Exam 21: Bonus A: Using Technology to Manage Information

A key element of Internet2 is:

A(n)_______ is someone who breaks into a computer system for illegal purposes.

Initially,the very-high-speed Backbone Network Service was set up to connect government supercomputer centers with a select group of universities.

Mini-Case Cy Burspace first began working for Qwikbilt Enterprises in the mid 1970s as a business technology specialist.Today,he is the department head for the company's information systems department.Cy is well known and respected by everyone in the company,and his coworkers recently threw a party to honor his 30^th year with Qwikbilt.Cy did a lot of reminiscing at the party,telling the newer employees how things were done in the "old days," and comparing them to newer methods. "I'm still amazed at how things have changed.When I first came to Qwikbilt,we had a central computer to handle everything.It took up a whole room,but all it really did was generate financial reports for management," said Cy."Today,most employees have their own personal computer,and all these PCs are hooked up to a network.All of this connectivity has led to big improvements in our operations.For example,if a production worker wants to find out how many units of a particular component we have in inventory,or wants the name and address of a particular supplier who sells us that component,he or she can get the information in the blink of an eye.In fact,we have even given our suppliers and customers access to our network so that we can share information and provide them with better service.That change has really helped us compete against the bigger firms." "Now," Cy continued,"Most of the workers in my department don't even have to be at the office to be connected.We have cellular phones,laptop computers,PDAs with Wi-Fi technology,and pagers so we can do much of our work from home or while we are on the road." A new employee asked Cy if he was ready to retire."No way," he said."I'm in the middle of a major project right now.We're trying to design a single entry point for people to use when logging on to the Qwikbilt network.We want to set it up so that the log on procedure identifies different types of users and automatically gives them access to the types of resources they need.For example,customers who logged on would be allowed to place orders,check on the status of previous orders,and interact with our technical support staff,but would not have access to other,more proprietary parts of our network.We think this approach will be more convenient for everyone.And," he continued,"Once I finish that project,the marketing department has asked me to work on developing better ways to store and analyze the vast amounts of data we collect.So my work is cut out for me for quite a while yet." -Cy is excited about the ability of customers to obtain access to information on Qwikbilt's network so that the company can provide them with better service.This suggests that Qwikbilt is making use of a(n):

Thincom,Inc.recently replaced its computer network system with a thin-client network.This approach will probably save the company money by reducing the cost of software upgrades.

For the past several years,scientists and engineers at Equatech,Inc.have relied on the Internet to keep in touch with their peers at various universities and research organizations.In recent years these researchers have become frustrated because the increasing congestion on the Internet has disrupted their attempts to communicate and collaborate with colleagues at other institutions.Which of the following developments would be most likely to help Equatech's researchers overcome this problem? Equatech should:

The key difference between an intranet and an extranet is that an intranet:

One advantage of networked computers is that they offer much greater computer security than the older mainframe systems.

During the 1980s,the role of business technology changed from supporting business to doing business.

In the 1970s,business technology was known as:

A disadvantage of network systems is that they create barriers that limit communication across functional boundaries.

One problem with telecommuting is that it can cause workers to feel like they are isolated and left out of the office loop.

Many businesses choose to open their intranets to other selected organizations through the use of:

Compared to intranets,one advantage of an extranet is that it protects a company's information from hackers.

Joan Carlson is a marketing manager for a chain of clothing stores.She recently received a newsletter that contained some timely and reliable information about trends in men's clothing for next season.Unfortunately,Joan's store sells only women's clothes.The information in the newsletter was not useful to Joan because it lacked:

Gregory Bowman is a manager who wants to be well informed.Like many managers,however,he is often overwhelmed by information overload.Which of the following would probably be the most useful first step for Gregory to take in order to deal with this problem?

Jimmy Bartlett just got some computer software free of charge.When he installed the program and ran it the first time,it displayed a copyright notice and a message saying that he could use the software for thirty days with no charge,but should send $40 to the software developer if he continues using the program after the trial period.The type of software Jimmy is using is known as shareware.

In this age of the Internet,cellular phones,fax machines,pagers and e-mail,managers can easily become buried in information "infoglut."

Employees of a business ____________ when they work at home,using computers linked to their organization's office.

Today the primary concern of corporate and government security officials concerning electronic communication is in the area of cyberterrorism.