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Find the definition of the key term “PDF”.

PDF is an abbreviation for portable document format, a multi-platform file format developed by Adobe Systems. It is used to portray a document that can be edited in a variety of ways, popular for its universality.

Compare and contrast two-tiered, three-tiered, and n-tiered client server architectures. What are the technical differences, and what advantages and disadvantages does each offer?

Tiers are the logical components of an application that can be executed on the same or different physical or virtual servers. Two-Tiered Client-Server Architecture In 2-tier architecture the front-end user agent connects with the back-end database server without any intermediary. Since there is a dedicated session between the client and...

What factors would you use in evaluating computer hardware and why?

Computer hardware or software resources start contributing towards the first implementation phase of the SDLC which concerns the criteria set by companies in evaluating and selecting the resources. However, hardware is determined by fully functional servers that support small, medium, and large businesses with a full variety of storage options....

Define what an expert system (ES) is.

Artificial Intelligence is the branch of computer science. It is based on the automation of intelligent behavior. It is also defined as the collection of problems and methodologies studied by artificial Intelligence researchers. Expert system (ES) is one of the applications of artificial intelligence’s are built to solve a wide...

The Internet is a driving force behind developments in telecommunications, networks, and other information technologies. Do you agree or disagree? Why?

The Internet has greatly boosted telecommunication, network, and information technology in general. Telecommunication is a communication process that transmits information using telephone lines. This communication process cannot take place in the absence of the Internet. For the transmission of information to take place in this system, the computer is connected...

How could a business leverage its investment in information technology to build strategic IT capabilities that serve as a barrier to entry by entrants into its markets?

Business managers can use investments in information technology to directly support a firm’s competitive strategies. Key strategies associated with information technology include locking in customers or suppliers, building switching costs, raising barriers to entry, and leveraging investment in information technology. Investments in information systems technology can help build relationships between...

Give examples of how can information technology support a company’s business processes and decision-making, and give it a competitive advantage.

For example, Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG of Germany, a leading maker of high-end printing presses for printers and print media producers throughout the world developed the ability to monitor its equipment remotely using built-in sensors, networking microprocessors, and other information technologies. Thus they provided maintenance services in a cost-effective manner using...

How can information technology support a company’s business processes and decision-making, and give it a competitive advantage?

An information system is an organized combination of people, hardware, software, communication networks, data resources, and policies and procedures that stores, retrieves, transforms, and disseminates information in an organization. Information systems and technologies are very important aspects of successful businesses and organizations. They play a crucial role in improving the...

Considering AyaNova Service Management & Work Order Software, what kind of computer hardware and software are needed to support this type of business application?

The basic AyaNova requirements or the computer hardware and software that are required to support this system are as follows: MS Windows 2000, XP, 2003, Vista Microsoft.NET 2 Framework or higher. It is important to note that AyaNova is not compatible with Windows 95, 98, or ME. The backup process...

Explain some of the tasks in system maintenance.

Maintenance aspects: It is necessary to consider the maintenance aspect of reengineering solutions. Maintenance could be said to be the adaptation of the software product after delivery to correct faults, to get better performance or other attributes, or to adopt the process to varying environmental requirements. It is now proposed...

Describe encapsulation, give examples, and describe how it is performed.

Encapsulation is a technique for minimizing interdependencies among separately written modules by defining strict external interfaces. The external interface of a module serves as a contract between the module and its clients and thus between the designer of the module and other designers. This definition by Snyder highlights module encapsulation....

Compare and contrast two notation standards for object modeling.

Object-oriented modeling (OOM) is a practical and useful programming language that aids in modular design and programming reuse. It is based on the following characteristics: Designers define new types of objects. Operations are defined for objects. The operations thus designed are generic in form. Class definitions share common components using...

Explain how genetic programming can be used to solve problems.

Genetic programming may be used to evolve solutions to problems, and it is a way of finding an S-expression that best solves the problem. Genetic algorithms can be applied for solving number series problems since math functions are easily converted into a tree-form and vice versa. Genetic programming generates useful...

Explain how Kohonen map works.

A classic example of an unsupervised learning method is the one used in a self-organizing feature map or Kohonen map neural network. The network can learn to classify input data without being given any training information and classifications to be applied. For instance, it can cluster similar documents downloaded from...

Explain how the backpropagation algorithm works.

