Question

Write a 750 word response to the topic: "Compare and contrast components and purposes of Information Technology (IT) and Information Systems (IS) in organizations"

Use APA style writing as well as examples in the book for your projects ( ESSENTIALS OF SYSTEMS ANALYSIS

Answer 1

Information Technology and Information Systems are sometimes used interchangeably, but that is a misnomer. There are similarities and differences in the two fields. In reality, information technology is a subset of information systems. Though Information technology falls under the IS umbrella, it deals with the technology involved in the systems themselves.

IS encompasses all of the equipment, processes and people involved in the dissemination of information within an organization; it represents the computer network components performing the critical processing and dissemination of business and personal information. We see information systems with various purposes, from supporting marketing, management, and engineering processes to allowing for Cloud computing and securing virtual private networking (VPN) access. In essence, information processing systems leverage IT subcomponents to ensure users can personally and professionally network, process, store and disseminate data.

When examining information systems vs. information technology, then, the key difference between the two is that information systems focus on the information. Though technology facilitates the gathering and processing of information, the primary concern is the information itself, while information technology concerns itself more with the computer hardware and software.

Information Technology (IT)	Information System (IS)
Def: The study, design, development, implementation, support or management of computer-based information systems, particularly software applications and computer hardware.	Def: An Information System (IS) is any combination of information technology and people's activities using that technology to support operations, management, and decision-making.
Purpose: To store, retrieve, transmit, and manipulate data, or information, often in the context of a business or other enterprise.	Purpose: To turn raw data into useful information that can be used for decision making in an organization.
Components: Computers Servers Database Management Systems (DBMS) Networking Network Security and Cryptography	Components: Hardware Software Data Procedure People
Examples: Video conferencing equipment. Computers and network systems used by teachers, trainers and students for educational purpose.	Examples: Decision support systems, Knowledge management systems, Office information systems, etc.

Components of Information Technology

• Computers: Computers are very important in order to store and process data. Depending on the size, cost and processing ability, computers are divided into four categories:
  • Mainframes,
  • Supercomputer,
  • Minicomputers
  • Microcomputers (desktops or personal computers).

• Servers: A server is a combination of hardware and software, and is used to provide services to the client computers. These services generally include storage and retrieval of information. A standalone computer can also act as a server, provided it's running on server operating system. Categories of servers, include print servers, file servers, network servers and database servers, etc.
• Database Management Systems (DBMS): Database Management System is basically a set of software programs which manages the storage and retrieval and organizes the information in a computer. This information is in the form of a database and is managed with the help of software. The DBMS accepts requests from the application program and instructs the operating system to transfer the appropriate data.
• Networking: A computer network is a collection of computers and peripherals connected to each other through different modes. These modes can be wired or wireless. The network allows computers to communicate with each other (share information and resources like printers, scanners, etc.).
• Network Security and Cryptography: Network security is one of the most important aspects of information technology. It consists of all the provisions made in an underlying computer network, in order to prevent unauthorized usage of information. It also includes implementing the policies adopted by the government and the applicable cyber laws. It is also helpful in providing protection from computer hacking at the cyber boundaries of an organization.

Components of Information System

• Hardware: The term hardware refers to machinery. This category includes the computer itself, which is often referred to as the central processing unit (CPU), and all of its support equipment. Among the support, equipment are input and output devices, storage devices and communications devices.
• Software: The term software refers to computer programs and the manuals (if any) that support them. Computer programs are machine-readable instructions that direct the circuitry within the hardware parts of the system to function in ways that produce useful information from data. Programs are generally stored on some input/output medium, often a disk or tape.
• Data: Data are facts that are used by programs to produce useful information. Like programs, data are generally stored in machine-readable form on disk or tape until the computer needs them. There are two main types of data:
• Procedures: Procedures are the policies that govern the operation of a computer system. "Procedures are to people what software is to hardware" is a common analogy that is used to illustrate the role of procedures in a system.
• People: Every system needs people if it is to be useful. Often the most overlooked element of the system are the people, probably the component that most influence the success or failure of information systems.