Information Systems A Managers Guide To Harnessing Technology Version 7.0 1st Edition John Gallaugher - Solutions

What is meant by "data relevance"?
Is data a source of competitive advantage? Describe situations in which data might be a source for sustainable competitive advantage. When might data not yield sustainable advantage?
What is the difference between a canned report and ad hoc reporting?
What factors are leading to the new explosion in machine learning now used by organizations and making its way into consumer products? Research firms that provide low-cost access to machine learning tools and give examples of products and services developed using these technologies.
Which supplier metrics does Retail Link gather and report? How is this valuable to Walmart and suppliers?
Why does it take longer, and require more processing power, to analyze sales trends by region and product, as opposed to posting a sales transaction?
What is meant by "data governance"?
Are advantages based on analytics and modeling potentially sustainable? Why or why not?
How do reports created by OLAP differ from most conventional reports?
Do any of the products that you use leverage artificial intelligence? What kinds of AI might be used in Netflix's movie recommendation system, Apple's iTunes Genius playlist builder, or Amazon's website personalization? What kind of AI might help a physician make a diagnosis or help an engineer
Research to find additional examples of organizations that made bad decisions based on bad data. Report your examples to your class, and tweet links to the most interesting examples to #BizTechBook. What was the end result of the examples you're citing (e.g., loss, damage, or other outcome)? What
Name the technology that Walmart requires partners to use to track and coordinate inventory. Do you know of other uses for this technology?
What is the difference between a data mart and a data warehouse?
Think about the amount of data that is collected about you every day. Make a list of various technologies and information systems you engage with and the organizations that use these technologies, systems, and services to learn more about you. Does this information serve you better as a consumer?
List the key areas where businesses are leveraging data mining.
Research business applications of machine learning and come to class prepared to discuss new developments, organizations using this technology, and their current plus potential long-term impact.
What steps has Walmart taken to protect its data from competitors?
Why is an understanding of database terms and technologies important, even for nontechnical managers and staff? Consider factors associated with both system use and system development. What other skills, beyond technology, may be important when engaged in data-driven decision- making?
Why are data marts and data warehouses necessary? Why can't an organization simply query its transactional database?
What role do technology and timing play in realizing advantages from the data asset?
What is market basket analysis?
Are you excited about the future of machine learning? Frightened? Why? How might these technologies create social change and spawn new business opportunities?
Research Walmart's current e-commerce efforts as compared to Amazon and other rivals. Do you think Walmart will catch Amazon? Does it need to? What advantages does Walmart enjoy by blending retail stores with e-commerce efforts?
List the criticisms leveled at Walmart. Do you think these critiques are valid or not? What can Walmart do to counteract this criticism? Should it take these steps? Why or why not?
How can something as simple as customer gender be difficult for a large organization to establish in a data warehouse?
What is customer churn?
What do you think about dynamic pricing? Is it good or bad for consumers? Is it good or bad for businesses? Explain your answer.
What ethical issues are created through public data-sharing sites like GEDmatch? List the positives and negatives. Do you feel sharing your personal data should be regulated? Why or why not? Could loopholes be plugged by preventing this data from being used in hiring, insurance, or other contexts?
What is Hadoop? Why would a firm use Hadoop instead of conventional data warehousing and data mart technologies?
For data mining to work, what two critical data-related conditions must be present?
Have you visited a retailer or other venue using iBeacons? If so, describe your experience. If not, research the technology and come to class prepared to discuss its implications for collecting data and for driving consumer actions.
Research the current state of "Big Data" analysis. Identify major firms leveraging Hadoop or similar technologies and share high-impact examples with your classmates and professor.
Discuss occurrences of model failure caused by missing or incomplete historical data.
Research firms that are effectively using analytics, "big data," or machine learning for competitive advantage. Share interesting examples with your class and tweet links to the #BizTechBook hashtag. Do you think such tools are only available to large firms, or can smaller firms benefit, too?
Think about examples where "Big Data" seems to have been used to target you or improve your experience with a firm or organization. Research the effort online to see if you can uncover any details. How does this make you feel on the spectrum spanning from "great service" to "creeped out"?
Why do researchers think Google's flu predictions became less accurate over time? How does this inform managerial caution on business intelligence projects? How can one avoid making similar errors?
Discuss Tesco's response to their discovery that "milk loaf" was a money-losing product.
List the three critical skills a competent business analytics team should possess.
