June 2010 Edition
Computer Science Department, University of Cape Town
| MSc-IT Study Material June 2010 Edition Computer Science Department, University of Cape Town |
From our examples we can see that we have moved some way into the post-industrial information age. More and more businesses and large segments of the economy as a whole are based on information. Older technologies and traditional skills appear as through they have been left behind.
The traditional manufacturing company of the industrial age, however, can be improved, or even transformed, by Internet technologies. They can be made to function more efficiently and effectively. Knowledge can be shared. Documents can be constructed and shared electronically. Yet physical manufacturing must be done in a factory.
On the other hand, the "new economy" company is ideally suited to the opportunities offered by the Internet. It is based on information and knowledge. Information can be stored and transferred rapidly. Any new information that is generated can be easily distributed. Experts in different locations can work together using virtual workspaces via Internet technologies.
Visit the Fast Company to get some insight into the attitudes associated with the "new economy" companies. A good article to start is What We Learned in the New Economy. You should also make use of the site's search facility to find out more.
Make a list of the advantages of the Virtual Organisation.
Hints: Think about improved efficiencies and ways to add value, about telecommuting as opposed to real commuting, and about the forms of knowledge implied in the movement to a Virtual Organisation.
You can find some thoughts on this issue at the end of the unit.