Chapter 9 Mangerial Support Systems

As a student studying Human Resource Management, I like to see how I can apply things I learn in everyday life or throughout my education to my major. It helps to make sense of all the information I'm gathering through readings and lectures. In this chapter I asked myself how can information systems help me as a HR manager make decisions. After reading this chapter I realized that with the use of information systems, making decisions can become easier, but not all the time due to complications of some systems that are hard for employees to adjust to.
One way that information systems are helping HR managers make decisions are through using the internet to find resumes of potential workers, they are able sort through and find what seem worth looking into . It saves the hassel of putting ads in newspapers. You can use expert systems to evaluate the candidates you have chosen for new jobs, intelligent systems can be used in training new employees along with helping them manage their fringe benefits. Information systems such as these can help ensure workers with the right qualifications for jobs are brought to them right away, rather than going through a lot of bad eggs to get a few good ones. It saves time and money.

Chapter 8 Organizational Information systems

In chapter 8 there were many different information systems that I was introduced to. I'm a big fan of the customer relationship Management because I have plans to become a Salon owner. As you know, salons are based on all the services, how they are performed, what the salon offers, and who is it we want to attract, as well as how can we make ourselves different from other salons and spas. With customer relationship management it is based on the idea to obtain new customers and retain the ones the business already has. The relationship between businesses and custmoers is so important in the cosmetology world because customers are what make the business successful in both the short and long run. Customers are how salons make money and also how they attract new customers by word of mouth. So it is important to know your customers so you can offer them services you know they would enjoy or need and offer them a great service on a one to one relationship.

chapter 7: Wireless, Mobile, Computing, and Mobile Commerce

The world has gone wireless. Wireless has become so popular. You are free to use the internet at airports, kiosks specifically for using the internet, coffee shops like Starbucks, business organizations, and local area connections like in the privacy of your own home. You need to be careful who is able to access your wireless, but the possibilities and options of wireless are endless.
For example there are different satelites such as GEO, MEO, and LEO. GEO is the farthest away from the earths service, and LEO is the closest with the littlest footprints so to speak. Due to these satelites there are different forms of technology being developed. One particular and popular item is xm-radio. xm-radio allows you to drive anywhere without getting a static connection and you can listen to the radio without commercials and interruptions alike. After visiting http://xmro.xmradio.com/xstream/index.jsp I found out more about xm-radio and that they offer up to 80 channels of commercial free music, at any given moment of the day or night. You are able to listen to several types of genres, actually many, and they are also allowing you to have free trials and if you already have it they are giving you the option to try XM Radio Online. I find it crazy that we are able to do so much more due to satelites and wireless connections.

chapter 6: E-commerce and E-business

As the Internet is evolving and becoming more intricate many businesses are either putting their companies online or other businesses are strictly virtual or online. There are several types of E-commerce that are explanatory such as business-to-business, Business-to-consumer, and consumer-to-consumer. Although E-commerce is providing a flexible and convenient environment to shop online without the hassel of traveling, using gas, and avoiding inconvenient store hours and long lines.
There are different services that are offered online such as travel services, real estate, online job markets, online securities trading, cyberbanking, electronic malls, and electronic storefronts. Although this can be fun and useful making sure all your credit card information and other personal information does not get into the wrong hands and you do not become a victim of identity theft or any other type of fraud. I recently heard about TurboTax which is an online tax filing and billing service that is dealing with issues of security. I saw a brief showing on the news this morning about someone had gotten information of all different peoples accounts. I'm not exactly sure the specifics, but it is something I'm interested in looking into.

Chapter 5: Network computing

According to our textbooks a computer network is a system that connects computers via communications media so that data can be transmitted among them. These systems help to create flexibility throughout an organization, send data throughout the organization, as well as connecting employees who are at different locations which helps with innovation and the spreading of different ideas.
There are different networks that allow companies to do different things. Some have limitations and others are much more complex, therefore bringing more people together.
One particular topic in this chapter that I found interesting was the Internet 2 which is being developed because of the unreliable and unsecure world of the internet. Internet 2 as described in the text develops and deploys advanced network applications such as remote medical diagnosis, digital libraries, distance education, online simulation, and virtual laboratories. After visiting the website www.internet2.com I learned that the idea of internet2 has been in process for the past 10 years. I also learned that the internet2 has been created to make an advancement in education as well as for high-speed data transfers. Internet2 is creating a more advanced and animated world for education.

