Week 10

Chapter 8

Section 8.1

1. What is a Transactional Processing and the role of TP systems. State the key objective of TP/TPSs.
TPSs monitor, collect, store as well as process datafrom all business transactions.

The objective of TPSs is to handle high volume and large variations in volume efficiently, avoid errors and downtime, record results accurately and securely, as well as maintain privacy and security.

Section 8.2

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

Functional area information systems (FAIS) use information from mid-level management to help them plan, organise and control operations. They are crucial system as it supports a particular area of the business. They were traditionally built independent of each other and were designed to increase individual effectiveness and efficiency.

2. How does an FAIS support management by exception? How does it support on-demand reports?
FAIS support management by exception due to the use of exception reports. Exception reports include only information that falls outside certain threshold standards.

Ad hoc(on demand reports): they include requests for the following types of information: Drill down reports, key indicator reports, comparative reports.

Section 8.3

1. Define ERP and describe its functionalities.
The multi million dollar system that combine all the systems in a company(planning, management, and use of all an organisations resources)

It can control all information flows across organisation to suit strategic goals by tightly integrating the functional areas of the organisation and enabling information to flow seamlessly across the functional areas.

2. List some drawbacks of ERP software.

• Very complex
• Expensive
• Time consuming to implement
• Change firms traditional work practices
  

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 through the production process(from raw material suppliers, through to factories and warehouses and then to the end customer).

Supply Chain Managements (SCM) function is to plan, organise, and optimise the general supply chain activities.

2. List the major components of supply chains.
Upstream: procurement from external suppliers occurs (orders, information, payments, returns)

Internal: packaging, assembling, or manufacturing occurs

Downstream: distribution occurs (products, services, information)

Chris Makers Powerpoint Notes

3. What is the bullwhip effect?

The bullwhip effect refers to erratic shifts in the supply chain

Chris Makers Powerpoints Notes

Section 8.6

1. Define EDI and list its major benefits and limitations
Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) enables different businesses to exchange business documents with mutual data formats.

Major benefits

• Minimises data error
• Messages secure
• Increase productivity by reducing cycle time
• Minimises paper usage
• Customer service enhanced cause things done quicker

Limitations

• Great investment to keep it going and to establish
• Difficult to build around flexible system
• Training required
• Requires long establishment period

Week 9

Chapter 7

1. Identify common wireless devices and their application to business
Notebooks, PDAs, Smart phones are heavily required within current business. For example Sales-men use these devices to communicate with their clients, display their goods or services or for general operations. Businesses also use these devices to permit 24/7 communication between the employees on a global basis.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31JMfgh-FgL.jpg

2. Describe the various types and general characteristics of wireless transmission media/technologies - microwave, satellite, infrared and radio waves.
Microwave Transmission systems are used for high volume, long distance, line-of-sight communications (transmitter and receiver must be in view of each other). However they are susceptible to environmental interference such as severe weather such as heavy rain/ snow storms. This form has come to be replaced by satellite communication systems.

Satellite Transmission Systems
Geostationary (GEO), Farthest from the earth
Medium Earth Orbit (MEO)
Low Earth Orbit (LEO). Closest from the earth

Similar to microwave transmissions, satellites must receive and transmit data via a line of sight. It overcomes the limitations of microwave data relay stations because the height the satellite orbits. So, even though satellites are line-of-sight like microwave, they are high enough for broadcast transmission, thus overcoming the limitations and restrictions of microwave.

Radio Transmission uses radio-wave frequencies to send data directly between transmitters and receivers. Radio transmission has several advantages:

• can send the radio waves through normal office walls,


• its inexpensive and easy to install,


• can transmit data at high speeds

Infrared Transmission uses an infrared light/red light to transmit the data. Such as remote controls for Televisions. Used for short-distance connections between computers and peripheral equipment.

http://www.centennialofflight.gov/essay/Dictionary/ELECTROSPECTRUM/DI159G1.jpg

3. What is bluetooth/how is it used?
Bluetooth is an industry specification used to create small personal networks (similar to that of wlan but smaller range). Bluetooth enables short-range connection (data and voice) between wireless devices E.g. mobile phones.

http://www.home-network-help.com/images/wireless-ap-network.jpg

4. What are WLAN's, Wi-Fi, WWAN's, 3G?
Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN): a wireless local computer network in a limited geographical area that used wireless transmission for communication.

http://www.home-network-help.com/images/wireless-ap-network.jpg

Wireless Fidelity (WI-Fi) is a medium range WLAN, which is basicallythe same as WLAN with a larger range.

