Internet

So much information, so little Idea The disease of new media has greatly shrink human minds that rub off on more and more people in this technology-accelerating world at present. Daily life nowadays has significant changed compare to ten years ago that office workers used to waiting for subway by reading a daily newspaper, housewives seating at balcony and reading a newspaper in the morning. But now, most people read news on their cellophane or television instead Of newspaper.

What is rubbing off on their behavior? Peter Fun who is an pop-deed writer for the New York Times, writes about polysyllable on his essay “So much media, So Little Nevus”. Neal Gabbler who is a journalist and culture historian, writes about the relationship between big idea and post-idea world. On his essay “The Elusive Big Idea”, he argues that people don’t care as much about ideas as they used to be. The connection between the two authors has one of the most important reasons that new media gradually twisted the true value of newspaper that smother big ideas.

Thus, in order to correct the twisted value that media are rubbing off on news, the society needs to redefine the value of news and reexamine the concept of big ideas. The broadsheets offered daily coverage by publishing company, but no commentator or analyst gave any context and readers were left to make up their own minds. Peter Punt believes that there is barely people would create ideas on news, men sad truth is that while some of us are naturally curious about what we don ‘t know, an increasing number of readers and viewers want only reinforcement of what they already know. Pig. 1 98) Newspapers believed that their prime duty was to report what had happened the previous day and give a space to reader a way to think, to brainstorm rather than make argument to an event or judge on someone that post online. Were newspapers then better or worse? Certainly, they seem calmer, just followed a formula that required true story rather then come along with a high quality argument to rub off on reader and offer them a ready-made idea.

Neal Gabbler argues a social fact that people loss attitude to create ideas in his say, “It’s not because we are dumber than our forebears but because we just don’t care as much about ideas as they did. In effect, we are living in an increasingly post-idea world that fewer people are generating them and fewer outlets are disseminating them, the Internet notwithstanding'(Pig 533) New media offers a way that what people can get idea from others immediately. Post-idea is a shortcut to make someone become lazy without thinking or taking advantage of technology as the modern science to make unceasing progress.

But more and more people choose new media in order to save effort and expect a quick result, which is called the culture of instant gratification. New media provides a fast way to help them to get to know the others’ opinion of news directly. Obliviously, newspaper is a better choice to help people create idea and prompt advance of society. Although 24-hour radio news stations had been established, TV equivalents were some years away. The pages may have been fewer, but the number of news stories was, if anything, slightly higher than in today’s papers.

Peter r-nut argues that people pay less attention on on what they not interest, “today’s boutique media allow many people to skip news altogether. You can set your Internet home page so that it serves up only what you’re interested in. “(pig 97) New media has diversity format of news, video, audio and fancy advertisement catches people’s attention. Fun is pointing out a very important social trend in how people approach news media although they have the same nostalgia for the old days. People are seeking out information that confirms their own beliefs and interests as opposed to seeking to be informed”.

This creates myopic views of the world resulting in corrupting. The prevalence of more and more “information isolation” is one of the causes of divisiveness. Like what Fun said the best prescription has always been a combination of what Want to know and what we Ought to know. Neal Gabbler proposes the reason why people would pay more attention on new media, “It keeps us in the loop, and keeps us connected to our friends and our cohort. Ideas are too airy, too impractical, too much work for too little reward. Few talk ideas. Everyone talks information, usually personal information. (534). New media takes more advantages from newspaper that could direct to readers mind. Newspaper still has a strong positive influence on both spread information and help inspire people’s ideas, but the effect was less overwhelming. This was not just because newspapers had fewer intemperate columnists. It was also because even the miners’ strike did not dominate page after page, creating a kind of emotional tsunami, as a similar issue might now. On the broadsheets particularly, width of coverage counted are more than PPTP of report.

People have come to learn more and more and to be given more definite ideas about less and less. We live in a golden era of information when you don’t have to passively rely on the news sellers but can go directly to the source yourself. New media effectively endows us with common eyes, ears, and brain. People should not blindly believe some rumored event occurred as described. Anything remotely of interest is available permanently available for anyone curious enough to look for its true different big idea.

Customers can buy the goods they want online as well as offline, this is because they are recognized and trusted by consumers. Goods are products you can see and touch but you can buy goods and services online and offline.

Direct online selling of service: Today you can do anything online. The airline industry was one of the first services to sell tickets online cuts costs down.

Government service: The main government website is the oxford city council here this directs users to many public service websites.

Charity service: Charities such as Oxfam benefit because they can promote their cause online.

This is a non-profitable company and all the money raised is given to the needed/ poor countries/ natural disasters.

Information only: There is a high amount of information on the internet, many struggle to find information they want. Whether it is to check the latest news or weather.

Internet service : It’s a information and services related to internet activities.

Advertising ; Marketing: Approved Marketing Companies A main purpose of having a website is to help the business; they promote their businesses using e- marketing and print advertising.

