On this day, we had our first ever interview in ANFLOCOR with Mr. Giovanni Pimentel, senior manager – IT and Management Services of ANFLOCOR Company. The scheduled time was 8am, and we were there just on time but only Edsa and Emilio was there to conduct the interview.

he interview was all about the basic information in management information system of the company. It goes smoothly yet a little nervous in our part, we felt intimidated and challenge as well. We asked questions such as the role MIS in their company, how it affect, in what way and some sort of things. We also threw the same questions we had during the class sharing like hacking, resistance, and etc. He shared to us the company background of the company, their services, what kind of company is ANFLOCOR, the history of there is, about their personnel and department, the sub-company it has and a lot more. General thoughts regarding their company was tackled and discussed.

During the interview we informed him regarding the ISNA or major paper we have, if it is okay to conduct a series of interview for the information we needed to complete the study. He told us that he is willing to be interviewed but he also informed us that e cannot give us the confidential information.


Before the interview ended, we also had a picture taking with Sir Pimentel and informed him that we will have another interview with him. It was a good start for our major paper though.

After a few days, July 23, we visited our prospect companies and presented a letter asking for interview and ANFLOCOR was one of it. Fortunately, the said company accepted the request and told us to follow-up the request letter on the following day. After a day, we made a call to the company and luckily the senior manager of MIS department gave us a schedule date for interview.

Different Systems- Building Approaches

Different Approaches To Sys Bldg

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Green Campus Computing in USeP

Three URLs that talks about Green Campus Computing:

http://inews.berkeley.edu/articles/Spring2009/green-computing
http://www.environmentalleader.com/2008/12/02/u-m-hopes-green-computing-will-cut-costs-emissions/
http://chronicle.com/free/2009/01/10296n.htm?utm_source=at&utm_medium=en

Green Campus Computing is the practice of using computing devices efficiently and in an environmentally friendly way. The commonly used computing device is a computer. We, students, use computers whether for fun or study purposes; especially as an IT student, we work with it every now and then. In fact, when I go to our virtual library or to NODAL I see a lot of students waiting for a computer unit to be vacated. And I have noticed nowadays that more and more students have their laptops. This situation only shows that most of the students, if not all, are using computers on day to day basis.

In my point of view, the very first step for our university to adopt the concept of Green Campus Computing or for the students to practice Green Computing is to conduct a symposium about Green Campus Computing. If not all students will be able to attend the symposium then giving in flyers and putting posters are the possible solution to inform students about Green Campus Computing. Some of the non-computing courses in our university also have their computer fundamentals subject and it would be a good thing if Green Campus Computing will be a part of the Instructors Course Outline.

While the students are being educated about Green Computing our university should also:
Supply computers directly with local DC power
Installing more solar panels
Direct cool air only where the facility is generating the most heat

Computers generally use direct current, but the public electricity grid typically supplies alternating current, and 30 percent of the electricity can be lost in the conversion of one form to the other. Some US colleges have started projects to power their computers directly from solar cells or other sources of DC power on the campus, avoiding the energy loss altogether.

Our university may also launch a "green computing" educational campaign; recognizing and rewarding individuals who conserve energy; adopting campuswide purchasing guidelines for computing equipment.

Since I am already aware about Green Computing I am now practicing it. I turned off my screensaver so it will just be in standby mode or sleep mode, I even turn it off if I think that it will take me a long time before using it again. An active PC uses between 60 to 90 watts, while a sleeping PC uses 2 to 3. When I plug in a peripheral (such as USB’s) in my laptop after I have done copying or saving something into it I immediately safely remove it to save the battery’s life. I also lessen the brightness on my laptop during daylight to save the battery’s life.

Let us all support and practice Green Campus Computing!

COMDDAP Davao Reflection

COMDDAP Davao Reflection

Computer Manufacturers, Distributors, and Dealers Association of the Philippines (COMDDAP) held an exhibit at Apo View Hotel from July 2 to July 4 of this year, 2009. I scheduled to attend their seminars on the 3rd day of July but my classmates also scheduled me on the 2nd day of July (hehe), both on afternoon schedule so I decided to attend on those days that I’m scheduled regardless of who scheduled it (besides it’s an opportunity, right?).

