EMT - Assignment v1.5 (Final)

Individual Assignment Emergent Technology CT060-3.5-3 EMTECH by Muhammad Muhammad Riza Aulya Firdaus (TP 017427)

Intake

:

UC3F1010TECH th

Hand Out Date :

30 March 2011

Hand In Date

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15 July 2011

Weightage

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50%

Lecturer

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Mr.Nicholas Jeremy A/L Francis

th

Staffordshire University Asia Pacific University College of Technology & Innovation

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Table of Contents

Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 2 Background and current situation .......................................................................................... 3 Market and Product situation ............................................................................................. 3 Background of the company .............................................................................................. 4 Evaluating Opportunities ....................................................................................................... 4 Problem Statement............................................................................................................. 4 Target User and Rationale ................................................................................................. 6 Assessment of the technology ............................................................................................... 7 Implementation ................................................................................................................... 11 Conclusion .......................................................................................................................... 14 References .......................................................................................................................... 15

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Asia Pacific University College of Technology and Innovation – Level 3

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Introduction This research report will propose new technology, which can be beneficial for University College of Technology and Innovation (UCTI) management and students by integrating the current systems with mobile technology. The system called personal mobile webspace (PMW), obviously it will work similarly like current UCTI webspace that the company has. PMW is mobile applications, that require the user to download and install the application on first time use, and then it’s allowing a user to access their own details, any other related matters with study and university. On the first user require an internet connection and login according to their own username and password like the webspace did for authentication, then the application will retrieve all the data, documents, details of the user and save it on their mobile. The next times the user runs the application, it is not necessary to have internet access because it’s still will run on the offline mode and show the retrieved data. If the u ser runs the application and at the same time also connected to the internet, the application will get the updated data. Mainly, since the application has a personal name who helps user in organizing his profile, academic data, and reminder for any deadline that he has regard to academic matters, administration and any other extra thing that the user needs a reminder. This propose system can help students to avoid the delay in getting things done, and help to remind the user when the time is close with any important upcoming event, especially like assignment submission, payment due.

On the other hands, PMW is being proposed to make ease of UCTI’s students. With PMW, they will be able to access webspace using their fingertips, and it considers much more convenient for them, because just access from their own mobile (the same devices that they use for send message and call people) without bordering them to sit in front of pc and connect through the internet. From the management side, this application can increase their satisfaction of every student and help to retain them or decrease the number of student resign before they finish their program/course. n o i t c u d o r t n I : r e t p a h C


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Background and current situation Market and Product situation When the first time mobile device has invented, it’s mainly for making and receiving a call or a message. Follow by the development of technology, mobile phone functionalities have broadly extended with some added or extra features such as music player, ca mera and other entertainment things that have been integrated. Somehow, is not only that but nowadays mobile phone has developed with similarly like a small computer and tries to added computer functionalities inside a mobile phone such as an ability to read and modify office document, edit a picture with quite sophisticated option, send an email, surf the internet and so on. Besides that, mobile phone has become primary needs, where most of t he people are having it on their hand. Meaning that it’s a time for mobile, integrating a desktop software or website that can only be access via desktop initially with mobile can be considering a good chance. People like to have a mobile phone rather than a telephone box because it’s giving a convenience way where they can bring anywhere with only bringing along small devices.

According to The Sydney Morning Herald (2009), in the past people using mobile for just calls and texting to their contact, in the information-age people are also checking emails on their handsets and more than 70% access online entertainment and information services. Nowadays, almost every human in this world having their own mobile phone, and it became one of the basic or secondary needs after their primary needs such as food, shelter, air, water and others that has been fulfilled. According to the CBS news (2010), even during an economic crisis, there is no drop or decline in the demand communication services. In other words, the number of mobile phone and service subscript ions worldwide has increased. Aside from the growth in mobile phone and subscription services, another factor that has led to a jump in mobile internet use is the growth in adoption of faster 3G phones, more than 63 of respondents in Australia stated they had a 3/3.5G handset (SMH, 2009). However, there is possibility's speed of access web from mobile phone may increase or even much faster than web access from desktop computers.