Education: Sam learning This website helps student’s revise, for any age and any subject.

Also read about Open-access Goods

Advantages and disadvantages of normal LAN vs. wireless LAN. Computer networks for the home and small business can be built using either wired or wireless technology. Wired Ethernet has been the traditional choice in homes, but Wi-Fi wireless technologies are gaining ground fast. Both wired and wireless can claim advantages over the other; both represent viable options for home and other local area networks (LANs).

Wired LANs use Ethernet cables and network adapters. Although two computers can be directly wired to each other using an Ethernet crossover cable, wired LANs generally also require central devices like hubs, switches, or routers to accommodate more computers. For dial-up connections to the Internet, the computer hosting the modem must run Internet Connection Sharing or similar software to share the connection with all other computers on the LAN. Broadband routers allow easier sharing of cable modem or DSL Internet connections, plus they often include built-in firewall support.

Installation Ethernet cables must be run from each computer to another computer or to the central device. It can be time-consuming and difficult to run cables under the floor or through walls, especially when computers sit in different rooms. Some newer homes are pre-wired with CAT5 cable, greatly simplifying the cabling process and minimizing unsightly cable runs. The correct cabling configuration for a wired LAN varies depending on the mix of devices, the type of Internet connection, and whether internal or external modems are used.

However, none of these options pose any more difficulty than, for example, wiring a home theater system. After hardware installation, the remaining steps in configuring either wired or wireless LANs do not differ much. Both rely on standard Internet Protocol and network operating system configuration options. Laptops and other portable devices often enjoy greater mobility in wireless home network installations (at least for as long as their batteries allow). Cost Ethernet cables, hubs and switches are very inexpensive.

Some connection sharing software packages, like ICS, are free; some cost a nominal fee. Broadband routers cost more, but these are optional components of a wired LAN, and their higher cost is offset by the benefit of easier installation and built-in security features. Reliability Ethernet cables, hubs and switches are extremely reliable, mainly because manufacturers have been continually improving Ethernet technology over several decades. Loose cables likely remain the single most common and annoying source of failure in a wired network.

When installing a wired LAN or moving any of the components later, be sure to carefully check the cable connections. Broadband routers have also suffered from some reliability problems in the past. Unlike other Ethernet gear, these products are relatively new, multi-function devices. Broadband routers have matured over the past several years and their reliability has improved greatly. Performance Wired LANs offer superior performance. Traditional Ethernet connections offer only 10Mbps bandwidth, but 100 Mbps Fast Ethernet technology costs little more and is readily available.

Although 100 Mbps represents a theoretical maximum performance never really achieved in practice, Fast Ethernet should be sufficient for home file sharing, gaming, and high-speed Internet access for many years into the future. Wired LANs utilizing hubs can suffer performance slowdown if computers heavily utilize the network simultaneously. Use Ethernet switches instead of hubs to avoid this problem; a switch costs little more than a hub. Security For any wired LAN connected to the Internet, firewalls are the primary security consideration. Wired Ethernet hubs and switches do not support firewalls.

However, firewall software products like ZoneAlarm can be installed on the computers themselves. Broadband routers offer equivalent firewall capability built into the device, configurable through its own software. About Wireless LANs Popular WLAN technologies all follow one of the three main Wi-Fi communication standards. The benefits of wireless networking depend on the standard employed:

• 802. 11b was the first standard to be widely used in WLANs.
• The 802. 11a standard is faster but more expensive than 802. 11b; 802. 11a is more commonly found in business networks.
• The newest standard, 802. 11g, attempts to combine the best of both 802. 1a and 802. 11b, though it too is more a more expensive home networking option. Installation Wi-Fi networks can be configured in two different ways:

“Ad hoc” mode allows wireless devices to communicate in peer-to-peer mode with each other.

“Infrastructure” mode allows wireless devices to communicate with a central node that in turn can communicate with wired nodes on that LAN. Most LANs require infrastructure mode to access the Internet, a local printer, or other wired services, whereas ad hoc mode supports only basic file sharing between wireless devices. Both Wi-Fi modes require wireless network adapters, sometimes called WLAN cards.

Infrastructure mode WLANs additionally require a central device called the access point. The access point must be installed in a central location where wireless radio signals can reach it with minimal interference. Although Wi-Fi signals typically reach 100 feet (30 m) or more, obstructions like walls can greatly reduce their range. Cost Wireless gear costs somewhat more than the equivalent wired Ethernet products. At full retail prices, wireless adapters and access points may cost three or four times as much as Ethernet cable adapters and hubs/switches, respectively. 802. 1b products have dropped in price considerably with the release of 802. 11g, and obviously, bargain sales can be found if shoppers are persistent. Reliability Wireless LANs suffer a few more reliability problems than wired LANs, though perhaps not enough to be a significant concern. 802. 11b and 802. 11g wireless signals are subject to interference from other home applicances including microwave ovens, cordless telephones, and garage door openers. With careful installation, the likelihood of interference can be minimized. Wireless networking products, particularly those that implement 802. 11g, are comparatively new.

