Week 8 - Networks & Wireless

1. Explain the business benefits of using wireless technology

Using wireless technology helps businesses to recieve and send information faster and with less problems, for e.g setting up meetings can be done via the internet and employees can get the memo straight away without any problems, its an easier for businesses to communicate and share information while on the go.

2. Describe the business benefits associated with VoIP

The benefits of VoIP include the following:

• Cost saving-charges will be lower then using a tradition phone line  because VoIP cant be routed geographically
• Flexibility - VoIP allows people to go mobile and call directly from there mobiles and be charged at low VoIP rates
• Advanced features such as online call monitoring, configure extensions and online phone system access
• A variety of choices
• Easier application integration

3. Compare LANs and WANs

A local area network (LANs) is designed to connect a group of computers in close proxomity to each other such as an office building, school or home. A LAN is useful to share resources like files. A LAN in turn often connects to other LANs and to the internet.


an example of a LAN network

A wide area network (WAN) spans a large geographic area, such as a state or country. WANs often connect multiple smaller networks, such as local area networks


An example of a WAN network


4. Describe RFID and how it can be used to help make a supply chain more effective

Radio frequency identification (RFID) technologies use active or passive tags in the form of chips or smart labels that can store unique identifiers and relay this information to electronic readers. RFID can help make a supply chain more effective by planning and executing there tags, which can help cut costs by requiring fewer workers for scanning items and can provide more current and accurate information to the entire supply chain

5. Identify the advantages and disadvantages of deploying mobile technology

Advantages

• Real time processing
• Develops innovative ideas to help business perform at there best
• Allows mobile technology to enhance in speed and throughout abilities

Disadvantages

• Can cause viruses if not secured prepoerly
• Lack of privacy such as cameras
• As a result from competition, profit margins could be brought down

Baltzan, Phillips, Lynch, Blakey. 2010. Business Driven Information Systems. McGraw Hill. Sydney, Australia

Week7 Questions - Databases and Data Warehouse

1. List, describe, and provide an example of each of the five characteristics of high quality information?

• Accuracy –Are all values correct ?for e.g. name spelled correctly?
• Completeness – Are any of the values missing? for e.g. is the address correct including strret, city, postcode?
• Consistency – Is summary information in agreement with detailed information? for e.g. do total fields equal true total of individual fields?
• Uniqueness – is each transaction, event represented only once in the information? for e.g. are there any duplicate customers?
• Timeless –  Is the information current with respect to the business requirements? for e.g. is information updates weekly, daily, hourly?

2. Define the relationship between a database and a database management system?

A database refers to the upholding of information with regards to things such as: objects, events, people and places.
A database management system is used to access information from a database. A database management system (DBMS) is software through which users and appplication programs interact with a database.

3. Describe the advantages an organisation can gain by using a database?

The adavantages of using database in an organisation, include:

• Databases can save time, for e.g. a database pulls up information with a simple query meaning only requires keywords to pull up information
• Effeciency - Elimainates the need of repating data, which reduces data entry, storage and retrieval costs
• Data accuracy - As long as data is accurate, the client information will be reproduced accuartely throughout the system
• Information accessability and security - Easy to access cause all database information is in the one place. Employees have access to secure information on a need-to-know basis

4. Define the fundamental concepts of the relational database models?

The relational database model implements information into a two-dimensional table that are in connection to one another through rational means.

5. Describe the benefits of a data-driven website?

Benefeits of data-driven website, include:

• Development - Allows owner to make changes any time - without having to rely on a deeveloper
• Content Management - Static website which requires autur programmer to make updates. This adds to unnecessary layer between the business and its web content
• Future Expandability - Enables the site to grow faster than would be possible with a static site
• Minimising human error - Will have 'error-trapping' mechanisms to ensure that required information is filled out correctly and content is entered and deisplyed in right format
• More Efficient - Will improve reliabilty and stability of a website
• Improved Stabilty - With a data-driven website, the contant is never lost

6. Descibe the roles and purposes of data warehouses and data marts in an organisation?

A data warehouse is a logical collection of information - gathhat empered from many diefferent operational databases - that supports business analysis activities and decision-making tasks. The primary purpose of a data warehouse is to aggregate information throughout an organisation into a single repository in such a way that employees can make decisions and undertake business analysis activities.
data mart is where there is a smaller subset of database information. Organisations are able to disperse from transferred data and obtain business intelligence on things that are not identical to one another.

Reference

Baltzan, Phillips, Lynch, Blakey. 2010. Business Driven Information Systems. McGraw Hill. Sydney, Australia.

Sass, Forrest 2006, 10 Advanatages of Business Intelligence database that gives your company an edge, File-Makers, viewed 10 April 2011, <www.file-makers.com/10advantages.htm>