201 Software Development And Apllicati

The advocates of paperless world are dreamers
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The advocates of paperless world are dreamers
Introduction
Paper is part of an everyday life. Even with the advancement in software development not all uses of paper have been minimized. Especially in schools and organizations, use of paper is very high. Schools use printed books and assignments while organizations keep printed files for filing. Getting rid of paper is impossible because majority of people use it to store important information for filing purposes. Third world countries have high use of paper due to technological challenges in software development and application. Information Technology has led to development of software’s that have enabled people to pass information virtually. Introduction of smart phones, tablet computers and social networking applications have changed the mode of communication through instant messaging and emailing. However, once in a while people are required to print these emails on request. Applications such as twitter and facebook have the highest number of users in the world (Expense Reduction Analysts, 2014).
Discussion
Reasons for continued use of paper Development of software and applications faces challenges that have led to continued use of paper. For example, in third world countries majority of people cannot afford to live in a paperless world due to economical and structural factors. Software development and application gets affected by availability of power and skilled manpower to apply the software. During power outages it gets impossible to retrieve information stored virtually. This is by far the biggest inconvenience in developed and developing countries. Printing such information proves beneficial and avoids inconveniences.
Also, most people use both software and paper to store information leading to waste of space. It gets impossible to use just one method to store information. Paper gets used as a backup method. Paper has so many uses both in the business world and home use, and it would get difficult to eliminate its uses. The modern life gets very dependent on paper for newspapers, magazines, journals, text books and exercise books among other uses. The uses of paper cannot get quantified according to Belcham (2010). Developed countries have not fully adapted to paperless operations because paper is very important (Belcham, 2010).
A gap exists between the technological capabilities of developed countries and developing countries. The gap is evident in all aspects of the society. However, the difference shows more in information and communications. Developed countries have invested and are still investing in developing software and applications. The developing countries have done little to effect application and development of software. During campaigns in Kenya posters are widely used to pass information because they get cheap and easy to understand for illiterate persons. Developed nations should assist the developing countries in challenges facing the infrastructure for enhancement of information technology. For example, in Kenya there are some parts of the country that get so remote that residents can only access information through paper. Transacting business using paper to carry transactions is more secure than using software. This is due to cyber theft and attack by computer virus on important software that can lead loss of huge sums of money. Creating software that help save paper is not easy and also cost huge sums of money (Belcham, 2010).
Most people say that since we are in the internet age, there is no need to use libraries any more. However, various research conducted showed that library get considered as part of the community and cannot be got rid of. In Kenya libraries are very important because they help students access printed information and the general public to read newspapers and magazines for free or at a small fee.
Measures to reduce use of paper
Going from a classic office environment with trays, filing cabinets, archive rooms, fax machines, printers and photocopiers to a digital working environment can be a challenging experience that everybody needs to join the cause and buy in the new process. For older generations, it gets hard to get rid of hard copies to embrace the on-screen reading and filing. The younger generation can try to adapt to a paperless world but not entirely (Belcham, 2010). Communication with external partners (customers, suppliers and other service providers) would be crucial to control the amount of incoming paper, this can get achieved by getting taken off mailing lists and opting for electronic delivery of invoices, bank statements, utility bills and pay slips (Expense Reduction Analysts, 2014). For example the government of Kenya has done away with printing of pay slips by introducing Government Human Resource Information System [GHRIS] where the employees check their pay slips on their own and hence reduce cost of printing the pay slips. Also, several Kenyan banks advocate for paperless banking by use mobile phone platform where customers do not get required to use any form of papers while depositing or withdrawing money.
Conclusion
There have been talks for over forty years about achieving paperless offices and homes, and though companies have reduced their consumption of paper in the office, thanks to the increasing rate of conversion to electronic tools (tablets, smart phones, wireless, broadband, laptops and other gadgets the paperless world is still to be achieved.
Getting rid of any paper is impractical because majority of people prefer holding a hard copy on small documents that are not bulky without having to rely on power or internet to retrieve it. Customers especially, always request for paper transactions. In Kenya the use of paper is very high. Majority of exams are done on papers and only a very insignificant number of students take exams online. Though campaigns to save trees are spearheaded in each country use of paper is far from the end. Converting to a paperless world would require a long-term preparation both internally and externally. Software development and application has helped to enhance everyday living but will not be able to help with the achievement of paperless world. People have not fully embraced the idea of paperless world and hence paper is here to stay (Expense Reduction Analysts, 2014).

References
Belcham, D. (2010). Brownfield Application Development in .NET. Washington DC: Manning publications
Expense Reduction Analysts. (2014). A paperless office: the impossible dream? Retrieved from <http://www.expensereduction.eu/nb/blog/paperless-office-impossible-dream#.U2qS86KS7Mw>

References: Belcham, D. (2010). Brownfield Application Development in .NET. Washington DC: Manning publications Expense Reduction Analysts. (2014). A paperless office: the impossible dream? Retrieved from <http://www.expensereduction.eu/nb/blog/paperless-office-impossible-dream#.U2qS86KS7Mw>