Web 1.0 , 2.0 and 3.0
Web 1.0 – That Geocities & Hotmail era was all about read-only content and static HTML websites. People preferred navigating the web through link directories of Yahoo! and dmoz.
Web 2.0 – This is about user-generated content and the read-write web. People are consuming as well as contributing information through blogs or sites like Flickr, YouTube, Digg, etc. The line dividing a consumer and content publisher is increasingly getting blurred in the Web 2.0 era.
Web 3.0 – This will be about semantic web (or the meaning of data), personalization (e.g. iGoogle), intelligent search and behavioral advertising among other things.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
What is Internet and WWW?
What is Internet?
The Internet is a massive network of networks, a networking infrastructure. It connects millions of computers together globally, forming a network in which any computer can communicate with any other computer as long as they are both connected to the Internet. Information that travels over the Internet does so via a variety of languages known as protocol.
The internet in simple terms is a network of the interlinked computer networking worldwide, which is accessible to the general public. These interconnected computers work by transmitting data through a special type of packet switching which is known as the IP or the internet protocol.
Internet is such a huge network of several different interlinked networks relating to the business, government, academic, and even smaller domestic networks, therefore internet is known as the network of all the other networks. These networks enable the internet to be used for various important functions which include the several means of communications like the file transfer, the online chat and even the sharing of the documents and web sites on the WWW, or the World Wide Web.
What is WWW?
The World Wide Web, or simply Web, is a way of accessing information over the medium of the Internet. It is an information-sharing model that is built on top of the Internet. The Web uses the HTTP protocol, only one of the languages spoken over the Internet, to transmit data. Web services, which use HTTP to allow applications to communicate in order to exchange business logic, use the the Web to share information.
What is Database management and DBMS?
Database Management entails managing the speed and efficiency with which a
database supplies answers to end user queries. Database Management tools help
database administrators maintain smooth, rapid, uninterrupted access to shared
databases. Database management tools can help database administrators keep vital
business data protected and available to end users and applications.
Database management involves the monitoring, administration, and maintenance of the databases and database groups in your enterprise. Enterprise Manager is the premier tool for managing your database environment.
With Enterprise Manager, you receive:
Database management involves the monitoring, administration, and maintenance of the databases and database groups in your enterprise. Enterprise Manager is the premier tool for managing your database environment.
With Enterprise Manager, you receive:
-
A complete set of integrated features for managing Oracle Databases.
-
Unparalleled scalability that lets you manage a single database or thousands
of instances.
-
An intuitive management product that leads the industry in ease of deployment
and use.
What is DBMS ?
Stands for "Database Management System." In short, a DBMS is a database program. Technically speaking, it is a software system that uses a standard method of cataloging, retrieving, and running queries on data. The DBMS manages incoming data, organizes it, and provides ways for the data to be modified or extracted by users or other programs.
Some DBMS examples include MySQL, PostgreSQL, Microsoft Access, SQL Server, FileMaker, Oracle, RDBMS, dBASE, Clipper, and FoxPro. Since there are so many database management systems available, it is important for there to be a way for them to communicate with each other. For this reason, most database software comes with an Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) driver that allows the database to integrate with other databases. For example, common SQL statements such as SELECT and INSERT are translated from a program's proprietary syntax into a syntax other databases can understand.
Information System Development Methodolgies
Once you have decided on an Information system to use in an organization, to
install it, and to be ready to use it, you need the help of an IS Development
Methodology. This is simply a step by step guide on what steps need to be taken
when installing an IS, how to take those steps and why we need top take those
steps. IS development Methodology is a collection of procedures, tools and
documentation aids that will help the system developers implement a new
information system.
The reason why we need to use IS development Methodology is because it makes it easier for non-experts to follow the process and it also makes the implementation more manageable.
There is a great number of methodologies in IS development. But as discussed in our class, I will only discuss five of the most common ISD methodologies.
1. Gane and Sarsons (STRADIS) ISDM
Christ Gane and Trish Sarson introduced this in the late 1970s. This methodology involves designing a system top-down by successive refinement. First, an overall system data flow is created. Then, detailed data flows are created. Next, the details of the data structures and the process logic is determined. In this methodology, the main focus is to explain the processes of the system. And how the processes transform the data.
