Chapter 9: Managerial Support Systems

Section 9.1

1. Describe the decision-making process proposed by Simon.























Simon (1997) described the process as composed of three major phrases: intelligence, design, and choice. A fourth phrase, implementation, was added later.

2. Why do managers need IT support?

It is difficult to make good decisions without valid and relevant information. Information is vital for each phase and activity in the decision-making process.

3. Describe the decision matrix.

The three primary classes of problem structure and the three broad categories of the nature of decisions can be combined in a decision support matrix that consists of nine cells. Lower-level managers usually perform the structured and operational control-oriented tasks (cells 1, 2 and 4). The tasks in cells 3, 5, and 7 are usually the responsibility of middle managers and professional staff. Finally, tasks in cells 6, 8 and 9 are generally the responsibility of senior executives.

Section 9.2 -

1. Describe the capabilities of data mining.



Data mining derives its name from searching for valuable business information in a large database, data warehouse, or data mart. Data mining can perform two basic operations: predicting trends and behaviors and identifying previously unknown patterns. Regarding the first operation, data mining automates the process of finding predictive information in large databases. Data mining can also identify previously hidden patterns in a single step.

Section 9.3 -

1. What are some of the capabilities of digital dashboards?



- Drill-down: ability to go to details, at several levels; can be done by a series of menus or by direct queries.
- Critical success factors (CFSs): the factors most critical for the success of business. These can be organizational, industry, departmental, etc.
- Key performance indicators (KPIs): The specific measures of CSFs.
- Status access: the latest data available on KPI or some other metric, ideally in real time.
- Trend analysis: short, medium, and long-term trend of KPIs or metrics, which are projected using forecasting methods.
- Ad-hoc analysis: analyses made any time, upon demands and with any desired factors and relationships.
- Exception reporting: reports that highlight deviations larger than certain thresholds. Reports may include only deviations.

Chapter 8: Transaction Processing Systems

1. What is a Transactional Processing and the role of TP systems. State the key objective of TP/TPSs.

Transaction processing (TPSs) monitor, collect, store, and process data generated from all business transactions. These data are inputs to the organization’s database. TPSs have to handle high volume and large variations in volume efficiently, avoid errors and downtime, record results accurately and securely, and maintain privacy and security. The backbone of most information systems applications is the transaction processing system.

Section 8.2 -

1. What is a functional area information system? List its major characteristics.

Functional area information systems (FAISs) provide information mainly to lower and middle-level managers in the functional areas. They use this information to help them plan, organize, and control operations. The information is provided in a variety of reports (routine, ad hoc and exception) and provide information to managers regardless of their functional areas. Routine reports are produced at scheduled intervals. Ad-hoc reports also can include requests for drill-down reports, key-indicator reports and comparative reports. And exception reports include information that falls outside certain threshold standards.

2. How does an FAIS support management by exception? How does it support on-demand reports?

Exception reports include information that falls outside certain threshold standards. Ti implement management by exception, management first creates performance standards. The company then sets up systems to monitor performance, compare actual performance to the standards, and identify predefined exceptions. Managers are alerted to the exceptions via exception reports.
On-demand reports, which are non-routine reports are supported in these ways and through these types:
- Drill-down reports show a greater level of detail. For example, a manager might examine sales by region and decide to “drill down to more detail” to look at sales by store and then by salesperson.



- Key-indicator reports summarize the performance of critical activities. For example, a chief financial officer might want to monitor cash flow and cash on hand.

- Comparative reports compare. For example, the performances of different business units or time periods.



Section 8.3

1. Define ERP and describe its functionalities.

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems integrate the planning, management, and use of all of an organization’s resources. The major objectives of ERP systems are to tightly integrate the functional areas of the organization and to enable information to flow seamlessly across the functional areas. ERP systems provide the information necessary to control the business processes of the organization. ERP software includes a set of interdependent software modules, linked to a common database, that provide support for the internal business processes in the following functional areas: finance and accounting, sales and marketing, manufacturing and production, and human resources.

