THE NETWORK SOCIETY
According to Emmanuel Kant, network society defines as kind of society that formed by emergence of electronics based communication technology. The internet brought a new kind of society "global village". As the network society growing brought the "new economy"

Characteristics of new economy

• Global
• Network
• Information 

Benefits of Network society

1. It cuts out limit of business and market
2.  It facilitates discussion on different issues through media
3. It gives new looking and thinking of the economy

New Network Information
Information leads to effective performance, planning and uses. It is the bases of good things. However the following happen in the new economy

• Timeless time; there is no limit to time with the way you will do your things.
• Space flow; there is no need of doing work in office, you can do on your way home and other places due to supportive devices. The more you wait, the more you are not going to capture challenges of new network society
• Inclusion and Exclusion; If you are not tune to know, you do not want to know the new economy as the power of information. You will exclude yourself towards network society and fail to communicate in corporate digital age.When you decide better to be in network society. if you lack information in network society you will likely to fail. thinking of productions depends on very well you attached yourself with network society.

The following are the applications and usefulness of Network society;

1. It changes customer behavior
2. It increase sales
3. It predicts in production
4. It facilitates the consumption of product
5. It brings new experience of doing things 

DAHAYE THERESIA 42544

GLOBALIZATION

ECONOMICS AND NETWORKED MEDIA CULTURE

This understanding of the economic power of the newly confident, post dot.com crash Internet media sectors prompts us to ask how its uses might interact with issues of power and control that are central to networks and consequent upon issues of ownership and investment associated with them. People will be concerned with the characteristics of networks and how they have consequently been considered to have an important (some say revolutionary) impact, both on the ways in which we live our lives and on the economic organization of society. In this section we survey the development of the Internet as communications using the tools of political economy, and we look at how the development of interactive new media has been influenced by the introduction of commercial interests. In asking these kinds of questions we will have recourse to the arguments of Williams (1974) for a model of thinking about the outcomes of communication technologies that are shaped by, on one the hand, what he refers to as social investment, and, on the other, by ‘community needs'.

Social investment includes both state and private capital investment in the development and manufacture of new technologies, for reasons of both profit and social value. For example, email has been the reason for the sale of many computers because it has allowed people to keep in touch at home as well as in business. ‘Community need’ includes both the market, in the sense of a collection of potential purchasers with the ability to pay, and also a more generalized sense of what communicative needs different kinds of societies and cultures might have. So, for instance, the communication needs of a feudal village are different from the communication needs of a twenty-first-century house dweller, not just in terms of the kinds of information in use but also in terms of methods of delivery.

The village can survive with one-to-one communications; the increased complexity of the urban setting requires systems that can deal with a mass audience. Here then we assume, for a moment, that which of the many possible affordances of web media become dominant is determined by the interaction between the communicative needs of the mode of early twenty-first-century Western societies and the ways in which commercial interests can profitably sustain them.

One of the factors determining the use of technologies of communication will be the kinds of investments made in equipment and personnel; who makes them, and what they expect in return. There is no guarantee that the investment will necessarily be in forms of communication that are most appropriate for the majority of people. Because the ownership of investment funds tends to be in the hands of commercial organizations, the modernization of communications infrastructure only takes place on the basis of potential profitability. Take, for example, the installation of fibre-optic communications cable across the African continent. A number of African nations are involved in the development but its operational structures will be oriented to those who can pay for access. Many states that might wish to use it for education and information may not only find it too expensive but also simply unavailable to them (McChesney et al. 1998).

There can be no doubt that the development has been led by investment opportunity rather than community demand. It will undoubtedly provide much needed communications facilities, but their actual availability is clearly not being pursued primarily for the public good. The consequences of the uneven access that will flow from such an investment are not always possible to predict. The uses to which media technologies are put, including attempts to mobilize them for practices resistant to their commercial ethos, will also have an impact upon the social form they come to assume.

Throughout the period in which economic imperatives were positioning new media of communications as central to the global economy (the 1980s) a worldwide community of users and developers was growing whose direct material communicative aims had far more in common with pleasure and entertainment, such as music, dating and photography, than with competitive advantage, profitability and commercial use.

