Chapter 1
Information Technology: Principles, Practices,
and Opportunities
True-False Questions
1.Today, knowledge workers outnumber those employed in agriculture and manufacturing
throughout the developed world.
Answer: True Difficulty: Easy Reference: p. 7
2.Effectiveness is a measure of the amount of work that can be accomplished with a certain
level of effort.
Answer: False Difficulty: Easy Reference: p. 8
3.Reengineering involves rethinking business practices, focusing on business processes, and
introducing incremental improvements to benefit both a business and its customers.
Answer: False Difficulty: Medium Reference: p. 9
4.In the Information Age, work is accomplished through teamwork, interconnection, and
shared information.
Answer: True Difficulty: Easy Reference: pp. 9-10
5.To be successful in the Information Age, an organization must understand what IT can do to
improve its employees’ performance and how IT can enhance its products and services.
Answer: True Difficulty: Medium Reference: p. 10
6. A customer’s order that consists of the name of the customer, the item(s) the customer
purchased, the quantity, and the price, is an example of information.
Answer: False Difficulty: Hard Reference: p. 13
7. A program consists of a set of instructions that directs a computer to perform certain tasks
and produce certain results.
Answer: True Difficulty: Easy Reference: p. 17
8.MIS is a business information system designed to produce the information needed for
successful management of an unstructured problem, process, department, or business.
Answer: False Difficulty: Hard Reference: p. 18
9. A typical business system includes not only people and departments but also procedures for
conducting the business efficiently.
Answer: True Difficulty: Medium Reference: p. 19
10.America Online (AOL), Earthlink, Minitel, and the Internet, are all examples of public
networks.
Answer: True Difficulty: Medium Reference: p. 19
11.Data processing is the process of compiling detailed records of activities.
Answer: False Difficulty: Easy Reference: p. 23
12.The six functions of information technology are capturing, processing, generating,
compiling, retrieving, and transmitting.
Answer: False Difficulty: Easy Reference: p. 21
https://www.doczj.com/doc/713034217.html,rmation processing is a general term for the computer activity that entails processing any
type of information and transforming it into a different type of information.
Answer: True Difficulty: Medium Reference: p. 23
14.Word processing, image processing, and voice processing are all types of information
processing.
Answer: True Difficulty: Medium Reference: p. 24
15.The benefits of information technology include speed, consistency, effectiveness, and
reliability.
Answer: False Difficulty: Medium Reference: p. 26
16.In general, computers are not very reliable.
Answer: False Difficulty: Medium Reference: p. 28
17.The process of recognizing a problem, identifying alternatives for solving it, and successfully
implementing the chosen solution is called information management.
Answer: False Difficulty: Medium Reference: p. 30
https://www.doczj.com/doc/713034217.html,rmation technology can be found in education, entertainment, manufacturing, journalism,
and even agriculture.
Answer: True Difficulty: Medium Reference: pp. 32-33
19.One of the fundamental responsibilities of IT users, to be informed, states that users must
take responsibility for protecting data and information that are in a computer or transmitted
over a network against intentional or accidental damage or loss.
Answer: False Difficulty: Medium Reference: p. 34
20.Knowing how IT is used in organizations, acquiring demonstrable IT skills, and being able to
list your IT accomplishments on your resume will give you a solid advantage when you are
competing for a job.
Answer: True Difficulty: Medium Reference: p. 34
Multiple Choice Questions
21. The __________________ is characterized by the simplification of work processes through
mechanization and automation.
a.Agricultural Age
b.Industrial Age
https://www.doczj.com/doc/713034217.html,rmation Age
d.Machine Age
e.None of the above
Answer: b Difficulty: Easy Reference: p. 7
22. Workers involved in the creation, distribution, and application of information are:
a.data workers.
https://www.doczj.com/doc/713034217.html,rmation workers.
c.knowledge workers.
https://www.doczj.com/doc/713034217.html,puter workers.
e.technology workers.
Answer: c Difficulty: Easy Reference: p. 7
23. The characteristics that distinguish the Information Age from previous ages include:
a.an information-based society has arisen.
b.businesses dependent on information technology to get their work done.
c.Success in business is largely determined by the effectiveness with which information
technology is used.
d.All of the abov
e.
e.Both a and b.
Answer: d Difficulty: Medium Reference: p. 7
24. ______________ is the extent to which desirable results are achieved.
a.Productivity
b.Effectiveness
c.Efficiency
d.Value
e.None of the above
Answer: b Difficulty: Medium Reference: p. 8
25. The activities that workers perform, the way they perform them, and the tools they use are:
a.business processes.
b.work processes.
c.productivity.
d.efficacy.
e.effectiveness.