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Background of the company The Asia Pacific University College of Technology & Innovation (UCTI) is one of the Malaysia’s premier institutions of Higher Learning. UCTI is a University where a unique fusion of technology, innovation and creativity works effectively towards preparing graduates for significant roles in business and society globally. It originally established as the Asia Pacific Institute of Information Technology (APIIT) in 1993 and funded by the SAPURA Group,

UCTI‘s

sound

approach

to

nurturing

school

leavers

into

qualified

professionals has resulted in our graduates being highly sought after by employers (APIIT, 2011). With an international student community from more than 80 countries studying in its Malaysian campus, UCTI’s achievements in winning a host of prestigious awards at national and regional levels over the years bear testimony to our commitment to excellence in higher education

and

training,

as

well

as

innovative

research

and

development

and

commercialization. UCTI (through APIIT) is Malaysia’s first institution to achieve Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) Company Status, as well as the only institution to have won the prestigious MSC Asia Pacific ICT Awards every year since the inception of the awards in 1999. Source: http:// www.ucti.edu.my/introduction.htm

Evaluating Opportunities Problem Statement As UCTI management, now their job it’s to maintain the quality of learning and apply as much as the company can afford to increase their quality, so they can compete with others in the upcoming years. Students are the main customer, one of the ways to attract and keep retaining the existing student by providing good facilities to support their study. One of the facilities that currently has provided is webspace, the site. Where is containing any information related with academic and university matters. All the necessary information has uploaded and publishes on the webspace. Webspace act as the center of all information regarding to campus and all student’s academic matters. However, the student sometimes might go outside to do some activities or hanging out or going back to their hometown which Asia Pacific University College of Technology and Innovation – Level 3

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possibly overseas. In this case, the student is not in front of pc, and they would not be able to access any data from webspace. Some problems may occur when the student is in the situation just get information that the result has updated, and they may be so curious to see their academic result when the time is published, but they are outside. The others' case is when they need to check their timetable, especially venue and time, and require them to connect to the internet and check it online. Therefore, this PMW is being proposed to solve this kind of problems that has occurred to the student.

Since UCTI has increase the number of course in every semester with extra assessment such as test, presentation and any other things instead of exam and assignment submission. The student may need a help to remind them when certain important upcoming event are close with the deadline, where it can be assignment submission or payment overdue and reminder can avoid any late submission or extra charge being applied when outstanding payment. PMW also can consider to educate the student, when the student is outside of campus and suddenly thinking not come to class without strong reason, currently because they does not know about their attendance percentage and by hoping that should be fine at the end and just skip the class. Some students did more than one time, and make their att endance very low and hardly for them to get the docket before the exam. With PMW the student is able to check their updated percentage of their attendance on their hand, when it’s showing low percentage they may cancel his unexpected desire to skip the class.

On the other hands, most of the technology has adopted mobile technology. Mobile phone is now widely used not only for calling or texting purposes like the first time it was invented. It is now being utilized for any other purposes such as a game, music player, camera, video recorder, organize the schedule, notes, and browse information through the internet. Surfing online through a mobile phone is become faster and even sometimes it beat the speed of surfing through a desktop computer. However, people may prefer to surf online through their mobile phone since it designed for mobility purposes and simple without bringing along big and heavy devices to surf online, and its offer almost the same result or even exactly like people can see when they surf from their desktop computer. In this case, some problems which arise and stated above should be solved by utilizing this mobile technology and Asia Pacific University College of Technology and Innovation – Level 3


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situation of UCTI that have to maintain or even increase their quality of education by providing good facilities and medium for education purposes.

Target User and Rationale The main purpose the technology is being implemented is to make ease of APIIT/UCTI students when they are not sitting in front of computer or out of home without bringing along their laptop to surfing the internet to access the webspace. In the future, the student can easily check their timetable schedule, attendance, result, fee statement, renew library loan and reserve the library’s resource such as a book or a project.

After analyzing the problem stated above, the PMW will be developed and implemented to overcome certain problems arise, and catch up with the opportunities of the trend of surf online through mobile devices. The technology is going to be a convenient system for the user who are the student and lecturer of APIIT/UCTI by accessing the webspace through the mobile phone and may help in terms of organizing the upcoming event regarding their academic matter or necessary information has been set earlier. Now that the problem has been identified, once implemented, the technology could bring about significant tangible and intangible benefits.

The tangible benefits are: 

Reduce the number of late payment. This case can help management to save their income in the proper schedule and receive any payment by the expected date.



Indirect promotion. Student's satisfaction may bring more benefit and income for the management, because the power or word of mouth of the student may attract other people to study in APIIT/UCTI.