One of the most popular analytics tools is a product called Tableau. Fortunately, the folks at Tableau allow college students to download a free version. A small exercise has been prepared for any students with access to a Mac or PC that they can install software on. Visit
Find the Web page for your school's information systems department. What is the URL that gets you to this page? Label the host name, domain name, path, and file for this URL. Are there additional subdomains? If so, indicate them, as well.
How can the Internet consist of networks of such physically different transmission media-cable, fiber, and wireless?
Research online for the latest country rankings for broadband service. Where does the United States currently rank? Why?
Go to a registrar and see if someone has registered your first or last name as a domain name. If so, what's hosted at that domain? If not, would you consider registering your name as a domain name? Why or why not?
What is the difference between TCP and UDP? Why would you use one over the other?
Which broadband providers can service your home? Which would you choose? Why?
Investigate cases of domain name disputes. Examine a case that you find especially interesting. Who were the parties involved? How was the issue resolved? Do you agree with the decision?
Would you recommend a VoIP phone system to your firm or university? Why or why not? What are the advantages? What are the disadvantages? Can you think of possible concerns or benefits not mentioned in this section? Research these concerns online and share your finding with your instructor.
Research the status of Google Fiber. Report updated findings to your class. Why do you suppose Google decided to become an ISP? What other Internet access experiments has the firm been involved in?
Describe how the DNS is fault-tolerant and promotes load balancing. Give examples of other types of information systems that might need to be fault-tolerant and offer load balancing. Why?
What are the risks in the kinds of automated trading systems described in this section? Conduct research and find an example of where these systems have caused problems for firms and/or the broader market. What can be done to prevent such problems? Whose responsibility is this?
Show your understanding of the economics and competitive forces of the telecom industry. Discuss why Verizon chose to go with fiber. Do you think this was a wise decision or not? Why? Feel free to do additional research to back up your argument.
Research DNS poisoning online. List a case, other than the one mentioned in this chapter, where DNS poisoning took place. Which network was poisoned, who were the victims, and how did hackers exploit the poisoned system? Could this exploit have been stopped? How? Whose responsibility is it to stop
Search the Internet for a traceroute tool, or look online to figure out how to use the traceroute command built into your PC. Run three or more traceroutes to different firms at different locations around the world. List the number of ISPs that show up in the trace. Circle the areas where peering
Why have other nations enjoyed faster broadband speeds, greater availability, and lower prices?
Why is the switch from IPv4 to IPv6 so difficult? What key principles, discussed in prior chapters, are slowing migration to the new standard?
Find out if your school or employer is an Internet2 member. If it is, run traceroutes to schools that are and are not members of Internet2. What differences do you see in the results?
The iPhone and other smartphones have been called both a blessing and a curse for AT&T. Why do you suppose this is so?
Test to see if networks that you frequently use (home, school, work, mobile) are ready for IPv6 by visiting http://test-ipv6.com/ (or a similar site). Search online to see if your service provider has posted details outlining their IPv6 transition strategy and be prepared to share your results with
Research high-frequency trading and flash crash incidents. Are there any recent developments that managers should be aware of? Do you feel there is enough being done to curtail risks associated with HFT? Why or why not? Come to class prepared to discuss pros and cons, as well as any interesting
Investigate the status of mobile wireless offerings available in your area. Which firm would you choose? Why? Which factors are most important in your decision?
Have you ever lost communication access-wirelessly or via wired connection? What caused the loss or outage?
What factors shape the profitability of the mobile wireless provider industry? How do these economics compare with the cable and wire line industry? Who are the major players, and which would you invest in? Why?
Last-mile providers often advertise very fast speeds, but users rarely see speeds as high as advertised rates. Search online to find a network speed test and try it from your home, office, mobile device, or dorm. How fast is the network? If you're able to test from home, what bandwidth rates does
What's the difference between LEO satellite systems and the type of system used by O3b and SpaceX? What are the pros and cons of these efforts? Conduct some additional research. What is the status of O3b and other satellite broadband efforts?
What advantages could broadband offer to underserved areas of the world? Is Internet access important for economic development? Why or why not?
Does your carrier offer a femtocell? Would you use one? Why or why not?
Be prepared to debate the issue of Net neutrality in class. Prepare positions both supporting and opposing Net neutrality. Which do you support and why?
Investigate the current status of Net neutrality regulations in your state and nation and report your findings to your instructor. Do you agree with the stance currently taken by your government? Why or why not?
Consider your own personal password regime and correct any weaknesses. Share any additional password management tips and techniques with your class.
