Introduction
Information Technology abbreviated as IT, is an important part of human life since almost every sphere of human life makes use of IT. However, despite the beneficial side of technology, it is still riddled with problems such as its impact on the environment. This paper will look at three different issues related to IT. The first section will look at the advantages of agile methods in CMM process maturity and ISO 9000 quality assurance standards. The second section will look at intellectual property and its issues regarding uploading photographs and other articles on social networks. The last section of the paper will differentiate between the Perspective of IT being a producer of carbon and IT being an enabler in reducing carbon.
Advantages of Agile Methods
Risk Minimization
Development of software using the agile method involves the use of short iteration which completes software in all subsequent iterations. This is also carried out in all stages of iteration reducing largely the risks involved. Software development through agile methods involves face-to-face development where close conversations are continuous. Since the environment is small, it is possible to identify problems faster and report them to the relevant people for immediate action. In addition, the duration taken to give feedback is very short hence risk managers are in a position of getting information and offering solutions within a short period of time (My Project Development, 2010).
Cost and Time Reduction
When agile methods are used with CMM process maturity, a relatively reduced period of time in developing software is consumed as opposed to the use of traditional means. The reduction in the period of time subsequently reduces the cost involved since the number of people required is also reduced. For instance, the agile method may require between 20 and 40 people per team. This reduces the cost involved in paying their salary as opposed to traditional methods where hundreds of people are employed hence increasing the cost of paying salaries. The face-to-face communication involved also saves money since there is no cost involved in communicating with team members who are in distant places (Cadle & Yeates, 2008).
Limitations of Agile Methods
Lack of enough Documentation
Since we have noted that the agile method heavily relies on face-to-face documentation, this does not give a chance for the required documentation to take place. Customers make requirements as the process goes on instead of submitting them at the start of the process. As a result, the requirements are not orderly. The iteration way of designing software using the agile method also does not give a chance for design plans. When iteration is completed, a different one takes the place of the design plan. As a result, it is impossible to have one design plan after the development process is complete (McDermid, 2008).
Lack of enough Support for Big Teams
Face-to-face communication which is employed in agile methods is only suitable for small teams. When the number of members in a team is large, it is virtually impossible to employ face-to-face communication. Such situations require different methods of communication like the ones used in large gatherings. In addition, if the reading materials are few and the number of people is large, it means that they will not understand the process. It also means that programmers will not be in a position of getting immediate feedback.
Lack of Enough Support for Junior Developers
While senior developers are crucial in agile methods, there is a big difference between them and junior developers. It is crucial for software developers to be experienced in the field of software development. It is likely that senior developers are more skillful in developing software than junior developers. As a result, senior developers do not waste a lot of time in understanding the guidelines of developing new software while junior developers require a lot time to understand the guidelines. In agile methods, programmers are expected to be swift in doing new things which is not possible for junior programmers. This causes delays in operations leading to adverse effects in the software development process (McDermid, 2008).
IT as producer of carbon Vs IT as Carbon Reducer
Since the evolution of computers, their use has been widespread in almost every part of the world with their use being in all industries. This is different from how things happened in the recent past when computers were not common. As a result of the increased use of computers, issues of their environmental impact have arisen. It is important to analyze the impact of using computers and other IT materials. The need to discuss their impact on the environment has led to the emergence of the term green IT which refers to the use of IT devices which have no environmental impact. Computers and other IT devices use a lot power which produces green house gases. However, IT can be used to increase environmental sustainability.
In the light of Green enterprise, IT is looked at from two different perspectives. The first perspective is that IT produces carbon while the second perspective is that IT is an enabler in reduction of carbon. These two perspectives are controversial and I will differentiate them in this section. As mentioned earlier, computers and other IT devices consumer a lot of power leading to production of carbon. In this sense IT is regarded as a factor that produces carbon.
The second perspective is that IT can be used as an enabler in reduction of carbon. Computers and other IT devices can be used in different ways to reduce the amount of carbon. Through IT devices, it is possible to influence people to embrace different strategies that reduce carbon emission. For example, people can be encouraged through IT devices to properly dispose used computers and other electronic devices which might lead into production of carbon. In addition, computers and other IT devices are used to manufacture other electronic devices that are environmentally friendly and do not produce carbon. In this sense, IT is an enabler in reducing carbon.
Intellectual Property
Intellectual property is defined as things that are uniquely created by the human mind with their own protective rights. They cannot be adopted unless explicit permission is obtained by those who want to adopt them. A branch of law referred to as intellectual property law that covers intellectual property has been established. These laws give the owners special rights to things that cannot be seen or touched like music and different works of art. It also encompasses things that are individually discovered or invented such as certain sayings or designs. Examples of known intellectual property include copyrights and patents.
Many laws governing intellectual property have been established although the term started being used in the 19th century. Some renowned people in the software industry have argued that use of the term intellectual property should be discouraged. According to them, intellectual property is used to bring together various laws that have no relation at all. With reference to trademarks and patents, different laws that have no relation should not be given a collective term.
Intellectual property is usually concerned with how information is shared on the internet and other social media. Social media encompasses online interaction sites where people from different parts of the world interact and share information which is generated by individuals. It is different from traditional media such as newspapers where readers do not get feedback. In social media, information is shared from diverse sources. Examples of social media include networks used for socializing such as face book and my space. Intellectual property regulates the use of social networks and as such, it has issues with regard to uploading photographs or other articles in social network accounts (CLE, n.d).
Intellectual property is concerned about security matters since some users may upload photos or articles with bad intentions. Intellectual property is concerned that articles may be shared on social networks with intentions of committing crime over the internet. Instances have been recorded where articles are uploaded and shared to commit crimes.
Another concern for intellectual property is that photographs or articles that are morally wrong may be uploaded on social network accounts. Since the networks are shared by thousands of users, this will spread moral decadence to many people. Intellectual property endeavors to ensure that it is only photographs and articles that are morally right that should be used on social networks (CLE, n.d).
Intellectual property is also concerned that some of the photographs may be uploaded without the consent of the owners. Any material that is used on the social network should be used with consent from the owner. If this is not checked, photographs may continue being used without the consent of the owners.
Conclusion
In this paper, i have looked at three different issues in IT management. I have looked at the advantages and limitations of agile methods in CMM process maturity and ISO 9000 quality Assurance standards. The second part of the paper has focused on the difference between the perspective of IT producing carbon and IT acting as an enabler in reducing carbon. The final section of the paper has looked at intellectual property and the issues involved when uploading a picture or an article in social media like facebook.
Reference List
Cadle, J., & Yeates, D. (2008). Project Management for Information Systems. England: Pearson/Prentice Hall.
CLE. (n.d). Intellectual Property Issues in Social Media. Web.
McDermid. (2008). Ethics in ICT: An Australian Perspective. Australia: Pearson Education Australia,.
My Project Development. (2010). The Advantages and Disadvantages of Agile Software Development.