Current Information Technology Environment Essay Research Paper

Current IT Environment:

As a company that will be operating exclusively in the medical field we need to take a look at the predecessors or forerunners to our company to see what IT systems they used to make them successful. Of course we will only use this information as a model to develop and adapt our own model of IT that will be tailor made for our business.

The current model used by medical professionals that are affiliated with our business in a relational way to our product is one used by SCIENTIFIC SEARCH INC. In this business they use :

?Programmer/Analyst

?Client Server

?Relation Databases; Sybase, Oracle, & Informix.

?AS/400

?Networking

?C, C++, UNIX

?WWW-Web, Java, Perl, HTML

?Windows NT

?Powerbuilder

?Network Manager

The application programmer is responsible for designing, coding, testing, and debugging programs to implement new programs and the systems analyst is responsible for the analysis of the current business system, its organization, procedures, work flow, information requirements, and problems.

The client server is when application processing is divided between a client, which is typically a personal computer, and a server, which may be a PC, a minicomputer, or a mainframe. (pg. 700)

Relation databases (Sybase, Oracle, & Informix). Sybase (A UNIX process) is a server and is known as the database engine. It is used as a key in monitoring, diagnostics, security, managing application stored procedures, and managing user accounts.

Oracle being derived from Greek mythology means the name of the source of all truth, the answers to all questions which is a database that usually interacts with other applications for such things as manufacturing, human resources, scheduling, and financial stuff.

Informix is a software and/or database for corporate computing environments.

AS/400 is a client server technology that is used in mission critical business computing. They are only manufactured in two places Rochester, Minnesota and Santa Palomba, Italy.

Networking is several PC?s that can all access the same database at any time. It allows multiple computers to share information through one common database. Enterprise Networking is developing the needs by which different networks can exchange data.

C, C++, UNIX C & C++ are both programming languages. C is the programming language that is used for most common applications. C++ is the next generation of C language and is more user friendly. Unix is an operating system that competes with Microsoft Windows but it requires lots of commands. However it is more stable and less likely to crash on you.

WWW-Web, Java, Perl, HTML The web is the library of the world it is similar to having an on-line database. Java is a programming language that competes with C++. Perl is another programming language. HTML which stands for hypertext mark-up language is the programming language of the Internet and of all the web pages found on the Internet.

Windows NT is an operating system that competes with UNIX and is more user friendly from an interface standpoint.

PowerBuilder is:

?A graphic PC-based client/server application development environment. You can develop front-end applications which access RDBMS (Relational Database Management System) without coding in a 3 GL (3rd Generation Language) such as C or C++.

?RAD Tool You might have also seen it often referred to as the RAD (Rapid Application Development) tool. In PowerBuilder you can put together a working prototype, for the user to look at, in a fraction of the time it may take for you to do the same in a 3GL (once you have learned PowerBuilder!). That is why it is called a RAD tool.

?4GL (4th Generation Language): In a 3GL, you have to write a lot of code to get a few things done. In PowerBuilder you use screens, known as painters, to graphically put together the visual pieces of the application. Then you attach code to this visual piece in a sample basic-like language, called PowerScript. Due to the fact that it hides the complexities of a 3GL like this, it is known as a 4GL.

Network Manager A person that administers the network. They make sure the computers can talk with one another.

These components and technicians are the ones that currently comprise the particular medical landscape in which we endeavor to operate in for success in our business. By reviewing these components carefully we will try to determine if there is anything we can omit or add to the IT environment to help flourish or sustain our business.

Strategic IT opportunity:

In discussing the description of the strategic IT opportunity for our business one would have to conclude that it would be an expensive undertaking to be associated with a product that is considered a high technological device in the medical field. One which would entail many professionals opinions and approvals for final acceptance. While part of that is true we will try and save money through our IT approach to our business.

We will have a centralized location for which all the users of our product can tie inn with at any time. By creating a centralized location for information gathering and disseminating we will eliminate the need for anything local. By accomplishing this feat alone we will save money. Though one might think that the quality of the product would go down due to the lack of communication lines that would normally be there in a local setting for a product like this. The information vacuum will be sufficed by having an outstanding website with diagrams, pictures, and step by step instructions on just exactly how to use our product. This site will have sound capabilities so the end user can follow the step by step instructions easier. We will also have AVI pictures so that anyone can view the moving pictures associated with the sound. It would be like watching a mini-movie. We will have categories with different levels of concern on the web and if the end-user still has questions they can reach a health care professional that will be there to answer any questions. The site will have a location where you can click on to automatically place a toll free call right from the website. You will be able to type in your question to the person or computer and it will supply the answer or talk directly to a trained professional via the computer.

Considerations

A few things under consideration are placing a small internet screen on the medical device itself that would keep the user abreast of all the medical updates on an ongoing basis. Another consideration would be to implement voice recognition whereby the device would only activate upon a voice match.

Conclusion:

In concluding, we will follow the path of IT that other similar companies have followed in creating our IT landscape except for the fact that we will not have to rely on a localized IT environment for every area. By doing this we will save money and resources. The other implementation is that of a sophisticated though easy to follow and understand website. This would enable the end-user to operate the device with great certainty that if any questions or problems were to arise by using the device they can access a user friendly system that would provide solutions to their inhibitions.