Advantages Of Digital Technology

Development of information systems and technology has evolved a number of changes in current trends and patterns of technology. Development of technology has evolved with development of digital technologies and smart phones in current market scenario. The following project is a study of digital technology as a new innovation in the information technology sector. The above part is well explained with the help of various examples defining the above statement as there is tremendous growth in development of various smart phones. The analysis has been drawn after researching from various books, websites and scholarly articles and critical analysis is being provided for the same.

Digital Technologies: Over-view

(Source: – [1] www.hypersounds.es)

“Digital describes electronic technology that generates, stores, and processes data in terms of two states: positive and non-positive. Positive is expressed or represented by the number 1 and non-positive by the number 0. Thus, data transmitted or stored with digital technology is expressed as a string of 0’s and 1’s. Each of these state digits is referred to as a bit (and a string of bits that a computer can address individually as a group is a byte)”. (www.searchcio [2] midmarket.techtarget.com)

ADVANTAGES OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY

We will understand some of the advantages of the digital technology in brief which will help to understand the concept in clear.

Quality Advantage: The storage of digital as well visual information remains constant with the digital quality. Whereas the analog gets corrupted or duplicated if the signal is lost. Even in terms of digital quality it does not suffer from problems like analog signals or transmission of data.

Editing Advantage: Non-linear editing allow taking piece of digital information along with re-arranging them at without any loss of quality. Splice of tape is moreover difficult and damages the original data. It also helps to combine the multiple sources of data into a single source.

Portable: Digital technologies provide portability to the devices of any kind of nature. It gives the device high amount of portability and flexibility to the device. Storage and portability of data is very easy and not complex in nature. This is the most important feature of portable devices. (Laudon & Laudon, 2007)

Literature Review

Digital technologies are basically put into use with a variety of physical form of communication like satellites or fiber optic transmission devices.

According to Laudon and Laudon (2007) digital signals transfers the information in the form of wave with the help of satellites which has helped today’s communication to survive and grow fast. On the basis of various studies made from different sources smart phones will make more competitive advantage through introducing different digital technological with technological advancement. Digital information is transformed with the help of a modem in the computer to analog signals and then analog phone signals are converted into digital information of a computer device or any other device. Even the technological advancement, engineering, re-construction and technological transfer have made smart phones the renowned innovation in this earth.

SMART PHONES: A DEVICE OF UNLIMITED EXPECTATIONS

(www.editorsweblog.org [3] )

“The term Smartphone is sometimes used to characterize a wireless telephone set with special computer-enabled features not previously associated with telephones” (www.searchmobilecomputing.techtarget.com [4] )

The smart phones are a result of constant development of digital technology in today’s market. There are number of companies which make use of digital technology and have come up with a variety of smart phones. The leading companies are Apple Industries, Research in Motion, Nokia, HTC and many more. All these companies have come up with the best possible smart phones which have an unbelievable features and advantages.

Smart phones are usually possess a number of features like Wireless Internet Services, Personal Information Management, Online Banking facility, Personal Organizer, Digital Camera with Photoshop and much more.

ADVANTAGES OF SMARTPHONES:

The smart phones are already built in with smart applications as well as loaded with immense features which help to make the smart phones different from other devices.

Keeps Organized: – Smartphone’s are loaded with applications like personal organizer along with various applications for reminders, calendars as well as task-to-do list and much more which makes an individual organized with information on finger tips

Makes Work Easy:- It is to notice that with the help of smart phone, any person can make notes, review their various files and contact on the phone itself making the work more easy and simple.

Availability of Information:- Smart phones are the devices which can provide almost any kind of information and services at any point of time. Information regarding maps and weather report or current news of the market and much more can be easily accessible through a smart phone.

Always in-touch: – These days most of the smart phones are being built specially to support social networking sites applications like facebook, twitter, and g-talk messenger. A person can stay in touch with all their people at all the time without any problem. Even it includes business man as these kinds of features are much required in their day-to-day working. (Chaffey, 2009)

Information Sharing: – With the use of smart phones more data can be sent and received with the help of email with big attachments can be shared instantly with the help of these smart phones. These features are being analyzed by businessmen as they need such applications in their phones for their daily work.

