Web-based systems for data storage, assessment, analysis, and further application have become rather common nowadays. More importantly, these systems can be used for both personal and professional purposes, which has opened a plethora of opportunities for business and entrepreneurs all over the world. However, defining the web service that provides the chance for its users to carry out business functions is not easy.
While such service still falls under the category of a web application, the fact that its functions define the field and scope of its use, as well as the users of the software, begs the question whether a proper definition can be provided for the new type of web services. According to Oz, the phenomenon under consideration is traditionally referred to as a software application or simply an application. ‘
It is quite remarkable that Oz includes a rather wide range of productivity tools into the given concept; for example, “word processors, electronic spreadsheets, Web browsers, project management tools, collaborative work programs” (Oz 159) are all brought together under the common umbrella term of web-based applications.
Some of the elements listed above can even be questioned in terms of their belonging to the realm of the Web; for instance, such an element as the “project management tool” (Oz 159), which was mentioned above, maybe either an element of the operational system, which has been installed into the computer, or a web application, which provides the opportunity for its user to arrange the data in a certain manner.
The same can be said about word processors. The aforementioned tools are defined by their function in Oz’s opinion. Since each of the aforementioned tools is used for data acquisition and processing, it falls under the category of an application.
It would be wrong to assume that only the computer systems that are defined as web-based can be used for data storage, classification, analysis, and transfer. Though web-based computer systems are admittedly more efficient, seeing how they were designed to transfer data from one user to another via Internet, as well as provide access to the data in question for the users accessing the database from different locations, the programs that are not web-based can handle some of information management functions quite efficiently as well.
First, it is necessary to consider the programs known as “Office Productivity Applications” (Oz 167). As Oz explains, the programs are supposed to help an office employee arrange and schedule the tasks, as well as structure the production process and process the incoming data successfully.
Much to the credit or the developers, the programs are extremely helpful and, therefore, can be granted the title of offline services. While their scale is less impressive than one of the web-based programs, they still contribute to more accurate information management, which makes them worth using.
Another specimen of computer systems, which is traditionally associated with information management services, the 3-D software, especially the 3-D geographic software, allows for faster processing of geographic data without actually having to use the Web for the information analysis process.
When it comes to defining the significance of computer systems for data processing, one must mention that every single element of the latter affects the way in which the data is stored, analyzed, and used. Both hardware and software, which a computer consists of, defines the quality of the information management process.
Works Cited
Oz, Effy. Management Information Systems. 6th ed. Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning. 2009. Print.