switch

A network switch is a small hardware device that joins multiple computers together within one local area network (LAN). Technically, network switches operate at layer two of the OSI model.

HUB

Hubs are commonly used to connect segments of a LAN. A hub contains multiple ports. When a packet arrives at one port, it is copied to the other ports so that all segments of the LAN can see all packets.

RING

The ring topology is a type of computer network arrangement where each network computer and devices are connected to each other forming a big circle. Each packet is sent around the ring until it reaches its final destination. Today, the ring topology is hardly ever used.

RING TOPOLOGY

RING TOPOLOGY

The ring topology is a type of computer network arrangement where each network computer and devices are connected to each other forming a big circle. Each packet is sent around the ring until it reaches its final destination. Today, the ring topology is hardly ever used.

Focused Differentiation

•Choice to be made between focused differentiation and broad differentiation if growth required
•Difficult when the focus strategy is only part of an organisation’s overall strategy
•Possible conflict with stakeholder expectations
•New ventures start off focused, but need to grow
•Market situation may change, reducing differences between segments

Failure Strategies

•Increase price without increasing product/service benefit
•Reduce benefits whilst maintaining price

Hybrid Strategy

•Achieve greater volumes
•Clarity about activities on which differentiation can be built (core competences)
•Reduce costs on other activities
•Entry strategy in market with established competitors

Differentiation Strategies

•Success depends on
–Identification of strategic customers and knowing what they value
–Knowing the competitors
•Narrow competitor base – focused differentiation
•Wide competitor base – address bases of differentiation valued by customers

Low Price Strategy

•Pitfalls of low price strategy
–Margin reduction (competitor reaction)
–Inability to reinvest leading to loss of perceived benefit of product
•Need a low cost base
–Low cost itself not a basis for advantage
–Low cost achieved in ways that competitors cannot match to give sustainable advantage

“No Frills” Strategy

•Commodity-like products or services
•Price-sensitive customers
•High buyer power and/ or low switching costs
•Small number of providers with similar market shares
•Avoiding the major competitors

SWOT

•Summarises analysis of
– Business environment
•Opportunities and threats
– Strategic capabilities
•Strengths and weaknesses
•Used for comparison with competitors
•Focuses on future choices and capability of organisation to support them

Problems of SWOT analysis

–Can generate long lists: need to focus on key issues
–Danger of over-generalisation: not a substitute for rigorous strategic analysis

Benchmarking Strategic Capability

–Historical – performance compared to previous years
–Industry/sector – comparative performance of other organisations
–Best in class – wider search for best practice
•Increased expectations due to improved performance in another sector
•Breaking the frame about performance standards to be achieved
•Spot opportunities to outperform incumbents in other markets – stretch core competences

Core competences

Activities and processes through which resources are deployed such as to achieve competitive advantages in ways which others cannot imitate or obtain

Strategic Gaps

•Opportunities in business environment not being fully exploited by the competition:
–substitute industries
–other strategic groups or strategic spaces
–the chain of buyers
–complementary products and services
–new market segments
–markets developing over time

Strategic Groups

Strategic groups are organisations within an industry with similar strategic characteristics, following similar strategies or competing on similar bases

The Five Forces Framework

FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS
The threat of entry ...
Dependent on barriers to entry such as:
•economies of scale
•capital requirements of entry
•access to supply or distribution channels
•customer or supplier loyalty
•experience
•expected retaliation
•legislation or government action
•differentiation

Threat of substitutes
Reduction in demand for products as customers switch to alternatives:
•Product for product substitution
–e.g. email for post
•substitution of need
–e.g. reliable and cheap appliances reduce need for maintenance services
•generic substitution
–competition for household income, e.g. cars versus holidays
–doing without

Buyer power
buyer power is likely to be high where there is:
•a concentration of buyers
•many small operators in the supplying industry
•alternative sources of supply
•low switching costs
•components/materials that are a high percentage of cost to the buyer leading to “shopping around”
•a threat of backward integration

Supplier power is likely to be high where there is:
•a concentration of suppliers
•customers that are fragmented and bargaining power low
•high switching costs
•powerful supplier brand
•possible integration forward by the supplier

Competitive Rivalry is likely to be high when:
•competitors are in balance
•there is slow market growth (product life cycle)
•there are high fixed costs in an industry
•there are high exit barriers
•markets are undifferentiated

Key Aspects of 5-Forces Analysis

•Use at level of strategic business units (SBU)
•Define the industry/market/sector
•Don’t just list the forces: derive implications for industry/organisation
•Note connections between competitive forces and key drivers in macroenvironment
•Establish interconnections between the five forces
•Competition may disrupt the forces rather than accommodate them

RING

The ring topology is a type of computer network arrangement where each network computer and device are connected to each other forming a big circle (or similar shape). Each packet is sent around the ring until it reaches its final destination. Today, the ring topology is not often used.

