The Skills in Computer Engineering - Assignment Example

Information Systems Questions Name Institution Course Date 1. The technical, business and system competencies that information system personnel should possess The information system personnel should possess several skills in the information technology in order to fully serve in their capacity. Management information system is one of the business competencies that the personnel should possess. This involves the aspects of managing the issues related to the information system. The management skills will enable them work with the other personnel in the information system department. On the other hand, the management skills will assist the personnel in terms of carrying out their duties whenever they are in charge of the department (Blackmore, et al, 2010). The management skills are also important in terms of decision making. The knowledge of customer care is also a business competence that the personnel should possess. This will enable them to interact with the customers appropriately. The customer care skills determine the success of a business. In most instances, the information system personnel have to interact with the customers. The skills are thus important in terms of ensuring that the customers are satisfied and hence their trust on the business. The customers can only trust the business when their needs are taken care of. This can only be achieved through the proper customer care skills. The technical competencies are also important and determine the expertise of the personnel in the information system management. The skills in the computer engineering are one of the technical aspects that the information system personnel should possess. The skills should enable the personnel to deal with repair and maintenance of the system. The management of the software can also be achieved through the possession of the technical skills. The technical skills enable the personnel to handle any practical operations with regard to the operations and maintenance of the system. Information technology personnel should be able to install and uninstall programs in the system as well as ensure the proper functioning of the system. 2. Management Information System, Knowledge management System, Customer Relationship Management system and Supply chain management system The management information system provides information required by the organization for the purpose of operating efficiently. It also provides the mechanism for the management of individuals and teams within an organization. Proper documentation and design of procedures are also achieved through the process and hence improving the decision making process. This has improved efficiency in the operations by acting as a communication and planning tool in a company. The knowledge management comprises of the strategies that are used by an organization to identify and enhance knowledge within an organization. This is for the purpose of enhancing the performance of the company by utilizing the existing knowledge and taking measures to add more knowledgeable personnel. The knowledge sharing within the organization is also enhanced through the process. Knowledge management is used for the purpose of enhancing the performance of an organization through improving efficiency. It plays an important role in promoting innovation within an organization. Customer relationship systems on the other hand are the measures that are put in place to ensure that the customers receive quality services. This includes responding to any issue that the customers raises. Setting up a customer care department is always used to ensure that the good relationship with the customers is developed. The customer relationship management system has benefited the organizations by ensuring that the customers are retained as well as new ones are attracted. The process increases the trust of the customers and hence increasing the profitability of the company. The supply chain management system involves a competitive strategy for ensuring that the customers and the supplier’s response time are improved for the purpose of satisfying the demand. This process is important in terms of eliminating any inconveniencies and delays in the delivery of goods and services. The use of the system to monitor the process also increases the efficiency of the supply chain (Li, et al, 2012). 3. Cloud Computing Cloud computing involves the use of the computing resources in a location through the use of the internet. The computing resources involve the hardware and the software. The data is usually stored in a remote server and hence enabling the organizations of individuals to access the data from a remote location. The use of cloud computing eliminates the need for an organization to set up an information technology infrastructure (Zaharia, et al, 2010). This is because of the storage of the data in a remote server. The speed of the operations is enhanced through the use of cloud computing and hence improving efficiency within the organization. The concepts are easy to use and hence its convenience to the employees of an organization. The cost of maintenance is eliminated for an organization and hence reducing the operational costs. This is because the cloud providers are responsible for the maintenance of the infrastructure. Software as a service is applicable during the operations of the company when using the cloud computing. This is also one of the most important characteristics of cloud computing. The cost of using the software is low as it is priced depending on the use. Before an organization decides to use the system, it is important to consider the nature of the information. This is because the information is stored in the server of the cloud provider and hence the risk of unauthorized access. An organization should also consider costs when selecting the cloud computing service. If the company does not have adequate cost to set up a technological infrastructure, it can utilize the cloud computing. The use of platform as a service can be utilized by individuals. It is also possible for the individuals use the software as a service and hence improving the efficiency of the operations. 4. Technologies and issues seem to be current hot at the moment The instant messaging offered by Black Berry is one of the hot issues with regard to technology at the moment. This came after the chief executive officer of Black Berry made the announcement. This would benefit the users of Android and iphone users. According to Information week, (2013), the services will be enjoyed free of charge and hence is benefit to the users. However, this technological advancement left out some of the users in the technological field. This latest technological improvement left out the windows phone users. This latest technological advancement is set to reduce the costs for the users who will benefit from the service. This issue has led to views from many participants in the technological sector. Some have applauded the move while others have not. Another hot issue in the technological field is the changes that are set to take place in windows. Windows 8 is set to be upgraded to windows 8.1. This is a change from the earlier strategy where the new windows would have called blue. The company admitted that windows 8 were not efficient enough and it was forced to the users. The new version is thus set to bring changes in the scene. It is set to be more efficient as compared to windows 8. The changes have come at a time when the use of the personal computers is on the decline. The company however insisted that the changes are in terms of the operating system which will make the personal computers more efficient. Those using windows 8 will be able to upgrade to the new version free of charge. It is thus anticipated that the new version would be easy to aces and also convenient to the users. This latest technological trend has led to different opinions as to whether it will be successful or not in terms of customer satisfaction. 