Importance Of Information Technology And The Healthcare...

IMPORTANCE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN HEALTHCARE. Jude Alumuku, SEIS 605-07 Alum0001@stthomas.edu I. Introduction. II. Background Information A. What is Information Technology B. Information technology and the healthcare industry. C. Facts about Information technology and its application in Healthcare 1.0 Strategic Analysis – Industry. 1.1 Strategic Analysis – Competition III. Healthcare Information Technology Adoption, Quality and Costs IV. Problems With health Information technology V. Potential Solutions to problems associated with Health Information technology. VI. The future of healthcare: Information technology. VII. Conclusion. ABSTRACT. This paper discusses the ever evolving field of information Technology and its†¦show more content†¦Without the utilization of information technology, the data becomes less valuable and often is lost†. [1]. Data storage is one of the problems experienced in the healthcare field. Patient s privacy is also a major concern in the health care field. Today, better technology exist to better safeguard and protect patient records. This paper evaluates the various information technology and software tools available to tackle various problems in the healthcare field and improve the quality of care to patients. Information Technology means the use of hardware, software, services, and supporting infrastructure to manage and deliver information using voice, data, and video. IT focus on how information and computing systems support business, research, and communications needs. Instruction ranges from the basics of computer hardware to the complex relationship between humans and computers. Information technology and the healthcare industry: There is no doubt that information technology has played a vital role in the quality of care offered and received across the US and some parts of the world. When it comes to the health care sector, the use of IT in proving quality health care involves designing, developing, creating, using and maintaining information systems strictly for the health care sector. Automated and interoperable healthcare information systems are expected to lower costs, improve efficiency and reduce error, while also providing

Biography Of Genghis Khan Essay Example For Students

Biography Of Genghis Khan Essay Biography of Genghis KhanThe old world had many great leaders. Alexander the Great, Hannibal and even Julius Caesar met with struggle on their rise to power. Perhaps Genghis Khan was the most significant of all these rulers. To prove that Genghis Khan was the greatest ruler, we must go back to the very beginning of his existence. We must examine such issues as; Genghiss struggle for power/how his life as a child would affect his rule, his personal and military achievements and his conquests. Genghis Khan was originally born as Temujin in 1167. He showed early promise as a leader and a fighter. By 1206, an assembly of Mongolian chieftains proclaimed him Genghis Khan. Which meant Universal or invincible prince. This was a bold move for the assembly. They obviously saw some leadership qualities in Genghis that others didnt. When Genghis Khan was little, his chieftain father poisoned. With no leader left, the tribe abandoned Genghis and his mother. They were left alone for many years to care for themselves. Throughout these years, his family met many hardships such as shortage of food and shortage of money. Though unable to read, Genghis was a very wise man. His mother told him at a very early age the importance of trust and independence. Remember, you have no companions but your shadow Grolier Encyclopedia. (1995) CD ROMThis quote was to mean to Genghis, dont put to much trust in anyone, trust no one but yourself and if you must go your own way then do so. In 1206, Genghis Khan proclaimed the ruler of Mongolia. Genghis was a very respected leader. Like other leaders he knew what his people wanted. They want everything that is good and nothing that is bad. Genghis knew he could not promise this so instead he pledged to share both the sweet and the bitter of life. Genghis did not want to end up being poisoned like his father so instead he made alliances, and attacked anyone who posed a serious threat. Through this method of leadership, Genghiss army grew to the point where they were unbeatable. Genghis contributed alot of items to the chinese and even western civilizations. Perhaps his greatest contribution was a code of laws that he declared. Since Genghis couldnt read or write, these law were documented by one of his followers. His laws were carried on by people though the many generations to the point of still being in use today. Either as a modification of Genghiss laws or as Genghis had declared them. Genghis Khan promoted the growth of trade between China and Europe. This allowed him to gain essential supplies such as food, weapons and other essential survival materials. Genghis also invented a system similar to the pony express. It was a system in which the horse and rider could silently communicate, a system that is still in use today. Perhaps the greatest gift ever given by Genghis Khan was the gift of language. Genghis was the first ruler to develop a Mongolian language. Genghis Khan was also a military and strategic genius. He structured his army in a unique and interesting fashion. He integrated soldiers from different tribes into one powerful fighting force. This was a brilliant idea. Not only could he have diversity and people who specialize in certain aspects of warfare, but it also inspired loyalty to the mongolian army as a whole rather than to a specific group of people. Genghis used harsh training and strict discipline to create a superior fighting force, he also insured that everyone of his soldiers was well equipped and could easily adopted new warfare tactics. His soldiers