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Need help The Benefits and Risks of Using Skype at Darcy’s: A Short Report September 20, 2013 Prepared for: Darcy’s Department Store Prepared by: Student Name BUS105 2 Background The East Coast buyers for Darcy’s Department Store are looking for an economical and efficient way to share information about the deals buyers are getting from various suppliers and use real-time transmission of that information between one another to help save money. There are a number of tools to do this, but Skype has been mentioned as a leading contender. Skype claims to be an easy to use, online tool that allows users to connect with any other Skype user around the world for free. A user can make video and voice calls to other Skype users at no charge. Users can even share files among themselves, which provides a great asset during a business meeting. However, when there are group video calls, then Skype begins to charge a fee. Also, for buyers throughout the East Coast, this tool can be useful if they need to talk with one another. However, for meetings that require more than two attendees, Skype is not a useful tool and is not intended to work that way for business. Benefits Among the most attractive benefits of Skype is that it is free and you can see the person you are talking with. To purchase a software license for 20 buyers that is compatible to what Skype can do will cost Darcy’s roughly $1,500 per month. There are no hidden charges with Skype. According to Skype’s web page, users get video and voice calls to other Skype users and “instant messaging and file sharing” all at no charge. The video sharing feature of Skype will allow the buyers to see products in real time. For example, if two buyers are looking at similar merchandise from two different suppliers who are offering different pricing, then they can quickly Skype one another and compare the product to see if it is the same and to then get the best pricing for it. Two business writers for the Auburn Citizen in NY, state that there are business users “who can save time and money in scheduling and holding conferences or training sessions, demonstrate products or services for potential customers, and extend customer service by showing customers how to get the most from your product” (Leon and Leon). Downsides Despite the benefits mentioned above, there are clear downsides to this product. I tested Skype over a one-week period by calling various Skype users throughout the East Coast and tried to simulate a conversation that a buyer might have. First, using Skype takes getting used to. During my five-day test, I never mastered the connection stage. This is when one Skype user “calls” another Skype user. Skype makes 3 a distinctive sound that lets the user know it is making a call. However, once you connect to whom you are calling, the picture shows, but it takes about five seconds for that picture to catch up with the person sitting there. In essence, it is a still picture for five seconds. Second, once I was connected to the user, I quickly realized that what I was saying was not being transmitted in real-time. There could be up to a three second lag in what I said and the user hearing it. This created a number of challenges, but the biggest one was this lag kept the other user and me talking over each other. I just assumed the user could not hear what I said, so I repeated myself. Of course, as soon as I spoke, then I heard the user’s response to my original message, and thus began us talking over one another. This was a persistent problem throughout my first two calls, but got better once I became more familiar with the technology. Third, the picture is grainy, like an old TV. In this world of high definition, the picture I was getting with Skype looked like a 1970s television set. I could see the person fine, but the lack of clarity was alarming. If buyers were trying to compare colors of a fabric, for instance, that would be nearly impossible to do because of the degraded picture quality. Fourth, I experienced a number of connectivity issues throughout my test. I was only able to connect immediately on four of my 10 test calls. On the others, I thought the person picked up, but there was no one there, and I had to re-connect. This caused frustration and made me want to discard Skype each time it happened. Also during calls, it was not uncommon for the connection to be lost, and I would have to try and re- connect again. I am not sure why this occurs, but it happened on nearly 40\% of my calls. Again, this caused a great deal of frustration. Finally, there are concerns that the privacy of Skype users is being violated by Microsoft, “Anyone who uses Skype has consented to the company reading everything they write” (“Skype with Care). Recommendation The use of Skype really boils down to money. If we are trying to save money and need a readily available, free solution, then Skype is a contender. However, even though it is free, Skype poses a number of technology challenges that are outlined above. This alone makes this technology untenable for our company. At the swift pace we move, little challenges like the one Skype poses lead me to not recommend the product. There are a number of other services we can use, including many instant messaging programs that provide similar services as Skype, but do it better. We can even use FaceTime, from Apple, that can be used on Macs, iPhones, iPads, and iPods, and most of our buyers seem to have at least one of these products. 4 In summary, although Skype is free, it does not meet the need we have to interconnect buyers across the East Coast and allow them to quickly and efficiently conduct business. I do not recommend Skype for Darcy’s buyers. 5 Works Cited Leon, Norma, and Tony Leon. Sky’s the limit for Skype video call uses. The Citizen. N.p., Aug. 2013. Web. 20 Sept. 2013. <http://auburnpub.com/lifestyles/sky-s-the- limit-for-skype-video-call-uses/article_5454fb55-8c85-5817-909f- 43a729f04992.html. >. Skype with care – Microsoft is reading everything you write. . The H Security. N.p., May 2013. Web. 20 Sept. 2013. <http://www.h-online.com/security/news/item/Skype-with-care- Microsoft-is-reading-everything-you-write-1862870.html>. What is Skype?. Skype. