fundamental of information system assignment

Part I: What is an information system?

Chapter 1: What Is an Information System?

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this chapter, you will be able to:

define what an information system is by identifying its major components;
describe the basic history of information systems; and
describe the basic argument behind the article “Does IT Matter?” by Nicholas Carr.

Introduction

Welcome to the world of information systems, a world that seems to change almost daily. Over the past few decades information systems have progressed to being virtually everywhere, even to the point where you may not realize its existence in many of your daily activities. Stop and consider how you interface with various components in information systems every day through different electronic devices. Smartphones, laptop, and personal computers connect us constantly to a variety of systems including messaging, banking, online retailing, and academic resources, just to name a few examples. Information systems are at the center of virtually every organization, providing users with almost unlimited resources.

Have you ever considered why businesses invest in technology? Some purchase computer hardware and software because everyone else has computers. Some even invest in the same hardware and software as their business friends even though different technology might be more appropriate for them. Finally, some businesses do sufficient research before deciding what best fits their needs. As you read through this book be sure to evaluate the contents of each chapter based on how you might someday apply what you have learned to strengthen the position of the business you work for, or maybe even your own business. Wise decisions can result in stability and growth for your future enterprise.

Information systems surround you almost every day. Wi-fi networks on your university campus, database search services in the learning resource center, and printers in computer labs are good examples. Every time you go shopping you are interacting with an information system that manages inventory and sales. Even driving to school or work results in an interaction with the transportation information system, impacting traffic lights, cameras, etc. Vending machines connect and communicate using the Internet of Things (IoT). Your car’s computer system does more than just control the engine – acceleration, shifting, and braking data is always recorded. And, of course, everyone’s smartphone is constantly connecting to available networks via Wi-fi, recording your location and other data.

Can you think of some words to describe an information system? Words such as “computers,” “networks,” or “databases” might pop into your mind. The study of information systems encompasses a broad array of devices, software, and data systems. Defining an information system provides you with a solid start to this course and the content you are about to encounter.

Defining Information Systems

Many programs in business require students to take a course in information systems . Various authors have attempted to define the term in different ways. Read the following definitions, then see if you can detect some variances.

“An information system (IS) can be defined technically as a set of interrelated components that collect, process, store, and distribute information to support decision making and control in an organization.” [1]
“Information systems are combinations of hardware, software, and telecommunications networks that people build and use to collect, create, and distribute useful data, typically in organizational settings.” [2]
“Information systems are interrelated components working together to collect, process, store, and disseminate information to support decision making, coordination, control, analysis, and visualization in an organization.” [3]

The Components of Information Systems

Information systems can be viewed as having five major components: hardware, software, data, people, and processes. The first three are technology . These are probably what you thought of when defining information systems. The last two components, people and processes, separate the idea of information systems from more technical fields, such as computer science. In order to fully understand information systems, you will need to understand how all of these components work together to bring value to an organization.

Technology can be thought of as the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes. From the invention of the wheel to the harnessing of electricity for artificial lighting, technology has become ubiquitous in daily life, to the degree that it is assumed to always be available for use regardless of location. As discussed before, the first three components of information systems – hardware, software, and data – all fall under the category of technology. Each of these will be addressed in an individual chapter. At this point a simple introduction should help you in your understanding.

Hardware is the tangible, physical portion of an information system – the part you can touch. Computers, keyboards, disk drives, and flash drives are all examples of information systems hardware. How these hardware components function and work together will be covered in Chapter 2.

fundamental of information system assignment

Software comprises the set of instructions that tell the hardware what to do. Software is not tangible – it cannot be touched. Programmers create software by typing a series of instructions telling the hardware what to do. Two main categories of software are: Operating Systems and Application software. Operating Systems software provides the interface between the hardware and the Application software. Examples of operating systems for a personal computer include Microsoft Windows and Ubuntu Linux. The mobile phone operating system market is dominated by Google Android and Apple iOS. Application software allows the user to perform tasks such as creating documents, recording data in a spreadsheet, or messaging a friend. Software will be explored more thoroughly in Chapter 3.

The third technology component is data. You can think of data as a collection of facts. For example, your address (street, city state, postal code), your phone number, and your social networking account are all pieces of data. Like software, data is also intangible, unable to be seen in its native state. Pieces of unrelated data are not very useful. But aggregated, indexed, and organized together into a database, data can become a powerful tool for businesses. Organizations collect all kinds of data and use it to make decisions which can then be analyzed as to their effectiveness. The analysis of data is then used to improve the organization’s performance. Chapter 4 will focus on data and databases, and how it is used in organizations.

Networking Communication

Besides the technology components (hardware, software, and data) which have long been considered the core technology of information systems, it has been suggested that one other component should be added: communication. An information system can exist without the ability to communicate – the first personal computers were stand-alone machines that did not access the Internet. However, in today’s hyper-connected world, it is an extremely rare computer that does not connect to another device or to a enetwork. Technically, the networking communication component is made up of hardware and software, but it is such a core feature of today’s information systems that it has become its own category. Networking will be covered in Chapter 5.

When thinking about information systems, it is easy to focus on the technology components and forget to look beyond these tools to fully understand their integration into an organization. A focus on the people involved in information systems is the next step. From the front-line user support staff, to systems analysts, to developers, all the way up to the chief information officer (CIO), the people involved with information systems are an essential element. The people component will be covered in Chapter 9.

The last component of information systems is process. A process is a series of steps undertaken to achieve a desired outcome or goal. Information systems are becoming more integrated with organizational processes, bringing greater productivity and better control to those processes. But simply automating activities using technology is not enough – businesses looking to utilize information systems must do more. The ultimate goal is to improve processes both internally and externally, enhancing interfaces with suppliers and customers. Technology buzzwords such as “business process re-engineering,” “business process management,” and “enterprise resource planning” all have to do with the continued improvement of these business procedures and the integration of technology with them. Businesses hoping to gain a competitive advantage over their competitors are highly focused on this component of information systems. The process element in information systems will be discussed in Chapter 8.

The Role of Information Systems

You should now understand that information systems have a number of vital components, some tangible, others intangible, and still others of a personnel nature. These components collect, store, organize, and distribute data throughout the organization. You may have even realized that one of the roles of information systems is to take data and turn it into information, and then transform that information into organizational knowledge. As technology has developed, this role has evolved into the backbone of the organization, making information systems integral to virtually every business. The integration of information systems into organizations has progressed over the decades.

The Mainframe Era

From the late 1950s through the 1960s, computers were seen as a way to more efficiently do calculations. These first business computers were room-sized monsters, with several machines linked together. The primary work was to organize and store large volumes of information that were tedious to manage by hand. Only large businesses, universities, and government agencies could afford them, and they took a crew of specialized personnel and dedicated facilities to provide information to organizations.

Time-sharing allowed dozens or even hundreds of users to simultaneously access mainframe computers from locations in the same building or miles away. Typical functions included scientific calculations and accounting, all under the broader umbrella of “data processing.”

In the late 1960s, Manufacturing Resources Planning (MRP) systems were introduced. This software, running on a mainframe computer, gave companies the ability to manage the manufacturing process, making it more efficient. From tracking inventory to creating bills of materials to scheduling production, the MRP systems gave more businesses a reason to integrate computing into their processes. IBM became the dominant mainframe company. Continued improvement in software and the availability of cheaper hardware eventually brought mainframe computers (and their little sibling, the minicomputer) into most large businesses.

Today you probably think of Silicon Valley in northern California as the center of computing and technology. But in the days of the mainframe’s dominance corporations in the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul produced most computers. The advent of the personal computer resulted in the “center of technology” eventually moving to Silicon Valley.

The PC Revolution

In 1975, the first microcomputer was announced on the cover of Popular Mechanics : the Altair 8800. Its immediate popularity sparked the imagination of entrepreneurs everywhere, and there were soon dozens of companies manufacturing these “personal computers.” Though at first just a niche product for computer hobbyists, improvements in usability and the availability of practical software led to growing sales. The most prominent of these early personal computer makers was a little company known as Apple Computer, headed by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, with the hugely successful “Apple II.” Not wanting to be left out of the revolution, in 1981 IBM teamed with Microsoft, then just a startup company, for their operating system software and hurriedly released their own version of the personal computer simply called the “PC.” Small businesses finally had affordable computing that could provide them with needed information systems. Popularity of the IBM PC gave legitimacy to the microcomputer and it was named Time magazine’s “Man of the Year” for 1982.

Because of the IBM PC’s open architecture, it was easy for other companies to copy, or “clone” it. During the 1980s, many new computer companies sprang up, offering less expensive versions of the PC. This drove prices down and spurred innovation. Microsoft developed the Windows operating system, with version 3.1 in 1992 becoming the first commercially successful release. Typical uses for the PC during this period included word processing, spreadsheets, and databases. These early PCs were standalone machines, not connected to a network.

Client-Server

In the mid-1980s, businesses began to see the need to connect their computers as a way to collaborate and share resources. Known as “client-server,” this networking architecture allowed users to log in to the Local Area Network (LAN) from their PC (the “client”) by connecting to a central computer called a “server.” The server would lookup permissions for each user to determine who had access to various resources such as printers and files. Software companies began developing applications that allowed multiple users to access the same data at the same time. This evolved into software applications for communicating, with the first popular use of electronic mail appearing at this time.

This networking and data sharing all stayed mainly within the confines of each business. Sharing of electronic data between companies was a very specialized function. Computers were now seen as tools to collaborate internally within an organization. These networks of computers were becoming so powerful that they were replacing many of the functions previously performed by the larger mainframe computers at a fraction of the cost. It was during this era that the first Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems were developed and run on the client-server architecture. An ERP system is an application with a centralized database that can be used to run a company’s entire business. With separate modules for accounting, finance, inventory, human resources, and many more, ERP systems, with Germany’s SAP leading the way, represented the state of the art in information systems integration. ERP systems will be discussed in Chapter 9.

The Internet, World Wide Web and E-Commerce

The first long distance transmission between two computers occurred on October 29, 1969 when developers under the direction of Dr. Leonard Kleinrock sent the word “login” from the campus of UCLA to Stanford Research Institute in Menlo Park, California, a distance of over 350 miles. The United States Department of Defense created and funded ARPA Net (Advanced Research Projects Administration), an experimental network which eventually became known as the Internet. ARPA Net began with just four nodes or sites, a very humble start for today’s Internet. Initially, the Internet was confined to use by universities, government agencies, and researchers. Users were required to type commands (today we refer to this as “command line”) in order to communicate and transfer files. The first e-mail messages on the Internet were sent in the early 1970s as a few very large companies expanded from local networks to the Internet. The computer was now evolving from a purely computational device into the world of digital communications.

In 1989, Tim Berners-Lee developed a simpler way for researchers to share information over the Internet, a concept he called the World Wide Web . [4] This invention became the catalyst for the growth of the Internet as a way for businesses to share information about themselves. As web browsers and Internet connections became the norm, companies rushed to grab domain names and create websites.

The digital world also became a more dangerous place as virtually all companies connected to the Internet. Computer viruses and worms, once slowly propagated through the sharing of computer disks, could now grow with tremendous speed via the Internet. Software and operating systems written for a standalone world found it very difficult to defend against these sorts of threats. A whole new industry of computer and Internet security arose. Information security will be discussed in Chapter 6.

As the world recovered from the dot-com bust, the use of technology in business continued to evolve at a frantic pace. Websites became interactive. Instead of just visiting a site to find out about a business and then purchase its products, customers wanted to be able to customize their experience and interact online with the business. This new type of interactive website, where you did not have to know how to create a web page or do any programming in order to put information online, became known as Web 2.0. This new stage of the Web was exemplified by blogging, social networking, and interactive comments being available on many websites. The new Web 2.0 world, in which online interaction became expected, had a major impact on many businesses and even whole industries. Many bookstores found themselves relegated to a niche status. Video rental chains and travel agencies simply began going out of business as they were replaced by online technologies. The newspaper industry saw a huge drop in circulation with some cities such as New Orleans no longer able to support a daily newspaper. Disintermediation is the process of technology replacing a middleman in a transaction. Web 2.0 allowed users to get information and news online, reducing dependence of physical books and newspapers.

As the world became more connected, new questions arose. Should access to the Internet be considered a right? Is it legal to copy a song that had been downloaded from the Internet? Can information entered into a website be kept private? What information is acceptable to collect from children? Technology moved so fast that policymakers did not have enough time to enact appropriate laws. Ethical issues surrounding information systems will be covered in Chapter 12.

The Post-PC World, Sort of

Ray Ozzie, a technology visionary at Microsoft, stated in 2012 that computing was moving into a phase he called the post-PC world. [5] Now six years later that prediction has not stood up very well to reality. As you will read in Chapter 13, PC sales have dropped slightly in recent years while there has been a precipitous decline in tablet sales. Smartphone sales have accelerated, due largely to their mobility and ease of operation. Just as the mainframe before it, the PC will continue to play a key role in business, but its role will be somewhat diminished as people emphasize mobility as a central feature of technology. Cloud computing provides users with mobile access to data and applications, making the PC more of a part of the communications channel rather than a repository of programs and information. Innovation in the development of technology and communications will continue to move businesses forward.