The intangible benefits are: 

Time efficiency. User does not need to go find any cybercafé or hotspot area to access webspace with their laptop.



Convenient. User can access webspace anywhere anytime using their mobile phone.



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User may not get an overdue fee. Because the PMW can help them to remind the user when the upcoming event is close to the deadline.



User may manage their time well to t he assignment. Because the system will be able to alert them before the due date.



Reduce the number of late submission. For the UCTI management will be beneficial because their staff may go back on time without having much trouble to wait for a student submitted their assignment or project.

Assessment of the technology Technological change is an accepted fact of the global business environment. The problem of accelerated practical change affects matures by industries more acutely as they struggle for survival in the competitive world market. UCTI wanted to implement a new technology. They should be aware that handling resources with technology requires a commitment to managing the practical change process. Therefore, they will need a technology assessment to anticipate the impact of innovation on the elements of theproduct/service value chain and strengthen the overall corporate strategy.

As a reference of Micheal Porter Five forces, below are the specific steps, and consideration for assessing proposed technology in UCTI (STI, 2001): 1. Identify all the distinct components and technologies of the organization’s value chain for products and processes. UCTI is a higher educational Institute, where their main product/service is providing course for students who are willing to learn and study according to their interest and the availability of courses that offered. UCTI provides fours levels of study such as foundation, diploma, degree, and post s graduate level. As management, they should know how to provide good quality and maintain their good reputation. One of the examples, providing sufficient and good facilities in order to attract new students and increase sat isfaction of existing students.

2. Identify potentially relevant technologies in other industries or under scientific development. UCTI has R&D department in the separate building, which is called


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CTI. CTI connected internally with UCTI, whereby they may help in developing software to support and increase effectiveness of the current system. CTI is one of the potential departments that may help UCTI to develop the proposed technology.

The first two steps and considerations above can be considered as scoping and searching phases. Manager of UCTI Technology Services or one of their managements initially will start with determining the area of development or research, based on company resources and capabilities. In this case, the person had seen the problems about the difficulties that student facing when they want to check the academic matter in the webspace when they were not sitting in front of a desktop computer. There is an opportunity for UCTI to expand one of their services to the mobile technology, since the number of user is increased and mostly has similar functionalities like the desktop computer. Therefore, the person decides to scope the proposal for proposing a new way in accessing the webspace for UCTI students and mobile technology as one of the possible solutions. UCTI management should provide certain resources, especially manpower to support the success of this development. The team will lead by one project manager, and then they may start to conduct further research such as survey to gather more information about the problems, requirements, and so on. Before it, they should have done research about the presences of the emerging technology and commercial viability.

3. Brainstorm, exercise visioning techniques, and simulate the effects of various combinations of technologies upon the value chain. Once the system has implemented, this proposed technology that called PMW will provide significant benefits1. Possible technique that UCTI can use for developing and implementing this PMW is corporate with CTI, and a project manager. In order to ensure the quality and requirements of PMW as the student needs, various research and survey may involve proving this preliminary research. A project manager also a responsibility to ensure that the PMW fulfill the requirements or even provide more features, and able to get a good respond and feedback as acceptance of the proposed technology. Furthermore, this proposed technology will expand the capabilities of webspace from a web

1

Please refer to Evaluating Opportunities, Sub topic Target user and Rationale



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browser as the website into a mobile application that user allows access personal data with or without internet connection.

4. Determine the likely path of change of key technologies. Basically, there is no major change of current webspace, because it will still keep running on the future with an expansion for the mobile applications. However, it will not remove the purpose of webspace and provides an inconvenience way for the student to access webspace through their own mobile, especially when they out of home without bringing along their laptop.

5. Determine which of those technologies and potential changes are most significant for competitive advantage and industry structure. a. In terms of the development cost, the proposed technology did not any special or extra software. The only possibilities are mobile devices for the testing purposes. However, UCTI has necessary software and hardware for the development of PMW, and in terms of testing it can be done using the emulator. UCTI also has CTI that will help them in providing a programmer or even a team, and the cost will be effectively less than a new company that not had R&D department. UCTI will require discussing, negotiating, and cooperating with CTI about implementing the proposed technology. b. In terms of product differentiation. This proposed technology, will enhance the product differentiation of UCTI. Because, other educational institutes may only have a traditional way in providing and delivering educational material and communication with their student through the website. UCTI will be having software that enables their students to access personal information or any academic matter through their mobile phone. c. In terms of beneficial. It can improve overall industry or company structure such that the client or student benefits. This proposed technology focus to provide a convenient way for the student to communicate and gather their personal and academic information easily through the mobile phone, and may increase the students’ satisfaction of the facilities that have provided by the university.



