Saint benilde

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MODULE 3
BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY, SOFTWARE APPLICATIONS & WORK TASK
Learning Objectives
At the end of the lesson, the student must be able to:
1. Identify and access business technology required to achieve work outcomes; and
2. Select appropriate business technology and/or software applications to achieve the
requirements of work task

Business Technology
Business Technology refers to applications of science, data, engineering, and information
for business purposes, such as the achievement of economic and organizational goals. The main
element of technology is the idea of change, and how it can affect business and society. For
many, the issue of future shock develops when technology change happens so fast that it causes
individuals to be unable to tolerate changes or handle the consequences. For example, your
grandparents might have future shock when dealing with smartphones, tablets, and the Internet.

Evolving Phases of Technology

The idea of technology has been around since
the beginning of mankind. There are six phases
of technology. F
First phase called Nomadic-Agrarian (0-
1650). Technology at that point consisted of the
harvesting of food with stone tools.

The second phase of technology, called

Agrarian (1650-1900), consisted of
agricultural tasks focused on mechanization,
such as the plow and the tractor, that helped
with planting and harvesting.
Third phase of technology called the Industrial Age (1900-1960). In this phase, technology
centered on building material goods with machine tools and steam engines. The emphasis was on
harnessing alternative energy, such as coal, water, and steam, to power the technology tools.

The fourth phase of technology is called Service (1960-1975) and concentrated on intellectual
pursuits, such as with the introduction and growth of computers.

The phase from 1975-2000 is known as Information and is also based around intellectual
development of tools for thinking and design. The tools are computers, the early Internet, and
applications, such as Microsoft Office.

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The last phase of technology is called Semantic (2000-today) and focuses on intellectual
pursuits and networking with the addition of smartphones, explosion of the Internet, and social
media.

A. Computer Equipment
A computer is a programmable device that can automatically perform a sequence of calculations
or other operations on data once programmed for the task. It can store, retrieve, and process data
according to internal instructions. A computer may be either digital, analog, or hybrid, although
most in operation today are digital. Digital computers express variables as numbers, usually in
the binary system. They are used for general purposes, whereas analog computers are built for
specific tasks, typically scientific or technical. The term "computer" is usually synonymous with
digital computer, and computers for business are exclusively digital.

ELEMENTS OF THE COMPUTER SYSTEM

The core, computing part of a computer is its central processing unit (CPU), or processor.
It comprises an arithmetic-logic unit to carry out calculations, main memory to temporarily store
data for processing, and a control unit to control the transfer of data between memory, input and
output sources, and the arithmetic-logic unit.
A computer is not fully functional without various peripheral devices, however. These are
typically connected to a computer through cables, although some may be built into the same unit
with the CPU. These include devices for the input of data, such as keyboards, mice, trackballs,
scanners, light pens, modems, magnetic strip card readers, and microphones, as well as items
for the output of data, such as monitors, printers, plotters, loudspeakers, earphones, and
modems. In addition to these input/output devices, other types of peripherals include computer
data storage devices for auxiliary memory storage, where data is saved even when the computer
is turned off. These devices most often are magnetic tape drives, magnetic disk drives, or optical
disk drives.

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Finally, for a digital computer to function automatically, it requires programs, or sets of

instructions written in computer-readable code. To be distinguished from the physical or
hardware components of a computer, programs are collectively referred to as software.
A computer system, therefore, is a computer combined with peripheral equipment and software
so that it can perform desired functions. Often the terms "computer" and "computer system" are
used interchangeably, especially when peripheral devices are built into the same unit as the
computer or when a system is sold and installed as a package. The term "computer system,"
however, may also refer to a configuration of hardware
and software designed for a specific purpose, such as a
manufacturing control system, a library automation
system, or an accounting system. Or it may refer to a
network of multiple computers linked together so that
they can share software, data, and peripheral
equipment.

