You should hand in one copy of your assignment/project by the date mentioned above to the appropriate 'hand-in location' at the Gulf College. Fill in the front cover (staple together with your assignment). MAKE SURE that you fill in all the relevant details on this form. An acknowledgement will be given to you upon receiving your assignment. This is your receipt, just keep it. Faxed assignments will not be accepted.

Assignments must be submitted on the assigned date. The only circumstance in which assignments can be submitted late is if an extenuating circumstances form is submitted at the same time. In these circumstances, work may be submitted late up to 2 weeks only. If the extenuating circumstances are upheld, the assignment will be graded; otherwise 0 marks will be awarded.

Learning outcome (1, 2, & 3)

1. Describe, criticise and select strategic planning techniques that are appropriate for a given scenario.

2. Evaluate, plan and communicate IS development plans to produce identified business benefits and formulate a basic strategic IS planning and decide some policies by which it could be carried out.

3. Critically discuss and criticise the effective use of some techniques of facilities and IT operations management. Apply such measures as may be appropriate to protect the corporate information resource to maintain a secure system.

This assessment is composed of Group and Individual Assignment

Teams must consist of Two (2) students and each student should submit their joint report wherein individual work is included.

SECTION A) GROUP ASSIGNMENT

THE ROLE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN TODAY'S GENERATION

CASE PROBLEM 1: Information System (IS) in Restaurant

A waiter takes an order at a table, and then enters it online via one of the six terminals located in t, restaurant dining room. The order is routed to a printer in the appropriate preparation area: the col item printer if it is a salad, the hot-item printer if it is a hot sandwich or the bar printer if it is a drink. customer's meal check-listing (bill) the items ordered and the respective prices are automaticall generated. This ordering system eliminates the old three-carbon-copy guest check system as well as and problems caused by a waiter's handwriting. When the kitchen runs out of a food item, the cooks sena Out an "out of stock" message, which will be displayed on the dining room terminals when waiters try to order that item. This gives the waiters faster feedback; enabling them to give better service to the customers.

Other system features aid management in the planning and control of their restaurant business. The system provides up-to-the-minute information on the food items ordered and breaks out percentages showing sales of each item versus total sales. This helps management plan menus according to customers' tastes. The system also compares the weekly sales totals versus food costs, allowing planning for tighter cost controls. In addition, whenever an order is voided, the reasons for the void are keyed in. This may help later in management decisions, especially if the voids are consistently related to food or service.

Acceptance of the system by the users is exceptionally high since the waiters and waitresses were involved in the selection and design process. All potential users were asked to give impressions and ideas aboutthe various systems available before one was chosen.

Task 1

In the light of the system, describe the decisions to be made in the area of strategic planning, managerial control and operational control. What information would you require to make such decisions? Support your answer with relevant examples.

Task 2

Prepare your own detailed plan in order to make the system more complete Management Information rather than just doing a transaction processing. In addition, explain the probable effects System (MIS) that making the system more formal would have on the customers and the management.

DATA PROTECTION AND SYSTEM SECURITY ISSUES

CASE PROBLEM 2: Software Security and Privacy Risks in Mobile e-Commerce - The New Da Security Challenge for Business Organisations

Most current e-commerce transactions are conducted by users in fixed locations using workstations an personal computers. Nowadays, a significant portion of e-commerce takes place via wireless, Interne: enabled devices such as cellular phones and personal digital assistants. Wireless devices provide user mobility to research, communicate, and purchase goods and services from anywhere at any tam( without being tethered to the desktop. Using the Internet from wireless devices has come to be knowr as mobile e-commerce, or simply "m-commerce," and encompasses many more activities than merely online purchasing. One of the major wireless applications is Web access for retrieval of real-time information such as weather reports, sport scores, flight and reservation information, navigational maps, and stock quotes. While email will continue to dominate wireless applications, innovative online applications use location reference information of end users that will drive new areas of mobile e- business growth.

In spite of the seemingly unlimited potential to drive new applications and markets in mobile e-commerce, new security and privacy risks particular to the wireless medium and devices abound in m-commerce applications. Integrating security and privacy into online m-commerce applications will enable a projected $25 billion market in wireless software, content, and commerce. On the other hand, failing to provide a secure system of m-commerce will significantly dampen consumer adoption rates.

In addition to contending with the usual Internet security threats in online applications, wireless devices introduce new hazards specific to their mobility and communication medium.

(Source: Examining the Risks in Wireless Computing, Communications at ACM, 2001).