2. List some drawbacks of ERP software.

ERP systems can be extremely complex, expensive, and time consuming to implement. Companies may also need to change existing business processes to fit the predefined business processes of the software. Finally, companies must purchase the entire software package even if they require only a few of the modules.

Section 8.5

1. Define a supply chain and supply chain management (SCM).

A supply chain refers to the flow of materials, information, money and services from raw material suppliers, through factories and warehouses to the end customers. A supply chain also includes the organizations and processes that create and deliver products, information, and services to end customers.

Supply chain management’s (SCM) function is to plan, organize, and optimize the supply chain’s activities. The goal of SCM systems is to reduce friction along the supply chain. Friction can involve increased time, costs, and inventories as well as decreased satisfaction.



2. List the major components of supply chains.

The supply chain involves three segments or components:
1. Upstream: where sourcing or procurement from external suppliers occurs (orders, information, payments, returns)
2. Internal, where packaging, assembly, or manufacturing takes place.
3. Downstream, where distribution takes place, frequently by external distributors (products, services, information)


3. What is the bullwhip effect?

The bullwhip effect refers to erratic shifts in orders up and down the supply chain. Basically, customer demand variables can become magnified when they are viewed through the eyes of managers at each link in the supply chain.

Section 8.6

1. Define EDI and list its major benefits and limitations

Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) is a communication standard that enables business partners to exchange routine documents, such as purchasing orders, electronically. EDI formats these documents according to agreed-upon standards and then transmits messages using a converter, called a translator.

Benefits
- Minimizes data entry errors because each entry is checked by the computer.
- The length of the message can be shorter, and the messages are secured.
- Reduces cycle time.
- Increases productivity.
- Enhances customer service.
- Minimizes paper usage and storage.

Limitations
- Implementing an EDI system involves a significant initial investment.
- The ongoing operating costs also are high, due to the use of expensive, private VANs.
- The traditional EDI system is inflexible.
- Many EDI standards are in use today. As a result, one company might have to use several standards in order to communicate with different business partners.

Chapter 4: Database Management Systems

1. What are some of the difficulties in managing data?

- The amount of data increases exponentially with time. Much historical data must be kept for a long time, and new data are added rapidly. For example, sports data.
- Data are scattered throughout organisations and are collected by many individuals using various methods and devices. Data are frequently stored in numerous servers and locations and in different computing systems, databases, formats, and human and computer languages.
- New sources of data, such as blogs, podcasts, videocasts, and RFID tags and other wireless sensors are constantly being developed. Examples of unstructured data are, digital images, digital video, voice packets, and musical notes in an MP3 file.
- data decays overtime. For example, customers move to new addresses or change their names




2. What are the various sources for data?

Data sources can be internal, personal, clickstream (from your company’s Web transactions), and external (particularly the Internet). Internal data are usually located in corporate databases and are usually accessible via organization’s intranet. IS users create personal data by documenting their own expertise. These data can reside on the user’s PC, or they can be placed on corporate databases or on corporate knowledge bases. Sources of external data range from commercial databases to sensors and satellites. Government reports constitute a major source of external data. Many thousands of databases all over the world are accessible through the Internet.




3. What is a primary key and a secondary key?

A primary key is the identifier field or attribute that uniquely identifies a record. For example, a student record in a U.S. college would probably use the Social Security number as its primary key. A secondary key is and identifier field or attribute that has some identifying information, but typically does not identify the file with complete accuracy. For example, the student’s major might be a secondary key if a user wanted to find all students in a particular major field of study. It should not be the primary key, however, because many students can have the same major.






4. What is an entity and a relationship?

An entity is a person, place, thing or event (such as a customer, an employee, or a product) about which information’s maintained.

