The pace of change seems to increase relentlessly, especially changes involving information technology. Using your crystal ball, identify and discuss three changes likely to have substantial impact on your school services in the next three years. (1500 words)

More and more colleges and universities have begun to embrace technology and incorporate it into the classroom. From class scheduling to homework assignment submission, new technology is changing the way that schools handle most traditional aspects of the educational experience. At the most basic level, more teachers are embracing new tools, whether it’s an e-book lecture for their courses. Even more so, students are using these tools to thrive in their educational environment.

The development of technology is really increasing as the days pass by. New discoveries, inventories and of course new technology are coming and approaching. It is like a population in which everyday the number of people are multiplying due to new born babies. Information technology plays a big role in the IT industry. It is the heart of the company. Why? Its because without the system in it, there's no company at all. Its system gives the company the way it is to be done and gives a certain company and organization the simple way to the complicated things to do. And also it makes all the processes and transactions to be made easy, reliable and relevant. I did say it that way because I am one of the witnesses about the changes today. I know that we are all witness to that every change made and brought by the technology in our lives. Everyone can determine the difference before and now. Almost were automated. And that's why a name called “resistance” is present always if ever there's a change even in a little and big thing.

As what I have said, the world today is full of new discoveries, inventories and surprising events in which in all cases gives impacts to the people living in this era. IT Industry has been and still is and will remain as one of the fastest growing industries. IT field is the one of the few “most jobs to be created during the next 10 years” fields. Business organization cannot function without its IT in place. Banks, Retail, Insurance, Manufacturing, Hospitals, Governments, Universities, etc. Every company has an IT department. Business organization considers IT as their strategic strength. IT industry is the most dynamic industry. Largest percentage of innovation. IT Industry is the only one where many Fortune 500 companies are founded during the past 10 years like Google, Face book, eBay. IT industry is the only one where you can be incredibly successful yet starting from a garage. You cannot build an automobile company from a garage.

University is one of the things that are affected by the changes brought by technology. And by that it is making all the possibilities and trying to make a move in order to adapt always to the changes. USEP have IC department that offers BSIT and BSCS courses. BSIT and BSCS students have something to do in our world today because this two (2) courses covers about technology. According to wiki, technology deals with human as well as other animal species' usage and knowledge of tools and crafts, and how it affects a species' ability to control and adapt to its natural environment.

For me, one of the changes that have substantial impact in school services is the deploying of INIISYS. As what we all know, UNIISYS is the system developed by the graduate students of batch 2010 which gives a really big impact to all especially to the university. This system is a big system which consists of ten (10) subsystems. Namely, Agila, eGayd, eBenta, eDikit, ePahibalo, eHatag, eSkular, eTudlo, eSkedyul, and Alumnay. To understand what are the functions of each subsystems, let us try to define and know more each of this subsystems. First in the list is the Agila. You might be asking to yourself and wonder why Agila? Are the developers made a system about agila? The answer is NO. At first time I heard the title Agila, I also thought it that way. And I came to know the definition of it and its function when they start to explain about their systems. Agila is a Davao Geographical Information System. Meaning, it shows all familiar places here in Davao City. Second is the eGayd which is the university map in school. This helps the students, not only the students but also freshman especially visitors who will be entering the University school. It helps them know all the departments in the building where they are located. It will be very useful in a way it guide you where you want to go because this kind of subsystem have all the information you want to know about each buildings in the institution. Another subsystem is the eBenta. From the word itself, we can say that this certain kind of subsystem is for something like the act of bidding . eDikit, is also one of the subsystem that they made. It is a free online publication of creative and literary works. Another one is the ePahibalo, an electronic bulletin board. eHatag is the title they give to the one of the subsystem which is for file-sharing system. Also we have eSkular, a scholarship renewal system. Next one is the eTudlo which is an online tutorial-seeking system. This will be helpful to all the students who find difficulties in their subjects that needs to be guided more and explain more to understanding such kind of problems. eSkedyul is a schedule organizer for faculty and students in which it helps in aiding such conflicts between students and teachers that need to be verified just like for example about their schedule time. Last one is the Alumnay, a community for USEP graduates. /
From UNIISYS itself, it gives something really significant especially to the developers that enable them to share what they have learned from their Alma matter. This can give also to the university itself a great work that can be proud of as part of the technology trends.

Another thing that can have substantial impact in school services to the university is the automation of borrowing books. This is from the manual system to electronic. By this, transactions are made easier and faster which gives students benefits and hassle free. It also gives students satisfaction in a way that they don’t have to waste their time to just fill-up lots of paper so that they can borrow books. Automation of book borrowing gives substantial impact since it is one of the schools services that need to be in accordance to what the students’ needs and wants without any wasting of time and etc. By this automated book borrowing, the university will also be proud of since IC students will be the one to make it. It also gives a good feeling because this will be one of the results of studying in the university. It shows that the university is slowly coping with all the technology development that are going through this days. Since the technology is fast changing.

