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Module 1: Computer and Information Systems
Topics
I. Computer System Components II. Computer Software III. Storage and Digital Representation of Data IV. Networking Computer Systems V. The Internet and the World Wide Web VI. Transforming Data into Information VII. A Model of Information Systems VIII. Benefits and Limitations of Information Systems IX. Collaborating with Information Systems X. Summary
I. Computer System Components
Computer systems are collections of interrelated hardware components that perform the basic functions of input, processing, output, storage, and control. They range in scale from microcomputers to minicomputers to mainframes to networked computer systems. In this section, we will focus on the microcomputer, or the personal computer (PC) found in most offices and homes.
The system unit is the largest, most complex component of the PC. It houses most of the hardware required to run the computer system. A typical PC system unit consists of
a metal and/or plastic case (chassis) that houses and protects the internal electronic components
internal bays and slots that hold the internal components in place
internal circuitry and electrical channels (buses) that enable the electronic components to communicate
external openings (bays) and ports that connect peripherals required to complete standard PCrelated tasks and to increase computing power and functionality
lights and other indicators that the PC is on and is communicating with external peripherals and networks
Inside the System Unit
The complex electronic components required for operating and controlling the PC system, running programs, processing data, and storing data are located inside the system unit. Table 1.1 outlines some of the key components of the system unit and describes their purpose.
Table 1.1 Key Components of the System Unit
Component Description
Motherboard thin, flat piece of circuit board, usually green or gold, that directly or indirectly connects all other
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components and peripherals
Memory module module that consists of electronic components that store instructions, data, and results temporarily
Processor slot(s) slot(s) on the motherboard used to install processor chips
Processor chip or central processing unit (CPU)
computer chip that interprets and carries out the basic instructions that operate a PC; the CPU contains a control unit and an arithmetic logic unit (ALU)
Adapter card slot(s) or expansion card slot(s)
slot(s) on the motherboard used to install an adapter card
Adapter card or expansion card
circuit board that enhances the functions of a system unit component and/or provides a connection to a peripheral
Internal drive bay bay in the chassis used to install internal drives such as hard drives
Hard drive electronic component used to store instructions, programs, and data for future use
Power supply unit that provides the necessary electrical power to make the PC operate
Because the PC is an important part of our professional and personal lives, we should be able to identify these key electronic components. The following exercise is designed to help you identify and locate the key internal components of the system unit while enhancing your understanding of how the PC functions.
To identify components, move your mouse pointer over the name of the component or its image. Then click your mouse to see a detailed view. In the detailed view, you can rotate most components for a complete examination.
Figure 1.1 Internal Components of the System Unit
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Attaching and Communicating with Peripherals
In addition to the system unit's internal components, a PC requires external devices to perform certain operations and to allow users to interface with it in order to complete desired tasks. These external devices are commonly called peripherals. Table 1.2 categorizes and provides some examples of peripherals.
Table 1.2 Peripheral Devices
Device Category Typical Peripherals
Input devices keyboard mouse scanner digital camera Web camera PC video camera microphone
Output devices monitor, screen, or display printer plotter speaker
Communications devices modem (cable, DSL, or dialup) router network card wireless access card
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Storage devices CD/DVD drive floppy disk drive USB flash drive external hard drive
Because you can purchase peripherals separately from your system unit and from different manufacturers, the computer industry has developed standard ways to connect peripherals so that they can communicate with each other through the motherboard and allow you to complete your tasks. System units use a variety of industrystandard bays and ports that allow you to connect peripherals indirectly to the motherboard. Bays for CD/DVD and other disk drives are traditionally located on the front of the system unit for easy access. Most ports are located on the back of the system unit, although manufacturers are also placing ports on the front and sides to provide easier access for connecting devices such as USB flash drives and Web cameras.
The exercise below is designed to help you locate and understand the purpose of the various bays and ports on a desktop PC system unit. To identify components, move your mouse pointer over the name of the component or its image. Then click your mouse to see a detailed view. In the detailed view, you can examine the cables of the various peripherals and plug them into their respective ports with your mouse. You can also see the most common bays and the way in which peripherals fit into them.
Figure 1.2 External Components of the System Unit
Notebook PCs, tablet PCs, and other mobile devices require some of the same peripherals as do desktop PCs to be fully functional. For these devices, the peripherals and the system unit are sold as a single unit. Notebook and tablet PC peripherals, such as the monitor, come attached to the system unit. Other peripherals, such as pointing devices, microphones, and speakers, are integrated into the system unit casing. Notebook and tablet PCs also incorporate a variety of industry standard bays, slots, and ports that enable them to connect to other peripherals.
