Services Available through the Web in Different Industry Segments - Essay Example

Web services Name: Number: Course: Lecturer: Date: 1. Executive summary Achieving automation between the various processes has always been an uphill task for many companies. Organizations have always been looking for cheaper options that will enable them to save. The integration of various entities which are working in varying environments has been boosted by the developments that are seen in the distributed computing. Business trends are not there for any longer than technology. They come and go. Innovation is there to stay and. We have many innovations which have shaped many businesses in the world since time immemorial. In today’s world of business, if a business cannot keep up or jump into new innovations, then they have no future. Ideas, technology, and collaboration are the fuel that is pushing the innovation fast forward. Organizations which have made use of Web technology and learnt to empower their employees technologically have realized that the Internet has a lot of potential. The Internet has a lot of potential for opportunities that have not been utilized on the Internet. Web applications are fast moving toward Web technologies. Organizations are setting up systems to reap from the benefits of this new technology. The reason behind this surge in Web technologies adoption is that this technology has advantages now that there is Web 2.0 in place. It is a combination of technologies together with business trends (Coleman, & Levine, 2008). In addition, this technology is dynamic and comes with it features that allows users to communicate more interactively giving more user satisfaction. This is true since communication is a very vital aspect for the success of any company. Improvement of communication between employees in an organization brings with it the advantages of higher productivity. It has rich communication features like blogs, instant messages, and wiki. These tools are very interactive and bring more satisfaction to the users. Companies that began as Web 2.0 businesses will have the advantage since they don’t have the added task of transforming an old business model. Table of Contents 1.Executive summary 2 Table of Contents 4 2.Introduction 5 2.1 Service 1: Software-as-a-service 5 2.2 Service 2: Office of e-Envoy: e-Government Interoperability Framework 7 2.3 Service 3: GoogleDocs and Penzu 8 2.4 Service 4: Amazon 9 2.5 Service 5: Youtube 10 2.6 Service 6: Googlemaps 10 3. Service integration 11 3.1 Value added service goals 11 3.2 Common data 11 3.3 Integration sequence 12 3.4 Smart device exploitation 12 3.5 Market 12 References 13 2. Introduction With the increase in web applications in the world today there is still more to be expected. The current trends of leveraging of technology to bring about maximum outcome from these new technologies. There are new technologies that are being used to increase productivity in companies. What is more, the current wave of Web 2.0 technologies has great potential and companies are realigning their processes to tap from the Internet technology. There are many companies which have adopted the technologies which come with the use of the Internet. This paper will look at how IBM Company has used Internet and the latest technologies that come with the Internet to make their productivity optimal (Herman, 2002). There are various web services that are available and on use on the Internet today. 2.1 Service 1: Software-as-a-service In today’s globalised business economy, software is ubiquitous. Software applications are used across multiple economies to track business operations and manage business operations. Over time businesses have used software that is run on the internal infrastructure of their own. This has been the cause of many difficulties especially ones associated with financial use. Due to this constraint, many businesses are running to software-as-a-service model since the traditional software license models have begun to seem antiquated. Software-as-a-service in general allows customers to pay monthly fee only while running applications on the service provider’s infrastructure. It necessitates no need for the purchase of infrastructure or development of software applications (Meehan, 2001). Software-as-a-service is therefore a software delivery method that provides access to software and its functions remotely as a web based service. In this concept of business as a service organizations are given the ability to access business services and provide the same services to their clients at a relatively cheaper cost that is considerably less than that of paying for licensed software. Software-as-a-service ensures the limited use of finances in ensuring the availability of functionalities that could have been realized at a greater cost. The software is hosted remotely and therefore allow users the chance of using the already available hardware rather than acquiring new ones. Organizations have no need to handle installation, set up and even daily maintenances of the software (Hickman, & De Smedt, 2000). Another perspective in which software-as-a-service can be viewed is in cases where organizations rent storage or lease storage space from third party providers. This considerable reduces the cost aspect of the institution. The internet provides a transfer medium upon which data is transferred from the client to the service provider. Through the internet, the client is able to access the services or data elements. These software used for access of information and data from the service provider allow the