Chapter 1: Information Systems in Global Business Today

1-1 How are information systems transforming business, and why are they so essential for running and
managing a business today?
1-2 What is an information system? How does it work? What are its management, organization, and
technology components? Why are complementary assets essential for ensuring that information
systems provide genuine value for organizations?
1-3 What academic disciplines are used to study information systems, and how does each contribute to
an understanding of information systems?

Case Study: Can You Run the Company with Your iPhone?

Q1. What kinds of applications are described here? What business functions do they support? How do
they improve operational efficiency and decision making?

Email, messaging, social networking, and salesforce management are described in this case study. The
applications support business functions including collaboration, location- based services, and
communications with colleagues. These applications improve operational efficiency and decision making
by allowing people to communicate from wherever they are. They are no longer tethered to one place or
one machine. They can receive information and data instantaneously which allows them to make better,
faster decisions.

Q2. Identify the problems that businesses in this case study solved by using mobile digital devices.

Network Rail uses a group of custom apps for its 22,000 iPhone and iPad devices to streamline
maintenance operations, quickly capture incident data, and immediately share critical information.

One of Network Rail’s app helps employees report hazards as they are found so problems can be
addressed quickly. Workers can take pictures of dangerous situations immediately with their phones
which speeds up the time it takes to fix problems in the rail lines. Another app allows field managers to
electronically scan ID cards to verify that workers are qualified to perform specific tasks.

British Airways agents use phones to scan boarding passes, review customer books, look up alternate
flight options, and rebook and reticket passengers within four minutes. That creates a lot of customer
satisfaction.

The company also uses mobile apps to shorten and streamline the aircraft turnaround process which
generates huge business benefits. Turnaround managers are able to monitor the aircraft loading process
and share data with pilots and back-office staff in real time. The apps helped British Airways achieve an
industry-leading benchmark for aircraft turnaround.

Q3. What kinds of businesses are most likely to benefit from equipping their employees with mobile digital
devices such as iPhones and iPads?

Insurance companies: claims adjusters or agents writing new policies or updating old ones, can take
pictures of property as-is or that’s been damaged, update data on the condition of a property, and
document property damage for claims processing.
Real estate agents: can take pictures of homes for sale and send to prospective buyers, send information
to other agents or prospective buyers and sellers, answer questions and complete documents related to
buying and selling property.

Winemakers: can receive up-to-date weather forecasts, track crop information via GPS coordinates, store
and access data on crop varieties for later analysis, track employee productivity during harvest time, take
pictures of crops to include in a database, and communicate with suppliers and customers.

Case Study: UPS Competes Globally with Information Technology

Q1. What are the inputs, processing, and outputs of UPS’s package tracking system?

Inputs: The inputs include package information, customer signature, pickup, delivery, time-card data,
current location (while en route), and billing and customer clearance documentation.

Processing: The data are transmitted to a central computer and stored for retrieval. Data are also
reorganized so that they can be tracked by customer account, date, driver, and other criteria.

Outputs: The outputs include pickup and delivery times, location while en route, and package recipient.
The outputs also include various reports, such as all packages for a specific account or a specific driver or
route, as well as summary reports for management.

Q2. What technologies are used by UPS? How are these technologies related to UPS’s business strategy?

Technologies include handheld computers (DIADs), barcode scanning systems, wired and wireless
communications networks, desktop computers, UPS’s central computer (large mainframe computers),
and storage technology for the package delivery data. UPS also uses telecommunication technologies for
transmitting data through pagers and cellular phone networks. The company uses in-house software for
tracking packages, calculating fees, maintaining customer accounts and managing logistics, as well as
software to access the World Wide Web.

UPS has used the same strategy for over 90 years. Its strategy is to provide the “best service and lowest
rates.” One of the most visible aspects of technology is the customer’s ability to track his/her package via
the UPS web site. However, technology also enables data to seamlessly flow throughout UPS and helps
streamline the workflow at UPS. Thus, the technology described in the scenario enables UPS to be more
competitive, efficient, and profitable. The result is an information system solution to the business
challenge of providing a high level of service with low prices in the face of mounting competition.

Q3. What strategic business objectives do UPS’s information systems address?

Operational excellence: UPS has maintained leadership in small-package delivery services despite stiff
competition from FedEx and the U.S. Postal System by investing heavily in advanced information
technology.

New products, services, and business models: UPS is now leveraging its decades of expertise managing its
own global delivery network to manage logistics and supply chain activities for other companies. It created
a UPS Supply Chain Solutions division that provides a complete bundle of standardized services to
subscribing companies at a fraction of what it would cost to build their own systems and infrastructure.
These services include supply chain design and management, freight forwarding, customs brokerage, mail
services, multimodal transportation, and financial services in addition to logistics services.
Customer and supplier intimacy: Customers can download and print their own labels using special
software provided by UPS or by accessing the UPS web site. UPS spends more than $1 billion each year to
maintain a high level of customer

Improved decision making: Special software creates the most efficient delivery route for each driver that
considers traffic, weather conditions, and the location of each stop. UPS estimates its delivery trucks save
28 million miles and burn 3 million fewer gallons of fuel each year as a result of using this technology.

Competitive advantage: UPS is leveraging its decades of expertise managing its own global delivery
network to manage logistics and supply chain activities for other companies. Its Supply Chain Solutions
division provides a complete bundle of standardized services to subscribing companies at a fraction of
what it would cost to build their own systems and infrastructure. In this manner UPS provides a highly
differentiated product that its competitors cannot easily duplicate.

Q4. What would happen if UPS’s information systems were not available?

Arguably, UPS would not be able to compete effectively without technology. UPS could not provide the
same level of services to its customers at reasonable prices. From the customers’ perspective, these
technologies provide value because they help customers complete their tasks more efficiently. Customers
view UPS’s technology as value-added services as opposed to increasing the cost of sending packages.

Case Study: Did Information Systems Cause Deutsche Bank to Stumble?

1-12 Identify the problem described in this case study. What people, organization, and technology factors
contributed to this problem?

People: The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) charged that Deutsche Bank submitted
incomplete and untimely credit default swap data, failed to properly supervise employees responsible for
swap data reporting, and lacked an adequate business continuity and disaster recovery plan.

Organization: The CFTC complaint also alleged that Deutsche Bank’s system outage and subsequent
reporting problems occurred in part because Deutsche Bank failed to have an adequate business
continuity and disaster recovery plan and other appropriate supervisory systems in place. The bank is now
struggling with seismic changes in the banking industry, including recent regulatory change.

