Applications of Internet

Applications of Internet

The Internet is extensively used for a wide variety of purposes. Some of these are mentioned below:

SEARCH FOR INFORMATION

A number of programs called search engines are available to search for the information on any topic. Some famous search engines are provided by: www.google.com, wikipedia.com, webopedia.com, MSN.com, Yahoo.com, etc.

E-MAIL (ELECTRONIC MAIL) SERVICES

The Internet is commonly used for sending and receiving e-mails. We can send a message electronically to any person on the globe, provided that person has an e-mail-id. This service is fast and economical.

CHATTING

Chatting involves textual exchange of message in real time. Chat servers provide facility to create virtual chat rooms and only the members associated with these rooms are allowed to share messages. Chat works best if the time is scheduled by both the parties who are willing to chat – as both the parties must be connected to the Internet while chatting. Some common chat engines are : Yahoo Messenger, Google Talk, Rediff Bol, etc.

INSTANT MESSENGER SERVICES

These tools can be used to send messages instantly. It also allows us to talk to anyone anywhere in the world. This is a cheaper and quicker method compared to other services. Unlike chatting, it is not necessary to have an account with the same provider. Additionally, both the users need not be connected while sending messages. We can easily download the messenger software from Internet e.g. MSN Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, etc.

NEWSGROUP

Newsgroup is an e-service hosted by many newsgroup organisations. One can become a member of a newsgroup and read and share current affairs and messages. Newsgroups cover a broad domain of interests including education, science and technology, medicine, arts, sports, etc. USENET is one such example.

TELECONFERENCING

People can have a conference or meeting sitting at different locations with a microphone attached to their computers.

VIDEO-CONFERENCING

In teleconferencing we are able to talk to each other sitting at different places but in video-conferencing we can also see what is happening at the other side. We have observed that the anchor, panelists and experts sitting at different locations across the globe communicate and share their views in many news channels. For this, we need a web-camera and a microphone connected to the computer system, high bandwidth connection, and video-conferencing software.

E-COMMERCE

E-commerce or Electronic-Commerce means online transactions of business. In this, the vendor and customer conduct a transaction sitting at different geographical locations, connected through the Internet. The customer need not strain himself by visiting a number of shops outside in scorching heat or heavy rains. He can do shopping by sitting at home, visiting the desired e-commerce site and placing an order online. E.g. http://shopping.indiatimes.com, http://ebay.com, http://shopping.rediff.com, etc.

M-COMMERCE

It is an acronym for mobile commerce. It is an upcoming technology after e-commerce. It involves buying and selling of goods and services electronically through wireless handheld devices at any place. We can do transactions through our mobile phones also.