Answer: b Difficulty: Easy Reference: p. 8
26. Separation of a work process into component tasks, with different workers specializing in
each of the tasks is called:
a.teamwork.
b.division of labor.
c.reengineering.
d.shared information.
e.virtual team.
Answer: b Difficulty: Medium Reference: p. 9
27. Interconnection means that:
a.people work together to accomplish a team outcome rather than an individual jo
b.
b.individuals communicate regardless of distance to exchange ideas, experiences, and
insights.
https://www.doczj.com/doc/713034217.html,munication networks make information available to several people simultaneously,
instantaneously, or whenever they need it.
d.all of the abov
e.
e.none of the above.
Answer: b Difficulty: Medium Reference: pp. 9-10
28. In the Information Age, greater productivity is achieved through:
a.teamwork.
b.interconnection.
c.division of labor.
d.shared information.
e.a, b, and d.
Answer: e Difficulty: Easy Reference: pp. 9-10
29. Products and services with embedded technology are sometimes called:
a.technology-based.
b.intelligence-based.
c.knowledge-base
d.
https://www.doczj.com/doc/713034217.html,rmation-based.
e.data-based.
Answer: c Difficulty: Hard Reference: p. 11
30. The pervasiveness of knowledge-based products, services, and activities in today’s society
has:
a.reshaped business processes to remove barriers that prohibit an organization from
providing better products and services.
b.separated a work process into component tasks, with different workers specializing in
each of the tasks.
c.so thoroughly changed the way we act that we often take this technology for grante
d.
d.Both a and b.
e.Both a and c.
Answer: c Difficulty: Hard Reference: p. 12
31. ______________ refers to an organized, meaningful, and useful interpretation of data.
a.Data
https://www.doczj.com/doc/713034217.html,rmation
c.Knowledge
d.Database
e.None of the above
Answer: b Difficulty: Easy Reference: p. 13
32. An awareness and understanding of a set of information and how that information can be put
to the best use is:
a.data.
https://www.doczj.com/doc/713034217.html,rmation.
c.knowledge.
d.intelligenc
e.
e.strategy.
Answer: c Difficulty: Medium Reference: p. 13
33. Which of the following is NOT a type of microcomputer?
a.Notebook computer
b.Tablet PC
c.Personal digital assistants
d.Minicomputer
e.All of the above are microcomputers.
Answer: d Difficulty: Medium Reference: p. 14
34. An electronic system that can be instructed to accept, process, store, and present data and
information is a(n):
a.personal computer.
b.notebook computer.
c.tablet PC.
d.personal digital assistant.
e.All of the above.
Answer: e Difficulty: Hard Reference: pp. 14-15
35. ________________ are smaller versions of microcomputers that are designed for portability.
a.Personal digital assistants
b.Minicomputers
c.Notebook computers
d.Palm PCs
e.Handheld computers
Answer: c Difficulty: Easy Reference: pp. 15
36. PDAs and Palm PCs are often collectively referred to as:
a.small computers.
b.microcomputers.
c.tablet PCs.
d.handheld computers.
e.portable computers.
Answer: d Difficulty: Medium Reference: p. 16
37. Software refers to:
a.the instructions that manage the hardware.
b.the computer and its associated equipment.
c. a set of components that interact to accomplish a purpose.
d.an interface between the computer and the network.
e.None of the above.
Answer: a Difficulty: Medium Reference: p. 17
38. _________________ are generally larger, more expensive, and faster than midrange
computers and permit the interconnection of a greater number of people.
a.Microcomputers
b.Minicomputers
c.Mainframe computers
d.Handheld computers
e.Powerful computers
Answer: c Difficulty: Medium Reference: p. 17
39. Which of the following statements about information system/management information
systems (MIS) is NOT true?
a.MIS is a business information system designed to produce the information needed for
successful management of a structured problem, process, department, or business.
b.Data and information flow from one person or department to another via information
systems.
https://www.doczj.com/doc/713034217.html,rmation systems serve all of the systems of a business by linking the different
components together so that they work effectively toward the same goal.
d.All of the above are true statements.
e.Both a and c.
Answer: d Difficulty: Hard Reference: p. 19
40. _______________
refers to the sending and receiving of data and information over a communications network.
a.Hardware
b.Software
https://www.doczj.com/doc/713034217.html,munication
d.System
e.Program
Answer: c Difficulty: Easy Reference: p. 19
41. A communications network consists of:
a. a set of stations at different locations that are interconnected through a medium that
enables people to send and receive data and information.
b.telephone wires and cables.
c.hardware, programs, and information.
d.all of the abov
e.
e.Both a and b.
