How Might Technology Change The Character Of Business Internationally In The Next Ten Years?

1.0 Introduction Technology gives some major influence to country and to an organization. Why is technology involve and influence to a country and an organization? As a researcher, knowledge that technology is a tools, technique or a system method to approach the success improving daily life, progress a country status to another century with full of technology and so for an organization to more develop on selected industries. According to Otter (2008), technology is the application knowledge to production; technological breakthroughs can occur as new products are invented and invention. Technological change involves not only new gadgets but also new practice and new ways of doing things (Vurdubaskis 2007).

2.0 Using Technology To Capture The Market and Benefits to an Organization Develop Technology Technology has become an ever more important component of competitive advantage and firm had become technology dependent (Vortzel and Wortzel 1997). There are many organizations using technology as a system method to invent, to change, and to develop on selected industries in the market. Hence, these organizations use technology to capture the market on many industries in the business field such as research and development, information technology, manufacturing products, services, consumer industries, communication media and entertainment, marketing and many others relative industries. According to Otter (2008), technology is a process that enables businesses to increase production through better use of resources. Therefore, technology could be an advance to help out the business growth and development. It has fully developed from the early ages to now the twentieth century and it is growing and keeps changing with the peoples desire towards the high technology. These can be shown on the below case study on the big changes of a company innovating the technology and access into the technology business and it benefits not just to the company and to the business environment

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Case Study 1: IBM; the Development in the IT Industry in the early 1990s In the early of 1990s, the first development in the IT industry was IBM. IBM is the market leader during the 1980s and the early 1990s where is a mainframe computer industry. There have two developments worked effectively revolutionized how customers viewed which is the client/server enabled all those PCs (clients) linked with the server which served data and applications to the PCs. As a result, the IBM mainframe major was add up a record on net losses in the early 1990s by achieved up to $8 billion in 1993 and has turned off its distribution into an independent business. As far reaching a change, the first IBM was launched and targeted the homes, small business and even the education field although is not a fully versatile computer with the current standard of technology. The first IBM PC not just hit the markets in year 1981, the windows operating system where is the first Windows version shipped in year 1985 and also known as a user friendly introduced in year 1990 which is Windows 3.0. Furthermore, in the year 1991, the first web site; the World Wide Web (www) was raised by the British computer scientist; Tim Berners-Lee has led on the following years. The function on creating the World Wide Web is to help out the business person or enable organizations conduct this system to create, organize, and link document so that allow people to browsed easily. The spread of PCs, fax machines, Windows, and dial-up modems and the emergence of uniform technological standards in the early 1990s created the basic platform that had led to the global information revolution by the mid- 1990s (Friedman, 2004). As to dominated the IT industry, the technological leader; IBM have cooperated with Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) to carry out the national and international markets for corporate the IT needs. As approaching the twentieth century, the need of configure corporate IT system to deal with the Y2K change further worsen the shortage of IT personnel. To comply with Y2K standard, these two companies have federal and corporate into the IT consulting sector which to change of millennium issues and so the IT major stat to look outward beyond to source of knowledgeable IT professionals. (Source: International Journal of Emerging Markets, vol. 2, no. 2, 2007, pp.183-184)

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After a research on the above case study, as a researcher found that a company can from nothing and now it is a technological leader in the market. These IBM company have developed by the innovating technologies as to earned the first $8 billion in year 1993 until now it has a continually growth in the business field.

Case Study 2: Webject System, Inc., an Entrepreneurship, Globalization and Information Technology Now that the software development and consulting firm is well established. The growth plan how to grow, how fast to grow and in what areas of technology diversify in the next 5-10 years where the question were engaging by the President of Webject System. A company establish in 1997, Webject System Inc.; provides total information solutions using the state-of-the art technologies to companies in major industries such as communications, energy, engineering and other relative sector. It organizing and placing the software consultant recruited is the earlier business model from India at the disposal of large companies in US for their information technology (IT) needs consider that needed to have a change. IBM, Microsoft, Intel, Oracle and others is the largest US-based companies have now increasingly establish their own subsidiaries in India for IT development and the back office support operations. On the other hand, the customers of Webject system are from small businesses to the largest corporations in the world such as IBM, McGraw-Hill, Ford Motor Company and others. The services offered and tools and technologies by the Webject System Inc. to these largest corporations in developing the innovation of technology in business field such as Consulting ERP consulting Software development - Webstar, a navigation-based, integration tool to integrate a wide variety of applications through common front-end Software services - Maintenance/ Feature Enhancements Web design and development Data warehousing - Marketing database Geographic information systems, Engineering, Pharma and chemical services,

