1

An information system (IS) is an organized systemfor the collection,

organization, storage and communication of information. More specifically, it
is the study of complementary networks that people and organizations use to
collect, filter, process, create and distribute data

Decision Support Systems (DSS) are a specific class of computerized

information system that supports business and organizational decision-making
activities. A properly designed Decision Support System is an interactive
software-based system intended to help decision makers compile useful
information from raw data, documents, personal knowledge, and/or business
models to identify and solve problems and make decisions.

3
A core competency is a concept in management theory introduced by, C. K.
Prahalad and Gary Hamel.[1] It can be defined as "a harmonized combination of multiple
resources and skills that distinguish a firm in the marketplace".[2]
Core competencies fulfill three criteria:[1]

1. Provides potential access to a wide variety of markets.

2. Should make a significant contribution to the perceived customer benefits of the end
product.
3. Difficult to imitate by competitors.

E-commerce or electronic commerce simply refers to carrying out business

transactions over the internet. Just like in conventional businesses, this type
of trade has all the aspects of a business transaction such as buying, selling,
and payments. The major difference is that this business model is based on
electronic transactions.

Advantages of e-commerce
1. Enhances convenience: Customers can make orders for goods at their
own convenience and from the comfort of their homes without having to travel
to the business premise. Orders are also delivered to them at their most ideal
locations. It’s the best shopping option for people who are always busy.

2. Allows for product and price comparison: Again, when making

purchases, customers want to get the best deals. This business model allows
for product and price comparison by consumers so that the best products are
bought at the fairest prices. They can also enjoy extra benefits like discounts,
coupons, items on sale and also get the best deals.

Moore's law refers to an observation made by Intel co-founder

Gordon Moore in 1965. He noticed that the number of transistors per square
inch on integrated circuits had doubled every year since their
invention. Moore's law predicts that this trend will continue into the
foreseeable future.

Business Process Reengineering involves the radical redesign of

core business processes to achieve dramatic improvements in productivity,
cycle times and quality. InBusiness Process Reengineering, companies
start with a blank sheet of paper and rethink existing processes to deliver
more value to the customer.

A data warehouse is a database used to store data. It is a central repository of

data in which data from various sources is stored. A data warehouse is also
known as an enterprise data warehouse.

Some differences between a database and a data warehouse:

 A database is used for Online Transactional Processing (OLTP) but can be used
for other purposes such as Data Warehousing.
 A data warehouse is used for Online Analytical Processing (OLAP). This reads
the historical data for the Users for business decisions.
 In a database the tables and joins are complex since they are normalized for
RDMS. This reduces redundant data and saves storage space.
 In data warehouse, the tables and joins are simple since they are de-normalized.
This is done to reduce the response time for analytical queries.

What does Radio Frequency Identification Reader (RFID

Reader) mean?
A radio frequency identification reader (RFID reader) is a device used to gather information
from an RFID tag, which is used to track individual objects. Radio waves are used to
transfer data from the tag to a reader.

RFID is a technology similar in theory to bar codes. However, the RFID tag does not have
to be scanned directly, nor does it require line-of-sight to a reader. The RFID tag it must be
within the range of an RFID reader, which ranges from 3 to 300 feet, in order to be read.
RFID technology allows several items to be quickly scanned and enables fast identification
of a particular product, even when it is surrounded by several other items.

RFID tags have not replaced bar codes because of their cost and the need to individually
identify every item.

 VOIP
 VoIP is a technology that uses Internet to transfers voice information through packet switching to avoid
toll charges from telco companies. Voice calls can be made easily by having a computer equipped with a
microphone and speakers with a VoIP enabled phone. Skype is an example. VoIP reduces
communication costs and lowers telecommunication fees for private lines. Business no longer needs to
maintain separate networks or provide support services and personnel. VoIP is also flexible as it does
not need any additional cost to move. Virtual private network (VPN), is an encrypted, private network
that has been configured within a public network. VPN is advantageous to businesses because it is cheap
and has the same function as VPN provided by non-internet providers.

What is Mobile Commerce?

You all know about the eCommerce, which means you can buy things online without going
to shop. So eCommerce becomes necessary for any business to get good sales over the
internet. Nowadays, mobile companies invented new smart phones day by day. So the user
can get all the information online on their cellphones. These eCommerce companies are
targeted these smartphone users through the mobile website and due to this mobile website
Mobile Commerce came in existence.
Advantages of Mobile Commerce:
This mCommerce is beneficial for both types of businesses large scale and small scale. The
mobile users increase day by day, so through mCommerce, your business gets large and
growing market place for the wild range of goods and services.

1. Cover wild distance : Mobile is the only technology which is now become necessary for
any person in social and business life than computers. So, it is easy to reach users through
mCommerce.
2. Consumer deals : As more users use mCommerce, there are lots of companies use the
mCommerce site to reach them by giving different and better deals in comparison to their
competitor.

10

 What are the key management challenges involved in building, operating and maintaining information
systems today?

Answer:-

The information systems investment challenge: How can organization obtain business value from their
information system?-The strategic business challenge: What complementary assets are needed to use
information technology effectively?

- The globalization challenge: How can firm understand the business and system requirements of a
global economic environment?

-The information technology infrastructure challenge: How can organization develop an information
technology infrastructure that can support their goals when business conditions and technologies are
changing so rapidly?

-Ethic and security: The responsibility and control challenge: How canorganization ensure that their
information systems are used in an ethically and socially responsible

Long answer questions

Introduction
An information system is integrated and co-ordinate network of components, which combine
together to convert data into information.
Components of information systems
An information system is essentially made up of five components hardware, software, database,
network and people. These five components integrate to perform input, process, output,
feedback and control.

