Postingan
Summary
ICT is an umbrella term, encompassing any type of communications technology such as radio, television, satellite or Internet access designed to facilitate the transfer of information between two or more parties. For the purpose of this article, we will focus on recent developments in ICT and how these technologies support business processes. In particular, the global Internet and the services and applications which reside on it have had significant impact on the way businesses reach consumers.
Developments in E-Business Support
The term E-Business can be defined as the usage of Internet based media to reach out to consumers, with a variety of intentions, such as:
Marketing: The proliferation of e-mail access and social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter make it easier than ever for companies to directly reach consumers. These technologies allow for rapidly deployable marketing campaigns which can incentivize consumers with discounts or other special offers. As of late, such marketing efforts are frequently combined with E-Commerce.
Brand Awareness: Like in traditional advertising media such as radio and billboards, advertisers are able to use the Internet to build brand awareness. Advertising in the form of banner ads, product placement in games and “viral” videos on websites like YouTube help keep certain brands in the forefront of consumer’s minds.
Technical Support: Traditionally, a consumer would have a single choice in the event there was a technical problem with their purchase – calling a telephone number and hoping they could adequately explain the problem to a technical support representative. Today, consumers have several more options including online knowledgebases maintained by manufacturers and community based forums where customers can collaborate together to find solutions to common problems. Further, many companies are using chat-based support systems which allow technical support agents to work on multiple cases at once, unlike the 1:1 ratio needed for telephone based service. These tools dramatically reduce staffing costs for companies which deploy them.
Customer Service: Much like the technical support example above, customers can reach out to companies using technology such as e-mail and social media. Such services tend to make consumers feel “closer” to companies, by being able to exchange articulate, specific responses to common problems.
Developments in E-Commerce
While first popularized in highly developed countries such as the United States, online shopping or E-Commerce has revolutionized the way consumers buy products. From virtual department stores like Amazon.com to small sellers of “niche” products to a specific target demographic, there are hundreds of thousands of online marketplaces to learn more about a particular product, compare prices and ultimately purchase.
Most online shopping is transacted using a credit card. Banks and credit card networks such as Visa and Mastercard have made significant advancements in security measures to detour fraudulent purchases. Examples of this would be Mastercard’s SecureCard program, which sends the consumer and SMS with a time-limited PIN code in order to complete an online transaction.
Mobile Platforms
In recent years, great strides have been made with so-called “smart phones” such as Blackberry and Apple’s iPhone. These devices allow individuals or companies to author applications which aid in all forms of business-to-consumer ICT. Examples would include applications which allow consumers to compare prices on a product by “scanning” a barcode using the phone’s camera, to scaled down online stores allowing for direct purchasing of products.
Latest trends in ICT based Advertising
Smart phones also make reaching an intended target market very easy. Advancements in GPS technology allow consumers to have specific deals or coupons sent to them for products or services that they are interested in. Further, other location-aware services such as FourSqaure help consumers find the location of friends and colleagues in real-time, thus increasing patronage of already popular venues.
QR codes, the square shaped barcodes found frequently in advertisements and signboards are another major advancement in advertising specific ICT. These codes typically contain a summary of a particular product or service, along with a special deal or discount. This type of passive advertising technique brings in consumers who are actively looking for more information about a particular product, thus are more likely to buy.
Internet based advertising has evolved well away from the traditional static banner ad. By use of browser cookies, search engines can build an online database of your search history and share this information with advertising networks. As an example, if you are searching for a hotel in the Swiss Alps, this information might be relevant to an online store selling ski equipment. Such targeted advertising is not only useful and relevant to the consumer, but also helps advertisers make their investment go farther, targeting only potential customers with a likely need for their product or service.
ICT support in PR efforts:
Prior to the proliferation of the Internet, a company would need to fax a press release to every news outlet, with the hope that the information would wind up on the desk and catch the eye of an editor. Today, companies are able to quickly and easily disseminate information to a worldwide audience, including self publication of news stories on blogs.
Further, important events and announcements can be delivered via live video, then archived for later viewing by the masses.
These technologies allow companies to efficiently and effectively communication information to the public, sometimes bypassing the traditional press all together.
