Information Systems For Business An Experiential Approach 1st Edition By Craig Van – Test Bank
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Sample
Questions
Chapter 4: Gaining Strategic Value from
Information
Test Bank
Multiple Choice
1. Today organizations need a(n) ________________, which is specifically meant
to provide them with competitive advantages.
a. management information systems
b. competitive strategy
c. strategic information system (ref 4-4)
d. competitive planning
e. strategic planning process
2. The strategic planning process is __________, which requires managers to
revisit earlier steps.
a. iterative (ref 4-5)
b. redundant
c. cooperative
d. seamless
e. retroactive
3. Which step is the first step of the strategic planning process?
a. Strategic business planning (ref 4-5)
b. Information systems assessment
c. Information systems vision
d. Information systems architecture
e. Strategic initiatives identification
4. The first step of the strategic planning process, which clearly identifies
what the mission of the organization is, is often referred to as what?
a. “Know Where You Start”
b. “Know Who You Are” (ref 4-5)
c. “Know Where They Want To Go”
d. “Just Do It”
e. “Know How You Are Going To Get There”
5. What are the outcomes of strategic business planning sessions?
a. Mission, strategy, software
b. Market position, segmentation, competition
c. Plan, expectations, goals
d. Vision, goals, strategy (ref 4-6)
e. Focus, concentration, road-map
6. Once managers know the main strategic goals of the organization, they need
to identify the current state of information systems resources in the
organization. This step is sometimes referred to as:
a. “Know Where You Start” (ref 4-7)
b. “Know Who You Are”
c. “Know Where They Want To Go”
d. “Just Do It”
e. “Know How You Are Going To Get There”
7. If an organization has been tracking data about customers, but never used
that data, what phase of business planning should this be identified in?
a. Information systems vision
b. Information systems architecture
c. Information systems assessment (ref 4-7)
d. Information systems planning
e. Strategic initiative identification
8. The _________________________ should be a broad statement of how the
organization should use and manage its information systems for strategic
purposes.
a. information systems architecture
b. information systems assessment
c. information systems planning
d. information systems vision (ref 4-8)
e. strategic initiative identification
9. What term specifies how information systems resources should be used and how
they should work together?
a. Information systems assessment
b. Information systems planning
c. Information systems architecture (ref 4-8)
d. Network
e. Hardware
10. What is the ultimate goal of the information systems strategic planning
process?
a. Identify strategic information systems (ref 4-9)
b. Identify organizational breakdowns
c. Identify administrative technologies
d. Identify payroll systems
e. Identify e-commerce alternatives
11. As you learn how to use the frameworks to identify initiatives, keep in
mind that the initiatives identified need to be aligned with_________.
a. improved communication
b. important decision making
c. departmental goals
d. systems management
e. information systems vision (ref 4-9)
12. Another way to consider aligning strategic information systems with the
information systems vision is to say that __________.
a. business strategy should always drive decisions about technology (ref 4-9)
b. technology strategy should drive business decisions
c. SWOT analysis must drive technology decisions
d. decisions about technology and business strategies are not related
e. technology decisions should be made sole based on the competitive
environment
13. What does SWOT stand for? (ref 4-11)
a. Software, wisdom, openness, technology
b. Strengths, wikis, opportunities, technology
c. Systems, weakness, open source, threats
d. Strengths, weakness, opportunities, threats (ref 4-11)
e. Strategy, wisdom, opportunities, technology
14. You should not limit yourself to thinking about ___________only when you
perform a SWOT analysis.
a. Human resources
b. Software
c. Hardware
d. Systems architecture
e. Technology (ref 4-11)
15. Your business has many competitors and therefore many alternatives exist
within your industry. According to Porter’s Five Competitive Forces Model what
competitive force is illustrated by this example?
a. Bargaining powers of suppliers
b. Potential threat of substitutes (ref 4-14)
c. Potential threats of new entrants
d. Bargaining power of buyers
e. Industry competitive rivalry
16. As the owner of the neighborhood video game store, you operate as both a
buyer and a supplier of new and used video games. With respect to Porter’s Five
Competitor Forces Model, which statement would be most favorable for your
store?
a. You would like buyer power to be low and your supplier power to be high.
b. You would like buyer power to be high and your supplier power to be high.