Wireless Wide Area Networks (WWANs) can bridge branch offices of a company and cover a much more extensive area that wireless LANs or Wi-fi.

3G network: the 'third generation' of developments in wireless technology, especially mobile communications. 3G technologies enables network operators to offer mobile users a wider range of more advanced services such as high speed internet while achieving greater network capacity.

5. What are the drivers of mobile computing and mobile commerce
There’s a widespread availability of mobile devices, no need for pc's anymore due to PDAs, net books and notebooks. Bandwidth improvement has meant quicker processing and therefore more effective and efficient mobile commerce and computing.

6. Explain the nature of RFID

Radio Frequency Identification Technology(RFID) is a wireless technology developed to replace barcodes by permitting manufacturers to attach RFID tags with antennas and computer chips and then track their movement through radio signals. Some tags can be read from several meters away and beyond the line of sight of the reader. Tags remain expensive so they are not used in low-prices items. Examples include E-tag or speedpass.

http://www.radio-active.net.au/web/technology/etag3.jpg

Week 8

Chapter 5
1. Describe the underlying technologies, applications and types of Web sites that comprise Web 2.0.

• Ajax Is a technology that allows web pages to update parts of the page rather than the whole page being forced to refresh.
• Facebook: Tagging in photos
• Blogs
• Wikis
• Podcasts (info on demand)

http://hinchcliffe.org/img/web1vsweb2.png

2. Describe the function of Web services.

Web Services are a bunch of shared protocols and standards that allow data to travel through different web applications. XNL put data in a format that is compatible amongst all the applications to allow it to share the protocols over the web.

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

Social networking allows users to upload their content to the web, in the form of text (for example, blogs), voice (for example, podcasts), images and videos (for example, youtube).

A great example of a business using social networking is "Kiva": web site which permits people to loan money to small businesses in the developing world, has permitted poor people in those countries to achieve economic independence. Thus Social networking is beneficial for businesses as they permit a greater customer base as well as larger networking allowing effective and efficient operations.

Chapter 6

Section 6.1

1. Define e-commerce and distinguish it from e-business.
Ecommerce is basically the purchasing and selling of services and goods over the internet whereas E-business is the broad term of buying and selling and collaborating goods and services and covers all the supporting activities for ecommerce.

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

B2C: Business to Consumer - Organisation selling to individual

B2B: Business to Business - Organisation selling to another organisation

C2C: Consumer to Consumer - Individual selling to another individual

B2E: Business to Employee - Organization providing information and services to its employees. Allowing the employees to manage their benefits, take training classes electronically; buy discounted insurance, travel packages, and event tickets.

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

Benefits

• Consumer has more power as global competitors
• Lower prices as parts of supply chain are redundant
• 24/7
• Social benefit: allowing rural areas access to goods and services

Limitations

• Whether funds are safe and credit card details are encrypted
• Insufficient bandwidth
• Hard to get personalised service
• Few services for goods such as food
• Cant try on clothes or examine goods

Section 6.2

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

Spamming: sending out unwanted emails of advertisements

Permission marketing: asks for permission if you would like emailed marketing

Viral marketing: word of mouth marketing relying on good service

Section 6.4

1. What are micropayments?

• Sms payments

• Electronic checks

• Electronic credit cards

• Purchasing cards
  

• Electronic cash
  

• Digital wallets

2. What is Multichanneling?
Process by which manufacturers sell through numerous channels such as dell’s online straight to consumer or going to a retailer.

Section 6.5

1. List some ethical issues in EC.

• Disintermediation: people in supply chain making profit lose this job
• Privacy issues: as details are provided over the web
• Cookies

2. List the major legal issues of EC.

• Fraud: fake versions of tameflu (drug which cures swine flu)
• Sales tax
• Domain name
• Copyright

Week 7

Tech Guide 4

1. Describe the basic telecommunications system?
A Basic Telecommunications System consists of hardware and software which transmit information from one node to another. Text, data, graphics, voice, documents, or full-motion videos can be transmitted through the system either by analog or digital signals.