Task 1

1. You are given a task to identify the security risks associated with the implementation of mobile e-commerce into business organisations. How does mobile e-commerce affect the transactions done by business organisations. Support your answer with relevant examples and evidences

Task 2

2. Why is data security the highest priority issue in many business organisations nowadays? How can large business organisations mitigate the risks of mobile e-commerce? Explain your answer with appropriate examples.

SECTION B) INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT

CASE PROBLEM 3: ETHICAL ISSUES IN COMPUTING

The TLR software company (fictitious name) based in Sultanate of Oman where you have been consultant for many years has a four-year-old relationship with a strong and stable European client; the EUROSOFT. In this economic phase of high demand for experienced software professionals, the company's relatively unknown name does not attract a lot of resources from the top tier, but it has still managed to create and retain a decent team with them for the last three years.

The trouble started five months ago, when one of the company's lead developers left for greener pastures. He left on good terms with the company's management, but he also left a big hole in the company's small structure that needed a quick replacement. Meanwhile, the EUROSOFT (as their client) was requesting a further increase in terms of team size to manage and handle the ever-increasing workload. Upon hearing this, Mr. James, an expert programmer and former company's employee showed interest in rejoining, as the pastures that he had left for earlier were drying up. The company was quite happy to have Mr. James back as he Would have partially patched up the widening hole, and already possessed prior domain knowledge on the project. The company and client were happy.

After two months, the company started scheduling interviews to hire support team members for Mr. James. The client sent one of their project managers from Europe to Oman to train team members for better offshore coordination. The company's CEO went out of the way to attend Mr. James numerous phone calls, and agreed to most of his demands, so eventually, Mr. James signed a contract with the company last week. Two days after Mr. James signed the contract; the CEO informed you that he had just gotten a one-liner email from Mr. James telling him that he won't be joining the company after all. No apologies, no explanations and no mention of the penalties for such an action that is included as standard in the contract. The CEO also heard from the grapevine that Mr. James had opted to join through another firm. Despite being an outsider for the most part, you were boggled by Mr. James arrogant and unprofessional behaviour. Ignoring it this time was not an option as such behaviour is not anomalous anymore.

(Source: Bosed on the scenario provided by Ethical Cases 2007 - pbworks.com)

Discussion Questions:

1. If you were the company's CEO, what would you have done? Support your answer.

2. What actions might be taken and what would be the consequences of these actions be? Explain clearly your answer with relevant examples.

3. Can anything be done to prevent this from reoccurring or to minimise the severity of th consequences? What would be the impact of the above mentioned scenario to TER Company? Support your answer.

PROBLEM 4: Intellectual Property

Not far from the bustling tourist areas in Ruwi, Sultanate of Oman, there is a shopping centre called the Oman's Arcade Shop (fictitious name) where dozens of shops sell hundreds of CD-ROM titles for as little as OMR 10 each. At a quick glance, they appear legitimate. However, they are actually counterfeits.

Counterfeit software is everywhere. In the United States, auction and classified ads sites are notorious for being rampant with counterfeit software.

According to the most recent survey conducted by Business Software Alliance, sixty percent (60%) of all software installed on computers in Oman is pirated. The Global Software Survey for 2014 by the Business Software Alliance confirms that a lot of work remains to be done in the area of software piracy. Anyone found guilty of software piracy in Oman will be punished.

Counterfeit software sometimes can be identified by close inspection of the discs, documentation (if available) and packaging. Poorly reproduced colour, misplaced trademark logos, missing documentation and typographical errors are warnings that the software may be counterfeit.

(Source: Software Piracy in Oman, Muscat Daily, 2016 and SIIA IP Protection)

1. What do you think are the consequences both software publishers and users are facing in using counterfeit software? What are the consequences if my business is using unlicensed software? Support your answer with relevant law/s on software piracy.

2. Suppose one of your employees installed counterfeit software on an office computer without your knowledge, do you think you as an employer will be liable for your employee's actions? Why or why not? Explain your answer clearly; '

3. Do you agree with the statement below about software piracy? Why or Why not? Does the government of Oman have the ability to go after software pirates? Support your answer with Oman's law in software piracy.

"Software piracy by users has been identified as the worst problem facing the software industry today. Software piracy permits the shadow diffusion of software parallel to its legal diffusion in the marketplace, increasing its user base over time. Because of this software shadow diffusion, a software firm loses potential profits, access to a significant proportion of the software user base, opportunities for cross-selling, and marketing its other products and new generations of the software."

(Source: Software Piracy: Estimation of Lost Sales and the Impact on Software Dillusion, Muller, etal 2007)