Hardware consists of input/output device, processor, operating system and media devices.
Software consists of various programs and procedures. Database consists of data organized in
the required structure. Network consists of hubs, communication media and network devices.
People consist of device operators, network administrators and system specialist.

Information processing consists of input; data process, data storage, output and control. During
input stage data instructions are fed to the systems which during process stage are worked
upon by software programs and other queries. During output stage, data is presented in
structured format and reports.

Classification of Information System

In any given organization information system can be classified based on the usage of the
information. Therefore, an information system in an organization can be divided into operations
support system and management support system.

 Operations support system

In an organization, data input is done by the end user which is processed to generate
information products i.e. reports, which are utilized by internal and or external users.
Such a system is called operation support system.

The purpose of the operation support system is to facilitate business transaction, control
production, support internal as well as external communication and update organization
central database. The operation support system is further divided into a transaction-
processing system, processing control system and enterprise collaboration system.

 Transaction Processing System (TPS)

In manufacturing organization, there are several types of transaction across department.

Typical organizational departments are Sales, Account, Finance, Plant, Engineering,
Human Resource and Marketing. Across which following transaction may occur sales
order, sales return, cash receipts, credit sales; credit slips, material accounting,
inventory management, depreciation accounting, etc.

These transactions can be categorized into batch transaction processing, single

transaction processing and real time transaction processing.

 Process Control System

In a manufacturing organization, certain decisions are made by a computer system

without any manual intervention. In this type of system, critical information is fed to the
 system on a real-time basis thereby enabling process control. This kind of systems is
referred as process control systems.

 Enterprise Collaboration System

In recent times, there is more stress on team effort or collaboration across different
functional teams. A system which enables collaborative effort by improving
communication and sharing of data is referred to as an enterprise collaboration system.

 Management Support System

Managers require precise information in a specific format to undertake an organizational

decision. A system which facilitates an efficient decision making process for managers is
called management support system.

Management support systems are essentially categorized as management information

system, decision support system, expert system and accounting information system.

Management information system provides information to manager facilitating the routine

decision-making process. Decision support system provides information to manager facilitating
specific issue related solution.

Importance of Information
Technology Infrastructure for
Managers
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Importance of Information Technology Infrastructure for

Managers!
To be able to meet the information needs of the manager, it is neces-
sary that a suitable information technology (IT) infrastructure be
created in the enterprise. In the absence of a deliberate development
of IT infrastructure, there is a possibility of mushrooming of small
enclaves of information systems blossoming on their own.
Image Curtsey: lazorpoint.com/Portals/252343/images/173764003.jpg
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Although, such a development of information generation facilities has

the advantage of being need based, there is a risk of lack of
integration of information resulting in inconsistencies.

Such information generation facilities also suffer from the problems of

unbalanced growth and underutilization. It is, thus, necessary to plan
the architecture of the IT infrastructure and develop it in the light of
needs and priorities of the enterprise.

The IT infrastructure has the advantage that it encourages the non-

enthusiast majority of managers to make use of the facilities. In the
absence of a well- planned IT infrastructure, there would be a
tendency on the part of a handful of enthusiastic people monopolizing
the majority of the investment in IT.

This accentuates the polarization between the ‘IT smart’ and ‘IT
ignorant’ managers. When the investment in IT infrastructure is
deliberately planned, there is a possibility of managers procuring
computers as status symbol rather than as a productivity tool.

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The common IT infrastructure helps reduce the costs per user,
increasing the likelihood of people making efforts to use it and sustain
its use to bring success at a later stage when the user matures.

Another advantage of IT infrastructure is that it cuts across the

departmental, functional and even organizational boundaries to
exchange information. This reduces inconsistencies and removes
communication barriers created by the organisation structure. It
establishes cross functional links and improves inter-personal
communication.

As the information needs grow, the facilities in the enclaves of

information become inadequate and lack the resources, both the
technical and financial; to meet the needs of emerging mass market
for information among the increasing number of users. IT in-
frastructure can offer shared services that are more cost effective in
the long run due to standardization and economies of scale.

It is necessary for a manager to ensure that the right type of IT

infrastructure is built up to assist the process of decision making. Of
course, the design of IT infrastructure shall depend upon a host of
factors including the strategic planning and top management
perception of the role of IT in the overall plan of the organization.

