Information Tech has revolutionized the phase of business around the world.

Local
businesses have become international due to a simple website. I.T. has helped businesses in
advertising. People who check their email may suddenly have a pop up at their page ends
with sales up to 60% at JC Penny's!

I.T. has helped in customer service, huge corporations like Microsoft attend to customer
needs through email and chat services. Networking internal and external in organizations
has improved the working of businesses. Staffs and clients likewise can get in touch with the
managers for feedback, progress reports and extensions.
Communication has bloomed, two business organizations if they need to work together can
easily do so. Hotmail, when merged with MSN was easy since the service was online.
Business these days require a lot of planning, due to high tech organization systems on
computers, planning can be done on an organized pattern, with schedule formats, grant
charts etc. Huge databases can now be controlled and stored on network and back up
drives.

Together with the advancement of science and technology, technological innovations grew
along with it, resulting to the emergence of new equipment and gadgets. No matter how big
or small your company is, technology brings both intangible and tangible benefits to become
cost efficient and to meet the growing demands and needs of customers. Technological
innovations affect corporate efficiency, culture and relationship among employees, clients,
suppliers and customers. The type and quality of technology used affect the security of
confidential business information.
Due to the burden brought by administrative tasks, like inventory, bookkeeping and records
keeping, both big and small companies rely on computers to do their administrative works.
The birth of Internet and online social networking sites tremendously decreased the costs of
business operations. It also makes it easier for companies to use the Six Sigma
management methodologies. Some firms shifted to outsourcing instead of hiring their own
personnel due to the low costs associated with it. Because of the huge impact of
technological innovations to companies, it is impossible for them to live with it.
Commonly used high technology equipment:
Computers
Photocopier
Telephone
Computer printer
Internet
Paper shredder
Multimedia projector
Touch screen monitors
Computer mouse
Laptop computers
Advantages of Technology to Business:
Customer Relations. Technology affects the way companies communicate and
establish relations with their clients. In a fast moving and business environment, it is vital
for them to interact with clients regularly and quickly to gain their trust and to obtain
customer loyalty. With the use of Internet and online social networks, firms interact with
consumers and answer all their queries about the product. Establishing effective
communication with customers not only creates rapport with them, but it also creates

strong public image. It allows business enterprises to reduce and to cut carbon dioxide
emissions.
Business Operations. With the use of technological innovations, business owners and
entrepreneur understand their cash flow better, how to manage their storage costs well and
enables you to save time and money.
Corporate Culture. Technology lets employees communicate and interact with other
employees in other countries. It establishes clique and prevents social tensions from arising.
Security. Modern security equipment enables companies to protect their financial
data, confidential business information and decisions.
Research Opportunities. It provides a venue to conduct studies to keep themselves
ahead of competitors. It allows companies to virtually travel into unknown markets.
Corporate Reports. With technology, business enterprises communicate effectively
with their branch offices to deliver quality financial and operational reports.
Industrial Productivity. Through the use of business software programs or software
packages, it automated traditional manufacturing process, reduces labor costs and enhances
manufacturing productivity. It enables companies to increase efficiency and production
output.
Business mobility. Technological innovations improved companies' sales, services,
shorted lead time on receiving and delivering goods and services. Enables them to penetrate
multiple markets at least costs.
Research capacity. It enables them to conduct studies on various companies to gain
knowledge on the new trends in the market and way on avoiding them.
A recent survey of United States manufacturers asked what they thought were the most
important attributes an agent must possess to succeed. "Technical product knowledge" was
most valuable while "Internet marketing capabilities," even in mid1999, came in with only I
percent of the vote. With the advantages of IT for the manufacturer, the agent and the
foreign buyer, advocacy and praise of comprehensive technical product knowledge is
misplaced and takes us in the wrong direction. Surveys such as the one cited here not only
reflect the current sentiments of the people, but also perpetuate similarities and traits that
make it easier for us to identify those people and companies that we want to be
commercially associated with.
It is no wonder that most manufacturers are unaware of this fact - what little literature
there is on the subject is not readily available. Thus, with a principal's preconceptions fixed
in a pre-IT world, they do not grasp the convergence of IT with rep agencies that combine
this technology and international experience. As a result, they will have a difficult time
working from the same set of assumptions about how to conduct business internationally. IT
is a miraculous tool. As Copernicus, the 16th century astronomer, posthumously
demonstrated, evolving knowledge inevitably trumps conventional thought. And keep in
mind that this is the same type of conventional thinking that is producing our gargantuan
trade deficits. The current conceit might be that the world economy will always revolve
around the United States and we can remain satiated indefinitely with just our home
marketplace. Knowing that this thinking is not sustainable should help in forcing us to
reappraise those things that can facilitate more exports of domestic products to our
international partners.
In the continental United States, the logistics of a manufacturers' representative calling on
customers to explain their line (s) of products in their limited geographic area mostly
precludes the need for Internet marketing. But internationally, when one factors in eight to
16 time zone differences on multiple continents, IT inverts the above scoring of attributes.
Mindful of the obvious impracticality of traveling in person to see multiple of attributes.
Mindful of the obvious impracticality of traveling in person to see multiple customers in far-

