Haley Lampe
CIT 110 Basics
William Hitchcock
October 29, 2015
Wiki Summary #2
The following information is in regard to six Wikipedia pages. These six topics were called:
application software, spreadsheets, Microsoft excel, management background, enterprise systems, and
computer security. Application software is a computer program used to perform functions, tasks,
activities, etc. A few widely used examples would be word processor, spreadsheet, accounting
application, media player, photo editor, and many more. Application software more or less refers to all
applications collectively. A few types of systems found in computers are UNIX, Linux, DOS, and
Windows. A few key terms to know when it comes to application software are compression and
decompression. There are many examples and uses of application software. Microsoft excel is one often
used.
Microsoft excel is a spreadsheet application used for calculations, graphing, pivot tables, and
has a programming language called Visual Basic for Applications. Excel is spread up in rows and columns
used for arithmetic operations such as stats, engineering, and financial. These spreadsheets in excel are
a part of software used for organization, analysis, ad storage of data. When operating on data
represented as cells in columns and rows it can be referred to as a “paper accounting worksheet.”
Excel’s main use is to store data and be able to perform math/financial/statistical functions with ease. It
is used extensively in any context between building, storing, and sharing lists.
On a different note, management background is also a very useful function that coordinates
efforts of people to accomplish goals and objectives by using available resources efficiently and
effectively. To give a quick overview of management background, it is foundational knowledge used to
help understand how the IT function helps to achieve organizational success. The functions of
management are planning, organizing, staffing, leading, directing, and controlling in order to accomplish
a goal. A few generic types are Transaction Processing Systems (TPS), Management Information Systems
(MIS), Decision Support Systems (DSS), and many more.
Enterprise Systems are large-scale application software packages that support business
processes, information flows, reporting, and data analytics in complex organizations. Almost all
computing was enterprise until PC’s, even some PC’s have enterprise applications. Some general
terminology that relates to enterprise systems would be globalization, centralization and
decentralization, business process reengineering (BPR), and practical issues such as scalability and
disaster recovery.
The last article, computer security, deals with the protection of information systems from theft
or damage to the hardware, software, and the information on them. Computer security controls
physical access to the hardware, protecting against harm that may come via network access. There are
both natural and human disasters in which computer security are needed. Examples of natural disasters
include earthquakes, fires, floods, etc. The Disaster Recovery Planning uses decentralization, planning,
and testing. A few human disasters, both internal and external could be poor training, criminal hackers,
disgruntled employees, etc. Computers are vulnerable to backdoors, direct access to attacks,
eavesdropping, exploits, and more – which is why security is necessary and taken so seriously.
From these six articles, I found computer security the most interesting. I had a very small
knowing of what it was and now I know way more about it and why it’s necessary. I found it interesting
how there were so many factors security has to take into consideration. When I thought about
computer security I never thought of natural disasters, I mostly just thought of people breaking in, etc. I
think it’s really nice how there’s so much more to security than just making sure hackers can’t get in – it
makes me feel safer about computers. I think it’s the most important out of all of these to understand
application software because it’s such a big part of how a computer functions. Application software is
used to perform functions, tasks, activities, and so much more. Understanding application software
leads to knowing more about Microsoft programs, Windows, Linux, and many more programs and
applications. Out of all of these articles I would like to know more about Enterprise systems. I feel like I
have a very little understanding of what it means to be an “enterprise”. I know that they’re a large-scale
application software package that supports business processes, information flows, data analytics, etc.
But what does that all really mean?