ZJ STEYN 20095066

ASSIGNMENT 1 PBSA 823

Executive Summary At the recent Technology Steering committee meeting certain new developments in technology and networking tools have been discussed. It was found by the

Chairman that more information was necessary in order to fully grasp and profit from the technologies discussed within the organisation. Not all technologies that will be discussed in this report have the same level of applicability to the organisation but what the report suggest is that it is still necessary to keep ahead of the competition by being informed about new development in the technology sphere in order not to miss out on opportunities or not being able to adapt fast enough to profit from new development in the market. What is therefore suggested is that action plans must be set in place to be set in place the moment new technologies becomes available. These plans must analyse the importance and applicability of the investigated new technology to the organisation, if its applicable steps must be taken to ensure effective implementation thereof. Only by staying ahead of the tide can a

competitive advantage be maintained by the organisation.

Summary of contents Introduction The new trends in software and service distribution Applicability of trends in software and service distribution to the organisation Actions to consider regarding trends in software and service distribution Social networking tools Applicability of social networking tools to the organisation Action to consider regarding social networking tools Virtual reality Applicability of virtual reality to the organisation Action to consider regarding virtual reality. Biometrics Applicability of biometrics to the organisation Action to consider regarding biometrics The new trends in networking Applicability of new trends in networking to the organisation Action to consider regarding new trends in networking. Nanotechnology Applicability of nanotechnology to the organisation. Action to consider regarding nanotechnology Conclusion References

Introduction This report will provide advice on topics raised at the recent Technology Steering Committee meeting. The following topics will be covered; new trends in software and service distribution, social networking tools, virtual reality, biometrics, the new trends in networks and nanotechnology. The pros and cons of each topic will be covered and how it applies to the organisation and what actions can be considered.

The new trends in software and service distribution In recent years there was and currently there is still strong movement towards mobile computing (CIT). This provides many possibilities many good and bad. One example of recent developments in software is cloud computing with the use of Google Documents. The pros of cloud computing lies in that the employee can access and backup document in the cloud (online in short). This makes mobility a much more achievable goal. The employee can access a document form his/her laptop tablet cell phone or internet cafe without having to carry the data with himself/herself. Data stays updated between devices. issues. One big drawback is connectivity and security

If there is no internet connection available the employee can run into

problems as his work document might not be accessible then. On the security side, if passwords and access controls to online documents are not in place and of a high security level unwanted access can be obtained easier by hackers and even data collection bots on the internet. Applicability of trends in software and service distribution to the organisation Looking at cloud computing, employees can become very mobile as they are able to work anywhere as long as there is some form of broadband connection to the internet. With can increase profits as licence fees can be decreased to a minimum as most cloud computing solutions are either free or less expensive than premium software solutions Actions to consider regarding trends in software and service distribution Within the organisation one can start a transition process where employees start to create new content online. This way mobility can be increased. What will be

important to do though is to set forth and follow industry standard procedures to ensure data stays save and secure as well as accessible.

Social networking tools. The definition of network according to the (CIT), social network tools like Facebook and twitter changed all of that. Although sites like Facebook and YouTube started off as the initiative of a couple of students to keep in contact and share content it has now developed as a e-tool that can be used to further many a business possibility. The main problem with the use of these tools is inclination towards misuse, which is when employees start to social more than work; employees can spend hours unproductively by playing Facebook games and not focussing on their word. On a positive side, collaboration by using blogs and wikis can greatly enhance the transfer of knowledge and even skills between employees. By effectively

documenting a process or certain tips of say how to handle a certain problem can greatly enhance the effectively of an organisation as the employees do not have to worry about reinventing the wheel. Applicability of social networking tools to the organisation Within an industrial organisation social network tools might not be as applicable as in a marketing firm. Still there might be some tool that can increase productivity. Using sites such as twitter where progress on certain aspects of the production process can be tweeted progress can be updated in real time. Using these tools it might be easier for employees to collaborate on certain subjects. Action to consider regarding social networking tools Implementation of blogs and twitter feeds within the organisation can increase the speed at which communication takes place. Employees can give real-time updates and progress reports to managers or can ask questions to other employees who are experts in the field. Wikis can also aid as a method to document processes and how to, the user can do a search on a topic within the organisation can get an answer or a process to follow instantly.

Virtual reality Virtual reality was seen as the new frontier in the 1980.(CIT) Today it is becoming a practical reality. The expansion of the possibilities opened up by virtual reality is
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exiting ones. Employees can test product virtually without having to worry about safety measure like wearing a protective suit when working in harsh environments. Employees can work on projects and models virtually in from the safety and comfort of their air-conditioned offices. The problem with virtual reality is that it can still be fairly expensive in some cases, depending on the level of virtual reality that you can achieve. Applicability of virtual reality to the organisation Virtual reality can help employees test equipment and parts without having to physically handle the parts themselves. One example of this can be a virtual model of an aircraft. The operator of the virtual environment can handle the whole aircraft, pick it up turn it around zoom in to the finest detail without breaking a sweat Action to consider regarding virtual reality. Implement virtual interfaces that can simulate modelled scenarios. Doing this can help to test a products limitations under stress tests much faster that would be possible with the real thing. These virtual tests can be repeated many times with the same virtual model. Without such a process with each say car that you crash you lose a car. Preliminary virtual tests will most probably never replace a real physical test but in can help to iron out smaller problems before physical testing starts.