II. Computer Software
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Computer software, or programs, consists of instructions that tell the computer hardware how to perform a task. There are two basic types of software—system and application. System software helps the computer manage its internal and external components and enables the application software to interact with those components. Application software is a set of programs used by the end user to complete generalpurpose tasks such as word processing, spreadsheet design, presentation development, and database management. Figure 1.3 shows the relationship between the user, application software, system software, and computer hardware.
Figure 1.3 Relationship of User, Software, and Hardware
System Software
System software is the interface between the user, the application software, and the computer hardware. There are three types of system software:
1. The operating system (OS) is the integrated core collection of software programs that boot your computer, apportion time on the CPU, manage files, and manage tasks. Windows, MacOS, and Linux are the most common microcomputer operating systems.
2. Device drivers are software programs that provide communications between input and output devices and the rest of the computer.
3. Utility programs are software programs that enhance existing functionality or provide services not supplied by other system software programs. These services include backing up data, recovering lost data, and identifying hardware problems.
System software generally comes preinstalled on computers.
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Application Software
Application software is software developed to solve a particular problem, to accomplish specific tasks, or to provide entertainment. It gives end users the capability to perform specific activities. The following types of application software handle common tasks:
Word processing software—this allows you to create, edit, format, store, and print documents consisting primarily of text.
Spreadsheet software—this allows you to enter data and formulas into columns and rows arranged as a grid and to perform calculations on the data using the formulas.
Database management software—this allows you to organize, manage, and control access to large amounts of data.
Presentation software—this allows you to organize graphics, animation, audio files, and data to deliver attractive and informative presentations.
Game software—this allows you to play singleplayer and multipleplayer games for entertainment.
Although it is not uncommon for demo versions of application software to come preinstalled on a computer, most application software must be obtained and installed by the user. There are five ways to obtain application software, depending on the type of software:
1. Commercial software is copyrighted software that is offered for sale, such as Microsoft Office. Software manufacturers do not actually sell you the software, but rather, sell you a license to use it. The license grants you the right to use the software yourself, but prohibits you from making copies to give away or sell.
2. Public domain software is software that has been donated to the public by its creators. You may duplicate this software at will. There is no cost to use this software, although public domain software is often inferior in functionality and quality to commercial software.
3. Shareware is copyrighted software that is distributed free of charge, but that requires you to make a donation to the developer if you wish to continue using it beyond a short evaluation period.
4. Freeware is copyrighted software that is distributed free of charge. Freeware developers generally retain all rights to their software, and you technically should contact them or go to their Web site to obtain the software. The Web browsers Internet Explorer and Firefox are two examples of freeware.
5. Rentalware is software leased to users by application service providers. You generally download the software from the application service provider’s Web site and then pay a monthly fee to use it.
Software Piracy
Pirated software is software that is obtained illegally, such as when a friend makes a copy of new commercial video game software for you in violation of the license agreement. Pirated software can sometimes be downloaded off the Internet or purchased in retail outlets in foreign countries. If you buy pirated software, not only do the copyright owners not get paid for their work, but you risk getting inferior software or picking up a virus embedded in the software. The Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) can hold you personally liable for any pirated software found on your computer.
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III. Storage and Digital Representation of Data
In modern computers, solid state semiconductor memory chips are used to hold data and instructions in primary storage (or main memory) between processing steps and then to supply them to the control unit and arithmetic logic unit during processing. Primary storage is referred to as volatile because most memory circuits lose their content when power is interrupted.
Secondary storage is nonvolatile; data and programs written to secondary storage remain intact even when the power to the secondary storage device is turned off. The data and programs on the secondary storage device must be retrieved and transferred to primary storage before they can be used by the CPU.
Primary Storage
Memory chips with capacities of 128 megabytes to 2 gigabytes are widely used for primary storage in microcomputers. Memory chips are silicon chips attached to the motherboard. The four principal types of memory chips are RAM, ROM, CMOS, and flash.
1. Randomaccess memory (RAM) chips temporarily hold software instructions and data before and after they are processed by the CPU. RAM is the most common form of primary storage in microcomputers. Because RAM is volatile, you should transfer your work to secondary storage on a regular basis by saving it.
2. Readonly memory (ROM) chips contain fixed startup instructions and cannot be written on by the user without special equipment. The startup instructions must be read into the CPU to be executed.
