Introduction to Information Systems I

Lecture notes 1 - Information Technology, The internet and you

The future of computers and digital technology promises exciting challenges and opportunities.
Powerful software and hardware systems are changing the way people and organizations interact in
their daily life and on the Internet. This chapter introduces you to the skills and concepts you need to
be prepared for this ever-changing digital world, including:

 Information systems - how the critical parts of technology interact.

 Efficiency and effectiveness—how to maximize the use of technology.
 Privacy, ethics, and environment—how to integrate technology with people.
 Software, hardware, and data—understand the technology used in information systems.
 Connectivity and cloud computing—how the Internet, the web, and the wireless revolution are
changing how we communicate and interact.

Learning Objectives

After you have read this chapter, you should be able to:

1. Explain the parts of an information system: people, procedures, software, hardware, data, and
the Internet.
2. Distinguish between system software and application software.
3. Differentiate between the three kinds of system software programs.
4. Define and compare general-purpose, specialized, and mobile applications.
5. Identify the four types of computers and the five types of personal computers.
6. Describe the different types of computer hardware, including the system unit, input, output,
storage, and communication devices.

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 Introduction to Information Systems I

7. Define data and describe document, worksheet, database, and presentation files.
8. Explain computer connectivity, the wireless revolution, the Internet, cloud computing, and loT

Information Systems

When you think of a personal computer, perhaps you think of just the equipment itself. That is, you
think of the screen or the keyboard. Yet there is more to it than that. The way to think about a personal
computer is as part of an information system. An information system has several parts: people,
procedures, software, hardware, data, and the Internet.

 People: It is easy to overlook people as one of the parts of an information system. Yet this is
what personal computers are all about—making people, end users like you, more productive.
People play different roles in information systems such as:

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 Imagining, designing, developing, and building information systems

 Managing the databases for an organization
 Keeping the large computers running
 Supporting and troubleshooting information systems
 Teaching and training people specific computer skills

 Procedures: The rules or guidelines for people to follow when using software, hardware, and
data are procedures. These procedures are typically documented in manuals written by
computer specialists. Software and hardware manufacturers provide manuals with their
products. These manuals are provided in either printed or electronic form.
 Software: A program consists of the step-by-step instructions that tell the computer how to do
its work. Software is another name for a program or programs. The purpose of software is to
convert data (unprocessed facts) into information (processed facts). For example, a payroll
program would instruct the computer to take the number of hours you worked in a week (data)
and multiply it by your pay rate (data) to determine how much you are paid for the week
(information).
 Hardware: The equipment that processes the data to create information is called hardware. It
includes smartphones, tablets, keyboards, mice, displays, system units, and other devices.
Hardware is controlled by software.
 Data: The raw, unprocessed facts, including text, numbers, images, and sounds, are called data.
Processed data yields information. Using the previous example of a payroll program, the data
(number of hours worked and pay rate) is processed (multiplied) to yield information (weekly
pay).
These data sources can be classified into smaller categories:
 Internal data: Created by organizational processes, including email marketing, customer
profiles, and online activity
 External data: Derived from outside sources like social media, historical demographic
data, and websites
 Third-party analytics: Provided through analytics platforms like Google Analytics
 Open data: Free, public-accessible data, like government and health and science data

 Internet: Almost all information systems provide a way to connect to other people and
computers, typically using the Internet. This connectivity greatly expands the capability and
usefulness of information systems.

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The Role of Information Systems in Organizations

Information systems play a crucial role in modern organizations, enabling them to improve efficiency,
make informed decisions, and gain a competitive advantage. Here are some of the key roles of
information systems:

1. Supporting Business Processes:

 Automation: Streamlining tasks and reducing manual labor.

 Integration: Connecting different departments and systems within an organization.
 Efficiency: Improving operational efficiency and productivity.

2. Enabling Decision Making:

 Providing Data: Collecting, storing, and analyzing data to support decision-making.

