Intermediate 1 Administration

Intermediate 1 Administration

Administrative Services

Learning Outcome 4

PUPIL NOTES

· The Internet

· Email

· Other Electronic Communication

o Instant Messaging

o Discussion Groups

o Fax

o Voicemail

o Video-conferencing

· Networks

· Electronic Diaries

· Information and ICT Legislation

THE INTERNET

The internet is a way of accessing information and services from all over the world. Most businesses today make use of the internet on a day to day basis to keep the business running.

Some of the ways that businesses use the internet are as follows:

· To communicate with business contacts and customers through email and other systems.

· To find out information. This could be about their competitors or may be other information such as weather reports or news articles.

· To make use of online services such as banking or insurance.

· To set up their own website to provide information to customers.

· To set up an ecommerce website so that they can sell directly to customers.

· To buy stock from suppliers.

One of the main uses of the internet in a business is as a source of information. There are several advantages to using the internet for research but businesses should be cautious as there are also several drawbacks to be aware of:

ADVANTAGES OF USING THE INTERNET FOR RESEARCH / DISADVANTAGES OF USING THE INTERNET FOR RESEARCH /
· Using search engines can make finding information quick and easy
· There is a lot of information available
· You can access the internet from almost anywhere 24/7
· The information will usually be up-to-date / · Search engines can return millions of results of which only a few may be useful
CONT…
· Anyone can add information to the internet so it will not always to reliable
· The information is constantly changing which can lead to confusion

Another main use of the internet for businesses is as a market place. Many business now allow customers to order products from their website and have them delivered to their homes.

This is good for the business because:

· They get access to customers all over the world which should increase sales.

· They can cut costs on renting high street shops.

· They can contact their customers by email to advertise.

It is also good for customers because:

· They will have much more choice as they can buy from businesses all over the world.

· They can easily compare prices which allows them to save money.

· They can have products delivered to their door which is more convenient than travelling to the shops.

· They can shop at any time of the day or night.

Email has become one of the most common methods of communication in businesses. It is used to communicate both with colleagues within the businesses and people outside of the businesses such as colleagues.

Email involves messages being sent electronically via the internet between mailboxes. This means that messages can be sent directly from computer to computer (or phone, laptop, PDA etc.) all over the world.

There are many reasons why email is so widely used as a method of communication but businesses should also be aware of some of the drawbacks involved in using it:

ADVANTAGES OF EMAIL / DISADVANTAGES OF EMAIL
· Messages are sent very quickly, perhaps even instantly
· It is very cheap as you don’t have to pay for each message you send
· It is convenient as you are able to access your email account anywhere that has an internet connection
· It is secure as you can password protect your email account / · You are not able to see the body language or hear the tome of the person sending the message so it may be taken in the wrong way
· The system needs to be monitored to ensure staff are not sending personal/inappropriate emails
· Junk/SPAM mail may clog up in-boxes and cause important messages to be missed
· Some people may not check their in-box regularly causing messages to be missed

OTHER ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION

Although email is the most common methods of electronic communication, there are several other options which businesses may choose to make use of.

Instant Messaging (eg. MSN)

This is a system which allows 2 or more people to type messages to each other in real time. This allows them to have a live electronic conversation and get instant feedback to their comments. It can even be used to communicate with customers, for example to help them solve a technical problem.

Discussion Group

This is an online where people can post questions and comments. Other users of the discussion group can then post responses at any time. This is not live conversation. It can be a good way of getting people in an organisation to work in a team.

Fax

Fax is used by businesses to send an exact copy of a document. It will be scanned by the senders fax machine then sent down the phone line as a code. The message will then be printed out by the recipients fax machine. This can be useful for sending a document which contains a drawing or signature.

Voicemail

Voicemail is a system used by mobile phones. When you are not available to take a call your messages will be diverted to your voicemail in-box to leave a message. At a convenient time you can then call your voicemail provides to access your stored messages.

Video-Conferencing

Video-conferencing uses video recording equipment to allow people in different locations to see and hear each other. This allows business meetings to be held between people all over the world. This is good for the business as it can cut down on travelling expenses and also allow them to have more regular meetings between branches and offices.

NETWORKS

A network is a way of connecting computers together in an organisation so that they are able to share resources. All computers will run from one very powerful central computer called the server.

There are 2 main types of network:

· LAN (local area network) – this is a network which covers a small area, usually just one building, eg. an office or a school.

· WAN (wide area network) – this is a network which connects computers together over a much larger area, eg. a business which has several offices in different places.

There are several advantages of having a network set up in an organisation:

ü Printers and scanners can be shared between several machines saving the business money.

ü Files can be shared centrally and shared between people on the network.

ü All data will be backed up centrally by the server so information will be more secure.

ü An internal email system can be set up which can improve communication.

However there can also be come disadvantages to setting up a network:

L The network equipment and cabling can be very expensive for the organisation to buy.

L It will take a lot of time to train staff in how to use the network.

L A network manager will usually need to be employed to keep the system running smoothly and the organisation will have to pay their wages.

L If a virus is introduces to any computer in the network it can quickly spread through the whole system.

ELECTRONIC DIARIES

Receptionists need to use an appointments diary to keep track of when meetings and appointments have been arranged. They may do this in a paper based diary which would be kept at reception. However many organisations now use electronic diaries which have several advantages:

· Available slots for appointments will be automatically found rather than having to manually flick through pages in a paper diary.

· If a meeting takes place regularly (eg. weekly) the details only need to be entered once and the details can be automatically entered for every week.

· Diaries can be accessed from any computer in the business rather than only having one paper based copy of the diary at reception.

· The diary can be easily edited and updated without having to score things out.

INFORMATION AND ICT LEGISLATION

Organisations hold lots of information including customer details, employee details, business ideas and research.

To ensure that they do not misuse or act irresponsibly with information laws have been introduced which businesses have to follow.

DATA PROTECTION ACT

The Data Protection Act was set up to protect people’s personal details which are held by companies. For example a businesses may keep information in their customers records such as:

Name

Address

Contact Details

Bank Details

It is important that businesses keep these details safe to prevent fraud and identity theft from taking place.

When holding personal details about people, businesses must follow a number of rules:

1. They must collect the data fairly and lawfully. In other words people must know that the business is going to use their information.

2. The information can only be used for the reasons that they have given at the time they gathered it.

3. They cannot hand out the information to any other organisations unless they have asked permission from the person it is about.

4. The information collected should be relevant but not excessive. This means that the business should not collect any information from people which they don’t need to have.

5. Any information held on people should be kept accurate and up-to-date.

6. They should not hold into the information for any longer than they need it.

7. People are entitled to know what information is held about them by a business. They are also entitled to have it changed if it is incorrect.

8. The information must be kept securely in the organisation and disposed of in a safe manner when it is not needed any more.

The Copyright Act is designed to prevent illegal copying of published materials. Copyright can cover lots of different types of materials such as:

Books

Websites

Music

Pictures

Films

Newspapers

Computer Software

If a business wishes to make a copy of anything that is protected by copyright they will have to ask permission from the owner of the material.

You can tell that materials are protected by copyright when you see:

· The statement ‘no part of this publication may be reproduced without permission’.

COMPUTER MISUSE ACT

The Computer Misuse Act was introduced to protect computer systems. It makes it illegal to access a computer system without permission (hacking).

The following things are not allowed under this act:

· Accessing computer material without permission.

· Accessing computer materials with the intention of committing an offence.

· Accessing computer materials and making changes to information or settings.