ICT is an umbrella term, encompassing any type of communications technology such as radio, television, satellite or Internet access designed to facilitate the transfer of information between two or more parties. For the purpose of this article, we will focus on recent developments in ICT and how these technologies support business processes. In particular, the global Internet and the services and applications which reside on it have had significant impact on the way businesses reach consumers.
Developments in E-Business Support
The term E-Business can be defined as the usage of Internet based media to reach out to consumers, with a variety of intentions, such as:
Marketing: The proliferation of e-mail access and social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter make it easier than ever for companies to directly reach consumers. These technologies allow for rapidly deployable marketing campaigns which can incentivize consumers with discounts or other special offers. As of late, such marketing efforts are frequently combined with E-Commerce.
Brand Awareness: Like in traditional advertising media such as radio and billboards, advertisers are able to use the Internet to build brand awareness. Advertising in the form of banner ads, product placement in games and “viral” videos on websites like YouTube help keep certain brands in the forefront of consumer’s minds.
Technical Support: Traditionally, a consumer would have a single choice in the event there was a technical problem with their purchase – calling a telephone number and hoping they could adequately explain the problem to a technical support representative. Today, consumers have several more options including online knowledgebases maintained by manufacturers and community based forums where customers can collaborate together to find solutions to common problems. Further, many companies are using chat-based support systems which allow technical support agents to work on multiple cases at once, unlike the 1:1 ratio needed for telephone based service. These tools dramatically reduce staffing costs for companies which deploy them.
Customer Service: Much like the technical support example above, customers can reach out to companies using technology such as e-mail and social media. Such services tend to make consumers feel “closer” to companies, by being able to exchange articulate, specific responses to common problems.
Developments in E-Commerce
While first popularized in highly developed countries such as the United States, online shopping or E-Commerce has revolutionized the way consumers buy products. From virtual department stores like Amazon.com to small sellers of “niche” products to a specific target demographic, there are hundreds of thousands of online marketplaces to learn more about a particular product, compare prices and ultimately purchase.
Most online shopping is transacted using a credit card. Banks and credit card networks such as Visa and Mastercard have made significant advancements in security measures to detour fraudulent purchases. Examples of this would be Mastercard’s SecureCard program, which sends the consumer and SMS with a time-limited PIN code in order to complete an online transaction.
Mobile Platforms
In recent years, great strides have been made with so-called “smart phones” such as Blackberry and Apple’s iPhone. These devices allow individuals or companies to author applications which aid in all forms of business-to-consumer ICT. Examples would include applications which allow consumers to compare prices on a product by “scanning” a barcode using the phone’s camera, to scaled down online stores allowing for direct purchasing of products.
Latest trends in ICT based Advertising
Smart phones also make reaching an intended target market very easy. Advancements in GPS technology allow consumers to have specific deals or coupons sent to them for products or services that they are interested in. Further, other location-aware services such as FourSqaure help consumers find the location of friends and colleagues in real-time, thus increasing patronage of already popular venues.
QR codes, the square shaped barcodes found frequently in advertisements and signboards are another major advancement in advertising specific ICT. These codes typically contain a summary of a particular product or service, along with a special deal or discount. This type of passive advertising technique brings in consumers who are actively looking for more information about a particular product, thus are more likely to buy.
Internet based advertising has evolved well away from the traditional static banner ad. By use of browser cookies, search engines can build an online database of your search history and share this information with advertising networks. As an example, if you are searching for a hotel in the Swiss Alps, this information might be relevant to an online store selling ski equipment. Such targeted advertising is not only useful and relevant to the consumer, but also helps advertisers make their investment go farther, targeting only potential customers with a likely need for their product or service.
ICT support in PR efforts:
Prior to the proliferation of the Internet, a company would need to fax a press release to every news outlet, with the hope that the information would wind up on the desk and catch the eye of an editor. Today, companies are able to quickly and easily disseminate information to a worldwide audience, including self publication of news stories on blogs.
Further, important events and announcements can be delivered via live video, then archived for later viewing by the masses.
These technologies allow companies to efficiently and effectively communication information to the public, sometimes bypassing the traditional press all together.
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- Judul Artikel : ICT and Business "Process Support Technology"
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