Terms and theories of Communication Technologies

The client is a manager or end user with a business need. They have little to no knowledge of electronic media. The designer solves the need of the client, knowing what the client needs from a business perspective and knowing how to communicate the solution to the implementer. They have knowledge of media tools and what they do and will generally have more knowledge of either the business or technical side. The implementer conducts and knows installation of the electronic media.

Reach relates to who has access to the company’s resources and from where. Sending interoffice mail and communicating with a microphone within an auditorium are examples of low reach technologies. Videoconferencing and cell phones are examples of high reach technologies.

Range relates to what you can do with business technologies. Examples of low range communications include alpha paging and faxing. Examples of high range communications are a company’s intranet and a Blackberry device. A telephone has a high reach and a low range. A password protected wireless internet connection has a low reach and a high range.

Attenuation is the term for a signal losing strength at it travels outward from a source. This occurs because it is a fixed rate of energy WHICH BECOMES SPREAD OUT OVER A PROGRESSIVELY LARGER AREA, THUS IT BECOMES THINNER AND WEAKER, it is absorbed by surrounding physical mass SUCH AS THE ATMOSPHERE FOR BROADCAST OR WIRE and it is impeded by surrounding objects. Ways to overcome are to enhance the power of the source, to enhance the size of the receiver or to use repeaters that receive the transmission between the source and destination and before full attenuation, re-modulate it and then send it on to its destination.