Technology: The CFTC complained that on April 16, 2016, Deutsche Bank’s swap data reporting system
experienced a system outage that prevented Deutsche Bank from reporting any swap data for multiple
asset classes for approximately five days. Deutsche Bank’s subsequent efforts to end the system outage
repeatedly exacerbated existing reporting problems and led to the discovery and creation of new
reporting problems.

Swap data reported before and after the system outage revealed persistent problems with the integrity
of certain data fields, including numerous invalid legal entity identifiers. U.S. regulators have identified
Deutsche Bank’s antiquated technology as one reason why the bank was not always able to provide the
correct information to the agency.. Poor information systems may have even contributed to the 2008
financial crisis. Banks often had trouble untangling the complex financial products they purchased and
sold to determine their underlying value.
1-13 What was the role of information technology at Deutsche Bank? How was IT related to the bank’s
operational efficiency, decision-making capability and business strategy?

It turns out that Deutsche Bank, like other leading global financial companies, had undergone decades of
mergers and expansion. When these banks merged or acquired other financial companies, they often did
not make the requisite (and often far-reaching) changes to integrate their information systems with those
of their acquisitions. The effort and costs required for this integration, including a need for coordination
across many management teams, were too great. So, the banks left many old systems in place to handle
the workload for each of their businesses. This created what experts call “spaghetti balls” of overlapping
and often incompatible technology platforms and software programs. These antiquated legacy systems
were designed to handle large numbers of transactions and sums of money, but they were not well suited
to managing large bank operations. They often did not allow information to be shared easily among
departments or provide senior management with a coherent overview of bank operations.

1-14 Was Deutsche Bank using technology effectively to pursue its business strategy? Explain your answer.

No, Deutsche Bank was not using technology to pursue its business strategy. Individual teams and traders
each had their own incompatible platforms. The bank employed a deliberate strategy of pitting teams
against each other to spur them on, but this further encouraged the use of different systems because
competing traders and teams were reluctant to share their data. Yet the bank ultimately had to reconcile
the data from these disparate systems, often by hand, before trades could be processed and recorded.

1-15 What solution for Deutsche Bank was proposed? How effective do you think it will be? Explain your
answer.

In July 2015, John Cryan became Deutsche Bank’s CEO. He has been trying to reduce costs and improve
efficiency, laying off thousands of employees. He is focusing on overhauling Deutsche Bank’s fragmented,
antiquated information systems, which are a major impediment to controlling costs and finding new
sources of profit and growth. Cryan noted that the bank’s cost base was swollen by poor and ineffective
business processes, inadequate technology, and too many tasks being handled manually. He has called
for standardizing the bank’s systems and procedures, eliminating legacy software, standardizing and
enhancing data, and improving reporting.

In February 2015, Deutsche Bank announced a 10-year, multibillion-dollar deal with Hewlett-Packard (HP)
to standardize and simplify its IT infrastructure, reduce costs, and create a more modern and agile
technology platform for launching new products and services. Deutsche Bank is migrating to a cloud
computing infrastructure where it would run its information systems in HP’s remote computer centers.
HP will provide computing services, hosting, and storage. Deutsche Bank will still be in charge of
application development and information security technologies, which it considers proprietary and crucial
for competitive differentiation.

Deutsche Bank is withdrawing from high-risk client relationships, improving its control framework, and
automating manual reconciliations. To modernize its IT infrastructure, the bank will reduce the number
of its individual operating systems that control the way a computer works from 45 to four, replace scores
of outdated computers, and replace antiquated software applications.

Thousands of applications and functions will be shifted from Deutsche Bank’s mainframes to HP cloud
computing services. Automating manual processes will promote efficiency and better control. These
improvements are expected to reduce “run the bank” costs by 800 million euros. Eliminating 6,000
contractors will create a total savings of 1 billion euros. Deutsche Bank has also opened four technology
centers to work with financial technology startups. In March 2017, the bank opened a new center in New
York to work with financial technology startups to improve its technology.

Chapter 2: Global E-business and Collaboration

2-1 What are business processes? How are they related to information systems?

2-2 How do systems serve the different management groups in a business, and how do systems that link
the enterprise improve organizational performance?

2-3 Why are systems for collaboration and social business so important, and what technologies do they
use?

2-4 What is the role of the information systems function in a business?

2-5 How will MIS help my career?

Case Study: Data Changes How NFL Teams Play the Game and How Fans See It

Q1. What kind of systems are illustrated in the case study? Where do they obtain their data? What do
they do with the data? Describe some of the inputs and outputs of these systems.

The NFL uses radio frequency identification (RFID) tags beneath players’ shoulder pads to gather
information for transaction processing systems that record data including each player’s speed, direction,
location on the field, how far they ran on a play, and how long they were sprinting, jogging, or walking.
The RFID tags also collect data about a team’s formation and how players’ speed or acceleration impacts
their on-field performance. The data collected are also used in decision support systems that provide the
NFL and each team analytics including charts, graphs, and tabular data to give teams more insight into
player performance and overall team performance.

Q2. What business functions do these systems support? Explain your answer.

The data that are collected are pushed out to remote cloud computers run by Amazon Web Services for
the NFL. From the cloud the data are shared with fans, broadcasters and the teams. Microsoft gathers
and displays the data to fans using NFL.com, the NFL’s social media outlet, and the NFL app on Windows
10 and the Xbox One. The data are also transmitted to giant display screens in the arena to show fans
during the game. The various ways the data are provided to fans gives them a richer, more involved
experience and potentially increases the number of fans for each team and the NFL as a whole. That
increases revenues for the League and teams.

Q3. How do the data about teams and players captured by the NFL help NFL teams and the NFL itself make
better decisions? Give examples of two decisions that were improved by the systems described in this
case.

The data can be used to determine new or improve existing strategies for teams and players. That can
help them become more competitive and increase their chances for a winning season and competing in
lucrative play-off games which increases revenues for the teams, players, and League overall. More
analytics could identify when a player’s performance is likely to flag late in a game and provide information
to coaches and trainers that a player should be removed before a serious injury occurs. The data can also
be used to improve training between games.

Q4. How did using data help the NFL and its teams improve the way they run their business?

