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Big Iron Case Study

Decent Essays

Complete discussion questions 1-2 and critical thinking questions 1-2
Complete Discussion Questions 1 – 2
1. When UP first acquired Big Iron, what services did the system provide that gave UP a competitive advantage?
Up was among the first to acquire Big Iron. The railroad used the mainframe to roll out one of the earliest transaction processing systems. UP was also the first railroad to develop a computerized car-scheduling system. Because it could efficiently schedule railroad car pickups and deliveries, the scheduling system gave UP a competitive advantage.
2. Why does UP feel that now if the time to replace its Big Iron system?
UP was one of many that was retiring Big Iron, IBM has recently suffered a 40 percent drop in mainframe …show more content…

 A benefit is that is becomes of use for system administrators and systems engineers. The disadvantage is that a lot of the public are not aware of the commands that can be used in this type of interface.
Graphical User Interface
 An interface that displays pictures (icons) and menus that people use to send commands to the computer system.
 A benefit to this is the icons that are provided to make it easier for your typical user. I think that it provides a better layout for those that are first time users as well. The drawback with even this type of interface is that every operating system has a different layout. For an individual that has been dealing with PC for their entire life, switching to a MAC computer is still going to be quite an adjustment.
4. What is a software suite? Give several examples.
A software suite is a collection of single programs packaged together in a bundle.
Several Examples:
Microsoft Office
 Corel WordPerfect Office
 Lotus SmartSuite
 Sun Microsystems OpenOffice
5. Name four operating systems that support the personal sphere of influence.
 Microsoft PC Operating Systems
 Apple Computer Operating Systems
 Linux Computer Operating Systems
 Google Chrome Operating Systems
6. What is service-oriented architecture (SOA)?
Service-oriented architecture (SOA) is a modular method of developing software and

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