As with any new technology, expect it will take time for these products to mature. Performance Wireless LANs using 802. 11b support a maximum theoretical bandwidth of 11 Mbps, roughly the same as that of old, traditional Ethernet. 802. 11a and 802. 11g WLANs support 54 Mbps, that is approximately one-half the bandwidth of Fast Ethernet. Furthermore, Wi-Fi performance is distance sensitive, meaning that maximum performance will degrade on computers farther away from the access point or other communication endpoint. As more wireless devices utilize the WLAN more heavily, performance degrades even further.

Overall, the performance of 802. 11a and 802. 11g is sufficient for home Internet connection sharing and file sharing, but generally not sufficient for home LAN gaming. The greater mobility of wireless LANs helps offset the performance disadvantage. Mobile computers do not need to be tied to an Ethernet cable and can roam freely within the WLAN range. However, many home computers are larger desktop models, and even mobile computers must sometimes be tied to an electrical cord and outlet for power. This undermines the mobility advantage of WLANs in many homes. Security

In theory, wireless LANs are less secure than wired LANs, because wireless communication signals travel through the air and can easily be intercepted. To prove their point, some engineers have promoted the practice of wardriving, that involves traveling through a residential area with Wi-Fi equipment scanning the airwaves for unprotected WLANs. On balance, though, the weaknesses of wireless security are more theoretical than practical. WLANs protect their data through the Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) encryption standard, that makes wireless communications reasonably as safe as wired ones in homes.

No computer network is completely secure and homeowners should research this topic to ensure they are aware of and comfortable with the risks. Important security considerations for homeowners tend to not be related to whether the network is wired or wireless but rather ensuring: •the home’s Internet firewall is properly configured •the family is familiar with the danger of Internet “spoof emails” and how to recognize them •the family is familiar with the concept of “spyware” and how to avoid it •babysitters, housekeepers and other visitors do not have unwanted access to the network Conclusion

You’ve studied the analysis and are ready to make your decision. Bottom line, then, which is better – wired or wireless? The table below summarizes the main criteria we’ve considered in this article. If you are very cost-conscious, need maximum performance of your home system, and don’t care much about mobility, then a wired Ethernet LAN is probably right for you. If on the other hand, cost is less of an issue, you like being an early adopter of leading-edge technologies, and you are really concerned about the task of wiring your home or small business with Ethernet cable, then you should certainly consider a wireless LAN.

Wired vs Wireless Wired Wireless Installationmoderate difficultyeasier, but beware interference Cost less more Reliability High Reasonably high Performancevery good good Security reasonably good reasonably good Mobility limited outstanding

Forms and classification of online business According to (Adam, Z. R. ), the major different types of e-commerce (B2B) Business-to Business, (B2C) Business-to-Consumer, (B2G) Business-to-Government, (C2C) Consumer-to-Consumer and M-commerce which is mobile commerce. Business-to-business is simply e-commerce that is present between two businesses. It is said that it is the fastest growing type of e-commerce, much faster than B2C. It is a type of e-commerce wherein two businesses transact with each other online. About 80% of online businesses are of B2B type. Business-to-consumer is e-commerce between companies and consumers.

It is the second largest in growth and numbers among the types of E-commerce. It basically is interactions between consumers whether they transact online or offline or just gather information about products that are being offered by the company. Examples of such companies that are of B2B are Amazon and Costco. Business-to-government is e-commerce between companies and the public sector. It refers to the use of the Internet for public procurement, licensing procedures, and other government-related operations Consumer-to-consumer is e-commerce between private individuals with their fellow consumers.

This type of e-commerce is characterized by online markets and online auctions wherein these sites serve as a medium for consumers to transact with other consumers. This type of e-commerce is said to have huge potential of growth out of all the types of e-commerce. Consumer-to-business is e-commerce that is likened to reverse auction. It is basically the opposite of selling wherein a company would respond to a consumer’s need. This type of e-commerce is rarely encountered. However, e-bays report that there is a large number of this type of e-commerce wherein they earn millions of dollars every day.

Mobile commerce is e-commerce wherein transactions from businesses to consumers are done through wireless networks through the medium of PDA’s and portable handheld devices. Business Models used on the Internet According to (Starting an internet business- we make it simple), there are numerous ways on making money in the internet. There are business models on which they are differentiated on how they execute and return profit. Some of these are retail while some use the power of information to sell. Affiliate Marketing – the most common type of Internet business around.

It objective is to market and sell someone else’s product. There are various ways to market the brand both on and offline. Passive (or niche sites) – sites designed to market advertising and/or products that require little to no maintenance. These sites can be focused on small subjects or some are built to be big multi-subject sites. The main intention here is build, promote and forget. Information Sites – this could fall into the category of passive. These sites are built for advertising; they target a narrow subject and are intended to make money primarily from advertising.

