similar to the hyænas’ dens of Kirkdale, and other
places, respecting which such interesting researches have been
lately laid before the public by the geologists of this country and the
Continent.
The absence of all record, or even tradition, respecting this
animal[428], naturally leads one to inquire whether man inhabited
this country during its existence? I think there is presumptive
evidence in the affirmative of this question, afforded by the following
circumstances. A head of this animal described by Professor Goldfuss
of Bonn, was discovered in Germany in the same drain with several
urns and stone hatchets; and in the 7th volume of the Archæologia
Britannica, is a letter of the Countess of Moira, giving an account of
a human body found in gravel, under eleven feet of peat soaked in
the bog water: it was in good preservation, and completely clothed
in antique garments of hair, which her ladyship thinks might have
been that of our fossil animal. But more conclusive evidence on this
question is derived from the appearance exhibited by a rib,
presented by Archdeacon Maunsell to the Royal Dublin Society, in
which I discovered an oval opening near its lower edge, the long
diameter of which is parallel to the length of the rib, its margin is
depressed on the outer, and raised on the inner surface, round
which there is an irregular effusion of callus. This opening had been](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/14057-250609015000-289cc29d/85/Essentials-of-MIS-12th-Edition-Laudon-Solutions-Manual-46-320.jpg)
![evidently produced by a sharp pointed instrument, which did not
penetrate so deep as to cause the animal’s death, but which
remained fixed in the opening for some length of time afterward; in
fact it was such an effect as would be produced by the head of an
arrow remaining in a wound after the shaft was broken off[429].
It is not improbable, therefore, that the chace of this gigantic
animal once supplied the inhabitants of this country with food and
clothing.
As to the causes which led to the extinction of this animal,
whether it was suddenly destroyed by the deluge, or by some other
great catastrophe of nature, or whether it was ultimately
exterminated by the continued and successful persecution of its
pursuers, as has nearly been the case with the red deer within the
recollection of many of the present generation, I profess myself
unable to form any decided opinion, owing to the limited number of
facts as yet collected on the subject. On some future occasion I may,
perhaps, be induced to revert to so interesting a topic, should I have
opportunities of discovering any thing worthy of communication.
The following Table exhibits a comparative view of the
measurements of different parts of the skeletons of the Cervus
Megaceros in the Museum of the Royal Dublin Society, and in the
Royal Museum of the University of Edinburgh, with some parts of the
Moose. The measurements of the Edinburgh specimen are taken
from Professor Jameson’s memoir on organic remains, in the
Supplement to the Encyclopedia Britannica.
HEAD.
R. D. Soc. U. of Edin. Moose
Ft. In. Ft. In. Ft. In.
Length of the head, 1 8½ 1 8¼
Breadth of the skull between the orbits. 0 10½ 0 9
Do. of skull at the occiput, 0 8
Diameter of the orbit, 0 2⅜ 0 2½
Distance between infra orbitar holes across the
skull,
0 7](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/14057-250609015000-289cc29d/85/Essentials-of-MIS-12th-Edition-Laudon-Solutions-Manual-47-320.jpg)
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- 5. Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc. 1 Chapter 7 Telecommunications, the Internet, and Wireless Technology Learning Objectives 7-1 What are the principal components of telecommunications networks and key networking technologies? 7-2 What are the different types of networks? 7-3 How do the Internet and Internet technology work and how do they support communication and e-business? 7-4 What are the principal technologies and standards for wireless networking, communication, and Internet access? Learning Catalytics is a “bring your own device” student engagement, assessment, and classroom intelligence system. It allows instructors to engage students in class with real-time diagnostics. Students can use any modern, web-enabled device (smartphone, tablet, or laptop) to access it. For more information on using Learning Catalytics in your course, contact your Pearson Representative. Chapter Outline 7-1 What are the principal components of telecommunications networks and key networking technologies? Networking and Communication Trends What is a Computer Network? Key Digital Networking Technologies 7-2 What are the different types of networks? Signals: Digital vs. Analog Types of Networks Transmission Media and Transmission Speed 7-3 How do the Internet and Internet technology work and how do they support communication and e-business? What is the Internet? Internet Addressing and Architecture Internet Services and Communication Tools The Web 7-4 What are the principal technologies and standards for wireless networking, communication, and Internet access? Cellular Systems Wireless Computer Networks and Internet Access RFID and Wireless Sensor Networks
- 6. Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc. 2 Key Terms The following alphabetical list identifies the key terms discussed in this chapter. The page number for each key term is provided. 3G networks, 254 Personal-area networks (PANs), 254 4G networks, 254 Predictive search, 249 Bandwidth, 236 Protocol, 233 Blog, 251 Radio frequency identification (RFID), 256 Blogosphere, 252 Router, 231 Bluetooth, 254 RSS, 252 Broadband, 230 Search engines, 247 Cable Internet connections, 237 Search engine marketing, 250 Chat, 242 Semantic search, 248 Digital subscriber line (DSL), 237 Shopping bots, 250 Domain name, 238 Smart phones, 253 Domain name systems (DNS), 238 Social networking, 252 E-mail, 242 Social search, 249 File Transfer Protocol (FTP), 242 Software-defined networking, 231 Hertz, 236 Switch, 231 Hotspots, 256 T1 lines, 237 Hubs, 231 Telnet, 242 Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), 247 Search engine optimization (SEO), 251 Instant messaging, 242 Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), 233 Internet of Things, 253 Unified communications, 245 Internet Protocol (IP) address, 237 Uniform resource locator (URL), 247 Internet service provider (ISP), 236 Virtual private network (VPN), 246 Internet2, 241 Visual Web, 250 IPv6, 241 Voice over IP (VoIP), 243 Local-area network (LAN), 235 Web 2.0, 251 Metropolitan-area network (MAN), 236 Web 3.0, 253 Microblogging, 252 Web site, 2246 Modem, 234 Wide-area networks (WAN), 236 Network operating system (NOS), 230 Wi-Fi, 255 Packet switching, 232 Wiki, 252 Peer-to-peer, 235 WiMax, 256 Wireless sensor networks (WSNs), 258
- 7. Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc. 3 Teaching Suggestions Chapter 7 presents crucial concepts and terminology since telecommunications, networks, and the Internet are now introducing fundamental changes in businesses. The opening case, “Wireless Technology makes Dundee Precious Metals Good as Gold,” illustrates some of the new capabilities and opportunities provided by contemporary networking technology. Dundee implemented an underground wireless Wi-Fi network that allows electronic devices to exchange data wirelessly to monitor the location of equipment, people, and ore throughout the mine’s tunnels and facilities. The company also uses Wi-Fi radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to track workers, equipment, and vehicles in underground gold mines. Dundee has decreased equipment downtime and utilizes its resources more efficiently. It uses data from the underground wireless network in its mine management software and mobile planning software. Now the company can more closely account for its mine workers, making them more safe and the workers can communicate more closely with the mine’s control room. Control room staff can actually see the location of machinery and direct traffic more effectively, quickly identify problems and respond more rapidly to emergencies. The opening vignette provides an example of how businesses are adapting to new technologies based on the Internet. It shows how companies must continually evolve as technology improves. Section 7-1, “What are the principal components of telecommunications networks and key networking technologies?” Telecommunications and networks are vital to the majority of businesses today, and this section explains why. Because telecommunications technology serves as the foundation for electronic commerce and the digital economy, the concepts and terminology in Chapter 7 are important for both MIS and business majors. This section explains the basic configuration of networks, regardless of their size. You may want to contrast the origin and history of telephone networks and computer networks. Then diagram how the two are converging into one pipeline for all types of communication transmissions. Convergence is leading to more efficient transmission traffic and ubiquitous communications thanks to the Internet. A contemporary corporate network infrastructure relies on both public and private infrastructures to support the movement of information across diverse technological platforms. It includes the traditional telephone system, mobile cellular communications, wireless local area networks, videoconferencing systems, a corporate website, intranets, extranets, and an array of local and wide area networks, including the Internet. Contemporary networks have been shaped by the rise of client/server computing, the use of packet switching, and the adoption of TCP/IP as a universal communications standard for linking disparate networks and computers. Client/server networks have distributed much of the organization’s computing power to the desktop and factory floor. Packet switching makes more
- 8. Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc. 4 efficient use of network communications capacity by breaking messages into small packets that are sent independently along different paths in a network and then reassembled at their destination. Protocols provide a common set of rules that enable communication among diverse components in a telecommunications network. TCP/IP is a suite of protocols that has become the dominant model of achieving connectivity among different networks and computers. It is the connectivity model used in the Internet. One exercise you may try to help show how much we rely on communications today is to ask students to count the number of text messages, phone calls, e-mails, and IM messages they either sent or received in the last 24 hours or the last week. You could even go so far as to ask them to not send or receive any of these communications for a day to prove how reliant we’ve become on telecommunications. Section 7-2, “What are the different types of networks?” It may help for you to bring several props to show the different transmission media explained in this section. For example, bring twisted wire, coaxial cable, and fiber-optic cable to show to the class and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each type of media. Students should note the different ranges (frequencies) of wireless media. Also, you should discuss bandwidth and its connection to frequencies, as this is a critical concept today. Table 7.1 compares the range of four different area networks. This section describes the different network topologies and how they pass data across a network. If you have students working in business, ask them to identify the network topologies used in their organizations. Section 7-3, “How do the Internet and Internet technology work and how do they support communication and e-business?” Most students are familiar with the Internet and motivated to discuss it. You might begin this section by asking students how they spend their time on the Internet and how their online activities have changed since they started using the Internet. Also, ask them to identify which client platforms they currently use or have used. Ask your students to identify several of the many benefits that the Internet offers to organizations. Ask them to provide specific examples that they have read about in the text or have personally observed. The principal Internet services and communication tools are e-mail, chatting, instant messaging, newsgroups, telnet, file transfer protocol, and the web. Most students will probably be familiar with these services, having used them in their personal life. What they may not understand or relate to quite yet is how effective the tools are in a business setting. These tools reduce time and cost when firms must manage organizational activities and communicate with many employees. If you have students working in businesses, ask them to discuss the communications tools their organization uses. This section introduces a fairly new concept of unified communications. It also compares Web 2.0 with Web 3.0 that is now in the conceptual stage. Make students aware that while the new information technology infrastructure provides many benefits and capabilities, it does require careful management and planning. Challenges posed by networking and the Internet include loss of management control over information systems; the need for organizational change; and the difficulty of ensuring infrastructure scalability and reliability.