Chapter 4: Data and Knowledge Management

It is very important in today's IT world that businesses use information turned into knowledge to make important decisions for the business. Data is turned into information and information is turned into knowledge. One common form of retrieving information is through the use of databases. These databases will reduce data redunancy, data isolation, and data inconsistency. It will also increase data security, data integrity, and data independence. When using databases an organizationg, company, or business can communicate with these databases to ensure quick decisions, and results. We live in a world with an everchanging business and technological environment that it is demanded we are able to retrieve and understand information quickly and accurately.
I particularly found data mining interesting what data mining does is it provides knowledge about competitors, customers, business partners, and the companies internal operations as well. Two important functions of data mining include determining trends and behaviors of customers, and identifying unknown patterns. This can be used in marketing when trying to find a target market. If you use data mining it will let you use and analyze data from past mailings, surveys, etc. helping you to determine which customers will reply to mailings in the future.
I decided to visit one of the websites in our text books called www.businessobjects.com. This website has several programs available that will help organize data and allow managers to retrieve data, make use of it for decision making, as well as future decisions

Chapter 3 : Ethics Privacy, and Information Security

We live in a world where not everyone does the right thing, people have different morals and values, there can be little privacy on the internet and computers, and information can be retrieved and put into the wrong hands of individuals. As a result it is becoming important in today's world of technology, especially with the internet and the use of the internet by individuals inthe privacy of their own homes, as well as, businesses all over the globe.
Although you cannot guarantee you will have protection against hackers and other individuals who sabotage your privacy and security with computers, as well as protection from children, there have been several laws and future laws being put into affect to protect our privacy and security, hopefully maintaining an ethical environment.
Some of the laws include Computer Fraud and Abuse act of 1986, Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986, Communications Decency Act of 1996, Web Copyright Law of 1997, Child Online Protection Act of 1998, Virginia Computer Crimes Act, and SAFE of 1999. These are several laws that have been around since the internet has become popular. There are still laws that are being passed to this day to ensure our protection and privacy. You cannot trust people out there and there needs to be action taken against them.

Chapter 1 Information Systems: Concepts and Definitions

Chapter 1 is a good basis for understanding the infrastructure, definitions and concepts, and provides examples of how IT systems are being used. This helps in providing an understandable description and introduction to IT.

Chapter 2 why should you learn IT?

After reading this chapter, I was able to grasp the concept of information technology. I realized that there are so many professions, businesses, and institutions of all kinds using information technology. Due to the rise of a digital economy businesses are adapting new ways of doing things because of the market pressures, technology pressures, societyal pressures, make-to-order and mass customization, e-business, strategic systems, and customer focus.
There have been many successes, as well as, failures in IT. Although it is not always successful you should still learn about IT because its essential for work in organizations, it reduces middle managers, and changes the manager's job. It is also allowing people with disabilities to work.
One interesting use of IT is in health care. Hospitals are using IT systems to detect insurance fraud, nursing scheduling, and financial and marketing management. They are also using it to make faster and better diagnosis, and monitor critcally ill patients more carefully and more precise. Surgeons are using it to plan complex surgeries, as well as discussing medical prcedures through pictures and sounds rather through telephone. This is going to take health care a couple steps further, extending the abilities of doctors and procedures, including different equipment.

steve wazniak

Steve Wazniak was a guest speaker at MIT speaking about his journey and interest of building computers with his highschool friend, leading to building the first Apple. I was particularly amazed how Wazniak's mind works in the sense of numbers and how detailed his thoughts were in describing what he needed to do in order to get keyboards to work, color screens, and games. I am good with detail, but something so technical he made it sound as though it was so easy for him to understand. I feel as though this video allowed me to open up to new thoughts about how much computers have evolved, as well as, how diverse individuals thought processes are.