5. Latest version of three popularly used operating systems in personal computers. Microsoft windows Microsoft Windows is one of the most popular operating system. It was developed by Microsoft Corporation and it has been used over a long period of time (Dietz, et al, 2011). However the versions have been changing depending on the needs and requirements of the clients. The latest version is the windows 8 which is used for most of the personal computers. This latest version is efficient as compared to the previous versions. However, the company is considering the use of windows 8.1 which will replace windows 8. The easy access of this software is the leading factor of its use. This version is set to be more efficient and hence meeting the current technological demand. Ubuntu Ubuntu is also one of the popular operating systems that is popular in the market and is used for operating the personal computers. This operating system is based on the Debian Linux Distribution. It is usually distributed as open source software and it supports the personal computers. The name Ubuntu was derived from South African philosophy of sharing and hence connecting humanity. The operating system is composed of many software which makes its operations efficient in the personal computers. It is mostly preferred due to its efficiency. Its cost is also friendly and hence its wide acceptance and use among most of the users. Google Chromium Google chromium is also one of the latest operating systems used in personal computers. It is Linux based and it was developed by Google. It provides a wide range of applications to the users and hence its efficiency. This operating system has safety features which enhance the use of the personal computers. It also has the ability to work with other software. The operating system is easy to access as it can be easily downloaded. This latest version is also useful when using the internet as it supports a wide range of applications. Most of the users prefer this operating system due to its low price as well as its easy access. It also supports a wide range of applications and hence its reliability. 6. Enterprise resource planning, Discuss the challenges faced and benefits achieved by an organization by implementing these systems The enterprise system is important software that is used to support the business processes. The enterprise system also acts as a server that can be used by a large organization for the purpose of building its information technology infrastructure. The enterprise software are build based on software platforms. The management of large volumes of data can be achieved through the use of the enterprise system. It thus plays an important role in terms of ensuring that the business processes are enhanced. The enterprise systems are advantageous to an organization in a number of ways. One of the major benefits of enterprise system implementation is that it enables the centralization of the database. The centralization of the database ensures that the access of data and information by the customers. Centralization of the database is also an advantage for an organization as it makes the management of the data easy. The business enterprise system also supports the development of a flexible information technology infrastructure. This is because it supports the future changes in the information technology infrastructure. The end user management is also enhanced through the use of the enterprise system. This is because it is equipped with various tools that can be used for performing tasks. The process of network management is also made easy through the use of the enterprise system as it is comprised of built-in network management utilities. However, despite the advantages, the enterprise system also has some disadvantages. The major disadvantage is the cost implications that it has. The system is costly to maintain as it requires frequent maintenance for it to work successful. During the maintenance, the company is also required to suspend its operations and hence inconveniencing the clients depending on the system. The training of the employees is also required for it to be successful and hence impacting negatively on the costs (Da Xu, 2011). 8. Discuss the different types of intelligent systems and their use in different fields The intelligent systems are used for the purpose of data collection and manipulation in order to obtain certain useful information. Intelligent systems are widely used in the field of business for the collection of data and information. In the marketing field, the intelligent system is used for the purpose of analyzing information concerning a product (Casillas, 2012). The intelligent system can be used to obtain information of the performance of products and how the customers perceive them. This is important for an organization in terms of making changes and improving the prospects of the company. The customer care can also use the intelligent system for data collection and analysis regarding the rate of customer satisfaction. This can be achieved by the company through the analysis of the raw data which is interpreted to give useful information. The information obtained can then be used by the company in terms of developing strategies to improve on the customer care. The customer satisfaction survey can be simplified through the use of the intelligent system. During the operations and maintenance, the intelligent system can be used to obtain data and information regarding the operations of the company. The data collected can be analyzed to detect the bottlenecks within the organization and hence solving the problems that could be facing the company. This is also important in terms of streamlining the operations of the company. On the other hand it is important to note that information is important t in the operations of a company. All the sectors also require information in order to carry out their activities and operations effectively. This is because it enables a company or a given sector to make wised decisions for the betterment of the company and the clients. It is thus important to ensure that the intelligent system is well utilized by qualified personnel so as to achieve better results. 