BKTELDIR.RVW   990205

"Telecommunications Directory", Ellen Pare, 1999, 0-7876-2135-8,
U$400.00
%E   Ellen Pare ellen.pare@gale.com
%C   27500 Drake Road, Farmington Hills, MI   48331-3535
%D   1999
%G   0-7876-2135-8
%I   The Gale Group
%O   U$400.00 800-877-4253 fax: 248-699-8061 Cheryl.McDonald@gale.com
%P   1237 p.
%S   Industry Reference Handbooks
%T   "Telecommunications Directory Tenth Edition, 1999"

Sticking closely to traditional ideas of telecommunications, this
volume lists organizations in the fields of audiotex, cellular
communications, electronic mail, facsimile, Internet access provision,
local area networks, local exchange carriers, microwave networks,
personal communications services, satellite services, shared-tenant
services, teleconferencing, telegram and telex, transactional
services, videotex and teletext, voice and data communications, and
voicemail or voice processing.  The descriptive listings cover 700
pages, with contact information, brief organizational data, and
description.  There may also be subordinate product listings.  The
indices are almost as long as the listings themselves, and there are
four: by function or service, geographic, personal names, and master
name and keyword.

Based on self-report, the listings can be only as good as the
information provided.  I noticed missing entries almost immediately:
even such entities as the Internet Engineering Task Force and W3 are
missing.  When I came to the British Columbia section of the
geographic index was startled at how very few of the
telecommunications related companies and institutions in the area were
represented.  My former long distance carrier is not listed, nor is
UBC, nor is SFU, nor is Vancouver CommunityNet.  Victoria
TelecommunityNet is there, along with the various entities Gary
Shearman has spun off over the years.  Well, he deserves the exposure. 
The listings themselves are generally good, although I notice that
there is some variation in what counts as a separate product:
Telemanagement magazine is buried in the listing for Angus
Telemanagement.

There is a short glossary included.  Unfortunately, this is hardly
worth being described as such.  An enormous number of important new
technologies are completely missing.  The definitions given are short,
barely explanatory, and frequently wrong.  (ATM packets are 48 bytes
of data *plus* the five byte header, for a total of 53.  Yes, there is
a listing for "virus," and it is wrong.)

For all its flaws, this volume does provide a valuable resource to
those in the telecommunications industry.  While not exhaustive, or
even really complete, it does provide a starting point for contacts in
a variety of areas of telecommunications work in a variety of
geographic locations.  (Unlike the "Industry Reference Handbook:
Telecommunications" [cf. BKIRHTLC.RVW] this volume does have entries
from around the world.)  The descriptions are fairly complete, and the
contact information supplies not only addresses and telephone numbers,
but names, email, and even Web sites.  From which you can probably
link to all the missing outfits.

copyright Robert M. Slade, 1999   BKTELDIR.RVW   990205