Strategic Information System Planning.Ü

Our class in Management Information System II have discussed and shared about the Evolution of Information System Planning and the Problems of Information System Plan last Monday. It was a good sharing and we learned from the practical examples given by the sharers.
Any activity requires planning in order to achieve a desired goal. It would be crucial for any endeavor in life without any established plan. These plans could either make or break an individual or any organization. That is why plans should be thoroughly analyzed. This thorough analysis will lead to strategies that will eventually play a big role for the success of a company or any person.
To review, Information System involves Hardware, Software, and People ware. These three are interrelated in a way that one could not work properly if one component is malfunctioning; the entire Information System is affected. That is why a strategic plan for it should be made. This strategic plan will enable an organization or any business individual to succeed and survive, depending on the plan that has been made. As said earlier, plans could either make or break them.
As years go by, Information Systems Planning also has developed. The realization that there is a constant change in the environment brought an impact to the many organizations for them to improve business performance and maximize their returns on IT investment. Basically, planning for Information System begins with the identification of needs. A problem will be given a solution when the problem itself is first identified. In the sharing, it was said that the plan should be specific and flexible. Specific enough to enable understanding of each application and to know where it stands in the order of development and flexible so as to adjust the priorities in the planning, if necessary.
Nevertheless, problems can never be eluded. That is why it should be that the SISP should anticipate for the things to happen—it really requires deep understanding of the specific needs inside an organization. Also, organizational plans and IS plans should go together so that it would advance and bring improvement to the organization, hence, gives way to its survival in the industry. Moreover, the application of Information Technology to a firm’s strategic activities is one of the effective factors to enhance business operations. Through planning strategically, an organization can participate in the competition in the business enterprise

five years from now?

Life is unpredictable. It is full of surprises. You don’t know what it may bring. But as the captains of our own boat, we are liable on how are we going to make things run in a smooth flow. We are the forecasters of our own future. We make things happen in our lives. What we believe is what we become; and what we believe for should be accompanied with our actions in order for them to be fulfilled.
As of now, I am still a student who is continually learning the fundamentals of the Information and Communications Technology industry; exploring its vastness and hoping too that I will be entering, engaging, and working with the real ICT world. As a student as of now, I allow myself to discover more of the field that I have chosen. To experience challenges in my student years is essential for the development of my knowledge and skills that soon will be vital in my future career.
To foresee myself five years from now is not that fixed. What I mean is that I am not sure yet if I will become what I am planning to be. But as what I have mentioned earlier, “What we believe is what we become”… What I believe then, I will become. This suggests that we should possess the proper mindset for us to arrive at our individual goals--- that we should believe in our own abilities and potentials and really allow ourselves to be exposed with the unending learning around us; to never stop learning. With this motivation, I could envision myself as a professional IT person in a well-known company acquiring the competitive skills and adequate knowledge about my profession. I could visualize that I am working in a software development team. I could also envision myself as occupying a top rank and being well-compensated by the company. Five years from now, I could see myself as a successful IT professional mentoring other people; helping them to carry out their objectives.
With all of these futuristic ideas and plans I have, it will just be fulfilled if it is the perfect will of Him. As what the Scripture says: “Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is His’ that will prevail”…Nevertheless, He has also promised that He has the perfect plans in our lives; not to harm but to prosper us. This means there is hope for everything. As long as we do our part, believe in ourselves, and most importantly, trusting Him in all our ways, we will succeed.

My own FOSS perspective

I did appreciate of how FOSS or Free and Open Source Software have

given me the idea of expressing a sense of "liberty" in the virtual realms. With FOSS, people can

benefit from first, its Open Standards, which means it is publicly available and has no limits in terms with its

rights; it is not that strict and can be easily accessed by anyone because of its availability. Next is that

because FOSS is Open Source which means that it has a complete free source reference implementation

available. With Open Standards, people can have a lot of benefits. Organizations could gain advantages

and will be ensured that its technological and Information Technology procurements and implementations

follow it. Another is that there is a less chance of being locked in a specific vendor. It creates a major benefit

that would result to the interoperability of different technologies and for the different systems to communicate

with one another. One question is that what are Standards and why use them? According to my readings,

Standards means an established or accepted level of achievement. In my own perspective, these are

essential to attain a particular goal. In general, they are important because it simplifies our living. Another

thing that adds spice to FOSS is that it is Open for Innovation, open for everyone, not even one exempted.

Moreover, there are standard-setting process, the de jure, de facto and industry which plays an essential

role for a standard to be set and implemented. FOSS creates a new atmosphere in the IT industry.

As the name itself implies, Free and Open Source Software, is free and open for everyone. These refers

to the softwares that are highly needed in the Information and Communications Technology industry.

These softwares may be a certain system that helps a company or establishment do its job in its

simplest and most convenient matter. But the issue in here is that these softwares are classified into two,

which are the proprietary and non-proprietary. By nature, proprietary ones ar much expensive rather than the

non-proprietary. In my own understanding about what FOSS is, it has a lot of advantages than the proprietary

products. To cite, primarily it is free or if not, cheaper compared to proprietary softwares. And another is that

it is expansible, which means it can be modified and further developed which is really helpful for a software

to be enhanced. With FOSS, the participation of people specially in the Information Technology field such as

the programmers and web developers is increased. For me, FOSS is a big help even to the unemployed

potential programmers and the like. They can even get a living out of it without any application from any

company. All they have to do is to enhance a software and market it in in the virtual world. Another thing

that interests me about FOSS is that it caters vast opportunities for the people who have a desire in pursuing

their career without looking or belittling their educational background as long as the "developer" contributes

worthy software for the majority.

