Midterm 1

Question 1

What is an information system?

Answer 1

A group of components that interact to produce information.

Question 2

What is MIS?

Answer 2

Management Information System comprise the development and use of information systems that help organizations achieve their goals and objectives.

Question 3

How does IS differ from IT?

Answer 3

IT represents the raw technology components of IS and doesn’t include people and procedure in the equation.

Question 4

How important are IS to our economy?

Answer 4

Most employment gains have occurred in the ICT sector in Canada.

Question 5

How do successful business professionals use information systems?

Answer 5

From basic information systems like email, accessing webpages, to specific information systems like project management software to business graphics.

Question 6

What is the shape of things to come?

Answer 6

David Tirol suggested that within the next decade unlimited storage will be almost free, the real and virtual world will collide, enable deep powerful performance-enhancing innovations in every industry.

Question 7

What is a business process?

Answer 7

A series of activities, tasks, or steps designed to produce a product or service.

Question 8

What are the components of a business process?

Answer 8

Activities, resources, facilities, and information.

Question 9

What is information?

Answer 9

Knowledge derived from data or data presented in a meaningful context.

Question 10

What is the role of information in Business Processes?

Answer 10

Anytime a good is moved or service is provided, information is produced.

Question 11

How do information systems support business processes?

Answer 11

Information systems can be used to automate a process activity, support counter sales, support payment, support purchasing, etc.

Question 12

How do information systems support decision making?

Answer 12

They provide the information (raw material) for many decisions.

Question 13

Why should I care about productivity and innovation?

Answer 13

Labour productivity is the best measure of Canada’s future growth. The ability to innovate determines the level of productivity.

Question 14

What is Business Technology Management, and how is it related to Productivity and Innovation?

Answer 14

Business Technology Management is a set of learning outcomes that the CCICT designed to give students combined technology and business skills. They are designed for students who are inspired to use technology to innovate and improve productivity.

Question 15

How do Information Systems improve productivity?

Answer 15

One way is that it enables the development of more efficient or more effective supporting activities. Another is by offering new and improved services, primarily activities that would not be available without IT.

Question 16

How are Organizational Strategy and Industry Structure Related?

Answer 16

Organization strategy beings with an assessment of the fundamental characteristics and structure of an industry. It responds to structure of its industry by choosing a competitive strategy.

Question 17

How do information systems provide competitive advantage?

Answer 17

In 2 ways: through product implementations or through system implementations.

Product Implementation
They could create a new product or service, enhance a product or service, or differentiate their current products or services.

System Implementation
Lock in customers and buyers, lock in suppliers, raise barriers to market entry, establish alliances, reduce costs.

Question 18

Can competitive advantage through information systems be sustained?

Answer 18

The effective integration of people, procedures, and technology can provide an organization with long-term competitive advantage.

Question 19

Why do you need to know about information technology?

Answer 19

Knowing the basics about modern IT will make you a more knowledgeable consumer of technology and help you consider how it can be used in business.

Question 20

Where did all this information technology stuff come from?

Answer 20

The history of computers starts in 1939 and has progressed to different forms and functions.

Question 21

What does a manager need to know about computer hardware?

Answer 21

Hardware consists of electronic components and related gadgetry that input, process, output, and store data according to instructions encoded in computer programs or software.

Question 22

What is the difference between a client and a server, and what is cloud computing?

Answer 22

Client computers is a basic PC. Servers provide a service. Cloud computing where hardware, software, and applications are provided as a service through the internet.

Question 23

What does a manager need to know about software?i

Answer 23

A manager should understand the difference between an operating system, and applications. The basic instruction set the operation system uses, and the typical user of that operation system.

Question 24

What buying decisions does a manager need to make?

Answer 24

Depends on the organizations policies but usually play a role in specification of client hardware and software for employees they manage.

Question 25

What are viruses, worms, and zombies?

Answer 25

Virus - computer program that replicates itself that consumes the computer’s resources and may cause unwanted and harmful actions.

Worms - A virus that propagates using the internet or other computer network.

Zombies - Infected computers

Question 26

What is content?

Answer 26

Intellectual property

Question 27

How can content be organized?

Answer 27

Through database management systems

Question 28

What is the purpose of a database?

Answer 28

A database keeps track of complex information that involve multiple themes.

Question 29

What does a database contain?

Answer 29

Bytes, columns, rows, and tables. A database is a collection of tables plus relationships among the rows in those tables plus metadata.

Question 30

What is a DBMS, and what does it do?

Answer 30

A program that creates, processes, and administers a database.

Question 31

What is database application?

Answer 31

Collection of forms, reports, queries, and application programs that process a database.

Question 32

What is the difference between an enterprise DBMS and a personal DBMS?

Answer 32

Enterprise DBMS products process large organizational and workgroup databases. (Eg. DB2, Microsoft SQL, Oracle.)

Personal DBMS products are designed for smaller, simpler database applications. (Eg. Access)

Question 33

Why should I care about networks?

Answer 33

Computers are more useful to people when they are connected to networks because they allow for collaboration.

Question 34

What is a computer network?

Answer 34

A collection of computers that transmit and/or receive electronic signals through transmission media.

Question 35

What are the components of a LAN?

Answer 35

For a LAN to be functional, there needs to be a switch and network interface cards in each device.

Question 36

Why is mobile computing important?

Answer 36

Mobile devices are changing the way people work.

Question 37

What do I need to know about connecting to the internet?

Answer 37

You need a router and an ISP to get connected.

Question 38

How does email actually work?

Answer 38

1. Get internet access through your LAN
2. Break apart message and get ready for transport
3. Send and receive packets
4. Reassemble packets and display message

Question 39

What are firewalls, encryption, and VPNs?

Answer 39

Firewall: computing device that prevent unauthorized network access.

Encryption: process fo transforming clear text into coded, unintelligible text for secure storage or communication

VPN: Uses the internet or private Ethernet to create appearance of private point-to-point connections

Question 40

How does a search engine work?

Answer 40

Requires two things: a way to collect URLs (web crawlers) and a method for storing (indexing) & accessing the URLs so that they can be searched