3
 The Importance of IT Infrastructure
Courses

Infrastructure is ubiquitous, cardinal and in fact, the very base that the development is
Information Technology thrives on. From the most essential support systems that all users
require to communicate, to the products businesses and organizations sell, all equipment
comes under IT infrastructure. Besides, all components required to deliver the IT service to
customers too, make for an important aspect here. The detailed list must include
equipment, systems, software, and services that the organization needs irrespective of the
project or the program it is working on.
It is needless to say that IT infrastructure is the heart of such organizations. A strong
infrastructure is often though not very easy to manage and overlook. While costumer
complaints are often just one aspect of this, the underlying issue of industry-wise standards
must be addressed. Thus the need to have a course that studies and helps become more
important than ever.
Typically, what does an IT Infrastructure Management Course do?
With an IT infrastructure management course, students are exposed to the comprehensive
sphere of infrastructure in IT domains and the management of the same. The course is
structured to enable the students to be industry ready and control different managerial
responsibilities. Some of the key responsibilities hat they are taught to deliver include:
IT Infrastructure Basics
Resolving problems in that of design, managing different systems, the glitch-free flow of
technology and data and comprehensive co-ordination – are all part of the basics of IT
infrastructure management.
Delivery Processes of Services
 Another integral part of the process is IT service management that brings together all the
managerial aspects of service organization in IT. Service level management, monetary
management, capacity organisation and availability administration are all incorporated to
ensure that the agreement between service provider and consumer is well synced and
keeps them both on the same platform.
Support Processes for Services
Effective IT Services require service support as a foundation. Delivery of services and
customer support today are as important as a good product itself. Organizations must invest
on this effective delivery system so as to ensure a smooth, friction-free cycle that benefits
both parties.
Management of Inventory
Data inventory and data services are another major part of IT infrastructure. And, at all
times, it has to be organized, accessible, and yet safe-guarded.  Operations, back-up, data
security, archives, and recovery after unforeseen disasters are aspects covered here.
Besides, application protection and spares must be managed too.
Data Security
Further from inventory management, data security in itself is another important component
that has different elements to it. Some essential tasks include Management of security,
system and network security, physical security, management of identity, access
management, intrusion detection and security information organization.
Ethics for IT
Cyber ethics, intellectual property, privacy and law, computer forensics, ethics and internet,
cyber crimes – are some of the most obvious banes of information over surge and
managing the same is essential in crating IT Ethics.
Research
Real-life case studies of landmark IT infrastructure success stories as well as failures could
be each dissected to get a very clear perspective on what can work and what does not.
What are the career opportunities does it provides?
IT infrastructure management graduates are often offered employment opportunities in
fields like IT companies, (especially bigger corporations), urban infrastructure development,
infrastructure providers, consultants, financial institutions and construction companies. The
field provides flexibility in terms of being able to juggle between technical and soft-skills
based roles. While the job profile is also heavily dependent on the kind of corporation you
choose, a construction company for example will require a lot more infrastructure
managerial responsibility than a financial organization.
Some important job profiles
 Project Manager – Technical
 Estate managers – Offsite
 Finance and Accounting Manager
 Facility Manager- Onsite
 Property Managers -Onsite
 Infrastructure Managers
 Project Manager-IT
 IT manager- Real estate
 Project Consultant-IT
 Professors
 Mergers & Acquisitions Manager

Data Warehousing - Overview

The term "Data Warehouse" was first coined by Bill Inmon in 1990.
According to Inmon, a data warehouse is a subject oriented, integrated,
time-variant, and non-volatile collection of data. This data helps analysts to
take informed decisions in an organization.

An operational database undergoes frequent changes on a daily basis on

account of the transactions that take place. Suppose a business executive
wants to analyze previous feedback on any data such as a product, a
supplier, or any consumer data, then the executive will have no data
available to analyze because the previous data has been updated due to
transactions.

A data warehouses provides us generalized and consolidated data in

multidimensional view. Along with generalized and consolidated view of
data, a data warehouses also provides us Online Analytical Processing
(OLAP) tools. These tools help us in interactive and effective analysis of
data in a multidimensional space. This analysis results in data
generalization and data mining.

Data mining functions such as association, clustering, classification,

prediction can be integrated with OLAP operations to enhance the
interactive mining of knowledge at multiple level of abstraction. That's why
data warehouse has now become an important platform for data analysis
and online analytical processing.
Understanding a Data Warehouse
 A data warehouse is a database, which is kept separate from the
organization's operational database.
 There is no frequent updating done in a data warehouse.
 It possesses consolidated historical data, which helps the organization to
analyze its business.
 A data warehouse helps executives to organize, understand, and use
their data to take strategic decisions.
 Data warehouse systems help in the integration of diversity of application
systems.
 A data warehouse system helps in consolidated historical data analysis.

Why a Data Warehouse is Separated from

Operational Databases
A data warehouses is kept separate from operational databases due to the
following reasons:

 An operational database is constructed for well-known tasks and

workloads such as searching particular records, indexing, etc. In
contract, data warehouse queries are often complex and they present a
general form of data.
 Operational databases support concurrent processing of multiple
transactions. Concurrency control and recovery mechanisms are required
for operational databases to ensure robustness and consistency of the
database.
 An operational database query allows to read and modify operations,
while an OLAP query needs only read onlyaccess of stored data.
 An operational database maintains current data. On the other hand, a
data warehouse maintains historical data.

Data Warehouse Features

The key features of a data warehouse are discussed below:
  Subject Oriented - A data warehouse is subject oriented because it
provides information around a subject rather than the organization's
ongoing operations. These subjects can be product, customers,
suppliers, sales, revenue, etc. A data warehouse does not focus on the
ongoing operations, rather it focuses on modelling and analysis of data
for decision making.
 Integrated - A data warehouse is constructed by integrating data from
heterogeneous sources such as relational databases, flat files, etc. This
integration enhances the effective analysis of data.
 Time Variant - The data collected in a data warehouse is identified with
a particular time period. The data in a data warehouse provides
information from the historical point of view.
 Non-volatile - Non-volatile means the previous data is not erased when
new data is added to it. A data warehouse is kept separate from the
operational database and therefore frequent changes in operational
database is not reflected in the data warehouse.

Note: A data warehouse does not require transaction processing, recovery,

and concurrency controls, because it is physically stored and separate from
the operational database.

Data Warehouse Applications

As discussed before, a data warehouse helps business executives to
organize, analyze, and use their data for decision making. A data
warehouse serves as a sole part of a plan-execute-assess "closed-loop"
feedback system for the enterprise management. Data warehouses are
widely used in the following fields:

 Financial services

 Banking services

 Consumer goods

 Retail sectors
  Controlled manufacturing

Decision making is a daily activity for any human being. There is no

exception about that. When it comes to business organizations, decision
making is a habit and a process as well.

