developed. This is an important decision that could have a long- term strategic impact on the organization. Web Services Chapter 3 discussed how the move to cloud computing has allowed software to be viewed as a service. One option, known as web services , allows companies to license functions provided by other companies instead of writing the code themselves. Web services can greatly simplify the addition of functionality to a website. Suppose a company wishes to provide a map showing the location of someone who has called their support line. By utilizing Google Maps API web services, the company can build a Google Map directly into their application. Or a shoe company could make it easier for its retailers to sell shoes online by providing a shoe sizing web service that the retailers could embed right into their website. Web services can blur the lines between “build vs. buy.” Companies can choose to build an application themselves but then purchase functionality from vendors to supplement their system. End-User Computing (EUC) In many organizations, application development is not limited to the programmers and analysts in the information technology department. Especially in larger organizations, other departments develop their own department-specific applications. The people who build these applications are not necessarily trained in programming or application development, but they tend to be adept with computers. A person who is skilled in a particular program, such as a spreadsheet or database package, may be called upon to build smaller applications for use by their own department. This phenomenon is referred to as end-user development , or end-user computing . End-user computing can have many advantages for an organization. First, it brings the development of applications closer Information Systems for Business and Beyond (2019) pg. 223
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