2. Information Engineering (IE)
his methodology takes an architectural approach to planning, analyzing, designing and implementing applications within an enterprise.
3. Jackson System Development
This methodology explains more of the features of the system to be built. It also focuses on the software life cycle of the system. JSD is a technical method which means that it gives the developer assistance in thinking about the structure of software development problem and its solution, what functions and processes the system must perform, what data it must remember, the events that trigger the running of the processes, and so on.
4. Prototyping/Iterative approach
This methodology involves pre-planning or prototyping the whole system to be built before implementing the actual process. This prototype includes the demonstration of a planned software system, its interface and input/output functionality.
5. Structured approach (SDLC)
It was agreed in class that this was the most reliable ISDM of all because of its long usage and wide popularity. This methodology is nick name as ‘waterfall’. This methodology gives a step by step approach to what needs to be done to complete the implementation of IS.This methodology can be defined as the process (as a whole) of developing system or software to meet certain requirements.
During this week, each group was supposed to propose an IS and an ISDM to implement the IS for AIU for student registration, hostel registration and preparation of exam slips. Our group proposed TPS for the system and SDLC for the ISDM. We proposed TPS as it was the only IS that satisfied the requirements asked for and we proposed the SDLC as it was the clearest and the most known methodology among all……
The reason why we need to use IS development Methodology is because it makes it easier for non-experts to follow the process and it also makes the implementation more manageable.
There is a great number of methodologies in IS development. But as discussed in our class, I will only discuss five of the most common ISD methodologies.
1. Gane and Sarsons (STRADIS) ISDM
Christ Gane and Trish Sarson introduced this in the late 1970s. This methodology involves designing a system top-down by successive refinement. First, an overall system data flow is created. Then, detailed data flows are created. Next, the details of the data structures and the process logic is determined. In this methodology, the main focus is to explain the processes of the system. And how the processes transform the data.
2. Information Engineering (IE)
his methodology takes an architectural approach to planning, analyzing, designing and implementing applications within an enterprise.
3. Jackson System Development
This methodology explains more of the features of the system to be built. It also focuses on the software life cycle of the system. JSD is a technical method which means that it gives the developer assistance in thinking about the structure of software development problem and its solution, what functions and processes the system must perform, what data it must remember, the events that trigger the running of the processes, and so on.
4. Prototyping/Iterative approach
This methodology involves pre-planning or prototyping the whole system to be built before implementing the actual process. This prototype includes the demonstration of a planned software system, its interface and input/output functionality.
5. Structured approach (SDLC)
It was agreed in class that this was the most reliable ISDM of all because of its long usage and wide popularity. This methodology is nick name as ‘waterfall’. This methodology gives a step by step approach to what needs to be done to complete the implementation of IS.This methodology can be defined as the process (as a whole) of developing system or software to meet certain requirements.
During this week, each group was supposed to propose an IS and an ISDM to implement the IS for AIU for student registration, hostel registration and preparation of exam slips. Our group proposed TPS for the system and SDLC for the ISDM. We proposed TPS as it was the only IS that satisfied the requirements asked for and we proposed the SDLC as it was the clearest and the most known methodology among all……
Challanges and Opportunities of Information System
Now that, even if we boast of how much IS has made life easier for us in dealing with information, it is no easy task to maintain a huge system as an IS. Now that almost all organizations rely on IS, they should know what are the challenges that might come their way when dealing with IS. So here are some challenges and opportunities for a firm of using Information systems.
Challenges of IS
- Cost: Maintaining an Information system could be costly and you need separate specialized staff to handle it.
- Information Overload: This is a big challenge to IS because having to manage large chunks of information in an orderly way to make it easier to retrieve data quickly can be a complex task.
- Employee mistrust: When dealing with very important and secretive information, it’s always hard to appoint trustworthy employees (who will not leak out any kind of information) to have access to the system.
- Difficult to build: It is actually difficult to organize and understand a complex information system. It might look confusing at first for those who are supposed to use it.
- Security: It’s nearly impossible to guarantee the security of all the important information entered in the system. A simple crash down in the system will mean a big loss to the company.
- Enhanced global competitiveness: when a company starts using IS, it gets far ahead to compete globally. IS increase competition among companies worldwide.
- Supports corporate strategy: IS makes it easier for higher authorities in a company to make plans to achieve major goals in groups.
