The Management Information Center

The management information center (MIC) is the next evolutionary step up from the information center. The mid-1980s information center focused mainly on managing the selection and acquisition of personal computers (PC). It is end-user systems development that makes MICs different from their predeces...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Computerworld 1990-11, Vol.24 (45), p.125-125
Main Author: Kerr, Jim
Format: Magazinearticle
Language:English
Subjects:
Architecture
Computer centers
Departments
End users
Information centers
Information systems
Personal computers
User services
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Summary:The management information center (MIC) is the next evolutionary step up from the information center. The mid-1980s information center focused mainly on managing the selection and acquisition of personal computers (PC). It is end-user systems development that makes MICs different from their predecessors. MICs help end users define their systems requirements and then recommend and implement solutions. The MIC does not replace the information systems (IS) department; it complements it. A sample MIC organization has 4 major functions: 1. training, 2. acquisition and administration, 3. design coordination, and 4. end-user support. An MIC environment must be developed to meet end users' needs effectively. While a majority of MIC applications are PC-based, a strategy is needed to populate these workstations with information from mainframe systems. This strategy can present problems. A solution lies in the creation of a 2-tiered processing architecture that separates the MIC environment from the transaction processing environment. PC, mainframe, and relational tools are used to effect this.
ISSN:0010-4841