Answer: d Difficulty: Medium Reference: p. 19
42. The transmission of data and information through a communications medium is:
https://www.doczj.com/doc/713034217.html,working.
b.data communication.
https://www.doczj.com/doc/713034217.html,munications network.
d.data retrieval.
e.None of the above.
Answer: b Difficulty: Medium Reference: p. 19
43. Which of the following is NOT a public network?
a.America Online (AOL)
b.Earthlink
c.The Internet
d.The World Wide Web
e.All of the above
Answer: e Difficulty: Medium Reference: p. 19
know-how consists of:
technology
44. Information
a.familiarity with the tools of IT, including the Internet.
b.possession of the skills needed to use these tools.
c.an understanding of when to use IT to solve a problem or create an opportunity.
d.All of the abov
e.
e.Both a and c.
Answer: d Difficulty: Medium Reference: pp. 19-21
45. Which of the following is NOT a function of information technology?
a.Capture
b.Calculate
c.Generation
d.Storage
e.All of the above are functions of information technology.
Answer: b Difficulty: Medium Reference: p. 21
46. Which of the following statements about information technology is NOT true?
https://www.doczj.com/doc/713034217.html,rmation technology’s great usefulness is as an aid in solving problems, unlocking
creativity, and making people more effective than they would be if they did not apply IT
to their activities.
b.The more “high-tech” the information technology you are considering, the more
important it is to consider the “high-touch” aspects of the matter—that is, “the people
side.”
c.Always fit people to information rather than fitting information to people.
https://www.doczj.com/doc/713034217.html,rmation technology performs six information-handling functions: capture,
processing, generation, storage, retrieval, and transmission.
e.The benefits of information technology are speed, consistency, precision, and reliability.
Answer: c Difficulty: Hard Reference: p. 21
47. According to the first principle of information technology, information technology’s great
usefulness is as an aid in:
a.solving problems.
b.unlocking creativity.
c.making people more effective.
d.All of the abov
e.
e.Both a and c.
Answer: d Difficulty: Medium Reference: p. 21
48. Which function of information technology is the process of compiling detailed records of
activities?
a.Capturing
b.Retrieving
c.Storing
d.Processing
e.Generating
Answer: a Difficulty: Easy Reference: p. 21
49. Which function of information technology is the process of converting, analyzing,
computing, and synthesizing all forms of data or information?
a.Capturing
b.Processing
c.Retrieving
d.Generating
e.Transmitting
Answer: b Difficulty: Easy Reference: p. 23
50. Which function of information technology is the process of retaining information for future
use?
a.Capturing
b.Processing
c.Retrieving
d.Generating
e.Storing
Answer: e Difficulty: Easy Reference: p. 24
51. Data processing refers to:
a.the process of retaining information for future use.
b.the process of distributing information over a communications network.
c.the process of handling data and its transformation into information.
d.the process of compiling detailed records of activities.
e.None of the above.
Answer: c Difficulty: Easy Reference: p. 23
52. Which of the following is NOT a type of information processing?
a.Word processing
b.Image processing
c.Voice processing
d.Video processing
e.All of the above are types of information processing.
Answer: e Difficulty: Medium Reference: p. 24
refers to the creation of text-based documents, including reports, 53. _________________
newsletters, and correspondence.
a.Test processing
b.Word processing
c.Image processing
d.Report processing
e.Voice processing
Answer: b Difficulty: Medium Reference: p. 24
54. Stored data and information are placed on a storage medium such as a(n):
a.magnetic disk.
b.magnetic tape.
c.optical disk.
d.All of the abov
e.
e.Both a and c.
Answer: d Difficulty: Hard Reference: p. 24
55. The benefits of information technology include:
a.speed.
b.consistency.
c.effectiveness.
d.All of the abov
e.
e.Both a and b.
Answer: c Difficulty: Medium Reference: p. 26
56. Which of the following is NOT a benefit of information technology?
a.Speed
b.Consistency
c.Effectiveness
d.Precision
e.Reliability
Answer: c Difficulty: Medium Reference: p. 26
57. Which of the following is NOT a true statement?
https://www.doczj.com/doc/713034217.html,puters do everything in fractions of seconds.
https://www.doczj.com/doc/713034217.html,puters can detect minute differences that people cannot see.
c.In general, computers are very reliable.
https://www.doczj.com/doc/713034217.html,puters excel at repeating actions consistently.
e.All of the above are true statements.