Effective and successful decisions make profit to the company and

unsuccessful ones make losses. Therefore, corporate decision making
process is the most critical process in any organization.

In the decision making process, we choose one course of action from a few
possible alternatives. In the process of decision making, we may use many
tools, techniques and perceptions.

In addition, we may make our own private decisions or may prefer a

collective decision.

Usually, decision making is hard. Majority of corporate decisions involve

some level of dissatisfaction or conflict with another party.

Let's have a look at the decision making process in detail.

Decision making is the process of making choices by identifying a decision, gathering
information, and assessing alternative resolutions.
Using a step-by-step decision-making process can help you make more deliberate,
thoughtful decisions by organizing relevant information and defining alternatives. This
approach increases the chances that you will choose the most satisfying alternative
possible.
Download the PDF
Step 1: Identify the decision
You realize that you need to make a decision. Try to clearly define the nature of the
decision you must make. This first step is very important.

Step 2: Gather relevant information

Collect some pertinent information before you make your decision: what information is
needed, the best sources of information, and how to get it. This step involves both
internal and external “work.” Some information is internal: you’ll seek it through a
process of self-assessment. Other information is external: you’ll find it online, in books,
from other people, and from other sources.

Step 3: Identify the alternatives

As you collect information, you will probably identify several possible paths of action, or
alternatives. You can also use your imagination and additional information to construct
new alternatives. In this step, you will list all possible and desirable alternatives.

Step 4: Weigh the evidence

Draw on your information and emotions to imagine what it would be like if you carried
out each of the alternatives to the end. Evaluate whether the need identified in Step 1
would be met or resolved through the use of each alternative. As you go through this
difficult internal process, you’ll begin to favor certain alternatives: those that seem to
have a higher potential for reaching your goal. Finally, place the alternatives in a priority
order, based upon your own value system.

Step 5: Choose among alternatives

Once you have weighed all the evidence, you are ready to select the alternative that
seems to be best one for you. You may even choose a combination of alternatives. Your
choice in Step 5 may very likely be the same or similar to the alternative you placed at
the top of your list at the end of Step 4.

Step 6: Take action

You’re now ready to take some positive action by beginning to implement the alternative
you chose in Step 5.

Step 7: Review your decision & its consequences

In this final step, consider the results of your decision and evaluate whether or not it has
resolved the need you identified in Step 1. If the decision has not met the identified
need, you may want to repeat certain steps of the process to make a new decision. For
example, you might want to gather more detailed or somewhat different information or
explore additional alternatives.

 Functions of Knowledge Management

 

We can divide all the functions performed by KM in five main categories:

1. Intermediation: Intermediation refers to the brokering or knowledge transfer

between an appropriate knowledge provider and knowledge seeker. Its role is to
 "match" a knowledge seeker with the optimal source of knowledge for that
seeker. By doing so, intermediation ensures a much more efficient transfer of
knowledge.
2. Externalization: Externalization refers to the transfer of knowledge from the
minds of its holders into an external repository, in the most efficient way
possible. The function of externalization is to provide the sharing of
knowledge. This is where Competitive Intelligence/Business Intelligence
comes in. Through KM tools it is possible to track the vast quantity of data
about competitors — from news stories to price changes.
3. Internalization: Internalization is the extraction of knowledge from the
external repository, and the filtering of this knowledge to provide greater
relevance to the knowledge seeker. Knowledge should be presented to the user
in the form most suitable to its comprehension. This, this function may include
interpretation and/or reformatting of the presentation of the knowledge. To
implement this function, companies can build yellow pages thus mapping and
categorizing the skills and work experience of the organization. Another aspect
of internalization would be the documentation of best practices.
4. Cognition: Cognition is the function of systems to make decisions based on
available knowledge. Cognition is the application of knowledge which has been
exchanged through the preceding three functions.
5. Measurement: Measurement refers to all KM activities that measure, map and
quantify corporate knowledge and the performance of KM solutions. This
function acts to support the other four functions, rather than to actually manage
the knowledge itself.

These macro KM functions are combinations of many atomicfunctions, namely

those of:

o finding, mapping, gathering, and filtering information;

o developing new knowledge (identifying relations among items and
sharing information);
o converting personal knowledge into shared knowledge resources;
o understanding and learning;
o adding value to information to create knowledge;
o enabling action through knowledge (performance and management);
o processing shared knowledge resources; delivering (transferring) explicit
knowledge;
o building adequate technical infrastructures.
Tacit vs Explicit Knowledge 
 

Tacit and explicit are two different types of knowledge. Knowing the
differences between these two different types of knowledge is a step in the
direction of knowledge management. This is because of the fact that you deal
with knowledge gained from a document in a different manner than the
knowledge that you gain by practical experience. There are differences
between tacit and explicit knowledge that will be outlined in this article.

Explicit Knowledge

Explicit knowledge is a knowledge that is obtained with the help of written

documents that have been codified. This type of knowledge can be easily
stored and transmitted from one place to another and from one person to
another. This knowledge is easy to retrieve from media and the encyclopedias
present interesting examples of this type of knowledge. The challenge with
explicit knowledge lies in storing and updating so that it is available to
everyone whenever they need it.

Tacit Knowledge

Tacit knowledge is the opposite of formal or codified knowledge. One cannot

easily transfer it to another person by writing it down or by means of words.
The ability to make use of a difficult computer language or the ability to
expertly use complex machinery is a knowledge that is not written or codified.
It is through contact and interaction that tacit knowledge can be passed to
other people. If you know how to ride a bike or swim, you cannot tell in words
another person how to do these activities. It is only through physical coaching
that you can make another person learn how to ride a bicycle or to swim.

