1

UNISA MEMO AIN1501 MAYJUNE 2011

QUESTION 1 (10 MARKS)

Question Answer

1.1 Corrective controls discover the occurrence of adverse events, such as operational inefficiency

False

1.2 SWOT analysis entails an analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats

True

1.3 Computer-aided Software Engineering (CASE) is an example of end-user development

False

1.4 The internet is a private facility consisting of a small number of computers linked together

False

1.5 Microsoft Windows is an open source operating system False

1.6 Computers built between 1958 and 1964 are classified as second-generation computers

True

1.7 A closed system is a system that is completely isolated from the environment in which it operates

True

1.8 Information is a non-vital resource that may assist users in performing their duties in the business environment

False

1.9 The first King Report on Corporate Governance for South Africa was launched in 1994

True

1.10 Encryption is used to verify that the user of an ID is the owner of the ID False

2

QUESTION 2 (10 MARKS)

A1 The process of changing data into a form that can read by the intended receiver

B14 Encryption

A2 Translates high-level language programmes into machine code instructions

B6 Compiler

A3 An organisation contracts out the information function to a third party at a fixed fee

B9 Outsourcing

A4 A stage in the project’s lifecycle

B20 Maturity

A5 A private network that is contained within the organisation

B1 Intranet

A6 Translates each source code instruction, one at a time, into machine code and executes it

B8 Interpreter

A7 Software normally included with the operating system and consists of programmes for routine, repetitive instructions

B19 Utility software

A8 Includes all software that utilises the information system to solve the specific data processing needs of users

B10 Application software

A9 Consists of two (or more) components that combine to achieve a common goal

B18 System

A10 Conversion of data into information

B2 Data conversion

3

QUESTION 3 (11 MARKS)

3.1 (6 MARKS)

Target setting level – where managers decide on targets or objectives in response to

environmental demands.

Operations level – where the organization converts the inputs into outputs through

activities and processes

Monitoring level – where the actual outputs are measured and compared with the targets (as set during the target-setting level) to determine whether these outputs (produced by the system) are still according to plan.

3.2 (3 MARKS)

The current and previous years’ financial results to determine the profitability of the

organisation

Predictions of the organisation’s future performance based on the current strategies.

Alternative strategies to reach the objectives, as well as predictions of the effect of each of

these strategies on the organisation’s future performance

The effect of the changing environment on the performance or future existence of the

organisation.

3.3 (2 MARKS)

A general system is a set of two or more components that serve a common purpose and interact to

achieve a common goal. It consists of subsystems or elements that perform specific functions

supporting the larger system.

QUESTION 4 (10 MARKS)

4.1 (2 MARKS)

Arithmetic logic unit (ALU)

Control unit

4.2 (3 MARKS)

Random access memory (RAM)

Read-only memory (ROM)

Cache memory

4.3 (5 MARKS)

High speed of processing

Large volumes of transactions

Improved quality

Effective communication

Low cost of processing information

4

High complexity of calculations

QUESTION 5 (12 MARKS)

5.1 (7 MARKS)

Processor task management

Memory management

Device management

File management

Application program interface (API)

User interface (UI)

Network capabilities

5.2 (5 MARKS)

Anti-virus and anti-spam software

Back-up utilities

Data compression software

Disk compression utilities

File managers

Network utilities

QUESTION 6 (9 MARKS)

6.1 (5 MARKS) (any 5)

Microwave transmission

Satellite transmission

Cellular telephones

Global positioning systems

Cordless computer devices

6.2 (4 MARKS)

Speed of transmission

Effective rate of transmission

Direction of transmission

Mode of transmission

QUESTION 7 (11 MARKS)

7.1 (6 MARKS) (any 3)

Changes in technology – new technology can lead to new production processes or

communication methods by using new and better equipment, which will affect the

information system.

5

Changes in decision-making polices – for example decision to centralise decision-making and

information systems, or to decentralise decision-making and information systems, will lead

to a need to replace, change, or improve the existing information systems

Changes in the needs and demands of users and stakeholders – to improve decision-making,

the needs of different users of the information change continually

Changes in the business environment – organisations need to stay competitive in an

environment where the impact of an increasingly global market is enormous

Changes in the nature of the organisation – changes in the activities of the organisation, for

example more production lines or changes in production lines

Changes to maintain the competitive advantage – a constant flow of new ideas and changes

are necessary to stay ahead of competition

Changes to improve performance and productivity – re-design of business processes and

information system in order to improve performance and productivity of the organisation

7.2 (5 MARKS)

System performance criteria

Key decision analysis

system framework

information flows

database design

controls and authorities

build proposals

QUESTION 8 (8 MARKS)

8.1 (5 MARKS) (any 5)

business objectives

critical success factors

key performance indicators

information systems needs

the human resource requirements

cost benefit analysis and funding assessment

8.2 (3 MARKS) (any 3)

purchase

leasing

renting

outsourcing

QUESTION 9 (9 MARK)

9.1 (1 MARK)

6

Computer crime includes a wide range of illegal activities in which a computer and or network are

used as a tool to commit crime or where a computer and/ or a network are the target of crime.