(ref 4-14)
c. You would like buyer power to be high and your supplier power to be low.
d. You would like buyer power to be low and your supplier power to be low.
e. None of the above
17. Because of regulations and laws within the banking industry, what is most
likely the potential threat of new entries for that industry?
a. High
b. Medium
c. Low (ref 4-13)
d. Rare
e. Impossible to calculate
18. What framework helps managers to identify all of the activities that the
organization must perform to conduct its business?
a. Porter’s Five Competitive Forces Model
b. Positioning for speed
c. Porter’s Value Chain (ref 4-14)
d. SWOT Analysis
e. Positioning for Surprise
19. Porter identified two major ways to create competitive advantages in the
value chain. They are:
a. Increase revenue, lower cost
b. Standardize procedures, purchase in bulk
c. Train employees, reduce turnover
d. Lower the costs of an activity, add value to the final product (ref 4-15)
e. Offer unique products, heavy marketing
20. Ranking initiatives, or eliminating them, can be accomplished using the
following tools:
a. Porter’s Value Chain, Porter’s Five Forces Model
b. Critical Success Factors, Priority Matrix (ref 4-18)
f. Information Systems Planning, Information Systems Assessment
c. Positioning for surprise, Strategic Planning
d. SWOT Analysis, Value Chain Analysis
21. Some organizations establish a few important considerations that must be
achieved for the organization to survive and be successful (achieve its
mission). What is this known as?
a. SWOT Analysis
b. Information Systems Planning
c. Positioning for speed
d. Critical Success Factors (ref 4-18)
e. Priority Matrix
22. What is maximizing customer satisfaction by adding value strategically?
a. Positioning for speed
b. Critical Success Factors
c. Superior stakeholder satisfaction (ref 4-23)
d. Positioning for surprise
e. Simultaneous strategic thrusts
23. Some individuals question how sustainable any competitive advantage a firm
obtains through its initiatives is. What is the term used to describe this?
a. Hyper-competition (ref 4-22)
b. Disruption
c. Sustainability
d. Strategic soothsaying
e. Signaling strategic intent
24. A new Gelato business has opened next to campus, and has a Facebook and
Twitter page that it monitors for customer requests, suggestions, and trends
for new flavors and/or services. What strategy of the 7S framework is being
implemented here?
a. Strategic soothsaying (ref 4-23)
b. Positioning for speed
c. Positioning for surprise
d. Signaling strategic intent
e. Superior stakeholder satisfaction
25. Because of traffic congestion near campus, a local taxi company has
purchased rickshaws to transport students around the area. This is the first
company to do this at your campus. What strategy of the 7S framework is being
implemented here?
a. Positioning for speed
b. Simultaneous and sequential strategic thrusts
c. Signaling strategic intent
d. Shifting the rules of competition (ref 4-23)
e. Superior stakeholder satisfaction
26. Microsoft decided to announce the Surface Tablet prior to releasing it. In
doing so, they announced features that did not exist on other Tablet devices.
What strategy of the 7S framework is being implemented here?
a. Positioning for speed
b. Simultaneous and sequential strategic thrusts
c. Signaling strategic intent (page 68)
d. Shifting the rules of competition
e. Superior stakeholder satisfaction
27. In a SWOT analysis, __________ asks what activities or factors could help
the organization get new advantages over others in their industry.
a. strengths
b. weaknesses
c. opportunities (page 59)
d. threats
e. superiority
28. In a SWOT analysis, __________ asks what gives the organization advantages
over others in their industry.
a. strengths (page 59)
b. weaknesses
c. opportunities
d. threats
e. superiority
29. Which of the following is not a quadrant in the Priority Matrix?
a. Evaluate
b. Imperatives
c. Stay Away
d. Wins
e. Dogs (Pages 66 & 67)
30. The Priority Matrix allows managers to evaluate and prioritize potential
initiatives on what two dimensions?
a. Imperatives, quick wins
b. Time, Difficulty
c. Ease of implementation, potential returns (page 66)
d. Complexity, commitment
e. Expense, profit potential
31. Information based businesses, such as Google and consulting firms, would
use what framework that looks at activities that turn raw data into useful
information?
