MIS 750: changes in technology over time ;)

How Has Technology Changed over Time?

Change in technology has brought advancement to the transport, such that it is very easy and fast to go very long distances than before. It has also brought about change in communication, with the development of the mobile phones, where the communication is now more efficient. Technology has also brought about changes in education, where, students can do online courses and do exams and get the various qualifications.

Technological change (TC) is a term that is used to describe the overall process of invention, innovation and diffusion of technology or processes.

Changes in Technology in the Past Decade

By Michael Hall - Posted on 01 December 2009

The world has changed a lot in the past 10 years. The rapid development of new technology and the changing landscape of the online world has changed the way we work and, for many, where we do our work from. Here are my top 10 ways how IT technology has changed over the decade.

1. Internet for All – Ten years ago many offices in need of dedicated Internet resources or wide area networks were dependent on expensive leased lines or slightly cheaper ISDN (integrated services digital network) lines. Broadband Internet was not widely available and was often quite restricted by Internet service providers (or ISPs). After a couple of years, however, broadband technology rapidly began to replace dial-up connections and leased lines in the home and office. In the UK, prices began to drop dramatically when Telewest and NTL (both now part of Virgin Media) began offering very affordable broadband connections over the same cables used for cable TV. Shortly after this, BT began allowing competing ISPs to install their own systems in BT’s exchanges, and prices dropped even more. These days almost every office is connected to the Internet via broadband. Most employees now have access to the Internet and email at their desks, and cheap and reliable ADSL connections have made VPNs (virtual private networks) the preferred way of connecting multiple offices and remote workers.

2. Free Phone Calls – Over the past 10 years, these same cheap and fast Internet connections, along with a technology called VOIP (voice over Internet protocol), have emerged to all but destroy the old way in which telephone calls are placed. Using the Internet to make phone calls has become by far the cheapest way to talk to others around the world. Cutting out the middlemen and transmitting voice as far as possible over the Internet before connecting to a regular public switched telephone network connection (or PSTN) means the cost of calling abroad is now almost nothing. Calling people within the same VOIP network is free. Many people think making a VOIP call is just about using a headset with Skype, but there are many other Internet telephone systems around. You may not know it, but the telephones in your office may actually be connected directly to the Internet, even though they look like your standard office telephone. Alexander Graham Bell would be amazed.

3. Free Software – The past decade has seen the rise of the free software movement, with software made absolutely for free and in the name of freedom. From Web servers running Linux and Apache to free office software such as Open Office and Star Office, there is no doubt that the free software movement has helped to change the world and the way we do business. Most websites are hosted on servers running this free software. Even the mighty Google has its walls placed in the rock-solid foundations of GNU/Linux and Apache Web server software. Please see my other articles on open source software.

4. From Geocities to WordPress – Some of you may remember the time when everybody who had a modem and an Internet connection also had a website devoted to themselves and their opinion, on a free hosting site such as Geocities or Tripod. Over time these free websites gave way to the phenomenon known as “blogging”. The more people posted their opinions, musings, diaries, art and photography, the more Web applications appeared to support this new brand of social journalism. WordPress is now the most popular of these platforms, and it is even used by major news outlets as a platform for publishing blogs and news. Blogging is now as important to the culture of the Internet and disseminating news and opinions as newspapers were to us in the last century. Indeed, many newspapers and agencies are struggling to compete with the social journalism that abounds on the Internet.

5. Sharing Media – There are generally two ways of transferring information between users: either over a network of some kind or on some sort of physical, portable media such as a disk. Ten years ago, CDs and floppy disks were the most readily available types of removable media, and the fastest corporate LANs (or local area networks) operated at between 10 and 100 megabits per second. Transferring very large files over the Internet was something only done by those with expensive, high-speed Internet connections. Things have changed a lot. Writeable DVDs became just as cheap as CDs, floppy disks have become almost extinct and everybody has a large-capacity USB thumb drive kicking around. Very small, portable hard disks are now a dime a dozen and can store the same amount of data, if not more, than a decade-old file server which would have cost a small fortune. Network speeds have had the same massive boosts and now operate at speeds of up to 2,000 megabits per second. The average Internet connection in the UK is now around 10 megabits a second, which makes it more than possible for people to share files averaging in the tens of gigs over a standard Internet connection. This has made media sharing online prolific and very easy for the average Web user, so much so that it is causing great concern amongst media companies that are failing to keep up with these new forms of file distribution.

