Technology in Business: Online vs. Offline, Security & COVID-19 Impact

This report explores the use of technology in both online and offline business environments, highlighting the impact of the evolving technological landscape on business strategies. It discusses the shift towards online platforms, accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic, and contrasts the characteristics of online and offline products and services. The report details the challenges and measures related to security and privacy in online transactions, including fraud, quality issues, data leaks, and cybercrime. It also addresses security measures such as virtual credit cards, password vigilance, and cautious application usage. The report further examines challenges like missing product information, lack of physical interaction, and online tracking. Ultimately, the report emphasizes the importance of adopting security measures to ensure safe online shopping experiences for both businesses and consumers, especially in the context of increased reliance on online services due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This document is available on Desklib, a platform offering a wide range of study tools and solved assignments for students.

RESEARCH

Abstract
The evolution of new technology is mainly depending on changing environment and
needs, new ideas and theoretical basis for developing the technology. To provide the
experimentation there is need to investigation and creation of software that can help to managing
all activities and functions. The environment is changing where it is important to introduce the
products and services accordingly that can help to managing all workings. The whole world is
facing the issue of Covid-19 that affected the all businesses and their performance. The present
report is all about technology which is using by companies in their business to grow and
accomplishing business goals.

INTRODUCTION
Technology is the wider term to understand which is used by all business concern and
individual in their life to make their task easier and sort. This is important for each organization
to understand what is running at market place and how their customers will feel happy after
buying the products and services. In business environment there are different types of business
are running who all are focusing in changing demand and needs of their customers which can
help to operate a business regularly (Prasetyo, and Zen, 2020). The whole world is facing the
issue of Covid-19 where it became difficult for companies to regulate and operate their business.
The government of all countries has declared the lockdown in which no one allowed to go at
different place and buy the products. In this situation new technology or application software are
considered as important source of digitalization which used by companies to sale their products
and services via online method. Technology is the important aspects which used by organizations
while operating their business and accomplishing business performance. The current report
covers pros and cons of services that are sold via online, problems and measures of security as
well as privacy that business take when they go offline.
MAIN BODY
2. Online and offline products and services. (Appropriate title for the given task. Do not copy
and paste the topic question) - 25% approximately
Online product / services – When people using mobile phones, application, and other
electronic equipment to buy the products and booking hospitality services is called as online
shopping. In other words, Online shopping is the activity of buying something over the internet,
websites, and making payment via online that can help to develop the organizational activities
and performance. This is a part of E-commerce which stands for electronic commerce and
running in changing environment more. This occurs when people decided to buy or shopping via
digital platforms. For example, Amazon.com is the online retailing organization that sales
variety of products to their customers at lower or retaining prices at different location (Online
products/ service. 2021). Amazon is multinational technology company that founded in U.S. that
does not mean people need to live in this country to buy its products. The organization is
operating its business at different location via online method that make easier task for selecting
organization to operate its business regularly (Marín, Marcos, Medina, and Coelho, 2020). Due
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to Covid-19 when it became for most of businesses to operate its business and selling their
products where online shopping and application are becoming useful for people to continue their
shopping and managing the higher productivity.
Offline products / Services – This means a business concern either sells physical
products in a store or services that are limited to geographical location. This is very challenging
situation for business concern in recent times as people are facing the issue of Covid-19 where
government declared lockdown. This affected the organizational performance and productivity.
In offline shopping people goes to store, feels and touches the product then make decision to buy
products or service that can help to develop the organizational performance by influencing
customers. For example, Cromwell hospital London that is large size service sector providing
treatment to their patients who suffers from different diseases. The treatment is provided via
offline method at the same location as doctors and equipment are available at hospital only. The
people who wants to get treatment needs to go in London only. In the Covid-19 period, many
patients got treatment and feels healthy now. Moreover, Brick and Motor is also offline business
outlets with physical place where customers go physically instead of virtual shopping (Fu, and
et.al., 2020).
Difference between online and offline businesses that sales products or services
Basis Online Offline
Meaning When products and services are buy
or sale with physical outlets.
When purchase and sale occurs with
the help of digital platform such as
internet, online website and others.
Customer reach The company reaches customers in
limited number (Difference between
online and offline businesses.
2021.).
Organization reaches customers at
global level that supports to run
business.
Cost set up Operation and establishment cost
are higher than online business.
Amazon and other online business
company set business at lower cost.
Feasibility to
operate
In offline, business can be operate
only from stores.
The business can be operate from
anywhere in the world.
Customer
services
The company provides physical
supports by reaching at stores.
Online business provides virtual
support.
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Scalability There is need to invest more time
and efforts to scale a business.
This requires less time and efforts to
scale their business.
Competitive Less competitive More competitive
Similarities between online and offline business
 Offline and online business are offering range of products and services as per customer
demand that can help to manage sales.
