Data transmission is any process that makes it possible to transport information of any type using a variety of methods. The different methods employed in this process make it possible to share voice, video and text with equal ease, using the strategies relevant to the particular kind of data involved. The digital transmission of data occurs in a number of settings, including such common vehicles as email clients, audio and web conferencing solutions and even file sharing. While there are a number of different approaches to this type of information processing, they can generally be grouped into three basic categories.
Audio data transmission involves the conversion of audio to data streams that can easily be processed and successfully delivered to a point of termination. Signals of this type were once carried in analog signaling until advances in technology and fiber optics made it possible to convert audio into digital formats. Transmission of this type occurs each time a telephone call is enabled using some type of Internet streaming to carry the signal. Since the latter part of the 20th century, the application of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) has made it possible to use this to communicate with locations all over the world without incurring a great deal of cost.
Another example of data transmission has to do with the processing of video data. With this application, a video bit stream is established and used to direct the data from a point of origin to multiple points of destination. This approach makes it possible to enjoy online video chats with locations that are far away, as well as allow for the use of video conferencing to conduct meetings involving multiple locations. Just as advances in technology have greatly reduced the cost of long-distance audio solutions, the pricing associated with video conferencing is a fraction of what it cost during the latter years of the 20th century.
A third classification of data transmission is the processing of text documents as part of a data stream. This application makes it possible to create text using some type of word processing software, save the information, then transmit it to one or more recipients. One of the most common examples of this type of data transmission is email. Users can type in text and then send that text to any number of recipients. Thanks to the protocols that help to protect the text from corruption, the recipients receive the document with the same basic formatting used by the originator.
The refinement and creation of various options for data transmission continue to expand as newer forms of technology emerge and come into common use. Data transfer applications that were unheard of even a few years ago are now utilized by business and private users on a daily basis. As the public use of the Internet and personal computing devices continues to expand, the type, speed, and efficiency of various data transmission strategies will also grow.