bourgeois chapter 1 Flashcards
technology
the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes.
hardware
the tangible, physical portion of an information system. eg., keyboards, computers, and flash drives.
software
comprises the set of instructions that tells the hardware what to do. it is intangible. when programming, you are typing out lists of instructions for the hardware.
operating-system software
makes hardware usable, eg. microsoft windows or google’s android.
application software
does something useful, eg. microsoft excel or instagram.
data
a collection of facts and is intangible. individually, data pieces are not useful, but when aggregated, indexed, and organised in a databse, they become a powerful tool.
communication
connecting to other devices through networking. it can be considered a component of technology, but is technically made up of software and hardware.
process
a series of steps undertaken to achieve a desired outcome or goal. the goal is to use technology to manage and improve processes, both within a company and with external stakeholders.
information systems (IS)
- the study of complementary networks of hardware and software that people and organisations use to collect, filter, process, create, and distribute data
- combinations of hardware, software, and telecommunications networks that people build and use to collect, create, and distribute useful data, typically in organisational settings
- interrelated components working together to collect, process, store, and disseminate information to support decision-making, coordination, control, analysis, and visualisation in an organisation
time-sharing
allowed dozens or hundreds of users to simultaneously access mainframe computers during the mainframe era.
Manufacturing Resources Planning (MRP) systems
in the late 60s, it gave companies the ability to manage the manufacturing process, eg. tracking inventory, creating bills of materials, etc. it gave businesses a reason to integrate computing in their process.
microcomputer
first one in 1975. it was a niche product for hobbyists, but with improvements in usability and availability of software sales grew. in 1980’s less expensive versions were offered. they were used for word processing, spreadsheets, databases, and not yet connected to a network.
client-server
networking architecture that allowed users to log in to the Local Area Network (LAN) from their PC (client) by connecting to a central computer called “server”.
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems
an application with a centralised database that can be used to run a company’s entire business, which can be divided into different modules, eg. accounting, finance, inventory. it was first developed and run on the client-server architecture.
internet
invented in 1969, but unsuitable to use in businesses, except e-mail
World Wide Web
invented in 1989, becoming the catalyst for the growth of the internet
dot-com boom & bust
mad rush of investments in internet-based businesses following the lift of restrictions on the commercial use of the internet in 1991.
Web 2.0
a new type of interactive website where you did not have to know how to create a web page or do any programming in order to put information online. it was invented after the recovery from the dot-com bust. it caused disintermediation.
disintermediation
technology replacing a middleman in a transaction, eg. web 2.0 lead to new possibilities for consumers and some companies went out of businesses.
Post-PC World
people assumed implementing more information systems would lead to competitive advantages. some believe it should be managed to reduce costs, ensure that it is always running, and be as risk-free as possible.
