Information Technology System
Information technology is constantly influencing the way businesses are conducted in the world. The world in the modern era has embraced the concept of e-commerce, twenty four hour working economy and mobile communications among others. Most businesses are after an adaptable information technology accompanied with the likeminded professionals with explicit knowledge of the information systems and organizations. The success of most organizations is attached to the information systems that the organizations use.
Information technology is prominent in building a competitive edge for organizations. This is irrespective of the sector that the businesses operated. Information technology enhances better learning environments in schools, organizations and private lives (Gallaugher, 2012). Information technology is critical for the sole traders and also to the multinational organizations. It does not matter the size of the business venture and information technology has a way of boosting each organization irrespective of the size (Laudon & Laudon, 2012). Some of the influential organizations that started small and have delivered a competitive edge in the target market are Microsoft founded by Bill Gates, Dell computers founded by Michael Dell, FaceBook founded by Mark Zuckerberg, International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) founded by Charles Ranlett Flint and Thomas J. Watson and Amazon.com founded by Jeff Bezos among others.
Amazon.com is a company that started small and has flourished one of the leading online outlets. Jeff Bezos is the founder of the organization having quite formal employment to pursue his childhood dream (Brandt, 2012). Bezos is an expert in the field of the internet; he was born in Mexico and developed an interest in e-commerce and technology. Amazon.com is part of Bezos vision. The website was first rolled in 1995, and it has served the target customers over the years going strong and strong. Amazon.com is an example of an organization that used information technology to advance, and the same information technology have become a critical requirement for the business to remain competitive and in building an edge in the target market (Brandt, 2012).
Amazon.com sold the first book in 1995, the organization operated from a garage by then based in Seattle. Amazon.com by 2006 had expanded to all parts of the world selling books among other products and services to the global market. Bezos has steered e-commerce in sustaining Amazon.com. He is influential in convincing investors to buy his ideas. The technology used by Amazon.com supports the online existence of the organization (Brandt, 2012). Amazon.com offers almost all the products and services needed by the target customers. Some of the common products and services are books, clothing, beauty supplies, gourmet food, jewelry, pet supplies, sporting apparel, DVDs, CDs, computers, garden supplies, furniture, toys and bedding among others.
At the Amazon.com webpage, customers find featured products and special offers. Customers who have had an experience with Amazon.com website are offered some recommendations depending on the previous purchase patterns. In so doing, the website makes it easy for potential and existing customers to use the website (Brandt, 2012). The technology used by the Amazon.com knows the shoppers by the names and the website works as a personal shopper. This has been influential in building a competitive edge and also in understanding the way shoppers make their decisions.
The marketing techniques engaged by Amazon.com have a way of personalizing the experience of the shoppers, which has been helpful in understanding and directing sales. Amazon.com has created a competitive edge in the e-commerce by understanding the target customers very well (Brandt, 2012). This is made possible by using customer tracking information systems. The organization sends cookies to the computers of the users and uses cookies for possible suggestions depending on the purchase patterns of the target customers. The cookies are installed in the hard drives of the target customers.
The cookies have improved and made the shopping experience fun and exemplary. The cookies make possible suggestions, guides drafted by other users and list reviews. Amazon.com allows users to communicate through the word of mouth marketing channel, which is one of the convincing marketing models. Amazon.com also uses multi-level e-commerce strategy that has built a competitive edge. The strategy has allowed different sellers around the world to sell their products and services as long as they are genuine (Brandt, 2012). There are straight sales conducted by other merchandise through the Amazon.com platform. Amazon.com also allows products and services to be sold by the third parties in the website. Amazon.com also sells auctions, used goods and refurbished goods.
Analysts argue that Amazon.com is one of the perfect hub for selling products and services online. Amazon.com also offers commission to affiliate programs that facilitate posting of Amazon.com links; this is done on ‘click through sales’. The affiliates are referred to as associates in the Amazon.com (Brandt, 2012). Amazon.com allows associates to develop mini Amazon sites, which allows the associates to build own database for their applications and products. Amazon.com insists on return that all the sales must be directed through Amazon.com. The small websites are commonly known as Amazonish.com with the capability of pulling out products from the main servers in the Amazon.com. Amazon.com allows associates to earn a cut of sales and improve their personalized recommendations and guides. Amazon.com also engages social media networks as marketing tools, such as FaceBook, Twitter and LinkedIn among others.
The way Amazon.com operates is contributed by the advancement of the information technology in e-commerce (Brandt, 2012). Amazon.com has software development centers numbering to four in the international arenas. The units have been influential in creating new features constantly to be used in the Amazon.com. The technology has been useful in keeping Amazon.com afloat.
Amazon.com websites connects customers, partners and end users. This is made possible through web servers, fulfillment centers, supply chains, planning applications, financial analyst, email servers, campaign generation, personalization and content servers. The applications store their information in the data warehouse (Brandt, 2012). The technology supporting Amazon.com works on Linux. The data warehouse used by the Amazon.com is supported by servers sourced from Hewlett Packard (HP). The servers run on Oracle 9i database software. Surveys have indicated that the data warehouse works on three major functions identifying with ETL (Extract, Transform and Load), historical data and query data (Brandt, 2012).
In a nutshell, information technology has changed the way business operates in the twenty first century (Rainer & Cegielski, 2012). Organizations are working more and more efficiently as compared to earlier decades. Information technology has also maximized productivity with high returns. Other benefits are fostering faster communication, better security of records and electronic storage of data (Laudon & Laudon, 2012). Information technology relies on computer applications, which have taken over almost in all industries in the world. The concept has diversified to all parts of the world to an extent that installing an information technology in an organization is critical in building a competitive edge (Magal & Word, 2009).
Information technology has been useful in the protection and storing of information, automation of processes, facilitating work remote and facilitating better communication among other benefits. Amazon.com is an example of an organization that started with information technology to advance, but luckily the same information technology is a requirement for the organization to remain competitive.
References
Brandt, R. L. (2012). One Click: Jeff Bezos and the Rise of Amazon.com. City of Westminster, London: Penguin Group.
Gallaugher, J. (2012). Information Systems: A Harnessing Guide to Information Technology. Washington, D.C.: Flat World Knowledge, Inc.
Laudon, K. & Laudon, J. (2012). Essentials of Management Information Systems. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
Magal, S. & Word, J. (2009). Essentials of Business Processes and Information Systems. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Rainer, K. & Cegielski, C. (2012). Introduction to Information Systems: Enabling and Transforming Business. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
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