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Running head: COLLABORATION TECHNOLOGIES 1

Collaboration Technologies

Jason Geesey

Argosy University
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Introduction

To improve organizational success and profits management is responsible for minimizing

mistakes. Hence, managers have employed utility scales, sensitivity analysis, and scorecards to

improve their decision-making results. Now, companies are utilizing technology to reduce costs,

increase information flows, and adapt to changes from consumer and market demands (Gilbert,

2011). According to Gilbert, collaboration technologies such as Cloud computing can handle

and make business decisions that positively impact an organization.

This article will analyze the current state of the art technology for collaboration

technologies and introduce some of its top vendors. It will also discuss how data is validated and

used to facilitate decision methods. Finally, privacy and confidentiality issues are addressed to

illustrate how the speed and custody of information affects Global Privacy and Security laws.

Cloud Computing

Cloud computing has caused a major paradigm shift for businesses and government that

are Internet-based (Gilbert, 2011). In fact, he contends that most information and resources are

hosted and managed with cloud computing software. This collaborative technology allows

companies to run customer relationship management and finance apps that instantly make credit

decisions such as approval for credit, credit limit increases, or customer retention offers within

seconds (Mullins, 2011). In the past, these decisions could take management up to 24 hours.

The recent state of the art break through by Quantivo (an IMB company) is the ability to

analyze compressed data that is 10% of its normal size (Mullins, 2011). This is a major

breakthrough because it adds significantly to a company’s existing data storage capacity. The

other uses for cloud allow businesses to track their sales, inventory, promotions, and loyalty

program activities (Mullins). The collaboration for all of these activities is essential for creating
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competitive advantage.

All of the tech giants, HP, IBM, EMC, and Oracle are leading vendors for collaboration

technology (Mullins, 2011). As many of them moved away from hardware they focused on

enterprise applications and data analytics (Mullins). In particular, it just makes sense for these

vendors to develop collaboration technology to integrate with their enterprise resource

applications (Mullins). In many cases tech giants like IBM will acquire startups with cloud

computing expertise to improve their collaboration technologies.

Data Validation

The essence of data validation is to ensure the information is true and transparent (Alreck

& Settle, 2004). Actually, these are the same goals and reasons why businesses and federal

agencies have moved to the cloud environments (Anonymous, 2011). According to Anonymous,

“Cloud services have improved transparency and collaboration between agencies” (p. 17). Since

the majority of an organization’s information is proprietary for their use to benefit from its

transparency validates the collaboration of data.

In other words, organizations and firms use the information on a continuous basis for

tracking their own sales and operations (Mullins, 2011). In turn, the information is used to make

business decisions that impact the company as it helps predict buying patterns and behaviors

(Mullins). Since the information is relevant for the success of the organization the data being

collaborated must be valid.

Decision Methods

As mentioned above, cloud services provide businesses with several decision methods.

One of the most common decisions is determining the credit worthiness of consumers and their

value to the company (Mullins, 2011). A current revelation is the collaboration of social media
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in tracking suspicious credit card activity to prevent identity theft (Mullins). These are just two

examples that illustrate how collaboration technology is used to make and improve business

decisions.

Privacy and Confidentiality

One of the biggest controversies with collaboration technologies is the security and

responsibility of privacy and confidentiality (Gilbert, Jones, & Williams, 2009). Gilbert et al.

contends this is a global concern for all regulators. The main problem with collaboration

technologies is the responsible party. At this point, the dilemma is determining which party is

the data processor or data controller (Gilbert et al.). According to the Global Privacy and

Security Law the data controller is ultimately responsible for privacy and confidentiality (Gilbert

et al.).

The service providers (IBM) contend they are the data processors while the customers

(business or federal agency) are the data controllers (Gilbert). Yet, many of the service providers

want full control of the data and in many instances act as data controllers (Gilbert). To protect

themselves, services providers have set terms in their contracts to emphasize they are not

responsible for privacy and confidentiality issues (Gilbert). Nevertheless, recent cases have

overturned this contract provision when services providers have acted as data controllers and

were found negligent (Gilbert).

The bottom line is there is much concern over privacy and confidentiality issues with

personal and proprietary information. Currently, there are unsettled legal issues for who is

responsible for data. However, to ensure the integrity and sustainability of collaboration

technologies, service providers will have to maintain the highest level of privacy and

confidentially. Thus, privacy and confidentiality issues should not be a major concern.
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Conclusion

In short, the article introduced collaboration technology and the state of the art cloud

services. It was no surprise that tech giants like IBM are the vendors for this technology. The

article also revealed that data is validated through internal transparency. Moreover, cloud

services illustrated how technology is used to facilitate decision methods and issues regarding

privacy and confidentiality. Fittingly, the research should help the audience understand the

significance of collaboration technology for making decisions for businesses and government

agencies.
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References

Alreck, P. L., & Settle, R. B. (2004). The survey research handbook. NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.

Anonymous, (2011). IBM supplies cloud services to federal community to speed agency

adoption of social collaboration technologies. Manufacturing Close – up, , n/a. Retrieved

from ProQuest.

Gilbert, F. (2011). Cloud service providers as joint-data controllers. Journal of Internet Law,

15(2), 3-3-13. Retrieved from ProQuest.

Gilbert, F., Jones, F. F., & Williams, I. (2009). The power of cloud services. Mason, OH:

Cengage.

Mullins, R. (2011). Quantivo launches cloud-delivered data analytics service. Network

Computing – Online, , n/a. Retrieved from ProQuest.

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