were always learning. Whether it be a new tactic Genghis had invented or a new weapon He decided the army would use, his soldiers were coneztly learning. Genghis inspired loyalty by a unique way of promotion. Genghis felt that the best way to gain a loyal following was to promote people on the basis of achievement and not within the family. This did not only inspire a great deal of loyalty but it also made his army better and actually raised the morale of his s oldiers. Every soldier gave their life to Genghis and one hundred percent of their effort because no one knew who would be the next Genghis would promote. .u439ed6d9bbcba3cee73f54a747caae44 , .u439ed6d9bbcba3cee73f54a747caae44 .postImageUrl , .u439ed6d9bbcba3cee73f54a747caae44 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u439ed6d9bbcba3cee73f54a747caae44 , .u439ed6d9bbcba3cee73f54a747caae44:hover , .u439ed6d9bbcba3cee73f54a747caae44:visited , .u439ed6d9bbcba3cee73f54a747caae44:active { border:0!important; } .u439ed6d9bbcba3cee73f54a747caae44 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u439ed6d9bbcba3cee73f54a747caae44 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u439ed6d9bbcba3cee73f54a747caae44:active , .u439ed6d9bbcba3cee73f54a747caae44:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u439ed6d9bbcba3cee73f54a747caae44 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u439ed6d9bbcba3cee73f54a747caae44 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u439ed6d9bbcba3cee73f54a747caae44 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u439ed6d9bbcba3cee73f54a747caae44 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u439ed6d9bbcba3cee73f54a747caae44:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u439ed6d9bbcba3cee73f54a747caae44 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u439ed6d9bbcba3cee73f54a747caae44 .u439ed6d9bbcba3cee73f54a747caae44-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u439ed6d9bbcba3cee73f54a747caae44:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Kate chopin: adversity and criticism EssayFinally, once Genghiss army was trained and ready for battle, Genghis felt it was time to flex the muscles of the Mongolian empire. Genghis took on the great task of conquering all of china and uniting it under a single ruler. Genghis began his assault on China by attacking a northwest kingdom called Xi Xia. He defeated Xi Xia with little effort and then in 1215 he moved northeast, attacking and conquering Bejing, the capital city of the Jin empire. In 1218, for reasons unknown, he decided to cease his assault on China and sweep into central Asia. He crushed the kingdom of Krorezm which was located in what is now present-day Uzebek iez and Turkmeniez. In 1220, he destroyed the cities of Bukhara and Samarkand, which are located in present-day Uzebekiez and Neyshabar in modern Iran. By 1223, Genghis Khan and his troops had conquered the Kipchaks, and they had defeated the Russians at the Kalka River. It had taken Genghis Khan 17 years to create an empire superior in strength and achievement to Alexander the great, Julius Caesar and even Hannibal. From 1225 until Genghiss death in 1227, His army was at war with Yi Yia kingdom. Genghis Khan died on August 18, 1227, and was buried in a secret location in Mongolia. By rewarding skill and allegiance, and punishing those who opposed him, Genghis Khan established a vast empire and the most powerful empire to ever exist. Upon his death, Genghiss son Kublai Khan took over the empire, founding the chinese-style Yuan dynasty. Mongol rule brought relative peace to Asia, leaving China accessible to foreign visitors, such as Marco Polo. REFERENCESGrolier Encyclopedia. (1995). CD ROMThe New World Book. (1995). CD ROMEmpires Beyond the Great Wall: The Heritage of Genghis Khan. www.pinc.com/khan/empires.htmlOnline. Internet. 1 May 1996Heroes (Genghis Khan 1167-1227). http://spruce.evansville.edu/al22/genghis.htmlOnline. Internet. 2 May 1996

Sugar mama Review Essay Example

Sugar mama Review Paper Essay on Sugar mama For a long time, neither of which he could not say good things about Russian literature. Already ten years our absolutely nothing to show the world, even Limonov and Pelevin stopped writing at least that is more or less decent. And all because of a very terrible secondary of each new book. There is always the feeling that somewhere youve already read it all But not this time, the book is really worthy of translation into other languages. The action takes place in Havana, at the radio station, and then at the dacha outside Moscow. And constantly compares national mentalities. The book tells about the Russians inability to truly love and be truly happy, or about how Havana prostitutes ( rider) and local sorcerers are full-fledged members of the Cuban society. About how an art dealer and a school teacher can easily be also a pimp. Havana last place in the world where prostitutes are making love, not sex. And the protagonist of course the Marlboro Man, who has the biggest dick in the w orld, and with the help of his dignity, he decided no one dozen global political problems, having trained in parallel Carnegie art of communication. But Marlborough uchuvstvuet no visible effect, it hides behind the lines of the book in the dialogues of heroes, who love to mention it in various parables, with a hint of Zen Buddhism. Marlboro Man, that something in the nature of the new saint for our world, that he must save. He teaches us to listen to your inner voice and be in harmony with yourself.  «One day, when the Marlboro Man sold his calves, he was approached by Henry Ford, who worry the question of what should be the best in the American car. How much gobies, son? said Ford in Marlborough -. Tell this idiot that you have the largest penis prompted the internal voice We will write a custom essay sample on Sugar mama Review specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Sugar mama Review specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Sugar mama Review specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer -. I have the biggest penis in Texas said Marlborough Ford . So, Henry Ford made American cars the worlds largest  » and the moral is, if you have at least one advantage, that it is necessary to use it and then you will find your place in the world. and of course we can not forget about Hemingway, what a Havana without him. The entire novel imbued with the spirit of his books. The local bars are still lying branches of mint for mahito waiting for his return. The story comes from different persons, from bitchy Muscovite finishing angels destiny. This helps to more fully understand what is happening the action. In general, I advise everyone to this book. I do not think that in the near future in Russia will be more stories of this level.

What Does a College Acceptance Letter Say Expert Guide

What Does a College Acceptance Letter Say Expert Guide SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Whereas fall means college application season, spring means admission notifications time. All high school seniors want to get a college acceptance letter to their top-choice school. But what exactly does an admittance letter look like? And what does it say? In this article, we go over what information a typical college acceptance letter includes and show you real college acceptance letter samples so you can get an idea of what they look like. We also give you our top four tips for what to do after you get an admittance letter. What Does a College Acceptance Letter Say? A typical college acceptance letter usually says exactly what you’d expect it to say: that you've been admitted to the school and offered a place in the incoming class. Most of the time, a college acceptance letter will get straight to the point: it’ll start off clear and congratulatory so you’ll have no doubt about whether or not you’ve been admitted. Below are examples of the types of words and phrases commonly used in the first paragraph of an admittance letter: "Congratulations!" "I am delighted to inform you that you have been admitted to †¦" "We are pleased to inform you that you have been admitted to †¦" "We are pleased/happy to offer you admission to ... " "It is my/our pleasure to offer you admission to †¦" "It is with great pleasure that I/we offer you admission to †¦" Naturally, there’s a lot of variation with the phrases here, but the examples above are fairly representative of what you’ll see in the opening of a college acceptance letter. After the paragraph containing the offer of admission, you'll typically get a couple of sentences (which are really just compliments) about how your application stood out, how competitive the applicant pool was this year, and/or how you should be proud of yourself for getting in. The next paragraph or two will vary depending on the school. Many colleges inform admitted applicants of an admittees-only event on campus, which is usually a weekend similar to freshman orientation. These events teach you more about the campus and what kinds of opportunities and support the school offers; they also encourage you to attend the school. The ending paragraphs in a typical college acceptance letter give you details about the deadline by which you must make and submit your college decision (i.e., whether or not you’ll be attending the school). This deadline is almost always May 1. By that point, you should have gotten admissions decisions from all the schools you've applied to (unless you’ve been waitlisted somewhere and are waiting to see whether you’ll get off the waitlist). This is just the gist of what you can expect a college acceptance letter to say. But what exactly does an admittance letter look like? 4 Real College Acceptance Letter Samples Now that we’ve gone over what a typical admittance letter says, you’re probably wondering what this letter can look like. We’ve published four real college acceptance letter samples for you to look at. These show you what acceptance letters look like overall, how they’re often worded and organized, and what kind of information they generally include. Click the links below to see each college acceptance letter sample and to learn more about what these top colleges say to admitted applicants: Harvard Acceptance Letter Princeton Acceptance Letter Stanford Acceptance Letter MIT Acceptance Letter Oftentimes, after you receive an admittance letter, you'll get subsequent letters from the school giving you more information on admittees-only events, how to submit your decision, and so on. Click here to see a real follow-up letter to a college acceptance letter from NYU. When Can You Expect a College Acceptance Letter? These days, most colleges will first and sometimes only notify applicants of their admissions decisions electronically, either through an online portal or by email. That said, most colleges will also follow up their online offer with a formal college acceptance letter that is mailed directly to the applicant. When you can expect to hear back from colleges regarding your admission decisions can vary. The vast majority of colleges get back to applicants with their admission decisions by the first week of April, with many releasing their decisions in mid- to late March. If you applied early action or early decision to a school, you’ll most likely hear back in December, January, or February. For more info about when you can expect to receive an admissions decision, check out our guide to when college acceptance letters arrive. Want to build the best possible college application? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. Got a College Admittance Letter? 