Analog signals are continuous waves which transmit information by altering their characteristics.
Digital signals are pulses which makes use of the binary system. This is when bits are used to portray zeros and ones, which represents a series of ons and offs.

http://www.privateline.com/manual/fig3_1.gif

2. Compare and contrast the main wired communications channels ? (Ethernet & Fibre Optic)
Ethernet is the international standard networking technology for wired implementations. It is a technology for high-speed bandwidth connectivity over local area networks. And is the most common cabling used when establishing networks.
http://www.turbophoto.com/Free-Stock-Images/Images/Ethernet%20Cable.jpg

Fibre optic cables are types of cables with fibre optics or plastic core that transmits digital signals in the form of light pulses. The image below displays the number of fibre optic wires within a single cable.
http://schrier.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/fiber-optic-cable.jpg

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

• Improve efficiency


• Reduced errors


• Improved consistency


• Improved communication
  Reduce costs

4. What is the difference between LANs and WANs?
Local area networks (LANs) connect computers over a single location such as within an office while Wide area networks (WANs) connect computers at different geographic locations such as an office network from Sydney to Melbourne.

http://www.webperformanceinc.com/support/suite/manual/how_to_load_test_files/image002.jpg

5. What is a network protocol?

Network Protocols are a set of rules that enable data to move around the internet

Application protocols – DNS, HTTP, HTTPS

Internet Protocols – ICMP (Routing Protocols)

Network Access Protocols – Ethernet, Wi-Fi

Transport Protocols – TCP/IP, UDP

6. Describe TCP/IP protocol.

Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol is the universally used protocol of the Internet. And refers to the suite of transport and application protocols that allow different networks around the world to communicate to each other. Each computer on the internet posseses a unique IP address.

Watch this Video for a quick discussion of Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol

Week 6

Chapter 4 - Databases

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

1. Firms have huge quantities of data so systems must be kept to hold the data for long periods of times


2. The data must be organised into different sections for the sectors of the business


3. To make better decisions the data needs to be external to the organisation; it needs to be secure and high quality.

2. What are the various sources for data?
Internal such as product information
Personal such as employee details etc
External sources out of organisation such as BOS

3. What is a primary key and a secondary key?
Primary Key: is a key field that uniquely identifies an entity http://www.eraserve.com/tutorials/images/MS_Access_Two_Primary_Keys.jpg
Secondary Key: another key field used to identify a specific record; indexing the data

4. What is an entity and a relationship?
Entity: Person place and the thing – something we maintain information about within a database
Relationship: way entity’s relate to each other through tables using a common field one to one or one to many or many to many.

http://allenbrowne.com/graphics/HumanRelation.jpg

5. What are the advantages and disadvantages of relational databases?
Provides flexibility allowing complex queries and searches to gather knowledge about the entities.
But if design is too complex it is too slow to access

6. What is knowledge management?
Way to combine all the data sources in an organisation and bring them to a central screen. Many organisations have lots of different databases

7. What is the difference between tacit knowledge and explicit knowledge?
Explicit knowledge: objectionable, rational and technical types of knowledge: knowledge about each entity

Tacit knowledge: Using explicit knowledge to give incites and under the surface type knowledge

http://thegiraffe.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/tacit-to-explicit.jpg

Week 5

Week 5

1. Provide an IT example that relates to the ethical issues for the ideas of privacy, accuracy, property, and accessibility.
Privacy – issues involving collecting, storing, and disseminating information about individuals.
Accuracy – issues involving the authenticity, fidelity, and accuracy of information that is collected and processed.
Property – issues involving the ownership and value of information.
Accessibility – issues involving around who should have access to information and whether they should have to pay for this access

2. What are the 5 general types of IT threats? Provide an example for each one
Human error
Natural disaster
Malicious behaviour
Malicious code: virus, spam, phishing
Management security negligence – through incorrect procedure and recovery established within workplace

3. Describe/discuss three types of software attack and a problem that may result from them
A denial of service: when front end of company’s internet is flooded with ping of death, and site can be flooded until ransom is payed
Virus: malicious code not done anymore to cause harm but to steal information
Spam: junk mail which users high numbers to gain profits
Phishing: using fake identification through emails to gain information of other.








http://www.hyperlearn.com/images/ComputerChainedDown.jpg

4. Describe the four major types of security controls in relation to protecting information systems.
Authentication: system knowing exactly who the user is, done by entering passwords, security bar-coded card or biometric scanning of fingerprints, eye detection etc.
Physical security: entering server rooms are highly secure and limited to access. Other procedures such as locking computers when leaving terminals. Administration limitation on access is also a manipulated control.
Authorisation: determines which actions, rights, or privileges the person has, based on the verified identity.

