Module 3 – Case
COLLABORATION TECHNOLOGIES AND IT INFRASTRUCTURE
Assignment Overview
To support communications and collaboration, organizations
make use of the IT architecture, which is defined by looking at different
components. To afford communications, it is required that an IT infrastructure
of people, hardware, software, and networks be in place. While there is a
global culture of communications and collaboration, different countries have
preferences how they attain communications and group cooperation. Similarly,
groupware technology is more preferred in high performing companies than low
performing ones.
Components of IT A
IT Architecture Components
Type of Architecture
Description
Business architecture
The processes the business uses to meet its goals.
Application architecture
How specific applications are designed and how they interact
with each other.
Data architecture
How an enterprise’s data stores are organized and accessed.
Technical architecture
The hardware and software infrastructure that supports
applications and their interactions.
Case Assignment
For Case 3, you will analyze the traffic gridlock case.
Taking communication and collaboration into the next 20 years, Ford Motors has
a vision to develop cars that rely on a network of communication systems. In
the long term, Ford sees a radically different transportation landscape where
pedestrians, bicycles, private cars, commercial and public transportation
traffic will be woven into a single mobile network to save time, conserve
resources, lower CO2 emissions, and improve safety.
Turban, E. (2013). Avoiding the future of crippling car
congestion. (2015). Information Technology for Managers. Retrieved from
http://babinkunjappa.blogspot.com/2015/07/avoiding-future-of-crippling-car.html
Ford, B. (2011). A future beyond traffic gridlock. TED
. Retrieved from
https://www.ted.com/talks/bill_ford_a_future_beyond_traffic_gridlock?language=en
Waze. (2015). Guided Tour. Retrieved from
https://www.waze.com/
Be sure to articulate your arguments and provide
justification as you answer the following questions:
Explain the concept of connected cars.
Why does Bill Ford see a need for connected cars?
What does Ford mean by “global gridlock”?
Brainstorm a few other ways in which an IT network could
help to reduce global gridlock. Do not limit yourself to current mobile network
capabilities.
If no action is taken far in advance of the forecasted car
congestion, what do you foresee will happen?
Assignment Expectations
The Case should be 4-5 pages for each case in total,
excluding cover page and reference list.
Your assignments will be graded following these
expectations:
Precision: The questions asked are answered.
Clarity: Your responses are clear and show your good
understanding of the topic.
Breadth and depth: The scope covered in your paper is
directly related to the questions of the assignment and the learning objectives
of the module.
Critical Thinking: It is important to read the “required
readings” posted in the background material plus others you find relevant. Your
paper should include relevant concepts from these readings and incorporate your
reactions and examples that illustrate your reflective judgment and good
understanding of the concepts.
Your paper meets the page requirements not counting the
cover page or the references pages.