IT for Green. Some activities connected to IT harm the planet and the people on it in other ways as well. Certain manufacturing processes pollute the air, the soil and the water and deplete non-renewable resources. Such actions bring short-term benefits but they’re unsustainable over a longer timescale. Environmental sustainability or "green" initiatives are being adopted by businesses, schools, and government entities. Recycling and reuse programs, power reduction efforts, and changes in consumer purchases are increasing in popularity. IT can enable many green initiatives. Common green initiatives include the use of e-documents, reducing travel and teleworking. IT can also provide the analytic tools that others in the enterprise may use to reduce energy consumption in the transportation of goods or other carbon management activities.
Information technology is a central focus of the environmental sustainability movement, since many green initiatives target power and cooling usage. Green IT programs include goals such as switching to computers that use less power, employing efficient power management techniques, printing less, and using more centralized IT services.

Technology is the artificial enhancement of human power. It should make us stronger and smarter; however our demented community is discovering that it now has the opposite effect. Nuclear power has terrified and paralyzed its creators, while the improved cleverness and flexibility of our machines have caused social chaos and economic stagnation. Even the administration of our society is being taken over by clever machines. All large corporations are really computerized systems. The company officials the public sees are just the servants of these entities. From when the public initiate business, to when they pay the final bill, despite the human face presented to them, the affair is primarily conducted by an electronic brain. The communications they receive are generated automatically. The cheques, invoices and reminders are sent without anyone in the business being aware of the transaction. It often only receives human consideration in exceptional circumstances, such as when the bill has not been paid within ninety days. Then the machine will instruct an officer to take action.

fast forward ..., you were hired and have been tasked to develop a strategic information systems plan for a company. The company officers have extended an invitation for you to meet with them to discuss the direction of the company. Before this meeting, they have asked that you provide a list of questions with some explanation about the "why" of the question so they can be prepared, thus maximizing the output from this meeting.

Develop a list of questions you would ask the officers of the company and give an explanation and justification for each question. (1000 words)

Here in this world, in all you do should have what we call plan. Like us, we are created by GOD because He has a plan to each and every one of us. In other words, the purpose in which we are going to do as we are living here on earth. It is also the same with all the things that we've seen and touch. They have also plan and purpose why they are here. Like in an organization, the people responsible for the establishments of that kind of an organization have plans and purpose why he/she built that.

Strategic information systems planning ( SlSP) is the process of deciding the objectives for organizational computing and identifying potential computer applications which the organization should implement. The primary objectives of systems planning were to improve communication with users, to increase top management support, to better forecast resources, to determine more opportunities for improving the MIS department, and to identify new and higher payback computer applications.

SISP involves understanding what the business goals are and identifying how IS can support those goals by delivering benefits. And to do that, each should understand what the business is all about. Includes also the strategies and purpose. Another thing is to know what IS does the company have. To know if it is effective or not and if it is meeting the business needs. Another thing to consider is what the technological opportunities exist and how could the new IT support the business. IS should be an integrated resource within the organisation which contributes to the organisation’s core competencies which may result in sustainable competitive advantage.

In an organization, strategic information systems plan (SISP) is really important because it is a tool in which the organization can attain their successful development and improvement of the system. By doing that, of course all the people involved should gather to discuss what to do. And one way to understand what will be doing is the guidelines which are the questions that everyone should talk about and discuss. For me, these are some of the questions to consider:

1.) What are the business mission, objectives, and goals?

Here, it analyses the processes for all the data needed. It will identify the data currently required to perform the processes. It describes the overall information system architecture comprised of databases and applications as well as the installation schedule of individual systems.

2.) What will be the expected output of this project you want to have?

After knowing their business mission, objectives and goals, it should be given an emphasis of what the company wants to have in a certain project and to know exactly the expected output or finish product so that it will be concentrated to what is its goal to achieve.

3.) Who are the persons involved in this project?

The PEOPLE Issue represents the readiness of the organization to absorb technology and awareness factors. This if overlooked can be a major cause of failure for any plan during the implementation phase. By this, everyone will know all the persons they will be working with or dealing with so that in times of there will be something wrong happen, they used to know who to ask or to talk to fix such problem.

4.) Does your company willing to provide sufficient budget either it will be big or small project?

Factors that become critical at the stage of doing projects are the availability of budget. All plans should be supported through a justification on the basis of cost savings, (but, of course) opportunity cost and strategic rationale like competitive advantage, perception etc. amongst other factors. Asking this is a big help because budget is the mainly needed for it is in here in which the project will be going through whatever it takes. It is the one in which why certain project will be establish or is established.

