STRATEGIC IT

Strategic Information Technology

Strategic Information Technology

Introduction

The role of technology in our lives is growing at an accelerating pace. From desktop computers, the world shifted to laptop computers. Mobile telecommunication devices also advanced in functionality and now they have gone way beyond providing just calling and messaging services. Now we have feature-rich, internet-enabled smart phones. The world also witnessed laptops further reducing to tablets and e-book readers.

Technological advancements made the world a global place. Companies strived to make use of new technologies and electronic-commerce emerged as a new form of doing business. With the increased use of wireless devices, e-commerce took yet another step and mobile commerce added the ease of mobility and accessibility.

People carry their mobile sets wherever they go. Hence vendors introduced GPS (Global Positioning System) functionality into the sets to make use of the geographical location of the user. This gave rise to a new concept called Location Based Services (LBS).

Mobile commerce and LBS have a tremendous potential to introduce mobile banking, trading, advertising, shopping, education, and entertainment. With LBS, all these services can be targeted based on user profile, behaviour, like and shopping pattern.

M-Commerce

When goods and services are sold, purchased and exchanged electronically, without using any paper document, it is called Electronic Commerce or e-commerce. Electronic medium can be the Internet or other computer networks.

Business transactions in e-commerce can be made using wired or wireless electronic devices. If an electronic transaction is made through the use of wireless electronic devices such as mobile phones, laptops or hand-held computers, it is called Mobile Commerce or m-commerce (Tiwari et.al, 2006, p. 40).

Location Based Services

Location Based Service (LBS) is a software application that is available on a mobile device and works based on where the device is physically and geographically located (Schiller, 2004, pp. 10-11).

The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a satellite based navigation system that is used to locate positions anywhere on earth. Positions are reported in latitude and longitude (Grubbs, 2010, p. n.d).

For LBS to work, the mobile device should be connected to the Internet. The service uses geographic position, i.e., latitude and longitude of the device and delivers geographically relevant content to the user. Usually, the subscriber's location is obtained from a GPS chip built into the device.



Offered Services

Several services may be offered as part of m-commerce and LBS. These may include Mobile Banking & Trading, Mobile Education, Mobile Advertising and Shopping, Digital Content Products and Mobile Entertainment. When these services are location-based, it adds further value as these can then be customized at an individual level (Xiaojun, 2004, p. 19).

Mobile Banking and Trading

Mobile is now considered as 'electronic wallet'. Banking services can be accessed through mobile. The mode may be a text message, accessing bank's website via mobile web or specifically designed banking apps. Person can access his bank account remotely through a mobile device and view account information. Funds can be transferred. There are different mobile apps that allow monitoring and trading ...