Because people are concerned with economic development, cultural uses and their interaction we draw on a theory of base and superstructure, particularly as developed by Raymond Williams. For Williams this is not simply a case of the economic base of society defining the kinds of cultural and social formations that might exist – rather the notion of the relationship between base and superstructure is an interactive one and primarily about determination. The relationship is one by which each aspect both enables and limits the other. In other words, the development of communicative and information technologies is both about possible technical uses and about the social and economic circumstances within which they develop.

It is, as Garnham has argued, about the way in which production takes place and is associated with particular social practices (Garnham 1997). To put it simply: where a free and open system of communicative networks (the Internet) has developed within an economic system based on property and profits (capitalism) one has to come to an accommodation with the other.

Generally, it is important to emphasize that in the middle of this interaction lie real people who make real decisions, to paraphrase Marx: people make culture but not necessarily under conditions of their own choosing. Theories of base and superstructure need to be understood as ways of understanding those factors constraining and enabling the implementation of decisions made by people not simply as economic concerns bulldozing everything and everyone before them. Williams expressed this as a direction of travel rather than an inevitable conclusion. ‘Much of the advanced technology is being developed within firmly capitalist social relations, and investment, though variably, is directed within a perspective of capitalist reproduction, in immediate and in more general terms’ (Williams 1980).

BY MWINYIJUMA REHEMA

BAPRM III - 42686

TYPES OF CORPORATE COMMUNICATION IN AN ORGANIZATION

TYPES OF CORPORATE COMMUNICATION IN AN ORGANIZATION

The term Corporate Communication refers to the all communication activities done by the company or an Organization with the aim of maintaining and managing communication to attain specific plans of that organization or in another way Corporate Communication is the management function or department just like marketing, finance dedicated to the dissemination of information constituencies, the execution of corporate strategy and development of messages for a variety of purpose both inside and outside the organization.

In the Organization we have two types of corporate communication that can be used to create, maintain and manage the specific plan of the company. Those types include internal corporate communication and External corporate communication. Today will just look on one type of Corporate Communication and that is Internal Corporate Communication done within an Organization.

Internal Corporate Communication is those messages that are conveyed to employees and other stakeholders that have an interest to the production activities of the Company or an Organization. Internal Corporate Communication only focusing on the internal people within an Organization which include Employees, stakeholders, managers and other internal Staff. Internal Corporate Communication involves different ways of communication such as;

·         Company Mission Statement.
·         Employees Manuals and Handbook.
·         Information found on Intranet.
·         Training and seminars.
·         Communication given to Stakeholders.

Company Mission Statement

These are the slogans or statements outlining what an Organization is, what it does and for whom it does. It provides a concise summary of the organization purpose. Also Mission statements include customer’s considerations, products or services offered philosophy and self concept of the organization. It can act as a way of communication within the employees as in to understand the nature of the Organization.

Employee’s manuals and handbooks.

These are small books that can be given to the employees to guide them on different task to attain as well as the specific time allocated and the duration of the task assigned. It can also include the responsible personnel of the task given by the authority. This can communicates integrity and hardworking perception among employees and hence facilitate to easy management of intended goals of the organization.

Information found on Intranet.

This includes daily updates about the activities which are taking place within the organization. It includes daily meetings, the flow of production and strength and weaknesses of the Organization. Through this way an Organization can activate and maintain the good image of the organization through encouraging hardworking via intranet and in one way or another can boost up the progress of the production since employees will be daily updated through intranet.
BY NYANGE LINDA
BAPRM 42653

Training and Seminars.

Is also another type of Corporate communication in which a company can use to communicate internally. Seminars and Trainings improve accountability and make people more responsible in their professional areas. This can be observed through different knowledge that employees can obtain in various seminars and training conducted by the company. This enhances accountability and building up of the good image of the organization as well as maintaining the intended goals.

IMPORTANCE OF EXTRANET TO ORGANIZATION

DEFINITION

An extranet is a private network that uses Internet technology and the public telecommunication system to securely share part of a business's information or operations with suppliers, vendors, partners, customers, or other businesses. An extranet can be viewed as part of a company's intranet that is extended to users outside the company. It has also been described as a "state of mind" in which the Internet is perceived as a way to do business with other companies as well as to sell products to customers.

An extranet requires security and privacy. These can include firewall server management, the issuance and use similar means of user authentication, encryption of messages, and the use of virtual private networks  through the public network.

