Essay Example: Is Information System Crucial for Business Success? An In-Depth Look

Introduction

A proper information system is essential in every firm to attaining their preferred goals. An information system is an integrated set of elements that can gather, accumulate and process the relevant information as well as provide data, knowledge among other digital products. As among the most recent success factors for businesses and firms, the information system is relied on to drive operations, create effective relations with customers and suppliers, as well as compete in the market. More importantly, firms also use the information system to track inter-organizational supply chains and the digital market. For instance, firms may use these systems to enable efficient processing of financial accounts, manage the human resource department and reach potential customers. The main elements of IS include computer software and hardware, telecommunications, data warehouses, as well as procedures. However, the hardware, software and communications constituting information technology that is included in the processes and organizational management. As an example, this essay provides an overview of both the server and user sides hardware and software requirements of Facebook's information system.

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Analysis of Characteristics of the Users of the System

Facebook is currently among the most prominent social network platforms in the world, with an estimated active user of one billion monthly. Facebook demographics reach further as well as more comprehensive than most of the competing social media platforms. Perhaps this is because according to research conducted by Rana et al. (2018), the most common motivation for Facebook users is keeping in touch with friends. Furthermore, the information system used by the platform for all the users is targeted at all ages without any seclusion. For instance, close to 80% of people between the ages of 18-50 years old use Facebook (Turel, 2015). Besides, Facebook's information system comprises of users that most of them come from low-income households but are further distributed across income ranges. With these characteristics, Facebook keeps on growing globally as the most popular social media platform.

Analysis of the Features and the Usage of the System

With over one billion monthly users, Facebook uses a variety of information system to keep the platform updated and running. Among the features of the system includes the Memcached, a memory storing system that enhances the speed of the dynamic database of users (Turel, 2015). This is done by hoarding information and objects in RAM towards reducing the time of reading. According to Rana et al. (2018), Memcached is Facebook's basic way of catching and as such, massively reduces the data load of the system, allowing the platform, making it faster in recalling users' data. Besides, as Facebook's photos application being among its major features, the system makes use of Haystack. The feature is used to store billions of data of photos through an HTTP based photo server.

Cassandra is also among the main features in Facebook's information system, mainly used for inbox search. The feature is the base to provide scalability as well as high availability with any compromise to performance. The system uses scribe as a flexible logging system, given the high number of users. The feature is perfect for Facebook's scale and handles new singing up and logging sections automatically, while appearing. Besides, Facebook's information system also highly depends on Varnish, an HTTP accelerator that operates as a load balancer as well as cache content that can be served at high speeds (Rakic and Rakic, 2017). The platform uses this feature to oblige photos and profile pictures while responding a chunk of requests every second.

Analysis of the Impact of the System

Facebook's information system has a lot of positive impacts that have enabled the company to rise to its current position globally. They include enhanced communication that has enabled the users to communicate with others through various forms such as chats and videos. On the same basis, through Facebook's information system, it has made the platform to be highly adaptable, making it possible for the users to communicate over long distances (Rana et al., 2018). The company's information system has also played a massive role in globalization and cultural gap, where an increased use results to globalization and dispersion of ideas. It also enables communication among the users despite the existing language barrier and cultural gap. More importantly, the system's main advantage to Facebook as a platform is the all-round the clock operation (Rakic and Rakic, 2017). Instead of working only during the business hours, Facebook operates 24 hours hence enhancing the interaction among the users all around the world.

Analysis of the Server-Side Hardware Requirements of the Information System

Like any other platform's information systems, Facebook has many hardware requirements to enable the system to operate successfully and serve a significant number of users every minute. Among them include a web server, necessary in providing files to the platform’s users (Rana et al., 2018). Also, the system requires an application server that, in turn, needs several software requirements to operate and serve the users fully. More often than not, Facebook is a high data platform, and the system may require a database server to enable the storage of much information needed (Rakic and Rakic, 2017). More importantly, among the essential hardware requirements for Facebook's information system are the power supplies and cabling. These are required to keep the system running all through and therefore keep users connected, globally. With this aspect, there is also a requirement for systems to manage power irregularities and surge suppression.