4 Steps to Take Next If you’ve gotten a college acceptance letter, congratulations! You've just been admitted to a college you applied to- a great accomplishment. Once you've celebrated a little, though, what should you do next? Here are four critical steps to take after you get a college acceptance letter. Step 1: Wait for Any Other Decision Notifications to Arrive Most students apply to multiple colleges at once, so even if you’ve received one college acceptance letter, it’s a good idea to wait to make your decision about where to go for college until after you’ve gotten all the admissions decisions from the colleges you applied to. This means that you should expect to wait, latest, until the first week of April, as most colleges should have sent out (electronically, by mail, or both) their decision notifications by this time. The only exception to this rule is if the school from which you got your college acceptance letter is your top choice. In this case, you already know you for sure want to attend this school, so go right on ahead to Step 3! Step 2: Choose a College to Attend Once you've gotten responses from all the colleges you applied to, it’s time to tally your results. You obviously can’t attend any colleges you’ve been rejected at, so this leaves you with only the schools you’ve been admitted to and waitlisted at. You now have to make an important decision: of the colleges you’ve been accepted at, which one do you want to attend the most? In other words, where do you see yourself thriving? If you're struggling to decide, ask yourself what you’re looking for in terms of the school campus, academics/majors, extracurriculars, overall atmosphere, location, cost, etc. We offer more tips in our guide on how to choose the best college for you. Step 3: Confirm Your Spot and Submit Your Deposit After you’ve figured out which college you want to attend, it’s time to confirm your spot in the new freshman class. To do this, you’ll usually need to fill out a form and return it to the college letting them know you intend to enroll in the fall. The deadline for your response will most likely be May 1, so be sure to contact your chosen college by this date. At this time, you should also submit your non-refundable deposit to the college. This college tuition deposit ensures you’ll have a spot in the new class. Note that this deposit may not be refunded under any circumstances, even if you change your mind or get admitted off the waitlist for a different college you’d rather attend. Step 4: Decline Your Admission Offers From Other Colleges Once you accept your offer of admission to your top-choice school, it's time to decline any other offers of admission you received. All you'll typically have to do is fill out a form letting the school know whether you intend to enroll. Again, this usually needs to be done by May 1. Recap: What to Know About the College Acceptance Letter If you’ve been accepted to a college, you’ll receive a college acceptance letter from that school, most likely at first electronically and then later as a hard copy in the mail. Most college decisions are released in the spring, typically no later than the first week of April. However, if you applied early action/early decision, you can expect to hear back in either December, January, or February. If you’ve received an admittance letter, that’s wonderful! Once you’ve finished celebrating, it’s time to figure out the next steps to take. First, you'll need to wait to hear back from all the colleges you applied to, as you might get accepted to other schools as well. After you’ve heard back, it’s time to make a decision about where you want to go for college. Once you’ve decided, you must confirm your enrollment at the school you've chosen, usually by May 1. You’ll also need to submit a non-refundable tuition deposit. Around this time, you can get started on declining any other acceptances you received from colleges. What’s Next? You know what a college acceptance letter looks like- but exactly when will your decision notification arrive? Check out our guide to college acceptance letter arrival dates to learn more. In order to snag an admittance letter to a college, you need to have a great application. Get tips on how to put together a great college application and learn how to estimate your chances of admission with our college acceptance calculator. Aiming for the Ivy League? Our expert guide explains how you, too, can get accepted to Harvard, Princeton, and more! Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Achievement Motivation Theory Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Achievement Motivation Theory - Research Paper Example According to McClelland (1962, cited Miner 2007), individuals tend to behave as per the significance they levy on achievement, power and affiliation. Even external pressures and expectations drive individuals towards achieving their goals. From a personality perspective, the need or urge experienced by individuals to influence others and/or change people or situations point at their motivation towards achieving power. A need to earn and establish cordial relations refers to need for affiliation. Achievement need refers to excellence, competition, goals and being focussed. Achievement motivation points to these characters. These achievement needs can be characterised by certain behaviors. When individuals are driven by their needs for achievement, they tend to be focused, self-confident and have high energy levels. Such individuals tend to set achievable goals and are driven towards challenge and excellence. These individuals are also calculative in risk-taking as well as seek constant feedback on their performance or action. These individuals constantly strive towards improvement and can think innovatively (Lussier & Achua, 2009). According to McClelland’s research, the inherent need for achievement in the US population was bare minimum, which was also an indication of the number of entrepreneurs during that time. Moreover, these individuals are inclined towards high achievers and tend to adopt unconventional approaches to achieve their goal or to tackle the challenge. aspects of application of the achievement motivation theory. General Electric’s immense success and growth during Welch’s leadership conveys a theme much contrary to McClelland’s findings related to the achievement motivation quotient among the Americans. The findings from previous studies were probably true from an individual perspective; however, considering the external factors’ perspective, it would be

