The topic which was of great interest to me in Chapter 12 was virtualization. It is defined as the framework of dividing the resources of a computer into multiple execution environments. Virtualization software allows IT managers to easily pack multiple programs on a single machine and move programs from one computer to another in a quick hurry to make the most of a group of servers. This significantly reduces energy use because fewer servers are needed. Virtualization software has been used for several years on mainframe computers, but it only became popular on PC servers recently. Virtualization software will allow companies to safe energy and run their business more efficiently. According to Computerworld, over the past three years, Fortune 1,000 companies have on average seen their data grow from 190TB to 1 petabyte (1 million gigabytes), and data at America’s 9,000 midsize companies has grown from 2TB to 100TB during the period, according to a user study due out at the end of March 6, 2007. In all the world has seen the amount of data grow from 5 Exabytes (5 billion gigabytes) in 2003 to 161 Exabytes in 2006, according to another study by IDC that came out in March 2007. The world’s storage systems can no longer store all of the data being created. In the year 2007 the amount of information created and replicated (255 Exabytes) will surpass, for the first time, the storage capacity available (246 Exabytes), IDC said. Over the next three years, the world’s data will increase six fold annually and bring the total content count to 988 Exabytes by 2010, while there will only be about 600 Exabytes of capacity on storage systems, according to IDC’s study, which was sponsored by data storage vendor EMC Corp. See how Dell conserves power and money now and in the future.
Baltzan & Phillips. (2009). P 455. Mearian, L. A zettabyte by 2010: Corporate data grows fiftyfold in three years. Worldwide storage systems are outpaced by data growth. Retrieved from: http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/print/9012364/A_zetta Mearian, L. p 1
Dell Efficient Data. Retrieved from: http://www.dellenterprise.com/goto/edc/efficient-data-center2.aspx?tab=poweredge
Chap 7
I found an interesting article on iPod touch. It is interesting because it tells what the latest technology is in regards to Wi-Fi and I also learn that there is an icon which is associated with it, a small dot with three half-moon bars. The article is interest to Chapter seven in Baltzan & Phillips in that it shows how wireless technologies can be used in business and school. The iPod touch has built-in support for 802.1 1b/g wireless technology. Which means you can get online anywhere there’s Wi-Fi. You can send emails from a coffee shop, or you can surf the web at the airport. You can even shop for games from your living room. If you choose you can browse, buy, and download music and more from the iTunes Store. IPod touch locates nearby wireless hotspots, including protected networks. Say for example if you have never used the certain network before it will ask you to enter a password for the first time, thereafter the system will remember your password. The next time you’re within range the Wi-Fi will connect automatically. It really sounds like a great investment for anyone because the price of the iPod ranges from $199 to $299 and finally $399. You can store 1,750 songs on the lower price iPod and it can display 10 hours of video, 10,000 photos, up to 30 hours of music playback and it is equipped with Bluetooth. Bluetooth is a form of wireless technology that lets you use devices without the hassle of cables or wires. You can use iPod touch with Bluetooth headphones and listen to your music no matter where in the room your iPod touch is. The size of the small keyboard might be a challenge to me but it certainly is great technology. (http://www.apple.com/ipodtouch/features/technology.html p 1)
Chap 11
For Boeing, the 787 Dreamliner, with its radical lightweight design represents far more than a potentially juicy profit stream. Made from carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic, the aircraft is supposed to be the symbol of new Boeing – a visionary company that has transcended its recent ethical scandals, designed the most innovative commercial plan ever, and devised the most sophisticated manufacturing process in history to produce the aircraft. Crucial deadlines loom, Business Week has learned that Boeing’s engineers are wrestling with several significant technical and production problems that could threaten the schedule 2008 delivery of the jetliner. Boeing has left itself with little margin for error, the wide-ranging series of glitches could create a domino effect if they aren’t resolved quickly. The worst news is the fuselage section of the big multi-part cylindrical barrel that encompasses the passenger seating area has failed in company testing. The bad news on the fuselage will force Boeing to make more sections than planned, and to reexamine quality and safety concerns. What should have Boeing done from the onset was to outsource its project. Reasons that Companies Outsource are 1) Core competencies. Many companies have recently begun to consider outsourcing as a means to fuel revenue growth rather than just a cost-cutting measure. Outsourcing enables an organization to maintain an up-to-date technology infrastructure while freeing it to focus on revenue growth goals by reinvesting cash and human capital in areas offering the greatest return on investment. 2) Financial savings. It is typically cheaper to hire workers in China and India than similar workers in the United States. Technology is advancing at such an accelerated rate that companies often lack the resources, workforce, or expertise to keep up.