a. Virtual Value Chain (page63)
b. Porter’s Value Chain Analysis
c. Porter’s Five Competitive Forces Model
d. Priority Matrix
e. Critical Success Factors
32. Which step in the information systems strategic planning process results in
a picture of the current state of information systems resources in the
organization?
a. Strategic business planning
b. Information systems assessment (page 56)
c. Information systems vision
d. Information systems architecture
e. Strategic information systems initiatives
33. Which of the following is not part of the information systems resources?
a. Technology
b. Hardware
c. Databases
d. Human resources
e. Competitors (page 56)
34. One strategy a company might employ to gain a competitive advantage is to
utilize software in such a way so that their product is so different from the
competitor’s that they have no real competition. Which of Porter’s Five
Competitive Forces does this represent?
a. Bargaining powers of suppliers
b. Potential threat of substitutes
c. Potential threats of new entrants
d. Bargaining power of buyers
e. Industry competitive rivalry (page 61)
35. In a SWOT analysis, __________ asks what activities or factors could create
disadvantages or troubles for the organization relative to others in their
industry.
a. strengths
b. weaknesses
c. opportunities
d. threats (page 59)
e. superiority
36. In a SWOT analysis, __________ asks what creates disadvantages for the
organization relative to others in their industry.
a. strengths
b. weaknesses (page 59)
c. opportunities
d. threats
e. superiority
Reflection Questions
1. Do you think that the information systems strategic planning process would
be less effective or more effective if it was not an iterative process?
Why?(4-5)
Answers will vary
2. While in the Information Systems Vision phase, why do you think functional
managers from other areas of the organization are included? (ref 4-8)
Answers will vary
3. Choose a business that would operate within an industry of your choice. What
Critical Success Factors would you consider for your organization? (ref 4-19)
Answers will vary
4. Perform a SWOT analysis on yourself. Describe your decisions. (ref 4-10)
Answers will vary
5. Is there an industry that experiences excessive hyper-competition? Which
industry or industries? (4-23)
Answers will vary
Short Answer Questions
1. What is the goal for the strategic planning effort? (ref 4-5)
A: The goal of the strategic planning effort is to identify how the
organization will use and manage their resources for strategic purposes (think
competitive advantage).
Rubric: 3 (Proficient)-Both aspects of the description correctly identified
2 (Adequate)- One aspect of the description correctly identified
1 (Limited)-No description correctly identified
2. What
are the five main steps in the strategic planning process? (ref 4-5)
A: Step 1: Strategic Business Planning; Step 2: Information Systems Assessment;
Step 3: Information Systems Vision; Step 4: Information Systems Architecture;
and Step 5: Strategic Initiative Identification.
Rubric: 3 (Proficient)-Five aspects of the process correctly identified
2 (Adequate)- Three aspects of the process correctly identified
1 (Limited)-One or none of the aspects of the process correctly identified
3. Why
is it important to conduct a proper assessment of resources? (ref 4-7)
A:Because these resources could enable information systems managers to meet or
surpass some strategic objectives, or conversely constrain the organization
regarding what it can do
Rubric: 3 (Proficient)-Both aspects of the process correctly identified
2 (Adequate)- One aspect of the process correctly identified
1 (Limited)-None of the aspects of the process correctly identified
4. What
are the benefits from using a structured approach to identify strategic
initiatives? (ref 4-10)
A: Improved communication: having stakeholders involved in the planning process
allows everyone to provide their input into initiatives that will potentially
affect individuals in different areas of the organization. By providing
documented discussions of the advantages and disadvantages of each initiative,
overall communication inside the organization is improved.
Improved coordination: since various stakeholders are involved in the planning
process, they develop a shared mental image of the initiatives, their purposes,
and their advantages and disadvantages. Furthermore, each member of the
planning team gets a clear picture of everyone’s responsibility. This improved
overall coordination of the efforts related to the initiative, both before and
during the implementation.
Improved decision making: when a structured approach is used for identifying
strategic initiatives, a clear set of guidelines and criteria for selection of
initiatives is established. For example, initiatives have to be aligned with
the goals of the organization. The result is that decision making is more consistent
over time with respect to which strategic initiatives are supported and more
importantly, why.