ADVANTAGES

Can create much larger network using Token Ring
Does not require network server to manage the connectivity between the computers
Very orderly network where every device has access to the token and the opportunity to transmit
Performs better than a star topology under heavy network load

DISADVANTAGES

Challenges of Strategic Management

•Prevent strategic drift
–Progressive failure to address strategic position
–Deterioration of performance
•Understand and address contemporary issues
–Internationalisation
–E-Commerce
–Changing purposes
–Knowledge and learning
•View strategy in more than one way
–Three strategy lenses – Design, Experience, Ideas

Strategy into Action

•Structuring the organisation
•Marshalling resources (people, information, finance, technology)
•Managing change

Strategic Choices

•Bases of competitive advantage at business level
•Scope of activities at corporate level
–Portfolio
–Market spread, e.g. international
–Value added by corporate parent (parenting)
•Directions and methods of development
–Directions: Product/Market
–Methods: Internal/organic, M&A, strategic alliances

Strategic Position

•The Organisation’s Environment
–Political Economic Social Technological Legal Environmental
–Sources of Competition
–Opportunities and Threats
•Strategic Capability of the Organisation
–Resources and Competences
–Strengths and Weaknesses

•Expectations and Purposes
–Corporate Governance, Stakeholders, Ethics and Culture
–Sources of Power and Influence
–Communication of Purpose: Mission and Objectives

The Vocabulary of Strategy

•Mission – overriding purpose
•Vision/strategic intent – desired future state
•Goal – general statement of aim or purpose
•Objective – quantification or more precise statement of goal
•Strategic capability – resources, activities and processes
•Business model – how product, service and information flow
•Control – monitoring of action steps

LEVELS OF STRATEGY

•Corporate level
–Determine overall scope of the organisation
–Add value to the different business units
–Meet expectations of stakeholders
•Business level (SBU)
–How to compete successfully in particular markets
•Operational
–How different parts of organisation deliver strategy

Strategic Decisions are About

•The long-term direction of the organisation
•The scope of an organisation’s activities
•Gaining advantage over competitors
•Addressing changes in the business environment
•Building on resources and competences (capability)
•Values and expectations of stakeholders which affect operational decisions

Strategic Business Unit (SBU)

A strategic business unit (SBU) is a part of an organisation for which there is a distinct external market for goods or services that is different from another SBU

STAR TOPOLOGY

In a star topology all nodes connect to one central device. That device may be a file server, or a network hub. When the node wants to transmit to another node, the communication is managed by , and transmitted through, the central device, which contains the communication software.
Advantage
It is easy to determine the source of a network problem, such as a cable failure.
Disadvantage
The main disadvantage is the central device; if the central device is not working the entire network is down. Another disadvantage is adding computers can be costly.

Definition of Strategy

Strategy is the direction and scope of an organisation over the long term, which achieves advantage in a changing environment through its configuration of resources and competences with the aim of fulfilling stakeholder expectations.

Database Application

An application program (or set of related programs) that is used to perform a series of database activities:
•Create
•Read
•Update
•Delete
•On behalf of database users

PC DATABASE

PC DATABASE

PC Databases

Types of Database Systems

•PC Databases
•Centralized Database
•Client/Server Databases
•Distributed Databases
•Database Models

Database Components

Database Environment

Data Independence

Physical representation and location of data and the use of that data are separated
•The application doesn’t need to know how or where the database has stored the data, but just how to ask for it.
•Moving a database from one DBMS to another should not have a material effect on application program
•Recoding, adding fields, etc. in the database should not affect applications