The data have multiple uses. NFL teams use them to evaluate player and team performance and to analyze
tactics, such as whether it might be better to press forward or to punt in a particular fourth-down
situation. Data transmitted to broadcasters, to stadium screens, to the NFL web site, and to the NextGen
Stats feature of Microsoft’s Xbox One NFL app help create a deeper fan experience that gets fans more
involved in the game.

Case Study: Videoconferencing: Something for Everyone

Q1. Compare the capabilities of Cisco’s IX5000 telepresence and the Logitech SmartDock systems. How
do they promote collaboration and innovation?

The current generation of telepresence platforms provide much more than video collaboration, with the
ability to coordinate multiple rich data streams that integrate digital information from mobile, desktop,
and video, create a collaborative environment, and move the information to where managers and
professionals are making decisions. Cisco’s IX5000 immersive telepresence system offers leading-edge
telepresence and is much more affordable and easier to use than in the past even though it can cost
between $299,000 and $339,000. It is sleekly sculpted, with three 4K ultra-high-definition cameras
clustered discreetly above three 70-inch LCD screens.

The cameras provide crisp, high-definition video. Theater-quality sound emanates from 18 custom
speakers and one powerful subwoofer, creating a high-quality lifelike collaboration experience for 8 to 18
people. Video and other content can move across any of the screens. The system creates a more natural
setting than previous systems because the camera and graphic processors are able to capture the whole
room in fine detail so you can stand up and move around or go to the whiteboard. Using the 4K cameras,
the IX5000 creates an image four times larger than what’s actually needed to fill the system’s three
screens. The images can be cropped down to show participants seated behind their tables, but when
someone stands up, the crop is removed to show both standing and sitting participants.

Q2. Why would a company like Produban want to invest in a high-end telepresence system such as Cisco’s
IX5000? How is videoconferencing technology and telepresence related to Produban’s business model
and business strategy?

With more than 5,500 employees working in nine different countries, Produban services more than 120
companies in areas such as data center design and operation, IT infrastructure design and operation as a
service, IT platform design and operation as a service, technology risk management and business
continuity, and management of end user computing mobility and self-service management. The company
is dedicated to technology innovation and continuous improvement.

By using Cisco’s IX5000 system, Produban brings people from all over the world together to make better
decisions faster and more efficiently. With 50 percent less power usage, 50 percent less data transmission
capacity, and half the installation time of earlier systems (only eight hours), the IX5000 reduces TCO by 30
percent over three years. Because Produban’s business model and strategy is to maximize technology
innovation and continuous improvement for other companies, using the latest telepresence technology
for its own inner workings fits.

Q3. Why would King County, Washington want to implement the Logitech SmartDock system? What
business benefits did it obtain from using this technology?

In the past, King County had used a variety of systems and technologies for videoconferencing and
collaboration. They were time consuming for the county’s IT staff to administer and had limited
capabilities and features. Teams couldn’t connect remotely and establish multipoint connections with
smartphones and tablets. King County’s IT staff might spend 20 minutes or more setting up a
videoconferencing system, which often relied on legacy technology from multiple vendors along with
computer monitors and outdated VGA-quality TV sets. King County received multiple requests to use
these systems daily in its 30 on-site conference rooms and needed to standardize the technology and
make it more supportive of collaboration. The King County IT staff was able to handle installation and
implementation of the Logitech SmartDock system on its own. Employees are using the videoconferencing
and collaboration systems without IT involvement. Being able to share presentations and co-edit
documents in Word, Excel, and other formats has made working much more collaborative.

Case study: Should Companies Embrace Social Business?

2-13 Identify the management, organization, and technology factors affecting adoption of internal
corporate social networks.

Management: Employees that are used to collaborating and doing business in more traditional ways need
an incentive to use social software. Most companies are not providing that incentive: only a small number
of social software users believe the technology to be necessary to their jobs. A successful social business
strategy requires leadership and behavioral changes. Just sponsoring a social project is not enough—
managers need to demonstrate their commitment to a more open, transparent work style.

Organization: Companies that have tried to deploy internal social networks have found that employees
are used to doing business in a certain way and overcoming the organizational inertia and culture can
prove difficult. Enterprise social networking systems were not at the core of how most of the surveyed
companies collaborate. The social media platform that will work best depends on its specific business
purpose. Firms should first identify how social initiatives will actually improve work practices for
employees and managers. Most importantly, social business requires a change in thinking and in most
cases, employees can’t be forced to use social business apps.

Technology: Ease of use and increased job efficiency are more important than peer pressure in driving
adoption of social networking technologies. Content on the networks needs to be relevant, up-to-date,
and easy to access; users need to be able to connect to people who have the information they need, and
that would otherwise be out of reach or difficult to reach.

2-14 Compare the experiences implementing internal social networks of the organizations described in
this case. Why were some successful? What role did management play in this process?

NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center abandoned its enterprise social network called Spacebook because
no one knew how the tools would help people do their jobs better and more efficiently. It didn’t focus
enough on people. It didn’t take into consideration the organization’s culture and politics.
Covestro succeeded with its social networking journey because it made the tools more accessible,
demonstrated the value of the tools in pilot projects, employed a reverse mentoring program for senior
executives, and trained employee experts to spread know- how of the new social tools and approaches
within the company. It also demonstrated the tools’ usefulness to employees. Because of its correct
approach, 50 percent of Covestro’s employees are now routinely active in the company’s enterprise social
network.

ModCloth started piloting Yammer with a small test group and used a People Team to promote the tool.
Yammer caught on quickly with employees and was soon being used by over 250 employees across four
offices in the United States. Every new ModCloth employee is introduced to Yammer on his or her first
day of work. Yammer helps new hires learn their coworkers’ names and feel they are part of the company.
Yammer has proved very useful for connecting people and ideas, saving ModCloth considerable time and
money. Yammer has helped save teams from duplicating work that has already been done.

The Esquel Group is based in Hong Kong; its core business is making cotton tops for fashion brands such
as Lacoste, Ralph Lauren, and Nike. It was attracted to internal social networking as a way to unite its
different lines of business in various locations. Esquel chose Microsoft Yammer as its enterprise social
networking tool. Esquel employees communicate in a variety of languages, so it especially appreciated
Yammer’s translation capabilities. Management sees many benefits in being able to “listen” to its
workforce. When people post complaints on the network, management is able to find innovative solutions
and new ideas. For example, workers in Esquel’s garment operation posted a complaint on Yammer about
having to wait in a long line to recharge their cards for purchasing meals in the company cafeteria. Four
months later, the company had a solution—a kiosk that instantly transferred funds from payroll to the
meal card.