Rubric: 3 (Proficient)-All aspects of the description correctly identified
2 (Adequate)- Two aspects of the description correctly identified
1 (Limited)-No aspects of the description correctly identified
5. What
are the forces of Porter’s Five Competitive Forces Model and how can this model
be applied to help analyze a firm’s position in a competitive industry? (ref
4-13, 4-14)
A: Potential Threat of New Entrants How easy is it for new companies to enter
the market in which the organization operates.
Bargaining Power of Buyers What is the ability (or market power) of the
organization’s buyers (customers) to reduce its competitive position (e.g., by
bringing prices down).
Bargaining Power of Suppliers What is the ability (or market power) of the
organization’s suppliers to reduce its competitive position (e.g., by bringing
prices up).
Potential Threat of Substitutes What is the likelihood that other products of equal
of superior value will be available?
Industry Competitive Rivalry What is the current level of competition in the
industry?
Rubric: 3 (Proficient)-All aspects of the description correctly identified
2 (Adequate)- Two aspects of the description correctly identified
1 (Limited)-One or none aspects of the description correctly identified
6. Porter’s
Value Chain identifies two broad categories in the value chain? What are they
and what is the difference between the two? (ref 4-14)
A: Primary activities are directly related to the creation, processing or
delivery of the product or service. Support activities are those overall tasks
that make it possible for the organization to function, but that are not
directly involved in the product or service.
Rubric: 3 (Proficient)-Both aspects of the description correctly identified
2 (Adequate)- One aspect of the description correctly identified
1 (Limited)-No aspects of the description correctly identified
7. What
factors are considered when using the Priority Matrix? (ref 4-21)
A:Priority Matrix implementation includes several factors such as costs, time
required, efforts required, or the actual complexity of the system.
Rubric: 3 (Proficient)-Both aspects of the description correctly identified
2 (Adequate)- One aspect of the description correctly identified
1 (Limited)-No aspects of the description correctly identified
8. List
the quadrants in the Priority Matrix and what each quadrant could mean for an
initiative. (ref 4-22)
A: Imperatives are initiatives that should be relatively easy to implement, for
example, because they cost little or the technology is already implemented and
they have the potential to bring high returns to the organization.
Quick wins represent initiatives that do not have much upside potential but are
easy to implement (no or no cost, low or no difficulties involved, limited
effort, etc.).
The initiatives in the evaluate quadrant need to be discussed and evaluated
thoroughly by managers.
Stay away quadrant includes what many say are lost causes, initiatives that
would be difficult to implement with limited potential returns.
Rubric: 3 (Proficient)-All aspects of the description correctly identified
2 (Adequate)- Two or three aspect of the description correctly identified
1 (Limited)-One or no aspects of the description correctly identified
9. The
7S’s framework of hyper-competition offers organizations methods to combat
hyper-competition. List three strategic moves and examples. (ref 4-23)
A: Superior stakeholder satisfaction Maximizing customer satisfaction by adding
value strategically.
Strategic soothsaying Using new knowledge to predict or create new windows of
opportunity.
Positioning for speed Preparing the organization to react as fast as possible.
Positioning for surprise Preparing the organization to respond to the
marketplace in a manner that will surprise competitors.
Shifting the rules of competition Finding new ways to serve customers,
transforming the industry.
Signaling strategic intent Communicating intentions in order to stall responses
by competitors.
Simultaneous and sequential strategic thrusts Taking steps to stun and confuse
competitors in order to disrupt or block their efforts.
Rubric: 3 (Proficient)-All aspects of the description correctly identified
2 (Adequate)- Two or three aspect of the description correctly identified
1 (Limited)-One or no aspects of the description correctly identifiedChapter 7: Transmitting Information
Test Bank
Multiple Choice
1. What is known as a collection of interconnected devices that allow users and
systems to communicate and share resources?
a. Network (ref 7-5)
b. Router
c. Switch
d. Unified communications
e. WiFi
2. A ____________ is an intelligent device that controls the flow or
transmissions in and out of a network.
a. Bridge
b. Switch
c. Hub
d. Router (ref 7-5)
e. Gateway
3. What device forwards transmissions only to ports that are involved in the
communications, based on the device’s address?
