53) Which of the following is not one of the characteristics of cloud computing, as defined by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology? A) Ubiquitous network access B) Location-independent resource pooling C) On-demand self service D) Measured service E) Reduced elasticity Answer: E 54) Which of the following is not an example of the consumerization of IT? A) Google Apps B) Dropbox C) Facebook D) Gmail E) Amazon Web Services Answer: E 55) A(n) ________ is an integrated circuit which contains two or more processors to enhance performance and reduce power consumption. A) multicore processor B) legacy processor C) scalable processor D) aggregate circuit E) green circuit Answer: A 56) SaaS refers to: A) supplying online access over networks to storage devices and storage area network technology. B) managing combinations of applications, networks, systems, storage, and security as well as providing Web site and systems performance monitoring to subscribers over the Internet. C) self-contained services that communicate with each other to create a working software application. D) easy-to-use software tools for displaying Web pages. E) hosting and managing access to software applications delivered over the Internet to clients on a subscription basis. Answer: E 57) Which of the following involves practices and technologies to minimize the environmental effects of manufacturing and managing computing devices? A) Capacity planning B) Cloud computing C) Green computing D) Utility computing E) On-demand computing Answer: C 58) In green computing, reducing computer power consumption is not a top priority. Answer: FALSE 59) Quantum computing is implemented primarily with enterprise or ISP servers. Answer: FALSE 60) Quantum computing is not yet available to the general public. Answer: FALSE 61) Distinguish between cloud computing, green computing, and quantum computing. Answer: In cloud computing, technology services are provided over a network, primarily the Internet. These may be infrastructure services, such as storage or networking, or platform services, such as IBM's application development and test service, or software services, such as salesforce.com. Green computing refers to practices and technologies for designing computer equipment to minimize impact on the environment. Quantum computing refers to emerging technology that uses the principles of quantum physics to dramatically boost computer processing power. 62) An ad-hoc group of oceanographers needs to set up a system to analyze massive amounts of data on ocean temperatures. The technology and hardware for gathering the data and transmitting the data to a central computer is in place. What additional hardware might they need? What techniques might they use to make their research more efficient and lower costs? Answer: To store their data they may want to use a SAN. To process their data, they will need a supercomputer. To lower costs, they could look at on-demand computing as well as virtualization and implementing multicore processors. 63) What are the drawbacks of cloud computing? Do you think these ever outweigh the benefits, and if so, in what cases? Answer: Students should be able to identify at least two drawbacks. Drawbacks include: 1. placing data storage and control in another firm's hands. 2. security risks in having critical systems and data entrusted to a firm that does business with other firms. 3. loss of business capability if cloud infrastructures malfunction. 4. dependence on cloud computing provider and switching costs. Student answers regarding the relative weight will vary, an example is: The disadvantages of cloud computing outweigh the advantages, except if any data lost is irreplaceable or creates harm to others. For example, a database of financial information should remain the responsibility of the original firm so that they can be held accountable. 64) What are the essential characteristics of cloud computing? Answer: As defined by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology, cloud computing is characterized by on-demand self-service, ubiquitous network access, locationindependent resource pooling, rapid elasticity, and measured service. On-demand self-service means that consumers can use server time and network storage as they need it on their own. Ubiquitous network refers to the ability to access cloud resources across all devices and platforms, including mobile. Location independent resource pooling describes the ability to allocate resources to any part of the world without a dip in service quality. Rapid elasticity is the capacity for resources to be increased or decreased as needed to meet demand. Lastly, measured service refers to the payment technique whereby users are charged based on the resources they use, as opposed to monthly or yearly rates. 65) What is virtualization and how and why is it used? Answer: Virtualization is the process of presenting a set of computing resources (such as computing power or data storage) so that they can all be accessed in ways that are not restricted by physical configuration or geographic location. Virtualization enables a single physical resource (such as a server or a storage device) to appear to the user as multiple logical resources. For example, a server or mainframe can be configured to run many instances of an operating system (or different operating systems) so that it acts like many different machines. Each virtual server "looks" like a real physical server to software programs, and multiple virtual servers can run in parallel on a single machine. Server virtualization is a common method of reducing technology costs by providing the ability to host multiple systems on a single physical machine. Most servers run at just 15 to 20 percent of capacity, and virtualization can boost utilization server utilization rates to 70 percent or higher. Higher utilization rates translate into fewer computers required to process the same amount of work, reduced data center space to house machines, and lower energy usage. Virtualization also facilitates centralization and consolidation of hardware administration. Virtualization also enables multiple physical resources (such as storage devices or servers) to appear as a single logical resource, as in software-defined storage (SDS), which separates the software for managing data storage from storage hardware. Using software, firms can pool and arrange multiple storage infrastructure resources and efficiently allocate them to meet specific application needs. SDS enables firms to replace expensive storage hardware with lower-cost commodity hardware and cloud storage hardware. There is less underor over-utilization of storage resources. 