Privacy of Data and Security Risks

The following article discusses the main questions that a company’s board of directors should consider in case of any potential personal data security risks.

5 Questions Boards Should Ask About Data Privacy Risks

They key ideas that caught my attention are the sensitivity of different types of personal data, the susceptibility of risk, and the idea of having insurance to cover such risks. I found these ideas most interesting because of the costly impact security risks may pose on companies and their consumers. 

Personal data is certainly part of both a business and information technology. Naturally, the protection of this data raises several concerns. I believe the main issue here is the reliability of information technology to protect personal data. It is one thing to safeguard a company by purchasing insurance to cover expenses when security breaches happen, but it makes me wonder whether there are reliable controls to lower security risks and prevent breaches from happening in the first place. 

In a technology driven environment such as the one we live in now, much of our personal data has been pushed into social networks and company databases alike. Some of this data is very sensitive as it can contain our health and bank information as well as our SIN numbers. The impact a security breach may have on a business can be costly in many ways from legal expenses to loss of consumers and their trust. The best way to minimize these costs is for companies to not only safeguard their cash through insurance, but also to think of ways to decrease the level of security risk vulnerability. Asking the five main questions outlined in the article seems like a practical place to start.

Healthcare Efficiency Through Unified Communications

The following article outlines the idea of using unified communications through technology as a way of improving the efficiency of healthcare.

Unified Communications Touted For Healthcare Efficiency

The idea of unified communications caught my attention because communication between healthcare providers and patients is vital. Other interesting ideas mentioned are the use of mobile devices to improve decision support, and implementing unified communications within hospital applications to eliminate any time-consuming manual steps.

The above ideas were originally pitched in a report by IDC Health Insights. The article discusses the findings of the report and its proposed business strategy: Unified Communications Optimizing Healthcare Operational Performance. Unified communications (UC) involves the integration of data, voice, message, location awareness and event management. In terms of business impact, I believe it has the potential to be an effective strategy in improving worker productivity because communication will be travelling faster between doctors and nurses. Along with improved worker productivity, UC would also improve the quality of services for patients.

It is evident that the healthcare industry has already integrated a high level of technology to assist doctors and service patients throughout the years, so, what more can be improved upon the delivery of healthcare? Introducing the use of mobile devices and smartphones can give clinicians accessibility to required patient information, whether it be from various specialists the patient has seen. Also, the integration of UC in a hospital’s transaction-based application can be programmed to do steps automatically rather than manually.

The overall objective of Unified Communications is to improve healthcare efficiency through technology while using a business approach. The above strategies sound very promising in improving the efficiency of healthcare.

Gaming Strategies in the Technology of an Organization

An interesting article found on the Forbes website discusses the introduction of gaming to organizations and its benefits:

If Life is a Game, Let The Web Be Its Stage (Sorry Shakespeare)

Incorporating gaming technology into an enterprise is becoming very effective. An interesting idea discussed in the article is the relationship between gaming and human performance. This can lead to increased productivity through web-based technology and gaming strategies that have become part of many enterprises.

In terms of business impact, gaming strategies are significant within marketing performance. The author discusses a campaign created by Audubon (an organization promoting the conservation of wildlife and ecosystems) to engage web users in a scavenger hunt by exploring several sites in exchange for prizes. The use of gaming strategies on the web is an effective advertisement for businesses because it can be exposed to everyone on the internet. The fact that a campaign like Audubon’s can turn what people do on the web into an adventure is a unique innovation showing the flexibility gaming technology has to change an environment. 

Gaming technology affects businesses internally. Introducing a gaming strategy within a company is a way to engage employees to be more productive. It allows them to retain information better. In many school business programs, students are required to play the “Business Strategy Game” in which they run an imaginary business simulated online. This gives students an idea of the impacts of their decisions in running a business. It relates to the author’s message of gaming technology. Business and human performance improves with the involvement of gaming technology. Similarly, when students enter the workforce after playing a simulated game, they are more prepared to contribute to the success of a business.