In telecommunication, the term communications has the following meanings:

1. Information transfer, among users or processes, according to agreed conventions (see communications protocol ).

2. The branch of technology concerned with the representation, transfer, interpretation, and processing of data among persons, places, and machines also known as information systems.

Note: The meaning assigned to the data must be preserved during these operations.

Source: from Federal Standard 1037C and from MIL-STD-188


Communications in business is also called public relations, marketing, public affairs and a number of similar terms.