Integrated Professional Skills in the Digital Age

This report discusses project collaboration tools and their importance during the COVID-19 situation, advantages and disadvantages of cloud computing and cloud storage for firms, and the importance of ICT for business during the pandemic. It also identifies various issues related to security and privacy in business.

Integrated Professional
Skills in the Digital Age

Abstract
ICT is focused with storage, transmission and retrieval of digital data. ICT pale’s various
important role in an enterprise as it improves communication in organisation, increase efficiency
of day-to-day operation, enhance experience of customers and many more. Purpose of this report
is to gain knowledge about information and communication technologies. This report includes
discussion of project collaboration tools and its importance during covid-19 situation. It also
includes advantage and disadvantage of cloud computing and cloud storage for firm.

Table of Contents
Abstract ...........................................................................................................................................2
1.0 INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................................1
2.0 Literature review .......................................................................................................................1
2.1 Project collaboration tools ....................................................................................................1
2.2 Cloud storage:........................................................................................................................2
2.3 Cloud computing....................................................................................................................3
2.4 Privacy and security...............................................................................................................4
3.0 Analysis and discussion.............................................................................................................5
3.1 Project collaboration tools ....................................................................................................5
3.2 Privacy and security during pandemic ..................................................................................7
5.0 Recommendation.......................................................................................................................8
6.0 CONCLUSION..........................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES ...............................................................................................................................9

1.0 INTRODUCTION
Information and communication technology refers to extensional term which stress on
unified communication role as well as integration of computers, telecommunication and other
necessary software, storage, audio visual which allow users to store, access and transmit to
manipulate and understand information (Adnan, 2018). It includes different electronic products
which deal with various information in digital form. This project report discusses about project
collaboration tool and their importance for business which helps them in survive in global
pandemic situation by managing team virtually using different project collaboration tool like
zoom and other application. It includes discussion of cloud storage and cloud computing service
along with their advantage and disadvantage. This report also discusses about importance of ICT
for business during pandemic situation. Moreover, it identifies various issues related to security
and privacy in business.
2.0 Literature review
2.1 Project collaboration tools
According to views of Bridgstock (2019), Project Collaboration tools refers to software
which helps project managers as well as teams in order to simplify task and also in attaining
results. These tools are used for various reason including video conferencing, task management,
project monitoring, file transfers, instant messaging and many more. These tools help managers
to manage team through online mode but it is difficult to identify best suitable tool for
requirement of business. Project managers can develop different methods in order to assess
quality of each tool. Some of example of Project collaboration tool includes Office 365, Zoom,
Wrike, Asana, Teamwork, hangout, Slack. These project collaboration tools are used in solving
various challenges, fits practical needs, usability for team.
Use of these tool in covid-19 situation
Project Collaboration tool provide various benefits in situation of covid-19 as government has
put restriction over business and people to move out from their home in order to protect people
from disease. In this situation, business is using these project collaboration tool like Zoom and
hangout in order to complete project of business from their home. These tools help employees to
stay connected with each other for completion of project and also helps to reduce negative
impact over business cause by covid-19 situation. They can conduct virtual meeting by using
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these project collaboration tool in organisation which helps to carry out smooth flow of operation
of company and at same time protect employees from spread of diseases. It also allows managers
of company to view employees and their work by using option like file sharing. With this,
managers of company are able to view work of employees and also improve their performance.
Advantage: Project collaboration tool provide various platform for organisation and by using
these platforms it is easier for business to conduct business meeting and employees can join
these meetings from different locations (Gleason, 2018). There are various office and branch of a
company in different location and in order to work for a common project with sharing
information and engaging, project collaboration tools are important. Project collaboration tool
provide easier management of various project to be conducted at business. With use of different
tools, a person can convene meeting anywhere and anytime. For instance, when business
introducing new product, production department of company needs to collaborate with other
department like sales, marketing, research and development.
Disadvantage: Lack of face of face interaction is one of disadvantage of use of project
collaborator tool as it provides real time communication but does not provide face to face
interaction among people (Hermida and Young, 2019). In this, managers are not able to
supervise working of employees which may create impact on their performance.