Can Information Systems Bring Competitive Advantage?

It has always been the assumption that the implementation of information systems will bring a business competitive advantage. If installing one computer to manage inventory can make a company more efficient, then it can be expected that installing several computers can improve business processes and efficiency.

In 2003, Nicholas Carr wrote an article in the Harvard Business Review that questioned this assumption. Entitled “I.T. Doesn’t Matter.” Carr was concerned that information technology had become just a commodity. Instead of viewing technology as an investment that will make a company stand out, Carr said technology would become as common as electricity – something to be managed to reduce costs, ensure that it is always running, and be as risk-free as possible.

The article was both hailed and scorned. Can I.T. bring a competitive advantage to an organization? It sure did for Walmart (see sidebar). Technology and competitive advantage will be discussed in Chapter 7.

Sidebar: Walmart Uses Information Systems to Become the World’s Leading Retailer

Registered trademark of Amazon Technologies, Inc.

Walmart is the world’s largest retailer, earn 8.1 billion for the fiscal year that ended on January 31, 2018. Walmart currently serves over 260 million customers every week worldwide through its 11,700 stores in 28 countries. [6] In 2018 Fortune magazine for the sixth straight year ranked Walmart the number one company for annual revenue as they again exceeded $500 billion in annual sales. The next closest company, Exxon, had less than half of Walmart’s total revenue. [7] Walmart’s rise to prominence is due in large part to making information systems a high priority, especially in their Supply Chain Management (SCM) system known as Retail Link. ing $14.3 billion on sales of $30

This system, unique when initially implemented in the mid-1980s, allowed Walmart’s suppliers to directly access the inventory levels and sales information of their products at any of Walmart’s more than eleven thousand stores. Using Retail Link, suppliers can analyze how well their products are selling at one or more Walmart stores with a range of reporting options. Further, Walmart requires the suppliers to use Retail Link to manage their own inventory levels. If a supplier feels that their products are selling out too quickly, they can use Retail Link to petition Walmart to raise the inventory levels for their products. This has essentially allowed Walmart to “hire” thousands of product managers, all of whom have a vested interest in the products they are managing. This revolutionary approach to managing inventory has allowed Walmart to continue to drive prices down and respond to market forces quickly.

Today Walmart continues to innovate with information technology. Using its tremendous market presence, any technology that Walmart requires its suppliers to implement immediately becomes a business standard. For example, in 1983 Walmart became the first large retailer to require suppliers to the use Uniform Product Code (UPC) labels on all products. Clearly, Walmart has learned how to use I.T. to gain a competitive advantage.

In this chapter you have been introduced to the concept of information systems. Several definitions focused on the main components: technology, people, and process. You saw how the business use of information systems has evolved over the years, from the use of large mainframe computers for number crunching, through the introduction of the PC and networks, all the way to the era of mobile computing. During each of these phases, new innovations in software and technology allowed businesses to integrate technology more deeply into their organizations.

Virtually every company uses information systems which leads to the question: Does information systems bring a competitive advantage? In the final analysis the goal of this book is to help you understand the importance of information systems in making an organization more competitive. Your challenge is to understand the key components of an information system and how it can be used to bring a competitive advantage to every organization you will serve in your career.

Study Questions

What are the five major components that make up an information system?
List the three examples of information system hardware?
Microsoft Windows is an example of which component of information systems?
What is application software?
What roles do people play in information systems?
What is the definition of a process?
What was invented first, the personal computer or the Internet?
In what year were restrictions on commercial use of the Internet first lifted?
What is Carr’s main argument about information technology?
Suppose that you had to explain to a friend the concept of an information system. How would you define it? Write a one-paragraph description in your own words that you feel would best describe an information system to your friends or family.
Of the five primary components of an information system (hardware, software, data, people, process), which do you think is the most important to the success of a business organization? Write a one-paragraph answer to this question that includes an example from your personal experience to support your answer.
Everyone interacts with various information systems every day: at the grocery store, at work, at school, even in our cars. Make a list of the different information systems you interact with daily. Can you identify the technologies, people, and processes involved in making these systems work.
Do you agree that we are in a post-PC stage in the evolution of information systems? Do some original research and cite it as you make your prediction about what business computing will look like in the next generation.
The Walmart sidebar introduced you to how information systems was used to make them the world’s leading retailer. Walmart has continued to innovate and is still looked to as a leader in the use of technology. Do some original research and write a one-page report detailing a new technology that Walmart has recently implemented or is pioneering.
Examine your PC. Using a four column table format identify and record the following information: 1st column: Program name, 2nd column: software manufacturer, 3rd column: software version, 4th column: software type (editor/word processor, spreadsheet, database, etc.).
Examine your mobile phone. Create another four column table similar to the one in Lab #1. This time identify the apps, then record the requested information.
In this chapter you read about the evolution of computing from mainframe computers to PCs and on to smartphones. Create a four column table and record the following information about your own electronic devices: 1st column – Type: PC or smartphone, 2nd column – Operating system including version, 3rd column – Storage capacity, 4th column – Storage available.
Laudon, K.C. and Laudon, J. P. (2014) Management Information Systems , thirteenth edition. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson.
Valacich, J. and Schneider, C. (2010). Information Systems Today – Managing in the Digital World , fourth edition. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall.
Laudon, K.C. and Laudon, J. P. (2012). Management Information Systems , twelfth edition. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall.
CERN . (n.d.) The Birth of the Web. Retrieved from http://public.web.cern.ch/public/en/about/web-en.html
Marquis, J. (2012, July 16) What is the Post-PC World? Online Universities.com. Retrieved from https://www.onlineuniversities.com/blog/2012/07/what-post-pc-world/
Walmart . (n.d.) 2017 Annual Report. Retrieved from http://s2.q4cdn.com/056532643/files/doc_financials/2017/Annual/WMT_2017_AR-(1).pdf
McCoy, K. (2018, May 21). Big Winners in Fortune 500 List. USA Today . Retrieved from http://https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2018/05/21/big-winners-fortune-500-list-walmart-exxon-mobil-amazon/628003002/

Information Systems for Business and Beyond (2019) by David Bourgeois is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Information Systems for Business and Beyond

(19 reviews)

David T. Bourgeois, Biola University

James L. Smith

Shouhong Wang

Joseph Mortati

Last Update: 2019

Publisher: Saylor Foundation

Language: English

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Reviewed by Gregg Tennefoss, Department Chair, IT, Tidewater Community College on 4/20/24

Due to not being edited for 11 years the book is out of date. It would take a strong effort to bring it up to date and would need update minimally every 3 years. read more

Comprehensiveness rating: 3 see less

Due to not being edited for 11 years the book is out of date. It would take a strong effort to bring it up to date and would need update minimally every 3 years.

Content Accuracy rating: 4

The book is accurate for it's last update in 2019.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 3

This book's last edit was 2019 which makes in obsolete in some areas and in need of new material in others. 11 years is a long time in area of IT.

Clarity rating: 4

The clarity exists for time it was written, however, updates are needed to adjust to existing technology along with added content.

Consistency rating: 5

The consistency seems in order.

Modularity rating: 4

More graphics are needed to break things up. Labs are outdated.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The topics are in a logical order for the 2019 edits.

Interface rating: 3

The low number of visuals is an issue.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

No grammatical errors found.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

The books seems inline with DEI based on my read through.

Book was well done but just needs some help.

Reviewed by Xuan Wang, Assistant Professor, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley on 11/30/22

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

This book has mentioned many topics in the field of information systems, the topics have spread a wide range of helping beginners to understand information systems and the components of information systems. Additionally, there are many changes with the 2019 updates. I think the updates are very important for the book with the students in the field of information systems. Now many departments have the bachelor of business analytics major under the department of information systems because we are moving into the era of big data, it will be better to introduce more popular software and attractive topics that is also helping students to know the use of being a student with major in information systems. I think the book provides us with comprehensive topics, but may be more popular or hot topics can be added with further changes.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The authors deliver quality materials for beginners to understand the area of information systems. I think it will be better to illustrate the differences between computer science and information systems in some of the chapters, such as the two chapters on hardware and software. I think it will be better to emphasize what kind of knowledge or what kind of skills the industry requires for people with an information systems background. Also, security is a big issue and hot topic in nowadays, I might consider two chapters introducing the security issue in the field of information systems.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

Content appears relevant in the setting of information systems. I would suggest adding more popular or hot topics to make the contents or materials updated with the current needs.

Clarity rating: 5

The authors have explained the terminologies and new concepts in a way that is easy to understand. For example, it has listed real case examples to show how things are working in the real world. The way of explanation is very friendly for a reader who is new to the world of information systems.

The content is consistent, and it is easy to follow and understand it.

Modularity rating: 5

The chapters are logically divided, and the breakdowns are easy to follow. It also provides the summary and questions for each chapter.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4

I think the order of each chapter also can be modified. It will be better if there is an order in the first chapter "what is information systems", and then the rest chapter can follow the order to do the explanations. It contains the common structure of IS textbooks.

Interface rating: 4

I download the pdf version to read through the book, I think it will be better to provide a table of contents, which will be easier to provide the navigation for the readers.

After I read through the book, there are no grammatical errors. And this book also has gone through several revisions and updates. it is ready to adopt in the classroom.

The book is open to everybody, I do not think there is any culturally insensitive or offensive in any way. This book fits all the people who would like to understand the information systems world.

I appreciate the authors spending time and making this book an open resource.

Reviewed by Naga Vemprala, Assistant Professor, University of Portland on 8/15/22

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

The book goes into great detail on a broad range of topics including software, hardware, databases, the cloud, the internet, networking, and the most recent developments in information systems. As a result, both undergraduate and graduate courses can use it. Additionally, the database chapter covers important subjects like business intelligence and decision-making. The authors began with an introduction about organizing data in Excel sheets (storing raw data), producing useful information for organizational decision-making, and finally extracting knowledge from the processed data (organizational information) using Business Intelligence systems. This logical flow of explanation is quite fascinating. One chapter covers all of the course material in detail. In other Pearson textbooks, I typically see these topics divided into databases and Business Intelligence. The logical flow of this combined version, however, makes it much better in my opinion.

The chapters on software and hardware cover additional topics in an interesting and thorough manner. A brief introduction to virtualization, virtual machines, and eventually their use in blockchain technology are also included in the Software chapter. The logical progression is excellent. Similar circumstances apply to hardware, where the authors first described recent advancements in hardware while taking into account the drawbacks and difficulties the hardware electronics industry faced in the previous decade while taking into account the constant growth in data size and processing complexity. IoT devices are introduced in detail, and at the end, there are some intriguing case study-related questions. The internet is discussed briefly in the networking chapters. The only thing I believe is missing is a discussion of RFID and Bluetooth wireless communication protocols. Network technologies such as LAN, WAN, and PAN are introduced at an introductory level while more details are indeed required. There has been no discussion of net neutrality. If the instructors intend to include discussions about technology management, more information about these topics should be included.

Overall, the book goes into great detail about the most important introductory topics of Information Systems.

There is no bias in the text content. The references provided for each chapter are up to date and relevant. The information is presented precisely.

The use of information systems to improve efficiency is an ongoing process. However, new technology is constantly being developed, which may render current content relatively old but not completely obsolete in a few years. The current version covers a wide range of current topics, including Blockchain technology, cryptocurrencies, IoT, and Business Intelligence.

The textbook is quite easy to follow with a lot of real-time examples provided for many critical concepts discussed throughout the text.

The text is internally consistent in terms of terminology and framework.

With more than 10 chapters created to present Information Systems for Business, the key concepts are appropriately covered in small chunks with a lot of detailed explanations and examples. The connection between the chapters are mentioned as and when it is deemed.

The overall textbook topics cover all of the fundamentals of understanding Information Systems. Many chapters are independent concepts in and of themselves, but the sub-topics within the chapters follow a good logical flow.

The chapter on business processes is a prime example of how important concepts are organized in a logical chronological order. The business process is introduced first, followed by an explanation of the importance of having a strong business model. This is followed by business process reengineering and the introduction of SAP enterprise systems. The creation of a suite of software applications designed to meet the needs of an enterprise, as well as the foundations of these systems, are detailed. This is an excellent method of organizing the subtopics or the concepts within a chapter. However, I think the order of some of the chapters is not properly justified or at least the explanation should have been provided in the beginning.

Interface rating: 5

The most recent edition is available in PDF, epub, and online formats. The online version includes color images. The online version's navigation is quite simple. The PDF version has a reasonable font size that is not cluttered.

As far as I can tell, there are no grammatical errors. The textbook has gone through several revisions and is now ready to be used in class.

The text is not culturally insensitive or offensive in any way.

I teach "Introduction to Operations and Technology Management" at the University of Portland's Pamplin School of Business. I introduce Information Systems to Business students as part of the Technology Management course content. The current textbook, "Information Systems for Business and Beyond," covers all of the chapters/topics covered in class and is up to date. I went over the textbook using the rubrics provided. I think the textbook is extremely relevant and well-written. The lack of exercises at the end of each chapter and the fact that the current exercises are largely theoretical are my only objections to using this textbook in my class in its as-is form. But with additional use cases created, I am planning to propose the textbook for the class I am teaching.

