 Welcome back. We hope you enjoyed Unit 1 and are ready to learn more about management information systems. The basic components of management information systems will be expanded upon in each unit of this course. So it's important that you understand the first unit before we move on to study the basics of management information systems in Unit 2. In Unit 1, you learn about the components of a management information system. Technology, which includes hardware, software and data, people and processes. You also learned a little about the history of information systems and how they bring competitive advantages to companies. The important thing to remember about management information systems is that they include a combination of hardware, software, data and networks that work together. People use these components to achieve a desired outcome or goal through processes in an organization. Now that we understand the foundations of management information systems, we are ready to move into Unit 2. In Unit 2, we will dive deeper into hardware. Compare and contrast hardware and software. Identify the primary components of a computer. Describe the advantages and disadvantages of cloud computing. Identify various network types. Identify the information security triad. And describe some of the tools used to secure information technologies. Hardware includes all of the physical components of a device and we're going to look at hardware and how it works. Hardware can be any digital device you can physically touch from a complete desktop computer setup to an individual component such as a mouse, keyboard or monitor. In addition to traditional digital devices, everyday objects such as cars, refrigerators, home alarms and even soft drink dispensers are becoming digitized and connected. As you work through the resources of this unit, take note of how hardware components of information systems are driven by software components. Software is programmed to interact with hardware. Before you're done with Unit 2, make sure you understand the two primary categories of software. The role of ERP software in an organization and in the advantages and disadvantages of cloud computing. You will also learn about the two main types of software, operating systems and application software. And the purpose of each in a business organization. As you work through this unit, don't forget to take notes. The notes will not only help you on the final exam, but as you work your way through the unit assessments. Good luck and we'll see you here again before Unit 3.