Accessibility is very important to commercial websites, wanting to reach a wide range/variety of customers, while at the same time making sure they are not discriminating against a particular set of users. For many online consumers, it can be more convenient and simple to order their goods online, rather than travelling to and from towns/cities which they may find difficult, or more personal issues. Online sites have to try and accomodate to the best of their ability for people who may be disimpaired in some form; with the web mainly being visual, it may put individuals who are partially sited or colour blind at a disadvantage or navigating the computer by mouse/keyboard may be extremely hard for some people. Many web designers have taken this into account, with good accessible design attempting to make the experience as rich as possible for the possibly wide variety of users.
An example of a website that has catered to accesibility problems is Marks and Spencers,
http://help.marksandspencer.com/faqs/company-website/accessibility-policy.html#PartA
Monday, 20 May 2013
Sunday, 19 May 2013
2.7 Security
Physical Protection – Organisations need to protect personal data from unauthorised access, both externally and internally. Personal data has to be stored on a machine where not just anyone could access the information on the machine. For example information should not be placed on a computer in an open planned office with no password protection; a standalone machine should always be protected physically from unauthorised access. With a transactional website, it would be very unlikely that a standalone machine would be used; however not controlling physical access to your computers simply makes unauthorised access easy. Normally, most organisations would make sure that any data placed on their systems was backed up in case of accidental, or deliberate, data loss or damage. These backups also contain sensitive information and should also be kept under high levels of security.
User names and passwords – Transactional websites cannot be completely secure, they need to allow remote access otherwise no transactions could take place. It has to be connected to the internet; therefore locking it in a room would be pointless, only adding physical protection. Additional protection is needed to try and stop potential hackers from accessing the data.
Usernames and passwords are one of the most commonly used techniques, allowing the individuals to have the capacity to create files and store them on common drives, while knowing it is your own file. A user name is a way of identifying yourself to the computer, supplying it when you sign on. Most systems then create, or allow you to create, a user area into which all your files are saved.
This means that your files are ‘yours’ and other users are not able to access your area without the password. It is up to the user to define the level of permission others have, maybe giving individual’s permission to read your files, or even being allowed to read them and to change them. There will, however, always be someone who administers the site, who has access to all files, usually being a special user name for this purpose.
Usernames cannot usually be changed; if you do all the relevant file permissions would also have to change. Whereas, computer networks cannot physically differentiate between you and anyone else, therefore giving a system your username and password it will automatically assume it’s you, giving them access to everything you had access to. This is where passwords are able to provide a layer of protection that a simple user ID does not provide. A password should be secret, only known to you and the network, checking your identity when you sign in. A transactional website works the same, with an area of data containing information about you and only those who need the information to process the transaction being able to access it. This is why it is likely that the data will be protected by a user name and password. Commonly your email address will be used as a user name as it is unique to the user, and is an easy way to communicate with the consumer. Many people forget user names and passwords, therefore many provide more security questions to give you access if this did happen. A commonly used question is the mother’s maiden name, which would be unlikely known to a hacker, and provides the organisation with a way of identifying you and giving you access, either by resetting your password, or telling you your old one.
Usernames and passwords are one of the most commonly used techniques, allowing the individuals to have the capacity to create files and store them on common drives, while knowing it is your own file. A user name is a way of identifying yourself to the computer, supplying it when you sign on. Most systems then create, or allow you to create, a user area into which all your files are saved.
This means that your files are ‘yours’ and other users are not able to access your area without the password. It is up to the user to define the level of permission others have, maybe giving individual’s permission to read your files, or even being allowed to read them and to change them. There will, however, always be someone who administers the site, who has access to all files, usually being a special user name for this purpose.
Usernames cannot usually be changed; if you do all the relevant file permissions would also have to change. Whereas, computer networks cannot physically differentiate between you and anyone else, therefore giving a system your username and password it will automatically assume it’s you, giving them access to everything you had access to. This is where passwords are able to provide a layer of protection that a simple user ID does not provide. A password should be secret, only known to you and the network, checking your identity when you sign in. A transactional website works the same, with an area of data containing information about you and only those who need the information to process the transaction being able to access it. This is why it is likely that the data will be protected by a user name and password. Commonly your email address will be used as a user name as it is unique to the user, and is an easy way to communicate with the consumer. Many people forget user names and passwords, therefore many provide more security questions to give you access if this did happen. A commonly used question is the mother’s maiden name, which would be unlikely known to a hacker, and provides the organisation with a way of identifying you and giving you access, either by resetting your password, or telling you your old one.
Firewalls - once your machine is is connected to the internet you become part of a huge network. Once this happens and you can be 'seen by anyone else on the internet it means you can be targeted by anyone wanting to access your machine. A firewall is a software utility which sits between your computer and the internet, monitering traffic. It operates as a filter, anything it doesnt 'like' it blocks access, it also monitors incoming and outgoing peices of information. It stops access from unknown sources accessing your computers, but also stop this from accessing the internet aswell.
Virus Protection - Viruses being placed/transferred onto computer systems has been increasing with the advances in computer technology, the most popular way of catching a virus being through an email. Common types of viruses are file viruses, boot-sector viruses, email viruses, worms and Trojan horses.
Antivirus sottware works by detecting the virus before it has the chance to attatch itself to the system, and letting the user know if it did detect one. The programme then repairs the infected file, deletes it, or places it in quarentine where the file cannot infect anything else.
There is a massive choice for consumers when it comes to buying the antivirus software, all claiming to identify and remove potential threats/viruses. New viruses are constantly being made to try and get around the virus protecters, therefore the protecters have to constantly be updated/renewed, ensuring that any new viruses are detected. To make this more cost effective the user may take out a subscription, where the system will update regularly.
Antivirus sottware works by detecting the virus before it has the chance to attatch itself to the system, and letting the user know if it did detect one. The programme then repairs the infected file, deletes it, or places it in quarentine where the file cannot infect anything else.
There is a massive choice for consumers when it comes to buying the antivirus software, all claiming to identify and remove potential threats/viruses. New viruses are constantly being made to try and get around the virus protecters, therefore the protecters have to constantly be updated/renewed, ensuring that any new viruses are detected. To make this more cost effective the user may take out a subscription, where the system will update regularly.
Risk Assessment – The first step when protecting or securing data is to understand what level of threat you are under, known as a risk assessment. In this risk assessment you assess what the risks are and the outcomes if the worst happens. Once you understand this you can take steps to try and reduce the effects. The two types of threats that are considered are; physical threats such as fire, theft, malicious damage and hardware failure, or, human error such as input errors or program bugs.
Encription - Data on computers is held in binary code, a series of zeroes and ones, whereas the information we hold is usually numbers and letters. We therfore have to assign codes to a group of these zeroes and ones to represent letters, which is why preparing data to be stored on computers is referred to as encoding. There are a number of standard versions which many computers/systems work by, the most common which is ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange). These codes are universally known and accessible, which is why if someone was able to intercept a transmission you make, or interrogate your hard disk, it would be very easy to figure out what the binary data is.
To help protect your data, you would use encription, which is a mathematical formula to scramble letters or numbers to make it seem like a random order or sequence. Even if this was then to be intercepted, it would not make any sense, therefore meaning the data is protected. However, a similar formula can be used to decrypt the data, putting it back into its meaningful form. This sound easier than it actually is in practice, even if you knew what the algorithm did you would have to know the key to decrypt the data, adding an extra layer of protection.
Secure Electronic Transactions (SET) - Online purchases have increased dramatically over the years, from the beggining being recognised as a potentially poweful market place. This was relying on their money transactions being secure and the goods they requested arriving, particularly being paid attention by credit card companies and banks. Two of these companies, Visa and Mastercard, in conjunction with some major computer companies, including IBM, developed the secure electronic transation (SET) protocol. A protocol is a set of rules which have to be complied by, in this situation a set of rules by which transactions are goverened; the rules of this particular protocol include two encryption methods being applied to transmitted data. SET also includes the use of digital certificates, which are issued by a certification authority, which confirms that you are actually dealing wth the legitimate organisation.
When you are initially browsing a website, you are doing so via an insecure connection, as no personal information is being transferred. However, once you proceed to a monetary transaction, you are directed to a secure connection, with any information you put in being encrypted.When you supply your credit card number to a secure site, it is done so by sending initially an incrypted form, however this is decrypted when sent with details of your purchase to the credit card company.
Encription - Data on computers is held in binary code, a series of zeroes and ones, whereas the information we hold is usually numbers and letters. We therfore have to assign codes to a group of these zeroes and ones to represent letters, which is why preparing data to be stored on computers is referred to as encoding. There are a number of standard versions which many computers/systems work by, the most common which is ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange). These codes are universally known and accessible, which is why if someone was able to intercept a transmission you make, or interrogate your hard disk, it would be very easy to figure out what the binary data is.
To help protect your data, you would use encription, which is a mathematical formula to scramble letters or numbers to make it seem like a random order or sequence. Even if this was then to be intercepted, it would not make any sense, therefore meaning the data is protected. However, a similar formula can be used to decrypt the data, putting it back into its meaningful form. This sound easier than it actually is in practice, even if you knew what the algorithm did you would have to know the key to decrypt the data, adding an extra layer of protection.
Secure Electronic Transactions (SET) - Online purchases have increased dramatically over the years, from the beggining being recognised as a potentially poweful market place. This was relying on their money transactions being secure and the goods they requested arriving, particularly being paid attention by credit card companies and banks. Two of these companies, Visa and Mastercard, in conjunction with some major computer companies, including IBM, developed the secure electronic transation (SET) protocol. A protocol is a set of rules which have to be complied by, in this situation a set of rules by which transactions are goverened; the rules of this particular protocol include two encryption methods being applied to transmitted data. SET also includes the use of digital certificates, which are issued by a certification authority, which confirms that you are actually dealing wth the legitimate organisation.
When you are initially browsing a website, you are doing so via an insecure connection, as no personal information is being transferred. However, once you proceed to a monetary transaction, you are directed to a secure connection, with any information you put in being encrypted.When you supply your credit card number to a secure site, it is done so by sending initially an incrypted form, however this is decrypted when sent with details of your purchase to the credit card company.
2.6 Data at Risk
Data at Risk – When you pass your personal information over to companies, particularly over the internet, you are placing high amounts of trust into that company, especially due to the amount of risk they are at, giving them bank details, names and addresses. One of the highest growing crimes worldwide is identity theft, where someone wrongfully obtains personal information for the purpose of fraud. If someone is able to obtain your credit card details, with the correct name, then they may be in the position to make transactions in your name. This has been the case with many people who have been placed in debt because someone has used their details to run up a high bill, and have not been asked other security questions, such as address and so forth. Data is transferred through many systems when it leaves the main consumer’s computer to the data computer, therefore many points at which the data can be intercepted. Most computer users are actually aware of the risk of placing data on internet websites, especially against hackers. The Data Protection Act makes the organisation in charge of a transactional website responsible for protecting personal data against these attacks. Similar information is held on home computers connected to the internet, by users, however the system is protected less than major business databases and under the same level of threat.
Hacking and Hackers – A transactional website is known to be vulnerable to ‘hackers’, someone who breaks into a computer to steal, change or destroy data. Unauthorised access to data held by a transactional website could have significant consequences for the organisation. As well as breaching the terms of the Data Protection Act, the organisation could suffer serious problems even if the unauthorised access was not meant to be fraudulent.
The Computer Misuse Act (1990) was passed in order to deal with the growing number of computer hackers, unlawful information access and misuse in general. To begin with, hacking wasn’t taken as seriously, seen as more mischievous rather than malicious.
The Computer Misuse Act (1990) was passed in order to deal with the growing number of computer hackers, unlawful information access and misuse in general. To begin with, hacking wasn’t taken as seriously, seen as more mischievous rather than malicious.