BusinessWeek. (June 19, 2006). The 787 Encounters Turbulence. News Analysis & Commentary. Retrieved from: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_25/b3989049.htm Baltzan, P & Phillips, A. (2009). Business Driven Information Systems. Systems Development and Project Management. P 11.
Chap 10 IS Microsoft Dynamics is new supply chain management software which allows the sales department to make ad hoc reports, access their dashboard of prior reports on the customer, check on the revenue generated from customers and do forecast. It is important to keep your customer happy, sales associates set realistic customer expectations and provide them with the information they need to make informed buying decisions to ensure satisfaction while managing costs. The sales department must make sure that their products and services meet customer expectations today and in the future. Business information, reports, and investigative tools provided in Microsoft Dynamics help you establish and maintain a ready for action advantage. A company must have the latest information on order status or line-item details directly into e-mail or word processing programs, so employees can help keep the supply chain flowing without switching between intricate applications or having to track down information. Once a company integrates Microsoft Dynamics with portal technology, you can offer collaborative business capabilities in a secure manner to individuals inside and outside your organization. The procurement process time can be shorten because outside organization can determine what items they are looking to purchase and buy them. Microsoft Dynamics solutions give business a cost-effective way to integrate supply chain management with radio frequency identification (RFID) technology so you can engage effectively even with the largest customers and suppliers. Giving your employees access to real-time information about inventory can help you improve customer relations, and at the same time boost productivity. With Microsoft Dynamics, they can access the latest information about price and product specifications (http://www.microsoft.com/dynamics/en/us/supply-chain.aspx).
I found this article very interesting because it talked about the U.S. Governments inability or unwillingness to have an operable searchable database. Working for the state of California I found the same issues to be true in that the state acted as if it could not develop an ease running database that would allow its employees to readily do their jobs. We’ve already learnt that data is so exponential that we must have Information Technology to helps us make sense of the data. The article which I found on Wired.com is interesting because it relates to what I have read in chapter six about t he need for a data warehouse having a logical collection of information. A data mart contains a subset of data warehouse information. If the government warehouse for which I worked would have had such a model my job as a Material Distribution Manager would have been a dream. It’s so unfair for employees, managers and any outside customer’s to have to deal with poorly designed and piecemeal electronic warehouses. My main problem was that the state failed to use an accurate ease-to-use system and it caused the backorders to increase and money to be spent elsewhere. When you deal with a large warehouse databases it important to know what merchandise is needed for internal customers, employees such as gloves needed to work on the hot asphalt. Your budget must be accurate so that you know what you can afford to purchase and how you must prioritize in spending. Another point is that you must know what outdated items that are left in your warehouse that you must write-off at the end of the fiscal year. Finally if a database is an accurate and clean database in regards to customer names, addresses and billing invoices it saves the finance department money. (http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2007/03/government_spen/)
Chapter 5
Ryan Singel wrote an article dated July 8, 2009 stating that Google was introducing a new operating system called Google chrome. It will be an open-source PC-operating system will compete with Microsoft. Open source software is developed as a public collaboration and made freely available. Makers of proprietary software such as Microsoft generally do not make open source software available. Information is shared freely between different systems with open systems and is less expensive. Chrome OS will be a lightweight, quick-starting operating system whose main job is to support Google’s Chrome browser. The web will be the computer’s default system and applications will run mainly inside the browser. Singel explains that the data will be stored remotely and information processing will occur in a short period of time between a browser and remote servers. My question is if the servers are remote will the backup system allow all the information on my PC to be restored? An operating system should allow users to receive email promptly and browsers should start up quickly. However, can Google deliver on its promise? No user is happy to continually use patches or updates as Microsoft sends out to their users. The webmail with Gmail’s speed will have a capacity of over 7GB (p. 1). In addition it has a free online