In most cases, specially in the Philippines; people, company and other establishments are being

locked-in with the proprietary softwares. I may say that they embrace it till now for the basic reason that it was

first introduced rather than the FOSS. On the other hand, if FOSS was also first introduced, no wonder FOSS

is widely accepted and used in our country. Who came first really matters. Another is that the business world

runs with the use of proprietary softwares. It can be that they are just going with the flow. I myself admit that

am more familiar with the proprietary products and its applications specially the office applications, and much

more comfortable with using it. But now that I know what the power of FOSS brings for the majority, I am now

beginning to open myself towards it. FOSS might be odd and eccentric at first for others but it just takes time

to appreciate its essence and beauty. It entails open-mindedness for it to be fully understood.

It's good to know and hear that there is a Republic Act implemented in the Philippines regarding FOSS.

Meaning, FOSS is slowly digging it up, it is slowly exposed to the many. While others are not yet familiar with it,

I believe there will come a time that they will just be caught with the "FOSS fever". I am so amazed with how other people like the developers and consumers fully embraced, patronized, understood and studied FOSS. They pour out their dedication into it and really stood up with their feet and of course with the partnership of FOSS itself.

I believe that if FOSS will be thoroughly and fully be exposed to Filipinos, we would be saving a large

percentage for our annual budget alloted for the Information and Communications Technology field. It requires

collaboration from the entire participants of the country--from the government down to the individuals. Also, FOSS is a breakthrough when it comes to producing more softwares, more jobs, more opportunities.

What do you think is the role of research topic in deciding your future career?

Future has no certainty. As defined from the Webster’s dictionary, it is “referring to time yet to come” or “that is to be”. No one can predict his own future. Not even the most brilliant and intelligent person in out planet. Maybe, they just keep on guessing. In our modern world, things are getting simpler to be done from time to time, new discoveries have been found, which all in all have the impact to bring advantages for the lives of the people around the globe—and this is the power of research.
In my own perception, a research topic can be a result of one’s field of interest. One may choose to go on with a particular topic because he or she might have the passion or knowledge for that certain matter or the “curiosity” led them to pick that particular research topic to expand their understanding about it. Research topic serves as a guide or map to a person in pursuing his or her future career. A person may use his research topic to decide with what he is going to land. One may pursue a research because that is his or her interest or maybe it is his or her specialty, or he or she has the expertise for it. If one follows his /heart, he/she will definitely reach his goals.

Benefits of Open Standards

Having been introduced to Open Standards, I think the top benefits of using Open Standards is that, for the part of the developers, they have all the rights to improve and enhance a particular software since it is "open standards", meaning, they can do whatever they want to as long as they will meet the requirements for the open standards। Eventually, the end-users will then have the all-access privilege with the finish products of the developers for a minimal cost and much better, downloadable and for free.

What is FOSS?

In my own perception, FOSS, or Free and Open Source Software, as the meaning of the acronym describes is "free and can be easily accessed by the end-users compared with proprietary software, and is also subjected for modification such as upgrades, or developments to enhance its features".
As it has been written by Eric Raymond in a seminal paper on the FOSS model entitled The Cathedral and the Bazaar,"Open-source software [is] the process of systematically harnessing open development and decentralized peer review to lower costs and improve software quality."
This statement, clearly states that FOSS is formulated to minimize the costs on purchasing softwares by continually developing it to improve its quality. In my own view, FOSS is good to patonize since it requires lesser amount to procure it. It's just that there must be excellent, if not, aggressive software developers to pursue it for the quality to get better and better.
try to check this link for further understanding:
http://nosi.net/choosing-and-using-free-and-open-source-software-primer-nonprofits/chapter-2-what-foss

Assignment 2

Find any information/ article and examine the state of computer science
research and what are it's variety of technical topics?

Subject: The State of Computer Science Research in the U.S and the Evolution of Federal Support for Information Technology

This article highlights the statement of Wm. A. Wulf, president of the National
Academy of Engineering and AT&T Professor of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Virginia, about the state of Computer Science research in the
United States. There is a contention concerning the issue "Investing" vs. "Expense". He has pointed out that what the federal funding in basic computing research has contributed in the field of national security, prosperity and health is simply an "investment" and not an "expense". There is a distinction between the two; since "expense" sounds like valueless or basically it is just a money spent on an activity while "investment means spending money "productively". These "investments" will reimburse themselve for the future generation. Computer Science research has brought vast contribution within the scope of physical sciences, engineering, commerce, cosmology and weather prediction. He has quoted that, "Basic research may not be the original source for all the benefits we enjoy from technology, but it is a vital and irreplaceable component of the rich system that produces them". This statement made me realize that, not all researches becomes successful or being developed and later caters थेnecessities of the society; but it may become a foundation for the forthcoming
studies. Wulf has greatly emphasized the proper appropriation of budget to sustain the researches and proposals made. Indeed, federal funding, as what I have understood is a union of funding; is essential to pursue this researches. Without this element, these potential researches and proposals would become futile and stagnant, much more, it is just a waste of time and effort. Without current resources, there won't be anything to yield next time. As mentioned, better and stable funding is strongly needed for long term basic researches.

Technical topics covered:
*Evolution and development of Information Technology
*CyberSecurity Research
*Research Funding Stability

REFERENCE: http://www.nationalacademies.org/ocga/testimonies/Computer_Science_Research_in_the_United_States.asp.3e