ICT System Analysis
Trevor Gutting
3/20/2012
Introduction
The business world is changing at a fast pace, turning into a digital marketplace where
companies are connected from anywhere in the world. The internet is becoming a necessary tool
for businesses, allowing them do tasks quicker and easier than ever before. New technologies
come out every day and with these technologies come issues that can promote or challenge the
growth of the company. This report takes five issues that relate to information and
communication technologies (ICT) and examines how they influence or challenge the growth
dynamics of an enterprise. The issues include the growth of the internet, doing business on the
internet, e-mail, social media, and search engine optimization.
Issue 1
The first issue being examined in this report is the growth of the internet. The internet
has been growing ever since the first form of internet, Advanced Research Projects Agency
Network (ARPANET), was created in the 1960s (Aspray & Ceruzzi, 2008). By 1983, the
internet changed from the government tool to a new set of protocols, which eventually grew to
the World Wide Web in 1995, after the government gave up ownership (Aspray & Ceruzzi,
2008). This is when the internet started to grow more rapidly. During this time, people and
business were implementing for everyday personal use. Business could set up a whole office
worth of personal computers, connected to an internet service provider, for the employees to use.
The internet continued to boom especially after the dot-com explosion in the late 90s and into the
2000s. New technologies like fiber optic cables were allowing faster internet connections. With
the creation of web 2.0 in 2004, users now have the ability to create and collaborate over the
internet (Kaplan & Haenlein, 2010). Today, people can connect to the internet from almost
anywhere. Wireless and mobile technology allows quick easy access to the internet. The rapid
growth of the internet provides a challenge for enterprises to keep up, but if they keep up with
technology, they can use the internet to help them grow.
Enterprises can use the internet to gain competitive advantage, a marketing tool, as well
as it allows companies a way to do business quicker and more efficiently. One of the biggest
relationships between this ICT issue and enterprise is e-commerce, which is a business managing
its commercial activities and exchanging information using the internet (Sunhilde & Hajnalka,
2011). This topic is going to be covered more as it is the next issue to be discussed. The internet
allows companies to use e-mail, create a website, store information, market the company, and
many other opportunities (Aspray & Ceruzzi, 2008). If a company can take advantage of the
internet and use these tools correctly they will be able to thrive and grow, thus improving the
bottom line.
The main thing a company can do to take advantage of the internet growth is to try to stay
up-to-date with the changes of the internet. They need to figure out the best way to incorporate
the internet with their business model (Aspray & Ceruzzi, 2008). I believe that an enterprise
cannot survive without the internet.
Issue 2
The growth of the internet has allowed enterprises a great opportunity to use the internet
to do business. When the web first started out it was not as much of a commercial business tool
as it has become today (Aspray & Ceruzzi, 2008). The internet connects companies with
potential consumers all over the world, so it is important that the companies determine a way to
take advantage of the internet.
If a company plans on growing in this economy it will be important to come up with an
internet plan that will allow them to be more effective. Using the internet will aid companies in
expansion, as it did with Wal-Mart in the 1990s (Aspray & Ceruzzi, 2008). The internet allows
enterprise to use e-commerce, or electronic commerce. E-commerce allows companies to make
transactions over the World Wide Web. As the internet is growing, so is E-commerce. By 2013,
consumers are expected to spend over $340 billion online, which shows it is important for
companies to take their business online (Fulbright, 2010).
When it comes to an internet strategy, it depends on each individual business, but I
believe that using a combination of different internet tools will help each company. One of the
first things a company should do is create an interactive website (Fulbright, 2010). A website
allows consumers to research information on the company and buy products online. This allows
consumers to shop from home and the company can ship the product directly to the consumer.
Enterprise should also utilize the internet as a marketing tool. By using e-mail and social media
marketing, companies can reach consumers from all over the world. Millions of users are taking
advantage of social media and e-mail, which is another reason companies should utilize these
tools (McKeough, 2011). E-mail and social media marketing will be discussed more in depth in
the next two sections. Companies should also use the web to research competitors,
manufacturers, and trends in the industry (Fulbright, 2010). I believe that internet should be used
in a regular basis and not just every now and then.
Issue 3
E-mail has become a very important technology in e-commerce and it is crucial that
companies determine how to use it effectively. It gives companies a quick way to communicate
with employees, consumers, and other companies around the world. E-mail started out small;
with the original internet, as an academic resource, but has grown along with the internet to a
vital tool for business (Aspray & Ceruzzi, 2008).
There are also problems with e-mail that organizations have to overcome to make sure it
is used correctly. Some of the issues with e-mail are spam, inappropriate e-mails in workplace,
and if it takes away from face-to-face communication. Organizations need to keep track of emails employees are sending to make sure e-mails are being sent in a professional manner.