word processing and spreadsheet software, and online photo sharing services but can these applications perform like Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel? Speed, simplicity and security are the key aspects of Google Chrome OS. Google is going to completely revamp the security architecture of the OS so that users don’t have to deal with viruses, malware and security updates. Chrome Os comes at a time when Windows 7 just came out on the market to cover up for Windows Vista poor reviews. If Google can produce a fast and easy to use operating system which eliminates patches why would anyone continue to buy Microsoft OS? Single, R. (2009). Wired: Announces PC Operating System to Compete with Windows Web site: http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2009/07/google-announces-pc-operating-system-to-compete-with-windows/comment-page-2/
Chapter 9 IS Data mining is interesting because large amounts of a company’s data mining techniques are becoming outdated due to the quantity, speed and difficulty of the data which must be processed. A new and improved method must be created to protect the system against the criminal. I remember working in the drivers’ license and identification department as well as vehicle registration department many years ago and the amount of legal information, penal and civil code information which an employee was required to know was massive. It was almost twenty years ago that upon issuing a driver license or identification card a Social Security card was requested by the State of California. However illegal producers of Social Security cards were abundant and pretty accurate in duplicating a card. In todays modern data mining world where huge amounts of company’s information must be placed in a database, the techniques for detecting fraud and serious crime against this data is becoming outdated. The criminals seem to stay one step behind the legal system at times and it appears to be approaching a ceiling in regards to preventing theft and crime. The business of today must use cross-references data from multiple sources to detect patterns of links that indicate organized criminal networks. Smarter more collaborative human-machine approaches obtain understanding with today’s fast moving security threats more quickly. The machine must be programmed with Artificial Intelligence (AI) so that it continues to think and calculates the many ways to make a decision that would prevent any theft and or fraud (http://bx.businessweek.com/data-crunching-numerati/view7.html). Wherefore we are dealing with massive or tremendous amounts of information and social fraud, more human-machine approaches might be a helpful idea
Chapter 4 IS
Americans are always trying to be responsible, however identity theft is responsible for a greater percentage of financial ruin. Hackers are applying for credit cards and loans in victim’s name at an increasing rate. Authentication is a method for confirming user’s identities. If authentication is established then the access privileges’ for that customer can be established. An article by Hadley Leggett indicates that the social security number should not be used for authentication because it can be easily searched for by online hackers and credit cards and loans can be taken out in victim’s names. Social Security numbers and birth dates showed distinct patterns in how the numbers are assigned. Computer scientists from Carnegie Mellon University analyzed a public data set called the “Death Master File,” which contains Social Security numbers and birth information of people who have died. In most cases just by knowing the date and state of birth the social security could be determined. Privacy expert, Alessandro Acquisti, co-author of the study published Monday in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The information which was used was publicly available information which is why the results are valuable. In just two attempts, the researchers correctly guessed the first five digits of Social Security numbers of sixty percent of deceased Americans born between 1989 and 2003. With only 1,000 tries the scientists identified nine digits for 8.5 percent of the group (Leggett, Hadley, July, 6, 2009, p.2). It takes only a few steps to make a numerical prediction about a person’s Social Security number and verify the correct number. Using a process called tumbling hackers can take advantage of instant online credit approval services or even Social Security Administration’s database testing numbers until they find the right one. The good news about the scientist’s research is that they left out a few key details about their documentation before making their research public. Afterwards a full report was given to the government so that the identity thieves could not utilize all of the findings. Your Social Security number is supposed to be top secret, but your bank has it, your insurance company has it, even your medical doctor has it. It has been suggested by law expert, Chris Hoofnagle of the University of California, Berkeley, that we should stop trying to protect the secrecy of the SSN and just publish all of them to prevent their use as authentication. (http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/07. Social Security Numbers Deduced From Public Data. Leggett, Hadley, July 6, 2009, p.1-3).
