Introduction to IT

Lecture – 01

Welcome to the Information Age The Evolution of the Information Age (Continued)

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Welcome to the Information Age The Evolution of the Information Age

• Agricultural Age:

- The period up to the 1800s, when the majority of workers were farmers whose lives revolved around agriculture.

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Welcome to the Information Age The Evolution of the Information Age (Continued)

• Industrial Age:

- The period from the 1800s to 1957, when work processes were simplified through mechanization and automation.

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Welcome to the Information Age The Evolution of the Information Age (Continued)

• Information Age:

- The period that began in 1957, in which the majority of workers are involved in the creation, distribution, and application of information.– Knowledge Workers: Workers involved in the

creation, distribution, and application of information.

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Welcome to the Information Age The Characteristics of the Information Age

• An information-based society in which more people work at handling information than at agriculture and manufacturing combined has arisen.

• Businesses depend on information technology to get their work done.

• Work processes are being transformed to increase productivity.

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Welcome to the Information Age The Characteristics of the Information Age (Continued)

• Information technology provides the means of rethink—that is, recreate or reengineer—conventional business processes.

• Success in business is largely determined by the effectiveness with which information technology is used.

• Information technology is embedded in many products and services.

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What is Information Technology Definition

• A term used to refer to a wide variety of items and abilities used in the creation, storage, and dispersal of data and information. Its three main components are computers, communications networks and know-how.

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What is Information Technology Definition (Continued)

• Data: Raw facts, figures, and details.

• Information: An organized, meaningful, and useful interpretation of data.

• Knowledge: An awareness and understanding of a set of information and how that information can be put to the best use.

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What is Information Technology Definition (Continued)

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What is Information Technology Computers

• An electronic programmable machine that can be instructed to accept, process, store, and present data and information.

• Computers come in four sizes:– Microcomputers– Midrange computers– Mainframes– Supercomputers

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What is Information Technology Computers (Continued)

• Microcomputers: A relatively compact type of computer also called PC’s, used in business and at home.

• Five types of Microcomputers:– Desktop Computers– Notebook Computers/Laptop Computers– Tablet PCs– Personal Digital Assistants (PDA’s)– Palm PCs

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What is Information Technology Computers (Continued)

• Midrange computers and Mainframes: A computer uses to interconnect people and large sets of information. More powerful than a microcomputer, the minicomputer is usually dedicated to performing specific functions.

• Supercomputers: The most powerful of all computers, supercomputers were designed to solve problems consisting of long and difficult calculations.

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What is Information Technology Computers (Continued)

• Hardware: The computer and its associated equipment.

• Program: A set of instructions that directs a computer to perform certain tasks and produce certain results.

• Software: The general term for a set of instructions that controls a computer or a communications network.

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What is Information Technology Computers (Continued)

• System: A set of components that interact to accomplish a purpose.

• Information System: A business information system designed to produce the information needed for successful management of a structured problem, process, department, or business.

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What is Information Technology Computers (Computers)

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What is Information Technology Communication Networks

• Communication: The sending and receiving of data and information over a communications network.

• Communications Network: A set of locations, or nodes, consisting of hardware, programs, and information linked together as a system that transmits and receives data and information.

• Data Communication: The transmission of data and information through a communications medium.

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What is Information Technology Know - How

• The capability to do something well.

• Information technology know-how consists of:– Familiarity with the tools of IT; including the

Internet– Possession of the skills needed to use these tools– An understanding of when to use IT to solve a

problem or create an opportunity

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The Functions of Information Technology

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The Principles of Information TechnologyThe Functions of Information Technology (Continued)

• Capture: The process of compiling detailed records of activities.

• Processing: The process of converting, analyzing, computing, and synthesizing all forms of data or information.– Data Processing– Information Processing– Word Processing– Image Processing– Voice Processing

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The Principles of Information TechnologyThe Functions of Information Technology (Continued)

• Generation: The process of organizing information into a useful form, whether as numbers, text, sound, or visual image.

• Storage and Retrieval: Storage is the computer process of retaining information for future use. Retrieval is the process by which a computer locates and copies stored data or information for further processing or for transmission to another user.

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The Principles of Information TechnologyThe Functions of Information Technology (Continued)

• Transmission: The computer process of distributing information over a communications network.– Electronic Mail, or E-Mail– Voice Messaging, or Voice Mail

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The Benefits of Information Technology

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The Principles of Information Technology

The Opportunities of Information Technology

• Helping People• Solving Problems– Problem: A perceived difference between an

existing condition and a desired condition.– Problem Solving: The process of recognizing a

problem, identifying alternatives for solving it, and successfully implementing the chosen solution.

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The Principles of Information Technology

Information Technology Is All Around Us, Improving Our Lives

• Television• Education• Training• Entertainment• Shipping• Banking• Agriculture• Health and Medicine• Manufacturing• Journalism• Energy• Sports

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The Principles of Information Technology

The Responsibilities of Using Information Technology

• To be Informed - Users have to know how computers and networks can be applied in different situations, and the capabilities and limitations of IT in those situations.

• To Make Proper Use of IT - Users need to take responsibility for employing IT in desirable and ethical ways that help people and do not infringe on their privacy, rights, or well-being.

• To Safeguard - Users must take responsibility for protecting data and information that are in a computer or transmitted over a network against intentional or accidental damage or loss. They also need to guard against the failure of all processes that rely on information technology.

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The End

Thank You