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Communication: The Role of ICT

This resource is designed specifically for Unit 2 of the Edexcel BTEC National qualification, 'Business and Management'.

Aim:

Image copyright: Matthew Bowden

The aim of this resource is to enhance your understanding of communication within organisations. By the end, you should be able to:

• Identify the main networks used for business communication
• Understand how ICT has transformed organisational communications
• Identify examples of ICT use
• Know how communication failure can occur
• Understand what e-commerce means in practice for UK firms

Resources:

• PowerPoint Presentation - Communication and the Role of ICT [127 KB]

Activity:

As Information and Communications Technology (ICT) becomes adopted by a growing majority of UK homes and businesses, according to Ofcom (UK Office of Communications), we would expect to see greater amounts of e-commerce taking place. One of the key drivers to online commercial activity is the take-up of broadband connections, with data transfer speeds up to ten times faster than through a dial-up connection.

This Activity looks at the take up of broadband in the UK compared to some of our international competitors. It also looks at some case studies on how organisations in the real world are boosting their performance through e-commerce.

In April 2004, Ofcom announced that take-up of Internet access in the UK had reached 53% of adults, but broadband connections numbered less than 4 million. By the time of their September 2005 update, the organisation announced that in the UK there were:

• 9.792 million broadband connections
• more than 70,000 new subscriptions added each week

These data indicate that UK households and businesses are finally getting up to speed with broadband. With the infrastructure in place and cheaper options from which consumers can choose, we are poised to take advantage of the benefits of the ICT revolution in our homes and workplaces.

What are the benefits of the broadband revolution?

By looking at some other Web resources we can find that many business organisations are already gaining a foothold in the brave new world of e-commerce.