ICT INTRODUCTION

1. ICT INTRODUCTION ICT is an acronym that stands for Information Communications Technology. Why there is no accepted definition of ICT ? Because the concepts, methods and applications involved in ICT are constantly evolving on an almost daily basis. It’s difficult to keep up with the changes - they happen so fast.

2. What is the good way of thinking about ICT? is to consider all the uses of digital technology that already exist to help individuals, businesses and organizations use information. ICT covers any product that will store, retrieve, manipulate, transmit or receive information electronically in a digital form. For example, personal computers, digital television, email, robots, etc.

3. In business, ICT is often categorized into two broad types of product: • The traditional computer-based technologies - things you can typically do on a personal computer or using computers at home or at work; These types of ICT include: • Standard Office Applications • Specialist Applications

4. Standard Office Applications: Examples • Word processing E.g. Microsoft Word: Write letters, reports etc • Spreadsheets E.g. Microsoft Excel; Analyse financial information; calculations; create forecasting models etc • Database software E.g. Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, Access; Managing data in many forms, from basic lists (e.g. customer contacts through to complex material (e.g. catalogue)

5. Presentation software E.g. Microsoft PowerPoint; make presentations, either directly using a computer screen or data projector. Publish in digital format via email or over the Internet • Desktop publishing E.g. Adobe Indesign, Quark Express, Microsoft Publisher; produce newsletters, magazines and other complex documents.

6. Graphics software E. g Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator; Macromedia Freehand and Fireworks; create and edit images such as logos, drawings or pictures, web sites or other publications

7. Specialist Applications - Examples • Accounting package E.g. Sage, Oracle (others Q-book, Myob, Tally) ; Manage an organization's accounts including revenues/sales, purchases, bank accounts etc. • Computer Aided Design Computer Aided Design (CAD) is the use of computers to assist the design process. Specialized CAD programs exist for many types of design: architectural, engineering, electronics, roadways

8. Customer Relations Management (CRM) Software that allows businesses to better understand their customers by collecting and analyzing data on them such as their product preferences, buying habits etc.

9. 2. Digital communication Technologies which allow people and organizations to communicate and share information digitally. E.g. • Email Electronic mail is the sending and receiving of messages electronically over the Internet

10. Short Message Service (SMS) This referred to as texting. SMS is a hardware technology that is used on a cellphone however can be a software technology if used via a PC. • Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) This referred to as pxting. This is where a text message is accompanied with an image, small video file or sound bite. This is a newer technology and older cellphone may not be able to support MMS. MMS is also a hardware technology.

11. Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) Is a range of technologies that allows verbal communication over the Internet. E.g Skype, using voice chat in MSN , G Talk or Yahoo messenger all this can be regarded as VoIP. To talk to someone using MSN, the person at the other end also needs MSN. The same applies to others. VoIPs are software technologies often used on a computer but now also available on mobile devices.  • Chat & Instant Messaging Chat is the name given to “real time” online communication. It is a series of typed messages between two or more people.

12. Instant messaging is a new variation of chat. It allows a user to have a list of contacts (who also use the service) The instant messaging software displays which of your contacts are currently online and available to chat.

13. Social Media Are Internet and mobile-based tools for sharing and discussing information among human beings. The term refers to activities that integrate technology and the construction of words, pictures, videos and audio. Some of the most well known social media sites are: Social Networking Websites: • Facebook • Twitter • Myspace

14. Social Media Sites: • Flickr ,Youtube, Slideshare Commercial Sites: • TradeMe , Ebay, Amazon Blogs, Wikis and Internet Forums Blogs, Wikis and Forums are all internet based tools to allow people to communicate with one another On a specific topic or interest. These tools are usually free for people to use and will usually require an email address to register.

15. INFORMATION Refers to the knowledge obtained from reading, investigation, study or research. E.g of tools used to transmit information are the telephone, television and radio. Data and Information Data is raw material for data processing. It relates to fact, event and transactions. i.e Data refers to unprocessed information. E.g of data is Quationare

16. they are processed and analyzed in order to prepare a report on the survey. This resulting report is information. Therefore Information is data that has been processed in such a way as to be meaningful to the person who receives it. It is anything that is communicated.

17. TYPES OF INFORMATION SYSTEM • Executive Support Systems ("ESS") is designed to help senior management make strategic decisions. It gathers analyses and summarises the key internal and external information used in the business. ESS typically involve lots of data analysis and modeling tools such as "what-if" analysis to help strategic decision-making.

