Week eight - Networks and Wireless

1. The benefits of using wireless technology include
- Continuous informaiton flow
- Higher speed of communication
- Increased productivity through real time e.g tracking orders
- Cost reduction (less hardware needed)
- Universial access to software and important information

2. VoIP (Voice over Internet protocol) is a broadband phone service which travel over a high speed internet connection, rather than a regular phone line. The business benefits associated with VoIP include:


- Voice traffic can pass through existing Internet lines (ability to leverage an existing network to lower costs).


- Communication is free across the business network for many sites 


3. A LAN or local area network is designed in order to connect a network of computers which are in close proximatey to one another e.g. Within an office, school or home.


A WAN or wide area network connects over a large geographical area e.g. A state or entire country.


Both technologies perform the same role by connecting a network of computers, however differ in respect to the geographical scope in which they cover.

4. RFID or Radio frequency identification, is a technology that uses a transceiver and a transponder (in the form of chips or tags) to identify an object, person or animal. Some examples of RFID technology include the RTA e-tag which remotely scans and charges each individual car tolls.


RFID can be used to help make a supply chain more effective by being attached to inventory in order to keep the tracking of stock as efficient as possible as it travels throught the supply chain. It can also help determine a more accurate and positive arrival time of stock - helping to improve punctuation of delivery.

5. Some advantages of deploying mobile technology include:
- Allows for real time data to be gained allowing for real time processing of the information thus a faster delievery.

- Higher accessability important business informaiton.

Some disadvantage of deploying mobile technology include:
- If not installed correctly may cause privacy issues

- Higher risk of hacking or viruses

Network coded wireless architecture

Week seven - Databases and Data Wherehouses

1. The five characteristics of high quality information include:


Accuracy of the information - ensures that all data values are correct
Completeness of the information - ensures that there is no relevant data missing e.g. unit number of a customers address
Consistency of the information - ensures that all data fields are the same e.g. a key set to 10 within a mobile phone field to ensure that a mobile number is correctly entered. A key field will not accept any number above or below 10.
Uniqueness of every entry - ensures no duplicate entries are made e.g. the same student number is not given out to two students.
Timelines - ensures the information is kept relevant and up to date e.g. customers emails are updated yearly.

2. A database contains structured, key business information about various types of objects (stocktake), events (transactions), people (students) and places (warehouses) for a business.


A database management system is the software which manipulates the raw data into useful information and decision making tools for the business.

3. Some advantages an organisation can gain by using a database include:


- Helps to organise, store and keep vital information safe and easily accessible.
- Helps to reduce un-necessary information.
- Provides analytical information to help support accurate decision making.
- Makes overall business processes more efficient and effective.

4. The relational database model is a type of database that stores information in the form of logically related two-dimensional tables each consisting of rows and columns.
Below is a sample of a relational database model...

5. A data-driven website is an interactive website kept constantly updated and relevant to the needs of its customers through the use of a database. The advantages of a data-driven website is that it helps customers to run a query in order to filter through the vast amounts of information to find what they need.


It is also more efficient and provides real time information (stock levels & rice change) to customers. It also minimises human error and cuts production as well as update costs.

6. A data warehouse is a logical collection of information gathered from many different operational databases that support decision analysis activities and decision making tasks. It's purpose is to amalgamate all business information into one storage location to help support employees decision making processes.  

Data marts contain a subset of data warehouse information. They contain a collection of information on a focused unit of an organisation (e.g. Marketing) rather than the business as a whole.


Follow this link to a short tutorial on Data Warehouses

Week six - Enterprise architectures

1. Information architecture is the general plan for the use of IT by and within a business. Information infrastructure is the actual implementation of the systems and involves the hardware, software and telecommunications software which help to support the overall business objective.


These two terms differ as Information architecture describes the planning of the use of the IT systems, whereas Information infrastructure describes the actual implementation of the processes. Despite these differences, they both are similar as architecture is the plan for the future infrastructure - they both interrelate. 

2. An organisation can implement a solid information architecture by incorporating strong and effective security processes. For example back up processes, security software for information protection and disaster recovery tools.


3. The five requirement characteristics of infrastructure architecture include:


Flexibility: Ensures that the IT systems in place have the ability to adapt and change to the businesses changing environment.


Scalability: Ensures the ability to grow with the business, allowing for increase in numbers/demand.


Availability: Systems must have effective and easy accessibility.


Reliability: Ensures all systems are running correctly.


Performance: Ensures all systems are running efficiently and effectively, measuring how quickly a system performs certain processes/transactions.


4. Service oriented architecture is a concept for a business-driven IT architectural approach that supports integrating a business as linked, repeatable tasks or services. The value of SOA for a business is that it enables the business to adapt efficiently and effectively to the ever changing business needs. It can also allow for the re-use of applications many times for different tasks, making development cheaper and more flexible.


5. An event are the IT systems which detect threats and opportunities within a business. Their job is to alert the individuals in the business whose job it is to act on the information.


6. A service is a software product which can be used numerous times in order to boost productivity within a business. An example of services used within a business include credit check or a process payment.

7. The following emerging technologies can be used to increase the performance of a business and can help to utilise their infrastructure more effectively:


Interoperability - the capability of two or more computer systems to share data and resources. 


Loose coupling - building a connection between servers which can be added or removed easily.


More about loose coupling


Virtualisation - A framework of dividing the resources of a computer into multiple execution environments. Allows for the increase in physical resources to maximise the investment in hardware.


Benefits of virtualisation


Grid computing - The combination of widely dispersed network computing, storage and network systems coordinated to deliver improved performance and at a higher quality.

Week Five - Ethics and Security

1. The ethical issues surrounding information technology include 

- Intellectual property

- Copyright

- Fair use doctrine

- Pirated software

- Counterfeit software

Ethics is defined as a system of moral principles.

2. An example of a situation involving technology that is ethical but illegal could be if you made two copies of a software package and sold one to your friend a lot cheaper than the retail cost. This may not be unethical, but it is considered pirating and therefore is deemed illegal.

Link to a government approved campaign against pirating

3. One of the computer use policies that a company might employee could be an Email Privacy Policy which will help minimise the risk of email and instant messaging.

4. The 5 main technology security risks are:

5. One way to reduce each risk as listed above, could be

- Human Error: Sufficient training, strong passwords, firewalls and heavy penalties for misuse and/or misconduct.

- Natural Disasters: Security risk can be prevented by a disaster recovery plan

- Technical Failures: Backing up all important data and files will help minimise the seriousness of any technical failures.

- Deliberate Acts: Virus protection software as well as strong, well protected passwords.

- Management Failure: Sufficient training, back up programs/recovery plans.

6. A disaster recovery plan is the set of process put in place describing how an organisation is to deal with the threat of potential disasters.  Some strategies a firm may employ include replicating important data regularly and sending it to an office offsite.