 Generating Insights: Creating reports, dashboards, and visualizations to help identify trends
and opportunities.
 Predictive Analytics: Using data to forecast future outcomes and make proactive decisions.

3. Enhancing Communication and Collaboration:

 Facilitating Information Sharing: Enabling employees to access and share information easily.
 Improving Collaboration: Supporting teamwork and collaboration across departments.
 Enabling Remote Work: Facilitating remote work and virtual teams.

4. Improving Customer Service:

 Providing Customer Support: Offering efficient customer support through online channels and
self-service options.
 Personalizing Customer Experiences: Tailoring services to individual customer needs and
preferences.
 Managing Customer Relationships: Building and maintaining strong relationships with
customers.

5. Driving Innovation:

 Enabling New Business Models: Supporting the development of new products and services.
 Fostering Creativity: Providing tools and data to support innovation and creativity.
 Improving Competitive Advantage: Gaining a competitive edge through the effective use of
information systems.

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Software

Software, as we mentioned, is another name for programs. Programs are the instructions that tell the
computer how to process data into the form you want. In most cases, the words software and programs
are interchangeable. There are two major kinds of software: system software and application software.
You can think of application software as the kind you use. Think of system software as the kind the
computer uses.

 System Software
The user interacts primarily with application software. System software enables the application
software to interact with the computer hardware. System software is “background” software
that helps the computer manage its own internal resources. System software is not a single
program. Rather, it is a collection of programs, including the following:
 Operating systems are programs that coordinate computer resources, provide an
interface between users and the computer, and run applications. Smartphones, tablets,
and many other mobile devices use embedded operating systems, also known as
realtime operating systems (RTOS). Desktop computers use stand-alone operating
systems like Windows 10 or macOS. (See Figures 1-2 and 1-3.) Networks use network
operating systems (NOS).
 Utilities perform specific tasks related to managing computer resources. One of the
most essential utility programs that every computer system should have is an antivirus
program. These programs protect your computer system from viruses or malicious
programs that are all too often deposited onto your computer from the Internet. These
programs can damage software and hardware, as well as compromise the security and
privacy of your personal data. If your computer does not have an antivirus program
installed on it, you need to get one.

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 Application Software
Application software might be described as end-user software. Three types of application
software are general-purpose, specialized, and apps. General-purpose applications are widely
used in nearly all career areas. They are the kinds of programs you have to know to be
considered an efficient and effective end user. Some of the best known are presented in Figure
1-4.

Type Description
Word Processors Prepare written documents
Spreadsheets Analyze and summarize numerical data
Database management Systems Organize and manage data and information
Presentation software Communicate a message or persuade other people

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Figure 1-4 General-purpose applications

Specialized applications include thousands of other programs that are more narrowly focused
on specific disciplines and occupations. Two of the best known are graphics and web authoring
programs. Mobile apps, also known as mobile applications or simply apps, are small programs
primarily designed for mobile devices such as smartphones and for tablets. There are over 5
million apps. The most popular mobile apps are for social networking, playing games, and
downloading music and videos.

Hardware

Computers are electronic devices that can follow instructions to accept input, process that input, and
produce information. However, it is almost certain that you will come in contact, at least indirectly,
with other types of computers. Types of Computers There are four types of computers:
supercomputers, mainframe computers, midrange computers, and personal computers.

 Supercomputers are the most powerful type of computer. These machines are special, high-
capacity computers used by very large organizations. Supercomputers are typically used to
process massive amounts of data. For example, they are used to analyze and predict worldwide
weather patterns. IBM’s Blue Gene supercomputer is one of the fastest computers in the world.
(See Figure 1-8.)
 Mainframe computers occupy specially wired, air-conditioned rooms. Although not nearly as
powerful as supercomputers, mainframe computers are capable of great processing speeds and
data storage. For example, insurance companies use mainframes to process information about
millions of policyholders.
 Midrange computers, also referred to as servers, are computers with processing capabilities less
powerful than a mainframe computer yet more powerful than a personal computer. Originally
used by medium-size companies or departments of large companies to support their processing
needs, today midrange computers are most widely used to support or serve end users for such
specific needs as retrieving data from a database or supplying access to application software.
 Personal computers, also known as PCs, are the least powerful, yet the most widely used and
fastest-growing type of computer. There are five types of personal computers: desktops, laptops,
tablets, smartphones, and wearables. Desktop computers are small enough to fit on top of or
alongside a desk yet are too big to carry around. (See Figure 1-9.) Laptop computers, also known