5.) Ready to reengineer?

It provides techniques or building enterprise models, data models, and process models. These form a comprehensive knowledge base which then creates and maintains information systems.

6.) How much is the allotted time for the project?

Persons involved should have to discuss about how much time will be consume to take for this project. By knowing this, each can have a managed time and how they will use it to finish certain project.

7.) How company deal with the changes?

Changes here means that everyone should study also of the existing TECHNOLOGY platform within the company, the infrastructure, the state and format of the data and information present. Along with all this, the governance of technology is also something to watch out for. It becomes important to manage the chaos that would naturally result from too many ‘technology’ cooks in a company. The standards, responsibility and approval structure in selecting and implementing technology choices have to be clear and specific in order to avoid pain of integration and obsolescence.


Questions above are just few to mention to have an effective strategic plan. Improved strategic information systems planning (SISP) is the most critical issue facing information systems executives. Because the purpose of SISP is to identify the most appropriate targets for automation and to schedule their installation, SISP has the potential to make huge contributions to businesses and other organizations. Effective SISP can help organization use information systems to reach business goals, a major objective of senior IS executives. It can also enable organizations to use information system so significantly impact their strategies. However, the failure to carefully carry out SISP can result both in lost opportunities and the waste of expensive IS resources.

Google is a highly successful Internet business. Recently they have broadened their scope with a multitude of new tools. Research Google’s business model and answer the following questions below. You may add additional information not included in these questions.

Questions :
Explain Google’s business model.
1. Who are their competitors?
2. How have they used information technology to their advantage?
3. How competitive are they in the market?
4. What new services do they offer?
5. What makes them so unique?
6. How competitive are they in the international market?

Google is one of the Internet business which provides really lots of information that is very helpful for us people living in this world. We are very lucky this time because of the technology, all the works are made easier and fast. All that we want to know around the world is attained by us by just a simple clicking of the mouse in the computer. Even talking to our loved ones wherever they are are made easier by the Internet. Before, I preferred to use yahoo to search but I find it less information than the Google. So, I frequently visited Google than yahoo.

Primary Competitors of Google:

1.Microsoft
2.Yahoo
Competitive Advantage:
Google is a company that has built a single very large, custom computer. It's running their own cluster operating system. They make their big computer even bigger and faster each month, while lowering the cost of CPU cycles. It's looking more like a general purpose platform than a cluster optimized for a single application.
While competitors are targeting the individual applications Google has deployed, Google is building a massive, general purpose computing platform for web-scale programming.
This computer is running the world's top search engine, a social networking service, a shopping price comparison engine, a new email service, and a local search/yellow pages engine.
Ref: http://blog.topix.com/archives/000016.html

What makes them so unique?
One thing that has become evident to me is that Google grows in an organic fashion. Google develops tools that are internally useful and then releases them to the world. Google does not develop products to sell to the world. Google does not have external contracts, at least in the traditional sense.
Google is obviously best known for search and for ads associated with search. This is in essence Google’s one true product. It is the one feature Google developed for the outside world. When Google developed search it was no different from a small company. It is what Google has done since then that makes Google different.
Google doesn’t answer to any external power. They don’t have anyone they have to deliver a product to. There is no contract with a deadline. Due to not having any external dependencies, Google can continuously iterate over a product until it reaches a state of near perfection. It can stay in internal testing as long as Google wants and no one is going to care. See Gmail, Google Maps, etc. This then allows Google to use the perfect form of the agile process. Continuous iterations and testing and development, continues improvement. Then as Google sees fit, release the products. As they get better and better, more people use them and more money from ads come in. It’s beautiful.
It’s also unlikely any other company is going to be able to pull this off. Google hit on the formula for ads before anyone else. They now have such a commanding lead in that arena that to compete with them you need deep pockets of money of your own. That makes it difficult to launch a company and follow Google’s lead of avoiding external dependencies and having the near perfect product development process.
What new services do they offer?

As I searched Google, I found TiSP. Google's new FREE in-home wireless broadband service. TiSP in-home wireless broadband is:
Free, fast and highly reliable
Easy to install -- takes just minutes
Vacuum-sealed to prevent water damage
Google Voice, a new service which integrates phone features with Gmail. Google Voice will allow users to receive transcripts of voice-mail messages in their email in-boxes, which makes them searchable.

By just seeing Google's business in the web, specially the new services they offer, you can conclude that they are continuing to progress and have develop more and more features and services that could help many people in everyday activities of their life to make them easier for a certain task to undergo. This is one proof we can say that we are in the era of technology.