ISM3004 Computing Portfolio Project 2008
Jeff Terry

My name is Jeff Terry and I'm 22 years old. I am a graduating senior at UF studying Marketing. I grew up in Seminole, Florida, which is close to St. Petersburg. I am an only child, which I have discovered to be somewhat rare in this day. In my free time I enjoy playing golf, hockey, fishing and spending time with family and friends. I am also the biggest Tampa Bay Lightning fan you will ever meet!

My Resume

Web Page Project

Why do you think a Web presence (site) is an "essential" for businesses of all sizes?

A web presence is an important aspect for businesses of all sizes because of the high demand of consumer knowledge. In the past, people had to travel to great lengths to get the same information that can now be acquired in just seconds. When a business has constructed a well-designed and attractive web site, consumers are more likely to do business with them and trust the company the site represents. Web sites are also free and easy to setup, as well as a great source of advertisement for the company.

Podcast

Jeff's Podcast

Podcasting in the business environment...

The use of podcasting in the business environment is increasing, and with good reason. With so many businesses having websites, podcasting is just one more source of useful company information that is available to customers and clients. Even small businesses can get involved in podcasting as a way to tell a story about their company. Podcasting can also be useful for companies that have a broad product line. The business can choose to set up a podcast for each segment or group of products to give customers a more informative overview of the products available for purchase.
Big businesses that are active in the use of podcasting, can expect an increased awareness of their company as well as more traffic generated to their online site. In the technology era where a website can be the face of a company, it is important to be able to compete with other companies engaging in such technological advances. Podcasting is becoming more commonplace among big business corporations as the constant importance of market share is at stake. For customers, the great thing about podcasting is the fact that they have the choice to subscribe to any program they are interested in. And with so many companies getting involved with podcasing, the choices and convenience are better than ever.

Secure Email

Secure Email in the business environment...

Email is an important part of business and consumer communications. Without the use of email, many business transactions would be more difficult to complete or could not get done at all. Although email has become the primary method of sending information to and from business to consumer, it is not well suited for the task of transmitting information that should be kept private or confidential. But thanks to secure email, that is all changing.
One advantage over classic email is that secure email can transmit this confidential and authenticated information to any internet user worldwide. The importance of this is obvious due to the fact that almost everybody these days has an email address. In the business world, big corporations spend millions of dollars on upgrading the computer and security systems to ensure that important company information does not fall into the wrong hands. This goes for email as well. As business to business commerce continues to grow online at a rapid pace, these corporations must ensure that the information they send to other businesses is seen by that company and only that company.
Encrypting your email will keep all but the most dedicated computer hackers from intercepting and stealing your personal information. Using a personal email certificate from Thawte, you can digitally sign your email so that recipients can verify that it’s really from you as well as encrypt your messages so that only the intended recipients can view it. Also, by obtaining and using a personal email certificate to digitally sign your messages you can help to stem the tide of spam being distributed in your name. This is very critical, as unwanted spam email in the name of your company can give a bad reputation and hurt the company’s image. In the business world, reputation is everything.

Collaborative Computing

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Collaborative Computing in the Business Environment...

The use of collaborative computing in the business environment will become even more commonplace as the internet continues to grow and shape the way companies conduct business. Through the use of Sharepoint and other similar sites, group members are able to connect with each other online to achieve a common goal. As more companies engage in telecommuting, there becomes an increased emphasis on the ability to reach co-workers and clients from outside of the office.
Collaborative computing can also be seen as an effective way to cut costs. For example, instead of flying a group of distant employees or students to one central location to work on a project, these members can simply log on to the designated site and put together a presentation via Microsoft Word or PowerPoint. Also, this technology allows people to complete tasks or assignments at their own pace if it is permitted. Time constraints may not allow every employee to meet at the same time, so milestones can be arranged to be completed by specific deadlines that will cater to the convenience of the entire group.
However, collaborative computing also has some disadvantages. One such example would be lazy or absent group members who simply cannot put in the necessary time to complete a project. This creates a heavy burden for the rest of the group to pick up the slack from absent members. Another disadvantage is the lack of face to face communication. Sometimes it is hard to interpret what an individual is trying to say when the message is typed. Simple gestures or even casual jokes could be misunderstood and taken the wrong way which leads to arguments and delayed deadlines.
Taking all points into consideration, I believe that the use of collaborative computing in the business world will drastically increase over the next several years, and with good reason. There are too many positives that outweigh the few negatives and businesses will view this as a valuable tool in completing important tasks. As international business increases and more individuals start working from off-site locations, the best and most cost efficient and time conserving option will no doubt be collaborative computing.

Excel

Excel 2003/2007 Skills

Using Microsoft Excel, I was able to manipulate information from an Excel worksheet into useful geographical and mathematical information for the planning of a DVD distribution company. This information was then used to analyze the various alternatives for unit pricing and total unit sales. Using the goal seek application and information from first quarter sales, I was able to find the optimal unit price and total sales for reaching gross revenue goals in particular regions for the following quarter. I really found the goal seek tool to be quite fascinating. It’s not very in depth, but for large amounts of information, it is definitely a time saver. Also, with the use of pivot tables, one can summarize various groups of information from one worksheet and organize it into a new, more presentable worksheet. Finally, using the paint application, I created a screen capture as a way to portray my excel worksheet onto my personal webpage.

Database

Microsoft Access Skills

Database management programs, such as Microsoft Access, is a way of organizing collected data in a manner that allows access, retrieval, and use of that data. There are so many quality uses for a program like Access, it is easy to see why so many business use database software to maintain their information. Access also offers data validation, file retrieval, security, and a plethora of tools to help your business thrive. It’s a lot to learn, and probably more than one would ever want to learn, but the knowledge of database management is invaluable.
As someone who has not used Access very much, I found the program to be quite challenging at first. One of the biggest obstacles, I believe, is that it is somewhat of a different language. It takes some time to become familiar with the simple tools like primary keys, queries, and relationships. I am convinced however, that the best way to learn database systems is to just try it. Play around with the different tools and commands that a program like Access offers. Once I became more comfortable with the vocabulary and controls, it was actually a lot of fun to use. In addition, I really enjoyed learning how to construct the drop-down box used for rating movies. This feature that can be used to organize or rank anything that a business or user pleases.
After this particular assignment, I can now create and control an Access database to keep track of pretty much anything I choose. The biggest benefit of this to me is the fact that I can now use this program to store and manage valuable information for my business venture upon graduation. Computing in the business environment has become a vital component to survival in almost any industry. As technology continues to shape the way we do business, it is essential for us to continue to improve our skills as well as develop new ones. The most important skills for me to learn were building a web page, and becoming more familiar with MS Access and Excel. Due to the knowledge I have gained throughout this course, I now feel more prepared for a career in the business world.