Integrated Professional Skills in the Digital Age

This report discusses the importance of collaboration tools, cloud storage, and security in the digital age. It covers project collaboration tools, cloud computing, privacy and security, and more. The report also highlights the importance of these tools during the pandemic. The subject, course code, and college/university are not mentioned.

Integrated Professional
Skills in the Digital Age

Contents
Contents...........................................................................................................................................2
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................1
Collaboration tools.......................................................................................................................1
Cloud Storage..............................................................................................................................2
Cloud computing.........................................................................................................................3
Privacy and security.....................................................................................................................4
Analysis and discussion...................................................................................................................5
Project collaboration tools...........................................................................................................5
Privacy and security during pandemic.........................................................................................7
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
Information as well as communication technology can be described as extensional term that
focusing on unified role of communication and integration of telecommunication, computers and
other important software, audio video, storage on basis of which user can access, transit and store
different information (Altinoz, Vasbieva and Kalugina, 2021). It is a term that consist
information which are in digital form from electronic products. It is focusing of transmission,
storage and retrieval of different types of digital data. It is also playing important role in business
by improve communication at workplace, enhancing experience of customers, improving
operation efficiency of firm and other. This project report includes project collaboration tool in
business and its important during period of pandemic for survival of business. It described terms
like cloud storage, cloud computing, ecommerce along with their advantage, disadvantage and
application to improve digitalisation. It also consists identification of challenges of security and
privacy along with discussion of measures adopted by business. Moreover, it consists limitation
and benefits of using local networks.
MAIN BODY
Literature Review
Collaboration tools
According to Andrade, Urgilés and Estrella (2020), Collaboration tools are defined as the
technology that is used the people to work together in order to achieve common goals and
objective in efficient manner. It enables people to collaborate and perform business operations
collectively. Collaboration tools are the applications programmes, software that enables business
as well as people streamline the creative process and enable to work together with greater
efficiency and effectiveness. Some of examples of using project collaboration tools in business
including video conferencing and instant messaging. Among which video conferencing is
defined as a method of communicating with live, visual connection through a video with
connecting multiple people across multiple locations. The concept of video conferencing
replaced in-person meeting because all members of organisation can meet on one virtual
platform and communicate with each other regarding business issues and take efficient decisions.
Another tool which can be used by business including Instance messaging. Instant messaging
also used in business for the purpose of exchanging text messages as well as online files in real
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time through using computer and network connection. In current days, various applications allow
XYZ organisation to exchange video files, messages, voice messaged and other business-related
information. Messages are generally transmitted in between two or more parties through
connecting on common platform.
Advantage: It is one of tool which offer platform for business that make it easier for them to
conduct business meeting where employees can attend meeting from anywhere. An organisation
is not limited to one country as it can also provide its service to another country. It has its
branches and offices in different locations (Benard, Dulle and Lamtane, 2019). For purpose of
working for a common project, all these offices needs to work by ensuring cooperation. For this,
business needs to share information related to business and project collaboration tools helps
business for this work. These tools helps business to easily manage the work of organisation as
on basis of it, a person can work from anywhere and also can join different business meeting. For
examples, a business wans to introduced a new product, they need to collaborate with other
different department like sales, research and development, marketing and other departments.
Disadvantage: There are various disadvantage of using these tools in business as it does not
provide face to face interaction and only provide real time communication. It is insufficient for
managers of company to supervise and coordinate working of employees.
Importance of collaboration tools for business during pandemic
As per views of Evans (2019), During pandemic, lockdown in imposed by government in which
no one is allowed to come out from their homes. In that situation, collaboration tools play
important role through maintaining interaction. Organisation uses various collaboration tools
such as instant messaging and video conferencing that helps organisation to keep employee’s
touch. Through using video conferencing, respective organisation brings all team members on
common platform and discuss regarding organisational decisions and policies. As in pandemic,
norms of social distancing must be followed so, these collaboration tools help business to
maintain interaction with employees and take report from them regarding their progress and
actions. Instant messaging also helps managers organisation communicate all business policies,
information and roles to employees that helps to perform business operations even in pandemic
of Covid-19.
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Cloud Storage
Cloud storage can be described as model that store all types of digital data in form of logical pool
on cloud. This service of physical storage in physical environment is owner and managed by
hosting company. In order to use these services, business can buy or lease storage capacity from
storage provider. After buying these services, it is responsibility of storage provider to maintain
security of data, ensuring availability and accessibility of data for user. Due to pandemic,
business is shifting to digital method, it using cloud storage is essential for business in order to
store their data.
