Chapter 1 Flashcards
The post-PC era is an era where
wireless, mobile devices allow for novel ways of interacting with information systems
Knowledge workers are
typically professionals who are relatively well educated and who create, modify, and/or synthesize knowledge as a fundamental part of their jobs. Yet, they often possess real-world skills. The lines between knowledge workers and manual workers are blurring, to the point where every worker is a knowledge worker.
A knowledge society
is a society as a result of the growth in the number of knowledge workers. In the knowledge society, information has become as important if not more than land, labour and capital resources.
Many traditional occupations now use
information technologies.
Every organisation can now be considered an
e-business
e-commerce generally means
the use of the internet and related technologies to support commerce
e-business is
the use of nearly any information technologies or systems to support every part of the business
The new economy consists of a Digital Divide
where those with access to information technology have great advantages over those without access to it.
The information Age is
the biggest wave of change and where information is the currency of the realm.
In the post-PC era five IT megatrends..
..shape the way we work and interact
The Five IT Megatrends
- Mobile
- Social Media
- Internet of Things
- Cloud Computing
- Big Data
Organizations not only have to create mobile-device-friendly versions of their Web sites, but often build
Mobile Apps
A mobile app is
A software program designed to perform a particular well-defined function to market their products or services
Consumerization of IT is
where employees use their own devices for work-related purposes or use software they are used to in the workplace
Workers tend to use their own devices primarily for
Checking e-mails or visiting social networking sites - but also for important tasks such as customer relationship management or enterprise resource planning.
This can be worrying or provide a host of opportunities, such as increased productivity or higher retention rates of talented employees
BYOD is
Bring your own device and is worrying for business and IT managers.
Cloud Computing
the use of the internet as the platform for applications and data.
Much of the functionality previously offered by applications installed on each individual computer is offered by
applications in the cloud accessed via your web browser.
Alvin Toffler describes
Three distinct phases or “waves of change” that have taken place in the past or a presently taking place within the world’s civilization
First wave: Agricultural era
Second wave: industrial era
Third wave: Information era (now)
The transformation of our social and work interactions enabled by 24/7 connectivity have given rise to
Big Data
Big Data is
Extremely large data sets that may be analyzed computationally to reveal patterns, trends and associations, especially relating to human behaviour and interactions
The succes of megatrends in based on
The Network Effect
The Network Effect
the notion that the value of a network increases with the number of users. So, if a network has few users, it has little or no value.
Companies in the information age, are creating value from
data and not from people
Wearable technology
clothing or accessories that incorporate electronic technologies, like smart watches or fitness trackers.
Computer Literacy
is knowing how to use a computer
Computer Literacy is not sufficient in today’s world. But what is?
Computer Fluency
Computer Fluency is
The ability to independently learn new technologies as they emerge and assess their impact on one’s work and life. It is what will set you apart in the future.
Professionals in the medical industry use
Healthcare IS, to support everything from patient diagnosis and treatment to analysing patient and disease data to running doctor’s offices and hospitals.
Information Technology has enabled
Globalisation
Globalisation is
The integration of economies throughout the world, fundamentally changing how not only people but also organisations and countries interact.
Globalisation can be visible in?
- Economic change: increases the international trade, development of global financial systems and currency, ad the outsourcing of labour.
- Cultural changes: Increases in the availability of multiculturalism through TV/Movies; frequency of international travel, tourism, and immigration; use of worldwide social media
- Technological Change: The development of low-cost computing platforms and communication technologies; availability of low-cost global telecommunication infrastructure like the internet.
Outsourcing is?
The moving of business processes of tasks to another company, either onshore or offshore.
The decrease in communication costs has added
another dimension to outsourcing, as now companies can outsource business processes on a global scale. Think of outsourcing customer service functions or accounting to companies specializing in these services.
Why outsource?
- reduce/control costs
- Free up internal resources
- Gain access to world-class capabilities
- Increase the revenue potential of the organisation
- Reduce time to market
- Increase process efficiencies
- Focus on a core activity
- Compensate for a lack of specific capabilities or skills
Information systems use information technology to
collect, create and distribute useful data.
Information Technology includes
Hardware, Software and Telecommuncation networks.
Hardware
Physical computer equipment, such as computers, tablets, or printers as well as components like a computer monitor or keyboard.
Hardware
Physical computer equipment, such as computers, tablets, or printers as well as components like a computer monitor or keyboard.
Software
A program or a set of programs that tell the computer to perform certain tasks.
Telecommunication Networks
A group of two or more computer systems that are linked together with communication equipment.
data is
the most basic element of any information system. They are raw symbols such as words and numbers, Their characteristics are that they have
1. No meaning an and of themselves. 2. are of little value until processed
Data can be
Formatted, organised or processed to be useful. It is transformed into information.
Information is
a representation of reality, and can answer questions about who what where and when.
To use information..
knowledge is needed.
Knowledge is
the ability to understand information, form opinions and make decisions or predictions based on the information.
Good IS personnel possess
valuable integrated knowledge and skills in the areas.
- Technical: having knowledge and skills in hardware, software, networking and security.
- Business: The area that sets IS personnel apart from others who have only technical knowledge and skills
- Systems: Those who understand how to build and integrate systems and how to solve problems.
Some types of information systems
- Transaction procession systems (TPS): are used by organizations to efficiently process customer transactions and generate a tremendous amount of data that can be used by the organization to learn about customers and ever-changing product trends.
- Management Information System: A system where TPS data are sorted and organized to support a broad range of managerial decision-making.
- Office Automation System: Provide processing, spreadsheat, and other personal productivity tools, enabling knowledge workers to accomplish their tasks (such as microsoft word and excel).
Sometimes systems can not be categorized (such as CRM and SCM) we refer to them either as
- Interworking: is connecting host computers and their networks together to form even larger networks like the internet.
- System integration: is connecting separate information systems and data to improve business processes and decision making.
If IS are conceived, designed, used, and managed effectively and strategically, then together with a sound business model they can…
enable organizations to be more effective, productive, expand their reach and to gain or sustain competitive advantage
Computer ethics is used to
decribe moral issues and standards of conduct as they pertain to the use of information systems
Information Privacy is concerned with
what information an individual should have to reveal to others in the workplace or through transactions, such as online shopping.
In the Information Age, others may have acces to..
personal information that you would prefer to keep quiet. This becomes quite problematic as organisations are increasinly able to piece together infromation about you.
By law, companies operating in the online world are not required to
respect your privacy.
Governments have pressured businesses to post
their privacy policies on their websites by issuing the Fair Information Practice Principles
the Fair Information Practice Principles
Fair Information Practice Principles:
- Enforcement/Redress
- Integrity/Security
- Access/Participation
- Choice/Consent
- Notice/Awareness
To Maintain your Privacy
- Choose websites that are monitored by independent organistions
- Avoid having cookies left on your machine
- Visit sites anonymously (www.anonymizer.com)
- Use caution when requesting confirmed e-mails
- beware of what you post or say online
Intellectual Property
Are the creations of the mind that have commercial value.
3D printing
enables creating physical three-dimensional objects from digital models. This enables lossless duplication of files.