a. Bridge
b. Hub
c. Switch (ref 7-5)
d. Router
e. NIC
4. A _____________________ provides a physical address to a device because it
has a unique ID written on a chip that is mounted in the card.
a. network interface card (ref 7-6)
b. video card
c. sound card
d. physical cable
e. repeater
5. Your PC at your office is connected over wired communications. Your PC has a
network cable that is plugged into your ________________ so that your PC can be
part of the network.
a. repeater
b. video card
c. network interface card (7-6)
d. hub
e. switch
6. What type of device would you use to retransmit a signal that it receives,
regenerating it for strength?
a. Switch
b. Repeater (7-6)
c. Hub
d. Bridge
e. Gateway
7. The fastest transmission speeds on cables for a wired network are
______________, while ___________ are the slowest.
a. coaxial, fiber
b. fiber, copper (ref 7-6)
c. copper, coaxial
d. copper, fiber
e. fiber, coaxial
8. When using your cell phone, what type of transmission are you using?
a. Infrared
b. Bluetooth
c. Microwave
d. Radio (ref 7-7)
e. Cable
9. One way to classify networks is by baseband or broadband. This is determined
by the ____________ , _____________ and bandwidth of the network.
a. speed, width
b. frequency, length
c. speed, frequency (ref 7-8)
d. width, length
e. width, speed
10. What does LAN stand for?
a. Local Area Network (ref 7-9)
b. Local Access Network
c. Local Area Navigation
d. Lost Address Network
e. Last Address Known
11. What type of network connects devices in a limited geographical area?
a. MAN
b. LAN (ref 7-10)
c. WAN
d. PAN
e. WLAN
12. Many cities across the Unites States are considering fiber networks that
would connect commercial and residential areas to a single network. This would
be what kind of network?
a. LAN
b. PAN
c. WLAN
d. WAN (ref 7-10)
e. CAN
13. Each computer attached to a network or the Internet has a unique address
called a(n) ________.
a. IP address (ref 7-11)
b. local address
c. network address
d. PC address
e. Internet address
14. In February of 2011 the Internet Assigned Number Authority (IANA) assigned
the last block of IPv4 addresses. What is the new address standard?
a. IPv5
b. IPv6 (ref 7-11)
c. MAC address
d. DARPA
e. Virtual address
15. What organization started the project that came to be known as the
Internet?
a. CIA
b. White House
c. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) (ref 7-11)
d. Harvard Business School
e. Congress
16. What is one of the core characteristics of the Internet that has
contributed to its rapid growth?
a. Interoperability (ref 7-12)
b. Addressing
c. Internet Protocol
d. IPv4
e. Fiber optics
17. When you click on a ___________ on your university’s homepage, your browser
sends a request to the Web server that houses the requested page.
a. HTTP
b. hyperlink (ref 7-14)
c. desktop
d. server
e. protocol
18. You have accepted a job that keeps you out of the office more than you are
in the office. Your IT department has provided a secure channel that uses
encryption and other security features for you to access your office network
while you are traveling. What type of access is this?
a. Virtual Private Network (VPN) (ref 7-16)
b. Email
c. Voice over IP (VoIP)
d. File Transfer Protocol (FTP)
e. Instant messaging
19. You have been included on an IT steering committee for your University. The
committee’s first priority is wireless access on your campus. The committee
chair keeps discussing increasing enrollment numbers. What principle of
architecture is the chair most likely alluding to?
a. Ease of implementation
b. Flexibility
c. Control
d. Scalability (ref 7-17)
e. Security
20. ___________ are processes that request services from servers.
a. Clients (ref 7-18)
b. Servers
c. Middleware
d. Software as a Service
e. Computers
21. ___________ provide services to clients by responding to their requests.
a. Clients
b. Servers (ref 7-18)
c. Middleware
d. Software as a Service
e. Computers
22. When registering online for your classes you log onto to a website provided
by your university. The computer and web browser that you are using acts as a
_________, while the university computer acts as a ___________.
a. client, server (7-18)
b. server, client
c. computer, server
d. browser, client
e. client, application
23. What type of architecture can be used in different systems with different
technology platforms?
a. Service Oriented Architecture (ref 7-20)
b. Peer-to-peer
c. Software as a Service (SaaS)
d. Intranet
e. VPN
24. Your Information Systems group has decided to use Google Docs to work on
your semester project. What type of architecture is your group using?
