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application service providers (ASP)
A service company that buys and maintains software on its servers and distributes it through high-speed networks to subscribers for a set period and price.
batch processing
A method of updating a database in which data are collected over some time period and processed together.
chief information officer (CIO)
An executive with responsibility for managing all information resources in an organization.
cloud computing
A general term for the delivery of hosted services over the internet.
computer network
A group of two or more computer systems linked together by communications channels to share data and information.
computer virus
A computer program that copies itself into other software and can spread to other computer systems.
data mart
Special subset of a data warehouse that deals with a single area of data and is organized for quick analysis.
data mining
Sophisticated database applications that look for hidden patterns in a group of data to help track and predict future behavior.
data warehouse
An information technology that combines many databases across a whole company into one central database that supports management decision-making.
database
An electronic filing system that collects and organizes data and information.
decision support system (DSS)
A management support system that helps managers make decisions using interactive computer models that describe real-world processes.
enterprise portal
A customizable internal website that provides proprietary corporate information to a defined user group, such as employees, supply-chain partners, or customers.
executive information system (EIS)
A management support system that is customized for an individual executive; provides specific information for strategic decisions.
expert system
A management support system that gives managers advice similar to what they would get from a human consultant; it uses artificial intelligence to enable computers to reason and learn to solve problems in much the same way humans do.
information technology (IT)
The equipment and techniques used to manage and process information.
intranet
An internal corporate-wide area network that uses internet technology to connect computers and link employees in many locations and with different types of computers.
knowledge management (KM)
The process of researching, gathering, organizing, and sharing an organization’s collective knowledge to improve productivity, foster innovation, and gain competitive advantage.
knowledge worker
A worker who develops or uses knowledge, contributing to and benefiting from information used to perform planning, acquiring, searching, analyzing, organizing, storing, programming, producing, distributing, marketing, or selling functions.
local area network (LAN)
A network that connects computers at one site, enabling the computer users to exchange data and share the use of hardware and software from a variety of computer manufacturers.
managed service providers (MSP)
Next generation of ASPs, offering customization and expanded capabilities such as business processes and complete management of the network servers.
management information system (MIS)
The methods and equipment that provide information about all aspects of a firm’s operations.
management support system (MSS)
An information system that uses the internal master database to perform high-level analyses that help managers make better decisions.
online (real-time) processing
A method of updating a database in which data are processed as they become available.
transaction processing system (TPS)
An information system that handles the daily business operations of a firm. The system receives and organizes raw data from internal and external sources for storage in a database using either batch or online processing.
virtual private networks (VPN)
Private corporate networks connected over a public network, such as the internet. VPNs include strong security measures to allow only authorized users to access the network.
wide area network (WAN)
A network that connects computers at different sites via telecommunications media such as phone lines, satellites, and microwaves.
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