Impact of Information Technology on Business Operations: Types of Computer Networks and Ethical Issues

This report discusses the impact of information technology on business operations, types of computer networks, and ethical issues. It includes a literature review, analysis and discussion of the impact of IT on business, ethical and social issues, and types of computer networks. The report is based on Barclays Bank as a case study.

INFORMATION TO
TECHNOLOGY

Table of Contents
Introduction..........................................................................................................................................3
Literature review .................................................................................................................................3
Analysis and discussion .......................................................................................................................3
Impact of IT on business..................................................................................................................3
Ethical and social issues that pertain to running business...............................................................5
Types of Computer Networks with their impact on businesses.......................................................6
Artificial intelligence.......................................................................................................................8
Conclusion............................................................................................................................................9
References ..........................................................................................................................................11

Introduction
The information technology is the application of computers networks which stores, retrieve,
transmit, and manipulate the data of the business through telecommunication equipment. In the
context of the business, the information technology is the system of computer, communication
which involves all hardware, software and peripheral equipment’s which is operated by the large IT
users. In the company, the usage of the information is very important which helps in maintaining the
data flow, maintains employee records, and tracks the processes. The word technology defines
techniques, skills, methods and process used in the business for scientific investigation and
production. In the business world the development of technology helps in completing the assigned
task on time with efficiency (Alsunaidi, S.J. and Alhaidari, F.A., 2019). Through the technology
advancement, various changes occur in the business operations like technology driven devices,
storing of data etc. The report is done on the Barclays bank which is a multinational universal bank
in London, England, UK. The bank is established in 1690 by the Nigel Higgins (Barclays bank
2018). It deals in the product of retail, commercial, investment, private and wealth banking. In the
study, the discussion is done on the impact of the information technology on the business operations
with the importance of concerning social and ethical issues. It also deliberates the types of computer
networks and artificial intelligence to enhance the business.
Literature review
In accordance to the Technology trends 2019 the information technology is anything related to the
computing technology. The internet for example comes under the umbrella term IT. It also
comprises of hardware, software, and networking. The data is processed and communicate with the
implementation and designing of the computer networks.
In accordance to ND Century code, the information technology is the development and maintenance
of the software, systems and networks of the computers which takes the use of service and
supporting infrastructure so the information can be managed and delivered by application of voice,
data and video.
The definition from the given authors we have analysed the impact of IT on business various ethical
and social issues that is faced by the organisation. To perform the operations the numerous types of
computer network is connected in accordance to their range and how artificial intelligence helps in
reducing the errors works as a machines like human.

Analysis and discussion
Impact of IT on business
The digitalization in the economy has increased the leveraging benefit of digital tools for
enhancing the prospects of the business. Various innovations have arisen with the upsurge in
information technology. In the Barclays bank the profit is generated by planning business strategies
and with the help of information technology the data is analysed. The guidance is provided to the
world in the modern time period with the development of the technology. The bank also requires the
technology updated from time to time to have the great success and efficiency in the working as it
deals with many clients, customers and other business (Baker, R.M., 2019). The Barclays bank
perspective is changed which provides various online services to customers to make their work
faster and all the related information is store. The Impact of IT to enhance the operations of the
business are-
 Cloud computing- It provides the efficiency in the business operations by utilizing
information technology that capitalize the ability to provide improved time and resources for
the business management in context to Barclays bank. It requires the good internet
connection and connectivity of WIFI to accomplish the task effectively. The collaboration is
enhanced with the cloud application as different services are provided where the different
groups meet virtually to exchange the information with the help of shared storage.
 Automation of business process- The information technology helps in improving the
efficiency and workflow is increased considerably with the automation of business process
with the help of information technology. The cost of operation is reduced and time is saved
which can be utilized for the other purposes of tasks and significantly the speed of working
process is increased. The activities of business processes in Barclays bank include collection
of consumer data, providing loans, monitoring certain process that is easily automated
(Capehart, B.L., 2020).
 Protection of information- The Barclays bank has the database which contains various
information regarding the business transactions, client details which is valuable to the
business. The information technology for the Barclays bank become relevant when the host
of legal issue is lost. To store the information, the right resources like big data analytics are
provided to maximize the protection. The virtual storage system allows the limited number
of users to access the information which is kept safe and the problem of hacking is reduced.
 Providing Customer satisfaction- In the business the customer satisfaction and experience
are the crucial aspect as there is a strong customer support team and the customer

