Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Today's database applications manipulate the content of a database to produce useful infor-
mation. Common manipulations are searching, filtering, synthesizing, and assimilating the
data contained in a database, using a number of database applications. These applications
allow users to link the company databases to the Internet, set up data warehouses and marts,
use databases for strategic business intelligence, place data at different locations, use online
processing and open connectivity standards for increased productivity, develop databases
with the object-oriented approach, and search for and use unstructured data, such as graphics,
audio, and video.
Linking the Company Database to the Internet
Linking databases to the Internet is one reason the Internet is so popular. A large percentage
of corporate databases are accessed over the Internet through a standard Web browser. Being
able to access bank account data, student transcripts, credit card bills, product catalogs, and
a host of other data online is convenient for individual users, and increases effectiveness
and efficiency for businesses and organizations. Amazon.com, Apple's iTunes store, eBay,
and others have made billions of dollars by combining databases, the Internet, and smart
business models.
As discussed in the Ethical and Societal Issues sidebar, Google is rolling out a DBMS that
will provide patients and physicians with one storage location for all medical records, accessed
some privacy advocates concerned. However, the convenience that the system offers by dra-
matically reducing the number of paper forms to fill out and store, along with the reduction
of clerical errors through streamlined data management procedures, has most in the field
supporting the move to a centralized system. Google protects patient records with encryption
and authentication technologies.
Developing a seamless integration of traditional databases with the Internet is often called
a
semantic Web
. A semantic Web allows people to access and manipulate a number of tradi-
tional databases at the same time through the Internet. The World Wide Web Consortium
has established standards for a semantic Web in hopes of some day evolving the Web into
one big database that is easy to manage and traverse. Yahoo has recently announced its com-
mitment to complying with the standards for a semantic Web.
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Although the semantic Web standards have not been embraced by all businesses, many
software vendors—including IBM, Oracle, Microsoft, Macromedia, and Inline Internet
Systems—are incorporating the Internet into their products. Such databases allow companies
to create an Internet-accessible catalog, which is a database of items, descriptions, and prices.
As evidenced by the Web, most companies are using these tools to take their business online.
In addition to the Internet, organizations are gaining access to databases through networks
to find good prices and reliable service. Connecting databases to corporate Web sites and
networks can lead to potential problems, however. A recent study found that nearly half a
million database servers were vulnerable to attack over the Internet due to the lack of proper
security measures.
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Data Warehouses, Data Marts, and Data Mining
The raw data necessary to make sound business decisions is stored in a variety of locations
and formats. This data is initially captured, stored, and managed by transaction processing
systems that are designed to support the day-to-day operations of the organization. For
decades, organizations have collected operational, sales, and financial data with their online
transaction processing (OLTP) systems. The data can be used to support decision making
using data warehouses, data marts, and data mining.