Reviewed by Tracy Christofero, Professor, Marshall University on 11/30/21

This entry-level information systems textbook touches on relevant topics for non-technical undergraduate business students. The chapter learning objectives, sidebars, summaries, study questions, and exercises are especially appreciated whether using as a stand-alone text or as the foundation upon which to add up-to-date supplemental course materials. Including an index and glossary would have been helpful.

Content appears accurate, error-free and unbiased. It can additionally be easily built upon with supplemental content and detail.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

Content appears relevant and can be easily updated as times and technologies change. Included historic content is timeless; there just becomes more of it.

Content is written in a clear and concise manner. The text is easy-to-read and comprehend even for those with limited or no prior information systems knowledge.

Consistency rating: 4

Content appears consistent, however, format is not. It is a bit disconcerting that paragraph fonts and line spacing are inconsistent which is not a good example for students required to carefully format and proofread their work before submitting.

Chapters and topics can easily be stand-alone, so course content can be arranged and supplemented to fit instructor needs.

Content is presented in a logical, clear fashion and are well scaffolded. The hyperlinked Table of Contents assures content is easy to access. Chapters and content can be rearranged, if preferred.

The text is easy to navigate without distraction or confusion.

Content, exercises, and examples, etc. appear culturally neutral.

Good overview textbook for non-technical undergraduate business students that can easily be supplemented with current information and materials. This is a good solution to relieve students from paying for current high-cost commercial textbooks that also become quickly outdated and require supplements. It would have been helpful, however, to include an index and have presentation slides available.

Reviewed by Judith Shea, Adjunct Instructor, Massachusetts Bay Community College on 6/23/21

This text contained a variety of topics that are very useful in a computer literacy course. More information on using the Internet and Web resources would cover the topics that are being used in my current courses. Additional information on communicating and collaborating using the Web as well as how businesses interact using the Web would be a great addition.

I found the text to be very accurate and unbiased

Since this is a text that deals with computer information and equipment, I’m sure it is difficult to keep the information up-to-date. The authors seem to be doing a nice job of this. The current edition has been updated in the summer of 2020 to meet accessibility guidelines. The division of the topics within the text lends itself to easy updating and the addition of supplemental materials. As long as the authors keep up with the changes in the computer environment this text will remain usable in the classroom.

The authors have explained the concepts and information in the easy-to-understand text. It flows and the division of topics makes it easy to follow. The technical terms are explained thoroughly and included in the Index for reference.

The text was consistent and easy to follow. The Table of Contents and the Index added to the ease of reading.

The chapters are divided into units that can be presented separately or together. The chapters can be read independently of each other so that they are easily assimilated into the course curriculum.

The chapters are organized into units and are easy to follow. If the information on a specific topic is needed, it is easy to find using the Index.

The text is available in a downloadable full-text PDF format as well as a Flipbook. It was not clear if the text could be downloaded to a mobile device or cell phone.

Navigating through the downloads was easy and the display of graphics was clear.

As far as I could tell, the text did not contain any grammatical errors.

The exercises and examples used in the text seemed to be neutral in regard to race, ethnicity, and background. I did not find anything that was culturally insensitive.

I found the book easily adaptable for my course and plan to use it in the future.

Reviewed by Barbara Smith, Associate Professor, Raritan Valley Community College on 4/13/20

This text covers a broad introductory view of management information systems relevant to business majors. This text covers the basics found in other texts used but keeps to a high level view that works for an introductory audience that does not... read more

The accuracy of the text is relevant to the time in which it was published. This book will need updates to certain chapters to keep in line as technologies change.

The historical parts of the text work but it will need necessary updates which should not be difficult to implement.

The text is written in adequate context for the intended audience which is not highly technical. The concepts are explained appropriately. The less technical approach will assist in keeping the attention of those needing this overview of technology.

The text is consistent and clear and well organized.

The text is easily divisible into sections that can easily be separately assigned as a supplement to different topics throughout the course.

The organization of the text is presented clearly and in a logical fashion making the text easy to comprehend.

The text is easy to navigate and includes additional sidebars which are helpful to the reader.

I did not find any grammatical errors in this text.

I did not find any culturally insensitivity in this text.

I would use this text for the supplementary topics presented.

Reviewed by Leonard Diliberto, Professor, Raritan Valley Community College on 4/1/20

The textbook is written at an introductory level which covers many basic and standard topics associated in information systems in the business space. The chapters are short, well organized, and clearly targeted for a student seeking to gain a... read more

The content does appear to be accurate and as expected from an introductory book, details on the subject matter are very much limited but it does give the reader a basic understanding of the material.

Although some of the information presented in the book is dated, the basic underlying foundation of information systems is presented in a clear and concise manner. As is the case with technology changing so quickly, that as soon as it comes out in print, it is almost outdated. Unfortunately, this is inherent in this industry.

The presentation of the material lends itself for a student to easily gain an understanding of the terminology and basic concepts of information systems. Overall, the information is written in a way that is clear and concise and should be an easy read for the students.

The manner and layout in which the text and images is presented was consistent throughout the book. I did not find any distractors.

The book is presented in a clear and well organized manner. The chapters build upon each other in a way that is appropriate and easily understood for an entry level book on information systems in business.

The topics are well organized and presented in a standard way which is typical of many textbooks are on information systems. Although some of the information is dated, it is presented in a clear and concise manner.

As previously mentioned regarding dated information, some of the images are also dated. This is an inherent problem in the information systems space since the information is constantly changing and in many cases, becomes almost obsolete just as soon as it becomes available for public consumption.

I did not find any grammatical errors during my review.

I did not find anything that could be considered offensive or culturally insensitive. The book is culturally neutral which I have found is the case for most books on information systems and technology in general.

This is a great introductory book in information systems for students who are looking for an understanding of the basic premises and terminology of technology and how it is used in business. Highly recommended.

Reviewed by Amita Chin, Associate Professor, Virginia Commonwealth University on 3/12/20

Topics are not covered in great depth, however, this is acceptable since this textbook is geared to an introductory MIS course. The book lacks an index and a glossary. read more

Topics are not covered in great depth, however, this is acceptable since this textbook is geared to an introductory MIS course. The book lacks an index and a glossary.

This book has done a good job with defining IT terminology.

The content is up-to-date and the topics have a good introductory treatment. In-depth coverage has to be limited given the scope of the textbook. Coverage of topics is provided at an appropriate level for an introductory MIS course.

I think the students will find that this book is easy to read and understand.

I did not find inconsistencies in terminology and framework.

The book is divided into logical modules/chapters. This breakdown is typical for introductory MIS textbooks. Within each chapter, subheadings are descriptive and appropriate.

The chapters and sections within chapters are logical and easy to follow. They follow the common structure of MIS textbooks.

Embedded links are very helpful, however, these may need to be updated frequently. It will be frustrating to students to follow a broken link. The included illustrations are clear.

I did not find any grammatical errors in the textbook.

I found no cultural insensitivity issues.

This book is a good competitor in the pool of introductory MIS course textbooks.

Reviewed by Michael Magro, Associate Professor, Shenandoah University on 7/11/19

Cons: Coverage of E-Commerce is a bit light, consisting of a few mentions and a definition. Not much emphasis on categorizing/classifying information systems. DSS and ERP are mentioned, but not knowledge systems or expert systems or transaction... read more

Coverage of E-Commerce is a bit light, consisting of a few mentions and a definition.

Not much emphasis on categorizing/classifying information systems. DSS and ERP are mentioned, but not knowledge systems or expert systems or transaction processing systems.

No index or glossary. Just a bibliography and answers to study questions.

Author does a good job of explaining the difference between data and information, one of the primary reasons for information systems to exist.

The security section is well done and comprehensive.

As a former developer, I thought the section on IS development was especially good, with clearer definitions and concepts than some commercial texts I have.

It is great that it covers patent trolls when discussing intellectual property. This is a significant hurdle for any new technology entrepreneur.

I've been involved in IS for over 30 years, and the treatment of the topics were accurate.

There was one use of Wikipedia as a source for the definition of an information system, yet it was used as one of several definitions from different sources to compare. Still, I would probably de-emphasize that in class.

For textbook as old as this (because technology moves very fast, an IS text just a few years old can be considered dated), it is surprisingly comprehensive, and prescient in a few places. An instructor can still use this with minimal supplementation of current events and case studies in 2019/20.

Some examples, both positive and negative:

Cloud computing doesn't include much about modern cloud providers (i.e.Amazon), yet it treats the topic accurately. This chapter would need to be supplemented by current cloud usage and trends.

Covers IPv6 which will be a hot topic in the near future, as well as IoT and driverless cars.

I found it very easy to read and follow.

There was the use of first person narrative in a couple of places early in the book, i.e. "I spend the first day of my IS class discussing exactly what the term means." Not necessarily bad, but generally not found in most of the rest of the text. Not a major criticism - the meaning is clear.

Formatting - sometimes the font size is reduced for a part of the page, maybe to make a paragraph fit on a page, but sometimes for no discernable reason. It means some segments of a paragraph may be harder to read than other parts. Not a major criticism, but it affects the perception of quality.

Formatting - in the database chapter, there's some SQL code given that appears to be cut off due to the font/formatting used. An instructor can supply the missing pieces if they know SQL.

The book is very readable with reasonably short paragraphs and sidebars that are easy to digest. The subheadings are descriptive and helpful.

The sections and chapters follow a common pattern and topic layout of similar information systems texts.

Embedded links: Use of hyperlinks in the text that take you to websites. I found at least one link that no longer works. I attempted to click on most all of them and most all of them worked fine. The risk is these links change or get removed at a future date, reducing the perceived quality of the text. However, I don't see this as a major detriment to the text, since the links just enhance the information -- they are not required to be clicked on.

I am a pretty sharp proofreader, and did not notice any significant grammatical issues.

I noticed no issues with cultural insensitivity. Cultural differences were cited as potential issues to overcome when using information systems for global business.

The end of chapter summaries and study questions are as a whole thoughtful and useful as a help to students to review key points of the chapter.

Utilizes academic research well, and includes important publications (like Carr's and Brynjolfsson's work).

I like the chapter dedicated to human roles in computing and information systems. I think it will help students map out goals toward a career in technology.

Reviewed by Ted Beers, Faculty Instructor at Western Oregon University, Open Oregon Educational Resources on 4/9/19

Part 1 covers Information Systems (IS) broadly, touching on all the major aspects. Part 2 gets more into IS practices. Part 3 tackles the changing landscape of IS while re-emphasizing the timeless importance of certain principles such as ethics... read more

Keeping up with changing terminology is tough in tech fields such as IS, but this book does an admirable job of it without sacrificing accurate with uncertain, emerging tech. For example, the book uses established modern examples such as "flash drives". And a "modern laptop" illustration shows a recent-model Apple MacBook.

The treatment on security describes well the modern approaches of RSA, firewall intrusion detection, and even mobile security, with citations from recent studies on same, such as a 2013 SANS study.

As a teacher of IS, I find this material highly relevant for any denizen of our tech society, regardless of their field of study or profession.

Because of its separation of major topics ("What is", "Strategic Advantage", "Beyond the Org") and its natural categorization within ("Hardware", "Software", "Globalization", etc.), the book properly and effectively follows the organization in other IS treatments. This also makes it more readily updated as detail points develop further, e.g. in software concerns.

The book seems targeted at the lower-division college student—perfect for its presumed application as an introductory textbook for IS majors or those in related tech and business pursuits.

I found no evidence of inconsistent phrasing, coverage, literacy, terminology, etc.

As discussed previously, the book's division into major topics and natural categories makes modularity a breeze!

The book's flow of topics and categories is natural for IS, starting with computer system fundamentals and culminating in large-scale ethical and global considerations. Part 3 could use more framing of the relationships among these "beyond" topics.

I have no difficulty finding material from the book, and all text and illustrations are clear.

I found no grammar errors.

IS doesn't lend itself to culture-specific examples, and the book makes no overt references. Relatively light in photographs (only one with people!), the book make no error of cultural omission or commission.

I've adopted this book as a free alternative edition in the class "Introduction to IS", which to date has required an expensive conventional printed textbook. This book compares very favorably, and I expect to drop required printed textbook in future terms.

Reviewed by Roger Finnegan, Community Faculty, Metropolitan State University on 11/28/18

The textbook does cover the basic aspects of MIS that the commercial textbooks cover. Subjects such as hardware, software, databases, security, ethics and etc. One strength or weakness depending on your point of view is that the chapters are short. Unless our course is short or low credit you would need to supplement with other sources. The text is also from 2014 so it is showing its age. Blockchain and data science for example aren't covered. But the textbook that we currently use from a major publisher also does not cover them in much depth. So this textbook is not really that different from an expensive alternative. But again it is a quick read.

The book does seem to be accurate. But the things covered are usually pretty short. Just a paragraph or two are spent on a lot of subject. Again that could be an advantage or a drawback depending on how you want to use the book. The author does introduce the more widely read ideas from MIS, He discusses Porter's five forces model and value chain. There is a short discussion on Nicholas Carr's IT Doesn't Matter article and some its critics. The author also mentions one of Brynjolfsson and McAfee's articles. While the author does represent them correctly the information is quite succinct.