Another big issue between enterprise and e-mail is cultural differences (Davis, Leas, &
Dobelman, 2009). It is important for a business to understand and respect different cultures
business practices. Many cultures rely on facial expressions when communicating in business
and e-mail messages can take away from this, so it is important to state what you clearly mean
when writing a business e-mail (Davis, Leas, & Dobelman, 2009).
E-mail offers a lot of incentive if it is used correctly by enterprises. There are different email services that enterprises can choose from; Microsoft Exchange in the early 2000s (Aspray &
Ceruzzi, 2008), and now Google Apps with Gmail is very popular (Google, 2012). E-mail
allows companies to connect with people from all over the world with the click of a button. It
also allows users to send the same message to multiple people at the same time (Aspray &
Ceruzzi, 2008). If a business has multiple clients that it needs to send the same message, e-mail
can be more effective than calling each person. An e-mail system can also be an effective way
for company employees to reach each other, allowing them to contact each other in a
professional manner. Today many employees use computers while at work, so e-mail
communication can be quicker than waiting for someone to answer their phone.
When implementing an e-mail systems there are many aspects that companies have to
take into consideration. It is important to the company to create an organizational policy that has
rule and regulations on what and what cannot be sent from company e-mail (Wilkens, 2008).
Management needs to make sure all e-mail sent from the company system are professional and
appropriate in a business setting, not doing this could damage the company reputation (Wilkens,
2008). Another important thing a company has to do is make sure the e-mail is secure as
possible. Keeping track of junk mail and spam can save the company from getting viruses or
being hacked into (Wilkens, 2008). I also believe that e-mail should be used for marketing to
consumers. E-mail marketing allows businesses to get their brand to many people at the same
time. It allows them to send out advertisements, which is relatively cheap if not free. E-mails
also can be used as a medium for customer support and questions. If a customer is having
trouble with a product, they can e-mail the company and to figure out what is wrong. This is a
great way to build relationships with the customer and gain their trust. Strong customer service
will keep the customer coming back to the company’s products. Another reason to implement email is that it gives customers a way to order, confirm, and track products that they buy. This is
It is important for an enterprise to implement an e-mail system because it will make
communication easier and allow them to reach consumers and other businesses all over the
world.
Issue 4
One of the biggest trends on the internet is social media and online communities.
According to Shama Kabani (2012), social media can be defined as “online communities where
people connect and communicate.” There are many different types of social media sites. Some
of them include blogs, social networking, micro blogs, wikis, and online videos just to name a
few (Rubin, 2011). Some of the most popular social media sites included Facebook, Twitter,
Google+, and YouTube (Kabani, 2012). Social media allows users to connect with other users
from around the world in different forms with the click of a few buttons. Businesses can take
advantage of this technology to advance their company in this technological age.
Social media offers a great opportunity for organizations to market their
products/services to the target market. Direct communication is important in an enterprise and
social media can allow direct communication with customers and employees (Aspray & Ceruzzi,
2008). Aspray & Ceruzzi (2012) also talk about the importance of building communities and
there is no better way to do this than using social media. Companies can gain a large following
of consumers by utilizing a strong social media plan in their business strategy (Kabani, 2012).
There are also problems that come along with social media. Users can do many different
activities on these sites, so organizations need to make sure employees are using social media for
work purposes and not their own private lives, while at work.
I believe that a company needs to incorporate a social media strategy in today’s society.
It is important for a company to come up with a strategy of who they want to target and what
their message is going to be before they do anything else (Kabani, 2012). Then they have to
decide what types of social media the company will use. A combination of Facebook, Twitter,
LinkedIn, and a video service like YouTube can be an effective approach. One key for a
company when using social media is to use it to enhance the brand by keeping true to what the
company message is and what the company’s beliefs are (Maxwell, 2012). Social media is not a
job for just one employee in an enterprise. It is important for a company have the appropriate
number of staff working on social media. There has to be enough staff to respond to social
media users who follow the company on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+, but it is important for
the company to implement guidelines for the social media staff to follow (Maxwell, 2012).
Setting guidelines will keep the employees on track and will allow them to be productive, which
in the end will help the company. Keeping track of social media and measuring how the social
media plan is working is also important, as well as watching for emerging social media
technologies that could help out the company (Maxwell, 2012).
Issue 5
Search engine optimization (SEO) is how a company can improve the visibility of their
website or social media sites using search engines (Kabani, 2012). Search engine marketing
allows companies to target a narrow scope of people who actually want the product or service,
unlike traditional marketing, which hits a large scope of people who might want the product
(Kabani, 2012). Search engines are how many internet users look up information on topics they
are interested in learning more about. Search engines have become a vital tool for consumers, so
if a company wants to maximize their visibility they should use SEO.
