OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES FACING PUBLIC NETWORKS--AN EXPLORATORY STUDY OF ILLINOIS CENTURY NETWORK

Public networks are facing ever increasing challenges to keep up with the needs of current and future users. At the same time local and state government support for public networks is declining and pressure to increase services is increasing due to the potential economic development opportunities these kinds of networks can bring about. An exploratory review of the Illinois Century Network using content analysis for the years 2004–2006 of the Advanced Engineering Taskforce reveals that the digital divide issue has not been focused on in the 2005 and 2006 reports. However, an impressive set of significant tasks to improve the network\u27s operation and performance have been accomplished over the last three years. In particular, the increases in bandwidth and network reliability are impressive. Audio and video traffic with low cost Quality of Service has also been added. A major policy question is, given the fact that state support for public networks is generally declining and pressure to increase services is increasing what alternatives exist to fund the expected additional services? Is it time for the private sector to provide financial support for this public network and if so at what cost

Incorporating the Common Body of Knowledge for Business Process Management Certification in the MSIS Model Curriculum

Business Process Management (BPM) certification is a relatively new area in the Business Schools and other similar academic units and it appeared in the curriculum about a decade ago. Industry stakeholders and a small number of higher education institutions have provided professional training and certification in this area since the 1990’s. As more colleges and professional organizations develop courses, certificates, and programs in the BPM area, we hope to continue the dialogue between the academic and professional organizations to look at similarities and differences that may exist among the proposed BPM Common Body of Knowledge and guidelines proposed by professional organizations and existing academic IS model curriculum. This paper examines incorporating the BPM Common Body of Knowledge developed by the Association of Business Process Management Professionals, a leading BPM professional organization, in the MSIS model curriculum. The paper also identifies the gaps that exist in the MSIS model curriculum to cover the BPM Common Body of Knowledge

Qualityof an MIS Doctoral Program--Can We Measure It?

The state board of higher education or similar agencies in many states have been looking at institutions of higher education with intense scrutiny to potentially reduce program duplication, and to improve both quality and productivity. Internal and external program reviews are ways to assess effectiveness of degree programs. Accreditation of schools, for example AACSB accreditation, is seen by some as a measure of quality of programs offered at various schools. Many assessments of higher education quality in the past have totally excluded the teaching function as part of the overall quality assessment. Prestige is often confused with quality. A component of program reviews consists of comparison between them. The purpose of this paper is to look at some existing MIS doctoral programs in the United States and Canada; to highlight the similarities and differences among these programs; and to generate some ideas on ways to potentially measure the quality of an MIS doctoral program. It is emphasized thatany assessment of MIS doctoral program quality incorporate the teaching function as a part of the overall quality assessment. Further, it is suggested that enterprises such as the ISWorld Net could potentially be utilized to improve the quality of MIS doctoral education

Impacts of the Global Health Crisis on the Use of Information Technologies

The 2020 novel coronavirus pandemic has impacted our lives in many ways. This article examines the rapid adoption and use of traditional and state-of-the-art information technologies intended to help cope with the pandemic. People and organizations have adopted and used IT tools for collaboration, communication, surveillance and monitoring, remote working, and cloud-based applications for one major reason – necessity. There is no viable alternative to maintain our civilized society. These and other information technologies have helped people continue to work, to socialize, to communicate, to entertain, to visit doctor’s office, to shop, and live. Experience with these technology adaptations has demonstrated that we need more and better IT solutions, more technology literacy, better public health surveillance, and better preventative measures to minimize harms from health crises to find a new normal. In the future, many people will likely choose to work and learn remotely, and organizations and governments must upgrade their digital capabilities and the skills of employees. IT can increase the robustness and adaptability of our economic and social systems as well as our well-being

Transforming Agriculture: Exploring Precision Farming Research Needs

Information Technology, Information Systems, Decision Support and analytics play an increasingly important role in the practice and science of agriculture. Precision farming or precision agriculture uses tools like sensors, the global positioning system (GPS), Cloud data storage, and analytics and decision support tools to increase efficiency and effectiveness of land, labor and machines used in farming. JMWAIS publishes a wide mix of scholarship and research related to Information Systems and Information Technology. Given our origins in the Midwest United States we also encourage and publish articles especially relevant to our region. Precision farming is an important topic for Midwest US

Modern Information Systems: Expanding the Boundaries

The phenomenon called information systems has changed and evolved. This note examines and proposes definitions that can guide editorial decision making. The boundaries of the phenomenon are expanding and both public and private information systems are easily accessible. Modern information systems are complex, socio-technical systems with a global reach and a wide range of purposes

Exploring the Impact of IT Mindfulness on E-government Affordances: An Exploratory Study

Technological advancements have enhanced the delivery of goods and services in both the public and private sectors. The continued diffusion of diverse Internet-based innovations has increased the need for more research on citizen use and perceptions of technology services. In this study, we explore the role of IT mindfulness and extended use of technology on citizen use of e-government related systems’ affordances. To test the proposed model, we administered a survey to 108 U.S. citizens. The results indicate both IT mindfulness and extended use have a significant, positive impact on e-government systems’ related affordances. Implications for research and practice are discussed