Internet Technology

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Internet Technology
This Course Guide has been taken from the most recent presentation of the course. It would be useful for reference purposes but please note that there may be updates for the following presentation.

BIS B871
Internet Technology



Introduction

Welcome to BIS B871 Internet Technology.

BIS B871 provides you with an overview of the technologies, architectures and related technological issues that must be addressed to implement a successful e-commerce information system. The goal of
BIS B871 is to allow you, given a specific e-commerce business model and a set of business requirements to sketch, in overview, the systems architecture required to meet these needs.

In order to do this, you will first need to gain an understanding of the concept of systems architecture and its elements. Then, in the bulk of the course, you will explore significant technologies that combine to support an e-commerce enterprise. As you learn about each technology, you will be encouraged, through activities and assignments, to describe how it might function within an architecture supporting a given set of business requirements.

Today, many novices judge the success of electronic commerce merely in terms of the 'look and feel' of a website. However, to create a successful electronic business involves much more than establishing an attractive web presence. For instance, developers need to link websites to databases, legacy systems, networks and trading partner systems. To accomplish this integration, successful businesses need to pay close attention to the way that their organization uses data, the applications used throughout the organization to provide access to this data and the software needed to ensure that data moves seamlessly from one system to another. The successful e-commerce enterprise also needs to plan for secure operations across its entire systems architecture, implement effective applications development methodologies in-house and plan the computing and network infrastructure that supports business applications.

At the completion of this course we trust that you will appreciate the range of considerations that need to be accounted for in the design of a systems architecture that properly supports the e-commerce enterprise.

Purpose of this Course Guide

This Course Guide will provide you with an overview of BIS B871, its teaching aims and learning outcomes as well as its structure, supporting resources and assessment requirements.

You have probably taken other courses through The Open University of Hong Kong, so you should now be well aware of both the study skills required for distance learning and how OUHK courses are organized. It is still recommended, though, that you read this Course Guide thoroughly before looking at the study units or supplementary readings.

The Course Guide tells you briefly what the course is about and how you can work your way through the material. It suggests the amount of time you are likely to need to spend in order to complete the course and will give you a general idea when your tutor-marked assignments are due. For detailed information on assignments, however, please refer to the Assignment File and, for information on due dates and cut off times for work to be submitted, please refer to the Presentation Schedule.

In distance learning as practised by The Open University of Hong Kong, the study units (not the tutor) replace the university lecturer. This is one of the great advantages of distance learning: you can read and work through specially designed study material at your own pace at times and places that suit you best. Think of it as reading the lecture instead of hearing it from a lecturer. In the same way that a lecturer might set you some reading to do, the study unit will tell you when to read your textbook or other material. In the same way that a lecturer might give you an in-class exercise, your study unit will have exercises (called by various names) for you to do at appropriate points. You are also likely to find review questions at the end of each unit. Do them all, as these exercises and questions give you the practice necessary to achieve the learning outcomes of the course and to pass the examination.

Course aims

This course aims to:

  1. Introduce you to a range of core technologies that are typical components of e-commerce systems.

  2. Enable you to design, in outline, e-commerce systems that meet the requirements of standard e-commerce models.

  3. Expose you to future directions in e-commerce technologies and enable you to identify the opportunities and implications of a new technology to e-commerce.

Course learning outcomes

Upon completing of this course, you should be able to:

  1. Illustrate the systems architecture of a variety of e-commerce models and the underlying network and computing infrastructure employed in typical e-commerce systems.

  2. Illustrate key application development technologies and methodologies.

  3. Critically review the types of applications used in typical e-commerce systems and discuss the issues related to their integration.

  4. Analyse the types of security threats to Internet business and identify security technologies to reduce the risks they pose.

  5. Critically evaluate the technological issues involved in the design and development of e-commerce solutions.

Course outline

The following chart gives a general overview of the course structure.

Unit Title Weeks Assessment activity (end of unit)
1

Systems architecture for
e-commerce business

3

 

2

Network infrastructure

3

 

3

Computing infrastructure

3

Assignment 1 (TMA1)

4

Front-end technologies

3

 

5

Application development technologies

3

 

6

Back-end database technologies

3

Assignment 2 (TMA2)

7

Applications and integration

3

 

8

Security technologies

3

 

9

Design and development issues of e-commerce solutions

3

Assignment 3 (TMA3)

10

Emerging technologies

3

 

 

Revision

2

 

 

TOTAL

32

 

To provide you with system-wide view of the technologies that support e-commerce, BIS B871 begins in Unit 1 with an introduction to the idea of systems architecture. The primary aim of this unit is to demonstrate that an understanding of how specific technologies fit into a structured solution is as important as understanding the technologies themselves in isolation.