The book is from 2014 so it is showing its age. Many things could be added to it. If you wanted to use a short textbook with the basics of databases and networking and then supplement it with new information and ideas I think that you could easily do that with this text.

The textbook is brief but the author does present the information in a way that should be very accessible for students.

Consistency rating: 3

The fonts used and the paragraph spacing seem to change which I found a bit odd. But the layout of the chapters is consistent throughout the book.

You could easily use just certain chapters of this book. There is a chapter on hardware, one on software and another on security. So you could just assign those if you just needed something short on those aspects of IT.

The topics covered and how they are presented are pretty standard. It follows many of the same design considerations of a commercial textbook on MIS.

The textbook is well organized. One thing that I found disconcerting was that the font and the spacing seemed to change a lot. One paragraph would be single spaced and then the next is more widely spaced and in a different font.

Grammatical Errors rating: 4

The grammar used seemed to be fine.

I did not anything that would be considered offensive or insensitive.

If you need a short basic text for your course this is a book that you could consider for use.

Reviewed by Barbara Warner, Instructor and MS BAIS Admissions Director and Graduate Advisor, University of South Florida on 3/27/18

The text covers many standard topics of information technology. The chapters were well organized with a clear table of contents but no index of terms, topics. read more

The text covers many standard topics of information technology. The chapters were well organized with a clear table of contents but no index of terms, topics.

Content Accuracy rating: 3

The content is accurate for 2014. However, technology changes so quickly that some of the information was quite dated.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 2

As mentioned above - the content is a bit dated, since it was written in 2014. I'm not sure how a information technology text can stay relevant unless it is updated regularly.

The book was clear, a little dry but easily understandable.

The text is internally consistent. And might be a good resource if it was updated.

Yes, this could be divided and presented in modules.

The topics are the standard topics presented in an introductory information technology book and are presented clearly, however, the information is dated.

Old images, some text is in a different font than surrounding text. Needs some editing.

In my review I didn't find any glaring grammatical errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 3

This text on computers / information systems is not culturally insensitive, it is culturally neutral.

It was a good open source book in 2014, I could not assign it to students in 2018.

Reviewed by Joseph Mortati, Executive-in-Residence, American University, Kogod School of Business on 2/1/18

The book is a comprehensive primer on Information Systems. It covers a range of essential technical topics including software, hardware, databases, networking, and security as well as business topics including people, processes, competitive... read more

The content is accurate, well-sourced, and unbiased.

As you might expect, information systems texts can age out quickly, so the publication date of 2014 means some of the content needs to be updated, including some cases. However, the foundation is very solid and much of the material is unaffected (e.g., Chapter 4: Data and Databases, which explains basics of data and how they are stored, needs only minor updating). Likewise, some topics (such as Big Data and Business Analytics) have made great strides in technology and adoption since 2014 and would need refreshing in any new version.

Designed for the non-technical business student, the book flows well and clearly explains all acronyms and technical jargon in easy-to-understand terms.

A well-structured framework leads to consistency of concepts.

Chapter subsections have appropriate lengths and breakpoints, making it easy-to-read. A very minor point but since this is an ebook, having the chapter name and title in the header of each page makes for easier navigation; as-is, headers alternate between book title and chapter title.

The book is divided into two, logical sections: technical aspects (Chapters 1-6) and business aspects (Chapters 7-13). The transition from the first to the second (in Chapter 7) is clear.

The only consistent area for improvement is in some text formatting (which is inconsistent in font type or size) and many of the images (which should be higher-resolution and have better placement, such as centering on the page).

Both the concepts and case studies use good examples from a variety of fields.

Overall, "Information Systems and Beyond" is relevant, logical, and well-written, making it a good candidate for an introductory MIS textbook for undergraduate business students who do not necessarily have a technical background. If the book also had accompanying slides, I could see this giving some paid textbooks a run for their money!

Reviewed by Simon Jin, Assistant Professor, Metropolitan State University on 6/20/17

Considering this is a textbook for introductory class for Information Systems, this book well addressed all the necessary basics required for new learners of IS/MIS/CIS. It starts with an effort of understanding the information systems by addressing different components of IS such as Hardware, Software, Database, Networking and Communication, and IS Security. Then, it not only addresses how IS can be used to achieve strategic advantage but also important issues like digital divide, ethical & legal issues, and the future trend.

In general, the textbook is accurate and unbiased.

This textbook is certainly relevant. However, due to the nature of the content (i.e., fast evolving nature of IS world), updates will be required. Most of the references are 2012’s and 2013’s. Effort of adding some current articles in order to stay up to date would be appreciated especially for the additional reading assigmnets.

This textbook is clearly written, and easy to follow.

No inconsistency issues found in the textbook. The terminology was consistent and relevant to the subject matter. The chapter ware consistent in length. In terms of format, however, there are some rooms to be improved (e.g., Font size, Line spacing, side-bar format, and so on).

This textbook is broken into 3 segment (6, 4, and 3 chapters each). Due to the comprehensiveness & modularity of each chapter, each chapter can be used as a single source of class material without referencing other chapters. Also, instructor can either choose to deliver all 3 segments in the same course, or pick & focus on specific segment.

Organization/structure/flow of this textbook is good. With consistent structure of chapter (i.e., Learning objectives, Introduction, Content, Summary, Study Questions, Exercise), it is very easy to follow. Learning objective and Exercise questions are especially valuable for discussion.

No navigation issues found. Adding glossary and index, however, would help readers locate important concepts more easily.

No grammatical issues found.

No culturally offensive issues found.

In sum, this textbook is a good resource for new learners in Information Systems area.

Reviewed by Efrem Mallach, Adjunct Faculty, Rhode Island College on 4/11/17

The book's comprehensiveness is variable, presumably reflecting the interests of its author. I find that a plus in many ways. I like a book that reflects its author's personality and preferences, rather than being designed by a committee of reviewers who will collectively make sure that it covers everything that any instructor could possibly want and is also twice as thick as any student can possibly stand. That also makes it easier to decide if a book suits me or not: either its coverage matches my personal biases or it doesn't.

This book gives job descriptions and career paths a chapter of their own, but gives CRM (Customer Relationship Management) a bit over four lines. For me, that's backwards, especially when 90 percent of the students who use this book won't be MIS majors, but for other instructors it may be just fine. It gives business processes a chapter of their own, but gives agile development ten lines. You'll have to decide if its balance is right for you.

I feel the book falls down in this regard when it comes to hardware. It has a generally-good discussion of the kinds of hardware students are already familiar with: desktops, laptops, tablets and so on. (It doesn't recognize that students are already familiar with this content, but that's a style issue rather than a comprehensiveness issue.) However, it spends no time at all on kinds of computers that students don't already know about but should as entry-level professionals: from servers to supercomputers, other than a couple of references to mainframes in passing as something outdated. (Ask any user of IBM's z series how true that is.) The book also doesn't even mention the most common enterprise storage systems, RAID, NAS and SAN, which again students will not generally have seen before. To my mind, it's more important to tell students something they don't already know than to confirm what they do know.

I noticed only two real inaccuracies:

1. Processor speed is equated with clock rate. This ignores the effect of micro-architecture on how many clock cycles it takes to execute a typical instruction. More importantly, it effectively ignores multi-core, multi-threaded processors. Cores get two lines (p. 16), threads get nary a mention. They are a key element of 2017 processor architecture.

2. Parallel conversion is mentioned (p. 116-117) as if it were still viable in 2017, assuming its cost is acceptable. This is not the case for online systems, where timing differences can affect results and where it is not practical to get customers to enter their transactions twice. This conventional wisdom has propagated from textbook to textbook without a reality check ever since online systems became the norm. I am disappointed that it is still doing that today. (There are a few situations where parallel conversion is viable. They involve internal systems such as financial accounting, where all users are internal and the sequence of activities can be controlled.

I also felt that the software split into OS and applications is too simplistic. Applications are defined (p. 26) as programs that do something useful for the user. Later, compilers are grouped with applications, as are DBMS - even though both of these exist simply to develop or facilitate "real" applications. I would vote for the traditional split into systems and application software here, with the OS considered a type of systems software but not the only type. Others may disagree with me, of course.

It's certainly relevant. As for longevity: parts of the information systems field move so rapidly that no book can hope to remain current for more than a few years, even if it is up to the minute when first published. "Longevity" is too much to ask for in an MIS text! That said, its chapters on business processes, ethics and so on should stand the test of time fairly well.

This is a strength. I like the writer's style.

I didn't notice any problems in consistency of content, except for the trivial one that mainframes are described as being from the 1950s-1960s in one place and from the 1970s in a table right afterwards. Either way, they're described as being from when a reader's parents were in kindergarten. The point is the same whichever decade one picks.

There is an issue, though, in consistency of approach. Much of the content is written for the non-MIS major. For example, there's no need to go into database normalization for MIS majors; they'll take a full course on database management and will study it there. Other parts are written only for MIS majors, such as the section on MIS career paths. I would prefer to see the author take a position, one way or the other, on who his audience consists of and then write for that audience.

It is divided into modular chapters, with each chapter divided into major and minor sections. The section structure is difficult to follow, though: sections are not numbered in outline fashion, and section heading type size differences are not always obvious enough to serve that purpose.

The order is traditional for MIS books: start with an introductory chapter or two, continue with technology in the order hardware-software-database-telecoms, then talk about how systems are used and how they're developed, and wrap up with ethics and perhaps a look to the future. Most MIS instructors are used to this organization and will feel comfortable with this book in that regard.

There are no navigation issues, as the text doesn't really have navigation other than the standard PDF sidebar with chapter headings. However, the reader interface is flawed by random jumps in type size (sometimes within a paragraph; e.g., bottom of page 7, line spacing, and other errors such as the SQL examples on page 45 running off the page. This is distracting. The book needs a thorough, careful going-over by an expert in Microsoft Word or whatever other package this book was created in. In addition, since type size changes are the only clue to section/subsection organization, they should be made more obvious (or, better, number at least the top-level sections within a chapter).

No problems here. Either the author knows how to write coherent English or he had a good copy editor. I can't tell which, but the end result is fine in this regard.

It has few if any examples that involve people, so opportunities for cultural insensitivity aren't there. The thorough attention it pays to ethical considerations is in its favor as regards cultural relevance.

It's a short book, almost "Information Systems in a Nutshell.' The content starts on page 5 and ends on page 149, including questions and all. Part of the reason is that it doesn't spend much (if any) time on topics the author doesn't care much (if anything) about. If your choice of topics matches those of this book, take a careful look at it. If you're teaching a quarter or two-credit course, take a look at it also: it's short enough for those without having to skip chapters or cover them too lightly. If neither or those is you, it may not be a good choice.

Reviewed by Ross Lamberth, School of Business Administration Instructor, Portland State University on 2/15/17

This text does an excellent job of covering the broad range of topics essential to a beginning class in Information Systems. Ranging from concrete topics like Hardware, Software, Data, and Networking to softer topics like Business Processes, People in a typical organization, Globalization, and the Digital Divide. This book dares to ask the question, “Does IT Matter”, then does an excellent job answering that question. The is well book organized using plenty of relevant pictures, charts, and tables to help make its points clear.

As far as I could tell, this book ui accurate, error-free, and reasonably unbiased as of this review, late 2016.

All written books age with time but this text seems relevant and up-to-date. I do not believe the content is presented in a way that will make it obsolete within a short period of time. The text is written, illustrated, and uses examples that should make it easy to update as technology changes in our world as it always has. The only exception to this may be the links embedded in many places in the text. While all links that were clicked by this reviewer worked correctly at this time, it seems likely that some of these links will eventually become broken links. Having said this, I would rather have modern textbook with links than without.

The text is written in clear, easy-to-understand terms that should be accessible to most all readers. Because this is a book about technology it is required to include relevant jargon and technical terminology but the text does a good job describing and explaining the jargon and terms as needed to remain understandable by the average reader.

Even though the textbook is lengthy and covers a broad range of topics, it remains internally consistent in terms of terminology and framework throughout.

The text was clearly written with modularity in mind. There are consistent divisions within each chapter including learning objectives, introductions, well formatted section headings, active links to websites, sidebars, well captioned charts and graphs, summaries, study questions, and exercises. It should be straightforward for most instructors to pick and choose which portions to highlight or use for class lessons or homework assignments. The book flows seamlessly through relevant subunits without being distracting to the reader.

Even though the subject matter is broad and extensive, this text does an excellent job organizing the subtopics and subunits into an organized flow that does not overwhelm the reader or lose them in a complicated structure. The text presents the many topics involved in an overview of Information Systems in a clear and logical way.

While the book does an excellent job of including relevant charts, graphs, table, and illustrations, some of the formatting of these visual aids seems inconsistent chapter to chapter. For example, chart titles and axis labels are not always the same font and size from chart to chart or chapter to chapter. Although this was not overly distracting, it might be an issue for some people to read some of the smaller text included in some of the charts and illustrations.

I found no grammatical errors in this text.

To this reviewer, this textbook was not culturally insensitive or offensive in any way. This textbook seemed to use a wide variety of examples that were not exclusive or ethnocentric.

