MIS 535 - Devry

Week 8
Final Exam
Download for answers.
Please put answers in your own words!
Page 1
1. (TCO A) Which of the following objectives best describes the business strategy behind the development of smart
grid initiatives by power companies, as discussed in the chapter case? (Points : 4)
2. (TCO B) Which of the following describes how the Simon framework of decision making works in high-velocity
decision environments? (Points : 5)
3. (TCO C) A field identified in a table as holding the unique identifier of the table's records is called the (Points : 4)
4. (TCO D) Which of the following is not a characteristic of packet switching? (Points : 4)
5. (TCO E) Which of the following is not one of the current software platform trends? (Points : 5)
6. (TCOF) Characteristics of agile methodologies are (Points : 4)
7. (TCO G) The introduction of new information technology has a (Points : 4)
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1. (TCO A) What is the connection between organizations, information systems, and business processes? (Points :
25)
2. (TCO B) You are an analyst for a firm that imports and distributes specialty oils and vinegars, and your company
wants you to evaluate its options for taking advantage of cutting-edge business analytics. What are its choices? What
will you recommend? (Points : 25)
3. (TCO C) List and describe three main capabilities or tools of a DBMS. (Points : 25)
4. (TCO D) Describe and explain the idea of network neutrality. Are you in favor of network neutrality? Why or
why not? (Points : 25)
5. (TCO E) Identify and describe five or more of the current trends in contemporary software platforms. (Points : 25)
6. (TCO F) What is outsourcing? Describe the advantages and disadvantages to outsourcing software development.
(Points : 20)
7. (TCO G) What are the security challenges faced by wireless networks? (Points : 25)

Page 1
1. (TCO A) Which of the following objectives best describes the business strategy behind the
development of smart grid initiatives by power companies, as discussed in the chapter case?

(Points :

4)
Operational excellence
New products and services
Competitive advantage
Customer support

2. (TCO B) Which of the following describes how the Simon framework of decision making works in highvelocity decision environments? (Points : 5)
All four steps of the process are handled by software algorithms; humans are eliminated from
the decisions because they are too slow.
The first three steps of the process are handled by software algorithms and the final step is
handled by experienced managers.
The first two steps of Simon's framework are eliminated and the final two steps are handled by
software algorithms.
All fours steps are performed by humans with the support of high-speed, high-volume DSS and
ESS.

3. (TCO C) A field identified in a table as holding the unique identifier of the table's records is called the
(Points : 4)
primary key.
key field.
primary field.
unique ID.

4. (TCO D) Which of the following is not a characteristic of packet switching? (Points : 4)

Packets travel independently of each other.
Packets are routed through many different paths.
Packet switching requires point-to-point circuits.
Packets include data for checking transmission errors.

5. (TCO E) Which of the following is not one of the current software platform trends? (Points : 5)
Grid computing

Open source software

Mashups and apps
Software outsourcing

6. (TCOF) Characteristics of agile methodologies are (Points : 4)

do the entire project at one time, but consult the customer.
take things in small increments, testing each one and allowing users to try the software.
set all requirements in the beginning.
based on traditional engineering methodologies.

7. (TCO G) The introduction of new information technology has a (Points : 4)

dampening effect on the discourse of business ethics.
ripple effect raising new ethical, social, and political issues.
beneficial effect for society as a whole, while raising dilemmas for consumers.
waterfall effect in raising ever more complex ethical issues.

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Time Remaining:
1. (TCO A) What is the connection between organizations, information systems, and business
processes? (Points : 25)
Organizations are entities which serve a specific purpose and usually have a goal
or business plan, aiming to make a profit and increase sales. Organizations usually
achieve this through the use of set business processes, such as interaction with
customers and suppliers, exploration of new markets, the development of new
products and services. They also use other business processes in order to ensure their
own internal well being -- managing employees, setting up an effective managerial
framework, and maintaining business culture. Information systems are the new wave
of technological breakthroughs through which companies make all of those tasks more
efficient and more productive than ever before. Automatic order and inventory
software can now communicate directly to distributors and shipping companies in
order to find the cheapest products and automatically figure out a way to get them
from point a to point b most efficiently. In the retail environment, POS (Point of sale)
systems are making selling and exchanging products simpler than ever. In most cases,
these programs 'talk' to yet another automated information system -- the inventory
management system -- and automatically update and correct it. Decision support

software and CRM (customer relations management) software now aid managers at
every step of the way. Thus, information systems are an integral part of today's
business field. Organizations and IS have a mutual relationship, in which both the
company and the information system yield to one another. Oftentimes the systems
must be aligned for optimal efficiency within specific corporations and the particular
ways in which they do business, but at other times the corporation must be open to
new ideas and processes developed and used by these systems in order to improve
their business process.
2. (TCO B) You are an analyst for a firm that imports and distributes specialty oils and vinegars, and your
company wants you to evaluate its options for taking advantage of cutting-edge business analytics. What
are its choices? What will you recommend? (Points : 25)

