Information Systems Assignment: Facebook, GDPR, Mobile Applications

This MIS assignment explores various aspects of information systems and their applications. It begins with an analysis of Facebook's data privacy measures and compliance with GDPR, followed by an examination of the e-business model of Facebook, including its revenue streams, advantages, and disadvantages. The assignment then delves into the challenges faced by social networking sites and potential solutions. It further investigates mobile applications, including their business functions and the benefits of information systems like database management systems and Executive Information Systems (EIS). The assignment also covers the UPS packaging system, RFID applications, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems. It examines internet usage trends, the impact of globalization, ethical issues in e-commerce, security threats, and the advantages of OLAP systems. The assignment offers a broad overview of information systems, their applications, and the challenges they present.

Running head: MANAGING INFORMATION SYSTEM
Managing Information System
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author’s Note:

1
MANAGING INFORMATION SYSTEM
Table of Contents
Assignment 1...............................................................................................................................................2
Question 1...............................................................................................................................................2
Question 2...............................................................................................................................................2
Question 3...............................................................................................................................................2
Question 4...............................................................................................................................................3
Assignment 2...............................................................................................................................................4
Question 1...............................................................................................................................................4
Question 2...............................................................................................................................................4
Question 3...............................................................................................................................................4
Question 4...............................................................................................................................................5
Question 5...............................................................................................................................................5
Question 6...............................................................................................................................................6
Question 7...............................................................................................................................................6
Question 8...............................................................................................................................................7
References...................................................................................................................................................9

2
MANAGING INFORMATION SYSTEM
Assignment 1
Question 1
When Facebook was accused of not providing proper security to the data of the customers, they
undertook some of the major steps for data privacy, such as investigating each and every application,
which provide accessibility to the larger amounts of information from 2014 and new plans for restricting
the data access of developers. They also adopted new and tougher terms and conditions for the 3rd party
application developers, upgrading the privacy tools, designed for making them much easier to utilize,
closing few programs (Laudon & Laudon 2016, p. 2). Moreover, they included an easy tool for data
management, known as Access Your Information for providing simple method to promptly manage,
download and delete the posts or information of personal profiles. They even enabled the users in easily
seeing the information, utilized by the company for serving targeted advertising.
According to the data policy section of Facebook.com, the user can manage or delete his or her
information by clicking on the button of “Edit Profile” and then clicking on the “X” button in the corner
of the item that is required to be removed or deleted from the profile. Finally, the user has to eventually
click on the “Save Changes” button for saving the changes.
Question 2
The main purpose of GDPR or General Data Protection Regulation is to provide a regulation
within EU law for privacy and protection of data for all the citizens of entire European Union and the
European Economic Area (Laudon & Laudon 2015, p. 1). It even addresses the total transferring of
personal data outside the areas of EEA and EU. It provides control to the individuals for personal data
and even simplifies regulatory environment for all types of international businesses after unifying
regulation in the EU.
Four major data protection and privacy requirements of this GDPR are as follows:
i) Requiring basic consent from the user for processing of confidential data.
ii) Anonymizing the collected information for ensuring security.
iii) Providing significant notifications regarding data breaches.
iv) Safely handling the total transferring of data across borders.
Question 3
The e-business model of Facebook is extremely diversified and comprises of a proper business
strategy. Facebook tracks both the non-users and users on all other applications and sites for targeting
the audiences (Chang 2016, p. 5). They have included few of the most distinctive companies in their
business model, which are Atlas, Instagram, Facebook Payments Inc., Onavo, Parse, LiveRail,
WhatsApp, Moves, Oculus and Masquerade. The revenue model on the other hand, helps to make over

3
MANAGING INFORMATION SYSTEM
40 billion dollars during the year of 2017 that came from digitalized advertisements. Moreover, they
have announced around 13.2 billion dollars in revenue from their targeted advertising and users’ data.
The main advantages of the business of Facebook include brand awareness, driving of web site
traffic, targeted advertisement, and even customer services as well as providing feedback (Schwalbe
2015, p. 2). The disadvantages of Facebook’s business are high budget, requires correct skills, major
time and resources and often gets negative feedback due to two way communication.
Question 4
The major challenges faced by social networking sites are as follows:
i) They often comprise of lack of metrics for getting success.
ii) Privacy concerns are the second issue that are being faced by these websites when developers
move in.
iii) Untrustworthy members’ data is yet another significant issue, faced by them.
iv) They often face challenges in monetizing (Dutta, Geiger & Lanvin 2015, p. 83).
The companies can treat these issues by taking up few measures such as upgrading technology
periodically, making user friendly applications and securing non-relational data of the website.

