Information Communication Technology

For Managers

Lecture 4: Computer Software

 Chapter Objectives
• Important trends occurring in computer software
• Major types of application and system software.
• Popular software packages for end user productivity and
collaborative computing
• Outline the functions of an operating system
• Uses of high-level, fourth-generation, object-oriented, and Web-
oriented programming languages and tools
 Categories of Computer Software
Computer
Software

Application System
Software Software

General- Application- System System

Purpose Specific Management Development
Programs Programs Programs Programs
 Trends in Computer Software
First Second Third Fourth Fifth
Generation Generation Generation Generation Generation
Trend: Toward Easy-to-Use, Multipurpose, Network-Enabled Application
Packages for Productivity and Collaboration

Natural &
Object-Oriented
DBMS Languages
User-Written Packaged Operating
Fourth-Generation Multipurpose
Programs Programs Systems
Languages Graphic- Interface
Machine Symbolic High-Level
Microcomputer Network-Enabled
Languages Languages Languages
Packages Expert-Assisted
Packages

Trend: Toward Visual or Conversational Programming Languages and Tools

Common General- Purpose Applications

• Electronic Mail
• Word Processing
• Presentation Graphics
• Multimedia
• Personal Information Manager
• Groupware
 Web Browsers
Surf the Net Launch
Discussion Information
Groups Searches

Typical uses of a Web

Browser in Internet,
Intranet, and Extranet
Environments

Multimedia
File E-Mail
Transfer
Database Management Packages
Database Database
Development Interrogation

Primary Tasks of
Database Management
Packages

Database Application
Maintenance Development
 Multimedia Technologies
Video Capture Authoring
Card Language

Compact Disk
Storyboard
Interactive
Key
Sound Board Technologies Compressed
Audio
of
Multimedia
Computer
MIDI
Edit System

Interactive
Digital Audio
Video Digital Video
Interactive
 Business Enterprise Application Software
BEAS: application packages that support managerial decision making and operational users

Information systems that record and A supply chain is the

report business transactions, the flow network of business
of funds through an organization, and processes and
produce financial statements interrelationships among
Accounting and businesses that are
Financial needed to build, sell, and
deliver a product to its
Management final customer.
These systems consist of a family of
Customer Supply
software modules that perform the
business activities involved in such Relationship Business Chain
‘front office’ processes like customer
Management Decision Management
sales, marketing, and service.
Support

Human Enterprise
Information systems that support Resource
Resource
human resource management
activities such as recruitment, Management Planning
selection and hiring, job placement, Uses integrated cross-functional
software to reengineer, integrate,
performance appraisals and training and automate the basic business
and development. processes of a company to
improve its efficiency, agility, and
profitability.
Functions of an Operating System
User
Interface

Utilities
Resource Task File
and Other
Management Management Management
Functions
Categories of Programming Languages
Machine Languages High Level Languages Markup Languages
Use binary coded Use brief statements Use embedded
instructions control codes
1001 1001 Compute X = Y + Z <H1>First heading</H>
1100 1101 <!ELEMENT Product
(#Item | manuf)>
Assembler Languages Fourth Generation Object-Oriented
Use symbolic coded Languages Languages
instructions Use natural statements Define objects that
contain data and actions
LOD Y SUM THE FOLLOWING
NUMBERS Document.write
ADD Z
(“Hi There”)
Programming Language Translation
• Compiler
• Interpreter
• Assembler
IF A := B
THEN 1001101
Language
Translator 1110101
Program 0010110

Source
Program

Written in
BASIC,
COBOL, C, C++
etc. Language
Translation Machine
Process Language
Object
Program
 Chapter Summary
• Computer software consists of two major
types of programs:
• application software that directs the
performance of a particular end user task, and
• system software that controls and supports
the operations of a computer system
• Application software includes a variety of
programs that can be segregated into:
• general-purpose and
• application-specific categories
 Chapter Summary (cont)
• System software can be subdivided into
• system management programs
• system development programs
• The former is used to manage hardware, software,
networks, and data resources.
• The latter is used by IS specialists to develop
computer programs
• An operating system is an integrated system
of programs that supervises the operations
of the CPU
 Chapter Summary (cont)
• There are 5 major levels of programming languages.
• Language translator programs convert programming
language instructions into machine language
instructions.