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Lecture 13. Information and History. Objectives. Revolution or Paradigms of Information Systems Development of Information Systems in historical context Unit of analysis: the Internet. Revolution or Paradigms. Computer Age (1950-80): Information systems as a paper dragon
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Lecture 13 Information and History
Objectives • Revolution or Paradigms of Information Systems • Development of Information Systems in historical context • Unit of analysis: the Internet
Revolution or Paradigms • Computer Age (1950-80): • Information systems as a paper dragon • to reduce costs of routine paperwork processing • to speed up paperwork • Processing facts into data • “How to compute?”
Revolution or Paradigms • Information & Knowledge Age (1980s): • Information systems for general supports and management • information helped managers in control, planning, and decision makings • Managers asked for specific types of information ad hoc reports • Emerging of DSS and Expert Systems to generate concept and knowledge based on rules and patterns • “What to compute?”
How What to Compute? • It is no longer a question of How to Compute • We need to know What to Compute: • What kinds of calculations/ measurements to make? • What kind of control is most beneficial to everyone? • What should be in reports to provide the most benefit?
Revolution or Paradigms • Information Wave (1990s): • Information systems as a strategic resource • using information to create competitive advantages • optimization of agricultural, industrial, and other business operations
Revolution or Paradigms • Role of Information systems in 2000s and beyond? • Information systems as a vital link for business alliances? • Information systems (i.e., Internet and Web) as a main path to customers?
ARPA • Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) was created in response to the Soviet Union’s launching Sputnik in 1957 • Mission of advancing technology that might be useful to the military
The Concern • In case of nuclear wars, traditional circuit-switched telephone networks were considered too vulnerable • Loss of one line or switch would terminate all conversation using it and might partition the network
The Idea • Network should be a packet-switched network, consisting of subnet and host computers • Each subnet would be connected at least two other subnets • If some lines were destroyed, messages could be automatically rerouted along alternative paths
Kick-off • ARPA began working toward the Internet technology in mid 1970s • Internet architecture and protocol took their current form around 1977 - 1979
Into Academic • Most university computer science departments were running a version of the UNIX operating system available in Berkeley Software Distribution • Implementing TCP/IP for use with UNIX and funding Berkeley to integrate TCP/IP with its software distribution • ARPA was able to reach over 90% of the university computer science departments
Global Internet • Began around 1980 when ARPA converted machines attached to its research networks to TCP/IP • Department of Defense mandated that all computers connected to long-haul networks use TCP/IP
Growth • Original ARPA’s network was separated into two networks • ARPANET – for research • MILNET – for military purposes only • During 1980s, more LANs were added to ARPANET • Domain Name System was developed
NSFNET • National Science Foundation (NSF) took an active role in expanding the TCP/IP Internet to reach as many scientists as possible • NSF designed a high-speed successor to the ARPANET and opened to all university research groups • NSF built backbone network to connect six supercomputer centers in San Diego, Boulder, Champaign, Pittsburgh, Ithaca, and Princeton • Provide access to many regional networks to connect to major research institutions in the given areas
Commercialization • As growth continued, government could not continue financing networking • Commercial organizations wanted to join but were forbidden
Competitive Infrastructure • NSF awarded contracts to four network operators – PacBell, Ameritech, MFS, and Sprint – to establish Network Access Point • The concept of a single default backbone was replaced by a commercially-driven competitive infrastructure
Explosion of the Internet • There are multiple backbones, • Thousands of mid-level (i.e., regional) networks, • Hundreds of thousands of LANs, • Millions of hosts, and hundreds of millions of users