6. The Demise of Regular TV – Over the last decade TV has also gone through some serious changes. First, the birth of TV on demand: cable and satellite TV networks now offer an assortment of programs that you can watch at the click of a button without waiting for a rerun. Services like YouTube, Vimeo and Dailymotion have made it possible for everyone to have 15 minutes of fame, and more recently services like iPlayer, 4OD, Joost and (in the US) a new service called Hulu allow you to watch all the latest TV entertainment on your computer – or on a big-screen TV if you have a media PC.

7. From Desktop Apps to Web Apps – One major change this decade has come in the way we use applications. Ten years ago, most database-type apps had an interface application which was installed on your desktop and connected to a central database server. These days, popular databases and contact management applications such as Salesforce and Sage CRM are all served to you from Web servers and run from within your browser. This has allowed people more flexibility in the way they work, because they can access these important applications from anywhere. The range of Web apps now available is incredible, from webmail and contact management to word processing and case management. Much of this software is also available for free for limited versions. You might also hear of applications being “cloud based” or “working on the cloud”. This usually refers to applications hosted on the Internet rather than a private company network or intranet.

8. Apple and the Rebirth of Cool – In 1999 Apple was struggling to turn a profit and find mainstream acceptance. Its user group was mostly a section of specialist graphics workers who favoured Apple hardware because of its ease of use in the world of media. All that changed this decade as Apple worked hard to provide not only easy-to-use computers but also hardware that looks good and appeals to those who see technology as a fashion accessory. The company’s most notable successes in recent years have been the iPod and iPhone, two stylish multimedia devices that everybody seems to want. Apple’s design chic has pushed up its profit margins and has given the company a rapidly expanding market share.

9. From Mobile Phone to Mini Computer – Mobile phones have evolved rapidly from clunky bricks with bad and simplistic LCD screens and ’70s sci-fi bleeps to high-powered multimedia computers that fit in your pocket. Gone are the days of a phone that only makes phone calls; these days most mobiles are capable of high-speed Internet connections, taking decent photos and videos, playing back movies and music, and sending email. Even newer mobiles, such as the iPhone and devices running Google’s Android operating system, are capable of even more high-performance tasks: GPS navigation, translation of speech, word processing and even navigating the stars with Google’s Sky Map application.

10. Social Networks – The last five years have seen the rise of the social network. This phenomenon takes elements of the old Geocities personal home page discussion forums, blogs and the sophisticated profiling elements of dating sites, mashes them together and produces a place where people can advertise their social lives, reconnect with friends and organise events. Social networking has rapidly become an undeniable part of everyday life, and you will be hard pressed to find someone who doesn’t have a Facebook account. Even my mum has one!

I hope you have enjoyed this quick tour of IT technology over the last 10 years. Please feel free to share any changes that have amazed you, in the comments section.

MIS 750: Movie: The Social Network.

The Social Network is a 2010 American drama film directed by David Fincher and written by Aaron Sorkin. Adapted from Ben Mezrich's 2009 book The Accidental Billionaires, the film portrays the founding of social networking website Facebook and the resulting lawsuits. It stars Jesse Eisenberg as founder Mark Zuckerberg, along with Andrew Garfield as Eduardo Saverin and Justin Timberlake as Sean Parker, the other principals involved in the website's creation. Neither Zuckerberg nor any other Facebook staff were involved with the project, although Saverin was a consultant for Mezrich's book.^[3] The film was released in the United States byColumbia Pictures on October 1, 2010.

The film received widespread acclaim, with critics praising it for its editing, acting, score, direction and screenplay. However, some people, including Zuckerberg himself, criticized the film for its many inaccuracies. The Social Network appeared on 78 critics' Top 10 lists for 2010; of those critics, 22 had the film in their number-one spot. Rolling Stone's Peter Travers said "The Social Network is the movie of the year. But Fincher and Sorkin triumph by taking it further. Lacing their scathing wit with an aching sadness, they define the dark irony of the past decade."

