BSBTEC403: Describe at least five general trends and innovations in digital technology in the workplace today: APPLY DIGITAL SOLUTIONS TO WORK PROCESSES Assignment, MU, Australia

Digital technology trends and innovations

Describe at least five general trends and innovations in digital technology in the workplace today. Describe each trend or innovation in about a paragraph, briefing explaining the trend/innovation and its application to the workplace.

Five general trends and innovations in digital technology in the workplace.

Intranet

An intranet is a private network accessible only to an organisation’s staff.[1][2] Often, a wide range of information and services are available on an organisation’s internal intranet that are unavailable to the public, unlike the Internet. A company-wide intranet can constitute an important focal point of internal communication and collaboration, and provide a single starting point to access internal and external resources. In its simplest form, an intranet is established with the technologies for local area networks (LANs) and wide area networks (WANs).

Instant messaging

Instant messaging (IM) technology is a type of online chat that offers real-time text transmission over the Internet. A LAN messenger operates in a similar way over a local area network. Short messages are typically transmitted between two parties, when each user chooses to complete a thought and select “send”. Some IM applications can use push technology to provide real-time text, which transmits messages character by character, as they are composed. More advanced instant messaging can add file transfer, clickable hyperlinks, Voice over IP, or video chat.

Non-IM types of chat include multicast transmission, usually referred to as “chat rooms”, where participants might be anonymous or might be previously known to each other (for example collaborators on a project that is using chat to facilitate communication). Instant messaging systems tend to facilitate connections between specified known users (often using a contact list also known as a “buddy list” or “friend list”). Depending on the IM protocol, the technical architecture can be peer-to-peer (direct point-to-point transmission) or client-server (an Instant message service centre retransmits messages from the sender to the communication device).

Electronic conferencing

Electronic conferencing is a method of holding meetings with customers or colleagues in different locations via the Internet. This type of conference is known as a virtual meeting because the

participants don’t have to be in the same room to communicate or share information. While one of the most important benefits is the reduction in travel time and costs, businesses can employ e-conferencing to improve productivity and efficiency by speeding up decision-making, solving problems faster and collaborating more easily

The most suitable types of electronic conferencing for small businesses are Web conferencing and desktop videoconferencing. You can set up or join an electronic conference by using software and a small video camera on a desktop computer, laptop or tablet computer linked to the Internet; many computers have a built-in video camera. You can speak and listen during a conference by using a microphone and speakers attached to the computer or by telephone. Some smartphones have the capacity to support conferencing, so people can join a meeting even when they are away from a desk.

Employee monitoring

Employee Monitoring is the act of employers surveying employee activity through different surveillance methods. Organisations engage in employee monitoring for different reasons such as to track performance, to avoid legal liability, to protect trade secrets, and to address other security concerns. This practice may impact employee satisfaction due to its impact on the privacy of the employees. Among organisations, the extent and methods of employee monitoring differ

Web browsers

A web browser (commonly referred to as a browser) is a software application for accessing information on the World Wide Web. Each individual web page, image, and video is identified by a distinct URL, enabling browsers to retrieve and display them on the user’s device.

Note that a web browser is not the same thing as a search engine, though the two are often confused for a user, a search engine is just a website, such as google.com, that stores searchable data about other websites. But in order to connect to and display websites on their device, a user needs to have a web browser installed

Digital applications and technology

Identify and review at least two workplace digital applications that focus on workplace communications (i.e. any digital tools that allow two or more people to communicate with each other and that may be written, verbal, visual, audible or a combination of these).

Include:

·           The name of the digital technology

·           Its use in the workplace

·           At least one benefit of using the digital technology

·           How the digital technology is current and innovative.

Digital applications and technology

Identify and review at least two workplace technologiesused in any area of the workplace e.g. hardware and software, learning management systems, record management and document management systems.

Include:

·           The name of the digital technology

·           Its use in the workplace

·           At least one benefit of using the digital technology

·           How the digital technology is current and innovative.

Networking through digital technology

Provide examples of digital technology for networking to form and/or maintain relationships with other individuals or organisations.

Describe:

The digital technology application, including its use in the workplace
At least one benefit of using the digital technology/application.

How the digital technology is current and innovative.

Information sources

List three of the information sources that you have used to answer the questions above.

Apply these questions to three of the information sources you have identified. Give an overall rating of the validity and reliability of the information sources depending on the response to each question.

Intellectual property

Discuss the following:

· Intellectual property risks in relation to digital technology

·  Legislation and copyright – list at least two Acts and Regulations / Principles that apply.

· Name of Act or Regulation that regulates intellectual property and digital content

·  Its purpose and scope

Detail the workplace process you have identified as needing to be implemented or improved.

How does the process currently work?

What needs to be improved?

What are the current intellectual property risks associated with this process?

What policies and procedures need to be considered when deciding on a solution?

Include compliance with intellectual property legislation  and regulations in your response.

Explain how this impacts your choices and decisions on technology or software options.

Identify the two most suitable options that could improve this process.

Include information on:

why these two options are fit for the purpose of improving the process.
how these solutions are more innovative than the process currently being used.

issues or considerations for using these particular technologies or applications

Detail the workplace process you have identified as needing to be implemented or improved.

How does the process currently work?

What needs to be improved?

What are the current intellectual property risks associated with this process?

What policies and procedures need to be considered when deciding on a solution?

Include compliance with intellectual property legislation and regulations in your response.

Explain how this impacts your choices and decisions on technology or software options.

Identify the two most suitable options that could improve this process.

Include information on:

·  why these two options are fit for the purpose of improving the process.

·    how these solutions are more innovative than the process currently being used.

·    issues or considerations for using these particular technologies or applications