 1. Given the critical nature of defense activities, security in this environment is a primary concern. How do the agencies discussed in the case address this issue? Can you think of anything else they could be doing? Provide some recommendations.
Although open source software may seem less secure than proprietary software, it might be the other way around. Since the code is openly accessible to a lot of programmers, bugs and loopholes are constantly being checked and fixed, unlike proprietary software where the company still has to wait for the next release from the author or company that created it. But being secure doesn’t mean that it is a perfect software. It will still do some tasks well and others not so well; in other words, like proprietary software, it will still have limitations and weaknesses. Because of this, we suggest for the organization to use open source software only to support non-classified functions such as hr, accounting and payroll – universal business functions where people outside the company are knowledgeable about. By doing so, outsiders and enemies will be completely clueless of the capabilities and functionalities of the software that support their critical functions like military tactics and weaponry details. 2. The U.S. Department of Defense is arguably one of the largest organizations in the world. Managing technology for such an organization is certainly a major endeavor. Does the shift toward open-source initiatives help in this regard? Does it hurt? Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of adopting open-source applications in large organizations. A shift toward open source software would likely result in more software updates from either in-house or third party programmers than replacement of the whole software. One of the major strengths of open source is the ability to modify the code to fit the organization’s need. This means changes to the organization’s software can be applied faster and will likely cause fewer disruptions in operations. However, there will be disruptions when the company implements its first batch of open source software as they will likely have compatibility issues with the existing proprietary software that are still being used in the organization.  Inflation is an occurrence that most people are aware of but don’t truly understand. We just accept it is a burden that occurs that we have to deal with. However, inflation can also be a source of opportunity, and there is value in having a better understanding of it.
In my opinion, Inflation is already providing value even if we are unaware of it. The constant decrease in our purchasing power has to be one of the reasons people work hard. Without this seemingly perpetual force that is reducing our worth every day, there would be more of us just sitting at home or working less efficiently. Perhaps our favorite restaurants, gadgets or officemates may not be with us today if not for inflation. While the hidden value of inflation can be argued, the value from taking time to understand it better and opportunities it provides is more definite. We sell finishing materials in our family business. The most obvious occurrence of inflation for us is the price increase of goods from our suppliers. It was common practice for us to increase inventory prior to price increase so as to enjoy a higher gross margin when the new price takes effect. Of course, this is one of the most basic practices in business and all of our competitors who are liquid likely also do this. We recently decided not to increase our prices; instead, we aggressively searched for new customers to attract with our old prices. With this, we were able to gain new customers, and as long as we develop a good relationship with them, they’ll likely continue to transact with us even if our prices become the same as our competitors. We never took time to consider the other impacts of inflation. Had we realized that it could push us to a higher tax bracket, we could have negotiated with suppliers to lower the increase in price in exchange for higher volume of order. Had we known that we could help control inflation, we could have done our part by working more efficiently. It is natural to treat inflation as a problem and there is nothing wrong with that. However, it would be mistake to simply ignore it. Like many problems, it can be resolved, although only partially, but more importantly, it can be a source of opportunity.  Imagine a world where you no longer have to drive. In the morning while travelling to the office, you can relax, read newspapers, browse emails, drink coffee, or do other things you’d otherwise not do while driving under current situations. There will be no traffic jams and car-related accidents. Daily commutes will be as peaceful as a walk in the park. This is the dream of so many, but it’s not totally plausible. In fact it’s already starting to happen now. Recent progress by Google is turning driverless living to reality with the launch of automated vehicles that are improving rapidly year by year. Google, which piloted Toyota Prius in 2010, believes that their technology will hit the road within the next 5 years. Other players, Daimler AG and Nissan Motor Co are expected to market launch their own self-driving cars by 2020. Audi, Volvo, GM, Ford and Toyota are also in the process of testing their own models. In the US, at least three states have legalized the use of self-driving cars. Many more are expected to follow suit. But will this technology be truly beneficial to society? Will it be affordable? How will it change our lives? This report examines the general implications of self-driving cars on human transportation. It looks at areas of application as well as potential costs and benefits when applied to ordinary civilians. In addition, it analyzes potential ethical issues related to the use of the technology into people’s decisions and daily lives. Download PDF to read full paper 
As a person with an IT background, I feel embarrassed to share that we barely have any IT resources in our family business. We have two computers that we use to send emails to customers, keep track of inventory and check sales information. Our company’s strategy is to minimize costs so we can provide customers with the lowest price in the market.
In our company, we don’t actively look for technology that would help us; we turn to technology when there is a need. The initial purpose of the computers was to keep track of the inventory in order to prevent pilferage. We recorded only the quantity available per item. Eventually we also recorded the details of each purchase and sale transaction which includes the customer name, supplier name, date of purchase and price of item sold because it was too time consuming to look through piles of delivery receipts to get the information. Although not originally planned, having these data enabled us to get information relating to sales. We were able to identify the fastest moving products of the previous month, the customer with most transactions, or the number of 20” by 20” tiles sold in 2012. As for email, we only began this means of communication with customers when we needed to send them pictures.  "Companies don’t need to contact these opinion leaders in order to gain value from them. They can merely observe them to get an idea of coming trends in society." 1.How can companies benefit from the “cultural assessments” regularly performed by Mattel? How could the information obtained be used to create business value for those organizations? Provide multiple examples.
Unlike other companies that look for the “influentials,” or opinion leaders in the online community, and have them promote products and services, Mattel takes a broader approach by performing “cultural assessments.” This involves analyzing language, behavioral patterns, and values. By doing so, Mattel can determine the trends in their target market instead of trying to start one with the help of opinion leaders. Information from “cultural assessments” can provide value in many ways. Here are some examples for Mattel: a.By lurking around forums, Mattel may discover growing concerns of people in the community, perhaps toxic materials in children’s toys. With this information, they may market their toys with a focus on their use of 100% non-toxic materials. b.Perhaps people in the online community are becoming thriftier, spending only a percentage of their salary on luxury items such as toys. Mattel can then compute for the ideal price of their products accordingly. c.Mattel may find out that kids these days have more attitude and try harder to be hip than kids in the previous generation. They can use this informationwhen developing new products that will attract the target market. | Juan Pedro
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