$1.$ How does Porter's competitive forces model help companies develop competitive strategies using information systems? Define Porter's competitive forces model and explain how it works. Describe what the competitive forces model explains about competitive advantage.

$2.($a$)$Define the term "operating system." List and explain three operating systems you are familiar with excluding Microsoft products. Your explanations should focus on differences and capabilities.

$($b$)$ Operating systems must be loaded first before any other software. Why?

$3.$ Describe the capabilities of online analytical processing $($OLAP$).$ Define data mining, describing how it differs from OLAP and the types of information it provides.

$4.$ Explain how the value chain model can be used to identify opportunities for Information Systems. Define the value web and show how it is related to the value chain

$5.$ What are the current trends in computer hardware platforms? Describe the evolving mobile platform, grid computing and cloud computing.

$6.$ Using the following sample relation and your knowledge of declarative constraints

$$ STUDENT $($Title$,$ Name, Gender, Birthday, Address, Email, Mobile, SID, MID, PROJID, PLACEID$)$

$$ SID is the Student Identifier

$$ MID is the identifier of the compulsory assigned staff mentor

$$ PROJID is the identifier of the optional Project selected by the student

$$ PLACID is the identifier of the optional industrial placement undertaken by the student

Address each of the following tasks.

a$)$ Suggest and justify a PRIMARY KEY for this relation

b$)$ Suggest and justify a FOREIGN KEY for this relation

$6.$ What are the principal components of telecommunications networks and key networking technologies? Describe the features of a simple network and the network infrastructure for a large company. Name and describe the principal technologies and trends that have shaped contemporary telecommunications systems.

$7.$ What are the components of an organizational framework for security and control? Define general controls and describe each type of general control. Define application controls and describe each type of application control.

$8.$ List two reasons why a business may choose to network its employees$$ computers

$9.$ What technical factors must be taken into considerations when selecting an operating system for a university? Take the Open university as a case example

$10.$ What are the different types of normalization that exists in the Database? Briefly explain each of them