Central Communication
Central Communication is a constantly
advancing field when you think
of new technologies being implemented in
business. Communication between
management and subordinates is increasingly
becoming more and more difficult as
industries become globalized. Mobile
communication has drastically advanced in
the past decade. The most recent
innovation is satellite phone systems such as
the Iridium, which was the
topic of the article I researched. With this new
technology users can make
and receive calls from anywhere in the world without
the hassle of having to
worry about the compatibility of local phone systems.
The iridium system
has cost roughly five billion dollars. The system is composed
of 66
satellites in low earth orbit four hundred and twenty miles above the
earth's
surface. Currently, the technology hardware is very expensive. The
actual
units fit the profile of what you would expect. It is compact,
lightweight,
and are capable of a continuous talk time of about two hours. A
single phone
unit goes for about $3,000. Service costs about $1.70 a minute plus
long
distance charges. Pagers are also available for about $500 a piece. This
may
seem high for individual use, but for a billion-dollar corporation
supplying
subordinates with this communication device, it may be a reasonable
cost.