Ideas posted on Yammer were used to improve Esquel’s quality control process. Instead of using
measuring tape to ensure that sleeves and collars matched specifications, an employee in the quality
control department used Yammer to float the idea of an electric ruler. The concept was refined through
more Yammer discussion. Instead of taking measurements and writing numbers down, staff can capture
measurements faster and more accurately electronically.

2-15 Should all companies implement internal enterprise social networks? Why or why not?

Yes, companies should implement internal enterprise social networks, if for no other reason than they are
cheaper and easier than other systems to operate and reduce expenses in other areas. The systems also
improve productivity, in some cases dramatically. Companies should provide incentives if they must to
encourage adoption of the new collaboration methods. Executives should be the first to use them which
will speed their adoption. Executives must also tie these networks to financial results. Management must
also encourage the necessary organizational cultural changes to help make the social networking tools a
success.

Chapter 3: Information Systems, Organizations, and Strategy

3-1 Which features of organizations do managers need to know about to build and use information
systems successfully?

3-2 What is the impact of information systems on organizations?

3-3 How do Porter’s competitive forces model, the value chain model, synergies, core competencies, and
network economics help companies develop competitive strategies using information systems?

3-4 What are the challenges posed by strategic information systems, and how should they be addressed?

3-5 How will MIS help my career?

Case Study: Smart Products—Coming Your Way

Q1. Describe the role of information technology in the products described in this case. How is it adding
value to these products? How is it transforming these products?

It’s not just about selling products with these companies. Now it’s about creating relationships with
customers that keep them connected and keep them coming back to the company for more.

Under Armour is trying to enhance its performance clothing with digital technology. The company now
sells connected running shoes. The shoes come in several models and feature a built-in wireless Bluetooth
sensor that tracks cadence, distance, pace, stride length, and steps, even if the runner does not bring a
smartphone along. The data are stored on the shoe until they can sync wirelessly to Under Armour’s Map
My Run app for iPhone, iPad, and Android devices. Users can also connect to the app on third-party
devices such as AppleWatch, Garmin, or Fitbit, to incorporate metrics such as heart rate that can’t be
tracked by the shoes. The shoe’s analytics will let users know when it’s time to purchase new shoes and
sensor batteries have to be charged.

A smart meter is a digital meter that communicates between a residence or business and Con Edison
through a secure wireless communication network. The smart meter records and transmits each
customer’s energy consumption regularly throughout the day. The smart meter transmits data to a system
of access points on utility poles, which send the usage information to Con Edison.

Q2. How are these smart products changing operations and decision making for these organizations? How
are they changing the behavior of their users?

Under Armour has recently added a digital coaching feature for the connected running shoes and Map
My Run app. Runners will be able to monitor their gait and stride length mile after mile, and see how that
impacts their pace and cadence. By analyzing these data, along with data about the runner’s gender, age,
weight, and height, Map My Run will be able to provide a runner with tips on how to improve his or her
pace and splits, by taking shorter or longer strides while running, for instance.

Under Armour can generate revenue from in-app ads, including ads from other companies, and purchases
from app users referred to its products. The platform delivers unprecedented depth of information and
insight about fitness- and health-oriented consumers, creating numerous opportunities for Under Armour
and other brands to engage with potential and existing customers.

Under Armour is hoping that daily use of its smartphone apps will build stronger ties to customers that
will lead to stronger sales of its own apparel, footwear, and other athletic gear. The company is clearly
benefiting from bringing the power of software to its physical products.

The smart meter will let the company know when a customer loses service, resulting in faster repairs, and
will also provide real-time billing information to customers based on energy usage, enabling them to
pinpoint areas for energy savings. They will also permit more definitive voltage regulation, enhancing
electric distribution-system efficiency, reducing costs, and providing savings that ultimately get reflected
in lower customer bills. Data from the new meters will let Con Ed set prices based on customers’ time and
level of use. Rates might jump during summer hours when hot weather makes people turn on their air
conditioners or drop overnight when power use is lowest.

Con Ed customers can use an online My Account dashboard with tools to track their daily energy
consumption down to 15-minute increments. They can analyze their usage by comparing hour to hour,
weekday versus weekend, or day versus evening use to see where they can save, and they can receive
high bill alerts if they are using more energy than usual. Con Ed also offers a mobile app for iPhone and
Android smartphone users so that they can track their detailed energy usage while they are on the go.

Q3. Are there any ethical issues raised by these smart products, such as their impact on consumer privacy?
Explain your answer.

Privacy is the number one issue with these companies and their customers. The companies have a great
responsibility to protect the customer data collected by their products. The data falling into the wrong
hands could be disastrous for both the companies and the customers.

Case Study: Grocery Wars

3-13 Analyze Walmart and Amazon.com using the competitive forces and value chain models.

Walmart: It is a traditional competitor with strong supplier intimacy. It continually works to develop and
strengthen its customer intimacy by offering low prices on a wide variety of products that may or may not
be offered elsewhere. It relies on its low-cost leadership to bring customers back. Its continuous supply
replenishment chain with its efficient customer response system is based on using information technology
to strengthen its value chain concentrated in its primary activities including inbound logistics, operations,
sales and marketing, and service.

Amazon: It is a new market entrant that uses substitute products and services to draw in new customers
and keep old ones coming back. Using a lot of third-party suppliers, Amazon often plays the role of middle-
man by simply taking orders and having the supplier ship the goods to the customer. That strategy
requires strong relationships with suppliers. It does use product differentiation in its strategy to
individually tailor products and services under mass customization. It focuses on market niches for many
of its products especially with books and music preferences recorded and stored for individual customers.
By offering its Amazon Prime shipping service, it has increased switching costs for customers who may
order from another site. Its value chain also relies on efficient information systems that improve inbound
and outbound logistics, sales and marketing, and service.

3-14 Compare the role of grocery sales in Amazon and Walmart’s business strategies.

Walmart has built its empire through 4,000-plus brick-and-mortar stores. It has not been that involved in
online shopping but now it’s being forced to increase its Internet presence based on Amazon’s success.
Walmart is the largest seller of groceries in the United States. Grocery accounts for 56 percent of
Walmart’s total sales, and grocery shopping is a major driver of store traffic and customer loyalty.

