Systems Material (Back to Basics)

Q1. Difference between Data and Information.

Data

● Is a raw and unorganized fact that is required to be processed to make it

meaningful.
● Data can be simple at the same time unorganized unless it is organized.
Generally, data comprises facts, observations, perceptions numbers, characters,
symbols, images, etc.
● Data is always interpreted, by a human or machine, to derive meaning. So, data
is meaningless. Data contains numbers, statements, and characters in a raw
form.

Information

● Is a set of data which is processed in a meaningful way according to the given

requirement. Information is processed, structured, or presented in a given
context to make it meaningful and useful.
● It is processed data which includes data that possess context, relevance, and
purpose. It also involves manipulation of raw data.
● Information assigns meaning and improves the reliability of the data. It helps to
ensure undesirability and reduces uncertainty. So, when the data is transformed
into information, it never has any useless details.

Q2. Difference between Information Technology and Information Systems.

Information System is a large umbrella referring to systems designed to create, store,
manipulate, or disseminate information. However, Information Technology deals with
Information processing, storage, and transmission. IT, in particular, is computer
technology.

Both information technology and information systems deal with computer-based

systems to an extent, but require different education and training. Think of information
technology as a subset of information systems—while IS covers the set of information
as a whole, IT refers specifically to the technology aspect within that system. The field
of information systems works as the bridge between technology and people, whereas
information technology focuses on helping them utilize and make sense of that system.
The two disciplines are related, but have distinct sets of learnings and career paths.

Q3. Different types of software.

Software - Software is a set of instructions or programs written by
programmers/developers on various languages for computer to perform some specific
task

Software is often divided into two categories.

1 ) System Software - It is a base for application software which is responsible for

managing hardware.

In other words we can say that system software is an intermediary between user and
hardware. system software is also known as Operating System

Example - MS-Windows, UNIX, Linux, Sun Solaris

2) Application Software - or simply applications, are often called productivity programs

or end-user programs because they enable the user to complete tasks, such as creating
documents, spreadsheets, databases and publications, doing online research, sending
email, designing graphics, running businesses, and even playing games! Application
software is specific to the task it is designed for and can be as simple as a calculator
application or as complex as a word processing application.

Q4. Emerging Technologies :

1) Network Computing: Network computing refers to the use of computers and

other devices in a linked network, rather than as unconnected, stand-alone
devices. As computing technology has progressed during the last few decades,
network computing has become more frequent, especially with the creation of
cheap and relatively simple consumer products such as wireless routers, which
turn the typical home computer setup into a local area network.

More recent developments have made network computing more sophisticated.

One is the process of network virtualization, where hardware networks may be
logically partitioned. Another is cloud computing, where the shared network
resources can be located remotely for greater data security.

2) Cloud Computing: cloud computing is the delivery of computing services—

including servers, storage, databases, networking, software, analytics, and
intelligence—over the Internet (“the cloud”) to offer faster innovation, flexible
resources, and economies of scale. You typically pay only for cloud services you
use, helping lower your operating costs, run your infrastructure more efficiently
and scale as your business needs change
Top benefits of cloud computing:Cloud computing is a big shift from the
traditional way businesses think about IT resources. Here are seven common
reasons organisations are turning to cloud computing services.
a) Cost- Cloud computing eliminates the capital expense of buying hardware
and software and setting up and running on-site datacenters—the racks of
servers, the round-the-clock electricity for power and cooling, the IT
experts for managing the infrastructure. It adds up fast.

b) Speed- Most cloud computing services are provided self service and on
demand, so even vast amounts of computing resources can be
provisioned in minutes, typically with just a few mouse clicks, giving
businesses a lot of flexibility and taking the pressure off capacity planning.

c) Global scale- The benefits of cloud computing services include the ability
to scale elastically. In cloud speak, that means delivering the right amount
 of IT resources—for example, more or less computing power, storage,
bandwidth—right when it is needed and from the right geographic location.

d) Productivity- On-site data centers typically require a lot of “racking and

stacking”—hardware setup, software patching, and other time-consuming
IT management chores. Cloud computing removes the need for many of
these tasks, so IT teams can spend time on achieving more important
business goals.

e) Performance- The biggest cloud computing services run on a worldwide

network of secure data centers, which are regularly upgraded to the latest
generation of fast and efficient computing hardware. This offers several
benefits over a single corporate datacenter, including reduced network
latency for applications and greater economies of scale.

f) Reliability- Cloud computing makes data backup, disaster recovery and

business continuity easier and less expensive because data can be
mirrored at multiple redundant sites on the cloud provider’s network.

g) Security- Many cloud providers offer a broad set of policies, technologies

and controls that strengthen your security posture overall, helping protect
your data, apps and infrastructure from potential threats.