a. VPN
b. Cloud computing (ref 7-22)
c. Wireless
d. Intranet
e. Peer-to-peer
25. Cloud computing allows organizations to rent computing resources from
providers instead of having their own locally managed __________ and
__________.
a. hardware, software (ref 7-22)
b. hardware, human resources
c. network, software
d. Web 2.0, Web 3.0
e. websites, servers
26. What allows one physical device such as a server or computer to operate as
if it was several machines?
a. Software as a Service
b. Service Oriented Architecture
c. Virtualization (7-23)
d. Web 2.0
e. Unified Communications
27. What is the main difference between the initial set of web applications and
Web 2.0?
a. Interactivity (ref 7-25)
b. Speed
c. Bandwidth requirements
d. Software requirements
e. Technology
28. You step out of your office and miss a telephone call. When you sit at your
desk you notice that the voicemail light is blinking on your phone, you have a
new email, and you have a transcribed instant message on your computer screen
in the form of an Instant Message. Your organization has most likely adopted
what type of technology?
a. Intranet
b. VPN
c. Wireless
d. Unified Communications (7-28)
e. Web 3.0
29. Innovators are working on Web 3.0. What type of new technology is expected
from Web 3.0?
a. Virtualization
b. Instant gratification
c. Signatures
d. Procedures
e. Semantics (ref 7-29)
30. A ____________ is a form of repeater that has multiple ports to connect
many devices together.
a. bridge
b. switch
c. hub (page 117)
d. router
e. gateway
31. The ____________ is a publicly accessible worldwide network of networks.
a. Internet (page 121)
b. World Wide Web
c. corporate network
d. DARPA-net
e. Web 2.0
32. Which of the following is not a Web 2.0 technology?
a. Wiki
b. Web conferencing
c. Social networking
d. E-mail (page 133)
e. Blogs
33. __________ refers to mass collaboration of information to solve a problem.
a. Social networking
b. Collaborative content
c. Unified communications
d. Really Simple Syndication
e. Crowdsourcing (page 134)
34. What Web 2.0 technology refers to users combining data or applications from
several sources to create new ways to view data or create new aggregated
results?
a. Mashups (page 133)
b. Collaborative content
c. Unified communications
d. Really Simple Syndication
e. Blogs
35. What Web 2.0 technology allows several individuals to contribute to and
share stored data and documents and includes controls to avoid two users from
changing a document simultaneously?
a. Mashups
b. Collaborative content (page 133)
c. Unified communications
d. Really Simple Syndication
e. Web conferencing
Reflection Questions
1. What is an example of an intranet that you have used in the past? Was it
useful? Why do you think it was used for internal purposes? (ref 7-15)
A: Answers will vary. University portal/intranet, company intranet. It is for
internal use because of private/personal/sensitive information
2. Have you ever used cloud computing? What were your thoughts on it? Would you
advise your organization to adopt this type of solution? (ref 7-22)
A: Answers will vary. Most students should reply yes to this because they used
hosted email. Most students would also probably would not have noticed any
difference. Reasons to adopt or low maintenance, pay for what you use. Not to
use would be that in cases of internet outage you could not use these
applications.
3. What Web 2.0 technologies do you currently use? Do you use any of these in
your academic or professional life? How so? (ref 7-25)
A: Answers will vary. Students will likely use Facebook, Twitter, blogs, etc.
Look for applications of Web 2.0. Social media for marketing, wikis for research
or how to, etc
4. What are your thoughts on unified communications? Do you think that this is
a helpful technology concept? (ref 7-28)
A: Answers will vary. Students should be able to clearly describe why (or why
not) they believe this is a helpful technology. Pros: Can never miss an
voicemail/email/phone call Cons: Impossible to disconnect
5. If Web3.0 successfully understands the meaning of information, how could
this be useful in the workplace? (ref 7-29)
6. A: Answers will vary. Web 3.0 would allow for faster analysis of
information, delivering an understanding of the info for faster decision
making.
