Answer:

Advantages of computer networking

Main benefits of networks include:

• File sharing - you can easily share data between different users, or access it remotely if you keep it on other connected devices.

• Resource sharing - using network-connected peripheral devices like printers, scanners and copiers, or sharing software between multiple users, saves money.

• Sharing a single internet connection - it is cost-efficient and can help protect your systems if you properly secure the network.

• Increasing storage capacity - you can access files and multimedia, such as images and music, which you store remotely on other machines or network-attached storage devices.

Networking computers can also help you improve communication, so that:

staff, suppliers and customers can share information and get in touch more easily

your business can become more efficient - eg networked access to a common database can avoid the same data being keyed multiple times, saving time and preventing errors

staff can deal with queries and deliver a better standard of service as a result of sharing customer data

Cost benefits of computer networking

Storing information in one centralised database can also help you reduce costs and drive efficiency. For example:

staff can deal with more customers in less time since they have shared access to customer and product databases

you can centralise network administration, meaning less IT support is required

you can cut costs through sharing of peripherals and internet access

You can reduce errors and improve consistency by having all staff work from a single source of information. This way, you can make standard versions of manuals and directories available to them, and back up data from a single point on a scheduled basis, ensuring consistence