Having established a framework for understanding the key functions of various technologies in Unit 1, Units 2 through 8 explore specific components of systems architecture and introduce the technologies that are employed there.

Units 2 and 3 explore two major elements of the technology view of systems architecture: network infrastructure and computing infrastructure. Network infrastructure outlines network technologies to build LAN, WAN, and wireless networks and the roles of Internet infrastructure providers in e-commerce. It also reviews high-level protocols that support network applications. Computing infrastructure looks at the devices that connect to the network, servers and their operating systems, workstations and specific server types. In both cases you are encouraged to apply your understanding of these specific ideas to outlining architectures in response to a business problem. Network and computing infrastructure provide a platform for the applications required to run an e-commerce enterprise.

Unit 4 Front end technologies explores technologies that support the user's interface to e-commerce systems, while Unit 5 Application development technologies looks at the standards, tools and products available to build custom applications.

Unit 6 Back-end database technologies examines technologies that enable organizations to link their website to back-end databases. It also explores how the capture and flow of data is structured throughout and beyond an organization as well as recent advances in database technologies in the storage and retrieve of XML documents. Without an understanding of business data it is impossible to plan and develop at the application level. Armed with an understanding of how to conceive of, and describe organizational data, in Unit 7 Applications and integration you will examine common application types that exist in e-commerce and the complex issue of integration between them.

Unit 8 Security technologies examines technologies and techniques that address security -- an issue that exists across all levels of systems architecture.

Unit 9 draws together many of the concepts and technologies covered in the previous eight units and introduces you to the issues related to the design and development of solutions supporting e-commerce. It touches on project management and important factors that need to be taken into account in planning technology architecture, including redundancy and fault tolerance, capacity planning, maintenance, and so on.

Finally, Unit 10 looks at new and emerging technologies that have the potential to change the way e-commerce is done.

In a course of this type that aims to cover a wide range of technologies, there is risk that in an effort to be comprehensive, too many technologies are covered at a superficial level. As a result BIS B871 aims to introduce you to technologies at a level where you can:

  • Identify a particular technology when you see it.

  • Outline in overview the way in which the technology works.

  • Describe the key functions of a technology and the business problem that technology can be used to solve.

  • Evaluate technological solutions for a given e-commerce business.

BIS B871 will not attempt to cover all the technologies that may be employed within an e-commerce systems architecture because the number of these is potentially very large. Instead, it includes core technologies that can be found in a majority of e-commerce technical solutions.

Course materials

BIS B871 Internet Technology is designed to be a self-contained course.

In addition to this Course Guide, please ensure that you have the following important course components from the OUHK:

  • study units

  • readings

  • two multimedia CDs

  • Assignment File.

Study units

There are ten study units in BIS B871 Internet Technology. Each study unit consists of three to five weeks' work and includes directions for study, commentaries on readings, additional materials, and summaries of key issues and ideas. The units direct you to work on exercises related to the required readings and provide practice exercises and self tests, where appropriate. In general, these exercises question you on the material you have just covered or require you to apply it in some way and, thereby, help you to assess your progress and to reinforce your understanding of the material.

You should read the study units carefully as they can guide your learning and tell you how to approach any assignment related to the unit. Otherwise, you may miss important information. You must read both the study units and the textbook, and you should also read all suggested supplementary readings. They are not alternatives. Moreover, you should also read articles in newspapers and journals and other books related to the topics. The more widely you read, the better your appreciation and understanding of the course.

Each unit is divided into a number of sections. The first section introduces the materials to be covered. The next section constitutes the contents of the study unit. This section will guide your learning and direct you to complete the activities and self-tests.

Readings

You may be instructed in the study units to read articles or other supplementary materials. These will be available online or provided as hard copies at the backs of the study units.

For online readings, instead of typing in the URL, you can click the link in the online study unit provided in the OLE.

E-Library E-Reserve readings

You may be instructed to read articles in the E-Library E-Reserve. To read these items, go to the OUHK E-Library and click on 'E-Reserve'. Log in, click 'Accept/Agree' on the Copyright Restrictions page, fill in the 'Course Code' box, and click 'Search'.

Set textbook

There is one set textbook for this course:

Bhasker, B (2013) Electronic Commerce: Framework, Technologies and Applications, 4th edn, Tata McGraw-Hill.

