Information Technology in Organizations

Information Technology In Organizations

Information technology has transformed the business world. Many businesses are now able to complete transactions that were once unimaginable. Information technology has increased global commerce and improved businesses operational processes. The technology is continually changing to meet business needs. As new business needs emerge, technology must be adjusted to meet them. Most businesses rely heavily on information technology to conduct business. An analysis of three different organizations shows how much technology plays a role in day-day-business transactions.

U.S. Probation Office’s Computer Software

The United States Probation Office is a part of a national networking computer system. Each probation office across the country uses the same type of software. This network must be very secure due to the type of people the organization serves. Confidentiality is very important and legal issues may arise if it is violated. Therefore, the organization’s networking systems are designed to help protect information.

The probation office uses two operating systems: Microsoft Windows and Novell Client Systems. Microsoft Windows is the standard operating system used on most personal computers. Only a few programs are accessible through Microsoft Windows. These programs include Word Perfect and Microsoft Office programs. Novell Client System is a more secure network operating system. All sensitive client information is stored on this operating system. This system requires a user name and password. This password is changed every 90 days to ensure that it is secure. The probation office’s network is extremely secure. However, there are numerous policies in place to ensure that the network does not pick up any viruses. The organization also uses an antivirus program that scans for viruses daily.

The probation office’s email system, Lotus Notes, is on the Novell operating system. Lotus Notes is the only email system that can be used in our organization. This email system allows employees to have immediate access to other United States Courts employees in other states. This system is extremely convenient because the entire employee email list is readily available when needed.

The probation office serves a great deal of individuals. Careful supervision and monitoring of these individuals are a must. Lack of monitoring can result in a liability for the organization. Therefore, a computer program was developed to help track these individuals’ progress, goals, and any other relevant information. This program is called Probation and Pretrial Services Automated Case Tracking System (PACTS). All individuals that are served by the probation office are entered into PACTS and assigned a number. Employees must document all interactions and correspondence with these individuals. The data