5. What is information system auditing?
Process of evaluating the suitability and validity of an organization's information systems, practices and operations to ensure people who view or access the files should be viewing the files (that is authorised)

6. 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 and authorization are important to e-Commerce because once users have been properly authenticated then their rights and privileges that they have on the organisation systems are established. For example, this allows a companies system to be better secured whilst granting access to employees for activities where there is justifiable need to grant authorization.

Week 4

Week 4

1.What are main differences/distinction between system software and application software?
System software such as Windows Vista and other operating systems which control the computer and all operations with the hardware.
Application software specific software that does specific functions such as Microsoft office which are compatible with the system software and work on the operating system.

The bottom right corner is system software amongst the variations of Microsofts operating system.
http://www.topnews.in/files/Microsoft-Windows-Vista-Price-Reduction.jpg

2. What are the two main types of system software?
· System Control software: which controls hardware such as drivers
· Support/Utility software such as file manager, performance manager which provides a piece of system support for operating system.

3. What is the difference between proprietary and open source software? What considerations should be made when a business selects either software.
Proprietory software is software licensed which you cant change the source of the software. But offers support through the proprietor. For example Internet explorer.
Open source software has no license allowing you to distribute it, open and edit source code by programmers such as firefox and open office (regarded as freeware). No support offered relies on user accessing forums for assistance. For example Mozilla Firefox.
http://www.product-reviews.net/wp-content/userimages/2007/12/internet-explorer-or-firefox-what-browser-is-more-secure.jpg

4. What are some of the legal issues involved in acquiring and using software in most businesses/organizations?
If businesses are using proprietary software, license must be purchased otherwise used illegally. The software is not permitted to be distributed. Whereas open source software is freeware and permitted to be used for free and distributed how ever liked.

5. What is meant by SaaS? Name some examples of this software.
Saas (software as a service) is software whereby a proprietor licenses an application to customers for use as a service. Saas is software which runs up in the cloud. Examples include:
· Sales force-online CRM
· Microsoft live
· Google Docs
www.masternewmedia.org/images/Google-Docs-interface-at-a-glance.gif

Week 3

Week 3

1. What is computer hardware and what are the major hardware components?
Computer hardware refers to the physical equipment used for the input, processing, output, and storage activities within a computer system.
The six major hardware components of computer systems: the central processing unit, primary storage, secondary storage, input technologies and output technologies.
http://www.3dmultimedia.com/help/windows/jpgs/elements.jpg

2. What is Moore's Law/what does it mean in relation to computers.
Founder of Intel, he predicted that speed of computers will double every 24 months and that processor chips would continuously get smaller.

3. In basic terms, describe how a microprocessor functions.
The control unit accesses programs instructions, decodes them, and controls the flow of data to and from the arithmetic logic unit ALU, registers, caches, primary and secondary storage and various output devices.
The ALU performs the mathematic calculations and makes logical comparisons.
The registers are high speed storage areas that store very small amounts of data instructions for short periods of time.

www.schoolnet.gov.mt/.../image011.jpg
4. What factors determine the speed of the microprocessor?
Clock speed
Word length
Bus width
Physical design of chip

5. What are the four main types of primary storage.
Random Access Memory (RAM) - holds software programs as they run and small amounts of data for processing.

www.ralphlosey.files.wordpress.com/2007/06/ram.jpg

Cache Memory- 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 memorywww.img.zdnet.com/techDirectory/CACHEMEM.GIF
Read Only Memory- a type of chip where certain critical instructions are safeguarded.

www.hama.co.uk/.../body/memorycards/cf_card2.jpg

Registers - smallest memoryt: store instructions only immediately before and after processing

6. What are the main types of secondary storage?

Magnetic media – Hard drives
Optical media – CD ROM and DVD ROM
Solid state media – Flash/USB Drives

7. How does primary storage differ from secondary storage in terms of speed cost and capacity?
Primary is faster but more costly and smaller than secondary storage

8. What are enterprise storage systems?
An enterprise storage system is an external system with intelligence that includes two or more storage devices. There are three major types of enterprise storage subsystems: redundant arrays of independent disks (RAIDs), storage area networks (SANs), and network-attached storage (NAS).
Provide large amounts of storage, high performance data transfer, a high degree of availability, protection against data loss and sophisticated management tools.