Once set up and promoted, they only require occasional maintenance. Other specific business models are Product creator wherein creating one’s product be it a fashion line, shoes, and etc as long as it’s an original product and not someone else’s. Its difference with affiliate marketing is that Product creator makes one’s products and sells it as well. Email Marketing or more commonly called List building makes use of Email marketing wherein one has to build relationships with its customers and is particularly effective in building targeted traffic. It is the most highly rated way of making money in the Internet.

Services are providing services such as weight loss program, quit smoking plan and etc. This provides more consumer interaction and is recommended if one excels in interacting with people. There are also more specific types of business models and more recognizable which is the Retail and Wholesale which is like an online store version of a store such as SM, Costco or Walmart. The main difference between them is that one is whole sale and the other is not. This requires a higher investment compared to other business models since additional cost through shipping products, payment processing, customer service and etc are accumulated.

Creating a website for online business According to Poo (2008), in creating one’s website for business purposes, the first step is to determine one’s goals on what will one use the site for? Is it for retailing or purely marketing website? These are some things that need pondering before designing a website to make it an effective website. By brainstorming and finding out the main goals, determining the genre of the website is the next step. This will determine the pros and cons of the website. There are four genres of websites which are the sales or retailing, marketing, information and a web-based application.

Poo (2008) describes that retailing or sales website it focuses much on a lot of pictures, sporadic text on product descriptions and these sites are very user friendly and easy to navigate. However, one disadvantage of retail websites is that they are not usually recognized by search engines and one way of counteracting that and bringing in traffic is making use of affiliate programs. Marketing websites compared to retailing websites is that it is designed to sell a product and one product only. Marketing website is very easy to design which feature mostly text and a few images.

What is great about marketing websites is that it is perfectly positioned to make money through advertisements and affiliate programs and they are better optimized for search engines which are a huge advantage in getting traffic into the site. Information website compared to marketing and retailer is that its purpose is mainly to inform the consumers of its products or what is its trying to sell. Although some corporate websites such as Nokia, Honda, Sony, and etc. are information websites that can also sell, they are primarily designed to inform its consumers.

Information websites are only recommended for businesses that has a national or international presence since local businesses that only has a local presence only gets a few visits on its website while having a business that has a nationwide presence gives off many visits and informs its consumers well on its products. Web based application works like traditional programs but the difference is that web based application is accessed through the web unlike traditional programs which are installed beforehand. It’s basically computer based application that is hosted in a browser-controlled environment.

This type of business venture requires a team of programmers who are creative and persevering. The payoff is very profitable but this type of business is not recommended for the newcomers. Efficiency of Online Business compared to Traditional Business According to (Nielsen, 2008), about over 85% of the world’s online population has used the internet to make a purchase which is a staggering 875 million people. Reason why there is a huge percentage of the online community using internet for purchasing is that the internet is unrivaled for its convenience when it comes to researching and shopping.

Consumers nowadays would rather stay at the comfort of their homes shopping than travel and find their desired product which is very tiring compared to single click buying. In Philippine context, about 45% of Filipino online population has purchased through online means. Compared to other countries like South Korea which hails to be the number 1 in frequency of using internet for shopping, Philippines is near the bottom list of infrequent use of online shopping.

However, for a third world country like Philippines this is a new innovation that is newly tapped into by consumers and in a few years the trend would be increase in use of online shopping could be observed just like what is observed in the Global population which jumped 40% for only two years. In matters of what people look for in an online shop, according to (Nielsen, 2008). “In selecting sites on which to shop, one-third used a search engine or just surfed around to find the best online store. One in four relied on personal recommendations. It is said that once an online shop captures the hearts and loyalty of its consumers about 60% of these consumers would tend to stick to the same shop in buying its products since consumer relationship has been playing a large role in making these online businesses successful. Furthermore, recommendations from fellow consumers also play a huge role in making an online site successful. Feedback is one important aspect in closing transactions in online businesses especially businesses on online auctions or social networking sites that seem to make 1st time online shoppers reluctant to purchase.

Using Social Networking for Business According to (Brown of Inc. Technology), online social networking sites are new grounds for profiteering through online means. It is said that two out of every three internet user has used or visited a social networking site according to internet research company Compete. These numbers alone show the potential of what social networking has to offer for business opportunities. Among social networking sites, Myspace, multiply, facebook and etc. are the popular ones while there are other networking sites that have been primarily geared towards entrepreneurs such as LinkedIn, Ryze and Spoke.