The backpropagation is an algorithm designed to compute the gradient of the cost function, and instead of using the simple step function, the method is about applying the sigmoid one. The method is a backward propagation of errors since its purpose is calculating “weight updates that minimize the error function...

Explain how the nearest neighbor algorithm works.

The nearest neighbor algorithm is one that employs instance-based learning – it stores the training data to use for the determination of classification for pieces of data as it encounters them. The algorithm computes the Euclidean distance between the instances to help it compare them with the training data to...

What is unsupervised learning? Give one example of unsupervised learning.

Unsupervised learning is the opposite of supervised one, and it means that the machine has only input data and no corresponding output options. It has to identify the classification criteria without any human help and provide output results. An example of an unsupervised learning method application is where data needs...

What is supervised learning? Give one example of supervised learning.

Supervised learning is about learning from pre-classified training data that consists of some training examples, and then inferring a function. The algorithm is called so because it resembles the learning processes supervised by a teacher. An example of the supervised machine learning algorithm is visual recognition, which is when a...

What is the purpose of Rete algorithm? Describe how it works.

Expert system tools use the Rete algorithm for efficiently applying many patterns or rules to objects to decrease the number of comparisons as it allows checking facts only against relevant rules. The algorithm is a search tree each path from the root node to a leaf representing “the left-hand side...

Draw three game trees, each having at least 6 plies (one ply is one level in a game tree), label +1, 0, -1 for the leaves and label all the nodes with +1, 0, -1 values using minimax search. Design three game trees in such a way that each tree demonstrates exactly one of the following cases: a. the first player has a forced win; b. the first player has a forced draw; c. the second player has a forced win.

a. The first player has a forced win. b. The first player has a forced draw. c. The second player has a forced win.

Explain alpha-beta pruning. Use examples.

Alpha-beta pruning is an altered version of the minimax algorithm, and it allows the removal of parts of the game tree that are useless to examine. With pruning, searching for a good move becomes more efficient. The main idea of alpha-beta pruning is that if one step is worse than...

Explain minimax search. Use examples.

Minimax algorithm is a basic adversarial decision-making algorithm. It is usually used in two-player games based on turns, and it aims to find the optimal next move. The assumption is the opponent’s playing rationally and trying to win the computer. A basic example is a chess play when a computer...

Explain frames in the networking context. Give one example.

Frame-based representation helps to express the idea of inheritance since frames (or nodes) are connected by relations. They can be either instance frames or class frames. They are “an object-oriented representation that can be used to build expert systems.” A frame has slots and slot values, with frame name being,...

Can machines think?

There have long been heated debates on whether machines can think, and there is still no definite answer to that question. I believe that at the current level of development, computers cannot think, and I am not sure if they will ever have the ability to do so. However, mimicking...

What should be the definitions of “intelligence” and “artificial intelligence”?

The word “intelligence” has lots of definitions, but in general, it is a mental ability for understanding, learning, reasoning, emotional knowledge, and problem-solving, which includes such functions as language, memory, attention, and perception. Artificial intelligence, on the other hand, is the simulation of human intelligence demonstrated by machines, and it...

What should managers do after IT outages and crises?

After dealing with a crisis, the authorities need to count their losses and review the IT system management strategy to avoid future problems. First, the managers need to become aware of all the damage that was dealt with by the internal and external stakeholders. The information about the causes of...

What should managers do during IT outages and crises to get things back on track?

The formula for dealing with a crisis is simple: managers have to locate the problem and eliminate it while ensuring that the organization can operate properly. The first priority is to create a command center and establish briefing sessions to fight the crisis. After that, managers should elaborate and implement...

What are some of the non-technical issues that arise during IT failures and outages?

The IT outages can cause a series of non-technical problems that may lead to severe consequences. IT failures are usually connected with customer safety issues and exposure of protected information. This is especially evident in healthcare, where the inoperability of the network system may obstruct the natural exchange of information...

What should companies do to avoid IT outages and crises?

There are various strategies to prevent IT outages and crises, both technological and procedural. The technical methods of evading the possible problems include incorporating component redundancy, alternative access methods, and extensive testing of old software to be able to support new demands. In case of a system overload, component redundancy...

What impact will each of the three branches (Sound Money, Web 3, and Open Finance) have on society? Explain which one you think is most likely to mature first, and what the key roadblocks are.

The rapid development of blockchain technology will become a catalyst for the growth of innovation in all spheres of human life, thus creating the basis for the emergence of a self-determined identity. For example, Web 3 is expected to completely change the work of social networks. Using blockchain, it will...

