Computers Are
Your Future
© 2006 Prentice-Hall, Inc.
Computers Are Your Future Chapter 14
Computers Are Your Future
Chapter 14
Enterprise Computing
© 2006 Prentice-Hall, Inc
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Computers Are Your Future Chapter 14
What You Will Learn About
 Enterprise computing
 Business processes and their flow within an organization
 Information systems that are managed in a centralized vs.
distributed manner
 The tools that are commonly used in enterprise computing
 Enterprise storage systems
 Electronic data interchange
 Teleconferencing
 Telecommuting and workgroup commuting
© 2006 Prentice-Hall, Inc
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Computers Are Your Future Chapter 14
Enterprise Computing
 An enterprise is a business organization
 Enterprise computing is the use of technology,
information systems, and computers within a business
© 2006 Prentice-Hall, Inc
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Computers Are Your Future Chapter 14
Business Processes and Activities
 Business processes are activities that have an
identifiable output and add value to an organization’s
customers
 Information systems are used to give a business a
competitive advantage
Employees
Information
Partners
Suppliers
Customer
Enterprise
© 2006 Prentice-Hall, Inc
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Computers Are Your Future Chapter 14
Enterprise Systems
 Enterprise systems are information systems that
allow companies to integrate information across
operations on an organization-wide basis
 Enterprise systems:
 Provide a common information storage area available to all
corporate users
 Help companies find ways to increase goods and services,
customer satisfaction, and profitability
 Are composed of hardware, software, people, and
procedures
© 2006 Prentice-Hall, Inc
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Computers Are Your Future Chapter 14
Enterprise Systems
 Globalization refers to conducting business
internationally where the transaction of goods and
services is transparent to the consumer
© 2006 Prentice-Hall, Inc
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Computers Are Your Future Chapter 14
Centralized vs. Distributed Structures
 Centralized structures are managed by a central IT
department
 Each network entity contains the same software and
configuration settings
© 2006 Prentice-Hall, Inc
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Computers Are Your Future Chapter 14
Centralized vs. Distributed Structures
 Distributed structures enable each user to customize their
technology tools
 Each network entity contains its own software and
configuration settings
© 2006 Prentice-Hall, Inc
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Computers Are Your Future Chapter 14
Business Processing Reengineering (BPR)
 Business processing reengineering is the use of
information technology to bring about major changes
and cost savings in an organization
© 2006 Prentice-Hall, Inc
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Computers Are Your Future Chapter 14
Applying Technology in the Enterprise
 Currency:
 All technology in an organization is more or less current
 Technology users have a certain comfort level in using the
technology
 Tension exists between the current system and the most
current technology available
© 2006 Prentice-Hall, Inc
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Computers Are Your Future Chapter 14
Applying Technology in the Enterprise
 Upgrading:
 Things to consider when
upgrading technology:
 Impact on the user
 Will hardware need to be
upgraded?
 Cost of the upgrade
 Centralized structures are easier
and less costly to upgrade than
distributed structures
© 2006 Prentice-Hall, Inc
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Computers Are Your Future Chapter 14
Applying Technology in the Enterprise
 Maintenance:
 Centralized structures are easier and less costly to maintain
than distributed structures
 Users must be trained to use the new technology
 Scalability:
 How well a hardware or software system can adapt to
increased demands
© 2006 Prentice-Hall, Inc
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Computers Are Your Future Chapter 14
Applying Technology in the Enterprise
 Interoperability:
 The ability of software and hardware from different
vendors to share data
 All computers on a network can interact seamlessly
 Disaster Recovery
 A disaster recover plan is a written plan with detailed
instructions if something goes wrong
© 2006 Prentice-Hall, Inc
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Computers Are Your Future Chapter 14
Applying Technology in the Enterprise
 Adding Workstations and Applications:
 Problems can occur as new workstations and applications
are added
 Single point of failure (SPOF) is when a failure will cause
a malfunction in an entire system
© 2006 Prentice-Hall, Inc
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Computers Are Your Future Chapter 14
Applying Technology in the Enterprise
 Adding a Network:
 Zero configuration
(Zeroconf) is a method
used to network
devices without
requiring configuration
© 2006 Prentice-Hall, Inc
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Computers Are Your Future Chapter 14
Tools for Enterprise Computing
 Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP):
 Software that integrates all facets of a business
 Replaces standalone computer systems with a single
unified software program
 Drawbacks of ERP systems:
 One department impacts every department in the
organization
 Resistance to change
 Cost and time in implementing the system may be
prohibitive
© 2006 Prentice-Hall, Inc
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Computers Are Your Future Chapter 14
Tools for Enterprise Computing
 Customer Relationship Management (CRM):
 Software application that includes all interaction between a
company and its customers
 Computerization has changed the way organizations
manage their customers; more of the relationship is being
managed electronically
 Sales Force Automation (SFA):
 Technique of using software to automate sales tasks
© 2006 Prentice-Hall, Inc
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Computers Are Your Future Chapter 14