Search engine optimization gives enterprise an important tool to reach their target market.
Companies trying to reach consumers who are searching for their products on search engines like
Google or Yahoo, have an advantage if they use SEO over companies who do not use SEO.
Enterprises are looking for the best way to get ahead of their competition and taking advantage
of SEO is a great way to do this (Kabani, 2012). Aspray & Ceruzzi (2008) describe today’s
consumers as hybrid because they use virtual and physical world to buy goods. Consumers are
trending more toward the virtual arena though, so it is important for a company to take advantage
of SEO technology in order to reach the virtual consumer.
The goal of SEO is to get your company a higher rank during a word search on a search
engine like Google (Rushton & Funke, 2011). The first step in SEO is for the company to
determine who their target market is (Kabani, 2012). Search engines look-up information based
on keywords, so it is vital to make sure there is proper placement of keywords on the company
website (Rushton & Funke, 2011). There are sites out there that allow companies to determine
what the most popular keywords that are being used by consumers; one of these sites is Google
Selection Tool (Kabani, 2012). By figuring out the keywords that consumers are using, a
company can then include these in their website and marketing plan in order to get them a higher
rank on search engines. Another important step to get the company recognition is to get links to
the company website on other websites (Kabani, 2012). This is another way to get their name
out there, but not using search engines. If a company can get their link on a reputable site, it will
give that company more credibility (Kabani, 2012).
Conclusion
This paper has examined five information and communication technology issues and
opportunities that today’s businesses face. With the world evolving into a web-based society, it
is becoming more important forever for enterprise to evolve and adapt to these new technologies.
These new technologies can provide problems for companies, but if the companies can overcome
the problems, they can grow their business tremendously. From my research, I have found five
issues/opportunities with ICTs that enterprise can take advantage of to make business more
efficient and improve the bottom line. From my findings, I have discovered that all of my issues
are related in some way. It is important for enterprise to take advantage of the rapidly growing
internet because this will allow them to run a more efficient business. Most consumers have
access to the internet and this is another medium which companies can reach their target market.
Social media, email, search engine optimization allow companies to market their brand to many
consumers at the same time. I learned that these mediums allow the marketing efforts to be more
direct as well. Traditional marketing is not as direct because it does not always get to the target
market, whereas internet-marketing techniques can reach the people who actually want to buy a
product or service. It has been interesting to see the evolution of the internet from the early days
when it was used for government and education, to where it is today, being used by enterprise to
do business. As I get into the workforce, I wonder where the next technological innovation is
going to come from and how it is going to help companies do business.
Bibliography
Aspray, W., & Ceruzzi, P. E. (2008). The internet and american business. The MIT Press.
Davis, A. S., Leas, P. A., & Dobelman, J. A. (2009). Did You Get My E-mail? An Exploratory
Look at Intercultural Business Communication by E-mail. Multinational Business
Review, 17(1), 73-98.
Fulbright, J. (2010). The Internet and E-commerce. Gifts & Decorative Accessories , 48-54.
Google. (2012). Run your business, not your email server. Retrieved March 7, 2012, from
Google Apps for Business: http://www.google.com/apps/intl/en/business/gmail.html
Kabani, S. H. (2012). Search Engine Optimization (SEO): The Art and Science of Driving
Traffic to Your Website. In S. H. Kabani, The Zen of Social Media Marketing (pp. 2946). Dallas, Texas, United States of America: BenBella Books, Inc.
Kabani, S. H. (2012). Social Media Marketing What You Need to Know Before You Start. In S.
H. Kabani, The zen of social media marketing (pp. 47-54). Dallas, Texas, Uniited States
of America: BenBella Books Inc.
Kaplan, A. M., & Haenlein, M. (2010). users of the world, unite! the challenges and
opportunities of social media. Business Horizons, 53(1), 59-68. doi:
10.1016/j.bushor.2009.09.003
Maxwell, C. (2012, February). How to use social media to win new business. Director, 65(6),
46-49.
McKeough, K. (2011, February 7). Social Media 101. Crain's Chicago Business, 34(6), 35-35.
Rubin, J. (2011, September 27). Types of Social Media. Retrieved March 20, 2012, from
Howto.gov: http://www.howto.gov/social-media/social-media-types
Rushton, E., & Funke, S. (2011, November). The Goodness in the Evil of SEO. Searcher, 19(9),
30-35.
Sunhilde, C., & Hajnalka, K. (2011). Electronic commerce-a modern form of business. Journal
of Electrical & Electronics Engineering, 4(1), 35-38.
Wilkens, J. (2008). Technologies for Managing E-Mail. Information Management Journal, 42,
2-8.