Chapter 11. Working with Applications on the Network

In this chapter

• Deploying user applications on the network

• Understanding groupware products

• Using GroupWise

• Working with Lotus Notes

• Understanding Exchange Server

• Working with shared databases

• Understanding Microsoft's .NET Initiative

So far we have concentrated on how networks actually function: We've discussed network protocols, the OSI model, peer/client operating systems, and network operating systems. Our next area of focus is the application. Application software provides us with the various productivity tools we use to actually get work done. Users on a network can take advantage of all sorts of applications; although we usually think of word processing and spreadsheet software as typical applications, other client applications are used to access special servers. These applications provide communication services and access to special databases.

Let's begin our discussion of applications with a short discussion on how selecting the software to be used on your network should be approached. We can then look at specific productivity software, such as Microsoft Office.