Personal Blog

Just recently I made my personal blog. I made it because I wanted to separate my personal posts and use this blog for academic purposes, that way my teachers would not be confused by the entries that I will be posting in this blog. Please feel free to visit my personal blog: Mus' Box and leave comments if you like. Good day

Think Green Go Green

These are some the URL’s that I browsed that talk about “Green Campus Computing”

http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/news/campus-computing-comes-up-green-1.345643

This site talks about Center works to safety disposal of e-waste. E-wastes or Electronic wastes are those discarded, surplus, obsolete, broken, electrical or electronic devices. These waste cause great health and pollution problem because of the fact that these machines contain serious contaminants that could harm a persons health. In this site, it talks about how a certain organization can address this issue or situation. Andrew Reich, an IT architect was the one who explained the solution to this problem and said that the solutions are simple. In the bigger view, the solution is to have a group or a committee in an organization that will evaluate and check the sustainability of the electronic products in your organization, this way they can evaluate if a certain electronic devices that can still be salvaged and resold and the wastes shall be handled by guaranteed recycle experts so that the wastes can be managed properly, this design is called “Cradle-to-Cradle”. Our university can also adopt this design. The school could come up with a group or committee that would regularly check and evaluate the electronic devices of the school especially in the laboratories. If the devices in the laboratories can still meet the needs of the students then it does not need to be changed and if ever it needs to be replaced or upgraded then the group would know if the old machines can be resold or considered as e-wastes.

http://greencampus.winserve.org/greencampus/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=23&Itemid=40

PUTTING YOUR COMPUTER TO SLEEP

Saving energy is one way of helping save the ecosystem and one way of saving energy is putting your computer to sleep when you’re not using your computer at the moment but you still working on something. This way the computer consumes less energy because it is in low power mode. When a computer is in low power mode the computer takes less time to wake up when you need to use it again compared to starting up from the “off” state. I believe this practice not hard to implement especially in laboratories in the university. In some cases, classes that are held in the computer laboratories are congested. For example, a class just finished their laboratory class and another class is about to use the laboratories just few minutes after the previous class so it is much better if the students will be asked to put the computers into sleep mode rather than turning it off, this way the university could save energy and lower the light bill.

http://esi.ucsd.edu/esiportal/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=228&Itemid=101

UC San Diego Campus Computing Goes Green- January 28, 2009

This sight talks about sampling of new generations of technologies that promise to help colleges make their IT departments both more efficient and more sustainable, thus, addressing the problem of soaring financial and environmental costs of information technology. One of the devices that could address this problem is called the GreenLight Instrument. This instrument will deploy sensors and software that measure energy consumption, humidity, etc.

The goal is to encourage organizations to come up with strategies that can reduce electricity consumptions. For me, the university can apply strategies without risking costly equipments. It can be done through simple things like replacing AC to DC. One other way is putting schedules that would set the computers to off state when they will not be used so that it wouldn’t consume electricity. There are many ways to address the problem of soaring financial and environment costs. It all depends on how an organization handles it to come up with a solution to the problem.

COMDDAP Expo 2009

Last July 2 – 4, 2009, The COMDDAP (Computer Manufacturers and Dealers Association of the Philippines) Expo 2009 was held at the Grand Ballroom, Apo View Hotel, Davao City where some of the big computer companies showed their latest products and provide sessions or seminars for their viewers and clients. The event is open to all interested viewers especially to those who are interested in IT. However there was a bit of a snag because of limited seats so we had to register to be able to attend the sessions, our section registered on the sessions that took place in the afternoon of July 2, the first day of the exhibit. To be honest I was not able to register to all of the sessions on the first day so I ended up writing my name on a piece of paper just to attend the sessions.

The first session that we entered was about the ERIC DMS International System. ERIC stands for Enterprise Resource Information and Control and DMS stands for Dealers Management System. This system was developed by Jupiter Systems Inc., a 24 year old enterprise company which is a company that deals with automobiles. Mr. Celmer Santos was the one who presided the session and gave us an overview of their system. ERIC DMS is a system designed by Jupiter Systems to provide end to end solution for auto dealers. The system has a process flow composed of Pre Sales Features, Vehicle Sales, and After Sales.

