Great Telecom books - From SMB Books

Okay, I found two amazing books by one author. Of course he's totally known, loved, and understood in the Telecom space. Let me introduce him to the SMB Consulting community: Mr. Ray Horak.

Ray Horak held management and executive management positions with Southwestern Bell, Continental Telephone Company (CONTEL), and Communications Group Inc. He is an independent consultant, a popular speaker, a trainer, an author, and a columnist. He teaches seminars around the world on a variety of telecommunications subjects. He also has considerable experience as a consulting technical expert and expert witness in litigation involving patents, copyrights, trademarks, and other intellectual property matters.

He has several books, most published by Wiley. The two that caught my eye are . . .


Webster's New World Telecom Dictionary

and


Telecommunications and Data Communications Handbook


First, The Telecom Dictionary
is just a great resource. It's the ultimate random-access fun book for nerds. Open any page and you'll find something interesting about the telecom space. And for those of you a little iffy on ethernet and the networks on which you'll be installing those VOIP systems, this will also serve as an excellent primer on that.

One the most common things we notice as we move into the telecom space is that they have WAY more acronyms than we do. And they're not shy about spreading the acronyms around. This book is a really good, and interesting book on the telecom industry. We've got it for only $24.95 so you can't go wrong. Guaranteed Good.

Second, The Telecommunications and Data Communications Handbook
is a monster. It's hard cover. It's big. It's the size of TWO Network Migration Workbooks in one.

If the Telecom Dictionary is a dictionary (which it is), then think of this monster tome is the encyclopedia of telecom. Great stories, great examples, great detail. While the Telecom Dictionary give short descriptions, this gives 1-2 page articles of description.

You'll also find some GREAT stories about the early history of communications, telecommunications, and data communications.

Why did the calvery shave horses' butts and stick copper wires on them? You'll have to read and find out.

Which brings us to . . .

Third, These are FUN books.
Uh . . . okay. I'm a nerd. But these books are really filled with great stories and tidbits about the techology we use. You want some seriously cood trivia stories to impress your nerdier friends? This is the mother lode!

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We've actually added a new section to SMBBooks.com just for Telecom and VOIP. We expect to see more books in this area.

Look for these books and more. Check out the combo pack (tele-combo).

More on The Telecom Dictionary
Webster’s New World Telecom Dictionary, by Ray Horak, is a comprehensive telecommunications dictionary of more than 7,500 terms critical to understanding voice, data, video, and multimedia communications system and network technologies, applications, and regulation.

Given the convergence of computing and communications, the book also effectively is a computer dictionary with a telecom focus. It is thoroughly researched, highly objective, absolutely accurate, and includes just about every essential term, abbreviation, acronym, contraction, initialism, and portmanteau you might encounter in the telecom and datacom domains.

Although the book is a technical dictionary, Horak’s plain-English, commonsense style yields definitions that are as thoroughly understandable to the business professional or student as they are to the electrical engineer. In fact, many entries are encyclopedic in nature, discussing applications and issues.

Horak also injects a bit of his wry sense of humor, sprinkling occasional telecom trivia and marginally related definitions that will have you smiling and chuckling to yourself, but not to the point that they detract from what is an important book on a serious subject.

Webster’s New World Telecom Dictionary is the one and only telecom dictionary you will need. It also makes a perfect companion to Horak’s Telecommunications and Data Communications Handbook.

Find Out More

More on The Telecommunications and Data Communications Handbook
For an accessible and comprehensive survey of telecommunications and data communications technologies and services, consult the Telecommunications and Data Communications Handbook, which includes information on origins, evolution and meaningful contemporary applications.

Find discussions of technologies set in context, with details on fiber optics, cellular radio, digital carrier systems, TCP/IP, and the Internet. Explore topics like Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP); 802.16 & WiMAX; Passive Optical Network (PON); 802.11g & Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) in this easily accessible guide without the burden of technical jargon.

Table of Contents
Preface.
Acknowledgments.
About the Author.

1 FUNDAMENTALS OF THE TECHNOLOGY: CONCEPTS AND DEFINITIONS
1.1 Fundamental Definitions
1.2 Dedicated, Switched, and Virtual Circuits
1.3 Two-Wire versus Four-Wire Circuits
1.4 Bandwidth
1.5 Analog versus Digital
1.6 Loading Coils, Amplifiers, and Repeaters
1.7 Conversion Process: Modems and Codecs
1.8 Multiplexers (Muxes)
1.9 Switches and Switching: The Basics . . . and Then Some
1.10 Signaling and Control.

References.

2 FUNDAMENTALS OF TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS: TECHNOLOGIES AND APPLICATIONS
2.1 Electromagnetic Spectrum
2.2 Transmission Media Selection Criteria
2.3 Twisted Pair: Introduction to Telephone Wire
2.4 Shielded Copper
2.5 Coaxial Cable
2.6 Microwave Radio
2.7 Satellite Radio
2.8 Free Space Optics
2.9 Fiber Optics
2.10 Powerline Carrier
2.11 Hybrid Transmission Systems.

References.

3 VOICE COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS: KTS, PBX, CENTREX, AND ACD
3.1 Key Telephone Systems
3.2 Private Branch Exchanges
3.3 Centrex
3.4 Automatic Call Distributors
3.5 Computer Telephony
3.6 IP Systems
3.7 Futures.

