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How do services provided by the Internet Application help organizations reduce their expenses?  Share your perspective on how the Internet Application has changed the conventional way of doing business. Cite examples from real-life business or organizations.

Each student please select at least TWO of the above mentioned categories (A - I), and provide ONE app example for each selected category. Explain and share your perspectives on how the apps have changed the conventional way of doing business. 

Internet Applications

Several service industries use the Internet and its supporting technologies to offer services and products to a wide range of customers at more competitive prices and with increased convenience. The Internet is playing an important role in helping organizations reduce expenses, because Web applications can be used with minimum costs.

A. Tourism and Travel

The tourism and travel industry has benefited from e-commerce Web applications. Many travel Web sites allow customers to book tickets for plane trips and cruises as well as make reservations for hotels and rental cars.

B. Publishing

Many major publishers in the United States and Europe have Web sites that offer descriptions of forthcoming books, sample chapters, online ordering, and search features for looking up books on certain topics or by specific authors. Some publishers even offer books that can be read online free for 90 days or allow one to buy e-book versions or even selected chapters.

C. Higher Education

Most universities have Web sites with information about departments, programs, faculty, and academic resources. Some even offer virtual tours of the campus for prospective students, and more universities are creating virtual divisions that offer entire degree programs via the Internet. Online degree programs help colleges and universities facing an enrollment decline, because they make it possible for students who could not attend school otherwise to enroll in classes. In addition, many professional certification programs are offered through the Internet, which is convenient for people who live in remote areas or cannot attend regular classes.

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) may not replace traditional university systems but are suitable for retraining, job-related credentials, and skills updating. A blended or hybrid model of teaching and learning will most likely emerge. Using this model, some courses will be taught online and some on campus, and the line between campus offering and online learning will become blurred in the years ahead.

D. Real Estate

Real-estate Web sites provide millions of up-to-date listings of homes for sale. Buyers can review neighborhoods, schools, and local real-estate prices, and customers can use these sites to find realtors and brokerage firms and learn home-buying tips. Some sites have virtual tours of houses for sale, which is convenient for buyers moving to another state. There are also apps available for both iPhone and Android devices that can simplify real-estate decisions.

E. Employment

Employment services are widely available on the Internet. They offer comprehensive services to job seekers, including the following:

· Expert advice and tools for managing one’s career

· Resume assistance, including tools for creating professional-looking resumes

· Job search tutorials

· Resume posting and distribution

· Searches by company, industry, region, or category

F. Financial Institutions

Almost all U.S. and Canadian banks and credit unions, and many others worldwide, offer online banking services and use e-mail to communicate with customers and send account statements and financial reports. E-mail helps banks reduce the time and costs of communicating via phone (particularly long-distance calls) and postal mail. Customers can get more up-to-date account information and check balances at any time of the day or night. Despite all these advantages, consumer acceptance has been slow. The following list describes some banking services available via the Internet:

· Accessing customer service by e-mail around the clock

· Viewing current and old transactions

· Online mortgage applications

· Transferring funds

· Viewing digital copies of checks

G. Software Distribution

Many vendors distribute software on the Internet as well as drivers and patches. Typically, patches, updates, and small programs such as new browser versions are fast and easy to download. Trying to download large programs, such as Microsoft Office Suite, takes too long, so these types of programs are not usually distributed via the Internet.

Developing online copyright-protection schemes continues to be a challenge. If users need an encryption code to “unlock” software they have downloaded, making backups might not be possible. Despite these challenges, online software distribution provides an inexpensive, convenient, and fast way to sell software.

H. Health Care

With patient records stored on the Internet, healthcare workers can order lab tests and prescriptions, admit patients to hospitals, and refer patients to other physicians more easily; also, test and consultation results can be directed to the right patient records automatically. All patient information can be accessible from one central location; finding critical health information is faster and more efficient, especially if a patient falls ill while away from home.

There are other uses for healthcare Web sites. Telemedicine, for example, enables medical professionals to conduct remote consultation, diagnosis, and conferencing, which can save on office overhead and travel costs. In addition, personal health information systems (PHISs) can make interactive medical tools available to the public.

In addition, virtual medicine on the Internet enables specialists at major hospitals to operate on patients remotely. Telepresence surgery, as it is called, allows surgeons to operate all over the world without physically traveling anywhere. A robot performs the surgery based on the digitized information sent by the surgeon via the Internet. These robots have stereoscopic cameras to create three-dimensional images for the surgeon’s virtual reality goggles and tactical sensors that provide position information to the surgeon.

I. Politics

Most political candidates now make use of Web sites in campaigns. The sites are a helpful tool for announcing candidates’ platforms, publicizing their voting records, posting notices of upcoming appearances and debates, and even raising campaign funds. Some claim the Internet has helped empower voters and revitalize the democratic process. Being well informed about candidates’ stances on political issues is much easier with Web sites, for example, and online voting may make voting easier for people who in the past could not make it to polling sites. In addition, there is the possibility of legislators being able to remain in their home states, close to their constituents, and voting on bills via an online system.