66) ZipRealty, which combines Google Maps with real estate data, is an example of: A) cloud computing. B) SOA. C) a widget. D) a mashup. E) a web service. Answer: D 67) Which type of software is created and updated by a worldwide community of programmers and available for free? A) Software packages B) Mashups C) Outsourced D) Open source E) Closed source Answer: D 68) Which of the following is not one of the current software platform trends? A) Web services and service-oriented architecture B) Open-source software C) HTML5 D) Software outsourcing E) Multicore processors Answer: E 69) Linux is: A) primarily concerned with the tasks of end users. B) designed for specific machines and specific microprocessors. C) an example of open-source software. D) especially useful for processing numeric data. E) poorly suited to power fast computers. Answer: C 70) Which of the following statements about Linux is not true? A) It plays a major role in the back office running local area networks. B) It is available in free versions downloadable from the Internet. C) It has garnered 20 percent of the server operating system market. D) Linux applications are embedded in cell phones, smartphones, netbooks, and other handheld devices. E) Linux works on all the major hardware platforms. Answer: C 71) Running a Java program on a computer requires: A) a Java Virtual Machine to be installed on that computer. B) a Java Virtual Machine to be installed on the server hosting the Java applet. C) a miniature program to be downloaded to the user's computer. D) no specialized software, as Java is platform-independent. E) the Mozilla Firefox browser and no other browsers. Answer: A 72) A software program with a graphical user interface for displaying web pages and for accessing the web and other Internet resources is called a web: A) service. B) client. C) browser. D) app. E) beacon. Answer: C 73) Sets of loosely coupled software components that exchange information with each other using standard web communication standards and languages are referred to as: A) web services. B) EAI software. C) SOA. D) SOAP. E) SaaS. Answer: A 74) Which of the following is the foundation technology for web services? A) XML B) HTML C) SOAP D) UDDI E) SCSI Answer: A 75) Which of the following refers to a set of self-contained services that communicate with each other to create a working software application? A) Web services B) EAI software C) SOA D) SOAP E) Prepackaged software Answer: C 76) Prewritten, commercially available sets of software programs that eliminate the need for a firm to write its own software programs for certain functions, are referred to as: A) software packages. B) mashups. C) outsourced software. D) open-source software. E) service level agreements. Answer: A 77) ________ are created by combining and customizing components from different online software applications. A) Apps B) Web browsers C) SaaS D) Web services E) Web mashups Answer: E 78) The practice of contracting custom software development to an outside firm is commonly referred to as: A) outsourcing. B) scaling. C) service-oriented architecture. D) application integration. E) utility computing. Answer: A 79) A formal contract between customers and their service providers that outlines the specific responsibilities of the service provider and to the customer is called a(n): A) SOA. B) SLA. C) TCO. D) RFQ. E) SaaS. Answer: B 80) ________ provides a standard format for data exchange, enabling web services to pass data from one process to another. A) HTML B) HTML5 C) Java D) Chrome OS E) XML Answer: E 81) Java software is designed to run only on specific microprocessors and operating systems. Answer: FALSE 82) Web services can exchange information between two different systems only if the operating systems and programming languages upon which the systems are based are identical. Answer: FALSE 83) Whereas HTML is limited to describing how data should be presented in the form of Web pages, XML can perform presentation, communication, and data storage tasks. Answer: TRUE 84) Hypertext markup language specifies how text, graphics, video, and sound are placed on a webpage. Answer: TRUE 85) A service-oriented architecture is set of self-contained services that communicate with each other to create a working software application. Answer: TRUE 86) Today, many business firms continue to operate legacy systems because they meet a business need and would be costly to replace. Answer: TRUE 87) Identify and describe five or more of the current trends in contemporary software platforms. Answer: 1. Growing use of Linux and open-source software–Open-source software is produced and maintained by a global community of programmers and is downloadable for free. Linux is a powerful, resilient open-source operating system that can run on multiple hardware platforms and is used widely to run Web servers. 2. HTML5–This is the next evolution of HTML which simplifies embedding multimedia, rich media, and animation in the browser. 3. Cloud-based services–In cloud-based services and software, users rent applications or storage space from online providers rather than running these applications or themselves or using local storage. 4. Web services and service-oriented architecture–Web services are loosely coupled software components based on open web standards that are not product-specific and can work with any application software and operating system. They can be used as components of Web-based applications linking the systems of two different organizations or to link disparate systems of a single company. 5. Software outsourcing–Companies are purchasing their new software applications from outside sources, including application software packages, by outsourcing custom application development to an external vendor (that may be offshore), or by renting software services from an application service provider. 6. Cloud-based services–Companies are leasing infrastructure, hardware, and software from vendors, paying on a subscription or per-transaction basis. 7. Mashups and apps–Mashups are programs created by combining two or more existing Internet applications. Apps are small programs developed for mobiles and handhelds, turning them into more robust computing tools. 