Posts Tagged ‘internet information’
Business Travel and the Internet
These days, travel and computer use almost go hand-in-hand. Whether you’re carpooling across state or you’re flying internationally for business, almost all companies have some sort of ties to the mobile workforce.
In fact, many companies plan for it by making laptops accessible for employees on the go. Other companies rely on Blackberrys and other portable digital devices to keep their employees connected to email and the web.
However, Internet access tends to be rather sketchy on the road. Unless you’re able to supply your computers with wireless capabilities through a 3G network or other mobile routing system, it may be difficult for employees to send large files or share information from a remote location.
These days, car companies and airlines are stepping in to provide mobile Internet access. Automobile makers like BMW offer computers as a part of their more luxury vehicles. These computers have in-vehicle Internet access as long as you’re within range of their network. Airlines are also offering onboard Internet access, as long as you’re seated in one of the equipped stations (usually in business or first class) and you pay the appropriate fee.
Like most advances in technology, it’s only a matter of time before these types of services are offered more universally. Although they come at an added expense right now, experts estimate that most people will have more mobile Internet options within the next five years.
If your business is on the cutting edge of technology, it might be worthwhile to invest in these types of “on the road shortcuts” right now. However, if you’re content to wait, you can tap into netbooks and PDAs as a way to provide a little more connectivity until the rest of the technology catches up.
The Past and Future of Domain Names
When you give your website an address, you can choose almost anything to name it. Sure, there are addresses that are already taken, but if you’re inventive enough you can label the site just about anything you want, “dot” something. It’s what comes after the “dot” that is a little more complicated. Despite pushes from various countries and groups, these domain names are limited. They are divided into categories like the familiar .com, .net, and .gov as well as a few others, and so far there aren’t very many more domains beyond these that can be used.
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, or ICANN, is a non-profit group headquartered in the United States that oversees domain naming. They also oversee country specific codes that come after the domain, such as .ca for Canadian sites.
You may be wondering why sites in the United States don’t have a country code listed but all other countries do. It’s the same reason that British stamps don’t name their country on their paper mail stamps. The country that created the system doesn’t have to use their name; other countries have to list their name to differentiate themselves from the original British invented stamps. The same goes with country codes on an Internet address. The United States originated the domain names, and because of this, there is no country listed on American sites.
So what’s the wave of the future? Well, many groups and cities are asking for an increase in domain names, such as .sports or location names like .nyc. Other countries would like domains that aren’t just English only. With all of this clamor, there are sure to be changes in website addresses coming in the next few years, so pay attention. You may be able to get your business name .sports or just about anything else that makes your company unique.