Global Positioning System

The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a satellite-based digital information system that enables the location of objects on the surface of the Erath, prcise within a few feet.

GPSs are the key aid to navigation, allowing a civilian or military receiver to determine their precise location (longitude, latitude and altitude).

GPS is funded and controlled by the US Department of Defense (DoD).  GPS provides specially coded satellite signals that can be processed by a ground receiver that contains an embedded digital signal processor.

GPS positioning is based on measuring the travel times of radio signal emitted by satellites to a receiver mostly located on the ground. These travel times can be obtained by measuring on the precise but ambiguous, GPS carries phases or on the, less precise GPS PRN codes.

The satellites are equipped with an atomic clock and radio equipment to broadcast a unique signal, called a ‘pseudo-random code,’ as well as ephemeris data about the exact location position of the satellite relative to Earths and astronomical reference frames.

The GPS concept was conceived by Ivan Getting (1912-2003) in the 1960s while he was –president of the Aerospace Corporation. Bradford Parkinson led the engineering team that developed the first experimental system in 1978.

GPS systems are used in archeology, oceanography, geographic, information systems, mining, space exploration and many other fields. The GPS has significantly enhanced functions such as mapping, aerial refueling and rendezvous, geodetic surveys, and search and rescue operations.

GPSs have been integrated into marine navigational systems, allowing for determination of position, speed, bearing, distance or travels, etc. Commercial and recreational operations have been revolutionized, effectively replacing the use of printed nautical charts.
Global Positioning System

Executive information systems

Executive information systems (EIS) that became popular during the 1980s were developed to serve information needs of executive.

This software product is designed to generate information that is abstract enough to present the whole company operation in a simplified version to satisfy senior management. It provided relevant and timely information to executives for decision making. Executive information systems are forms of data retrieval systems that provide selected and summarized information for senior executive.

They assist top management by providing information on critical areas of the organization’s activities drawn from both internal and external databases.

These executives need a great diversity of external information to compare their company’s performance to that of its competition and to investigate the general trends of the economics in the many countries where the company may be doing business.

Executive information systems incorporated versatile graphical displays, features such as web browsing, electronic mail, groupware tools and decision support systems and facilities for exception reporting and trend analysis.
Executive information systems

What is Marketing Information System?

Every firm organizes the flow of marketing information to its marketing manager as a support for his marketing interventions. Information systems that claim to support managers cannot be built unless one understands what managers do and how they do it.

Marketing Information Systems is that part of Business Information Systems which meets the information needs for an organization in sales, distribution, advertising, market analysis, market intelligence, product research, service management, customer profile and other marketing functions. It is a set of interacting facilities and procedures intended to bring together disparate items of data into a coherent body of information.

Companies need a marketing information system to enable them to define and measure opportunities.

Information must be obtained from customers, competitors and internal company records to obtain a reliable measure of past performance and future market opportunities.

A Marketing Information Systems consists of people, equipment and procedures to gather, sort, analyze, evaluate and distribute needed, timely and accurate information to marketing decision making.
What is Marketing Information System?

Information System and Integrated Data

Once an organization has simplified its system and fully integrated its data, it is in a good position to extend business processes and systems outside its own operations to its customers, partners and suppliers, to encompass its whole economy as an entire automated supply chain.

Large companies can then create ecosystems made of hundreds of partners who can supplement the products and services of the large company, while retaining as good level sharing.

This result in the integration of long chains of business processes with information automatically flowing from company to company smoothly, quickly and accurately. For instance, if a customer places an order on a web site, it transfers automatically into the order entry system, into the accounting systems for invoicing and into the warehouse management system for fulfillment. It is also included in information sent to suppliers on orders in the pipeline, so that they can plan their inventory and pass demand forecast up the chain to their own suppliers.

Many large organizations are setting up their own private electronic marketplace with their suppliers, whilst others are getting together with competitors to set up a similar joint arrangement. E-marketplaces are central hubs or exchanges that bring together buyers and seller across the internet and already demonstrating success.

Customized products can be collaboratively designed within a supplier group, using an internet enabled computer aided designed (CAD) application.

Freight companies can join the e-marketplace to bid for transportation of the finished product or to auction off excess freight space to other companies in the exchange. At the same time, customers can access the market place to track delivery of an order.
Information System and Integrated Data