2.6 Data Protection & Distance Selling
Any company which stores personal data has to conform to the rules of the Data Protection Act. The original Data Protection Act, which became law in 1984, was upgraded and extended in 1998. The old one covered computer data; however the new one was modified to include some paper-based records and some CCTV systems. Under the 1998 law, companies which hold personal information, such as information gained from transactional websites, have to notify the Information Commissioner, whose job is to enforce the Act and promote good practice in the handling of personal information. The Act defines ‘personal information’ as data about living people who can be identified from that data.
For an organisation to gain personal information and use this information they have to meet at least one of the conditions in Schedule 2 in the Act. There are a number of these conditions; however for the purpose of transactional websites it could be justified as ‘necessary for the performance of a contract to which the data subject is a party’.
Organisations which hold and use personal information have to adhere to the eight principals of the Act, which are;
Personal data must be:
1.Processed fairly and lawfully
2. Processed only for one or more specified and lawful purpose
3.Adequate, relevant and not excessive for the purpose
4.Accurate and kept up to date
5.Kept for no longer than necessary for the purpose it is being processed
6.Processed in accordance with the rights of the individual
7. Protected against accidental loss, destruction, damage or unauthorised and unlawful processing
8. Not transferred to countries outside the European Economic Area that does not have adequate protection for personal data
For an organisation to gain personal information and use this information they have to meet at least one of the conditions in Schedule 2 in the Act. There are a number of these conditions; however for the purpose of transactional websites it could be justified as ‘necessary for the performance of a contract to which the data subject is a party’.
Organisations which hold and use personal information have to adhere to the eight principals of the Act, which are;
Personal data must be:
1.Processed fairly and lawfully
2. Processed only for one or more specified and lawful purpose
3.Adequate, relevant and not excessive for the purpose
4.Accurate and kept up to date
5.Kept for no longer than necessary for the purpose it is being processed
6.Processed in accordance with the rights of the individual
7. Protected against accidental loss, destruction, damage or unauthorised and unlawful processing
8. Not transferred to countries outside the European Economic Area that does not have adequate protection for personal data
If the organisation fails to comply to any of these regulations, the Information Commissioner has the power to take action against the organisation to force it to comply. The commissioner is also able to bring about legal action against an organisation if he/she is sure an offence under the Act has been committed.
Distance Selling – When buying from a shop you are able to look at the item, the quality and what it looks like, even being able to return if it doesn’t live up to the expectations. This is the opposite when buying on the internet; you are only able to judge from the picture of the item and the description given. The regulations require that the seller gives adequate information to the consumer prior to the sale, and also provide an after sales ‘cooling off’ period, which the customer is able to return their item. The regulations also offer a framework for the cancellation of credit and the return of goods after the cancellation of the sale.
2.6 what information is held about you by organisations
Most organisations now have some form of information held about you, spending vast amounts of money storing and organising this information. Companies spend all this money and time as this information is money and ‘power’.
To begin with, the organisation, such as online websites, will need your information to process orders, such as name, address, payment details and knowledge of you. The website will tell you that it will keep this information for convenience for next time you log on, not having to put all the details in again.
For every transaction you make from this website, you are telling them more information about yourself, for example if you buy certain DVD’s it tells you about your film taste; then allowing them to make recommendations to you, suggesting products you may like.
This marketing strategy is used by many companies, being very successful in targeting many people to their individual needs and tastes. If the company is large enough, they are able to store details on a large number of transactions. For example if a large number of customers brought two similar products, and you brought one of these, they may make a link and recommend the second item, expecting a reasonable possibility of you purchasing it.
The extent to which this vast amount of information held by companies bothers you depends on the individual, making some people very uncomfortable or even angry. As an individual, you are entitled to a certain amount of privacy; however this is now disappearing, as there is so much information held about you by businesses and government agencies, which is commonly sold and traded.
To begin with, the organisation, such as online websites, will need your information to process orders, such as name, address, payment details and knowledge of you. The website will tell you that it will keep this information for convenience for next time you log on, not having to put all the details in again.
For every transaction you make from this website, you are telling them more information about yourself, for example if you buy certain DVD’s it tells you about your film taste; then allowing them to make recommendations to you, suggesting products you may like.
This marketing strategy is used by many companies, being very successful in targeting many people to their individual needs and tastes. If the company is large enough, they are able to store details on a large number of transactions. For example if a large number of customers brought two similar products, and you brought one of these, they may make a link and recommend the second item, expecting a reasonable possibility of you purchasing it.
The extent to which this vast amount of information held by companies bothers you depends on the individual, making some people very uncomfortable or even angry. As an individual, you are entitled to a certain amount of privacy; however this is now disappearing, as there is so much information held about you by businesses and government agencies, which is commonly sold and traded.
Thursday, 16 May 2013
2.4 Back Office Processes
One of the main priorities of online website is what goes on 'behind the scenes', from the warehouse picking the right stock, to dispatching and delivering the product. Back office processes need to be run just as efficiently for an online store as a normal store;
Maintenance of the virual shopping basket - The virtual shopping basket represents the basket/trolley that people would use when they go shopping normally. Customers are able to add items to the basket, remove items, remove the basket altogether, or proceed to the 'checkout'. Behind the scenes this is represented through a database, where when the customer adds an item to the basket, the stock or catalogue code will be added to the database along with the quantity. Depending on the retailer, stock availability may be checked prior to adding the iterm to the basket, or be checked after adding to the basket, with the message of the current availability being added to the display. Also depending on the retailer is the variety of different forms the basket can take, some showing the basket, contents and the total value while the customer is shopping, while some use a completely different web page. Sometimes these baskets are not as easy as they sound; once the basket has been viewed it is not easy to return shopping, and with some there is difficulty 'leaving' the basket to check other items or prices and on return losing the contents of your basket. Many baskets dont actually make it to the transaction process, with marketing companies estimating that over half of all shopping carts are abandoned before they go to payment. Different companies have different methods to deal with these abandoned baskets. Stores that identify the user when they log on will usually keep a record of what items where put into the basket, meaning the customer is able to return to the abandoned basket, with the same items. This can be very useful for the customer, especially in cases of supermarket shopping, where there can be a large number of items. It would be less important if the customer just had a one of item in their basket. Sites that do not identify the customer until the checkout/purchase stage of buying do not store the basket for future use, they simply discard the table in the background that represent the 'live' basket.
Identify and Authenticate - Many online stores operate exactly the same as they would if the customer was in a store - they browse, select their items, then pay at the checkout and leave. The only identification these stores need is when the customer goes to the checkout and pays for their goods, then needing to identify themselves in some form, so that the card payment can be authorised. Normally this is the store requiring a home address which is linked to the card, and information which comes from the credit card itself, such as the card number, expiry date and the security code on the back of the card.
Some other stores need full identification and autheniticity before you are allowed to start shopping. Many businesses vary between the two forms, allowing the customer to decide whether identify themselves prior to checkout, and to keep their details on the website or not. All the main grocery websites, including Tesco, Sainsburys and Asda require the customer to register, identifying and authenticiate themseles before they are able to start shopping. One of the main ways the websites are able to do this is through the users email address; these are unique to each individual, has usually some form of identity within it, and is a popular method of communicaton between the website and the customer, for example latest offers. Many people have different email addresses, which everyone is able to access, therefore cannot always prove that its the consumer. This is tackled by the business by getting the customer to provide a personal password, which only they know, or, another method is getting the customer to verify themselves through an attached email. You give your email address to the website, they send a confirmation email, with the customer having to follow the link given on the email to verify its you. This is a useful method for both the consumer and business; it confirms to the store that its actually the customer and can be used for marketing purposes, and secondly, if the email has been used by someone else the problem can be corrected.
Most stores also use cookies, identifying the customer as the click onto the site, even before they log onto the site. This allows the website to see who the customer is, what their spending habits are, and tailor marketing techniques to the individual, such as offers on similar products. However, although this may seem useful for the customer, there may be many users on one computer, so there still needs to be a password.
Different sites use different techniques, however the ones listed above are the most commonly used, with registration varying from just a user name and password, to full name, address, postcode, phone number and bank details. This logging in process then matches the customer to a record registered in the database, where all the details are stored. For customers and the business this is more convenient, as their details are stored and there is no need to enter the details every time they proceed to the checkout, and for the business they are able to know who they are dealing with, can target their market more effectively and the fast checkout means fewer abandoned baskets.
Real time tracking of customers' actions - Customers firstly browse through all the products, with the website wanting to make this as easy for the customer as possible, with the easiest route being to divide all the sections into categories, especially websites with large inventory. Store websites with a smaller inventory would be straightforward, with choosing a category simply being a link to another web page, displaying the category or product listing. In stores with a much larger inventory the click through that takes you through the categories is much more likely to query a database containing either a catalouge of products or an interface to a stock list. This database provides a webpage to display the products. The advantage of this is that changes to the products in stock do not require any reprogramming of the website, just changes to the database.
When browsing for a particular product it works in a similar way, the page is programmed to display certain products within the list chosen. When a particular product is selected, the database is required to give more information, such as a new page or even a pop up window where more informtion is supplied, such as descriptions and pictures.
Searching for specific products can use the same technology, when the user enters the search term into the supplied box, the database is queried and a list is returned dynamically with all possible matches. For example, on the majority of supermarket websites when you search coffee, all possible products with coffee will return as a match, such as instand and ground coffee, coffee cake, coffee biscuits etc. Sainsburys also offer the customer to be able to 'jot down' the items they need in a jotter pad, working on the same principle, however its a bit more complicated for the database. It must extract all key phrases, such as 'coffee', from the text in the jotter pad and present these one at a time as a query to the database engine. These results are then presented on a seperate page.
Payment Processing - When transactional websites recieve payments using credit cards, which are the majority, they do not get the money straight away, they have to submit a request for payment later, with most waiting until the customers items have been dispatched, then create the invoice and request payment. This payment process involves requesting payment from the gateway, with the merchant sending details of the transactions along with the authorisations provided by the bank (or issuer) in the authorisation process. The payments network is then able to arrange settlement between the issuer and acquirer. The funds are then able to be transferred to the merchants account, and a credit card statement is sent to the customer and the cycle is complete.
However, there are problems which can arise from credit card payments, as the user and the card are not pysically present. Card companies class this as a 'card not present' transaction, which is less secure due to the website not being able to fully confirm its the user and correct card, unlike a face-to-face transaction, which is the whole essence of an online transaction. This is why stores need to place strict security measures to deal with any potential security lapse that could arise. Stores such as grocery websites who require registration and logging in before any purchases can be made are more safe, especially due to the good being deliered to fixed and known addresses. Asking for addresses, especially post codes is a secure way of trying to stop fraud, many may know the card numbers, but not the address the card is linked to. In order to counteract the 'card not present' problem, the website will ask for secutity code and expiry date found on the card, if all these are correct, the issuer sends an authorisation number to the merchant that is added to the transaction record and used later by the merchant to claim payment from the card issuer.