- 9. Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc. 5 Interactive Session: Organizations: The Battle over Net Neutrality Case Study Questions 1. What is network neutrality? Why has the Internet operated under net neutrality up to this point in time? Network neutrality is the idea that Internet service providers must allow customers equal access to content and applications, regardless of the source or nature of the content. Presently the Internet is indeed neutral: all Internet traffic is treated equally on a first-come, first-serve basis by Internet backbone owners. The Internet is neutral because it was built on phone lines, which are subject to ‘common carriage’ laws. These laws require phone companies to treat all calls and customers equally. They cannot offer extra benefits to customers willing to pay higher premiums for faster or clearer calls, a model known as tiered service. 2. Who’s in favor of network neutrality? Who’s opposed? Why? Those in favor of network neutrality include organizations like MoveOn.org, the Christian Coalition, the American Library Association, every major consumer group, many bloggers and small businesses, and some large Internet companies like Google and Amazon. Verizon and Google proposed a split proposition – enforce net neutrality on wired connections, but not on wireless networks. Some members of the U.S. Congress also support network neutrality. This group argues that the risk of censorship increases when network operators can selectively block or slow access to certain content. Others are concerned about the effect of slower transmission rates on their business models if users can’t download or access content in a speedy fashion. Those who oppose network neutrality include telecommunications and cable companies who want to be able to charge differentiated prices based on the amount of bandwidth consumed by content being delivered over the Internet. Some companies report that five percent of their customers use about half the capacity on local lines without paying any more than low-usage customers. They state that metered pricing is “the fairest way” to finance necessary investments in its network infrastructure. Internet service providers point to the upsurge in piracy of copyrighted materials over the Internet as a reason to oppose network neutrality. Comcast reported that illegal file sharing of copyrighted material was consuming 50 percent of its network capacity. The company posits that if network transmission rates were slower for this type of content, users would be less likely to download or access it. Those who oppose network neutrality argue that it removes the incentive for network providers to innovate, provide new capabilities, and upgrade to new technology. 3. What would be the impact on individual users, businesses, and government if Internet providers switched to a tiered service model for transmission over landlines as well as wireless? Proponents of net neutrality argue that a neutral Internet encourages everyone to innovate without permission from the phone and cable companies or other authorities. A more level
- 10. Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc. 6 playing field spawns countless new businesses. Allowing unrestricted information flow becomes essential to free markets and democracy as commerce and society increasingly move online. Heavy users of network bandwidth would pay higher prices without necessarily experiencing better service. Even those who use less bandwidth could run into the same situation. Network owners believe regulation like the bills proposed by net neutrality advocates will impede U.S. competitiveness by stifling innovation and hurt customers who will benefit from ‘discriminatory’ network practices. U.S. Internet service already lags behind other nations in overall speed, cost, and quality of service, adding credibility to the providers’ arguments. Obviously, by increasing the cost of heavy users of network bandwidth, telecommunication and cable companies and Internet service providers stand to increase their profit margins. 4. It has been said that net neutrality is the most important issue facing the Internet since the advent of the Internet. Discuss the implications of this statement. Under current conditions, the Internet is neutral; all Internet traffic is treated equally on a first- come, first-served basis by Internet backbone owners. Proponents of net neutrality say that changing anything would disrupt normal service for users and begin a trend of discrimination based on the types of Internet usage. Network owners believe regulation to enforce net neutrality will impede U.S. competitiveness by discouraging capital expenditure for new networks and curbing their networks’ ability to cope with the exploding demand for Internet and wireless traffic. Internet service providers (ISPs) assert that network congestion is a serious problem and that expanding their networks would require passing on burdensome costs to consumers. These companies believe differential pricing methods, which include data caps and metered use— charging based on the amount of bandwidth consumed—are the fairest way to finance necessary investments in their network infrastructures. 5. Are you in favor of legislation enforcing network neutrality? Why or why not? Student answers will vary. Some components and principles to consider in answering this question include: • Price differentials: how much more would heavy bandwidth users pay than those who consume less bandwidth? • Speed: how much faster would network transmissions be with a tiered service model? • Stifle innovation: would a tiered service model stifle innovation by charging more for heavy bandwidth use or would it free up bandwidth thus allowing more innovation? • Censorship: would telecommunication and cable companies and Internet service providers increase censorship of content transmitted over networks? • Discrimination by carriers: would the end of network neutrality be the beginning of more discrimination? Interactive Session: People: Monitoring Employees on Networks: Unethical or Good Business?
- 11. Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc. 7 Case Study Questions 1. Should managers monitor employee e-mail and Internet usage? Why or why not? Student answers will vary on this question. The case study statistics show that corporate misuse and abuse of e-mail for personal reasons is exploding. Simply stated, employees who use company resources for work not related to the company are, in essence, engaged in “service theft.” They are being paid to work for the company, and this does not include abusing corporate resources for personal time. Companies are in business to generate profits for their shareholders. Managers certainly should be concerned with the loss of time and employee productivity, the additional traffic it creates on their networks that inhibits the efficiency for real business purposes, lost revenue or missed opportunities, as well as overcharging clients because of lost employee efficiencies. The company itself is responsible for the use of its resources and what employees do while using them. Adverse publicity can seriously affect a company and could even result in expensive lawsuits. Companies also fear e-mail leakage of trade secrets. Other legal and regulatory problems involve the safe keeping of all e-mails that are generated on corporate equipment. This information must be retained for specific time periods and may be requested as evidence in a lawsuit. 2. Describe an effective e-mail and web use policy for a company. Like all policies, an effective e-mail and web use policy must be carefully designed and clearly communicated to all persons who use these corporate resources. There are a number of different policies in existence. Some companies allow absolutely no personal use of corporate networks, whereas others allow some degree of activity that is easily monitored. A good policy will detail exactly what type of activity is acceptable and what is not allowed. The policy should clearly articulate sanctions that will be followed for any and all offenses in relation to the policy. Most of all, rules for Internet usage should be tailored to specific business needs and organizational cultures. As an instructor you might wish to show students an example of the University of South Australia’s policy at http://www.unisa.edu.au/policies/policies/corporate/C22.asp 3. Should managers inform employees that their web behavior is being monitored? Or should managers monitor secretly? Why or why not? Opinions will vary according to personal values and workplace experiences. However, most students will probably answer that managers should inform employees that their web behavior is being monitored as a way to foster open communications and trust between both sides. Many consultants believe companies should write corporate policies on employee e-mail and Internet use. The policies should include explicit ground rules that state, by position or level, under what circumstances employees can use company facilities for e-mail, blogging, or web surfing. The policies should also inform employees whether these activities are monitored and explain why. Section 7-4, “What are the principal technologies and standards for wireless networking, communication, and Internet access?” Ask your students how many of them use cellular
- 12. Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc. 8 phones, smartphones, wireless laptops, tablet computers, or wireless e-book readers. Most students are excited to demonstrate their “latest devices,” and you may wish to ask one of them to discuss the capabilities of theirs. Ask them to discuss what they like or dislike about the features found on their appliance. If you have the class time, you can ask the campus IT director to discuss the telecommunications technology used on your campus, take a tour of the campus facilities, or invite an IT director from a local company to discuss his company’s telecommunications technology. Ask your students to find out what their university does in order to support mobile wireless communications. Have them investigate applications where Bluetooth, Wi-FI, or hotspot technology is used and how it benefits them. Are they able to use their own personal appliances to connect and utilize these technologies on their campus? Review Questions 7-1 What are the principal components of telecommunications networks and key networking technologies? Describe the features of a simple network and the network infrastructure for a large company. A simple network consists of two or more connected computers. Basic network components include computers, network interfaces, a connection medium, network operating system software, and either a hub or a switch. The networking infrastructure for a large company relies on both public and private infrastructures to support the movement of information across diverse technological platforms. It includes the traditional telephone system, mobile cellular communication, wireless local-area networks, videoconferencing systems, a corporate website, intranets, extranets, and an array of local and wide-area networks, including the Internet. This collection of networks evolved from two fundamentally different types of networks: telephone networks and computer networks. (Learning Objective 1: What are the principal components of telecommunications networks and key networking technologies?, AACSB: Application of knowledge.) Name and describe the principal technologies and trends that have shaped contemporary telecommunications systems. Client/server computing, the use of packet switching, and the development of widely used communications standards such as TCP/IP are the three technologies that have shaped contemporary telecommunications systems. Client/server computing has extended to networking departments, workgroups, factory floors, and other parts of the business that could not be served by a centralized architecture. The Internet is based on client/server computing. Packet switching technology allows nearly full use of almost all available lines and capacity. This was not possible with the traditional dedicated circuit-switching techniques that were used in the past. TCP/IP is a suite of protocols that has become the dominant standard of network communications. Having a set
