Technical Description of Exadata x3-2 - Essay Example

Information technology Introduction Information technology defines a set of applications that use computer or computer based appliances for data management and use. Its scope involves collection of data, storage of the collected data, retrieval of data, data transmission, and data analysis. This wide scope has identified emergence of information technology as a tool for diversified applications in different industries. Statisticians, for example, use information technology in surveys and forecasts to identify and explain trends in data. Information technology is similarly applied in medical set ups to visualize and communicate processes for monitoring patients’ conditions and for conducting tests. A major application of information technology is however in business industry in which it has diversified applications such as visual monitoring of people, and processes in a manufacturing enterprise, and online research for customer relations management. One of the most recent technologies in business applications is the Oracle’s Exadata x3-2 that I wish to discuss in this paper. I explore the technology’s technical description and its business impacts. Technical description of Exadata x3-2 Exadata x3-2 is one of the recently developed Information Technology applications for managing online transactions. It was developed as an improvement to available data analysis and administration applications, and some of its major characteristics include advanced scope of information processing, and security of databases. Its features identify the technology’s technical description from three perspectives; how it works, what it does, and why it does the tasks (Oracle, 1). How EXADATA x3-2 works The technology works through an integrated system of software and hardware that processes, and communicates data. Like other analytical applications, stores and evaluates data to responds to prompted queries. (Oracle, 1). What Exadata x3-2 The technology offers a high-level security, “high availability, and scalability” of data and offers more opportunities for deriving benefits from Oracle system (Oracle, 1). It also responds to prompted query in its information extraction and processing. The technology’s efficiency also ensures faster response to prompts. It further compresses data and therefore economizes storage space and cost besides facilitating data backup. Lastly, the technology facilitates linkage of databases (Oracle, 1). Why Exadata x3-2 works Exadata x3-2 has been successful because of its features that meet technological demand in the market, and which establishes it among alternative technologies. This has led to its successful launch and identifies the intensive input that was applied in generating the technology’s main features. One of the reasons for the technology’s success is its better capacity to handle bulky data and within shorter durations, a factor that has identified efficiency and has made it a choice among consumers. The technology also works because of its level of security and its ability to expand its capacity. It similarly works because of its ability to link different databases and therefore offer wide based services. The technology has also been successful because its ability compress data that therefore conserves storage space and cost (Oracle, 1). Business effects of Exadata x3-2 The analytical aspects of Exadata x3-2 offers diversified benefits to business organizations. An organization in a banking industry can illustrate the benefits of Exadata x3-2 through applications in different departments to facilitate decision-making. Some of the departments that benefit from the technology are customer relations department, sales department, human resource department, quality assurance department, and production department. Impacts on customer relationship management Customer relationship management is one of the areas in which Exadata x3-2 affects a banking organization. The scope of the management involves exploration of customers’ information to identify customers with greater impacts on demand for the organization’s products and to establish and maintain links with them. It therefore relies on collected data on the customers for analysis to identify both the customers’ needs and factors that can meet those needs. Analysis that is facilitated by the technology’s database empowers the department to understand changes in the market for immediate responses. Similarly, the technology’s interlinked database and compressed data system avails sufficient amount of data for the department’s required analytics for informed decisions. These identify the technology’s impacts of improving efficiency and effectiveness of customer relationship management to meet customers’ needs (Dua, Sahni and Goyal, 102; Oracle, 1). Impacts on sales promotion initiatives Exadata x3-2 also offers positive impacts on a business’ marketing scope through its database that facilitates analytical role of marketing research. Marketing focuses on two major utility elements of customers, the comparative relationship between cost of offered commodities and the derivable benefits from the commodities, and the relationship between the value of an organization’s product and values of competitors’ alternative products, and an efficient analysis tool is a necessity. The scope of Exadata x3-2 offers comprehensive data and therefore facilitates these understandings by offering an efficient basis for analysis. (Churchill and Lacobucci, 3, 4; Doole and Lowe, 104; Oracle, 1). Impacts on Human resource management Similarly, the technology influences effectiveness of human resource management by offering data on employee’s online operations such as reporting and departure times as well as number and frequency of completed tasks on an organization’s online system. It therefore facilitates identification of significant factors to human resource performance through availing the required data for analysis. The technology’s ability to secure its database also enhances an organization’s ability to protect employees’ private information, a factor that encourages confidence and loyalty towards effective human resource management. The confidentiality aspect also enhances customers’ confidence in employees and the developed image can motivate employees to better service delivery (Boella and Tuner, 219; Oracle, 1). Impacts on quality management and process evaluation The technology’s database further facilitates monitoring and evaluation of service delivery processes, and quality of products in a manufacturing set up. It therefore empowers the management to detect compromised efficiencies in service delivery for managerial actions. It similarly facilitates close evaluation of processes for optimum levels (Montgomery and Runger, 637-642; Oracle, 1). Conclusion Exadata x3-2 is one of the newly introduced technologies in the business environment. The technology has diversified potentials that provide a comprehensive and compressed database for an organization’s analysis towards managerial decisions. Its potentials identify its benefits to different aspects of business management in which it aides analysis of information for informed and timely decision-making. Works cited Boella, Michael, and Tuner, Steven. Human resource management in the hospitality industry. Burlington, MA: Routledge, 2005. Print. Churchill, Gilbert, and Lacobucci, Dawn. Marketing research: Methodological foundations. Mason, OH: Cengage Learning, 2009. Print. Doole, Isobel, and Lowe, Robin. International marketing strategy: Analysis and implementation. London, UK: Cengage Learning EMEA, 2008. Print. Dua, Sumeet, Sahni, Sartaj, and Goyal, D. Information intelligence, systems, technology and management: 5th International Conference, ICISTM 2011, Gurgaon, India, March 10-12, 2011. Proceedings. Ruston, LA: Springer, 2011. Print. Montgomery, Douglas, and Runger, George. Applied statistics and probability for engineers. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2010. Print. Oracle. Oracle Exadata database machine x3-2. Oracle. Retrieved from: http://www.oracle.com/us/products/database/exadata/database-machine-x3-2/overview/index.html. Read More