Uses and Limitations of ICT

Introduction/Objectives In this topic we look at three things: What makes ICT so useful. Is the use of ICT systems always appropriate? Types of processing

Uses of ICT There are six things ICT is good at or six core uses of ICT that make it valuable to organisations: Security of Data Accessibility to Information and Services Improved Presentation of Information Search and Combine Data Vast Storage Capacity Fast Repetitive Processing Uses of ICT

Fast Repetitive Processing Computers can carry out millions of repetitive calculations per second – something that would be very labour intensive and costly without computers. Banking Utility Billing (gas etc.) Research Payroll With a computer it doesn’t matter if it is ten calculations or ten million – it costs the same. Not strictly speaking true but you get my drift ;-)

Vast Storage Capacity Computer systems store 100s billions of data items. With the large capacity of modern hard drives, vast amounts of data can be stored electronically. Banking records Customer databases Stock control Government databases Internet

Searching and Combining Data Communications technologies such as networks and the Internet mean that data can be obtained quickly from different sources and combined together. For Example: The police often have to solve crimes using information from a large number of sources such as the DVLA, CCTV footage, mobile phone and email records and HOLMES2 Are there any other examples you can think of?

More ideas for Combining Data Computer analysis of data can show up patterns and trends not previously seen or impossible to see without vast processing power Satellite Imaging Medical Research Scientific Research Police databases (e.g. HOLMES 2) Astronomical Research Market Research Computer Modelling & Simulation Why is ICT so important in weather forecasting?

Improved Presentation of Information It’s now very easy to obtain images using digital cameras, copy them from the Internet or download them from an Image Library. Can be incorporated into presentations, reports etc. Also easy to create graphs in one package and copy and paste them into another.

Accessibility to Information and Services Ability to shop for groceries and other items from home, using online stores Useful for old or housebound Have a global library at your disposal: Latest news Reviews of books, films, music, holidays Road maps and routes Weather anywhere in the world Timetables of buses and trains Financial details Etc Etc

Security of Data With a network, security is centralised by: Someone being given responsibility for taking backups A single backup being taken to back up all files on the network and done at the server Logs can be taken of who accesses the data Passwords used to log onto the network Biometric security can be used to check that only authorised people have access to the system Encryption can be used when transferring sensitive data

Limitations of ICT Information it produces Doesn’t always provide the most effective solution What it can be used for

Limitations of ICT Current Legislation Poor Data Control Mechanisms Inappropriate System Design Operational Procedures Software Communications Hardware Limitations

Limitations of ICT Hardware is pushed to its limits Processor speed, disk capacity, bandwidth Think about video calls on MSN etc. Software “bugs” and design flaws Can make a system fail or behave in an unpredictable way Systems may be poorly designed and don’t achieve what they set out to do. There are many examples of failure covered in ICT4 Computer output can only be as good as the input GIGO!

AI (Artificial Intelligence) AI is the goal of computer scientists but… Many tasks that humans find easy are hardest to replicate in computers! Reading handwriting accurately Interpreting images Adapting to new environments