5. What are the advantages and disadvantages of relational databases?

Advantages:
- Based on the concept of two-dimensional tables.
- Not always a big table (called a flat file), that contains all of the records and attributes.
- Usually designed with a number of related tables. Each of these tables contains records, listed in rows, and attributes, listed in columns.
- Allows users great flexibility in the variety of queries they can make.

Disadvantages:
- Large-scale databases can be composed of many interrelated tables.
- The overall design can be complex
- Therefore have slow search and access times.



6. What is knowledge management?

Knowledge management (KM) is a process that helps organizations manipulate important knowledge that is part of the organization’s memory, usually in an unstructured format. For an organization to be successful, knowledge, as a form of capital, must exist in a format that can be exchanged among persons. In addition, it must be able to grow.





7. What is the difference between tacit knowledge and explicit knowledge?

Tacit knowledge is the cumulative store of subjective or experiential learning. In an organization, tacit knowledge consists of an organization experiences, insights, expertise, know-how, trade secrets, skill sets, understanding, and learning. It also includes the organizational culture, which reflects the past and present experiences of the organization’s people and processes, as well as the prevailing values. Tacit knowledge is generally slow, imprecise, and costly to transfer. It is also highly personal.

Explicit knowledge deals with more objective, rational, and technical knowledge. In an organization, explicit knowledge consists of the policies, procedural guides, reports, products, strategies, goals, core competencies of the enterprise and the IT infrastructure. In other words, explicit knowledge is the knowledge that has been codified in a form and can be distributed to others or transformed into a process or strategy.

Chapter 7: Wireless, Mobile Computing and Mobile Commerce

1. Identify common wireless devices and their application to business



 The Blackberry 8800
 The Treo 750
 The Motorola Q
 The Helio Ocean
 The Apple iPhone
 The Sony Mylo

Individuals are finding it convenient and productive to use wireless devoices for several reasons. First, they can make productive use of time that was formerly wasted. Second, because they can take these devices with them, their work locations are becoming much more flexible. Third, wireless technology enables them to allocate their working time around personal and professional obligations.

2. Describe the various types and general characteristics of wireless transmission media/technologies - microwave, satellite, infrared and radio waves.

 Microwave: are widely used for high-volume, long-distance, line of sight communication. Microwave transmissions are susceptible to environmental interference during severe weather such as heavy rain or snowstorms. Although long distance microwave data communications systems are still widely used, they are being replaced by satellite communications systems.

 Satellite: transmission systems make use of communication satellites. Currently there are three types of satellites around the earth: geostationary (GEO), medium earth orbit (MEO), and low earth orbit (LEO). The higher a satellite orbits, the larger its footprint. Thus, middle-earth-orbit satellites have a smaller footprint than geostationary satellites, and low-earth-orbit satellites have the smallest footprints of all.



 Radio: transmission uses radio-wave frequencies to send data directly between transmitters and receivers. Radio waves travel easily through normal office walls in addition, radio devices are fairly inexpensive and easy to install. Finally, radio waves can transmit data at high speeds. For these reasons, radio increasingly is being used to connect computers to both peripheral equipment and local area networks.
 Infrared: light is red light that is not commonly visible to human eyes. Common applications of infrared light are remote control units for televisions, VCR’s, DVD’s and CD players. Infrared transmitters are used for short-distance connections between computers and peripheral equipment and local area networks.




3. What is Bluetooth/how is it used?

Bluetooth is an industry specification used to create small personal area networks. Bluetooth can link up to eight devices within a 10 meter area using low power, radio-based communication. It can transmit up to 2.1 Mbps. Bluetooth has low power consumption and its use of Omni directional radio waves. This means that it a person does not need to point one Bluetooth device at another for connection to occur.




4. What are WLAN's, Wi-Fi, WWAN's, 3G?

 Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) is a computer network in a limited geographical area that uses wireless transmission for communication.
 Wireless Fidelity (WI-FI) is a set of standards for wireless local area networks based on the IEEE 802.11 standard.
 Wide-Area Network (WAN) is a network, generally provided by common carriers, that covers a wide geographic area.
 Third generation (3G) uses digital signals and can transmit voice and data up to 384 Kbps when the device is moving at a walking pace, 128 Kbps when moving in a car, and up to 2 Mbps when the device is in a fixed location. 3G supports video, Web browsing, and instant messaging.





