January 2011 - Informatics

Book Review
Information Systems Today:
Managing the Digital World
Title: Information Systems Today:
Managing the Digital World, 4/E
Authors: Joseph Valacich and
Christoph Schneider
Publisher: Prentice Hall
Year: 2010
Information Systems
Today: Managing the
Digital World, 4th edition
shows how information
technology and systems
have become important
in all aspects of today's
organizations and
society.The fourth
edition of this text has
been updated with
current and real-world
information systems
concepts while retaining
previous editions'
important information.
This text book has been
written keeping pace
with what is happening
in the real-world
information system.
P.K. UPADHYAY
Technical Director,
NIC HQ
pku@nic.in
INFORMATION SYSTEMS TODAY:
Managing the Digital World, 4th
edition written by Joseph Valacich and
Christoph Schneider is the best endeavor
in terms of analyzing contemporary
issues regarding Managing in the
Digital World; Fueling Globalization
through Information Systems; Valuing
Information Systems Investments;
Managing the Information Systems
Infrastructure; Enabling Commerce
Using the Internet; Enhancing
Collaboration Using Web 2.0; Securing
Information Systems; Enhancing
Business Intelligence Using
Information Systems; Building
Organizational Partnerships Using
Enterprise Information Systems;
Developing and Acquiring Information
Systems; Managing Information
Systems Ethics and Crime.
There are eleven chapters in the book
and deal on different issues of information
systems. Initial chapters describe
information system issues of real companies
and technologies at work. These
include:
InfoSys: India's growing IT consulting
firm
How TiVo has changed the television
industry, laying the foundation
for video on demand and other
entertainment services
Google's meteoric rise and the
challenges associated with main
taining its success.
How the Web 2.0 phenomenon
Digg is influencing news and infor
mation dissemination
eBay's use of business intelligence
to battle its ongoing struggles
with counterfeit products and
fraudulent Web sites
Amazon.com's use of its sophisti
cated infrastructure to automate the
supply chain for both large and
small customers
How the Nintendo Wii created
tremendous demand by purposefully
being different than the Sony
Play Station or Microsoft X-Box
Chapter -"Enhancing Collaboration
Using Web 2.0" examines the evolution
of Internet technologies, i.e. blogging,
tagging, wikis, podacasting, etc, and
how they are enabling new forms of collaboration
that include virtual teams,
social networking, and crowdsourcing.
Net Stats in this book insights help
IS practioners better understand the
Internet's role in fueling globalization
and transforming the digital world and
provide important trends and forecasts
related to Internet usage.
End-of-Chapter Cases of the book
present a case to encourage applying
what is learned. These cases include the
examples of Facebook, PayPal,
LinkedIn, Crowdcourcing, The automobile
industry expanding their supply
chains, The FBI developing a comprehensive
database of biometric information
to better track and apprehend
criminals, Terrorists now visiting virtual
worlds like Second Life and World of
Warcraft to test the reactions of citizens
to different types of attacks, and
many more.
Coming Attractions feature of the
book focuses on innovations that are
likely to soon impact organizations or
society. Topics include: Brain sensors to
improve market research, Virtual
extras in animated films and games,
Very smart phones and services, Highspeed
3-D fabrication, Nanowires and
invisibility.
The book is full of definitions whereas
little instructions have been given
about 'how' to setup, administer, or
begin in the digital information management.
But the book overall spurs
interests in technology compiled at single
place.