Self-service

Self-service transactions over the internet have now becoming a part of daily life for many people. With companies now being able to sell and buy over the internet it has boosted the economy greatly. The only problem is that there is no-one to help you when you have any technical issues. This can be a problem in everyday society because many people do not have the time to go to the shops. Also, many 'technical' areas of websites are now' frequently asked questions' and you can no longer speak to someone in person. However, it can also be seen as a benefit in everyday society because many people now work irregular hours, meaning that they cannot access the shops before they close. On-line self-services make it more possible to do this. 

Self-service has many positive points. It creates less hassle for adults with children, it eliminates the need to rush to the shops after work, its quick, its open 24/7 and you no longer need to queue to buy your product. However, self-service also has some negative aspects; it sometimes doesn't work and you wouldn't have human help to guide you, you have to pay for postage and packaging and, occasionally, the server will over charge you and you have to require human help.

On-line banking has also become popular to this day in age. You can make transactions, take money out and put money into bank accounts through the internet now, however, this also has a downside of people not being able to access support and guidance from someone within that company. An example of this is Lloyds. You can transfer money, make instant decisions and can contact your bank more easily. However, this computer system is limited; if you encounter a problem you will not have any human assistance to guide you. 
Some positive aspects of on-line banking are; you can view you're account from the comfort and security of your own home, they tend to offer higher interest rates due to costs, you can quickly initiate on-line transactions, most paperwork can be filled out on-line. In addition; you can set up alerts for the bank to tell you when your balance is low, you gain less paper mail such as statements and utility bills and with the majority of banks there are no fees to pay.
However, some negative aspects of on-line banking are; you have limited access to all the features, meaning you need to mail or transfer deposits from another account, the calls and emails are often operated through a random system also, this means customers will never get to meet the members of staff working at their local bank. Moreover, it takes longer to clear a deposit, paperwork requiring signatures has to be done by mail; and this is a longer process and the website can also have a fault or can crash; limiting you're accessibility to the website for a period of time.
Society 

In conclusion, transferring money over the internet means you can make effective decisions, without the course of going to a bank. In addition, self-service checkouts can increase the effectiveness of your day and have become an everyday object of life, meaning you can continue in your daily routine without making special arrangements.

Mobile technologies

Technology, over the past few years, has increased the freedom of where people choose to work and interact. With mobile phones, iPods, iPads, laptops, computers and netbooks now allowing people to connect through the usage of Wi-Fi, people are now able to communicate more freely; even when they are travelling.

Within mobiles, 3G and 4G now allow people to access the internet wherever they require it; even on planes and trains. 3G and 4G have proved a success over the past few years and now are widely used by most of the country. However, mobile technologies can also pose a threat to the community we have today. 
Many children now are spending twice as much time on devices such as mobile phones and iPods compared to spending time revising and studying. A major problem also with these devices is that they now contain online gaming, app and music stores. As a result, this could decrease the state of the global economy.
 However, these app stores can also prove a good idea, because this increases the amount of turnover each independent company produces and could boost the economy.

There are many benefits to mobile technologies; they can improve the service that you provide to customers. This means a better reputation for the business and could also allow you to update customer details whilst outside the office. In addition, in many modern restaurants, guests can now pay for their meal without leaving the table. Moreover, other solutions can mean you can access the office network whilst working off site; this includes setting up a new customers account, checking availability of stock and the prices and placing and order on-line. All these benefits can lead to more flexibility for working, meaning you can now work whilst at home or whilst travelling. This has also lead to the increase in 'mobile hotspots' that let you connect to a network when you're out.
However, there are also some drawbacks to these new technologies; there are costs involved with gaining the correct equipment and in training the staff using them to an appropriate level. Also, new technologies can expose valuable data to unauthorised people if the correct precautions are not taken. 
Mobile technologies have created; in many aspects; an antisocial society. This is a result of people not needing to meet to communicate; which has lead from the increased use in technology.
In conclusion, the freedom for people to interact has increased intensively which now means people can reach others faster through the use of broadband etc. 3G and 4G have also have proved a major success and this means the world is now more effective and efficient at communicating.

Virtual communities

Virtual communities practically run the world these days. Whether it is companies advertising or people using these sites to talk to and interact with new people. This is a brilliant way to get people interacting with others all around the world and gives people the opportunity to build a community with each other.

Twitter can be very public with anyone in the world being able to see what you’re posting; however, Facebook is very much a smaller community for each person to socialise with their families and friends. Twitter is a very good example of an online virtual community. It allows you to follow others, directly message others and see what is happening with celebrities also. Virtual communities, however, can also pose a problem to online cyber bullying. For example, a recent case regarding the website http://www.ask.fm saw a young girl called Hannah Smith severely bullied and resulted in the loss of her life. In the last few weeks this has alarmed many online virtual community creators and they are now creating a more effective way of keeping security tight and bullying at a minimum. This is one of the major reasons why I do not agree totally with this website.
The main advantages of virtual communities are; companies can sell their products as a means to extra advertising, but they can also benefit charities who want to expose their work. From a technology perspective; virtual communities provide cheap and fast communication; they also make communication more interesting by promoting voice chat facilities and video conferences. In relation to business perspectives, virtual communities can establish a brand and can raise interest for possible customers about different products and services. In terms of marketing; virtual communities make market research easy for companies as they can reach their target market easily and they can reduce researching costs.
The drawbacks to virtual communities are; young children being exposed to internet stalking and harassing, your internet privacy, identity theft (your own details being exposed) and in some cases can be an inefficient.

