Information Technology in the Digital Age

Information Highway

The Digital Economy

The digital economy refers to an economy that is based on digital technologies, including digital communication networks, computers, and software.

The digital economy is also sometimes called the Internet economy, the New economy, or the Web economy.

Electronic Framework

Electronic Commerce (EC)

Electronic commerce is the use of Web-based systems to support buying, selling, and customer service.

Click-and-mortar companies add some EC activities to their regular business.

Models of EC

Business-to-Business (B2B) Business-to-Consumers (B2C) Consumer-to-Organizations (C2O) Consumer-to-Consumer (C2C) Intrabusiness (Intraorganizational) Commerce Government-to-Citizens (G2C) Collaborative commerce (c-commerce) Mobile Commerce (m-commerce)

Mobile-Commerce

M-commerce (mobile commerce) refers to the conduct of e-Commerce via wireless devices. It is the commercial application of mobile computing which is based on wireless networks.

There is an increased interest in m-commerce because the number of mobile devices is projected to top 1 billion by 2004.

Location-based commerce (L-commerce) is an application of m-commerce that offers customers the location information of anything they want to purchase.

IT Architecture

Information Architecture

Information architecture is a high-level map or plan of the information requirements in an organization.

In preparing information architecture, the designer requires two kinds of information:

1. The business needs of the organization—that is, its objectives and problems, and the contribution that IT can make.

2. The information systems that already exist in an organization and how they can be combined among themselves or with future systems to support the organization’s information needs.

Architecture Example’s

APU’s Enterprise Architecture APU’s Information Architecture

Components of Information Systems

Hardware is a set of devices such as processor, monitor, keyboard, and printer.

Software is a set of programs that enable the hardware to process data.

Database is a collection of related files, tables, relations, and so on, that stores data.

Network is a connecting system that permits the sharing of resources between computers.

Procedures are the set of instructions about how to combine the above components.

People are those individuals who work with the system or use its output.

Computers

Supercomputer Main Frame Mini Computer Workstations Microcomputers / PC’s

Desktops / Thin Clients Laptops and Notebooks Palmtops / PDA’s

Smart Cards

Input Devices

Output Devices

Communications Media

Computer Digital video interactive Compact disc interactive Computer simulation

Motion / Still image Slides / Overheads Videodisc (cassette) Motion pictures Broadcast television Teleconference/videoconference Animation & Virtual Reality

Audio Tape/cassette/record/CD/DVD Teleconference / Audio conference Sound digitizing Microphone

Graphic materials Pictures Printed job aids Visual Displays

Text Printouts

Source Data Automation

Captures data in computer-readable form at the moment the data are created.

Examples of Source Data Automation: Point-of-sale systems Optical bar-codes Code scanners Handwriting recognizers Voice recognizers Magnetic ink character readers (MICR) Digitizers Digital Cameras

Wire vs. Wireless Media

Wire

Twisted pair wire

Coaxial cable

Fiber optic cable

Wireless Cellular radio Microwave transmission Satellite transmission

Global positioning system Radio & Infrared light Bluetooth

Networks

WAN LAN PAN VPN

LAN

WAN’s

Network which extends geographical boundaries - distance

Network which joins remote networks – use of 3rd party vendors

Network which extends existing resources

Change of protocols

Equipment

Repeaters Bridges (DSU/CSU) Routers Hubs / Switches Interface Cards (NIC)

Connectivity Technologies

POTS xDSL ISDN Cable Modem

56 Kbps T1 – 1.544 Mbps T3 – 43.232 Mbps OC3 – 155 Mbps OC12 – 622 Mbps OC48 – 2.5 Gbit OC192 – 9.6 Gbit

Frame Relay Dedicated ATM

Connectivity Services Connectivity Speeds

Topology

The topology of a network is the physical layout and connectivity of a network.

Ring topology

Bus topology

Star network

Topology

Bus - Ethernet Token Ring Star

WebHog

Types of Software

Application software - set of computer instructions that directs computer hardware to perform specific processing activities.

General Purpose Specific

Systems software - controls and supports the computer hardware and its information processing activities between hardware and applications.

System control programs System support programs System development programs

Internet Oriented Languages

Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) is the standard language the Web uses for creating and recognizing hypermedia documents.

Hypertext (hyperlinks.) Uniform Resource Locators (URLs)

Dynamic HTML makes Web pages more like dynamic applications and less like static content.

XML (eXtensible Markup Language) is a language for defining, validating and sharing document formats.

Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) is a file format for describing three-dimensional interactive worlds and objects.

Internet Oriented Languages (cont.)

Java is an object-oriented programming language that gives

programmers the ability to develop applications that work across the Internet.

JavaScript. is an object-oriented scripting language that allows users to add some interactivity to their Web pages.

ActiveX is a set of technologies that combines different programming languages into a single, integrated Web site.

ASP (Active Server Pages) is a Microsoft CGI-like technology that allows you to create dynamically generated Web pages from the server side using a scripting language.

PHP

Information Environment

Data Integrity – Accuracy, Relevance Timeliness Data redundancy Data inconsistency - Completeness Data isolation Security. Application/ Data independence The numerous problems arising from the file environment

approach led to the development of databases.

Database Typology

A centralized database has all the related files in one physical location.