Business analytics is the process by which a company explores emerging and useful skills,
application practices and technologies in order to better understand itself and the market, and to
better plan for future improvements and changes within its own framework. This being an IT
class, I will recommend the following emerging fields of IT for our business.
First of all, I think the business should take advantage of the large number of enterprise
applications that exist for the automation of the business process. Automatic inventory, shipping
and supplier applications can be used in order to find and speak to distributors and to find fast,
easy and cost effective shipping routes from the suppliers to the warehouse.
Secondly, I would recommend the company to use cloud computing in order to make the process
easier. Cloud computing takes away the need to maintain costly servers and databases on the
company's expense, and allows the freeflow of information virtually anywhere on the globe.
In order to achieve this information freeflow, I would also recommend that the company take
advantage of the growing trend of mobile devices -- this way, management does not need to be
tied down to offices and desktops, and could control the company at every step of the process.
These devices will represent a large portion of the 'cloud' which will provide the computing
support for the company.
In order to reach customers more effectively, I would recommend to the company to either hire
an outside CRM company or to explore software options for CRM. The growing trends of social
media and online communities is an excellent field to explore. For little to no cost, many
businesses are now using services such as facebook to do their CRM and advertising. I believe
this is going to prove a cost effective and efficient method for growing the business.

3. (TCO C) List and describe three main capabilities or tools of a DBMS. (Points : 25)
Interactive Query -- DBMS systems have an interactive query feature which lets users
interact with the system and request information in a variety of different ways and combinations,
oftentimes using data manipulation language and SQL. These languages make the retrieval of
specific information with specific tags quick and efficient.

Data Integrity -- Data integrity within DBMS ensures that only a limited number of users can
edit the system and files at any given point. This is an important security feature. It also
introduces redundancy into the system in order to protect against data loss, and also employs
real-time cross referencing to ensure that duplicate records are not created, such as multiple IDs
for a single customer.
Data Security -- a bit more advanced than simply physical security, this feature allows the
protection of data from malicious use and access from unauthorized individuals. Users are given
passwords and are allowed only to access certain parts of the database, based on the clearance
level of each individual. The set of data to which a user has access is defined by "subschemes,"
which allow users to see only specific subsets of information.
4. (TCO D) Describe and explain the idea of network neutrality. Are you in favor of network neutrality?
Why or why not? (Points : 25)
Network neutrality, or net neutrality, refers to the idea that the internet is the 'last great
frontier' and should remain free and open to anybody, anywhere, without imposed regulations on
a large scale by governments or corporations. Many governments and businesses fear the idea of
net neutrality because it allows the open and honest communication between individuals, and
allows for debate to arise on sensitive issues. Sometimes such debate might uncover the agendas
of governments and corporations, which they would rather keep hidden. Similarly, many
businesses, seeing the great success of the internet, have began to look upon it with jealous eyes,
sensing the opportunity for exploitation and profit in their interest. For example, charging money
for certain services, or even access to certain websites which are normally free, referred to as
'tiered access' is something that ISPs have been coyly trying to implement for years. Of course,
the the corporations and government are not always the villains in this domain -- they can also be
the victims. Due to lack of regulation, piracy and other vandalism and unlawful use of
information, slander and various other illegal activities take place on the internet. Thus, the
question of net neutrality is very difficult. Where do we draw the line? What regulations would
we accept as a necessity, versus a way for companies to make money off the consumer? I might
not have all the answers, but I definitely support net neutrality as a whole. I believe information
of ANY kind should be freely available to anybody at any time, so long as they are not infringing
on intellectual rights by using somebody else's work for their own profit.
5. (TCO E) Identify and describe five or more of the current trends in contemporary software platforms.
(Points : 25)
Cloud Computing -- Cloud computing is the concept that applications and data no longer
reside on the user's device, but that everything, including the actual computation and
manipulation of data, occurs in the 'cloud.' This is a very effective way to handle information,
and makes accessing information easier than ever before. Whole libraries of information could
be available to virtually anyone, anywhere. All of the devices in the 'cloud' share tasks. This
method is not without its disadvantages and risks, such as security, but it is the general trend.

