Aligning ICT Investment with Organizational Goals

Before making any investment plan for ICT, the organization is needed to consider that the proposed implementation would be aligned to the aims and objectives of the organization. Apart from that the organization has to maintain proper human resources so that the technical experts can implement and manage the new ICT system in the organization. Apart from that proper maintenance plan is needed to be present in the organization which will help the organization to modify and further improve the whole system. Before making the investment on ICT, the outcome of the newly implemented system is needed to be evaluated.

Computing resources are defined the resources needed for some of the computational models in order to get some computational solutions. Computing resources are significant it indicates the amount of time needed for solving a computing problem. On the basis of computing resources, the complexity of algorithm for solving a problem can be done in a proper way. Some of the examples of computing resources are- memory space, amount of storage space needed for solving the problem and storing the data. Through the term computing resource accessible computing equipment and the software are defined. 

Some of the factors those are needed to be considered while selecting the broadband for the organization are-

• Download limits:  The download limit is needed to be most suitable at the best price. For the large organization, the download limit is needed to be unlimited and for the smaller companies, the management can set the limits.
• Cost: The cost of the broadband service is needed to be considered in a proper way. In case, if the broadband service can get better with providing the higher cost, the management should invest money for this improvisation. Apart from that, in case if the speed of the broadband is not fundamental issue for the organization, the company can cut the cost in that case.
• Speed: The speed of the broadband is needed to be considered while selecting the service provider. The service providers who are able to serve high speed internet are more preferable than the service providers giving low speed broadband service at minimal cost.
• Customer service: The selected broadband service provider needed to have the right and proper customer care facility. So, in case, if there are some problems or issues regarding the connectivity or service, the users or the organization can contact with the customer care for solving the problem.
• Reliability: Reliability can be considered as the biggest factors for business consumers. The unreliable broadband service can cause interruption and unproductivity for the organization. In order to avoid the network interruptions service level agreement with the network service provider and the organization is needed to be done before the selection of the broadband service provider.

	Thick client	Thin client Save Time On Research and Writing Hire a Pro to Write You a 100% Plagiarism-Free Paper. Get My Paper
Definition	Software that depends on the cloud data can be regarded as thin client.	Software that runs some of the application on the devices is regarded as thick client.
Offline	Functions do not work offline.	Functions work offline.
Network latency	Functionality depends on the speed of the network connection.	Functionality may or may not depend on the network connection.
Local resources	Consumes few local resources.	Generally consumes more local resources while functioning.
Data	Data stored in servers.	Data stored in local devices.

Three options to scan the core business process:

• Front-end scanning:  This type of scanning allows the review of all the documents and papers related to the audits and compilation of financial statements. The main concern of this scanning the place for the storage of the documents and the easy access of the documents when needed. The main aim of this type of scanning is to determine whether the document can be handed over to the client to destroy them or modify them.
• Mid-point scanning:  This type of scanning indicates working with the original document papers in the first part of the process. This can be a process after the review of the process. The optimal scan can be different for the different process.
• Back-end scanning: This scanning is also regarded as paperless scanning. This is the easiest way of scanning. The electronic archiving is used in this scanning process.

Future computing needs:

The future of the computing needs more advanced computing for the complex problems in smaller time window. In this context the hardware are needed to become cheap and small with higher functionality. Apart from that more open source software is needed for the more innovation.

Improvement of business operations:

Through the use of the information technology can increase the productivity of the business. Apart from that the recruitment of the technical experts in the industry can be increased. Apart from that the elimination of the human errors in the functioning of the business process in the organization can be achieved through the use of technology.

Recommendations for the implementation of the ICT in accounting information system:

The implementation of the accounting information system will deliver the following advantages. These advantages are-

• Enhancing the security regarding the information of the client.
• Manual tasks can be automated through the implementation of ICT, that eventually reduces human errors.
• Extension of the workflows to the clients will be possible.
• The client service will get innovative.
• The relationship between the firm and the client can be transformed in a positive way.

From reviewing these advantages it can be said the implementation of ICT in the accounting firm is recommended. 

Mission-critical systems are the system those are responsible for the running of the core functions of the business. If the organization change mission-critical system, certain major disruption in the business process will occur resulting financial losses to the business.

Significance of Computing Resources

The implication of not changing the mission-critical system is the proper running of the major functionalities of the business in the organizations.