Supply chain or operational challenges Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Supply chain or operational challenges - Essay Example Companies have opted to relocate their manufacturing to low-cost countries across the world in order to respond to the customer’s satisfactions and demands on price expectations. The relocation is done to reduce the indirect and direct costs at the same time minimizing taxes. Global suppliers contribute to the problems that come with delivery time that is extended. In the emerging markets, customers not only want products of lower prices but also timely delivery of their products. Global chain of supply is complex. Adding this to the ever-changing feature makes the challenge greater. The customers immediately put pressure to the company to come up with something big next time after the release of the product. Innovation is, therefore, an important element in today’s market. To enhance their products, companies are forced to redesign their products so that they can meet the market demand. The demand of the customers in the modern market is more demanding than ever. Companies are trying hard to expand their distribution towards the emerging market to increase the growth in their revenues and market shares. Several companies are working had to expand both foreign and home markets. The introduction of new markets possesses difficulties from government policies, fees and trading policies. Companies have responded positively with global networks, expansion of markets and innovation of products. Several companies, today, rely on supply chain managers to optimize on the value chains so that they can remain competitive in the market (Shankar et al., pg.

Standalone vs networked computers Essay Example for Free

Standalone vs networked computers Essay This report will clearly explain the differences between standalone and networked machines, as well as give a brief insight into the basic components of the network. Also, it will state the possible advantages and disadvantages to keeping the current standalone set up opposed to the idea of creating a network. A synopsis shall be included to summarise your options, and give a professional opinion on what would be the most beneficial for your small furniture business. STANDALONE ENVIRONMENT WHAT IS IT? A standalone environment is when a computer is used independently without connection to any communication devices. Each computer will need a copy of the operating system and software being used. If you need to transfer data between departments, it will have to be done manually. They vary from networked computers which are able to communicate to other computers because as soon as a computer is attached to a communication device, it instantly becomes in a network. The main characteristics of a standalone computer are: * It has no connection to any other computers * It does not have an internet connection * Data would need to be manually transferred via CDs, etc COMPUTER NETWORK WHAT IS IT? A basic network consists of several computers and hardware devices such as printers and scanners that are linked together so that they can communicate with each other. It features four distinct elements in addition to the computers themselves. These are: * Communication devices * Networking Software * Data transfer media * Standards and procedures Communication devices are pieces of hardware that are needed to turn standalone computers into networked computers. Before a computer can be connected to a network it must have a network interface card (NIC). This is a card that contains essential circuitry and a plug-in socket that allows a connection between the computer and the cabling. The NIC basically prepares and convert data to a form that can be transmitted through media (such as a metal cable or fibre optic cable). Networking software varies dependent on the size of the network. Because your furniture firm is only a small business, the networking software on Windows XP shall suffice, but take note of this information in case the business planning future expansion. Specialised network operating systems coordinate the activities of all the computers and other devices connected to a network. Popular network operating systems include: UNIX owned by the SCO group as 2000, Linux and Novell Netware, a popular client-server network operating system. Data transfer media is the physical material through which data travels from one computer to another. The main data transfer media an offer in todays market are metal wires, and fibre optic cable which add the cost of creating/installing a network, or alternatively wireless. Standards and procedures are important because without them one device in your network could be sending data to another device in a form that the other device may not be able to interpret. In order for a network to run properly it must adopt certain procedures. Without procedures the security of the network might be comprised, as well as the health of the employees. Legislation such as the Data Protection Act and Computer Misuse Act may accidently be disobeyed. ADVANTAGES OF STAYING STANDALONE The advantages to keeping the current 5 machines set up as they are, as standalone machines are: * It would be a cheaper option in terms of hardware and software. The cables, especially high speed fibre optic cables can be money consuming, as