3) SaaS- Software as a service (SaaS) allows users to connect to and use cloud-
based apps over the Internet. Common examples are email, calendaring and
office tools (such as Microsoft Office 365).

SaaS provides a complete software solution which you purchase on a pay-as-

you-go basis from a cloud service provider. You rent the use of an app for your
organisation and your users connect to it over the Internet, usually with a web
browser. All of the underlying infrastructure, middleware, app software and app
data are located in the service provider’s data center. The service provider
manages the hardware and software and with the appropriate service
agreement, will ensure the availability and the security of the app and your data
as well. SaaS allows your organisation to get quickly up and running with an app
at minimal upfront cost.

Advantages of SaaS:
 ● Gain access to sophisticated applications. To provide SaaS apps to users,
you don’t need to purchase, install, update or maintain any hardware,
middleware or software. SaaS makes even sophisticated enterprise applications,
such as ERP and CRM, affordable for organisations that lack the resources to
buy, deploy and manage the required infrastructure and software themselves.
● Pay only for what you use. You also save money because the SaaS service
automatically scales up and down according to the level of usage.
● Use free client software. Users can run most SaaS apps directly from their web
browser without needing to download and install any software, although some
apps require plugins. This means that you don’t need to purchase and install
special software for your users.
● Mobilise your workforce easily. SaaS makes it easy to “mobilise” your
workforce because users can access SaaS apps and data from any Internet-
connected computer or mobile device. You don’t need to worry about developing
apps to run on different types of computers and devices because the service
provider has already done so. In addition, you don’t need to bring special
expertise onboard to manage the security issues inherent in mobile computing. A
carefully chosen service provider will ensure the security of your data, regardless
of the type of device consuming it.
● Access app data from anywhere. With data stored in the cloud, users can
access their information from any Internet-connected computer or mobile device.
And when app data is stored in the cloud, no data is lost if a user’s computer or
device fails.

Q5. What are Business Processes?

A business process is a series of steps performed by a group of stakeholders to achieve
a concrete goal. Each step in a business process denotes a task that is assigned to a
participant. It is the fundamental building block for several related ideas such as
business process management, process automation, etc.
 The 7 steps of the business process lifecycle:
● Step 1: Define your goalsWhat is the purpose of the process? Why was it
created? How will you know if it is successful?
● Step 2: Plan and map your process.What are the strategies needed to
achieve the goals? This is the broad roadmap for the process.
● Step 3: Set actions and assign stakeholders.Identify the individual tasks
your teams and machines need to do in order to execute the plan.
● Step 4: Test the process.Run the process on a small scale to see how it
performs. Observe any gaps and make adjustments.Step 5: Implement
the process.Start running the process in a live environment. Properly
communicate and train all stakeholders.
● Step 6: Monitor the results.Review the process and analyze its patterns.
Document the process history.
● Step 7: Repeat If the process is able to achieve the goals set for it,
replicate it for future processes.

Benefits of using business process software:

BPM solutions are uniquely designed to boost efficiency of processes across verticals
and organizations. Implementing them brings a host of business benefits such as:

● Reduction of risks- BPM software helps prevent and fix errors and bottlenecks
thereby minimizing risks.
 ● Elimination of redundancies- Monitoring processes allows for identification and
elimination of duplicated tasks. Implementing BPM software also enhances
resource allocation to ensure human effort is invested only in relevant tasks.
● Minimized costs- Improved visibility into processes helps zero in on wasteful
expenditure. This way costs are kept to a minimum and savings are boosted.

● Improved collaboration- Transparency fostered by BPM software boosts

collaboration between internal teams as well as external vendors and buyers.
Everyone is aware of responsibilities as well as timelines and bottlenecks.

● Agility- Optimized processes enable greater agility in organizational operations.

Minimized errors, bottlenecks, and duplication facilitate quicker turnaround times.

● Improved productivity- When processes are shipshape, approvals are faster

and information retrieval is easier. Tasks are routed sequentially without human
intervention. These benefits significantly boost productivity of teams.

