Telecommunications provides the backbone for all e-commerce solutions. And, because of this continuous availability, companies have the confidence to build enterprisewide databases on the Web. Suddenly, the way they do business has changed. Employees in other countries have instant access to the same data. Sales people track the inventory, access the production line and see bottlenecks in the distribution center.
Customers can know for sure the product is on the way.
Services providers in areas like healthcare, education and government are processing information differently. Because they can. Lives are being saved because doctors have immediate access to information. Patients' records are stored on a shared network, and the complete file can be pulled together and analyzed quickly. Better feedback leads to more accurate prognosis.