3. Complementary metaloxide semiconductor (CMOS) chips are powered by a battery and will not lose their contents so long as the battery has power. CMOS chips contain flexible startup instructions such as time, date, and calendar. These chips can be reprogrammed to a degree, such as when you adjust your system clock to account for daylight saving time.
4. Flash memory chips are a nonvolatile form of primary storage gaining in popularity. These chips can be erased and reprogrammed more than once. They are typically used to store programs in PCs, pagers, cell phones, MP3 players, Palm organizers, printers, and digital cameras. Flash memory chips are more expensive than RAM chips.
Secondary Storage
Magnetic disk storage is the most common form of secondary storage for computer systems. The magnetic disk materials can be either metal (hard) or plastic (floppy). The hard disk drives are usually permanently installed within a bay in the system unit or in an external case. Floppy disks are inserted into the floppy disk drive, and can be removed when not in use. Data are recorded on concentric circular tracks. All tracks with equal radius on a disk or disk pack make up a cylinder. The disk surface is divided into pieshaped sectors. Floppy disks generally have a storage capacity of 1.44 megabytes, whereas hard disks range in size from 10 to 200 gigabytes.
Magnetic tape storage is similar to the audiotape storage used in cassette recorders/players and reeltoreel tape players. Magnetic tape is used mainly for backup and archiving of data where there is no need for quick access. Tapes fell out of favor in the last few decades, but have returned to common usage as a cheap way to back up and archive large amounts of data.
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Optical disk storage operates in a similar manner to your favorite music CD or movie DVD. An optical disk is a removable disk on which data are stored as microscopic pits in a spiral track created and read using laser technology. CDs and DVDs come in three general types:
1. CDROM and DVDROM disks are prerecorded at the point of manufacture and can be readonly.
2. CDR and DVDR disks can be written to only once by your computer, but can be read many times.
3. CDRW and DVDRW disks can be written to many times by your computer.
CDR, CDRW, DVDR, and DVDRW disk drives are becoming more common on PCs.
Digital Representation of Data
To understand data storage, we must understand the binary or digital representation used in computers. Binary means composed of two parts. In computer language, the term refers to there being two possible states or conditions, such as on and off, conducting and non conducting, or one and zero. By convention, the on state, in which the electrical circuit is conducting, is represented by a 1, and the off state, in which the circuit is not conducting, is represented by a 0. For magnetic media (hard disks and floppy disks), the presence of a magnetic spot is a 1, and the absence of such a spot is a 0. For optical media, a reflective surface is a 1 and a pit is a 0.
A 1 or 0 is the smallest element of data and is called a bit (which is short for binary digit). To represent letters, numbers, and special characters, a group of eight bits is combined into a byte. Table 1.3 shows the terms used to represent the capacity of storage devices using the binary system.
Table 1.3 Binary System Storage Capacities
Term Symbol Number of Bytes Approximate Amount of Text
Byte 1 single character
Kilobyte KB 210, or 1,024 halfpage
Megabyte MB 220, or 1,048,576 500 pages
Gigabyte GB 230, or 1,073,741,824 500,000 pages
Terabyte TB 240, or 1,099,511,627,776
500,000,000 pages
Letters, numbers, and special characters are represented within a computer via one of three binary coding schemes—ASCII, EBCDIC, and Unicode, described below. The binary coding scheme arranges 0s and 1s in a way that uniquely represents each letter, digit, and special character.
ASCII—American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) is the most commonly used binary code for microcomputers and minicomputers.
EBCDIC—Extended Binary Coded Decimal Interchange Code (EBCDIC) is a binary code used primarily with mainframe computers manufactured by IBM and Amdahl.
Unicode—Unlike ASCII and EBCDIC, Unicode uses two bytes, or sixteen bits, to represent each character. Unicode has 65,536 unique combinations, whereas ASCII has only 256 unique combinations. Thus, Unicode can represent almost all of the different
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character sets in the world using two bytes.
IV. Networking Computer Systems
A network is a system of interconnected computers, phones, or other communications devices that can communicate with one another to share applications and data. People and organizations arrange computers into networks to obtain several benefits. These include
the sharing of peripherals the sharing of data and applications improved security of data access to company databases better communication
Types of Networks
Networks are typically divided into three types, based on geographic coverage.
1. A local area network (LAN) connects computers and peripherals in a limited geographic area such as an office, a building, or a group of buildings located close together.