- Improve the quality of goods and services: IS can be used to identify the customer demands as guide to improving the quality of goods or services and can also simplify the product and the production process.
- Capture market opportunities: IS can be used to keep an update of how the market revolves so that it can detect and predict good opportunities for the company for the situation it is in.
- Enhance worker productivity: IS makes sure that there’s no time wasted in looking for information. By being able to locate and manage information easily, employees in an organization find more time to do more important tasks for the organization.
Types of Information Systems
So here are the four types of IS explained in detail.
1. Transaction Process Management (TPS) : TPS is a system that collects, stores, modifies and retrieves the transactions of an organization. It can speed up the performance of an organization. Many organizations these days heavily rely on TPS that a simple breakdown in the system will stop the business from running. Normal workers in the lower level of the organization normally operate the TPS. A very good example of the TPS is the cashier of a super market where all the simple transactions are recorded and processed.
2. Management Information System (MIS) : This system provides information about sales, inventories, and other data that will help the business to be run in an efficient and effective way. An MIS can support a business in making long term plans by providing reports based on performance analysis with feedback on all areas of the business. Apart from showing how things are going, MIS will also show why and where the performance is failing to meet the plan.
3. Decision Support System (DSS) : This system helps the organization in decision making. It makes predictions on future performance like whether or not the business will be able to achieve its goals or how much input is needed to achieve the desired results. DSS can help the business in speeding up the problem-solving process and reveal new approaches to thinking about problems and increasing performance which is exactly what businesses are looking for these days to keep ahead of competitions.
4. Executive Support System (EIS) : This is kind of a specialized form of DSS but for Executives. It supports the senior executives in making decisions by providing easy access to internal and external information relevant to meeting the strategic goals of the organization.
So these are the four types of information systems that are widely used in all levels of organizations. There will come a time when no organization will exist without the help of information systems.
Information System
During this week, we had an overview of information systems. This is a
system which helps people (normally businesses) to handle large chunks of
information in a more effective, reliable way using information
technology. It makes it easier to manage large amounts of information,
handle complex calculations and control and monitor many simultaneous processes.
Information Systems are used all around the world and there’s no company that
can survive without the help of information systems.
According to Silver et-al,
Here are the five basic components of a computer-based information system
A widely used example of IS is the Enterprise system which is probably used in all complex organizations. This is a package that supports handling business processes, information flows, reporting and data analytics. The subsystems under Enterprise system include, Enterprise resource planning system, Enterprise planning system, customer relationship management system and data warehousing.
There are many of these kinds of information systems which are widely used all around the world. And Information systems seems to be a demanding topic in the business world today. As the bulk of information keep adding up in every business organization, people tend to find refugee in the help of IS.
According to Silver et-al,
“Information systems are implemented within an organization for the purpose of improving the effectiveness and efficiency of that organization. Capabilities of the information system and characteristics of the organization, its work systems, its people, and its development and implementation methodologies together determine the extent to which that purpose is achieved.”So there are two kinds of information systems. One is the manual way which is completely outdated. No one uses it anymore so there’s obviously no point of explaining it. The second and the most popular kind of IS is the computer-based information system. This is a network of five components that are working hand in hand to satisfy a common purpose.
Here are the five basic components of a computer-based information system
- Hardware – This refers to the computer itself. The CPU and all its support systems like input/output devices, storage devices and communication devices
- Software – This term refers to the computer programs and the manuals that support them
- Data – This is the basic input. The facts that the programs uses to produce the useful information.
- Procedures – These are the policies that govern the operations of a computer system. It’s something like a manual/a supervisor for the people who are involved in running the system. In simpler terms, "Procedures are to people what software is to hardware".
- People – Obviously, no information system can run on its own without people to operate it. This is the the most important component of an IS which mostly determines the success or failure of the information system.
A widely used example of IS is the Enterprise system which is probably used in all complex organizations. This is a package that supports handling business processes, information flows, reporting and data analytics. The subsystems under Enterprise system include, Enterprise resource planning system, Enterprise planning system, customer relationship management system and data warehousing.
There are many of these kinds of information systems which are widely used all around the world. And Information systems seems to be a demanding topic in the business world today. As the bulk of information keep adding up in every business organization, people tend to find refugee in the help of IS.
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