You must buy this textbook yourself.

Multimedia CDs

The Multimedia CDs consist of the following two multimedia resources that will be asked to study in the course:

  1. The Virtual Site Visit (VSV) -- a multimedia tour of the technology infrastructure of the Fremantle Port in the city of Perth, Western Australia developed by Uni-u International.

  2. Warriors of the Net -- an animated movie that introduces basic ideas in Internet data transmission (c Copyright 2002 Gunilla Elam, Tomas Stephanson, Niklas Hanberger, http://www.warriorsofthe.net).

Assignment File

Assignment details for this course are contained in your Assignment File. The nature of these assignments is described in the 'Tutor-marked assignments' section below. You are required to complete your assignments and submit them via the OLE to your tutor in accordance with the timetable provided in the Presentation Schedule.

Online Learning Environment

This course is supported by the Online Learning Environment (OLE). You can find course materials and the latest course information from the OLE. Through the OLE, you can also communicate with your tutors, the Course Coordinator and other students. For details about the OLE and how to access it, please refer to the Online Learning Environment User Guide.

Presentation Schedule

The Presentation Schedule for this course is available on the OLE. In this schedule, you will see the approximate time for your tutor's receipt of your assignments. Please note that your must submit all your assignments in time and ensure that they reach your tutor by the dates shown in the Assignment File.

Equipment required

To complete this course, you need to have access to a personal computer with an Internet connection.

Course assessment

There will be three tutor marked assignments, and one three-hour final examination. The assignments are designed to test you on practical work and analysis skills. You are required to pass both the continuous assessment component and the final examination to obtain a pass in this course.

Tutor marked assignments

TMAs serve three purposes:

  1. to provide a mechanism for you to assess your progress;

  2. to test your understanding of the topics; and

  3. to provide an opportunity for you to apply concepts, methods and solutions that you have learned to given problems.

TMAs are returned to you after they are marked by your tutor, so that you can learn from your mistakes and clarify any misunderstanding

Three assignments have been set for the course. The combined marks for the assignments account for 40% of the total course grade. You must submit all assignments to your tutor for marking.

  • TMA 1 will cover material from Units 1, 2 and3.

  • TMA 2 will cover material from Units 4, 5 and6.

  • TMA 3 will cover material from Units 7, 8 and9.

How to submit assignments

You must use word processing software (such as Microsoft Word) to prepare the TMAs, and submit the TMAs via the Online Learning Environment (OLE). All assignments must be uploaded to the OLE by the due date.

Failure to upload a TMA in the required format to the OLE may result in the score of the TMA being adjusted to zero.

Examination

There will be a three-hour closed book written final examination, which accounts for 60% of the total course assessment. The paper will cover materials from all units.

A summary of the assessment requirement for the course follows.

Assessment type Weighting
Assignments  
  Assignment 1 12%
  Assignment 2 14%
  Assignment 3 14%
Examination 60%
TOTAL 12% + 14% + 14% + 60% = 100%

TMA extension policy

The assignment policy of the University as stated in the Student Handbook should be observed. Students are required to submit assignments for a course in accordance with the dates communicated by the course coordinator. Students may apply for a submission extension on the grounds of illness, accident, disability, bereavement or other compassionate circumstances.

Applications for extensions of up to seven days should be submitted to the tutor. The tutor shall consider valid and unexpected emergencies on an individual basis. Normally, documented proof of the extenuating circumstances is not required for extensions of up to seven days. The tutor shall decide and advise the student of the revised date for submission.

For extensions of over seven days, students should note the following:

  1. If students require an extension of more than seven days on the grounds of illness, accident, disability, bereavement or other compassionate circumstances, they are required to complete an 'Application Form for Assignment Extension over seven days' and submit it to the Course Coordinator.

  2. Supporting documents must be submitted along with the application for extension of over seven days to justify the claim.

  3. Applications for extension should normally be lodged before or on the due date.

  4. Applications are considered by:

    • the Course Coordinator for extensions of 8 to 21 days and,
    • the Dean for extensions of over 21 days.

After an assignment is submitted via the OLE, it is your responsibility to check that the assignment has been successfully submitted. Extension applications due to any problem with uploading will not be accepted. The University cannot accept any responsibility for assignments that are not received by your tutor due to any problem with submission via the OLE. As a precaution, you are advised to keep a copy of each assignment you submit.

