Modern forms of Communication – Fax, Email and
Videoconferencing
The technological advances of the past few
decades have made it possible to transmit printed messages, pictures and even
live performances to all comers of the world with speed.
With a single touch, you can send
communications to a number of destinations. Not only large business houses but
even medium and small ones use them in their day-to-day working. Among such
means are fax, internet/email and videoconferencing.
Fax:
Just as the conventional telephone carries
voice, a fax or facsimile machine carries printed messages (words and pictures
in photocopy form) from the sender instrument to the receiver instrument.
The sender of a fax message prepares the
copy on a sheet (generally no larger than A4 size) which can be fed into the
fax machine. He dials the destination number, gets the fax tone and feeds the
message into the machine.
The printed message is converted into
electronic signals as the paper rolls through the fax machine. This message is
received in the same form at the other end on the paper roll that is attached
to the machine.
Advantages of Fax in Communication
§ Universal
Method of Communication: The fax machine has made it possible to
send copies of important documents including certificates, testimonials,
degrees, agreements, contracts etc. from one place to another at the speed of a
telephone call. For this reason, it is universally used method of
communication.
§ Sending
Message Directly by Computer: If a document is generated on computer,
it can be sent directly using a fax modem, bypassing the need to print the
document first.
§ Advantage
over Telex: Charts, graphs and other visuals cannot
be sent through telex but they can be easily sent thorough fax.
§ Quickest
Means of Communication: Fax is one of the quickest means of
transmitting information. In fax, the finally prepared document is inserted in
the machine and almost instantly copy of the document comes out at the
receiving end.
Disadvantages:
(a) It is expensive compared to email and
post.
(b) Sometimes the reception is blurred due
to channel defects or mechanical failure at either end.
(d)
At the receiving end, the message is printed at the receiver’s cost. In case
unwanted messages pour in, the receiver has to bear the cost.
Internet and e-mail:
Internet
is an international computer network that links computers from sectors such as
government agencies, business houses, educational institutions and individuals.
It receives information, stores it and allows it to be read on satisfying
certain conditions.
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) allow one to create the e-mail
ID free, hoping to recover the cost through the ads to which the user is
exposed during the use of email. A typical email address reads abcdef@xyz.com.
Some other ISPs are bsnl, yahoo, hotmail, and Gmail.
Note
the use of only lower case (small) alphabets email in IDs.
Every
time the user wants to send messages or check the incoming mail, he can reach
his ID by typing a password which makes the mail account private. However, once
you have submitted to the mechanism of email you do not know who might read
this “private” information far away. As such email does not guarantee 100%
secrecy.
Advantages of
emails
·
Emails are easy to use. You can organize
your daily correspondence, send and receive electronic messages and
save them on computers.
·
Emails are fast. They are delivered at
once around the world. No other form of written communication is as fast as an
email.
·
The language used in emails is simple and informal.
·
When you reply to an email
you can attach the original message so that when you answer
the recipient knows what you are talking about. This is
important if you get hundreds of emails a day.
·
It is possible to send automated emails
with a certain text. In such a way it is possible to tell the sender that you
are on vacation. These emails are called auto responders.
·
Emails do not use paper. They are environment friendly
and save a lot of trees from being cut down.
·
Emails can also have pictures in them. You
can send birthday cards or newsletters as emails.
Disadvantages of
emails
·
Emails may carry viruses. These are small
programs that harm your computer system. They can read out your email address
book and send themselves to a number of people around the world.
·
Many people send unwanted emails to others.
These are called spam mails. It takes a lot of time to filter out the
unwanted emails from those that are really important.
·
Emails cannot really be used for official
business documents. They may be lost and you cannot sign them.
·
Your mailbox may get flooded with
emails after a certain time so you have to empty it from time to time.
Videoconferencing
Videoconferencing,
however, is the closest it gets to seeing and hearing one another without being
present together. The technologies used in a videoconference are: monitor
screen, camera, microphone, codec (compressor-decompress or), equipment control
pad at each location, and internet connectivity. With the passage of time, this
is becoming more popular and easier to use. You often see it in TV interviews.
You
often see it in TV interviews. For a videoconference, the participants get into
a special room at their respective locations, equipped with the gadgetry. They
can see, hear, speak to others and show exhibits without physical presence
together.
Advantages of video
conferencing
1. No time constraint: Video conferencing can
be conducted at any time of the day. Time differences between countries do not
matter when people use this method of communication because they do not
actually need to travel to attend meetings.
2. Dramatic travel saving: Not only is video
conferencing a direct replacement for many in-person business trip, but also
there is virtually no cost for people to be involved in a virtual meeting, you
can easily bring the right them together.
3. Easy communication: People can use video
conferencing to communicate with anyone with HD video and other collaboration
tools such as whiteboard, text exchange, file sharing, media sharing, screen
sharing, remote control, electronic voting, conference recording etc.
4. Increased productivity: By eliminating time and
district barriers, meetings can be hold anytime, anywhere with anyone. In this
way, meetings are shorter and more effective. And also with the rich
collaboration tools, decisions can be made faster.
Disadvantages of video
conferencing
1. Lack of personal
interaction: Some
meetings require a personal touch to be successful. Video conferencing can be
less personal than meeting face to face, and it can be possible to miss out on
vital body language when you’re struggling with a pixelated image or stuttering
video.
2.Technical problems: The major disadvantages
are the technical difficulties associated with smooth transmissions that could
result from software, hardware or network failure. Remote connections are
sometimes known to be hampered by environmental changes. On some occasions, the
absence of technical support personnel creates difficulty for participants who
are unfamiliar with the videoconferencing technological concepts.
3. International time zones: One
of the very real disadvantages of using video conferencing is that if you
communicate regularly with people in other countries you will be available at
different times to them. Unfortunately without the skills of a time lord
there’s not really a practical way to overcome this.
4. High cost of setup: Setting
up video conferencing in an office can be a bit expensive for small-sized
companies. Simple features can fit into the budget, but if advanced features
are required, then a substantial amount of expenditure must be done.
