network
In computing environments - commonly referred to as the IP network. Connects computing resources including "Clients" (PCs, Laptops, Tablets), Servers, Storage, Printers etc. IT Network within a building or campus - "Local Area Network" (LAN). Over a wider area - could even be worldwide - "Wide Area Network" (WAN). Across a city - "Metropolitan Area Network" (MAN). The most common hardware standard used for networking within organisations (LAN) is called Ethernet. The most common protocol (software standard) for data transmission is Internet Protocol (IP) - hence the term IP Network.
One of the trends in networking is called Unified Communications. Telephone systems have become digital in nature meaning standard networking hardware and protocols can be used. This provides the option for data and voice communications to run over a single infrastructure - reducing costs and providing much more flexibility.
Other network types also exist within the context of IT. Most notably for storage. Where shared storage is connected to servers via a dedicated network - this is called a "Storage Area Network" (SAN). The traditional hardware and software standard for these networks is called Fibre Channel. This is still the prevailing technology for larger SANs - but a newer technology is now competing called iSCSI - which makes use of IP networking technology (which is cheaper - but less performant). iSCSI networks are still segregated away from the main LAN for performance and security reasons. Shared storage can also connect directly to the LAN if it is designed to understand the file transfer protocols used by Windows or Unix systems. In this scenario - the system is called "Network Attached Storage" (NAS). This can be a cost effective option for storing files "on the network". See the Hardware/ Storage section for a fuller explanation.
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Wikipedia: Computer Network
2DeCipher: network