requirement of the availability is catered. In the Barclays bank the facility of email, social
media and other platforms for messaging is provided which helps in communicating with
the customers and their problem is solved with the help of information technology. The bank
understands the needs by conducting various surveys and proper feedback is taken on the
experience of service taken from the bank. The business growth is depended on the happy
customers (Chiang, H.T. and Chang, C.T., 2019).
Ethical and social issues that pertain to running business
The information technology is applicable to all the fields where the privacy and security
issues are arisen. The company is required to comply with regulations to develop integrity and trust
in the business regarding the ethical issues. The unlimited information is accessed through the
availability of computer technology which caused major shift in the society. There are numerous
issues related to the social and ethical which is considered as important to run the business
efficiently (Farjon, D and et.al., 2019).
Ethical Issues
Personal privacy- In the information technology it is an important aspect for the Barclays
bank. The transfer of data or information takes place in big amount which leads to disclosing the
information and violation of the privacy of any individual as the IT users transfer information or
data on the large scale with the distribution of network. The IT provides the facility to user of
having hardware, operating system, and other software tools so that servers can be accessed which
are connected to each other by the network. To maintain the data integrity and privacy is the
challenging for the organisation and IT users in the Barclays bank (Ghobakhloo, M., 2020).
Access Right- With the advancement in the technology, the right to access is becoming great
issue for the IT and cyberspace. The evolution of the internet has heightened the E-commerce and
electronic payment systems which is also an issue faced by the several corporate organisations and
government agencies. In the internet the network from unauthorized access is not made secure. To
determine the user is intruder or inappropriate user, the intrusion detection is used in the Barclays
bank (Gettman, D. and et. al., 2017).
Harmful actions- In the computer ethics the harmful actions are defined as the damage or
negative consequences to the IT like loss of property, ownership, important information and
destruction of property. Any outsider is restricted in the principle of ethical conduct from the usage
of information technology which may lead to loss to any employee, employer, users and the general
public. The loss of resources is derived from the alternations in the files and programs and these
actions comprise the intentional destruction. The virus must be reduced to recover the harmful

actions from the computer system by putting more efforts and time in the context to Barclays bank
(Kuang, W., 2018).
Piracy- It is an ethical issue faced by the business where the illegal copy is created of the
software. The owner of the software has the right to make decisions on whether the user can make
backup copies of software in Barclays bank. The courts help in dealing with the protections of
software by taking actions.
Social Issues
Breakdown of communication- In the modern time the technology helped in improving the
life but also considered as a social issue because most of the persons are involved in the mobile
phones, computers which leads to breakdown of communication and reduces the bond is with the
members. The portable devices in the households grants to access the information and entertainment
but also leads to lack of family communication and in the bank communication.
Identity theft- In the rouse of easily accessible of computers and internet, the fraud is
another social issue as the personal information of the person can be with the third party which can
be used for malicious purposes of carrying online transactions and other damaging activities.
Several privacy sources must be brought by the Barclays bank to store the information of the
customers and employees in the avoidance of frauds (Laraia, M., 2018).
Gaming addiction- With the advancement of the technology a new type of addiction has
arisen in the form of video games that has impacted the people’s life of all ages and created number
of problems from financial to social. The individuals are involved in the computers and mobile
phone to play the games which affects them adversely in the education, eye sights and less
communication with others.
Online scams- The business and millions of people facilitate the electronic transactions and
arrange their working with the help of internet. The transactions must be performed carefully while
navigating on websites. The Phishing is the common scam method which is created by combing the
words password (code) and fishing. The phishing is the social attack which is used to steal the data
of user involving login credentials and credit card numbers in the context to the Barclays bank. It is
a smart technique where the personal details and information regarding financial transactions is
revealed (Leong, L.W and et.al., 2018).
Types of Computer Networks with their impact on businesses
The term computer network defines the connection of two or more computers which are
connected either through cables or WIFI in the aim of transmitting, sharing, exchanging data and

