Exam 13: Understanding Software: a Primer for Managers

Control programs stored on chips (often used in embedded systems) are sometimes referred to as _____________.

_____ are software systems designed to support interoperable machine-to-machine interaction over a network.

When referring to the 'software layer cake' model, Microsoft Office, Angry Birds, and MySQL are all _____.

A firm can mix and match components, linking software the firm has written with modules purchased from different enterprise software vendors.

The varied and heterogeneous look, feel, and functionality that operating systems enforce across various programs help make it easier for users to learn new software.

Communication between people results in time saving, cost reductions, and fewer errors than communication between computers.

Standardizing business processes in software that others can buy means that those functions are difficult for competitors to match.

Microsoft's Xbox operating system provides Xbox programmers with a set of common standards to use to access controllers, the Kinect motion sensor, play sounds, draw graphics, save files, and more. Without this, games would:

The care and feeding of information systems is usually simple and inexpensive.

Programming tools that execute within an application are called _____.

A firm's information systems can influence the likelihood of partnering with other firms and its attractiveness as a merger or acquisition target.

Which of the following functions is likely to be performed by enterprise software?

A(n) _____ is a software program that makes requests of a server program.

What is an operating system? Describe its significance for computing devices.

_____ is a process-improvement approach that assists in assessing the maturity, quality, and development of certain organizational business processes, and suggests steps for their improvement.

_____ systems help a firm manage aspects of its value chain, from the flow of raw materials into the firm, through delivery of finished products and services at the point-of-consumption.

Systems that use data created by other systems to provide reporting and analysis for organizational decision making are called _____ systems.

This process of converting a code into machine-readable form is known as:

Software (often on firmware) designed to make physical products and devices "smarter" by doing things like sharing usage information, helping diagnose problems, indicating maintenance schedules, providing alerts, or enabling devices to take orders from other systems is referred to as ___________.

What are the managerial implications with respect to information systems?