Hardware and Software

Storage

 

Magnetic Disks – A company needs to protect its data and systems by backing up their work. Choosing a backup that provides fast retrieval is key for the company to respond quickly when data is needed. Magnetic disks will provide the company security of not losing their value information. This second storage will be easy for a small company.

 

Input Device

 

Digital Camera – moving into the mobile arena means the need for more pictures. People are move responsive to a visual than just words. Goes back to basic marketing that a picture is worth a 1000 words.

 

Output Device

 

Digital Audio Player – the advancement in this device will make is invaluable for a small company to move into integrating mobile technology into their organization. The ability to show a client the information right on the spot will be invaluable. These devices are so powerful and so manageable that each sales person will need their own.

 

Software

 

Personal Application software – Software Suite – a company needs to stay with the software up grades to stay competitive. With the need to continually update the sales force products they use to sell, the Microsoft Office Suite is a must. This will aid in the use of the digital pictures and the displaying of the product for sale at the customer location. It can also be used to show examples in a spread sheet of the effect of the product/service on customers who are already clients.

 

Workgroup Application software – Microsoft Office 365 – This software will provide the needed access for the company personnel to access the programs no matter where they are working. This will give them access to their Outlook and calendars can be coordinated when necessary. And internal emails can be used to keep everyone aware of activities.

T1. 5 Monitoring Social Networks

I am a new business owner of a local bar/restaurant in my town. We cater to all age groups and all types of people. Our main objective is to make awareness of our bar and to get our name out. We are going to promote all of our different specials and “theme” nights through Facebook, Twitter, Myspace and Four Square.

Through using Facebook we want people to become fans of our page and to “like” us. By doing this it will give us a way to communicate with them and let them know all the things going on at the bar. We also will run contests through our page for various prizes, which in turn will help us to get more business. We will also encourage all of our customers to “check-in” while at our bar, this way it can show who is there and we can capture their info if they are not going thru our Facebook yet. 

With Twitter being a more short sentences and posts, we will use it as friendly reminders as to what is going on that day at the bar. Such as “Monday- All you can eat wing night $10.95!! Come enjoy Monday Night Football!” or “Thirsty Thursday!! Karaoke all night, sing your heart out while you enjoy $2.00 drafts all night!!” Short posts and friendly reminders will help to promote our business and raise awareness to everything that is happening at the bar that day/night.

We will use Myspace to connect more with bands and artists. It will help us attract good bands or artists to come perform live at the bar. By doing so we hope that people who follow the band closely will come and watch them perform and enjoy their time out, to the point where they want to come back again with or without the band.

Social Network is the key to spreading the word and getting the awareness of my new bar out into the surrounding areas to draw the business. Utilizing each in its own special way will be the key to success.

T1.4 General System Concepts

Chapter 1 took the straight approach to spelling out the various types of system software available today. I believe the largest growth will be in the e-commerce or m-commerce areas in the business information systems. By definition, “E-commerce (electronic commerce or EC) is the buying and selling of goods and services on the Internet, especially the World Wide Web. In practice, this term and a newer term, e-business, are often used interchangeably. For online retail selling, the term e-tailing is sometimes used.” (1) Bottom line, all Information Systems collect data, process or manipulate the data so that the end result is information that can be used to accomplish the tasks at hand. The value of this information is totally dependent on how this information helps or effects the decisions being made when using the info. The ability to buy something for your company through use of emails and electronic transfers of information has exploded. No longer is it just limited to between companies, it is now available for business to business, business to consumers, and consumers to consumers.

Today businesses have taken that ability to electronically process orders thru the computer and even a mobile phone and exploded it. They have created ways to gather information – process an order – confirm payment – verify shipping – and collect all the data on you to make you a customer and retain your loyalty. The e-commerce is being used on the Internet by every company that has anything to sell. And now they are adding the m-commerce because our mobile phones are becoming so intelligent. “This impact will only grow as mobile technology, social networking, interactive television and other forms of addressable messaging take hold, and as the generation embracing these technologies becomes tomorrow’s adult consuming populace.” (2)

The concept of e-commerce is all about using the Internet to do business better and faster. It is about giving customers controlled access to your computer system and letting people “serve” themselves. The Internet is like how the phone use to be, a way to communicate to each other. Only now it is without a human being involved. And at the same time you are providing a service to people, you are gathering the necessary data to turn into value information to build and grow your business. This is where the other Information Systems come into play and are needed for your organization to grow: management information systems, MIS; decision support systems, DSS transaction processing systems, TPS; knowledge management systems, KMS.

Below are 2 pictures I copied from the search I did on e-commerce. The one is a clear picture of how e-commerce chain of events is laid out. The other is a representation of how a website – storefront – can process a credit card towards a purchase. As I stated in the first writing, Market America has all of this built into their e-commerce part of the website. They have gone even further and offer you the ability to get cash back on items you buy thru their site to hundreds of store you shop at now. So they are a one stop shopping for 100’s of other stores who have their own e-commerce. E-commerce is here to stay. The unknown is where it will take us tomorrow.

Example of E-Commerce (3)

Example of credit card processing (3)

1 http://searchcio.techtarget.com/definition/e-commerce

2 2 http://www.spencerstuart.com/practices/ecommerce/

3 http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=picture+of+E-Commerce+process&qpvt=picture+of+E-Commerce+process&FORM=IGRE

Week 1. Task 2

As a full time student who works part time in various jobs, I have not been exposed to the business world yet. I do use the computer a lot to do various applications such as paying bills, search for items and answers, and buying items online. So for this assignment I will talk about e-commerce and the effect it has on companies who have turned to using it.

I am involved with an online company called Market America. They started as a small company of people who came up with several products and started to sell door to door, person to person and so on. Today they are one of the leading online retailers in the country. They discovered beyond one on one and took their website to a level that have been talked about on the heels of Amazon.com. Market America started with the people and telecommunications, using the telephone to set up appointments and take orders. Their data was simple, name, address, phone number, and product, but the process to collect and organize the information didn't exist. Then the accuracy of orders, the timeliness of getting the order to headquarters to be filled became a major hurdle that needed to be addressed in order to grow.

Market America needed a ordering system that provided flexibility to be used around the world and was reliable and secure. Their initial software was good but through feedback of users has become a slick user friendly site. Market America realized that the input of data, customers information and their orders, was critical to growth. So they took their e-commerce system added speed, ease, cash-back value, reliable and overall accessibility. Today Market America is growing at a rate faster than Amazon.com did. Their e-commerce is also m-commerce with a cash-back program equal to the big credit card companies and far more diversified. To see more log onto www.marketamerica.com/pjsplace.