This is an excellent textbook for the beginning Information Systems student. With the quality of open textbooks being this high, it is unclear why instructors and students would continue to pay for other texts.

Reviewed by Patricia Elliott, Adjunct Faculty, Reynolds Community College, Richmond, VA. on 2/8/17

This textbook covers all areas of basic information technology including a very comprehensive history of technology and its evolution. In some cases it goes beyond standard information such as an explanation of the different types of writing source code. I have not found this in other textbooks that I have used. It does not have an index and/or glossary but does have a good introduction to chapters and the three sections of the book.

The textbook's accuracy is very well documented and attention to detail is good.

Technology is a fast moving subject and this book references 2012 and 2013 so it some ways it is already out of date.. The business section is based on ideas based in the 1990s even though they are true today. The advantage plays an even bigger role today as business are much more competitive than in the 1990s competing for every dollar and advantage. The format of the book is set up so chapters can be updated without changing the structure.

The textbook was very well written and easily understandable. I found when I worked in the business world that often times the language used by books and technicians was too esoteric and not easily understood. This textbook did not leave me with that feeling. As an introduction to technology, this textbook provides usable and understandable information to the students in a readable and comprehensive manner. The graphics were very helpful and easy to understand. The definitions of the different players in the technology world would be key in knowing the appropriate person to contact in a business.

The textbook flowed well and the technology was update to date and consistent. The links were well placed and helpful. Author did not interchange words for the same function or idea, therefore making it easy to go from one chapter to the next.

Modularity rating: 3

This textbook could be reorganized into smaller sections and moved around but think that the organization and subject matter are in the most effective order. Chapter 8 and Chapter 11 could be placed in same section.

The textbook was well organized and easy to follow. The only thing I might have changed was to move the security section closer to the definitions of the different kinds of technology. i..e. Security around using wireless internet.

The information contained in this textbook did not have any interface problems. I thought that the information melded well together.

The grammar in this book in fine.

I did not find that anything in this book was culturally insensitive or offensive.

I teach technology in the law office to paralegals and found information in this book that I can use to expand my teaching in connection with the the book I am currently using. The explanations for some functions or ideas were written in more understandable language. One of these is the cloud.

Reviewed by Diane Miller, Instructor, Colorado State University on 12/5/16

This book is great for a beginning class for Computer Information Systems. Each chapter hits the highlights of that area, explains it in very concrete understandable manner. It is organized in a way that allows me to set up my class in a similar... read more

The book is comprehensive in topic areas of Computer Information Systems. Each topic area is introduced and gives a base of knowledge about the topic. It gives me a nice structure to fill with up-to-the-minute information to emphasize what is happening RIGHT NOW.

The students and I appreciate that it is very succinct and to-the-point.

I found the book to be accurate with the included information.

Even though the book is already two and a half years old, I think that it will stand the test of time because of its ability to handle the basics. I suspect the only thing that will happen is more and more current topics will be added and/or fleshed out.

For example: a network is a network is a network but current topics on new network technology may be added in the future as it becomes widely adopted.

The book is written with good clarity. It defines and calls out any of the words that may be new to the reader. That is one reason it is good for beginning and non-CIS students.

There are not any inconsistencies that were obvious.

I have taught a class both by following the book through from front to back and by cherry-picking the chapters as they fit into my original class organization. The students were able to understand the information in the chapters in both instances.

I appreciated the organization and flow of the book so much, that I reorganized my class to more closely follow the book and add the salient issues of current events with newspapers, articles, blogs, etc.

The PDF interface works fine. I was able to break up the chapters and upload them to the LMS so the students could have them right in their course modules.

I did not notice any grammatical issues.

Cultural Relevance rating: 4

I did not notice any culturally insensitive areas in this text.

I asked the students how they liked the book. Some of their comments: - I like that it is so readily available right in Canvas (LMS). - Price is right. - Has the information and background for what we are studying. - It could use more pictures. - It gets right to the point without a lot of extra reading.

Reviewed by Henry Danielson, Lecturer, California Polytechnic State University on 7/15/14

The textbook was executed with current knowledge and well versed. Since this is a introductory textbook the novice will gain many facets and learn about many topics. I was impressed with the learning objectives and the exercises. The in depth experience the text explores is relevant and helpful. The amount of material that is reviewed is awesome and useful. The index and other main components a textbook covers was accurate and meaningful. The text covers cutting edge technologies and legacy systems to educate the reader on the broad scope technology covers.

I found that the textbook supports the latest information and is accurate, error-free and unbiased. Introduction to information systems for business and beyond is a wonderful title and provides exactly the reader expects. The images are current and the words are engaging and professional language is addressed. The diagrams and supplemental resources i.e. study questions and exercises are phenomenal. All materials in the textbook are relevant and well edited to boot. The content is uses Wikipedia and other modern sources, which is right on target. The cited resources are current and presented well. The history of the technology is portrayed in an easy to digest format and the reader can test the accuracy on the web.

Looking forward to changes in this text one would be able to update minimal sections. So in my opinion the author did a wonderful job on this open textbook. Most introductory courses may not change rapidly and this textbook has relevance and promotes the understanding of all concepts discussed. Emergent strategies are discussed in this book and can be easily updated for the next iteration of the book. Content is up-to-date, but not in a way that will quickly make the text obsolete within a short period of time. I concur that the book will be a useful in the future and I will try and use in my course.

The textbook is clear and concise and quite educational and the data displays well. During my reading of the textbook I learned new information and I was impressed with the authors knowledge. The business/tech jargon are presented in an openly easy to read paragraphs. The clarity the author presents on the history and the current structures is well versed and I enjoyed it. The exercises have useful links and are useful. The textbook is a fun read and captures the interest of the reader quickly.

The consistency and ideas presented in the textbook are clear and well written. I would venture to state that each chapter has themes that are presented with knowledge and framework. Each chapter builds and builds taking the reader to new heights and comprehension.

The textbook covers 13 chapters and is broken into segments that describe the chapter. The summaries are well written and the study questions are on target. There are exercises that compliment each chapter and they are stellar and are thought provoking. Instructors can choose chapters and are able to use this as supplemental materials as well. The text is not overly self-referential in fact it is relevant and powerful. The chapters are consistent in length and laid out well.

The flow of the textbook is appropriate for an introductory textbook. The author presents the material in an organized fashion and the flow is very easily understood. I am looking forward to using this for my class. The structure can be modified and used as need be by each instructor. Each chapter contains learning objectives that are helpful and have been well planned out. Homework is easily contained in the exercises and they are good! The flow of the textbook is manageable and you can reference other parts to build on other key concepts throughout the entire textbook.

The textbook is current and devoid of navigation issues. The . Most images were clear and high quality, even on smaller e-reading devices like an iPhone. The text was a readable font, and it is clear the author had others involved and possibly did a usability study to enhance the text and links. I particularly enjoyed how easy the textbook was to navigate.

I did not encounter any grammar errors or broken links at this time.

The examples and exercises are well aware of cultural bias. The text is well done and is not offensive in any way shape or form.

I was impressed overall with this textbook. I would recommend anyone with basic knowledge of tech to have a look. Well done and FREE...

Part 1: What Is an Information System?

Chapter 1: What Is an Information System?
Chapter 2: Hardware
Chapter 3: Software
Chapter 4: Data and Databases
Chapter 5: Networking and Communication
Chapter 6: Information Systems Security

Part 2: Information Systems for Strategic Advantage

Chapter 7: Does IT Matter?
Chapter 8: Business Processes
Chapter 9: The People in Information Systems
Chapter 10: Information Systems Development
Chapter 11: Globalization and the Digital Divide
Chapter 12: The Ethical and Legal Implications of Information Systems
Chapter 13: Future Trends in Information Systems

Ancillary Material

About the book.

This book is written as an introductory text, meant for those with little or no experience with computers or information systems. While sometimes the descriptions can get a little bit technical, every effort has been made to convey the information essential to understanding a topic while not getting bogged down in detailed terminology or esoteric discussions.

Information Systems for Business and Beyond was written by Dr. David Bourgeois and originally published in 2014 as part of the Open Textbook Challenge at the Saylor Foundation. Since then, it has been accessed thousands of time and used in many courses worldwide. This 2019 update to the textbook brings it up to date and adds many new topics. True to its open textbook roots, many of the updates have come from the community of instructors and practitioners who are passionate about information systems.

Please note that the XML and MS Word links go to an earlier version.

About the Contributors

David T. Bourgeois worked as an information technology professional for 15 years for companies such as Southern California Edison and Texas Instruments before coming to Biola in 2002 to lead the information systems program. He received his master's degree in management science from Cal State Fullerton in 1994 and his doctorate degree in information systems and technology from Claremont Graduate University in 2006. Bourgeois currently serves as the undergraduate department chair and as the director of innovation with a focus on ensuring that all undergraduates are fully skilled in the digital technologies they need in their business careers.

Contribute to this Page

Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.

Chapter 1: What Is an Information System?

Dave Bourgeois and David T. Bourgeois

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this chapter, you will be able to:

define what an information system is by identifying its major components;
describe the basic history of information systems; and
describe the basic argument behind the article “Does IT Matter?” by Nicholas Carr.

Introduction

If you are reading this, you are most likely taking a course in information systems, but do you even know what the course is going to cover? When you tell your friends or your family that you are taking a course in information systems, can you explain what it is about? For the past several years, I have taught an Introduction to Information Systems course. The first day of class I ask my students to tell me what they think an information system is. I generally get answers such as “computers,” “databases,” or “Excel.” These are good answers, but definitely incomplete ones. The study of information systems goes far beyond understanding some technologies. Let’s begin our study by defining information systems.

Defining Information Systems

Almost all programs in business require students to take a course in something called information systems . But what exactly does that term mean? Let’s take a look at some of the more popular definitions, first from Wikipedia and then from a couple of textbooks:

“Information systems (IS) is the study of complementary networks of hardware and software that people and organizations use to collect, filter, process, create, and distribute data.” [1]
“Information systems are combinations of hardware, software, and telecommunications networks that people build and use to collect, create, and distribute useful data, typically in organizational settings.” [2]
“Information systems are interrelated components working together to collect, process, store, and disseminate information to support decision making, coordination, control, analysis, and viualization in an organization.” [3]

The Components of Information Systems

As I stated earlier, I spend the first day of my information systems class discussing exactly what the term means. Many students understand that an information system has something to do with databases or spreadsheets. Others mention computers and e-commerce. And they are all right, at least in part: information systems are made up of different components that work together to provide value to an organization.

The first way I describe information systems to students is to tell them that they are made up of five components: hardware, software, data, people, and process. The first three, fitting under the technology category, are generally what most students think of when asked to define information systems. But the last two, people and process, are really what separate the idea of information systems from more technical fields, such as computer science. In order to fully understand information systems, students must understand how all of these components work together to bring value to an organization.

Technology can be thought of as the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes. From the invention of the wheel to the harnessing of electricity for artificial lighting, technology is a part of our lives in so many ways that we tend to take it for granted. As discussed before, the first three components of information systems – hardware, software, and data – all fall under the category of technology. Each of these will get its own chapter and a much lengthier discussion, but we will take a moment here to introduce them so we can get a full understanding of what an information system is.

Information systems hardware is the part of an information system you can touch – the physical components of the technology. Computers, keyboards, disk drives, iPads, and flash drives are all examples of information systems hardware. We will spend some time going over these components and how they all work together in chapter 2.

Colorful slates with arrows: user to applications to operating system to hardware and back

The third component is data. You can think of data as a collection of facts. For example, your street address, the city you live in, and your phone number are all pieces of data. Like software, data is also intangible. By themselves, pieces of data are not really very useful. But aggregated, indexed, and organized together into a database, data can become a powerful tool for businesses. In fact, all of the definitions presented at the beginning of this chapter focused on how information systems manage data. Organizations collect all kinds of data and use it to make decisions. These decisions can then be analyzed as to their effectiveness and the organization can be improved. Chapter 4 will focus on data and databases, and their uses in organizations.

Networking Communication: A Fourth Technology Piece?

Besides the components of hardware, software, and data, which have long been considered the core technology of information systems, it has been suggested that one other component should be added: communication. An information system can exist without the ability to communicate – the first personal computers were stand-alone machines that did not access the Internet. However, in today’s hyper-connected world, it is an extremely rare computer that does not connect to another device or to a network. Technically, the networking communication component is made up of hardware and software, but it is such a core feature of today’s information systems that it has become its own category. We will be covering networking in chapter 5.

When thinking about information systems, it is easy to get focused on the technology components and forget that we must look beyond these tools to fully understand how they integrate into an organization. A focus on the people involved in information systems is the next step. From the front-line help-desk workers, to systems analysts, to programmers, all the way up to the chief information officer (CIO), the people involved with information systems are an essential element that must not be overlooked. The people component will be covered in chapter 9.

The last component of information systems is process. A process is a series of steps undertaken to achieve a desired outcome or goal. Information systems are becoming more and more integrated with organizational processes, bringing more productivity and better control to those processes. But simply automating activities using technology is not enough – businesses looking to effectively utilize information systems do more. Using technology to manage and improve processes, both within a company and externally with suppliers and customers, is the ultimate goal. Technology buzzwords such as “business process reengineering,” “business process management,” and “enterprise resource planning” all have to do with the continued improvement of these business procedures and the integration of technology with them. Businesses hoping to gain an advantage over their competitors are highly focused on this component of information systems. We will discuss processes in chapter 8.