Computers tend to be categorized by size and power,

although advancements in computers' processing power have blurred the distinctions between
traditional categories. Power and speed are influenced by the size of a computer's internal
storage units, called words, which determine the amount of data it can process at once and is
measured in bits (binary digits). Computer speed is also determined by its clock speed, which is
measured in megahertz. Additionally, the amount of main memory a computer has, which is
measured in bytes (or more precisely, kilobytes, megabytes, or gigabytes) of RAM (random
access memory), plays a role in determining how much data it can process. The amount of
memory that auxiliary storage devices can hold also determines the capabilities of a computer
system.
Networking
Computers on a network are physically linked by cables and use network software in conjunction
with the operating system software. Depending on the hardware and software used, different
types of computers may be put on the same network. This may involve computers of different
sizes—such as mainframes, mid-ranges, and microcomputers—or computers and peripherals of
different manufacturers, which the trend toward open systems has facilitated. Local area
networks (LANs) link computers within a limited geographical area, while Wide area
networks (WANs) connect computers in different geographic regions. Networks may have
various architectures which determine whether computers on the network can act independently.
A commonly used system architecture is client-server, whereby a server computer is designated
as the one storing and processing data and is accessed by multiple users each at a client
computer. Whereas smaller businesses typically favor LANs, WANs are often used by
companies with multiple facilities located over a wide geographic area. After all, under a WAN

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system, a company's databases can be accessed at headquarters in one city, at a manufacturing

plant in other city, and at sales offices in other locations.
BUSINESS USAGE OF COMPUTERS
Computers are used in government, industry, nonprofit and nongovernmental organizations, and
in the home, but their impact has been greatest in business and industry. The competitive nature
of business has created demands for continuous advances in computer technology and systems
design. Meanwhile, the declining prices of computer systems and their increasing power and
utility has led more and more enterprises to invest in computer systems for an ever-widening
range of business functions. Today, computers are used to process data in all aspects of a
business enterprise: product design and development, manufacturing, inventory control and
distribution, quality control, sales and marketing, service data, accounting, and personnel
management. They are also used in businesses of all sizes and in all industry segments, including
manufacturing, wholesale, retail, services, mining, agriculture, transportation, and
communications.
The most common business uses of a computer system are database management, financial
management and accounting, and word processing. Companies use database management
systems to keep track of changing information in databases on such subjects as clients, vendors,
employees, inventory, supplies, product orders, and service requests. Financial and accounting
systems are used for a variety of mathematical calculations on large volumes of numeric data,
whether in the basic functions of financial service companies or in the accounting activities of
firms. Computers equipped with spreadsheet or database management software, meanwhile,
are used by accounts payable, accounts receivable, and payroll departments to process and
tabulate financial data and analyze their cash flow situations. Finally, word processing is
widespread and is used to create a wide range of documents, including internal memos,
correspondence with outside entities, public relations materials, and products (in publishing,
advertising, and other industries).
Databases may also be used to help make strategic decisions through the use of software based
on artificial intelligence. A database system may include—in addition to records and statistics of
products, services, clients, etc.—information about past human experience within a specific field.
This is referred to as a knowledge base. Examples of expert system usage include business
forecasting activities such as investment analysis, financial planning, insurance underwriting,
and fraud risk prediction. Expert systems are also used in activities associated with regulatory
compliance, contract bidding, complex production control, customer support, and training.
COMPUTER SYSTEMS AND SMALL BUSINESS
For most small businesses, jumping into the world of computers is a competitive requirement,
especially with the advent of the Internet. But computer system purchases can be daunting for
entrepreneurs and established business owners alike. After all, small business enterprises
typically have less margin for error than their big business brethren. Given this reality, it is very

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important for owners and managers to make wise choices when choosing and maintaining
computers and computer systems. Four major areas that business owners and managers need to
consider when weighing computer options are: 1) your company's overall business strategy; 2)
the needs of your customers; 3) the needs of your workforce; and 3) the technology's total cost of
ownership (TCO).