2. A wide area network (WAN) covers a large geographical area. Most WANs use at least one host computer, such as a mainframe or minicomputer that controls the network.
3. A virtual private network (VPN) is a secure network that uses the Internet as its primary backbone network. It relies on the security features of the Internet and the company’s network connections.
Components of Networks
Networks have several components:
Routers, bridges, and gateways—Today’s networks invariably connect to other networks and to the Internet with the use of routers, bridges, and gateways. A router directs messages to the proper network and destination. A bridge connects networks of the same type, and a gateway connects networks of different types.
Transmission media—Networks use a wired or wireless connection system to pass messages from one part of the network to another. Transmission media may include twistedpair wiring, a coaxial cable, a fiberoptic cable, infrared signals, radiowave transmission, and WiFi.
Network operating system—Just as the operating system manages and directs the operations of a computer, the network operating system manages and directs the operations of the network.
Computers with network interface cards—Each network has two or more computers with network interface cards (NICs). A NIC enables the computer to send and receive messages on the network.
Other shared devices—Most networks also include printers, scanners, storage devices, and other peripherals shared by the network users. These devices are connected to the network with a NIC.
Network Topologies
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There are four network topologies, or structural designs, commonly used in localarea and widearea networks. Network topologies are defined by how the nodes, or workstations, are connected. Below, we will demonstrate the way in which the nodes in star, ring, bus, and mesh networks are connected, and the way in which the different connection topologies affect how messages are sent.
Click on the Send Message button in each diagram to see the path messages take as they travel through the network from one node to another.
Star Topology
In the star topology, the central node is connected to every other node, and it coordinates traffic through the network. Figure 1.4 shows a star network. Messages between A and B, where neither is the central node, always require two hops. Note that the network goes down if the central node goes down.
Figure 1.4 Star Network Topology
Ring Topology
In the ring topology, a closed loop connects all of the workstations. Messages flow in one direction around the ring from the source workstation to the destination workstation. Figure 1.5 shows a ring network. Messages from A to B flow through the intervening nodes in sequence until they reach B. In our diagram, four hops are required if the traffic is flowing in the counterclockwise direction.
Figure 1.5 Ring Network Topology
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Bus Topology
In the bus topology, a cable running the length of the network connects all of the nodes or workstations with a multipoint connection. Figure 1.6 shows a bus network. The small, solid rectangles at the ends represent the cable ends. A message from node A to node B is put onto the bus and is received by all the nodes on the bus, including node B.
Figure 1.6 Bus Network Topology
Mesh Topology
In the mesh topology, every node is connected by a dedicated pointtopoint connection to all the other nodes. A message requires only one hop no matter where the sending and receiving
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nodes are located in the network. Figure 1.7 shows a mesh network. Note that messages from both A to B and A to C require one hop.
Figure 1.7 Mesh Network Topology
Intranets, Extranets, and Firewalls
In the 1990s, businesses discovered the benefits of using the World Wide Web to disseminate information to suppliers, customers, vendors, and internal departments, which led to the development of intranets and extranets. An intranet is a company’s private, internal network that makes use of the infrastructure and standards of the Internet and the World Wide Web to provide access to company data and to share knowledge. An extranet takes the intranet a step further by providing controlled and secured access to selected external partners. A firewall is a system of hardware and software that blocks unauthorized access to the intranet and extranet.
V. The Internet and the World Wide Web
The goal of the original Internet (called ARPANET) was to enable people around the country to share computing resources. The Internet started in 1969 with a network of just four computers. By 1983, it had expanded to a network of about 500 computers, and by 1987, to a network of about 25,000. Yet the Internet remained largely the province of academics and researchers. It was not until the early 1990s, when the World Wide Web and the first browser were developed, that Internet use expanded rapidly.
Internet Services
Many people incorrectly believe that the Internet and the World Wide Web are the same. In reality, the World Wide Web is one service provided through the Internet. Other services provided through the Internet include the following:
Email—a means by which to send and receive messages to and from networked
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computers over telecommunications networks
Instant messaging (IM)—a means by which to send and receive short text messages in real time to and from computers logged into the same IM service
Chat—a chat service enabling users to engage in realtime "typed" discussions on specific topics
Newsgroups—electronic bulletin boards enabling users to conduct asynchronous discussions on specific subjects
List servers (listservs)—servers that provide electronic mailing lists for groups of users participating in asynchronous discussions
TELNET—a means of issuing commands and instructions on a local computer to be executed on a remote computer
File Transfer Protocol (FTP)—a means of exchanging or sharing files between computers using the Internet
Remote access—a means of accessing a proprietary network from a PC anywhere in the world using the Internet
Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP)—a communications standard that allows the user to make phone calls using special phones via the Internet
The World Wide Web
The World Wide Web, or the Web, provides easy access to many types of information found on the Internet. The Web is a hypertext system where the pages are connected by hyperlinks so that the user can easily move from one page to a related page with a browser. Each Web page is identified by a uniform resource locator (URL) that identifies the page, the server on which the page is located, and the domain in which the server is located. The URL allows the user to go directly to a specific Web page. Web pages can display text, graphic images, animations, video, and audio.
