System Management: Case, AT&T AIS Report
AT&T Company represents a giant foundation that has bearings in the telecommunication industry, with well outlined systems that have enabled the company’s clients to have a new meaning in the world of telecommunication. According to AT&T Intellectual properties (2010,) the systems in the company include the AT&T uverse TV and the AT&T DirecTV systems that enable the clients to watch expanded video and television programming on phones, telephone systems as well as the messaging systems. Other specialized systems offered to clients as explained by Rowley (2010) include the AT&T OPT_E_MAN switched Ethernet system which is mostly suited to businesses with subsidiaries located in different locations. It enables the employees to report and deploy urgent information rapidly. The service in addition to the rapid deployment of information enables the employees in such companies, to improve their exchange of critical information as well as streaming of high quality videos. Other systems in the company include the key modular system 85 which enables the clients to route their calls with least charges. The 7000 series telephones and 515 Business communications Terminal are other systems that the company has been operating since its foundation as explained by Newton (1984). Most of the above systems have been said to allow message detail recording, electronic mail which has been enhanced by acquisition of the broadband subsystems as Rowley (2010) explained and further advancement enhanced by the computerization of the communication networks.
The external users to the company are largely the customers who use the company’s system to relay information in voice, messaging or the use of the internet bandwidth operated by the company. Other external users include those who purchase the devices such as the Smartphone that AT & T has been releasing to the public as explained by AT & T (2010). The internal customers to the company are largely the company’s employees, who have to use the systems and services provided by the Company in their lines of duty. The AT&T OPT_E_MAN switched Ethernet System is one of the system that uses all the types of data which included, voice, message as well as video communication. Te system has been defined as very reliable, cost effective and effectiveness in relying rapid information inform of the above forms as described by Rowley (2010). The AT&T DirecTV systems according to AT & T (2010), is another system that allows customers to watch videos and TV programming on their phones through the use of broadband internet services from the company.
Currently as Rowley explained, the strategy of the company is to provide, high technologically integrated services, at the least cost possible. In addition, the company has a strategy of further advancing in the communication sector for business and personal use, offering multiple services in a system to increase the value of their services to business and for personal use. The company has a strategy of becoming the leading company in offering highly advanced communication facilities at the most reliable, effective and cost effective manner possible. The AIS has been integrated to ensure that the company achieves this goal.
Transaction cycles
Incidentally the campaign has several transaction cycles that include the VoIP, the voice call, enterprise paging and several other transactions related to the communication sector. One of the major transaction cycles in the company is the enterprise paging service. Enterprise paging involves sending of messages and other documents on pre determined plans as determined by the company. Some of the plans in enterprise paging are as described by AT&T (2011). The paging enterprise is processed by allowing customers to send documents of various sizes and content on a business notification website at some determined fee charged to the sender. The transaction cycle requires that, the customer be in possession of a valid device with the enterprise paging feature to enable the service. All the messages sent or received from this gateway are charged as per the predetermined prices indicated by the AT&T Company. Specific address given to the subscriber in any plan is then allowed to receive or send messages through the gateway, and the gateway therefore becomes a shared feature as AT&T (2011) explained.
Another transaction involved with the AT&T Company is the provision of the internet broadband services, mainly to security departments and business foundations to enhance faster, and more secure information sharing. Through the VOIP as Rowley (2010) explained, the security organs are allowed to communicate, where the voice is transmitted over the internet, through linking the phone to the internet service. It has allowed a rapid improvement in the activities and records in the policing department as Rowley (2010) explained. The audit trail in the transactions has been described to be one of the best and as AT&T (2011) explained, there are adequate checks and security features included to ensure a secure information transformation. Some of the documents by the company to review the business transactions are the history of communication and members in the different plans as the enterprise messaging requires. The membership would indicate the strengths and weaknesses of each plan prompting further actions.
