Week 6 Chapter 5: Enterprise Architectures

What is information architecture and what is information infrastructure and how do they differ and how do they relate to each other? 

Information Architecture recognises how and where important information is maintained and secured. For example customer records.

Information Infrastructure consists of hardware, software and telecommunications equipment, that when combined, provides the underlying foundation to support the organisation's goals.

These two terms differ because information architecture is a plan, whereas information infrastructure is when the plan is out into action.

Information architecture and information infrastructure relate to each other because they rely on each other and without one you cannot have the other.

Describe how an organisation can implement a solid information architecture.
An organisation can implement solid information architecture by:

-Backup and Recovery
Backup is an exact copy of a systems information and data.
Recovery is the ability for the system to be up and running if the system was to crash or fail, this also includes the ability to restore the information.

-Disaster Recovery
This consists of a disaster recovery plan, business continuity planning and a disaster recovery cost curve.
A disaster recovery plan is a list of tasks which allow for computer systems and data to be recovered  and for access to be regained after a disaster has occurred.
Business continuity planning is a plan that addresses how an organisation is going to recover and restore partially or completely interrupted critical functions within a specific time frame after a disaster or prolonged disruption.
A disaster recovery cost curve shows the amount it will cost for your company to recover from a disaster, as well as how much it will cost  your organisation for the unavailability of information and technology.

Figure 1: This is a diagram of a disaster recovery cost curve.

-Information Security

Information security enables the protection of all information and data from accidental or intentional misuse or disaster made by a person, object or event inside or outside an organisation. Information security also involves the managing of user access and also the keeping up-to-date of antivirus software and patches.

List and describe the five requirement characteristics of infrastructure architecture.

Flexibility- This is in relation to how well a system is able to adapt in order to meet the different changes a business may face.

Scalability- This refers to how well a system is able to adjust in relation to increased demands.

Reliability- This makes sure that all systems are function correctly , as well as providing accurate information.

Availability- This refers to when the systems are able to be accessed by the users.

Performance- This measures how quickly and efficiently a systems is able to perform certain processes and/or transactions.

Describe the business value in deploying a service oriented architecture.

A service orientated architecture is the means of meeting different demands by using different systems. A business would value this because a service such as this does repeats the same task over and over and it is able to be applied to many different situations.

What is an event?

Events are the expressions of business technology. They identify threats and opportunities and inform the appropriate people who are able to act upon this information.

What is a service?

Services are software products, which just appeal to a broad audience. They must also be reusable if they intend on having an impact on the productivity. Examples which new services describe include; credit check, customer information and process payment.

What emerging technologies can companies can use to increase performance and utilise their infrastructure more effectively?
The two ways in which a company can increase performance and utilise their infrastructure more affectively are by visualisation and grid computing.
Visualisation is 'a framework for diving the resources of a computer into multiple execution environments.'It allows for physical resources to be increased in order to maximise the investment in hardware. People, processes and technology are able to work together in a more efficient manner thanks to visualisation, which allows for them to meet increased service levels.
Grid Computing on the other hand is the combination of geographically detached computing, storage, and network resources, which are coordinated for benefit of delivering improved performance, higher quality service, better utilisation, and easier access to data. Companies are achieving both business and technological benefits through the implementation of grid computing.

Reference's:

Baltzan, Phillips, Lynch, Blakey, Business Driven Information Systems, 1st Australian/New Zealand Edition, Mc Graw Hill, 2010.

Week 5 Chapter 4: Ethics and Security

Explain the ethical issues surrounding information technology.
Intellectual Property- a person's right to protect their creative and intellectual efforts.

Copyright- the exclusive right to perform certain actions with a piece intangible property, such as songs, books, movies, etc.

Fair Use Doctrine- the legal right to use copyrighted material, but not make a profit on it.

Pirated Software- the unauthorised and illegal use of copyrighted material e.g. duplicating, selling, downloading

Counterfeit Software- the selling of copied software to look like the original e.g claiming copied software as your own

Describe a situation involving technology that is ethical but illegal.
Hiring a DVD from a video shop and loving it so much that you make a copy of it for yourself, so that you won't have to re-hire it later and that you can watch it as much as you want, also saving you from having to spend money to purchase your own copy.

Figure 1: This is a commercial which is usually shown in the previews before a movie or DVD starts.

