Chapter 5 INFO 360

Output devices

*Display data after they have been processed* - Monitor (flat-panel, CRT) - Printer (impact, nonimpact) - Audio output

Infrastructure Components

*IT infrastructure* hardware software Data management Networking telecommunications services

Managing software localization for global business

*Local language interfaces* English not typically standard at middle, lower levels Interfaces are complex: menu bars, error messages, online forms, search results, and so on Differences in local cultures Differences in business processes *All of these factors add to TCO of using technology service providers*

Using technology service providers

*Outsourcing* Using external provider to: Run networks. Host, manage Web site(s). Develop software (offshore software outsourcing). Manage IT infrastructures. *Requires Service Level Agreements (SLAs)*

Cloud-based software and tools

*SaaS (software as a service)* Google Docs *Mashups* Zip Realty uses Google Maps and Zillow.com *Apps* Mobile apps

Managing mobile platforms

- *Balancing gains in productivity from using mobile devices* with expenses of equipping employees with these devices - Mobile device management (MDM) software

Multi-tiered client/server architecture (N-tier)

- Balances load of network over several levels of servers - For example: *Web servers and application servers* - In a multitiered client/server network, client requests for service are handled by different levels of servers.

Optical disks

- CD-ROM - CD-RW - DVD - DVD-RW

Input devices

- Gather data and convert them into electronic form. - Keyboard, computer mouse, touch screen, pen-based input, optical character recognition, magnetic ink character recognition, digital scanner, audio input, sensors

Multicore processor

- Integrated circuit with two or more processors - Enhanced performance and reduced power consumption

Mobile operating systems

- Chrome - Android - iOS

Software packages and desktop productivity tools

- Word processing software - Spreadsheet software - Data management software - Presentation graphics - Software suites - Web browsers

Clients

user point of entry

Mainframes

- Large-capacity, high-performance computer that can process large amounts of data very rapidly - For example: used by airlines to handle thousands of reservations per second

Open source software

- Linux - Apache

Primary secondary storage technologies

- Magnetic disk - Optical disks - Magnetic tape - Storage networking: SANs

The mobile digital platform

- Mobile devices, smartphone - Netbooks and tablet computers - E-book readers - Quantum computing

Supercomputer

- More sophisticated computer used for tasks requiring extremely rapid and complex calculations with thousands of variables, millions of measurements - Used in engineering, scientific simulations, military/weapons research, weather forecasting

Consumerization of IT

- New technology that emerges in consumer market spreads into business organizations - BYOD (bring your own device): business use of personal mobile devices

Software Trends

- Open source software - Cloud-based software and tools

Data management technology

- Organizes, manages, and processes business data concerned with inventory, customers, and vendors - Data centers

Green computing

- Practices and technologies for designing, making, using, and disposing of computer hardware to reduce environmental impact - Key priority is power reduction - IT in United States provides 2% of U.S. power demand and 2% of world's greenhouse gases

Virtualization

- Process of presenting a set of computing resources so they can be accessed in ways that are unrestricted by physical configuration or geographic location - Enables single physical resource to appear to the user as multiple resources - Enables companies to host *multiple systems on one machine*

Using cloud services

- Small businesses "rent" infrastructure from provider to avoid expenses of maintaining hardware and software on their own. - Hybrid cloud computing model

Servers

- Support computer network, - Sharing files and resources. - Provide hardware platform for e-commerce.

Contemporary Hardware Trends

- The mobile digital platform - Consumerization of IT - Nanotechnology - Virtualization - Cloud computing - Green computing - High-performance and power-saving processors - Autonomic computing

Operating System Software

- The software that controls computer activities - GUIs and multitouch - PC operating systems - Mobile operating systems

Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) model

- Used to analyze direct and indirect costs to help determine the actual cost of owning a specific technology - TCO can be reduced through *increased centralization* /*standardization of hardware* /*software resources*

Quantum computing

- Uses principles of quantum physics to represent data and perform operations on the data - Enables processing times that are millions of times faster than current high-speed processing

In consolidation of systems

- Virtualization to enable multiple applications to run on the same server, so fewer servers needed overall - Enhance mobile device systems with appropriate security for officers to use in the field