5. What are the drivers of mobile computing and mobile commerce

Mobile commerce

 Widespread availability of mobile devices
 No need for a PC
 The “cell phone culture”
 Declining prices
 Bandwidth improvement

Mobile computing

 Mobility which is based on the fact that users carry a mobile device with them and can initiate a real-tie contact with other systems from wherever they happen to be.
 Broad reach which refers to the fact that users carry an open mobile device, they can be reached instantly.

6. Explain the nature of RFID

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology allows manufacturers to attach tags with antennas and computer chips on goods and then track their movement through radio signals. Most RFID tags contain at least two parts. One is an integrated circuit for storing and processing information, modulating and demodulating a radio-frequency (RF) signal, and other specialized functions. The second is an antenna for receiving and transmitting the signal. Today, RFID is used in enterprise supply chain management to improve the efficiency of inventory tracking and management.

Chapter 6: E-Business and E-Commerce

1. Define e-commerce and distinguish it from e-business.

Electronic Commerce describes the process of buying, selling, transferring or exchanging products, services or information via computer networks, including the internet. E-business is a somewhat broader concept. In addition to the buying and selling of goods and services, e-business also refers to servicing customers, collaborating with business partners, and performing electronic transactions within an organization.

2. Distinguish among B2C, B2B, C2C and B2E electronic commerce.

 Business-to-consumer (B2C): in B2C, the sellers are organizations and the buyers are individuals.
 Business-to-business (B2B): in B2B transactions, both the sellers and the buyers are business organizations.
 Consumer-to-consumer (C2C): in C2C, an individual sells products or services to other individuals.
 Business-to-employee (B2E): in B2E, an organization uses EC internally to provide information and services to its employees.

3. List some benefits and limitations of e-commerce.

E-commerce benefits organizations by making national and international markets more accessible and by lowering the costs of processing, distributing and retrieving information. Customers benefit by being able to access a vast number of products and services, around the clock. The major benefit to society is the ability to easily and conveniently deliver information, services, and products to people in cities, rural areas and developing countries.



Section 6.2 - E-business and E-commerce

1. What are spamming, permission marketing and viral marketing?

Spamming is the indiscriminate distribution of electronic ads without the permission of the receiver. Permission marketing asks consumers to give their permission to voluntarily accept online advertising and e-mail. Viral marketing refers to online “word-of-mouth” marketing. The idea behind viral marketing is to have people forward messages to friends, suggesting that they “check this out”

Section 6.4 - E-business and E-commerce

1. What are micropayments?

Micropayments are small payments of a few dollars or less. However, they have additional functions.

2. What is Multichanneling?

Multichannelling is a process through which a company integrates its online and offline channels.

Section 6.5 – E-business and E-commerce



1. List some ethical and major legal issues in EC.

There is increasing fraud and unethical behavior on the internet, including invasion of privacy by sellers and misuse of domain names. The value of domain names, taxation of online business, and how to handle legal issues in a multicounty environment are major legal concerns. Protection of customers, sellers, and intellectual property is also important.

Chapter 5: Network Applications

1. Describe the underlying technologies, applications and types of Web sites that comprise Web 2.0.

Web 2.0 is a loose collection of information technologies and applications, and of the Web sites that use them. Information technologies and applications used by Web 2.0 sites include XML, JAX, tagging blogs, wikis, Really Simple Syndication, podcasting, and video casting.
 AJAX is a Web development technique that allows portions of Web pages to reload with fresh data instead of requiring the entire Web page to reload.
 Tagging is a keyword or term that describes a piece of information.
 Blogs and Blogging a weblog is a personal Web site, open to the public, in which the site creator expresses his or her feelings or opinions.
 Wikis is a Web site on which anyone can post material and make changes to other material.
 Really Simple Syndication allows users to receive the information they want, when they want it, without having to surf thousands of Web sites.
 Podcasts and Videocasts: a podcast is a digital audio file that is distributed over the Web using RSS for playback on portable media players or personal computers. A videocast is the same as a podcast, except that it is digital video file.