- 13. Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc. 9 of protocols for connecting diverse hardware and software components has provided a universally agreed upon method for data transmission. (Learning Objective 1: What are the principal components of telecommunications networks and key networking technologies?, AACSB: Application of knowledge.) 7-2 What are the different types of networks? Define an analog and a digital signal. Analog: a continuous waveform that passes through a communications medium and has been used for voice communication. Traditionally used by telephone handsets, computer speakers, or earphones. Digital: a discrete, binary waveform, rather than a continuous waveform, represented by strings of two states: one bit and zero bits, which are represented as on-off electrical pulses. Computers use digital signals and require a modem to convert these digital signals into analog signals that are transmitted across telephone lines, cable lines, or wireless media. (Learning Objective 2: What are the different types of networks?, AACSB: Application of knowledge.) Distinguish between a LAN, MAN, and WAN. LAN (Local Area Network): a telecommunications network that is designed to connect personal computers and other digital devices within a half-mile or 500-meter radius. LANs typically connect a few computers in a small office, all the computers in one building, or all the computers in several buildings in close proximity. LANs require their own dedicated channels. MAN (Metropolitan Area Network): a network that spans a metropolitan area, usually a city and its major suburbs. Its geographic scope falls between a WAN and a LAN. WAN (Wide Area Network): spans broad geographical distances – entire regions, states, continents, or the entire globe. The most universal and powerful WAN is the Internet. Computers connect to a WAN through public networks, such as the telephone system or private cable systems, or through leased lines or satellites. (Learning Objective 2: What are the different types of networks?, AACSB: Application of knowledge.) 7-3 How do the Internet and Internet technology work and how do they support communication and e-business? Define the Internet, describe how it works, and explain how it provides business value. The Internet is a vast network of computers that connects millions of people all over the world. The Internet uses the client/server model of computing and the TCP/IP network reference model. Every computer on the Internet is assigned a unique numeric IP address. No one owns the Internet, and it has no formal management organization. However, worldwide Internet policies are established by organizations and government bodies, such as the Internet
- 14. Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc. 10 Architecture Board and the World Wide Web Consortium. The Internet must also conform to the laws of the sovereign nation-states in which it operates, as well as the technical infrastructure that exists within the nation-state. The Internet enables employees to gain remote access to the company’s internal systems through its website. They are able to better service customers and suppliers, improve operational efficiency, increase productivity, lower operational costs, have a broader market base, and reach more individual customers on a global scale by establishing a web presence. The cost of email and other Internet services tend to be far lower than equivalent voice, postal, or over night delivery costs, making the Internet a very inexpensive communication medium. It is also a very fast method of communication, with messages arriving anywhere in the world in a matter of seconds or minutes. (Learning Objective 3: How do the Internet and Internet technology work and how do they support communication and e-business?, AACSB: Application of knowledge.) Explain how the Domain Name System (DNS) and IP addressing system work. The Internet is based on the TCP/IP networking protocol suite. Every computer on the Internet is assigned a unique Internet Protocol (IP) address, which currently is a 32-bit number represented by four strings of numbers ranging from 0 to 255 separated by periods. A domain name is the English-like name that corresponds to the unique 32-bit numeric IP address for each computer connected to the Internet. The Domain Name System (DNS) converts IP addresses to domain names so that users only need to specify a domain name to access a computer on the Internet, instead of typing the numeric IP address. DNS servers maintain a database containing IP addresses mapped to their corresponding domain names. When a user sends a message to another user on the Internet, the message is first decomposed into packets using the TCP protocol. Each packet contains its destination address. The packets are then sent from the client to the network server and from there on to as many other servers as necessary to arrive at a specific computer with a known address. At the destination address, the packets are reassembled into the original message. (Learning Objective 3: How do the Internet and Internet technology work and how do they support communication and e- business?, AACSB: Analytical thinking.) List and describe the principal Internet services. Table 7-2 lists and describes the major Internet services: • Email—person-to-person messaging; document sharing. • Newsgroups—discussion groups on electronic bulletin boards. • Chatting and instant messaging—interactive conversations. • Telnet—logging on to one computer system and doing work on another. • File Transfer Protocol (FTP)—transferring files from computer to computer. • World Wide Web—retrieving, formatting, and displaying information (including text, audio, graphics, and video) using hypertext links.
- 15. Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc. 11 (Learning Objective 3: How do the Internet and Internet technology work and how do they support communication and e-business?, AACSB: Application of knowledge.) Define and describe VoIP and virtual private networks and explain how they provide value to businesses. • Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) enables Internet technology to be used for telephone voice transmission over the Internet or private networks. VoIP offers the advantage of avoiding tolls charged by local and long-distance telephone networks. VoIP provides businesses an opportunity to reduce costs because they no longer have to maintain separate networks or provide support services and personnel for each different type of network. It gives organizations flexibility because phones can be added or moved to different offices without rewiring or reconfiguring networks. • Virtual private networks are secure, encrypted, private networks that have been configured within a public network to take advantage of the economies of scale and management facilities of large networks, such as the Internet. VPNs are low-cost alternatives to private WANs. VPNs give businesses a more efficient network infrastructure for combining voice and data networks. (Learning Objective 3: How do the Internet and Internet technology work and how do they support communication and e-business?, AACSB: Application of knowledge.) List and describe alternative ways of locating information on the web. • Search engines are a facility on the web that helps you find sites with the information and/or services you want. Examples: Google, Yahoo!, and MSN. • Intelligent agent shopping bots use intelligent agent software for searching the Internet for shopping information. Examples: MySimon and Froogle. • Blogs are informal yet structured websites where subscribing individuals can publish stories, opinions, and links to other websites of interest. • Rich Site Summary or Really Simple Syndication (RSS) is a simple way for people to have content they want pulled from websites and fed automatically to their computers, where it can be stored for later viewing. It’s commonly used with blogs. • Wikis are collaborative websites where visitors can add, delete, or modify content on the site, including the work of previous authors. • Web 2.0 provides second-generation interactive Internet-based services that enable people to collaborate, share information, and create new services online. Web 2.0 software applications run on the web itself instead of the desktop and bring the vision of web-based computing closer to realization. • Web 3.0 (Semantic Web) reduces the amount of human involvement in searching for and processing web information. It’s still in its infancy but promises to establish specific meanings for data on the web, categories for classifying the data, and relationships between classification categories.
- 16. Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc. 12 (Learning Objective 3: How do the Internet and Internet technology work and how do they support communication and e-business?, AACSB: Application of knowledge.) Describe how online search technologies are used for marketing. Search engine marketing monetizes the value of the search process. Searching is one of the web’s most popular activities with billions of queries performed each month. Search engines are the foundation for the most lucrative form of online marketing and advertising. When users enter a search term in a search engine, they receive two types of listings: sponsored links, for which advertisers have paid to be listed, and unsponsored organic search results. Advertisers can also purchase small text boxes on the side of search results pages. Paid, sponsored advertisements are the fastest growing form of Internet advertising and are powerful new marketing tools that precisely match consumer interests with advertising messages at the right moment. (Learning Objective 3: How do the Internet and Internet technology work and how do they support communication and e-business?, AACSB: Application of knowledge.) 7-4 What are the principal technologies and standards for wireless networking, communications, and Internet access? Define Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, WiMax, and 3G and 4G networks. Standards for wireless computer networks include Bluetooth (802.15) for small personal-area networks (PANs), Wi-Fi (802.11) for local-area networks (LANs), and WiMax (802.16) for metropolitan-area networks (MANs). Bluetooth can link up to eight devices within a 10- meter area using low-power, radio-based communication and can transmit up to 722 Kbps in the 2.4 GHz band. Wireless phones, keyboards, computers, printers, and PDAs using Bluetooth can communicate with each other and even operate each other without direct user intervention. Wi-Fi is useful for creating wireless LANs and for providing wireless Internet access. Its access range is limited to anywhere between 300 feet and three miles. Hotspots are public access points individuals use to obtain high speed Internet access. WiMax has a wireless access range of up to 31 miles and a data transfer rate of up to 75 Mbps, making it suitable for providing broadband Internet access in areas lacking DSL and cable lines. The 802.16 specification also has robust security and quality-of-service features to support voice and video. 3G is a short term for third-generation wireless technology, especially mobile communications. Cellular networks have evolved from slow-speed (1G) analog networks to high-speed, high-bandwidth, digital packet-switched, third-generation (3G) networks with speeds ranging from 144 Kbps to more than 2 Mbps for data transmission. 4G is a short term for fourth-generation wireless technology. It is entirely packet-switched and capable of 100 Mbps transmission speed (which can reach 1 Gbps under optimal
- 17. Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc. 13 conditions), with premium quality and high security. Voice, data, and high-quality streaming video are available to users anywhere, anytime. (Learning Objective 4: What are the principal technologies and standards for wireless networking, communications, and Internet access?, AACSB: Application of knowledge.) Describe the capabilities of each and for which types of applications each is best suited. • Bluetooth: Access very limited; useful for creating small personal-area networks. • Wi-Fi: Access is limited to 30–50 meters; useful for creating small local area networks. • WiMax: Access is limited to a range up to 31 miles: useful for creating wide area networks. • 3G networks: Access is available on major cellular telephone carriers that have configured their networks for 3G services. • 4G networks: Provides premium quality for voice, data, and streaming video from cellular telephone carriers. (Learning Objective 4: What are the principal technologies and standards for wireless networking, communications, and Internet access?, AACSB: Application of knowledge.) Define RFID, explain how it works, and describe how it provides value to businesses. Mobile wireless technology facilitates supply chain management by capturing data on the movement of goods as these events take place and by providing detailed, immediate information as goods move among supply chain partners. Radio frequency identification (RFID) systems provide a microchip that contains data about an item and its location. The tags transmit radio signals over a short distance to special RFID readers. The RFID readers then pass the data over a network to a computer for processing. RFID gives businesses an opportunity to further automate their supply chain networks. The technology allows more data on an RFID chip than typical barcodes. RFID systems track each pallet, lot, or unit item in a shipment. The technology helps companies improve receiving and storage operations by improving their ability to “see” exactly what stock is stored in warehouses or on retail store shelves. (Learning Objective 4: What are the principal technologies and standards for wireless networking, communications, and Internet access?, AACSB: Application of knowledge.) Define WSNs, explain how they work, and describe the kinds of applications that use them. Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are networks of interconnected wireless devices with some processing and radio-transmitting capability that are embedded into the physical environment to provide measurements of many points over large spaces. Wireless sensor networks are valuable for monitoring environmental changes, traffic patterns, security incidents, or supply chain events. Wireless sensor networks can be placed
