The author defines telecommunications as "the exchange of information in any form over computer based networks." Of particular interest in relation to this definition is the "Application trends" in figure 6.2, page 210.
The Open Systems concept is briefly introduced on page 211. Open systems are not proprietary, that is, anyone can use them without having to pay a license fee. The Internet is an example of an open system. Any computer hardware or software manufacturer can produce Internet ready computers as long as they abide by the rules of the open system (which is TCP/IP, but more on that on page 233).
The concept of connectivity is briefly introduced on page 211. More specifically, connectivity is defined as the ability to exchange data between computers without human intervention.
The concept of business value is introduced on page 212 and illustrated in figure 6.4. This is an important managerial concept.
The text briefly introduces Intranets and Extranets on page 217. These are two important extensions of the Internet that we will revisit in later chapters. Figure 6.10 provides a good illustration of these nets. More on these in chapter 7.
Section II of the chapter begins with an important point in the first paragraph of page 222. It introduces the importance of understanding the basic concepts of telecommunications and networking. Figure 6.15 summarizes the key components of telecommunications. Figure 6.19 provides a general overview of how the Internet works. We will look at this figure in detail.
Figure 6.22 introduces the three primary network topologies. You need to understand the benefits and drawbacks of each type.
Figure 6.23 illustrates the OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) model that supports the Internet and most telecommunications today. Your job is to know what the OSI model does for you and your business, and not get "snowed" when techies start talking about the seven layer model.