Real Time Information

Real time information is information that is displayed immediately after being collected.  It is shown within seconds and is rarely delayed. It is used in a lot of different functions in the world and is crucial in the world of businesses where they use real time to update stock exchange.  Real time information is constantly in use and is easily accessible to anyone with a connection to the internet.  This accessibility has meant that we are now flooded with information that is being updated multiple times each second!

Travel

Not only is real time information used by business but is used by the general public. One of the main functions real time information is used for is finding out where planes, busses, taxis and trains are. People use real time information websites to find out where their plane or busses are. Websites like Flight Tracker or Train Times help the general public to track the planes and trains that they want to catch. This is very useful for them because it shows where their transport is and if/where it’s delayed.

This tracking not only helps the general public when looking for their plane, train or bus but also helps businesses that look after the transport. If something goes wrong they would need to know where it is in order to fix it. They rely on real time information to be instant and reliable otherwise delays could increase and the transport would never get fixed.

Another use of real time information is passenger information [display] system. This kind of real time information is used at train stations and airports. They are normally shown on big electronic display boards at the entrance to station/ airport, however due to how easily people can access the internet now people are able to now access it on their computers at home or even on their mobile phones. This means people are now able to find out if there are any delays to their travel while they are on the way to the station/ airport.  This accessibility is very useful for me because I use the train every day to get to school and while walking to the station I am able to check if the trains are working to make sure if I am going to get to school on time.

Networking

Real time information has now created a network of information available to anyone connected to the internet. One of the most used forms of real time information on the internet is Twitter. Twitter now has over 500 million active users and gains members each day.  Twitter is constantly updated with tweets. People are now able to post a tweet and within seconds have a possible reply to their tweets.  With my Twitter accounts I am able to tweet my followers and find out in minutes if anyone wants to go into town and meet up.

Business

Every day businesses use real time information to make money. Businesses use real time information when buying stocks and shares in the shares market. Figures and values are transferred to businesses within seconds. The only real delay they have with the information is the time it takes for the figures to go onto the actual screen. People who buy the stocks and shares need information to be as fast as possible. This is because the businesses need to make decisions about selling shares at the highest price and buying shares at the lowest price. Real time information makes this possible and has created opportunities to make money for everyone able to buy shares.