- 18. Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc. 14 in the field for years without any maintenance or human intervention. That reduces costs to businesses using them. (Learning Objective 4: What are the principal technologies and standards for wireless networking, communications, and Internet access?, AACSB: Application of knowledge.) Discussion Questions 7-5 It has been said that within the next few years, smartphones will become the single most important digital device we own. Discuss the implications of this statement. Student answers to this question will vary. 7-6 Should all major retailing and manufacturing companies switch to RFID? Why or why not? Student answers to this question will vary. 7-7 What are some of the issues to consider in determining whether the Internet would provide your business with a competitive advantage? Student answers to this question will vary. Hands-On MIS Projects Management Decision Problems 7-8 Floor tile company: Asked by major retailing customers to begin using RFID to improve management of products. Use the web to identify the cost of hardware, software, and networking components for an RFID system for your company. What factors should be considered? What are the key decisions that have to be made in determining whether your firm should adopt this technology? (The following information was copied from www.zebra.com, Nov 2010) What is the estimated incremental cost for adopting RFID? If one is discussing incremental costs over and above what was invested in your bar code infrastructure, then you can say that you will be making an investment in tags, printer/encoders, readers, middleware, and professional services to integrate these components into your bar code legacy environment. If you are not working with bar codes already, obviously you will need to make an investment in back-office, manufacturing, or WMS systems to use RFID data. What is a ballpark figure for implementing RFID in a warehouse and distribution process? According to Forrester Research, a typical supplier that attempts to comply with a mandate
- 19. Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc. 15 can expect to spend as much as $9 million on RFID—depending on the size of its distribution network and Walmart volume. According to this research, the largest expenditures are tag costs and additional warehouse labor. Again, it is stressed that this figure is derived from studying one company seeking compliance with the Walmart mandate. However, this study provides a good perspective on the areas from which costs will derive. How do smart label costs compare to conventional thermal/thermal-transfer printed labels? A smart label runs in the vicinity of about $0.50 per label vs. about $0.01 for a conventional label. This is mainly due to the addition of the tag. This cost is also variable based on the total volume printed and the economies of scale associated with large quantities. What companies are currently developing RFID software? Is it all customized or are there off-the-shelf solutions? Numerous start-up and established software providers—including those who provide ERP software—have developed applications to deal with RFID reader and printer/encoder management, plus “tag data capture event” management. As with most business applications software, packages are typically customized to meet customers’ requirements rather than being ready to go “off the shelf.” How will RFID integrate with EDI software? EDI messages contain data about business transactions. While the format of an EDI message may change to accommodate “new data” (such as an EPC by comparison with a GTIN), fundamentally EDI message processors are unaware of the source of the data contained in messages. So there should be no reason that RFID cannot integrate with EDI software, provided the data structures are fundamentally the same. However, one area of difference is that many EDI systems typically deliver data in periodic batch mode; in contrast, the strength of RFID is its ability to deliver real-time data, so systems are up-to-the-minute. Key decisions that a company needs to make when considering adopting RFID include: • Hardware and software costs • Implementation costs • Return on investments • How technology fits into overall business strategy (Learning Objective 4: What are the principal technologies and standards for wireless networking, communications, and Internet access?, AACSB: Analytical thinking, Application of knowledge.) 7-9 BestMed Medical Supplies Corporation: Sells products and equipment from over 700 different manufacturers to hospitals, health clinics, and medical offices. The company employs 500 people at seven different locations. Management is considering adopting a unified communications system. What factors should be considered? What are the key
- 20. Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc. 16 decisions that have to be made in determining whether to adopt this technology? Use the web, if necessary, to find out more about unified communications and its costs. Because the costs of purchasing and implementing a unified communication system will vary based on the chosen system, so too will student answers. (The following information was copied from www.networkworld.com, Nov 2010) From a broad perspective, Verizon Business suggests that organizations need to evaluate and measure how UC&C will benefit their organizations, determine whether the enterprise has adequate in-house technical resources, personnel and network capacity; and define how to integrate UC&C into business processes to align the deployment with critical business initiatives. At a more detailed level, Verizon Business suggested that in preparation for UC&C, enterprises should: • Invest in advanced IP networks because “UC&C starts with a capabilities-rich IP infrastructure. . . [and] flexible and expansive IP networks serve as the foundation of a successful UC&C deployment.” • Inventory technology and personnel resources to better understand the technological scope of UC&C deployments and “help identify potential network, equipment, and application gaps.” Verizon Business also recommends a skills-assessment of technical staff “to identify possible new hires and individuals requiring additional training.” • Align technology with business objectives to “make purchasing decisions with a focus on meeting specific business goals.” Any deployment should be designed to maximize the impact of UC&C on business processes. The enterprise should also establish benchmarks for success to better understand its ultimate objectives. • Create a comprehensive roadmap that is “far reaching and covers areas such as technology and finances, as well as detailed deployment and implementation plans.” • Tackle security at the onset, with a design that integrates “seamlessly with a business’ current network and leverage existing technology investments.” • Determine capabilities for ongoing management and decide “whether in-house staff has the skills and time required to effectively manage and troubleshoot performance issues.” As needed, enterprise should “select a managed services provider with the people, tools, and processes to help provide consistent performance of UC&C applications.” • Develop support systems and processes so that the corporate IT staff is prepared to address end-user performance issues and questions. • Train and educate end users “to help users adopt and embrace these new tools so they can work more efficiently and productively.” • Measure and modify, with built-in milestones planned that “go beyond reliability and availability measurements to assess the impact of UC&C from a financial, customer service, business process, and end-user satisfaction perspective.”
- 21. Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc. 17 (Learning Objective 3: How do the Internet and Internet technology work and how do they support communication and e-business?, AACSB: Analytical thinking, Reflective thinking, Application of knowledge.) Improving Decision Making: Using Spreadsheet Software to Evaluate Wireless Services Software skills: Spreadsheet formulas, formatting Business skills: Analyzing telecommunications services and costs 7-10 You would like to equip your sales force of 35, based in St. Louis, Missouri with mobile phones that have capabilities for voice transmission, text messaging, Internet access, and taking and sending photos. Use the web to select two wireless providers that offer nationwide voice and data service as well as good service in your home area. Examine the features of the mobile handsets and wireless plans offered by each of these vendors. Assume that each of the 35 salespeople will need to spend three hours per weekday between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. on mobile voice communication, send 30 text messages per weekday, use 1 gigabyte of data per month, and send five photos per week. Use your spreadsheet software to determine the wireless service and handset that will offer the best pricing per user over a two-year period. For the purposes of this exercise, you do not need to consider corporate discounts. Answers will vary, since plan rates and costs of mobile phones are constantly changing. The answer to this question can be found in the sample solution found in the Microsoft Excel file named MIS14ch07solutionfile.xls. (Learning Objective 3: How do the Internet and Internet technology work and how do they support communication and e-business?, AACSB: Analytical thinking, Reflective thinking, Application of knowledge.) Achieving Operational Excellence: Using Web Search Engines for Business Research Software skills: Web search tools Business skills: Researching new technologies 7-11 Use Google and Bing to obtain information about ethanol as an alternative fuel for motor vehicles. If you wish, try some other search engines as well. Compare the volume and quality of information you find with each search tool. Which tool is the easiest to use? Which produced the best results for your research? Why? Answers will vary according to the search phrases students enter in the search engines. The object of this question should be for students to explore new search engines and web services and not stick with “what they already know.” To that end, encourage students to use a different search engine than what they normally use and explore how their search results are framed— sponsored links or organic listings. Also encourage them to search for audio and video files, blogs, wikis, and Web 2.0 services about the subject. Is the information more useful, less useful, pertinent, or trustworthy? Do they prefer simple text documents or do they find the newer web services more helpful? (Learning Objective 3: How do the Internet and Internet technology work and how do they support communication and e-business?, AACSB: Analytical thinking, Reflective thinking, Application of knowledge.)
- 22. Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc. 18 Collaboration and Teamwork Project 7-12. In MyMISLab, you will find a Collaboration and Teamwork Project dealing with the concepts in this chapter. You will be able to use Google Drive, Google Docs, Google Sites, Google +, or other open source collaboration tools to complete the assignment. Case Study: Google, Apple, and Facebook Battle for Your Internet Experience 7-13 Compare the business models and core competencies of Google, Apple, and Facebook. Google: Its business model has always focused on the Internet and the web. It began as one of many search engines. It quickly ran away from the pack with its copyrighted PageRank search algorithm which returns superior search results for web users. It also has developed extensive online advertising services for businesses of all sizes. Google provides value to the user by using an inexpensive, flexible infrastructure to speed up web searches and provide its users with a vast array of web-based services and software tools. Apple: Its business model focuses on centralized control of almost all aspects of its hardware and software. It believes smartphones and tablets should have proprietary standards and be tightly controlled. It only allows apps from its App store that have been vetted by the company to be loaded to its products. Apple has a very loyal user base that has steadily grown and most likely will stay with Apple products in the future. Facebook: Facebook has built its business around social networking better than any other company. It has more worldwide users than any other company. Facebook Platform enables developers to build applications and websites that integrate with Facebook to reach its global network of users and to build pesonalized and social products. (Learning Objective 3: How do the Internet and Internet technology work and how do they support communication and e- business?, AACSB: Analytical thinking, Reflective thinking, Application of knowledge.) 7-14 Why is mobile computing so important to these three firms? Evaluate the mobile strategies of each firm. This case demonstrates the fundamental paradigm shift from primarily desktop PC computing to mobile computing devices accessing services through the Internet that is currently taking place. This environment is projected to be a $400 billion e-commerce marketplace where the major access device will be a mobile smartphone or tablet computer. Each company is vying for the lead in a world of ubiquitous computing based on Internet access. The leader stands to make untold profits from advertising but in order to do that, the leader needs to claim the largest user base. Apps greatly enrich the experience of using a mobile device. Whoever creates the most appealing set of devices and applications will derive a significant competitive advantage over rival companies.