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 Introduction to Information Systems I

as notebook computers, are portable and lightweight and fit into most briefcases. (See Figure 1-
10.) Tablets, also known as tablet computers, are smaller, lighter, and generally less powerful than
laptops. Like a laptop, tablets have a flat screen but typically do not have a standard keyboard.
(See Figure 1-11.) Instead, tablets typically use a virtual keyboard that appears on the screen and
is touch-sensitive.
 Smartphones are the most widely used personal computer. Smartphones are cell phones with
wireless connections to the Internet and processing capabilities. (See Figure 1-12.) Other mobile
computers include wearable devices like Apple’s Watch. (See Figure 1-13).

Cell Phones Many people are not aware that their cell phone is a computer, and this computer has
many of the same components as desktops, laptops, and tablets. At one time, cell phones had very
limited power and were used almost exclusively for making telephone calls. Now, almost all cell
phones are powerful smartphones capable of connecting to the Internet and running any number of
apps. In fact, nearly every cell phone purchased today is more powerful than the computers used to
land the first person on the moon. Today, over 99 percent of Americans under the age of 30 own a cell

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 Introduction to Information Systems I

phone, and over 96 percent of those cell phones are smartphones. As a result, the two terms are
becoming interchangeable. Reflecting this trend, we will use the term cell phone and smartphone
interchangeably.

Personal Computer Hardware

Hardware for a personal computer system consists of a variety of different devices. This physical
equipment falls into four basic categories: system unit, input/output, secondary storage, and
communication. Because we discuss hardware in detail later in this book, here we will present just a
quick overview of the four basic categories.

 System unit: The system unit is a container that houses most of the electronic components that
make up a computer system. Two important components of the system unit are microprocessors
and memory. (See Figure 1-14.) The microprocessor controls and manipulates data to produce
information. Memory is a holding area for data, instructions, and information. One type, random-
access memory (RAM), holds the program and data that are currently being processed. This type
of memory is sometimes referred to as temporary storage because its contents will typically be lost
if the electric power to the computer is disrupted.
 Input/output: Input devices translate data and programs that humans can understand into a form
that the computer can process. The most common input devices are the keyboard and the mouse.
Output devices translate the processed information from the computer into a form that humans can
understand. The most common output device is the display, also known as a monitor.
 Secondary storage: Unlike memory, secondary storage holds data and programs even after
electric power to the computer system has been turned off. The most important kinds of secondary
media are hard disks, solid-state storage, and optical discs. Hard disks are typically used to store
programs and very large data files. Using rigid metallic platters and read/write heads that move
across the platters, data and information are stored using magnetic charges on the disk’s surface.
In contrast, solidstate storage does not have any moving parts, is more reliable, and requires less
power. It saves data and information electronically similar to RAM except that it is not volatile.
(See Figure 1-15.) Optical discs use laser technology to store data and programs. Three types of
optical discs are compact discs (CDs), digital versatile (or video) discs (DVDs), and Blu-ray discs
(BD).