The Role of Information Systems

Now that we have explored the different components of information systems, we need to turn our attention to the role that information systems play in an organization. So far we have looked at what the components of an information system are, but what do these components actually do for an organization? From our definitions above, we see that these components collect, store, organize, and distribute data throughout the organization. In fact, we might say that one of the roles of information systems is to take data and turn it into information, and then transform that into organizational knowledge. As technology has developed, this role has evolved into the backbone of the organization. To get a full appreciation of the role information systems play, we will review how they have changed over the years.

The Mainframe Era

From the late 1950s through the 1960s, computers were seen as a way to more efficiently do calculations. These first business computers were room-sized monsters, with several refrigerator-sized machines linked together. The primary work of these devices was to organize and store large volumes of information that were tedious to manage by hand. Only large businesses, universities, and government agencies could afford them, and they took a crew of specialized personnel and specialized facilities to maintain. These devices served dozens to hundreds of users at a time through a process called time-sharing. Typical functions included scientific calculations and accounting, under the broader umbrella of “data processing.”

In the late 1960s, the Manufacturing Resources Planning (MRP) systems were introduced. This software, running on a mainframe computer, gave companies the ability to manage the manufacturing process, making it more efficient. From tracking inventory to creating bills of materials to scheduling production, the MRP systems (and later the MRP II systems) gave more businesses a reason to want to integrate computing into their processes. IBM became the dominant mainframe company. Nicknamed “Big Blue,” the company became synonymous with business computing. Continued improvement in software and the availability of cheaper hardware eventually brought mainframe computers (and their little sibling, the minicomputer) into most large businesses.

The PC Revolution

In 1975, the first microcomputer was announced on the cover of Popular Mechanics : the Altair 8800. Its immediate popularity sparked the imagination of entrepreneurs everywhere, and there were quickly dozens of companies making these “personal computers.” Though at first just a niche product for computer hobbyists, improvements in usability and the availability of practical software led to growing sales. The most prominent of these early personal computer makers was a little company known as Apple Computer, headed by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, with the hugely successful “Apple II.” Not wanting to be left out of the revolution, in 1981 IBM (teaming with a little company called Microsoft for their operating-system software) hurriedly released their own version of the personal computer, simply called the “PC.” Businesses, who had used IBM mainframes for years to run their businesses, finally had the permission they needed to bring personal computers into their companies, and the IBM PC took off. The IBM PC was named Time magazine’s “Man of the Year” for 1982.

Because of the IBM PC’s open architecture, it was easy for other companies to copy, or “clone” it. During the 1980s, many new computer companies sprang up, offering less expensive versions of the PC. This drove prices down and spurred innovation. Microsoft developed its Windows operating system and made the PC even easier to use. Common uses for the PC during this period included word processing, spreadsheets, and databases. These early PCs were not connected to any sort of network; for the most part they stood alone as islands of innovation within the larger organization.

Client-Server

In the mid-1980s, businesses began to see the need to connect their computers together as a way to collaborate and share resources. This networking architecture was referred to as “client-server” because users would log in to the local area network (LAN) from their PC (the “client”) by connecting to a powerful computer called a “server,” which would then grant them rights to different resources on the network (such as shared file areas and a printer). Software companies began developing applications that allowed multiple users to access the same data at the same time. This evolved into software applications for communicating, with the first real popular use of electronic mail appearing at this time.

This networking and data sharing all stayed within the confines of each business, for the most part. While there was sharing of electronic data between companies, this was a very specialized function. Computers were now seen as tools to collaborate internally, within an organization. In fact, these networks of computers were becoming so powerful that they were replacing many of the functions previously performed by the larger mainframe computers at a fraction of the cost. It was during this era that the first Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems were developed and run on the client-server architecture. An ERP system is a software application with a centralized database that can be used to run a company’s entire business. With separate modules for accounting, finance, inventory, human resources, and many, many more, ERP systems, with Germany’s SAP leading the way, represented the state of the art in information systems integration. We will discuss ERP systems as part of the chapter on process (chapter 9).

The World Wide Web and E-Commerce

First invented in 1969, the Internet was confined to use by universities, government agencies, and researchers for many years. Its rather arcane commands and user applications made it unsuitable for mainstream use in business. One exception to this was the ability to expand electronic mail outside the confines of a single organization. While the first e-mail messages on the Internet were sent in the early 1970s, companies who wanted to expand their LAN-based e-mail started hooking up to the Internet in the 1980s. Companies began connecting their internal networks to the Internet in order to allow communication between their employees and employees at other companies. It was with these early Internet connections that the computer truly began to evolve from a computational device to a communications device.

In 1989, Tim Berners-Lee developed a simpler way for researchers to share information over the network at CERN laboratories, a concept he called the World Wide Web. [4] This invention became the launching point of the growth of the Internet as a way for businesses to share information about themselves. As web browsers and Internet connections became the norm, companies rushed to grab domain names and create websites.

In 1991, the National Science Foundation, which governed how the Internet was used, lifted restrictions on its commercial use. The year 1994 saw the establishment of both eBay and Amazon.com, two true pioneers in the use of the new digital marketplace. A mad rush of investment in Internet-based businesses led to the dot-com boom through the late 1990s, and then the dot-com bust in 2000. While much can be learned from the speculation and crazy economic theories espoused during that bubble, one important outcome for businesses was that thousands of miles of Internet connections were laid around the world during that time. The world became truly “wired” heading into the new millenium, ushering in the era of globalization, which we will discuss in chapter 11.

As it became more expected for companies to be connected to the Internet, the digital world also became a more dangerous place. Computer viruses and worms, once slowly propagated through the sharing of computer disks, could now grow with tremendous speed via the Internet. Software written for a disconnected world found it very difficult to defend against these sorts of threats. A whole new industry of computer and Internet security arose. We will study information security in chapter 6.

As the world recovered from the dot-com bust, the use of technology in business continued to evolve at a frantic pace. Websites became interactive; instead of just visiting a site to find out about a business and purchase its products, customers wanted to be able to customize their experience and interact with the business. This new type of interactive website, where you did not have to know how to create a web page or do any programming in order to put information online, became known as web 2.0. Web 2.0 is exemplified by blogging, social networking, and interactive comments being available on many websites. This new web-2.0 world, in which online interaction became expected, had a big impact on many businesses and even whole industries. Some industries, such as bookstores, found themselves relegated to a niche status. Others, such as video rental chains and travel agencies, simply began going out of business as they were replaced by online technologies. This process of technology replacing a middleman in a transaction is called disintermediation.

As the world became more connected, new questions arose. Should access to the Internet be considered a right? Can I copy a song that I downloaded from the Internet? How can I keep information that I have put on a website private? What information is acceptable to collect from children? Technology moved so fast that policymakers did not have enough time to enact appropriate laws, making for a Wild West–type atmosphere. Ethical issues surrounding information systems will be covered in chapter 12.

The Post-PC World

After thirty years as the primary computing device used in most businesses, sales of the PC are now beginning to decline as sales of tablets and smartphones are taking off. Just as the mainframe before it, the PC will continue to play a key role in business, but will no longer be the primary way that people interact and do business. The limited storage and processing power of these devices is being offset by a move to “cloud” computing, which allows for storage, sharing, and backup of information on a massive scale. This will require new rounds of thinking and innovation on the part of businesses as technology continues to advance.

Can Information Systems Bring Competitive Advantage?

It has always been the assumption that the implementation of information systems will, in and of itself, bring a business competitive advantage. After all, if installing one computer to manage inventory can make a company more efficient, won’t installing several computers to handle even more of the business continue to improve it?

In 2003, Nicholas Carr wrote an article in the Harvard Business Review that questioned this assumption. The article, entitled “IT Doesn’t Matter,” raised the idea that information technology has become just a commodity. Instead of viewing technology as an investment that will make a company stand out, it should be seen as something like electricity: It should be managed to reduce costs, ensure that it is always running, and be as risk-free as possible.

As you might imagine, this article was both hailed and scorned. Can IT bring a competitive advantage? It sure did for Walmart (see sidebar). We will discuss this topic further in chapter 7.

Sidebar: Walmart Uses Information Systems to Become the World’s Leading Retailer

Walmart Store (Attribution: Wikimedia commons. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Walmart_exteriorcropped.jpg)

Walmart is the world’s largest retailer, earning $15.2 billion on sales of $443.9 billion in the fiscal year that ended on January 31, 2012. Walmart currently serves over 200 million customers every week, worldwide. [5] Walmart’s rise to prominence is due in no small part to their use of information systems.

One of the keys to this success was the implementation of Retail Link, a supply-chain management system. This system, unique when initially implemented in the mid-1980s, allowed Walmart’s suppliers to directly access the inventory levels and sales information of their products at any of Walmart’s more than ten thousand stores. Using Retail Link, suppliers can analyze how well their products are selling at one or more Walmart stores, with a range of reporting options. Further, Walmart requires the suppliers to use Retail Link to manage their own inventory levels. If a supplier feels that their products are selling out too quickly, they can use Retail Link to petition Walmart to raise the levels of inventory for their products. This has essentially allowed Walmart to “hire” thousands of product managers, all of whom have a vested interest in the products they are managing. This revolutionary approach to managing inventory has allowed Walmart to continue to drive prices down and respond to market forces quickly.

Today, Walmart continues to innovate with information technology. Using its tremendous market presence, any technology that Walmart requires its suppliers to implement immediately becomes a business standard.

In this chapter, you have been introduced to the concept of information systems. We have reviewed several definitions, with a focus on the components of information systems: technology, people, and process. We have reviewed how the business use of information systems has evolved over the years, from the use of large mainframe computers for number crunching, through the introduction of the PC and networks, all the way to the era of mobile computing. During each of these phases, new innovations in software and technology allowed businesses to integrate technology more deeply.

We are now to a point where every company is using information systems and asking the question: Does it bring a competitive advantage? In the end, that is really what this book is about. Every businessperson should understand what an information system is and how it can be used to bring a competitive advantage. And that is the task we have before us.

Study Questions

What are the five components that make up an information system?
What are three examples of information system hardware?
Microsoft Windows is an example of which component of information systems?
What is application software?
What roles do people play in information systems?
What is the definition of a process?
What was invented first, the personal computer or the Internet (ARPANET)?
In what year were restrictions on commercial use of the Internet first lifted? When were eBay and Amazon founded?
What does it mean to say we are in a “post-PC world”?
What is Carr’s main argument about information technology?
Suppose that you had to explain to a member of your family or one of your closest friends the concept of an information system. How would you define it? Write a one-paragraph description in your own words that you feel would best describe an information system to your friends or family.
Of the five primary components of an information system (hardware, software, data, people, process), which do you think is the most important to the success of a business organization? Write a one-paragraph answer to this question that includes an example from your personal experience to support your answer.
We all interact with various information systems every day: at the grocery store, at work, at school, even in our cars (at least some of us). Make a list of the different information systems you interact with every day. See if you can identify the technologies, people, and processes involved in making these systems work.
Do you agree that we are in a post-PC stage in the evolution of information systems? Some people argue that we will always need the personal computer, but that it will not be the primary device used for manipulating information. Others think that a whole new era of mobile and biological computing is coming. Do some original research and make your prediction about what business computing will look like in the next generation.
The Walmart case study introduced you to how that company used information systems to become the world’s leading retailer. Walmart has continued to innovate and is still looked to as a leader in the use of technology. Do some original research and write a one-page report detailing a new technology that Walmart has recently implemented or is pioneering.
Wikipedia entry on "Information Systems ," as displayed on August 19, 2012. Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia . San Francisco: Wikimedia Foundation. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_systems_(discipline). ↵
Excerpted from Information Systems Today - Managing in the Digital World , fourth edition. Prentice-Hall, 2010. ↵
Excerpted from Management Information Systems , twelfth edition, Prentice-Hall, 2012. ↵
CERN's "The Birth of the Web." http://public.web.cern.ch/public/en/about/web-en.html ↵
Walmart 2012 Annual Report. ↵

Information Systems for Business and Beyond Copyright © 2014 by Dave Bourgeois and David T. Bourgeois is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Fundamentals of Information Systems | 9th Edition

Available study tools, principles of information systems, mindtap mis, 1 term (6 months) instant access for stair/reynolds' fundamentals of information systems, about this product.

Equip students with a solid understanding of the core principles of IS and how it is practiced today as the brief FUNDAMENTALS OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS, 9th edition covers the latest developments and their impact on the rapidly changing role of today's IS professional. In addition to an emphasis on IS-related careers, this edition covers business intelligence, cloud computing, e-commerce, enterprise systems, mobile computing, and systems acquisition. Student examine computer crimes, hacking, and cyberterrorism as well as the most current research on big data, analytics, global IS, and social networking. Students discover how information systems can increase profits and reduce costs as they explore artificial intelligence, change management, consumerization of information systems, data governance, energy and environmental concerns, Internet censorship, virtual teams, and more. Powerful new interactive online multimedia resources, including MindTap, strengthen the book’s approach.

