Information technology is an emerging form of management and operating technique that is vital to many organizations and institutions. The purpose of information technology and the management of its systems were implemented as a primary task of supporting decision makers with the help of proficient data bases and storage capabilities. Thus, Information Systems are often looked upon as efficient and essential in the commercial world, especially within the United States. However, a great number of countries who are not up to par with advancing technology and infrastructure do not see the value and significance of implementing an Information System.
With a rapidly advancing society, numerous measures need to be taken into account when considering globalization in reference to information technology. Because the two are so greatly intertwined it is often found to be confusing in areas of the world in which the local culture and global trends often do not mesh well.
In many developing countries there is often a need for communication and information services. The only problem that stands in the way of implementing such systems is the poor infrastructure that exists in these areas. Rapid urbanization is transforming the developing countries and offers opportunities for the increased globalization, yet is met with cultural deficiencies that hinder technological and economic activity. Implementing a management system is not easy, nor is selecting the right one all that is needed for efficient operation. Numerous aspects must be addressed and ironically, many of them have nothing to do with technology. For most information systems to work, a wide acceptance from the staff that would use the technology is needed. What will bring this technology to its downfall would be the minimal involvement of its users, basically stating that the changing processes within a business is strongly resisted by the staff. One area of great concern that requires the need for Information Systems is e-commerce, more specifically the World Wide Web (WWW). Many WWW hold educational libraries that call for efficient and adequate services that organize and store its vast amounts of data. Although these libraries are expert in utilizing new technologies, challenges still exist because of lack of administrative knowledge and technological issues.
The World Wide Web is a fundamental technology because it supports virtual libraries. Although the traditional roles of the WWW have remained unchanged since its inception, new tasks have emerged that are characterized by the web. Aside from identifying user needs and relating those needs to information resources, new methods of computing and personal information systems are growing out of the web and offer two major advantages: high information bandwidth, and wide acceptance by the community. Another important aspect is that society is adopting the WWW as a vantage point that allows them to access information, thus taking them into new areas of communication and technology.
These virtual libraries have been key to the virtual community. For decades, these libraries offer information that was easily accessible and very efficient and allowed the virtual community to interact and operate on a global level. However, new challenges such as to the way these virtual libraries should be constructed are calling for a new organization of these libraries that will remodel and innovate itself to fit the technological advancements and tailor to fit customer needs more specifically.
The structure and culture of the new libraries must be one that facilitates learning. As the emerging virtual library comes into view, key staff is needed to provide leadership and assistance. With the adoption and implementation of the World Wide Web, the process and function has turned into more of an electronic service. The implementation of Information Systems, especially with the WWW, would foster a powerful new electronic information environment, an opportunity to critically gauge virtual library structure and operations, and a new information technology role with society.
When considering the survivability of the information system, it is hard to put together an enduring approach that will foster the network as well as its systems. A lot of what is commercially available is not necessarily in response with what is specifically needed. In essence, it is likely that systems developers are building strong systems out of less resilient materials. What are needed are more trustworthy materials that will not compromise the integrity and security of the system. Another consideration that should be taken into account should be the cost of starting up and implementing the system. For example, when the design engineer provides the application programming services, there is cost-savings in the design time as well as the construction time. These savings allow the design engineer to provide the programming services at a comparable cost even though the engineer typically spends more time on the programming than would the contractor (especially since the contractor was generally awarded the work as the lowest bidder). The design, construction, and administration cost savings increase for larger or more complex control systems, which makes the application programming services by the engineer even more attractive on larger projects.
When the construction contractor provides the application programming services, the cost to the owner includes both the contractor’s time to program the system and additional time from the design engineer to specify software functions, review software submittals, and to factory test and field test the contractor’s software. Additional engineering time is needed both in the design phase and during construction to ensure that the engineer’s design intent is implemented.
Security is another big issue to consider when it comes to implementing an information system. From the very earliest stages of planning for the development of the system to its final disposal, the security of the system should be greatly analyzed. By considering security early in the information system’s development life cycle, you may be able to avoid higher costs later on and develop a more secure system from the start. The system development life cycle starts with the initiation of the system planning process, and continues through system acquisition and development, implementation, operations and maintenance, and ends with disposition of the system. Specific decisions about security must be made in each of these phases to assure that the system is secure.
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