8. Explain the concept of “web services” and why they are important to e-businesses The services involve communication between two services over the worldwide web. The web service is considered a software utility that requires a network address and a web for it to function. The web service has been designed to support the interaction between a machine and another machine through the use of a network. In order for the communication to be made possible, the web service usually uses the markup language in order to ensure that the users can interact with the machine. The process also requires the presence of the internet connectivity which is the network. The internet connectivity is also the most important aspect of the web service. E-business on the other hand involves carrying out business transactions through the use of the internet. On the other hand, the web services are important in terms of carrying out the e-business transactions. The process requires the use of websites for the purpose of carrying out the business transactions. Websites are important concepts of the web services. It is through the establishment of the websites that the customers and the companies are able to interact. The companies have to use the websites for the purpose of advertising their products and services. On the other hand, the customers issue the web for the purpose of searching for the information regarding the products and services being offered by the company. During the e-businesses, transactions are also carried out through the web. This is an indication that the web services play an important role in the development of e-business. The use of the internet is also the main requirement for the web services to be utilized. This is also enables the operations of the e-business which are dependent on the internet. The web services are thus important for the operations of the e-business and play an important role in the development of the e-business (Guinard, et al, 2010). 9. Do you think that educational institutions should be allowed to monitor e-mail sent and received on school computers? Why or why not? Do you think that any e-mail messages sent or received over a computer at work should be considered company property? Why or why not? Educational institutions should monitor the e-mails sent and received on school computers. This is due to the challenges that result from technology. The students may use the computers for the wrong purpose. This may be the use of computers to send and receive explicit contents which are harmful to the students. This has the potential of damaging the academic progress of the students. Monitoring the e-mails sent and received is also for the benefits of the students. This is because other students use the computers to bully the others. Outsiders may also sent e-mails to the students inciting them against the management or some teachers. On the other hand, the teachers who are not ethical can misuse the computers in the learning institutions for their own benefits. Monitoring of the e-mails is thus important in terms of combating the bullying menace in the schools. It is thus important for the education institutions to monitor the e-mails sent and received. In the work scenario, it is also import ant for the company to consider the emails sent or received as its property. This should thus enable the company to access the e-0mails at any time. This is because it plays an important role on terms of preventing the employees from misusing the computers of the company. Some of the employees may use the computers of the company to send the confidential information of the company to the competitors. This is one of the unethical problems that the companies face in terms of using information technology. If the companies consider the e-mails as their property, it will ensure that the employees do not misuse the computers of the company through sending confidential information. Monitoring of the computers by the companies is thus important in terms of eliminating unethical issues when using the technological tools (Moore, 2010). 10. List the different types of technological safeguards employed by organizations. The increase in threats and unauthorized access of information has contributed to the development of mechanisms of combating the threats. Some of the most common technological safe guards employed by organizations include authorization codes, anti-virus software, backups, firewalls, honey pot and encryptions. Encryption is one of the most common methods that are used for the purpose of protecting information from unauthorized access. The encryption method involves encoding the information in a way that it becomes unreadable to the hackers or unauthorized personnel. This is done using an encryption algorithm. In order to read the message, one has to have the encryption key which is used to access the information in a readable form. The encryption and decryption key are the same and are used during the process of encrypting the information as well as decrypting the information. The keys are generated at random and hence ensuring that the hackers are not able to crack it. Data in transit is also protected through the encryption concepts. This ensures that the data is not intercepted by unauthorized personnel. The concept of encryption as a technological safeguard has been successful in most of the sectors. The military uses the encryption as a method of safeguarding the data. This is due to the classified nature of the information that the military handles. On the other hand, most of the government agencies and institutions use this technology for the purpose of safeguarding the classified government information. Rijndael is one of the most secure encryption software that used by organizations to protect their data. This software has been voted as the best by most of the users who have found it efficient in terms of safeguarding the systems. It is thus evident that the encryption process is beneficial in terms of safeguarding the confidential information (Agarwal, 2010). List of References Blackmore, S, et al, 2010, Conceptual model of a future farm management information system, Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, 72(1), 37-47. Li, C, et al, 2012, The consequences of information technology control weaknesses on management information systems: The case of Sarbanes-Oxley internal control reports, MIS Quarterly, 36(1), 179-204. Zaharia, M, et al, 2010, A view of cloud computing, Communications of the ACM, 53(4),50-58. Information week, 2013, BlackBerry Brings BBM To Android, iOS, Retrieved on 15 May 2013 from, Dietz, M, et al, 2011, Quire: Lightweight provenance for smart phone operating systems, In Proceedings of the 20th USENIX Security Symposium. Da Xu, L, 2011, Enterprise systems: state-of-the-art and future trends, Industrial Informatics, IEEE Transactions on, 7(4), 630-640. Casillas, J, 2012, Management Intelligent Systems (Vol. 171), Springer. Moore, R, 2010, Cyber-crime: Investigating high-technology computer crime, Anderson. Guinard, D, et al, 2010, Interacting with the soa-based internet of things: Discovery, query, selection, and on-demand provisioning of web services, Services Computing, IEEE Transactions on, 3(3), 223-235. Read More