Project Deliverable 1: Project Plan Inception Due Week 2

Project Deliverable 1: Project Plan Inception Due Week 2 and worth 120 points

This assignment consists of two (2) sections: a project introduction and a project plan. You must submit both sections as separate files for the completion of this assignment. Label each file name according to the section of the assignment it is written for. Additionally, you may create and/or assume all necessary assumptions needed for the completion of this assignment.

You are currently the Chief Information Officer (CIO) for an innovative Internet-based company with gross revenues of more than $35 million dollars per year. During an executive leadership meeting, you were told that your company will be merging with a multinational company of equal size and you will be responsible for developing a project plan to strategically integrate all systems, including databases and infrastructure.

The Chief Executive Officer has given you sixty (60) days to deliver an information technology project plan in anticipation of the company merger. Your company will be expanding from one (1) floor to three (3) floors within six (6) months. Since this merger will be bringing two (2) fairly equal-sized companies together under one roof, the infrastructure must be redesigned to accommodate the increased needs. Your company currently uses operational systems and relational databases but desires to expand into data warehousing. All information technology (hardware and software) must be redesigned to meet organizational needs.

The solution should be implemented in either a hosted solution, on-site solution, or a hybrid model. The CEO is expecting you to integrate different technologies from different solution providers and incorporate industry best practices in connection with the development of technological systems. In addition, the CEO is extremely interested in cloud technologies and virtualization but is leery of security issues; however, the CEO is sure that you will implement proper security protocols. The company currently consists of twenty five (25) employees but is expected to increase to sixty five (65) employees when the merger is complete.

Section 1: Project Introduction

Develop a five to six (5-6) page project introduction that documents the current state of the organization prior to any development or enhancements. This should take into account all the information provided above and include the following:

  • Background information of the company.
  • Details regarding the type of business activities that the company is involved in.
  • Speculation on outsourcing and offshoring opportunities.
  • A description of the current information systems that support the business, including:
  • Operational systems
  • Databases
  • Data warehousing
  • Cloud technology and virtualization
  • Network infrastructure and security

The use of at least two (2) quality resources is required for this assignment. Note that Wikipedia and similar websites do not qualify as quality resources. Your assignment must follow formatting requirements: be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. The cover page (including title, student and instructor names, course, and date) and the reference page are not included in the page count.

Section 2: Project Plan

Create a project plan using Microsoft Project (or similar tool) that includes a summary and detailed template. The plan should:

  • Record all tasks, sub-tasks, resources, and timeframes related to the project
  • Outline the phases of planning, analysis, design, and implementation
  • Be developed in accordance with the System Development Life Cycle (SDLC)

The project plan should demonstrate an understanding of the roles within the information systems area, including the CIO, and how various technologies are managed within the organization. Use relevant research to support your analysis and write clearly and concisely about leadership and strategic issues in information systems, employing proper academic writing mechanics.

Paper For Above instruction

Introduction

The rapid evolution of technology continues to profoundly influence business operations, especially for organizations undergoing mergers and expansions. The case presented involves a mid-sized internet-based company with annual gross revenues exceeding $35 million, now facing a significant transformational project involving system integration and infrastructure redesign. As the appointed Chief Information Officer (CIO), the task is to develop a comprehensive project plan within a 60-day window to facilitate a seamless merger with a multinational counterpart, ensuing physical expansion, and technological upgrades. This paper provides an overview of the current organizational context, examines existing systems, and delineates the strategic approach to system integration, considering industry best practices, security concerns, and emerging technologies such as cloud computing and virtualization.

Organizational Background and Business Activities

The company operates primarily within the digital domain—possibly e-commerce, digital services, or online platforms—generating substantial revenue through internet-based activities. Its core operations involve managing operational systems that handle daily business transactions, customer data, and internal processes. The company’s current information ecosystem includes relational databases supporting these transactional systems and is exploring avenues to incorporate data warehousing for analytical and decision-making purposes. The organization emphasizes agility and scalability, fostering a digital environment that supports rapid growth and technological innovation.

Current Information Systems

The organization's information systems are structured to support operational efficiency and strategic insights. Operational systems include customer relationship management (CRM), enterprise resource planning (ERP), and order management systems that are critical for day-to-day operations. The relational database infrastructure underpins these systems, enabling real-time data processing and transactional reliability.