The Web comprises over one billion Web pages, and is changing every day. New sites are being created and older ones are being retired. Users can access many types of information, so it is important to have a smart search strategy, as given below:
1. Start with the general search tools. If you are not able to narrow your search sufficiently, try a more subjectspecific search engine.
2. Choose specific search terms and be careful to use the correct spelling.
3. Use phrases surrounded by quotation marks rather than using individual words.
4. Put unique words first in a phrase.
5. If your search engines support logical operators, use AND, OR, and NOT.
6. Read the search tips or help information provided by your search engines.
7. Check the lastupdate date of the page to be sure the information is current.
8. Note that pages with misspellings are likely to contain inaccurate information.
VI. Transforming Data into Information
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Information is a commodity, an article of commerce. People and organizations buy and sell information. Information is made up of data. Think of data as the raw material that is introduced into a work process and transformed into an end product. The end product may be a recommendation for future action, a financial report, or a decision to buy or create a product.
For example, suppose the product manager of a projectmanagement software company has spent the last six months reviewing the sales figures (data) for the company's main software product. Plotting the figures over time helps her realize that sales have dropped slightly each month (information). The product manager decides to recommend an extensive multimedia marketing campaign in an effort to revive sales (end product).
The terms data and information are often used interchangeably in conversation. They are, however, two different things.
Data are objective measures of the characteristics of such things as people and companies. The characteristics are called attributes, and the things are called entities.
Information is data that have been converted into a meaningful and useful form for specific end users. The data are subjected to a valueadding process where (1) they are aggregated, manipulated, and organized; (2) their content is analyzed and evaluated; and (3) they are placed in proper context for specific end users.
Data can be thought of as being contextindependent. A list of names, quantities, and dollar amounts from individual sales orders does not provide much in the way of clues about the context of the data and why they are being recorded. When the data are organized and manipulated, however, they can give the sales manager valuable information on the amount of sales by product, sales region, or salesperson. The data thus become actionable for the sales manager.
It is important to realize that what is information to one person may not be information to another because of the value each places on it. The figures valued by the sales manager may mean nothing to the IT manager of the company.
VII. A Model of Information Systems
An information system is a set of components that work together to provide information to support the operations and management of a business or organization.
Figure 1.8 shows one conceptual model of an information system. It illustrates the major components and activities.
Figure 1.8 Information System Components
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Every information system has five components:
1. Hardware—the computers, peripherals, and storage media used to process data into information
2. Software—the programs and procedures used to process data into information
3. Networks—the telecommunications technologies used to tie together the operations of a business with its information systems
4. Data—the raw material that is processed into information
5. People—the end users who make use of the information generated, and the information systems (IS) specialists who develop and operate the information system
The information system depends on people, hardware, software, networks, and data to perform input, processing, output, storage, and control activities that convert data into information.
VIII. Benefits and Limitations of Information Systems
Information systems help us in many ways, but they can also complicate our work procedures and isolate us from coworkers and others. We will discuss both the benefits and the limitations of information systems below, in a business context.
Benefits
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One of the main benefits of using information systems is that they help a business gain a competitive advantage. A business has a competitive advantage when customers clearly prefer its products or services to those of its competitors. Information systems can help a business gain a competitive advantage in the following ways:
Information systems can help reduce production costs. For example, GM (General Motors) requires that all suppliers be capable of receiving electronic orders, allowing for justintime delivery of necessary parts and eliminating inventoryholding costs. This reduces the cost of producing cars.
Information systems can help businesses differentiate their products or services from those of their competitors. For example, American Hospital Supply revolutionized the pharmaceutical supply industry by allowing customers to place all orders for their products through computers located at the customer site, thus eliminating the need for the customers to order through pharmaceutical sales representatives.
