From the birth of the first computer in 1945 to the popularization and application of computer networks, computers have partially replaced human intelligence. Computer network improves the speed of information transmission between people, shortens the distance between people, and makes it possible for all mankind to share resources and exchange information. Computer is no longer an isolated machine, it has become the infrastructure connecting the whole information society.
The important technologies supporting the information society are computer technology, data communication technology, information content and processing technology and the integration of these three technologies. Computer technology includes hardware, software, mass storage devices, various input and output devices and corresponding services; Data communication technology includes telephone, television, transmission cable, optical cable, communication transmission, communication processing, communication satellite and wireless communication. Information content and processing technology include education, entertainment, publishing, information provision, information organization and storage, information retrieval and so on. These technologies have formed three major industries in the information society, accounting for 44% of the total output value; Communication technology accounts for 28%; Information content and processing technology account for 28%.
The remarkable development of computer technology and computer network technology is shown in the following aspects:
(1) Microelectronics technology and device technology and the number of semiconductor VLSI are changing with each passing day. The famous Moore's Law points out that the processing speed of the chip is doubled every 18 months.
(2) The storage capacity and quality of storage media have been greatly improved, and the rapid development of optical storage technology makes it possible to store and access large-capacity information;
(3) developing computer software technology, operating system and network operating system, platform software and tool software, database management system and large database;
(4) Multimedia technology and user interface technology, establish the service concept of customer first;
(5) Computer network technology puts forward new concepts and new implementation methods, especially in the fields of digital transmission, switching technology, high data transmission rate and optical fiber transmission.
The future development of computer network technology is not an extension of a certain technology, but a comprehensive application of various network technologies. "Three networks in one", that is, combining computer network, telecommunication network and radio and television network, will provide a broader platform for the application and resource utilization of computer network, save network investment, make full use of existing software resources, hardware resources, information resources and mobile resources, develop new resources and provide better services for the information society.