Online Services - Overview

Communication

• Types of online communication - Social networking, emails, messaging, conferencing, blogs, and vlogs.
• Example of uses - Talking to friends on Skype.
• - Using social network to exchange info.
• Benefits - Instant response to someone who is remote from you at no additional cost to your broadband fees.

Real time information

• types of real time information - Timetable, news, sports updates, weather report, travel news.
• Example of uses - Checking an airport website for estimated arrival tie of a plane.
• - Checking train timetable in real time.
• - Checking real time weather.
• Benefits - Provides up-to -date information when picking people up from airport
• - Companies can use real time information about customers' reaction to an advertising to improve the effectiveness of the advert.

Commerce

• Types of online commerce - Auction, Banking, online sale, purchases, publishing.
• Example of uses - Selling something through a service such as eBay.
• - Online banking: Check bank balance, transfer money between account, pay someone, set up direct debit to pay bills.
• Benefits - Allow user to carry out transaction seamlessly without the need of physical money, but need the credit card or debit card or paypal account.
• - Online banking saves lot of time - no need queue at the bank and all is done from your comfort of your home.
• - Online shopping saves enormous amount of time - instead of shopping in a shopping centre you can order products online.

Government

• Types of online government - a Gov.uk - government online website for central government, brent.gov.uk is our local council website.
• Example of uses - Filling tax returns
• - Applying for passport or driving license
• - Applying for benefits.
• - Paying council tax.
• Benefits - Saves time and is more convenient.
• - You fill the form online and can save them and amend.
• - Make the process very efficient.

Education

• types of online education - online learning, online training, manufactures' online tutorials, bitesize for revision, times100 business case studies, VLEs such as moodle.
• Example of uses - Using bitesize for revision.
• - Using VLEs to access resources.
• - Microsoft training package for new windows software.
• Benefits - Allows you to learn and train from the comfort of your home.
• - Allows you to learn at your own pace.
• - No need to travel, save time and money.

Business

• Types of uses - using price comparison website to find the best deal on the market.
• - Selling online
• - Promoting your business online.
• Benefits - you can get the best deal for what you want to buy.
• - business saves money doing online promotions.
• - Allow people to work from home through collaborative working arrangement (email, cloud, calls and video calls.

Entertainment

• Types of online entertainment - Multi-user games, radio and tv players, video streaming.
• Example of uses - Playing games with other user online.
• - Watching films online from providers like netflix
• - Listen to music online.
• Benefits - Enhance the gaming experience by allowing you to play with other players.
• - You can watch any film on demand, not when broadcasted on TV.

Download services

• types of uses - Music, films, new software, software upgrades, games.
• Example of uses - Downloading musics from services such as iTunes or Amazon.
• - Downloading free softwares or upgradings.
• Benefits - Makes purchase easier and affordable.
• - Saves visit to store.