9. Distinguish between human data input devices and source data automation.
Human data input devices: rely on humans to input data, and prone to human error. Such as: keyboards, mouse
Source data automation: far more accurate and faster. Such as barcode scanners

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

The Livescribe Pulse Digital Smartpen records notes in 2 ways:
Creates digital copies of everything you write by hand while recording audio at the same time.
Links the two together, so you can quickly access audio by poking parts of the notes.
The data is Uploaded to the computer where the Livescribe software archives and makes your notes fully searchable.
It offers features like a calculator, translator, and a paper piano that plays a mini piano which you draw on the paper.
www.gizmodo.com/386809/review-livescribe-pulse-digital-penrecorder-verdict-its-good-for-notetakers

An interesting video/advertisment on the Smartpen and its numerous features can be seen on this url: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ag6R8v9YZ2k

Week 2

Week 2


1. What is the difference between an 'application' and a computer-based information systems?
Applications are one or more pieces of computer-based information software morphed together.

Computer based information system is a broader term relating to software hardware which performs intended tasks

2. What are strategic information systems?
Any system that helps an organisation gain a competitive advantage or diminishes a competitive disadvantage. Strategic information systems attempt to provide this advantage by guiding the organisation to implementing its strategic goals and therefore increase its performance and productivity.

3. According to Porter, what are the five forces that could endanger a firm’s position in its industry or marketplaces?
Michael porters competitive forces model includes:
Threat of new competitors
Bargaining power of customers and suppliers
Threat of substituted services and products
Rivalry of existing firms in industry

Shown in diagram below

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

According to Porter’s value chain model, the activities conducted in any organisation can be divided into two categories primary and support activities.

Primary activities are those business activities that relate to the production and distribution of the firms products and services, thus creating value for which customers are willing to pay. Primary activities involve purchasing materials, processing materials into products, and delivering products to customers.

Unlike primary activities, support activities contribute to the firm’s competitive advantage by supporting the primary activities.
Support activities consist of: The firm’s infrastructure, Human resources management and research and development

5. Discuss the logic of building information systems in accordance with the organizational hierarchical structure.
Once the company forms its hierarchical structure it then forms systems for each of these structures. They are then interconnected. Specialisation and customisation then takes place in each division, the business focuses on what types of software and hardware are necessary for each division for each of there specialised tasks. For example; graphic editing software and hardware for marketing division of a business

6. How has the Internet affected each of the five forces in Porter’s competitive forces model.
The larger market has meant:
Threat of new competitors much higher because worldwide businesses are included through e-business.
Bargaining power of suppliers has diminished due to the variety of suppliers available
Bargaining power of customers has now increased due to more competitors in global market
Substitute products is really high due to ease to replicate products

Week 1

Week 1

1. What are the characteristics of the modern business environment?
Very dynamic environment and subject to change.
Competition and globalization are strong.
Need for telecommunications to attempt to access the electronic market

2. What is meant by a web-based, global platform, what does it provide, and how has it affected business?
The global, web-based platform is best represented by the Internet and the functionality of the World Wide Web.
The platform provides individuals with the opportunity to connect, communicate, and compete anytime; to access limitless amounts of information, services, and entertainment; to exchange knowledge; and to produce and sell goods and services.
This has affected business by increasing the competitiveness of businesses and enabling rapid advances in information technology along with an increase of global business or e-business.

3. What are the main pressures that characterize the modern global business environment?
Examples of three main pressures that characterise global business environment are:
Market pressures: global economy and strong competition, the changing nature of the workforce, and powerful customers.

Technology pressures: technological innovation and obsolescence, and information overload

Societal/political/legal pressures: social responsibility, compliance with government regulations and deregulation, protection against terrorist attacks, ethical issues

4. What are/discuss some of the common, IT oriented organizational responses to these pressures?
Strategic systems are being built to know who their customers and competitors are.

Customer focus through adapting new practices which aim to satisfy the customer – online vehicle registration etc.

5. How are IT architecture and IT infrastructure interrelated.
The people are the input and processes which interrelate with the architecture and infrastructure

6. Is the Internet an infrastructure, an architecture, or an application program? or something else. Why?
The Internet is part of the infrastructure because it is a communication technology that offers a platform for all of an organisations information systems.