Virtual private networks (VPN) have gained popularity as a secure and cheaper medium for sensitive information to be accessed and transmitted between two or more corporate network over a public network such as the internet, other network technologies have been innovated and used to connect within business sites and across to other sites that are miles away from each other. In the sixties, sites were connected together to enable data transfer through the use of analog phone lines and 2,400-bps modems leased from AT&T, businesses had no other faster modems they could choose from because the telephone companies were controlled by the government. It was not until the early eighties that businesses were able to connect to sites at higher speed using 9,600-bps modems because other telephone companies emerged as a result of the changes in government control and policy on telephone. During this period, there were not much mobile Continue reading
Information Systems Basics
Concept of Management Information Systems (MIS)
The concept of Management Information Systems (MIS) has evolved over a period of time comprising many different facets of the organizational function. MIS is a necessity in all the organizations. The initial concept of MIS was to process the data available in the organization and present it in the form of reports at regular intervals. The system was largely capable of handling the data from collection to processing. It was more impersonal, requiring each individual to pick and choose the processed data and use it for his requirements. This concept was further modified when a distinction was made between data and information. Information is a product of an analysis of data. This concept is similar to a raw material and the finished product. However, data can be analyzed in a number of ways, producing different shades and specifications of the information as a product. It was, therefore, demanded that the Continue reading
Commonly used Computer Input Devices
You can now enter data and commands directly and easily into a computer system through pointing devices like electronic mice and touch pads, and technologies like political scanning, handwriting conviction, and voice recognition. These developments have made it unnecessary to always record data on paper source documents (such as sales order forms, for example) and then keyboard the data into a computer in an additional data entry step. Further improvements in voice recognition and other technologies should enable an even more natural user interface in the future. Pointing Devices: Keyboards are still the most widely used devices for entering data and text into computer systems. However, pointing devices are a better alternative for issuing commands, making choices, and responding to prompts displays on your video screen. They work with you operating systems graphical user interface (GUI), which presents you with icons, menus, windows, buttons, bars, and so on, for your Continue reading
Uses of Virtual Private Networks (VPN)
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a point to point connection that connects a user to a private network in a different location. Basically, VPNs are used to set up a secure connection to the internet. A VPN works by creating a point to point connection from a public wifi connection to a private wifi connection in a business or company building as if you are directly connected to the network. Since the normally accepted definition for a network is fairly common and usually accepted throughout the trade. A network consists of any variety of devices which may communicate through some arbitrary technique. Devices of this nature include computers, printers, and routers will reside in geographically numerous locations. The strategies during which they will communicate are varied, since there are infinite electronic communication specifications, data-link, transport, and application layer protocols. For the needs of simplicity, let’s simply agree that a Continue reading
Data Mining – Meaning, Steps and Business Applications
Data mining or knowledge discovery is the process of analyzing data from different perspectives & summarizing it into useful information. This information can be used to increase revenue & cut cost or both. We know that data mining software is one of a number of analytical tools for analyzing data. It allows users to analyze data from many angels & categories it. It also summarizes the relationship identified. Technically speaking data mining is the process of correlations among dozens of fields in large relational database. In other words it is the process of sorting through large amount of data & picking out important information. It is often use by business intelligence organizations & financial analysts. It is also used in the sciences to extract information from the data set generated by modern experiment & observational methods. Data mining in relation to Enterprise Resource Planning(ERP) is the statistical & logical Continue reading
What is Data-Driven Decision Making (DDDM)?
Data-driven decision making (DDDM) refers to a process of making decisions that are based on data and statistical analysis. This approach is becoming increasingly popular in various industries and organizations, as it allows leaders and managers to make informed decisions based on facts, rather than intuition or personal opinions. DDDM involves collecting and analyzing large amounts of data and using the insights generated to make decisions that are informed by evidence. In other words, DDDM is a systematic and empirical approach to decision making that uses data and statistics to support or reject hypotheses, to draw inferences and to make predictions. The goal of DDDM is to identify patterns, correlations, and trends in data and use that information to make decisions that are likely to lead to better outcomes. The benefits of Data-driven decision making are many and varied. Firstly, it provides a framework for making decisions that are informed Continue reading