ANALYSIS OF NETWORKING AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS AT A MORTGAGE EQUITY INVESTMENT COMPANY

This paper analyzes the application of network and telecommunications technology in a mortgage equity investment firm. Stair and Reynolds (2003) define networks and telecommunications as follows:

Networks are connected computers and computer equipment in a building, around the country, or around the world to enable electronic communications (p. 10)

Telecommunications comprise the electronic transmission of signals for communications that, in turn, enable organizations to carry out their processes and tasks through effective computer networks (p. 10)

The mortgage equity investment company organizational structure includes six physical locations. The network and telecommunications systems, therefore, are structured to facilitate communications (a) to and from each physical site to sites external to the organization and (b) to and from each internal organizational unit. The network system and the telecommunication systems also support multiple means of information transmission and access (Interview, Company IT Department). The company requires the network-telecommunications systems to satisfy the following general criteria:

The company-wide network is designed and structured as a wide-area network (WAN). Local-area networks (