9.2 (2 MARKS)

Phishing – uses email messages that appear to come from legitimate businesses with which

one might well have had dealing. The phishing email asks for verification of certain

information, such as account numbers and passwords, allegedly for auditing purpose.

Pharming – is an attack with aim of redirecting a web site’s traffic to an alternate and

illegitimate website. Pharming can be conducted either by changing the host’s file on a

victim’s computer or by DNS server “poisoning”.

9.3 (6 MARKS) (any 6)

Errors and omissions

Fraud and theft

Disgruntled employees

Physical and infrastructure threats

Malicious hackers

Industrial espionage

Malicious code

QUESTION 10 (10 MARKS)

10.1 (4 MARKS)

It is the exchange of digital information between parties.

It is enabled by technology

It is mediated by technology

It includes all electronically based intra- and inter-organisational activities

10.2 (6 MARKS) (any 3)

Business-to-business (B2B) – for example a wholesaler sells to a retailer

Business- to-consumer (B2C) – UNISA students can purchase books by using

www.kalahari.net or www.vanschaik.com

Consumer-to-consumer (C2C) –Gumtree and Junkmail are examples of C2C websites

Consumer- to-business (C2B) – a consumer post his request for a product or service online,

indicating the details for the product or service, that is, amount available, delivery dates and

other specifications

E-government – for example SARS e-filing (www.sarsefiling.co.za) to file tax returns, SA

citizens can verify their marital status and ID status by using Department of Home Affairs

website (www.home-affairs.gov.za)

Total 100 marks

©

UNISA 2011

1

UNISA MEMO AIN1501 OCTOBERNOVEMBER 2011

QUESTION 1 (10 MARKS)

Question Answer

1.1 Before the user can use any software to process information, the programme instructions for that software must be loaded and stored in the primary memory

True

1.2 Customers using an internet application service provider (IASP) can access their data from any computer

True

1.3 Encryption is the scrambling of information transferred between two parties True

1.4 In a cybernetic control system, the monitoring level is where the organisation converts the inputs outputs through the activities and processes

False

1.5 The original source of information, that is, where an event occurred, is known as the secondary source

False

1.6 Batch processing occurs where records are updated after each transaction is entered

False

1.7 The transport layer is the seventh layer in the reference framework of information False

1.8 The main purpose of an intranet is to share company information and sharing resources amongst employees

True

1.9 Building a scaled-down experimental version of a new information system is known as prototyping

True

1.10 Authentication is the transformation of plain text into cipher text by cryptographic techniques

False

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QUESTION 2 (10 MARKS)

A1 The electronic capturing and processing of money and credit transfers between banks, business and their organisations

B10 Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT)

A2 Promulgated to regulate the interception of electronic communication

B16 Regulation of Interception of Communications and Provision of Communication-related Information Act 70 of 2002 (RICA)

A3 Designed to rectify adverse events discovered by detective controls and return conditions to what they were before violation

B20 Corrective controls

A4 Connects computers and other peripheral devices located within a limited area by using dedicated data channels installed specifically for transmitting data

B5 Local Area Networks (LAN)

A5 It is maintained automatically by the Database Management System (DBMS) and contains information on both the types of data and its uses

B15 Data dictionary

A6 This is the second stage in the process of making decisions

B9 Problem definition and structuring

A7 All the computers developed up to 1958 B1 First generation computers

A8 One of the steps in the system development lifecycle

B4 Build

A9 The organisation analyses its strengths and weakness as well as its external environment

B11 SWOT Analysis

A10 The path or medium used to distribute information

B3 Communication channel

QUESTION 3 (12 MARKS)

3.1 (6 MARKS) (any 3)

Random access memory (RAM) – RAM is the main memory. Data can be written into RAM

and read from RAM.

Read-only memory (ROM) – one cannot write data to ROM and ROMs are non-volatile. The

ROM will retain its contents even if power is turned off.

Cache memory – is a small memory bank that is integrated with processor. The cache

memory acts as a buffer or temporary storage space that is used to increase processing

speed.

