Database technology is not only improving the daily operations of organizations but also the quality of decisions that affect our lives. Databases contain a flood of data about many aspects of our lives: consumer preferences, telecommunications usage, credit history, television viewing habits, and so on. Database technology helps to summarize this mass of data into useful information for decision making. Management uses information gleaned from databases to make long-range decisions such as investing in plants and equipment, locating stores, adding new items to inventory, and entering new businesses.
This first chapter provides a starting point for your exploration of database technology. It surveys database characteristics, database management system features, system architectures, and human roles in managing and using databases. The other chapter in Part 1 (Chapter 2) provides a conceptual overview of the database development process. This chapter provides a broad picture of database technology and shares the excitement about the journey ahead.