An Internet area network ( IAN ) is a concept for a communications network [1] that connects voice and data endpoints within a cloud environment over IP, replacing an existing local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN) or the public switched telephone network (PSTN).
An IAN securely connects endpoints through the public Internet , so that they can communicate and exchange information and data without being tied to a physical location.
The IAN eliminates a geographic profile for the network entirely because the applications and communications services have become virtualized. Endpoints need to be connected only over a broadband connection across the Internet. Opposed to IAN, LAN interconnects computers in a limited area such as a home, a school, a computer laboratory or an office building. The WAN also differs from the IAN, because it is a network that covers a broad area, such as any telecommunications network that links across metropoli