Finals' Question #3

Finals' Question #3

TOPIC: THE VIRTUAL OFFICE (VO)

1. Describe or define VO

Virtual office-it is a term for shared office services, which normally includes business address, mail & courier services, phone services, fax services, answering services, web-hosting services, and meeting & conference facilities.Certain providers of virtual office services will provide other in-house or outsourced services such as corporate secretarial services, accounting services, or legal services. Professional firms such as law firms and accounting firms often provide registered address services as part of their service offerings.

Virtual office is also a common term for an environment that enables a network of co-workers to run a business efficiently by using nothing other than online communication technologies.It depends on the focus, whether it be to improve individual worker productivity, hire and retain employees from virtually anywhere, reduce costs of operations, reduce travel time, or outsource functions.

2. Distinguish VO from MIS.

Virtual office services will provide other in-house or outsourced services such as corporate secretarial services, accounting services, or legal services. Professional firms such as law firms and accounting firms often provide registered address services as part of their service offerings.
while Management Information Systems are distinct from regular information systems in that they are used to analyze other information systems applied in operational activities in the organization. Academically, the term is commonly used to refer to the group of information management methods tied to the automation or support of human decision making.'MIS' is a planned system of collecting, processing, storing and disseminating data in the form of information needed to carry out the functions of management.

3. Illustrate (give examples) how VO can improve company's competitive advantage and organizational performance.

Virtual Office can improve company's competitive advantage and organization performance by:
-Allowing employees to work from home can give a company a certain competitive advantages including the ability to hire highly qualified individuals who may not otherwise commute to work and the ability to replicate the traditional office environment for frequent traveling employees and mobile work force.

-Implementation of IP-based technologies such as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and computer telephony integration (CTI) technology and use of collaborative technologies for meetings and document sharing. In particular, the implementation of teleconferencing technologies allows workers to be very productive and collaborate with other workers without the burden and expense of travel.

-Implementation of virtual office technologies allow the company to reduce cost of operations through a variety of methods including outsourcing to cheaper labor markets, reducing expenses associated with travel. Other methods of reducing costs include implementation of IP-based technologies such as IP-PBX and VoIP over Wireless LAN, which may provide the advantage of mobility as well as low cost communications.

-The use of conference calling and teleconferencing can significantly reduce the amount of travel time necessary for meetings and collaborative work sessions. These applications and services are largely dependent on IP-based technologies.




references:

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://www.mobilein.com/Perspectives/trends_VirtualOffice.http

Holusha, John. "Commercial Property/Business Centers; Modern Office for Rent: Daily Rates Available." The New York Times. May 20, 2001.
China Business Guide 2005 By Graham Earnshaw, Michael Pennington, Page 164.
Telecommuting and Virtual Offices: Issues and Opportunities, By Nancy J. Johnso