Course+Acronyms


 * CIS-127 Course Acronyms**

acceptable use policy (AUP) - A policy that a user must agree to follow to be provided access to corporate email, information systems, and the Internet.

application programming interface (API) A set of routines, protocols, and tools for building software applications.

arithmetic-logic unit (ALU) Performs all arithmetic operations (for example, addition and subtraction) and all logic operations (such as sorting and comparing numbers).

artificial intelligence (AI) Simulates human thinking and behavior such as the ability to reason and learn.

business continuity planning (BCP) Details how a company recovers and restores critical business operations and systems after a disaster or extended disruption.

business intelligence (BI) Information collected from multiple sources such as suppliers, customers, competitors, partners, and industries that analyze patterns, trends, and relationships for strategic decision making.

business process management (BPM) system Focuses on evaluating and improving processes that include both person-to-person work flow and system-to-system communications.

business process reengineering (BPR) The analysis and redesign of workflow within and between enterprises.

business-to-business (B2B) Applies to businesses buying from and selling to each other over the Internet.

business-to-consumer (B2C) Applies to any business that sells its products or services directly to consumers online.

central processing unit (CPU) The actual hardware that interprets and executes the program (software) instructions and coordinates how all the other hardware devices work together.

change control board (CCB) Responsible for approving or rejecting all change requests.

chief information officer (CIO) Responsible for (1) overseeing all uses of MIS and (2) ensuring that MIS strategically aligns with business goals and objectives.

chief knowledge officer (CKO) Responsible for collecting, maintain- ing, and distributing company knowledge.

chief privacy officer (CPO) Responsible for ensuring the ethical and legal use of information within a company.

chief security officer (CSO) Responsible for ensuring the security of business systems and developing strategies and safeguards against attacks from hackers and viruses.

chief technology officer (CTO) Responsible for ensuring the speed, accuracy, availability, and reliability for MIS.

complex instruction set computer (CISC) chips Type of CPU that can recognize as many as 100 or more instructions, enough to carry out most computations directly.

consumer-to-business (C2B) Applies to any consumer who sells a product or service to a business on the Internet.

consumer-to-consumer (C2C) Applies to customers offering goods and services to each other on the Internet.

content management system (CMS) Helps companies manage the creation, storage, editing, and publication of their website content.

critical success factors (CSFs) Crucial steps companies perform to achieve their goals and objectives and implement their strategies.

customer relationship management (CRM) A means of managing all aspects of a customer's relationship with an organization to increase customer loyalty and retention and an organization's profitability.

database management system (DBMS) Creates, reads, updates, and deletes data in a database while controlling access and security.

decision support system (DSS) Model information using OLAP, which provides assistance in evaluating and choosing among different courses of action.

digital subscriber line (DSL) Allows high-speed digital data transmission over standard telephone lines.

domain name system (DNS) Converts IP address into domains, or identifying labels that use a variety of recognizable naming conventions.

electronic data interchange (EDI) A standard format for the electronic exchange of information between supply chain participants.

employee relationship management (ERM) Provides web-based self-service tools that streamline and automate the human resource department.

enterprise application integration (EAI) Connects the plans, methods, and tools aimed at integrating separate enterprise systems.

enterprise application integration (EAI) middleware Takes a new approach to middleware by packaging commonly used applications together, reducing the time needed to integrate applications from multiple vendors.

enterprise resource planning (ERP) Integrates all departments and functions throughout an organization into a single IT system (or integrated set of IT systems) so employees can make decisions by viewing enterprise-wide information about all business operations.

entity-relationship diagram (ERD) A technique for documenting the entities and relationships in a database environment.

executive information system (EIS) A specialized DSS that supports senior-level executives and unstructured, long-term, non-routine decisions requiring judgment, evaluation, and insight.

extraction, transformation, and loading (ETL) A process that extracts information from internal and external databases, transforms it using a common set of enterprise definitions, and loads it into a data warehouse.

geographic information system (GIS) Consists of hardware, software, and data that provide location information for display on a multidimensional map. gigabyte (GB) Roughly 1 billion bytes.

gigahertz (GHz) The number of billions of CPU cycles per second.

global positioning system (GPS) A satellite-based navigation system providing extremely accurate position, time, and speed information.

hypertext markup language (HTML) Links documents allowing users to move from one to another simply by clicking on a hot spot or link.

hypertext transport protocol (HTTP) The Internet protocol web browsers use to request and display web pages using universal resource locators.