Short Answer Questions
1. What kind of physical cables can make up a wired network? Describe each.
(ref 7-6)
A: Copper wires (like the lines to your phones at home or the Ethernet cable we
talked about in the previous section), coaxial cables (like the ones used for
cable television), of fiber optic cables (which are made or glass fiber and
transmit using light signals)
Rubric: 3 (Proficient)-Three descriptions correctly identified
2 (Adequate)- Two descriptions correctly identified
1 (Limited)-One or nonedescriptions correctly identified
2. Describe three types of wireless networks. (ref 7-7)
A: Microwaves that must be placed no more than 30 miles apart since they must
“see” each other to transmit
Infrared communication can also be used to create a wireless network for
devices in close proximity.
Radio signals are also used for connecting devices.
Bluetooth is another standard that uses short wavelength radio transmissions to
connect devices
Rubric: 3 (Proficient)-Three descriptions correctly identified
2 (Adequate)- Two descriptions correctly identified
1 (Limited)-One or nonedescriptions correctly identified
3. What defines a broadband network? (ref 7-8)
A: They are faster, with download speeds (transfers from the servers to your
computer) at more than 256 Kbits per second, although most broadband networks
today transfer at rates in the megabytes and even gigabytes per second. The
types of networks that are classified as broadband include DSL (digital
subscriber lines) types of networks, cable connections, as well as some you may
not have heard of like Integrated Service Digital Network (ISDN) and T-lines.
Rubric: 3 (Proficient)-Three descriptions correctly identified
2 (Adequate)- Two descriptions correctly identified
1 (Limited)-One or nonedescriptions correctly identified
4. How large is a Wide Area Network, and what types of services are generally
available? (ref 7-10)
A: WANs often make use of various communication media (like phone lines,
coaxial cables, and satellite) as well as several different providers (phone
company and cable company) even for one given network.
Rubric: 3 (Proficient)-Two descriptions correctly identified
2 (Adequate)- One descriptions correctly identified
1 (Limited)-Nodescription correctly identified
5. The internet is often called the information super highway. How is this term
accurate? (ref 7-11)
A: One way to explain how the Internet works is to think of a road system. In many
countries, there are Interstate highway systems that link major cities
together. These Interstate highways intersect one another to form a complex
road system. However, not every place in the country is accessible directly
from an Interstate highway. Smaller roads branch off from the highways to allow
travelers to reach virtually any area of a country. The Internet works in a
similar way. Main connections, called the Internet backbones, carry the bulk of
the data traffic on the Internet. Networks from major Internet service
providers (ISP) make up the backbone. These networks extend across the globe in
a similar way that the Interstate highway systems extend across many countries.
Rubric: 3 (Proficient)-Three descriptions correctly identified
2 (Adequate)- Two descriptions correctly identified
1 (Limited)-One or nonedescriptions correctly identified
6. The Internet is mistakenly referred to as an application rather than a
network. What are three types of applications that make use of the Internet?
(ref 7-13)
A: World Wide Web (the Web), email, file transfer, instant messaging, Internet
telephony, and desktop videoconferencing
Rubric: 3 (Proficient)-Three descriptions correctly identified
2 (Adequate)- Two descriptions correctly identified
1 (Limited)-One or nonedescriptions correctly identified
7. What must a manager consider for each architecture principle? (ref 7-17)
A: Ease of implementation: some architectures are easier to implement than
others. For example, the SaaS (Software as a Service) architecture we describe
below requires limited effort by the organization wishing to use it.
Flexibility/Interoperability: in some situations it is important to be able to
make changes to how devices are interconnected, or which devices are connected
to which ones. Some architectures allow for more flexibility of which devices
are connectable.
Control: organizations often want to maintain a certain degree of control over
which devices can connect and how they are connected to the network. In the
days of the mainframe, where everything was connected to one central large
computer, organizations had complete control. Today, they must evaluate how
much control they need as they make decisions on which architecture to use.
Scalability: when the number of users or devices increases or decreases
substantially, it is important for organizations to be able to grow or reduce
the size of the network accordingly. This is the concept of scalability, and is
a core consideration in selecting an architecture. In fact, the client/server
architecture described below overtook the old mainframe architecture we just
described partly because it offered substantial scalability.
Security and reliability: all technology decisions should take into
consideration security, including reliability of the systems, and architectures
are no exception. For example, a peer-to-peer architecture, where everyone
shares files with each other, is considered by most experts as one of the least
secured option for networking.