18. Management Information Systems ("MIS") is mainly concerned with internal sources of information. MIS usually take data from the transaction processing systems (TPS) and summarize it into a series of management reports. MIS reports tend to be used by middle management and operational supervisors. • Decision-Support Systems ("DSS") are specifically designed to help management make decisions in situations where there is uncertainty about the possible outcomes of

19. those decisions. DSS comprise tools and techniques to help gather relevant information and analyze the options and alternatives. DSS often involves use of complex spreadsheet and databases to create "what-if" models. • Knowledge Management Systems ("KMS") exist to help businesses create and share information. These are typically used in a business where employees create new knowledge and expertise which can then be shared by other people in the organization to create further commercial opportunities. Good examples include firms of lawyers, accountants and management consultants.

20. KMS are built around systems which allow efficient categorization and distribution of knowledge. For example, the knowledge itself might be contained in word processing documents, spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations. Internet pages or whatever. To share the knowledge, a KMS would use group collaboration systems such as an intranet. • Transaction Processing Systems ("TPS") are designed to process routine transactions efficiently and accurately. A business will have several (sometimes many) TPS; for example:

21. Billing systems to send invoices to customers • Systems to calculate the weekly and monthly payroll and tax payments -Production and purchasing systems to calculate raw material requirements • Stock control systems to process all movements into, within and out of the business • Office Automation Systems Are systems that try to improve the productivity of employees who need to process data and information. example (e.g. Microsoft Office suite) or systems that allow employees to work from home or whilst on the move.

22. SOURCES OF DATA AND INFORMATION Data and information come from many sources - both internal (inside the business) and external. Internal Information E.g Accounting records are a prime source of internal information. They detail the transactions of the business in the past - which may be used as the basis for planning for the future (e.g. preparing a financial budget or forecast).

23. External Information This is information that is obtained from outside the business.

24. CATEGORIES OF EXTERNAL INFORMATION • Information relating to way a business should undertake its activities • Information about the markets in which a business operates (i.e Most of the external information that a business needs can be obtained from marketing research).

25. METHODS OF DATA STORAGE Data storage is the holding of data in an electromagnetic form for access by a computer processor.

26. MAIN KINDS OF STORAGE • Primary storage is data that is held in a random access memory (RAM) and other memory devices that are built into computers, (i.e these are temporary storage). • Secondary storage is data that is stored on internal/external storage devices such as hard disks, tapes, CD's. (i.e these are permanent storage)

27. MAIN METHODS OF DATA STORAGE • Hard disks :Often called a disk drive, hard drive or hard disk drive (HDD), this method is used to store a large amounts of data. The information is stored on electromagnetically charged surfaces called 'platters'. • Floppy disks: is a type of magnetic disk memory which consists of a flexible disk with a magnetic coating. They are very slow compared to hard disks and lack storage capacity (1.44 megabytes). Therefore, computer manufacturers are not including floppy disk drives in the products as a built-in storage option.

28. Tape storage: is used as an external storage medium. It consists of a loop of flexible celluloid-like material that can store data in the form of electromagnetic charges. • Optical disks : is a storage medium that can be written to and read using a low-powered laser beam. A laser reads these dots, and the data is converted to an electrical signal, finally converted into the original data.

29. CD-R :Compact Disc-Recordable, they are popular for music recording and for file storage or transfer between personal computers. CDR discs are write-once media. This means that - once used -they cannot be erased or re-recorded upon. CD-R discs can be played back in any audio CD player or CD-ROM drive, as well as many DVD players and drives.

30. CD-RW: Compact Disc-Rewritable are rewritable and can be erased and re-recorded upon over and over again. CD-RW discs can only be used on CD players, CD-ROM drives, and DVD players and drives that are CD-RW playback-compatible. • DVD: Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc is a high density optical disc with large capacity for storage of data, pictures and sound. The capacity is 4.7 GB.

31. COMMUNICATION • Communication is an act of transmitting messages. This is a process whereby information is exchanged between individuals using symbols, signs or verbal interaction. Further more communication is often achieved via networksof sending and receiving equipment, wires and satellite links. Lets see types of networks in communication

32. INTERNAL NETWORKS Usually referred to as a local area network (LAN). LAN is a computer network that interconnects computers in a limited area such as home, school/college, computer laboratory or office building. What is the aim of LAN: The aim of a LAN is to be able to share hardware facilities such as printers or scanners, software applications and files/data.

