Changes from Previous Edition

Information Systems for Business and Beyond was written by Dr. David Bourgeois and originally published in 2014 as part of the Open Textbook Challenge at the Saylor Foundation. Since then, it has been accessed thousands of time and used in many courses worldwide. This 2019 update to the textbook brings it up to date and adds many new topics. True to its open textbook roots, many of the updates have come from the community of instructors and practitioners who are passionate about information systems. See the page Book Contributors to see the primary contributors to this edition. A majority of the changes listed below were made by Dr. James Smith, who did a revision to this text in 2018.

Here is a summary of the changes made:

Overall

• New and updated images, especially those related to statistics, in order to bring them up to date.
• References brought up to date.
• Added labs for every chapter.
• Added an index.
• Editing for consistency.

Chapter 1: What is an information system?

• Added video: Blum’s fibre optic TED Talk

Chapter 2: Hardware

• Removed text which discussed increasing dependency on tablets and decreasing use of desktops
• Clarification of bit vs. byte, binary vs. digital. Added tables to Understanding Binary sidebar
• Added Huang’s Law on graphics processor units
• Modified text regarding Moore’s Law to state that his law is no longer able to be maintained

Chapter 3: Software

• Added information about Ubuntu Linux
• Added Eclipse IDE
• Added information about Tableau
• Supply Chain Management: added an emphasis on use of Information Systems up and down supply chain by Walmart to gain competitive advantage

Chapter 4: Data and Databases

• Database schemas redesigned
• Data types added
• SQL examples include output
• NoSQL described
• Data Dictionary re-ordered to column name
• New section on “Why database technology?”
• Differentiation of data, information, and knowledge
• Section on Data models
• Changed illustrative example of database tables and relationships.
• Updated section on Business Intelligence to focus on the rise of analytics and data science. Includes a new “What is Data Science?” sidebar.

Chapter 5: Networking and Communication

• History of ARPANET initial four nodes, etc.
• Metcalfe’s Law

Chapter 6: Information Systems Security

• Added information on blockchain and Bitcoin.

Chapter 8: Business Processes

• Introduce tools (DFD, BPMN, UML) of business process modeling
• Introduce examples of DFD.

Chapter 10: Information Systems Development

• Java sample code
• Mismanaging Change side bar
• Added section on mobile development.
• Added sidebar on risks of end-user computing

Chapter 11: Globalization and the Digital Divide

• World 3.0 written by economist Pankaj Ghemawat; also his TED talk video

Chapter 12: The Ethical and Legal Implications of Information Systems

• Facebook and Cambridge Analytics data privacy
• General Data Protection Regulation section

Chapter 13: Trends in Information Systems

• Waze mapping app
• Drone video
• Drone blood delivery in Kenya video
• Added sidebar on Mary Meeker and her Internet Trends report