Advantage of cloud storage: There are various advantage to business to use cloud storage in
business as if incident of malfunctioning occurs, it allows organisation to get their data from
cloud. It is important for business as it also offer them backup solutions from different local
stores and allow them to recover data in physical drives (Gomes, Alves and Silva, 2018). In
order to run digital data, business has data in more quantity an in order to manage it, it requires
additional security. Cloud also consists storage of different files and data. Cloud service provider
also offer additional service to a person by adding length which does not allow other person to
access to data of business.
Disadvantage of cloud storage: Digital business needs to protect their data in order to maintain
competitiveness in business. For this, business needs to ensure security of their data which is a
biggest challenge for them. It is important for business to make important information more
confidential and does not third party to access to these information but in order to use cloud
service, business needs to share all these information with cloud service provider. Hackers also
sometimes access to personal information to business that also create threat. Other challenges
occur in business are related to inconsistency among service provider to vendor. Sometimes
problem also occur related to downtime due to power, low speed of internet and other.
Suitability and application of cloud storage: It is one of service that can be suits to all type of
business specially for small business as they does sufficient capital to invest in development of
own infrastructure to improve their storing capability (Gómez-Fernández and Mediavilla, 2021).
Cloud computing
Cloud computing: Cloud computing is defined as the delivery of different services though the
medium of internet. It is important for the business because it saves overall organisational tool,
enhance productivity, performance as well as maintain data or information of business safe and
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secure. It is on-demand availability of computer system resource that is used by the organisation
with the objective of storing data and computing power
Use: Cloud computing is used by the different organisation for the purpose of storing and
retrieving data that be accessed from everywhere by organisational members for performing their
operations. Along with that, it is also used in business for sharing files and backing up data and
protect it from any external impacts of misuse.
Advantages: There are various advantage of cloud computing for which organisation use it. It
helps business through reducing IT cost, improve collaboration, require low maintained cost,
unlimited storage capacity, back-up and restore data as well as it allows quick and easy access of
business information anytime, anywhere in the world with the help of internet (Gonzalez, Gasco
and Llopis, 2020).
Disadvantages: Cloud computing requires good internet connectivity and in poor internet areas,
this software can not be used properly. It is owned and managed by the service provider so cloud
users have limited control on its functions. Although, best security standards are followed to
store information but there is also threat of data hacking that impact overall business
performance.
Suitability: Implementation of cloud computing is suitable for business to access all latest
information and communication technologies as well as improve disaster recovery and back-up
capabilities. Organisation uses cloud computing for storing, assessing and retrieving important
data as well as ensures its security from external impacts.
Applications: There are four type of cloud computing that is used in business such as private
clouds, hybrid clouds, hybrid clouds and multi clouds. There are various cloud computing
software or services such as infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) and
Software-as-a-Service (SaaS).
Privacy and security
Data privacy is an important term that is focusing on handling, storage, processing of personal
data. It is important as it is linked with right of a person for personal information. Different types
of problem occur in business related to data privacy like management of third party, managing
policies and contract of business, application of laws and regulation of government over business
(Khakimov, Karlinskiy and Rakhmatullin, 2018). Privacy is important for a person to get
freedom from intrusion and prying eyes. It is offered in different developed country in order to
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protect human rights of person and also to maintain human dignity. In UK, in order to ensure
safety of privacy of people, Data Protection Act 2018 gas been implemented.
Data security is another term which allow business to protect person data of people from third
party access and unauthorised access, malicious attack. Data privscy is essential for business in
order to securing personal data of customers and business. It is important in order to maintaining
accuracy of measuring data, integrity of data, availability and reliability of data (Lebert, 2018).
Business can adopt different methods in order to protect these data like encryption, activity
monitoring, network security, multifactor authentication access control and branch response.
These activities are more increased dewing period of pandemic where people are increasingly
using digital technology in order to buy and sell their products.
Importance of privacy and security:
 It is essential for business to maintain privacy and security in order to improve brand
values of business. It is also important as it create negative impact over values and
reputation of business.
 It is also important in order to provide strength and growth of business. It is important in
order to keep personal information of business private and also for ensuring control over
information.
 Maintaining privacy and security also helps business to build strong trust as customers
needs to share their persona information. It is important for business to ensuring
protection of their data as it can break their trust.
Analysis and discussion
Project collaboration tools
Zoom: Zoom can be considered as one of important tool to be used by business in different parts
of world. It is used for different reason by users and also helps organisation for purpose of
reducing overcall over. It is an application that consist different features in business like video
call, personal messaging, audio call and others (Lediga and Fombad, 2018). It is an application
that also consist features like HD quality video and audio over cloud service, wire, partner
integration, screen sharing and others which make it more useful for business.
