Modern Systems Analysis and Design - Chapter 2: The Origins of Software

Vocabulary flashcards generated from Modern Systems Analysis and Design Chapter 2.

Outsourcing

Turning over responsibilities for some or all of an organization's information systems applications and operations to an outside firm.

IT Services Firms

Companies that employ skilled IT personnel to help organizations develop customer information systems for internal use.

Packaged Software Providers

Producers of prepackaged, off-the-shelf software that is non-customizable and meets approximately $70\%$ of an organization's needs.

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Systems

Software systems that integrate individual traditional business functions into a series of modules so that a single transaction occurs seamlessly within a single information system.

Cloud Computing

The provision of computing resources, including applications, over the Internet, so customers do not have to invest in underlying computing infrastructure.

Software as a Service (SaaS)

A software delivery and licensing model enabled by cloud computing that allows applications to be accessed over the Internet on a subscription or per-use basis.

Open-Source Software

Freely available software whose source code is accessible to the public and developed by a community of interested people.

In-House Development

The method of building software systems from scratch using an organization's own internal IT staff.

Request for Proposal (RFP)

A document provided to vendors asking them to propose hardware and system software that will meet the requirements of a new system.

Software Reuse

The practice of using previously written software resources, especially objects and components, in new applications.

Object-Oriented Development Reuse

An approach to software reuse centered on object classes that encapsulate data and behavior of common organizational entities.

Component-Based Development Reuse

An approach to software reuse utilizing components ranging from small objects to large software modules that handle single business functions.

Abstraction Step

The first basic step of software reuse, which involves designing reusable software.

Storage Step

The second basic step of software reuse, which involves making software assets available for others to use.

Recontextualization Step

The third basic step of software reuse, which involves making reusable software assets understandable to developers.

Ad Hoc Reuse

An approach to reuse characterized by low level reuse and low cost, where individuals are free to find or develop reusable assets on their own without corporate policies.

Facilitated Reuse

An approach to software reuse with low level reuse and low cost, where developers are encouraged to reuse code but are not required to do so.

Managed Reuse

An approach to software reuse with moderate level reuse and moderate cost, where development, sharing, and adoption of reusable assets are mandated with organizational policies.

Designed Reuse

An approach to software reuse with high level reuse and high cost, where code must be designed for reuse during initial development, reuse is mandated, and policies measure reuse effectiveness.

Sources of Application Software Diagram

A diagram showing the six major sources of software components: IT services firms, packaged software providers, ERP providers, cloud computing, open-source software, and in-house development.

Investments Necessary to Achieve Reusable Components Graph

A curve illustrating that building reusable components requires higher initial cost and time (e.g., $50\%$ more cost and $100\%$ more time for a 2-project solution), but delivers high value per unit investment across many projects.