Information

Technology
Management System
INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY
Gilbert R. Hufana
Professor

Information Technology
the application of computers and
telecommunications equipment to store, retrieve,
transmit and manipulate data, often in the
context of a business or other enterprise
Hardware, software and computer network

Information Technology Management System

HARDWARE

What is a computer?
a general-purpose device that can be
programmed to carry out a set of arithmetic or
logical operations
consists of at least one processing element and
some form of memory
Peripheral devices allow information to be
retrieved from an external source, and the result
of operations saved and retrieved (input/output)

Types of Computers in Use

Supercomputers
Mainframes
Minicomputers
Workstations
Microcomputers/PCs
Handheld

and wearable computers

Supercomputers
Most

powerful, most expensive and rarest of

the computers in use today
Main uses military & scientific works

Weather modeling, nuclear explosion simulations &

aircraft design
Film industry graphic intensive special effects

5-1o

times faster than mainframes

Speed: 10,000 8M MIPS; Memory: 8Gb
Cost: $4-$8M

Mainframes
Centralized

power and control

provide services for large community of users
It has diminished w/ the advent of the increased
power of smaller computers
Mainframe software is very expensive & limited
compared to PC
Speed: 1000-5000 MIPS w/ 4-16Gb memory
Cost: $0.5-$4M
Size: about the size of large fridge

Minicomputers
Cut-down

version of mainframes
Provide services to small-medium
community of users
Size is that of a filing cabinet
Speed: 200-500 MIPS; 2-4Gb memory size
Cost: $40K-$200K

Workstations
A

cut-down minicomputer catering to the

needs of a single user
Most professional regard workstation much
greater performance & functionality than a
PC
Speed: 100-200 MIPS
w/ 2-4Gb memory size

Microcomputers
Desktop/portable

computers for single user

Most software processing is localized
Concept of decentralization
Technical spec changes every two months
Often configured as servers
Although their architecture is PC, they usually
have higher performance & storage specs

Handheld & Wearable

Computers
Personal

organizers & products

Used by warehousing & distribution operations

Combined

w/ mobile communications, these

have the potential to transform business
processes
These devices are mere extensions/access
points to a larger system

The Computer - Von Neumann

Architecture (VNA)

Input Devices
Most

common keyboard & mouse

Composite devices

Game controller, game pad, paddle, Wii Remote

Scanning/Imaging

Camera, image scanner, fingerprint scanner, barcode

reader, 3D scanner, laser rangefinder

Medical

& Video Input Devices

Imaging

CT & PET Scan, MRI, Positron Ultrasonography

Audio

Devices microphone, MIDI KB, other digital

musical instrument

The Central Processing Unit

the electronic circuitry within a computer that
carries out the instructions of a computer
program by performing the basic arithmetic,
logical, control and input/output (I/O) operations
specified by the instructions
programmable device that accepts digital data as
input, processes it according to instructions stored
in its memory, and provides results as output

Output Devices
Hard

or soft copy
Hard copy involves printing process

Dot-matrix, desk or ink jet, laser, plotter for large

scale printing

Soft

copy display screens & monitors

CRTs and LCDs

Audio

Devices speakers & headphones

Primary Storage Devices

Refer

to the computers main memory

Either ROM or RAM
ROM non-erasable hardware modules that
usually come with programs installed.

Non-volatile; holds basic instruction for starting a

PC, carrying out diagnostic tests & loading the OS
into RAM

RAM

the main memory; stores data &

programs on which the computer is working

Secondary Storage Devices

Either

magnetic, optical or electronic

Magnetic Disks magnetic tape, hard disks,
floppy disks
Optical CDs and DVDs
Flash Memory flash drives via PCMCIA slot
or USB port

Information Technology Management System

SOFTWARE

What is a Software?
any set of machine-readable instructions that
directs a computer's processor to perform
specific operations
Computer programs/instructions
stored in computer memory and is intangible, it
cannot be touched

Types of Software
Applications

software
Systems software

Applications Software
Does

something useful for users

Maybe specialized (vertical) or general purpose
(horizontal)
Customized high quality packaged software
which is very flexible
Concern: max ROI from HW & SW
No system is perfect compromises in
performance, quality, user-friendliness get the
best compromise

System Software
The

OS and the user interface and its

associated utilities
OS manages the underlying resources of the
computer
Utilities provide a convenient interface
between the user & the underlying HW/Apps

File Managers, screen savers

Platform

specific
Personal, work group & corporate

Apple vs Microsoft
Total package HW
& SW
User-friendly, wellengineered w/ a slick
GUI
Ideal for high-end
desktop software

Users had to
understand how the
computer worked in
order to use it
effectively
MS was firmly
focused on the PC
market