One of the main strengths and factor in making a successful social networking business is to focus on building networks. First is to find the niche and build the appropriate networks that fit the desired business niche. This is the essential step if not the key step in establishing a successful online business through social networking sites. References: Adam, Z. R. (2003). E-commerce and e-business. Manila, Philippines: United Nations Development Programme. Brown, D. (2009). Using Social Networking for Business. Retrieved March 14, 2010, from the World Wide Web: http://technology. nc. com/internet/articles/200611/interneticebreakers. html Nielsen (2009). Trends in Online Shopping. Retrieved March 14, 2010, from the World Wide Web: http://th. nielsen. com/site/documents/GlobalOnlineShoppingReportFeb08. pdf Poo, C. (2007) Build Website Online. Retrieved March 14, 2010, from the World Wide Web: http://www. cessypoo. com/build-website-online. html Starting an internet business- we make it simple (2010). Types of Business Models- Step 2. Retrieved March 14, 2010 from the World Wide Web: http://biggbucksonline. com/2009/08/25/types-of-internet-business-models/

The organization I choose is Starbucks Coffee Company ltd, where I have been working for the last two years as a Shift Manager. The aim of this report is to identify two Management Information Systems used in Starbucks and how the MIS facilitate problem solving. This report describes hardware and software used to obtain, store and analyze data.

The last part of the report includes possible weakness in the company’s system, how they could be resolved and what possible training could be provided to help staff to cope with new technologies. Report based on Management Information System A Management Information System (MIS) is a computer system designed to help managers to plan and direct business, with organizational operations, provide reports and access to company data. In different organizations can be found different types of systems that meet specific business requirements.

There are four major types of systems:

• TPS (Transaction Processing System) is a basic business system that serves the organization’s operational level.
• DSS (Decision Support System) serves management level with data, analysis for making decisions.
• ESS (Executive Support System) provides communication that serves the organization’s strategic level.

Management Information system serves mainly Middle Managers. Starbucks Coffee Company ltd uses a Management information system called IRIS. IRIS stands for Intelligent Restaurant Information System.

This tool provides the Managers with the information needed to run a successful business. The IRIS System is made up of two components: The Point of Sale System (POS) or front of house till system; in addition to regular register functions offers some functions to be accessed only by Store Manager(SM), Assistant Manager(ASM) and Shift Supervisor(SS), with the correct security level.  The Manager Work Station (MWS) or back of house computer system compiles and reports all store information to effectively manage all aspects of store business.

It displays all the different functions available on the Information System (IRIS), some of which are only accessible by partners with the correct security which consists in typing the correct username and password. The Point of sale consists in two touch screen tills used by deployed partners that need to insert their username and specific password before to start. From the Point of sale, managers can access different manager’s functions menu, such as paid in and Paid Out, and Refund to customers.

These manager functions are security measures for cash management and inventory control in the store. Paid in and paid out occurs when money is taken from the till to buy items necessary for the store operations and/or any kind of emergency. Other functions such as Cash Skim, Void transactions or refunds occur when money is given back due to complaints or customers are returning faulty merchandise. The point of sale is used also to record wastage. In conclusion, most Point of sale functions are related to customer service, sales, refunds, discounts, voids.

By ringing items through the tills, data such as time, customer transaction, quantity of food and drinks sold, quantity of wasted items, are transferred to the Management Work Station where data are stored, analysed and produced in form of reports, graphic, charts or diagrams. The Manager Work Station can be accessed in the office where there is a computer connected to the intranet, a private communication channel for employees to access the organization network that resembles the internet.

To access the system it is required to sign in with a password and the partners ID. The system recognises security level and allows accessing the function assigned to the security level. The normal partners can just access the time punching option, which is that function that record staff punches in and out for breaks and shift. A start of day and end of day is run into the system on a daily base. Shift managers can access cash management functions that are used to count tills, modify or correct transactions and to prepare daily bank deposit.

A menu of available reports is available on a report menu. The Store manager can access these reports to track sales, find out customer transactions within different hours range, to check sale by product category, to record wastage, to carry a financial audit. All this information is relevant for Store Managers to identify business requirements and customer needs, to identify peak time in the store, to increase or amend product ordering, to control wastage and track stock and decide whether is necessary to cut labour.

Managers can access staff information and personal details in the work station, they can insert new partners, terminate partners, maintain employee records, track employee‘s training and process payroll. The payroll process transfers information to the support centre in order to pay partners. Store Manager and the shift supervisors can use the IRIS System to process electronic ordering for food, stationery, packaging. The IRIS System can also use e-mail set up for communicating with London Support centre and other stores within the district and others.

The Fundamental functions of the role of managers are five:

• Planning is possibly the most important managerial function. Planning is the process of setting goals and deciding the best approach to achieve them.
• Careful planning reduces uncertainty, focuses attention on goals, eliminate wasteful effort and ensure appropriate control system.
• Organization is the way that aims and objective are turned into reality.
• Communication is the exchange of information so that the message communicated is understood by everyone involved.
• Decision and problem solving.Problem will always arise but from managers it is required to have the ability to solve problems before they become crisis.

