Thanks to the advancement of faster processors within communication devices, there has been a rapid change in how information is modulated, multiplexed, managed, and moved. While formulas and functions are critical in creating the granular components and operations of individual technologies, understanding the applications and their purposes in the business environment only requires a basic scientific background. The second edition of Introduction to Communications Technologies: A Guide for Non-Engineers helps students in telecommunications business programs become familiar with and stay abreast of the ever-changing technology surrounding their industry. Used in the core curriculum at Ball State University's graduate professional program in Information and Communication Sciences, this textbook is designed for graduate and undergraduate students who do not necessarily have a high level of technical expertise, but need to have some understanding of the technical functions of information and communication technologies to prepare them for working in a corporate environment.
Included in this second edition are some future perspectives on where the networks currently in use will migrate in the next few years. Various sections address streaming video, Internet Protocol-defined voice communications, advanced wireless data networking and the convergence of various communication methods to be delivered on a single platform. A chapter on Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) gives students a valuable understanding of what should be expected from vendor services for external network offerings in the near-term, ways in which the core of the network is changing, and how traffic engineering is impacted by MPLS-defined virtual private networks (VPNs). Avoiding complicated equations and the need for calculus gymnastics, this text provides non-engineering students with a firm background and a broad understanding of the knowledge necessary to work within the fast-paced and ever-changing communications industry.