Information Technology in Business: Effectiveness of Online Training - Research Paper Example

New opportunities for training and learning are available to all members of the company and industry that uses information technology to provide online training. Regardless of where a person lives, what time zone they live in, and his or her financial concerns, he or she can access new ways of training, along with traditional ways of training or in collaboration with traditional training methods. In other words, training opportunities are not limited to an office or a conference room in a certain city or country.

Company staff and members of a trade association can get training and continuing education at their convenience. This is an advantage that gives businesses and companies an extension and additional benefits that is beneficial for all because time and money are saved and members, or users of the online training, can work at a pace that is comfortable for them. By using the Internet, trade associations can offer so much for their members and to local and non-local communities.The trade association that will be the focus of this study is the Wi-Fi Alliance.

This non-profit alliance has over 250 members and was formed when by industry leaders who wanted to adopt standards for the high-speed wireless Internet network industry that would be accepted worldwide. The alliance strives to provide users of Wi-Fi, whether a home user or a corporate CEO, information that is necessary in order to make important decisions regarding Wi-Fi systems. They also test and provide certification for the compatibility of wireless devices. They have certified over 2,800 products.

"As Wi-Fi networks continue to expand through businesses, homes, and now public hotspots that provide wireless access locations for people on the go, compatibility is critical. At the Wi-Fi Alliance, we develop universal specifications and follow through with rigorous testing and Wi-Fi certification of wireless devices. The end result leads to the confidence that both home and enterprise users need to continue to embrace Wi-FiAs the market continues to evolve, so will our efforts. We will continue to test and certify the compatibility of Wi-Fi devices, we will take the lead in initiatives designed to enhance and simplify the user experience, we will provide thought leadership and up-to-date information, and we will continue to promote the standards that reduce costs - all in hopes of helping what was once a futuristic vision of Wi-Fi become a full-fledged reality," reports Wi-Fi Alliance (2006).

The Wi-Fi Alliance, along with other trade associations and businesses, can now employ the World Wide Web and the Internet to train its members and staff. Traditional training such as learning from an instructor in the conference or meeting room can now be applied by the Internet, computer-based training, and various methods delivered by technology and modified as traditional learning is limited. The pace is set by the instructor or trainer. The location, time, timeframe, and method are preset and limited.

Training via the Internet eliminates these boundaries and limits. In other words, a new way of doing an old thing is what the Internet has provided.