Dispatch, Delivery & Stock Control - Dispatch and delivery can be a very complicated area for websites. However, for some this can be simple, especially if it is electronic download, such as music downloads, ring tones, some software, and reasearch services can complete their orders automatically bo allowing the customer to download the product directly from their website, removing many problems that can occur with physical delivery. Depending on the type of delivery you recieve will depend on many factors, including whether; goods are made to order, goods are distributed directly from the website company's stock, goods are brought in from suppliers as soon as the order is made or goods are completely outsourced, e.g the website company does not have its own physical warehouse, but rather supplies its customers with another companys products. Distribution also depends on the type of sending the company is using, from in house distribution, the post, parecel delivery or specialist delivery to transport the goods. Dispatch and delivery are similar processs, the order has to be made up so its able to be dispatched. This is done by 'picking' the products from a warehouse, while this is happening the stock records are adjusted accordingly. When the order is ready for dispatch, the payment is processed and collected, and the goods have to be delivered. For this a delivery or advice note is required, sometimes proof of delivery is also needed, where the reciever has to sign a special PDA. Some websites also allow their customers to track their order, by entering an order number, whereas some send email messages informing the customer of every stage of their delivery. However, fulfillment does not always end with a delivery of a single package. For example, when ordering books, some may be in stock, others may not, choosing to either have them delivered as a whole package, or as the books are in stock, bit by bit. Another option is more complex, involving back orders. Some orders are delivered faulty or innappropriate, some goods never arrive and some arrive damaged from the delivery process itself, with a good system being able to deal with these problems if they ever did arise.
Maintenance of the virual shopping basket - The virtual shopping basket represents the basket/trolley that people would use when they go shopping normally. Customers are able to add items to the basket, remove items, remove the basket altogether, or proceed to the 'checkout'. Behind the scenes this is represented through a database, where when the customer adds an item to the basket, the stock or catalogue code will be added to the database along with the quantity. Depending on the retailer, stock availability may be checked prior to adding the iterm to the basket, or be checked after adding to the basket, with the message of the current availability being added to the display. Also depending on the retailer is the variety of different forms the basket can take, some showing the basket, contents and the total value while the customer is shopping, while some use a completely different web page. Sometimes these baskets are not as easy as they sound; once the basket has been viewed it is not easy to return shopping, and with some there is difficulty 'leaving' the basket to check other items or prices and on return losing the contents of your basket. Many baskets dont actually make it to the transaction process, with marketing companies estimating that over half of all shopping carts are abandoned before they go to payment. Different companies have different methods to deal with these abandoned baskets. Stores that identify the user when they log on will usually keep a record of what items where put into the basket, meaning the customer is able to return to the abandoned basket, with the same items. This can be very useful for the customer, especially in cases of supermarket shopping, where there can be a large number of items. It would be less important if the customer just had a one of item in their basket. Sites that do not identify the customer until the checkout/purchase stage of buying do not store the basket for future use, they simply discard the table in the background that represent the 'live' basket.
Identify and Authenticate - Many online stores operate exactly the same as they would if the customer was in a store - they browse, select their items, then pay at the checkout and leave. The only identification these stores need is when the customer goes to the checkout and pays for their goods, then needing to identify themselves in some form, so that the card payment can be authorised. Normally this is the store requiring a home address which is linked to the card, and information which comes from the credit card itself, such as the card number, expiry date and the security code on the back of the card.
Some other stores need full identification and autheniticity before you are allowed to start shopping. Many businesses vary between the two forms, allowing the customer to decide whether identify themselves prior to checkout, and to keep their details on the website or not. All the main grocery websites, including Tesco, Sainsburys and Asda require the customer to register, identifying and authenticiate themseles before they are able to start shopping. One of the main ways the websites are able to do this is through the users email address; these are unique to each individual, has usually some form of identity within it, and is a popular method of communicaton between the website and the customer, for example latest offers. Many people have different email addresses, which everyone is able to access, therefore cannot always prove that its the consumer. This is tackled by the business by getting the customer to provide a personal password, which only they know, or, another method is getting the customer to verify themselves through an attached email. You give your email address to the website, they send a confirmation email, with the customer having to follow the link given on the email to verify its you. This is a useful method for both the consumer and business; it confirms to the store that its actually the customer and can be used for marketing purposes, and secondly, if the email has been used by someone else the problem can be corrected.
Most stores also use cookies, identifying the customer as the click onto the site, even before they log onto the site. This allows the website to see who the customer is, what their spending habits are, and tailor marketing techniques to the individual, such as offers on similar products. However, although this may seem useful for the customer, there may be many users on one computer, so there still needs to be a password.
Different sites use different techniques, however the ones listed above are the most commonly used, with registration varying from just a user name and password, to full name, address, postcode, phone number and bank details. This logging in process then matches the customer to a record registered in the database, where all the details are stored. For customers and the business this is more convenient, as their details are stored and there is no need to enter the details every time they proceed to the checkout, and for the business they are able to know who they are dealing with, can target their market more effectively and the fast checkout means fewer abandoned baskets.
Real time tracking of customers' actions - Customers firstly browse through all the products, with the website wanting to make this as easy for the customer as possible, with the easiest route being to divide all the sections into categories, especially websites with large inventory. Store websites with a smaller inventory would be straightforward, with choosing a category simply being a link to another web page, displaying the category or product listing. In stores with a much larger inventory the click through that takes you through the categories is much more likely to query a database containing either a catalouge of products or an interface to a stock list. This database provides a webpage to display the products. The advantage of this is that changes to the products in stock do not require any reprogramming of the website, just changes to the database.
When browsing for a particular product it works in a similar way, the page is programmed to display certain products within the list chosen. When a particular product is selected, the database is required to give more information, such as a new page or even a pop up window where more informtion is supplied, such as descriptions and pictures.
Searching for specific products can use the same technology, when the user enters the search term into the supplied box, the database is queried and a list is returned dynamically with all possible matches. For example, on the majority of supermarket websites when you search coffee, all possible products with coffee will return as a match, such as instand and ground coffee, coffee cake, coffee biscuits etc. Sainsburys also offer the customer to be able to 'jot down' the items they need in a jotter pad, working on the same principle, however its a bit more complicated for the database. It must extract all key phrases, such as 'coffee', from the text in the jotter pad and present these one at a time as a query to the database engine. These results are then presented on a seperate page.
Payment Processing - When transactional websites recieve payments using credit cards, which are the majority, they do not get the money straight away, they have to submit a request for payment later, with most waiting until the customers items have been dispatched, then create the invoice and request payment. This payment process involves requesting payment from the gateway, with the merchant sending details of the transactions along with the authorisations provided by the bank (or issuer) in the authorisation process. The payments network is then able to arrange settlement between the issuer and acquirer. The funds are then able to be transferred to the merchants account, and a credit card statement is sent to the customer and the cycle is complete.
However, there are problems which can arise from credit card payments, as the user and the card are not pysically present. Card companies class this as a 'card not present' transaction, which is less secure due to the website not being able to fully confirm its the user and correct card, unlike a face-to-face transaction, which is the whole essence of an online transaction. This is why stores need to place strict security measures to deal with any potential security lapse that could arise. Stores such as grocery websites who require registration and logging in before any purchases can be made are more safe, especially due to the good being deliered to fixed and known addresses. Asking for addresses, especially post codes is a secure way of trying to stop fraud, many may know the card numbers, but not the address the card is linked to. In order to counteract the 'card not present' problem, the website will ask for secutity code and expiry date found on the card, if all these are correct, the issuer sends an authorisation number to the merchant that is added to the transaction record and used later by the merchant to claim payment from the card issuer.
Dispatch, Delivery & Stock Control - Dispatch and delivery can be a very complicated area for websites. However, for some this can be simple, especially if it is electronic download, such as music downloads, ring tones, some software, and reasearch services can complete their orders automatically bo allowing the customer to download the product directly from their website, removing many problems that can occur with physical delivery. Depending on the type of delivery you recieve will depend on many factors, including whether; goods are made to order, goods are distributed directly from the website company's stock, goods are brought in from suppliers as soon as the order is made or goods are completely outsourced, e.g the website company does not have its own physical warehouse, but rather supplies its customers with another companys products. Distribution also depends on the type of sending the company is using, from in house distribution, the post, parecel delivery or specialist delivery to transport the goods. Dispatch and delivery are similar processs, the order has to be made up so its able to be dispatched. This is done by 'picking' the products from a warehouse, while this is happening the stock records are adjusted accordingly. When the order is ready for dispatch, the payment is processed and collected, and the goods have to be delivered. For this a delivery or advice note is required, sometimes proof of delivery is also needed, where the reciever has to sign a special PDA. Some websites also allow their customers to track their order, by entering an order number, whereas some send email messages informing the customer of every stage of their delivery. However, fulfillment does not always end with a delivery of a single package. For example, when ordering books, some may be in stock, others may not, choosing to either have them delivered as a whole package, or as the books are in stock, bit by bit. Another option is more complex, involving back orders. Some orders are delivered faulty or innappropriate, some goods never arrive and some arrive damaged from the delivery process itself, with a good system being able to deal with these problems if they ever did arise.
Wednesday, 15 May 2013
2:5 E-Customers: Cookies
Cookies are small files of information, and are stored on the users computers by the websites that they visit, with web servers having the right to store a small amount of information on each computer that visits the site. When the users computer requests a page, the server receives a copy of any cookie that has previously been stored. A script on the web page can then access the information in the cookie and use this to make the web page more personal. Cookies have six parameters in total that can be passed to them; the name of the cookie, the value of the cookie, the path the cookie is valid for, the domain the cookie is valid for and the expiry date of the cookie - this determines how long the cookie will stay valid in your browser and whether it needs a secure connection.
Cookies are used by websites for many reasons, mainly all tailored to the individual; they are able to identify a particular user or computer by storing visitors ID's, which can then link them to the consumers 'personal' database. It also stores the users personal preferences, and keeps them if the user returns to the site later on, for example making the font larger or changing the font. It also shows the captured information between web pages, espeically for those websites that do not store visitor details in a database. It also stores store marketing information, such as how many times you have visited a site, what you brought etc.
The main aim of websites using cookies is so that the site is able to recognise each individual user when they log on. This ID can then be matched to the database record of the user where the ID acts as a primary key. This then ables the site to welcome each customer by name, have their order history, preferences etc from the second they log onto the site. Many computers are shared, and have more than one user for multiple sites, therefore the sites have to make sure that the consumer is who they say they are. On Amazon's website, further cookies are also maintained within the cookie file to store session ID's and other information as well. Some search engines use this information to advertise similar products/services tailored to the clients previous search history.
Some advertising and marketing agencies use cookies for their own benefit, making agreements to allow them to place banner ads and other images on their clients websites; such as a web bug (an invisible image used to monitor what adverts and web pages a user is viewing. When the banner or image is clicked, the server of the advertising agency places a cookie on the computer of the person accessing it. The same cookie is then accessed across the multiple sites on which these banner ads have been placed. The agency are then able to track what users have clicked onto what advertisement, with overtime being able to determine the interests of many users and create a profile of them. These profiles are then placed on a database, and can be more specific and personalised to each user. These agencies can then look at the patterns and trends for predicting the most used site and what banners work best, possibly selling this information to other companies to use in the future.
Adware is much more intrusive than cookies, usually being a program that you can install yourself. This is usually done without realising, tracking your online behaviour so that advertisers and market reasearchers are able to watch your spending habits and predict market trends. On the other hand, if advertisers are open and inform the customers what they are intending to do, it can be very useful. From installing this service they will offer the customer incentives and rewards from participating retailers. Many reasons why Adware is installed is due to the customers negligence; the acceptance is often hidden in the small print of the End User Licence Agreements (EULA), being asked to confirm that you have read and agreed to the sortwares terms and conditions. Many just tick the box and carry on, not bothering to read the small print or any of the agreement. Sometimes this can be extrememly hard for customers to remove from their system, becoming a very intrusive program which collects and reports information about the users habits.
Being recognised and having your own 'personalised' database on a system is not all bad, providing a better experience for the customer. Orders are able to be processed very quicly without the need to ask all the personal information, such as delivery address and payment details. Many will also store birthdays or special occasions of their customres, sending out special offers or vouchers for the customer, as to gain a loyal customer base.