client to perform such tasks as data backup and data transfers via the internet (Zervaas, Quentin, 2007). The main advantage introduced by the adoption of software-as-a-service is the fact that it reduces cost of operation in an institution. The reduction in the cost of operations is introduced due to the fact that there is no need to buy hardware, purchase systems and even pay support staff. Web services are recognized as the major boost toward the achievement of this concept of software-as-a-service. With the application of web services in business models, users are able to access services without the need to be in physical proximity to the service. It allows users to be able to service themselves easily without the need for an intervening staff or a support assistant. This, in a great sense, reduces the cost incurred in dispensation of the services by the organization (Herman, 2002). 2.2 Service 2: Office of e-Envoy: e-Government Interoperability Framework Better public services tailored to the needs of the citizen and businesses require the seamless flow of information across the government. The e-Government Interoperability Framework (e-GIF) sets out the government’s technical policies and specifications for achieving interoperability and information systems coherence across the public sector. The e-GIF defines the essential pre-requisites for joined-up and web enabled government. It is a fundamental framework policy for the e-Government strategy (Graham, 1999). The e-GIF defines the minimum set of technical policies and specifications governing information flows across the government and the public sector. They cover interconnectivity, data integration, information access and content management. Adherence to these specifications and policies is mandatory. As these specifications set the underlying infrastructure, the public sector organizations can concentrate on serving the customer through building value added information and services. It will be for the organizations themselves to consider how the business processes can be changed to be more effective by taking advantage of the opportunities provided by increased interoperability. Gartner estimates the e-GIF targets to bear fruition by 2005. Scope: The e-GIF covers the exchange of information between government systems and the interactions between: UK Government and Citizens. UK Government and businesses. (Worldwide) UK Government organizations. UK Government and other Governments (UK/EC, UK/US etc). The UK Government includes central government departments and their agencies, local government, the devolved administrations as voluntary partners, and the wider public sector. The e-GIF does not standardize the appearance of information on the human interface, which can be provided by various user channels e.g. Internet, public kiosks, Digital TV, etc. The e-GIF does standardize the interchange requirements for the delivery of data to such interfaces and tools for the management of the presentation of such data. The technical policies for interoperability across the public sector cover interconnectivity, data integration, information access and content management (Webster, 2000). The legal obligation of the service is that no one is supposed to use the service for their own benefits. It is used for the purpose in which it has been developed to serve. 2.3 Service 3: GoogleDocs and Penzu These are services which allow people to edit their documents and journals over the Internet. With these two services, it is possible to work on a document from any place. GoogleDocs is an office application which is used to work on office documents online. This is a web service which was developed by Google Company. These documents are used to share information with parties who are working together or even companies that share information in different departments. In most cases, parties who are sharing such documents are able to create and edit information on those documents. These are normally done online because there are save in the internet. Google Docs contain various elements of Writely and Spreadsheets that are primarily involved with technological issues which was designed by Tonic Systems (Brian, 1997). Penzu on the other hand can be defined as a web tool that is commonly used to develop private journal in the internet. Some people budget their expenses and keep such records in the internet so that they can be accessing any time they want to review their plans. Furthermore, students can write journal in the internet so that they can be accessing such information through “Share option” and can allow any other person to access and make their own amendment. These materials can be access by anybody who has sign up to Penzu and can add images on the pages available so as to share with others (Smith, & Seifert, 2005). Penzu works like Facebook, anybody can open an account so has to be keeping his pictures, posting comments and commenting on their friends’ pictures. In summary, Penzu is used as a socializing agent by the youths whereby people of the same age group or even people with the same interest can form a folder. This folder can be shared by many people, and can also use this folder to share and exchange ideas and information (Hickman, & De Smedt, 2000). 