Question

You learned that choosing the best telecommunications technology for a specific business need is a complex decision. There are a number of points that must be taken into consideration—goals, available options, cost, convenience, and availability. You learned that creating a comparison chart will help you compare similar technologies, rendering the decision-making process simpler. Now it's your turn to apply what you've learned.

Morgan is the operations manager for a national appliance distributor. The company has offices throughout the United States. Communication between offices is vital to the efficient operation of the company. Phone sales are an important source of revenue.

Managers and department heads across the nation strategize on a weekly, if not daily, basis. For the past three quarters, telephone charges have increased and sales have decreased. Morgan needs to cut expenses while keeping the lines of communication open.

Analyze the telecommunications technologies you've studied in this unit—fax, broadcasting, VoIP, e-mail, blogs, and wikis—to determine which technology will best meet the needs of Morgan's company.

Once you have determined the best technology solution, use the Internet to compare the features and pricing offered by different providers of that technology. Select four or five criteria you think would be most important to Morgan. Create a comparison chart to help compare the products and services offered by providers of the technology you selected. Upload your chart using the button beneath the essay box.

In the space below:

Write down the technology you selected for Morgan's company and the reason for your choice.
Then select a provider for Morgan to use. Indicate the reason(s) for your choices.