2. Describe the function of Web services.

Web services are applications, delivered over the Internet that users can select and combine through almost any device, from personal computers to mobile phones. Web services perform a wide variety of tasks, from automating business processes to integrating components of an enterprise wide system to streamlining online buying and selling.

3. Describe how you see Social Networking being used in Business.

Telecommunicating is one way of social networking used in businesses and organizations. It consists of a group of highly prized workers who fulfill their work requirements from anywhere and at anytime. Social networking also occurs during video conferences and sending emails as a way of communication with employees and co-workers instead of organizing meetings in the managers office every time a conflict comes up.

Tech Guide 4: Basics of Telecommunications and Networks

1. Describe the basic telecommunications system?

A telecommunication system consists of hardware and software that transmit information from one location to another. These systems can transmit text, data, graphics, voice, documents, or full-motion video information with two basic types of signals, analog and digital. The major components of a telecommunications system include the following: devices, communications processors, and communications channels and media.

2. Compare and contrast the main wired communications channels? (Ethernet & Fibre Optic)



3. What are the main business reasons for using networks?

First, networked computer systems enable organizations to be more flexible so that they can adapt to rapidly changing business conditions. Second, networks enable companies to share hardware, computer applications, and data across the organization and among organizations. Third, networks make it possible for geographically dispersed employees and workgroups to share documents, ideas, and creative insights. This sharing encourages teamwork, innovation, and more efficient and defective interactions. Finally, networks are a critical link between businesses and their customers.

4. What is the difference between LANs and WANs?

LAN (Local Area Network) connects two or more devices in a limited geographical region, usually within the same building, so that every device on the network can communicate with every other device. WAN (Wide-Area Networks) are networks that cover large geographic areas and typically connect multiple LANs.




5. What is a network protocol?

A network protocol is a set of rules and procedures governing transmission across a network.

6. Describe TCP/IP protocol.

The Transmission Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) is the protocol of the internet. TCP/IP uses a suite of protocols, the main ones being the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and the Internet Protocol (IP). The TCP performs three basic functions: 1) it manages the movement of packets between computers by establishing a connection between the computers, 2) it sequences the transfer of packets, and 3) it acknowledges the packets that have been transmitted. The Internet Protocol (IP) is responsible for disassembling, delivering, and reassembling the data during transmission.

Chapter 3: Threats to Information Security

Q1. Provide an IT example that relates to the ethical issues for the ideas of privacy, accuracy, property, and accessibility.



Facebook is a global social networking website that is operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. Users can add friends and send them messages, and update their personal profiles to notify friends about themselves. Additionally, users can join networks organized by city, workplace, school, and region. Privacy has been an issue, and it has been compromised several times. Facebook was charged by the administration with breach of security, violating copyrights and violating individual privacy and faced expulsion. It was also claimed by the developer’s classmates that he had stolen their source code and other intellectual property. This shows that this website includes all problems of ethical issues, accessibility is also part of the issue as hacking into other people’s accounts takes place all the time.

Q2. What are the 4 general types of IT threats? Provide an example for each one



The four main general types of IT threats include:
1. Unintentional acts: those with no malicious intent and include human errors, deviations in the quality of service by service providers and environmental hazards. Example, shoulder surfing.

2. Natural disasters: include floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, and static electricity.
3. Technical failures: include problems with hardware and software. Example a crash of a hard disc.
4. Management failures: involve a lack of funding for information security efforts and a lack of interest in those efforts.

