Chapter 14 - Development in technology Flashcards
What is cloud computing?
Provides a business with computing resources such as software and storage using a network of remote servers hosted on the internet
What are common features of cloud computing systems?
- Cloud systems can be either private or public
- Public systems sell services to anyone on the internet
- A private system is a proprietary closed system for a limited set of users - They are elastic so users can use as little or as much as they need
- The service will be fully managed by the provider in the case of public system
What is cloud accounting?
One application of cloud computing. Accounting software is provided in the cloud by a service provider rather than running the software on a local server
What examples of the internet of things?
- Home automation: Lighting, heating, security systems enabled through smart technology and home assistant
- Vehicles and transport: Connected cars and live traffic monitoring, allow improved fleet management and planning. Self-driving vehicles
What are digital assets
Any text or data file that is formatted into a binary source which includes the right to use it; digital files that do not carry the right are not considered digital assets
What are two examples of digital assets
- Media assets
- Textual contents
What is distributed ledger technology
Allow people or organisations that do not know each other to trust a shared record of events
What are the key features of distributed ledger technology
- Distributed ledger has no central storage and is shared by all parties who require access, each having an identical copy of the ledger
- Different parties add to the shared record and procedures e.g. blockchain to ensure information is valid before it’s accepted
- What is a lack of a central administration is the main advantage of the technology as it prevents any one party from dominating or corrupting the process
- Security is provided through cryptographic keys and clear signatures of all transactions
What is blockchain
Type of database that stores information together in blocks that are chained together. It is a process used to ensure only valid information is recorded in distributed ledger.
What is the blockchain process?
- New transactions
- New transactions is then transmitted to a network to peer-peer computers scattered across the world
- The network of computers then solves equations to confirm the validity of the transactions
- Once confirmed to be legitimate transactions, they are clustered together into blocks
- These blocks are then chained together creating a long history of all transactions that are permanent
- Transaction is complete
What are fintechs?
Software and other technologies that provide automated and improved financial servicesW
What are the examples of fintechs
- Crowd funding
- Peer to peer lending e.g. zopa
- Online currency conversion
- Digital wallets e.g. Apple Pay
What is a crypto currency
Digital tokens that allow online trading. There is no third party (bank) so it is similar to paying with cash
What are features of crypto currencies?
- Use distributed ledgers and blockchain to record the transfers
- Keep currency in a digital wallet
- Price of currency in volatile
- Risks of hacking the online wallet
- Opportunities for money laundering due to privacy levels
What are cognitive technologies?
Computer based systems that represent, reason about and interpret data. e.g. AI