MOD1 CSE

Based on the assigned materials, write a paper answering the following questions.

How can an IT system initially help a company advance but later become a requirement for that business to stay competitive?

You may want to consider weaving all or some of the Case Learning Outcomes into your response by addressing the following:

• Describe how information technology (IT) has brought radical changes to industry and societies. This topic can be addressed by articulating how a company from the past executed business processes without Information Technology (and especially information systems/software), then talk about how a present company uses IT and complex software systems.
• Describe the concept of software total cost of ownership (TOC) and its association for investment decision making. In other words, how does a company figure out that investing in software will make it more efficient or more effective and then stay on the path?
• Review the software alternative of cloud computing. Why might it make sense not to host software applications locally? What benefits does cloud computing bring? What possible negative effects are there?
• What does it mean to be competitive? Explain how IT/information systems might make a company competitive.

What happens in companies that cause the mindset to change from implementing IT and especially software systems to become efficient, to believing that IT and information systems/software are “must-haves” to stay at par or get ahead of the competition?

Required Reading

Gallaugher, J. (2012). Information Systems: A Harnessing Guide to Information Technology. FlatWorld Knowledge. Gallaugher Chapter 1 - E-textbook.

Gallaugher, J. (2012). Information Systems: A Harnessing Guide to Information Technology.Gallaugher - Chapter 1 PPT [PowerPoint slides].

Laudon, K., & Laudon, J. (2012). Essentials of MIS. (10^th Ed.). Learning Track 1: Systems from a Functional Perspective. Retrieved fromhttp://wps.prenhall.com/wps/media/objects/14071/14409392/Learning_Tracks/Ess10_CH02_LT1_Systems_Funct_Perspective.pdf

IBM. (2011, November 3). IBM turns change into opportunity in North Carolina. Smarter data centers. [Video File]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwipuAZoUvo

3-4pgs double-spaced