Q3. Describe/discuss three types of software attack and a problem that may result from them




 Virus: segment of computer code that performs malicious actions by attaching to another computer program. The other computer will spread this virus by sending it to another without knowing, this may result in a re-format for all computers and loss of data and saved information.
 Logic bomb: segment of computer code that is embedded with an organization’s existing computer programs and is designed to activate and perform a destructive action at a certain time or date.
 Denial-of-service Attack: attackers sends so many information requests to a target cannot handle them successfully and typically crashes (i.e., ceases to function).

Q4. Describe the four major types of security controls in relation to protecting information systems.

 Physical Controls: prevent unauthorized individuals from gaining access to a company’s facilities.
 Access Controls: restrict unauthorized individuals from using information resources.
 Communications Controls: or network controls secure the movement of data across networks.
 Application Controls: as their name suggests, are security counter-measures that protect specific applications.

Q5. Name one recent software threat and briefly discuss its effects and resolutions?

Human errors is a type of unintentional acts that are affecting software. It is comprised of regular employees, who span the breadth and depth of the organization, ranging from mail clerks to the CEO, and in all functional areas. The higher the level of employees, the greater the threat the employee poses to information security because higher-level employees typically have greater access to corporate data and enjoy greater privileges on organizational information systems. Human errors or mistakes by employees caused by laziness, carelessness, or lack of information security awareness pose a large problem for organizations. This lack of awareness comes from poor education and training efforts by the organization, this is resolved by effort put in from managers to fix this problem by educating their workers and limiting their access and privileges.





Q6. What is the difference between authentication and authorization and why are they important to e-Commerce/give an example of their relevance to e-Commerce

Authentication is a process that determines the identity of the person requiring access. Authenticate someone means something the user is, something the user has, something the user does and something the user knows. Authorization determines which actions, rights, or privileges the person has, based on verified identity. Organizations use methods to identify authorized personnel.

Tech Guide 2: Computer Software

Q1. What are main differences/distinction between system software and application software?



Systems software is a set of instructions that serves primarily as an intermediary between computer hardware and application programs. Systems software provides important self-regulatory functions for computer systems. Application software is a set of computer instructions that provide more specific functionality to a user.




Q2. What are the two main types of system software? Provide some examples of their functions.

The two main types of system software are system control programs and system support programs. System control programs control use of the hardware, software, and data resources of a computer system. An example is mobile phones. System support programs are support the operations, management, and users of a computer system by providing a variety of support services. Examples include: system utility programs, performance monitors and security monitors.




Q3. What is the difference between proprietary and open source software? What considerations should be made when a business selects either software.

Proprietary application software is one that addresses a specific or unique business need for a company; may be developed in-house or may be commissioned from a software vendor. Open source software is one made available in source code from at no cost to developers. Considerations that should be made when selecting software include: size and location of user base, availability of system, costs (initial and subsequent), system capabilities, existing computing environment, in-house technical skills.

Q4. What are some of the legal issues involved in acquiring and using software in most businesses/organizations?

Software licensing is one of the biggest and most important legal issues involved in acquiring and using software in businesses and organizations. Copying and burning original CD’s is an illegal issue despite the fact that people do it all the time. To protect their investment, software vendors must prevent their software from being copied and distributed by individuals and other software companies. A company can copyright its software, which means that the U.S Copyright Office grants the company the exclusive legal right to reproduce, publish, and sell that software.


Q5. Choose an Operating System, provide some details on its developer, it license type and key benefits.



Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie and Douglas McIlroy at Bell Labs designed and developed the C programming language to build the operating system Unix. Unix developed into a large, complex family of inter-related operating systems which have been influential in every modern operating system. The name "UNIX" is a trademark of The Open Group which licenses it for use with any operating system that has been shown to conform to their definitions. AT&T licensed UNIX System III, based largely on Version 7, for commercial use. It is portable, multi-tasking and a multi-user in a time-sharing configuration. Unix systems are characterized by various concepts: the use of plain text for storing data; a hierarchical file system; treating devices and certain types of inter-process communication (IPC) as files; and the use of a large number of software tools, small programs that can be strung together through a command line interpreter using pipes, as opposed to using a single monolithic program that includes all of the same functionality.

