Saturday 30 November 2013

CHAPTER 12 CASE STUDY : iPhone Become iTrack



1.) Why do cell phone manufacturers (Apple, Google, and BlackBerry) want to track where their customers go?  
 


The cell phone manufacturers (Apple, Google, and BlackBerry) want to track where their customers go because they collect this data for advertising and marketing purposes. And the mobile technologies based on the Smartphone make it possible to locate people through out of the day, to report this information to cooperate data sell it to advertisers and others. For example a mobile phone (also known as a cellular phone, cell phone, and a hand phone) is a device that can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link while moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile phone operator, allowing access to the public telephone network. By contrast, a cordless telephone is used only within the short range of a single, private base station. A number of firms have adopted business models based on the ability of smart phones to report on the whereabouts. Most of the popular apps report the locations.


2.) Do you think cell phone customers should be able to turn tracking off ? Should customers be informed when they are being tracked? Why or why not?  



Yes I think that there should be a feature to turn such features off because the. Customers should be informed even though most apps do display that GPS and network access is a requirement for the application. Because the cell phone by using the phone companies technology to triangulate positions relative to cell phone towers. For example the average cell phone customer now switches carriers as soon as his or her second two-year contract is up This location capability has been increased significantly in recent years as more phones come equipped with GPS chips to more precisely position the user. Access to location has been very limited beyond emergency responders, due to legal and privacy concerns.


3.) Do you think cell phone tracking is a violation of a person’s privacy?

Many privacy groups are calling for legislation to gain user consent as a condition of cell phone tracking. Go to the Internet to find out one of the privacy groups and summarize its stand and viewpoint. Government officials can learn the detailed of personal information about you by accessing your location history from your cell phone company .We must support this group in its call for federal regulation cell phone tracking. Because the Cell phone manufacturers (Apple, Google and Blackberry) tracking is indeed an invasion of privacy. For example Verizon has said that it doesn't give these marketers the information of individual customers, but does so in aggregate. For example, if a company wants to know about the behavior of 35 year old white males, they can get the cell phone behaviors of that audience, but not of a specific man in that group.  A privacy group is Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC).The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) was founded in 1993 and focuses public attention to emerging civil liberties and to protect privacy, the first amendment, and constitutional values. EPIC does not lobby for, consult, or advice companies, nor do we endorse specific products or services. There is an increasing risk of privacy violations in which personal, sensitive information may be exposed. More data is finding its way on to computers and the internet than ever before, and companies are finding that there is a market for financial and other personal records that we expect to remain safe from intrusion. This list merely serves as a sampling of available privacy-enhancing tools. I do support its calls for federal regulation because it does need to be regulated, as this type of tracking is a breach of privacy. Google and Apples position of cell phone tracking is to help improve apps and service. Limitations of cell phone tracking can be specified in the settings from accurate to city locations.

CHAPTER 11 CASE STUDY : : DST System Scores with Scrum Application Lifecycle Management

1.) What were some of the problems with DST System’s old software development environment?
 
      The problems faced with DST System’s old software development are processes were often manual and time consuming. This caused by a mixture of tools, processes, and source code control system, without any unified repository for code or single developer tool set. Different groups within the organization used very different tools for software development, like Serena PVCS, Eclipse, or other source code software packages. Moreover, Automated Work Distributor was most important product for DST who releases a new version once every two years. DST knew that it needed a better method than the traditional “waterfall” method for designing, coding, testing, and integrating its products. Managers were unable to easily determine how resource were being allocated, which of their employees were working on certain project, and the status of specific assets. For example, DST fully used resources at optimum level to produce productivity and efficiently.


      2.) How did Scrum development help solve some of those problems?
 
DST chooses Scrum development seen has potential through projects progress via a series of iterations called sprints. Scrum projects make progress in a series of sprints, which are timeboxed iterations no more than a month long.  At the start of a sprint, team members commit to delivering some number of features that were listed on a project’s product backlog. These features are supposed to be completed by the end the sprint. Scrum has own existing software development tools and experienced strong results.  Process cycle of software development down from 24 to 6 months and developer productivity increased 20 percent, but  Scrum didn’t work as well as DST had hoped with existing tool.
 
     3.) What other adjustment did DST make to use Scrum more effectively in its software? What people. Organization, and technology issues had to be addressed?

DST set up a project evaluation team to identify the right development environment for them. DST wanted the ability to use the new software without significant training  and software they could quickly adopt. DST tend to use of CollabNet’s offering, Team Forge, for its ALM platform. CollabNet specializes in software designed to work well with agile software development methods such as Scrum. For Team Forge, an integrated suite of Web-based development and collaboration tools simplify management of users, projects, process and assets. CollabNet’s Subversion product to help with the management and control of changes to project document, programs and other information stored as computer files.

  
 MIS in Action:


1.) Describe some of the benefits and drawbacks of Scrum development. 
 
Scrum can maintain the changes of customer requirement within immediately. It does this by providing a flexible framework wherein new features can be added and tasks reprioritized without neglect potential influence.

Secondly, the system of sprints encourages regular feedback. Each sprint is followed by a review, which given chances to worker make review and correction. Entire team examines through previous sprint’s result and predict the effect to next sprint

Thirdly, all team members understanding roles and scope of work, this can avoid conflict roles occur among them. Perhaps, conflict occurs between cross functional department.

One of the drawback with Scrum is needed a certain dynamic team that only good for small, quick project, because it is meant for small teams. All members must committed and requires experience for completing project on time. On the other hand, organize meeting within 30 minutes but meeting often take much longer in order to fit in the necessary review and report. Time was taken to long leads to wasting resources, and reducing the team efficiency and productivity. 


2.) How does Scrum differ from other software development methodologies? 

Different of Scrum and other software development looked on SCRUM methodology a sprint is the basic unit has been divided into smaller task. Each sprint need planning meeting to identify the task for the sprint to discuss step taken for manage sprint. Followed by a review or short meeting where the progress is reviewed and lesson for next sprint are identified. During each sprint, the team creates finished portions of a product.    

In the Agile methods involved more complete software which  each iteration involves a team working through a full software development cycle, including analysis of performance, design scheduled, managing resources when there presenting to stakeholders. 



3.) What are the potential benefits to companies using scrum development. 

Scrum benefits company through reducing the cost of production and daily operation. As we know company difficultly estimated real cost of production. Scrum point the complexity tasks for worker emphasis with frequently reviewing to find suitable ways to manage task. Complexity strongly relates to cost of production because this taking more day to execute effort. Scrum pointing allow to estimates unwanted cost being held on project. Company become more communicate and focus on collaboration to be almost double time. Scrum provides visibility on tasks for each team member, to track progress and allow better allocation of resources