4
MANAGING INFORMATION SYSTEM
Assignment 2
Question 1
Three popular mobile applications are Auto Direct, Home Launcher and V-Chat. The major
business functions of these above mentioned mobile applications are providing governance to the
application by inclusion of upgraded technology, providing better customer services and development of
strategy as well as deployment of change (Marchewka 2016, p. 1). The operational efficiency and
decision making could be improved and business problems could be resolved by making easy
collaboration, streamlining communications with the customers, delivering subsequent accessibility of
these mobile applications to the customers, irrespective of time and place. Moreover, creation of
effective business processes with the business partners is yet another significant method for resolving
the existing issues.
Question 2
One of the most significant popular types of information systems is database management
system, which is a specific software package that is being designed for properly defining, manipulation,
retrieval and management of data within the database (Lloyd 2017, p. 2). Data is unorganized and raw
facts, which require to be processes and it remains seemingly random and simple until and unless, it is
being organized. When data gets processed, structured, presented and organized within the given
context for making it useful in nature, data is termed as information. These data and information are tied
together, whether one of identifying them as two separate words or utilizing them interchangeably, it
can referred to as common in nature. In a database management system, it becomes quite easy to gain
information from data. This particular system manipulates the data, the format of the data, file structure,
record structure and field names (Bloom et al. 2014, p. 2861). After getting accurate information, the
rules even allow the user to easily and promptly validate as well as manipulate the information.
Question 3
Executive information system or EIS would be suitable for the organization of VES. An EIS
comprises of several features such as flexibility and easy usability, providing timely information with
the shorter response time and even with quicker retrieval, producing correct, validated and relevant
information. The interface of this particular information system comprises of user friendly interfaces for
the graphic user and it could be utilized from several places. EIS is being recommended to VES since
they want to maintain their competitive edges (Piotrowicz & Cuthbertson 2014, p. 11). The main
advantage of this system is that it is extremely easy to use and dos not incur huge expenses. EIS offers
secured and reliable or confidential access with the access process. Moreover, it is highly customized
and hence VES would be getting a full blown and cross functional application without much
complexity.

5
MANAGING INFORMATION SYSTEM
Question 4
The inputs of UPS’s packaging system mainly include package information, signature
of customers, proper pickups, accurate delivery, and data of the time card, finding current locations, and
billing as well as documentation of customer clearance. DIAD or Delivery Information Acquisition
Device is being utilized for capturing the information regarding customer’s packages. UPS even
accumulates information from the web site and it provides customer with the opportunity of inputting
the package details. The processing includes collected data from DIAD is being uploaded to the
respective network of UPS’s packaging system for primary storage (Sittig & Singh 2015, p. 63). This
data gets transferred to the centralized computer system and then stored for further retrieval and
immediate processing. The outputs of this packaging system include times for delivery and pickup and
package recipient.
The organizational dimension is the process to track packages as well as management of
inventory for providing accurate information regarding the package for UPS service centres. The
dimension of management could be helpful for servicing levels and expenses of UPS and utilizes
automation for increasing ease to send package through UPS, hence increasing sales revenues and
reducing delivery costs. Technology dimension is regarding computers, networks and software of UPS,
which are required for assessing and providing better and accurate services.
Question 5
a) 3 examples of RFID in three different business purposes are as follows:
i) Logistics and Supply Chain: RFID is helpful for tracking inventory, logistics and supply
chain by providing real time data on the statuses of individual items. It increases efficiency and reduces
errors for improvement of quality.
ii) Attendee Tracking: RFID provides efficient attendee solution by eliminating the requirement
of registration lines at entrance.
iii) Access Control: RFID could even be effective for controlling access of the tags and hence
providing better security.
b) Geographic information system is the framework to gather, manage and analyse data for
integrating several types of data (Chae, Koh & Prybutok 2014, p. 312). GIS even analyses spatial
locations and organizes information layers into visualization with maps.
c) The three main components of a system of CRM include automation of sales force, marketing
automation and service automation. These are required for providing customer information, last
marketing effort and previous sales for summarizing every relationship within firm and customer.

6
MANAGING INFORMATION SYSTEM
Question 6
a) In September 2019, there are almost 4.39 billion users of Internet and 95% of this total
population is in the United States. However, other countries are catching up. China has also grown to a
high level and recently, around 54.3% users are using Internet on a regular basis. In India, the number of
Internet users has gone rise to 627 million and it has increased in percentage as well from the previous
years.
b) The changes in the numbers or increase in the usage of Internet in the entire world are due to
high globalization (Avgerou & Walsham 2017, p. 2). The major drivers of this globalization, which
affect the overall competitive situations to be recognized are low trade barriers, low transportation
expenses, low communications expenses, ICT development as well as spread of technologies. Porter’s
five forces help to understand the entire situation. Low transportation and communication expenses
affect these 5 forces of new entrants, suppliers’ effect, substitute, buyers’ effect and finally industry
competitors.
Figure 1: Relation between Drivers and Porter’s five forces
(Source: Lloyd 2017)
Moreover, the three competitive strategies of cost leadership, differentiation and focus are also
other reasons for increasing Internet usage, since they provide impact on society, technology diffusion
and configuration of information systems.
Question 7
a) The major ethical issues concerned with storing and analysis of users’ data in the e-commerce
website include privacy breaches of data, easy accessibility of data, not following rights of data
protection, not providing accurate data, avoiding browsing of data and customer records.
b) The various security threats and vulnerabilities in this e-commerce website are as follows:
i) System and Online Reliability: The reliability of system often gets lost to a high level and the
security threats like phishing attacks, malware, and spam mail and hacking are the most common
aspects here (Piotrowicz & Cuthbertson 2014, p. 15).