 Both businesses aim to develop their sales by influencing customers and targeting
audience (Chiu, Lo, Hsieh, and Hwang, 2019).
 Return and replacement is quite possible in offline as well as online business that can
help to reach the targets.
 Both online and offline shopping at the workplace can be interactive experience that
looks towards customers and sales products.
Technology becoming an important part of human life as it is used to understand the
needs of environment and provide the products and services as well. This is the application of
scientific knowledge to the practical aims of human life and introduces the variety of products
which can help to managing higher performance as well as productivity. The management of
each organization needs to analysis the what is going on in market and how customers can be
satisfied by offering products.
Description of challenges and measures of security and privacy
Online and offline are the types of business which is used by business concern for the
purpose of developing all activities and maintaining higher performance. This is important for
each organization to provide products and services as per demand that can help to reach the
targeted customers. When people choose the online shopping method then they need to be aware
as many problems might be arising and it affects the organizational performance (Guru,
Nenavani, Patel, and Bhatt, 2020).
Privacy is the important aspects for individual and businesses are playing important role
who provides various products and services to their customers with the help of online sources.
Online privacy is the technique of privacy protection where an individual connected to the
internet. When people goes online then they use the internet and applications to provide the
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products and services to their customers. The measures which needs to be taken while doing
online shopping are:
To check proper internet connection – While shopping and selling any kind of products
there is need to have proper internet connection that can help to place order and give
confirmation of delivery (Lee, and Lee, 2019).
Always place order from secure connection – If computer is not protected from malicious
software then there might be risk of privacy and data being stolen. Thus, it is important to have
secure connection which can help to develop the good experience of online shopping.
Read all terms and conditions while buying – This is important measure that should be
taken by individual and businesses to read all terms and condition which is related to products
and services. This can help to make protect the online fraud and misunderstandings.
Need to create a Password for the site – This is another measure which should be taken
while running a business. An individual and businesses is requiring to create a password for site
which they are using to shop online (Han, and Xie, 2019).
Challenges of privacy
Fraud – It has seen that when people goes to online purchase then sometimes customers
get fraud or misunderstanding that affects the shopping behaviour of customers negatively.
Quality issue – Major challenge facing by individual and businesses is quality of
products as people are not getting good quality of products which is mentioned in their
description that affected the sales.
Leak out personal details – It has seen that sometimes people searches different items
and accessories to buy by filling their personal details due to which productivity of organization
started to decrease (Maggioni, Sands, Kachouie, and Tsarenko, 2019).
Cybercrime – This is another challenge is facing by businesses and individuals while
running their business. Sometimes it has seen that some cybercrime theft hacks the individual
account and get personal details for misusing it. This creates the challenges for running a
business.
Challenges and their measures of Security
Measures
Do not look virtual credit cards – This is temporary card which is offered by companies
where it has lower credit limits and more immediate expiration date. The retailers never see the
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real card information that create the issues in running business online. The business concern
should be providing the offers with single credit cards that can help to run the business
appropriately.
Do be vigilant – This means when someone is going to shop products online then needs to
be vigilant that mans has to change password regularly. This password which is using by
business concern in selling their items and buyers in purchasing any kind of products should be
change their password every 3-6 month that can help to provide the security in their shopping. It
should be use password management programme such as LastPass, PassKeper, and others to
track of each.
Do not trust all application – When people go online for shopping then it should not
trust any application, websites, and others activity as it might be theft the personal information of
their customers and rise risk. Thus, it is important for individual to use safe application and
shopping store that can help give good experience (Kumar, and Bajaj, 2019).
Challenges
Missing product information – People who goes to online for shopping hate dealing
with returns as much as businesses also do. As no offer details and product information that can
help in shopping are addressed by retailers that is major challenge and affects the business
performance.
Do not touch – This is another challenge which is facing by individual and business
concern while running their business as they cannot feel and touch the products that can help to
make right business decision regarding purchase.
Spying and Snooping – When people are online then spied by number of trackers for
different purposes. Trackers keep a record of customer’s search history and also track online
activities. Sometime this information is used by cybercriminals to carry out unauthorised or
illegal activities (Li, Hallsworth, and Coca‐Stefaniak, 2020).
Thus, from the above it can be explained that people and businesses should provide and
purchase products safely by following all measures and safety tips which can help to overcome
the challenges and make happy while online shopping.
Due to widespread of COVID-19, many businesses are turning to provide their services online.
COVID -19 is the serious situation for all businesses and individuals due to which they
all turn their interest towards online from the offline. Before this period people mostly prefer to
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go store, touch, feel, and make the buying decision that helped to provide the good level of
experience and functions effectively. This became important for business concern to use the new
technology or digitalization for the purpose of operating and running its business continuously.