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(Sources: Webject System Inc)

These all services have been dividing in to segments for business operations by the Webject System to start a modest way follow up to the change of century as to induct the IT software professionals. As to conclude for this case study, the revenue of the company at the 1997 is $676,000 and had steadily increased to $3.019 million in year 2000. (Source: International Journal of Emerging Markets, vol. 2, no. 2, 2007, pp.183-184) The technology services offered by these Webject System not just benefit itself company development but also to others corporations where by targeting the small IT companies by giving them IT consulting support as they might not have much resource on that. Refer backward to the revenue of Webject System Inc., it is a power or energy for this company to continue for the innovation on technology. It could be an advantage for the small companies to corporate with it and it could increase the numbers of IT professional in the market.

2.1 Technology and Business Competitive Advantage According to Porter (1985), competitive advantage; a creating and sustaining superior performance emphasizes the importance of technology in creating the competitive environment at the level of the individual firm.

Value Chain An activity that used in business which combining inputs to outputs to use technology to alter the production process and add value (Porter 1985). Hence, a value chain consisting two technologies such as the horizontal and vertical. Refer back to the Webject System Inc. case study, the business strategy on technology more as the category of Horizontal which functions or support services. It is a business in term of basic infrastructure such as finance, planning, information system, office technology, technology development and human resource such as training and development (Otter 2008). For example, there are the system services offered by the Webject System to the largest corporation in the world

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such as the consulting, systems integrations, software development and wed design also are the basic infrastructure. The case study below would show a much more on the human resources on horizontal value chain technology.

Case Study 3: A research on Siemens, the Growth strategy by Training and Development Siemens, the business leading technology and is the largest electrical and electronics engineering companies in the world. In UK, over 20,000 people are employed by Siemens and it ranking the top three electrical and electronics companies in the world. The innovation opened up since year 1843 when Siemens installed the first street light in Godalming, Surrey. There are over 74.4 million invested by Siemens on research and development. There are three main sectors operates by the company where designed and manufactured product and services for both industrial and customers and consumers such as in industry, in energy and in healthcare. Siemens technology appears in every aspect of everyday life, such as the electronic eye (Hawk Eye) helps umpires in tennis and cricket matches. Siemens aims to deliver quality products and services as to keep grow in a competitive environment. To achieve this, it needs people with first class levels of skill, knowledge and capability in engineering, IT and business. These include skilled factory workers, trade apprenticeships, designers and managers. This case study has explored how Siemens manages its on-going need for skills through training and development. The first is to identify the training needs. A plan had been constructed to analyse on which skills the company has and what type of training will be needed for staff to be knowledge and capable with the new technology. The main purpose for Siemens needs new skills is to maintain the competitive advantage. Siemens is a business focused on innovation. It needs on rapid change in the external business environment by recruiting professional on IT field into the organisation and giving training for the existing employees to develop more skills about innovating technology. Training Training involves teaching new skills on innovation technology or extending the skills that employees already have. There are two forms of training. The first form of training would be on-the-job at the place of work through mentoring, coaching, and shadowing

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and job rotation. The second form of training would be off-the job training takes place away from the workplace by giving technology courses, presentation and qualification. These could help the employees to gain more knowledge on the technology to increase the company productivity and so upgrade the services. Development The Siemens Graduate Development Programme being implemented in year 2005, as developing graduates with the essential skills to set them need in their everyday role and to equip them for a long-term career at Siemens. This gives Siemens a competitive advantage as employees will be more flexible to change and be more creative and innovative. Evaluation of training and development The well-trained employees could provide a number of benefits that contribute on a businesss competitive advantage. The benefits of training and development such as: Flexible adaptable employees take on new roles and technology Siemens better able to respond to competition Improves productivity as it could increase the revenue of the company Improves services and customer feedback Increase the employees and motivators (Source: Case Study on Siemens; by the times 100) To measure the effectiveness of this training and development, Siemens uses an appraisal system, also known as a Performance Management process. There are several benefits for Siemens in using appraisal such as ensure that all training is being used well and for the best interests of the company and keep all staff up-to-date in a fast changing business. (Source: www.thetimes100.co.uk/case-study--training-developmentstrategy-for-growth--89-335-1.php) As conclusion on this case study, as a researcher, found that the training and development could help the business growth and influence the company changes the character of business internationally.

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3.0 The Advantages of Technology in Business Environment and the Changes There are many new innovation of technology nowadays. There have the new invention such as mobile technology, information technology, computers and laptops, networking, e-business, and much more by technology. On the other hand, technology has the closest relationship between business environment and consumers. By all these intervention, there are some advantages can change the character of business globally.