Cookies are used by websites for many reasons, mainly all tailored to the individual; they are able to identify a particular user or computer by storing visitors ID's, which can then link them to the consumers 'personal' database. It also stores the users personal preferences, and keeps them if the user returns to the site later on, for example making the font larger or changing the font. It also shows the captured information between web pages, espeically for those websites that do not store visitor details in a database. It also stores store marketing information, such as how many times you have visited a site, what you brought etc.
The main aim of websites using cookies is so that the site is able to recognise each individual user when they log on. This ID can then be matched to the database record of the user where the ID acts as a primary key. This then ables the site to welcome each customer by name, have their order history, preferences etc from the second they log onto the site. Many computers are shared, and have more than one user for multiple sites, therefore the sites have to make sure that the consumer is who they say they are. On Amazon's website, further cookies are also maintained within the cookie file to store session ID's and other information as well. Some search engines use this information to advertise similar products/services tailored to the clients previous search history.
Some advertising and marketing agencies use cookies for their own benefit, making agreements to allow them to place banner ads and other images on their clients websites; such as a web bug (an invisible image used to monitor what adverts and web pages a user is viewing. When the banner or image is clicked, the server of the advertising agency places a cookie on the computer of the person accessing it. The same cookie is then accessed across the multiple sites on which these banner ads have been placed. The agency are then able to track what users have clicked onto what advertisement, with overtime being able to determine the interests of many users and create a profile of them. These profiles are then placed on a database, and can be more specific and personalised to each user. These agencies can then look at the patterns and trends for predicting the most used site and what banners work best, possibly selling this information to other companies to use in the future.
Adware is much more intrusive than cookies, usually being a program that you can install yourself. This is usually done without realising, tracking your online behaviour so that advertisers and market reasearchers are able to watch your spending habits and predict market trends. On the other hand, if advertisers are open and inform the customers what they are intending to do, it can be very useful. From installing this service they will offer the customer incentives and rewards from participating retailers. Many reasons why Adware is installed is due to the customers negligence; the acceptance is often hidden in the small print of the End User Licence Agreements (EULA), being asked to confirm that you have read and agreed to the sortwares terms and conditions. Many just tick the box and carry on, not bothering to read the small print or any of the agreement. Sometimes this can be extrememly hard for customers to remove from their system, becoming a very intrusive program which collects and reports information about the users habits.
Being recognised and having your own 'personalised' database on a system is not all bad, providing a better experience for the customer. Orders are able to be processed very quicly without the need to ask all the personal information, such as delivery address and payment details. Many will also store birthdays or special occasions of their customres, sending out special offers or vouchers for the customer, as to gain a loyal customer base.
Tuesday, 14 May 2013
2.5 Personalised Service, Predict Market Trends & Reduce Wastage
To make the online shopping experience the best possible, many businesses will attempt to personalise their services, which is usually done by creating a customer database, and then filling it with as much information about the customers as possible. These databases may have information such as actual sales from the site, preferences gained from surverys, personal information gained from competitions and possibly about the links clicked on and the time spent on the pages.
If the business uses this information correctly, then it is able to target customers as individuals, for their specific needs, not just general shoppers. By using this information they can also find out different information, such as what pages are successful, gaining the most sales, find pages in the site where customers drop out, predict future sales based on their customer-base prefers and tailors its stockholding to predit sales and thus reduce wastage. Reducing wastage is more specific to food retailers rather than clothing, as if too much stock is ordered and does not sell, this can result in stock being thrown away. By knowing what stock is selling the most, or worst, or when there is offers on, the retailers can look at potential trends and know how much stock to order.
If the business uses this information correctly, then it is able to target customers as individuals, for their specific needs, not just general shoppers. By using this information they can also find out different information, such as what pages are successful, gaining the most sales, find pages in the site where customers drop out, predict future sales based on their customer-base prefers and tailors its stockholding to predit sales and thus reduce wastage. Reducing wastage is more specific to food retailers rather than clothing, as if too much stock is ordered and does not sell, this can result in stock being thrown away. By knowing what stock is selling the most, or worst, or when there is offers on, the retailers can look at potential trends and know how much stock to order.
2.3 Techniques for Engaging and Enticing Customers
Websites use many techniques to try and draw new customers to their site every day. These techniques are used to try and get new and old customers to carry on shopping with their company; being used in the physical stores, mail order catalouges and advertising campaigns. Now due to the internet, and the information the websites have from their customers means that more opportunities have opened up to make web businesses more successful when dealing with customers.
One technique which is very popular with online businesses is to put on sales or special offers. Many high street stores work better with sales as they attract customers which are 'just passing' or window shopping, which is very unlikely on a website. The successful online sales are usually accompanied by a email campaign, however this can sometimes end up in the consumers 'junk' email, and can be blocked. The emails that tend to be looked at by customers are the ones that are more specific to the customer, and target individuals on their buying preferences. These preferences are usually through the websites own database on previous sales, or registered users or subscriber databases.
A different technique, which is used is to send out newsletters to subscribers, which lists the latest offers and products, giving them extra information that might be of interest to the customers. This, over time, will hopefully build a loyal customer base, rather than having a trickle of customers. To the business, this technique is a cheap and effective way of getting their information to lots of potential customers at one time, while drawing in potential customers. Most of these newsletters need registration or subscriptions, which although the customer does not encure any cost, it requires them to first visit the website. This can be a easy way for businesses to gain information, as sometimes it will only be a name and email address.
Surverys and competitions are a similar technique to newsletters, offering fresh, interactive content on the site, and are another way to gain personal information. They can sometimes be more appealing to the consumer, as they feel they are going to gain something for entering, such as vouchers.
Some of the more powerful techniques for engaging customers and gaining their attention is to offer interactive multimedia experiences. These will usually involve a Java module, or a Flash or Shockwave plug in. Real estate and holiday village websites usually offer this service, showing videos of the homes, and offer online mortgage calculators. Clothing and footwear websites such as Nike offer the chance to customise certain shoes, adding different colours, design, and having this delivered. Car companies such as Porsche and Audi allow their customers to design their car online, to get an idea of what it will look like, and how much that will cost. These can be above and beyond what the customer expects on such websites, and can extend more than what a face-to-face sales situation.
One technique which is very popular with online businesses is to put on sales or special offers. Many high street stores work better with sales as they attract customers which are 'just passing' or window shopping, which is very unlikely on a website. The successful online sales are usually accompanied by a email campaign, however this can sometimes end up in the consumers 'junk' email, and can be blocked. The emails that tend to be looked at by customers are the ones that are more specific to the customer, and target individuals on their buying preferences. These preferences are usually through the websites own database on previous sales, or registered users or subscriber databases.
A different technique, which is used is to send out newsletters to subscribers, which lists the latest offers and products, giving them extra information that might be of interest to the customers. This, over time, will hopefully build a loyal customer base, rather than having a trickle of customers. To the business, this technique is a cheap and effective way of getting their information to lots of potential customers at one time, while drawing in potential customers. Most of these newsletters need registration or subscriptions, which although the customer does not encure any cost, it requires them to first visit the website. This can be a easy way for businesses to gain information, as sometimes it will only be a name and email address.
Surverys and competitions are a similar technique to newsletters, offering fresh, interactive content on the site, and are another way to gain personal information. They can sometimes be more appealing to the consumer, as they feel they are going to gain something for entering, such as vouchers.
Some of the more powerful techniques for engaging customers and gaining their attention is to offer interactive multimedia experiences. These will usually involve a Java module, or a Flash or Shockwave plug in. Real estate and holiday village websites usually offer this service, showing videos of the homes, and offer online mortgage calculators. Clothing and footwear websites such as Nike offer the chance to customise certain shoes, adding different colours, design, and having this delivered. Car companies such as Porsche and Audi allow their customers to design their car online, to get an idea of what it will look like, and how much that will cost. These can be above and beyond what the customer expects on such websites, and can extend more than what a face-to-face sales situation.
Evaluation of my E-book
I found making an E-book something new and difficult, which brought with it challenges. These challenges included
Monday, 13 May 2013
Impact of the Digital Divide
Bridging the gap of the digital divide can have an impact on many peoples lives, mostly positively. It can help people overcome barriers, while also being cost-effective. Many causes of the divide are socio-economic, and has many related socio-economic consequences. The unemployed are able to search and apply for jobs online, being much more effective than physically going around towns/cities looking for work, which is something that the JobCentre are implementing more often. ICT can also improve their job prospects, as they may be able to participate in online courses, such as the open university, which widens their skills and gives them more opportunities in the future. However, they are limited as they are more likely to rely on free access, such as libraries and free courses as they do not have the same resources available as many middle class individuals. Many disadvantaged people also lack the availability and training of using ICT, such as the elderly and disabled. A person who has limited access in every day life could benefit from using computers and being trained on how to use them productively. For example someone who is in a wheelchair could benefit from being able to do their shopping and banking online, and elderly individuals could benefit from having training to understand ICT more in depth. The funding which is put into the ICT access areas are usually placed in town centres/cities, which although convenient for many people which travel to and from every day can be very easy, for some it can be nearly impossible. This means that for businesses and people who live in remote areas, they need high-speed telecommunications, for them to be able to function just as well while being away from the main centre, where things such as local courses and libraries are.
All these things can have a large impact on education and life/career chances. Due to now living in a 'digital society', those who are not intergrated into technology at school, are then at a disadvantage when they go into wider society. However, school is not the only institution which influences how knowledgable individuals are on technology, as its also home life, which is determined with the social ladder of their family; wether you are able to afford a computer and up-to date technology. This is why many argue that the introduction and development of more technology into schools widens the gap for many children.
Many jobs and businesses have dissapeared due to the introduction of technology, mainly the internet, with this increasing as there are more advances. There are major differences within rural villages, with the number of post offices, and banking services decreasing within the last 10 years. Physical jobs have also decreased, preferring to use technology, such as libraries, tax offices and banks. This could not only increase any existing social disadvantages for specific groups
All these things can have a large impact on education and life/career chances. Due to now living in a 'digital society', those who are not intergrated into technology at school, are then at a disadvantage when they go into wider society. However, school is not the only institution which influences how knowledgable individuals are on technology, as its also home life, which is determined with the social ladder of their family; wether you are able to afford a computer and up-to date technology. This is why many argue that the introduction and development of more technology into schools widens the gap for many children.
Many jobs and businesses have dissapeared due to the introduction of technology, mainly the internet, with this increasing as there are more advances. There are major differences within rural villages, with the number of post offices, and banking services decreasing within the last 10 years. Physical jobs have also decreased, preferring to use technology, such as libraries, tax offices and banks. This could not only increase any existing social disadvantages for specific groups
Saturday, 11 May 2013
Causes of the Divide
There have been many explanations put forward to show the causes of the divide, both divides within the developed world on a national level, and divides within the less developed countries, on a global level . Socio-economic factors play a big part in the divide, for example people on low incomes/jobless are less likely to have all the equipment, as ICT is expensice and rental charges and fees for the connections can be costly. Also disadvantaged may be the unskilled, disabled, elderly and the young.
The service providers are national companies, therefore based on profit, and are more likely to target high income households, where they have the money to buy more content and services. This also relates to the area you live in, as the service providers like to build the infastructure needed to run their services in built up, urban areas, where the population is higher. This leaves people in rural areas more disadvantaged, as they may have no connection to any ICT.
Another factor which contributes to causes of the divide are the amount of ICT skills someone has, low skills means that individuals are restricted to the amount they can access/achieve, which may be useful to them. Many who have had no training, or not grown up with technology being a centre of their learning/communication may have problems adapting, for example the elderly. These people may be highly trained in education and good basic skills may feel unskilled and therefore refuse to use it. Basic knowledge and skills may also influence wether someone uses ICT; a lack of basic numeracy and literacy skills may lead to a lack of confidence, therefore unwilling to try anything new, and some groups may not want to expose any gaps they may have, confidence or knowledge, in front of a mixed audience.