Controlling is the managerial function that monitors the performance of systems to check that what is supposed to happen is happening or going to happen. Control can be done in different ways; with financial checks, comprehensive reporting and communication systems, technological system and regular reporting. The presence of a Management Information System in Organizations of different nature, facilitate the role and the functions of different managerial level

In Starbucks the Iris system provides a number of reports that can be used to help to manage store profitability These reports can be viewed on the computer monitor or can be printed for review or archive. Store Managers can use the Management information System to prepare short term budget to plan long term profit and prepare proper forecasts. The Iris system helps the managers to identify customer needs trough accurate reports, so to implement sales and marketing strategy and to plan production based on actual demand.

The Iris system can be also accessed to check and monitor inventory. Hardware components of the computer system used in Starbucks There are two types of modem: The speed touch cable modem and the ISDN (integrated services digital network) modem. The speed touch cable modem and the ISDN connect the store computer system to the STARBUCKS retail network. The Retail Network is the communication access between the store and the internet. This allows the management work station to send and receive large quantities of data and information.

There is a wireless internet provided by T-mobile, which allows customers to connect to the wireless network. There are two pieces of equipment; the Cisco Router and the Cisco Wireless access point. Connected to the computer system there is a Printer used to print reports of any nature, and a cash scale which counts Cash in a faster way and more accurately, mainly it is used to count the tills and at the end of this process all data are sended to the system. At the Point of sale there are two small printers where all receipts come out, and two (chip and pin) credit and debit card machines.

To protect retailers, a new security system has been designed for cards which will use a smart chip. When customers pay using one of these cards, rather then signing a confidential security number (PIN) is entered. Recommendations about training staff and limitation of the computer system used Starbucks invest a lot on training people, many books are provided to partners, shift supervisor and store managers, where useful information can be found such as how to use the point of sale and the management work station, and the different functions.

Different level of information are given depending the different position covered in the organization; while in one side partners learn how use the point of sale and the register functions, in the other side store managers and shift managers receive a more accurate training how to use the management work station and the related functions. The management information resources used by Starbucks ’ partners are really accurate and detailed; I would rather suggest investing in new technologies such as new monitors, wireless system, printers etc.

The chip and pin machine sometimes result being a bit slow, and when doing some credit or debit card transactions the point of sale freezes and the same issue occurs when doing transaction with Starbucks card or when trying to upload cards. The issue has been minimised a lot during the last few months. The support centre and the help desk from USA have been working on the issue, this apparently has been happening because for the Starbucks system in UK, this of uploading cards is still something new and lots of work has been done by the management information enterprise to make it a faster and more efficient system.

At the moment the best way to minimise the issue is to reboot the tills and the chip and pin machine before every shift and/ or before each partner sign in for a till. Store Managers and Shift Supervisors have been trained on which procedures to follow when rebooting the system; my recommendation is to involve partners to learn how to react when this kind of issues may happen and to follow same procedures when rebooting the system without having to rely on their Shift Supervisors.

When considering training to be given to store managers and shift managers; it would be helpful to involve them in a more practical training session where it can be explained how to solve small technological issues or troubleshooting instead of panicking when it occurs or call the help desk in USA, which some time it may take longer than just to fix the problem, such as what do in case the system does n t accept partner ID, if the cask scale is not working, etc.

Conclusion The use of management information system in the organizations has had a deep impact on the way to conduct daily business; the different functions that can be found on the system facilitate and simplify the role of managers within the companies. Numerous companies have also developed websites to promote their image online. Also the way the Travel Tourism Industry conduct its business has changed the last decades or so.

These changes are due to the major inroad made by electronic distribution. Several types of system are used in the Travel Industry. Travel agencies use agency system that handles office management accountancy, reservations and administration. In business travel is popular the global distribution system or computer reservation system that help the role of travel agent, in fact their service result being more efficient and faster.

The only limitation is that technologies need to be updated regularly and every company should invest in training their staff how to cope with new technologies.

Bibliography

1. Notes of Chris Skipp • Operation manual from Starbucks
2. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Management_information_systems
3. http://www. answers. com/topic/management-information-system#after_ad1
4. www. starbuck. co. uk

People Are Becoming Addicted to the Internet Computers have been around for quite a long time, and now they are in most homes in the United States. The most popular activity on the computer is the Internet. The Internet can be used to gain information, chat, watch videos, listen to music, and play games. In today’s society, many people are becoming addicted to the Internet. This has become a problem because people spend most of their time on the Internet instead of investing their time in productive activities. People are also using the Internet as their main source of communication and information.

This causes problems because it affects social lives. The Internet also causes people to become lazy. They can find information on any topic so they do not have to think as much as they would if they did not have access to the Internet. People spend too much time on the Internet. This leads to the detriment of their studies, careers, and social and community participation (Davidson 1). Maria from Matawan, New Jersey spends an average of five hours on the computer everyday. One psychiatrist states, “You may be ‘addicted’ to the Internet if you need to spend more time online to achieve the same level of satisfaction.

