Network Applications

n  Discovery

n  Communications

n  Collaboration

n  Web services

Web 2.0

Web 2.0 is a loose collection of information technologies and applications, and the Web sites that use them.

Markus Angemeier took a look at the most common memes of the Web 2.0 phenomenon in this figure.

A meme is any unit of cultural information, such as a practice or idea, that is transmitted verbally or by repeated action from one person to another.  Examples include thoughts, ideas, theories, practices, habits, etc.

Note the basic memes of Web 2.0 are: usability, participation, economy, convergence, remixability, design, and standardization.

Web 2.0 Information Technologies and Applications:

·         AJAX: A web development technique that allows portions of web pages to reload with fresh data instead of requiring the entire web page to reload

·         Tagging: A tag is a keyword or term that describes a piece of information (e.g., blog, picture, article, video clip)

·         Blogs and blogging: A blog is a personal web site, open to the public, in which the site creator expresses his or her feelings or opinions.

·         Wikis: A wiki is a web site on which anyone can post material and make changes to other material.

·         Really Simple Syndication (RSS) : RSS allows users to receive, or customize the information they receive when they want it without having to surf thousands of web sites.

·         Podcasts and Videocasts: A podcast is a digital audio file that is distributed over the web using RSS for playback on portable media players or personal computers. A videocast is the same as a podcast, only with digital media and audio content.

  

E-Learning and Distance Learning

Benefits of E-Learning

n  Self-paced learning increases content retention.

n  Online materials deliver high-quality, current content.

n  Students have the flexibility of learning from any place at any time at their own pace.

n  Learning time generally is shorter, and more people can be trained due to faster training time.

n  Training costs can be reduced.

Drawbacks of E-Learning

n  Instructors may need training to be able to teach electronically.

n  The purchase of additional multimedia equipment may be necessary.

n  Students must be computer literate and may miss the face-to-face interaction with instructors.

n  There are issues with assessing students’ work, as instructors really do not know who completed assignments.

Telecommuting

Telecommuting allows workers to work anytime and anyplace.

Telecommuting Benefits:

• For Employees

n  Reduced stress, improved family life

n  Employment opportunities for single parents and persons with disabilities

• For Employers

n  Increased productivity

n  Ability to retain skilled employees

Telecommuting Disadvantages

• For Employees

n  Feelings of isolation

n  No workplace visibility

n  Potential for slower promotions

• For Employers

n  Difficulties in supervising work

n  Potential information security problems

n  Additional training costs

Managing Data

Difficulties in Managing Data

·         Amount of data increases exponentially.

·         Data are scattered and collected  by many individuals using various methods and devices.

·         Data come from many sources.

·         Data security, quality and integrity are critical.

The Database Approach

n  Database management system (DBMS) provides all users with access to all the data.

n  DBMSs minimize the following problems:

n  Data redundancy: The same data are stored in many places.

n  Data isolation: Applications cannot access data associated with other applications.

n  Data inconsistency: Various copies of the data do not agree.

n  DBMSs maximize the following issues:

n  Data security: Keeping the organization’s data safe from theft, modification, and/or destruction.

n  Data integrity: Data must meet constraints (e.g., student grade point averages cannot be negative).

n  Data independence: Applications and data are independent of one another. Applications and data are not linked to each other, meaning that applications are able to access the same data.

Database Management Systems

A database management system is a set of programs that provide users with tools to add, delete, access, and analyze data stored in one location.

The relational database model is based on the concept of two-dimensional tables.

Structured query language allows users to perform complicated searches by using relatively simple statements or keywords.

Query by example allows users to fill out a grid or template to construct a sample or description of the data he or she wants.

Data Warehousing

n  Data warehouses are organized by business dimension or subject.

n  Data warehouses are multidimensional.

n  Data warehouses are historical.

n  Data warehouses use online analytical processing.

Knowledge Management

Knowledge management is a process that helps organizations manipulate important

knowledge that is part of the organization’s memory, usually in an unstructured format.

Knowledge that is contextual, relevant, and actionable.

Intellectual capital is another term often used for knowledge.

Knowledge Management System Cycle:

n  Create knowledge

n  Capture knowledge

n  Refine knowledge

n  Store knowledge

n  Manage knowledge

n  Disseminate knowledge

Types of Information Systems

Computer-based information systems (CBIS) use computer technology to perform some or all of their tasks and are composed of:

n Hardware: is a device such as a processor, monitor, keyboard or printer.

n Software: is a program or collection of programs that enable hardware to process data.

n A Database: is a collection of related files or tables containing data.

n A Network: is a connecting system (wireline or wireless) that permits different computers to share resources.

n Procedures: are the set of instructions about how to combine the above components in order to process information and generate the desired output.

n People: are those individuals who use the hardware and software, interface with it, or uses its output.

Competitive Advantage and Strategic Information Systems

The best-known framework for analyzing competitiveness is Michael Porter’s competitive forces model (Porter, 1985).

n  Threat of entry of new competitors is high when it is easy to enter a market and low when significant barriers to entry exist. 

n  A barrier to entry is a product or service feature that customers expect from organizations in a certain industry. 

n  For most organizations, the Internet increases the threat that new competitors will enter a market.

Why Are Information Systems Important to Organizations and Society?

n  IT will reduce the number of middle managers.

n  IT will change the manager’s job.

n  IT impacts employees at work.

n  IT provides quality-of-life improvements

Managing Information Resources

Which IT Resources are Managed and By Whom?

During the early 1950s, Information Systems Department (ISD) managed ALL of the only computing resource, the mainframe.

Today, computing resources are located through the organization and almost all employees use computers in their work.

This system is known as end user computing.

The Role of the IS Department

The ISD is responsible for corporate-level and shared resources and for using IT to solve end users’ business problems.

End users are responsible for their own computing resources and departmental resources.

ISD and end users work together as partners to manage the IT resources.

Business Processes and Business Process Management:

A business process is a collection of related activities that produce a product

or a service of value to the organization, its business partners, and/or its customers.

Business process management is a management technique that includes methods and

tools to support the design, analysis, implementation, management, and optimization

of business processes.

Information Systems, Concepts and Definitions:

Data Item: Elementary description of things, events, activities and transactions that are recorded, classified and stored but are not organized to convey any specific meaning.

Information:  Data organized so that they have meaning and value to the recipient.

Knowledge: Data and/or information organized and processed to convey understanding, experience, accumulated learning and expertise as they apply to a current problem or activity.

Information Technology Architecture: A high-level map or plan of the information assets in an organization, which guides current operations and is a blueprint for future directions.

Information Technology Infrastructure: The physical facilities, IT components, IT services and IT management that support an entire organization.

The Global, Web-Based Platform:

n  Best represented by the Internet and the World Wide Web

n  Enables us to connect, compute, communicate, collaborate, and compete everywhere and anytime

n  Operates without regard to geography, time, distance, and language

Business Pressures, Organizational Responses, and IT Support:

Why Are Information Systems Important to You?

n  Information systems and information technologies are integral to your lives

n  Information systems offer career opportunities

n  Information systems are used by all functional areas in an organization