Biometrics Biometric have a wide field of applicability one specific South African example is the use in banking. Capital bank makes use of fingerprint technologies in order to gain access to account and making changes to a profile, the also make use of imaging solutions by taking a photo of the client for verification proposes. Main drawback op biometrics is that it can still be an expensive exercise. Still on the upside once in place in can greatly reduce the amount of paperwork and details that an employee must carry with in order to gain access to say certain rooms Applicability of biometrics to the organisation The application of biometrics in an organisation can take many forms, the main use of Biometrics as seen above is the use in access control. Other applications where a biometric test can be used to say test the alertness of an employee who has to

operate sensitive or dangerous equipment can be of great help in industries where it is applicable Action to consider regarding biometrics Biometric scanners like Iris scanners can be installed in the workplace to replace current access control technologies. What makes this more efficient is that employees would not have to wear ID badges in order to gain access to work etc. Scanning of the Iris which is very unique can also help reduce absenteeism because as it a much more effective way to monitor and track employees that an ID badge.

The new trends in networking Second life, a virtual 3d world that you can enter is one of the new ways that that networking is one of the exiting new trends in networking. What makes it special is the 3d interface. You are able to create an avatar, which is a virtual representation of yourself, and you can interact in a virtual world with other virtual people. Other networking sites like LinkedIn can help a person to manage his business profile while keeping in touch with colleagues from all walks of life. Facebook and twitter can be used to keep in contact with network Contact without the time consuming process of having to arrange an event for people to interact. As with social networking tools there as positives, time can be saved because employees can attend a meeting from their office and they are not required to travel 2 hours for a 30 minute meeting. Drawback of this technology is that if there is no internet access of if the connection is not sufficient to handle the data being uploaded and downloaded from the internet, connection can be dropped and the meeting can become a frustration. Applicability of new trends in networking to the organisation The list of possibilities that can be derived from the new trends in networking is almost endless. Employees can start to build their online profile within an organisation for other employees to see. This way everybody can get to know

everyone on an informal basis which when used correctly can foster better network and work relations. An employee might look at his boss, and not see him as just a boss, but as the man who enjoys fishing trips and support the same soccer team as himself. Action to consider regarding new trends in networking.
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Implement a Facebook and twitter strategy where employees are given say 20 minutes a day to chat about what they are doing in the organisation. This way communication can be fostered between employees. At the same time they are actually networking. Social meetings can be held, time can be saved as the meetings can be arranged as long as an internet connection exists. It these meetings are structured well and appointed to a certain time of day effectiveness thereof can be achieved. If the employee has the right to make use of a technology that can enhance their networks and collaboration with other colleagues they might even use it.

Nanotechnology Nanotechnology is a field still under investigation in the sense that it is still too expensive to implement in any organisation. Applicability of nanotechnology to the organisation. I propose that nanotechnology is the new frontier, as the possibilities thereof can change the face of the word that we know today, much similar as the invention of the personal computer. At this stage being still expensive it is not as applicable to the organisation yet, but in time this might change. The technology steering committee must review advances in the field on a periodical basis. Action to consider regarding nanotechnology Once nanotechnology has become less expensive it can be used to intelligently mark parts in the industrial process. It might also be possible to intelligently strengthen parts that have to handle a lot of stress. One thing is certain the new possibilities of application of nanotechnology will be far reaching.

Conclusion Virtual reality, social networking tool, biometrics, nanotechnology to name a few of the topics discussed all have one thing in common. All are relatively new technologies that have not yet been benchmarked. One thing is certain; an organisation that fails to investigate and implement some of these new technologies will start to lag behind the rest of the compet6ition. One example of this can be the
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production line. Those who embraced it when it was a relatively new technology had a competitive advantage over their rivals. All the technologies discussed in the report are not all applicable to the organisation but it will be wise to stay in tuned with developments thereof as advancement that make the technology applicable can happen very fast. One must then be ready to take action in order to leverage of a competitive advantage. Therefore the organisation must start to put action plans in place in order to stay in tuned with developments in the mentioned field in order to ready to implement them the moment the technology becomes available or applicable to the organisation. These action plans include infrastructure plans relating to computer systems as well as the hardware side thereof. One example is the effective use of Skype as a conferencing utility. For that to work effectively the organisations internet bandwidth must be sufficient, minimum hardware

requirements must be in place like webcams, microphone audio systems in order to maximize the efficiency of such a utility as Skype. Only by acting on and not reacting upon the introduction of new technologies can an organisation survive the business word of that we currently know. References