Analysis of the Server-Side Software Requirements of the Information System

Information systems work effectively when the hardware can communicate appropriately with the rest of the parts in the system. To achieve this effective communication, different software comes in handy. For Facebook's information system, among essential server-side software requirements is the one that translates files from computer systems of phones and put them on the website or the application (Rana et al., 2018). A File Transfer Protocol is also a requirement to enable the transfer of files within the internal network. More importantly, as a vast platform, Facebook's information system also requires database server software to enable effective operations of the system (Rakic and Rakic, 2017). Specifically, like many other systems, Facebook uses Oracle database software. With the need for an actual operating system, Facebook uses Windows operating system, being among the most used and effective operating systems.

Analysis of Client’s Side Hardware Requirements of the Information System

The information system of Facebook is accessible by visiting the platform’s website as well as the application. All forms of complete computers or smartphones are a requirement to access the system. Being private accounts, users must, therefore, log in to their profiles using unique user names and passwords. Additionally, sufficient data plan or access to the internet is also a requirement to enable the users to access their accounts (Rakic and Rakic, 2017). As such, the system will, therefore, require to ensure a constant supply of internet to enable customers to access their accounts, including updating their profiles, communicating with their friends as well as posting different aspects.

Analysis of Client-Side Software Requirements of the Information System

The Facebook information system is compatible with many computer systems as well as mobile applications, specifically the ones that offer the needed security in serving the users. On the basis, the system uses all types of browsers, and so the users would be required to download any of the browsers to their laptops and mobile phones (Rana et al., 2018). However, based on mobile applications, users are required to download and install the Facebook application, to access their accounts. The system also utilizes different forms of security, necessary to offer the best protection for the users’ accounts.

Analysis of Competitive Advantage Provided by the Information System

Among the main competitive advantage of Facebook's information system is its comprehensiveness in enhancing communication among users all around the globe. The system allows for the different forms of communication that favour the users variably. As such, users do not have to stick to only one type of communication but rather a variety that suits them effectively (Turel, 2015). Moreover, it is also among the most secured in the industry, considering that users have their private information in the same. As such, the fact that users can interact without fear of hacking and other insecurities gives the system a competitive advantage of many others in the market. More importantly, the system has a competitive advantage over others through its enhancement in globalization and cultural gap. With its constant improvement and development, it has resulted in the generation of new ideas, concepts, among others.

Three Recommendations to Enhance the IS with Additional Features and Functionality

With the increase and dynamicity in the field of technology, there are always different ways to increase the information system's usability and efficiency to allow for practical usage. Facebook’s information system is responsible for the interaction of many users all around the world, and despite its effectiveness, there is still room for improvement. As a significant recommendation to the system, there should be a backup plan in case the system encounters problems and goes down (Turel, 2015). Specifically, I recommend that Facebook should establish an alternative scheduling program or template to be used in such instances that the system can be down. Secondly, I recommend that Facebook should develop better ways of training service members towards using the specific functions of the system. It is apparent the system is complex and somewhat to understand (Rana et al., 2018). The training can be done through tutorial videos and with adequate training, service members will be able to operate it adequately and improve Facebook's services to the users. Lastly, I would also recommend for the improvement of the client-side software, precisely the security aspect. This should be done to avoid any hacking into a person's account and therefore ensure total privacy.

Conclusion

An information system encompasses a combined set of elements that can be used to accumulate, store and process the relevant data as well as provide information, knowledge among other digital products. It is relevant in improving services for any company and plays explicitly a considerable role in Facebook's development and operations to its considerable number of users both through the application and the website. From the analysis of Facebook's information system, it is apparent that despite its effectiveness and among the best social media platforms in the industry, its information system should be improved to enhance its functionality to the users, as recommended.

References

Rakic, B., & Rakic, M. (2017). Facebook or the" book of faces" as a database for customer profiles, marketing communications and applications. Economic and Social Development: Book of Proceedings, 48-58.