1. Texas State Technical College DISCOVER! DATA versus INFORMATION Transforming the Trivial to the Critical.

2. Texas State Technical College DISCOVER! Data vs. Information What is Data? What is Information? The difference between data and information is a fundamental and key concept in computer science.

3. Texas State Technical College DISCOVER! Data vs. Information What is Data? A collection or set of raw facts. This includes all facts about any particular entity or domain. Think of a bucket of facts or a pile of facts. How much is pertinent? How much is trivial? There is no trivial data. Any piece of information about an object can be used by someone for some purpose.

4. Texas State Technical College DISCOVER! Data vs. Information Everything means something to somebody. For Example... All the events that occur to a vehicle over the course of its lifetime: accidents, maintenance, ownership changes, registration locations and so forth. Which is relevant to a new buyer, a mechanic, an insurance adjuster? Each piece is relevant to someone.

5. Texas State Technical College DISCOVER! Data vs. Information New Mentality Why discard data? Storage prices are constantly dropping and we might need that data in the future! Businesses are even looking for ways to collect more data. Appliances connected to the Internet World Wide Web Wireless Technologies

6. Texas State Technical College DISCOVER! Data vs. Information What do they do with all this data? They utilize it in making strategic business decisions… But first … they bring it to you, the IT guru… Why? Because they want Information, not raw data.

7. Texas State Technical College DISCOVER! What is Information? Data that has been filtered or put through a process so that it is of particular use to an individual or institution. What is it used for? Making strategic business decisions. Making strategic business decisions. Marketing Marketing Sales Sales Human Resources Human Resources Demographics Demographics Data vs. Information

8. Texas State Technical College DISCOVER! Information is EMPOWERING! For Example... Without information: You purchase a used vehicle from an individual. Two weeks later you pay $500 dollars to overhaul the injection system because of water damage. With information: You rule out the vehicle because the $10 CARFAX report you purchased online shows an insurance claim of flood damage for the vehicle in 1999. Data vs. Information

9. Texas State Technical College DISCOVER! Data vs. Information What is Data? What is Information? The difference between data and information is a fundamental and key concept in computer science. Raw facts about objects and events. The ORE of Information Technology. Transformed data that is used in making decisions. The processed METAL of Information Technology.

10. Texas State Technical College DISCOVER! Data vs. Information Transform Analysis The Process Where do databases fit in?

11. Texas State Technical College DISCOVER! Data vs. Information The Database Transform Analysis Database A mechanism that is used to transform data and organize the resulting information in a way that is easy to retrieve.

12. Texas State Technical College DISCOVER! Data vs. Information In Summary… Data is raw facts about objects and events that is transformed into Information used by individuals and businesses to make decisions through the use of a Database. decisions through the use of a Database.