Internet and intranet document access in corporate environments

¶ … value of providing access to documents via the Internet or a corporate intranet?

When documents are accessed over the internet or through a corporate intranet, they can be easily located and read by anyone who is supposed to have access to them (Callaghan, 2002). That means they can be used by employees, vendors, clients, or anyone else -- even just for general information -- no matter where in the world that person is located. Across miles, time zones, and language and cultural barriers, access to documents over the internet means that a person can work from anywhere at any time (Callaghan, 2002). He or she can get information, make changes, address issues, buy and sell goods and services, and work with other people in teams or groups. When documents are provided over the Internet, they can be set up so everyone can see them or so only selected people have access (Callaghan, 2002). They can also be emailed, so they only go to the person or people for which they were intended.

A corporate intranet arrangement is very similar, as it provides an email or document collection type of experience but only within the confines of that particular corporation or company (Callaghan, 2002). Because intranets are specific to the company, they reduce the risk of information going to people who should not be reading it, or for whom it was not intended (Callaghan, 2002). While they are not foolproof and can be hacked, they do a relatively good job of protecting information so it is not accessed by others outside of the company. That can be an excellent choice for internal memos and other documents, or for company rules and regulations that need updating (Callaghan, 2002).

Callaghan, J. (2002). Inside intranets & extranets: Knowledge management and the struggle for power. NY: Palgrave Macmillan.

2. What is the goal of data management?

The goal of data management is focused around making sure all of the data that is needed by a company is managed, collected, and stored properly (Hayes, 2008). This is not always easy, because there is a great deal that goes into managing data from the original collection of it to the end of its life-cycle. How the data is collected, how long it is held for, and how it is stored, used, and processed can all affect data management (Hayes, 2008). However, no matter what is done with the data or any of the issues that surround it, the goal of data management is to make sure that the data is collected and stored properly so it can be used in the manner in which it was intended (Hayes, 2008). This is very important, because the mining of data can provide a great deal of insight into numerous areas of interest for a company. These generally revolve around customers and potential customers, based on what those individuals may want and need from companies with which they do business.

Data management has changed by leaps and bounds throughout the years. When it first began it was focused on storing one piece of information in numerous places, because that was necessary (Hayes, 2008). However, that has evolved over time to where a piece of information is generally only found in one or two places, that are then cross-referenced so they can be easily accessible to anyone who needs them and is authorized to access them (Hayes, 2008). The management of the data is also about mining, organization, and quality. If the proper data is not mined from the available information and the data does not provide quality information to those who collect and use it, there is little point in having it at all.

Hayes, H. (2008). Integrated data management: Managing data across its lifecycle. IBM. Retrieved from http://public.dhe.ibm.com/software/dw/data/dm-0807hayes/dm-0807hayes-pdf.pdf

4. What is the difference between 3G and 4G?

There is a difference between 3G and 4G technology, which is based in how much a system can handle and what kinds of capabilities it has. For example, a 4G platform will be able to do more, and do it faster, than a 3G platform will. The term 4G is short for Fourth Generation, where 3G was considered to be Third Generation (Woerner, 2001). Each time there is a succeeding generation, more is able to be done with the devices that run on that platform. With mobile telecommunications, the more a person is able to do the more he or she will be interested in the devices and other options offered on that telecommunications network. A 4G network will provide everything that a 3G network provides, along with ultra-broadband access to the internet (Woerner, 2001). That allows access to everything a person would ever need on a laptop, smartphone, or other wireless device.

Upgrading from 3G to 4G can mean a required change in a device, as well, because a number of devices are not designed to be forward compatible (Woerner, 2001). That is also true of the network architecture itself, since it was not necessarily built to be able to upgrade. This is unfortunate, because it seems as though one would expect an upgrade in the near future and would plan for that. Technology is always changing, and 5G will likely come along sooner rather than later. Companies that make their networks and devices forward compatible are going to be ahead of the game when these changes occur, since they will be able to adjust to those changes more easily (Woerner, 2001). That is significant, but may not be the case (or be possible) for some companies.

Woerner, B. (2001). Research directions for fourth generation wireless. Proceedings of the 10th International Workshops on Enabling Technologies: Infrastructure for Collaborative Enterprises (WET ICE 01). Cambridge, MA: Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

5 . What is virtual collaboration? Mention an example.

Virtual collaboration is teamwork and collaboration that takes place completely virtually, through the use of the internet (Peters & Manz, 2007). One example of this would be a team of people who are all located in different parts of the country or the world using a service like Skype to collaborate on a project. This works very well for projects where everyone involved does not have to physically touch the project for it to be successful. Instead of each person showing up from nine to five, Monday through Friday, to work on something in the same room together, it is possible to pick the truly best people for the job no matter where they are located (Peters & Manz, 2007). Very large projects work well like this, because designers, writers, and other types of people can be hired from wherever they are, and they can simply work together by sharing ideas online. There is a great deal of value in that, since it does not restrict talent to a particular geographic area.

The idea of using virtual collaboration is not for every project, however. Some projects really do require people to be hands-on, and they all need to meet in the same room in order to have the right level of success with the project (Peters & Manz, 2007). That is a perfectly understandable issue for a number of projects, but many of them can be completed in other ways. By thinking outside the box, companies can often save a lot of money through virtual collaboration (Peters & Manz, 2007). There is no need to fly people back and forth for meetings, and no need to have all of them together for many (or all) of the components of the project. If their personalities clash, they live all over the world, or there are other reasons why they cannot work in the same room or do not need to, virtual collaboration can be a great choice.

Peters, L.M., & Manz, C.C. (2007). Identifying antecedents of virtual team collaboration. Team Performance Management 13(3/4): 117-129.