On the 2nd day of July 2009 my classmates and I went to Apo View Hotel and attended the afternoon session seminars, but before that, we first strolled around the exhibits because we find them interesting specially the booth with free sling (hehe). I think it was SmartBro’s booth that includes that freebie thing; anyway, we didn’t have that sling because the line was quite time-consuming and we are not the kind of person who stays only for a sling (haha!). So we continue roaming around and there were some people who also roam around while giving brochures, as a result we have collected a lot of different brochures. When we notice that some of our classmates are not around anymore we immediately looked for the room where the seminar is held.

We went in a bit late in the 'ERIC Dealer Management System' session; this tackles the ERIC DMS which is an end-to-end software solution for automotive dealer operation. ERIC DMS range of solutions covers Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Vehicle Sales and Administration (VSA) and Service Management (SVM). It is also supported by a robust back-end system on parts and supplies inventory, over the counter sales, purchasing and requisite financial modules for financial accounting and reporting.

The next session was about ‘HP Thin Client’. Thin clients are computing devices that function as an access device on a network. During the session it was discussed that the typical computing solution for most enterprises is an unmanaged network. Unmanaged PC computing has its advantages: user autonomy, the ability to work independent of a network, and the ability to utilize graphics-intensive applications. However, unmanaged computing has significant drawbacks that lead to higher costs: lower security, increased downtime, and increased soft costs. Users are able to add, delete, and modify programs and data. Diskette drives allow for users to remove confidential data and load (intentionally or otherwise) harmful viruses. Companies that are able to utilize a thin client server computing solution are able to reap substantial savings and benefits versus companies that use traditional PC-based computing solutions. Below are some of the traditional pitfalls that commonly occur in an unmanaged computing network:
• Hard drive crashes resulting in data loss and user downtime
• Costly service calls to repair hardware and solve software problems
• Multiple images on different PCs leading to a different set of problems for each machine
• Theft of equipment
• Theft of data
• Applications are not standardized
• Version control is difficult to maintain
• Increased time spent deploying software and upgrades
• Difficulty establishing uniform standards in complex business environments, such as post-merger companies.

So, to avoid those pitfalls it is better to use HP Thin Client. (toinks!)
Anyway, there was a ‘question and answer’ portion at the end of the HP Thin Client session and the prizes were really good because they had given away four flash drives with 2 gb, a t-shirt, and an 8gb flash drive (whoa!). I was really eyeing for the 8gb flash drive but the question was quite hard (not really hard, I just haven’t written down the HP models which was the question.tssk3x.), but one of our classmates got it because the question had been changed and he happen to know the answer so he got it.

After HP Thin Client was ‘Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management System’. This is a software suite built for the retailer designed to fully automate their business across all channels of commerce, it has a low TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) that provides quick return on investment (ROI). The facilitator discussed this subject very quickly because he was aware that we (the listeners) were a bit sleepy already. Honestly, that is all I can remember because I was indeed very sleepy that time. Peace!

My energy went back when I heard that the next session was about ‘Open Source for Business Applications’ catered by Spinweb. I only have a little knowledge about Open Source and I wanted to know more about it so I listened very well (hehe). Open source is an approach to the design, development, and distribution of software, offering practical accessibility to software’s source code. Some of the Open Source Technologies are: LAMP (Linux Apache MySQL PHP), Drupal, Joomla, Wordpress, OS Commerce, Zen Cart, Ruby on Rails, PHP Cake, Civi CRM and Moodle. I have also thought before that Open Source Application doesn’t have a license but because of this seminar I learned that it is actually licensed the thing is it is “free”. Chocolates were also given after the session because of the Q & A about the different logos of those Open Source Technologies that I have mentioned earlier. hehe
All those things happened on July 2, 2009 but I went back on July 3, 2009 and attended the ‘Windows Server 2008’ session. I am interested in this topic because on our DataComm II last semester we have discussed different servers but we were not able to discuss Windows Server 2008. The features of Windows Server 2008 are really nice compared to the other Windows Servers. Windows Server 2008 is designed to power the next generation of networks, applications and Web services. There are new Web tools, virtualization technologies, security enhancements, and management utilities which will help save time, reduce costs, and provide a solid foundation for your information technology (IT) infrastructure.

