Most organisations are beginning to regard information as a resource, produced by information systems. The information could be generated externally by another organisation and be transmitted electronically via communication networks, or could be resident on an internal computerised database. In theory an information system need not be computerised, but a machine can often be cost-justified to handle the sheer volume of data. Technological developments in the area of information systems have been so rapid that we sometimes have difficulty keeping up with the constant need to change and to absorb new ideas. The technology includes not only computers but also TV, telephones and digital devices.
Applications range from supermarket inventory systems to airline reservation systems.
Yet Information Systems is now an academic discipline in its own right. Massey University recognised this by creating a new Department in 1991, separate from that of Computer Science. The latter offers courses involving the study of hardware and its operating systems software, and emphasises computer programming. The Department of Information Systems, however, concentrates on organisational applications of the technology, the development of systems and their management. Employers are increasingly interested in applicants who can demonstrate an appreciation of computing technology as a tool in the advancement of their career.