Software as a Service -- Google and other companies like it area already pioneering the field fo
SAS, with Google Docs and various other applications and programs. The traditional computing
model provides that a user will buy an application, pay once, and then install it locally and use it
essentially forever. Under SAS, applications are 'leased' based on use. There are benefits, such as
not having to pay exorbitant rates to use advanced software, but generally, the cheaper the
software is and the more programs you need, the less and less effective SAS is from a financial
and practical standpoint.
Internet Capabilities -- virtually all software needs to be able to access the internet and thus the
'cloud' in some way. As more and more applications and companies are using social media, CRM
software, the 'cloud' itself and SAS, the more crucial it becomes for applications to be able to
communicate with each other globally.
Mobile Platforms -- the latest craze is mobile technology. The 'phones' of today are no longer
phones, but more akin to the PDAs of old. They are now quite powerful minicomputers that can
fit in the palm of your hand. More and more software is written in order to be displayed and used
on mobile devices. It is estimated that roughly half of all web content will soon be accessed
using a mobile device of some kind.
Interactivity -- users nowadays expect to be in total control -- they want to be able to customize
their experience to their particular needs and desires. Software aims to be more customizable and
interactive than ever before. Companies rely on constant feedback in order to provide better
programs and solutions to a growing market of tech savvy customers.
6. (TCO F) What is outsourcing? Describe the advantages and disadvantages to outsourcing software
development. (Points : 20)
Outsourcing is the practice of taking current software projects (and not only software, but
manufacturing, consulting, and other services) that are traditionally done at home, by American
workers, and paying somebody else in a different country to do the work and return the product.
Common examples of this is customer support for many large corporations is now commonly
located in India. Programming and software development is commonly outsourced to India and
China. Manufacturing is also outsourced, with many companies such as Maytag and GE having
factories in Mexico. The largest supplier of outsourced manufacturing products is China. Some
of the benefits of outsourcing include the ability to sell services and products at a cheaper price,
since outsourcing brings on fierce competition, and oftentimes the salaries and rates in other
countries are much, much lower than at home. Also, it enables companies to expand their
product line and to manufacture products and services for which they might not necessarily have
the equipment to do at home. And, finally, it creates jobs overseas, for people who might
otherwise be very poor and disadvantaged. On the other hand, outsourcing is a very negative
thing for our home economy, because it takes jobs and puts them overseas -- lots of people at
home are losing jobs to cheaper labor in India and China. This erodes our economy, because as
more and more manufacturing moves overseas, we are generating less and less actual physical
products. We are becoming entirely a service economy, and without manufacturing, I fear it is
not sustainable in the long run.

7. (TCO G) What are the security challenges faced by wireless networks? (Points : 25)

Basically all of the challenges faced by security today can be summed up by saying that
somebody, somewhere, is gaining unauthorized access to a wireless network, and intercepting
and accessing data that is not meant for them. The first security challenge that wireless networks
face is hacking -- this can be avoided by using a password which encrypts network traffic. There
are weaker and stronger methods to achieve this, an older method being WEP and a newer
method being WPA2 encryption. Ad Hoc networks pose a security threat because they are
usually unencrypted peer to peer networks with no access points between users. MAC Filtering
is a strategy commonly used to protect networks from unauthorized access, but can be
circumvented by ingenious hackers using 'Mac Spoofing' which is essentially artificially
changing the mac address of a device in order to gain access to a network which uses MAC
filtering. Yet other hackers can 'intercept packets' of information as they are sent over the air -although they might not have the encryption key, they might be able to 'sniff it out' once they
intercept a sufficient amount of network traffic, using programs which decrypt and crack the
encryption password. Yet another sneaky method that hackers use is to simply drive around in a
car around neighborhoods and business parks and to look for unencrypted or weakly encrypted
networks, and then connect and attempt to steal information. There are many benefits to using
wireless networks, but as far as security is concerned, wired networks will always be the safest
option, unless your threat comes from within.