The rate of employment and buying power of people also being affected in pandemic period
where customers limits their shopping habits. The businesses started to use online shopping app
for reaching the target customers and develop the organizational productivity by providing
products with safety and confidential. To run a business there is need to focus on each task and
internet of things which supports how a business is running and how it brings the change in their
business performance. Online is the appropriate method to reach the targeted customers and
introducing them new products and services which are launching by organization and managing
the all functions effectively. There are many tools and techniques which are operating with the
help of software that runs by business concern and attaining the higher productivity.
Communication is the activity of exchanging information from one person to another for
the purpose of achieving better understanding. While running a business and buying products, it
is important to have clear communication between employer, employees, and consumers that
help to make right decision and develop the business productivity. Without communication it
will be difficult for organization to operate its business. Collaboration is the activity of
exchanging of information, and things to advance the state of collaborative product. This can
help to arrange the all products and services by managing each task and support to organize all
activities. Due to COVID-19 it became difficult for organization to communicate, and
collaborate with customers for the purpose if introducing and selling the products. All businesses
concern is requiring to focus over different technique and tools which can be used to clearly
communicate with people and managing the good performance and productivity.
Zoom – This is a video communication technology, headquarter in Sen Jose Caliufornia.
This is best source to communicate and connect with people anytime everywhere by managing
all functions and activities. This provides video telephony and online chat services through a
cloud based peer to peer software platform. This can be used by businesses for teleconferencing,
telecommunicating, distance education and social relations.
Webex – Webex by Cisco is defined as leading enterprise solution for online meeting,
screen share, and webinars. When people wants to connect with anyone for official use then can
use this tool which can help to develop the activities and performance. This is an online meeting
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that allows people to virtually meet with other people, without leaving home and office. This is
also important tool to communicate and collaborate with people by join the meeting which can
help to develop the organizational performance and productivity.
Comparison between Zoom and Webex
Basis Zoom Webex
Meaning This is a well known video conferencing
instrument which offers some of the best
features in market and used by people to
make their task easier.
This is another way of hold
meetings and conduct conference
online. There is need high level
of software.
Cost raise This is available for people at free of
cost by downloading applications
(Akhtar, and et.al., 2020).
This consume minimal cost to
use and manage it regularly.
Participants
involved
In Zoom meeting maximum 100
participants can connect at one time.
Herein, up to 500 participants
can connect and start
communication at one time.
Conferencing
features
HD Voice, screen sharing, HD videos,
white boarding.
HD video, White boarding, and
screen sharing.
Supported
integration
Google Drive, Pardot, Dropbox, Eloqua,
HubSpot, Infusionsoft & More.
Microsoft Office, Google
Calendar, Facebook Live &
More
Contrast
 Zoom and Webex are offering communication services at affordable prices which
influences the customers as only internet charges has to pay.
 Both tool of communication is important as they are highly secure and reliable. These
contain encryption and user authentication optimize security for video conferencing.
 Webex and Zoom allows users to instantly join an online video conferencing or meeting
with same features across all devices.
CONCLUSION
From the report it can be concluded that technology is becoming more important for
human being life as it provides different ways to run their business and managing the higher
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productivity. Online and Offline products /services are provided by business concern due to
COVID-19 that helps to developing the organizational performance and profitability. When
people use internet and get home delivery of products is called as online shopping. This is
running most after the Pandemic such as either, small, medium or large organization has adopted
new technology and tool to communicate with public and selling their products in high range.
This can help to continue all business activities and function appropriately.
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REFERENCE
Books and Journal
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International Conference on Education, Economics, Business and Accounting
(PICEEBA-2 2019) (pp. 633-643). Atlantis Press.
Marín, G., Marcos, P., Medina, I. and Coelho, P. F., 2020. How Big Data Collected Via Point of
Sale Devices in Textile Stores in Spain Resulted in Effective Online Advertising
Targeting.
Fu, H., and et.al., 2020. Intelligent decision-making of online shopping behavior based on
internet of things. International Journal of Information Management, 50, pp.515-525.
Chiu, Y. P., Lo, S. K., Hsieh, A. Y. and Hwang, Y., 2019. Exploring why people spend more
time shopping online than in offline stores. Computers in Human Behavior, 95, pp.24-30.
Guru, S., Nenavani, J., Patel, V. and Bhatt, N., 2020. Ranking of perceived risks in online
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Lee, J. and Lee, Y., 2019. Does online shopping make consumers feel better? Exploring online
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Han, Y. and Xie, G., 2019. Determinants of customer perceived online shopping logistics service
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Maggioni, I., Sands, S., Kachouie, R. and Tsarenko, Y., 2019. Shopping for well-being: The role
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Kumar, P. and Bajaj, R., 2019. Exploring the influence of demographic factors on perceived
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Li, J., Hallsworth, A.G. and Coca‐Stefaniak, J.A., 2020. Changing grocery shopping behaviours
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