Faster Communication:-Smart phones are the carrier of faster communication. They are built in to support web services which make communication the best. Phones like iphones and Blackberry have this facility where the web services is like a carrier and it is always in use which makes the phone different from other devices.

Functionality: “Many models offer built-in digital cameras with immediate snap and send functionality, so remote workers or offsite staff can instantly photograph and send images or videos of anything from supplier’s goods to site inspections or damaged warehouse machinery.” ( [5] Source: – www.is4profit.com)

A REAL DEBATE ON SMART PHONES TO BE THE NEXT GENERATION DEVICE

According to the various markets survey and current trends prove that the smart phones are presently the best possible digital device available in the market. Understanding the current scenario is quite clear that even presently smart phones are the best available digital device. But certainly some changes and development has to be made. Smart phones are the devices which are useful to different kinds of people irrespective of the profession or position. It makes work easy with faster means of communication in all purposes. According to the current marker share “Overall, smart phone vendors shipped 54.7 million units in the first quarter, up 56.7 percent from a year ago. Smartphone’s accounted for 18.8 percent of all mobile phones in the first quarter, up from 14.4 percent in 2009.” (Source – www.zdnet.com [6] )

This proves by itself that there is a very high amount of competition between companies manufacturing smart phones as in the time to come smart phones would be the most important available device to use for an individual.

Part B

E-Commerce

(Source: www.makemoneyideas.in) [7] 

As per (Fox, 2009) e-commerce simply means that an individual or a group of people are conducting their business with the help of electronic medium. This method of doing business is getting very much popular nowadays and that is because of the increasing importance of internet and also customer are getting net savvy or to be more precise, this is the new way of doing any business to get more appeal and customers are getting something new to experience.

This is the way due to which, they can get more information regarding the products by sitting at their home, and also at the same time they might have their stores at the high streets but for something more to offer to the final consumers they might be doing their business online. The other example of E Commerce is eBay and Amazon. This is the organizations, which do their business completely online and they do not have their stores running on the high streets. (Fitzsimmons, 2007)

Types of Ecommerce:

Business-to-consumer:

This is the type of business where they interact directly with the consumers. The best example is Dixons.

Business-to-business:

This is the type of business where they need to interact and trade with other businesses. For examples, Tesco by using information communication technology manage its all aspects of supply chain such as to supports patterns of repeat orders, delivery and payments between the company and its major suppliers.

Consumer-to-consumer:

This type of ecommerce occurs between individuals which involves forms of cash commerce normally for low cost goods or services. The classic example of C2C ecommerce is Ebay.

Mobile commerce:

Mobile commerce is the ability to conduct or operate the commerce using a mobile device such as smartphones personal digital assistant and other emerging mobile devices. Mobile commerce represents small fraction of total e-commerce transactions.

Web 2.0 Technologies:

(Source: www.xtreamtechnologies.com) [8] 

Web 2.0 is mainly linked with the application related to the web that would actually facilitate sharing of information, design that is user centre in nature and also include partnership with World Wide Web. It includes RSS feeds, social bookmarking, weblogs, folksonomies and wikis.

Literature Review

As per Fox (2009) it can be described as the new tools in the internet that actually creates the idea that all of the people would use the internet media and also at the same time would use the web should not just use it as and when it is required by them but instead they need to contribute actively that would actually help to customize technology and media to fulfill their needs and also for their society.

It is said that new technology is being developed which is very useful for the existing and new business to flourish. It mostly promises to help and prove to be very much productive to those firm that are not focused on the profits but instead they help to improve the standard of living.

Importance of e-commerce and web 2.0 technologies for online business:

“It is quite common that internet is the thing that drives business in its true sense. Also apart from this, there are many other things that would help the organization to stay competitive in the market and so there is more and more need for better use of the internet so that they are able to achieve their organizational goals and objectives within a short span of time and to make it fundamentally strong”.

“Web 2.0 is the element that would add or is referred as the trend is the very much developing in today’s business world. It mainly facilitates and increases their creativity, sharing of their information, and also at the same time, it is easy form tem for effectively communicating. If the business can use it successfully, it can prove to be very much productive for the organization”. (Mc Leod, 2007)

Role of e-commerce & web 2.0 technologies: Case study of eBay

The most important feature of ecommerce is its utility in whole global market scenario. Because of its online facility consumers or manufacturers need not face any major trade barriers. The other main part of the business is they can do the trading all round the clock and without any sort of disturbance to both the parties.

