What is Information Systems
People often confuse the terms IS (Information Systems) and IT (Information Technology) and think they mean the same thing. Yet the two terms, IS and IT, are different, although they often complement each other. The debate as to whether the two terms are different or not has gone on for some time and led to a lot of confusion.
According to McKeown (2003, p. 473), Information Technology refers to the "technology that is used to create, store, exchange, and use information in its various forms".
Information Systems, on the other side, are "systems that develop the information that managers and other employees combine with knowledge to make decisions" and a "system is a group of elements (people, machines, cells and so forth) organised for the purpose of achieving a particular goal" (McKeown, 2003, p. 473).
To put this another way:
- IT focuses more on internal aspects of computers and how they process data to produce information
- IS focuses more on external aspects of computers and how they are used by people as part of larger systems. An information system includes both computers and people to process data and information in order to make decisions and support business objectives.
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Reference: McKeown, P. G. (2003). Information Technology and the Networked Economy (2nd Edition), Thomson Course Technology
