Chapter 11

Question 1

Technology has Forever changed business

Answer 1

• all businesses are being transformed by technology
• disruptive innovation: less expensive and simpler version of existing products and services that target entirely new customers, many times replacing industry leaders

Question 2

Data

Answer 2

raw facts and figures that may or may not be meaningful to a business decision

Question 3

Information

Answer 3

knowledge gained from processing those facts and figures

Question 4

information system

Answer 4

an organized method for collection, storing, and communicating past, present, and projected information on internal operations and external intelligence

Question 5

chief information officer (CIO)

Answer 5

the executive responsible for managing a firm’s information systems and related operations
- traditionally reports directly to the chief executive officer (CEO)

Question 6

Big data

Answer 6

large or complex data sets, traditional processing applications are usually inadequate to analyze

Question 7

Computer-based information systems

Answer 7

rely on computer and related technologies to store information electronically in an organized, accessible manner
- computer hardware
- computer software
- a network
- database

Question 8

Database

Answer 8

centralized, integrated collection of data resources
- designed to meet the information processing and retrieval needs of a company’s workforce
- serves as an electronic filing cabinet, capable of storing massive amounts of data and retrieving it within seconds

Question 9

Operational support systems

Answer 9

designed to produce a variety of information on an organization’s activities for both internal and external users
- transaction processing system
- process control system
Management support systems: information systems that are designed to provide support for effective decision making

Question 10

Computer Hardware and Software

Answer 10

• the early commercial computer was sold in the U.S. in the early 1950s at a cost of $1 million, took up most of a room, and could perform about 2000 calculations per second.
• In the 1970s and 1980s, the idea of a computer on every desk was unimaginable

Question 11

Hardware

Answer 11

• all tangible elements of a computer system

Question 12

input devices

Answer 12

components that store and process data and perform required calculations (keyboard, mouse)

Question 13

Output devices

Answer 13

The hardware elements that transmits and display documents and other results of the computer system’s work (monitors, printers)

Question 14

Mainframes

Answer 14

largest type of computer system, with most extensive storage capacity and fastest processing speeds

Question 15

Midrange systems

Answer 15

high-end network servers, that can handle large-scale processing needs

Question 16

Personal computers

Answer 16

Desktops, notebooks, laptops

Question 17

Hand-held devices

Answer 17

smartphones

Question 18

software

Answer 18

all programs, routines, and computer languages that control a computer and tell it how to operate

Question 19

operating system

Answer 19

software that control the basic workings of a computer system (windows, Mac, Unix)

Question 20

Application software

Answer 20

program that performs the specific tasks that the user wants to carry out, such as writing a letter or looking up data (Adobe Acrobat Microsoft Office programs)

Question 21

Local Area Networks (LANs)

Answer 21

Computer networks that connect machines within limited areas, such as a building or several nearby buildings

Question 22

Wide Area Networks (WANs)

Answer 22

Tie larger geographical regions together by using telephone lines and microwave and satellite transmission

Question 23

Wireless Local Network

Answer 23

Allows computers, printers, and other devices to be connected without stringing cables in traditional office settings

Question 24

Internet

Answer 24

Consists of a global system of interconnected mainframe, personal, and wireless computer networks that enables information to be shared and exchanged

Question 25

Virtual Network

Answer 25

Computer network that consists of links that are not physical connections

Question 26

Intranets

Answer 26

Integrate computers running all kinds of operating systems and enable collaboration among employees who are travelling or telecommuting

Question 27

Enterprise Computing

Answer 27

Different types of hardware networked together to create a seamless data flow between organizations

Question 28

Cloud computing

Answer 28

Use of powerful servers to store application software and databases for users to access via the web using anything from a PC to a smartphone

Question 29

Application Service Provider (ASP)

Answer 29

An outside supplier that provides both the computers and the application support for managing an information system

Question 30

Security and Ethical Issues Affecting Information Systems

Answer 30

• Cybercrime
• Phishing attacks
• Cyberterrorism
• Computer viruses
  malware- viruses, worms, Trojan horses, spyware, and botnets

Question 31

information systems and ethics

Answer 31

use of information systems by employees and vendors
- personal use
- privacy
Organizational use of information
- employment records
- employee tracking and monitoring
- customer data

Question 32

Disaster recovery

Answer 32

deciding how to prevent system failures and continue operations if computer systems fail
- natural failures
- power failures
- equipment malfunctions
- software glitches
- human error
- terrorist attacks