Data Independence

Physical representation and location of data and the use of that data are separated
•The application doesn’t need to know how or where the database has stored the data, but just how to ask for it.
•Moving a database from one DBMS to another should not have a material effect on application program
•Recoding, adding fields, etc. in the database should not affect applications

DBMS Benefits

•Minimal Data Redundancy
•Consistency of Data
•Integration of Data
•Sharing of Data
•Ease of Application Development
•Uniform Security, Privacy, and Integrity Controls
•Data Accessibility and Responsiveness
•Data IndependenceReduced Program Maintenance

From File Systems to DBMS

Problems with File Processing systems
–Inconsistent Data
–Inflexibility
–Limited Data Sharing
–Poor enforcement of standards
–Excessive program maintenance

File Based Systems

Metadata

Data about data

In DBMS means all of the characteristics describing the attributes of an entity,
E.G.:
–name of attribute
–data type of attribute
–size of the attribute
–format or special characteristics

Repository

–AKA Data Dictionary
–The place where all metadata for a particular database is stored
–may also include information on relationships between files or tables in a particular database

Terms and Concepts

Database Management System -- DBMS
–Software system used to define, create, maintain and provide controlled access to the database and repository

Database

A Database is a collection of stored operational data used by the application systems of some particular enterprise. (C.J. Date)
–Paper “Databases”
•Still contain a large portion of the world’s knowledge
–File-Based Data Processing Systems
•Early batch processing of (primarily) business data
–Database Management Systems (DBMS)

Database

A collection of similar records with relationships between the records. (Rowley)
–bibliographic, statistical, business data, images, etc.

File

A collection of records or documents dealing with one organization, person, area or subject. (Rowley)
–Manual (paper) files
–Computer files

WANS

A network that crosses organizational boundaries, or in the case of a multisite organization, reaches outside the immediate environment of local offices and factory facilities, is called a wide area network (WAN). WANs can be public or private. The internet is an example of a public network. The Extranet and the Intranet are private networks.

NETWORK TOPOLOGY

Network Topology is the physical layout of nodes in a network, which often dictates the type of communications protocol used by the network. In reality, only small LANs use a single topology. Larger networks are usually a combination of two or more different topologies.

LOCAL AREA NETWORKA

A computer network within a building, or a campus of adjacent buildings, is called a local area network, or LAN. No specific distance classifies a network as local, but usually as long as it is confined to a radius of three to four miles, it is called a LAN. Local area networks can be hardwired of wireless or a combination of the two, are the most common way to let users share software and hardware resources and to enhance communication among workers.In LANs, one computer is used as a central repository of programs and files that all connected computers can use; this computer is called a server. Connected computers can store documents on their own disks or on the server, can share hardware such as printers, and can exchange e-mail. The server usually has centralized control of communications among the connected computers and between the computers and the server itself.

What is a system?

You have probably used the word ‘”system” many times. Simply put, a system is an array of components that work together to achieve a common goal, or multiple goals, by accepting input, and producing it, and producing output in an organized manner. Consider the following examples:
A sound system consists of many electronic and mechanical parts, such as a laser head, an amplifier, an equalizer, and so on. This system uses input in the form of electrical power and sound recorded on tape or CD, and processes the input to reproduce music and other sounds. The components work together to achieve this goal.

NETWORKS

In the context of data communications, a network is a communication of devices or nodes connected to each other through one of the communication channels just discussed. Networks in which a single host computer serves only dumb terminals are becoming obsolete as prices of microcomputers have plummeted.There are two basic types of networks: LANs (local area networks), which serve an office or several adjacent offices; and WANs (wide area networks), which are larger, national or global networks use the same type of layout, also called topology, and the same types of protocols for signal transmission and reception. In such cases, the only difference between LANs and WANs is the distance between the networked computers.

COOKIES

If you have ever suffered the Web, your computer probably contains cookies. A cookie is a sample file that a Web site place on a visitor’s hard disk so that the Web site can remember something about the surfer later. Typically, a cookie records the surfer’s ID of some other unique identifier. Cookies have an important function in Web-based e-commerce, especially between business and customers. They provide convenience to customers. If the cookie contains your name and password for accessing a certain resource at the site, you do not have reentered the information. Cookies often help ensure that a user dose not receive the same unsolicited information multiple times. For instant, cookies are commonly used to rotate banner ads.Some cookies are temporary; they are installed only for that session, and are removed when the user leaves the site. Others are persistent and stay on the hard disk unless the user deletes them. Many cookies are installed to serve only first parties, which are the businesses with which the user interacts directly. Others serve third parties, which are organizations that collect information about the user whenever the user visits a site that subscribes to the service of these organizations.

learn more http://www.w3schools.com/PHP/php_cookies.asp

Common Gateway Interface (CGI)

Special software used in internet servers that allows the capture of data from a form displayed on a page and the storage of the data in a database.