Tech Guide 1: Innovations in Hardware Utilization

Q1. What is computer hardware and what are the major hardware components?

Computer hardware is a set of devices that together accept data and information, process them, and display them. The major components of hardware are a processor, monitor, keyboard, printer…

Q2. What is Moore's Law/what does it mean in relation to computers?

Moore’s law is a prediction by Gordon Moore, an Intel co-founder, that microprocessor complexity would double approximately every two years. In relation to computers, it means that innovations in chip designs are coming at a faster and faster rate and his prediction has been accurate.



Q3. In basic terms, describe how a microprocessor functions.




A microprocessor is built on to a single piece of silicon; it may function by itself in a wide range of applications. A microprocessor chip contains a read-only memory (Rom) which can be read repeatedly but cannot be changed. And it may also have some random access memory (RAM) for holding temporary data.




Q4. What factors determine the speed of the microprocessor?

Registers, Random Access Memory (RAM), Cache Memory and Read-only Memory (ROM) are all different factors that determine the speed of the microprocessor as information and data is being saved and retrieved from them.

Q5. What are the four main types of primary storage?

§ Registers: are part of the CPU, they have the least capacity, storing extremely limited amounts of instructions and data only before and after processing.
§ Random Access Memory (RAM): holds a software program and small amounts of data for processing.
§ Cache Memory: a type of high speed memory that enables the computer to temporarily store blocks of data that are used more often and that a processor can access more rapidly than main memory (RAM).
§ Read-only Memory (ROM): certain critical instructions are safeguarded; the storage is nonvolatile and retains the instructions when the power to the computer is turned off.




Q6. What are the main types of secondary storage?



§ Magnetic media
§ Optical storage devices
§ Flash memory devices
§ Redundant arrays of independent disks
§ Storage area network
§ Network-attached storage



Q7. How does primary storage differ from secondary storage in terms of speed cost and capacity?

Primary Storage

• Most primary storage is temporary
• Primary Storage is expensive
  and smaller
• Primary storage is smaller in
  capacity
• Primary storage is usually faster
  therefore more expensive
• Primary storage is closer to the CPU
  and/or is integrated onto it and therefore
  is faster.
• Examples of Primary storage: RAM,
  L2 Cache

Secondary Storage

• All secondary storage is permanent
• Secondary storage is usually cheaper and large
• Secondary storage is bigger in capacity
• Secondary storage connects to the CPU
  via cables and therefore is slower
• Examples of secondary storage; Hard drive, CD-ROM...

Q8. What are enterprise storage systems?

An enterprise storage system is an independent, external system that includes two or more storage devices. It provides large amounts of storage, high-performance data transfer, a high degree of availability, protection against data loss, and sophisticate management tools.

Q9. Distinguish between human data input devices and source data automation.

Human data entry devices require a certain amount of human effort to input data. For example, keyboard, mouse, pointing stick, trackball, joystick, touch screen, stylus and voice-recognition.



Source data automation devices input data with minimal human intervention. Examples of source data automation include automated teller machine, magnetic stripe reader, point-of-sale terminals, barcode scanners, optimal mark reader and many more.

Q10.What is one new technology that will change how we do things? You need to do some research

The internet is one of the biggest technologies that is currently affecting people's everyday lives. It has allowed connection via Online Services, connecting via Other Means like cell phones and pagers. It has even allowed Internet Banking, which is now used by most people as a faster way of checking their bank deatils and transfer money without getting into the trouble of using transport to drive to the bank in order to fulfil tasks. It has been growing faster and faster.

Chapter 2: Competitive Advantage and Strategic Information Systems

Q1. What is the difference between an 'application' and a computer-based information system?

A computer based information system is an information system that uses computer technology to perform some or all of its intended tasks. An application program designed to support a specific task or business process.

