Karli Cadel / Staff Photographer

Technology drives business. Without the latest equipment and knowledge, you simply don’t have the edge that it takes to excel. Therefore, I want to bring everyone’s attention to the technology that is utilized in the classroom. Students have all seen a presentation that incorporates media or a PowerPoint to effectively convey information. Every single business student should expect to use these tools during their respective careers. The reason? They work.

Businesses utilize technology that allows them to get their message across faster and more clearly. Without the ability to use the most advanced tools, professionals are often unable to produce results that are comparable to their competitors. The reason that you and I come to school each day is to learn the tools that enable us to compete in the business world. In order to obtain the well-rounded education that respective employers are certainly looking for, you must have access to, and experience with, the technology that they expect you to capitalize on in order to provide value-added activity to their business. That being said, let me explain.

Finance, accounting, marketing, information decision systems and management all use data from different sources. It’s been said before, but it’s worth repeating: Knowledge is power. Getting the right data to describe something can make the difference between the right and wrong answer. Finance professionals utilize a device called a Bloomberg Terminal, while marketing professionals use in-depth market research sometimes costing thousands of dollars. Accounting professionals employ industry-specific software to accurately maintain financial statements. It may not be one specific tool, but rather a variety of instruments that work to synergistically educate students and professionals alike.

Raise your hand if you have ever stood in line in the Reserve Book Room, waiting for an open computer station for so long that you eventually turned around and left. The current number of resources available to students isn’t enough to accommodate everyone in a sufficient manner. How many times have you looked down at the keyboard and were unable to read which letter you were pressing? I have witnessed presentations that have quickly stalled when the classroom computer didn’t have Microsoft Office 2007 and the file was rendered unreadable. While these are not examples of the major shortcomings of San Diego State in the technological area, they do demonstrate the level of difficulty that upgrading presents if we are having trouble supplying the basics.

These items might not make your degree less valuable, but what about the lack of major-specific technology that has been deemed unnecessary or too expensive for SDSU, especially during the extreme budget crisis that we are experiencing? Every professor could probably name one program or device that is at the forefront of his or her respective discipline that students have no access to, let alone are able to recognize. These are specific to each discipline within the College of Business and are some of the crucial pieces of technology that make education current and applicable.

I urge everyone who participates in the College of Business to look around and identify where they could benefit from a greater presence of value-added technology. Take a good look, we utilize it every day, in almost every part of our lives. Let’s apply it to something important. Let us stay current.

In the words of Stewart Brand, author of CoEvolution Quarterly, “Once new technology rolls over you, if you’re not part of the steamroller, you’re part of the road.” I like the steamroller better.

8212;Joshua Lyon is a business administration senior.

8212;This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Daily Aztec.