The company is intent on maintaining its position as the leading U.S. grocer. Walmart has invested and
tested in click-and-collect programs, stand-alone grocery pick-up sites, and scanning and paying for items
with smartphones. Grocery is where Walmart really shines. If Walmart loses the grocery battle to Amazon,
it has no chance of ever overtaking Amazon as the world’s largest e-commerce player.

Online grocery sales were a key part of Walmart’s e-commerce sales growth in 2017, and management
expects online grocery expansion to be the main driver of Walmart’s sales growth going forward. But if
Walmart wants to meet their goal of 40 percent growth in online sales in 2018, it will have to do even
more. Management rolled out same-day grocery delivery to 100 markets by the end of 2018, covering 40
percent of U.S. households. Deliveries are handled by Uber Technologies and other providers, with a $9.95
service fee for a minimum $30 purchase. Walmart’s online order and pickup service was available at 2,000
stores by the end of 2018. Management is hoping growth will continue to increase year over year with
rollout of new stores into the online order and pickup program.

Amazon originally could concentrate all its corporate resources on its web business because it didn’t have
to support traditional brick-and-mortar stores. With the addition of Whole Foods traditional stores, that
has changed. However, Amazon is combining the offline and online in very innovative ways.

In February 2018, Amazon and Whole Foods launched a test to deliver groceries and other goods directly
from Whole Foods in four cities across the United States. Whole Foods was basically used as an Amazon
depot. Customers could order fresh produce, seafood, meat, flowers, baked goods, and dairy products for
delivery, with items arriving at their doorstep within two hours. The company plans to roll out the service
through Prime Now to more cities.

Later in February 2018, Amazon extended its 5 percent cash-back benefit to Prime members shopping at
Whole Foods with the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Card. Selected Whole Foods stores have begun selling
Amazon technology products, including the Amazon Echo voice-controlled speaker system, Echo Dots,
Fire TV, Kindle e-readers, and Fire tablets.

Whole Foods announced that Amazon Prime would replace Whole Foods’ loyalty program. And Whole
Foods goods are now available on Amazon.com, AmazonFresh (Amazon’s grocery delivery service), Prime
Pantry, and Prime Now. Some Whole Foods stores have added Amazon Lockers, allowing customers to
have their Amazon.com orders delivered to a secure location inside certain Whole Foods stores until it’s
time to pick them up. Customers can also use lockers to return Amazon items. Amazon and Whole Foods
are integrating their point-of-sale systems to enable more of Amazon’s brands to be available at Whole
Foods, and vice versa.

3-15 What role does information technology play in these strategies?

Walmart is crafting a strategy that gives consumers the best of both worlds—what is called an
omnichannel approach to retailing. Walmart’s management believes the company’s advantage is that it
is not a pure-play e-commerce retailer and that customers want some real interaction with physical stores
as well as digital. Walmart will sell vigorously through the web and also in its physical stores, retaining its
hallmark everyday low prices and wide product assortment in both channels and using its large network
of stores as distribution points. Walmart will closely integrate online shopping and fulfillment with its
physical stores so that customers can shop however they want, whether it’s ordering on their mobile
phones for home delivery, through in-store pickup, or by wandering down the aisles of a Walmart
superstore. Walmart is aiming to be the world’s biggest omnichannel retailer.
Walmart’s web site monitors prices at other retailers and lowers its online prices if necessary. It is also
increasing the number of third-party retailers to compete with Amazon’s vast field of suppliers. That helps
increase the number of items available to customers without Walmart having to create new shipping
logistics chains.

It looks like Amazon is trying to innovate in physical retail store sales as well as online. Amazon has opened
retail bookstores in Seattle, Chicago, San Diego, and other U.S. locations featuring Amazon electronic
devices as well as books. It is thinking about moving into the grocery business as well as retail stores for
furniture and appliances. These are retail experiences that lend themselves less easily to online purchasing
because customers like to see and feel these types of goods in person. Amazon set up a physical grocery
store in downtown Seattle called Amazon Go that is designed around an app that is able to place the items
customers buy in a digital shopping cart so they can leave the store without waiting in a checkout line.
The system automatically charges the credit card linked to the customer’s Amazon account and even
knows when that person puts something back. Amazon is also increasing the number of order fulfillment
centers, especially near urban areas that allows it to offer same-day delivery of purchases. It has a supply
chain optimized for online commerce that Walmart just can’t match.

3-16 Which company is more likely to dominate grocery retailing? Explain your answer

The winner of this epic struggle will be the company that leverages its advantage better. While Walmart
is struggling to improve its online presence, its real focus remains its brick-and-mortar stores. While
Amazon appears to be ahead of Walmart in the e-commerce battle, it still doesn’t have as many physical
stores to serve its customers. Amazon is working on expanding its selection of goods to be as exhaustive
as Walmart’s.

Amazon has allowed third-party sellers to sell goods through its web site for several years, and it has
dramatically expanded product selection through acquisitions such as its 2009 purchase of online shoe
shopping site Zappos.com to give Amazon an edge in footwear and the Whole Foods acquisition. There
are other forces at work affecting Amazon–Whole Foods, Walmart, and the grocery industry’s competitive
landscape. Money spent on dining out has surpassed grocery sales. Instead of shopping weekly at the
supermarket for groceries to prepare meals at home, consumers are increasingly snacking and using
prepared foods. Companies in the $1.5 billion meal kit industry (such as Blue Apron) have moved into the
market, though grocery chains are creating their own prepackaged food kits as well. Grocers are also
adapting to surging consumer demand for fresher items, personalized options, and use of technology to
improve the food-buying experience. Deloitte researchers found an overwhelming majority of shoppers
are deploying digital devices to research the groceries they intend to buy. Deloitte also found that
shoppers spend more when using digital tools.

Chapter 4 Ethical and Social Issues in Information Systems

4-1 What ethical, social, and political issues are raised by information systems?

4-2 What specific principles for conduct can be used to guide ethical decisions?

4-3 Why do contemporary information systems technology and the Internet pose challenges to the
protection of individual privacy and intellectual property?
4-4 How have information systems affected laws for establishing accountability and liability and the
quality of everyday life?

Case Study: Will Automation Kill Jobs?

Q1. How does automating jobs pose an ethical dilemma? Who are the stakeholders? Identify the options
that can be taken and the potential consequences of each.