resources. The computer network is built by using hardware such as routers, access points, cables
and switches and software such as business application or operating system. The use of protocols to
communicate, or to make physical arrangement of components is also defined as computer network.
Various types of computers networking are available according to the size and purposes of computer
network (Tutorialspoint2021). The computer network is connected with the nodes such as fibre
optics, wireless signals which allows in communication and sharing information. The networks
follow the protocols to define communication how it is sent and received which uses the IP address
for each device. The various computer networks discussed are-
LAN (Local area network)- This network is owned and managed privately which is connected
over a short distance to easily share the data, resources and files. In small area such as building,
offices, schools, the computers are connected to each other. It takes the use of communication
medium like twisted pair, coaxial cable etc. to connect more computers. The transferring of data is
at faster rate and the LAN is built with inexpensive hardware which is less costly such as hubs,
Ethernet cables. The security level is high provided by local area network. It includes both wired
and wireless network. The impact of LAN on business in context to Barclays bank helps in reducing
the cost as it is inexpensive. It is easy for setup which requires only the internet service to connect
the devices using Ethernet cables. The productivity of the business is improved as the personalized
services is rendered to customers through email, web forms ease of videoconferencing scheduling
etc. there is a security of information with the user’s name and password (Palgrave Macmillan,
Singapore. Nanni, L and et. al., 2020).
MAN (Metropolitan area network)- A large geographic area of network is covered by
metropolitan area network which interconnects a different LAN to develop a larger network. This
network is used by the government agencies which connects citizens and private industries.
Through telephone exchange line, various LAN are connected in metropolitan area network. The
MAN is smaller than WAN but larger than LAN. The term ‘metropolitan’ defines the network size.
The impact of the MAN on business in context to Barclays bank provides the internet connection of
link in the long run-in metropolitan region. It is less expensive in use which helps in sending fast
local emails, and internet connection is shared between the users. The business also gets the high
security (Cloudflare 2021).
WAN (Wide area network)- The computers networks are connected over wide area which
connects billions of computers. This network is extended over a large geographical area like states
or countries with a satellite link, telephone line and fibre optic cable. The network of the WAN is
bigger than LAN. In the field of business, government and education it is used where internet is
highest in the WAN world. The wide area network is used by large organisation in context to

Barclays bank to connect several sites, suppliers, remote employees and data centres to access
necessary information and to run the applications. The performance of the network is consistency
with the bandwidth of the internet connection (Pham, X.T and et.al., 2020).
Basis LAN MAN WAN
Definition It is a network
connection of the
computers to each
other in small
geographical area with
small group.
The computer network
connection is in large
area comprising of
cities, towns etc but
compare to WAN it is
small.
The connection of the
network is dispersed
over the large area
among the countries
with the help of
internet.
Allows To perform a
communication, it
allows single pair of
devices.
The number of
computers is allowed
to interact with the
same time.
It allows for
communication to
large group of
computer system in
the same time.
Used by The use of LAN is in
the colleges, schools,
universities of the
same building.
The small towns and
cities use this network
for connection in
MAN (Prince, J.D.,
2017).
To have the connection
of the computer
system in different
countries and
continent the network
of WAN is used on
large scale.
Speed High speed is provided
by this network.
This network delivers
the moderate speed.
High speed is provided
in comparison to LAN
and MAN.
Ownership It is owned privately
by the people.
The network of MAN
is owned privately and
publicly.
This network is too
owned publicly.
Artificial intelligence
The artificial intelligence is demonstrated by machines which is opposed to natural
intelligence displayed by humans. The artificial intelligence defines the simulation to think likes
humans and mimic their actions that are programmed in machines. It is related to machine that
displays trait of learning and problem solving which is associated with the human mind. To achieve
specific goal, the artificial intelligence has the ability to rationalize and actions are taken. It is a
machine learning and without the help of humans the computer programmes are automatically
learned and new data is adapted. The aim of the artificial intelligence involves the learning,
reasoning, and perception, planning, representation of knowledge. The artificial intelligence has
four approaches of thinking humanly, thinking rationally, acting humanly, acting rationally which
leads to thought process and reasoning. The various opportunities are provided by the artificial

intelligence to the business organisation which has a greater importance. The impact of artificial
intelligence to enhance the business (Rafique, H and et.al., 2020).
Time and money are saved- The machines are more efficient in the working rather than the
human beings. The machine of artificial intelligence is operated 24/7. There is no breakdown in the
working which provides reliability in the working. To do the particular task the on the important
events if notifies on time. The large amount of data is also recognised by the artificial intelligence
within a second which usually takes lesser time in taking decisions and produce relevant
information. The technology of artificial intelligence helps in saving time and works efficiently
rather than humans. The performance in the Barclays bank is also enhanced as the machines do not
require any sleep and works continuous without getting bored.
Business insights are generated to take smart decisions- in the modern economy the data
for the business is very valuable. The artificial intelligence in Barclays bank helps in generating
data processing quickly and efficiently to provide the answers regarding the question arising in the
business. It provides the accurate predictions on the customer needs by the learning which is learned
by the business. It also offers relevant predictions analytics in comparison to humans.
Productivity is enhanced through artificial intelligence- The task of to-do-list is reduced
for the employees so that they can focus on the task which is to be performed by them. The artificial
intelligence does the most of the work which do not requires the employees to complete the task. It
boosts the employees to increase the productivity. The real time assistance is offered by the artificial
intelligence if business is involved in the communication with the customers constantly. In the
Barclays bank, the load of work is reduced in the employees which increases the productivity as the
employees performs the tasks efficiently (Zheng, Q., Chen, L. and Burgos, D., 2018).
Reducing errors- The errors are reduced in the artificial intelligence as more accurate results
are provided as compared to human beings. The accuracy of the artificial intelligence ranges from
99 to 100 percent. The cash flow is forecast by the humans which is time consuming in the
company in reducing the errors. The technology of artificial intelligence helps in the increment of
accuracy without any manual interference in forecasting of cash flow. There are high chances of
achieving the success in the organisation. In the Barclays bank, the forecasting of cash flow is done
by the human which has more errors but if forecasted by the artificial intelligences it will help in
reducing the errors.
Benefits of artificial intelligence
 The errors are reduced which increases the accuracy and precision and decision is taken by
gathering the information and certain set of algorithms.

