Deck 13: Information Technology for Business

Question 1

In a client-server network, the client is typically a customer or supplier.

Answer 1

False
Explanation:The clients are usually the laptop or desktop computers through which users make requests for information or resources.

Question 2

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) may allow a firm to check on the status of any customer order for specific products.

Answer 2

True
Explanation:ERP systems organize and manage a firm's activities across product lines, departments, and geographic locations.

Question 3

System software tells the computer's hardware how to interact with the software, what resources to use, and how to use them.

Answer 3

True
Explanation:An example of system software is Microsoft Windows 7 for PCs, which tells the computer's hardware how to interact with the software.

Question 4

Microsoft Excel and Adobe Photoshop are examples of groupware.

Question 5

Hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) is a basic communications protocol used to receive e-mail.

Question 6

The application of electronic technologies for searching, sifting, and reorganizing pools of data to uncover useful information is called data warehousing.

Question 7

Intellectual property is something produced by a computer that has personal value.

Question 8

Through data mining, a manager can access demographic information on customers, for example, in order to decide which advertising media may be best to use.

Question 9

Electronic commerce (e-commerce) is popular with consumers but has hurt productivity.

Question 10

A CAD system could help a sales manager learn what sales levels will likely result from various levels of advertising expenditures.

Question 11

Computer-aided design (CAD) can increase the productivity of knowledge workers.

Question 12

An application server, an e-mail server, and a print server are all computers that provide services shared by users.

Question 13

Electronic conferencing is popular because it reduces travel expenses and saves money.

Question 14

Trojan horses are malicious programs that replicate themselves like viruses.

Question 15

One pitfall with VSAT satellite communications is that they tend to lack privacy.

Question 16

A router scrambles e-mail messages to get around security systems.

Question 17

An information system may be a set of several information systems that share information.

Question 18

Information networks are leading to leaner companies with fewer employees and simpler organizational structures.

Question 19

Mass-customization tends to reduce the volume in which companies produce.

Question 20

Hardware are programs that tell the computer how to function.

Question 21

A local preschool is considering the use of webcams inside of their classrooms. Which statement, if True, would BEST support the claim that this technology would NOT be a good idea?

A) Parents prefer to communicate with their children's teachers face-to-face and via phone.
B) Some parents want more information on how their children work in class.
C) Teachers want feedback and recognition from parents.
D) Administration encourages parents to communicate daily with the teachers.
E) Teachers send weekly videos and photos of the children working in class.

Question 22

What is the name of the application used for searching, sifting, and reorganizing pools of data to uncover useful information?

A) data warehousing
B) data access
C) data tapping
D) data cleaning
E) data mining

Question 23

Which term refers to the unauthorized stealing of personal information from a computer system?

A) espionage
B) leverage
C) denial of service
D) identity theft
E) network flooding

Question 24

What is a computer-based system that allows people to communicate simultaneously from different locations via telephone, e-mail, or video?

A) groupware
B) a data communication network
C) the Internet
D) electronic conferencing
E) hypertext

Question 25

Who has access to intranets generally?

A) employees
B) suppliers
C) customers
D) shareholders
E) dealers

Question 26

Who is the person who is in charge of operating systems for gathering, organizing, and distributing information?

A) production manager
B) operations manager
C) information systems manager
D) research and development manager
E) communications manager

Question 27

What is "spam"?

A) a form of firewall
B) intellectual property
C) junk e-mail
D) a form of hacking
E) wireless mooching

Question 28

Which type of communication technology is attractive to businesses because it eliminates travel expenses?

A) VSAT Satellite Communications
B) extranets
C) intranets
D) electronic conferencing
E) social networks

Question 29

In client-server networks, who is the usual client?

A) the computer through which users make requests for information
B) the application through which users answer information requests
C) the customer who does business online
D) the supplier who checks the availability of components
E) the network which supports the database and software systems

Question 30

A company's security policy can prevent certain data from passing through its firewall.

Question 31

What feature does a firewall provide?

A) Internet access
B) protection from electrical surges
C) connectivity between stations in a LAN
D) privacy protection
E) links to computers in a WAN

Question 32

How can customers order a personal computer from the online Dell site with exactly the features they desire?

A) through mass production
B) through unit production
C) through process management
D) through mass-customization
E) through anti-virus software

Question 33

What system allows outsiders limited access to a firm's internal information systems?

A) intranets
B) firewalls
C) extranets
D) directories
E) satellites

Question 34

What feature allows people in remote locations to work simultaneously on one document?

A) videoconferencing
B) voice mail
C) dataconferencing
D) digital information service
E) text messaging

Question 35

Spyware authors can use stolen information to create their own intellectual property.

