Weeklys

WEEK 1

"Resources Frameworks and Plenitude" Please respond to the following:

· One might argue that value is not always realized when using resource-based view (RBV) framework, especially when considering the IT infrastructure and Information Repository. Determine whether you agree or disagree with this viewpoint. Provide three examples to support your position.

WEEK 2

"Results-Only Work Environment (ROWE) and Instant Messaging (IM)" Please respond to the following:

· Suppose you worked for a company that uses ROWE. Predict whether you would be more productive or less productive, and explain why.

· IM applications like Microsoft’s Lync, Microsoft Instant Messenger, and Yahoo Instant Messenger are being used in some organizations to facilitate communication between employees. Determine whether you believe IM improves or hinders employee productivity. Support your rationale with an explanation.

WEEK 3

D1

"Agility and  Business Process Management (BPM)" Please respond to the following:

· Suppose that an organization did not use processes that were designed and built to be agile, particularly when it comes to IS / IT technologies. Predict the impact of environmental changes on an organization financially, socially, and in terms of survivability.

· A BPM model may help manage and streamline IT processes that are otherwise manually executed. Examine one enterprise manual process (i.e., purchase order approval) and propose two BPM models that would replace the process. Determine the IT resources that you would employ to automate the process (i.e., electronic documents instead of paper documents).

D2

"The Impact of Crowdsourcing" Please respond to the following:

· Dell’s Ideastorm, Best Buy’s IdeaX, New York City’s Simplicity, and Samuel Adams’ Facebook application to determine the next flavor of beer are a few of the examples that use crowdsourcing. From this week's video, assess whether ideasourcinggenerates the best innovative ideas for a business or organization. Explain why or why not. 

· Suppose that you recently acquired a considerable amount of money and want to invest in some type of business. Determine whether or not you would use crowdsourcing to determine the type of business you invest in. Predict whether the use of crowdsourcing to select your type of business would be disastrous or advantageous, and explain why or why not.

WEEK 4

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"IT Infrastructure and Architecture" Please respond to the following:

· Think about a company you know well. What would be an example of IT architecture at that company? An example of the IT infrastructure? 

· What, in your opinion, is the difference between a decentralized architecture and a centralized architecture? What is an example of a business decision that would be affected by the choice of the architecture?

D2

" Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) or Bring Your Own Technology (BYOT)" Please respond to the following:

· With the proliferation of smart phones and intelligent computing tablets such as the iPad, enterprises are increasingly faced with employees who want to bring their own devices and connect to enterprise systems. Determine whether or not employers should allow this type of connectivity to enterprise systems. Support your reasoning with three examples.

WEEK 5

D1

Case Study Part 1: Sony Pictures" Please respond to the following:

· Setting aside the political issues between North Korea and the United States, is there a reasonable way to respond to an anonymous threat found on the Internet somewhere? What elements would you require before canceling the film if you were CEO of Sony? If you were CEO of a chain of theaters?

· What access and data protection controls would you recommend Sony use to provide better security for unreleased digital films and e-mails?

D2

" Case Study Part 2: Sony Pictures" Please respond to the following:

· If you were a hacker, what approach would you have used to break into Sony's system?

· What do you think the most important SETA elements would be to prevent future hacker attacks against Sony or other media firms?

WEEK 6

D1

"Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)" Please respond to the following:

· TCO is one way to account for costs associated with a specific infrastructure. This method does not include additional costs such as disposal costs — the costs to dispose of the system when it is no longer of use. What other additional costs might be of importance in making total cost calculations?

D2

"Information System Investments" Please respond to the following:

· Describe the conditions under which ROI, payback period, NPV, and EVA are most appropriately applied to information systems investments.

WEEK 7

D1

"Compliance" Please respond to the following:

· Examine the Sarbanes–Oxley Act (SOX). In your opinion, determine whether SOX has been able to achieve what it was intended to do and if it has reduced the unethical business practices that led to its enactment. Provide two examples to support your reasoning.

· Evaluate the five essential control components for managers and auditors established by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). Determine the control that is the most critical for the well-being of any company and explain why.

D2

Control Objectives for Information and Related Technology (COBIT) and Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL)" Please respond to the following:

· Evaluate the concepts and techniques covered by ITIL. Select the concept that you believe to be the most critical for any business and support your position.

WEEK 8

D1

"Build or Buy and Service-Level Agreements (SLAs)" Please respond to the following: 

· Suppose, as a Chief Information Officer (CIO), you were asked to provide the organization with time-entry system for the employees. Examine the options to insource or outsource the system to be developed. Determine whether you would insource or outsource the system to be developed and predict the implications of your decision with the organization’s total cost of ownership.

· Suppose an organization that has entered into an SLA with another organization goes out of business. Determine whether the SLA still applies or becomes invalid. Propose what the organization should do to maintain the service delivery.

D2

Cloud Computing" Please respond to the following:

· Rate the importance of establishing standards that govern the cloud infrastructure, format for data storage, interoperability standards between vendors, and security requirements. Support your rationale.

WEEK 9

D1

Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC)" Please respond to the following:

· Examine the activities in the Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC). Select the activities that you believe to be the most critical for the success of a project that is developed using SDLC. Support your position.

· Determine the conversion methods (parallel, pilot, phased, and plunge) you would apply for the implementation phase of an SDLC if you were managing a project. Support your rationale.

D2

"Business Intelligence and Social Analytics" Please respond to the following:

· Examine three ways you believe that social networks have “leveled the playing field” between major corporations and small businesses.

· Sports teams have adapted the practice of businesses using business analytics to make wiser decisions. Provide your opinion on teams that use sports analytics. Explain whether or not you believe these teams maintain an advantage over those that do not.

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"IT Infrastructure and Architecture" Please respond to the following:

· Think about a company you know well. What would be an example of IT architecture at that company? An example of the IT infrastructure? 

· What, in your opinion, is the difference between a decentralized architecture and a centralized architecture? What is an example of a business decision that would be affected by the choice of the architecture?

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