Examples: Zoom app is used by business during situation of pandemic where people cannot be
able to go to offices physically. On basis of it, people can be able to work from distance through
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sharing a screen from their home or any other place. It makes it easier for business to carry out
its operation as it allows both audio and video to different people in order to inform. On basis of
it, it is also easier for managers to maintaining report of employees.
Advantage Disadvantage
Zoom is a user-friendly application as a person
can easily understand how to use it. In order to
use this application, the user needs to
download this application. It is easier with this
app to connect with other person through video
conferencing. It not only used by company to
communicate with employees but also allow
them to communicate with customers and other
stakeholders (Majeed and Khan, 2019).
It is an application that can be connect with
different device like laptop, desktop and
mobile devices. It is a compatible application
for different devices. It is also a platform that
can be used for windows, operating system and
also Android.
There is bad experience faced by some users as
service provide take much time in order to
solve problem faced by user.
Using this application in business create
security concern for a person. Different types
of hackers are there who hacked zoom meeting
and also share disrupt content that create
negative image of company.
Hangout: Google Hangout- This application is used for instant messaging and was developed by
Google. This application can also run-in background and can notify the user about every latest
message. This application synchronised different messages in background. The Google hangout
app also consist of some other facilities like video and voice call.
Examples: This application gives several advantages to business in COVID 19 period as
managers can make group in every team, department to finish task with sending important
information and data to higher authorities by simply doing call or messages.
Advantage Disadvantage
It is an application that can be on any OS. It
provides opportunity to user as they do not
It is a compatible application which cannot be
access to any device but user needs to register
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need to depend on Android devices and also
use Windows and iOS (McInroy, Craig and
Leung, 2019).
With using this application, there are around 10
people can be linked at one time through
conference call in a meeting.
on Google account in order to use this
application. It allows them to enjoy all benefits
of this application but without registering on
google application, user is not allowed to get
benefits of this app.
It is an app that does not provide feature of
message tracking as user is not able to
understand whether the other person is able to
read and received the message.
Privacy and security during pandemic
Privacy and security threat
In the present advance era, neglecting some issues e.g., data privacy can lead to failure in
business. Due to increase in use of online media and advance technology there are many
problems or challenges in data privacy and security.
• Increasing cost: As cost of data breaching is very high so it is more expensive for business to
keeping or maintain system, so it is mandatory for business to invest in this properly (Mohanty
and Mishra, 2020).
• Proliferating device: Proliferating interconnected tablets, use of internet for everything, bring
own device and many more, these are some reasons by which security and privacy of data
becoming very difficult and challenging. Managing data can be more difficult because of using
of one device
Threats of privacy and security:
Data loss: It is one of threat in an organisation related to privacy and security. It occur in
business due to increasing use of digital technology as sometimes ant technological error can be
occur in business due to which business can loss all their important data.
Hacking: It is also a threat in an organisation in which hacker or third party can access to
confidential information of business. Competitors of business can take advantage of this situation
by copy new and innovative ideas of business (Peraković, Periša and Sente, 2018).
Increasing dependence: Increasing interdepended on business and people on digital technology
create problem for business. Due to this, any misfunctioning can be occur in an organisation that
create loss.
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Measure to overcome of threat:
 In order to avoid threat, occur in business in context of privacy and security, it is
important for them to save data of business at safe place. It assists firm to ensure their
important information of business can keep confidential and also be protected from
stolen.
 Business should only collect important information from employees and customers as
using of more information create threat for data privacy.
Private and public internet:
There are different benefits and challenge for using local internet in specific country. During
war between Russia and Ukraine, Russia stopped using internet instead, they are using their own
local network. It provides various benefits to Russia as it allows them to protect their personal
information of country. It is important for a country to protect their internal information during
war. It also makes their country independent which is important for their development. It is
important in order to provide support to different local business (Silveira and Reis, 2022).
There is various disadvantage for Russia for using its local internet as it creates gap among
world and that country. It also limits their development and also does not aloe people of their
country to know international business information. It limits knowledge and learning of people
as it disconnect from world. It is also create threat for right to information of local people of
Russia.
CONCLUSION
From above mentioned project report, it can be concluded that Information and communication
industry is one of growing industry. There are various developments taking place in this industry
that make it is easier for business to expand its operation. Project collaboration tools is also
included among these which make it easier for a manager to complete a task. These tools also
help business in situation of covid-19 pandemic that helps business to make it easier for them to
complete work. It also creates opportunity for business as on basis of it, it is easier for employees
o work from their home effectively. But increasing use of these technology in business create
threat for people related to privacy and security. There are different tools used by business to
protect their data like investing to strengthen data and security, saves only required information
and others. Access of confidential information of business does not allow external person to
compete in market and it also create threat over positioning of business in marketplace.
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