Defining Information Systems
Almost all programs in business require students to take a course in something called information systems.
But what exactly does that term mean? Let’s take a look at some of the more popular definitions, first from
Wikipedia and then from a couple of textbooks:
• “Information systems (IS) is the study of complementary networks of hardware and software that
people and organizations use to collect, filter, process, create, and distribute data.”1
• “Information systems are combinations of hardware, software, and telecommunications networks
that people build and use to collect, create, and distribute useful data, typically in organizational
settings.”2
• “Information systems are interrelated components working together to collect, process, store, and
disseminate information to support decision making, coordination, control, analysis, and
viualization in an organization.”3