● Higher efficiency- Comprehensive dashboards in BPM software provide bird’s-

eye view of process performance. It helps managers ensure that turnaround
times are short and accuracy levels are high.

● Higher compliance- With BPM software, it’s easier and more methodical to
create audit trails and comply with industry regulations and standards.

Q6. What is the role of a Business Analyst in an IT company?

Business analysts (BAs) are responsible for bridging the gap between IT and the
business to assess processes, determine requirements and deliver data-driven
recommendations and reports to executives and stakeholders.

● The analyst works with the business to identify opportunities for improvement in
business operations and processes
● The analyst is involved in the design or modification of business systems or IT
systems
● The analyst interacts with the business stakeholders and subject matter experts in
order to understand their problems and needs
● The analyst gathers, documents, and analyzes business needs and requirements
● The analyst solves business problems and, as needed, designs technical solutions
● The analyst documents the functional and, sometimes, technical design of the
system
● The analyst interacts with system architects and developers to ensure the system
is properly implemented
● The analyst may help test the system and create system documentation and user
manuals

Q7. What are Digital Enterprises?

A Digital Enterprise is a business that has completed a digitalization strategy (aka,

digital transformation) to fully incorporate digital tools and technologies across all
aspects of their operations, from ideation thru realization to utilization.
A digital enterprise is an organization that uses technology as a competitive advantage
in its internal and external operations. As information technology (IT) has reshaped the
infrastructure and operations of enterprises, digital enterprise has taken on different
meanings.
This results in an organization that is able to leverage technology in support of its
overall mission in a way that makes it:
● More competitive
● More economically efficient
● More capable of dynamically adapting to new competitors and to shifts in the
market
Q8. What are Impact and Non-Impact printers?
An impact printer creates an image on paper by striking the paper with a metal, plastic
or rubber impression tool; examples, typewriter, dot matrix printer, letterpress or rubber
stamp.

A non-impact printer creates an image on paper by spraying ink on the paper (inkjet),
electrostatic transfer (laser printer or copier) or offset printing transferring the image to
paper from a rubber blanket. Mimeograph and hectograph may also be considered non-
impact printing as they create an image on a stencil or gelatin plate before transferring
the image to paper.
Impact Printers:
It is a type of printer that works by direct contact of an ink ribbon with paper. These
printers are typically loud but remain in use today because of their unique ability to
function with multipart forms. An impact printer has mechanisms resembling those of a
typewriter.
Example of Impact Printers, Dot-matrix printers, Daisy-wheel printers, and line printers.
Non-Impact Printers:
It is a type of printer that does not hit or impact a ribbon to print. They used laser,
xerographic, electrostatic, chemical and inkjet technologies. Non-impact printers are
generally much quieter. They are less likely to need maintenance or repairs than earlier
impact printers.
Example of Non-Impact Printers is Inkjet printers and Laser printers.

Q9. What is a Database

and DBMS?
A database is a collection of
information that is
organized so that it can be
easily accessed, managed
and updated. Most databases contain multiple tables, which may each include several
different fields. For example, a company database may include tables for products,
employees, and financial records.

Database Management System (DBMS) is a software for storing and retrieving users'
data while considering appropriate security measures. It consists of a group of
programs which manipulate the database. In large systems, a DBMS helps users and
other third-party software to store and retrieve data.

DBMS allows users to create their own databases as per their requirement. The term
“DBMS” includes the user of the database and other application programs. It provides
an interface between the data and the software application.

Examples of DBMS softwares: MySQL, Microsoft Access, Oracle, PostgreSQL, dBASE,

FoxPro, SQLite, IBM DB2, MariaDB, Microsoft SQL Server etc.

Q10. What is SEO and SEM?

SEO (search engine optimization) refers to the practice of refining your website to

make it perform better in search engines like Google.

SEM (search engine marketing) refers to marketing activities involving search

engines, like SEO and pay-per-click (PPC), local listings on search engines, and more.

● SEM, which uses PAID strategies to appear in search

● SEO, which uses ORGANIC strategies to appear in search

SEO SEM

Traffic Cost Free Typically paid

Marketing Type Inbound Outbound and Inbound

Time To Results Long term Short and long term

Included Channels SEO PPC, SEO, Display, Local

& more

Targeting No Yes