Question 36

Which component directs the computer to the correct resources to use and how to use them?

A) an application program
B) system software
C) an electronic spreadsheet
D) a database
E) management information systems

Question 37

What is the name of software and hardware that prevent hackers from accessing a company's internal network?

A) partition
B) firewall
C) extranet
D) index
E) security

Question 38

Which cybercriminal activity refers to the act of luring Internet users to bogus Web sites?

A) computer virus distribution
B) spamming
C) phishing
D) Trojan horse distribution
E) piracy

Question 39

Which of the following BEST describes enterprise resource planning?

A) an information processing application for routine business activities of a company's business units
B) an information system for organizing and managing a firm's activities across product lines, departments, and geographic locations
C) a system used for transforming data into information for use in decision making
D) a computer-based electronic technology that assists in designing products by simulating a real product and displaying it in three-dimensional graphics
E) an internal inventory of a company's product lines

Question 40

What type of network links computers and workstations, usually within one building?

A) satellite communication
B) global positioning
C) personal digital
D) wide area
E) local area

Question 41

A cell phone store manager needs to forecast sales for the upcoming Black Friday sales weekend. Which information would be MOST helpful?

A) the store with the least sales of all store locations for the past five years
B) the store with the highest sales of all store locations for the past five years
C) the cell phone model which earned the most revenue in all store locations for the past five years
D) the total amount spent per customer in each cell phone store for all locations for the past five years
E) the number of customers who entered the cell phone store for all locations

Question 42

What is the major limitation of Wi-Fi?

A) high cost
B) privacy concerns
C) productivity
D) short range of distance
E) installation challenges

Question 43

What is a management information system?

A) a system that supports managers by providing daily reports, schedules, plans, and budgets that can be used for making decisions
B) an easy-access application of an information system designed for instant access by upper-level managers
C) an information processing application for use in business activities involving well-defined processing steps
D) an interactive system that locates and presents information needed to support the decision-making process
E) a repository of information resources related to the collection of data

Question 44

What is the most common type of network used in businesses?

A) intranet
B) client-server
C) extranet
D) hotspot
E) anti-virus

Question 45

The increase of technology in the workplace has resulted in more employees working at home and telecommuting. Telecommuting employees rely heavily on e-mail communication to complete work tasks. Which statement, if True, BEST supports those who claim that e-mail communication fosters increased misunderstandings?

A) The high volume of e-mail discourages employees from interacting with coworkers face to face, thus leading to more misunderstandings.
B) Most e-mail communication among workers is polite and to the point.
C) People who e-mail frequently don't know how to communicate verbally with others.
D) E-mail fosters more nonverbal communications between workers in a company.
E) Workers communicate more frequently about work when e-mailing.

Question 46

A small preschool decided to give its teachers access to a portable laptop during daily naptime. Administrators found over time that teacher productivity actually decreased. Which statement would BEST explain why teacher productivity has decreased in spite of the increased computer time?

A) Too many children were disruptive during naptime hours.
B) Teachers added more tasks to get done and could not complete them all during naptime.
C) Teachers could not watch the children and work on the computer at the same time.
D) The classroom lacked the necessary office equipment needed to be productive.
E) Teachers spent most of the naptime surfing Internet Web sites unrelated to their work assignments.

Question 47

Which of the following best describes an extranet?

A) a software and hardware system that prevents outsiders from accessing a company's network
B) a tool that searches Web pages containing the user's search terms and then displays pages that match
C) a private network of internal Web sites and other sources of information available to a company's employees
D) an Internet connection allowing outsiders limited access to a firm's internal information system
E) a delivery system linked to production schedules

Question 48

Which system supports an organization's managers by providing daily reports, schedules, plans, and budgets?

A) management application
B) management operations
C) management information
D) management expert
E) management enterprise

Question 49

What are keyboards, monitors, and printers examples of?

A) control
B) hardware
C) software
D) databases
E) servers

Question 50

Which of the following best describes information?

A) the useful interpretation of facts and figures
B) a list of company names provided by the local Chamber of Commerce
C) the collection of raw facts and figures
D) controlled flow of words for a useful purpose
E) databases and flowcharts

Question 51

Which of the following best describes a decision support system?

A) a system that supports an organization's managers by providing daily reports, schedules, plans, and budgets that can be used for making decisions
B) a quick-reference, easy-access application of information systems specifically designed for instant access by upper-level managers
C) a system of hardware and software that imitates human behavior
D) an interactive system that creates virtual business models for a particular kind of decision and tests them with different data to see how they respond
E) a processor that plans production and delivery schedules

Question 52

What system includes data conferencing and videoconferencing?

