nothing to fill

2. The primary function of the operating system in the management of hardware resources of computers and allows the user interface aspects and platform for other developers to write applications (Bourgeois et al, 2019).

3. Applications are Microsoft Excel, Google Chrome, iTunes, and angry birds.

Operating systems are android and windows.

4. My favorite software application is Google chrome because it is a more efficient and reliable browser. It enables me to browse securely and faster.

5. Software that runs on mobile devices can be divided into games such as Unity, unreal engine and haxe, reading such as adobe scan, PDF reader and kindle cloud reader and communication such as zoom, Microsoft hangouts, and skype ( Bourgeois et al, 2019).

6. ERP stands for enterprise resource planning, and it is a software application outlining a centralized database for implementation across the organization.

7. Open-source software makes the source code available for everyone to copy and use, for example, Firefox and Linus ( Bourgeois et al, 2019). On the other hand, closed source software has its source code unavailable and cannot be downloaded freely. An example of closed source software is iTunes and Microsoft office.

8. Software license grants the purchaser the right to use the software on a limited basis.

The limits for use are outlined in the terms of the license.

Exercise 2 WEEK 2 ASSIGNMET 3 Cloud computing is essential for data storage, backup, and hosting. As a small business with limited finances, I would leverage these aspects of cloud computing to handle business related tasks, including file storage and web hosting. Cloud computing saves small business time and money by boosting business productivity. Additionally, cloud computing helps promote innovation and improve collaboration. Small businesses can exploit cloud computing services because they will have easier access to business-related data since they are compatible with any device. The main essence of cloud computing is that it enables features that otherwise would require the installation of expensive information technology infrastructure. As such, cloud computing allows small businesses room for development while keeping safe and convenient their data storage, backup, and access needs.

Chapter 4 Study questions 1. Data can be referred to as small pieces of facts and statistics lacking in context.

Information is data with context, and knowledge is aggregated and analyzed data, which can be used in decision-making processes.

2. Hardware stores data while software processes data.

3. Qualitative data is descriptive, while qualitative data is numeric. Number 42 is qualitative if it is used to describe instead of measuring. For example, saying my uniform has the number 42 on it.

4. In a relational database, the data therein is organized in different tables with different sets of fields defining the nature of data stored in the table.

5. Personal DBMS would make sense when working on a smaller database for personal use or when one is not connected to any network. WEEK 2 ASSIGNMET 4 6. A spreadsheet is less complicated than a database implying that a database can handle different types of data. The differences include: a database has defined field types unlike spreadsheets, databases use language queries unlike spreadsheets, and databases can store large amounts of data, unlike spreadsheets ( Bourgeois et al, 2019).

7. Normalization means designing a database such that it minimizes duplication of data in the tables and allows for increased flexibility.

8. Defining the data type of a field when designing a relational database is important because it tells the functions that the database can perform with the data.

9. The school's online system is the database that I interact with frequently. The database collected field names such as username and password.

10. Metadata is data describing other data.

11. The advantages of using a data warehouse include taking snapshots of data over time, versions of the truth can be generated once all data is defined as consistent, and a data warehouse allows for a centralized view of all data collected across the organization ( Bourgeois et al, 2019).

12. Data mining aims to reveal unknown trends, patterns, and associations within raw data to help with decision making. 13. Supervised learning is learning using algorithms from a trained dataset, while unsupervised learning is learning that models an underlying distribution or trend in data.

Exercise 5 Business intelligence WEEK 2 ASSIGNMET 5 Business intelligence implies the processes of supporting decision-making that allows entrepreneurs to understand better, analyze, and predict the future of their business. Business intelligence thus should be understood as all the efforts geared towards increasing the overall business potential. Business intelligence involves a series of steps, including turning data collected in the business transactions and operations into meaningful and actionable information that helps achieve strategic business goals. Some of the elements of business intelligence include reporting, analysis, data mining, data quality, and predictive analysis. The core of business intelligence, however, is reporting and analysis.

Data is an invaluable asset in every business establishment. Currently, businesses are leveraging data to reveal hidden patterns and trends that can be manipulated to drive business operations, gain competitive advantage, and boost innovation—the processes of utilizing data for the advantage of the business fall under business intelligence. Data thus is a raw material in businesses. To a greater extent, business intelligence collects and records daily transactions in any organization for further analysis and use (Trieu, 2017). Data in businesses come from various sources, including customer interactions, employee management, business operations, and financial management. To this effect, all data is neutral in that it is neither bad nor good.

Therefore, all the data collected in the organization should be handled with equal importance.

As a raw material, data collected in the organization should be processed thoroughly to attach meaning to inform decision-making. Business intelligence involves making commands that the raw data collected therein can answer. For instance, a sales representative might ask which customers make the most orders. An analysis through the raw data can inform such questions making it easier to align business operations to strategic goals.

