Organizations are trying to become more competitive and efficient by transforming themselves into digital firms where nearly all core business processes and relationships with customers, suppliers, and employees are digitally enabled. describe at least three technology and business trends that have enhanced the role of information systems in today's competitive business environment. include your personal experiences, information from the textbook readings and additional information from other sources.

Portia grant is an employee who is paid monthly. for the month of january of the current year, she earned a total of $8,388. the fica tax for social security is 6.2% of the first $118,500 earned each calendar year and the fica tax rate for medicare is 1.45% of all earnings. the futa tax rate of 0.6% and the suta tax rate of 5.4% are applied to the first $7,000 of an employee's pay. the amount of federal income tax withheld from her earnings was $1,391.77. what is the total amount of taxes withheld from the portia's earnings?

Zeta corporation is a manufacturer of sports caps, which require soft fabric. the standards for each cap allow 2.00 yards of soft fabric, at a cost of $2.00 per yard. during the month of january, the company purchased 25,000 yards of soft fabric at $2.10 per yard, to produce 12,000 caps. what is zeta corporation's materials price variance for the month of january?

Google started as one of many internet search engines, amazon started as an online book seller, and ebay began as a site where people could sell used personal items in auctions. these firms have grown to be so large and dominant that they are facing antitrust scrutiny from competition regulators in the us and elsewhere. did these online giants grow by fairly beating competition, or did they use unfair advantages? are there any clouds on the horizon for these firms -- could they face diseconomies of scale or diseconomies of scope as they continue to grow? if so, what factors may limit their continued growth?