What is the difference between Tacit and Explicit Knowledge?

• Tacit knowledge is carried in mind, and it is difficult to be transferred to

others through spoken words or by writing.
• Explicit knowledge is a knowledge that is formal and codified or written to be
easily stored and transferred to other people.

• In explicit knowledge, there is a mechanism for transfer while there is no

such mechanism in tacit knowledge.

• Ability to swim or to ride a bicycle is an example of tacit knowledge that

cannot be taught or transferred through written words or by speaking.

• Documents, journals, procedures etc. are examples of explicit knowledge.

Many businesses today use LAN (Local Area Network) technology to enable employees to share a
common data source. It also provides a common point via which the devices that employees use, can
communicate with one another. There is however an ongoing debate as whether businesses should
deliver their LANs via a wired, or an unwired connection.

But with more and more companies now opting to deploy wireless rather than wired technology, are
they perhaps not fully informed, or is it that they see are making informed decisions and are opting to
avail themselves of the many advantages that working wirelessly facilitates?

 If the Hat fits......

The biggest concerns that are floated when debating wired v wireless networks are security and
speed. It has to be said that in both instances wired is superior. However, having said that, although
wired has a clear edge, that doesn’t mean to say that wireless is either insecure, or slow.

Network Security

The security of wireless is actually very good using the latest encryption technology. That’s not to
say it can’t be hacked into – it can – and being more open, in terms of accessibility, the danger is
certainly greater. This can be overcome by implementing strong passwords and both hardware and
software security solutions.

There are of course businesses that do have particularly desirable data that hackers would like to get
their hands on– like banks for instance, with all of the personal financial information they hold. For
these organisations, that sort of sensitive data warrants maximum security.
Network Speed

In terms of speed - for most small to medium-sized businesses, the slower speed that a wireless
network provides is still fast enough for what they need.

So when it comes down to choosing between wired and wireless networking from a speed and
security angle, each individual business must examine its own needs, and if the hat fits... wear it
accordingly.

WIRELESS NETWORKING HAS MANY ADVANTAGES TO OFFER

For those businesses where superfast speed and ultra secure methodology are not critically important,
going wireless has many advantages to offer.

ADVANTAGE # 1 – INCREASED MOBILITY

Increased mobility is by far the biggest attraction that wireless networking holds for most businesses.
Being able to sit at any terminal, anywhere in the building and access the server is a great advantage.

When laptops were developed, because of the new mobility convenience factor that they brought
within them, this gave added impetus to the advantages of being able to work anywhere within range
of the wireless network signal.  It means that not only can employees now access information from
the server, wherever they are in the premises, but it also enables colleagues to collaborate and share
information in meetings held anywhere; either in a corner of the office, a bespoke meeting room, or
even the staff canteen. It enables total mobility.

ADVANTAGE # 2 – ENABLING BYOD

The increased mobility factor both enables and facilitates the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)
phenomenon, which more and more businesses are now taking advantage of. Laptops, Tablets, and
Smartphones that belong to individual employees are now being brought into the workplace and are
being given access rights to the wireless network. As well, as making it more convenient for
employees to carry out their tasks, BYOD also represents a potential cost saving, as businesses no
longer have to fund the hardware cost of the devices themselves.

ADVANTAGE # 3 – INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY

Another important by-product of the increased mobility factor is that it promotes increased
productivity, allowing employees to collaborate where and when they need to. It brings freedom of
operation and speeds up the working process. But there is another factor too, and that is that
employees take their device’s home with them, and can work, (as many do), in their own time when
it’s convenient to do so.

ADVANTAGE # 4 – PUBLIC WI-FI - HOTSPOTS

Wireless networking has also gone into the public domain, with Wi-Fi hotspots being available in
many high street coffee shops, hotels, railway stations, airports, universities, hospitals, etc. It enables
people to get onto the Internet when they’re away from the office, or away from home. People can
pick up their emails, both social and business, and if their place of work allows, can also connect into
the business network remotely.

ADVANTAGE # 5 – SCALABILITY

One of the inherent problems with a wireless network is coping with expansion. Having to add
additional cabling, and reroute existing cables, can be a disruptive and costly process. Whilst every
company should plan ahead when installing a wireless network, it is almost impossible to forecast
future requirements accurately unless sound planning is carried out.

There’s no such problem with a wireless network. Being able to add new users is no more difficult
than having to issue a new password, and update the server accordingly. It’s fast, and it’s relatively
convenient. It also means that offices can be relocated within the building with consummate ease,
furniture can be readily moved around, and, of course, employees can sit wherever they need to.

Not only is it so much more convenient to add new users to a wireless network, but it seldom
involves any additional expenditure.

ADVANTAGE # 6 – GUEST USE

Having a wireless network also means that a business can provide secure network access to visiting
colleagues from other sites within the organisation. It enables them to access the data they need and
pick up and respond to their emails.

It also grants Internet access to visiting customers and suppliers. It’s now something that most
business people who have reason to travel, have come to expect. It’s also how most public Wi-Fi
hotspots grant Internet access to their guests.

ADVANTAGE # 7 – USING VOIP

Another one of the benefits of having a wireless network is that it can be used to make telephone
calls using voice over Internet protocol. VoIP calls are often free, depending on the country and the
devices you are calling, and are considerably cheaper than using conventional technology to make
international calls.