Describe an existing product or service that might benefit from integrating Sound Money, Web 3, or Open Finance. What would be the opportunities and costs or risks?

The integration of Instagram with Web 3 is likely to benefit this product by providing the opportunity to strengthen privacy and regulate advertising. The key problem is that Instagram users see what companies want them to observe since the way of advertising seems to be flawed. Today, a rapidly developing...

What are the outcomes of adopting crypto by governments in the future?

When the states begin to accumulate bitcoins in their foreign currency reserves, significant changes will occur. Bitcoin’s market capitalization is still too small to be considered an asset suitable for these purposes. The emergence of the first state to officially add bitcoin to its reserves is likely to encourage other...

What is crypto tokenization’s impact on clarifying rights and assets?

Active digitalization not only transformed payment systems into a new dimension but also made it possible to digitize the various assets and rights that are associated with them, which is called tokenization. One can tokenize stocks, fiat currencies, real estate, et cetera, and this phenomenon is a bridge between cryptocurrency...

Think about the data that different companies (tech or non-tech) have about you, personally. Imagine all of this information was leaked to the web due to security flaws. In this scenario, if you could have gone back in time, what are the top 5 recommendations would you make to the companies to ensure such information stayed private?

If any company lost my personal information, I would face some unpleasant aspects of such an incident. In particular, I would have to change all of my individual access codes, although I do not store any compromising information. Given that companies have access to only working information, I would not...

What do you think are the 5 strongest points made by the article “Why Privacy Matters Even if You Have ‘Nothing to Hide'” by Solove? Describe each in 3 sentences.

One of the strongest points of the article by Solove is quoting. For instance, the author cites Henry James and mentions the significance of the protection of personal data. Links to various publications and online resources are also valuable. Another strong point is the systematization of the presented problems. Solove...

In the case “The iPremier Company: Denial of Service Attack” by Applegate, how well did the luxury goods retailer perform during the attack? What should they have done differently, before or during the event? What should they do in the aftermath of the event? What, if anything, should they say to customers, investors, and the public about what has happened?

In the case proposed by Applegate, the retailer working with luxury goods performed well when responding to the attack. The analysis of firewall security was the step that contributed to the subsequent enhanced protection and response. However, initially, the company’s management should have paid more attention to information security issues....

Describe evidence that Internet addiction exists based on your personal experience followed by a summary of expert opinion offered in our text. In that context, discuss factors that contribute to Internet addiction.

Nowadays, the vast majority of people utilize various information technologies to access the Internet on a daily basis. Whereas the Internet can be used for a great variety of practical purposes, including work and education, many individuals spend an excessive amount of time online. Many also have a lack of...

In your own words, describe early milestones in information storage and retrieval, beginning with the Greek alphabet and proceeding to the advent of Ted Nelson’s creation of the hypertext system.

In antiquity, information was passed from one person and one community to another mostly orally. However, the situation had changed with the invention of alphabets and writing systems, which marked the development of information storage and retrieval. Libraries became the first places to store information and comprised a large number...

How useful is geothermal energy? Give reason for your answer.

Geothermal energy is the energy that is stored as heat under the solid surface of earth. Though the energy released from a volcanic cannot be controlled and collected, scientists have formulated methods to tap this energy. This heat can be collected from rare places from the earth’s crust in the...

Identify one recent innovation. Explain how the innovations used knowledge to apply tools, materials, processes, and techniques to come up with new solutions to problems.

An example of one recent innovation is the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in medicine for the detection of illnesses and the analysis of data. This innovation uses the existing body of knowledge developed by scientists and researches regarding a variety of illnesses and conditions, including rare cases that can...

How can the product process development be optimized through learning from each project?

Every project undertaken is an opportunity to learn and improve on some specified areas. Close monitoring should be executed throughout all projects, and after completion, evaluation should be done to identify areas of improvement. This approach mimics the product development process. Normally, products undergo a development cycle whereby they are...

Give a rundown of key challenges for Santa Cruz Bicycles.

In the case of SCB, software implementation was not the key challenge. Change management is understood as the process of “renewing an organization’s direction, structure, and capabilities to serve the ever-changing needs of customers,” and together, all initiatives from the case meet this definition (Hornstein, 2015, p. 294). Basically, the...

Represent factors of Santa Cruz Bicycles’ success.