Web Applications

Several service industries use the Internet and its supporting technologies to offer services and products to a wide range of customers at more competitive prices and with increased convenience. The Internet is playing an important role in helping organizations reduce expenses, because Web applications can be used with minimum costs.

A. Tourism and Travel

The tourism and travel industry has benefited from e-commerce Web applications. Many travel Web sites allow customers to book tickets for plane trips and cruises as well as make reservations for hotels and rental cars.

B. Publishing

Many major publishers in the United States and Europe have Web sites that offer descriptions of forthcoming books, sample chapters, online ordering, and search features for looking up books on certain topics or by specific authors. Some publishers even offer books that can be read online free for 90 days or allow one to buy e-book versions or even selected chapters.

C. Higher Education

Most universities have Web sites with information about departments, programs, faculty, and academic resources. Some even offer virtual tours of the campus for prospective students, and more universities are creating virtual divisions that offer entire degree programs via the Internet. Online degree programs help colleges and universities facing an enrollment decline, because they make it possible for students who could not attend school otherwise to enroll in classes. In addition, many professional certification programs are offered through the Internet, which is convenient for people who live in remote areas or cannot attend regular classes.

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) may not replace traditional university systems but are suitable for retraining, job-related credentials, and skills updating. A blended or hybrid model of teaching and learning will most likely emerge. Using this model, some courses will be taught online and some on campus, and the line between campus offering and online learning will become blurred in the years ahead.

D. Real Estate

Real-estate Web sites provide millions of up-to-date listings of homes for sale. Buyers can review neighborhoods, schools, and local real-estate prices, and customers can use these sites to find realtors and brokerage firms and learn home-buying tips. Some sites have virtual tours of houses for sale, which is convenient for buyers moving to another state. There are also apps available for both iPhone and Android devices that can simplify real-estate decisions.

E. Employment

Employment services are widely available on the Internet. They offer comprehensive services to job seekers, including the following:

· Expert advice and tools for managing one’s career

· Resume assistance, including tools for creating professional-looking resumes

· Job search tutorials

· Resume posting and distribution

· Searches by company, industry, region, or category

F. Financial Institutions

Almost all U.S. and Canadian banks and credit unions, and many others worldwide, offer online banking services and use e-mail to communicate with customers and send account statements and financial reports. E-mail helps banks reduce the time and costs of communicating via phone (particularly long-distance calls) and postal mail. Customers can get more up-to-date account information and check balances at any time of the day or night. Despite all these advantages, consumer acceptance has been slow. The following list describes some banking services available via the Internet:

· Accessing customer service by e-mail around the clock

· Viewing current and old transactions

· Online mortgage applications

· Transferring funds

· Viewing digital copies of checks

G. Software Distribution

Many vendors distribute software on the Internet as well as drivers and patches. Typically, patches, updates, and small programs such as new browser versions are fast and easy to download. Trying to download large programs, such as Microsoft Office Suite, takes too long, so these types of programs are not usually distributed via the Internet.

Developing online copyright-protection schemes continues to be a challenge. If users need an encryption code to “unlock” software they have downloaded, making backups might not be possible. Despite these challenges, online software distribution provides an inexpensive, convenient, and fast way to sell software.

H. Health Care

With patient records stored on the Internet, healthcare workers can order lab tests and prescriptions, admit patients to hospitals, and refer patients to other physicians more easily; also, test and consultation results can be directed to the right patient records automatically. All patient information can be accessible from one central location; finding critical health information is faster and more efficient, especially if a patient falls ill while away from home.

There are other uses for healthcare Web sites. Telemedicine, for example, enables medical professionals to conduct remote consultation, diagnosis, and conferencing, which can save on office overhead and travel costs. In addition, personal health information systems (PHISs) can make interactive medical tools available to the public.

In addition, virtual medicine on the Internet enables specialists at major hospitals to operate on patients remotely. Telepresence surgery, as it is called, allows surgeons to operate all over the world without physically traveling anywhere. A robot performs the surgery based on the digitized information sent by the surgeon via the Internet. These robots have stereoscopic cameras to create three-dimensional images for the surgeon’s virtual reality goggles and tactical sensors that provide position information to the surgeon.

I. Politics

Most political candidates now make use of Web sites in campaigns. The sites are a helpful tool for announcing candidates’ platforms, publicizing their voting records, posting notices of upcoming appearances and debates, and even raising campaign funds. Some claim the Internet has helped empower voters and revitalize the democratic process. Being well informed about candidates’ stances on political issues is much easier with Web sites, for example, and online voting may make voting easier for people who in the past could not make it to polling sites. In addition, there is the possibility of legislators being able to remain in their home states, close to their constituents, and voting on bills via an online system.