Spring 2008

Instructor: Kaimei Zheng, Director of Information Management, ISOM
Class Time : Tu, Thu, 2:30 – 3:45 pm
E-Mail : kzheng@som.umass.edu
Phone : (413) 545-5627
Office Hours : Monday, 3:30 – 5:00, SOM Room 333
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Course Objectives:
This is an information technology course for non-technical people, and is sponsored by IBM

In his book “The World is Flat,” Thomas Freidman identifies the Internet as one of the major forces that flattens today's business world and expands the world economy. By learning the technological foundations of the Internet and its seven unique characteristics, students will gain knowledge about building and expanding business online, both from small and enterprise business perspectives. Some questions to be addressed are: Is Internet technology revolutionary or evolutionary? How should one address the Internet latency problem? How does one secure tangible and intangible assets online? What is happening behind the scene in B2B marketplaces? How can businesses effectively exploit the power of search engine marketing (SEM)?

The course focuses on the fundamental issue: how to formulate e-Business strategies based on a thorough understanding of underlining technologies, in order to both survive and thrive in today's global economy.

Through class discussion and hands-on projects with local companies, students will have the opportunity to:

(1) Understand Internet enabling technology and its impact on a firm's business processes and strategies. Class discussions will focus on Internet security, search engine marketing, and B2B marketplaces, plus the positioning of Internet strategies in relation to a company's overall business framework.

(2) Act as consultants and provide eSolutions to a real client by designing a prototypical Web site and developing a set of business strategies.

(3) Experience the power of a leading enterprise e-Commerce application suite– IBM Websphere Commerce, and be able to identify the key elements in implementing e-Business solutions.

This course is sponsored by IBM. Both software and teaching resources are donated to the Isenberg School of Management by IBM, particularly because of our SOM alumnus, Mark Hanny, an IBM Vice President.