- 23. Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc. 19 Google: Aggressively follows eyeballs. It has introduced the Android mobile operating system for a host of non-Apple devices. The Droid system adds features that Apple devices don’t have – the ability to run multiple apps at the same time. Uses an open non-proprietary system that allows users to grab apps from any source. Command of the smartphone operating system market provides built-in channels for serving ads to mobile devices. Google has successfully tailored its search results to respond to mobile searchers needs and accommodate smartphone functionality. Apple: By far the current leader in the number of apps users can download – over one million. Apple takes a 30% cut of every app purchased. Uses a closed proprietary system and apps that only provide “one way in.” It unveiled Siri in 2011 that has the potential to serve as a market disruption technology by combining search, navigation, and personal assistant tools. Facebook: Realized that much of its advertising revenue will come from mobile device searches. Introduced Sponsored Stories as a way to triple its revenue. It overhauled its home page to increase the size of both photos and links and allow users to create topical streams. It de-cluttered smartphone screens. It gave advertisers more opportunties and more interesting information with which to target markets. Facrbook has a mobile application suite that replaces the typical smartphone home screen. It essentially turns an Android mobile device into a Facebook phone. (Learning Objective 4: What are the principal technologies and standards for wireless networking, communication, and Internet access?, AACSB: Analytical thinking, Reflective thinking, Application of knowledge.) 7-15 What is the significance of search to the success or failure of mobile computing? How have Apple and Facebook attempted to compete with Google? Will their strategies succeed? Mobile computing is eclipsing desktop computing as the main entry point to the Internet. Today, people spend more than half their time online using mobile devices. Mobile devices take advantage of a growing cloud of computing capacity available to anyone with a smartphone and Internet connectivity. Apple’s attempt to compete with Google came in the form of Siri, a combined search, navigation, and personal assistant app. Siri uses Yelp for local business searches, tapping into its user recommendations and ratings. It uses Wolfram Alpha for factual and mathematical questions. It only uses Google search when all else fails. Facebook is attempting to create a Graph Search feature to rival Google’s search. It mines Facebook’s vast repository of user-generated data and delivers results based on social signals such as Facebook ‘likes’ and friend recommendations. If the desire for friend-based recommendations outweighs users’ reluctance to divulge more personal information, Graph Search may be a winner. However, Facebook has an uphill battle in its efforts to convince users to trust it with their Facebook activities. (Learning Objective 3: How do the Internet and Internet technology work and how do they support communication and e-business?, AACSB: Analytical thinking, Reflective thinking, Application of knowledge.)
- 24. Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc. 20 7-16 Which company and business model do you think is most likely to dominate the Internet and why? Students should consider these principles in their answers: • The size, complexity, and bureaucracy of organizations affect the ability of any company to continue to innovate, grow, and expand its reach. (see Chapter 3) As all three companies try to expand into mobile computing, their ability to “turn on a dime” in the face of other competitors may be in serious jeopardy. • Google currently has the major share of the web-based advertising market, however Facebook and other market entrants will be a major threat to them. Apple has had a significant lead in mobile computing for several years. However, as more companies, Google, Facebook, and others, continue to expand into the arena, its lead will be threatened. Legal and regulatory compliance will be a major issue as this market grows and more concerns are expressed from external environments. • History is not on anyone’s side. Every major company that’s been a force in technology in one era has lost its lead in the next era. For example, IBM was king of mainframe computing in the 1940s and 1950s. DEC was king in the mini-computer era during the 1970s. Microsoft was king in the 1980s and 1990s during the reign of desktop computers. Google reigns in the 2000s with its web-based services. Apple began as king of mobile computing devices. Will it remain on top as technology continues to evolve? (Learning Objective 1: What are the principal components of telecommunications networks and key networking technologies?, Learning Objective 3: How do the Internet and Internet technology work and how do they support communication and e-business?, AACSB: Analytical thinking, Reflective thinking, Application of knowledge.) 7-17 What difference would it make to a business or to an individual consumer if Apple, Google, or Facebook dominated the Internet experience? Explain your answer. Right now, Apple leads Google in the number of apps available to users. That gap is closing quickly thanks to Google’s improvements of the Android operating system and its encouragement to app developers. Open, non-proprietary systems historically have beat closed, proprietary systems because developers and users have a wider range of choices. Business managers must try to forecast which platform will provide the right choices for employees. Consumers must choose which platform will best fulfill their personal needs for the next two to three years. Switching costs play into both scenarios, not just in terms of phone purchases but the price of apps. Once a user purchases and adjusts to using a certain platform, it’s difficult and expensive to switch to a whole different system. Apps greatly enrich the experience of using a mobile device, and without them, the predictions for the future of mobile Internet would not be nearly as bright. Whoever creates the most appealing set of devices and applications will derive a significant competitive advantage over rival companies. (Learning Objective 3: How do the Internet and Internet technology work and how do they support communication and e-business?, Learning Objective 4: What are the principal technologies and standards for wireless networking,
- 25. Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc. 21 communication, and Internet access?, AACSB: Analytical thinking, Reflective thinking, Application of knowledge.) MyMISLab Go to the Assignments section of your MyLab to complete these writing exercises. 7-18 Compare Web 2.0 and Web 3.0. Visit MyMISLab for suggested answers. 7-19 How do social search, semantic search, and mobile search differ from searching for information on the Web using conventional search engines? Visit MyMISLab for suggested answers. For an example illustrating the concepts found in this chapter, view the videos in mymislab.com.
- 26. Exploring the Variety of Random Documents with Different Content
- 27. soil is formed, containing particles of quartz and clay in due proportion; on the other hand, by the decomposition of red sandstone, a soil is frequently produced, abounding in argillaceous particles impregnated with iron, and therefore stiff and cold. The variegated sandstone, with a marly cement, not unfrequently affords a pretty fertile soil; the quadersandstein, on the contrary, commonly presents a sandy and arid soil. Lastly, in the eighth class we shall place those rocks, whether simple or intimately compounded, whose nature is so loose, or whose parts are so separated, that they fall with great facility into an earthy mass, and are also in part mechanically reduced by water. To this class belong the different varieties of marl, slate-clay, basaltic and volcanic tuffa. These rocks, many of which are extensively diffused, are of much importance in the formation of productive soil, although the quality of the earth produced by them varies much, according to their different natures. Slate-clay affords an argillaceous soil; in earth produced by the decomposition of marl, the clay is diminished in proportion to the greater abundance of the calcareous or sandy parts; while a mixed and very fertile soil is usually generated from basaltic and volcanic tufas. The various relations which exist in the stratification and position of rocks, have much influence in producing a diversity in the soil formed immediately from their decomposition. This diversity cannot be so great when different rocks of various ages occur in a determinate order in horizontal strata; in which case, the uppermost bed may exhibit a great extent of surface of the same nature. When, on the other hand, strata of rocks of different natures, forms, and dimensions, placed at different angles of inclination, and in different directions, appear at the surface, it will easily be understood how it may happen that the soil produced by their decomposition may occur of very different qualities, in places not very distant from each other. The manner in which the soil is influenced by a difference in the arrangement and position of the strata, will become evident, on comparing districts in which one particular sort of rock lies beneath the surface in horizontal strata, with others in which the solid
- 28. substratum is composed of various rocks differing in their inclination towards the horizon. In districts of the former kind, the qualities of the soil vary in general but little; in such as are of the latter kind, on the contrary, they are often found extremely different. The great diversity of soil seen in England, as well as in Germany, may, in fact, be partly explained by the circumstance, that, in those countries, the nature and position of the strata vary every where. On the other hand, the great similarity which pervades the soil of Southern Russia, is without doubt produced by a uniformity in the position and inclination of the limestone which lies immediately under the soil. The nature of the principal mass of the strata usually exerts a great degree of influence over the qualities of the soil. When the solid substratum is sandstone, its effect upon the soil is, in general, as evidently seen, though not perhaps in an equal degree, as when it is marl. Exceptions, however, to this rule sometimes occur; as, for instance, when the principal mass of a rock which resists disintegration in a high degree contains beds that are easily reduced to earth. This is the case with the shell-limestone (muschelkalkstein) of Germany, the mountains of which are not unfrequently covered with a clayey soil, which has not been produced by the decomposition of the principal strata themselves, but by that of the slate-clay and argillaceous marl alternating with them. Hitherto we have considered untransported soil, or that produced from the disintegration or decomposition of the subjacent rocks in the places where it occurs; we have now to examine the relations which exist between the subjacent rock, and the transported soil lying upon it. The nature of the rock does not indeed influence, excepting in a more remote degree, the transported soil, which has been carried to a greater or less distance from the places of its production, by the agency of moving powers, and again deposited of various forms and compositions. However, it may often be plainly seen, that the materials of this soil have been derived from particular rocks, and that these rocks have exerted some degree of influence over the formation and distribution of the transported soil. The examination of these relations is of great importance, because it is
- 29. with secondary or transported soil that agriculture is principally concerned. The varieties of transported soil depend chiefly upon three circumstances: 1st, The nature of the rocks from which they are derived; 2dly, The quality and effect of the moving powers; 3dly, The changes which they may have undergone after their formation. The origin of the materials which enter into the composition of transported soil, has been already considered. From their difference may be easily explained why soil generated from the debris of primitive crystalline rocks has different qualities from soil which has been derived from strata of sandstone or marl. The principal powers which contribute to the transportation of soil, are, The weight of loose masses, ice, and water. The weight of loose masses is a cause of transportation which we frequently see in operation. By it the huge cones of debris at the base and upon the declivities of precipices and mountains, are gradually carried off toward the bottom of the valleys; a phenomenon which can scarcely any where be better seen than in the valleys of the Alps, where mountains sometimes occur evidently consisting of debris, and clothed with trees and shrubs, or covered with pastures, the masses of which are gradually moved, as upon inclined planes, by the action of the water which percolates through them. Ice effects the transportation of rocks and debris, with a power which nothing can resist. This is no where more conspicuous than among the glaciers of the Alps, by the falling of which great heaps of stones and rubbish are produced. The transportation of large stones by means of ice may also be seen in our mountain torrents in winter. Huge masses of stone, scattered over the plains of the north of Germany and the islands of Denmark, and often very prejudicial to agriculture, whose northern origin appears to be established, may have been carried by the same powerful agent from Finland, Sweden and Norway, into those countries, at a time when the plains of northern Germany, with the other flat districts along the shores of the Baltic, were still covered by the waves of the ocean.