Information systems can help businesses identify additional markets to pursue. For example, Kraft captures in a database a customer's answers to survey questions given when the customer telephones the customerinformation center. The company analyzes the data to gain insight into new product opportunities, ways to use existing products, and changes to make in product packaging.
Information systems can help businesses provide unique offerings as part of their products or services. Comcast was the first cable company to begin delivering payper view events and ondemand movies to its customers through its existing cable television infrastructure.
A second benefit of using information systems is improved service. Information systems operate at all times during the night and day and process data faster than humans can. Organizations and businesses are able to serve their customers more effectively and efficiently with information systems by bringing the right information to bear at the right time.
A third benefit is increased productivity. Productivity is a measure of how much one accomplishes in a given period of time. Using information systems, employees can do more work during business hours than they could if they did not have those systems. Increased productivity means lower costs for businesses in providing goods and services. These cost savings can result in lower prices and higher profits.
A fourth benefit provided by information systems is better information. Every time a person makes a decision, he or she selects from multiple courses of action, not knowing what will be the outcome of each. Information helps to reduce the uncertainty associated with decision making, and thus leads to better decisions. Information systems allow users to process large quantities of data and turn that data into information that benefits them.
Limitations
One of the main limitations of information systems is information overload. Information systems can provide the decision maker with a significant amount of information related to the decision at hand. The amount of information available can be overwhelming and can impede the decisionmaking process.
A second limitation of information systems is the rapid evolution of technology. Experts estimate that most computer technology becomes obsolete in one to three years. Businesses must continually invest in upgrading their technology or risk being left behind by their competitors.
A third limitation of information systems is the need to train workers to use them. Information systems have become ubiquitous in a relatively short period of time. Many workers have had
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few opportunities, if any, to be trained on these systems. Many, due to gaps in their understanding, are likely underutilizing them. A company with undertrained workers will probably not reach maximum productivity and costeffectiveness.
A fourth limitation of information systems is the isolation of the workers. Information systems often keep workers behind computer screens for long periods each day. Employee interaction and collaboration has declined in many workplaces.
IX. Collaborating with Information Systems
Business problems require careful consideration from many perspectives to ensure that the proper solution is reached. Similarly, business opportunities require careful consideration to determine which option should be pursued. Careful consideration includes gathering the needed information from disparate sources, analyzing the information in a variety of ways, and presenting the results of these analyses to the appropriate decision makers. Information systems are often used to perform the gathering, analysis, and presentation activities. They are key to making highquality business decisions.
Information systems provide us with tools to aid in collaboration. These tools fall into three major categories.
1. Electronic communications tools enable us to electronically send messages, documents, and files over computer networks. They help us to share everything from voice and text messages to copies of project documents and data files with team members, wherever they may be.
2. Electronic conferencing tools enable team members and workgroups at different locations to exchange ideas interactively at the same time or at different times. These tools include videoconferencing systems, chat systems, discussion forums, electronic meeting systems, and decision rooms.
3. Collaborative work management tools enable team members and workgroups to create, edit, and revise joint documents. These tools include calendaring and scheduling tools, task and project management tools, workflow systems, knowledge management tools, and office productivity software suites such as Microsoft Office.
Information systems, particularly crossfunctional information systems, enhance collaboration among team members and workgroups by improving our ability to communicate ideas, to share resources, and to coordinate work efforts.
For example, suppose programmers, business analysts, project managers, external consultants, and customers form a virtual team to develop a new software application. They may rely on intranets and extranets to collaborate via email, conduct video conferencing, and maintain a projectdocument repository. They may draw data from a variety of project, corporate, and other databases to assist in the execution of the software development lifecycle and in the management of the project. They may utilize Web browsers, groupware, and office productivity software suites to make recommendations to the project sponsors and to update project stakeholders on the status of the project. The use of multiple information systems will allow the team to work more effectively and efficiently on joint projects and assignments.
X. Summary
In this module, we have provided an overview of the concepts and operations of computers and information systems. The other modules in this course focus on the advanced features of the Microsoft Office suite and on the ways in which these features can be used by individuals
9/7/2015 Module 1 Commentary
https://umuc.equella.ecollege.com/file/678876df3e24488984841173c6ccfffe/1/CMST3031109.zip/Modules/M1Module_1/S3Commentary.html#I 18/18
and workgroups. It is important to have a solid understanding of the technology of, and the interrelationships among, the hardware, software, and networks that allow us to make full use of the Microsoft Office feature set and to achieve productivity gains and improvements in our collaborations.
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