3.2 (3 MARKS) (any 3)

Monitor/display/screen

Printers

Speakers

Video display units

3

3.3 (3 MARKS) (any 3)

Magnetic hard disk drives

Optical disks

Flash memory

Floppy disks

Magnetic tape

Jaz disks

Zip disks

QUESTION 4 (10 MARKS)

4.1 (7 MARKS)

Operating system e.g. Ms Windows, Apple Mac operating system, OS/2, UNIX and System 7

Network management software

Utility software e.g. formatting of disks

System development software

Database management systems

System support programmes

Application software e.g. Ms Office

4.2 (3 MARKS)

4.2.1 (2 MARKS)

Commercial operating system - Microsoft Windows

Open-source operating system - Linux

4.2.2 (1 MARK) (any 1)

No licence payable

Low cost

High configurability

QUESTION 5 (8 MARKS)

5.1 (2 MARKS)

An intranet is an internal or private network that is under the control of a single

organisation.

An extranet is a network that links an intranet to the internet.

5.2 (6 MARKS) (any 6)

Electronic mail

File transfers

Bulletin boards

Streaming media

4

Voice communication

World wide web (www)

Electronic data interchange (EDI)

Rich internet applications (RIA)

Web services

QUESTION 6 (9 MARKS)

6.1 (4 MARKS)

Savings in cost

Consolidation of financial results across divisions is done with speed and reliability

Enables accountants to focus on their core functions of analysis, forecasting and decision

making rather than on the tasks of gathering, compiling and preparing data and reports

Makes more effective use of the internet to communicate with investors and other external

stakeholders

6.2 (2 MARKS)

Risk of data loss

Risk of human errors during the coding process

6.3 (3 MARKS)

Systems risk - IASP may experience a service interruption (resulting from problems with

servers or internet connections), making it impossible for clients to access critical data.

Human error risk - Employees of the clients and IASP may make mistakes when using the

application software or backing up the data.

Legal or regulatory risk - Information may be stolen or accessed by unauthorised individuals.

QUESTION 7 (11 MARKS)

7.1 (5 MARKS)

The end-user is in control of his/her information (sense of ownership and pride)

The system end-user will develop what they want, when they want it, because of the exact

determination of their requirements.

It improves personal productivity of the end-users, resulting in an improvement in the

quality of his/her work.

It results in solutions that are easy to use and understand

It results in the freeing-up of information system resources to concentrate on the

maintenance and development of traditional transaction processing system.

7.2 (6 MARKS)

System investigation or project definition

System analysis

System design

5

Programming

Implementation/installation

Post-implementation

QUESTION 8 (10 MARKS)

8.1 (6 MARKS)

Business objectives stating what the organisation is trying to achieve over the next five

years.

Critical success factors that list all the key factors which would influence the achievement (or

failure) of the set objectives.

Key performance indicators that aid the organisation in continuously monitoring the critical

success factors to determine whether it is still in line with the set targets

The human resource requirements that will be needed to operate the information systems

as defined in the information systems needs assessment.

Cost benefit analysis and funding assessment that addresses how the information system

will be funded and what cost will be incurred for what benefit to the organisation.

8.2 (4 MARKS) (any 4)

It is an effective form of controlling costs (since the organisation enters into a long-term

contract, the price is agreed upon in advance)

An organisation can acquire skills and knowledge without paying huge salaries to permanent

staff

Long-term contracts allows the organisation more certainty when doing strategic planning

Access to a wealth of IT expertise

No need to invest in IT equipment, attract or retain IT specialist

The organisation may feel that information systems management is not its core business;

therefore it does not want to be bogged on this aspect of management.

QUESTION 9 (10 MARKS)

9.1 (5 MARKS)

Crime by computer manipulation

Computer forgery

Damage to or modification of computer data or programmes

Unauthorised reproduction of legally protected computer programmes

Unauthorised access to computer systems and services

9.2 (5 MARKS)

Physical inspections and checks

Processing logic checks

Run-to-run totals

Audit trails

6

File and programme changes

QUESTION 10 (10 MARKS)

10.1 (10 MARKS) (any 5)

Management – to coordinate the activities of the organisation, to do future planning, to

make important decisions based on the information, to measure performance and control

activities.

Financial managers – financial managers need information on the financial performance of

the organisation in order to make decisions on cash flow and financing.

Production managers – internal information on sales quantities and sales forecasting is

needed to control and plan the production process.

Staff managers – staff managers use internal information on qualifications needed and

salary levels.

Marketing managers – internal information need relates to products, target markets and

prices in order to make decisions on possible promotions and advertising methods.

Sales managers – internal information is needed on production costs and overhead costs in

order to make decisions on sales prices

Purchase managers – internal information is necessary on the quantity of the various

products or raw materials needed by the production department.

Employees – employees need to have internal information on the sustainability of the

organisation for job security reasons and external information on labour laws and unions.

Total 100 marks

©

UNISA 2011