Company Strategy
"It is common to view computer systems technology as a stand-alone entity when, in fact, it
should be regarded as one of the larger-scale and more widely-used business tools," According to
Richard Hensley in Cincinnati Business Courier. "[Computer systems technology is] a tool that
is critical for achieving the overall corporate strategy'¦. Although it may well exist in the owner's
mind, many small and mid-sized companies have no detailed written system strategy. It is not
surprising then, that many of the systems technology implementation decisions are more reactive
than they are strategically based. Competitive pressures, the need to catch up to the marketplace,
and internal growth tend to force buying decisions." Instead, system purchasing decisions should
be used proactively as an opportunity to evaluate overall strategies and assess the effectiveness
of current operational processes.
Customer Needs
Business owners also need to ensure that their chosen computer system meets the needs of
customers. Is ongoing communication with clients a critical component of your business? If so,
then your system should be equipped with features that allow you and your client to
communicate via computer in a timely and effective fashion. Does your business's health hinge
on processing customer orders and generating invoices? If so, make sure your system can easily
handle such requirements.
Workforce Needs
Whether introducing a new computer system or making changes to an existing system,
businesses inevitably change the ways in which their employees work, and this factor must be
taken into consideration. "It is not unusual to experience some resistance from employees who
are reluctant to accept departure from the status quo,". Such resistance can often be greatly
reduced by involving the affected employees in the development of, or modification to, the
system. They can provide practical information on what works well within the current system
and what doesn't. Once the changes have been implemented, establish a training program and
support structure for all users. This will maximize the benefits of the system and better equip
employees to achieve the results expected from the change." In addition, companies need to
make sure that computer technology is distributed in an intelligent fashion. Computers should be
allocated according to need, not ranking.

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Total Cost of Ownership

Many small businesses neglect to consider the accumulated costs associated with various
computer systems when making their hardware decisions. In addition to the original price tag,
companies need to weigh hidden information technology costs associated with the purchase.
These costs, known as total cost of ownership (TCO), include technical support, administrative
costs, wasteful user operations, and supplementary expenses (printer ink and paper costs,
electricity, etc.). Another factor that should be considered is the equipment's useful life. After all,
as to assure the capability to produce relevant information, technology systems require scheduled
investments. Business owners that ignore this reality do so at their peril, suggest experts. "When
it comes to cutting costs, one of your first instincts may be to hold on to your PCs if you can,
thinking the less money you spend on new technology, the better. Though, such reasoning
ultimately raises business costs. Having several generations of hardware, software and operating
systems increases the complexity of your PC environment, thus increasing your costs. Not only
do you have to maintain technical expertise in older technologies, but you also have to find ways
for older equipment to work with the new technologies and develop all your custom applications
to support multiple environments."
Given today's fast-changing business environment, then, system upgrades are a fact of life. As
Joel Dreyfuss noted in Fortune, "if you don't have the latest and (always) greatest software and
hardware on your business computers, your vendors and employees can make you feel that
you're just one step away from quill pens and parchment." But upgrade initiatives should not be
approved impulsively. Instead, business owners and managers should conduct appropriate cost-
benefit analysis, weighing such issues as installation and training costs, compatibility with other
systems, usefulness of new features, and current ability to meet business needs, before investing
in major computer system upgrades.

B. Digital Cameras
A digital camera is a camera that captures photographs in digital
memory. Most cameras produced today are digital, and while there
are still dedicated digital cameras, many more cameras are now
incorporated into mobile devices like smartphones, which can, among