A) electronic communication systems
B) electronic conferencing
C) group systems
D) data communication networks
E) data mining

Question 53

In order for a virus to spread from computer to computer, what must it always attach itself to first?

A) all available computer memory
B) a worm
C) a piece of spyware
D) a piece of hardware
E) a program

Question 54

Who most often needs information in order to conduct technical projects?

A) middle managers
B) members of the board of directors
C) top-level managers
D) knowledge workers
E) network administrators

Question 55

What does phishing or pharming involve the use of?

A) intellectual property theft
B) firewalls that prevent hacking
C) viruses sent from one station to another in a LAN
D) deceptive e-mails that imitate popular Web sites
E) trading of company secrets

Question 56

What does a company need to operate so that it has total control over its communications without dependence on other companies?

A) Web site
B) VSAT system
C) extranet
D) groupware site
E) enterprise planning

Question 57

What advantage does a communication system using VSAT satellite have?

A) speed
B) low cost
C) privacy
D) groupware
E) spyware

Question 58

At Chaparral Steel, delivery times, sales, profits, and customer service and loyalty have been boosted by a system that gives customers electronic access to the mill's inventories. What is the name of this system?

A) distribution channel
B) intranet
C) handbook
D) extranet
E) product availability

Question 59

Which software can create products ranging from cell phones to auto parts at lower costs compared to manual modeling methods?

A) application software
B) operations software
C) computer-aided manufacturing software
D) computer-aided design software
E) data warehousing software

Question 60

A small parochial school uses handwritten timecards and attendance sheets to calculate biweekly payroll and vacation time. Which statement, if True, would BEST support the idea by managers to convert to computer software to maintain employee records?

A) The school has multiple types of employees, with different work schedules and different contracts, whose hours are calculated by hand.
B) Part-time staffing has been allocated for payroll and human resource function.
C) Employees often submit their timecards incorrectly.
D) Employees often forget to submit their vacation request forms.
E) The existing management is eager to switch to the new system for human resources.

Question 61

Tamasaki Sushi Bar is located in the Cotswold Shopping Center in a busy uptown business district. It caters to a few art galleries, a theater, and a nearby technical college. Recently, Tamasaki has noticed a decrease in customers around the lunchtime hour, which is one of its primary sales times during the day. Many customers use cell phones and frequent the Internet cafe in the area during the lunch hour. Which statement, if True, could BEST explain the sagging sales experienced by Tamasaki?

A) Most of the workers use the lunchtime hour for taking food out instead of eating in.
B) The nearby establishments have their own cafeteria for employees and students to use.
C) Technically savvy customers take advantage of deals offered via the Web sites and Facebook sites of the deli and bar-grill down the street.
D) Limited parking spaces discourage customers from stopping by for lunch.
E) College students prefer pizza and burgers for lunch and restaurant food for dinner.

Question 62

Black Friday is well-known as the start of the end-of-the-year holiday shopping season in the U.S. retail market. Stores offer a variety of up-to-the-minute deals to attract customers into the store between certain hours. Customers have begun to utilize electronic PDAs and cell phones to keep up with the myriad sales and deals in the stores. Which condition would MOST threaten customers' use of mobile technology while shopping in stores?

A) Customers, upon entering stores, were body-scanned with magnetic detectors.
B) Store sales were broadcast over loudspeakers.
C) There were a limited number of Wi-Fi transmission hotspots inside the stores.
D) Lighting inside of stores was too dim.
E) Store personnel were not as helpful to customers with smartphones in their hands.

Question 63

Which piece of information would be MOST helpful for college officials to determine whether the latest college open house was a success?

A) The total number of attendees indicated more interest than in the past five years.
B) The percentage of people interested in enrolling within six months was 20 percent.
C) The number of people who attended was the highest in the past five years.
D) The number of enrollment applications received was 80 percent of the total number of attendees.
E) The number of attendees showing interest was high.

Question 64

Sally wants to determine any changes in the plant's performance based on an estimated 20 percent increase in sales. What device will Sally most likely use?

A) decision support system (DSS)
B) groupware application
C) spyware application
D) CAD system
E) enterprise resource planning (ERP)

Question 65

Which type of IT threat can spread without a computer user needing to open any software?

A) worms
B) Trojan horses
C) spam
D) spyware
E) computer viruses

Question 66

Differentiate between dataconferencing and videoconferencing.

Question 67

Greg feels comfortable that no one can open and read his e-mails. What does Greg have installed in his computer?

A) anti-virus software
B) spyware
C) encryption software
D) a Trojan horse
E) a worm

Question 68

Give two examples of management information systems.

Question 69

Where is a firewall located?