Chapter 3 Amazon.com has always been known as the largest online bookstore however a competitor Google has just joined the competition. Google is also is know as the known very competitive search engine. Looking at Porter’s Five Forces Model it is evident that Amazon.Com is facing the threat of substitute products or services, threat of new entrants, and also rivalry among existing competitors (Baltzan & Phillips, 2009, Identifying competitive advantages, p.21). Google Book Search already allows users to read excerpts of up to 20% of selected books whereas Amazon.com allows the user to read only the first chapter. Google in the future will allow the reader to read the whole book online by using a reading device including moble phones (http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2009/06/google-books/). Amazon.com already has copyrightprotection in place has no problem with allowing customers to read certain books online. Google must determine whether users will be able to download the books or be limited to reading them through a Google-controlled web interface. Publisher must determine if the buying public will pay more than $10 per e-book. Amazon.com must expand promptly in offering e-books on as many devices as possible, to offer downloadable e-books in a more open (more copyable) format, or to reduce prices to compete with Google. A Google book-sales program spells rivalry with Amazon.com. Google will have access to many more potential customers of Amazon.com’s Kindle program. Google will be able to offer many related e-books to Amazon.com’s millions of customers. The competition will be fierce in the e-book market between Amazon.com and Google.
chpt 2 IS
Tea drinkers love to have a particular temperature for their tea, and what easier way to achieve perfection than to dial the exact temperature you enjoy. There is a new and improved invention called Chef’s Choice SmartKettle Model 688. In the past if you wanted a nice hot cup of tea it was difficult to gauge the precise time to boil water without burning or scorching yourself. The art of making a nice cup of tea has been made simple. You simply set the temperature on the unit’s front panel to say 185 degrees F with a maximum of 1.5 quarts of water and wait about five minutes. This kettle also takes up very little kitchen space as opposed to the traditional tea kettles and is very attractive. The Business Process Management (BPM) has helped the organization known as Chef’s Choice by updating the process of heating water for tea more effectively. The tools to measure performance are the fill bar behind the handle, which lets you know how much water remains in the resevoir. Also if the kettle does not reach its temperature in 20 minutes the kettle will shut off. In the event the kettle is lifted from it’s stand then the heating element will turn off. The precision of this tea kettle counts if you really like your tea served at a certain temperature and offers safety as well.
Lasky, Michael S, (June 22, 2009). Chef’s Choice SmartKettle Model 688. High-Tech Tea Kettle Serves Up Precision Heating. http//wired.com/reviews/product/pr_0622_teakettle.
Chapter 3 Amazon.com has always been known as the largest online bookstore however a competitor Google has just joined the competition. Google is also is know as the known very competitive search engine. Looking at Porter’s Five Forces Model it is evident that Amazon.Com is facing the threat of substitute products or services, threat of new entrants, and also rivalry among existing competitors <em>(Baltzan & Phillips, 2009, Identifying competitive advantages, p.21). </em> Google Book Search already allows users to read excerpts of up to 20% of selected books whereas Amazon.com allows the user to read only the first chapter. Google in the future will allow the reader to read the whole book online by using a reading device including moble phones (<a href=”http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2009/06/google-books/”>http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2009/06/google-books/</a>). Amazon.com already has copyrightprotection in place has no problem with allowing customers to read certain books online. Google must determine whether users will be able to download the books or be limited to reading them through a Google-controlled web interface. Publisher must determine if the buying public will pay more than $10 per e-book. Amazon.com must expand promptly in offering e-books on as many devices as possible, to offer downloadable e-books in a more open (more copyable) format, or to reduce prices to compete with Google. A Google book-sales program spells rivalry with Amazon.com. Google will have access to many more potential customers of Amazon.com’s Kindle program. Google will be able to offer many related e-books to Amazon.com’s millions of customers. The competition will be fierce in the e-book market between Amazon.com and Google.
Delivery of a firm to provide consistent and fast delivery allows it to charge premium price for its products or service. If you’re business is known for its good customer relations, then its data mining and business intelligence operations need to remain strong (http://www.deloitte.com/view).
Flexibility is the ability of a company to offer a wide variety of products to its customers. A company that has products or services that are ready to be sent to the market must be careful not to trim so close the bone. Some services can be reduced some services cannot because doing so would hurt your business. In earlier chapters in Baltzan & Phillips,Business Driven,Information Systems,2009, p 7, Information Technology(IT)is defined as the key to helping a business make helpful decisions with all the expotential information which it is given.
Service is a competitive priority it can add tremendous value to an ordinary product or service. If your reputation is built on improvement, it’s unwise to destroy support for research and development (R&D) or engineering.