2.4 Service 4: Amazon Amazon provides online commerce so that one can buy something from the Internet. They are safe and secure. The service is targeted at business people and shoppers. The geographical coverage is worldwide as long as anyone is able to access the Internet. They have been in online business for a more than five years. Customers refer dealing with firms which they can trust. The Internet is insecure given the rampant attacks that are experienced every day. When it comes to online presence and online operations, clients prefer companies which have been there for long; this is where Amazon wins. What is more, they have a marketing strategy which they do it online. Online advertising is seen to be very effective with the advent of social sites. With sites like Facebook and twitter, a company is able to customize adverts to suit a particular niche. Amazon is using this marketing strategy to make advert targeting segmented audience. Students, for example, will get student-related adverts like buying a particular book. Farmers searching for information on the Internet will find agricultural products being advertised on the pages that they visit. This strategy is taking Amazon far (Kiely, 2001). 2.5 Service 5: Youtube Today, it is no longer a mandate to take your video to an editor and tell them to upload them for you. There is the use of Youtube which is an application which helps one to upload videos to the Internet from any place. With Youtube, it is now possible to capture video clips and send them miles away over the Internet without being distorted (Meehan, 2001). 2.6 Service 6: Googlemaps It is a very important service which allows someone to look for some location so that they know how it looks like. It is possible to know facilities that are available in a place without having to travel to that place. Googlemaps is owned by Google Company. The pricing of the service that is free. There are no costs that are involved in using this service. There are legal obligations that come up when one uses Googledocs service in that one is supposed to use it for personal processes (April, 2002). Any use of the service as a corporate will result in infringement of contract. The coverage is worldwide as long as one accesses the Internet. Googlemaps allows someone to look for restaurants, schools, colleges, government agencies and other social amenities, from far. Googlemaps makes use of the Satellite so that with very good internet connection, one is able to get a picture of what happened in a place in a period of five minutes. The access is test whereby when one is accessing sensitive sites like military places, the view is not shown. 3. Service integration Looking at the web services that have been shown above, it is clear that there is need to have Googlemaps services and that of Amazon. One reason for this is that with Amazon dealing with online transactions, it is very important to know where someone is located when doing the transaction. It is important so that security issues will be dealt with. 3.1 Value added service goals The value that will be added to this is that security of the Amazon transactions will be enhanced. When this is added to the website, it will be easier to know the logistics of sending goods to the customers. Another value that will be added is that of enhancing security. It will be easier to track goods if a device will be attached with the goods that will show the far the goods have gone in Googlemaps. This will help to track terrorists. 3.2 Common data The common data that the two services share include the details of the customers. The customer has the location where are located. This common data can then be integrated so that when goods are bought, it will be easier to track them. 3.3 Integration sequence The sequence that can be followed in integration is that there should be a device that will have location details and can be fitted to the goods. This way, when goods are bought, they are fixed with this miniature device and it will be able to tell the location where they are. 3.4 Smart device exploitation Smart devices can be integrated in this whole issue because the small devices can be created and attached to the goods so that they can be tracked where they go. This way, they will help to track the goods and reduce the risks of getting lost. 3.5 Market Currently, there are competitors for Amazon online selling. There is eBay. eBay is making Amazon run for its money. There is therefore a need to be smart in all undertakings of the company. For Googlemaps, there is no competitor in the market yet. It is therefore high time that Amazon starts making use of this service before other companies have a chance to use it. References April, C. (2002). OASIS serves up messaging standard; ebXML Messaging service spec to enable secure business transactions. Inforworld.com. Brian, T. (1997). The Internet: online tools and resources. London: Oxford University Press. Graham, G. (1999). The Internet: New York: Routledge. Herman, J. (2002). E-enabling your enterprise. Business Communications Review. BCR Enterprises. 2(1). 32-25. Hickman, S., & De Smedt, P. (2000). ebXML Is Emerging As a Reliable Standard - Proof of Concept Demonstrates its Viability As EDI Alternative. Electronic Buyers’ News. 42(2), 52-56. Kiely, D. (2001). E-business language of choice? InformationWeek. 4(3). 6-12. Meehan, M. (2001). EDI, ebXML groups agree to cooperate. Computerworld. 4(2). 72-78. Montalbano, E. (2001). ebXML: What's ahead? CRN. 23(2). 87-91. Smith, S.M., & Seifert, W.J. (2005). The reality of the Internet: an overview of key technology policy issues affecting its use and growth. Nova Publishers. Webster, J. (2000). An Alphabet Soup of B2B Standards --SOAP, ebXML, UDDI and others will slowly gain momentum. Internet Week. 6(5). 8-12. Zervaas, Quentin (2007). The Future of the Internet and the Semantic web. Chicago: Springer. 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