Tools for Enterprise Computing
 Extensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL):
 An XML-based specification for publishing the financial
information of an enterprise
 XML data tags are based on standardized accounting
definitions
 Application Service Providers (ASP):
 Third-party entities that manage and distribute softwarebased services
 Enterprises can outsource their information technology
needs
© 2006 Prentice-Hall, Inc
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Computers Are Your Future Chapter 14
Tools for Enterprise Computing
 Operational Support System (OSS):
 A suite of programs that enable an enterprise to monitor,
analyze, and manage a network system
 Enterprise Application Integration (EAI):
 A combination of processes, software, standards, and
hardware that integrates two or more enterprise systems
 Enables sharing of data
 Four categories of EAI:




Database linking
Applications linking
Data warehousing
Common virtual system
© 2006 Prentice-Hall, Inc
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Computers Are Your Future Chapter 14
Enterprise Storage Systems
 Redundant Array of
Independent Disks (RAID):
 Two or more disk drives used in
combination for fault tolerance
and performance
 All information is recorded on
both disk drives
© 2006 Prentice-Hall, Inc
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Computers Are Your Future Chapter 14
Enterprise Storage Systems
 CD/DVD Jukeboxes:
 Enable storing, managing,
accessing, and sharing DVDROMs and CDs
 Network-Attached Storage
(NAS):
 Server dedicated to file sharing
 Provides data to the user
© 2006 Prentice-Hall, Inc
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Computers Are Your Future Chapter 14
Enterprise Storage Systems
 Storage Area Network (SAN):
 High-speed subnetwork of shared storage devices
 All storage devices are made available to all servers
 Network-Attached Storage (NAS)
 High performance devices for data and file sharing
 Only supplies data to users
© 2006 Prentice-Hall, Inc
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Computers Are Your Future Chapter 14
Enterprisewide Technologies
 Web Portals:
 Web sites that offer an array of resources and services
 AOL was one of the first portals
 The centralized management areas help create consistent
business processes
 Electronic Data Interchange (EDI):
 Involves the transfer of data between different companies
using networks
 Used as a mechanism for companies to buy, sell, and trade
information
© 2006 Prentice-Hall, Inc
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Computers Are Your Future Chapter 14
Enterprisewide Technologies
 Intranet:
 A network based on TCP/IP protocols accessible only by an
organization’s members
 Used to share information
 Web-based training (WBT) provides training and/or
instruction for employees by way of the Internet or an
intranet
 Computer-based training (CBT) is a type of education in
which the student learns by taking special training
programs on a computer
© 2006 Prentice-Hall, Inc
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Computers Are Your Future Chapter 14
Enterprisewide Technologies
 Extranet:
 Intranet that is accessible to authorized outsiders
 Allows business partners to share information
 Virtual Private Network (VPN):
 Network constructed by using public wires to connect
nodes
 Encryption and security measures ensure only authorized
users can access the network
© 2006 Prentice-Hall, Inc
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Computers Are Your Future Chapter 14
Enterprisewide Technologies
 Computer-based training (CBT) form of computerbased education that uses multimedia, animation, and
programmed learning
 Web-based training (WBT) is CBT using the
Internet or an intranet
© 2006 Prentice-Hall, Inc
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Computers Are Your Future Chapter 14
Enterprisewide Technologies
 Teleconferencing – two
or more people use
telecommunication and
computers to conduct
business activities
© 2006 Prentice-Hall, Inc
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Computers Are Your Future Chapter 14
Enterprisewide Technologies
 Telecommuting – connecting to the office using
telecommunications and computers from home
© 2006 Prentice-Hall, Inc
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Computers Are Your Future Chapter 14
Enterprisewide Technologies
 Workgroup computing – members of a
workgroup have specific hardware and software
that enables them to connect, communicate, and
collaborate
 Software that provides support for the information
needs of work groups is called groupware
© 2006 Prentice-Hall, Inc
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Computers Are Your Future Chapter 14
Chapter 14 Summary
• Enterprise computing is the use of technology,
information systems, and computers within an
organization or business
• Business processes are activities that have an
identifiable output and add value to an organization’s
customers
• In a centralized structure, the management of
technology is centered in the IT department
© 2006 Prentice-Hall, Inc
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Computers Are Your Future Chapter 14
Chapter 14 Summary (continued)
• Tools commonly used in enterprise computing include:
Enterprise resource planning (ERP)
Customer relationship management (CRM)
Sales force automation (SFA)
Extensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL)
Application service providers (ASPs)
Operational support systems (OSS)
Enterprise application integration (EAI)
• Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) employs two
or more drives in combination for fault tolerance and
performance
© 2006 Prentice-Hall, Inc
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Computers Are Your Future Chapter 14
Chapter 14 Summary (continued)
• Electronic data exchange is a set of standards that
specify how to transfer data and documents using
networks
• Teleconferencing is conducting business by more
than two people separated by distance
• An employee who works from home while connected
to a business is telecommuting
© 2006 Prentice-Hall, Inc
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