Answer: e Difficulty: Medium Reference: pp. 27-28
58. Computers excel at:
a.repeating actions consistently.
b.managing the smallest differences, that is, in being precise.
c.improving management skills of managers
d.doing everything in fractions of seconds.
e.a, b, and c.
Answer: e Difficulty: Medium Reference: p. 27
59. The illusion of reality created by a computer is called:
a.super reality.
b.pseudo reality.
c.virtual reality.
d.simulated reality.
e.fake reality.
Answer: c Difficulty: Medium Reference: p. 28
60. The perceived difference between an existing condition and a desired condition is a(n):
a.reality.
b.situation.
c.problem.
d.solution.
e.none of the above.
Answer: c Difficulty: Medium Reference: p. 30
61. The process of recognizing a problem, identifying alternatives, and successfully
implementing the chosen solution is called:
https://www.doczj.com/doc/713034217.html,rmation management.
b.knowledge management.
c.problem solving.
d.decision making.
e.None of the above.
Answer: c Difficulty: Medium Reference: p. 30
62. Online
education:
a.eliminates the need to travel.
b.is more cost-effective.
c.makes learning more fun.
d.Both a and c.
e.None of the above.
Answer: a Difficulty: Medium Reference: p. 31
63. As companies seek to reduce the burden of travel for both customers and their own
employees, a growing number are:
a.developing information systems for customer relationship management.
b.creating online learning systems to deliver product and service training.
c.investing heavily in disaster recovery.
d.Both a and b.
e.Both b and c.
Answer: b Difficulty: Hard Reference: p. 31
64. At New York’s NASDAQ Exchange, stockbrokers:
a.trade on the trading floor.
b.do all their trading electronically.
https://www.doczj.com/doc/713034217.html,e information technology on the trading floor.
d.Both a and c.
e.None of the above.
Answer: b Difficulty: Hard Reference: p. 33
65. Information technology allows companies to reduce:
a.workload.
b.investments.
c.paperwork.
https://www.doczj.com/doc/713034217.html,munication.
e.Both b and c.
Answer: c Difficulty: Medium Reference: p. 32
66. Information technology cannot be found in:
a.agriculture.
b.shipping.
c.manufacturing.
https://www.doczj.com/doc/713034217.html,cation.
e.None of the above.
Answer: e Difficulty: Medium Reference: p. 33
67. Information technology can be found in:
a.health and medicine.
b.manufacturing.
c.agriculture.
d.All of the abov
e.
e.Both a and b.
Answer: d Difficulty: Medium Reference: p. 33
68. Electronic filing service allows the customers at H&R Block to:
a.pay less taxes.
b.receive refunds the same day they file their return.
c.prepare tax returns without the help of the accountant.
d.Both a and c.
e.Both b and c.
Answer: b Difficulty: Hard Reference: p. 33
69. H&R Block was the first to:
https://www.doczj.com/doc/713034217.html,bine the IRS electronic filling process with its own Rapid Refund program.
b.allow customers to file return electronically.
c.allow customers to receive a refund the same day they file their return.
d.Both a and b.
e.Both a and c.
Answer: e Difficulty: Hard Reference: p. 33
70. Which of the following is NOT a fundamental responsibility of IT users?
a.To be informed
b.To produce knowledge
c.To make proper use of IT
d.To store information
e.Both b and d
Answer: e Difficulty: Medium Reference: p. 34
71. The fundamental responsibilities of IT users are:
a.to be informed.
b.to make proper use of IT.
c.to safeguar
d.
d.All of the abov
e.
e.Both b and c.
Answer: d Difficulty: Easy Reference: p. 34
72. The fundamental assumption that states that users need to take responsibility for employing
IT in desirable and ethical ways that help people and do not infringe on their privacy, rights, or well-being is:
a.to be informed.
b.to make proper use of IT.
c.to be productive.
d.to safeguard.
e.to minimize damage.
Answer: b Difficulty: Medium Reference: p. 34
73. Which of the following statements about the responsibilities of IT users is NOT true?
https://www.doczj.com/doc/713034217.html,ers need to know how computers and networks can be applied in different situations.
https://www.doczj.com/doc/713034217.html,ers need to know the capabilities and limitations of IT.
https://www.doczj.com/doc/713034217.html,ers need to take responsibility for employing IT in desirable and ethical ways.
d.It’s database administrator’s responsibility is to protect data and information that are in a
computer or transmitted over a network against intentional or accidental damage or loss.
e.All of the above are true statements.