Far more U.S. jobs have been lost to robots and automation than to trade with China, Mexico, or any other
country. No one knows exactly how many U.S. jobs will be lost or how soon, but researchers estimate that
from 9 to 47 percent of jobs could eventually be affected and perhaps 5 percent of jobs eliminated
entirely. The changes shouldn’t lead to mass unemployment because automation could increase global
productivity by 0.8 percent to 1.4 percent annually over the next 50 years and create many new jobs.

The positive and negative impacts of technology are not delivered in an equal way. All the new jobs
created by automation are not necessarily better jobs. Manufacturing jobs have been the hardest hit by
robots and automation. Disappearing factory jobs have been largely replaced by new jobs in the service
sector.

The new jobs created by technology are not necessarily in the places losing jobs, such as the Rust Belt.
Those forced out of a job by robots generally do not have the skills or mobility to assume the new jobs
created by automation. The problem is not mass unemployment; it’s transitioning people from one job to
another.

At this point in time, it’s highly unlikely that robots will replace all human workers in manufacturing. They
still lack the flexibility, delicacy, and insight provided by humans. For all their recent advances, robots still
can’t duplicate a human being’s fine motor skills in manipulating materials and small parts. Robots still
have trouble dealing with soft or floppy material, such as cloth or bundles of electrical wire. Although
robots are good at reliably and repeatedly performing defined tasks, they’re not good at adapting.

Q2. If you were the owner of a factory deciding on whether to acquire robots to perform certain tasks,
what people, organization, and technology factors would you consider?

People: As robots become more widespread, manufacturing tasks performed by humans will become
higher level and more complex. Workers will be expected to supervise and perhaps even program robots,
and there will be fewer low-level manufacturing jobs. Workers will need more sophisticated skills to
succeed in tomorrow’s manufacturing plants.

Organization: Using primarily human workers, a manufacturing plant can shift a production line in a
weekend. It would take weeks to reprogram robots and shift assembly patterns, and during that
downtime, production would be at a standstill.

Technology: Among all the other drawbacks listed in previous questions, robots can’t deal with the
amount of variation in options required to run all manufacturing plants.

Case Study: Technology: How Harmful are Smartphones?

Q1. Identify the problem described in this case study. In what sense is it an ethical dilemma?
One of the possible ethical dilemmas posed by the saturation of smartphones in society, and especially
with young children, is the growing problem of the underdevelopment of social skills and relationships
that become very valuable in business and in personal lives.

The average American teenager who uses a smartphone receives his or her first phone at age 10 and
spends over 4.5 hours a day on it (excluding texting and talking). Seventy- eight percent of teens check
their phones at least hourly and 50 percent report feeling “addicted” to their phones. Several studies have
shown the negative effects of heavy smartphone and social media use on the mental and physical health
of children whose brains are still developing. These range from distractions in the classroom to a higher
risk of suicide and depression. A recent survey of over 2,300 teachers by the Center on Media and Child
Health and the University of Alberta found that 67 percent of the teachers reported that the number of
students who are negatively distracted by digital technologies in the classroom is growing. Seventy-five
percent of these teachers think students’ ability to focus on educational tasks has decreased.

Research by psychology professor Jean Twenge of San Diego State University found that U.S. teenagers
who spend 3 hours a day or more on electronic devices are 35 percent more likely, and those who spend
5 hours or more are 71 percent more likely, to have a risk factor for suicide than those who spend less
than 1 hour. This research also showed that eighth-graders who are heavy users of social media have a 27
percent higher risk of depression. Those who spend more than the average time playing sports, hanging
out with friends in person, or doing homework have a significantly lower risk. Additionally, teens who
spend 5 or more hours a day on electronic devices are 51 percent more likely to get less than 7 hours of
sleep per night.

Q2. Should restrictions be placed on children’s and teenagers’ smartphone use? Why or why not?

Studies and scientific data are continuing to show that restrictions on the use of smartphones by not just
children and teenagers but also adults has a more positive affect on their overall well-being.

Q3. Can the problem of smartphones reducing cognitive skills be solved? Explain your answer.

Nicholas Carr, who has studied the impact of technology business and culture, recognizes that
smartphones provide many useful functions in a very handy form. However, this extraordinary usefulness
gives them too much influence on our attention, thinking, and behavior. Smartphones shape our thoughts
in deep and complicated ways, and their effects persist even when we aren’t using the devices. Research
suggests that the intellect weakens as the brain grows dependent on the technology. Carr points to the
work of Adrian Ward, a cognitive psychologist and marketing professor at the University of Texas at Austin,
who for a decade has been studying how smartphones and the Internet affect people’s thoughts and
judgment. Ward has observed that using a smartphone, or even hearing one ring or vibrate, produces
distractions that make it harder to concentrate on a difficult problem or job. Divided attention impedes
reasoning and performance.

A study published in Applied Cognitive Psychology in April 2017 examined how smartphones affected
learning in a lecture class with 160 students at the University of Arkansas at Monticello. It found that
students who didn’t bring their phones to the classroom scored a full letter-grade higher on a test of the
material presented than those who brought their phones. It didn’t matter whether students who brought
their phones used them or not. A study of 91 U.K. secondary schools, published in 2016 in the journal
Labour Economics, found that when schools ban smartphones, students’ examination scores go up
substantially, and the weakest students benefit the most.

Case Study: Facebook Privacy: Your Life for Sale

4-13 Perform an ethical analysis of Facebook. What is the ethical dilemma presented by this case?

The stakeholders involved in an ethical analysis of Facebook include Facebook (obviously), advertisers,
device makers, data collecting agencies, Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), governments and
individual users.

Facebook collects an incredible amount of personal data on its users. It is using its ability to track online
activity of its members to develop a frighteningly accurate picture of their lives. It gathers personal
information about users, both with and without their consent, which can be used against them in other
ways. It also collects data of friends of users without their knowledge or consent. All the data on users
and users’ friends is available for sale.

Facebook’s goal is to get its users to share as much data as possible, because the more Facebook knows,
the more accurately it can serve relevant advertisements and thus, charge higher fees to advertisers.
Facebook’s critics are concerned that the repository of personal data of the size that

Facebook has amassed requires protections and privacy controls that extend far beyond those that
Facebook currently offers.

4-14 What is the relationship of privacy to Facebook’s business model?

The less privacy Facebook offers to its users, the more valuable and useful its business model becomes.
By providing more privacy to its users, the less data it collects, stores, and provides to advertisers. That
makes its business model less valuable because advertisements cannot be as fully developed for individual
users.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg says that people want the world to be more open and connected. He also
wants the world to be more open and connected because his company stands to make more money in
that world.