A distributed database has complete copies of a database, or portions of a database, in more than one location, which is usually close to the user.

A replicated database has complete copies of the entire database in several locations.

A partitioned database is subdivided, so that each location has a portion of the entire database.

Database Management Systems

The program (or group of programs) that provides access to a database is known as a database management system (DBMS).

There are many specialized databases, depending on the type or format of data stored. A geographical information database A knowledge database A multimedia database

Logical Data Organization

There are three basic models for logically structuring databases:

Hierarchical

Network

Relational

Data Warehouses

A data warehouse is an additional database that is designed to support DSS, EIS, online analytical processing (OLAP), and other end-user activities, such as report generation, queries, and graphical presentation.

A data mart is smaller, less expensive, and more focused than a large-scale data warehouse. Data marts can be a

substitution for a data warehouse, or they can be used in addition to it.

The Internet, Intranets & Extranets

The Internet. From about 50 million Internet users in 1997, there could be as many as 750 million by 2007.

Intranets utilize information technology to provide organizations with internal communication systems.

Extranets combine intranets with the Internet to create a powerful interorganizational systems for collaboration.

Corporate Portals

A corporate portal refers to a company’s Web site that is used as a gateway to the corporate data, information, and knowledge. (Single Point of Entrance)

Knowledge bases and learning tools Business process support Customer-facing sales, marketing, and service Collaboration and project support Access to data from disparate corporate systems Internal company information Policies and procedures Best practices and lessons learned Human resources and benefits

Jeopardy

Future “More Devices on Internet than People”

Vending machines – Vending Express Wireless – Sprint Broadband Direct Mobile E-Commerce – Nokia, Visa Team Picture Frames SMART Devices – CoolTown Homes

Virtual Laboratories

Interactive research and instruction

Real-time access to remote scientific instruments

Images courtesy of theUniversity of Michigan

Teleimmersion Shared virtual reality

University of Illinois at Chicago

Virtual Temporal Bone

Images courtesy Univ of Illinois-

Chicago

Case: Wearable Computers

For years, many mobile employees were unable to enjoy the new technologies designed to make employees work or feel better.

The use of wireless devices that can communicate with each other and with remote IS is increasing very rapidly (m-commerce).

Such systems could easily include GPS (global positioning systems).

So far only a few companies make and sell wearables for mobile

workers, but this is expected to change in the future.

10 Hottest Jobs?

1. Tissue Engineers 2. Gene Programmers 3. Pharmers 4. Frankenfood Monitors 5. Data Miners 6. Hot-line Handymen 7. Virtual-reality Actors 8. Narrowcasters 9. Turing Testers 10. Knowledge Engineers

http://www.time.com/time/reports/v21/index_ie.html

Speech Recognition & Understanding

SPEECH RECOGNITION

is a process that allows us to communicate with a computer by speaking to it. The computer recognizes words that have been spoken without necessarily interpreting their

meanings.

SPEECH UNDERSTANDING

refers to the second part of the communication process, where the meaning of the speech is ascertained.

Why do Managers Need the Support of IT?

Making decisions while processing information manually is growing increasingly difficult due to the following trends:

The number of alternatives to be considered is ever increasing.

Many decisions must be made under time pressure.

Due to increased fluctuations & uncertainty in the decision environment, it is frequently necessary to conduct a sophisticated analysis to make a good decision.

It is often necessary to access remote information, consult with experts, or have a group decision-making session, all quickly & in expensively.

“Digital –Economy Ready”

Actions organizations can take to become “digital-economy ready”;

Build strategic information systems and use innovations Create effective and efficient communication and collaboration networks. Examine possible new models and initiatives of e-commerce Examine supply chains – business processes. Make a continuous effort to increase productivity, quality, security, and

effectiveness in every facet of the organization’s operations. Address organizational, personal, and socioeconomic issues associated with the

increase use of IT.

“Digital –Economy Ready” (cont.)

Plan IT systems in coordination with the business plans they intend to support.

Increase recognition of knowledge, its creation, preservation, storage, and dissemination.

Support managerial decisions with IT and especially the Web. Have the ability to process a large amount of data. Carefully address the economies of IT in general and e-commerce

in particular, including outsourcing, when moving to the new economy.

Properly build and deploy information systems that will provide for internal efficiency and connect to the many business partners.

Acronym Full Name Downstream Upstream Maximum Distance (C.O./user)

IDSL Integrated DSL

128 Kbps 128Kbps 18,000 ft

HDSL High Data Rate DSL

1.544Mbps 1.544Mbps 12,000 ft

SDSL Symmetric DSL

1.544Mbps 1.544Mbps 10,000 ft

ADSL Asymmetric DSL

8Mbps 1Mbps 12,000 ft

RADSL Rate Adapter ADSL

7Mbps 1Mbps 18,000 ft

VDSL Very High Rate DSL

51.84Mbps 2.3Mbps 1,000 ft

Lawrence Livermore LabNew Computer Top 500

Baby 10TNumber of Frames 4 128Nodes per Frame 4 4Number of Nodes 16 512Processors per Node 8 16Number of Processors 128 8,192Speed in MHZ 222 310Mega FLOPS 113,664 10,158,080

Memory in GB 64 4,000

Local Disk in GB 288 10,000Global Disk in GB 1,200 150,000