Some of the Pre Sales Features include Sales Lead Monitoring from Initial Inquiry to Actual Close. The system keeps track of leads, customers, from its initial inquiry until it buys a car. Sales Appointments, it is where the system keeps scheduled appointment of leads in the company, appointments include visiting the company and test driving a certain vehicle. Supervisor Review of Appointments, it is where a supervisor can retrieve or review appointments on its leads. Monitoring Sales Stages, the system also keeps data on a certain customer and the stages of its dealings and Keeping Call History. This feature of the system stores records on the call history of a certain customer.

The second part of the process flow of the system is the vehicle sales. Some features of vehicle sales include Support of Sales of new and old vehicles which means a dealer can also sell second vehicles to his customer depending on the customer’s choice. Inventory Checking so that the dealer knows if a certain vehicle, part, or equipment is in stock if ever a lead orders something from the dealer. Vehicle Agreement Processing, keeping tabs of the dealer and customer agreement on the price, add-ons, etc. The system is also capable of processing receivables and payables from banks and insurance companies, whichever the client chooses.

The third part of the process flow is the After Sales. Features from this part are Customer Appointments, Operation Maintenance, Repair Orders, and Repair Estimates. The system is indeed an end-to-end solution for dealers. The system is also capable of monitor the performance of his or her technicians where the system allots time for a certain job to be done. For example, changing the engine of the vehicle would take two hours to finish, so system keeps track of the performance of a technician by means of checking in and checking out of the technician which is called job in and job out. The session took almost an hour and I noticed that my classmates were not so interested maybe because they couldn’t relate because they are not into cars. However, I also saw some of them who were into it not only because they are into cars but they saw the capability of the system and was amazed by it.

I remember one the audience asked if they would adopt or use that kind of system, how they will transfer their data from their previous or traditional system to the new system. Will they do it manually? So Mr. Celmer said that the data would be inputted in an excel file to authenticate if the data are accurate and ready for migration and then it could now be transferred to the database. He did not explain it in detail but the questioner got his answer.

The next session that we had was the introduction of the Hp Thin Client which was introduced by Mr. Leonard Zapa. I know many of the viewers liked this session because of the fact that freebies will given to those who can answer his questions. The first time I saw an Hp Thin Client I really thought it was a miniaturized central processing unit which is more powerful and compact. It was in this session that I realized that an Hp Thin Client is a computing device without a hard disk and cooling fan. I was pretty amazed by it.

I was more amazed when the thin client features were shown to us. Hp thin client are reliable and easier to manage. They provide solutions to problems like loss of data, virus and malicious attacks that cripple the computer system and threat brought by natural disasters. These machines are reliable because it can used with a server or used like a desktop computer and when it is used with a server, it makes it more reliable because the machine acts as a front end for the end users but the programs a run from the server so if there would be natural threats like blackouts, your data will still be in tact because the data are in the server. It also provides many advantages which make it more interesting to use for corporate and non corporate people. Aside from its lockdown feature which makes it invulnerable to viruses is because when you reboot the system the changes that you made will be discarded and so does the viruses. It is also eco friendly and has low initial cost compared to desktop computers and not only that, it also has longer life expectancy than desktop computers. It only consumes 11 to 20 watts which is really low compared to desktops so it lowers the cost of paying the light bill. Thin clients are ideal for task based workers that only use two or more applications at a time. Basically the Thin Client poses many advantages for its users which make it ideal for business.

After the discussion comes the most awaited part of the session, the question and answer portion. The questions were easy, if you listened, and all of the students who got the freebies came from USeP. I really didn’t thought that I was going to go out of that room with a freebie but I was lucky enough to be able to answer the last question which got me to given the 8gig USB. My listening and jotting notes really paid off.

Here are pictures that I had during and after the event.

Voting Automation

Election is a procedure that allows members of an organization or community to choose representatives who will hold positions of authority within it. Elections select local, state and national government leaders, this is a chance or an opportunity for the public to decide who will govern at these levels. To others, voting is a right but for me it is a privilege. This is a chance for the people to make choices about the policies, programs, and future directions of government action and at the same time, elections promote accountability although in our country, accountability has been an issue during elections.

