UMUC IFSM300 week 1 and week 2 discussions

There are many examples of businesses using IT for strategic purposes. I’d like each of you to do some research, or draw from your own experience, and tell us about a company that used some form of information technology for STRATEGIC purposes. Please be sure to tell us what the strategy was that they were working toward. There are many examples in the textbook, and our discussion will be much richer if you select something that is not covered there.

For this week, every member of the class should do a main posting by Thursday midnight, and respond to at least two other class members by Sunday midnight. You should check back to see if I or anyone in the class have a question for you, or a comment that you want to respond to. Please review the Grading Rubric for Participation, as shown in the Syllabus > Additional Course Information.

Let’s see what we can come up with!

week 2

<pstyle=”margin: 0.5em=”” 0px=”” 1em;=”” padding:=”” 0px;=”” border:=”” outline:=”” font-size:=”” 13px;=”” color:=”” rgb(53,=”” 53,=”” 53);=”” font-family:=”” ‘pt=”” sans’,=”” sans-serif;=”” background:=”” rgb(255,=”” 255,=”” 255);”=””>IT Trends and Predictions for Priorities in the FutureA key challenge to Chief Information Officers (CIOs) and their staff is the ever-changing landscape in the Information Technology world. CIOs must be concerned not only with overseeing the current operation of the IT Department and how it best supports the business strategy, but they must also be focused on the years ahead. This is important, first to ensure that today’s technology decisions will likely align and be compatible with future requirements, and secondly, that the CIO is well versed in the trends so he or she can advise the business of the potential of technology advancements and concerns. This will help the organization, overall, to make good business decisions.

The Gartner Group, is a leading consulting and advisory group. You will find their web site has interesting information:

http://www.gartner.com/technology/research/predicts/

It provides summaries of Gartner’s predictions of what the top areas are that will likely significantly impact IT this year and beyond. The summaries cover many different aspects of IT. Each of you should select one of these predictions and then do some further reasearch on that prediction using other websites (the UMUC Library no longer has a subscription to the full Gartner site).

From your research, add why you think it is a significant concern for CIOs and IT staff. What do you think IT needs to consider based on this? Some of these areas may be ones you’re not really familiar with and that’s to be expected. But each of you should be able to select one that “makes sense” to you and address it in your response. Please take a look at what has been posted by your classmates before choosing your topic, and then select something that has not yet been discussed, if possible. We will have duplicates, but let’s try to spread the discussion across as many of the predictions as possible.

Remember – your initial posting is due by Thursday midnight; it should be about two short paragraphs in length and it should be posted by clicking on “Respond”. Then, you should reply to at least two different postings by other classmates before Sunday midnight. Everyone has a responsibility to check back and see if any questions have been posed to them, and to respond as you would in a classroom setting.

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