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6. Evaluate likely technology proposals with respect to human factors (resources) and organizational capabilities. Since UCTI is one of the IT Universities, they should be considered as eligible to develop this proposed technology. In terms of software, UCTI has alliances with MSDN, where all the development tools that may be needed are available with the corporate license, and for the open source software development such as Netbean from Sun Microsystem is available in online to download without any cost. Hardware is the personal computer that UCTI and CTI already had it, and programmers can be supported by the CTI.

7. Compare proposals with actions by the competition or in-depth research and demonstrate a clear advantage. UCTI may bring forward the proposed technology into a competition or conduct in-depth research in order to prove the strengths. Research also my help them to identify the weaknesses and threat that should be eliminated or decreased. This proposed technology will increase students’ satisfaction and enhance the current system and facilities t hat UCTI has provided.

Five steps above are about evaluating the technology or opportunities. It may undertake feasibility studies of the proposal. It’s the steps to define some possible technology or solution, and decide the most suitable solution to be implemented on the next step. A technology development and market entry also should have to be defined, and the financial competitive. Besides that, the impacts of the new technology will be analyzed as well.

8. Develop and present a technology strategy that strengthens the organization’s overall corporate strategy. UCTI management or project development team has decided to develop and implement Pesonal Mobile Webspace (PMW).

After finish the assessment processes, and determine whether to pursue the proposed technology. The next step is addresses how to pursue it, by making a strategic commitment to the new technology.



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Implementation Most managers know from experience how inaccurate forecasts can be. However, the way to solve the problem is not to look for better forecasters. There are many forces work against the possibility of getting the right forecast. Because the future no longer stable, the better approach is required accepting uncertainty, understanding it, and making it part of the reason project or planning defined. The approach should be made with the flexibility and ready for the future changes follow the trends of business environment.

Scenario planning has been chosen to guide the implementation of the proposed technology. Scenario planning is strategic planning method that organization uses to develop flexible long-term plans. UCTI will require a group of analysts to generate a strategy options for policy and decision makers. They should find information and data from the past and present. It includes customer demographics, service sales history, company information, direct and indirect competitor information, etc. Then. They combine those data with specific and detailed future-oriented possible, estimated, or projected data and information about the services, social trends, industry trends, technical trends, market tr ends or other speculative data.

As a reference from Wharton on Managing Emerging Technologies books, below are the steps in the scenario planning processes for developing and implementing PMW for UCTI (Day, and Schoemaker, 2004): 1. Define the issues or problem area that needs to be understood. In this case, the issues will be how to maintain the quality and satisfaction of the students, and provides a convenient way for them to interact with current UCTI webspace. UCTI has a good reputation in the market and other education industries, especially in Malaysia and surrounding countries such as Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore. There is a problem arise, where the students facing difficulty to access their webspace when they out of home.

2. Identify the major stakeholders and actors will involve during the development and implementation. Currently, the share of UCTI has owned by SAPURA and EKUINAS, and both are the main stakeholders that should be involved to agree to Asia Pacific University College of Technology and Innovation – Level 3

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pursue the planning for the period of time. The actors will be Technology Services manager, higher management, and external entities such as CTI that may involve helping develop the proposed technology. In general, there are UCTI managements, the stakeholders' representative should be agreed for the development and UCTI management will form a team together with CTI as R&D of the company.

3. Identify and study the main forces that are shaping the future. UCTI management or the project team might learn various forces, through reading, seminars or internal discussion, other activities that may arise from new issues will emerge. They should have done in-depth research and consultation from a different group of people and external sources to identify the forces shaping the future. In this case, the main object will be the current webspace, and mobile technology as one of the potential forces.

4. Identify trends or predetermined elements that will affect the issues. Primary research may require for this project, but the management should have defined various key points or trend of every single question that will be g iven as survey. Hypothesis based on the past information, and preliminary research about the current situation can be done to help in defining the trends' elements. Demographic and technological involvement in the company can become the trends' elements, because the number of user will be based on acceptance of the students and technology infrastructure that has established to support the implementation.