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Fundamental of Information System

20 questions

Introducing new Paper mode

No student devices needed. Know more

A device or component that receives information from a computer.

A device or component that gives information to a computer.

Is this an example of INPUT or OUTPUT?

Screen/Monitor/Projector

Sensors (Light, Motion)

What is not a computer?

an electronic machine

forgot easily

thinking machine

Spreadsheet software

Graphics software

Word processing software

True or False? Software is the programs that we use on our computer.

What is hardware?

The parts of the computer you can smell.

The parts of the computer you can hear.

The parts of the computer you can touch.

The parts of the computer you can taste.

What do you do with a scanner?

You can hear your work.

You copy your work and put it "out" of the computer.

You can smell your work.

You copy your work and put it "in" the computer.

True or False?The mouse allows you see what you are doing on the computer.

What do we use headphones for in the computer lab?

To hear our computers sound (1 person)

To hear the class

To hear our computers sound (everyone)

To hear our friend

True or False? The printer puts information "out" on paper.

What do we use a keyboard for?

To look into the computer

To hear into the computer

To smell into the computer

To type into the computer

What is the name of this image?

What is a Desktop?

Screen that you can see after log on windows

Can save file works

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Book description

Fundamentals of Information Systems Security, Fourth Edition provides a comprehensive overview of the essential concepts readers must know as they pursue careers in information systems security.

Copyright Page
Dedication Page
New to This Edition
Acknowledgments
The Authors
Risks, Threats, and Vulnerabilities
What Is Information Systems Security?
Compliance Laws and Regulations Drive the Need for Information Systems Security
Confidentiality
Availability
User Domain
Workstation Domain
LAN-to-WAN Domain
Remote Access Domain
System/Application Domain
Ethics and the Internet
Definitions
Foundational IT Security Policies
Data Classification Standards
Chapter Summary
Key Concepts and Terms
Chapter 1 Assessment
Evolution of the Internet of Things
Converting to a Tcp/Ip World
How People Like to Communicate
IoT Applications That Impact Our Lives
Evolution from Brick and Mortar to E-Commerce
Why Businesses Must Have an Internet and IoT Marketing Strategy
Mobile Users and Bring Your Own Device
IP Mobile Communications
Interoperability and Standards
Legal and Regulatory Issues
E-Commerce and Economic Development Issues
Chapter 2 Assessment
Risk Terminology
Elements of Risk
Purpose of Risk Management
Identify Risks
Assess and Prioritize Risks
Plan a Risk Response Strategy
Implement the Risk Response Plan
Monitor and Control Risk Response
Intellectual Property
Finances and Financial Data
Service Availability and Productivity
Who Are the Perpetrators?
Threat Targets
Threat Types
Birthday Attacks
Brute-Force Password Attacks
Credential Harvesting and Stuffing
Dictionary Password Attacks
IP Address Spoofing
Replay Attacks
Man-in-the-Middle Attacks
Masquerading
Eavesdropping
Social Engineering
Social Engineering Attacks
Wireless Network Attacks
Web Application Attacks
The Importance of Countermeasures
Chapter 3 Assessment
Risk Management’s Importance to the Organization
Business Impact Analysis (BIA)
Business Continuity Plan (BCP)
Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP)
Assessing Risks, Threats, and Vulnerabilities
Closing the Information Security Gap
Adhering to Compliance Laws
Keeping Private Data Confidential
BYOD Concerns
Endpoint and Device Security
Chapter 4 Assessment
The Open Systems Interconnection Reference Model
Wide Area Networks
Local Area Networks
TCP/IP Overview
IP Addressing
Common Ports
Common Protocols
Internet Control Message Protocol
Categories of Risk
Virtual Private Networks and Remote Access
Network Access Control
Voice and Video in an IP Network
Wireless Access Points
Wireless Network Security Controls
Chapter 5 Assessment
Four-Part Access Control
Physical Access Control
Logical Access Control
Authorization Policies
Identification Methods
Identification Guidelines
Authentication Types
Single Sign-On
Monitoring and Reviewing
Data Retention, Media Disposal, and Compliance Requirements
Discretionary Access Control
Operating Systems–Based DAC
Mandatory Access Control
Nondiscretionary Access Control
Rule-Based Access Control
Access Control Lists
Role-Based Access Control
Content-Dependent Access Control
Constrained User Interface
Other Access Control Models
Effects of Breaches in Access Control
Threats to Access Controls
Effects of Access Control Violations
Credential and Permissions Management
Types of AAA Servers
Decentralized Access Control
Chapter 6 Assessment
Basic Cryptographic Principles
A Brief History of Cryptography
Cryptography’s Role in Information Security
Internal Security
Security in Business Relationships
Security Measures That Benefit Everyone
Cryptographic Functions and Ciphers
Transposition Ciphers
Substitution Ciphers
Product and Exponentiation Ciphers
Symmetric Key Ciphers
Asymmetric Key Ciphers
Cryptanalysis and Public Versus Private Keys
Cryptographic Keys and Keyspace
Key Management
Key Distribution
Key Distribution Centers
Hash Functions
Digital Signatures
Other Cryptographic Tools and Resources
Symmetric Key Standards
Asymmetric Key Solutions
Hash Function and Integrity
Digital Signatures and Nonrepudiation
Modern Key Management Techniques
Chapter 7 Assessment
Characteristics, Architecture, and Operations of Malicious Software
Trojan Horses
Logic Bombs
Active Content Vulnerabilities
Malicious Add-Ons
Denial of Service Attacks
Keystroke Loggers
Hoaxes and Myths
Homepage Hijacking
Webpage Defacements
1970s and Early 1980s: Academic Research and UNIX
1980s: Early PC Viruses
1990s: Early LAN Viruses
Mid-1990s: Smart Applications and the Internet
2000 to the Present
Types of Threats
Internal Threats from Employees
What Motivates Attackers?
The Purpose of an Attack
Types of Attacks
Phases of an Attack
Application Defenses
Operating System Defenses
Network Infrastructure Defenses
Safe Recovery Techniques and Practices
Implementing Effective Software Best Practices
Antivirus Scanning Software
Network Monitors and Analyzers
Content/Context Filtering and Logging Software
Honeypots and Honeynets
Chapter 8 Assessment
Controlling Access
Documentation, Procedures, and Guidelines
Disaster Assessment and Recovery
Security Outsourcing
Compliance Liaison
Remediation
Common Fallacies About Ethics
Codes of Ethics
Personnel Security Principles
Information Classification Objectives
Examples of Classification
Classification Procedures
Hardware Inventory and Configuration Chart
Change Control Management
Change Control Committees
Change Control Procedures
Change Control Issues
The System Life Cycle
Testing Application Software
Software Development Models
Chapter 9 Assessment
Security Controls Address Risk
Determining What Is Acceptable
Permission Levels
Areas of Security Audits
Purpose of Audits
Customer Confidence
Defining the Scope of the Plan
Auditing Benchmarks
Control Checks and Identity Management
Exit Interview
Data Analysis
Generation of Audit Report
Presentation of Findings
Security Monitoring for Computer Systems
Monitoring Issues
Logging Anomalies
Log Management
Types of Log Information to Capture
Intrusion Detection System
Analysis Methods
Layered Defense: Network Access Control
Control Checks: Intrusion Detection
Host Isolation
System Hardening
Chapter 10 Assessment
Emerging Threats
Static Environments
Terminology
Assessing Maximum Tolerable Downtime
Business Impact Analysis
Plan Review
Testing the Plan
Types of Backups
Preparation
Identification
Notification
Documentation and Reporting
Activating the Disaster Recovery Plan
Operating in a Reduced/Modified Environment
Restoring Damaged Systems
Disaster Recovery Issues
Recovery Alternatives
Interim or Alternate Processing Strategies
Chapter 11 Assessment
Understanding Digital Forensics
Knowledge That Is Needed for Forensic Analysis
Types of Computer Crime
The Impact of Computer Crime on Forensics
Forensic Methodologies
Setting Up a Forensic Lab
The Importance of Proper Evidence Handling
Imaging Original Evidence
Undeleting Data
Recovering Data from Damaged Media
Internals and Storage
Command-Line Interface and Scripting
Mobile Device Evidence
Seizing Evidence from a Mobile Device
Chapter 12 Assessment
National Institute of Standards and Technology
International Organization for Standardization
International Electrotechnical Commission
World Wide Web Consortium
Internet Engineering Task Force
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
International Telecommunication Union Telecommunication Sector
American National Standards Institute
European Telecommunications Standards Institute Cyber Security Technical Committee
ISO/IEC 27002
Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard
Chapter 13 Assessment
U.S. DoD/Military Directive 8140
U.S. DoD Training Framework
International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium, Inc.
Global Information Assurance Certification/SANS Institute
Certified Internet Web Professional
Other Information Systems Security Certifications
Cisco Systems
Juniper Networks
Check Point
Chapter 14 Assessment
Compliance Is the Law
The Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002
The Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014
The Role of the National Institute of Standards and Technology
National Security Systems
Purpose and Scope
Main Requirements of the HIPAA Privacy Rule
Main Requirements of the HIPAA Security Rule
Omnibus Regulations
Main Requirements of the GLBA Privacy Rule
Main Requirements of the GLBA Safeguards Rule
SOX Control Certification Requirements
SOX Records Retention Requirements
Main Requirements
The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998
Self-Assessment Questionnaire
General Data Protection Regulation
California Consumer Privacy Act
Making Sense of Laws for Information Security Compliance
Chapter 15 Assessment
APPENDIX A Answer Key
APPENDIX B Standard Acronyms
APPENDIX C Earning the CompTIA Security+ Certification
Glossary of Key Terms

Product information

Title: Fundamentals of Information Systems Security, 4th Edition
Author(s): David Kim, Michael G. Solomon
Release date: December 2021
Publisher(s): Jones & Bartlett Learning
ISBN: 9781284220742

Fundamentals of information systems security, 3rd edition.

by David Kim, Michael G. Solomon

Revised and updated with the latest data in the field, Fundamentals of Information Systems Security, Third …

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(ISC)2 CISSP Certified Information Systems Security Professional Official Study Guide, 9th Edition

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What are information systems , six major types of information systems, 1. transaction processing system (tps), 2. office automation system (oas), 3. knowledge work system (kws), 4. management information system (mis), 5. decision support system (dss), 6. executive support system (ess), what are the main applications of information technology, would you like a career in cyber-security, the 6 most popular types of information systems and their applications.

Information has become one of the primary factors in business success. We’re living in the Information Age, and those with the best, most current, most accurate information will win the day. Knowledge is power, and data information is just another example of that power.

However, it’s not enough to have vast amounts of good information; businesses and organizations need to have the best types of information systems to work with that information and produce the best outcomes. That’s why, in today’s data-heavy world, organizations need a solid information system.

So today, we’re covering six different types of information systems and how they’re applied.

We’ll begin with the fundamentals, namely “what is an information system?”

Information systems are collections of multiple information resources to gather, process, store, and disseminate information.

Tools such as laptops, databases, networks, and smartphones are examples of information systems. So yes, as you read this article, you’re employing an information system! Many people rely on various types of information systems to communicate with friends and family, bank or shop online, or look up information via a search engine.

Companies and organizations employ information systems to communicate and work with their customers and suppliers, manage the organization, perform essential business operations, and roll out and maintain marketing campaigns.

Now that we have dealt with the basics, let's look at the six primary types of information systems. Although information systems are not limited to this list, typical businesses and organizations have the following six, each system supporting a different organizational level.

For starters, we have the transaction processing systems (TPS) at the operational level. Next are the office automation systems (OAS) and knowledge work systems (KWS), both working at the knowledge level. Next, the management level has the management information systems (MIS) and decision support systems (DSS), and we conclude with the executive support systems (ESS) at the strategic level. Let’s explore the different types of information systems more in-depth.

Transaction processing is essential to helping businesses perform daily operations. Transactions are defined as any activity or event that affects the company, and include things like deposits, withdrawals, shipping, billing customers, order entry, and placing orders. TPS supports these business transactions.

OAS consists of computers, communication-related technology, and the personnel assigned to perform the official tasks. The OAS covers office transactions and supports official activity at every level in the organization. The official activities are subdivided into managerial and clerical activities.

Office automation systems include the following applications:

Email: The email application also covers file attachments such as audio, video, and documents.
Voice Mail: This application records and stores phone messages into the system’s memory and can be retrieved anytime.
Word Processing: Word processing covers the creation of documents, including memos, reports, letters, and anything else that’s printable electronically. The created text can be copied, edited, and stored via word processing commands, and checked for grammar and spelling, line and word counting, and headers and footers.

The KWS is a specialized system that expedites knowledge creation and ensures that the business's technical skills and knowledge are correctly applied. The Knowledge Work System aids workers in creating and disseminating new information using graphics, communication, and document management tools. Here are some examples of KWS:

Computer-Aided Design Systems (CAD): CAD systems automate design creation and revision via computers and graphics software, especially in the manufacturing and tooling processes.
Financial Workstations: These systems pull and combine data from many different internal and external sources, covering research reports, market data, and management data. Financial workstations can rapidly analyze huge amounts of financial data and trading situations.
Virtual Reality Systems: These systems take the CAD system to the next level, using interactive graphics utilities to create realistic computer-generated simulations. VR systems are typically found in scientific, educational, and business circles.