Companies can use an extranet to:

·         Exchange large volumes of data using Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)

·         Share product catalogs exclusively with wholesalers or those "in the trade"

·         Collaborate with other companies on joint development efforts

·         Jointly develop and use training programs with other companies

·         Provide or access services provided by one company to a group of other companies, such as an online banking application managed by one company on behalf of affiliated banks

·         Share news of common interest exclusively with partner companies

Benefits of an extranet

An extranet can offer a range of benefits to your business from lowering costs, to producing faster results and improving the quality of service to customers.

Advantages of extranets

Benefits can depend to a large degree on your reasons for introducing the extranet in the first place. However, the types of benefits that organizations’ using extranets typically experience include:

·         more integrated supply chains through the use of online ordering, order tracking and inventory management

·         reduced costs by making manuals and technical documentation available online to trading partners and customers

·         more effective collaboration between business partners - perhaps members of a project team - by enabling them to work online on common documentation

·         improved business relationships with key trading partners because of the close collaborative working that extranets support

·         improved customer service by giving customers direct access to information and enabling them to resolve their own queries

·         a single user interface between you and your business partners

·         improving the security of communications between you and your business partners, since exchanges can take place under a controlled and secure environment

·         shared news of product development exclusively with partner companies

·         flexible working for your own staff, as an extranet allows remote and mobile staff to access core business information 24 hours a day, irrespective of location

Disadvantages
• Extranets can be costly to apply and maintain within an organization.
• One of big problem is the protection of extranets when dealing with precious information. System access should be controlled and checked properly to protect the system and information 
• Extranets can decrease personal face-to-face contact with clients and business partners. This can cause a lack of communication between employees, clients and organization.

All in all, an extranet is a private network that uses Internet technology and the public telecommunication system to securely share part of a business's information or operations with suppliers, vendors, partners, customers, or other businesses.

BY MDODO REBECCA, J

BAPRM-42614

COMMUNICATION IN A DIGITAL AGE

Communication in a Digital Age

The art of communication is very different today than it was a mere two decades ago when our access to data was limited. The Internet has altered not only how we get information but also how we express ourselves. Digital technology is re-wiring our brains and reshaping how we communicate. The Internet has turned careful, deliberate readers into hungry information predators. Power scanning, instead of deep reading, is something we all do.

New digital tools make it easier for people to access content. The rise of video, audio, graphics and interactive features gives content producers the ammunition to fight battles in the name of knowledge. Words, pictures, and symbols – the very shape of content – is evolving before our eyes. The written word isn’t going away, but is being transformed. The days of straight running text on paper as our principal means of expressing ideas and delivering information are numbered as new digital tools change our communication landscape. New tools and technologies, along with new attitudes, are changing all that. For some this transformation is liberating… for others, it’s terrifying.

Here are a few suggestions and techniques to help you manage the transition:

Be Interactive and Dynamic… Not Static

Today’s audiences don’t want to merely read about something – they want to experience it. New multimedia tools facilitate a bidirectional dialogue that engages as it informs. Users are taking advantage of new applications that personalize information. Interactive maps and tools that calculate numbers specific to the user’s needs are just a sampling of hands-on applications that make information gathering a more dynamic experience.

Communicate Visually and Limit Text

No one wants to read too much text. Dense paragraphs are like death sentences in the digital world where information is increasingly communicated through visual means. A smart info graphic can often tell a story more efficiently than a 1,200 word article.

Communicate in a Non linear Way

Digital age denizens want to choose how to experience content on their own – and it’s usually not in a straight line. Users create their own paths to the information they want most – not depending on an author to direct them.

Provide Multiple Entry Points

The users enter into an interface at a point of their choosing. We no longer have to start with the introduction and muddle through an obligatory “up front” discussion before getting to the meat.

Make Your Content Digestible, Not Dense

Forget your 700-page tome; no one’s going to read it. Short, crisp and to the point is how digitally minded audiences like it. People prefer to read no more than 1,000 words at a time.

Engage Your Audiences in a Conversation – Don’t Preach

Social media enables us to engage in conversation, if not debate. This is more appealing than reading an edict written in stone. Interactive applications, too, engage the reader in a way that feels more customized. Craft communications that speak directly to individuals – not an anonymous group of people.

Always be Transparent

Information seekers today believe in transparency. Be truthful and forthcoming. Don’t present yourself as something you are not.