Visit the security page for your ISP, school, or employer. What techniques do they advocate that we've discussed here? Are there any additional techniques mentioned and discussed? What additional provisions do they offer (tools, services) to help keep you informed and secure?
The data breaches at Equifax and Target Corporation are among the largest ever in US history. Were you impacted by this breach (or any other)? How did you find out about the breach? Did you take action as a result? Research and report the estimated costs associated with this breach. Has the theft
What is a botnet? What sorts of exploits would use a botnet? Why would a botnet be useful to cybercriminals?
Why is it a bad idea to use variants of existing passwords when registering for new websites?
What sorts of security regimes are in use at your university, and at firms you've worked or interned for? If you don't have experience with this, ask a friend or relative for their professional experiences. Do you consider these measures to be too restrictive, too lax, or about right?
What factors were responsible for the Target and Equifax breaches? Who should have been responsible for these breaches? How do you think the firms could have prevented the attacks, and what should they do in the future to heighten security and win back customer trust?
Why are threats to the power grid potentially so concerning? What are the implications of power grid failure and of property damage? Who might execute these kinds of attacks? What are the implications for firms and governments planning for the possibility of cyberwarfare and cyberterror?
Relate an example of social engineering that you've experienced or heard of. How might the victim have avoided being compromised?
While we've discussed the risks in having security that is too lax, what risk does a firm run if its security mechanisms are especially strict? What might a firm give up? What are the consequences of strict end-user security provisions?
As individuals or in groups assigned by your instructor, search online for recent reports on information security breaches. Come to class prepared to discuss a breach you've researched, its potential impact, and how it might have been avoided. What should the key takeaways be for managers studying
Scan the trade press for examples of hacking that apply to the various motivations mentioned in this chapter. What happened to the hacker? Were they caught? What penalties do they face?
Have you ever seen phishing exploits? Have you fallen for one? Why did you take the bait, or what alerted you to the scam? How can you identify phishing scams?
What risks does a firm face by leaving software unpatched? What risks does it face if it deploys patches as soon as they emerge? How should a firm reconcile these risks?
Think of firms that you've done business with online. Search to see if these firms have experienced security breaches in the past. What have you found out? Does this change your attitude about dealing with the firm? Why or why not?
Why do cybercriminals execute attacks across national borders? What are the implications for pursuit, prosecution, and law enforcement?
Have you or has anyone you know fallen victim to malware? Relate the experience-how do you suppose it happened? What damage was done? What, if anything, could be done to recover from the situation?
What methods do firms use to ensure the integrity of their software, their hardware, their networks, and their partners?
Why do law enforcement agencies struggle to cope with computer crime?
Why are social media sites such a threat to information security? Give various potential scenarios where social media use might create personal or organizational security compromises.
An organization's password management system represents "the keys to the city." Describe personnel issues that a firm should be concerned with regarding password administration. How might it address these concerns?
A single rogue employee effectively held the city of San Francisco's network hostage for ten days. What processes or controls might the city have created that could have prevented this kind of situation from taking place?
Some users regularly update their passwords by adding a number (say month or year) to their code. Why is this bad practice?
Research recent revelations on the extent of government data surveillance. What concerns do government surveillance raise for the computer security of individuals and corporations? Do you believe that there are adequate safeguards to prevent abuse? As a citizen and manager, what changes (if any)
What are some of the factors that must be considered when evaluating the cost of an IT decision?
Free doesn't always win. Why might a firm turn down free software in favor of a commercial alternative?
Name three companies that are players in the virtualization software industry.
The website NetCraft (http://www.netcraft.com) is one of many that provide a tool to see the kind of operating system and Web server software that a given site is running. Visit NetCraft or a similar site and enter the address of some of your favorite websites. How many run open source products
Research the role of 3D printers. Is this a disruptive technology? Which firms will be hurt as 3D printers advance? Which organizations will benefit from this transition? What advice do you have for firms that operate on a path that will be impacted by 3D printing?
In what other ways do Amazon's information systems reduce errors? Why is error reduction so critical to firm performance?
Describe the ways that Amazon has expanded its "last mile" delivery network. Act as an investor or stock analyst and research online to get a sense of the size of the delivery market, the savings Amazon may gain, and the potential for additional revenue that Amazon might earn by expanding these
Are any aspects of Amazon's various grocery models appealing to you? Are there demographic trends in the US that might influence the rise of alternative models to conventional store shopping for others? List them, and also list any factors that might prompt you not to use an Amazon-powered grocery

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Information Systems A Managers Guide To Harnessing Technology Version 7.0 1st Edition John Gallaugher - Solutions

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