Answer: d Difficulty: Medium Reference: p. 34
74. In order to gain a solid advantage when you are competing for a job, you need to:
a.know how IT is used in organizations.
b.learn how to program a computer system.
c.acquire demonstrable IT skills.
d.Both a and c.
e.Both b and c.
Answer: d Difficulty: Medium Reference: p. 34
emphasizes:
75. Reengineering
a.rethinking of business activities.
b.introducing incremental changes that benefit both a company’s customer and its
employees.
c.introducing radical changes that benefit both a company’s customer and its employees.
d.Both a and b.
e.Both a and c.
Answer: e Difficulty: Medium Reference: p. 36
Fill In the Blanks
76. Knowledge workers are involved in the creation, distribution, and application of information.
Difficulty: Easy Reference: p. 7
information society, more people work at handling information than in the agriculture
77. In
a(n)
and manufacturing sectors combined.
Difficulty: Easy Reference: p. 7
78. Business processes are collections of activities, often spanning several departments, that take
one or more kinds of input and create a result that is of value to a company’s customers.
Difficulty: Medium Reference: p. 9
79. During the Industrial Age, greater productivity was attained by separating a work process
into component tasks, with different workers specializing in each of the tasks. This is called
division of labor.
Difficulty: Easy Reference: p. 9
80. Embedded information technology means that IT is integrated with the other components of
products and services.
Difficulty: Hard Reference: p. 10
81. Information refers to an organized, meaningful, and useful interpretation of data.
Difficulty: Easy Reference: p. 13
82. Knowledge is the awareness and understanding of a set of information and how that
information can be put to the best use.
Difficulty: Easy Reference: p. 13
83. Small enough to be carried anywhere, and weighing less than a pound, personal digital
assistants (PDAs) are portable computers generally used as personal aids.
Difficulty: Medium Reference: p. 15
84. Hardware refers to the computer and its associated equipment.
Difficulty: Easy Reference: p. 17
85. A(n)
system is a set of components that interact to accomplish a purpose.
Difficulty: Easy Reference: p. 18
86. One of the earliest business applications, data processing, focuses on taking data and
transforming them into information.
Difficulty: Hard Reference: p. 23
87. Generation refers to the process of organizing information into a useful form, whether as
numbers, text, sound, or visual image.
Difficulty: Easy Reference: p. 23
88. Transmission refers to the process of distributing information over a communications
network.
Difficulty: Easy Reference: p. 24
89. A computer system that can process multiple types of information simultaneously is a
multimedia system.
Difficulty: Medium Reference: p. 24
90. The benefits of information technology include speed, consistency, precision, and reliability.
Difficulty: Medium Reference: p. 27
91. You can count on computers and communications networks to be available and properly
functioning when you need them—which is another kind of reliability, reliability of use.
Difficulty: Hard Reference: p. 28
problem is the perceived difference between an existing condition and a desired
92. A(n)
condition.
Difficulty: Medium Reference: p. 30
93. Problem solving is recognizing a problem, identifying alternatives for solving it, and
successfully implementing the chosen solution.
Difficulty: Medium Reference: p. 30
94. Today, Caterpillar Inc. test-drives its machines before it builds them—an advantage made
possible by virtual reality.
Difficulty: Medium Reference: p. 28
95. The three fundamental assumptions in using IT are to be informed, to make proper use of
IT, and to safeguard.
Difficulty: Medium Reference: p. 34
Essay Questions
96. In the last 30 to 40 years, information and knowledge have been recognized as assets that a
society needs to develop and manage. With that realization, the Information Age began.
Briefly discuss the six characteristics of the Information Age.
The six characteristics of the Information Age are:
1)An information-based society in which more people work at handling information
than at agriculture and manufacturing combined has arisen.
2)Businesses depend on information technology to get their work done.
3)Work processes are being transformed to increase productivity.
4)Information technology provides the means of rethink—that is, recreate or
reengineer—conventional business processes.
5)Success in business is largely determined by the effectiveness with which
information technology is used.
6)Information technology is embedded in many products and services.
97. How does https://www.doczj.com/doc/713034217.html, use information technology to benefit both consumers and the U.S.
Postal Service?
https://www.doczj.com/doc/713034217.html, Internet postage takes the hassle out of buying stamps and preparing your mail.