You may even be experiencing sleep deprivation, facing marital difficulties, losing friendships, and neglecting your job or school work to the point of risking being fired or flunking out” (Goldsborough 1). Maria feels that she loses control over the time when she is on the Internet. She stays up late every night chatting with her friends, watching videos, and playing online games. One author explains how addictive and sinister the Internet really is: “It’s easy to get hooked on the Web. A page leads to a link, to a page, to a link, to a page, and before you know it, two hours have flown by” (Walker 2).

Maria plans on staying on the Internet for a few minutes. Before she knows it, those minutes turn into hours. Another author explains how the Internet can affect relationships: “An excessive amount of Internet use has an effect on family and partner relations and on communication within the family” (“Three-Factor” 1). Maria’s grades and friendships seem to suffer because of the amount of time that she spends on the Internet. Spending time on the Internet becomes the substitute for activities and events that are happening in her life.

Instead of going out, she chooses to sit in her house in front of the computer. When it comes to doing her homework, she ends up not doing it because she gets distracted by the computer. When her friends ask her to go out, she rejects the invitation because she would rather stay home searching the Internet. This causes her grades in school and her social life to suffer. We are using the Internet as our main communication source. Facebook and Myspace are highly addictive social-networking websites that captivate teens and young adults.

Jessica from Hazlet, New Jersey belongs to the social-network Facebook. People who belong to this site have access to hear from old friends, receive new messages, check out new photos, read blogs, and search for new profiles (“New” 1). Jessica uses Facebook to communicate with friends, family, and classmates. Other ways she communicates through the computer include Myspace, Twitter, online chat rooms, instant messaging, and many others. This is harmful to her social skills. Instead of making friends in person, she meets people on the Internet. This does not give her a chance to communicate face-to-face.

It can also be dangerous to meet new people on the Internet because one may not turn out to be who they claim to be. Klavans, Director of Columbia University’s Center for Research on Information Access, states, “With chat rooms, you can take on a new personality. It’s like when you are on an airplane and you have a conversation with the person next to you. You can pretend to be someone else for a couple of hours. With the Internet, that can last all night” (Keenan 1). Anything can be said through typing, but these words might not always be the truth.

These websites make Jessica hide behind a computer screen instead of interacting face-to-face with others. One author explains why students prefer communicating through the Internet over communicating face-to-face. “Students enjoy communicating via the Net because they have more time to create clever lines. With the distance the computer provides, they do not have to deal with the stress or awkwardness of face-to-face conversations” (Keenan 2). We can find information about any subject on the Internet, which prevents us from thinking. Danielle from Edison, New Jersey always searches the Internet when she has a homework assignment.

One author states that people should not become too dependent on the Internet: “The Internet is very helpful, allowing people to find information to help them with their careers or studies, but one should not always rely on this for everything” (Goldsborough 2). Danielle can find all the answers to the questions she is assigned and all the information she needs to write her essays through the Internet. When it comes to tests and assignments in class, she does not have access to the Internet so she does not always do her best. She is so accustomed to having all of the answers right in front of her.

One author explains how some students become addicted to all of the information on the Internet: “Some students are information junkies who spend their time checking sports scores, reading home pages or combing through the billions of bits of information readily available on the Internet” (Keenan 2). Danielle feels that she has become dependent on all the information the Internet has to offer. This has caused her to not think as much as she should. Computers have changed our lives in many ways, but people should not take advantage of all the possibilities the Internet has to offer.

People are becoming addicted to the Internet. They spend too many hours on the Internet a day instead of going out into the real world. They are also becoming dependent on the Internet. They are using it as their main source of communication and information. They should try to limit the amount of time that that they are spending on the Internet by using their time more wisely. Works Cited Davidson, Jeff. “Internet Addiction Is Not Pretty”. Public Management. Oct. 2008: 2. Web. 21 Sep 2009. . Goldsborough, Reid. “When The Internet Becomes Too Much. Office Solutions. Apr. 2008: 2. Web. 21 Sep 2009. . Keenan, John. “Students Stuck in Cyber Web. ” Insight on the News. 29 July, 1996: 2. Web. 21 Sep 2009. . “New Teen Addictions: Facebook, Myspace”. Oakland Tribune. 23 Sep. , 2007: 3. Web. 21 Sep 2009. . “Three-Factor Model of Internet Addiction: The Development of The Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire”. Behavior Research Method. May 2008: 3. Web. 21 Sep 2009.. Walker, Celeste Perrino. “Help For The “Terminally Addicted. ”-Internet Addiction. ” Vibrant Life. Jan. -Feb. , 1998: 2. Web. 21 Sep 2009.

