Final Remarks

This semester has been a very difficult semester. Sometimes I wonder why I am going for my second Masters Degree. In the beginning of the class I was going to withdraw because of the workload and taking a second class. There is light at the end of the tunnel. The topics discussed this semester were very informative. Even with my mediocre computer background there were still topics that were new to me. The only downside of the class was the group project. I think we failed because we did not assign a group leader. It seemed as though no one truly wanted the responsibility. WE did not communicate as frequently as we should which resulted in the low grade. It was a first failure for me an experience I will not forget.

The great part of the class was the articles. I enjoyed the mini projects as well. It was a pleasure learning from you, and I would enjoy taking another class, hopefully not this one, with you again.

Session Fourteen

This was probably the best session of all, probably because it was the last. However, delaying IT investments to cut cost is probably depended upon how much debt of the business. IT system upgrades are not cheap, but delaying an upgrade can be more costly. I am caught in the middle in my decision. I would not cut costs if upgrading would improve the business. I would cut staff or reduce man hours to invest in IT. It is totally depended upon what the business goals and what is expected of the return.
Increased spending in my car did not make me drive faster. I am still limited to 60mph. It did decrease my gas mileage. Funds that are invested properly in IT systems can bring results. Investing in a system that will be outdated in a couple of years may bring immediate results and additional future costs.

Session Thirteen

Reading the statue for HIPAA provided me with information that I was not aware. I was always under the impression that HIPAA was strictly to prevent medical employees from viewing patient’s records. I learned that it protected patients from insurance fraud. One managerial issue with teleworking is managers do not have the face to face interaction needed for career development and mentoring. The business or work from the employees would be based on production. Mangers would monitor only the work accomplished, which will elude them from other factors concerning the employees personal life. I believe the teleworking can be used on a case by case basis, that is circumstances that prevents the employee from coming to work for a prolong period.

Session Twelve

Standards are necessary in the computer industry I think to ensure that computers are able to communicate with each other. Television or radio waves have standards. Broadcasters have to follow the laws of the FCC in order to communicate to consumers. Maybe if there was standard of Operating Systems Microsoft would have such a grip on the market. Outsourcing is the trend for most businesses using when they are planning to expand beyond their borders. Finder cheaper resources and cutting production costs is a great strategy for businesses to adopt. Outsourcing can have a negative impact on businesses if local workers are not trained to handle customer complaints or working conditions fall short of the industry standard.

Session Eleven

A Systems Development Life Cycle is the best strategy to use in developing any project. I certainly believe that planning, analyzing, designing, and maintaining will bring positive results in development of any project, especially web development. Extreme programming has been a method that Microsoft seems to use in developing their operating systems. Every operating system that I have owned from Microsoft has been rushed to market. I have used Windows 95, 98 and XP. Each product needed constant updates to function with computers. I think it is necessary with all the amount of input and output peripherals on the market. It would be difficult to have drivers for each one in a introductory project.