ABSTRACT
This chapter examines technological advances in communications in the context of corporate networking and applications requirements. It also examines developments in: frame relay, switched multimegabit data services (SMDS), asynchronous transfer mode, fiber-distributed data interface, synchronous optical network, T1 and T3, X.25 and Integrated services digital network. Telephone companies and interexchange carriers recognize that depend on their ability to provide data communications services that can support new and emerging applications. The chapter provides data center managers with an overview of trends in data communications to increase their understanding of the important field. The volume of data passed on many corporate networks already surpasses the volume of voice traffic, and the arrival of such efficient and economical data communications services as frame relay and SMDS is timely. SMDS is a high-speed data service that offers customers the economic benefits of shared transmission facilities as well as the benefits of privacy and control associated with dedicated networks.