According to the University's policy, no extension of the due date will be allowed for the final TMA. This policy will be strictly enforced. Any late submission of the final TMA will result in the score of the TMA being adjusted to zero.

Use of case studies

Case studies are a useful and increasingly popular form of learning and assessment in the OUHK's School of Business and Administration. In this section we will look at why case studies are used and then suggest some learning strategies that you can use to approach case studies. We will also briefly discuss some problems that you may encounter as you learn from case studies.

What is a case study approach to learning?

One main purpose of a case study is to explore an issue or a number of issues in relation to an organization. The intention is to get you to carefully diagnose an organization; to focus on key problems, and to suggest how these might be resolved. Often the case is a real-life account of an organization which you are required to analyse in order to focus on a problem. Usually, the information that is provided is incomplete and you are often expected to observe developments in the organization over a period of time. The case study approach is an excellent opportunity to actively apply material that you have read and conceptual knowledge to the reality of an organization.

At the OUHK, case studies may be used as part of TMAs, exams, study units, or day-school exercises. You normally are given some information about a company (this could be both text and graphical information, such as figures and tables). You are then asked to think about some problems related to the company and to use concepts and apply theories that you have learned in your course to propose possible solutions for the company.

Let's have a look at two kinds of case study questions that you might be asked to work through in your courses. The first example is quite structured, while the second is much more open-ended.

Two examples of case study questions

  1. Read the case study entitled 'ABC Consultants' and consider the following issues:

    • Using your understanding of the resource-based model, what measures could be taken to improve ABC's returns?

    • Drawing on your broad understanding of the consultancy industry, assess ABC's relative competitiveness and its profit potential.

    • To what extent do internal factors account for ABC's financial weaknesses?

    • Based on your assessment of ABC's financial weaknesses, formulate a new strategic intent and develop a mission statement for ABC.

  2. Read the case study entitled 'XYZ Industries'.

    • Identify the key problems that are currently faced by XYZ's management.

    • Propose viable solutions to these problems.

Why case studies?

As you can see from the above examples, a case study approach to learning requires a great deal of thinking and often will not easily yield a quick 'wrong' or 'right' answer. However, case studies are also good preparation for dealing with real-life business problems. Cases may be short and relatively simple, or longer and complex. The purpose is the same for both types: to give you an opportunity to develop your skills in analysing the strengths and weaknesses of the organization under examination, to consider the processes at work within the organization, and to make decisions about future actions.

Case studies are not meant to replace textbooks, but rather to ask you to draw connections between theories and practice and to apply abstract ideas, concepts, and principles to specific concrete situations. Consequently, case analysis develops a number of skills that are crucial in business. In particular, they help you to:

  • analyse complex, unstructured, sometimes ambiguous situations;

  • identify critical issues and problems;

  • question your own and others' assumptions;

  • improve your problem-solving skills;

  • develop your ability to find alternatives and make informed decisions;

  • make decisions with incomplete information and think strategically;

  • self-educate yourself and draw on a broad range of resources and knowledge; and

  • present and justify recommendations in writing.

You may find that there are many possible 'right' answers to the questions in a case study. This illustrates that there is often no single best way to responsibly manage and solve real-life business problems.

Some guidelines for analysing case studies

The following strategies should help you to successfully analyse case studies:

1 Read the case and become familiar with the facts

First, skim read the case to obtain a general understanding of the main point(s). Highlight or underline the pertinent points as you read.

Read the case again, and this time note down critical facts (such as names, time sequences, and where events occurred). Try to understand how events have influenced decisions. Identify the important individuals or stakeholders, and try to assess the importance of supporting information in the case. How reliable is this supporting information? Are there any gaps in the information that is given?

Make a note of any questions that you have as you read the case.

2 Assess the context of the case

Try to understand the environment of the organization and the wider context of the case.

Ask yourself questions about:

  • The state of the organization: What is the state of this organization: good, bad or in-between? Usually this involves thinking about interpersonal relationships, and assessing production or financial problems.

  • Key players and systems: How do systems and people operate in this organization? Why do they operate like this? Are the systems undergoing change? How successful are the changes? Is there someone who could sabotage any future strategy? Is there someone who can ensure the success of a future strategy?

  • Significant trends: How does this industry operate? What are the main or unique characteristics of the industry? What were they five or ten years ago, and what are they likely to be in the future? What impact are trends likely to have on the organization under investigation? How does this organization's performance compare with that of competitors?