Data warehousing is contemplated to enhance business intelligence capabilities. The warehouse would aggregate data from various operational sources, enabling complex queries, trend analyses, and customized reporting. The existing infrastructure hints at a hybrid or on-premise deployment, with an increasing interest in cloud-based solutions for flexibility and cost-effectiveness.

In terms of cloud technology and virtualization, the current setup may feature some virtualized servers to optimize hardware utilization. However, security concerns remain a barrier to fully embracing cloud and virtualization strategies—especially those involving sensitive customer data. The company currently relies on a network infrastructure that, while functional, needs to be upgraded to meet future demands. Security protocols are in place but require enhancement to mitigate risks associated with remote access, data breaches, and compliance with data protection regulations.

The organizational goal is to modernize its IT landscape in alignment with industry best practices, ensuring scalability, security, and efficiency. Transitioning to a hybrid solution—combining on-premise infrastructure with cloud services—appears to be a strategic direction, allowing the organization to leverage cloud scalability while maintaining control over critical assets.

Strategic Considerations and Opportunities

The impending merger presents an opportunity to reassess and redesign the entire IT landscape, creating a unified, robust, and flexible infrastructure. Outsourcing and offshoring options can be explored to optimize costs, access specialized expertise, and accelerate deployment. For example, offshoring database management or cloud infrastructure operations to established providers could enhance efficiency and reduce overhead.

Security remains a central concern, especially in a hybrid and cloud-oriented environment. Implementing industry standards such as ISO 27001, along with robust encryption, multi-factor authentication, and intrusion detection systems, will be necessary to safeguard organizational and customer data.

Emerging Technologies and Best Practices

The company’s interest in virtualization and cloud technologies aligns with industry trends favoring agile, scalable, and cost-effective solutions. Cloud providers like AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud offer services that can facilitate data warehousing, virtual servers, and disaster recovery. Virtualization enhances resource utilization and simplifies disaster recovery planning—especially important during the physical expansion of the company's facilities.

In adopting these technologies, the company should adhere to best practices such as conducting rigorous security assessments, ensuring compliance with regulatory standards, and establishing clear governance policies for data management and system access. Utilizing a hybrid cloud approach offers flexibility, but it necessitates careful planning around network architecture, data security, and integration protocols.

Conclusion

Overall, the current technological landscape of the organization provides a foundation for strategic growth and system modernization. With a comprehensive project plan that encompasses detailed task management, resource allocation, and phased implementation aligned with the SDLC, the company can effectively navigate the complexities of merger integration, technological upgrades, and infrastructure expansion. Prioritizing security, leveraging emerging cloud and virtualization technologies, and adhering to industry best practices will be essential to achieving a resilient, scalable, and secure IT environment capable of supporting the company's future ambitions.

References

  • Gartner. (2021). Cloud Computing and Data Security Trends. Gartner Research.
  • Laudon, K. C., & Traver, C. G. (2021). E-commerce 2021: Business, Technology, Society (15th ed.). Pearson.
  • Mell, P., & Grance, T. (2011). The NIST definition of cloud computing. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Retrieved from https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/Legacy/SP/nistspecialpublication800-145.pdf
  • Marston, S., Li, Z., Bandyopadhyay, S., Zhang, J., & Ghalsasi, A. (2011). Cloud computing—The business perspective. Decision Support Systems, 51(1), 176-189.
  • ISO/IEC 27001:2013. (2013). Information technology — Security techniques — Information security management systems — Requirements.
  • Kim, G., Debois, P., Willis, J., & Shorter, D. (2016). The DevOps Handbook: How to Create World-Class Agility, Reliability, & Security in Technology Organizations. IT Revolution.
  • Furht, B. (2011). Encyclopedia of Cloud Computing. Springer.
  • Rittinghouse, J. W., & Ransome, J. F. (2017). Cloud Computing: Implementation, Management, and Security. CRC Press.
  • Microsoft Azure. (2022). Best practices for implementing hybrid cloud solutions. Microsoft Documentation.
  • Amazon Web Services. (2023). Security best practices in cloud computing. AWS Whitepaper.

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