flung locales, I have formed some guidelines concerning what lines to take on and how to
interact with manufacturers:
- Category Creators - Take on lines from companies that are making unique products. These
lines, if they are highly differentiated and easy to understand through your client's Web site,
give your foreign customer an immediate marketing advantage in his country and make
unnecessary the need for a high degree of technical product knowledge.
- Joint Selling - If you must take on a unique but highly technical product, make sure you
work out an ongoing technical assistance arrangement with your manufacturer.
- Gradualism: Domesticating the Process of International Trade
- For those principals that are still uncomfortable working with overseas customers, start by
selling to the United States buying offices of your foreign buyers. It is always interesting
how many client manufacturers are surprised that many international buyers are located in
North America.
- Wave the Flag - Make sure your contract with manufacturers spells out that you do not
want information relating to detailed product cost, production process methods or
confidential business strategies. With the end of the Cold War, there has been a shift from
the threat of ICBMs to economic warfare. Given the reality of industrial espionage, even
amongst our own allies, by purposely keeping your company separate from the highly
sensitive information of your principal, you demonstrate foresight that you have your client's
best interests in mind.
Wave Them In - The "them" is the FBI and the National Counterintelligence Center (NACIC).
The FBI can consult with your clients about protection of sensitive data, and the NACIC
posts advisories that can heighten their overall awareness of possible risks. Combined, this
step and the previous one will help them feet more confident that they can proceed in the
export process.
- Wave Goodbye - If it becomes obvious during your meeting(s) with the manufacturer that
they do not have the drive or the intent to create the infrastructure necessary for export,
then Opt Out. You will be doing everyone a favor, especially your valued overseas buyers
who have surmised that part of the agent's job is the vetting of unreliable suppliers.
Now that the attributes and traits of international manufacturers' representatives, vis-a-vis
domestic representatives, have been somewhat scrambled, I want to point out how
international agencies might fall under a new classification. If under the current taxonomy,
domestic manufacturers' representatives are a "species," then international manufacturers'
representative agencies, as a "subspecies," might best be named "International Information
Brokers" (IIB). Besides selling the manufacturer's products or services to foreign buyers,
what greatly distinguishes the IIB is: They have developed the skills for the remote retrieval
of information and the organization of that information for manufacturers that desire to sell
internationally. Though hazy and vague to those not familiar with the process, in the hands
of an IIB, resources are accessible from an ever-widening variety of sources.
Technology affects businesses on many levels. The more efficient an employee is, the more
productive he is to the company. In addition, the more a business stays in touch with its
customer base, the better the chance of building customer loyalty. Advances in technology
make that possible, as well as allowing employees from around the world to work via video
conferencing and telecommuting to work.

1.
Consumers
o The impact of technology on a business isn't restricted to business use. A business is also
affected when consumers use technology. At one time, the only way some people had to file
their tax returns was through going to either a certified public accountant or a professional
tax preparer, or doing taxes themselves. The tax code is complex and some people might
not have felt secure in preparing their taxes on their own. However, accounting software
evolved to the point where many people simply had to answer a series of questions and the
computer would do the rest, including filing the information electronically.

Crossover
o The technology a business uses might not have been designed for businesses. From a
marketing point of view, a company makes more money by going after consumers than
businesses. Consumers might buy the latest upgrade to a technological device, such as an
iPhone, while businesses tend to use products for longer periods of time. On the other hand,
the more consumers purchase the latest product, the better the business side of
manufacturing does. A company can reach the consumer market first, then expand into the
business arena. When Apple added enhanced security features to the iPhone, businesses
began to look at adding iPhones to the list of acceptable phones to use in the business
environment, resulting in a crossover market.
Social Networking
o Social networking affects the business environment. Employees are connected to social
networks. This can be a double-edged sword, however. An employee might post something
about the business publicly which should not be shared. In addition, employees need to
understand what gets posted for the public to see can have an impact on the work
environment, especially if the employee is posting negative comments about the work
environment or other employees. On the flip side, businesses can use social networks to
monitor customer satisfaction. For example, if a customer is not happy with a product and
he posts his feelings online, the company can contact the customer and try to resolve any
problems. Since social networks have links to friends and family, seeing the company work
hard to make things right with the customer might turn the potential loss of a customer into
the chance to gain new customers.
Telecommuting
o Technology has had a large impact on the business environment in terms of
telecommuting. With broadband access and computers today, as well as smartphones,
employees can work out of their homes, saving the company money by not needing as
physically large a space to operate. With video conferencing, business meetings no longer
need to be face-to-face, saving on air fare and hotel reservations.
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