Focus On Mobile Rather Than Desktop Computing
Over the last two decades, mobile device hardware has advanced greatly. With the hardware becoming more advanced, a wide variety of software is now usable on a mobile device. The advanced hardware has allowed developers to create detailed software that was not before achievable due to the simplicity and restricted nature of mobile devices of the past.
Development tools were made to make the process of creating software for mobile devices a lot easier because the more that developers want to add, the more complex the software becomes without the tools. These tools have made developing software for mobile devices quicker and easier, and with the more advanced hardware on top, a lot of developers have started creating applications that could not have been possible on mobile before.
Lots of organisations have taken advantage of the advanced technologies in mobile devices by creating apps which also allows them to keep up with the rest of the market. An example is online-banking, where banks have made it possible for people to check their bank account through the internet. Mobile apps have been created for those who are mainly always on the move and have no time to check through a desktop computer.
Whilst online-banking is an easier way for people to check their back account, whether they are on the move or not, it also makes it easier for attackers to gain access to personal information and take money from their accounts. This is because bank details and information are now on the internet, and without the correct security attackers could find ways to gain access.
Maintaining Or Improving The Competitive Edge
By maintaining or improving the competitive edge, organisations have taken advantage of newer technology. This technology can improve many things, like a finger print scanner can add extra security.
The finger print scanner is new hardware that mobile devices have been implementing over the last couple of years. Banks have utilised this for their online-banking apps because it is faster and more secure compared to entering a username and password. This gives those banks that take advantage of the finger print scanner a competitive edge over ones that do not, because it shows that they are willing to use better and more secure systems to keep their customers safe from attackers determined to try and take personal information.
Another new form of technology is contactless payment. This is a technology that uses RFID (Radio-Frequency Identification) which is built into mainly credit/debit cards. Mobile devices also use the same technology, but through NFC (Near-Field Communication) which is based on RFID.
Whilst this technology makes it easier by speeding up the process of making a payment, it also makes it a less secure one. This is because the PIN number does not have to be entered in for the payment to be accepted, it is automatically approved when successfully scanned. However, after a certain number of failed attempts, the system will require the customer to enter their PIN number. The customer must also enter their PIN number if they go over the limited amount when paying through contactless payment, which is £30. [1] This is used to stop anyone who has stolen the credit/debit card from stealing all the money from the connected bank account.
Some banks and supermarkets are utilising this technology and those that do could gain a slight improvement in competitiveness because it is brand new technology that a lot of people are willing to test. The supermarkets that allow contactless payment could see a rise in customers due to those supermarkets giving those customers a reason to use this new technology which shows that they are ahead of the supermarkets that do not allow it.
Regular Upgrading Of Hardware
For an organisation to take advantage of the new hardware and software, they need to stop the services that are required for an upgrade. This will affect the customers because they will not be able to or have very limited use of those services. Depending on the time it takes to upgrade and implement, it can affect the organisation if it takes too long and then if it ends up not working correctly despite the time it took to implement, the organisation could lose customers and gain a slight negative reputation, but then the change to the reputation is also dependant on the damage that the error caused. If the upgrade was made by a bank and that error caused a massive security failure where attackers were able to take personal information, then that can affect the reputation of that bank greatly.
New software will require updates quite regularly to increase the security level and fix any known bugs. These update installations would need to be planned out carefully, so the process can be as smooth as possible. With these plans, the organisation can put backup plans into place if anything does go wrong in the process of an update.
New hardware has improved power consumption, so this means that they will use less power for the same or more performance. This saves the organisation money, when it is time to pay the energy bill, and they will also have a smaller energy footprint which helps with cutting down emissions that are causing climate change.
Developments In Cloud Technologies
Within the last ten years, a new type of storage has been developed and it allows a user to access files from any device at any location that has an available internet connection. This new storage has been called the Cloud and it allows anyone to upload files to servers that have been setup by a tech company, e.g. Microsoft’s OneDrive, Google’s Google Drive and Apple’s iCloud.
Cloud technology was made to help users store their files for backup use without having to take up their limited space at home. Tech companies knew that people had limited storage space and those companies had the money and knowledge, so they were able to setup servers to deliver the huge storage space needed for this new technology to work. Whilst still having a limited storage size, the Cloud will have much more than what the average computer user will have in their homes.
Cloud technology has three deployment models:
- Private
- Public
- Hybrid
The private model is used when an organisation wants an internet area network that works for the goals and needs of that specific organisation. This means that it has been setup on the organisations own servers and it is only accessible within that organisation.
The public model is available to the public and accessible to anyone with an internet connection. It is owned by an independent provider, for example, Microsoft, Google, Apple, etc.
The hybrid model is a mix of the private and public models. An organisation can have their own private cloud setup, but at the same time, that organisation could also use public cloud, so their employees can upload backups and access everyday work from outside of the organisation, whilst important and sensitive data can be stored on their private cloud.
Cloud technology has helped organisations by improving workflow and saving money and resources. Employees do not need to print out every piece of work just to hand it to another employee. They can share the document and even work on it simultaneously.
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