ADVANTAGE # 8 – WI-FI IS COST EFFECTIVE

Using wireless technology rather than having a hard wired network can be much more cost-effective.
The larger the network, both in terms of area and users, the more expensive a hard wired network
will be to install. It’s not just the amount of cabling, but the actual cost of the labour to install the
raceways, and chase the cabling all through the premises; through walls, up and down different floors
etc.

Once a wireless network is in place, and even if it costs a little more initially to install, maintenance
costs are lower, and there are normally no additional costs involved in scaling up, unless the signal
needs to be boosted.
ADVANTAGE # 9 – HEALTH AND SAFETY

Because there are no wires involved with a wireless connection, the potential risk of tripping over
any trailing cables that wired connectivity requires, can be avoided altogether.

The many Advantages of Wireless

All things being considered, there are many significant advantages in having a wireless network in
place, rather than a wired network. Where enhanced security and superfast operating speeds are not
strictly necessary, the many benefits of increased mobility that wireless enables, can easily outweigh
the restrictions that a wired network imposes.

The Best of both Worlds

Many companies are now introducing a limited or selective wireless network alongside their existing
hard wired connection, in order to reap the benefits of both worlds. This does however have
additional cost implications, but can be the ideal solution, especially for larger organisations.

Change management is usually overseen by a Change Review Board composed of

representatives from key business areas, security, networking, systems administrators,
Database administration, applications development, desktop support and the help
desk. The tasks of the Change Review Board can be facilitated with the use of
automated work flow application. The responsibility of the Change Review Board is
to ensure the organizations documented change management procedures are followed.
The change management process is as follows:

    * Requested: Anyone can request a change. The person making the change request
may or may not be the same person that performs the analysis or implements the
change. When a request for change is received, it may undergo a preliminary review
to determine if the requested change is compatible with the organizations business
model and practices, and to determine the amount of resources needed to implement
the change.

    * Approved: Management runs the business and controls the allocation of resources
therefore, Management must approve requests for changes and assign a priority for
every change. Management might choose to reject a change request if the change is
not compatible with the business model, industry standards or best practices.
Management might also choose to reject a change request if the change requires more
resources than can be allocated for the change.

    * Planned: Planning a change involves discovering the scope and impact of the
proposed change; analyzing the complexity of the change; allocation of resources and,
developing, testing and documenting both implementation and backout plans. Need to
define the criteria on which a decision to back out will be made.

    * Tested: Every change must be tested in a safe test environment, which closely
reflects the actual production environment, before the change is applied to the
production environment. The backout plan must also be tested.

    * Scheduled: Part of the change review board's responsibility is to assist in the
scheduling of changes by reviewing the proposed implementation date for potential
conflicts with other scheduled changes or critical business activities.

    * Communicated: Once a change has been scheduled it must be communicated. The
communication is to give others the opportunity to remind the change review board
about other changes or critical business activities that might have been overlooked
when scheduling the change. The communication also serves to make the Help Desk
and users aware that a change is about to occur. Another responsibility of the change
review board is to ensure that scheduled changes have been properly communicated to
those who will be affected by the change or otherwise have an interest in the change.

    * Implemented: At the appointed date and time, the changes must be implemented.
Part of the planning process was to develop an implementation plan, testing plan and,
a back out plan. If the implementation of the change should fail or, the post
implementation testing fails or, other "drop dead" criteria have been met, the back out
plan should be implemented.

    * Documented: All changes must be documented. The documentation includes the
initial request for change, its approval, the priority assigned to it, the implementation,
testing and back out plans, the results of the change review board critique, the
date/time the change was implemented, who implemented it, and whether the change
was implemented successfully, failed or postponed.
    * Post change review: The change review board should hold a post implementation
review of changes. It is particularly important to review failed and backed out
changes. The review board should try to understand the problems that were
encountered, and look for areas for improvement.

Change management procedures that are simple to follow and easy to use can greatly
reduce the overall risks created when changes are made to the information
processing environment. Good change managementprocedures improve the over all
quality and success of changes as they are implemented. This is accomplished through
planning, peer review, documentation and communication.

Shopping online using credit cards is becoming increasingly popular as it

makes life way and due to the diversified options available. Be it an e-
commerce transaction, booking tickets online or availing a service, online
transactions has its intrinsic advantages of saving time and convenience. But
there is also a fear of data associated with this, as a lot of third party websites
and cookies are actively stealing user information silently leading to security
risks. Taking some significant steps can minimize their risk of such fraudulent
transactions. Let us take a look at the top 10 tips to ensure safe online card
transactions.
1.    Install latest security software:
Prevention is better than cure and the same is true for all online transactions. The World Wide
Web is full of malware, spam and spyware and the best protection to avoid your security being
compromised is to use good antivirus software. One can also seek to purchase a full version of
protection software rather than an anti virus which can guard against phishing, malware and
Trojans.

2.    Use auto update for all software:

If you thought your security on the internet was not at risk thanks to all the protective software
that you may have installed, think again. Even a small glitch in any of the software being used
actively can lead to possible hacking attempt. The most commonly hacked software includes web
mail clients and web browsers. Make sure that you always have updated to the latest version of
your browser and mail clients like thunderbird and Firefox.

Web browser companies release patches as updates regularly to cover any such security glitch in
the software. If you find it hard to manually check and update their software, the best way is to
keep the auto update option enabled for all software in your computer.

3.    Look for encryption signs:

Before entering any confidential information or sensitive data on any
webpage, check if the website us using proper encryption. Encryption is a
security measure that helps protect data while travelling over the various
networks on the internet. The basic sighs of encryption include an internet
protocol or url address starting with https (where s stands or security) as well
as a sign displayed a closed padlock located in the right corner of the screen.