33. Example of a LAN The fig shows PCs connected together to a common hub to share files, print and access the Internet.  It also allows Laptops and Handheld devices to communicate wirelessly with both the LAN PCs and the Internet. 

34. EXTERNAL NETWORKS Often you need to communicate with someone outside your internal network, in this case you will need to be part of a Wide Area Network (WAN). Internet is the ultimate WAN - it is a vast network of networks.

35. WAN Wide Area Network (WAN) is a telecommunication network that covers a broad (wide) area (i.e., any network that links across metropolitan, regional, or national boundaries. Usually WAN are used to connect other networks together so that people can communicate across various computers. They are usually built using leased lines connected by routers.

36. EXAMPLE OF A WAN NETWORK

37. MAN Metropolitan area network (MAN)- is a larger network that connects computer users in a particular  geographic area or region. For example a large university may have a network so large that it may be classified as a MAN. The MAN network usually exist to provide connectivity to local ISPs, cable TV, or large corporations. MAN - is far larger than a LAN and smaller than a WAN.

38. OTHER TYPES OF NETWORKS • PAN - Personal Area NetworkCAN - Campus Area Network • WLAN - Wireless LANGAN - Global Area Network • SAN - Storage Area Network

39. TECHNOLOGY Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures.

40. HISTORY OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY 1957: Planar transistor developed by Jean Hoerni • With this technology the integrated circuit became a reality. • With this technology, microscopic circuit boards could be laid out on the silicon surface, thus allowing the compacting of these circuits onto integrated circuits.

41. 1958 First integrated circuit In 1957, a group of eight electronics engineers and physicists formed Fairchild Semiconductor. The next year, one of these men, Jack Kilby, produced the first integrated circuit for commercial use.

42. 1960's ARPANET developed by the U. S. Department of Defense The Advanced Research Projects Agency Networks was designed to enable researchers to share information. This government project eventually grew into the Internet as we know it today.

43. 1969 UNIX Operating System Developed Developed at AT&T labs by engineers Ken Thompson And Dennis Ritchie, the UNIX operating system was the first operating system that ran on a minicomputer and could handle multitasking and networking. It was also written in the C programming language – then a high level language with power and flexibility. Other operating systems existed, but they Were usually written in assembly language for speed and efficiency.

44. 1971 First microprocessor chip In 1971, the 4004 microprocessor chip, designed by a team under the leadership of Federico Faggin, was introduced to replace the central processing units that heretofore had been constructed from discrete components. The microprocessor chip was born. Intel's later products, from 8080 through 8088 and currently Pentium IV were all descended from the 4004.

45. 1972 Optical laserdisc Back in 1972, music was sold on vinyl records. These records were large platters with spiral grooves cut in them. The music information was stored in the grooves by controlling the depth and direction of the cutting machine. However, the grooves eventually wore, resulting in decreased fidelty. The laserdisc was created by Philips to correct this problem. Instead of grooves, pits were burned into the aluminum surface to represent the 1's and 0's of computer technology.

46. 1974 Motorola microprocessor chip Motorola's 6800 was the forerunner of the 68000. The 68K was used in the original Macintosh computer system. It provided the computer horsepower to run a graphical user interface, or GUI. Although the Intel microprocessor line would come to dominate desktop computing, the current Apple computer products still use Power PC chips, which are the descendants of this powerful microprocessor chip.

47. 1975 Altair Microcomputer Kit The Altair Microcomputer is the first personal computer available to the general public. it made the cover of Electronics Illustrated in 1975. It came as a kit, so it was most suitable to people with electrical engineering backgrounds.

48. 1977 Radio Shack introduces the first pre-built personal computer with built-in keyboard and displayThis was the first non-kit personal computer to be marketed to the general public. It came with a simple cassette tape player for loading and saving programs. This allowed to do word processing, using programs like CopyArt. It also produced a revolution in thinking which gradually took hold and gained momentum during the next decade.

49. 1977 Apple Computer begins delivery of the Apple II computer The Apple II came fully assembled with a built-in keyboard, monitor and operating system software. The first Apple II's used a cassette tape to store programs, but a floppy disk drive was soon available. With its ease in storing and running programs, the floppy disk made the Apple II computer the first computer suitable for use in elementary school classrooms.

50. 1984 Apple Macintosh computer The Macintosh was the first computer to come with a graphical user interface and a mouse pointing device as standard equipment. With the coming of the Mac, the personal microcomputer began to undergo a major revolution in its purpose and use.