BUS-S 535 The Business of Technology: The Industry Perspective

• 7 weeks
• 1.5 credits

Description: The focus of this course is to provide an overview of the IT or Technology sector by exploring the major industry groups (e.g. semi-conductor, cloud/storage, networking, software) that compose it, by looking at their business technology positions/roles, fundamental technologies and business considerations, and how major technology trends are transforming them. This course is designed to be paired with the S535: Technology Trends companion course, which provides an overview of major technology trends and emerging technologies that are changing the way business is being conducted across a broad set of industries (e.g. services, manufacturing, transportation). Having knowledge of both the technology sector and the types of positions/roles that exist for individuals and teams within it, as well as with the major technology trends influencing every sector (e.g. the rise of AI, immersive technologies like AR/VR, and blockchain, as well as the continuing evolution of foundational technologies) will provide students with an understanding of the professional opportunities afforded to themselves and their future teams through technology. The course will engage guest speakers drawn from exemplar companies like Amazon, Cisco, and Intel for each industry group to speak about the current state and future direction of their business, with each session focusing on understanding the technologies and business practices that have traditionally defined businesses with an industry group and on how they are expected to evolve going forward. Case-based discussions and activities will be used to ground our exploration.