2.2 Cloud storage:
As per views of Hollandsworth, Donovan and Welch (2017), Cloud storage refers to model
which include storing of digital data in logical pool on cloud. This physical storage service and
physical environment is managed and owned through hosting company. Business can lease or
buy storage capacity from different storage provider. This physical storage provider has
responsibility of keeping data accessible and available for user and also for keeping physical
environment protected, running and secured.
Advantage of Cloud storage: It provide recovery to organisation as if there is failure in hard
drive or other malfunction in hardware occur, business can access their data or files form cloud.
It provides backup solution to local storage to provide recovery of data on physical drives. Cloud
storage service provider offering additional security in their services. There are various files and
data is stored on this cloud. These cloud service providers ensure that data of a one person cannot
be accessed by other person and for this they added length.
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Disadvantage of cloud storage: Security vulnerability is creating challenge in dealing
with cloud computing providers. In this, there is a threat for exchange of confidential information
of business to third party service provider (Kelly, Coates and Naylor, 2016). This can be done by
hackers which can create problems for business. There are various challenges face by an
enterprise due to inconsistency between service provider if business if moving from one vendor
platform to another. Another problem in this is related to downtime in which cloud service
provider face failure related to power, poor access with internet as well as maintenance of
services.
Suitability and application of cloud storage: Cloud storage services is suitable for small
business who does not have sufficient funds to develop infrastructure to get space for storing
data of company.
2.3 Cloud computing
In opinion of Konstantinou and Miller (2021), Cloud computing refers to delivery of
services related to computing which includes storage, servers, networking, databases, analytics,
software, intelligence through internet in order to provide innovation, economies of scale as well
as flexible resources. To use cloud service, organisation needs to pay only when they require
these services which helps to reduce their operating cost in order to make infrastructure of
company more efficient and helps to grow business by implementing change in business. Cloud
computing provide various advantage to an organisation by shifting them from traditional
method of working to using information technology resources. With using of clod service,
business does not need to build their own infrastructure which require high investment cost
instead for this, company can use these services by paying rents to service providers.
Use of cloud computing
In cloud computing instead of owning computing infrastructure and data centres, an
organisation can rent for access various thing like information of customers employees, suppliers
and other important client, information of new product, new strategies from provider of cloud
service. It includes application to storage and provide various benefit like avoiding cost as well
as complexities for owning or maintaining IT infrastructure. In this companies only needs to pay
when they require these services. Provider also get benefits of cloud computing by using
economies of scale in order to provide same services to numbers of customers.
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Advantage of cloud computing: Cloud computing provide benefit to reducing cost of buying
various software and hardware, establishing and maintaining data centres at workplace, round the
clock electricity for providing power and cooling, hiring of IT experts in order to manage
infrastructure effectively. Cloud computing includes self-service as well as on demand service
and it provisioned various resources within some minutes. It provides flexibility to business and
reduce their pressure for capacity planning with use of some mouse clicks.
Disadvantage of cloud computing: In cloud computing, all data is stored with use of cloud
services and these data can be access by a person with use of internet connection (McNamara
and Allen, 2018). If a person does not have internet connectivity, they fail to access data. There
are no other ways for accessing data which have been uploaded to cloud. Vendor lock is another
problem in cloud computing faced by business while transferring their cloud computing services
from one vendor to another vendor. There are different vendors available in market which are
providing different types of platforms which create problems in moving storage from one cloud
vendor to another.
Suitability of cloud computing: Cloud computing is suitable for any business which require more
data protection and space to keep their data private. There are different types of cloud computing
like software as a service, platform as a service and infrastructure as a service. Suitability of
these cloud computing is depending of nature and kind of business.
2.4 Privacy and security
Data privacy is one of term which is focused with processing, handling, usage and
storage of personal data. It is concerned with right of a person related to their personal
information. There is various concern related to data privacy including managing policies or
contracts, application of government law or regulation, management of third party. Privacy is
right of a person for freedom from prying eyes and intrusion. Data privacy is guaranteed under
various constitution in developed countries which make it human right as well as human dignity
principle with which various people agree. For instance, The Data Protection Act 2018 is one of
UK based law which helps in protection of general data.