- 30. In the formation of transported soil, water usually exerts a great degree of power. By means of it, not only are vast masses transported to the greatest distances, but their parts are at the same time crumbled down and mingled together. To these operations are to be attributed the various terminations of different soils at horizontal distances, as well as the different alternations of their strata at vertical ones. The power of water in the formation of transported soil varies, not only according to the different inclinations of its channel, but also in regard to the form, size, and weight of the parts carried off by it; for which reason, in the formation of such soils, the same phenomena take place on a large scale, that we see on a smaller, in performing the operations of breaking and washing the ores of metals. For the same reason that, in these processes, the larger particles subside, while the smaller are propelled, from which again the heavier particles of ore are sooner deposited than the lighter; in plains in the vicinity of a mountain, covered with transported soil, stones and debris are usually seen first, then earth, clay, and sand mixed together, and farther on, finer sand, with strata of clay. Transported or secondary soil, produced by water, according to the mode of its formation, is divided into four classes, viz.—1. Soil of Valleys; 2. River Soil; 3. Lake Soil; 4. Marine Soil. 1. Soil of Valleys.—It is washed down by rain and snow water, and partly also produced by rivulets, which carry off the loose parts from the declivities of mountains to the plains. The nature of this soil in general clearly shews the nearness of its origin. Its depth is always greatest in the bottom of the valley, and gradually diminishes toward the declivities of the mountains. The curvature of the different strata is usually accommodated to the irregularity of its external form, so that when a section is made of them, they exhibit a series of parallel curved lines. 2. River Soil, or the soil found in the beds and banks of rivers, and which is produced by the continual propelling power of large rivers. To this class belong two different kinds; 1st, Soil containing pebbles
- 31. of various sizes, produced by the power of torrents in the vicinity of mountains; and, 2d, Earth or mud, deposited in the beds of rivers, in places at a distance from mountains. A peculiarity of river soil in general is, that it is much extended in length, while its breadth is comparatively but small. The different layers have neither so much irregularity as in the preceding kind, nor are they so precise in arrangement as in the following. 3. Lake Soil, deposited at the bottom of still water. To this class is to be referred the soil in the bottoms of valleys, which had formerly been lakes, either separate or connected with rivers. The horizontal dimensions of this kind of soil are often more or less equal. Sometimes, indeed, the length is greater than the breadth; not, however, in the same degree as in soil deposited in the bed of rivers. The surface is usually plane, and the different strata alternate in a parallel manner. 4. Marine Soil, that is to say, the mud of the ancient ocean. It is the greatest of all in its extent, both in a horizontal and a vertical direction. Its surface is more or less undulated, very seldom even. Its masses are both very thick and very uniform in composition. Different and alternating strata, however, do occur, whose forms and dimensions are usually more or less regular, and which are not unfrequently undulated. Soil, after being formed, is acted upon by natural powers in various ways. The atmosphere is perpetually modifying it; rivers, waves, and winds, act here and there upon its surface, and alter its external form; water introduces into it the substances which it holds in solution. The different constituent parts of soil act upon each other chemically, and in this manner new decompositions and mixtures are produced; and this chemical change is increased by the action of vegetables, as well as of bodies deriving their origin from both organic kingdoms. From what has been said of the relations existing between the masses of which the solid crust of the globe is composed, and the loose earth or soil by which it is covered, it appears evident enough
- 32. (Hausmann concludes) that they have great influence over its formation and nature, and therefore upon the more perfect vegetables, and especially those which are the objects of cultivation; and that although the fertility of the soil is much increased by these vegetables themselves, yet the first foundation of their vigour is derived from the disintegration and decomposition of rocks. If this be correct, the constitution of the solid crust of the earth has a much more extended influence. For, by preparing a habitation for the greater and most important parts of plants, it also exerts a high degree of influence upon the animals which derive their sustenance from them, and, at the same time, affords the means of subsistence to man[416]. NOTE. ACCOUNT OF THE IRISH ELK, FOSSIL ELEPHANT OR MAMMOTH, AND THE MASTODON. As the Irish Elk, the Fossil Elephant or Mammoth, and the Mastodon, are among the most remarkable of the fossil and extinct species of quadrupeds mentioned in the preceding pages of this work, we, with the view of farther gratifying the curiosity of our readers, now lay before them the following additional details from the writings of Cuvier, Goldfuss, and others. 1. Fossil Elk of Ireland, Cervus megaceros[417]. (Noticed at p. 286.) One of the most magnificent of the bisulcated animals met with in a fossil state in the British Islands is the Elk of Ireland, the Cervus megaceros. Bones and horns of vast size of this species are almost daily dug out of the bogs and marl pits of Ireland. Similar remains have been met with in alluvial strata in Britain, and also in the Isle of Man.
- 33. “So frequently do these remains,” Mr Hart remarks, “occur in most parts of Ireland, that there are very few of the peasantry who are not, either from personal observation or report, acquainted with them by the familiar name of the horns of the ‘old deer.’ Indeed in some parts of the country they have been found so often, that far from being regarded as objects of any extraordinary interest, they have been either thrown aside as lumber, or applied to the commonest economical uses[418]. “I have made diligent but fruitless search for an account of the particular time when any of these remains were first discovered. As they generally occur in marl, it is most likely that they did not begin to attract attention until the advanced state of agriculture had created an increased demand for that mineral as a manure. We can very easily imagine the astonishment which the appearance of horns so large, and of such strange form, must have excited in the minds of those who discovered them for the first time, and how readily they obtained a place in the hall of some adjoining mansion, where they were deposited as an ornament of great curiosity, from the contrast which they formed with the horns of the species of deer known at present. In this way we may account for the preservation of so many specimens as are found in the possession of the gentry in different parts of this country. “Very lately an entire skeleton of the Irish Elk was dug up in that country. The following statement of the circumstances under which the bones were found, with their geological position, was laid before the Dublin Society, in a letter from Archdean Maunsell to the Right Hon. George Knox. “Middleton Lodge, March 8. 1825. “MY DEAR SIR, “I deferred replying to your letter of the 1st, as it was my intention to proceed to Limerick in a few days, and I was anxious to look over some notes I had taken, and which I left there, of the circumstances connected with the discovery of
- 34. the fossil remains which the Royal Dublin Society have received. As I have, however, been obliged to postpone my departure for several days, I can no longer defer offering my best thanks for the kind manner in which you have received the conjectures which I formed upon a subject to which my attention was directed, by having fortunately been present before the bones were disturbed from the situation in which they had lain during a period which I apprehend it would not be easy to define. I am sensible that any consideration which may have been attached to my observations should be attributed to the interest which the subject itself is calculated to excite, rather than to any ability of mine to do it justice. The opinion which I took the liberty of communicating to you was formed after some consideration, and although I had not the most remote idea of its being worthy of any attention, I can have no objection to your making any use of it which you may conceive expedient. There is, I conceive, much interesting material for speculation, resulting from the discovery of these fossil remains, and the first that naturally occurs is the manner in which the animals were destroyed, and the bones so singularly preserved. I stated, in the hasty sketch which I gave you of my theory upon this point, that I apprehended they must have been destroyed by some overwhelming deluge, that they were probably drowned upon the hills where they had taken refuge, as the waters rose, and that, as they subsided, they were drawn from thence into the valley in which they were found; that the agitation of the waters had occasioned such a dispersion of the bones, when the ligaments dissolved, as would account for their having been scattered in the way in which they were found, and that the deposite of shell marl, with which I supposed the water to have been turbid, had so completely protected them from atmospheric influence as to prevent their subsequent decomposition. To enable you to form some estimate of the reasonableness of this supposition, it is necessary that I should endeavour to explain the situation, &c. of the valley
- 35. and the adjoining hills. The valley in which the remains were found contains about twenty plantation acres, and the soil consists of a stratum of peat about a foot thick, immediately under this a stratum of shell-marl, varying from 1½ to 2½ feet in thickness; in this many of the shells retain their original colour and figure, and are not marine; under the marl there is a bed of light blue clay; through this one of my workmen drove an iron rod, in several places, twelve feet deep, without meeting opposition. Most of the bones and heads, eight in number, were found in the marl; many of them, however, appeared to rest on the clay, and to be merely covered by the marl. The remains were disposed in such a manner as to prevent the possibility of ascertaining the exact component parts of each skeleton; in some places portions were found removed many yards from others, and in no instance were two bones found lying close to each other. Their position also was singular; in one place two heads were found, with the antlers entwined in each other, and immediately under them a large blade-bone; in another, a very large head was discovered, and although a most diligent search was made, no part of the skeleton found; within some hundred yards, in another, the jaw-bones were found, and not the head. The conclusion which, I conceive, may fairly be deduced from such a position of the various parts of the animals is, that there must have been some powerful agent employed in dispersing them after their death; and as I consider it impossible that their own gravity could have been sufficient to sink them through the various strata, I conceive these must have originated subsequently to the dispersion of the bones. I also think, that, if they had been exposed for any time to atmospheric influence, they never could have been preserved in their present extraordinary perfection. “The hills immediately adjoining this valley are composed of limestone, with a covering of rich mould of various degrees of thickness. One of them, whose base is about thirty acres,
- 36. rises directly from the edge of the valley, with sides very precipitous, and in one place perfectly perpendicular, of naked limestone. In every part of this hill the superficies comprises as much stone as mould; on the side nearly opposite, the hill is equally high, but the sides not so steep, and the covering of mould thicker; on the other sides the ground only rises in some degree (twenty or thirty feet perhaps), and consists of a thin mould, and immediately under a very hard limestone gravel. Indeed, except where limestone forms the substratum, this is the character of all the soil in the vicinity except the Corkasses, which are evidently alluvial. I am fully aware, that, assuming the destruction of the animals to have been occasioned by a flood, they would naturally have retreated from the water to the hills, and that, as they probably met their fate there, their remains should have been discovered on the summit of the hills, and not in the valley, particularly as one of them is perfectly flat on the top, which contains six or seven acres. I apprehend that the remains of many of them were deposited on the tops of the hills; but as they have now only a slight covering of mould, not sufficient to cover a small dog, they were formerly perfectly bare; and as they were thus devoid of the means of protecting the remains from the atmosphere, whatever was left there soon became decomposed, and resolved into portions of the mould, which is now to be found on the hills. This remark I conceive also to be applicable to the soil with the substratum of limestone gravel, which affords quite as little material for preserving the bones as the hills do. “It is material that I should observe, that of eight heads which we found, none were without antlers; the variety in character also was such as to induce me to imagine, that possibly the females were not devoid of these appendages. Unfortunately, however, from the difficulty of raising them, being saturated with water, and as soft as wet brown paper, only three were at all perfect.