It received eight Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director (Fincher), and Best Actor (Eisenberg), and won three for Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score, and Best Film Editing. At the 68th Golden Globe Awards, the film won Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Original Score.

• Every age has its visionaries who leave, in the wake of their genius, a changed world--but rarely without a battle over exactly what happened and who was there at the moment of creation. "The Social Network" explores the moment at which Facebook was invented--through the warring perspectives of the super-smart young men who each claimed to be there at its inception. The movie moves from the halls of Harvard to the cubicles of Palo Alto to capture the heady early days of a culture-changing phenomenon in the making--and the way it both pulled a group of young revolutionaries together and then split them apart. In the midst of the chaos are Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg), the brilliant Harvard student who conceived a Web site; Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield), once Zuckerberg's close friend, who provided the seed money for the fledgling company; Napster founder Sean Parker (Justin Timberlake), who brought Facebook to Silicon Valley's venture capitalists; and the Winklevoss twins (Armie Hammer and Josh Pence), the Harvard classmates who asserted that Zuckerberg stole their idea and then sued him for ownership of it. Each has his own narrative, his own version of the Facebook story in this multi-level portrait of 21st Century success--both the youthful fantasy of it and its finite realities as well.
  - Written by Columbia Pictures
  
  
  • Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg
  • Andrew Garfield as Eduardo Saverin
  • Justin Timberlake as Sean Parker
  • Armie Hammer as Cameron Winklevoss
  • Armie Hammer & Josh Pence as Tyler Winklevoss
  • Max Minghella as Divya Narendra
  • Brenda Song as Christy Ling
  • Rashida Jones as Marylin Delpy^[4][5]
  • Steve Sires as Bill Gates ^[6]
  • John Getz as Sy
  • David Selby as Gage
  • Denise Grayson as Gretchen
  • Douglas Urbanski as Larry Summers
  • Rooney Mara as Erica Albright
  • Joseph Mazzello as Dustin Moskovitz
  • Dustin Fitzsimons as The Phoenix – S K Club President
  • Wallace Langham as Peter Thiel
  • Dakota Johnson as Amelia Ritter
  • Malese Jow as Alice Cantwel
  • Trevor Wright as Josh Thompson
  • Shelby Young as K.C.
  • Aaron Sorkin as Ad Executive

MIS 750: interesting about MIS ! Check it out!

Some interesting facts about the value of information systems management

Posted by micheal on 10 November 2006, 7:56 am

I have been revamping the content on the BDO website that relates to the area of information systems consulting, and one of the interesting things this has required was the development/research of “did you know” facts for the services we provide. They’re too good to lose so, in case they don’t make it through the content review process, I am blogging the research for posterity:

INFORMATION MANAGEMENT STRATEGY

One industry study estimated the total cost to the US economy of data quality problems at over US$600 billion per annum (Eckerson, 2002).

According to Continental Research’s findings, 60% of employees spend on average 15 minutes per day searching for information; 15% spend around 30 minutes; and 7% an hour or more.

IT STRATEGY, PLANNING AND ARCHITECTURE

Organisations that always use an IT strategic plan to guide IT investment reported that they receive 45% more business value from information technology than those that never use an IT strategic plan (Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts 2005)

That an IT strategy process must identify how information technology will support and enable the business to achieve its goals, and link to the business strategy in doing so.

IT GOVERNANCE, REPORTING AND POLICY

In the United States poor IT Governance is a breach of Directors’ Duties and will result in a qualified audit report on the business, as it is the responsibility of the directors to ensure that an effective business reporting system exists

Companies subject to the ASX Principles of Corporate Governance should consider IT Governance issues in structuring the board and in recognizing and managing risk from the business

TECHNOLOGY EVALUATION AND PROCUREMENT SERVICES

You should never select software on the basis of what it does and how it does it – rather, consider what you need to do and whether the software vendor will support you for the life of the software.

Selecting software on the basis of a product demonstration is not the recommended first step in selecting software.

PROGRAM AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT

The Standish Group shows that only 16% of software projects are completed on time and on budget. 31% of projects are cancelled before completion, and 53% of projects cost 189% of their original estimate (Standish Group)

That being ICT-aware, open to organisational transformation, and persistent in realising ICT benefits are the three leading factors in realising value from a business’ ICT investment

ICT BUSINESS CASE & FEASIBILITY STUDIES

Many businesses select new software based on “golf course” decision-making, and rely on fads, trends, and hearsay in selecting software, and then modify the business case to fit (CPA Australia IT Governance Guide 2005).