4.    Use different passwords:

A recent study has revealed that majority of the people use common
passwords for a number of transactions including sensitive transactions like
net banking and credit cards for the convenience of recollecting. Using the
same password makes you at high risk, as if hackers can somehow get
access to one password, they would virtually have access to all your
accounts. The best way to keep you safe in the virtual world is to use unique
passwords for different transactions.
5.    Cash on delivery option:
If any sites are offering cash on delivery option, don't hesitate to use it as it is a good safety tip at
no cost. Many sites give this option, but many of us ignore it mainly because of our carelessness
in going through all details.

6.    Dealing with offers:

You might be getting lot of promotional mails and coupons as mails from retail companies. But
while utilizing such offers, it is recommended to go directly to the seller site rather than entering
details in the coupon link, which will be usually sent by third parties.

7.    Check website's digital certificate:

Before doing any transaction from online retailers and merchant websites, make sure to check for
safe digital certificates that can authenticate the website. Independent services like VeriSign for
example is a popular authentication service provider which helps users to make sure that the
website they are dealing with is genuine and not some fraudulent imposter.

8.    Avoid using public computers:

Always use personal computers or electronic gadgets like phones or tablets to complete any
financial transaction over the internet. Never use any public computers or your friend's mobile
for such sensitive transaction as their security may have been compromised. Also make sure you
always connect to the internet using a secured Wi-Fi connection which is password protected.
Doing financial transactions over a public Wi-Fi connection is highly unsafe and not
recommended.

9.    Stay away from phishing emails seeking confidential information:

Any promotional mails from your bank or any third party websites or vendors seeking your
sensitive banking information must be ignored as spam. A lot of innocent people have been
trapped by such phishing websites and emails in the past coming in the name of banks, RBI, I-T
department etc. Any mail seeking your banking information by offering lucrative lottery or
content winnings must never be encouraged.

10.    Buy From Reputed Merchants:

Doing online transaction from reputed merchant websites and e-commerce platforms make sure
your security is not compromised. A lot of small vendors may not have adequate security
mechanisms in place that could lead to compromise of all user sensitive information in the
future. Also check for a confirmation email once you complete any financial transaction to make
sure the money you have paid has reached the merchant. Also do check the seller's privacy
policy as some retail companies use to resell personal information like contact numbers with
market research companies, which can cause leakage of secure data if not handled with care.

Internet
It is a worldwide/global system of interconnected computer networks. It
uses the standard Internet Protocol (TCP/IP). Every computer in Internet is
identified by a unique IP address. IP Address is a unique set of numbers
(such as 110.22.33.114) which identifies a computer’s location.

A special computer DNS (Domain Name Server) is used to provide a name

to the IP Address so that the user can locate a computer by a name. For
example, a DNS server will resolve a
name https://www.tutorialspoint.com to a particular IP address to uniquely
identify the computer on which this website is hosted.
Internet is accessible to every user all over the world.

Intranet
Intranet is the system in which multiple PCs are connected to each other.
PCs in intranet are not available to the world outside the intranet. Usually
each organization has its own Intranet network and members/employees of
that organization can access the computers in their intranet.

Each computer in Intranet is also identified by an IP Address which is

unique among the computers in that Intranet.
Similarities between Internet and Intranet
 Intranet uses the internet protocols such as TCP/IP and FTP.

 Intranet sites are accessible via the web browser in a similar way as
websites in the internet. However, only members of Intranet network can
access intranet hosted sites.

 In Intranet, own instant messengers can be used as similar to yahoo

messenger/gtalk over the internet.

Differences between Internet and Intranet

 Internet is general to PCs all over the world whereas Intranet is specific
to few PCs.

 Internet provides a wider and better access to websites to a large

population, whereas Intranet is restricted.

 Internet is not as safe as Intranet. Intranet can be safely privatized as

per the need.

10

Information technology has helped in shaping both

the business world and our society in general. Many fields have
been impacted by information technology and these include;
education , health , entertainment , communication just to mention
but a few. The impacts of information technology are profound. As
the world develops, more technology will emerge and this
technology will have both positive and negative impacts. Below i have
detailed points showing you how information technology has
impacted our lives.

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF INFORMATION

TECHNOLOGY IN BUSINESS

AD:

 Increases production and saves time: Business use technology to

automate tasks.  A good example is a bakery which uses automated
temperature censors to detect any drop or increase in room
temperature in a bakery. These censors will send information directly
to the operator and report any temperature change. This saves the
bakery time and it also results into quality products.

 Improves communication through communication

technology: With the help of communication technology tools like
phones, video conferencing , electronic mail, databases just to mention
 but a few. Movement of information with in an organization or
business has become easy and first. Employees can easily move
information across departments without having any interruptions.
Tools like electronic mail , e-fax, mobile phones and text messaging
enhance the movement of information among employees , customers
and business partners or suppliers.

 Improves data storage and file management: Businesses use cloud

hosting services to store and backup business data. Also it saves on
paper work and makes transfer and access of data remote. With
services like ‘’Dropbox.com’’, business owners can access their data
any time any where. Information and data are very important tools for
a business, so it is very essential to store them safely and also access
them at any time of need.

RELATED:

:- The Impact of Information Technology on Small Business

:- The Role of Information Technology in Group Decision Making

:- 5 Ethical Challenges of Information Technology

 Improves financial management: Accounting software like Quick

Books , Bookkeeper , Sage 50 , and Account Edge  can be used in
performing various accounting tasks in a business. Business owners
can easily balance their books with less experience in accounting
 because these software’s are well equipped with every tool needed in
accounting and they also have a help section which can be referred to 
in case a user is stuck.