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Middle managers handle much of the administrative chores for day-to-day routines and performance monitoring, ensuring that all the work is aligned with the organization's needs. That's why MIS is such a valuable tool. Management Information Systems are specially designed to help middle managers and supervisors make decisions, plan, and control the workflow. The MIS pulls transactional data from various Transactional Processing Systems, compiles the information, and presents it in reports and displays.

Additionally, these reports can be produced monthly, quarterly, or annually, although MIS can have more immediate reports (e.g., hourly, daily).

The DSS is a management-level, interactive computer-based information system that helps managers to make decisions. The Decision Support System specifically gives middle managers the information necessary to make informed, intelligent decisions.

Decision Support Systems use different decision models to analyze or summarize large pieces of data into an easy-to-use form that makes it easier for managers to compare and analyze information. Often, these summaries come in the form of charts and tables.

The ESS is like the MIS but for executive-level decision-making. The decisions involve company-wide matters, so the stakes are higher. Consequently, they demand more insight and judgment.

The ESS provides greater telecommunication, better computing capabilities, and more efficient display options than the DSS. Executives use ESS to make effective decisions through summarized internal data taken from DSS and MIS and external sources. In addition, executive support systems help monitor performances, track competitors, spot opportunities, and forecast future trends.

Although the system application descriptions hint at how they are best applied, let’s spell out some of the chief information technology applications.

Information/Data Storage

Although companies need good information to create better goods and services, they must also have a reliable, cost-effective system to store the information that allows rapid data access when required. In addition, a sound information system helps businesses keep logs of essential activities and store valuable assets such as communication records, revision histories, activity logs, operational data, and other relevant documents.

By storing information in an organized manner, businesses understand why problems and roadblocks occur and how to solve them.

Rolling Out New Products and Services

Although there is an ever-increasing demand for new goods and services, any business that wants to stay competitive needs information to make better decisions and consequently offer better products. Information systems help analyze independent processes and organize the company's work activities. So, an information system allows a business to better understand how it can design, create, and sell services or products that people want.

Simplified Decision Making

It’s challenging enough to make decisions , let alone consistently making the exact, right decisions. There are no guarantees that an organization’s decisions will work. However, information systems help take some of the pain out of the process by offering information rapidly and easily.

Improving Employee Behaviors and Attitudes

Information systems can be effectively employed to improve communication between employers and employees. An efficient information system empowers employees by making relevant information more accessible, helping them become a part of the decision-making process. This empowerment boosts motivation and increases commitment to the project or assignment.

Here are some broad categories that highlight types of information system applications:

Communication. Information system applications allow rapid data sharing on a global scale.
Education. Information systems help make remote learning easier (particularly useful during pandemics) and make people more comfortable with tech advancements such as smartphones, tablets, and other network devices.
Employment. The advent of information systems has directly resulted in creating new positions such as data analyzers and cyber-security experts.
Finance. Information systems make the transfer of funds more manageable and more secure.
Healthcare. Thanks to information systems, healthcare providers can access vital medical records faster.
Security. Information systems make it easier to employ data safeguards to reduce the likelihood of a data breach or malware.

Information drives today’s business world, and that means we need to keep that data safe. But, unfortunately, many elements out there will readily hack into different types of information systems and steal or corrupt data, perhaps even shutting down an entire business operation.

If you’re interested in pursuing a career as a cyber-security expert, Simplilearn can get you started on your new career path. The Cyber Security Expert Master’s program equips you with the necessary skills to become an expert in this rapidly growing field. In addition, you will learn comprehensive approaches to protecting your infrastructures, such as securing data and information, running risk analysis and mitigation, architecting cloud-based security, achieving compliance, and much more.

You can further increase your cybersecurity skill set by taking one of these related cyber-security certifications . The more well-versed you are in cyber-security, the more marketable you become to a prospective employer.

According to Glassdoor , a cybersecurity expert can earn an average of USD 76,774 per year in the United States. Payscale reports that cyber-security professionals in India can make an average of ₹714,000 annually.

Don’t wait for someone else to jump ahead and take that opportunity you’re looking for. Instead, check out our comprehensive cybersecurity courses and get started on an exciting, rewarding, and much-in-demand career!

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Types Of Information System

Types of System Design
Resources of Information System
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Information System and Security
Management Information System (MIS)
Principle of Information System Security
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GraphQL Type System
6 Types of Organisation Structure

DEFINITION OF INFORMATION SYSTEM – ” An information system is a set of interrelated components that works together to collect, process, store and breakdown the information to support decision making. ”

Following are the DIMENSIONS of information system:

1.ORGANIZATIONAL DIMENSION : Information system are part of organization. Information system will have the standard operating procedure and culture of an organization embedded within them. This involves: a)Functional specialties b)Business processes c)Culture d)Political interest groups

2.MANAGEMENT DIMENSION : Managers perceive business challenges in the environment. Information systems supply tools and information needed by the managers to allocate,coordinate and monitor their work, make decision,create new products and services and make long range strategic decision.

3.TECHNOLOGY DIMENSION : Management uses technology to carry out their functions. It consists of – computer hardware/software, data management technology, networking/telecom technology.Its one of the many tools managers use to cope with the change.

Information Systems are classified by organisational levels, mode of data, processing, system objectives and type of support provided.

Following are the TYPE of information system:

1. Transaction Processing System (TPS):

Transaction Processing System are information system that processes data resulting from the occurrences of business transactions
Their objectives are to provide transaction in order to update records and generate reports i.e to perform store keeping function
Example: Bill system, payroll system, Stock control system.

2. Management Information System (MIS):

Management Information System is designed to take relatively raw data available through a Transaction Processing System and convert them into a summarized and aggregated form for the manager, usually in a report format. It reports tending to be used by middle management and operational supervisors.
Many different types of report are produced in MIS. Some of the reports are a summary report, on-demand report, ad-hoc reports and an exception report.
Example: Sales management systems, Human resource management system.

3. Decision Support System (DSS):

Decision Support System is an interactive information system that provides information, models and data manipulation tools to help in making the decision in a semi-structured and unstructured situation.
Decision Support System comprises tools and techniques to help in gathering relevant information and analyze the options and alternatives, the end user is more involved in creating DSS than an MIS.
Example: Financial planning systems, Bank loan management systems.

4. Experts System:

Experts systems include expertise in order to aid managers in diagnosing problems or in problem-solving. These systems are based on the principles of artificial intelligence research.
Experts Systems is a knowledge-based information system. It uses its knowledge about a specify are to act as an expert consultant to users.
Knowledgebase and software modules are the components of an expert system. These modules perform inference on the knowledge and offer answers to a user’s question

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Fundamentals of Information Systems, Fifth Edition 39 Systems Design, Implementation, and Maintenance and Review • Systems design - Determines how the new system will work to meet the business needs defined during systems analysis • Systems implementation - Creating or acquiring the system components
Chapter 1: What Is an Information System?
An ERP system is an application with a centralized database that can be used to run a company's entire business. With separate modules for accounting, finance, inventory, human resources, and many more, ERP systems, with Germany's SAP leading the way, represented the state of the art in information systems integration.
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What are the five components that make up an information system? a. hardware, software, data, people, process. 2. What are three examples of information system hardware? a. There are a number of possible answers: a PC, a printer, a mouse, tablets, mobile phones, etc. 3.
Information Systems for Business and Beyond
Information Systems for Business and Beyond was written by Dr. David Bourgeois and originally published in 2014 as part of the Open Textbook Challenge at the Saylor Foundation. Since then, it has been accessed thousands of time and used in many courses worldwide. This 2019 update to the textbook brings it up to date and adds many new topics.
Fundamentals of Information Systems
Gain a solid understanding of today's fundamentals of information systems with the most current, concise overview from leading authors Ralph Stair and George Reynolds. FUNDAMENTALS OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS, 7E relies upon nine brief, captivating chapters to explore the core principles of IS and examine how it's practiced today. Readers gain a strong grasp of the latest developments and their ...
Chapter 1: What Is an Information System?
An ERP system is a software application with a centralized database that can be used to run a company's entire business. With separate modules for accounting, finance, inventory, human resources, and many, many more, ERP systems, with Germany's SAP leading the way, represented the state of the art in information systems integration. We will ...
Fundamentals of Information Systems
Readers gain an overview of the core principles of IS and how it is practiced today as the concise, nine-chapter FUNDAMENTALS OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS, 9th edition combines the latest research with the most current coverage available. The book addresses analytics; big data; business intelligence; cloud computing; cybercrime; information system security; e-commerce; enterprise systems; ethical ...
Fundamentals of Information Systems, 9th Edition
ISBN-13: 9781337099066. MindTap MIS for Stair/Reynolds, MindTap 1 term (6 months) for Fundamentals of Information Systems, 9th Edition is an online learning solution designed to help students master the skills they need in today's workforce. Research shows employers need critical thinkers, troubleshooters and creative problem-solvers to stay ...
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Fundamentals of Information Systems, Fifth Edition 11 Implementing Policies and Procedures • Policies often focus on: - Implementation of source data automation and the use of data editing to ensure data accuracy and completeness - Assignment of clear responsibility for data accuracy within each information system • Training
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information technology, faculty member, academic administrator, and consultant. She recently retired from Johns Hopkins University, where she was Senior Director, IT and Online Programs, at the Center for Talented Youth for 14 years. Before joining Hopkins, Dr. Wallace served as Chief, Information Strategies, at the Robert H. Smith
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1. Multiple Choice. A device or component that receives information from a computer. 2. Multiple Choice. A device or component that gives information to a computer. 3. Multiple Choice.
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Author (s): David Kim, Michael G. Solomon. Release date: December 2021. Publisher (s): Jones & Bartlett Learning. ISBN: 9781284220742. Fundamentals of Information Systems Security, Fourth Edition provides a comprehensive overview of the essential concepts readers must know as they pursue careers in information systems security.
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About Fundamentals of Information Systems. To introduce students to the fundamental aspects of IT in business, including hardware, software, data storage technologies and the theoretical basis for understanding how systems work and interact. Course Highlights. The videos section of this course features a selection of video lectures and ...
Six Major Types of Information Systems [With Applications]
An efficient information system empowers employees by making relevant information more accessible, helping them become a part of the decision-making process. This empowerment boosts motivation and increases commitment to the project or assignment. Here are some broad categories that highlight types of information system applications: Communication.
Types Of Information System
Following are the TYPE of information system: 1. Transaction Processing System (TPS): Transaction Processing System are information system that processes data resulting from the occurrences of business transactions. Their objectives are to provide transaction in order to update records and generate reports i.e to perform store keeping function.
Fundamentals of Information Systems Course Outline
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Assignment and Arithmetic Statements, Control Statements- Sequential, Selection, Iteration Statements, Output Statements, Concepts of a Program and subprogram, Procedures and ... system, Internet Explorer, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and the basic integration of the components of this integrated Microsoft application. Prerequisites 1. No Prerequisite
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his book introduces the fundamental concepts necessary for designing, using, and implementing database systems and database applications. Our presentation stresses the funda-mentals of database modeling and design, the languages and models provided by the database management systems, and database system implementation techniques.
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View MIS6111 - Fundamentals of Information System - Assignment 010.docx from IT MIS6111 at AMA Computer University - Quezon City. Assignment 010 Week 12 10/10 Submitted by: Mr. Alfie G. Rellon (FB
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information (transferring it to storage), the information is lost. The key to the computer's precision is the fact that it represents data digitally. Computers use binary digits, using a base 2 number system rather than a decimal (or base 10) number system. A binary digit, commonly called a bit, has a value of either 0 (zero) or 1 (one).
(PDF) Are the Fundamental Concepts of Information ...
This article's overarching theme is that the fundamental concepts of information systems are mostly fundamental concepts of work systems in general. The article defines "fundamental concept ...
An Assignment on Information System Modeling: On Teaching Data and
Aninformation systemis an integrated system of components that. cooperatively aim to collect, store, manipulate, process, and disseminate data, information, and knowledge, often offered as digital ...
Biden's tariffs on Chinese imports are boosting these beaten ...
A pair of recent ransomware attacks crippled computer systems at two major American health care firms, disrupting patient care and exposing fundamental weaknesses in the US health care system's ...

Chapter 1: What Is an Information System?

Introduction

Defining Information Systems

The Components of Information Systems

Networking Communication

The Role of Information Systems

The Mainframe Era

The PC Revolution

Client-Server

The Internet, World Wide Web and E-Commerce

The Post-PC World, Sort of

Can Information Systems Bring Competitive Advantage?

Sidebar: Walmart Uses Information Systems to Become the World’s Leading Retailer

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Chapter 1: What Is an Information System?

Learning Objectives

Introduction

Defining Information Systems

The Components of Information Systems

Networking Communication: A Fourth Technology Piece?

The Role of Information Systems

The Mainframe Era

The PC Revolution

Client-Server

The World Wide Web and E-Commerce

The Post-PC World

Can Information Systems Bring Competitive Advantage?

Sidebar: Walmart Uses Information Systems to Become the World’s Leading Retailer

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