There may be general problems which are not researched as in depth as other explanations. For example in community ICT areas there may be barriers, such as no transport, no adequate creche facilities for lone parents, and may not be accessible for those with disabilities.
Many argue that within the developed world there is not much of a divide, and its actually more down to the individual choosing to have no access. There are now many locations where programmes have been put in place for access to ICT, for little or no cost, but some choose not to take advantage of this, and therefore disadvantage themselves voluntarily. This however, could link to the lack of relevence that technology has for some people, even in todays society, such as the elderly. It may be seen as irrelevent for many reasons; if the words used are very complicated, then this will disadvantage the less literate, if content is mainly aimed at one area of society, such as white middle class, then large groups will disengage. Many areas of technology have advanced dramatically over the last 10 years, bringing with it a large range of cultural and language diversity,such as TV, however this is not so much with the computing and internet market. If the content is irrelevent to the individual, this can be seen as a contributing factor to the digital divide.
Funding can be an issue with giving all areas access to ICT, government (local & national), charities, local businesses and other organisations all fund projects directly and indirectly. The funding can often be hard to obtain and difficult to secure, and often has a time limit, which can mean that true value for money is not always obtained even where the projects precise aims are met. Particularly in education the digital divide has tried to be reduced, with a variety of different projects and millions of pounds being spent in the UK alone. Much of this money has been put into improving the systems and software in schools, thought to have been put in place to enhance learning, although many argue this is not the case and does not make up for the amount of money spent, relying more on how the teacher intergrates ICT into lessons, rather than the technology alone.
This shows us that is it not just one factor which contributes to being on one side of the divide, it is multiple factors, which are trying to be reduced by introducing new initiatives all the time.
The service providers are national companies, therefore based on profit, and are more likely to target high income households, where they have the money to buy more content and services. This also relates to the area you live in, as the service providers like to build the infastructure needed to run their services in built up, urban areas, where the population is higher. This leaves people in rural areas more disadvantaged, as they may have no connection to any ICT.
Another factor which contributes to causes of the divide are the amount of ICT skills someone has, low skills means that individuals are restricted to the amount they can access/achieve, which may be useful to them. Many who have had no training, or not grown up with technology being a centre of their learning/communication may have problems adapting, for example the elderly. These people may be highly trained in education and good basic skills may feel unskilled and therefore refuse to use it. Basic knowledge and skills may also influence wether someone uses ICT; a lack of basic numeracy and literacy skills may lead to a lack of confidence, therefore unwilling to try anything new, and some groups may not want to expose any gaps they may have, confidence or knowledge, in front of a mixed audience.
There may be general problems which are not researched as in depth as other explanations. For example in community ICT areas there may be barriers, such as no transport, no adequate creche facilities for lone parents, and may not be accessible for those with disabilities.
Many argue that within the developed world there is not much of a divide, and its actually more down to the individual choosing to have no access. There are now many locations where programmes have been put in place for access to ICT, for little or no cost, but some choose not to take advantage of this, and therefore disadvantage themselves voluntarily. This however, could link to the lack of relevence that technology has for some people, even in todays society, such as the elderly. It may be seen as irrelevent for many reasons; if the words used are very complicated, then this will disadvantage the less literate, if content is mainly aimed at one area of society, such as white middle class, then large groups will disengage. Many areas of technology have advanced dramatically over the last 10 years, bringing with it a large range of cultural and language diversity,such as TV, however this is not so much with the computing and internet market. If the content is irrelevent to the individual, this can be seen as a contributing factor to the digital divide.
Funding can be an issue with giving all areas access to ICT, government (local & national), charities, local businesses and other organisations all fund projects directly and indirectly. The funding can often be hard to obtain and difficult to secure, and often has a time limit, which can mean that true value for money is not always obtained even where the projects precise aims are met. Particularly in education the digital divide has tried to be reduced, with a variety of different projects and millions of pounds being spent in the UK alone. Much of this money has been put into improving the systems and software in schools, thought to have been put in place to enhance learning, although many argue this is not the case and does not make up for the amount of money spent, relying more on how the teacher intergrates ICT into lessons, rather than the technology alone.
This shows us that is it not just one factor which contributes to being on one side of the divide, it is multiple factors, which are trying to be reduced by introducing new initiatives all the time.
What is the Digital Divide?
ICT has changed the way that many of us live, bringing about educational, social, cultural, and economic benefits to those with access. However those who do not have this access, or are limited, it has brought about no change, or benefit, known as the digital divide. Usually, the divide is discussed with the issue that many countries have more access than other countries, who have very limited resources. The digital divide is not just about wether the area is connected to the Internet, but the access to ICT, including factors such as the quality of connection and the related services.
As you can see from the picture, there are still many places that are significantly less connected than others, for example Myanmar is only at 0.2% online. Although there are countries that are extremely advanced and forward, there are still those that are behind, which is why there needs to constantly be new initiatives being introduced, and reviews if these are working/not working.
There has been many initatives put forward to try and stop the digital divide becoming even more of an issue, equiping different areas they need to use ICT and improve their lifestyle.
http://www.internetworldstats.com/links10.htm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8568681.stm
There has been many initatives put forward to try and stop the digital divide becoming even more of an issue, equiping different areas they need to use ICT and improve their lifestyle.
http://www.internetworldstats.com/links10.htm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8568681.stm
Wednesday, 8 May 2013
Information in Modern Organisations - Unit 2
Organisations are able to be categorised in a number of ways, with three main types of organisation can be readily identified; commerical organisations, public organisations and non profit or charitable organisations.
Commercial organisations are what known typically as businesses. They trade in a highly competitive market, with their aim being to expand and grow the business with profit. The smallest of these businesses are single-person, sole traders, who usually own a small, local business such as window cleaners. The bigger end are giant multi national companies such as Coca-Cola. All these businesses thrive through selling products at a profit, allowing them to expand.
Public organisations are those that are funded mainly through taxation, and are controlled directly or indirectly by the government. These include; direct government bodies such as the civil service, local governement such as schools, colleges and health service. These organisations are based on public service, not profit. Although these organisations are still given budgets, they are not expected to make a profit.
During the recession, companies are having to put forward a clear strategy involving ICT, with those that have been able to do this thriving, and those who didnt failing, such as Blockbuster and HMV.
Commercial organisations are what known typically as businesses. They trade in a highly competitive market, with their aim being to expand and grow the business with profit. The smallest of these businesses are single-person, sole traders, who usually own a small, local business such as window cleaners. The bigger end are giant multi national companies such as Coca-Cola. All these businesses thrive through selling products at a profit, allowing them to expand.
Public organisations are those that are funded mainly through taxation, and are controlled directly or indirectly by the government. These include; direct government bodies such as the civil service, local governement such as schools, colleges and health service. These organisations are based on public service, not profit. Although these organisations are still given budgets, they are not expected to make a profit.
During the recession, companies are having to put forward a clear strategy involving ICT, with those that have been able to do this thriving, and those who didnt failing, such as Blockbuster and HMV.
Monday, 11 March 2013
Communication - Instant Messaging
Instant messaging is a very popular way of communicating and staying in contact with people from all over the world. This covers a range of networks, including; web based chat offered by ISP's, or portals such as Yahoo or MSN, website-based chat offered by anyone with a site - often used to solve problems on a specific topic, whether professional or leisure or chat rooms using SMS on mobile phones. Instant messaging allows you to interact with others in real time, being more private than chat rooms, with the users being able to determine who they want in the conversation. Simple forms of messenger allows just two participants, however more advanced allows multiple users, exchange of images, files and other forms of media. One popular service of this is MSN Messenger. Unlike email, chat and IM require the participants to be online in real time, probably why its so popular with young people, the symplicity of the messages sent, and the instant nature.
Instant messaging is more of a social tool, however there have been some attempts to use it in education. For example the LETTOL (LEarn To Teach Online) course run by Sheffield College has learning sessions where students are able to chat with other student and their tutor about topics, and keep these in their portfolio.
Instant messaging is more of a social tool, however there have been some attempts to use it in education. For example the LETTOL (LEarn To Teach Online) course run by Sheffield College has learning sessions where students are able to chat with other student and their tutor about topics, and keep these in their portfolio.
Employment Opportunities
Many jobs have been created/adapted through the use of ICT, everything through the way they are done, to where they are done. Examples of new jobs are web designers, IT consultants and database mangers. But also many jobs have been forced to dissapear, with new techniques being developed. Examples of those that have changed are music and film makers and bloggers, with those that have dissapeared nearly completely such as shorthand typists and chimney sweepers.
Many jobs that were replaced was those that could be completed by automated machines, rather than people. For employers this was a much cheaper, efficient labour force, with no extra costs on top of salaries, for example sick pay and holiday pay. An example of this automation system is in banks, just before 1970, when an automated clearing system for cheques and other payment systems was developed, (BACS). In 1970 it processed approximately 70 million cheques and 30 million direct debits. The development meant that a lot of jobs at the bank, especially administrative work, could be automated and replaced with computors. Skilled and well trained bank staff who performed all the clerical tasks could be replaced with computors, and less well trained staff to watch over the machines. This meant that highly paid courses, such as banking, insurance, and typing skills, what were once the most popular courses, now only make up a small percentage of college students. The introduction of ATM's has also meant that jobs have dissapeared. All this automation and use of ICT has resulted in the closing of many banks, as the number of them are now no longer needed. Clearly this system is much more cost effective than using other employees, with the chance of machines having as many problems as workers being low, (e.g. having a week off work sick).
Other jobs, such as shorthand and touch typing have dissapeared completely. Most employers, whether small or large, would employ at least 1 person for this role, with their main job being taking notes, type up memos, letters, reports, and generally any hand written information that needed to be typed up. Advances in technology, now employers are able to download office software, such as word processing, spreadsheets, databases and presentation software has meant that all staff are able to do this more quickly and efficiently themselves, no longer needing to employ someone else.
Many jobs that were replaced was those that could be completed by automated machines, rather than people. For employers this was a much cheaper, efficient labour force, with no extra costs on top of salaries, for example sick pay and holiday pay. An example of this automation system is in banks, just before 1970, when an automated clearing system for cheques and other payment systems was developed, (BACS). In 1970 it processed approximately 70 million cheques and 30 million direct debits. The development meant that a lot of jobs at the bank, especially administrative work, could be automated and replaced with computors. Skilled and well trained bank staff who performed all the clerical tasks could be replaced with computors, and less well trained staff to watch over the machines. This meant that highly paid courses, such as banking, insurance, and typing skills, what were once the most popular courses, now only make up a small percentage of college students. The introduction of ATM's has also meant that jobs have dissapeared. All this automation and use of ICT has resulted in the closing of many banks, as the number of them are now no longer needed. Clearly this system is much more cost effective than using other employees, with the chance of machines having as many problems as workers being low, (e.g. having a week off work sick).
Other jobs, such as shorthand and touch typing have dissapeared completely. Most employers, whether small or large, would employ at least 1 person for this role, with their main job being taking notes, type up memos, letters, reports, and generally any hand written information that needed to be typed up. Advances in technology, now employers are able to download office software, such as word processing, spreadsheets, databases and presentation software has meant that all staff are able to do this more quickly and efficiently themselves, no longer needing to employ someone else.