well this NIC and data transmission media can be costly * Less ICT knowledge is needed to keep the systems running efficiently, hence qualified network managers/administrators do not need to be employed * Training costs (such as money and time) on how to maintain/operate a network are unneeded if every member of staff knows how to use a basic standalone machine * The spread of viruses and bugs can be keep minimal as each of the computers arent communicate, meaning the virus cannot be transferred from computer to computer * Hard is less of a necessity, as servers arent needed. This is beneficial in two ways: * If a piece of hardware malfunctions, it doesnt affect every machine whereas, say, if a file server crashed the whole network would be sabotaged * Initially purchasing costs and maintenance costs do not need to be funded if the complex hardware for a network isnt needed * Standalone machines can operate a lot faster as if they are only need for a specific task (e.g. Word processing) other software doesnt need to installed on the hard drive, hence making the machine more efficient ADVANTAGES OF CREATING A NETWORK The advantages of setting up a network far outweigh the advantages of staying standalone. There are however disadvantages which will be covered on the next page of this report: * Manual file transfer is rendered inept if the network operates using a file server, which holds all the important documents an organization needs, where every computer has access to instantly * Hardware such as printers can be shared between multiple computers, meaning a separate printer doesnt need to be purchased/installed to every machine * Software such as application are shared, meaning its easier to control software maintenance and making sure the software is up-to-date is easier and more efficient * Costs of purchasing software is reduced as you can purchase a single copy which can then be installed the server so every machine has access, which would be cheaper than the alternative of purchasing the software multiple times * Network managers can control what websites employees do and do not have access to, so distracting game websites can be blocked from every computer * Downloaded material can be checked with the latest virus checking software universally, so individual scans do not need to take place * Backing up files to save loosing valuable documents can be done automatically or by the network manager so less responsibility is placed upon the work force and the likelihood of lose is reduced * Internal business communication can be made easier throughout the means of e-mail, which will improve communication between workers DISADVANTAGES OF STAYING STANDALONE When there are advantages, there are usually disadvantages to go with it. The disadvantages of keeping the current layout format are as follows: * File transfer is time consuming and frustrating, as documents cannot be directly sent to each computer, hence file transfer media such as USB memory sticks or CDs need to be purchased * Communication when working on a joint computer project can be fussy, as e-mails cannot be sent, so the employees will have to engage in face-to-face communication * Information is hard to keep up-to-date as two or more users could be updating the same piece of information unaware the other is doing so, hence two or more documents will be produced causing confusion * Software needs to be installed individually on each of the 5 machines, which can be costly as the software needs to be replicated enough times and wasteful of businesses time * Back-up of files isnt centrally done, hence each machine need to be backed up and checked regularly to ensure to lose of data * The internet or intranet cannot be accessed by employees, meaning topics cannot be research, information cannot be posted in a bulletin, etc, hindering employees efforts DISADVANTAGES OF CREATING A NETWORK The disadvantages of creating a network are scarce as networks are beneficial to almost every organisation in todays society. However, they include: * The task of running and maintaining a network, ensuring that it is fully functional requires expertise, so a professional shall need to be hired * If hardware fails or malfunctions, every computer is faced with the inconvenience. For example if the network file server goes down, no computer can gain access to the shared files * The initial costs involved in setting up a network are high as all the hardware and software need to purchased, although a network will save money in the long run, in the short run it is costly * Viruses can be spread more easily and quickly to every computer on the network, whereas if it happened to a standalone computer only one would be affected SYNOPSIS Overall, the advantages to your small business of creating a network far outweigh the advantages of keeping the machines standalone. The ability to share files such as orders, receipts, etc would be drastically improved as a file server could be emplaced for ease of access. Providing you have the funds to invest in the highly priced equipment, the option of setting up a network would be beneficial in the long term for the business especially in major growth happens which can be foresaw with the increasing mass of technology used. You could use the internet research competitors prices, to offer your customer the best quality service available and even start trading online using e-commerce. Make sure sufficient antivirus software is in place to protect from the risk of hackers or viruses; this may cost extra money, as it needs to be updated. The ICT department may need to consider employing highly qualified employees to run and maintain the network to make sure its operational on a day to day basis. So the options are to keep the 5 standalone machines and be faced with the disadvantages of them, or set up a network of computers and experience the change.