HOW THE INTERNET WORKS

A simplified explanation of how the Internet works is that every computer and device that accesses the Internet has a unique label or Internet “address.”Internet software and protocols (rules of communication) enable a device to locate another device. For an instant, if you are on the web, you are familiar process of entering a Web address or Uniform Resource Locator (URL) such as www.lankasri.com to access a web site. But what do these letters mean, and where do they come from?

FILE TRANSFER PROTOCOL (FTP)

File transfer protocol is the most popular way to transmit whole files from one computer to another. Every time you download a file from a Web site or attach files to e-mail, you are using a FTP application

MULTIMEDIA ON THE WEB

Multimedia is referred to sound, video, animation, and 3D interactive video. Sometimes you’ll be required to download the multimedia files, web pages, or sites. Most of the time multimedia files require that your browser use a plug-in programme. Plug-ins are little software programmes. They enhance your browser so you could listen to sound and video clips. They automatically decompress large files you download. If you don’t have a plug-in programme, you could download it off websites.

DATA COMMUNICATION

Data communication is transfer of data within a computer, between a computer and another device, or between two computers. This type of communication is accomplished through the computer bus. A bus is a system of wires, or strings of conductive material, etched on the surface of a computer board. It is a communication channel that allows the transmission of whole byte or more in one pass.

DATA

Data are the facts about people, other objects, and events. May be manipulated and processed to produce information.

Data Access Storage Device (DASD)

An external storage medium that allows direct storage medium that allows direct storage and retrieval of records from stored files. For instant magnetic disks and optical discs

Data

Data are the facts about people, other objects, and events. May be manipulated and processed to produce information.

What is TELNET

The TELNET protocol makes TELNET or remote login possible on the Internet. TELNET to host is all about establishing a connection accross the Internet from one host to another. Quite often, you will need to have an account on the remote host to login once you have made connection. Certain hosts offering white page directories, provide public services that don't require a personal account.

WHAT IS THE DOMAIN NAME SYSTEM

the Domain Nama System (DNS) organises the name space of the Internet. It administratively groups hosts into a hierarchy of authority that allows addressing and other information to be widely distributed and maintained.

How do i download files

you can download a file by simply clicking on the link. your browse (Netscape or Explorer) will then display the file in your browser window if it is an image or text, or ask you what action to take with the file if it is another type. If you choose the SAVE option, you will then have to choose where you want to save it (choosing the location). A status bar will be displayed once you select this option, telling you how far along the tranfer has gone. Once this task is done, the window will either disappear, or display a message to tell you that the download has been completed.

What can you do on the internet

The Internet is a bank of information can be used for a lot of things. for example, you can shop in another continent, sample music, send messages or documents across the world, check out the stock market, listen and download music, play games, chat, catch the latest news in any part of the world, manage your bank account. the Internet became popular after the invention of the file transfer protocol (FTP)

what is an Internet?

The Internet, commonly call as Net is an international network of computers linked up to exchange informations. the word internet emerged by a combination of the shortened forms of international and network.

what is an Iternet Service Provider (ISP)

An ISP is a company that helps the public to cotact to the internet. it can be distinguished from an information service such as Suntel wOw, CompuServe or America online by its emphasis on Internet tools such as USENET News, Gopher, WWW, etc.

database

DATA

Data are the facts about people, other objects, and events. May be manipulated and processed to produce information.

DATA COMMUNICATION

Data communication is transfer of data within a computer, between a computer and another device, or between two computers. This type of communication is accomplished through the computer bus. A bus is a system of wires, or strings of conductive material, etched on the surface of a computer board. It is a communication channel that allows the transmission of whole byte or more in one pass.

Database

A collection of similar records with relationships between the records. (Rowley)
–bibliographic, statistical, business data, images, etc.

next page