LINUX
A

PC version of Unix
Potential to weaken Microsofts market
dominance in system software
User community grows as it becomes more
worthwhile developing software for the
PC/LINUX platform
Users are able to run MS products on a PC
using LINUX minor problems
Dominant web server OS

Packaged Software
Can

be used as is
Purchased from resellers w/o intermediaries
such s consultants
Cost is usually low, tends to be well-supported
& relatively error-free
Dependent on the manufacturer and has to pay
regular upgrades & user support
If packaged SW is vertical, it is very expensive
to migrate to a better product

Customized Software
Usually

supplied and installed to a clients

specifications by value-added reseller (VAR)
Eliminates dependency on SW manufacturer
but dependent on VAR instead
Have more errors than packaged software
Much more expensive than packaged
software.

Custom Software
Producing

your own software

Reasons:

No suitable package on the market to perform

required task
For sustainable strategic & competitive advantage
Hoping to recover costs and make profit by selling
the finished product

Very

expensive to produce and maintain

More likely to have errors

A Comparative View
Package
Software

Customizable Custom
Software
Software

Strategic/tactical advantage

Low

Medium

High

Management &
maintenance costs & efforts

Low

Medium

High

Specialization

Low

Medium

High

Cost

Low

Medium

High

Cost & Effort of upgrade

Low

Medium

High

Range of functionality

High

Medium

Low

Dependency on third parties High

Medium

Low

Free Software
Shareware

or freeware
Available for download on the internet or
freely circulated on disk
No guarantee of quality, user support or
security

Open Source
computer

software that is available in source

code form for which the source code and
certain other rights normally reserved for
copyright holders are provided under a
software license that permits users to study,
change, and improve the software

Open Source
Open source software refers to de jure
standards
Ex. LINUX anyone can develop code for
LINUX, if it is intended for public distribution then
it must conform to standard
Others are free to use but their source code is
not available to developers

Proprietary Source
used

to mean computer software which is

neither free nor open source
it has a copyright owner who can exercise
control over what users can do with the
software, in contrast to public domain.

Information Technology Management Systems

COMPUTER NETWORKS

Computer Network
a

telecommunications network which

allows computers to exchange data
computing devices pass data to each other
along data connections
data is transferred in the form of packets
connections between nodes are established
using either cable media or wireless media
the best-known computer network is
the Internet

Computer Networks
Wide

Area Network
Local Area Network
Personal Area Network
VPN Virtual Private Network

Cellular & Wireless

Communications
Telephony
Data

transfer
Communication between
PCs and peripheral
devices

Bluetooth
Develop

to support communication between

PCs & peripheral devices

Mobile phones & handheld computers

Speed:

2Mbps voice; 64 Kbps data

Uses the cellular approach; worked w/in 10m
radius

Wireless Networking
WiFi

- the standard (IEEE802.11)

a 54 Mbps @ 20m
b WIFI; 11Mbps @ <= 100m
g 54 Mbps @ 50m

WiMAX

- a variation of WiFi (IEEE 802.16)

designed to provide 30 to 40 megabit-per-second

data rates

LTE/4G
an acronym for Long-Term Evolution
commonly marketed as 4G LTE
a standard for wireless communication of highspeed data for mobile phones and data terminals
based on the GSM/EDGE and UMTS/HSPA
network technologies, increasing the capacity
and speed using a different radio interface
together with core network improvements

Wireless Networking

Pervasive Networking
Networking

is finding its way into many

different kinds of technology
TV, DVDs, video cams, cars, refrigerators &
so on have networking capability installed

Internet Access

Dial-up access 56 Kbps

Broadband DSL 0.5 Mbps

Tied to a phone line

Not tied up to a phone line

ADSL Asymmetric DSL

The up & down do not operate at the same capacity

ISDN telephone line

Wireless Broadband

Network Security
consists

of the provisions made in an

underlying computer network infrastructure,
policies adopted by the network administrator
to protect the network and the networkaccessible resources from unauthorized
access and the effectiveness (or lack) of these
measures combined together (wikipedia.org)
has become a major concern to companies
throughout the world

Security Issues
How

do you protect confidential

information from those who do not
explicitly need to access it?

How

do you protect your network and

its resources from malicious users and
accidents that originate outside your
network?

Virtual Private Network (VPN)

a

computer network in which some of the

links between nodes are carried by open
connections or virtual circuits in some larger
networks, such as the Internet

Summary
Networking

has transformed many

companies do business.
It has enabled small business to operate
globally and made it possible to form
strategic alliances & partnerships in their
supply chain & customer relationship mgmt.

End of Lecture

THANK YOU!