The business case should include the cost of decommissioning the technology and disposing of it at the end of its useful life.

WEB SERVICES

For an inhouse software development project, maintenance costs of the software are about 55% of the cost to build the software in the first place

Sixty five percent of Australian organisations have admitted to losing revenue due to poor data quality, as a result of not having the time or resources to address this problem, according to the results of an international research study by QAS (2005)

MIS 750: WHAT IS HRIS SYSTEM? AND THE BENEFITS?

DEFINITION (WIKIPEDIA) 

A Human Resources Management System (HRMS) or Human Resources Information System (HRIS), refers to the systems and processes at the intersection between human resource management (HRM) and information technology. It merges HRM as a discipline and in particular its basic HR activities and processes with the information technology field, whereas the programming of data processing systems evolved into standardized routines and packages of enterprise resource planning (ERP) software. On the whole, these ERP systems have their origin on software that integrates information from different applications into one universal database. The linkage of its financial and human resource modules through one database is the most important distinction to the individually and proprietary developed predecessors, which makes this software application both rigid and flexible.

Basically, I was using this system when I was working at Felda-Johore Bulkers Sdn Bhd in 2012 as Human Resources Assistant Executive (Administration). This is because as a part of Human Resource people, I have to access so many data of the employees at Felda-Johore Bulkers Sdn Bhd such as Key Performance Indicator (KPI), Salary, Profile, HR master file and many more. This system assists me to find and arrange the data systematically. This system must be aligned to ensure all the people legally can access the system safely.

            Furthermore, when an organization collects personal data about its employees in an HRIS, certain security risks may arise. An organization spends funds to keep employee private information secure against internal and external threats. But, sometimes we have to take risks to get something valuable for organization.

            A Human Resources Information System (HRIS) not only helps automate a large portion of routine HR tasks, it can also save valuable time and resources for employees and managers. Allowing individuals within an organization to complete a variety of day-to-day, administrative tasks without direct contact with HR personnel can result in more effective management.  For employees, an online, self-service HR portal can process a variety of requests, such as payroll look-up, paid time off requests, employee handbook access and even annual benefits enrollment.

            Utilizing an HRIS can also positively affect an organization’s internal work environment by creating time for HR staff to allocate toward more impactful employee programs or issues. Managers can streamline their HR-related tasks by utilizing an HRIS for time and attendance tracking, employee data collection, benefits administration, performance reviews and application processing for potential employees.

MIS 750 : Importance of Information system to people.

Why are information systems so important in business today?

Answer:

Six reasons why information systems are so important for business today include: 

1. Operational excellence 

2. New products, services, and business models 

3. Customer and supplier intimacy 

4. Improved decision making 

5. Competitive advantage 

6. Survival 

The emergence of a global economy, transformation of industrial economies, transformation of the business enterprise, and the emergence of digital firm make information systems essential in business today. Information system is a foundation for conducting business today. In many businesses, survival and the ability to achieve strategic business goals is difficult without extensive use of information technology. There are six reasons or objectives why businesses use information system: 

1. Operational excellence. Business improve the efficiency of their operations in order to achieve higher profitability. Information systems are important tools available to managers for achieving higher levels of efficiency and productivity in business operations. A good example is Wal-Mart that uses a RetailLink system , which digitally links its suppliers to every one of Wal-Mart's stores. as soon as a a customer purchase an item , the supplier is monitoring the item , knows to ship a replacement to the shelf. 

2. New products, services, and business models. Information system is a major tool for firms to create new products and services, and also an entirely new business models. A business model describe how a company produces, delivers, and sells a product or service to create wealth. 

Example: Apple inc transformed an old business model based on its iPod technology platform that included iPod, the iTunes music service, and the iPhone. 

3. Customer/supplier intimacy. When a business serves its customers well, the customers generally respond by returning and purchasing more. this raises revenue and profits. The more a business engage its suppliers, the better the suppliers can provide vital inputs. This lower costs. Example: The Mandarin Oriental in Manhattan and other high-end hotels exemplify the use of information systems and technology to achieve customer intimacy. they use computers to keep track of guests' preferences, such as their preffered room temperature, check-in time, television programs. 

