ISM3004 Computing Portfolio Project, 2008 for Lianne Weber

Hello everyone and welcome to my page! I am currently a senior at the University of Florida (Warrington College of Business Administration). I am looking forward to graduating in August 2008 with honors. Upon graduation, I hope to work in human resource management and I also plan to get my MBA. As you can see, I am a Tampa Bay Bucs fan. In my spare time I enjoy anything that has to do with the water. My two favorite activities would have to be boating and sunbathing. I also enjoy spending time with friends and family!

If you'd like, please take a look at my resume.

Web Page Project

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

I think a web presence is essential in order for any business to survive in today’s society. As e-commerce becomes more popular, the need to have a web presence will only become more crucial. More and more people are doing their shopping online and using websites to gather information about companies. In order to capture that segment of the market, people must be able to access the companies and products online. In my opinion, no matter how large or small, if a business wants to succeed it must have a website.

Podcast

The use of podcasting is beneficial to the business environment in many ways. As with any modern technology, it has taken some time to develop to its full potential when it comes to every day use. Podcasting is becoming ever more popular in the business world as a means of communication.

Communication between businesses and their customers is vital to success. Podcasting is truly useful as business tool in the sense that customers can subscribe only to the programs that they are interested in. This means that free and easy-to-use podcasting software automatically downloads new podcasts to your customer's computers as soon as they are available. This valuable new tool can reach millions of potential customers with ease and keep them continually updated.

Communication for the traveling business individual is also imperative for success. So many people are doing business on the go that access to important information is a necessity. It is important for them to be in contact with their companies. All of this is now possible through the use of podcasting.

Click here to listen to my podcast

Secure Email

In today's business environment, encrypted email communication is vital because many emails today contain personal, non-public information. As a result, many people choose not to open e-mail messages from unknown sources and hesitate to send emails. With heightened government regulations and pending legislation to prevent identity theft, the need to secure sensitive email communication is constantly growing.

In today's world of security breaches and information leaks, companies need to provide their clients with the email privacy that is needed. Their clients and customers need to be able to communicate with peace of mind. Email encryption is not only useful, but necessary in a variety of industries such as healthcare, finance, and insurance.

Unfortunately, in the technological world that we live in, many people fall victim to identity theft. This is an increasing problem that we need to do everything in our power to try and avoid. Identity theft is not easy to overcome. We will be one step closer if our personal information is protected by encrypted email messages.

In conclusion, being aware of the threats and risks to your personal information is simply not enough. We have to do our part. One can further protect their information by using a method of protection such as encryption. This will prevent intrusion by unauthorized and unwanted computer hackers. It is safe and simple to be secure, so take the necessary precautions.

Collaborative Computing

Collaborative computing can be extremely valuable in the business environment of today. Collaborative computing can be defined as the process of working in a team environment through the use of computer technology. Both large and small businesses can take advantage of collaborative computing, the need for which grows out of the desire to bring together diverse resources. This technology has the potential to link people across the globe to achieve a common end result.

Working as a team allows people to combine their knowledge, skills, and ideas to create a better end product. Collaborative computing provides an opportunity for this teamwork to take place. It allows a group of individuals to share and relay information in such a way that cultivates team review, constructive criticism, discussion, and interaction. The collaboration also involves the accomplishment of duties and achievement of consensus. It permits the geographically distributed to develop, edit, and utilize a common database.

Collaborative computing is a dynamic technology that will revolutionize the way we work. This is a new age in the business world, conferences are out and computers are in. Although there may be some obstacles along the way, the end product of a team effort definitely has its advantages.

Click here to check out our team ad!

Excel 2003/2007 Skills

Microsoft Excel is a powerful spreadsheet program capable of performing calculations, analyzing data, and integrating information from different programs. It allows users to create and format spreadsheets, share information, and display the data being analyzed in tables, graphs, or charts. While working on the Excel Project, I learned how to perform all of these functions and more.

Before the project, I was familiar only with the basic functions of Excel. I am now able to perform text functions in order to extract data from other cells in a spreadsheet. Next, I used the Pivot Table Wizard in order to create a summary of the data that was collected and recorded on the spreadsheet. The final step in the Excel Project involved using the Goal Seek Tool in order to calculate what changes the fictional DVD store needed to implement in order to achieve set goals.

This incredible program permits people to make informed business decisions and share information with ease. The Excel Project was extremely beneficial in that it expanded my education on the capabilities of the program. The new skills acquired through the project will surely be useful in the business world. Refer to the table below as an example of one of these tables.

Microsoft Access Skills

Access can be a very useful tool for organizing information. By completing this project, I learned how to create Tables, Queries, and Reports using Access. All of these tools are useful ways to organize data and present in a simple, professional manner.

When creating a Table, I learned how information from an outside source, such as Microsoft Excel can be imported. Once imported, the information can be added or updated at any time. Further, Access allows the user to determine the format of each field and provide a detailed description of each field. Using the Lookup function, you can create drop down lists, and the General options allow you to format how information is inputed. For example, one can specify a specific format for a phone number. In addition, Access allows users to create relationships among tables in order to create a new table that combines information from previously saved tables. Check out an example of relationships below.

Next, I learned how to create and run a query. A query allows users to specify information from all table that they would like information about. You choose the field that the information is contained in, and then specify the criteria within that field you are searching for. One the query is run, all of the information selected will result in a new table. This can be useful for sorting data. When a user has a lot of information, Access queries allow one to find specific data without having to read through all of the data.

Finally, I learned how to create a report using the information generated from a query. A report allows users to present the information in a simple, easy-to-read, professional manner. The user cannot only specify the appearance of the report, but also add titles and additional information to the report. For example, a user can add personal notes in the header or footer of a report, or even change the title of the report so that is does not match the file name.