ICT – The Building Block For Business

ICT AND NETWORKING

Information and communication technology (ICT) involves any computing and communication systems that a business might use to exchange information with stakeholders. For such an exchange to materialize, a NETWORK is required.

A Network consists of two or more computers that are linked in order to share resources like printers and CDs, exchange files, and allow electronic communications. The computers on a Network may be linked through cables, telephone lines, radio waves, satellites, or infrared light beams.

If the idea of a Network is targeted on the employees of a business to communicate privately, then an INTRANET is the end result.

However, the Intranet can be expanded into an EXTRANET, where the target will not just be the employees but will also include external stakeholders of a Business.

An Extranet is therefore, a controlled private network that allows access, normally to a subset of the information accessible from an organization’s intranet, to partners, vendors, suppliers or an authorized set of customers.

So where as Intranets embrace employees within a company, Extranets extend the same favour outside the company to offer similar functions to stakeholders, enabling businesses to exchange information over the INTERNET in a secure way.

The Internet, simply “the Net”, “the Web”, is a worldwide system of computer networks (internetwork). Internetwork means interconnected, interwoven or intertwine. Internet was carved out of Internetwork in 1974 as the shorthand form.

It’s a network of networks that consists of public, private, academic, business, and government networks of local to global scope, linked by a comprehensive arrangement of electronic, wireless, and optical networking technologies. This arrangement makes it possible for users at any one computer, with the right permissions, to access almost any information from any other computer, communicate directly with any one else in the world, and do even much more.

Facts and figures are available on the Internet, so depending on our individual requirements and goals, we can access information and knowledge for personal, social and economic development. Some basic user needs including Email Access, File Sharing, Watch movies and listen to songs, Watch Live events, Research purpose, News, Live Meetings etc. are all possible just by ‘GOING ONLINE’, which is connecting a simple computer / device or a complex network system to the Global Network of Networks, simply the INTERNET.

Objectives for developing the Internet include Accessibility, Easy to Use, Interaction with other Media, Low cost, Extension of Existing IT Technology, Flexibility of Communication and Security.

For a step-by-step tutorial to setup your small business network, see this guide.

ICT_HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE

Hardware describes the physical, visible aspects of ICT. These include, things you can touch and feel, solid things, pieces of equipment. Software, being the opposite of hardware include things involved in ICT that cannot be touched or felt, abstract things. They make it possible for us to use the hardware so that we can do things. It is a generic term used to refer to a set of instructions, applications, scripts, data or programs, that run on a device and used to operate and execute specific tasks.

A business, however, is not a bed of roses but requires special effort, hard work, consistency and a little patience to materialize. When it gets to the point where you lack ideas, and growing your business have become tedious than they should normally be, consider the following software technologies out of the many available ones that can make your company run smoothly.

1) CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT (CRM) SOFTWARE
Your customers are your business, and for most businesses, an increase in customers leads to growth in their company. However, it becomes more difficult to manage individual relationships with your customers when they increase. So, a sound customer relationship management system is ideal in this situation.

Customer relationship management (CRM) is a cloud-based software with a variety of uses for businesses. Some of the benefits include:

Customer growth and retention
Lead conversion
Increase in business revenue
A decrease in marketing cost
Project management
Powerful integration with other apps like Google apps, emails, Office 365, etc.
There are several CRM platforms your business can benefit from (Zoho, Salesforce, Insightly, etc.), and each one comes with added features and advantages for your business.

2) LOCATION-BASED TOOLS
A location-based tool is another type of technology your business needs. With the world becoming increasingly technologically advanced, customers are looking for businesses and services nearby on location-based tools, and your business can take advantage of this.

Location-based tools are many, each with its usefulness. Some examples include social media, Yelp, CitySearch, Yellow Pages, unique country domain extensions, etc. You must localize your web presence to ensure you don’t miss out on potential customers.

Some ways to use location-based tools include:

Get listed on Yellow Pages within your area. By simply entering your current business type, name, address, and other contact details, you can get listed on your local Yellow Pages.
Always use your exact location in any social post. Social media offers a location feature that allows users to enter their exact location on any post they make. In your case, as a business owner, it could be your business address.
Use your country’s domain extension. You will notice that some websites have a ‘.co.uk or .ng’ attached to their URL. These are their unique country domain extensions, and they help in local targeting and SEO. By making use of your country’s domain extension, your website becomes more visible in search results for people living in those areas.

3) BUSINESS EMAIL
Another critical technology your business needs is a dedicated business email. With emails being a significant way the majority of businesses communicate internally and externally, picking a great email provider is a key to the success of your communication.

You want to pick a business email provider who can provide you with some of the following features:

A business domain name. So rather than your email address having @gmail.com or @yahoo.co.uk, your business email address will be @businessname.com.
Higher security measures. More aggressive actions are set in place to minimize hacks, spam, malware, and even viruses.
More storage space.
A business email address, aside from some of the benefits listed above, gives a sense of professionalism to everyone dealing with your business.

4) CLOUD STORAGE
Moving on to the fourth business technology on our list that you should adopt, we have cloud storage. Now, cloud storage has gained massive popularity in businesses over the years, and that is because it is a must-have storage system for all companies.

Cloud storage is simply a virtual storage system for all your business files, customer data, business inventories, and other useful documents. The reason why this type of storage is so helpful is that it takes away the risk involved with storing physical files, and it creates a safe and secure hub for business owners to store, access, and retrieve their data at any point in time and from anywhere. The only thing needed to access this data is an internet connection.

Cloud storage can also help increase efficiency in your business, improve internal communications, and share information easily between members of a team.

5) BUSINESS INTERNET
Finally, great business internet is vital for the success of business operations. Imagine running a business with a slow and unreliable internet connection, how would that make you feel? Frustrated, unproductive, annoyed? That’s how your employees would feel if you hired them to do a great job but provided them with a subpar internet connection to see it through. What more? A crappy internet connection can even result in a loss in sales.

Upgrade your internet to a business internet; this is the type of technology used by companies that value efficiency and productivity. Many internet services provide specific internet for businesses, and you can choose a plan that pertains to your needs. Work with a budget and select key features and plans that will provide the essential needs your business has.

While there are a lot more technologies out there that your business can benefit from, these five are extremely important for any organization. Especially if you are a small or medium-sized business. Implement these five technologies in your company to see an increase in customer retention, customer growth, employee productivity, and more.

Read More on the The Ultimate List of Small Business Software & Tools.

Hightech ICT offers a full range of Software Engineering Services from tailormade to full-stack solutions that fit specific business needs.

ICT IMPACT ON BUSINESS

Automating various work processes makes life easier for employees and managers, allowing them to spend less time and energy on various daily tasks. It enables managers to improve planning and allocate resources more efficiently.

ICT is concerned with digital data storage, retrieval and transmission which makes a business more efficient, effective and improve the customer support system.

It can be used to assist business activities including design, manufacturing, R&D, distribution and sales, as well as getting feedback.

Here are some benefits of technology solutions for business:

• Improved Business Agility. …
• Improved Staff Coordination and Collaboration. …
• Automation and Productivity. …
• Increased Revenue Streams. …
• Better Storage Solutions. …
• Financial Savings. …
• Improved Data Security. …
• Better Customer Experience.