Arielle Disick MIS 311-90 Fall 2010 Assignment 5 With each and advancement in technology, businesses are given

en new opportunities to find and store data, as well as the ability to use and convert that data to gain new information and business intelligence. Through new drivers in information technology infrastructure industries have been able to evolve, yet what separates businesses that are able to survive from those that are able to thrive with new technology is their ability to turn data into information. Data increases can be accredited to multiple technology drivers, for example Moores Law and micro processing power which states that computing power doubles every eighteen months. Additionally laws of mass storage explain that the amount of data at which a company can store doubles every year. Additionally with new technology and technology trends the costs of tasks such as storing data or using the internet are decreasing astronomically. All of these factors will then lead to an increased demand, and as demands rise, networks grow as well. As technology continues to expand, the sources at which companies can get information also expand. For example, companies can use both traditional sources of data such as consumer transactions to data over the internet such as that gained from search queries or social networks. For example the National Cash Register, also referred to as the NCR focuses on consumer behavior and making sure customers have the optimal experience through speed, ease, and overall satisfaction during the transactions. Additionally, there are transactions and data gathering techniques that are more based around the internet. For example, the article Mining Moods for Bad Intelligence describes how there is a change in how companies are gaining information about their consumers. A supporting example of this in the article is the fact that companies such as the Atlantic based Coca-Cola Company uses methods such as finding out consumer thoughts on networks such as Twitter. This technique is a far stretch from how consumer feedback might have been gained in years past, through methods such as consumer surveys or often unused 1800 telephone numbers. Yet another instance in which companies are using newer and newer forms of technology to not only gain data but transform that data into useful information can be found through learning how Google tracks flu trends. The company does so by using search queries to estimate the number of people with the flu or flu like symptoms. For instance, in the summer the number of searches for sunburn drastically increases as opposed to the winter, during which the number of searches for sunburn or sunburn treatments is close to, if not zero. And while this correlation might not be as scientifically accurate as other forms of data gathering techniques, the data gathered is able to be turned quickly into useful information. Furthermore, through this innovative technique Google is able to gain useful information on a broader spectrum than would have been traditionally possible because we are able to have information constantly updated with each search and receive data on a global basis through minimal effort. Companies are constantly brainstorming and creating new ways to use data to increase both consumer satisfaction as well as profits. One potential business model can utilize the immense amounts of free data on the internet and the worlds insatiable desire to follow trends, would be to use consumer ordering information to see where products are popular. For example if an online shopper was preparing to go on a trip to Manhattan and wanted to buy a new pair of shoes for the trip and could not decide between two pairs, the consumer would find it useful if the website offered information saying that eighty percent of the people who ordered one pair were from the Tri-State area. This strategy could be used on a global level as well since consumers often wish to mimic popular trends of other countries. In conclusion as the Internet and technology continue to serve as an increasing source of inexpensive data , it will in turn increase the consumer experience and satisfaction rates while minimizing the cost. References: 1- http://www.ncr.com/documents/corporate_brochure.pdf. (n.d.). Retrieved October 20, 2010 2- Naone, E. (2010, October 11). Mining Moods for Bad Intelligence. Retrieved October 20, 2010, from Technology Review: http://www.technologyreview.com/business/26431/page1/ 3- (n.d.). Retrieved October 20, 2010, from Google: http://www.google.org/flutrends/about/how.html 1

Arielle Disick MIS 311-90 Fall 2010 Assignment 5 4- (n.d.). Retrieved October 20, 2010, from eHow: http://www.ehow.com/about_6632298_consumer-transaction_.html 5-(n.d.). Retrieved October 20, 2010, from http://www.technologyexecutivesclub.com/Articles/businessintelligence/reportingarchitectures.ph p Word count: 717