Automation is a system of manufacturing designed to extend performance on certain tasks that is usually done by humans, and to control sequences of operations without human intervention. Automation is also used to describe nonmanufacturing systems in which programmed or automatic devices can operate independently or nearly independently of human control. An example of nonmanufacturing automation is in the field of aviation where autopilots and automatic guidance systems are used to perform various operations much faster and better than humans, but still, machines can’t replace humans.

Currently, in the Philippines, the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) came up with an idea to automate the voting procedure of the 2010 elections to promote accountability and accuracy since accountability has been always the issue during elections. The Commission on election sought to seek the aid of automated systems so that the counting of the ballots will be done faster and more accurate than the usual and it could lessen the risk of cheating during the elections (at least they said so)

In order to achieve this goal, the Commission on Elections granted Smartmatic and its Philippine partner Total Information Management Inc. (TIM), the winning vote in their bid, to provide 80,000 vote counting machines at a cost of $152 Million. The group made a reasonable bid to be able to lease ample number of counting machines that would allow the Commission on Elections to finish the tally process in two days instead of the manual process which usually take weeks to finish. If the automation of the country’s national election pushes through, it would be the first in the Philippines and COMELEC officials hope it could promote reliability and eliminate cheating.

The automation of the election will be a big step for the Philippines to embrace IT or embrace contemporary ways of doing things by means of using technology instead of doing it in its usual manner. I personally have a positive outlook or point of view in this automation, not just because I am an IT student but because I want what’s best for my country. The Filipino people have been looking forward to a peaceful and honest election and I think that the automation could make that happen. This could be a turning point in the Philippine elections.

I personally support COMELEC’s campaign for automation because it poses many advantages. In the previous elections, voters write the names of their chosen candidates in a piece of paper and they are counted manually which is a system that is prone to cheating and often disfigured by violence. Even though after the counting of ballots have been done, winners were not known even a week after the balloting but in the new system the counting of ballots will be a lot quicker and more accurate.

However, critics/skeptics think that the automation might greatly degrade the accountability of the elections for the fact that it is a machine and it has an imbedded program so it is much easier to cheat by just tinkering the program of the machine. I think it is absurd to call such judgment because of the fact that calling such judgment greatly impacts the manufacturer of the machines and I think that no one can possibly tamper the program of the machines especially on the Election Day or prior to the election. The machines that will be used in the election is controlled by the manufacturer and COMELEC and that the only people that have access to the machines are those who are within their organizational scope or if they would have a specialist who will administer the machines. Thus, saying that if ever that the machines will be tampered those are the only people who will take the blame. I think that these people who initiated this campaign will not be the one who will break their code of ethics and try to tinker the machines for cheating. Also, this is not the first time of Smartmatic in terms of automation or electronic voting. Smartmatic has experienced administering electronic voting in other countries and 80 percent of the tally results were already available within or after six to five hours after the polls have been closed.

Smartmatic also has plans or emergency procedures in case of unwanted events. The company will be providing 40,000 technical staff nationwide that will help in administering the machines and they will be providing additional 2,200 machines to replace any of those machines in case any of the machines will be damaged or will have breakdowns. The machines will also be equipped with emergency power supply units in case there would be blackouts.

Recently, there was news about the automation being put to jeopardy because the Total Information Management Inc. which is the local partner of Smartmatic in the Philippines suddenly cut its ties with Smartmatic which gave the Filipino people and impression that the election will be done traditionally or it would be that we will go back to manual voting. There had been speculations that the government was behind the sudden withdrawal of TIM however, TIM denied this speculations and claimed that it was because of money issues. Now, TIM has reestablished their connections with Smartmatic and said that the automation of the 2010 elections will push through. Upon hearing the news about the withdrawal of TIM from Smartmatic it gave me an impression that the Filipino people would be denied of a chance to embrace the future and graze to the new era. I thought that those people who judge the automation badly are those people who have been swallowed by traditional ways and wish to stay traditional. I know that not all Filipino people are afraid to venture into the unknown and I know the people have been eager to evolve and grow and not linger into the past. Looking at the level or where the other countries are, we need to look at ourselves and think if we want to be left behind. I hope that the automation will push through and that there will be no problems that will stop it.