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many other purposes, use their cameras to initiate live video-telephony and directly edit and
upload image to others. However, high-end, high-definition dedicated cameras are still
commonly used by professionals and those who desire to take higher-quality photographs.
A digital camera uses a lens to collect light, which is then converted to an electrical signal by an
image sensor. An image processor is then used to create image data based on this signal.
THE USES OF DIGITAL CAMERAS FOR BUSINESS
The latest development in photography has made taking pictures, accessing pictures, and using
pictures just a whole lot easier. We are talking about digital photography of course! While for
many years’ cameras of all shapes and sizes were marketed strictly to two groups: consumers
and professional photographers. Business owners are now realizing the multitude of uses of
digital cameras for business. There are lots of places and uses for digital photography in your
business. Business owners love the fact that even large capacity cameras are affordable and easy
to use. Digital cameras have become almost a point and shoot instrument in the business world.
Using a digital camera can greatly increase your sales as well as improve the overall image of
your organization. And best of all with the cost of digital cameras being affordable to just about
everyone it is a cheap and effective means of business improvement.
1. Marketing-If you are a company that uses a blog or website to advertise your product in some
capacity than having a digital camera is now a must for you. By adding pictures, videos and even
music in your marketing campaign can be very beneficial. For example: putting a video on the
internet that describes your business and what it can do for the customer is very easy to do and
doesn't cost much more than a simple digital camera.
2. Sales-Using even the most basic digital camera you can video yourself talking about your
product which helps to boost sales because people get to see your face, see your sales pitch and
even export this information in a viral campaign that helps you spread the word. In addition,
these videos can then be uploaded to almost any blog, website or email which benefits your
campaign further.
c. Training-As a business owner you can use your digital camera to develop better training
methods for your staff. Whether you are photographing a product for comparison or developing a
short training video on a particular task either can be done using a simple and fairly affordable
camera. You can use your camera to illustrate training materials or even make poster size
pictures detailing uniform standards or product specifications. The choices here are nearly
endless.
d. Inventory-A digital camera can be an easy to use tool in inventory tracking. Many business
owners find the ease of use of the digital camera becomes valuable when having to track large
amounts of inventory. Having a photographic record of inventory for insurance purposes
becomes easy and seamless when using a digital camera as well.

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e. Updating Technology-One of the nicest things about digital cameras and photographs is that
the picture type they use is becoming more and more integrated with computers and the Internet.
This is especially helpful because in most cases you will never have to edit the format or hassle
yourself with changes to your video. Simply shoot it and download it directly to your website.
f. Human Resources-The business owner can even use their digital camera in a human resource
capability. Employee id’s can be quickly put together using a digital camera. Parking passes,
health insurance cards and even employee information forms can be processed using a digital
camera.
The bottom line becomes this: there is really no end to the uses for the business owner. If you are
a business owner looking to expand your business horizons by using a digital camera just
remember this: picking the right camera is important. Know exactly what you want to use the
digital camera for. If you are a beginner you will want something that is easy to use and many of
the camera features are automatic. If you are more of an expert you could always get the zoom
lenses, powerful flashes, and the photo editing software.

C. Security surveillance technology

Security surveillance, the act of monitoring a certain
activity, place, or person for safety reasons, is a
growing market. Technology plays a major role in
enhancing security and surveillance capabilities by
offering many increasingly technical solutions, such as
alarms, access control devices, and video surveillance.
Applying security technology to business continuity
and operational efficiency was a major theme for 2018
and will be especially important in 2021. As technology is an integral part of business operations
- and with cybersecurity risks at an all-time high - many organizations are utilizing their security
platforms beyond traditional applications to improve operations and increase efficiency.
In today’s digital age, it is crucial for businesses to have streamlined, effective and intelligent
security management systems that ensure sustained safety for an organization. And it is just as
important to make the most of the time and money invested in security software as it is in the
security system itself. The right software platform can be a workforce multiplier for

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organizations who invest in it, improving organizations’ efficiency and reducing the number of
required resources.
Mitigating Organizational Risk
Many corporations consist of large groups of close-proximity buildings that host employees
along with sensitive customer and financial data, which can lead to a range of challenges
concerning security tactics. Organizations must monitor a variety of risks, including insider
threats, natural disasters, terror attacks, cyberattacks and theft of intellectual property. Adding to
this growing data collection and analysis, corporations must know about activities taking place in
the surrounding areas near campus locations, because in critical situations, it is necessary that
potential events are quickly recognized so the correct responses can be deployed.
Through the use of a security software platform that operates through an open architecture
platform using a browser-based interface to share information, a common operating picture is
created across security systems, building management systems, and IT systems – all of which are
major components to keeping business operations running smoothly and securely in the face of
an unexpected security event.
Meeting Compliance Standards

