Networks have transformed many aspects of how we live, work, and communicate in this new century. From streaming video feeds of music and sporting events, to the transmission and receiving of e-mail and data files, virtually every facet of our business and private lives is touched by the packets of information carried over copper cables, fiber optics, and radio frequencies. The combination of networks called the Internet has spawned worldwide communications, new business opportunities, and new ways of performing old tasks.
In networking, programmed devices communicate with each other, with or without human interaction, across a building or across the world. Standards set by organizations such as the IEEE (Institute of Electronic & Electrical Engineers) are adhered to by equipment and software manufacturers, providing a reliable platform where devices and software from many vendors can be interconnected together to achieve a specific communications goal.