Overview

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IT acquisition, systems development, and cloud computing are core competencies for anyone involved in building or managing business technology. In this course, you'll learn how organizations plan, justify, and acquire information systems, and how they choose between building custom applications and deploying cloud-based solutions. You'll explore cost-benefit approaches like net present value, ROI, and break-even analysis, then examine the strategic decisions behind buying, leasing, or building applications. You'll walk through the traditional systems development life cycle — from feasibility study to implementation and maintenance — and modern alternatives such as agile development, DevOps, and low-code/no-code platforms. You'll then dive into cloud computing: the IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS service models, the public, private, hybrid, and vertical cloud types, and the benefits and risks organizations face when moving to the cloud. You'll compare the "Big Three" cloud vendors — AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud — and finish by learning how Web services and service-oriented architecture let systems share data and work together seamlessly.

Syllabus

IT Acquisition and Systems Development
- Every information system an organization uses had to be planned, justified, and acquired somehow. In this module, you'll explore how companies decide which IT applications to pursue and how they go about building or buying them. You'll start with IT planning and cost-benefit analysis, learning how organizations use net present value, ROI, break-even analysis, and the business case approach to justify IT investments. You'll then examine the strategic decisions behind acquiring applications, from purchasing prewritten software to leasing, outsourcing, and custom development. Finally, you'll walk through the traditional systems development life cycle and explore modern alternatives such as agile development, DevOps, and low-code/no-code platforms. By the end of this module, you'll be able to explain how companies justify and acquire IT applications and describe the stages of the systems development life cycle and the tools that support it. 💡Tip for Success: Think about a tool or app you use at work or school. Consider whether it was likely bought, leased, or custom-built, and why that choice might have made sense.
Cloud Computing
- Cloud computing has transformed how organizations access computing power, storage, and software. In this module, you'll explore why businesses are moving away from traditional on-premises IT infrastructure and toward cloud-based solutions. You'll learn the core characteristics of cloud computing and examine the four types of clouds: public, private, hybrid, and vertical. You'll then explore the three cloud service models — IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS — and see how organizations weigh the benefits of cost savings, flexibility, and scalability against real concerns like security, privacy, and vendor reliability. You'll compare the "Big Three" cloud vendors, AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud, and finish by examining how Web services and service-oriented architecture allow systems to share data seamlessly. By the end of this module, you'll be able to describe the types and benefits of cloud computing, compare leading cloud vendors, and explain the role of Web services in modern IT architecture. 💡Tip for Success: Notice how many apps you use daily that run in the cloud rather than on your own device. That shift is exactly what this module explains.
Course Graded Assignment
- Summative assessment for the course