4. Improved decision making. Many managers operate in an information bank, never having the right information at the right time to make an informed decision. These poor outcomes raise costs and lose customers. Information system made it possible for the managers to use real time data from the marketplace when making decision. Example: Verizon Corporation uses a Web-based digital dashboard to provide managers with precise real -time information on customer complains, network performance.. Using this information managers can immediately allocate repair resources to affected areas, inform customers of repair efforts and restore service fast. 

5. Competitive advantage. When firms achieve one or more of these business objectives( operational excellence, new products, services, and business models, customer/supplier intimacy, and improved decision making) chances are they have already achieved a competitive advantage. Doing things better than your competitors, charging less for superior products, and responding to customers and suppliers in real time all add up to higher sales, and higher profits. Example: Toyota Production System focuses on organizing work to eliminate waste, making continues improvements, TPS is based on what customers have actually ordered. 

6. Day to day survival. Business firms invest in information system and technology because they are necessities of doing business. This necessities are driven by industry level changes. Example: Citibank introduced the first automatic teller machine to attract customers through higher service levels, and its competitors rushed to provide ATM's to their customers to keep up with Citibank. providing ATMs services to retail banking customers is simply a requirement of being in and surviving in the retail banking business. Firm turn to information system and technology to provide the capability to respond to these. 

Information systems are the foundation for conducting business today. In many industries, survival and even existence without extensive use of IT is inconceivable, and IT plays a critical role in increasing productivity. Although information technology has become more of a commodity, when coupled with complementary changes in organization and management, it can provide the foundation for new products, services, and ways of conducting business that provide firms with a strategic advantage.

MIS 750 : Effective social networking in the public sector.

Round-table discussion: Effective social networking in the public sector

Posted by micheal on 23 February 2013, 1:41 pm

I was invited to facilitate a round-table discussion on effective social networking in the public sector for CPA Australia at their International Public Sector Convention on 21st February 2013. These notes derived from that session.  I have formatted this discussion as an article, and it is available h here for download:  20130221 Roundtable Notes.pdf.  Please feel free to provide feedback or discuss this topic further in the comments below.

Purpose?

Social networking has gained enormous traction in recent years, changing business models and the ways humans interact.

However, social networking is more than just using a particular tool or medium. This roundtable discussion held at the CPA Australia International Public Sector Convention on 21st February 2013 aimed to discuss the long-term value of online social networking and explore how it can be applied to generate lasting benefits across the public sector.

The facilitator was Micheal Axelsen, of Applied Insight Pty Ltd, and the participants were representatives from the public sector. This discussion took place at the Brisbane Convention Centre.

Funny toy or useful?

It was apparent from our discussion that people are still not entirely sure what exactly online social networking is, and whether it is ‘too risky’ or not.

It was noted that collaboration is easily done using tools such as Facebook in comparison with the sometimes-slow bureaucratic processes for developing internet sites.

We did note some benefits – for example, we can keep in touch with people by ‘loose connections’ rather than lose touch when people change jobs.

Online social networking replaces chat groups or email lists, in many ways. Online social networking though is faster and more immediate.

Risks that may arise from the use of online social networking include:

• Legal
• Reputation
• Cyber
• Privacy and identity theft
• Records management
• Technology

Although we recognised those risks, awareness of the risks when online social networking is important to ensuring effective social networking.

Risky business?

Online social networking – the younger generation just ‘gets it’. But they too can be lax and not think through all the risks.

Users do need to be ‘savvy and sophisticated’ users. Not all people in all places are aware of what they can and can’t do with material on online social networking. A nightmare for auditors!

It’s not the tool that is evil, though – it is how the tool is used. The opportunity for fraud exists and the means by which online social networking can be used can be ‘really mind-boggling’ – particularly the social media tools. People still are not aware of the risk of fraud that can occur through social media.

Change for the better?

There are still definite benefits. Online social networking can be a real tool for finding out information.

One participant noted that they now find out more information from Facebook and Twitter than they do from television. For instance – weather awareness and information that more traditional channels are ‘slower’ to distribute.

