Monday, September 22, 2008

Chapter 4 - OpenOffice

Search the Internet for the term OpenOffice. Explain what OpenOffice is. How do users obtain it? How much does it cost? Given this information, why do you think companies use Microsoft Office rather than OpenOffice? Why do you?

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Chapter 3 - Competitive Strategy??

Samantha Green owns and operates Twigs Tree Trimming Service. Samantha graduated from the forestry program of a nearby university and worked for a large landscape design firm, performing tree trimming and removal. After several years of experience, she bought her own truck, stump grinder, and other equipment and opened her own business in St. Louis, Missouri.

Although many of her jobs are one-time operations to remove a tree or stump, others are recurring, such as trimming a tree or groups of trees every year or every other year. When business is slow, she calls former clients to remind them of her services and of the need to trim their trees on a regular basis.

Samantha has never heard of Michael Porter or any of his theories. She operates her business “by the seat of her pants.”

a. Explain how an analysis of the five competitive forces could help Samantha.

b. Do you think Samantha has a competitive strategy? What competitive strategy would seem to make sense for her?

c. Describe, in general terms, the kind of information system that she needs to support sales and marketing efforts.

Monday, September 1, 2008

Chapter 2 - What is Information??

Give your own best definition of information.

Explain how you think it is possible that we have an industry called the information technology industry, but we have great difficulty defining the word information.

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Chapter 1 - Most Expensive??

Consider costs of a system in light of the five components: costs to buy and maintain the hardware; costs to develop or acquire licenses to the software programs and costs to maintain them; costs to design databases and fill them with data; costs of developing procedures and keeping them current; and finally, human costs both to develop and use the system.

Over the lifetime of a system, many experts believe that the single most expensive component is people. Does this belief seem logical to you? Explain why you agree or disagree.