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Information Systems (IS):
History of the IS:
Prior to the 1990s, many information systems specialists focused primarily on the computing needs that the business world had faced since the 1960s such as accounting systems, payroll systems, inventory systems, etc. By the end of the 1990’s, networked personal computers had become basic commodities. They became integral parts of the work environment used by people at all levels of the organization. The problems of managing information became extremely complex, making more challenges for the information systems specialists.
The scope of the IS discipline:
The shaded portion in the following figure represents the information systems discipline.
What do IS programs prepare students for?
an IS program in cooperation with other business programs serves students who want a career that focuses on the information needs of organizations and who are interested in technology primarily as a vehicle to meet such needs.
Historically, information systems programs prepared students to work with functionally oriented business applications such as payroll, accounts receivables, inventory management, etc. On the technology side, IS students could expect to become familiar with computer applications related to these traditional business areas especially database management systems, and with spreadsheets and other off-the-shelf software products that had broad utility to business people.
Modern IS programs focus on the broader role of IT-enabled information utilization and business processes in a wide range of enterprises, while still maintaining their close association with business schools. All IS degrees combine business and computing coursework.
IS students must learn how to assess and evaluate organizational information needs, specify information requirements, and design practical systems to satisfy these requirements.
What are the responsibilities of the information systems specialists?
Information systems specialists focus on integrating information technology solutions and business processes to meet the information needs of businesses and other enterprises, enabling them to achieve their objectives in an effective and efficient way.
Professionals in the discipline are primarily concerned with the information that computer systems can provide to aid an enterprise in defining and achieving its goals, and the processes that an enterprise can implement or improve using information technology. They must understand both technical and organizational factors.
IS specialists often tailor application technologies (especially databases) to the needs of the enterprise, and they often develop systems that utilize other software products to suit their organizations’ needs for information.
The intersection of IS and IT:
IS programs now face fresh competition from IT programs. Traditionally, many graduates of IS programs have functioned in roles that are similar to the roles for which IT programs explicitly prepare their students. As the number of IT programs grows, many IS departments will have to evaluate how to define and serve their core constituents. And regardless of the local IS reaction to the emergence of IT programs, there are many potentially rich opportunities for cooperation between the IS and IT communities.
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