- 37. “Having now disposed of these antediluvians, a question naturally arises, how it happens that the fossil remains of no other animals were found, when the same fate probably overwhelmed every existing creature? Could deer have been the only living beings at that period? Was Ireland part of a great continent when this catastrophe occurred, and were these unfortunates the first emigrants to our Isle from that great centre from whence the globe was supplied with occupants, and did they perish before other animals less influenced by enterprise, and less endowed with physical strength, could have followed their example? These problems I confess myself unable to solve, and shall not presume to obtrude my many reveries upon this and other points, which have originated in the discovery of a few bones, upon those who I know are so much better competent to form a sound opinion. I shall, I hope, be able to send the antlers, which are very fine, on the 15th of this month. “If you have a desire to make any use of this letter, I can only say I have no objection. I remain, dear Sir, with feelings of great respect, “Yours most truly, “William W. Maunsell.” Of this skeleton, the most perfect hitherto found, the following interesting description is given by Mr Hart, in his memoir. “This magnificent skeleton is perfect in every single bone of the framework which contributes to form a part of its general outline: the spine, the chest, the pelvis, and the extremities, are all complete in this respect; and, when surmounted by the head, and beautifully expanded antlers, which extend out to a distance of nearly six feet on either side, forms a splendid display of the reliques of the former grandeur of the animal kingdom, and carries back the imagination to a period
- 38. when whole herds of this noble animal wandered at large over the face of the country. To proceed with a description of the several parts of this specimen in detail, I shall commence with the horns, which give the animal its chief characteristic feature. The horns.—That the description of these may be the more intelligible, I will first explain the terms which I mean to apply to their several parts. Each horn consists of the socket or root, the burr or coronary circle, the beam or shaft, the palm and the antlers. The socket or root is the part of the horn which grows out of the frontal bone, and which is never shed; it is smooth, of a brown colour, an inch and half in length, and eleven inches three quarters in circumference; in the animal’s lifetime it was covered by the skin. The coronary or bead-like circle, or burr, is a ring of small, hard, whitish prominences, resembling a string of pearls, which encircles the junction of the socket with the part of the horn which falls annually from the heads of all deer. The beam or shaft extends outwards, with a curvature whose concavity looks downwards, and backwards. This part is nearly cylindrical at its root, and its length equals about one-fourth of that of the whole horn; its outer end is spread out and flattened on its upper surface, and is continuous with the palm, which expands outwards in a fan-like form, the outer extremity of which measures two feet ten inches across, being its broadest part. Where the beam joins the palm the horn undergoes a kind of twist, the effect of which on the palm is, to place its edges above and below, and its surfaces anterior and posterior; the anterior surface is convex, and looks outwards; the posterior is concave, and its surface looks towards that of the opposite palm. Such is the position of the horns, when the head is so placed that the
- 39. zygomatic arch is parallel to the horizon, as it would be during progression, or whilst the animal stands in an easy posture. The antlers are the long pointed processes which project from the horns, two of which grow from the beam anteriorly; the first comes off immediately from the root, and is directed downwards, overhanging the orbit; this is called the brow antler, which, in this specimen, is divided into two points at its extremity[419]. The other antler, which comes off from the beam, we may call the sur-antler: in this specimen it consists of a broad plate or palm, concave on its upper surface, horizontal in its direction, and forked into two points anteriorly,—an appearance which I have not observed in any other specimen of upwards of forty which I have seen, nor do I find it marked in any of the plates of those bones extant. There is one antler given off posteriorly from the junction of the beam with the palm: it runs directly backwards parallel to the corresponding one of the opposite horn. The inferior edge of the palm beyond this runs outwards and backwards: it is obtuse and thick, and its length is two feet six inches. From the anterior and external borders of each palm there come off six long pointed antlers. None of these are designated by any particular name. The number of the antlers of both sides taken together is twenty-two. The surface of the horns is of a lightish colour, resembling that of the marl in which they were found; they are rough, and marked with several arborescent grooves, where the ramifications of the arteries by which they had been nourished during their growing state were lodged. The horns, with the head attached, weighed eighty-seven pounds avoirdupois. The distance between their extreme tips in a right line is nine feet two inches.
- 40. Head.—The forehead is marked by a raised ridge extended between the roots of the horns; anterior to this, between the orbits and the root of the nose, the skull is flat; there is a depression on each side in front of the root of the horn and over the orbit, capable of lodging the last joint of the thumb, at the bottom of which is the superciliary hole, large enough to give passage to an artery proportioned to the size of the horns. Inferior to the orbit we have the lachrymatory fossa, and the opening left by the deficiency of bone common to all deer, and remarkable for being smaller in this than in any other species. Below the orbits the skull grows suddenly narrower, and the upper parts of the nasal bones become contracted by a depression on either side, at the lower part of which is the infra-orbitar hole. The opening of the nares is oval, being five inches long by three broad, the greatest breadth being in the centre. From the roots of the horns to the occipital spine measures three inches and an half; the occiput descends at a right angle with this, being three inches deep to the foramen magnum: the greatest breadth of the occiput is eight inches. The temporal fossæ approach to within two inches of each other behind the horns. Teeth.—They do not differ from those of animals of the ruminating class. The incisors were not found, having dropped out; there is no mark of canine teeth; the molares are not much worn down, and are twenty-four in number. The skeleton measures, from the end of the nose to the tip of the tail, ten feet ten inches. The spine consists of twenty- six vertebræ, viz. seven cervical, thirteen dorsal, and six lumbar. The size of the cervical vertebræ greatly exceeds that of the other classes, and the spines of the dorsal rise to a foot in height. The necessity of these bones being so marked is obvious, considering the strong cervical ligament, and powerful muscles, required for supporting and moving a head
- 41. which, at a moderate calculation, must have sustained a weight of three quarters of a hundred of solid bony matter. The extremities are in proportion to the different parts of the trunk, and present a conformation favourable to a combination of great strength with fleetness. It is not the least remarkable circumstance connected with these bones, that they are in such a high state of preservation as to present all the lines and impressions of the parts which had been attached to them in the recent state. Indeed, if we examine them as compared with the bones of an animal from which all the softer parts have been separated by maceration, the only perceptible differences in their physical properties are, that they are a little heavier, a degree harder, that their surface is brown, and that they all, with the exception of the horns, present a polished appearance, which is owing to the periosteum having been preserved, and still remaining to cover them, as was discovered when they were chemically examined. The existence of fat or adipocire in the shaft of one of the bones mentioned by Archdeacon Maunsell, and which I saw in his possession, is a thing for which it is extremely difficult to account, as it occurred but in one solitary instance, and it did not appear that this bone was at all differently circumstanced from the rest. Those which I had an opportunity of examining, by boring holes in them, were hollow, and contained, for the most part, only a small quantity of black animal earth. Mr Stokes found, in a rib of this animal, Animal matter, 42.87 Phosphates with some Fluates, 43.45 Carb., Lime 9.14 Oxides, 1.02 Silica, 1.14 Water and loss, 2.38
- 42. ——— 100.00 Dr Apjohn of Dublin made the following observations with regard to the animal matter in the bones: ‘The bone was subjected for two days to the action of dilute muriatic acid. When examined at the end of this period, it had become as flexible as a recent bone submitted to the action of the same solvent. The periosteum was in some parts puffed out by carbonic acid gas, disengaged from the bone, and appeared to be in a state of perfect soundness. ‘To a portion of the solution of the bone in the muriatic acid some infusion of galls was added, which caused a copious precipitate of a dun colour. This proved to be tannate of gelatine, mixed with a small portion of the tannate and gallate of iron. ‘The cartilage and gelatine, therefore, so far from being destroyed, had not been perceptibly altered by time.’” Until Baron Cuvier published his account of these remains[420], they were generally believed to have belonged to the same species as the moose deer or elk of North America, an opinion which appears to have been first advanced by Dr Thomas Molyneux in 1697[421], and which depends principally on the exaggerated description of that animal given by Josselyn in his account of two voyages to New England, published in 1674, in which he states that it is sometimes twelve feet high, with horns of two fathoms wide! This was the more readily believed by the learned Doctor, as it tended to confirm him in a favourite theory which he seems to have entertained, that Ireland had once been joined to the New Continent. But the assertions of Josselyn regarding the size of the American moose have not been confirmed by the testimony of later travellers, from whose observations it is now clearly ascertained that the only
- 43. large species of deer inhabiting the northern parts of America are the wapiti or Canadian stag (Cervus canadensis), the rein-deer (C. Tarandus), and the moose or elk (C. Alces). The peculiar branching of the brow antlers of the rein-deer, and the rounded horns of the wapiti[422], are characters sufficient to prevent us confounding either of these animals with the fossil species. The palmate form of the horns of the elk gave greater probability to the opinion of its specific identity with the fossil animal. A little attention, however, to a few circumstances, will shew a most marked difference between them. First, as to size, the difference is very remarkable, it not being uncommon to find the fossil horns ten feet between the extreme tips[423], while the largest elk’s horns never measure four feet. This measurement in a pair in the Museum of the Royal Dublin Society, is three feet seven inches: the largest pair seen by Pennant in the house of the Hudson’s Bay Company, measured thirty-four inches[424]. The horn of the elk has two palms, a lesser one which grows forward from the front of the beam, where the principal palm begins to expand. This is called brow antler by Cuvier, but it corresponds in situation rather to the sur-antler, there being, properly speaking, no brow antler attached to the root of the beam. The elk has no posterior antler similar to that of the fossil animal, nor does its beam take a similar arched direction, but runs more directly outwards. Cuvier remarks, that the palm of the fossil horn increases in breadth as it extends outwardly, while that of the elk is broadest next the beam. The palm of the elk’s horn is directed more backwards, while the fossil one extends more in the lateral direction. The antlers of the elk are shorter and more numerous than those of the fossil animals.
