Final Project Milestone 3: Software Applications

Assignment 4-3 Final Project Milestone 3: Software Applications

IT-201 – Computer Platform Technologies

Southern New Hampshire University

Software

Now that we have gone over my recommendations for the hardware components, let’s go over the software programs that will be running on those computers. Since I have made the recommendations to use the HP Specter 2-in-1 PC and the HP Pavilion all-in-one computer, it is no surprise that Windows will be the operating system. The Windows 10 operating system will come pre-loaded on all the computing devices, as convenient as that is, Windows 10 Home is the pre-loaded operating system. For business purposes, MilleniAds will need to upgrade their operating system to Windows 10 Pro which will cost $199.99 per computer. This operating system offers all the features as the home version does with added features that make it ideal for a business, such as BitLocker and Remote Desktop (Microsoft, 2018). BitLocker adds a layer of security if a device is ever lost or stolen, and Remote Desktop gives employees the ability to never be that far away from their work if they ever need access which was expressed as a requirement for the employees who will have to work out of the office.

Now that we have established that Windows 10 will be the operating system for the company, the first software program I am recommending be purchased is Microsoft Office 365 Business Premium. Microsoft Office is a must giving users access to programs such as Word, Outlook, and PowerPoint. A user could also take advantage of services like SharePoint, OneDrive, and Skype for Business. Microsoft Office 365 includes 1TB of storage in OneDrive for each user, host online and video conferencing meetings for up to 250 people, and best of all 24/7 phone and web support (Office 365 Business Premium, 2018). Microsoft Office 365 costs $12.50/mo per user. An alternative to Microsoft Office 365 is G Suite by Google Cloud, it has a slight advantage because it costs less. While G Suite does have some advantages, one drawback that causes me to advise against it is the lack of desktop apps. PCMag.com did a product review and this is what they had to say: “… you’re making a major decision to rely on a data and apps that live almost entirely in the cloud… Google doesn’t supply desktop apps like the desktop versions of Microsoft Word or Excel or Apple’s Pages and Numbers.” (Mendelson, 2017).

The graphic design team is going to need software that allows them to create and manipulate digital images and turn those into physical products for clients. My research led me to my recommendation that MilleniAds use Adobe Creative Cloud for all their design and editing needs. With a subscription price of $69.99/mo per user, Adobe Creative Cloud will give access to over 20 desktop and mobile apps such as Adobe Lightroom CC and Adobe Dimension CC. Lightroom CC delivers powerful editing with a streamlined interface, worry-free backup, auto search, effortless organization, and fun ways to share across all your devices (Adobe Creative Cloud, 2018). While Adobe Dimension CC makes it easy for graphic designers to composite 2D and 3D assets to build product shots, scene visualizations, and abstract art (Adobe Creative Cloud, 2018). If you are looking to save money, you could choose a program that is not subscription based like Corel PaintShop Pro 2018 version. As I said before, this program is not subscription based, one-time payment of $79.99 is all that is needed. The drawback that I see through my research is that Corel PaintShop does not offer access to as many features as Adobe Creative Cloud does. Corel PaintShop is an excellent photo editing program, but you must purchase additional products if you want to increase your arsenal, whereas Adobe grants you access to several additional products on top of photo editing included in the subscription price.

The ability to keep track of inventory, sales, and expenses digitally is one thing the CEO has expressed she wants. To make this a possibility, I am suggesting Intuit QuickBooks be purchased and implemented. A few features that QuickBooks provides is the ability to track income & expenses, track sales, and of course track inventory. Another program that offers similar features is the Sage 50c Premium Accounting program, it can track inventory and manage expenses. Both programs can be accessed outside of the office, but Sage offers the option to bundle Microsoft Office 365, which make monthly bills easier to keep track of. The downside of Sage 50c premium accounting is that you pay per user, whereas, QuickBooks is an online program that allows multiple users if they have the right sign in credentials. Sage’s monthly subscription price is $109.92/month for only three users (Sage, 2018). QuickBooks Plus has an introductory price of $35/mo for the first six months, and $50/mo for the additional six months (Intuit QuickBooks,2018). The price and accessibility are why my recommendation is that MilleniAds use QuickBooks.

This concludes my recommendations for software programs MilleniAds will need to run their company and make them competitive from the start. The following table is the listed programs I discussed at length along with the prices associated with each and a total for all the software:

References

Adobe Creative Cloud. (n.d.). Retrieved February 11, 2018, from https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud.html?sdid=KKQWP&mv=search&s_kwcid=AL%213085%21105%2134050737059%21s%21298018743913&ef_id=VoC0AQAAAMwh548O%3A20180212061814%3As

Intuit QuickBooks. (n.d.). Retrieved February 11, 2018, from https://search2.quickbooks.com/get-quickbooks/?cid=ppc_YG_Exact_US_QB_US_B_Quickbooks.com_Exact_Tier1_YG_S_quickbooks.com_txt&s_kwcid=AL%212419%21105%2133416513363%21s%21302761015148&ef_id=VoC0AQAAAMwh548O%3A20171214082935%3As#/https://search2.quickbooks.com/get-quickbooks/?cid=ppc_YG_Exact_US_QB_US_B_Quickbooks.com_Exact_Tier1_YG_S_quickbooks.com_txt&s_kwcid=AL%212419%21105%2133416513363%21s%21302761015148&ef_id=VoC0AQAAAMwh548O%3A20171214082935%3As#/

Mendelson, E. (2017, February 28). Google G Suite. Retrieved February 11, 2018, from https://www.pcmag.com/review/352023/google-g-suite

Microsoft. Buy Windows 10 Pro-Microsoft Store. (n.d.). Retrieved February 11, 2018, from https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/store/d/windows-10-pro/DF77X4D43RKT/48DN?icid=Cat_Windows_mosaic_linknav_Pro_090117-en_US

Office 365 Business Premium. (n.d.). Retrieved February 11, 2018, from https://products.office.com/en-us/business/office-365-business-premium

Sage 50c accounting software. (n.d.). Retrieved February 11, 2018, from https://www.sage.com/en-us/products/sage-50-accounting/