MIS Trends

Recent trends in software and service distribution include pull technology, push technology, and application service providers, although pull technology has been around since the Web began. With pull technology, a user states a need before getting information, as when a URL is entered in a Web browser so the user can go to a certain website. However, this technology is not adequate for marketing certain products and services or for providing customized information. People rarely request marketing information, for example. With push technology, also known as “webcasting,” a Web server delivers information to users (who have signed up for the service) instead of waiting for them to request the information be sent to them. Webcasting is supported by many Web browsers and is also available from vendors. With push technology, your favorite Web content can be updated in real time and sent to your desktop or your mobile device. Application service providers (ASPs) provide access to software or services for a fee. Software as a service (SaaS), also known as “on-demand software,” is a model in which ASPs deliver software to users for a fee; the software is for temporary or long-term use. With this delivery model, users do not need to be concerned with new software versions and compatibility problems because the ASP offers the most recent version of the software. Users can also save all application data on the ASP’s server so the software and data are portable. This flexibility is convenient for those who travel or work in different locations, but it can also create privacy and security issues. Virtual reality (VR) uses computer-generated, three-dimensional images to create the illusion of interaction in a real-world environment. There are two major types of user environments in VR: ego-centric and exocentric. In an egocentric environment, the user is totally immersed in the VR world. The most common technology used with this environment is a head-mounted display (HMD). Another technology, a virtual retinal display (VRD), uses lasers. In an exocentric environment, the user is given a “window view.” Data is still rendered in 3D, but users can only view it on screen. They cannot interact with objects, as in an egocentric environment. The main technology used in this environment is 3D graphics. Augmented reality (AR) is a branch of virtual reality that generates a virtual scene that is overlaid on the real object. The goal is to enhance the user’s perception of the real-world objects that the user is seeing or interacting with. Augmented reality was first used in the 1960s for military applications including combat awareness, training, and communication between aircraft and pilots. It is currently used as a marketing tool in fields such as education, entertainment, and medicine.