Data security is concerned with protection of personal data from unauthorised access of
third party or exploitation or malicious attack on data (Meissner and Shmatko, 2019). Data
security is set in order to provide protection to personal data with use of different method as well
as techniques for ensuring privacy of data. Data security make sure integrity of data, accuracy in
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measuring data, relatability of data, availability for authorise party. There is various method for
data security including network security, activity monitoring, encryption, branch response,
access control, multi factor authentication.
Importance of Privacy and security:
To improve and maintain brand value of business, it is important to maintain privacy and
security of data of organisation as privacy and security breach can impact on reputation as well
as values of brand.
To maintain public and investor trust, it is important for business to protect personal
information about their customers and investors. Some organisation fails to protect data of their
customers and investors which break trust between company and their customers.
To strengthen and providing growth to business, privacy and security of data are
important as customers wants to keep their information private which is shared with business and
business by using privacy policies helps to ensure control over such information.
3.0 Analysis and discussion
3.1 Project collaboration tools
Zoom: Zoom is one of application used by business around different parts of world. There is
various reason for which this application is getting appreciation by users (Mwaniki, 2018). Zoom
app helps to reduce cost of organisation and also includes various function in one application like
audio call, video call, personal message during video call and many more. There are various
features in this app including HD quality of audio and video over wire, cloud service,
simultaneous screen sharing, partner integration and many more.
Example: Zoom app helps business in many ways during covid-19 situation as it allows people
to work from distance by connecting each other to a common screen. This app includes both
audio and video which allow people to work in well inform manner and also through this,
manager can take report from employees working in an organisation.
Advantage and disadvantage
Advantage Disadvantage
 Zoom is one of project collaboration
tool which is easy to use. It can be used
by downloading it and is providing
 Some customers using zoom is
reporting bad customer service. It may
take various days for service
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easiest solution for video conferencing
(Phaneuf, 2019). It can be used by
connecting for purpose of talking with
customers or colleagues.
 Connecting virtual meeting with
desktop, mobile device and laptop is
not seamless but zoom app is
compatible for every device. Zoom app
is one of platform for conferencing tool
which is compatible and capable for
windows, Android and other operating
systems.
representative to reach to provide
solutions to customers.
 There is various security concern
related to Zoom as various hackers has
hacked zoom in virtual meeting and
posted offense content in order to
disrupt organisation.
Hangouts: Google hangouts app is one of application which work as an instant messaging app.
This app can also work in background and also notify a person about arrival of every new
message (Zambrano, Kirschner and Kirschner, 2020). Running of this app in background
synchronized all message. This application also includes various feature like voice call and video
call.
Advantage and disadvantage
Advantage Disadvantage
 Google hangouts can be used on any
device with different OS. So, a person
cannot depend only on Android device.
It can also be used on Windows and
iOS.
 Google hangouts also provide video
conference call thorough which around
10 members can connect at same time
in meeting.
 This application is compatible enough
to run on any device but still to use it, a
person needs to register on google in
order to enjoy each and every feature of
google hangout.
 Google hangout does not provide
tracking of message as with this, a
person is not able to know whether
another person has received or read
message.
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Example of how hangout helps business during covid-19 situation: This app provide various
benefits to business during covid-19 situation as managers of company can make a group of
every team. This allows different team and department to complete their task with providing
information to leaders and managers by doing instant messages or calling.
3.2 Privacy and security during pandemic
Challenge related to privacy and security
In today's advance world, ignoring of issues like data privacy may results in failure of business
(Rosa and Storey, 2016). There are various challenges in security and privacy of data due to
increasing use online media and technologies.
 Increasing cost: Maintaining and keeping system secure is costly affair for business as
cost of breaching data is relatively high and for this business needs to invest it properly.
