Discussion 8 - info tech strat plan

Discussion 1:

Why is it important for business strategy to drive organizational strategy and IS strategy? What might happen if the business strategy was not the driver?

Discussion 2:

The vast majority of the population associates Blockchain with cryptocurrency Bitcoin; however, there are many other uses of blockchain; such as Litecoin, Ether, and other currencies. In this discussion, please describe at least two cryptocurrencies with applicable examples. Discuss some similarities and differences. Lastly, discuss if you have any experience using any cryptocurrencies.

Discussion 3:

Discuss the benefits of virtualization software, as described in the text. Do you agree/disagree with these benefits, or can you think of additional benefits not already presented?  Also discuss the security concerns highlighted by server sprawl and how you would propose to solve those in your (real or hypothetical) organization.

Discussion 4:

Discuss an organization’s need for physical security. What methods, approaches, and models can be used by organizations when designing physical security needs? Lastly, explain how these security measures will safeguard the organization.

Discussion 5 :

What do you think were the critical factors that fueled the need for IT governance? In what ways did ISO affect the standards for network security?

Discussion 6:

n your initial post, answer the following questions about IT Project Management. In addition to your course textbook (chapter 11), utilize the UC library for information and examples.

What is a project, and what are its main attributes? How is a project different from what most people do in their day-to-day jobs? Discuss the importance of top management commitment and the development of standards for successful project management. Provide examples to illustrate the importance of these items based on your experience on any type of project. Discuss the unique challenges that an IT project presents.

In your peer responses, be sure discuss your thoughts on project management, your views on project’s attributes, and your thoughts on successful project management. You can take opposing/differing views than your peers but be sure to provide applicable resources as needed. Properly provide examples in your peer responses as well and any additional challenges you see with IT projects.

Research Paper 1:

Industry experts believe blockchain is a technology that has the potential to affect the business of most IT professionals in the next five years. Pick an industry you feel will be most affected by blockchain and how blockchain may be used in that industry. As an IT manager, how would you embrace blockchain? For instance, how would training occur for your team, what strategies might you use, what security methods may you recommend be used?

Research Paper 2:

If you have you been involved with a company doing a redesign of business processes, discuss what went right during the redesign and what went wrong from your perspective. Additionally, provide a discussion on what could have been done better to minimize the risk of failure. If you have not yet been involved with a business process redesign, research a company that has recently completed one and discuss what went wrong, what went right, and how the company could have done a better job minimizing the risk of failure.

Research Paper 3:

This week, you have read about server virtualization and cloud computing in chapter 6 of your textbook. For your written assignment this week, complete a case study of the organization you work for (use a hypothetical or “other” organization if more applicable) that will address the following prompts:

• Describe the organization’s environment, and evaluate its preparedness for virtualization.

• Explain Microsoft (or another product) licensing for virtualized environments.

• Recommend a configuration for shared storage; make sure to discuss the need for high availability and redundancy for virtualization for the organization.

• Explain Windows Azure capabilities for virtual machines and managing a hybrid cloud, including Windows Azure’s Internet as a Service (IaaS) and storage capabilities

Make a recommendation for cloud computer use in the organization, including a justification for your recommendations.

Submit your midterm research paper as a single document. Your paper should meet the following requirements:

Research Paper 4:

You have been hired as the CSO (Chief Security Officer) for an organization. Your job is to develop a computer and internet security policy for the organization that covers the following areas:

· Computer and email acceptable use policy

· Internet acceptable use policy

· Password protection policy

Make sure you are sufficiently specific in addressing each area. There are plenty of security policy and guideline templates available online for you to use as a reference or for guidance. Your plan should reflect the business model and corporate culture of a specific organization that you select. 

Resaerch Paper 5:

The COSO framework of internal controls is practiced within companies around the world. The objectives of the COSO framework are closely related to its five components. For this week’s activity, please discuss these five components of the COSO framework. Be sure to include each components’ impact on each of the COSO framework objectives. What do you feel an auditor would most be concerned with during an IT audit? Lastly, discuss suggestions for integrating COSO framework compliance into a company in which you are familiar. 

Research Paper 6:

This week's written activity is a three- part activity. You will respond to three separate prompts but prepare your paper as one research paper. Be sure to include at least one UC library source per prompt, in addition to your textbook (which means you'll have at least 4 sources cited). 

Start your paper with an introductory paragraph.

Prompt 1 "Data Warehouse Architecture" (2-3 pages): Explain the major components of a data warehouse architecture, including the various forms of data transformations needed to prepare data for a data warehouse. Also, describe in your own words current key trends in data warehousing. 

Prompt 2 "Big Data" (2-3 pages): Describe your understanding of big data and give an example of how you’ve seen big data used either personally or professionally. In your view, what demands is big data placing on organizations and data management technology? 

Prompt 3 “Green Computing” (2-3 pages):  One of our topics in Chapter 13 surrounds IT Green Computing. The need for green computing is becoming more obvious considering the amount of power needed to drive our computers, servers, routers, switches, and data centers. Discuss ways in which organizations can make their data centers “green”. In your discussion, find an example of an organization that has already implemented IT green computing strategies successfully. Discuss that organization and share your link. You can find examples in the UC Library.