While Facebook has shut down several of its more egregious privacy-invading features, and enhanced its
consent process, the company’s data use policies make it very clear that, as a condition of using the
service, users grant the company wide latitude in using their personal information in advertising. The
default option for users is “opt-in”; most users do not know how to control use of their information; and
they cannot “opt out” of all sharing if they want to use Facebook. This is called the “control paradox” by
researchers: even when users are given controls over the use of their personal information, they typically
choose not to use those controls. Although users can limit some uses of their information, an advanced
degree in Facebook data features is required. Facebook also had data-sharing partnerships with at least
60 device makers all of whom could capitalize on the data and make more money for their companies.
Data sharing restrictions placed on software developers from collecting information about customers’
friends did not extend to device makers.

4-15 Describe the weaknesses of Facebook’s privacy policies and features. What management,
organization, and technology factors have contributed to those weaknesses?
Management: Ninety-three percent of people polled believe that Internet companies should be forced to
ask for permission before using their personal information much like European countries require. Seventy-
two percent want the ability to opt out of online tracking. Executives and managers must develop policies
and procedures that address those concerns at the same time they are developing a competitive strategy
to effectively use personal information to increase the company’s value to advertisers. Privacy advocate
groups like the Electronic Privacy Information Center want Facebook to restore its more robust privacy
settings from 2009. If it does that, some of its value to advertisers will diminish.

Organization: Facebook’s value and growth potential are determined by how effectively it can leverage
the personal data that is aggregated about its users to attract advertisers. It also stands to gain from
managing and avoiding the privacy concerns raised by its users and government regulators.

Technology: Facebook does not have a good history when it comes to privacy violations and missteps that
raise doubts about whether it should be responsible for the personal data of hundreds of millions of
people. It has settled lawsuits with the Federal Trade Commission in which they were barred from
misrepresenting the privacy or security of its users’ personal information. It was charged with deceiving
its users by telling them they could keep their information on Facebook private, then repeatedly allowing
it to be shared and made public. It has also come under fire for collecting information about users who
are not even logged into Facebook or do not have accounts with the company. It keeps track of activity
on other sites that have “Like” buttons or “recommendations” widgets, and records the time of your visit
and your IP address when you visit a site with those features, regardless of whether or not you click on
them.

4-16 Will Facebook be able to have a successful business model without invading privacy? Explain your
answer. Are there any measures Facebook could take to make this possible?

Opinions will vary on this question. Certainly, Facebook’s ability to leverage as much as possible from
advertisers may be diminished if it cannot collect every nugget of information about its users to sell to
advertisers. However, it could make up some of the lost revenue by charging users a premium fee for the
company to not collect as much information and restore a higher level of privacy to those who are willing
to pay for it.

For the first time since its founding, Facebook is facing a serious existential crisis, and potentially a threat
to its business model. Facebook’s current crisis follows from a history of privacy abuses in its short 14-
year life. However, there are some signs that Facebook might become more responsible with its data
collection processes, whether by its own volition or because it is forced to do so. As a publicly traded
company, Facebook now invites more scrutiny from investors and regulators.

The company can also allow users to view all the data it collects on them and allow them to delete
information they deem necessary. They can also allow users to opt-out of the tracking systems much like
European users already can.

Facebook should continue to explore additional revenue streams outside of what it already has in
advertising. Critics have asked Facebook why it doesn’t offer an ad-free service—like music streaming
sites—for a monthly fee. Others want to know why Facebook does not allow users just to opt out of
tracking. But these kinds of changes would be very difficult for Facebook because its business model
depends entirely on the largely unfettered use of its users’ personal private information, just as it declares
in its data use policy. That policy states very openly that if you use Facebook you agree to their terms of
service, which enable it to share your information with third parties.

Chapter 5 IT Infrastructure and Emerging Technologies

5-1 What is IT infrastructure, and what are the stages and drivers of IT infrastructure evolution?

5-2 What are the components of IT infrastructure?

5-3 What are the current trends in computer hardware platforms?

5-4 What are the current computer software platforms and trends?

5-5 What are the challenges of managing IT infrastructure and management solutions?

Case Study: Is Business Ready for Wearable Computers?

Q1. Wearables have the potential to change the way organizations and workers conduct business. Discuss
the implications of this statement.

Wearable devices offer a broad-based allure of hands-free data delivery that enables workers to perform
tasks while receiving visual and aural cues. The devices contain multiple sensors that track various types
of data ultimately improving the workplace environment and lowering corporate costs. Feedback from
the devices may promote productive collaboration and formulate personal benchmarks for effective
communication among employees.

Wearable computing devices improve productivity by delivering information to workers without requiring
them to interrupt their tasks, which in turn empowers employees to make more-informed decisions more
quickly. Wearable devices are helping businesses learn more about employees and the everyday
workplace than ever before. New insights and information can be uncovered as IoT sensor data is
correlated to actual human behavior. Information on task duration and the proximity of one device or
employee to another, when combined with demographic data, can shed light on previously unidentified
workflow inefficiencies. Technologically sophisticated firms will understand things they never could
before about workers and customers; what they do every day, how healthy they are, where they go, and
even how well they feel. This obviously has implications for protecting individual privacy, raising potential
employee (and customer) fears that businesses are collecting sensitive data about them. Businesses will
need to tread carefully.

Q2. What management, organization, and technology issues would have to be addressed if a company
was thinking of equipping its workers with a wearable computing device?

Management: Managers must ensure they seek employee buy-in for wearable devices by demonstrating
how the workers’ environment will improve and their jobs enriched by the technology.

Organization: The possibilities for using collected and consolidated data that incorporates location,
environment, and health information along with purchasing, search, and interaction histories is enticing
to organizations that adopt wearable devices in the workplace. There are some challenges. Locking down
data that’s accessed with smart glasses is essential, as with any other mobile device used in the enterprise.
Today’s smart glasses haven’t been designed with security in mind. The sensors in the smart glasses are
also not as accurate as other products. A field worker using smart glasses to locate a breaker or other
device might be off by 10 or 15 feet using Google’s GPS instead of a military-grade solution more common
to the energy industry, which can locate equipment to within one centimeter. Additionally, smart glasses
don’t necessarily allow safety glasses to be worn over them. Integrating data from smart glasses with
internal databases could prove difficult.

Technology: Successful adoption of wearable computing depends not only on cost effectiveness but on
the development of new and better apps and integration with existing IT infrastructure and the
organizations tools for managing and securing mobile devices.