Rubric: 3 (Proficient)-Three descriptions correctly identified
2 (Adequate)- Two descriptions correctly identified
1 (Limited)-One or nonedescriptions correctly identified
8. How can an organization implement Software Oriented Architecture ? (ref
7-20)
A: The services can be used in different systems with different technology
platforms. Think of an invoice as a service. The accounts payable department
probably has a system generating invoices. The shipping department, however,
also has a system that handles invoices for products that are ready to ship.
The two departments can make use of the same service, invoice, with each of
their own applications, independent of where and on which platform their
applications are.
Rubric: 3 (Proficient)-Three descriptions correctly identified
2 (Adequate)- Two descriptions correctly identified
1 (Limited)-One or nonedescriptions correctly identified
9. What are the advantages of an organization using cloud computing? (ref 7-22)
A: In cloud computing, an organization acquires or rents computing resources
from providers instead of having their own locally managed hardware and
software. Using the Internet, the organization is able to increase or decrease
its computing resources when the needs arise or decrease. Virtually any
computing resource, from hardware for storage and processing, to backup
services, to specific applications.
Rubric: 3 (Proficient)-Three descriptions correctly identified
2 (Adequate)- Two descriptions correctly identified
1 (Limited)-One or nonedescriptions correctly identified
10. What are three popular Web 2.0 technologies in use today? What would an
organization use each of these technologies for? (ref 7-25)
A:
|
Web 2.0 Technology |
Description |
Examples |
|
Wikis |
Website that allows individuals to jointly create and edit
web pages about a chosen topic. |
· The well known Wikipedia:www.wikipedia.com · Setup your own wiki at:http://www.wikispaces.com/ |
|
Instant messaging and presence awareness |
Allows several individuals to communicate via real-time
text-based messages. Presence awareness indicates when colleagues are
currently online and connected. |
· AOL Instant Messaging: www.aim.com · Google instant messaging: talk.google.com |
|
Collaborative content |
Allows several individuals to contribute to and share
stored data and documents such as text documents, movies, pictures,
calendars, and more. The collaborative content systems control for user
access and versioning, avoiding two users from changing a document
simultaneously. |
· Calendaring via Doodle:http://www.doodle.com/ · Document via Google Docs:http://Docs.google.com/ · Presentations via Prezentit:http://prezentit.com/ |
|
Web conferencing (voice, video and data) |
Allows individuals to conduct live meetings via the
Internet, including training sessions or sales presentations. All
participants use their own computers to connect to the meeting, and can use
voice (voice over IP) and/or video as well as send files, use instant
messaging, or even share their personal desktop with others. |
· Skype: www.skype.com · Adobe connect:www.adobe.com/ConnectWebConference |
|
Social networking |
Allows individuals to participate in a community of users
(individuals or organizations) where they are connected with each other via
links (for example, friendship or business relationships). |
· Friendship social networks:
Facebook (www.facebook.com),
MySpace (www.myspace.com) · Business social network: LinkedIn (www.linkedIn.com). |
|
Blogs |
Allows individuals to write commentaries or opinions on
anything they want on websites that others can read. Usually, blogs often are
updated regularly, and allow others to leave comments. The name comes from
web log. |
o Create your own blog: www.blogger.com/;http://wordpress.com/. |
|
Mashups |
Allows users or developers to combine data or applications
from several sources to create new ways to view data or new aggregated
results. |
· Examples of mashups:http://www.programmableweb.com/mashups |
|
Twitter |
Allows individuals to write tweets, which are short text
messages of up to 140 characters, on their user page for others to “follow”.
This has become very popular among celebrities to share their day to day
activities with fans. |
· Create your own twitter: http://twitter.com |
|
RSS |
Known as Really Simple Syndication, it allows individuals
to receive frequently updated information like blogs or news headlines
directly to their personal computers. |
· Search your university’s news
pages for where you can sign up to receive news as a RSS feed. · Examples of RSS feeds from Yahoo! Sports:http://sports.yahoo.com/top/rss |
A: Rubric:
3 (Proficient)-Three descriptions correctly identified
2 (Adequate)- Two descriptions correctly identified
1 (Limited)-One or nonedescriptions correctly identified
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