Attending COMDDAP was really a great experience for me. My favorites are the Open Source Business Applications, Windows Server 2008 and HP Thin Client. I have gained new learning and I am sure I will be able to use these learning in the future when I will be an IT Consultant or even for some decision makings. Maybe someday I will be part of a team who will build a website using an Open Source Application, or maybe I will use Windows Server 2008 and HP Thin Client…just maybe, someday..who knows? Hehe..

Reference:
http://www.wikipedia.com/

We managed to gathered/researched basic information of our prospect company to be adopted from the visitation we had. Through the use of internet we acquired information such as company’s background and company’s profile that is needed for the approval of company adaptation.

Reaction on the 2010 automated election.

Your thoughts on automated elections with reference to the current situation.

Before I react, let me just recall how did this issue regarding automated elections start and the procedures done before Smartmatic/TIM won the bid.

The bidding...

Last March 11, 2009 the Comelec en banc approved the Terms of Reference/Request for Proposal (TOR/RFP) for the Solutions, Terms and Conditions for the 2010 poll automation.

TOR/RFP documents contain the Comelec's policies, requirements and technical specifications which prospective bidders will need in order to prepare their bids. TOR/RFP documents come with a P1 million price tag, a non-refundable fee to be paid by interested bidders.

Later on March 30, 2009, the Comelec Special Bids and Awards Committee (SBAC) held a pre-bid conference for the 2010 automation project. The conference was an opportunity for the prospective bidders to seek clarification on any part of the bid documents. At the time of the pre-bid conference, 10 firms have already purchased the TOR/RFP, and among those is Smartmatic/TIM. In fact, Smartmatic/TIM is one of the companies who were first to procure bid documents.

By June 23, 2009 SBAC submitted to the Comelec en banc its report recommending the award of the 2010 poll automation contract to Smartmatic/TIM. Smartmatic/TIM passed all the eligibility, technical and financial requirements. According to SBAC, the consortium had the "lowest calculated responsive bid": P7,191,484,739.48 (well within the approved budget for the contract -- P11,223,618,400.00). Later on, Comelec en banc approved the SBAC's recommendation and SBAC issued a notice of award to Smartmatic/TIM. About Smartmatic and TIM...

Smartmatic International Corp. (Smartmatic) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Smartmatic International Holding, BV, a company organized under the laws of The Netherlands. Smartmatic has organized elections using its electronic voting solutions in Latin America, the Carribean, the United States, and Asia.

Total Information Management Corporation (TIM) is a domestic corporation registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission in 1981. The corporation is engaged in the business of information technology and service provider. These two corporations entered into a joint venture on April 23, 2009.

The dispute...

Before the month of June ends TIM had pulled out its partnership with Smartmatic . An information had leaked that it is due to corporate issues between Smartmatic and TIM ranging from the chairmanship of the board to funding disputes.

Malacañang appealed to Smartmatic and TIM to immediately resolve their differences because it is interfering COMELEC's internal affair. Besides, if Smartmatic and TIM wasn't able to patch things up they could have faced charges for violating Republic Act 9184, the "Act Providing for the Modernization, Standardization and Regulation of the Procurement Activities of the Government and For Other Purposes."

So, just last July 3, 2009, after their 3- hour meeting Comelec chairman Jose Melo said that the two companies had agreed to be 'held liable severally and jointly' as a joint venture entity if they fail to provide services in accordance with the contract.

My reaction...

Whenever I hear the word 'automated' what immediately goes in my mind are 'technology' and 'fast'. I felt so excited when I first heard that our country will have an automated election on the year 2010. Well, I think it is time for our country to change the election system. Having an automated election will make the election process, such as voting and counting of votes, faster than the manual election.

