Chapter 7,8

Chapter 7
1. Identify common wireless devices and their application to business:
pagers e-mail handhelds, personal digital assistants (PDA’s) and cellular telephones.

2. Describe the various types and general characteristics of wireless transmission media/technologies- microwave, satellite inferred and radio waves: Microwave transmission a wireless system that uses 226 microwaves for high volume, long distance point-to-point communication. Satellite transmission, a wireless transmission system that uses satellites for broadcast communications. Infrared, a type of wireless transmission that uses red light not commonly visible to the human eye. Radio Waves: system that uses radio-wave frequencies to send data directly between transmitters and receivers.

3. What is Bluetooth/how is it used?
Bluetooth chip technology that enables short-range connection between wireless services. It is an industry specification used to create small personal area networks.

4. What are WLAN’S, Wi-Fi, WWAN’s and WiMax? WLAN:
is a computer network in a limited geographical area that uses wireless transmission for communication. Wi-Fi: A set of standards for wireless local area networks based on the IEEE 802.11 standard. WiMax: Worldwide interoperability for Microwave access, popularly known as WiMax . WiMax has a wireless access range of up to 31 miles.

5. What are the drivers of mobile computing and mobile commerce?
Mobile computing was designed for workers who travel outside the boundaries of their organisations or for anyone traveling outside his or her home. M-commerce can be transacted via the internet, private communication lines, smart cards and other infrastructures.

6. Explain the nature of RFID:
RFID is radio frequency identification technology, a wireless technology that allows manufactures to attach tags with antennas and computer chips on goods and then track their movement through radio signals.

7. Identify the 4 main security treats that arise from the use of mobile technologies?
The four major treats to wireless networks are rouge access points, war driving, eavesdropping and radio frequency jamming. A rouge access point is an unauthorized access point to a wireless network; war driving is the act of locating WLAN’s while driving around a city or elsewhere; and eavesdropping refers to efforts by unauthorized users to access data that are traveling over other wireless networks. Radio frequency jamming occurs when a person or a device intentionally or unintentionally interferes with wireless network transmission.

Chapter 8

1. What is a Transactional Processing and the role of TP systems. State the key objective of TP/TPSs.
Transaction processing systems monitor collect store and process data generated from all business transactions. These data are inputs into the business database. TPSs have to handle high volume and large variations in volume efficiently, avoid errors and downtime, record results accurately and securely and also to maintain privacy and security.



1. What is a functional area information system? List its major characteristics. FAISs provide information mainly to lower- and middle level managers in the functional areas. They use this information to help them plan, organize and control operations. The information is provided in a variety of reports routine reports, ad-hoc reports and exception reports.

2. How does an FAIS support management by exception? How does it support on-demand reports? To implement management by exception, management first creates performance standards. The company then sets up systems to monitor performance, compare actual performance to the standards, and identify predefined expectations. Managers are alerted to the exceptions via exception reports.

1. Define ERP and describe its functionalities.
ERP is a systems software that integrates the planning management and use of all resources in the entire enterprise. The major objectives of ERP systems are to tightly integrate the functional areas of the organization and to enable information to flow seamlessly across the functional areas.

2. List some drawbacks of ERP software. They can be extremely complex, expensive, and time consuming to implement. Companies may need to change existing business processes to fit the predefined business process of the software. The company must purchase the entire software package even if they only require a few modules.

Section 8.5 - Before You Go On…

1. Define a supply chain and supply chain management (SCM).
The supply chain refers to the flow of materials, information, money and services from raw material suppliers, through factories and warehouses to the end customers. SCM is to pan organize and optimize the supply chains activities. SCM utilizes information systems

2. List the major components of supply chains.
A supply chain involves three segments upstream, internal and downstream. It also includes tiers of suppliers, and the flow of the supply chain.

3. What is the bullwhip effect?
Refers to erratic shifts in orders up and down the supply chain

4. What are some solutions to supply chain problems?
Vertical integration, Using inventories to solve supply chain problems and information sharing.



1. Define EDI and list its major benefits and limitations.
EDI electronic data interchange (EDI) is a communication standard that enables business partners to exchange routine documents, such as purchasing orders electronically. Benefits: it minimizes data entry errors because each entry is checked by the computer, the length of the message can be shorter and the messages are secured. EDI also reduces cycle time, increases productivity, enhances customer service and minimizes paper usage and storage. Limitations: implementing an EDI system involves a significant initial investment, the ongoing operation costs are high due to the use of expensive, private VANs. It is difficult to make quick changes, EDIs also require a long start up period.