Information System - A set of interrelated components that collect, retrieve, process, store and distribute information for the purpose of facilitating planning, control, coordination, analysis and decision making in organisations.
Input - the capture or collection of raw data resources from within an organisation or from its external environment.
Processing - The conversion of raw input into a more appropriate and useful form.
Output - The transfer of processed information to the people or activities that will use it.
Feedback - Output that is returned to appropriate members of the organisation to help them refine or correct the input phase.
Formal Systems - Information Systems that rely on mutually accepted and relatively fixed definitions of data and procedures for collecting, storing, processing and distributing information.
Manual Systems - An information system that uses only paper and pencil technology and does not rely on computers.
Computer Hardware - the physical equipment used for the input, processing and output work in an information system.
Computer Software - Preprogrammed instructions that coordinate the work of computer hardware components to perform the processes required by each information system.
Storage Technology - physical media for storing data and the software governing the organisation of data on these media.
Communications technology - Physical media and software that support communication by electronic means, usually over some distance.
Network - Physical media and software that link two or more computers together to transmit voice, data, images, sound and/or video or to share resources such as a printer.
Internet - A vast interconnected network of networks linking business, governmental, scientific and educational organisations as well as individuals around the world.
World Wide Web - a set of standards for storing, organising and displaying information in a networked environment....