The system should be user-friendly that during the operation a computer literate person won't be of need anymore. Because if it is not user-friendly then it will defeat the definition of technology which is made to finish or do things faster. There is a minimal human intervention during the counting of votes that means the 'sabotage' is unlikely to happen. Besides the Smartmatic/TIM , I think, already know that there should really be a security code embedded inside the machine sealed against human intervention. But if during the election a power interruption or power shortage happen, can the system sustain it? Or worst, what if the system itself will have some errors DURING the election? Well, I think it should be one of the features of the system -- to be able to work without electricity.

Sources:
www.igma.tv

Risks associated with business and IS/IT change.

Based on the organization(s) that you visited, what do you think are the risks associated with business and IS/IT change?

Company visited: Concentrix

Concentrix’ MIS department said that they are constantly evolving because Concentrix, like all other Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) Company, is a fast transforming corporation. But what are the consequences with the changes that they do and what are the factors that they first consider before implementing a change on their system?

According to the MIS Supervisor of Concentrix’ MIS department, before a modification on their system will be done a feasibility study should be made regarding the proposed changes of the system. Generally, before approving for a change on the system they make sure that the change is necessary and/or that it could truly enhance the system. In addition, since there is an approval needed before taking any changes on the system thus the management will have an overview of what are the downsides or what will be the risks of changing the system.

So, what are the possible things that might happen in changing a system? Why should a comprehensive study be made before implementing a change?

• System failure
• Security
• Loss of data
• Design
• Cost
  

System Failure - a breakdown or decline in the performance of the system. Concentrix is a large company with numerous employees; a system breakdown will surely interrupt the entire business especially that their clients are from outside the country and the communication process is through the use of telephones and distribution of calls is part of their system. And as far as I remember the MIS Supervisor said that the MIS department is the core of the company because they are a technological call center therefore, a system failure will really discontinue the operation of the business.

Security – confidential data might be accessible to people who doesn’t have the right to access that particular data. In Concentrix’, the employees have limited access to the applications that they have; it depends on the position of the particular employee.

Loss of data – when a certain data had been removed, deleted or in anyway not accessible anymore. Loss of data is losing a client in Concentrix’ state, so they are really careful in implementing a system change because if there will be a loss of data, there will be no documents to be shown to their clients.

Design – the actual design of the system fails to capture essential business requirements. Information may not be provided quickly enough to be helpful; it may be in a format that is impossible to digest and use; or it may represent the wrong pieces of data. A system may be designed with a poor user-system interface. The way in which nontechnical business users must interact with the system is excessively complicated and discouraging. As a result, a system may go unused and eventually may have to be discontinued.

Cost – some systems operate quite smoothly, but their cost to implement and run on a production basis is way over budget. Good thing though, the people under the MIS department of Concentrix are the one who creates their system that is why it will not be that costly.


Information systems facilitate the acquisition, transformation, and distribution of information. Information systems can improve decision making, enhance organizational performance, and help increase firm profitability, thus contributing to corporate value.

Often, a change in the business's strategy, rules, or procedures requires changes in the information systems software, hardware, databases, and telecommunications. An organization’s present and future accomplishments depend in many aspects on what its systems will permit it to do now and later. Also, system projects are increasing in reach and scope. Whereas early information systems addressed primarily technical or operational issues, contemporary information systems are integral to the management and strategic goals of the firm. Today information systems affect a much larger part of the organization itself, such as organizational products, objectives, and structure.

Reference:
Management Information Systems, 8th edition (Laudon)

Listing of Companies

In our group we started our major paper on July 6, 2009 by searching of what company to be adopted. List of companies were presented to seek for approval from our MIS-instructor. During these days, presenting of different companies were made tow or more times, prior to this, we also started to visit some of the company to ask for permission to conduct a study. Throughout of the visited, some of the companies declined from our request namely: Concentrix and some of the companies which don’t have a MIS.