88) Define outsourcing and explain some of the computing tasks that are well suited to outsourcing. Answer: Outsourcing is the shift of IT infrastructure and systems development to external vendors. This is a good option for companies without the resources or technical capability to perform certain computing tasks. Tasks well suited to outsourcing include Web site hosting, Web design, development of custom software, and software maintenance. More basic tasks such as data entry and call center operation is often outsourced as well. Outsourcing often requires firms to enter into a service level agreement (SLA) that defines the specific responsibilities of the service provider. 89) Which of the following refers to the ability of a computer, product, or system to expand to serve a larger number of users without breaking down? A) Modality B) Scalability C) Expandability D) Disintermediation E) Customizability Answer: B 90) Hardware and software acquisition costs account for about ________ percent of TCO. A) 20 B) 40 C) 50 D) 75 E) 90 Answer: A 91) Which model can be used to analyze the direct and indirect costs to help firms determine the actual cost of specific technology implementations? A) Supply and demand B) Return on investment C) Breakeven point D) Cost-benefit analysis E) Total cost of ownership Answer: E 92) How would you determine the market demand for your firm's IT services? A) Perform a TCO analysis B) Benchmark your services C) Hold focus groups to assess your services D) Analyze sales returns on key investments E) Perform a stress test Answer: C 93) Which of the following is not one of the main six factors to consider when evaluating how much your firm should spend on IT infrastructure? A) Your firm's business strategy B) The IT investments made by competitor firms C) Market demand for your firm's services D) Your firm's organizational culture E) Information technology assessment Answer: D 94) The decision to purchase your own IT assets or rent them from external providers is also referred to as the rent-versus-buy decision. Answer: TRUE 95) Scalability refers to the ability of a computer, product, or system to expand to serve a large number of users without breaking down. Answer: TRUE 96) TCO refers just to the original cost of purchased technology: both hardware and software. Answer: FALSE 97) What is scalability? Why is it essential to the success of the modern business firm?Answer: Scalability is the ability of the computer, product, or system to expand to survey larger numbers of users without breaking down. It is important because as firms grow, they can quickly outgrow their infrastructure. As firms shrink, they can get stuck with excessive infrastructure purchased in better times. Any modern company must be able to make plans for the future, even though that future may be different than what was expected. Computer equipment is expensive, though dropping in price, and budgets must be planned to allow for new purchases, upgrades, and training. It is generally assumed that a successful company will need more computer capacity for more people as it follows a path to continued success. 98) A small design agency you are consulting for will be creating client websites and wants to purchase a web server so they can host the sites themselves. How will you advise them on this purchase? Answer: They need to understand total cost of ownership: the costs will go beyond the cost of the server, but they will also need to purchase the server software and any application software they will be using. They will also need someone in their IT department to manage and maintain the computers. They will also incur facilities costs for running the computer. They need to have a backup plan should the server fail. The design agency will need to add up all the potential costs and risks. Additionally, they need to prepare for their plan if they need more servers. Will they eventually have to run and maintain their own server farm? What if one of their clients' sites is more popular than anticipated and the server has difficulty handling the load? How quickly can they add servers or processing power? The company should look at colocation, Web hosting services, and ASPs to see if their needs will be better met this way. 99) You are starting a market research company with a single business partner and are planning the hardware and software needs for the two of you. Which factors should play into your decision of how much to spend on these investments? Answer: Using the competitive forces model for IT infrastructure investment, the most relevant factors in this decision are: • The firm's business strategy. What capabilities will we want to have over the next five years? • Alignment of IT strategy. How does our IT strategy match up with the business plan? • IT assessment. What are the current technology levels for the services we are offering and our business type? We would probably not need to be at the bleeding edge, but not behind the times either. • Competitor firm services. What technology-enabled capabilities do our competitors have? We would want to match services with our competitors. • Competitor firm IT investments. How much are competitor firms investing in their technology? Because this is a startup, one other factor may not play such a large role: that of market demand for services. However, finding out the market demand for competitor's services may uncover ways that this new company could have a competitive advantage. 100) What are the components that must be considered in a TCO analysis? Answer: TCO cost components include hardware acquisition, which includes the purchase price of computer hardware equipment, including computers, terminals, storage, and printers; software acquisition, which includes the purchase or license of software for each user; installation, which includes the cost to install computers and software; training, which includes the cost to provide training to information systems specialists and end users; support, which includes the cost to provide ongoing technical support; maintenance, which includes the cost to upgrade hardware and software; infrastructure, which includes the cost to acquire, maintain, and support related infrastructure, such as networks and specialized equipment; downtown, which includes the cost of lost productivity if hardware or software failures cost the system to be unavailable; and space and energy, such as real estate and utility costs.