Contracts, Defective Software and Business Planning - Professional Issues in Computing I

Question 1

What is a contract?

Answer 1

A contract is a voluntary arrangement between two or more parties that is enforceable by law.

Question 2

Describe the types of commercial IS contracts.

Answer 2

• Fixed price: fixed amount is agreed for the complete work. Supplier takes most of the risk.
• Time and materials: payment is based on number of hours/days worked and expenses incurred. Risks are shared between client and supplier.
• Usage based: payment is based on number of users/resources. Consumer takes most of the risk. SaaS/PaaS/IaaS

Question 3

What is included in a software development contract?

Answer 3

• Preamble
• Statement of work
• Deliverables
• Governance
• Terms
• Acceptance & warranty
• Change control mechanism
• Payment

Question 4

What is an IT consultancy contract?

Answer 4

• Contract hire involves supplying staff to a client to work on a project managed by the client.
• Consultancy involves assignment of a specialist to complete a specific engagement.
• Payment is usually time and materials.

Question 5

What is an IT outsourcing contract?

Answer 5

• Covers provision of IT services to a client by a third party.
• Contracts typically complex and detailed.
• May involve transfer of staff and assets from client to supplier.
  Needs to specify exit conditions

Question 6

What is a packaged software contract?

Answer 6

It involves buying a license to use it, not to own it.
Typically described in EULA.
# users, servers, site

Question 7

What is defective software?

Answer 7

Defective software is software that is unusable or has bugs or has known/accepted limitations.

Question 8

List the types of software defects.

Answer 8

• deficient functionality
• deficient performance
• compatibility
• easy of usage
• hidden bugs

Question 9

Mention use cases of the impact of software defects

Answer 9

• Therac 25
• Windows 2000
• Millennium bug
• North Staffs radiation dosages

Question 10

Is software a product or a service in the UK/EU law?

Answer 10

It’s categorized as a product.

Question 11

Describe Consumer Rights Act 2015.

Answer 11

• Gives consumers new legal rights entitling them to a repair or replacement when digital products are faulty.
• First time that cx have had clear legal rights for digital content.

Question 12

What describes business planning?

Answer 12

It’s a formal description of what a company intends to do and how it intends to do it

• Business concept and idea
• Markets and competitive landscape
• Management team and resources
• Financial plans

Question 13

What a business plan is used for?

Answer 13

• Management and planning
• raising funds from investors
• Bench marking progress

Question 14

What is a limited company?

Answer 14

shareholder risk is limited to invested capital

Question 15

What is private limited company

Answer 15

• companies whose shares are not available for public trading
• must provide company details to companies house
• cheap to set up

Question 16

What is public limited company

Answer 16

• company that trades on a stock exchange
• shares can be bought and sold by any member of the public
• must publish a true financial position regularly

Question 17

What is initial public offering

Answer 17

• allows a private company to sell its shares to the general public
• usually the company issues a percentage of its shares
• raise funds, provide an exit for investors, reward employees
• 6-36 months / £1M+

Question 18

What is a profession

Answer 18

paid occupation that involves training and formal qualifications.

Question 19

What are the functions of a profession

Answer 19

• specifies the training requirements
• controls entry to profession
• provides accreditation for related activities
• acts as an advisor on related matters

Question 20

What are the regulations of a profession

Answer 20

• Job tittle reserved, architects
• Job function reserved, chartered accountants
• job tittle and function reserved, registered veterinary surgeons

Question 21

What is software engineering as a profession for?

Answer 21

• improve IT quality
• assurance to customers
• help professions mature
• central register of qualified

Question 22

What is software engineering against

Answer 22

• most software is not mission critical
• it’s hard to agree a standard career path or qualifications for a computer engineer
• it would stifle innovation
• hard to enforce

Question 23

What are the types of organizational models?

Answer 23

• Centralized, IT department provides all IT services to the various divisions in a company.
• Distributed, each division in the company provides its own IT services.
• Hybrid, some services are provide centrally and some provided by the business departments

Question 24

What is the role of the IT department?

Answer 24

• Design and deploys new IT
• Changes existing IT
• Fixes broken IT
• Develops strategy
• Manages admin of IT

Question 25

What are the typical roles in the IS in corporations?

Answer 25

• CIO Chief Information Officer, the person in charge of the IT organization.
• Users, people who use the computer systems.
• IT architect, develops and maintains the blueprint that identifies how different technology components fit together and operate effectively.
• Busyness analyst, interprets user requirements into something the technical experts can use to develop a solution.
• Application developer, design and performs the programming or software configuration.