 The artificial intelligence work endlessly without taking any break which also performs the
multiple tsks with the accurate results.
 To solve the complex problems the new inventions are occurring in every domain.
Drawbacks of artificial intelligence
 In the creation of the machine that stimulate human intelligence requires the lot of resources
and time which cost lot of money.
 There is increase in unemployment due to the artificial intelligence and makes the human
lazy.
 In the artificial intelligence the incorporation of ethics and morality is difficult.
Conclusion
The conclusion has been made from the above report that information technology has the
important and wide impact on the business which leads to innovation by creating path of success
through technology advancement. A separate information technology department is maintained by
the organisation where all the important data and files are stored. With the advancement of
technology, the company faces the social and ethical issues regarding the customers and employees.
Furthermore, the different types of computer network are elaborated such as LAN, MAN, WAN.
The computer network is cost effective which also helps in providing the privacy to the business
regarding the confidentiality. The concept of artificial intelligences is also discussed which enhance
the business operations.

References
Books and Journals
Alsunaidi, S.J. and Alhaidari, F.A., 2019, April. A survey of consensus algorithms for blockchain
technology. In 2019 International Conference on Computer and Information Sciences
(ICCIS) (pp. 1-6). IEEE.
Baker, R.M., 2019. Introduction and Purpose of the Issue.
Capehart, B.L., 2020. Introduction to Web Based Enterprise Energy and Building Automation
Systems. In Web Based Enterprise Energy and Building Automation Systems (pp. 3-11).
River Publishers.
Chiang, H.T. and Chang, C.T., 2019. Introduction to and application analysis of Taiwan’s NHI-
MediCloud System. Journal of Service Science Research. 11(1). pp.93-115.
Farjon, D and et.al., 2019. Technology integration of pre-service teachers explained by attitudes and
beliefs, competency, access, and experience. Computers & Education, 130, pp.81-93.
Gettman, D. and et. al., 2017. Impacts of laws and regulations on CV and AV technology
introduction in transit operations (No. NCHRP Project 20-102 (02)).
Ghobakhloo, M., 2020. Determinants of information and digital technology implementation for
smart manufacturing. International Journal of Production Research, 58(8), pp.2384-2405.
Kuang, W., 2018. An Introduction to New Media. In Social Media in China (pp. 3-23).
Laraia, M., 2018. Introduction: How a New Industry Comes About. In Nuclear
Decommissioning (pp. 1-6). Springer, Cham.
Leong, L.W and et.al., 2018. The moderating effect of experience on the intention to adopt mobile
social network sites for pedagogical purposes: An extension of the technology acceptance
model. Education and Information Technologies, 23(6), pp.2477-2498.
Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore.Nanni, L and et. al., 2020. An introduction to deep learners and
deep learner descriptors for medical applications. In Deep Learners and Deep Learner
Descriptors for Medical Applications (pp. 1-5). Springer, Cham
Pham, X.T and et.al., 2020, November. Build a search engine for the knowledge of the course about
Introduction to Programming based on ontology Rela-model. In 2020 12th International
Conference on Knowledge and Systems Engineering (KSE) (pp. 207-212). IEEE.
Prince, J.D., 2017. Precision Medicine: An Introduction. Journal of Electronic Resources in Medical
Libraries. 14(3-4). pp.120-129.
Rafique, H and et.al., 2020. Investigating the acceptance of mobile library applications with an
extended technology acceptance model (TAM). Computers & Education, 145, p.103732.
Zheng, Q., Chen, L. and Burgos, D., 2018. Introduction, Construction, Usage, and Management of
MOOCs in China. In The Development of MOOCs in China (pp. 245-259). Springer,
Singapore.
Online
Barclays bank 2018 [online] Available through < https://www.barclays.in>
Tutorialspoint2021[online] Available through
<https://www.tutorialspoint.com/computer_fundamentals/computer_networking.htm>
Cloudflare 2021 [online] Available through < https://www.cloudflare.com/en-in/learning/network-
layer/what-is-a-metropolitan-area-network/>
Capgemini 2021[online] Available through <https://www.capgemini.com/2018/12/the-impact-of-
artificial-intelligence-ai-on-business-and-insights/ >