5. Identify the key uncertainties from main forces. In the previous steps, the graphic and diagram may be needed to help in identifying the trends' elements. Then this step may involve interrelation or correlation of the variable. Project manager may help to decide the most three key uncertainties, and draw as the matrix correlation. For this case, the key uncertainties that can be considered are growth of students, type of mobile devices whether it supports internet functionality, and students’ preferences and awareness of the webspace.

6. Select the two most important key uncertainties. Project team may have done further research and studies about the future circumstances of the emerging technology. From three key uncertainties, here the project team decides to narrow down the scope into



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two, which are growth of students and students’ preferences and awareness of the current webspace.

7. Assess the internal consistency and plausibility of the initial learning. From the two key uncertainties, project team may assess the keys in terms of the consistency and plausibility. Students’ preferences and awareness of the current webspace may eliminate because, today's UCTI has focused their students system where all the access should be started from the webspace, and includes downloading academic materials. Previously, they were having learfinity for academic material and webspace as a site to access student academic matters. Where only few students visit the webspace to find news or upcoming event in the university. Meaning that, mostly a student should have introduced by the marketer and student services staff about webspace, and for academic material, they have to go to webspace.

8. Assess the revised scenarios in terms of how the key stakeholders. This phase will assess the scenario includes the key uncertainty and problem area from the stakeholder view and responds. Project team may give a brief explanation about the most key uncertainty and reason why the problem area has chosen. Besides that, project team also should test the acceptance of the key stakeholders which their shareholder and UCTI management. Project team should show the result of the research that can be considered as supportive and good respond about the proposed technology, and shown the cost and benefits analysis. Because mostly stakeholder will more concerns about the financial, and return of investment when they have decided to agree on this project. Then, the acceptance level will be high since the requirements have been gathered, and it has a good respond from students as end user, and clear financial analysis that can benefit the company and the user.

9. Reexamine the internal consistencies of the learning scenario. Project team should transform and draw the learning scenario into diagram or modeling. This is to help them to reexamine within the internal consistencies. They may draw the flow, with some comment or feedback or data that have gathered from the research to explain in brief about certain flow or level. Another technique is drawing using mind-map, from one main area to the sub-area and the description. Then, it will more easily for the project manager and UCTI management to measure the value of this project. Asia Pacific University College of Technology and Innovation – Level 3


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10. Reassess the uncertainty ranges of the main variable of interest. Project should compile the documentation from the step one until nine, and prepare in a booklet and also a slide to present with UCTI management and stakeholders. These are the confirmation steps, and final review of the scenario plan for this proposed technology. In case one the actor involves has seen some incoherence or give suggestions to enhance based on the market trends and company capabilities. It will help project team to have better strategies to cope with the full range of scenario.

Conclusion Personal Mobile Webspace (PMW) has proposed by considering the perspective of business and information technology. It shows how business and IT work simultaneously in maintaining quality of services and achieving organizational goals. Project team has proven the importance of technology for every business in education industry, where it can enhance the company efficiency and effectiveness and serve their students in better ways if the company how to utilize it to help their business processes a nd activities.

However, information system technology can be considered as a vital for a successful business enterprise in today’s world. Timely and complete information is required to make good business decisions and to implement profitable business and marketing strategies. This situation requires a mobile application system that can gather the information in a flexible and convenient way and the proposed technology can be as o ne of it. PMW will be developed based on the user requirements, company specification, and most probably able to give good feedback such as students’ satisfaction, and boots company reputation.

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References

APIIT, 2011, History [online], Available from http://www.apiit.edu.my/history.php, th

[Accessed on 28 June 2011]

CBS news, 2010, Number of Cell Phones Worldwide Hits 4.6B [online], Available from http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/02/15/business/main6209772.shtml, [Accessed 12nd July 2011]

Day, G.S. and Schoemaker, P.J.H., 2004, Wharton on Managing Emerging Technologies , Canada, Jhon Wiley and Sons

Nanda, J.K., 2006, Management Thought, New Delhi, Sarup& Sons.

SMH, 2009, Aussies call an end to just phoning on mobile [online], Available from http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/mobiles/aussies-call-an-end-to-just-phoning-onmobiles-20090929-ga33.html, [Accessed 12nd July 2011]

STI, 2001, Key Consideration in the technology assessment process, Piedmont, The Strategic Technology Institute

UCTI, 2011, Introduction – Asia Pacific College of Technology and Innovation, Available from http://www.ucti.edu.my/introduction.htm, [Accessed on 28 th June 2011]


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