Emerging Trends in MIS: Cloud Computing, Big Data, AI, IoT and Business Analytics (Overview) Questions

Question 1

What is cloud computing?

Accepted Answer

**Cloud computing** provides computing resources (servers, storage, software) over the internet on an on-demand, pay-as-you-use basis.

Question 2

Write the full form of SaaS.

Accepted Answer

**SaaS** = **Software as a Service**.

Question 3

What is big data?

Accepted Answer

**Big data** refers to very large and complex datasets that traditional systems cannot process efficiently for analysis and decision making.

Question 4

What is IoT?

Accepted Answer

**IoT (Internet of Things)** connects physical devices/sensors to the internet to collect and exchange data.

Question 5

What is business analytics?

Accepted Answer

**Business analytics** uses data and analytical techniques to generate insights that support business decisions.

Question 6

Write any one benefit of cloud computing.

Accepted Answer

Benefit: **scalability**—resources can be increased or reduced quickly as per demand.

Question 7

Explain cloud service models (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS) briefly.

Accepted Answer

Cloud service models:
- **IaaS**: provides virtualized infrastructure like servers, storage, networking (renting resources).
- **PaaS**: provides a platform to develop/deploy applications (managed runtime, databases).
- **SaaS**: provides ready-to-use software over the internet (subscription/web access).

Thus, IaaS gives infrastructure, PaaS gives platform, and SaaS gives complete software.

Question 8

Explain cloud deployment models (public, private, hybrid) with one point each.

Accepted Answer

Cloud deployment models:
- **Public cloud**: shared cloud services over internet; cost-effective.
- **Private cloud**: dedicated to one organization; more control and security.
- **Hybrid cloud**: combination of public + private; balances cost and control.

Hence, organizations choose based on security needs, cost and compliance.

Question 9

Explain 5V characteristics of big data.

Accepted Answer

5V characteristics of **big data**:
- **Volume**: huge amount of data.
- **Velocity**: data generated at high speed.
- **Variety**: many formats (text, video, sensor, etc.).
- **Veracity**: data quality and uncertainty.
- **Value**: meaningful insights derived from data.

Thus, big data requires special tools to store and analyze these 5V properties effectively.

Question 10

Explain AI applications in MIS (any three).

Accepted Answer

AI applications in MIS (any three):
- **forecasting** demand/sales using historical patterns
- **fraud/anomaly detection** in transactions
- chatbots for customer support automation
- recommendations/personalization in marketing

Hence, AI helps organizations make faster and more accurate decisions by automating analysis and predictions.

Question 11

Explain types of business analytics with examples.

Accepted Answer

Types of business analytics:
- **Descriptive**: what happened? (sales reports, dashboards)
- **Diagnostic**: why did it happen? (root cause analysis)
- **Predictive**: what will happen? (forecasting demand)
- **Prescriptive**: what should we do? (optimization recommendations)

Thus, analytics moves from reporting to explanation, prediction and action.

Question 12

Explain any three risks of cloud and big data in MIS and how to control them (basics).

Accepted Answer

Risks of **cloud** and **big data** in MIS (any three) with controls:
- **Data breach/privacy risk**: control using **encryption**, RBAC/least privilege, monitoring.
- **Compliance/data location issues**: control using policies, vendor due diligence, and proper data classification.
- **Poor data quality** (veracity) causing wrong decisions: control using validation, data cleansing, governance.
- **Downtime/vendor dependency**: control using backups, DR plan, SLAs and multi-region setup.

Thus, risks can be reduced through strong governance, security controls and data quality management.

Question 13

Explain cloud computing: benefits and limitations with a comparison table (exam-style).

Accepted Answer

### **Cloud Computing: Benefits and Limitations**

Cloud computing provides on-demand resources over the internet. It improves flexibility but introduces dependency and security concerns.

| **Benefits** | **Limitations/Challenges** |
|---|---|
| **scalability** and flexibility | internet dependency and downtime risk |
| lower upfront cost (CAPEX → OPEX) | security/privacy concerns |
| faster deployment | vendor lock-in |
| access from anywhere | compliance/data location issues |
| easy collaboration | limited control in public cloud |

**Conclusion**: Cloud is highly useful for modern MIS, but it must be supported by strong security, governance and vendor management.

Question 14

Explain big data and business analytics with a flowchart showing how they support decisions.

Accepted Answer

### **Big Data + Analytics for Decision Making**

**Big data** provides large, diverse datasets. **Business analytics** converts that data into insights for decisions.

```text
Data sources (sales, web, sensors)
   ↓
Big data storage/processing (cloud/data lake)
   ↓
Analytics (descriptive → diagnostic → predictive → prescriptive)
   ↓
Dashboards/Insights
   ↓
Management decisions
   ↓
Feedback & monitoring
```

**Exam-style points**:
- big data increases data availability (volume/variety/velocity)
- analytics finds patterns and predicts outcomes
- decisions become faster and evidence-based

Thus, big data + analytics strengthens MIS by improving planning, control and forecasting.

Question 15

Explain emerging trends (cloud, big data, AI, IoT) and their risks with a table (overview).

Accepted Answer

### **Emerging Trends in MIS and Risks (Overview)**

| Trend | Main use in MIS | Key risks |
|---|---|---|
| **Cloud** | scalable storage and apps | security, compliance, vendor lock-in |
| **Big data** | large-scale analysis and insights | poor data quality, privacy issues |
| **AI** | prediction and automation | biased decisions, transparency issues |
| **IoT** | real-time monitoring via sensors | device tampering, insecure endpoints |

**Conclusion**: These trends improve speed and quality of decisions, but they require strong **governance**, **security controls** and **data quality management**.

Emerging Trends in MIS: Cloud Computing, Big Data, AI, IoT and Business Analytics (Overview)

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