The other thing that they need to do is, eBay has actually taken full advantage of the ecommerce and they had come about with the new products with detailed overview and presentation in the right format so that, so that more sales can be done in a short span of time.

Apart from this, eBay was able to cater to any market in any geographical location due to better use of the internet as and when it is required by the business. There was also a low amount operational cost involved. There was also no special need for physical company that needs to set up by every customer. (Spencer, 2006)

Customers were getting chance that they can select any given product at any given point of time. They were able to cater to local market specially. EBay started with the business that was easy to start with and also at the same time, was easy to manage.

Role of e-commerce & web 2.0 technologies: Case study of Amazon

Amazon is also one of the biggest online business organization which focuses is selling the product online or with the help of ecommerce. Ecommerce is the only way by which they have been successful in the current market place and they have developed their business at a huge space after a dotcom bubble.

Amazon also uses web 2.0 technologies to serve their customer in a much better way. As per (Nilson, 2010) it is the way by which, they have been able to attract number of consumers and also to market their products in a smarter way. With the help of web 2.0 technologies it was possible for them to use the video to show the demo of their product. This is very much useful when the customers are from different place and would like to see how the product looks like and how does it actually work. So this was possible only with the help of the web technology.

Tagging is also one of the ways which Amazon is very much successful in using it due to which the customers are able to find the product in a quick manner and without writing any sort of major descriptions.

It would also make it possible that a customer can actually compare between two different products. This would give them an additional service and also at the same time, clients can make use of the best alternative product. Amazon was successful after implementing the technology. (Fitzsimmons, 2007)

CONCLUSION

As it is the world of digital technology and e-commerce, digital signals help for the transmission of information as per needed and required. The rapid technological advancement, transfer, changes and specification has made the world a unit home. The latest development in terms of technology or development of smart phones will make it easier to do quality activities with high security, obligation, co-relation, justice. Radical changes have been noticed after the implementation of such technologies, as is the case in success of eBay and Amazon making it possible to instantly buy or sell online and boost the business.

The possibility of better performance and business by organisations like eBay and Amazon due to development of web 2.0 technologies and e-commerce is sure to widen and achieve more competitive advantage in coming days. Similarly, as already proven by current trends smart phones will achieve wider sophisticated market in the world of business competition. Overall technological innovation like web 2.0 and smarts phones are sure to extend far beyond in the ever increasing world of tough completion.

References:

Christopher M. Spencer, (2006), The eBay entrepreneur, published by Kaplan Publishing, USA.

Chaffey, D. (2009), E-business and E-commerce Management: Strategy, Implementation and Practice, (4th Edition) Harlow/FT Prentice Hall.

Fitzsimmons, J.A & Fitzsimmons, M.J. (2007), Service Management: Operations Strategy, Information Technology, (6th Edition) Singapore, McGraw Hill International Edition.

Kevin Nilson, (2010), Web 2.0 Fundamentals for Developers, (1st Edition), Published by Jones and Barlett, Sudbury, UK.

Laudon, K and Laudon, J (2007). Management Information Systems: Managing the Digital Firm, (10th Edition) Pearson Education

Mc Leod, R. (2007) Management Information Systems, (10th Edition), Prentice Hall Publishing.

Scott C. Fox, (2009), E-riches 2.0 – next generation marketing strategies for making millions online, Published by Amacom Books, New York.

http://makemoneyideas.in/Ecommerce.php, [Assessed on 04 December 2010]

http://xtreamtechnologies.com/Web_Development.html, [Assessed on 05 December 2010]

http://searchcio-midmarket.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid183_gci211948,00.html [Assessed on 01 December 2010]

http://www.hypersounds.es/index_en.html [Assessed on 01 December 2010]

http://searchmobilecomputing.techtarget.com/definition/smartphone [Assessed on 02 December 2010]

http://www.is4profit.com/business-advice/it-telecoms/smartphones/the-benefits-of-smartphones.html [Assessed on 01 December 2010]

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/btl/apple-iphone-smartphone-market-share-surges-rim-slips/34181 [Assessed on 3 December 2010]

http://www.editorsweblog.org/multimedia/2010/02/smartphone_sales_soar_in_2009.php [Assessed on 3 December 2010]