We have updated all material in this chapter and added many new and exciting examples
and references.
The overall purpose of this chapter is to cover knowledge management and specialized
business information systems, including artificial intelligence, expert systems, and many other
specialized systems. These systems are substantially different from more traditional information and decision support systems, and while they are not used to the same extent as more
traditional information systems, they still have an important place in business.
As with the last edition, the section on knowledge management continues to be a natural
extension of the material in Chapter 10 on information and decision support systems and
leads to a discussion of some of the special-purpose systems discussed in the chapter, including
expert systems and knowledge bases.
This chapter contains many new examples and references. We have new material on the
importance of knowledge management for Tata, a large Indian company that uses it to retain
and use knowledge from retiring employees. The Aerospace and Defense (A&D) organization
also uses knowledge management to keep knowledge in its organization. This chapter also
shows how Pratt & Whitney uses knowledge management systems to help it deliver information and knowledge about its jet engine parts to the company and airlines, including
Delta and United. We highlight the importance of the knowledge manager and the chief
knowledge officer with new references and a new quote. The material on knowledge management includes new examples of communities of practice (COP). A group of people from
the International Conference on Knowledge Management in Nuclear Facilities has a COP
to investigate the use of knowledge management systems in the development and control of
nuclear facilities. We also have numerous new examples on how organizations can obtain,
store, share, and use knowledge. The University of South Carolina, for example, has joined
with Collexis to develop and deliver new knowledge management software, based on
Collexis’s Knowledge Discovery Platform. We have referenced a survey that estimates that
American companies will spend about $70 billion on knowledge management technology
in 2007. New material and examples have been included in the section on the technology to
support knowledge management. This section contains information on research into the use
and effectiveness of knowledge management.
The other topics discussed in this chapter also contain numerous new examples and
references in robotics, vision systems, expert systems, virtual reality, and a variety of other
special-purpose systems. New robotics examples include research done at the Robot Learning
Laboratory at Carnegie Mellon University, robots by iRobot, medical uses of robots, and
robots in the military. New examples of voice recognition have been included. New commercial and military examples of expert systems have also been included. We have also
updated the information on expert systems tools and products. New material on computer
vision has been included. One expert believes that in 10 years, computer vision systems may
be able to recognize certain levels of emotions, expressions, gestures, and behaviors, all
through vision. The section on virtual reality has many new examples and references. We
have added a new section on business applications to reflect the increased use of virtual reality
by businesses of all types and sizes. Kimberly-Clark Corporation has developed a virtual
reality system to view store aisles carrying its products. Boeing uses virtual reality to help it
design and manufacture airplane parts and new planes, including the 787 Dreamliner.
Clothing and fashion companies, such as Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue, are using
virtual reality on the Internet to display and promote new products and fashions.
The section on other specialized systems also has new material, examples, and references.
The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and other organizations
are exploring mechanical computers that are energy efficient and can stand up to harsh environments. We have included information on Segway and 3VR Security that performs a
video-face recognition test to identify people from pictures or images. Ford Motor Company
and Microsoft have developed a voice-activated system called Sync that can plays music,
make phones calls, and more from voice commands. The Advanced Warning System by
Mobileye warns drivers to keep a safe distance from other vehicles and drivers. The Surface
from Microsoft is a touch-screen computer that uses a glass-top display. Microsoft’s Smart
Personal Objects Technology (SPOT) allows small devices to transmit data and messages
over the air. We also discuss that manufacturing is being done with inkjet printers to allow
computers to “print” 3-D parts. More information has been included on RFID technology.
Wearable computers used to monitor inventory levels and perform other functions have been
introduced. We have also included new references in the material on game theory and informatics. The material on expert systems development has been deleted to trim chapter
length. Much of this material is now covered in Chapters 12 and 13 on systems development.