The reports produced in the above transactions involve the documents portraying the market strengths of the company in the explained sections as well as the areas where further improvement or advance is required to meet the customer’s expectations as well as keeping up with the technological advancement of the day
One of the major business operations in AT&T Company is the selling of new communication equipment and reselling of old equipment as Powers (1986) explained. Having monopolized the service provision in communication industry in the U.S, AT&T has become a brand name in the industry. Currently, the company has been said to be the leading brand in the business of making and selling wireless phones, which are capable of effectively operating in many areas globally as Small Business Trends (2010) explained. The documentation of the information system process portrayed a series of actions that have to be procedurally and in a hierarchical manner be carried out to form a complete information system outline. The documentation range from the research carried out to collect the data, and other information necessary, documentations portraying a verification process where data is sorted out to indentify the most relevant data, to the documentations indicating regular maintenance and updating of the information system to ensure a varied and current information system has been maintained. A team of information analysts are responsible for the analysis of information systems in the company. Their main involvement as Rowley explained would be to ensure that the information systems are in their best working order, which would amount to ensuring that the system is free from system breakdowns. The processing of the data in the information system may take a process that would involve study and authentication of the data processed to the maintenance of the information system, through regular updates as per the documentations. The personnel involved in the process have a relationship presented in the flow chart below.
There are several documents involved in the process. Some of the important documents include the product research and evaluation documentations, which in detail describe the market requirements for a specific product before developing, and the intended market that the product would be modeled to suit. This explains the success and market dominance of the products by AT&T Company. The product evaluation document is prepared after the launching of the product in the field and is intended to carry out a follow up on the performance of the product in the market.
Other documents involved include the material inventory and purchases records, which are documentations indicating the flow of materials in the company and the status of the stocks at any particular time. The material in process documentation which involves the listing of all the materials which are in the process of conversion into different products at any particular time, and offers the company an opportunity to make an on process follow up. Other documentations include the finished stocks listings which give an indication of the ready products ready for marketing. The sales documentation indicates the products already sold in the market, while the accounting documentation largely indicate the sold products, the income generated, and the expenses in the process as well as other financial decisions involved in the product making process.
Flow chart of documentation flow in the Company
The flow chart of input-output relationship in the AIS system
Types of files and documentations used and update patterns
The database in use in the company is the relational type of database. The use of the relational database as Free Computer Tips (2010) explained enables the company to have a wider and more flexible database that would allow multiple linking of representative tables unlike the flat file database format. The databases and files used byte company in the information system are frequently updated and some have to be updated on a daily basis. The information undergoes the below process in the information system.
Field collected data
A new type of system being developed by AT&T Company according to associated Press (2010) is the increasing and advancing the communication antennae in areas where large crowds are expected such as the stadiums. The Distributed Antenna System, once commissioned would ensure that areas with high population crowds would be effectively served with communication systems, and it would reduce the system jamming due to too much traffic over the few available antennas. The new system would be launched in stadiums and is expected to offer anew experience to fans while enjoying their matches in stadiums.
The company uses the physical type of logical data model. This is because as Ambler (2002) explained, the physical data models (PDMs) when used in the DBMS, they portray a unique relationship among the various tables used, data columns as well as clearly showing all the above aspects in agile or the traditional projects. The PDM has been known to portray greater detail when used in the DBMS which include the associative table required in the implementation of the association and the keys necessary to maintain the relationship, among the tables created. This makes the PDMs more favorable to the company. The transfer of the company’s software involved the integration of the logical data models (LDM) which were used traditionally in the DBMS to the new PDMs model, before a complete switch over to the full implementation of PDM. The LDM is mostly used by traditional systems and cannot be applicable when it comes to agile projects. It was therefore necessary to shift to more robust and better software that could ensure the advantages listed above to the company. The accountants are the major beneficially of the new software since they have to work with virtually al the departments in the company. The interrelation provided in the tables representing all the departments in the company, and the association possible provides a flexible and easier way of handling their work. They have therefore benefitted more in the use of the new software. There was however no reported problems during the shift to the new database, and the system responded very positively to the more advanced sand better software.
References
Ambler, S.C. (2002) Data modeling 101. Agile data. Web.
Associated Press (2010). AT&T unveils new stadium wireless systems in Okla. Yahoo finance. Web.
AT&T Intellectual Property (2011). Enterprise paging important information. AT&T. Web.
AT&T (2011) AT&T your world delivered. Web.
Free Computer Tips (2010). Types of databases. Web.
Newton, H (1984) AT&T Information systems one year later. Web.
Powers, P., (1986) AT&T merger underway. Network World Reports. 3(27)
Small Business Trends LLC (2010) AT&T delivers Mobile sales automation with SalesNow from interchange solutions. Small Business Trends. Web.
Rowley(2010) Rohnert Parks Networking enhances city life. AT&T. Web.
SlideShare Inc. (2011) Information system life cycles. Web.