Thursday, 7 March 2013
Types of Organisation and Their Use of ICT
Many companies are having to adapt new strategies to stay ahead in the market and make sure they evolve as the market is changing/adapting. While some have adopted strategies that are 'new and exciting', such as streaming films through your laptop/game console/tv with companies such as Netflix and LoveFilm, some have not adopted this and have been left in administration, or closing completely, such as Blockbuster and HMV. These websites what have moved to the 'online supermarket' of consumerism and have made the classic high street chains being forced to close are constantly growing and expanding, coming up with new ideas. In the past, companies such as HMV had the opportunity to embrace the digital revolution, but decided to instead, stick with their 'traditional' form of selling. Companies such as Amazon have also taken over, where you are able to buy everything and anything at a reasonable price - sometimes much cheaper than what you pay in the retail stores.
Organisations are able to be categorised in a number of ways, with three main types of organisation can be readily identified; commerical organisations, public organisations and non profit or charitable organisations.
Commercial organisations are what known typically as businesses. They trade in a highly competitive market, with their aim being to expand and grow the business with profit. The smallest of these businesses are single-person, sole traders, who usually own a small, local business such as window cleaners. The bigger end are giant multi national companies such as Coca-Cola. All these businesses thrive through selling products at a profit, allowing them to expand. Commercial organisations could use ICT for many reasons, for multi-national companies they would use it for nearly everything in their business, such as to promote new products on social networks or keep in touch with other directors/managers across the world through email.
Public organisations are those that are funded mainly through taxation, and are controlled directly or indirectly by the government. These include; direct government bodies such as the civil service, local governement such as schools, colleges and health service. These organisations are based on public service, not profit. Although these organisations are still given budgets, they are not expected to make a profit. Public organisations, such as schools, would use ICT by keeping a database on all current pupils, with all the personal information they gained from the families, however they would also use it for reasons such as the school website, and to 'register' pupils at certain times of the day.
Non-profitable/Charitable organisations raise their finances through donations or grant funding, and use these funds to go towards a particular issue or cause in society. They are regulated by the government commissions to ensure that funds are used properly. Some would argue that they are a privately owned organisation, with a form of public service objective. These organisations would use ICT to calculate their finances, and to delegate the money to certain areas/people who they are helping.
Organisations are able to be categorised in a number of ways, with three main types of organisation can be readily identified; commerical organisations, public organisations and non profit or charitable organisations.
Commercial organisations are what known typically as businesses. They trade in a highly competitive market, with their aim being to expand and grow the business with profit. The smallest of these businesses are single-person, sole traders, who usually own a small, local business such as window cleaners. The bigger end are giant multi national companies such as Coca-Cola. All these businesses thrive through selling products at a profit, allowing them to expand. Commercial organisations could use ICT for many reasons, for multi-national companies they would use it for nearly everything in their business, such as to promote new products on social networks or keep in touch with other directors/managers across the world through email.
Public organisations are those that are funded mainly through taxation, and are controlled directly or indirectly by the government. These include; direct government bodies such as the civil service, local governement such as schools, colleges and health service. These organisations are based on public service, not profit. Although these organisations are still given budgets, they are not expected to make a profit. Public organisations, such as schools, would use ICT by keeping a database on all current pupils, with all the personal information they gained from the families, however they would also use it for reasons such as the school website, and to 'register' pupils at certain times of the day.
Non-profitable/Charitable organisations raise their finances through donations or grant funding, and use these funds to go towards a particular issue or cause in society. They are regulated by the government commissions to ensure that funds are used properly. Some would argue that they are a privately owned organisation, with a form of public service objective. These organisations would use ICT to calculate their finances, and to delegate the money to certain areas/people who they are helping.
Tuesday, 5 March 2013
Civil Rights
Civil rights comes into play with the use of ICT as the more technology that is used to monitor society, the more peoples rights and privacy is compromised.
Monday, 4 March 2013
Digital Economy - Doing Business on The Web - Unit 2
In the last 10 years, internet availability and usage has grown enormously. Statistics in 2004 showed that over 50% of all UK households were able to access the internet from home, compared to less than 14% in 1999. Along with usage rising, companies have transferred their services online, and created an 'online market/supermarket', with internet sales constantly increasing.
Many services require fast, high quality internet access for many different reasons. For example, downloading music and videos can take a while, but people now have so many different options in the virtual economy that websites need to make sure theirs is the fastest, or they risk losing custom. The speed of downloads could also be affected by things such as memory space, how you are accessing your internet (dial up, cabel modem, etc), and what website you are using.
Local governments have also transferred to online services, providing information about many different services. The major information supplied by Bedford Borough Council's Website is; housing, benefits advice, education, jobs and careers, the community, environment, transport and leisure. Each one of these is a sub section and has lots of different sections and information within the department. Each one is just as important as another as different people will go on the website for different information and at different parts of the year. For example, weather reports and alerts may be searched more during Winter than in Summer. One benefit to the consumer is all the information they want may not be available on a leaflet/pamphlet, or the information is watered down due to the space restrictions the council may have on the leaflet. One benefit to the council of not using leaflets is that they can save money by updating the information online. If the council were to use leaflets every time they needed to make Bedford citizens aware of what was happening, it would be very costly and time consuming, whereas having an online website means they can update with just a few clicks. There are many opportunities for people to interact online. On the Bedford Borough website you are able to pay; bills, such as Council Tax and Penalty Charge Notices, request forms which may improve living, for example Council Tax - Disabled Reduction and Assisted Waste Collection, report any faults, such as Dog Fouling and Potholes. All these different services the local government website offer means that their target audience is much wider.
Many services require fast, high quality internet access for many different reasons. For example, downloading music and videos can take a while, but people now have so many different options in the virtual economy that websites need to make sure theirs is the fastest, or they risk losing custom. The speed of downloads could also be affected by things such as memory space, how you are accessing your internet (dial up, cabel modem, etc), and what website you are using.
Local governments have also transferred to online services, providing information about many different services. The major information supplied by Bedford Borough Council's Website is; housing, benefits advice, education, jobs and careers, the community, environment, transport and leisure. Each one of these is a sub section and has lots of different sections and information within the department. Each one is just as important as another as different people will go on the website for different information and at different parts of the year. For example, weather reports and alerts may be searched more during Winter than in Summer. One benefit to the consumer is all the information they want may not be available on a leaflet/pamphlet, or the information is watered down due to the space restrictions the council may have on the leaflet. One benefit to the council of not using leaflets is that they can save money by updating the information online. If the council were to use leaflets every time they needed to make Bedford citizens aware of what was happening, it would be very costly and time consuming, whereas having an online website means they can update with just a few clicks. There are many opportunities for people to interact online. On the Bedford Borough website you are able to pay; bills, such as Council Tax and Penalty Charge Notices, request forms which may improve living, for example Council Tax - Disabled Reduction and Assisted Waste Collection, report any faults, such as Dog Fouling and Potholes. All these different services the local government website offer means that their target audience is much wider.
Thursday, 28 February 2013
1.5 Net Books - What are they? How have they developed?
An e-book is the epitome of the digital age; a e-book is simply an electronic version of a book, and are a way of distributing and selling books with very low costs, and can potentially be available to a much wider audience than a paper book. E-books are available in a variety of formats, each with its individual purpose, features and particular benefits. For many, a ideal e-book is one which resembles a paper book, the same size and weight, but contains a whole library of books. Some e-books include;
Text e-books, which are the simplest form of e-book, have been used extensively for computer manuels in the past, gaining wide acceptance. Its simplicity is also its greatest strength, being very easy to search, edit and portable, being used extensively for computer manuels in the past. This would be the most useful for someone that wasnt an expert on e books, and only wanted it for simple purposes.
Word e-books are created using simple word-processing software, usually stored in a single word processed document file that manages the content and layout using a file in the software. With this e-book it is possible to make hyperlinks within the document itself, which makes it possible to have multimedia content. However, when using a word e-book, the files can be large, particularly when using images. This is then more useful when everyone shares the same Microsoft Office software, and where a number of authors may be required to work on a project, but generally is not used as the finished format
Adobe PDF e-books are a successful hit, with nearly all computers and software manuels now being published and distributed in this format. This will include websites which allow downloading of reports, newsletters and articles will almost always use PDF for such documents. To create the files needed, a specialised writer program, such as Adobe Acrobat, or one of a range of similar PDF creators, may be required. However, some operating systems and software now allow you to transfer documents straight into PDF; usually this file is created using Word, HTML or another similar document creation package, then it is 'printed' onto PDF. PDF is useful for a number of reasons; the file is designed to store the text and layout in a device-independent manner, so the original full-colour print layout for text and graphics is maintained regardless of the platform being used to view the file.
Text e-books, which are the simplest form of e-book, have been used extensively for computer manuels in the past, gaining wide acceptance. Its simplicity is also its greatest strength, being very easy to search, edit and portable, being used extensively for computer manuels in the past. This would be the most useful for someone that wasnt an expert on e books, and only wanted it for simple purposes.
Word e-books are created using simple word-processing software, usually stored in a single word processed document file that manages the content and layout using a file in the software. With this e-book it is possible to make hyperlinks within the document itself, which makes it possible to have multimedia content. However, when using a word e-book, the files can be large, particularly when using images. This is then more useful when everyone shares the same Microsoft Office software, and where a number of authors may be required to work on a project, but generally is not used as the finished format
Adobe PDF e-books are a successful hit, with nearly all computers and software manuels now being published and distributed in this format. This will include websites which allow downloading of reports, newsletters and articles will almost always use PDF for such documents. To create the files needed, a specialised writer program, such as Adobe Acrobat, or one of a range of similar PDF creators, may be required. However, some operating systems and software now allow you to transfer documents straight into PDF; usually this file is created using Word, HTML or another similar document creation package, then it is 'printed' onto PDF. PDF is useful for a number of reasons; the file is designed to store the text and layout in a device-independent manner, so the original full-colour print layout for text and graphics is maintained regardless of the platform being used to view the file.
Tuesday, 26 February 2013
E-Commerce Online Shopping - Unit 2
Many companies have moved their services online, especially in the digital economy, which is especially used by supermarket chains, including Sainsburys, Tesco and Waitrose. Below shows a step by step process of how to make purchases online at Sainsburys;
Initially to shop online you need to enter personal information, which includes your name, address and phone number. This then means you are going to be stored in Sainsburys data base, and the information will be used to send emails/letters on products. Sometimes companies even sell their information of customers to other companies, without the consumer being fully aware.
Once you've entered the information Sainsburys needs to create an account, you will get a registration email, to confirm its the correct email, and 'welcome' you to Sainsburys online. This is for security reasons to make sure your email matches, and it makes it easier for the company to keep in contact with you. You can then begin shopping and exploring the website.
Once you have created an account, you are able to change/modify personal details, review your orders, add your own preferences, and even look at recipes and tips. This makes it feel more personal to the individual, and allows them to use the website not just as an online shopping account.
When shopping online you have your groceries on one side, and your 'trolley' on the other. This allows the customer to be aware of how much they are spending, and how much they are saving. The minimum order for delivery is £25.
Once you have completed your shopping order, and proceed to the 'checkout', you are shown any offers/deals that you have missed what you can add to your shopping basket. This is more likely to make people spend more money, as they think they are getting more for their money if they spend out on the deals.
When completing your checkout you need to also book a delivery time. You are able to choose any of the slots available. This is more efficient than an open delivery slot, as the customer can work the time around their schedule.
Once you have booked your delivery slot, you can continue on to placing your order, or go back to shopping.
Once you have chosen your delivery slot, and proceeded to the checkout, you then need to enter your address. This includes the delivery address, the billing address and a contact number. This is to ensure that your ordered shopping arrives to the correct address.
Initially to shop online you need to enter personal information, which includes your name, address and phone number. This then means you are going to be stored in Sainsburys data base, and the information will be used to send emails/letters on products. Sometimes companies even sell their information of customers to other companies, without the consumer being fully aware.
Once you've entered the information Sainsburys needs to create an account, you will get a registration email, to confirm its the correct email, and 'welcome' you to Sainsburys online. This is for security reasons to make sure your email matches, and it makes it easier for the company to keep in contact with you. You can then begin shopping and exploring the website.