Overall, the use of virtual communities is a positive aspect because it can people from different sides of the world instantly. However, people still need to consider the potential risks associated with these communities e.g. hate and cyber bullying.

Increased business opportunities

The internet, nowadays, can lead to massive opportunities for big and small businesses. Many large businesses advertise their products online as it reaches their target market in larger populations; which in turn; increases their turnover each year, which means they can expand even further.

Many businesses big and small also advertise on social network sites to reach the younger generation. Many businesses use Facebook, Twitter, and My space to attract their customers. However, the internet has become so widely used that many businesses now have too much competition on the internet so smaller businesses avoid this as it wastes less of their income and turnover each year. The internet creates a greater economy nowadays, with many people each day discovering and linking new ideas and concepts together. An example of increased business opportunities is online gaming. Many online companies are free to use; this is a result of advertisement on their webpage. An example of an online gaming website is http://www.addictinggames.com. 

One the main advantages of increased business opportunities is advertising. Using your own website or an advertising website increases the chance of more custom. Trading in a remote location can often mean that you have decrease your chances of custom, so, advertising on a website or with posters around the town can enhance your business opportunities greatly.
In society, increased business opportunities are vital to ensure that you make the most out of your company.
Increasing business opportunities also affects the rest of the country as more businesses create better trading and therefore boost the economy. 

Overall, many websites nowadays have advertisements which create a major impact on each products market. Further more, businesses, both big and small will benefit from this increased business opportunity immensely, and this will be a great contribution to the economy.

Greater interactions with others and organisations

Over the years, interaction has become more available with the use of technology increasing. Social networks, texting, email, radio and news have now  become a worldwide phenomenon as they are all easy to use and they allow you to communicate information quickly from one place to another; much more useful than the postal system.

Many businesses use the internet nowadays to communicate new and existing products to their customers and to make them aware of changes and new opportunities. An advantage of having greater interaction is businesses can expand quickly and can make more people aware of the service they provide. However, a disadvantage of having greater interaction with the public is attracting the wrong attention. The internet is worldwide which means that anyone and everyone can see who you’re interacting with and this could result, in severe cases a collapse of the company. A good example of having greater interaction with others and other companies is http://www.blogger.co.uk. This website allows you to share information with others and other companies on whatever subject interests you. This website also allows others to interact with you as they can comment on your blogs, giving their opinions and criticisms. Another example of a greater interaction website is http://www.chat.freeola.com. This website allows people to chat on their chosen subject; some examples are music, sport, IT or the news.
Some of the advantages are;

In conclusion, interaction has become more frequent as a result of technology being widely used. Blogs are a brilliant way to socialise and share opinions and this is why they have seen an increase in popularity.

Sharing information quickly

As technology has developed over the years, it has become easier, quicker and more available to share information quickly. This is due to the internet and broadband becoming available to progressively everyone.

There are now many different ways to communicate information quickly. This includes SMS, Emails, social networking sites and other virtual devices that are now become available to everyone. As smaller businesses progress and become bigger, sharing information is becoming more available to everyone.

An example of sharing information quickly is creating an event or sharing a status on Facebook. In many ways, Facebook is useful for everyday life; especially for sharing information as a company; with your customers and many businesses also have a private Facebook page that communicates information effectively to their employees. However, the internet can also prove a problem for people that are sharing information. Many magazines and news companies trail the internet 24/7 for reports and news stories that they can use to gain attention. News and ‘gossip’ spreads quickly throughout the internet and mobile network sites, as this can prove a problem for both individuals and companies. An example of a web page that communicates information quickly and effectively is http://www.bbc.co.uk.

In conclusion, sharing information quickly has  become more widely available and many people now use technology to complete the process. Moreover, its a great way for news to be broadcast if a special event ha taken place is to be taken soon.

Presenting information in different ways

You can present information through many different forms on the internet. Being visual is the most common form; so this involves text and images. However, you can also present information through audio.

Text can also be divided into different forms; some more useful than others; charts, diagrams, flowcharts and the layout. People use text and images as the most common form of presenting information because there the easiest to communicate with, in many cases. However, some companies’ websites also play their sound to get the attention of customers and attract them. Moreover, some companies have ‘boring’ websites that do not attract many people. An example of a boring website would be http://jvf.co.uk/ . 
They use a limited amount of text and images and their website doesn't look attractive or exciting. Boring fonts and boring colours do not explain much about the company; however, boring fonts may need to be used in some cases to direct information clearly.

In this case, I wouldn't advise looking at the website to anyone. The main reason for this is, it gives an unprofessional look and doesn't present information in a positive way. If this was my company, I would increase the amount of text on the home page, change the logo, change the colour of the background to a more suitable but less boring one and I would categorise the information more clearly without becoming too confusing.

Overall, different forms of presenting information can reflect your companies ideas and morals as well as creating a good impression towards your customers and partners. In addition, limited text and images can prove difficult for viewers to understand and therefore can impact on your business.