Tamba Philip 42679

Disadvantages of digital library

Disadvantages of digital library

Digital library is a special library with a focused collection of digital objects that can include text, visual material, audio material, video material, stored as electronic media formats. Digital library can be accessed any time of a day by any number of individuals. Also all resources can be viewed at any time by multiple users. However, in digital library resources are available upon the demand and there is no limit to the storage space.

The computer viruses, lack of standardization for digitized information, quick degrading properties of digitized material, different display standard of digital product and its associated problem, health hazard nature of the radiation from monitor that makes digital library at times handicap.

Digital library is a social impact because it democratizes the dissemination of information because digital libraries are large, organized collection of information objects.

The following are the disadvantages of digital library;

1.     Copyright; digitization violates the copy right law as the thought content of one author can be freely transfer by other without his acknowledge so one difficulty to overcome for digital libraries is the way to distribute information.

2.     Speed of access; as more and more computer are connected to the internet its speed of access reasonably decreasing. Therefore, if new technology will not evolve to solve the problem then in near future internet will be full of error messages.

3.     Initial cost is high; the infrastructure cost of digital  library that is the cost of hardware, software, leasing communication circuit is generally very high.

4.     Band width; digital library will need high band for transfer of  multimedia resources but the  band width is decreasing day by day due to its over utilization.

5.     Efficiency; with much larger volume of digital information, finding the right material for a specific task becomes increasingly difficult.

6.     Environment; digital library cannot reproduce the environment of a traditional library. Many people also find reading printed material to be easier than reading material on a computer screen.

7.     Preservation; due to technological development a digital library can rapidly become out-of-date and its data may become inaccessible.

Generally, digital library cannot reproduce the same environment as traditional library does. Digital library takes away the personal contact between the user and the librarian as well as the feel of being in a library setting. However, individuals have hard time navigating online resources and reading them because people like the feel of a book in their hands and they find it easier on their eyes to read from a paper book rather than a computer screen.

BY: KIYABO NELLY

        BAPRM-42587

The Importance of Online Communities for Business

                   The Importance of Online Communities for Business
                                                                                                                                                                        

• Universal exposure: As part of an online community, you are able to reach people around the world and it is as though you are all in a room together, interacting on issues that are important and interesting to all of you. It is incredible that you are now capable (through social media) of reaching numerous people at once from one location. This allows you not only to market your business easily and successfully but also lets you do a large number of other things connected with your business. Remember that connecting with your online communities does not mean that you should be giving those people a hard sell. 
• Learning from others: As a member of an online community, you have the opportunity to learn new ways to market your business from other marketers. You should take advantage as much as possible of the expertise of other people who are members of your online communities and put their principles into practice, where appropriate.

• Strategic partnerships: You will have many opportunities to form strategic partnerships with other members of your online communities. There will be a lot of synergies between you and others and if you find that your skills and expertise compliment those of people in your online communities, you should approach them and see how you can work together most effectively. Of course, you cannot form business partnerships with people unless you get to know them and they get to know you. Nobody will partner with another person unless they trust them and find them to be credible.

• Make the most of your online communities: Remember that you need to market yourself and your business through your online communities. Make sure that your online profile is complete, which means that you need to include more details about yourself than your business. You should include a statement about your business but a more comprehensive discussion about your business offerings will occur after you have posted and syndicated your content.
• Choose your online communities wisely: It is important to choose your online communities based on the members with whom you want to interact. It is not enough to choose an online community based solely on a demographic, ie, a geographic location or an age group. You should be very selective about your communities and make sure that the other members in your online communities have enough in common with you and your business and are really excited about interacting with you online.
• Build your online relationships: It is very important to continue to develop relationships with those people with whom you interact online. A good way to do this is by continually sharing information with them that you feel they will find valuable and that will help them in some way. Not only will your online connections want to interact with you but they will also speak favorably about you to others online. The more comfortable and the closer your relationships with them become, the more opportunities you will eventually have of selling them your products and/or services. Make sure that you make the effort to not only establish the relationships but also make sure that you maintain them for the long term.

Conclusion

Being a member of online communities for business and continually establishing and maintaining online relationships is critical to the success of your business. With the extreme popularity of social media, many people are excited about interacting and developing relationships with others whom they feel they can trust and who they consider experts in their industry. At the heart of your success is the human element. Once people really get to know you and you get to know them, they will want what you are offering and will gladly tell others about what you are offering too.

By:  ULAYA SIJALI A. (BAPRM 42681)