Firstly, many of these factors are directly linked to the implementation of the PLM system. It provided the team with new opportunities, including the reduced time needed to run one model and analyze its weaknesses. Due to new software, the team did not need to spend more than a few...

Describe Santa Cruz Bicycles company and its innovations.

Santa Cruz Bicycles (SCB) managed to put innovative approaches to process management into work in a successful manner due to new prototyping tools. The case does not present sufficient details concerning the implementation of the new system. However, based on what is known, the team’s ability to increase the speed...

Describe the implementation of the PLM system and new simulation technologies.

The implementation of the PLM system and new simulation technologies can be understood as a radical transformation defines as the actions involving fundamental changes in the way of conducting business (Inigo, Albareda, & Ritala, 2017). It is because the listed innovations are not linked to local changes, such as improvements...

Describe monitoring a website’s traffic as a way to understand a company’s target customers.

Websites and social media accounts are gradually becoming the key source of information about products and services. Therefore, monitoring a website’s traffic is among the ways to better understand a company’s target customers, their needs, intentions, and factors that change their opinions concerning products (Ghaleb, 2015). Alice Chou is likely...

What are some of the inputs to smartphone devices (what is inside them)?

The primary input devices for smartphones include touch-screen interfaces, microphones, Bluetooth modules, cameras, and fingerprint scanners. All of these devices are located inside of the smartphone and are used to provide input into the phone in order to receive specific output from the device. Touch-screen interface provides the majority of...

Does the Tucson data mining project inappropriately violate the privacy of Internet users? Or is it an acceptable tradeoff to more intelligently combat terrorism? Please explain why you think so.

I think the Tucson data mining project inappropriately violates the privacy of internet users. The new technology cannot combat terrorism effectively due to the everyday evolution of technology, and many people communicate through pseudonyms or anonymous names, and it can be difficult to find the exact accurate information of an...

List five events that would cause the registry to automatically change.

The concept of a registry is an essential part of an operating system due to the fact that it stores and references small pieces of information, which are critical for the proper functioning of the OS. The system registry, or the Windows registry, is a database for storing the operating...

How does the Internet benefit the development of a global information system? Should all global systems be based on the Internet?

The Internet benefits the establishment of a global information system because this technology, unlike other means of communication, provides instant access to information in the forms of text, audio, images, video, and even software. Hence, the business communication and management of processes becomes easier, and coordination of work between different...

What steps should you take to develop an international information systems architecture?

In order to develop an international information system architecture, one must consider the specifics of the business operations, the global strategy, and the applicability of the technology in different countries where this business will operate. Firstly, it is necessary to assess the countries where a company operates and their access...

Why is performing a technology assessment or gap analysis before deploying a HIS application important, and how can this mitigate future system problems or crashes?

A technology assessment or gap analysis is a common practice before the deployment of the HIS application, and it is important as it check the accuracy and acceptability of all technology areas to support the HIS indoctrination. Effectively implemented HIS programs on the base of appropriate areas are characterized by...

Discuss the pros and cons of using application integration versus application interfaces.

The use of application integration instead of application interfaces is highly beneficial as there is no need to create applications discretely and maintain interfaces. All essential information from integrated applications is saved in “the same shared data repository.” The potential disadvantage of application integration is its extremely fast update and...

Is the cell phone a disruptive technology? If so, to what?

Phone technology is, to a large extent, a disruptive technology. Increasingly, phone technology has changed the people use a phone and provided a new channel through which marketers approach the market. Different phone applications have been developed in the recent past that enables the use of the phone as a...

Potential employers of engineers and others are now using social websites and posting (like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc.) to check on the character and other non-technical aspects of potential employees, in your opinion is this practice ethical? Should that information be deemed private or public as it relates to potential employment? Be sure to support your argument with published examples of your point of view.

Social websites enable people to express their opinions regarding various social, political and economic issues. They offer platforms for people to interact with friends, family members and strangers. The information available on a personal website can tell others about the personality of the owner. Therefore, employers should use these websites...

Is there an ethical obligation to ensure that the information you post on your personal website(s) is accurate and true? Or is it up to the Web user to be discriminating and to realize that some material might not be accurate?

Social websites like Facebook and Twitter allow users to post, read and share information regarding politics, economy, religion, sports, nature, and celebrities. However, sometimes the information individuals post on their personal websites may not be accurate. People should take responsibility for what happens on their personal websites to ensure they...