  • Constraints: Clearly identify all constraints in the case. A constraint may be viewed as anything (usually beyond the control of the organization) that may prevent an otherwise feasible course of action from becoming a success. What is outside the control of individuals in the case study? For example, it is unlikely that any company or individual in Hong Kong could prevent a foreign government from imposing tariff barriers on imports.

A SWOT analysis is a good way to get a better understanding of the organization and the context or environment in which it is operating.A SWOT analysis considers the Strengths and Weaknesses of the organization, and the Opportunities and Threats which the organization faces in the external environment.

3 Recognize the case's symptoms

Read the case again and as you read, try listing all the symptoms of the case. The symptoms of a case are not the problems, but they may help you to identify the problems. Symptoms are all the things that are undesirable or that are not as expected. For example, falling sales could be a symptom of several problems such as poor market segmentation, poor product quality, or problems in a supply chain. At this stage of your analysis, you should just try to observe all the symptoms, and avoid prematurely identifying problems or suggesting solutions. Like a doctor who consults a patient, you first need to observe and note all the symptoms before you can give a definite diagnosis of the problem. Think about how the symptoms may be interrelated. Relationship diagrams, like the one below, may help you to see the relationships between symptoms.

4 Diagnose the case's problems

After you have a good sense of the symptoms, you're ready to determine key issues that need to be analysed more closely. You are now diagnosing the situation, like a doctor diagnosing a patient's symptoms. Ask yourself 'what seems to be the trouble in this organization?' and make a list of what you now perceive to be the key problem(s). You will probably need to go back to the details of the case and as you do this, you may add to or refine your list of potential problems.

If there are several problems, you need to order and prioritize them. You might want to number problems according to how you perceive their importance, or make a matrix, like the one below, which shows relationships between various criteria and each problem.

Criteria Problem #1 Problem #2 Problem #3
Importance: what will happen if the problem is not addressed?      
Urgency: how quickly must this problem be solved?      
Centrality: To what extent does this problem cause others?      
Solvability: Can this problem actually be solved?      

Also try to establish if there are relationships or themes in common among the various problems. Perhaps different problems in your list are actually variations of a broader central problem.

Ask yourself what assumptions you have made about the case. Are these assumptions reasonable, and are they supported by the facts? Would other people objectively suggest the same problems, based on the facts that you have? Are you suggesting problems that are not supported by the facts of the case?

After you have considered and put into order the possible problems and questioned your assumptions relating to these problems, you should write a statement of the problems as you perceive them. Avoid suggesting solutions at this stage.

Once you have a problem statement, you need to find evidence in the case to support your problem diagnosis. Also, try to identify ideas, concepts and theories from your textbook and course units which help to explain what is happening in the case.

5 Formulate criteria for a 'good' solution and identify possible constraints to solutions

Before you propose a solution, you need to consider the characteristics of a 'good' solution. Obviously, your solution should bring benefits such as improved productivity, reduced costs or greater profits. However, it also needs to be viable and to accommodate the constraints that you have already identified, i.e. Is the solution legal? Is there a budget for this solution? Does it conflict with the organization's culture?

Try to brainstorm alternative solutions. Aim to generate a broad and creative range of options and then try to rate each according to various criteria.

The following matrix demonstrates how this can be done.

  Cost Ease of implementation Impact on organization culture Impact on profits
Option 1 *** * * **
Option 2 * *** *** **
Option 3 ** * * ***

Also refer to ideas, concepts and theories from your course materials as you consider and assess each possible solution.

It's often wise to propose a solution that allows for plausible alternatives if it should fail. Managers use the term satisfice when they are considering acceptable alternative solutions, that is, the solution is able to satisfy the situation while also making some realistic sacrifices to existing constraints. Therefore, it is a satisficing rather than a maximizing solution.

Finally, don't forget to consider the possibility of taking no action. What will actually happen if no action is taken? Are any (or all) of the solutions less viable than taking no action at all?

6 Recommend a viable solution

After you have assessed the merits and pitfalls of each alternative solution, select the best solution for the situation.

Remember that the solution needs to be viable. Can the recommended solution be introduced? Are there the resources and the willingness to implement it? Be realistic about what may work. Explain why it is the best solution within the constraints of the existing context and explain how it can be applied to the organization. Suggest a time-frame for the solution's implementation.

Outline possible strategies for implementing your solution, either partially or completely. As many feasible courses of action as possible should be considered before you choose the one that seems the most likely to succeed. The more ideas you have, the greater your chance will be of finding a solution that will work well. The complexity of most organizational problems means that it is highly unlikely that one idea alone will correct the situation. Usually a combination of actions is required, and these need to be funded differently, timed carefully and staffed as necessary.