This report provides a comprehensive environmental analysis of the UK mobile phone industry, including a PESTLE analysis of the industry environment, an assessment of the prevalent competitive forces using Porter’s 5 forces analysis, and an individual SWOT analysis for each of the major network operators in the UK, Vodafone, T-mobile, Orange and O2.

PESTLE

Political

The government regulates airwaves by issuing airwave frequency licences and limiting the number of operators in the commercial mobile phone sector. In 2000, the Government made available five 3rd generation (3G) licenses.

These were subject to a bidding war, with 13 companies bidding. “The licences sold for total of ? 22. 48 billion, vastly in excess of the predicted ? 3 billion” (Joyce & Woods, 2001), raising speculation that the five winners paid over the odds. Vodafone bought license B for ? 5. 96 billion, BT license C for ? 4. 03 billion, One2one bought license for D ? 4 billion, and Orange license E for ? 4. 1 billion. (The ESRC Centre for Economic Learning and Social Evolution) In 1984, the UK government privatised the telecommunications industry, and established Oftel (now OFCOM), the UK telecommunications regulator.

The regulator ensures the market remains competitive, and recently put pressure on the market to reduce prices for calls between networks. (BT’s history, btplc. com) Economic Mobile telephony accounts for 2. 3% of the UK’s GDP, and for ? 15 billion per annum in tax. (O2, Media Centre, 2004) The mobile phone sector is a major employer, “employing nearly 200,000 people” (O2 CSR, 2004), and the UK’s economic upturn through the 1990’s boosted consumer confidence, helping the industry grow. Mobiles are a non-essential luxury good, whose demand will be relatively income elastic, so levels of disposable income are an important economic factor.

A further economic consideration is interest rates, which determine the cost of consumer credit, and therefore have a bearing on customer’s propensity to spend on mobile products. Social There are a number of social factors affecting the environment for mobile phones. Usage of mobile telephones and penetration into the market has increased most notable amongst the 55+, C2DE social grades and middle income groups since 2000. (Oftel, 2003) Equally, there has been a considerable increase in the use of mobile phones by the young.

There is often a social split between those who undertake monthly contract agreements, for which a credit cheque is necessary, and those using unregistered pre-paid services – often the young and the poor. (Jon Agar, 2003) Phones are increasingly being seen as fashion items rather than merely a means of communication. In the 1980s mobile phones were aimed “squarely at business people. However, now it has become the universal accompaniment of old and young alike” (Jon Agar, 2003). There has been a corresponding change of emphasis towards fashionable design, including the ability to customise handset casings and colours.

The increasing numbers of non-business users, especially amongst younger age groups, has prompted a change in the method of communication between users, with SMS increasingly taking precedence over voice calls. (Nokia, nokia. com) As mobile handsets become more advanced, networks are being forced to address the concern that children will be exposed to inappropriate material such as pornography and gambling via their telephone. The network providers are committed to the use of age verification software to try and prevent under-age users accessing this material. (BBC News 2nd July 2004)

Read also: TMobile SWOT Analysis

The mobile industry is fuelled by technological change, and which played an enormous part in its growth since 1985. There has been a recent move away from the basic functionality of handsets to incorporate more advanced features, such as MMS (multi-media messages), digital cameras and the ability to capture video. This is seen as a key growth area by both handset manufacturers and network providers alike. In an increasingly mature market, with high penetration levels, technical change becomes more important as networks seek to provide additional services, and handset manufacturers seek to further differentiate their products.

The technology present in mobile handsets is constantly being upgraded, and consequently the products have short product life cycles, leading to rapid obsolescence. To cater for the business market, handset manufacturers are increasingly adding e-mail facilities and the incorporation of traditionally PC based functionality. The adoption of 3G networks marks a considerable technological step, allowing for broadband internet and video calls. Legal There are a number of legal considerations surrounding the mobile phone industry, one of which is the current health concern linked to the use of handsets, and proximity to transmitter base stations.

The 2000 Stewart Report, set up by Department of Health, found that exposure to radio frequency radiation at levels below existing guidelines, did not cause adverse health effects. (Jon Agar, 2003) However, new research by Stewart announced in January 2005, recommends that Children under the age of 8 should not use mobile phones. This has prompted MyMo, a company specialising in the production of a handset aimed at 4-8 year olds, to stop production (BBC News 11th January 2005). Research in this area is ongoing and has led to bad publicity for the industry.

Another health and safety law was implemented in 2004, preventing the use of mobiles whilst driving, increasing sales of hands free kits. OFCOM, the UK mobile phone industry regulator, has the role of ensuring that healthy competition is maintained in the telecommunications industry and could potentially intervene in the market. (BT’s history, btplc. com) Planning law has also been a key issue for network providers when locating base station transmitters. The most ideal locations are usually in highly populated areas, and have been denied planning permission on the basis they are unattractive. (BBC News 14th January 2005)