Week 4: Tech Guide 2

Question 1: What are main differences/distinction between system software and application software?
Systems software manages the hardware resources of the computer system; it functions between the hardware and the application software. Systems software includes the system control programs (operating systems) and systems support programs. Application software enables users to perform specific tasks and information processing activities. Application software may be proprietary or off-the-shelf.

Question 2: What are the two main types of system software?

Operating systems and system support programs.

Question 3: What is the difference between proprietary and open source software? What considerations should be made when a business selects either software.
Proprietary application software addresses a company’s specific or unique business need. Open source software is software made available in source code form at no cost to developers.

Question 4: What are some of the legal issues involved in acquiring and using software in most businesses/organizations?
Software licensing is an issue for organisations and individuals. Copying software is illegal. Software vendors copyright their software to protect it from being copied. As a result, companies must license vendor-developed software to use it.

Question 5: What is meant by SaaS? Name some examples of this software.
Software as a service is a method of delivering software in which a vendor hosts the applications. Customers access this through a network such as the Internet and do not own the software but pay for using it.

Week 3: Tech Guide 1

Question 1: What is computer hardware and what are the major hardware components?

A computer hardware is a set of devices (for example, processor, monitor, keyboard printer) that together accept data and information, process them, and display them. The major hardware components are the central processing unit (CPU), primary storage, secondary storage, input technologies, output technologies and communication technologies.

Question 2: What is Moore's Law/what does it mean in relation to computers.

More’s law refers to the theory of microprocessors complexity doubling approximately every two years.

Question 3: In basic terms, describe how a microprocessor functions.

A control unit which sequentially accesses program instructions, decodes them and controls the flow of data to and from ALU, registers, caches and various other output devices.
The Arithmetic-Logic Unit performs the mathematical calculations and makes logical comparisons
Registers are used as high speed storage areas that store small amounts of data for short periods of time.
The caches is external memory that data from registers is sent to.

Question 4: What factors determine the speed of the microprocessor?

The speed of the microprocessor is determined by the clock speed(measured in MHz), word length, bus width and number of transistors in the chip.

Question 5: What are the four main types of primary storage?

• Register
• RAM (Random Access Memory)
• Cache Memory
• ROM(read-only memory.

Question 6: What are the main types of secondary storage?

Magnetic storage devices include Hard drives, NAS (network attached storage), Memory Cards and Tumb Drives(USB Sticks)
Optical Storage Devices include CD-ROM, DVD and Blueray Discs

Question 7: How does primary storage differ from secondary storage in terms of speed cost and capacity?

The primary storage is there to be used immediately to store very small amounts of information as close to the CPU as possible. The shorter the distance the shorter the data has to travel thus making the computer run faster
Secondary storage was designed to store large amounts of data for a very long period of time unlike primary storage which holds data for a very short amount of time. Even though secondary storage can hold data for longer periods of time, it is actually a lot cheaper when compared to any primary storage device.

Question 8: What are enterprise storage systems?
An enterprise storage system is an independent, external system with intelligence that includes two or more storage devices.

Question 9: Distinguish between human data input devices and source data automation.

Human data-entry devices include keyboards, mouse, trackball, joysticks; touch screen, stylus and voice recognition. Source data automation devises input data with minimal human intervention (e,g. barcode reader).

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

THE CHUMBY: The Chumby is a wireless Internet device about the size of a rugby ball. It has no keyboard or mouse but instead uses software called widgets to display pretty much anything you want it to - all the time. For instance, it will act as an alarm clock, play your music, show you constantly updated news or track an eBay auction. The really interesting thing is that it is designed to be hacked - everything from the software code to the specifications for the case are freely available. No one, including the manufacturers, knows what owners will make Chumbys do once they are released.


http://www.chumby.com

Week 2: Chapter 2

Question 1. What is the difference between an 'application' and a computer-based information systems?

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

Question 2. What are strategic information systems?

Strategic information systems (SISs) are systems that help an organisation gain a competitive advantage by supporting its strategic goals and/or increasing performance and productivity.

Question 3. According to Porter, what are the five forces that could endanger a firm’s position in its industry or marketplaces?

The threat of entry of new competitors, the bargaining power of suppliers, the bargaining power of customers, the threat or substitute products or services and the rivalry among existing firms in the industry.

Question 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?

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 services under consideration but support the primary activities that do add value.

Question 5. Discuss the logic of building information systems in accordance with the organizational hierarchical structure.

Information systems will vary according to the each functional and specific area of an organisation. Certain information systems support parts of organisations, others support entire organisations. Each information system supports a particular functional area in the organsation. Examples inclde accounting IS, finance IS, production/operations management (POM) IS, marketing IS, and human resource IS.


Question 6. How has the Internet affected each of the five forces in Porter’s competitive forces model.

1. The threat of new competitors: the web increases the threat that new competitors will enter the market by sharply reducing traditional barriers to entry, such as the need for a sales force or a physical storefront to sell goods and service.
2. The bargaining power of suppliers: The Intenet's impact on suppliers is mixed. One the one hand, buyers can find alternative suppliers and compare prices more easily, reducing the supplier's barganing power. On the other hand, as companies use the Internet tp integrate their supply chains, participating suppliers prosper by locking in customers.
3. The bargaining power of customers: The Web significantly increases buyer's access to information about products and suppliers. Internet technologies can reduce customer's switching costs of a decision to buy elsewhere.
4. The threat of substitute products and services: New technologies can substiture products ver rapidly. Information-based industries are in the greates danger from substitutes. Any industry in which digitized information can replace material goods (eg: music, books, software) must view the Internet as a threat because the Internet can conver this information efficiently and at low cost.
5. The rivalry among existing firms in the industry: The threat from rovalry is high when there is intense competition among many firms in an industry. The threat is low when competition is among few firms and less intense.

Week 1: Chapter 1

Question 1. What are the characteristics of the modern business environment?

The characteristics of the modern business environment include globalization, e-commerce, the internet and access online 27 hours a day 7 days a week.

Question 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 that has recently emerged spans the world and is best represented by the Internet and the functionality of the World Wide Web. The platform enables individuals to connect, compute, communicate, collaborate, and compete everywhere and anywhere, anytime and all the time; to access limtless amounts of information, services and entertainment; to exchange knowledge; and to produce and sell goods and services. It operates without regard to geography, time, distance and even language barriers. It enables globalization.

Question 3. What are the main pressures that characterize the modern global business environment?

The main pressures that characterize the modern global business environment market pressures and technology pressures; societal/political/legal pressures.

Question 4. What are/discuss some of the common, IT oriented organizational responses to these pressures?

Some responses regarding organisations responding to these pressures include strategic systems; customer focus; make-to-order and mass customization, e-business and e-commerce.

Question 5. How are IT architecture and IT infrastructure are interrelated?

IT architecture is a high level map or plan of the information assets in an organisation. IT infrastructure represents the physical facilities, IT components, IT services and IT personnel that support the entire organisation.

Question 6. Is the Internet an infrastructure, an architecture, or an application program? or something else. Why?

The Internet represents all three.