ICT - Chapter 12 - An ICT System and its Components

An ICT System and its Components

What is an ICT system?

ICT means using any form of digital technology for the input, storage and processing of data and the output of information. The technology could be a computer, Mp3 player, mobile phone or television. 

System - a set of activities that involves input, processing, and output to a system. 

ICT System - a system

that uses any form of digital tehcnology. The output could go to a human or to another ICT system. An ICT system is a combination of hardware and software. An ICT system has programs that convert the system's inputs into output.

Input, Processing and Output

Input is entering data into the computer or other digital device. Data input could be bank account numbers, numbers identified by a bar code, or pressing of a key representing a selection from a menu. 

Processing is manipulating input data into infomation in a form that is useful and understandable to the user. This might be counting up the number of items purchased by a customer and adding up the amount of money owed. 

Output is presenting the information to the user. It must be in a form that the user can understand and find useful. so it must have context. It might be printed or displayed on a screen. 

For example, attendance is collected at a school over the course of a week and entered into an ICT system (input). The data is summarised, added together and sorted (processing). At the end of the week, lists are printed showing the attendance for the week of each student (output).

Components of an ICT system

An ICT system consits of the components of:

• Data
• Hardware
• Software
• Information
• Procedures
• People

Data is raw facts and…