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Sept. 2013. <http://www.skype.com/en/what-is- skype/>. Internet Usage Policy at Pyramid: A Short Report September 20, 2013 Prepared for: Pyramid Design Team Prepared by: Student Name BUS105 Background Pyramid Design Team began seven years ago as a small design firm with three employees. The original employees were the owner and two designers. With this core of three employees, each knew what was expected of the other, and official policies cut against the grain of the creative atmosphere that was being fostered. Therefore, aside from the founding document containing the mission of the company, there were no policies put in place. This worked fine, until recently. Within the last four years, Pyramid has hired 11 additional staff, including designers and programmers. The company has been implementing new policies regarding vacation time, holidays, and sexual harassment, for example, but there still exists no policy governing the use of the Internet at work. Now that the company consists of 14 employees, I propose the creation and adoption of an Internet policy that will provide employees with clear guidelines about its appropriate and sanctioned use at work. Problem The inappropriate use of the Internet is threefold. First, the designers and developers are downloading beta versions of software from the Internet. Since this software is often in beta, there can be, and have been, numerous problems with these types of free downloads. Our IT manager has seen a huge increase in Trojan viruses penetrating our system and causing damage to our servers and other employees’ computers. He has spent countless hours trying to find and remove these viruses and has expended thousands of dollars in resources to call in technical specialists to eradicate the viruses. The intent of the designers and developers was simply to get the latest software that will allow them to create the best product. Unfortunately, that has not always been the case, and some of these downloads are causing serious IT threats to our systems. The new Internet policy needs to ban this practice and clearly state that nothing can be downloaded from the Internet without the express consent of the IT manager and a supervisor. Second is the use of social media at work. The use of company computers by employees to view Facebook, other social media, and streaming services has increased 200\% in the past 18 months! Some employees, for example, are logging-into Facebook when they arrive at work and leaving the page running as a tab in their web browser, checking it frequently throughout the day. This has decreased productivity. A study conducted by Nucleus Research and published by Computerworld found that “Companies that allow users to access Facebook in the workplace lose an average of 1.5\% in total employee productivity, according to a new report from Nucleus Research, an IT research company. The survey of 237 employees also showed that 77\% of workers who have a Facebook account use it during work hours.” Facebook is, of course, the biggest offender, but the policy needs to ban all social media, such as Twitter, while at work. The third area of concern involves streaming video services, such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu. Employees who eat lunch at their desk are using their computers to watch videos from a streaming video provider. The problem arises when the employee watching a video finds the content completely suitable, while a co-worker sitting nearby, or passing by his or her desk, finds the content inappropriate. As this is a subjective opinion, we can be opening ourselves up to a lawsuit for sexual harassment, for instance, if a video contained nudity in it and the passerby saw it and became threatened. Although most employees are not falling into this category, it only takes one. Because of this, we need to ban streaming videos. Finally, there have been instances where pornography has been viewed on a company computer. I am sure we all can agree that banning the use of viewing or downloading any pornographic image using a company computer should be banned. Solution There needs to be a policy implemented where violations like these above can be dealt with immediately. Depending on the severity of the infraction, we can have a tiered system of punishment: 1. First Infraction – verbal warning 2. Second Infraction – written warning 3. Third Infraction – dismissal from the company There are many forms an Internet usage policy can take, but I suggest we keep it simple. GFI, a company that provides IT solutions, provides a clear-cut policy for Internet usage that details what company computers should, and should not, be used for: • Company employees are expected to use the Internet responsibly and productively. Internet access is limited to job-related activities only and personal use is not permitted • Job-related activities include research and educational tasks that may be found via the Internet that would help in an employees role • All Internet data that is composed, transmitted and/or received by <companys> computer systems is considered to belong to <company> and is recognized as part of its official data. It is therefore subject to disclosure for legal reasons or to other appropriate third parties • The equipment, services and technology used to access the Internet are the property of <company> and the company reserves the right to monitor Internet traffic and monitor and access data that is composed, sent or received through its online connections • Emails sent via the company email system should not contain content that is deemed to be offensive. This includes, though is not restricted to, the use of vulgar or harassing language/images • All sites and downloads may be monitored and/or blocked by <company> if they are deemed to be harmful and/or not productive to business • The installation of software such as instant messaging technology is strictly prohibited Unacceptable use of the Internet by employees includes, but is not limited to: • Sending or posting discriminatory, harassing, or threatening messages or images on the Internet or via <companys> email service • Using computers to perpetrate any form of fraud, and/or software, film or music piracy • Stealing, using, or disclosing someone elses password without authorization • Downloading, copying or pirating software and electronic files that are copyrighted or without authorization • Sharing confidential material, trade secrets, or proprietary information outside of the organization • Hacking into unauthorized websites • Sending or posting information that is defamatory to the company, its products/services, colleagues and/or customers • Introducing malicious software onto the company network and/or jeopardizing the security of the organizations electronic communications systems • Sending or posting chain letters, solicitations, or advertisements not related to business purposes or activities • Passing off personal views as representing those of the organization Obviously, not all points made here are necessary, but this provides the best overview of a policy that we can utilize to make our operations run more smoothly and effectively. We can pick what we need and discard what does not apply. I suggest we begin work on creating this policy within the next week and have it ready to implement within one month. I am available at your convenience to discuss the creation of this policy. Works Cited Sample Internet Usage Policy. GFI. GFI Software, n.d. Web. 20 Sept. 2013. <http://www.gfi.com/pages/sample-internet-usage-policy>. Study: Facebook Use Cuts Productivity at Work. Computerworld. Computerworld, Inc. 22 July 2009. Web. 20 Sept. 2013. <http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/ 9135795/Study_Facebook_use_cuts_productivity_at_work>