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Web 2.0 refers to second-generation interactive Internet-based services that enable
people to collaborate, share information, and create new services online. Web 2.0 is
Web 3.0 focuses on developing techniques to make searching Web pages more
productive and meaningful for ordinary people. Web 3.0 is the promise of a future
Web where all digital information and all contacts can be woven together into a single
4. What are the principal technologies and standards for wireless networking,
communications, and Internet access?
Define Bluetooth, wi-fi, WiMax, and 3G and 4G networks.
Standards for wireless computer networks include Bluetooth (802.15) for small
personal-area networks (PANs), wi-fi (802.11) for local-area networks (LANs), and
WiMax (802.16) for metropolitan-area networks (MANs). Bluetooth can link up to
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Describe the capabilities of each and for which types of applications each is best
suited.
• Bluetooth: Access very limited; useful for creating small personal-are
networks.
5. Why are RFID and wireless sensor networks (WSNs) valuable for business?
Define RFID, explain how it works and describe how it provides value to
businesses.
Mobile wireless technology facilitates supply chain management by capturing data on
the movement of goods as these events take place and by providing detailed,
Define WSNs, explain how they work, and describe the kinds of applications that
use them.
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Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are networks of interconnected wireless devices
Discussion Questions
1. It has been said that within the next few years, smartphones will become the
single most important digital device we own. Discuss the implications of this
statement.
Cell phones and smartphones are morphing into portable computing platforms that
allow users to perform some computing tasks that previously could only be
2. Should all major retailing and manufacturing companies switch to RFID? Why
or why not?
RFID systems are complex and, in the past, expensive to implement. Now the cost of
RFID tags is approaching $0.10 per passive tag in the United States. As the price
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3. Compare wi-fi and high-speed cellular systems for accessing the Internet. What
are the advantages and disadvantages of each?
Wi-fi allows users to access the Internet from numerous locations that could not be
covered by traditional wired Internet services. The technology reduces costs for both
personal users and businesses by providing a way to share peripheral devices like
printers and servers among many computing devices. There’s no need for separate
Hands-On MIS Projects
Management Decision Problems
1. Floor tile company: Asked by major retailing customers to begin using RFID to
improve management of products. Use the Web to identify the cost of hardware,
software, and networking components for an RFID system for your company. What
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What is the estimated incremental cost for adopting RFID?
printer/encoders, readers, middleware, and professional services to integrate these
If one is discussing incremental costs over and above what was invested in your bar
What is a ballpark figure for implementing RFID in a warehouse and distribution
process?
According to Forrester Research, a typical supplier that attempts to comply with a
mandate can expect to spend as much as $9 million on RFID—depending on the size
How do smart label costs compare to conventional thermal/thermal-transfer printed
labels?
A smart label runs in the vicinity of about $0.50 per label vs. about $0.01 for a
What companies are currently developing RFID software? Is it all customized or are
there off-the-shelf solutions?
Numerous start-up and established software providers—including those who provide
customers’ requirements rather than being ready to go “off the shelf.”
How will RFID integrate with EDI software?
EDI messages contain data about business transactions. While the format of an EDI
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Key decisions that a company needs to make when considering adopting RFID
include:
• Hardware and software costs
2. BestMed Medical Supplies Corporation: Sells products and equipment from over
700 different manufacturers to hospitals, health clinics, and medical offices. The
company employs 500 people at seven different locations. Management is
considering adopting a unified communications system. What factors should be
considered? What are the key decisions that have to be made in determining whether
to adopt this technology? Use the Web, if necessary, to find out more about unified
communications and its costs.
At a more detailed level, Verizon Business suggested that in preparation for UC&C,
enterprises should:
• Invest in advanced IP networks because “UC&C starts with a capabilities-rich
IP infrastructure. . . [and] flexible and expansive IP networks serve as the
foundation of a successful UC&C deployment.”
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• Create a comprehensive roadmap that is “far reaching and covers areas such
as technology and finances, as well as detailed deployment and
implementation plans.”
• Tackle security at the onset, with a design that integrates “seamlessly with a
business’ current network and leverage existing technology investments.”
Improving Decision Making: Using Spreadsheet Software to Evaluate Wireless
Services
Software skills: Spreadsheet formulas, formatting
Business skills: Analyzing telecommunications services and costs
You would like to equip your sales force of 35 who are based in Cincinnati, Ohio,
with mobile phones that have capabilities for voice transmission, text messaging,
and taking and sending photos. Use the Web to select a wireless service provider
that provides nationwide service as well as good service in your home area. Examine
the features of the mobile handsets offered by each of these vendors. Assume that
each of the 35 salespeople will need to spend three hours per day during business
hours (8 A.M. to 6 P.M.) on mobile voice communications, send 30 text messages per
day, and five photos per week. Use your spreadsheet software to determine the
wireless service and handset that will offer both the best pricing per user over a two–
year period. For the purposes of this exercise, you do not need to consider corporate
discounts.
Achieving Operational Excellence: Using Web Search Engines for Business
Research
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You want to learn more about ethanol as an alternative fuel for motor vehicles. Use
the following search engines to obtain that information: Yahoo!, Google, and MSN.
If you wish, try some other search engines as well. Compare the volume and quality
of information you find with each search tool. Which tool is the easiest to use?
Which produced the best results for your research? Why?
Answers will vary according to the search phrases students enter in the search engines.
Video Case
You will find video cases illustrating some of the concepts in this chapter on the Laudon
Collaboration and Teamwork: Evaluating Smartphones
Form a group with three or four of your classmates. Compare the capabilities of
Apple’s iPhone with a smartphone handset from another vendor with similar
features. Your analysis should consider the purchase cost of each device, the
wireless networks where each device can operate, service plan and handset costs,
and the services available for each device. You should also consider other
capabilities of each device, including the ability to integrate with existing corporate
or PC applications. Which device would you select? What criteria would you use to
guide your selection? If possible, use Google Sites to post links to Web pages, team
communication announcements, and work assignments, to brainstorm; and to work
collaboratively on project documents. Try to use Google Docs to develop a
presentation of your findings for the class.
In their analysis, students should set up a table for each of the two devices that they
selected and demonstrate how they made their comparision. What features did they
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The following Web sites may help students conduct their search for this project:
Case Study: Apple, Google, and Microsoft Battle for Your Internet Experience
1. Define and compare the business models and areas of strength of Apple, Google,
and Microsoft.
Apple: Its business model focuses on centralized control of almost all aspects of its
hardware and software. It believes smartphones and tablets should have proprietary
standards and be tightly controlled. It only allows apps from its App store, that have
2. Why is mobile computing so important to these three firms? Evaluate the mobile
platform offerings of each firm.
This case demonstrates the fundamental paradigm shift from primarily desktop PC
computing to mobile computing devices accessing services through the Internet that
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much to the table in mobile computing.
3. What is the significance of applications and app stores, and closed vs. open app
standards to the success or failure of mobile computing?
Apps greatly enrich the experience of using a mobile device, and without them, the
predictions for the future of mobile Internet would not be nearly as bright. Whoever
creates the most appealing set of devices and applications will derive a significant
4. Which company and business model do you believe will prevail in this epic
struggle? Explain your answer.
Students should consider these principles in their answers:
• The size, complexity, and bureaucracy of organizations affect the ability of
5. What difference would it make to a business or to an individual consumer if
Apple, Google, or Microsoft dominated the Internet experience? Explain your
answer.
Right now Apple leads Google in the number of apps available to users. That gap is
closing quickly thanks to Google’s improvements of the Android operating system
and its encouragement to app developers. Open, non-proprietary systems historically