References.

4 MESSAGING SYSTEMS
4.1 Facsimile (Fax) Systems
4.2 Voice Processing Systems
4.3 Electronic Mail (E-Mail)
4.4 Instant Messaging
4.5 Mobile Messaging: SMS and MMS
4.6 Unified Messaging and Unified Communications.

References.

5 PUBLIC SWITCHED TELEPHONE NETWORK
5.1 Network Characteristics
5.2 Numbering Plan Administration
5.3 Domains
5.4 Signaling and Control: Expanded View
5.5 Network Services
5.6 Portability: A Special Issue
5.7 Equal Access: Another Special Issue
5.8 VoIP: Next-Generation PSTN.

References.

6 FUNDAMENTALS OF DATA COMMUNICATIONS
6.1 Functional Domains
6.2 DCE: Expanded View
6.3 Protocol Basics
6.4 Network Architectures
6.5 Security.

References.

7 CONVENTIONAL DIGITAL AND DATA NETWORKS
7.1 Dataphone Digital Service
7.2 Switched 56
7.3 Virtual Private Networks: In the Classic Sense
7.4 Digital Carrier Systems and Networks
7.5 X.25 and Packet Switching
7.6 Integrated Services Digital Network.

References.

8 LOCAL AREA NETWORKS: CONNECTIVITY AND INTERNETWORKING
8.1 LANs Defined
8.2 LAN Dimensions
8.3 LAN Equipment
8.4 LAN Operating Systems
8.5 Virtual LANs
8.6 Remote LAN Access
8.7 LAN Standards and Standards Bodies
8.8 Life in the Fast LAN: The Need for Speed
8.9 Wireless LANs
8.10 Minding Your Ps and Qs
8.11 IEEE 1394 and FireWire
8.12 Nonstandard LANs
8.13 Broadband over Power Line
8.14 Storage Area Networks.

References.

9 BROADBAND NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURE
9.1 Access Technologies
9.2 SONET/SDH
9.3 IEEE 802.17, Resilient Packet Ring.

References.

10 BROADBAND NETWORK SERVICES
10.1 Frame Relay
10.2 Switched Multimegabit Data Service
10.3 Asynchronous Transfer Mode
10.4 Metropolitan Ethernet
10.5 Broadband ISDN
10.6 Advanced Intelligent Networks (AINs).

References.

11 WIRELESS NETWORKING: EMPHASIS ON MOBILITY
11.1 Wireless Defined
11.2 Standards and Regulations
11.3 Advantages and Disadvantages of Wireless
11.4 Cell Concept: Frequency Reuse
11.5 Multiplexing and Access Techniques
11.6 Specialized Mobile Radio
11.7 Paging
11.8 Cordless Telephony and Wireless Office Telecommunications Systems
11.9 Cellular Radio
11.10 Packet Data Radio Networks
11.11 Satellite Systems: LEOs, MEOs, and GEOs
11.12 And That’s Not All.

References.

12 VIDEO AND MULTIMEDIA NETWORKING
12.1 Video Communications: Defined and Evolved
12.2 Video Basics
12.3 Analog TV Standards
12.4 Digital TV and High-Definition TV
12.5 Bandwidth and Compression
12.6 Video Standards
12.7 Internet Protocol TeleVision (IPTV)
12.8 The H.320 Family of Multimedia Standards
12.9 Session Initiation Protocol
12.10 H.248: Media Gateway Control
12.11 Videoconferencing Systems
12.12 Videoconferencing Equipment
12.13 WAN Videoconferencing Networks
12.14 Video over IP
12.15 Multimedia Conferencing.

Applications and Benefits.

References.

13 THE INTERNET AND WORLD WIDE WEB
13.1 The Internet Defined
13.2 Internet Physical Topology
13.3 Internet Access
13.4 Internet Standards, Administration, and Regulation
13.5 IP Addressing
13.6 Domain Name System
13.7 Internet Protocols
13.8 Internet Applications
13.10 Internet2
13.11 World Wide Web
13.12 Intranets and Extranets
13.13 Internet Security: A Special Issue
13.14 Misuse and Content
13.15 Internet Oddities, Screwball Applications, and Some Really Good Ideas
13.16 The Dark Side: An Editorial.

References.

14 NETWORK CONVERGENCE
14.1 Convergence Defined
14.2 Driving Forces
14.3 Conventional Convergence: Wireline Networks
14.4 The Race Is On: Mergers and Acquisitions (M&As)
14.5 One Potato, Two Potato, Three Potatoe, Four . . .
14.6 NexGen Convergence: Wireline and Wireless Networks.

References.

15 REGULATION: ISSUES AND (SOME) ANSWERS
15.1 Telecommunications Act of 1996
15.2 Rates and Tariffs
15.3 The Internet
15.4 Number Portability
15.5 Laws and Sausages.

References.

APPENDIX A ACRONYMS, ABBREVIATIONS, CONTRACTIONS, INITIALISMS, AND SYMBOLS.

APPENDIX B STANDARDS ORGANIZATIONS AND SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS (SIGs).

INDEX.

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