Describe and explain one of the computer use policies that a company might employ.
An Internet use policy provides the user with rules and guidelines outlining how to use the Internet in a appropriate and proper manner. This policy applies to all employers within a company who have access to the Internet through any multimedia device and it is expected that the employee's adhere to the policy.

Some terms and conditions that an Internet use policy may include are:

-Describing the available Internet services.

-Defining the companies position on the purpose of Internet access and the restrictions.

-This should compliment the ethical computer use policy.

-Describe the users responsibility for citing sources, properly handling offensive material and protecting the companies good name.

-Should clearly state the consequences if the policy is violated.

What are the 5 main technology security risks?

-Human Error

-Natural Disasters

-Technical Failures

-Deliberate Acts

-Management Failure

Figure 2: This is a diagram which demonstrates the 5 main technology security risks.

Outline one way to reduce each risk.
Human Error- Stronger passwords that are frequently changed to ensure strong security, providing information to prove a person's identity, as well as better training for employers

Natural Disasters- Main hard drive which constantly stores and saves information from the network onto an online storage space, so that all folders and files are able to be found, recovered and kept in a safe and easily accessible place.

Technical Failures- Install and use high profile firewalls and anti-virus programs to prevent unauthorised external access.

Deliberate Acts- Use programs which track and screen a person's actions and activities on a computer and highlight and alert if there is inappropriate use happening.

Management Failure- Provide regular training which allows for refreshment on basic skills, introduces new skills, teaches them important skills that are necessary and relevant to their job, etc. 

What is a disaster recovery plan, what strategies might a firm employ?
A disaster recovery plan is a list of tasks which allow for computer systems and data to be recovered  and for access to be regained after a disaster has occurred.

Strategies for a disaster recovery plan include:

-Back-up of files, folders, procedures

-Backed-up material to be moved off site

-Off site material to be kept up-to-date

-Hot or warm back-up sites

-Well documented procedures

-Regular recovery testing

Reference's:

Baltzan, Phillips, Lynch, Blakey, Business Driven Information Systems, 1st Australian/New Zealand Edition, Mc Graw Hill, 2010.

kubusclem,  Movie Piracy - it's a crime, YouTube, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5SmrHNWhak&feature=related, Visited 8/4/2011

Week 4 Chapter 3: E-Commerce

What is an IP Address? What is it’s main function?
An IP (Internet Protocol) address is a unique number which identifies each machine which uses the Internet. It is also known as TCP (Transmission Control Protocol). An IP addresses main function is allowing the communication between computers.


What is Web 2.0, how does it differ from 1.0?
Web 2.0 also referred to as 'The Live Web' allows multiple users to add, tag, comment, collaborate and share knowledge with one another instantaneously. Some examples of this are facebook, myspace, wikipedia, google blogger, itunes, YouTube and tumblr.

Web 1.0 is a one way web. This means that these websites are not interactive at all. As well as this Web 1.0 is also very static which means that once users visit the website for mainly information purposes there is really no need for them to return back to it.

Figure 1: A video explaining differences between Web 1.0 and Web 2.0

What is Web 3.0?
Web 3.0 is the future and it looks at the concept that changes the world wide web into a database and uses it as a path for artificial intelligence. The main features of Web 3.0 is it being a semantic web, its improved functionality and its ability to personalise.

An example of this is that on facebook when you 'tag' photo's of yourself or others in pictures, 'like' certain groups and/or pages or insert hyperlinks to video's or websites, then facebook will remember this. This allows facebook to post adds and suggestions of things that you might like or be interested in in-relation to the things that you have tagged, liked or inserted. So essentially Web 3.0 tailors the Internet to the users specific wants or needs via recognition of the users previous activity.

Figure 2: A video exploring the change to Web 3.0

Figure 3: A video showing the evolution from Web 1.0 to Web 2.0 to Web 3.0

What is E-Business, how does it differ from E-Commerce?
E-Business is the process of doing business on the Internet. This includes, buying selling, serving customers and interacting with business partners. Whereas E-Commerce just consists of the buying and selling of goods over the Internet.

What is pure and partial E-Commerce?
Pure E-Commerce is to do with businesses whose transactions are largely performed via the Internet.

Partial E-Commerce is to do with businesses who carry out some of their E-Commerce tasks online, but their business is primarily done in the 'real world'.


List and describe the various E-Business models.
Business-to-Business (B2B)- This involves businesses buying from and selling to one another over the Internet.