7
MANAGING INFORMATION SYSTEM
ii) Privacy Issues: This type of issue mainly occurs with the personal data of customers and
occurs in unsolicited marketing and identity theft.
iii) Customer Disputes: The customers may not have received their orders and the credit card
charges twice or even the respective product, received did not fit their online descriptions.
iv) Intellectual Property Issues: The images, logos, music, videos and description of the product
can be copied and violating the intellectual properties of other people.
Encryption is the most effective solution to resolve the above mentioned security threats and
risks. The data remains in encrypted format and could only be decoded with decryption key and hence
data would be secured. Firewall implementation is the second distinctive measure for resolving the
security threats.
Question 8
a) The advantages of OLAP system are as follows:
i) OLAP system allows flexible and self-service reporting.
ii) This type of system provides business focused calculations as well as business focused
multidimensional datum.
iii) It even provides trustworthy datum and calculation and even speed of thought analysis.
b) Cloud computing provides few of the most significant advantages to its customers. In present
situation, it is driving new opportunities and growth and makes it quite easier as well as cheaper to have
subsequent access to the best infrastructure of innovation (Dutta, Geiger & Lanvin 2015, p. 85). The
technology is providing high security and getting the respective infrastructure needed up and getting a
new venture off the ground. Cloud computing provides confluence of every underused skills and
cheaper online resources for allowing new innovation and creativity in the business.
c) The main difference between traditional file organization and DBMS is that the traditional
system helps in storage of a collection of few files of raw data into a hard disk, whereas the DBMS
helps in easier storage, retrieval as well as manipulation of data within the database. Traditional file
organization is a system, which controls data files within computer system and DBMS creates and
manages databases. Moreover, file system handling is much easier than this DBMS.
d) The connection between IT infrastructure and the firm is that the combination of software,
hardware, human resources and networks enable the firm in delivering IT services to the people in the
firm. On the other hand, the connection between IT infrastructure and business capabilities proves that
the services of IT such as data management, IT standards, development and service platform helps in
highlighting business values. Hence, business capabilities are increased to a high level.

8
MANAGING INFORMATION SYSTEM
Figure 2: Connection between the Firm, IT Infrastructure and Business Capabilities
(Source: Chang 2016)

9
MANAGING INFORMATION SYSTEM
References
Avgerou, C. & Walsham, G. eds., 2017. Information technology in context: Studies from the perspective
of developing countries: Studies from the perspective of developing countries. Routledge.
Bloom, N., Garicano, L., Sadun, R. & Van Reenen, J., 2014. The distinct effects of information
technology and communication technology on firm organization. Management Science, 60(12),
pp.2859-2885.
Chae, H.C., Koh, C.E. & Prybutok, V.R., 2014. Information technology capability and firm
performance: contradictory findings and their possible causes. Mis Quarterly, 38(1), pp.305-326.
Chang, K.T., 2016. Geographic information system. International Encyclopedia of Geography: People,
the Earth, Environment and Technology: People, the Earth, Environment and Technology, pp.1-9.
Dutta, S., Geiger, T. & Lanvin, B., 2015. The global information technology report 2015. In World
Economic Forum (Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. P80-85).
Laudon, K.C. & Laudon, J.P., 2015. Management Information Systems: Managing the Digital Firm
Plus MyMISLab with Pearson eText--Access Card Package. Prentice Hall Press.
Laudon, K.C. & Laudon, J.P., 2016. Management information system. Pearson Education India.
Lloyd, I.J., 2017. Information technology law. Oxford University Press.
Marchewka, J.T., 2016. Information technology project management: Providing measurable
organizational value. John Wiley & Sons.
Piotrowicz, W. & Cuthbertson, R., 2014. Introduction to the special issue information technology in
retail: Toward omnichannel retailing. International Journal of Electronic Commerce, 18(4), pp.5-16.
Schwalbe, K., 2015. Information technology project management. Cengage Learning.
Sittig, D.F. & Singh, H., 2015. A new socio-technical model for studying health information technology
in complex adaptive healthcare systems. In Cognitive informatics for biomedicine (pp. 59-80). Springer,
Cham.