 Proliferating device: Privacy and security of data is becoming more challenging for
person due to various reason like bring own device, proliferating interconnected tablets,
use of Internet for everything and many more. Using one device increase difficulty in
managing data.
Threats related to privacy and security
Data loss is one of major threat for business with increase use of online technologies in
business as this can happen due to technological error or access by another person in order to
create negative impact on business.
Hacking is another threat for business as through this, hackers or unauthorised user can
access to personal information of users. With this, competitors and other marketing players can
copy innovative and creative ideas of business.
There is increasing dependence of people on digital technologies for saving their personal
information and work-related information which create threat for business as any non-
functioning in device can results in loss of data.
Measures to prevent from threats
There is various measure to be adopted by business in order to prevent, protect as well as ensure
privacy of data. Some of these measures to be adopted by business are as follows:
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1. To overcome of threat related to privacy and security, it is important for a person to save
data at safe place from prying eye. It helps business to protect confidential information to
being stolen.
 It is important for an organisation to understand collection of more information from
employees and customers as increase threat for data protect. So, business should save
only important information to reduce risk in their enterprise.
5.0 Recommendation
From above mentioned discussion, it can be recommended that Zoom is one of im0portant
project collaboration tool for Next Plc as it allow managers and employee to have face to face
meeting in which they can discuss various strategies and politics of company. It helps in
maintaining flow of work of company without making interruption even in Covid-19 situation.
Company is maintaining privacy and security by creating unique ids of employees and only
joining to selected members in company. It is also recommended that company needs to invest in
their information and technology department to improve their security and privacy which helps
to protect important data of company.
6.0 CONCLUSION
From above report, it can be concluded that project collaboration tool is one of important
for project managers as well as teams in order to simplify task. With use of these tool, employees
are able to work from distance even in COVID-19. These tools provide various opportunity for
business in order to work even in situation of global pandemic without leaving from their home.
But increasing use of technologies in various business activities and education activities increase
threat for data security and privacy for people. In order to protect data, a person needs to adopt
various measures like saves necessary information, investing in privacy and security. If
organisational confidential information is the by external person create threats to organisation as
competitors can use these data against to organisation or impacts its positioning in market.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Adnan, M., 2018. Professional development in the transition to online teaching: The voice of
entrant online instructors. ReCALL, 30(1), pp.88-111.
Bridgstock, R., 2019. Graduate employability 2.0: Learning for life and work in a socially
networked world. In Education for Employability (Volume 1) (pp. 97-106). Brill Sense.
Gleason, N.W., 2018. Singapore’s higher education systems in the era of the fourth industrial
revolution: Preparing lifelong learners. In Higher education in the era of the fourth
industrial revolution (pp. 145-169). Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore.
Hermida, A. and Young, M.L., 2019. Data journalism and the regeneration of news. Routledge.
Hollandsworth, R., Donovan, J. and Welch, M., 2017. Digital citizenship: You can’t go home
again. TechTrends, 61(6), pp.524-530.
Kelly, P., Coates, H. and Naylor, R., 2016. Leading online education from participation to
success. Вопросы образования, (3 (eng)).
Konstantinou, I. and Miller, E., 2021. Self-managed and work-based learning: problematising the
workplace–classroom skills gap. Journal of Work-Applied Management.
McNamara, D.S. and Allen, L.K., 2018. Toward an integrated perspective of writing as a
discourse process.
Meissner, D. and Shmatko, N., 2019. Integrating professional and academic knowledge: the link
between researchers skills and innovation culture. The Journal of Technology
Transfer, 44(4), pp.1273-1289.
Mwaniki, P.W., 2018. Envisioning the future role of librarians: skills, services and information
resources. Library Management.
Phaneuf, M., 2019. ICTs as a transversal Competency in nursing. Infiressources. Accessed, 26.
Rosa, K. and Storey, T., 2016. American libraries in 2016: Creating their future by connecting,
collaborating and building community. IFLA journal, 42(2), pp.85-101.
Zambrano R, J., Kirschner, P.A. and Kirschner, F., 2020. How cognitive load theory can be
applied to collaborative learning: Collaborative cognitive load theory.
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