Week 7: "Muddy/Clear" Application Software 2

This week was all on the cloud and opensource. I have never heard of these things, actually I have but I never knew what they were or I didn’t give any thought to it. I mean like my best friend of 20 years works for EMC and I also know the widow of one of three original founders to EMC. Shows how much I pay attention to things that go on around me.... That’s where the muddy part comes in, as far as the principals of this technology it was pretty clear. Not too hard to comprehend. The video below is from EMC and published with permission with the standard youtube license.

The idea of owning a company or starting up a company and not having to worry about having any type of server in my building is amazing. Then on top of that to not even have to pay all those costs for windows and use Linux for free. There are pro’s and con’s of everything and that is why they stressed this week about being a manger and weighing costs to see what is or will be beneficial to the company.

When I saw the servers in cargo containers I thought that was pure genius and I can see why these major corporations make so much money. Why do you need a multimillion dollar building? Just put the servers in some metal storage container out in a field somewhere with thousands of other storage containers. Then have some web based application that customers can access with their monthly accounts to hook them up to these servers.

Another great thing I learned about software this week was that once you spend the millions of dollars paying programmers to write up the code it costs pennies to produce more of your software. I compare this to cars, say it cost 20,000 to build my Honda and I paid 27,000. This is only 7,000 per car minus all other costs that the dealer incurs in each car sale. But for windows 7 or Microsoft office, the code was written and it has its cost to pay the programmers, but when it’s loaded on every Dell machine practically sold the profit is out of this world. Hence, this is why Bill Gates is one of the wealthiest philanthropists on the planet. Maybe I could learn a thing or two about this.

Presentation Project

This presentation I kind of had a jump start on because last semester in my business writing class I had to make a presentation with 4 other members on PowerPoint with photos, and my voice. I still am a rookie when it comes to using PowerPoint. Last semesters presentation was on mountain biking at Whistler the best downhill mountain bike course in North America. It was really fun because I got to learn more about something that I love and it seemed that the other people in my virtual group who I had never met were cool with it also.

This course I got to learn a little more about new programs or software that can be used for creating presentations. This is the first time I have ever uploaded a video to Youtube, I know I know… I am probably the last person on earth to have ever done this. I also used this program called Camtasia, which is awesome. I can see myself purchasing this software and using it more and more. I do use my GoPro video camera for mountain biking and I need some good video editing software and this is exactly what I was looking for. The time line at the bottom is easy and very useful. Big thumbs up to camtaisa.

“Presentation Evaluation,” This is where the fun begins right… My logical flow and sequence of content is good, I did throw in the mix an off topic subject about my cousins alert response dog Lilly, but I felt it was a good addition to the project even though the JDRF has nothing to do with those services. I stated the questions on my powerpoint presentation as I was reading the answers and I thought that was good so the audiences can see the screen and hear my voice and it showed consistency. I never had any questions that were not answered.

“Evaluation continued…” I definitely grabbed the attention of my audience in the first 30-60 seconds, I mean it is only 2:45 how could I not right? If my questions did not spark the curiosity of my audience then they don’t really care about the JDRF and its cause anyways. I was clear in what I was trying to say. I spoke about what type 1 diabetes is and how it affects the lives of millions of Americans and how donating money to the JDRF is for a good cause.

“Presentation Evaluation…” I had a few inconsistencies in my speech while I was trying to speak about JDRF. This was my first presentation on this type of system so I was a little new and nervous so I stuttered a few times. My grade will show with these faults but I take it all as a learning experience and strive to do better. Overall this was a good experience and look forward to using these tools in the future.

Week 6: "Muddy" Application software

There is so much to application software, that I have not a clue about. It makes a lot of sense that if you do not have software then your computer is just a bunch of metal and wires, with a screen that would be blank. I have see code for web sites and have even tried to do create my own web page. I know that simple web pages of code are like an inch compared to a mile when it comes to writing code for software. Here is a quick video on software engineers, with permission standard youtube licencse...

I thought that software was just Microsoft office, turbo tax, visual basic, and so on. Well technically it is, but it is only one type of software. First it takes some type of operating system to be able to support software or to make it work, this I knew. I am a windows user, I never got into linux or MAC OS X, I always bought Dell and they come preloaded with windows.

I only use application software, this is the work of a single user on a single computer. At my office I have come to find out that they use enterprise software, which supports multiple users across an business or an organization. After I get this degree I may venture off to computer school and learn more especially after being with my company for so long it only makes, sense, I do work in the office of technology for my company.

Another thing that struck an interest this week was 9.4 in the info systems book on distributed computing, how southwest added other features to their site by linking it to other car and hotel sites. There is a bigger problem with this and it is security, which they talked about adding more and more doors to an already existing system and now having to protect each one of them.

Week 5: "Clear" Presentations

I say clear because I remember all the rules to giving a good presentation at work and school. I had to take a speech class when I was going for my Associates degree at Palm Beach State College. I remembered all those key points from that class and I have applied them here at my job. I get to go into the training department a few times a year and give presentations on life, health, and annuities.

Below is a video on you tube that has some great tips on speaking, you see his power points on fears and this is how they should look with all the right elements. With permission standard youtube license.

The one thing I do not do is create the power point slides. This is where it gets a little muddy. I had to put a power point presentation together for my writing class last semester and I ended up getting a 65% on it. It was a group project and I thought we had at least a B on it. I still have a lot to learn when it comes to making presentations I guess.

Hopefully with all that I have learned this week I will do better than a 65% on this presentation. I will put the extra time into figuring out the best way to make my presentation capture my audience. I had no clue about the copyright laws and that even pictures need to be cited. I will definitely cite everything for this project so I can avoid getting points taken off of my grade. My presentation is about donating money to the JDRF, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. My younger cousin Joey has Type 1 and I believe in the JDRF and hope that one day they find some break through cure or something to make this life threatening disease go away. It is so hard for my family to deal with this and just to know that there is a foundation to try to over come this is amazing.

Week 4: "Muddy" Strategy and Technology

Without some form of technology it seems that no business will survive in today’s day and age. Technology is what helps out the most when it comes to a businesses strategy. So many companies sit back and wait for new innovations to be put on the shelves, why? It costs so much in research and development in creating new products that it is easier to let other companies do it so the other guys can do a little reverse engineering. Why is this muddy to me? It is this first time I have learned about these things. This can go both ways if you really look at it. When the iphone came out it was a huge success and still is, now there are android phones, when the ipad came out there are now tablets in all shapes and sizes. When groupon came out I think I read that within a short period of time there were 500 competitors. WOW!! All these me too products just so someone else can make a buck.

There is obviously a danger on relying just on technology I noted above, any company can create a product basically exactly like the new product that I just came up. According to Michael Porter you need to know the 5 competitive forces that shape strategy. He says that most companies rely on operational effectiveness and not on strategic positioning. If you look at the definition of operational effectiveness, “Performing the same tasks better than rivals perform them.” This seems like a great strategy, well at least so I thought. It is having the strategic positioning to make your company or organization succeed. An example in the book is FreshDirect and how they are ahead of everyone in the supermarket business in a major metropolitan area.

There is more to technology and strategy than reverse engineering a product. Look at Michael Porter and his 5 competitive forces that shape strategy. They are “Threats of New Entrants, Bargaining Power of Suppliers, Bargaining Power of Buyers, Threat of Substitute Products or Services, Rivalry Among Existing Competitors.” For over 30 years these forces have helped successful companies become what they are today and continue to beat out the competition. I takes a lot I am sure to make a great product, but to make it more efficient, cheaper, and all the other things with the added technology needed is no easy task I am sure.