Internet service provider (ISP) A company that provides access to the Internet for a monthly fee.

intrusion detection software (IDS) Features full-time monitoring tools that search for patterns in network traffic to identify intruders.

key performance indicators (KPIs) Quantifiable metrics a company uses to evaluate progress toward critical success factors.

knowledge management system (KMS) Supports the capturing, organization, and dissemination of knowledge (i.e., know-how) throughout an organization.

local area network (LAN) Connects a group of computers in proximity, such as in an office building, school, or home.

location-based services (LBS) Applications that use location information to provide a service

megabyte (MB or M or Meg) Roughly 1 million bytes.

megahertz (MHz) The number of millions of CPU cycles per second.

metropolitan area network (MAN) spanning a city. A large computer network usually

network access points (NAPs) Traffic exchange points in the routing hierarchy of the Internet that connects NSPs.

network operating system (NOS) Operating system that runs a net- work, steering information between computers and managing security and users.

online analytical processing (OLAP) The manipulation of information to create business intelligence in support of strategic decision making.

online transaction processing (OLTP) The capturing of transaction and event information using technology to (1) process the information according to defined business rules, (2) store the information, and (3) update existing information to reflect the new information.

partner relationship management (PRM) Discovers optimal sales channels by selecting the right partners and identifying mutual customers.

peer-to-peer (P2P) A computer network that relies on the computing power and bandwidth of the participants in the network rather than a centralized server.

PERT (Program Evaluation and Review Technique) chart A graphical network model that depicts a project's tasks and the relationships between them.

platform as a service (PaaS) Supports the deployment of entire systems including hardware, networking, and applications using a pay- per-use revenue model.

Project Management Institute (PMI) Develops procedures and concepts necessary to support the profession of project management.

project management office (PMO) An internal department that oversees all organizational projects.

public key encryption (PKE) Uses two keys: a public key that everyone can have and a private key for only the recipient.

query-by-example (QBE) tool Helps users graphically design the answer to a question against a database.

radio-frequency identification (RFID) Uses electronic tags and labels to identify objects wirelessly over short distances.

random access memory (RAM) The computer's primary working memory, in which program instructions and data are stored so that they can be accessed directly by the CPU via the processor's high-speed external data bus.

rapid application development (RAD) methodology (also called rapid prototyping) Emphasizes extensive user involvement in the rapid and evolutionary construction of working prototypes of a system, to accelerate the systems development process.

rational unified process (RUP) methodology Provides a framework for breaking down the development of software into four "gates."

read-only memory (ROM) The portion of a computer's primary storage that does not lose its contents when one switches off the power.

real simple syndication (RSS) A web format used to publish frequently updated works, such as blogs, news headlines, audio, and video in a standardized format.

reduced instruction set computer (RISC) chips Limit the number of instructions the CPU can execute to increase processing speed.

regional service providers (RSPs) Offer Internet service by connecting to NSPs, but they also can connect directly to each other.

return on investment (ROI) Indicates the earning power of a project.

sales force automation (SFA) the sales process. Automatically tracks all the steps in sales

secure hypertext transfer protocol (SHTTP or HTTPS) A combination of HTTP and SSL to provide encryption and secure identification of an Internet server.

secure sockets layer (SSL) A standard security technology for establishing an encrypted link between a web server and a browser, ensuring that all data passed between them remain private.

social networking analysis (SNA) Maps group contacts identifying who knows each other and who works together.

software as a service (SaaS) Delivers applications over the cloud using a pay-per-use revenue model.

structured query language (SQL) questions against a database. Users write lines of code to answer

supplier relationship management (SRM) Focuses on keeping suppliers satisfied by evaluating and categorizing suppliers for different projects.

supply chain management (SCM) The management of information flows between and among activities in a supply chain to maximize total supply chain effectiveness and corporate profitability.

systems development life cycle (SDLC) The overall process for developing information systems, from planning and analysis through implementation and maintenance.

transaction processing system (TPS) The basic business system that serves the operational level (analysts) and assists in making structured decisions.

transmission control protocol/Internet protocol (TCP/IP) Provides the technical foundation for the public Internet as well as for large numbers of private networks.

unified communications (UC) The integration of communication channels into a single service.

universal resource locator (URL) The web address of a file or resource on the web such as [|www.apple.com].

virtual private network (VPN) Companies can establish direct private network links among themselves or create private, secure Internet access, in effect a "private tunnel" within the Internet.

voice over IP (VoIP) calls. Uses IP technology to transmit telephone

wide area network (WAN) Spans a large geographic area such as a state, province, or country.

wi-fi protected access (WPA) wi-fi networks. A wireless security protocol to protect

wireless fidelity (wi-fi) A means by which portable devices can connect wirelessly to a local area network, using access points that send and receive data via radio waves.

wireless LAN (WLAN) A local area network that uses radio signals to transmit and receive data over distances of a few hundred feet.

wireless MAN (WMAN) A metropolitan area network that uses radio signals to transmit and receive data.

wireless media Natural parts of the Earth's environment that can be used as physical paths to carry electrical signals.

wireless WAN (WWAN) A wide area network that uses radio signals to transmit and receive data.

workflow Includes the tasks, activities, and responsibilities required to execute each step in a business process.

World Wide Web (WWW) Provides access to Internet information through documents including text, graphics, audio, and video files that use a special formatting language called HTML.

Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) A communications technology aimed at providing high-speed wireless data over metropolitan area networks.

// Baltzan, P. (2013) M: Information Systems (2nd Edition). ISBN-13 9780077630744 //