The Internet has revolutionized the computer and communications world like nothing before. The invention of the telegraph, the telephone, the radio, and the computer set the stage for his unprecedented integration of capabilities.
The Internet has now become almost a “commodity” service, and much of the latest attention has been on the use of his global information infrastructure for support of other commercial services.
This has been accelerated by the widespread and rapid adoption of browsers and the World Wide Web technology, allowing users easy access to information linked throughout the globe.
Today, Internet has become a widespread information infrastructure and its influence reaches not only to the technical fields of computer communications but throughout society as we move towards increasing use of online tools to accomplish electronic commerce, information acquisition, and community operations.
Internet today is :
- A widespread information infrastructure.
- A means for access to information worldwide.
- A network of networks worldwide.
- A network of all the telecommunications worldwide.
Internet has evolved over time and nowadays it supports a larger volume and variety of users, capabilities, and services. Information access is among the primary purposes for constructing an Information Infrastructures. The Internet offers a new Global Information Infrastructure that is challenging the way people interact.
The Internet and the telecommunication infrastructure collectively from the Global Information Infrastructure. But the Internet plays a major role in realizing the concept of Global Information Infrastructures. It acts as an enabling environment for the proper development and implementation of the Global Information Infrastructures.
It handles the storage, transmission, and management of information, and thus it is a critical component of in the development of the information infrastructure.
Following are the benefits offered by the Information infrastructure :
- Empowerment through access to information for education
- Stronger economies through open competition in global markets
- Unprecedented access to information resources
- Increased productivity through technology
- Enhanced interpersonal communication
- Enriched work environment
- Greater economic equity
- Improved education
- Friendships
All the above mentioned benefits achieved with the help of internet. Internet contributes a lot to global information infrastructures. Internet has changed the way we communicate. Computers cannot transfer the data by their own. Internet which is network of networks solves this purpose of data transfer worldwide.