 Cuts costs of operation and increases on RIO – Communication

technology and social technology have made business promotion and
product launch affordable. Many small business have found ways to
use social technology to increase on their brand awareness and get
more clients at a minimal cost. In business, factors like cost of
operation play a big role in the development and growth of that
business. So when businesses use information technology to cut down
on costs of operation, then their ROI will increase which will result into
business growth.

 Improves business to consumer relationship – Businesses have

embraced the social technology to interact with their consumers and
fans. This creates a strong business to consumer relationship and it
results into business growth and expansion. Information technology
can be used to improve customer service in so many ways. For
example, businesses can use internet to inform their customers about
great deals and discounts, this makes customers feel special and it can
drive their desire to buy. A good customer service can be used as a
great tool by any small business to gain competitive advantage.

 
  Improves on business competitive advantage: Companies have
used technology to gain competitive advantage over their competitors. 
A business will improve on its technology and improve on its services
and products which will make its customers happy, this will turn these
happy customer loyal to that business and also invite more friends to
use that service or product.

RELATED:

:- Use of Information Technology

:- The Role of Information Technology In Todays World

:- 6 Uses of Information Technology in Education

DIS:

 Implementation Expenses:  Small businesses fail to afford this

expensive technology so they end up losing their clients to a business
which has improved its technology and provides a better service or
product.
 Job Elimination: Technology has replaced most positions which
humans used to occupy. Accounting is now being done by software, so
accountants run out of opportunities.
  Security Breaches:  Since businesses store their data on remote cloud
servers which can be accessed with a user name and password, they
risk losing that data to wrong minded knowledge works, hackers or
viruses, which can harm he business.

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF INFORMATION

TECHNOLOGY IN PURCHASING

AD:

 Credit Cards and Smart cards: Buying and selling of goods and
services has become simple because of these smart cards. A user can
go to a merchant’s website and make an order using their smart card
or credit card. Money will be transferred from the consumers account
to the merchants account in seconds, and then the merchant will
deliver the item to the consumers address. This saves time for both
parties.
 Electronic Bill Presentation and Payment:  (EBPP) systems send us
bills over the internet and they give us an easy way to pay them if the
amount looks correct.  In this there is need for billing companies to
send our bills in mail. It saves time for both parties.

DIS:

 Internet security issues:  For the merchant to process an order

online, a consumer has to provide their financial details. Experienced
hackers can use this lop hole to channel this information and use it for
their own needs.
  Faulty products and duplication: In most cases auction websites
have products that are not real. So a user can bid on a shoe thinking it
is original, upon delivery, they discover that the shoe is fake and it does
not resemble the picture on auction.
 Privacy – ecommerce websites collect personal data using cookies to
know more about us and suggest products basing on that information.
This data is collected without any notice , but with selfish intent.

       ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF INFORMATION

TECHNOLOGY IN SOCIETY:

AD:

 Improved innovation: Technology has played a big role in job creation

and emerging of technology based companies. With access to a
computer and internet, any one can start an business while at home.
Most successful technology based ventures like Google / Amazon /
Facebook, to mention but a few, started from home but now they
employ thousands or people.
 Improved entertainment: Technology has changed the
entertainment industry, now days we have many options to choose
from, you can have a play-list of 10,000 songs in your palms with an
ipod, you can watch movies on the go with an ipad , the list is endless.
 Improved social discovery:  Finding both old and new friends has
become very simple. With social networks like facebook and twitter,
you can easily keep up with all your old friends and also make new
ones.
  Globalization of knowledge: Today you can use the internet to get
the latest news from any country on the globe. Services like ‘’Twitter’’
have enabled people to become journalist so they report news on
instant by twitting. Services like Wikipedia.org are well equipped with
data on about anything.
 Improved communication:

DIS:

 Cyber-sickness: With the increased addiction to social networks and

internet games, people are spending more time on computers and
give up on their normal offline life.  This has resulted into relation
breakups and increases loneliness.
 Social implications – access to harmful information which corrupts
people’s minds and drives them to commit crime. People use search
engines to find information on how to create harmful weapons and
how to commit wrong acts in society.

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF INFORMATION

TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION:

AD:

 Online education has made  educational material and data

accessible anywhere. The use of internet technology has opened
educational boundaries, this has benefited students from developing
 countries have a chance to study relevant courses which increases on
their chance of getting high paying jobs international.

 New methods of education have been created – Use of educational

video games and puzzles has increased students interest in learning.
Basing on research, students enjoy learning with technology, many
schools have started providing free internet on school campus, this
helps students make research and learn as individuals without getting
any help from their teachers.

DIS :

 Over dependence on information  technology makes students less

active and innovative. Students no longer take time to solve equation
and tasks, all they do is query that task in a search engine and a
solution will be provided.
 Poor publications online: This exposes student’s t wrong information
which results into failure of exams. Many online publishers post
content for monetary purposes, so you find that most the content
published online is not well detailed to help students and researchers.

 
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY IN BANKING

AD:

 Online Banking: Many banks have integrated advanced information

technology systems to improve on their customer service. Today, it is
very easy to withdraw money  using an ATM card or smart money card,
this saves customers from wasting time lining up in banks.
 Fast Credit: Technology used in banks helps in gathering of financial
details and credit scores about each customer, the information
gathered can be used when a customer applies for credit in that bank.
 RFID Payment

DIS:

Money Laundering: Cases of online money laundering are on the

rise and this has exposed many online users to the predators.