3.1 Mobile Technology A technology have make life more convenience and easier. Mobile technology could help people get to keep in touch with each other like family or friends and is an important device for the business person to keep contact with their business (Cook 2008). This mobile technology had fully improved the lifestyle and business environment. The mobile technology devices include hand phones, laptops and others. There is a mobile technology device connected to network such as 3G which known as the third generation of mobile communications. As the evolutionary of technology, the 4G mobile technology had launched where fourth-generation wireless, the stage of broadband mobile communications that will supersede the third generation (3G). This service had improved the telecommunications throughout the worldwide.

3.2 Information Technology in Business The use of information technology applications enables businesses to perform their business more effectively. This would increase level of productivity where can perform the tasks more effectively and accuracy in decision making. Furthermore effective communications such as electronic conferencing enable business operate smoothly. The relationship and interaction with clients make more accurate information flow for both parties can be achieved. In addition e-commerce able expands the business wider in locally, nationally and globally by taking into consideration of clients and business. Ecommerce allows to carrying out businesses without barriers of time and distance, this can eliminates processing errors, as well as being faster and more convenient from clients perspective of satisfaction for the whole process.

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4.0 The Challenges of Technology As to come more innovations of new technologies, it would have more challenges to be face by the company or firms which innovate or invent technology.

Challenge 1: The competitive on technology product in the market There are many firm that producing the same particular product but with different brand in the market. For example, Acer in US was facing the challenge on particularly in marketing multiple brands through same retailers such as Wal-Mart, Comp USA and Circuit City. Therefore, Acer has marketed itself as a relatively high-end brand, while Gateway has catered to the lower end of the market and a more daunting challenge could be integrating a company that is losing market share (Gonela 2009).

Challenge 2: Adopting the right technology in manufacturing? The challenges facing manufacturing firms in many developing countries include adopting the right technology, using it efficiently and continuously reviewing production processes in order to stay abreast. This can be attributed to various cooperative arrangements in the area of technology and knowledge (Hagedoorn, 1996; Duysters and Hagedoorn, 2002). Traditionally, firms have tried to develop technology and knowledge using internal resources, but realized the high costs, time consumption and risks involved. For example, the cost for research and development (R&D) on the technology to be use on the process of production, the time approximated such as the duration on manufacturing and the different risks that will be dispose to.

5.0 Conclusions Technology could be change the character of business internationally in the next ten years. Many sectors or fields in the business environment need the innovation technology to improve the productions, training and development, research and development and so using technology to create or manufacture new product. It is not just a change and influence the business but also affect the change of environment and lifestyle in the future.

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References
Advantages of information technology in business by Administrator of Divine Konection, viewed 16th April 2011, <http://www.divinekonection.info/articles/Advantages-ofInformation-Technology-in-Business-a32.html> Cook, D 2008, Mobile Technology Overview, viewed 10th April 2011, <http://www.suite101.com/content/mobile-technology-a39804> Duysters, G. and Hagedoorn, J. (2002), External appropriation of innovative capabilities: The choice between strategic partnering and mergers and acquisitions, Journal of Management Studies, Vol. 39, pp. 167-88. Friedman, TL 2004, World is flat: A brief history of the Twenty-first Century, Farrar, Straus and Girous, New York, NY. Gonela, SK 2009, Acer vs Lenovo, Asian brands global ambitions, The Icfai University Journal of Brand Management, Vol. VI, No. 58 2, 2009 Hagedoorn, J. (1996), Trends and patterns in strategic technology partnering since the early seventies, Review of Industrial Organization, Vol. 11, pp. 601-16. Knights, D, Willmott, H & Vurdubakis, T 2007, introducing organizational behaviour and management, Thomas Rennie, Cengage Learning EMEA, United Kingdom. Porter, ME 1985, Competitive advantage creating and sustaining superior performance, Collier Macmillan, London Rao, MN 2007, Entrepreneurship, globalization, and information technology; a case study of Webject System, Inc. International Journal of Emerging Market, vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 181-197. The times 100, 2008, Siemens, Training and development as a strategy for growth, pp. 129-132, viewed 14th April 2011, <http://www.thetimes100.co.uk/ case-study-trainingdevelopment-strategy-for-growth--89-335-1.php> Verspagen, B. and Duysters, G. 2004, The small worlds of strategic technology alliances, Technovation, Vol. 24, pp. 563-71. Vortzel, HV & Wortzel LH 1997, Strategic management in a global economy, 3rd edn, John Wiley & Sons. Inc, Canada. Wethery, P & Otter, D 2008, The business Environment; themes and issues, Oxford.

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