With Internet postage, you can buy and print your own postage stamp right from your
desktop computer. All that is required is software and a small, highly secure device (called
the electronic vault), about the size of a 1-inch roll of traditional postage stamps that is
connected at the back of the desktop computer. Consumers can buy postage via a credit card
or use electronic funds transfer from their bank account, and then the postage is downloaded
into the electronic vault.
The U.S. Postal Service benefits, too. The greater the number of individuals buying and
using electronic stamps, the shorter the lines at post-office stamp windows.
98. Define data, information, and knowledge.
Data are raw facts, figures, and details. Information refers to an organized, meaningful, and
useful interpretation of data, while knowledge is the awareness and understanding of a set of
information and how that information can be put to the best use.
99. What are the three primary components of information technology?
The three primary components of information technology are:
1)Computers—electronic systems that can be instructed to accept, process, store, and
present data and information.
2)Communications networks—the interconnection of different locations through a
medium that enables people to send and receive information.
3)Know-how—the familiarity with the tools of IT, the skills needed to use these tools,
and the understanding of when to use the.
100. What is a computer? What are the different types of computers?
A computer is an electronic system that can be instructed to accept, process, store, and
present data and information. There are four types of computers:
1)Microcomputers – a relatively compact type of computer, the most common of all,
easily outsells all other types of computers annually for use in business and at home.
2)Midrange computers – a type of computer used to interconnect people and large sets
of information. More powerful than a microcomputer, the minicomputer is usually
dedicated to performing specific functions.
3)Mainframes – a type of computer that is generally larger, more expensive, and faster
than midrange computers and permits the interconnection of a greater number of
people.
4)Supercomputers – a type of computer that is designed to solve problems consisting
of long and difficult calculations. Supercomputer is the most powerful of all
computers.
101. What is a system? Is a business a system?
A system is a set of components – people, computers, other businesses, government agencies
– that interact to accomplish a purpose. A business is also a system. Its components –
marketing, manufacturing, sales, research, shipping, accounting, and human resources – all
work together to create a product or service that benefits customers and therefore the
employees and shareholders of the organization.
102. Discuss the six functions of information technology.
The six functions of information technology are:
1)Capture – the process of compiling detailed records of activities.
2)Processing – the process of converting, analyzing, computing, and synthesizing all
forms of data or information.
3)Generation – the process of organizing information into a useful form, whether as
numbers, text, sound, or visual image.
4)Storage – the computer process of retaining information for future use.
5)Retrieval – the process by which a computer locates and copies stored data or
information for further processing or for transmission to another user.
6)Transmission – the computer process of distributing information over a
communications network.
103. What is information processing? Discuss at least two types of information processing.
Information processing is the transformation of any type of information into a different type of information. Types of information processing include the following:
1)Word processing – The creation of text-based documents, including reports,
newsletters, and correspondence.
2)Image processing – Converting visual information into a format that can be
managed within a computer system or transmitted between people and other
computers.
3)Voice processing – the transformation and transmission of spoken information.
104. Define hardware, program, and software. What is the relationship between hardware and software?
Computers and the equipment associated with them—monitors, printers, keyboards, and
peripheral devices—are the hardware. This hardware can do nothing on its own. Rather,
each component must be equipped with a program consisting of instructions that tell it how
to carry out a particular task or set of tasks. Software refers to the instructions that manage
the hardware.
105. What is know-how? What does information technology know-how consist of?
Know-how is the capability to do something well. Information technology know-how
consists of:
1)familiarity with the tools of IT, including the Internet;
2)possession of the skills needed to use these tools; and
3)an understanding of when to use IT to solve a problem or create an opportunity. 106. What are the two common forms of information transmission?
There are two common forms of information transmission:
1)Electronic mail, or e-mail – The acceptance, storage, and transmission of text and
image messages between users of a computer system.
2)Voice messaging, or voice mail – A form of voice processing in which callers leave
spoken messages entered through their telephone receiver. The voice information is
transmitted, stored, and retrieved by the recipients.
107. Briefly discuss the four benefits of information technology.
The four benefits of information technology are:
1)Speed – computers do everything in fractions of seconds. They are much faster than
people could ever hope to be at a myriad of tasks. They can perform complex
calculations, recall stored information, transmit information from one location to
another, and move objects around a computer screen almost instantly.
2)Consistency – computers excel at repeating actions consistently. Whether running a
spell checker built into a word processor or playing multimedia animations for
training purposes, a computer will carry out the activity the same way every time.
3)Precision – computers are extremely precise. They can detect minute differences
that people cannot see.
4)Reliability – in general, computers are very reliable.