In managing information resources, the medium may be the key to an effective system. The medium is a vehicle, a tool, or a container for holding information; the information itself is the thing of value.
Three popular categories of information media are paper, film，and electronic storage devices. The media choice must not be viewed as a choice among these three, however; it must be viewed as an opportunity to select from a multitude of media possibilities in combinations that build effective systems. In many instances the person responsible for information-resource management is not the person who determines the medium in which information will be created. In such a case, the manager of a firm’s information resources faces a challenge in making a significant contribution to the organization’s objectives.
For effective management of information resources, media conversion may be necessary. Examples include keying or scanning paper documents to convert them to electronic media. Other processes convert electronic media from one format to another. For example, disk files created on one system may not be compatible with another system. Various hardware and software combinations can be used to convert files to formats that equipment will accept. For information generated within organizations, this necessity of making systems compatible may be eliminated by cooperative planning. However, very little control can be exercised over the media used to generate information that comes to your organization from the outside.
The medium for information may be selected to satisfy a need that exists when information is created and communicated. For example, a paper record may be created because of its portability and because no special equipment is necessary for later references to that information; electronic transmission may be selected because it is the fastest means of communicating information. A firm may use electronic mail because a network already exists for on-line computer communication. The additional application may cost less than postage to mail paper memo.
1.Which of the following can best sum up the passage?
2.The first paragraph aims at telling the reader（）
3.According to the author, （）
4.For effective management of information resources, the manager should （）
5.The main idea of the last paragraph is （）