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 Communication: At one time, it was uncommon for a personal computer system to communicate
with other computer systems. Now, using communication devices, a personal computer routinely
communicates with other computer systems located as near as the next office or as far away as
halfway around the world, using the Internet. A modem is a widely used communication device
that modifies audio, video, and other types of data into a form that can be transmitted across the
Internet

Data

Data is raw, unprocessed facts, including text, numbers, images, and sounds. As we mentioned earlier,
processed data becomes information. When stored electronically in files, data can be used directly as
input for the system unit. Four common types of files (see Figure 1-16) are

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 Document files, created by word processors to save documents such as memos, term papers,
and letters.
 Worksheet files, created by electronic spreadsheets to analyze things like budgets and to
predict sales.
 Database files, typically created by database management programs to contain highly
structured and organized data. For example, an employee database file might contain all the
workers’ names, Social Security numbers, job titles, and other related pieces of information.
 Presentation files, created by presentation software to save presentation materials. For
example, a file might contain audience handouts, speaker notes, and electronic slides.

The Internet

The internet is a global network of interconnected computers that communicate using a standard
protocol called TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol). It provides access to a vast
amount of information and resources, including websites, emails, social media, online shopping, and
more.

Key components of the internet:

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 Servers: Powerful computers that store and serve information to other computers on the
network.
 Clients: Devices that connect to the internet and request information from servers.
 Network Infrastructure: The physical infrastructure, such as cables, routers, and switches,
that connects computers to the internet.
 Protocols: The rules and standards that govern how computers communicate on the internet.

Benefits of the internet:

 Access to information: The internet provides access to a vast amount of information on

virtually any topic.
 Communication: The internet enables people to communicate with each other from anywhere
in the world.
 Business opportunities: The internet has created new business opportunities, such as e-
commerce and online services.
 Education and entertainment: The internet provides access to educational resources and
entertainment content.

Challenges of the internet:

 Privacy: The internet can pose privacy risks, as personal information can be collected and
shared without consent.
 Security: The internet is vulnerable to cyber attacks, such as hacking and phishing.
 Digital divide: Access to the internet is not equal, and there is a digital divide between those
who have access and those who do not.

The internet has transformed the way we live, work, and communicate. It has become an
essential part of our daily lives.

Connectivity and the Mobile Internet

Connectivity is the capability of your personal computer to share information with other computers.
Central to the concept of connectivity is the network. A network is a communications system
connecting two or more computers. The largest network in the world is the Internet. It is like a giant
highway that connects you to millions of other people and organizations located throughout the world.
The web provides a multimedia interface to the numerous resources available on the Internet. The
Internet has driven the evolution of computers and their impact on our daily lives. The rate of
technological change is accelerating at an ever faster pace. Along with the Internet, three things that
are driving the impact of technology on our lives are cloud computing, wireless communication, and
the Internet of Things.

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 Cloud computing uses the Internet and the web to shift many computer activities from a
user’s computer to computers on the Internet. Rather than relying solely on their computer,
users can now use the Internet to connect to the cloud and access more powerful computers,
software, and storage.
 Wireless communication has changed the way we communicate with one another. The rapid
development and widespread use of wireless communication devices like tablets, cell phones,
and wearable devices have led many experts to predict that wireless applications are just the
beginning of the wireless revolution, a revolution that will dramatically affect the way we
communicate and use computer technology.
 The Internet of Things (IoT) is the continuing development of the Internet that allows
everyday objects embedded with electronic devices to send and receive data over the Internet.
It promises to connect all types of devices, from computers to cell phones, to watches, to any
number of everyday devices. Wireless communication, cloud computing, and IoT are driving
the mobile Internet. They promise to continue to dramatically affect the entire computer
industry and how you and I will interact with computers and other devices. Each will be
discussed in detail in the following chapters. For just a few of these mobile devices, see Figure
1-17

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Careers in IT

“Now that you know the basic outline and important features of this book, we would like to talk about
some of the most exciting and well-paid careers in information technology.”

Career Description
Web master Develops and maintain websites and web resources
Software Engineer Analyses user’s needs and create application software
Computer Support Specialist Provide technical support to customers and other users
Computer technician Repairs and installs computer components and systems
Technical writer Prepare instruction manuals, technical reports and other scientific
or technical documents
Network administrator Creates and maintain computers networks
Data Analyst Analyses companies data and discover insights about data
Data Scientist Build machine learning data pipelines and models for a company

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