Once you have created an account, you are able to change/modify personal details, review your orders, add your own preferences, and even look at recipes and tips. This makes it feel more personal to the individual, and allows them to use the website not just as an online shopping account.
Once you have completed your shopping order, and proceed to the 'checkout', you are shown any offers/deals that you have missed what you can add to your shopping basket. This is more likely to make people spend more money, as they think they are getting more for their money if they spend out on the deals.
When completing your checkout you need to also book a delivery time. You are able to choose any of the slots available. This is more efficient than an open delivery slot, as the customer can work the time around their schedule.
Once you have booked your delivery slot, you can continue on to placing your order, or go back to shopping.
Once you have entered your address, you continue to an order summary. This is where you can review your order, payment details, and billing address. This is where Sainsburys can make sure any
errors can be finalised before the order is processed and sent.
Before the order can be finalised Sainsburys needs to know the payment information, which is usually through credit/debit card. This is a simple payment method for both Sainsburys and customer.
Sunday, 24 February 2013
1.3 Digital Divide: Tackling the Divide on the Ground
There is clearly a digital divide between higher economically developed countries, and less economically developed countries. Many initiatives have been put forward to help improve peoples ICT knowledge and skills in the less developed countries, some being more effective than others. These have included things such as community IT centres, or an IT kiosk being placed in the central point of a community village, teaching the community how to use the resources, having the opportunity to change the way these people live.
Broadcasting is an example of improving the opportunities people have, through using ICT. Satellite broadcasting allows remote areas across the world recieve information which may otherwise be impossible to gain. In the past these remote areas had to rely on unreliable equipment, with low quality broadcasts, however, now due to the new initiatives put forward they have access to high quality images, and sound. This provides these people with entertainment, educational and informative benifits, which could change their life. However, not all communities are willing to accept technology so openly into their conservative villages, who reject Western societies norms and values. Even though some broadcasts have been used to provide health warnings, agricultural information, and weather disaster warnings, not all are willing to accept and change. This could be a very useful advance in technology for remote areas of the world, however the people who are benefiting, need to first want to accept it.
An example of ICT improving the quality of life is in India and Cambodia, using the 'DakNet solution'. The system in place solves the lack of internet access through a bus, car, motorcycle, or even an ox cart being driven round a route once a day, transmitting and collecting wirelessly to villages, carrying a mobile access point. When the vehicle comes into range with a village information kiosk it transmits and receives data, uploading and downloading to and from the internet. Although this is not a 24/7 accessible solution, it sllows the data to be transmitted in a way that ordinary modems could not acheive because they require a permanent power source and phone line connection. This has allowed remote villagers to now have access to digital solutions to some of their problems, with evidence of it saving money and time in running aspects of their life. Due to the success of the 'DakNet solution', the idea can be transferred to other remote areas of the world to improve conditions of living.
Other examples include pedal powered wirless computers. This has been used in one of the poorest countries on Earth, Phon Kham, Laos. The 200 villagers live in bamboo houses, with no electricity and telephone system. But put in place is the most simplest computer with internet access, powered by pedalling a bike, and it runs all throughout the year. This system put in place was not for entertainment, but to help villagers find information to help them, for example the prices that commodities are being sold at the local market town, and the capital. The villagers can then decide whether to take the journey
Broadcasting is an example of improving the opportunities people have, through using ICT. Satellite broadcasting allows remote areas across the world recieve information which may otherwise be impossible to gain. In the past these remote areas had to rely on unreliable equipment, with low quality broadcasts, however, now due to the new initiatives put forward they have access to high quality images, and sound. This provides these people with entertainment, educational and informative benifits, which could change their life. However, not all communities are willing to accept technology so openly into their conservative villages, who reject Western societies norms and values. Even though some broadcasts have been used to provide health warnings, agricultural information, and weather disaster warnings, not all are willing to accept and change. This could be a very useful advance in technology for remote areas of the world, however the people who are benefiting, need to first want to accept it.
An example of ICT improving the quality of life is in India and Cambodia, using the 'DakNet solution'. The system in place solves the lack of internet access through a bus, car, motorcycle, or even an ox cart being driven round a route once a day, transmitting and collecting wirelessly to villages, carrying a mobile access point. When the vehicle comes into range with a village information kiosk it transmits and receives data, uploading and downloading to and from the internet. Although this is not a 24/7 accessible solution, it sllows the data to be transmitted in a way that ordinary modems could not acheive because they require a permanent power source and phone line connection. This has allowed remote villagers to now have access to digital solutions to some of their problems, with evidence of it saving money and time in running aspects of their life. Due to the success of the 'DakNet solution', the idea can be transferred to other remote areas of the world to improve conditions of living.
Other examples include pedal powered wirless computers. This has been used in one of the poorest countries on Earth, Phon Kham, Laos. The 200 villagers live in bamboo houses, with no electricity and telephone system. But put in place is the most simplest computer with internet access, powered by pedalling a bike, and it runs all throughout the year. This system put in place was not for entertainment, but to help villagers find information to help them, for example the prices that commodities are being sold at the local market town, and the capital. The villagers can then decide whether to take the journey
Tuesday, 12 February 2013
Tesco - An Example of Large Internet Websites
Tesco is the retailer with the biggest market share, holding 31%. It currently has the largest store base in Britain, the largest in internet shopping, and has the biggest land bank. Tesco has become a convenience shop for most people everywhere, with there now being Extra, Metro, Express and Home Plus. These shops have taken over towns and cities, for example in Bedford alone there is 8 Tesco shops. This has enabled Tesco to expand and grow, and become the leading retailer in the UK.
However, now many people have fallen 'out of love' with Tesco, with the shopping experience (in store and marketing campaigns) being bland and boring, falling behind its competitors. This may be because of the focus on expanding in different countries, bringing to life ideas and concepts, with many of them not working, for example 'Fresh and Easy' in America. There is also so much more choice in supermarkets and online shopping than ever before. This has meant that people are no longer forced to go to a specific supermarket because of the location, they can now shop in three or four and try to get the best deals and compare/match prices. If Tesco decide not to change their marketing strategy they may be left behind and lose their place in holding the biggest market share.
Tesco, along with many other stores, recently had lots of controversy over horse meat being found in many of their products, mainly 'beef' products, being forced to withdraw all stock from their shelves. Tesco and other stores were hit hard by customers and food experts, forcing Tesco to make public apologies, and allowed customers to bring back any food/packaging that had been identified as being contaminated. Not only has this been very costly to these supermarkets, but it makes Tesco have a bad reputation, and may result in customers going to more reputable companies, such as local butchers.
However, now many people have fallen 'out of love' with Tesco, with the shopping experience (in store and marketing campaigns) being bland and boring, falling behind its competitors. This may be because of the focus on expanding in different countries, bringing to life ideas and concepts, with many of them not working, for example 'Fresh and Easy' in America. There is also so much more choice in supermarkets and online shopping than ever before. This has meant that people are no longer forced to go to a specific supermarket because of the location, they can now shop in three or four and try to get the best deals and compare/match prices. If Tesco decide not to change their marketing strategy they may be left behind and lose their place in holding the biggest market share.
Tesco, along with many other stores, recently had lots of controversy over horse meat being found in many of their products, mainly 'beef' products, being forced to withdraw all stock from their shelves. Tesco and other stores were hit hard by customers and food experts, forcing Tesco to make public apologies, and allowed customers to bring back any food/packaging that had been identified as being contaminated. Not only has this been very costly to these supermarkets, but it makes Tesco have a bad reputation, and may result in customers going to more reputable companies, such as local butchers.
Monday, 4 February 2013
Unit 2: The Digital Economy - Clicks + Mortar
Internet shopping is now something which nearly everyone does, and is just as common as going to the local shopping centre. Sales have risen significantly over the last 6 years, and the highest revenue period is around christmas. Many companies have seen a drop in retail sales, but a boost in online sales. There are many advantages and disadvantages to online shopping, both for the retailer and consumer. These advantages include; time saving: you dont have to go to every shop to find what you are looking for, or find once you get there its not in stock, or do not have your size. With internet shopping you are able to quickly purchase your item and continue with other things. Price comparisons: when you have decided what item you wish to buy, it is very easy to open new tabs and see if the item is cheaper or a better deal on any website. Some websites have specifically been set up to help the consumer, such as www.comparethemarket.com which aim to compare prices once some vital information has been put in. These are mainly aimed at insurance shoppers. Saves money on travel: when you shop online, there is no need to travel anywhere, therefore you save money on travel expenses. Unlike when you go to shopping centres or towns, where you will most likely pay for petrol, trains or bus fares. 24/7 shopping: unlike retailers, online shopping is available constantly, with some retailers offering next day delivery when the item is ordered before a certain time. This is much more appealing than going to the retailer direct, and is more conveniant. Larger inventory: when shopping online, you are able to change the size, colour and style within a few clicks, and you are able to see whether its in stock or not. This is an advantage to the consumer as you dont have to waste time and money going to the retailer direct to find out they dont have the size, colour or style you want.
The disadvantages include; other costs: when you purchase items, there will nearly always be a delivery or shipping charge, unless you have spent a certain amount of money. This can add quite heavily to your bill, especially if its next day delivery. Most of the time you wont find out about these additional charges untill you finalise your payment, which can put many consumers off from buying items. Damaged/Unwanted items: when items have been brought online, its hard to judge whether they are the right one, therefore many items need to be returned to the retailer. This can be a very lengthy and costly process for the consumer, as it may include shipping costs, and after waiting for your product to arrive, you have to wait again for a refund or different product. Instant gratification: buying online means you cant see the item, or try it on to make sure it is the right one for you. This is very difficult to judge when shopping online, as you are trying to get the feel of the product by a photo. This is especially difficult when clothes shopping. You also have to wait for your product, which can be up to 7-5 working days, which requires some patience. Personal data: many consumers are worried about the potential risks of shopping online, with their personal information being stored or sold. There is also an added risk shopping online due to many viruses surrounding personal information, which can lead many people to steer away from online shopping.
Online Supermarkets
When looking at all of the online supermarkets, the first one that jumped out and made me want to look further into the website was Morrisons. Many of the other websites were quite plain, with a white background, or didnt have anything significant to engage the consumer.
The website includes information on the different sections of the stores, for example fresh meat, fishmonger and the bakery. Not only this but they have simple recipes, with the cost included for certain events, for example pancake day. This is an effective way to draw in customers, as they know the ingredients they need are available at the store.
One thing all the supermarkets had in common was that you are able to search stores in your area, with the opening times, and store details, this could be convenient for when people move into a new area, or go visiting different towns/cities.
The disadvantages include; other costs: when you purchase items, there will nearly always be a delivery or shipping charge, unless you have spent a certain amount of money. This can add quite heavily to your bill, especially if its next day delivery. Most of the time you wont find out about these additional charges untill you finalise your payment, which can put many consumers off from buying items. Damaged/Unwanted items: when items have been brought online, its hard to judge whether they are the right one, therefore many items need to be returned to the retailer. This can be a very lengthy and costly process for the consumer, as it may include shipping costs, and after waiting for your product to arrive, you have to wait again for a refund or different product. Instant gratification: buying online means you cant see the item, or try it on to make sure it is the right one for you. This is very difficult to judge when shopping online, as you are trying to get the feel of the product by a photo. This is especially difficult when clothes shopping. You also have to wait for your product, which can be up to 7-5 working days, which requires some patience. Personal data: many consumers are worried about the potential risks of shopping online, with their personal information being stored or sold. There is also an added risk shopping online due to many viruses surrounding personal information, which can lead many people to steer away from online shopping.