So as an information awareness tool and gathering tool, online social networking has real benefits. Particularly product search and product help is a definite positive of online social networking.

For example, obtaining very quick recommendations for a service or product via twitter or Facebook can result very quickly, and if you receive 15 recommendations for the one service (for example, a restaurant), then you probably have had your choice made for you.

Sometimes participants felt that they have had quicker and better responses online to problems with products, although this varied between organisations.

We did consider though whether there may be a ‘regression to the mean’ in relation to how companies deal with issues raised through social media.

It may soon be only those Facebook posts with 300 likes that get a company’s attention, and then later only posts with 1,000 likes. Eventually, the extra resource expended on customer monitoring on online social networking will become part of ‘business as usual’ and the response will return to long-term trends.

Unlike a phone call or a letter, however, we did note that, with online social networking, complaints and discussions take place in a public place. For that reason organisations will likely place a higher priority on that for some time to come.

We recognised that online social networking is another channel, and this complicates our communication channels. The world is more complex than a PO Box and a phone, and this complexity means that agencies need to respond. Unfortunately, the ‘simple’ world of the past has most likely disappeared.

In twenty years’ time, online social networking will continue on, it will be the new norm. But new technologies will be developed, and the technologies will mature.

The need to critically appraise the information and comments made on online social networking by users is important. People need to assess quickly the credibility of the source making the comment, and also consider the number and sources of information. There are trolls on the internet but there are self-correcting mechanisms to filter these things out. It is an ‘ongoing war’ and the ‘wisdom of the crowds’ can help with this. Nevertheless, this takes time and effort to sort through the ‘chaff’, and some ‘walled off’ communities can be credible resources.

For example, LinkedIn makes a considerable effort to ensure the credibility of participants in conversations through moderated membership of groups.

Government agencies can use online social networking to access the communities that they deal with. Facebook pages, for example, allow an agency to talk one on one with their community, and obtain immediacy in their response.

This capability is used to varying effect. Some agencies have had fairly aggressive relationships with their communities whereas others have had more positive experiences. Monitoring online social networking can be used to provide information for policy development, particularly with respect to the targeted communities.

For example, overall the Queensland Police Service presence on Facebook has been considered a major success in their sometimes-difficult dealings with the public. This was a focussed and strategic use of social media.

Brand recognition on twitter and the maintenance of the brand is important. However, you have to understand the risks and mitigate the risks – you have many more stakeholders. Brand recognition will be important for agencies that need to self-promote to obtain their funding.

Targeted delivery of information via online social networking can be more effective, as well. For example, Generation Y (or perhaps the younger Generation X) that are heavily into social media can be accessed through social media rather than the traditional media. Engagement through traditional media may be diminishing.

Social media is just another channel to communicate; whereas people from one generation might write a letter to the editor, those from another generation might tweet about the issue or use activist sites such as ‘GetUp!’.

As generational change happens, agencies and organisations will need to educate and adapt to meet the needs of their communities.

There are opportunities to keep in touch with organisational alumni – particularly for the recruitment of new staff – but unfortunately not much is being done in this area at the moment. There is a lot of untapped potential there.

Concluding thoughts

People are still not entirely sure of online social networking, and whether its risks are worthwhile. Some benefits can be obtained by using online social networking in the public sector, but by no means has it been universally adopted.

Participants felt that the public sector is definitely lagging behind in the use of online social networking compared to the private sector. As generational change occurs, particularly for health, change will be needed.

Although our discussion centred on risks, several themes did emerge, including:

• More understanding of what online social networking is is still needed.
• User awareness of the risks of participating in online social networking still needs to mature.
• Agency communities (for example, QPS Media on Facebook) can increase community engagement, but they might just as equally cause difficulties with the community.
• Maturity will reduce this complexity, and as the novelty diminishes the tools will be embedded.
• Targeted delivery via online social networking of information can be more effective and engaging than traditional media.
• Informing policy response via community engagement can be particularly helpful for public sector agencies.

In the long term, the world has changed to be more complex.

Overall the discussion was lively and the risks and benefits were debated intelligently and in an informed way. Online social networking clearly has a long way to go in terms of maturing across the public sector, but the potential perhaps can be summarised as ‘promising, but beware the risks!’