Question 70

Home Garden Center uses mobile customer service representatives in all of its stores. These floating personnel walk the huge warehouse with smart phones answering customer questions, pointing out locations of items, and directing customers to checkout. Which condition would MOST threaten the use of the mobile customer service at Home Garden Centers in the next business season?

A) Incoming employees seem less technically savvy with mobile devices.
B) Several store departments are swapping locations within the store facility.
C) The size of the smartphone is causing some employees to continually drop the device.
D) The current model of smartphone uses an operating system that no longer supports the store's customer service application program.
E) There is a slight increase in the theft rate of smartphones from the stores.

Question 71

Why might businesses want to analyze data that reveal what consumers do in the marketplace?

A) to be able to send them tailor-made advertisements
B) to be able to close the customer service department
C) to be able to reduce production costs
D) to be able to stabilize employee turnover
E) to be able to manage long-term costs

Question 72

A small preschool collects its tuition payments from parents by automated bank drafts each month. Administrators at the school are considering online tuition collections through the use of a secure logon on their school Web site. Which statement, if True, would BEST support the idea of online tuition collections?

A) The Web site already has a wealth of information on it that parents use each day.
B) Parents are highly technically savvy and prefer the convenience of using the school's Web site for other functions like enrollment and admissions.
C) School newsletters and flyers went paperless a few years ago.
D) A small group of parents has expressed interest in paying their bills online.
E) The teachers have also expressed a need to go digital with paperwork.

Question 73

Explain the principle of mass-customization.

Question 74

Which of the following best describes a firewall?

A) a software and hardware system that prevents outsiders from accessing a company's internal network
B) a tool that searches Web pages containing the user's search terms and then displays pages that match
C) a private network of internal Web sites and other sources of information available to a company's employees
D) an Internet connection allowing outsiders limited access to a firm's internal information system
E) an extranet site that gives customers access to different product lines

Question 75

Kinsey Lighting, Inc. is a small retailer of decorative lamps and accessories for commercial businesses and residential homes. The company has been family-owned for two decades and has always advertised its business through local media outlets such as newspapers, yellow pages, and occasional radio spots. Recently, Kinsey has been talking with a Web designer about developing a company Web site. Which statement, if True, would BEST support Kinsey's decision to create a Web site for the business?

A) There have been more younger families moving into homes in the area.
B) The local business association has an online directory for its business partners.
C) A new Web site business has opened up across the street from the lamp store.
D) Online sales of similar businesses in the area have increased substantially over the years.
E) A neighborhood supplier of lamp products just moved to another county.

Question 76

Many hotels have been exploring ways to allow customers to check out without waiting at the front desk upon leaving. This would greatly decrease checkout time and allow the front desk to be used for incoming and existing customers. One idea is to permit customers to pay for their hotel stay online the night before checkout and then to leave their keys in the room. Which statement, if True, would BEST support this new idea for checking out?

A) Hotel customers have continually been requesting Internet access in their rooms.
B) Hotel rooms now come equipped with free Internet access directly to the hotel's Web site through the television.
C) More hotel customers now travel with laptops that have wireless Internet access.
D) Most hotel checkout counters have additional services for customers' needs during their stay.
E) Customers are willing to pay for Internet access through wireless and DSL connections.

Question 77

What type of users would download spyware?

A) users seeking to prevent viruses from attacking
B) users who are unaware that their computer activities will be monitored
C) users who wish to prevent spam from entering their computer
D) users who want easy access to their coworkers' files
E) users who are keen to share documents

Question 78

A supermarket is considering automated checkouts that would allow customers to scan the prices of their foods while shopping. Scanners would be placed around the store in different locations. Which statement, if True, would BEST support the claim that this idea would work better than a floating checkout idea?

A) There are good locations in the meat, dairy, and bakery aisles to support scanners.
B) Scanners would be operated by customers during peak times.
C) Portable scanners require yearly training for staff and customers.
D) Handheld scanner technology doesn't require extra resources to operate and is virtually self-managed.
E) The scanners are not portable and hence cannot be broken by customers.

Question 79

Which piece of information would be MOST helpful for executives at Sanmina-Sci, Inc. to determine whether they should close their service and repair facilities during the last week of the year?

A) The employees of the facility have more vacation time toward the end of the year.
B) The amount of service and repair calls in the facility is at the lowest levels during that week.
C) New equipment deliveries are at their lowest prior to that week.
D) The amount of work completed by employees prior to that week is the highest in the past year.
E) The businesses that need equipment repaired from Sanmina-Sci are closed for holidays during that week.

Question 80

What is a particularly sinister quality of spyware?

A) It replicates itself, using up valuable computer memory.
B) It often disguises itself as helpful software.
C) It consumes bandwidth by flooding user inboxes with junk e-mail.
D) It often leads to wireless mooching.
E) It is completely legal.