Chapter 1 - Week 2

Chapter 1

Q1. What are the characteristics of the modern business environment?


The modern business environment is more complex now then it has ever been. At one time we were sending letters and expecting a response in the next couple of days but now with such technologies like the Internet and email this gap has shortened from a couple of days to matters of minutes. Because we can send and receive information almost instantaneously we also expect a response just as fast.

Some of the characteristics include:

• A fast paced environment,
• The expectation of in depth knowledge of all technologies and software used in your business and in others,
• Obsolescence of a lot of human jobs and an increase in computers and robots working with humans,
• Larger target market for both buyers and sellers as the Internet has allowed us to become an international buyer/seller almost in minutes eg-with an EBay account.

Q2. What is meant by a web-based, global platform, what does it provide, and how has it affected business?

A web based global platform is a global platform which allows individuals to connect, compute, communicate, collaborate and compete everywhere, anytime with unlimited access to entertainment, knowledge and information. This is all thanks to the Internet and the World Wide Web (WWW), "this platform enables globalisation" (ch1 pg 8 Intro to Information Systems). Businesses have now drastically changed with the introduction of the Internet and the world wide web enabling them to act globally and nationally with just a click of a button opening them up to a whole new world of customers and suppliers.


Q3. What are the main pressures that characterize the modern global business environment?

The main pressures that characterise the modern business environment include:

• Business pressures which include organisational performance, organisational response and IT Support.
• Market pressures which include the global economy, global competition, the changing nature of the work force and powerful customers,
• Technology pressures which include technological innovation, technological obsolescence and information overload,
• Societal/political/legal pressures include social responsibility and ethical issues.

Q4. What are/discuss some of the common, IT oriented organizational responses to these pressures?

Some of the the IT orientated organisational responses include:

• Global economy and Strong competition- the introduction of a global platform allowing fast and easy transfer of data and knowledge.
• Powerful Customers the introduction of the Internet has allowed consumers to gain a lot more knowledge about products they are buying. This has made the sellers increase the promotion of the products to not only attract further customers but also to retain existing ones.
• Information overload- to sort through all the junk and useless information on the Internet one must have the knowledge to navigate, retain and utilise the Internet in the best way they can.
• Ethical Issues- The use of IT not only raises ethical issues but can also be the cause of them, so actions must be put into place block or disallow this sort of content eg,using Norton Security to block websites that may contain this.

Q5. How are IT architecture and IT infrastructure interrelated.

IT architecture is a high-level map or plan of the information assets in an organisation. It integrates not only the organisation but also all the individual users as well

IT Infrastructure is the physical facilities, IT components, IT services and IT personnel that support the entire organisation.

They are integrated in the way that they integrate all the IT components, IT personnel and IT services to the not only the organisation but also all the individual users.

Q6. Is the Internet an infrastructure, an architecture, or an application program? or something else. Why?

The Internet is all of these components, it is an application program as it has a purpose, it has IT components, IT personnel and IT services and it is a high level map/plan linking to world to one large and continuously growing network