Business-to-Consumer (B2C)- This involves businesses selling its products or services to the consumer via the Internet.

Consumer-to-Business (C2B)- This involves a consumer selling its products or services to a business over the Internet.

Consumer-to-Consumer (C2C)- This involves the use of websites which primarily offer products and services which assist consumers when interacting with each other over the Internet.


List and describe the major B2B models. 
Sell-Side B2B- This is where there is one seller and many buyers.

Buy-Side B2B- This is where there is one buyer and many sellers.

Electronic Exchange- This is where buyers and sellers are able to connect with each other in large communities to exchange their products and services.

Collaborative Commerce- This is where there is online collaborations and interactions between employee's, employer's, business partners and customers who belong to trading communities.

Figure 4: These are diagrams of the Major B2B Models

Outline 2 opportunities and 2 challenges faced by companies doing business online?
Opportunities: 

-Increased convenience for both the seller and the buyer due to business being able to be accessed 24 hours, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

-Increased accessibility for buyers, which means a global market is able to be reached.

Challenges:

-Protecting their customers from things such as illegal or harmful goods and services and invasion of privacy and cyberfraud.

-Providing security for its assets against accidental or spiteful misuse. 

Reference's:


Baltzan, Phillips, Lynch, Blakey, Business Driven Information Systems, 1st Australian/New Zealand Edition, Mc Graw Hill, 2010.

oneilinteraction, Web 1.0 vs. Web 2.0, YouTube, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wj3Maccx81s, Visited 8/4/2011

semantictechnology, The Future Internet: Service Web 3.0, YouTube, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=off08As3siM, Visited 8/4/2011

davidEPN, Evolution Web 1.0, Web 2.0 to Web 3.0, YouTube, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsNcjya56v8, Visited 8/4/2011

Week 3 Chapter 2: Strategic Decision Making

Define TPS & DSS, and explain how an organisation can use these systems to make decisions and gain competitive advantages

TPS (Transaction Processing System) is a basic business system which serves and organisation at the operational level. e.g. an accounting system such as a payroll system.

DSS (Decision Support System) is an information systems which supports and assists managers and business professionals during the decision-making process.

These systems work together to allow employers to make efficient decisions in a business. This happens by the Transaction processing systems giving data to the decision support system to which the data is narrowed down into a simpler form hence helps employees to work efficiently and effectively.

Figure 1: This diagram shows how the TPS (Transaction Processing System) and the DSS (Decision Support System) works together.

Describe the three quantitative models typically used by decision support systems.

Sensitivity Analysis: is the study of the effect on a particular variable when one or more other variables are changed.

What-If Analysis: uses the process of changing values in cells to view how those changes are going to affect the outcome of formulas on one or more worksheets.

Formula: =IF(logical test, [true value], [false value])

E,g, =IF(C17>200,000, "Fantasic", "reasonable") This means that if cell (C17) is greater than 200,000 then it will read as "fantastic" and if it is less than 200,000 then it will read as "reasonable".

Goal Seeking Analysis: allows a value in a formula to be adjusted to produce a desired result or answer. 

Describe business processes and their importance to an organisation.

A business process enables specific tasks to be completed by the participation in a list of set activities. A business process allows a corporation to achieve a set number of goals as well as helping a business to eliminate replicated  and combined tasks and also to identify processes which are running smoothly.

Compare business process improvement and business process re-engineering.

Figure 2: This is a comparison table which I composed comparing Business Process Improvement and Business Process Re-engineering

Describe the importance of business process modelling (or mapping) and business process models.

Business processes refer to the way in which work is coordinated, organised and focused in order to produce product and/or services that are valuable and reliable.

Business process modelling is the action of producing a work process map or a detailed flowchart. These allow for business process models to be read and interpreted easily, as well as keeping them accurate and factual.

Business process models are a graphic description of a process which shows specific tasks to be performed in correct chronological order. The importance of these are that they provide an easy-to-read model which can be effectively followed due to them being in sequential order. They also can be analysed so that the company can check to see if they are achieving their objectives and goals.

Figure 3: This is an example of a business Process Model

Reference's:

Baltzan, Phillips, Lynch, Blakey, Business Driven Information Systems, 1st Australian/New Zealand Edition, Mc Graw Hill, 2010.

Snell, James, 2001, The Web services insider, Part 5: Getting into the flow, IBM, http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/webservices/library/ws-ref5/?dwzone=webservices, Visited: 8/4/2011