Q3. What kinds of businesses are most likely to benefit from wearable computers? Select a business and
describe how a wearable computing device could help that business improve operations or decision
making.

“The implications and uses of wearable technology are far reaching and can influence the fields of health
and medicine, fitness, aging, disabilities, education, transportation, enterprise, finance, gaming and music.
The goal of wearable technologies in each of these fields will be to smoothly incorporate functional,
portable electronics and computers into individuals’ daily lives.”

Law enforcement officers and other public safety workers can use wearable devices to not only keep
themselves safe but help others. Police officers are already using body cameras to record their activities.
Firefighters can use wearable devices during calls to monitor their own bodies to prevent injury. They can
record the fire’s activity as they fight it. Through the data collected, the Fire Chief can make decisions
about fighting the fire while keeping people safe. Later, they can use the data to analyze the fire and to
help train for future emergencies.

Case Study: Organizations: Look to the Cloud

Q1. What business benefits do cloud computing services provide? What problems do they solve?

Eliminates need for large up-front capital investments in systems.

Eliminates lengthy implementations on corporate computers.

Low cost subscriptions; no expensive licensing and maintenance fees.

No hardware for subscribers to purchase, scale, and maintain.

No operating systems, database servers or applications servers to install.

No consultants and staff.

Accessible via standard web browser with behind-the-scene software updates.

Better scalability, eliminate cost and complexity of managing multiple layers of hardware and software.

Q2. What are the disadvantages of cloud computing?

The disadvantages include:

Responsibility for data storage and control is transferred away from the organization to a third party.

Security risks and chances of data compromises are increased.

Risk diminishing system reliability.  Increase dependency on a third party making everything work.

Huge investments in proprietary systems supporting unique business processes may be at risk.

The platform may not be attractive to larger companies for their application needs.

Q3. What kinds of businesses are most likely to benefit from using cloud computing? Why?

Small to medium-size businesses are probably the most likely ones to switch to cloud computing because
of cost factors and the lack of having in-house resources to provide the same level of computing capacity.
Businesses that are trying to increase the sophistication of their computing capabilities could also benefit
from switching to cloud computing as long as the two are compatible. Also, companies that have small
sales and marketing teams can benefit from the software-as-a-service business model.

Case Study: Is BYOD Good for Business?

5-14 What are the advantages and disadvantages of allowing employees to use their personal
smartphones for work?

Advantages: Employees using their own smartphones would allow companies to enjoy all of the same
benefits of a mobile workforce without spending company funds on the devices. Mobility experts can help
a company leverage mobility more effectively. Employees can be more productive and happier with a
BYOD policy in place.

Disadvantages: IT departments need to overcome several logistical hurdles before allowing employees to
use their own smartphones, including security, inventory management, support, integrating mobile
devices into pre-existing IT functions and systems, and measuring return on investment. When employees
are not able to access critical data or encounter other problems with their mobile devices, they will need
assistance from the information systems department. Some devices are much more prone to hackers
thereby threatening the security of corporate networks.

5-15 What management, organization, and technology factors should be addressed when deciding
whether to allow employees to use their personal smartphones for work?

Management: When employees make changes to their personal phone, such as switching cellular carriers,
changing their phone number, or buying a new mobile device, companies will need to quickly and flexibly
ensure that their employees are still able to remain productive.

Organization: A significant portion of corporate IT resources is dedicated to managing and maintaining a

large number of devices within an organization. In the past, companies tried to limit business smartphone
use to a single platform, making it easier to keep track of each mobile device and to roll out software
upgrades or fixes. Firms need an efficient inventory management system that keeps track of which devices
employees are using, where the device is located, whether it is being used, and what software it is
equipped with. For unprepared companies, keeping track of who gets access to what data could be a
nightmare.

Technology: The mobile digital landscape is very complicated, with a variety of devices and operating
systems on the market that do not have well-developed tools for administration and security. BYOD
requires a significant portion of corporate IT resources dedicated to managing and maintaining a large
number of devices within the organization. Providing adequate technical support for every employee
could be difficult. Mobility introduces a new layer of variety and complexity to tech support that
companies need to be prepared to handle.

5-16 Evaluate how the companies described in this case study dealt with the challenges of BYOD.

Intel and SAP successfully implemented BYOD. Intel managed a potential lack of trust between workers
and management when management has access to personal data on employee devices by establishing
clear-cut guidelines informing employees about exactly what information can and can’t be seen. Intel
allows employees to choose among different levels of mobile access to corporate systems, with each tier
accompanied by different levels of security. SAP created a security system for decommissioning a mobile
device within a minute whenever a smartphone or tablet is lost or stolen.

Blackstone placed limitations on the types of devices employees can use limiting the devices to Apple
products that are the easiest to support and require little maintenance compared to other mobile tools.

At Venafi, a cybersecurity company, employees have the option of bringing their own smartphones,
tablets, and notebooks to work with them or using company- issued devices. The company has a well-
developed BYOD policy. Venafi’s IT department does not support employees’ hardware devices because
it would be too difficult to handle all the different mobile devices and software available to consumers.
That means employees are responsible for troubleshooting and repairs of their personal equipment.
However, Venafi does ensure that each device each device is securely connected to the corporate
network.

5-16 Allowing employees to use their own smartphones for work will save the company money. Do you
agree? Why or why not?

Allowing employees to use their own smartphones won’t necessarily save money when you consider the
TCO and the extra efforts required on the part of the IT staff, especially if the smartphone becomes a point
of entry for malware. There are significant concerns with securing company information accessed with
mobile devices.

By using virtualization, employees can access their entire desktop on their smartphones and mobile
handhelds and thus are able to use the same programs on the road that they use in the office. Placing
virtualization software on employees’ personal tablets is less expensive than outfitting them with
company-purchased laptops. One of the biggest worries that managers have about mobility is the
difficulty of measuring their return on investment.

Chapter 6: Foundations of Business Intelligence: Databases and Information Management

6-1 What are the problems of managing data resources in a traditional file environment?

6-2 What are the major capabilities of database management systems (DBMS), and why is a relational
DBMS so powerful?

Chapter 7 Telecommunications, the Internet, and Wireless Technology

7-1 What are the principal components of telecommunications networks and key networking
technologies?

7-2 What are the different types of networks?

7-3 How do the Internet and Internet technology work, and how do they support communication and e-
business?