1. Importance of ICT disaster plan:

The ICT disaster plan will help the organization to recover from the disaster and rebuild the system for the organization.

1. Things covered in ICT disaster plan:

• Identification of the components in disaster recovery planning.
• Identification of the people involved in the disaster recovery.
• Outlining the steps for the disaster recovery system.

In case, if the organization has the wide range of peripherals the expansion of the business can be done in a proper way. Apart from that the productivity of the organization can be increased.

Eight factors needed to be considered while reviewing the desktop-hardware:

a. Factors to consider	b. Relevant information to collect
1. quality	The quality of the material of the hardware.
2. price	The price is worth or not based on the performance.
3. Service after sale	The warranty period of the hardware.
4. The model type	The model type indicates the compatibility of the hardware with the system.
5. Energy consumption	The consumption of the energy for the hardware system is needed to be considered as it will help the organization to reserve energy.
6. Review about the product	This will indicate the market value of the hardware system.
7. Compatibility	The selection of the hardware needed to be compatible of the system.
8. Performance	The performance of the system will indicate the effectiveness of the implemented hardware.

a. Factors to consider	b. Relevant information to collect
1. Speed	The speed of the internet will deliver the right information at right time.
2. Cost effectiveness	The cost effectiveness will help the organization to mitigate the overhead cost.
3. Availability	The internet should be available so that the access for the information can done at any time.
4. Redundancy	Should provide redundant solution.

Cloud computing is delivering various computing services through the remote servers over internet.

Four types of cloud models are-

1. Public cloud:  The security and managing of the data and information stored in the public cloud is managed by the user of the organization. The users can access the content in the public cloud at any time.
2. Private Cloud: The managing of the security and the data in the private cloud may be managed by exclusively the cloud vendor or the organization itself. The access of the content is restricted and is accessible for the selected group of people in private cloud.
3. Hybrid Cloud: The characteristics of public cloud and private cloud are present in hybrid cloud. The general information can be stored in the public cloud which can be accessible to any person. On the other hand, the important and confidential information can be stored in private cloud.
4. Community Cloud: Community cloud helps to share the information among selected groups and communities. The responsibility of managing and sharing data are the responsibilities of the communities those are using the cloud service. 

Three main types of cloud services are-

1. Infrastructure-as-service: This service gives business access to vital web architecture that includes storage space, servers and the connections. It allows to provide the on-demand services in the business. Example- Amazon EC2, Rackspace Cloud
2. Software-as- service: This cloud architecture leveraged the cloud for software architecture. It also reduces the maintenance cost and support as the most of the applications run on computers through cloud providing vendors.  Example- Gmail, Salesforce
3. Platform-as-service: This type of cloud computing service provides the environment to develop new application online. Examples-Google App Engine, Force.com

Business capabilities of PC via cloud can mitigate the overhead cost of the organization. In this context, the information and the data would be stored in  the remote server in cloud approach. The clients can fetch data and information by fetching data through servers. In this case, there is no need for the dedicated PC for every client.

Five advantages of Software-as-service:

• Lower up-front cost: The service is generally subscription based so it has lower up-front cost.
• Quick setup and deployment:  The software-as-service application is already configured and deployed in the cloud. It helps to mitigate delays from the traditional software deployment.
• Easy upgrades: The upgrades of the system are easily available and patches can be downloaded online.
• Accessibility: As the information and applications are stored in the remote serer of the cloud, it is possible for the users to access the data and information through online at any time of the day. From this context, it can be said that the availability of the software as service is high which increase the flexibility of the organization.
• Scalability: This type of service provides many options regarding the subscriptions to the users so that they can choose from those offers. Apart from that the change of subscriptions can be done in this type of service. In this context it can be said that this cloud service is scalable. 

Security-as-service is a cloud computing model that delivers managed security services over internet. Security-as-service model is indulged in the software-as-service model and limited to specialized security service. Two examples of security-as-software service vendors are- Okta and ProofPoint

The consultancy is needed from the experts before the deployment of the cloud. The expert can suggest the model and the type of the cloud service needed for the organization based on the requirements. The analysis of the requirements and the suggesting the right cloud deployment model can be achieved through the expert advice.

Business protocol is an important aspect in the development of the negotiation process between companies. It can be defined as the proper procedure of conduct. Agreed by the external parties, each organizations have different business protocols. 

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