Besides, business intelligence can inform the performance of a product in the market and the necessary adjustments to a service offering. As a result, businesses can leverage this information to boost product and process innovation therein. WEEK 2 ASSIGNMET 6 Unlike business analytics, business intelligence is descriptive in that it provides information regarding what is happening and what happened in the past. Business analytics, on the other hand, implies the techniques used in the analysis of business data. To a greater extent, business intelligence uses data analytics and business analytics as a whole process.

Through business intelligence, which involves the implementation of analytical tools, uses can draw meaningful conclusions. In most instances, business intelligence depends on advanced statistics and predictive analytics to uncover patterns in data and predict future patterns. However, business intelligence builds on the algorithms and models therein, breaking them down further into actionable language.

Organizations rely on business analytics as part of the business intelligence strategy.

The idea is to answer strategic questions that provide insights for planning and decision- making (Arnott et al., 2017). For instance, a company could be struggling to track the membership metrics involving ninety terabytes of data. Sifting, through such an amount of data can unlock deadlocks for the company. For instance, the ninety terabytes of data can inform the company where to invest more in their operations and digital expenses. Such steps would further lead to customer satisfaction and a boost in overall sales. Essentially, business analytics that supports business intelligence in this manner should not be viewed as a linear process instead a cycle of data access, exploration, discovery, and sharing information.

Information Technology and Organizational Learning Assignment Strategic integration Strategic integration implies the processes outlined to address the impacts of technology on the outlined organizational processes. Strategic integration involves how technology can be integrated into organizational processes to drive goals and objectives. WEEK 2 ASSIGNMET 7 Strategic integration further enables an understanding of how the resources therein can be scaled through the different business-geographic boundaries. Strategic integration will also shape the value chain in the service line or product life cycle and enable more agile business processes (Langer, 2017). Strategic integration defines how changes in the business environment can be addressed effectively without straining the existing resources.

The continuously evolving technological innovations have significant impacts on business processes. Technology, in this manner, creates competitive aspects that impact the determinants for successful businesses. Therefore, strategic integration results from the business variable that establishes the need for technological infrastructure capable of driving flexibility in business operations (Langer, 2017). Organizations usually have an issue with determining appropriate information technology investments.

Strategic integration, however, can be hindered by different technological impediments. First, there is a possibility of a lack of returns in the first phase of technological implementation. Lack of returns in this manner could delay the processes of technological adaptation in the organization. Multiplicity factors also impact technological integration. For instance, technological opportunities can overlap, creating a situation where the organization has several running projects in different phases. Therefore, strategic integration requires that organizations develop strategies to shorten the intervals between investing in technology and deploying the same effectively. Bridging the gaps between investment and deployment of technology depends on several factors. First is determining the processes that will enable acceptable business returns for the technological investments therein (Langer, 2017). Besides, there should be a good outline of the methodologies which can help determine these processes.

Information technology roles and responsibilities WEEK 2 ASSIGNMET 8 Information technology is divided into two distinct aspects of business operations.

The roles and responsibilities of information technology changes depending on the business operations therein. Traditionally, information technology departments in organizations are meant to support operations. However, such settings limit the information technology department to the effect that they cannot properly understand the business objectives that require a hands-on application. Essentially, it is essential to get the information technology personnel out of their comfort zones to be more innovative on how technology can help steer business growth (Langer, 2017). The roles and responsibilities of information technology in an organization thus goes beyond support to include organizational innovation, among other aspects.

The two distinct divisions of information technology functions in an organization are driver and supporter functions. Since information technology has traditionally been understood as a supporter of organizational operations, there is a need to re-evaluate its driver functionalities. Understanding the divisions of information technology functions is elemental in understanding the key areas where an organization can leverage to improve its competitive edge (Langer, 2017). The underutilization of information technology functionalities can also be attributed to the lack of information technology executives in the management teams.

Understanding how information technology is divided based on operations is essential in understanding the position of information technology in ensuring the success of the organization. Information technology is a dynamic aspect and can allow organizations to manage the competition. To a greater extent, information technology can help organizations come up with innovative ideas that can improve productivity therein (Langer, 2017). To a greater extent, information technology can enable organizations to survive in a continually changing business environment. Besides, information technology can ensure longevity in the organization. WEEK 2 ASSIGNMET 9 References Arnott, D., Lizama, F., & Song, Y. (2017). Patterns of business intelligence systems use in organizations. Decision Support Systems, 97, 58-68.

Bourgeois, D. T., Smith, J. L., Wang, S., & Mortati, J. (2019). Information systems for business and beyond.

Langer, A. M. (2017). Information Technology and Organizational Learning: Managing Behavioral Change in the Digital Age. CRC Press. WEEK 2 ASSIGNMET 10 Trieu, V. H. (2017). Getting value from Business Intelligence systems: A review and research agenda. Decision Support Systems, 93, 111-124