Online Supermarkets
When looking at all of the online supermarkets, the first one that jumped out and made me want to look further into the website was Morrisons. Many of the other websites were quite plain, with a white background, or didnt have anything significant to engage the consumer.
The website includes information on the different sections of the stores, for example fresh meat, fishmonger and the bakery. Not only this but they have simple recipes, with the cost included for certain events, for example pancake day. This is an effective way to draw in customers, as they know the ingredients they need are available at the store.
One thing all the supermarkets had in common was that you are able to search stores in your area, with the opening times, and store details, this could be convenient for when people move into a new area, or go visiting different towns/cities.
Thursday, 31 January 2013
Bridging the Gap: Examples of Initiatives
There have been many attempts to close the gap of the digital divide, and make sure everyone has access and relevant knowledge to IT, not only just in the UK but worldwide. These are not always government funded, with the gap also being sponsored by the private industry and charities. The hope is that by being able to fund these projects, the digital revolution will continue to increase and expand, and bring a stop to the digital divide which is evident, especially between the higher economically developed and lower economically developed countries.
UK online
UK online is a major government project, which started in 2001, which aimed to give computer access to communities and help them to learn ICT skills. There are now over 6000 UK Online centres, and can be found in places such as schools, libraries and community centres. Their training and development is aimed at community organisations who have a limited training budget available to develop their staff and volunteers, with people who want to develop their skills, which will help them improve in their everyday life. The courses vary from in house training, or courses such as 'Preparing to Teach in the ICT sector'. Since 2010, 1066262 people have learnt with UK online, this shows that the programme has been very successful, and therefore being widely used. http://www.ukonlinecentres.com/
University for Industry (Ufi)
The University for Industry is a partnership between the government and private industry. Their main principle is to improve job prospects for individuals, and raise competitiveness in businesses through the use of Learn Direct centres, through giving people more access and opportunities means a higher chance of employment. Ufi is a public partnership in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, putting people in a better position to get jobs. The funding works on 2 stages; stage 1 is a short form outlining details of the organisation, the project and required investment, with the Trustees evaluating and choosing the one that best suits the criteria. Stage 2 will involve applicants who are picked explaning the projects goals, costs etc. This seems like a good initiative to decrease the unemployment rates in the UK, giving more people access to different ways of gaining qualifications, bringing them a step forward. As the funding is given a thorough check it makes sure that the money is being used wisely and beneficial.
http://www.ufi.co.uk/
Learn Direct
Learn Direct is aimed at teaching adults how to use ICT, in schools libraries and colleges. They were one of the first free initiatives to teach adults not only ICT, but courses such as Maths and Life skills, through online courses. All courses are flexible and designed to fit around the individual, putting them forward in employment chances. This seems to be a useful programme, as it doesnt limit the individual to what they can do, and can help improve their potential careers. Being able to go into the programmes when adults could also help with people wanting to further their education through things such as open universities, when they wish to change their career, or when they have the chance due to having a family. There are more than 400 centres in England and Wales, and since 2000 they have helped more than 3.5 million people improve their skills.
British Educational Communication and Technology Association (BECTA)
BECTA was created in an attempt to help educate professionals, including teachers, to make the most of ICT. It was hoped that this would mean individuals could an use technology effectively, while improving teaching and learning, and saving time and money. This was a successful way to bring forward ICT in education, and allowed learners to be more aware and competent in using technology. This may have also improved the way that teachers were operating, and allows them to constantly be aware of new advances.
Wired Up Communities Initiative
£10 million was provided into funding the Wired Up Communities Initiative to connect seven disadvantaged communities to the internet to test what impact this would have on their lives.The aim of the initiative was to improve educational standards and increase job opportunities for those who are socially excluded. Alston Moore was one of the seven areas that was chosen to improve the standards of ICT, invested through the Wired Up Communities initiative. Their aim was to assess each individual and how the use of ICT could change their life, such as giving them better job opportunities and developing new ways of accessing training. This was done by setting up a community website with a range of online services for both the local residents and businesses. Control was given to the community, with them being in charge of setting up the online services, assisting with the roll out of computers, the selection and instillation of broadband communication links and the provision of local and public information services for the community website; www.cybermoore.org. There were many benefits to this initiative, including; those households with no or old computers could apply for a free brand new computer and printer, free computer software to create documents, spreadsheets and databases, and free installation of the computer. This initiative was useful as not only were the residents recieving computers which could change their life, but also gaining all the training, therefore they know how to make the most of their ICT. http://www.cybermoor.org/cybermoor-services/general-information-about-cybermoor/313-introductory-fact-sheet-for-residents/view-details
UK online
UK online is a major government project, which started in 2001, which aimed to give computer access to communities and help them to learn ICT skills. There are now over 6000 UK Online centres, and can be found in places such as schools, libraries and community centres. Their training and development is aimed at community organisations who have a limited training budget available to develop their staff and volunteers, with people who want to develop their skills, which will help them improve in their everyday life. The courses vary from in house training, or courses such as 'Preparing to Teach in the ICT sector'. Since 2010, 1066262 people have learnt with UK online, this shows that the programme has been very successful, and therefore being widely used. http://www.ukonlinecentres.com/
University for Industry (Ufi)
The University for Industry is a partnership between the government and private industry. Their main principle is to improve job prospects for individuals, and raise competitiveness in businesses through the use of Learn Direct centres, through giving people more access and opportunities means a higher chance of employment. Ufi is a public partnership in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, putting people in a better position to get jobs. The funding works on 2 stages; stage 1 is a short form outlining details of the organisation, the project and required investment, with the Trustees evaluating and choosing the one that best suits the criteria. Stage 2 will involve applicants who are picked explaning the projects goals, costs etc. This seems like a good initiative to decrease the unemployment rates in the UK, giving more people access to different ways of gaining qualifications, bringing them a step forward. As the funding is given a thorough check it makes sure that the money is being used wisely and beneficial.
http://www.ufi.co.uk/
Learn Direct
Learn Direct is aimed at teaching adults how to use ICT, in schools libraries and colleges. They were one of the first free initiatives to teach adults not only ICT, but courses such as Maths and Life skills, through online courses. All courses are flexible and designed to fit around the individual, putting them forward in employment chances. This seems to be a useful programme, as it doesnt limit the individual to what they can do, and can help improve their potential careers. Being able to go into the programmes when adults could also help with people wanting to further their education through things such as open universities, when they wish to change their career, or when they have the chance due to having a family. There are more than 400 centres in England and Wales, and since 2000 they have helped more than 3.5 million people improve their skills.
British Educational Communication and Technology Association (BECTA)
BECTA was created in an attempt to help educate professionals, including teachers, to make the most of ICT. It was hoped that this would mean individuals could an use technology effectively, while improving teaching and learning, and saving time and money. This was a successful way to bring forward ICT in education, and allowed learners to be more aware and competent in using technology. This may have also improved the way that teachers were operating, and allows them to constantly be aware of new advances.
Wired Up Communities Initiative
£10 million was provided into funding the Wired Up Communities Initiative to connect seven disadvantaged communities to the internet to test what impact this would have on their lives.The aim of the initiative was to improve educational standards and increase job opportunities for those who are socially excluded. Alston Moore was one of the seven areas that was chosen to improve the standards of ICT, invested through the Wired Up Communities initiative. Their aim was to assess each individual and how the use of ICT could change their life, such as giving them better job opportunities and developing new ways of accessing training. This was done by setting up a community website with a range of online services for both the local residents and businesses. Control was given to the community, with them being in charge of setting up the online services, assisting with the roll out of computers, the selection and instillation of broadband communication links and the provision of local and public information services for the community website; www.cybermoore.org. There were many benefits to this initiative, including; those households with no or old computers could apply for a free brand new computer and printer, free computer software to create documents, spreadsheets and databases, and free installation of the computer. This initiative was useful as not only were the residents recieving computers which could change their life, but also gaining all the training, therefore they know how to make the most of their ICT. http://www.cybermoor.org/cybermoor-services/general-information-about-cybermoor/313-introductory-fact-sheet-for-residents/view-details
Thursday, 24 January 2013
Communication - The History of Mobile Phones
Mobile phones have altered the way people communicate over the last 10+ years dramatically, letters and cards are a thing in the past, where now people can text or ring, and still send the same message, but with much less effort, and for some, cheaper. In the past mobile phones resembled more of a brick than a telephone, however now they are becoming lighter, thinner and faster every year. Phones are not just a way to text, phone or download music, they are as some say 'the centre of our universe'. Even though there has been many changes to the first phones, a survey revealed that 1 in 3 people aged over 45 still use their first mobile phone. Clearly for some, the simple yet effective reliable Nokia is enough for what they need, whereas others like to swap and change every year, gaining all the benefits from the latest phones on the market. Even though this can be very costly, some dont care about paying the cost as its a necessity they have every day, being the first thing they look at in the morning, and the last at night. There are over 81million mobile phone subscriptions in Britain, with companies such as Orange, T mobile, O2 and 3, with 92% of the population owning a mobile.
Tuesday, 22 January 2013
Entertainment and Leisure
Technology had had a dramatic affect on entertainment and leisure, with near enough every aspect of the institution being modified or changed; both in production and distribution. It has made way for so much choice, and is much more simpler to create things that were near enough impossible to do on your own in the past, for example music, radio, video, magazines and books.
The music industry is a perfect example of where technology has been a major benefit and has made production and distribution much easier. Not only is the technology available to those who have money, the space and knowledge, but its also available for people to use in their homes, on their computors, or similar devices. Voices can be edited by autotune, backing tracks can be created by selecting a key signature and musical style, and all you need is the knowledge and patience. Distribution has also been affected by technology, with previously records changing to CD's, but more recently, CD's now changing to digital downloads. This has seen an increase in independant music, with a wide variety, and new talent being able to publish new talent.
Due to the advance in technology, there has also been a rise in choice of entertaiment, and how it is accessed. Entertainment like in the past, is no longer restricted by the cinemas, or when it is being released on DVD. Now, due to the advance in technology, there are so many options avaible. You are now able to watch films on your TV or even your game console, through paid systems such as SKY or Virgin TV. or even through streaming websites such as Netflix, or LoveFilm, which was thought of as impossible in the past. However there has also been an advance with the TV companies, with new set boxes such as Sky+, V+ and the TiVo box. These make it possible to watch HD and 3D tv, record live tv, pause, rewind and fast forward tv. These original film websites have paved the way and are one step forward on entertainment shops such as HMV and Blockbuster, which may have been a contributer to the financial unstability of the shops.
The music industry is a perfect example of where technology has been a major benefit and has made production and distribution much easier. Not only is the technology available to those who have money, the space and knowledge, but its also available for people to use in their homes, on their computors, or similar devices. Voices can be edited by autotune, backing tracks can be created by selecting a key signature and musical style, and all you need is the knowledge and patience. Distribution has also been affected by technology, with previously records changing to CD's, but more recently, CD's now changing to digital downloads. This has seen an increase in independant music, with a wide variety, and new talent being able to publish new talent.
Due to the advance in technology, there has also been a rise in choice of entertaiment, and how it is accessed. Entertainment like in the past, is no longer restricted by the cinemas, or when it is being released on DVD. Now, due to the advance in technology, there are so many options avaible. You are now able to watch films on your TV or even your game console, through paid systems such as SKY or Virgin TV. or even through streaming websites such as Netflix, or LoveFilm, which was thought of as impossible in the past. However there has also been an advance with the TV companies, with new set boxes such as Sky+, V+ and the TiVo box. These make it possible to watch HD and 3D tv, record live tv, pause, rewind and fast forward tv. These original film websites have paved the way and are one step forward on entertainment shops such as HMV and Blockbuster, which may have been a contributer to the financial unstability of the shops.
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