7 Present your solution as a written recommendation

Review your final solutions and then prepare a set of written recommendations. These should clearly outline your proposed solution in relation to the problems that you have identified. Your recommendations should also include details of why these solutions are the most appropriate given the circumstances and constraints of the case. Finally, you need to clearly state how and when your proposals will be implemented.

Your tutor and your course Assignment File can provide some guidelines on how to present your recommendations.

Some mistakes to avoid as you analyse cases

When you first tackle case studies, you should be careful to guard against the following mistakes:

  1. One of the most common mistakes made in case analysis is repeating or simply summarizing the facts of the case. Your tutor is already very familiar with the case details, so you do not have to restate them. You are required to use and analyse the facts, not repeat them. Your analysis should contain only enough case material to support your arguments. Therefore, be analytical!

  2. You may often be tempted to just deal with symptoms and ignore the causes of the problem. It is very important to analyse the background of the case (and the climate in which the events of the case unfold).

  3. Avoid discussing problems in isolation and do not overlook their interrelatedness. If you try to think in terms of 'systems' rather than in terms of individual problems, you are more likely to avoid this pitfall.

  4. Students often fail to state the assumptions underlying their analysis. If any important assumptions have been made, have you questioned them and are they reasonable and appropriate? Avoid selectively using and interpreting case material in order to justify a preconceived solution.

  5. Practical limitations and constraints may sometimes be overlooked. For example, a recommendation that a whole team be fired is probably unrealistic.

  6. A very common mistake is poor integration of the facts in the case with the concepts, principles, and theories in the textbook. Such integration is vital. Ask yourself if relevant theories from your course have been fully and constructively applied.

  7. Finally, recommendations are too often not spelled out in detail or are unrealistic. A timetable for implementing them is also often not given.

Analysing cases poses many challenges, and this is one reason the case study method is so rewarding. It is a very active form of learning. It offers you a risk-free opportunity to gain managerial and organizational experience and should greatly increase your confidence to make informed decisions in the real world.

Good luck and we hope you enjoy working through the cases that you encounter!

Tutors and tutorials

Tutors

Your assignments will be marked and commented on by your tutor, who will monitor your progress and assist you if you have problems during the course. Marked assignments will be returned to you as soon as possible. Tutors will also moderate online discussion activities.

It is a good idea to keep a copy of each assignment submitted for marking, so that you can always refer to the queries with the tutor during telephone conversations. Please contact your tutor if any of the following arises:

  1. You do not understand any part of the study units or the assigned readings.

  2. You have any difficulty with self-tests.

  3. You have a question or problem with the assignments, or your tutor's comments, or grading on an assignment.

Tutorials

In addition to self-study, tutorials and surgeries will be organized to help you meet the learning outcomes.

Details of the dates, time and location of tutorials and surgeries as well as the name and phone number of you tutor will be sent to you in due course. It is strongly recommended that you attend all these tutorials because they provide considerable assistance in your study of this course. Also, you will have the chance to meet with other distance learners who are studying at the OUHK.

Online support

The Online Learning Environment (OLE), an online course delivery system developed by the OUHK, will be used extensively in the
BIS B871 Internet Technology to provide:

  • Online discussion forums for you and tutors.

  • Course management functions including announcements, results and feedback.

  • Entry point to course content.

OLE will act as a central control point for all communication among students and between students and tutors in BIS B871.

Deferment of studies

If you wish to defer your studies of this course until a later date, you should apply for deferment of studies. For the regulations governing deferment of studies, please refer to Section 14, 'Regulations for Admission, Registration and Maintenance of Status', in your Student Handbook. If you have applied for deferment of studies you should continue with your studies of this course and submit the required assignments until formal approval is given by the University. Should you have difficulties in submitting an assignment, you are advised to liaise with your Course Coordinator and apply for a TMA extension. Students who have been granted deferment of studies will not be allowed to submit TMAs due before the date that their application for deferment of studies is received by Registry.

About the Lee Shau Kee School of Business and Administration

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Summary

BIS B871 Internet Technology is intended to provide you with a broad understanding of the Internet technology and its application in the business world. The course covers a range of core technologies that are commonly used to develop and deploy e-commerce applications. It will explore how the technologies work and fit together to build solutions to support e-commerce enterprises.

Hopefully you will find that the knowledge and skills that you acquire through this course are valuable additions to your career skills. Good Luck!