Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
decision-making phase
The first part
of problem solving, including three
stages: intelligence, design, and choice.
digital subscriber line (DSL)
A
telecommunications service that
delivers high-speed Internet access to
homes and small businesses over the
existing phone lines of the local
telephone network.
domain expert
The person or group
who has the expertise or knowledge the
expert system is trying to capture.
delphi approach
A decision-making
approach in which group decision
makers are geographically dispersed;
this approach encourages diversity
among group members and fosters
creativity and original thinking in
decision making.
downsizing
Reducing the number of
employees to cut costs.
digital video disc (DVD)
A storage
medium used to store digital video or
computer data.
drill-down report
A report providing
increasingly detailed data about a
situation.
direct access
A retrieval method in
which data can be retrieved without the
need to read and discard other data.
dumpster diving
Going through the
trash cans of an organization to find
secret or confidential information,
including information needed to access
an information system or its data.
demand report
A report developed to
give certain information at someone's
request.
direct access storage device
(DASD)
A device used for direct access
of secondary storage data.
design report
The primary result of
systems design, reflecting the decisions
made and preparing the way for systems
implementation.
dynamic Web pages
Web pages
containing variable information that
are built to respond to a specific Web
visitor's request.
direct conversion (also called
plunge
or
direct cutover
)
Stopping the old
system and starting the new system on
a given date.
design stage
The second stage of
decision making, in which alternative
solutions to the problem are developed.
economic feasibility
The
determination of whether the project
makes financial sense and whether
predicted benefits offset the cost and
time needed to obtain them.
direct observation
Watching the
existing system in action by one or more
members of the analysis team.
desktop computer
A relatively small,
inexpensive, single-user computer that
is highly versatile.
disaster recovery
The
implementation of the disaster plan.
economic order quantity (EOQ)
The quantity that should be reordered
to minimize total inventory costs.
deterrence controls
Rules and
procedures to prevent problems before
they occur.
disaster recovery plan (DRP)
A
formal plan describing the actions that
must be taken to restore computer
operations and services in the event of a
disaster.
effectiveness
A measure of the extent
to which a system achieves its goals; it
can be computed by dividing the goals
actually achieved by the total of the
stated goals.
dialogue manager
A user interface
that allows decision makers to easily
access and manipulate the DSS and to
use common business terms and
phrases.
disk mirroring
A process of storing
data that provides an exact copy that
protects users fully in the event of data
loss.
efficiency
A measure of what is
produced divided by what is consumed.
digital audio player
A device that can
store, organize, and play digital music
files.
distance learning
The use of
telecommunications to extend the
classroom.
e-Government
The use of
information and communications
technology to simplify the sharing of
information, speed formerly paper-
based processes, and improve the
relationship between citizens and
government.
digital camera
An input device used
with a PC to record and store images
and video in digital form.
distributed database
A database in
which the data can be spread across
several smaller databases connected via
telecommunications devices.
digital certificate
An attachment to an
e-mail message or data embedded in a
Web site that verifies the identity of a
sender or Web site.
distributed processing
Processing
alternative in which computers are
placed at remote locations but are
connected to each other via a network.
electronic bill presentment
A
method of billing whereby a vendor
posts an image of your statement on the
Internet and alerts you by e-mail that
your bill has arrived.
digital rights management (DRM)
Refers to the use of any of several
technologies to enforce policies for
controlling access to digital media such
as movies, music, and software.
document production
The process of
generating output records and reports.
electronic business (e-business)
Using information systems and the
Internet to perform all business-related
tasks and functions.
documentation
The text that
describes the program functions to help
the user operate the computer system.
digital signal
A signal that represents
bits.
electronic cash
An amount of money
that is computerized, stored, and used
as cash for e-commerce transactions.
domain
The allowable values for data
attributes. Also, the area of knowledge
addressed by an expert system.
