Business Information Technology

XML and Service Oriented Architecture

This article states that Con-Way Transportation's service oriented architecture still relies on XML feeds for interaction between its seven different business functions.  The article states that four years ago, XML was the only reliable web-service standard available, while nowadays there are new technologies such as WSDL (web-service definition language), SOAP (simple object access protocol), and UDDI (universal description, discovery and integration).

So it's been difficult enough learning XML, but I realize that there are numbers of other applications out there being used for application to application communication. 

Comprehensive article on SQL

This comprehensive article talks about the power of SQL and how it has evolved over the past two decades.  The author summarizes SQL as follows:

· The world’s second-largest software company, Oracle, has been built on the success of SQL-based relational data management, through both its flagship database servers and tools and its SQL-based enterprise applications.

· Microsoft, the world’s largest software company, uses SQL Server as a critical part of its strategy to penetrate the enterprise computing market with server editions of its Windows operating systems, and a key part of its .NET architecture for delivering Internet web services.

· All of the major packaged enterprise applications (Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Supply Chain Management (SCM), Human Resource Management (HRM), Sales Force Automation (SFA), Customer Relationship Management (CRM), and so on) are built on SQL-based databases.

· SQL is emerging as a standard for specialized databases in applications ranging from data warehousing to mobile laptop databases to embedded applications in telecomm and data communication networks.

· SQL-based access to databases is an integral feature of Windows, available on the vast majority of personal computer systems, and it is a built-in capability of popular PC software products such as spreadsheets and report writers.

RSS Guide

This page is really helpful in explaining RSS syndication to someone who is yet familiar with it, I recommend referencing it when you explain to your family and friends what RSS is and how it can make their lives a little bit easier!  There also links for technical explanations on RSS, which is also pretty helpful. 

Outlook RSS?

I would rather have my e-mail and news information running from one program, and I found out that I can download a program add-on for Microsoft Outlook that lets me combine both into one.

It's called intraVnews from www.intravnews.com, but because I have heard too many horror stories of people downloading new add-ons and their computers crashing, I would like some opinions on whether or not it is a good choice, and if there are other programs out there to fit with Microsoft Outlook.  Thanks and best of luck on finals!

Data Modeling

Data Modeling

The article talks about data modeling, basically what we are doing for our group projects and what we are learning in class. I think it is helpful because it simplifies what we are doing, because sometimes I get overwhelmed with all that we need to do. It is important to spend a significant amount of time analyzing requirements for the database design, and that is where we are now. Once we filter out the irrelevant information and focus on the essentials, our database should be a lot simpler to design.

Blog Tools

Now that I think about it, typepad is the same as xanga, in that they are blogging tools. And I am familiar with xanga, because a large amount of the people I know have xanga sites where some post personal blogs on a daily basis. Therefore, my previous conception of blogging is of writing personal journal entries and having everyone read them. I am learning however, that blogging can also be used in a business mindset, as explained in this article. The author explains that blogging gives businesses a voice and it helps keep the company webpage personal and interactive with the customer. Quite interesting.

News Aggregators

News Aggregators

This article talks more about syndication and news aggregators that we can download to get all the weblogs in one easy, accessible place. There are e-mail type formats as well as web-page type formats, such as my.yahoo.com. I think this article is really helpful in understanding the world of weblogging.

Participatory Journalism

Click here for an article from cnn.com

This article talks about participatory journalism, where the audience's voice is becoming a powerful voice.
Readers are becoming editors and even producers of news stories. I thought before that blogging was only useful for personal diaries and what not, but there is so much more.