A Converged Security and Information Management (CSIM) platform seamlessly incorporates

new software with a company’s specific compliance standards to make the organization run
more efficiently and securely. By leveraging existing security infrastructure on a global scale,
corporations will be able to reduce costs, mitigate risk and meet compliance requirements.
This points to the fact that an adequate cybersecurity platform needs more than just cyber
software, but a way to quickly respond and take the appropriate action, and that requires a
converged software capability to analyze and react in real time to threats.
Overcoming Logistical Challenges
While managing crises can be challenging for all organizations, it is particularly challenging for
organizations with non-traditional structures, specifically matrix and projectized organization
structures. These structures are often seen in law firms, consulting practices and technology
companies. The lack of a clear hierarchy, a focus on projects and cases rather than functional
areas, and the mission of these organizations can interfere with the chain of command often used
to manage crises in organizations.
This decentralized structure can also offer substantial benefits to global organizations if their
structure is considered in crisis management documentation, training, and exercises. Be sure to
walk through case studies exploring best practices for implementing crisis management
programs in a matrix or projectized organization structure.
Reducing Business Costs

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Security technology offers many ways to streamline operations, leading to a more cost-effective
and efficient business. With a streamlined intelligent security management system, your
company can see a significant return on investment – both financially and in terms of staff
resources – from a converged security platform. When organizations with a large physical
footprint are empowered, they can consolidate their security data management into a single user
interface.

When organizations use CSIM to maintain security operations, they can experience up to a 66-
percent reduction in response time and a 50-percent reduction in false alarms.
As organizations seek to improve business continuity and streamline their overall operations, a
converged security platform can be a valuable tool in minimizing risk, logistical challenges and
business costs through correlating and making sense of data to provide the best steps forward for
your organization.

D. Communication System
Effective communication is the key to building a successful business in today’s world of millions
of connected users. Luckily, technology is constantly being introduced to help improve the way
companies do business and communicate with the public and their employees. The key to
making communication technology work for your business is to look for tools that help you save
time and money throughout your operations. Here are eight technologies you could use in your
company to move faster and more efficiently through your tasks.
1. Mobile Optimization
The first thing you should be looking at when it comes to communication with your business is
your use of mobile technology. Mobile phones are everywhere in society now, and smart
entrepreneurs are targeting them. Building functional mobile apps for your business can be a
great way to reach more customers or achieve more results. Additionally, you and your
employees can be a much more effective team if you fully embrace mobile technology at your
company.
2. Chat Features
Internet chat has come a long way since the early days of instant messaging online. Instead of
simply being a time waster, internet chatting is now a useful tool for many businesses.
Companies that have the traditional call center for customer service issues can achieve even
more by incorporating an online chat tool within their website. For users, an online chat
experience is much more satisfying and less frustrating. During wait times, they can minimize
their browser window and work on something else instead of waste time waiting by the phone.
3. Video Calling

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Sometimes making a phone call to an important client or team member isn’t going to cut it if
you’re trying to close on a big deal. In the past, companies may have gone on expensive business
trips to schedule in-person meetings for this type of situation. Now, businesses have more
flexibility and better opportunities to save on travel costs by using video calling services instead.
You can still feel like you’re meeting with someone thousands of miles away while staying in the
comfort of your home office.
4. Wearable Devices
Communication and technology have merged once again with the development of wearable
devices. While most people connect these devices to health companies, expect to see more
industries joining in on the wearable device trend. In the future, more businesses are expected to
get data through proprietary wearable devices. This way, communication becomes nearly
constant between companies and their customers.
5. Hosted Services
The internet has also revolutionized the traditional phone calling center for businesses. In the
past, having a large call center meant companies needed to find space to house all the
communication components and hardware to run their phone system. Today, hosted PBX
providers have taken the lead and eliminated the need for complicated equipment. Companies get
much more functionality from their calling center system without investing as much money.

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