Discuss what you consider to be the 3 most negative impacts of computers and related software on society and the human condition. Make sure you also indicate what you think is the most effective way to counteract these negative effects. Also indicate why your proposed solution to counteract these negative effects has not been implemented.

Computers have led to the introduction of the internet, and this has enabled people to communicate efficiently. However, social sites have limited the physical interaction of people because they do not see the need to visit others, yet they can communicate through the internet. Human relations like family ties have...

Based on the discussion about technological optimism and pessimism discuss a fictional example of a technology that clearly has both technological optimism and pessimism attributes. Please be sure to describe the technology, the benefits and concerns. Also please note whether you believe you are a technological optimist or pessimist.

Technology has revolutionized the production of goods and services to ensure people live happily. The need to use modern technology has enabled people to save time, energy and get quality products and services. This discussion explores the future and impacts of cloning on modern societies. This is the production of...

What is a groupware application? Have you ever used groupware in your work place?

A groupware application, also known as collaborative software, can be defined as the application software, which is supposed to be used as a key tool for pursuing a particular goal as a team. According to the existing studies, “software projects are inherently co-operative.” Therefore, collaborative software facilitates efficient cooperation between...

Augmented reality applications may reach the level of sophistication where we observe almost everything through the screen of our smartphones to receive an “enhanced” experience. Do you view this as a positive development or a problem?

Augmented reality (AR) or hyperreality is a positive development in the modern technological age. It is a product that benefits both consumers and advertisers. Marketers can collect data and understand consumers, directly gaining their attention on mobile devices. Meanwhile, consumers can view products in the AR to have a better...

Outsourcing has become the standard operating procedure for many U.S. government projects. However, the failure rate of these projects is high. For example, the Secure Border Initiative (SBinet), Affordable Health Care Act Exchange websites, and other projects have suffered failures leading to the complete termination of the project or a need to bring in another contractor to finish the work. These options increase costs for work that would have been done correctly if the project had been well managed in the first place. Using examples, identify and explain the problems that emerge from a project when the government allows the contractor to determine scope, manage all contractor relations, and decide how to share project status information with oversight bodies.

With the need to provide high-quality care to customers and decrease the costs of this provision, outsourcing has become one of the key solutions to these issues. However, due to the lack of control and additional disruptions, projects tend to have a greater likelihood of failing. Information Technology outsourcing is...

What presentational media can you use to enhance an oral presentation, other than Microsoft® PowerPoint®? What would stop you from using other types of media for presentations?

Other than PowerPoint, there are media that may be used to enhance an oral presentation. This may include dramatization, the use of videos, use of charts, and other pictorials. Video provokes emotional reactions and reduces boredom. Media choice is majorly influenced by the prior skills in the usage of a...

Why are Microsoft® PowerPoint® and other computer-aided media becoming dominant in oral presentations? Does this make for a better presentation? Why or why not?

Microsoft PowerPoint and other computer-aided media are becoming dominant due to their efficiency and portability. They offer an opportunity to present information or idea both orally and visually simultaneously. They are highly portable since volumes of presentations may easily be carried in an external storage device. They can be easily...

Describe the characteristics of a digital firm.

Chatterjee described a digital firm as an enterprise that managed business relationships with clients, suppliers, and staff digitally. Characteristics of these firms included participation in the value webs with the aim of delivering their services and goods, digitalized relationships with their staff, clients, and suppliers, the digital performance of business...

How has networked communication affected the way texts are produced, understood, interacted with and circulated? How are we involved in the construction of texts and their contexts, and how has this been affected by digital formats and social networking sites such as YouTube, Facebook, Tumblr etc?

What is the interactive audience? One may ask. It is not completely independent but still eminent in major media houses. Instead of it being a mere spectator, new media technologies should work tirelessly to enhance interaction between the media consumers and the production. This participatory culture should be advanced to...

Describe what is meant by the term “IP convergence.”

Data that can be found over the Internet are controlled by certain protocols. The set of protocols is called the Internet Protocol (IP). These protocols are essential for the Internet to work as they provide computers with a possibility to communicate in the network. IP convergence is the ability of...

How does computer networking works?

There are some components that a computer network requires to function; among them are the following “a server, or client workstation, an operating system (like Windows NT), some sort of cabling and a network interface card.” Computers can share information and resources through the network.

Describe the key functions of system software.

There are three key functions of system software. First and foremost, the software manages the operations on the computer. Furthermore, it provides better and easy operation. In addition, it helps to copy, delete, and store the information.