This book introduces the reader to the fundamentals of contemporary, emerging and future technologies and services in Internet computing. It covers essential concepts such as distributed systems architectures and web technologies, contemporary paradigms such as cloud computing and the Internet of things, and emerging technologies like distributed ledger technologies and fog computing. The book also highlights the interconnection and recombination of these Internet-based technologies, which together form a critical information infrastructure with major impacts on individuals, organizations, governments, economies, and society as a whole.
Intended as a textbook for upper undergraduate and graduate classes, it features a wealth of examples, learning goals and summaries for every chapter, numerous recommendations for further reading, and questions for checking students' comprehension. A dedicated author website offers additional teaching material and more elaborate examples. Accordingly, the book enables students and young professionals in IT-related fields to familiarize themselves with the Internet's basic mechanisms, and with the most promising Internet-based technologies of our time.