PC operating systems

- Windows (Windows 8) - Mac (OSX Lion) - UNIX - Linux (open source)

Cloud computing

A model of computing in which firms and individuals obtain computing resources over the Internet *Cloud infrastructure as a service* *Cloud platform as a service* *Cloud software as a service* Public vs. private clouds Utility computing, on-demand computing Data storage security is in hands of provider

A Storage Area Network (SAN)

A typical SAN consists of a server, storage devices, and networking devices, and is used strictly for storage. The SAN stores data on many different types of storage devices, providing data to the enterprise. The SAN supports communication between any server and the storage unit as well as between different storage devices in the network.

Service oriented architecture (SOA)

Collection of services used to build an organization's software systems

Computer Hardware

Computers come in different sizes with varying capabilities for processing information

Storage networking: SANs

Connect multiple storage devices on a separate high-speed network dedicated to storage

Autonomic computing

Development of systems that can configure themselves, heal themselves; for example, *self-updating antivirus software*

Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) model 1-3

Direct costs Indirect costs Hidden costs

Technology services

For example: consultants for systems integration with legacy systems

Client/server computing

Form of distributed computing Splits processing between "clients" and "servers" Two-tiered client/server architecture Multi-tiered client/server architecture (N-tier)

XML (eXtensible Markup Language)

Foundation of Web services

Magnetic disk

Hard drives, USB flash drives Solid state drives (SSDs)

Cloud Computing Platform

In cloud computing, hardware and software capabilities are provided as services over the Internet. Businesses and employees have access to applications and IT infrastructure anywhere at any time using an Internet-connected device.

Power-efficient processors

Low power consumption essential in mobile computing.

Workstations

More powerful mathematical and graphics-processing capabilities than a PC

High-performance and power-saving processors

Multicore processor Power-efficient processors

Examples of Nanotubes

Nanotubes are tiny tubes about *10,000 times thinner than a human hair*. They consist of rolled up sheets of *carbon hexagonshave* potential uses as minuscule wires or in ultrasmall electronic devices, and are *very powerful conductors of electrical current*.

HTML5

Next evolution of HTML Enables multimedia embedding without 3rd party add-ons such as Flash

Hypertext markup language (HTML)

Page description language for specifying how elements are placed on a Web page and for creating links to other pages and objects

Types of Computers

Personal computers Mobile devices Workstations

Grid computing

Power of geographically remote computers connected into single network to act as *"virtual supercomputer"*

Capacity planning

Process of predicting when hardware system becomes saturated Ensuring firm has enough computing power for current and future needs *Factors include:* Maximum number of users Impact of current, future software Performance measures

Web services

Software components that exchange information with one another using universal Web communication standards and languages

Spreadsheet Software

Spreadsheet software *organizes data into columns and rows for analysis and manipulation*. Contemporary spreadsheet software provides graphing abilities for a clear, visual representation of the data in the spreadsheets. This sample break-even analysis is represented as numbers in a spreadsheet as well as a line graph for easy interpretation.

The Major Types of Software

The relationship among the system software, application software, and users can be illustrated by a series of nested boxes. System software—consisting of operating systems, language translators, and utility programs—controls access to the hardware. Application software, including programming languages and "fourth-generation" languages, must work through the system software to operate. The user interacts primarily with the application software.

Nanotechnology

Uses individual atoms and molecules to create computer chips and other devices thousands for times smaller than current technologies

Two-tiered client/server architecture

Uses two types of machines

Web services types

XML (eXtensible Markup Language) Service oriented architecture (SOA)

Scalability

ability of system to expand to serve large number of users without breaking down

In client/server computing,

computer processing is split between client machines and server machines linked by a network. Users interface with the client machines.

A firm's IT infrastructure is composed of

hardware software data management technology networking technology technology services.

Direct Cost

hardware, software purchase costs

Indirect Cost

ongoing administration costs, upgrades, maintenance, technical support, training, utility, and real estate costs

IT infrastructure

provides platform for supporting all information systems in the business

Servers

store and process shared data and perform network management activities

Hidden Cost

support staff, downtime, additional network management