Q2. What are strategic information systems?

Systems that help an organization gain a competitive advantage by supporting its strategic goals and/or increasing performance and productivity.

Q3. According to Porter, what are the five forces that could endanger a firm’s position in its industry or marketplaces?

1. The threat of entry to new competitors: the threat of new competitor entry is high when it is easy to enter your market and low when significant barriers to entry exist.
2. The bargaining power of suppliers: Suppliers’ power is high when buyers have few choices from whom to buy and low when buyers have many choices.
3. The bargaining power of customers (buyers): buyer power is high when buyers have many choices from whom to buy and low when buyers have few choices.
4. The threat of substitute products or services: is there are many substitutes for an organizations’ products or services, then the threat of substitutes is high.
5. The rivalry among existing firms in the industry: the threat from rivalry is high when there is intense competition among many firms in an industry. And low when the competition is among fewer firms and is not as intense.

Q4. In relation to Porter's value chain model, what is meant by primary activities and support activities, and how does IT support these activities?

Primary activities are those business activities related to the production and distribution of the firm’s products and services, thus creating value. Support activities are business activities that do not add value directly to a firm’s product or service under consideration but support the primary activities that do add value. IT supports these activities by assisting them in things like E-commerce or E-business in order to achieve and sustain a competitive advantage.

Q5. Discuss the logic of building information systems in accordance with the organizational hierarchical structure.

Q6. How has the Internet affected each of the five forces in Porter’s competitive forces model.

1. Cost leadership strategy: research different prices at a faster pace in order to produce products and/or services at the lowest cost in the industry.
2. Differentiation strategy: offer different products, services, and enables the business to develop different product features.
3. Innovation strategy: internet helps introduce new products and services, add new features to existing products and services, or develop new ways to produce them.
4. Operational effectiveness strategy: improvements in the internet increase quality, productivity, and employee and customer satisfaction.
5. Customer-orientation strategy: web-based systems can provide a personalized, one-to-one relationship with each customer.

Chapter 1: The Modern Organisation in the Global, Web-Based Environment

Q1. What are the characteristics of the modern business environment?

The characteristics of the modern business environment consist of a combination which includes the social, legal, economic, physical and political factors.

Q2. What is meant by a web-based, global platform, what does it provide, and how has it affected business?

A web-based, global platform is the use of internet worldwide which is known as “World Wide Web”. It enables individuals to connect, compute, communicate, collaborate and compare everywhere and anywhere and at anytime. It also allows access to unlimited amounts of information, services and entertainment, to exchange knowledge and to produce and sell goods and services. Global we-based platform has created globalization and is spreading day by day.

Q3. What are the main pressures that characterize the modern global business environment?

The main pressures that characterize the modern global business environment include:
§ Market pressure which are generated by the global economy and strong competition, the changing nature of the workforce, and powerful customers.
§ Technology pressures which mainly include technological innovation and information overload.
§ Societal/political/legal pressures which are the social responsibility, government regulation/deregulation, spending for social programs, spending to protect against terrorism, and ethics.

Q4. What are/discuss some of the common, IT oriented organizational responses to these pressures?

§ Customer focus: organizational attempts to provide superb customer service can make the difference between attracting and keeping customers on the one hand and losing them to competitors on the other. For example, Amazon.
§ E-business and E-commerce: doing business, like trading, electronically and is now considered an essential strategy for companies competing in today’s business environment. For example, E-bay.

Q5. How are IT architecture and IT infrastructure interrelated?

IT architecture is a high level map or plan of the information assets in an organization. IT infrastructure consist of the physical facilities, IT components, IT services, and IT personnel that support the entire organization. They are interrelated because one can’t progress or function without the other.

Q6. Is the Internet an infrastructure, architecture, or an application program? or something else. Why?

The internet is an architecture which consists of a high level of information assets which is combined with an infrastructure of tools and a whole range of application forms to function as an internet service.