- 44. As the horns of the fossil animal exceed in size those of the elk, so, on the contrary, does the skull of the latter exceed in size that of the former; the largest heads of the fossil species not exceeding one foot nine inches in length, while the head of the elk is frequently two feet. The fossil head is broader in proportion; its length being to its breadth as two to one; in the elk they are as three to one, according to Parkinson.[425] The breadth of the skull between the roots of the horns is but four inches in the fossil skulls; in that of the elk in the Society’s Museum it is 6½ inches. Cuvier thinks it probable that the females of the fossil species had horns[426], an opinion to which I am very much disposed to subscribe, from having observed that these parts present differences in size and strength, which appear not to be dependent on differences of age. For instance, the teeth of the specimen in Trinity College are much more worn down, and the sutures of the skull are more effaced than in the specimen described in this paper; yet the horns of the latter are much more concave, and more expanded, than those of the former; and on comparing a single horn of each of these specimens together, that belonging to the Society exceeds the other by nearly a sixth in the length, and little less than a third in the breadth; it is not, therefore, unlikely that the animal whose horns were larger and more curved was a male. Something similar to this is observed in the rein-deer, both sexes of which have horns, but with this difference, that they are smaller and less branched in the female. Hence we find that this animal possessed characters of its own sufficient to prove it of a species as distinct from the moose or elk as this latter species is from the rein-deer or any other. Therefore, it is improper to retain the name of elk or moose deer any longer: perhaps it might be better called the Cervus megaceros, a name merely expressive of the great size of its horns. That this animal shed its head furniture periodically, is proved by the occasional occurrence of detached horns having the smooth convex surface below the burr, similar to what is observed on the cast horns of all deer. Specimens of this are to be seen in the
- 45. Museum of Trinity College, and I possess one myself, of which I have had a drawing made. As every other species of deer shed their horns annually, there is no reason for supposing that that process occurred at longer intervals in this. It is a popular opinion with the Indians that the elk is subject to epilepsy, with which he is frequently seized when pursued, and thus rendered an easy prey to the hunters. Many naturalists affect to disbelieve this account, without, however, assigning any sufficient reason. But if it be considered, that, during the growth of the horns, there must be a great increased determination of blood to those parts, which are supplied by the frontal artery, a branch from the internal carotid, it is quite conformable to well established pathological principles, to suppose, that, after the horns are perfected, and have ceased to receive any more blood, that fluid may be determined to those internal branches of the carotid which supply the brain, and establish a predisposition to such derangements of its circulation as would produce epilepsy, or even apoplexy: if such an effect were produced in consequence of the size of the horns in the elk, it is reasonable to suppose that it prevailed in a greater degree in the fossil animal whose horns were so much larger. What could have been the use of these immense horns? It is quite evident that they would prevent the animal making any progress through a thickly wooded country, and that the long, tapering, pointed antlers were totally unfit for lopping off the branches of trees, a use to which the elk sometimes applies his horns[427], and for which they seem well calculated, by having their antlers short and strong, and set along the edge of the palm, somewhat resembling the teeth of a saw in their arrangement. It would rather appear, then, that they were given the animal as weapons for its protection, a purpose for which they seem to have been admirably designed; for their lateral expansion is such, that should occasion require the animal to use them in his defence, their extreme tips would easily reach beyond the remotest parts of his body; and if we
- 46. consider the powerful muscles for moving the head, whose attachments occupied the extensive surfaces of the cervical vertebræ, with the length of the lever afforded by the horns themselves, we can easily conceive how he could wield them with a force and velocity which would deal destruction to any enemy having the hardihood to venture within their range. From the formidable appearance of these horns, then, we must suppose that their possessor was obnoxious to the aggressions of some carnivorous animals of ferocious habits; and such we know to have abounded in Ireland, as the wolf, and the celebrated Irish wolf dog. Nor would it be surprising if limestone caves should be discovered in this country, containing the remains of beasts of prey and their victims, similar to the hyænas’ dens of Kirkdale, and other places, respecting which such interesting researches have been lately laid before the public by the geologists of this country and the Continent. The absence of all record, or even tradition, respecting this animal[428], naturally leads one to inquire whether man inhabited this country during its existence? I think there is presumptive evidence in the affirmative of this question, afforded by the following circumstances. A head of this animal described by Professor Goldfuss of Bonn, was discovered in Germany in the same drain with several urns and stone hatchets; and in the 7th volume of the Archæologia Britannica, is a letter of the Countess of Moira, giving an account of a human body found in gravel, under eleven feet of peat soaked in the bog water: it was in good preservation, and completely clothed in antique garments of hair, which her ladyship thinks might have been that of our fossil animal. But more conclusive evidence on this question is derived from the appearance exhibited by a rib, presented by Archdeacon Maunsell to the Royal Dublin Society, in which I discovered an oval opening near its lower edge, the long diameter of which is parallel to the length of the rib, its margin is depressed on the outer, and raised on the inner surface, round which there is an irregular effusion of callus. This opening had been
- 47. evidently produced by a sharp pointed instrument, which did not penetrate so deep as to cause the animal’s death, but which remained fixed in the opening for some length of time afterward; in fact it was such an effect as would be produced by the head of an arrow remaining in a wound after the shaft was broken off[429]. It is not improbable, therefore, that the chace of this gigantic animal once supplied the inhabitants of this country with food and clothing. As to the causes which led to the extinction of this animal, whether it was suddenly destroyed by the deluge, or by some other great catastrophe of nature, or whether it was ultimately exterminated by the continued and successful persecution of its pursuers, as has nearly been the case with the red deer within the recollection of many of the present generation, I profess myself unable to form any decided opinion, owing to the limited number of facts as yet collected on the subject. On some future occasion I may, perhaps, be induced to revert to so interesting a topic, should I have opportunities of discovering any thing worthy of communication. The following Table exhibits a comparative view of the measurements of different parts of the skeletons of the Cervus Megaceros in the Museum of the Royal Dublin Society, and in the Royal Museum of the University of Edinburgh, with some parts of the Moose. The measurements of the Edinburgh specimen are taken from Professor Jameson’s memoir on organic remains, in the Supplement to the Encyclopedia Britannica. HEAD. R. D. Soc. U. of Edin. Moose Ft. In. Ft. In. Ft. In. Length of the head, 1 8½ 1 8¼ Breadth of the skull between the orbits. 0 10½ 0 9 Do. of skull at the occiput, 0 8 Diameter of the orbit, 0 2⅜ 0 2½ Distance between infra orbitar holes across the skull, 0 7
- 48. Length of alveolar processes of the upper jaw, 0 6 0 6 Length of lower jaw, 1 5½ 0 3½ Diam. of foramen magnum, 0 2 HORNS. Distance between the extreme tips, measured by the skull, 11 10 Ditto, in a straight line across, 9 2 6 8 3 7 Length of each horn, 5 9 5 1 Greatest breadth of the palm, 2 10 Length of the beam, 1 9 0 6½ Ditto of brow antler, 0 8¾ Ditto of sur-antler, 1 4 Circumference of the beam at root of brow antler, 1 0¾ 0 7½ BODY. Length of spine, 10 10 9 8 Ditto of sternum, 2 4 Height to the upper extremity of the dorsal spines, 6 6 Ditto to the highest point of the tip of the horn, 10 4 EXTREMITIES. Greatest length of the scapula, 1 6½ Ditto breadth at the base, 0 10¾ Ditto depth of its spine, 0 2¾ Length of the humerus, 1 4 1 3½ Ditto of ulna and radius, 1 8 1 6 Ditto of carpus, 0 2¾ 0 2 Circumference of do., 0 9½ Length of metacarpus, 1 0½ 1 0½ Length of phalanges, 0 7 0 6½ From anterior superior spine of one ileum to that of the other, 1 4½ 1 6½ From anterior superior spine to the tuber ischii, 1 8 1 9½ Greatest diameter of foramen ovale, 0 4 0 3 Least do. of do., 0 2¾ 0 2¼ Length of the femur, 1 6½ 1 5½ Ditto of tibia, 1 6 1 6
- 49. Length of the tarsus, including the os calcis, 0 8 Ditto of the metatarsus, 1 1¾ 1 1¾ 2. Account of the Two Living Species of Elephant, and of the Extinct Species of Elephant, or Mammoth. 1. Elephas africanus.—The Elephant with rounded skull, large ears, grinders, having rhomboidal-shaped marks on their crown, which we call the African Elephant (Elephas Africanus), is a quadruped which has hitherto been found only inhabiting Africa. There can be no doubt that it is this species which lives at the Cape, at Senegal, and in Guinea; there is reason to believe that it also occurs at Mosambique; but it is not certain that individuals of the following species do not occur in this part of Africa. A sufficient number of individuals have not been figured or compared, to know if this species presents remarkable varieties. It is it that produces the largest tusks. Both sexes are equally furnished with tusks, at least at Senegal. The natural number of the hoofs is four before, and three behind. The ear is very large, and covers the shoulder. The skin is of a deep and uniform brown. This species has not been domesticated in modern times. It appears, however, to have been tamed by the ancients, who attributed to it less power and courage in that state than to the following species; but their observations do not appear to have been confirmed, at least in so far as refers to magnitude. Its natural manners are not perfectly known; yet judging of them by the notices of travellers, they appear to resemble in every thing essential those of the following species. 2. Elephas indicus.—The Elephant with elongated skull, concave forehead, small ears, grinders marked with undulating bands, which we call the Indian Elephant (Elephas Indicus), is a quadruped which has only been observed with certainty beyond the Indus. It extends from both sides of the Ganges to the Eastern Sea and the south of China. They are also found in the Islands of the Indian Sea, in Ceylon, Java, Borneo, Sumatra, &c. There is still no authentic proof that it exists in any part of Africa, although neither is the contrary
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