Risks Associated With Business and IT/IS Change

To start with, honestly I wasn’t part of the group who made an ambush interview on Concentrix for our first assignment in this subject. Fortunately I was able to find my way into the group because one of my group mates was one of those who had the ambush interview and I asked and referred to his reflection or rather his assignment number one.

The adopted company, Concentrix, formerly Link2Support, is a call center operation in Davao which is a US – based Company located at Damosa I.T Park, Lanang, Davao City. Concentrix provides technical and customer support to clients. Their work force delivers knowledge based services that have one measure of success resulting in customer satisfaction. And from Concentrix.com, Concentrix maximizes the long-term value of our clients' customers with solutions that support the entire customer life cycle and provide a high return on investment. And, by delivering from our locations in Asia, Latin America, and the United States in 12 major languages, we give our clients the global reach essential for business success. Our results: satisfied clients, some with relationships of 12 years or more. My group mate told me that when they visited the company they only gave one questionnaire.

Moving on, when I referred to his blog, one of their question is “What is MIS in your company?” the interviewee told them that their MIS is the core of their company. It is the core because their business focuses or makes use of computers and their MIS is responsible for repairing, installing and troubleshooting their computers. Their MIS personnel are also skilled in networking and not only that, their MIS is also responsible for making their systems which does not only record data it also records voice. The next question would be the main topic for the assignment, “What do you think are the best practices in your department that you think contribute a lot to the success in the company?” I was not really expecting that the answer would be teamwork. I was rather expecting the answer would be their latest software or their method of doing the business. So the interviewee said that teamwork, constantly evolving, and the like are their best IT practices.

Teamwork, from the definition in Wikipedia, is a joint action by two or more people, in which each person contributes his or her individual interests and opinions to the unity and efficiency of the group in order to achieve common goals. Teamwork is one of the key to achieve success not just in business but in all fields such as sports and academics. Without teamwork it would be like playing basket ball five against one and it would be very hard to get the work done especially if that work needs to be done in a certain deadline. In Concentrix, their teamwork not only runs in their MIS department but throughout the whole system which makes them a company that has a system for success. I mean if there would be teamwork or if the people in the company work as a team, as one, then there would also be harmony in work and the tasks would be lighter compared to doing the task alone. The most successful or effective teamwork is produced when all the individuals involved harmonize their contributions and work towards a common goal. In the case of Concentrix, they all work for a certain goal and that is to deliver knowledge based services that have one measure of success resulting in customer satisfaction.

On to the second assignment which is “Based on the organization that you visited, what do you think are the risk associated with business and IT/IS change? (1000 words)” I think that if there would be a change or if a certain company like Concetrix would decide to make a change in their business and IT/IS, there would be good and bad effects of that change and considering the fact that they would be encountering a handful of risks in pursuing that change. An example of a change in is migrating from the current software to another one which is better or the latest software in the market. Many risks would arise in pursuing such change such as delaying the work of the personnel because of the reason that the personnel working in the company have already been accustomed to the current system or the current software and it would take time for the personnel to learn or adjust to the new software that they will be going to implement. Of course the new software that they are going to use is better than their current software so it would mean that the new software would have new features and commands that are not common to the personnel.

Also, the company would risk providing or investing resource for the training of the personnel to use the new software and they would have to pay other experts to train their personnel. It would cost the company money and it will also take time considering that they would have to migrate their data from the old software to the new one. They would also run tests and run error checking to their personnel’s performance before they could assure that their personnel have already adjusted to the new software. And if it would take time there would be a possible risk of losing profit but it all depends on how the company prepares for that change.
However, change in the business or IT/IS of a company does not only trigger risks and bad effects in the process it also has good effects. A certain company would not risk pursuing a change if they think that their system is perfect or stable. A company would always aim for the best and provide the best services that they could give to their clients. A change in a company and its effects would depend on the company on how they plan, manage and control it and if they really want that change.

http://concentrix.com/about.html
http://jmanlangit.blogspot.com