ICT Systems

An ICT system is a set-up consisting of hardware, software, data and the people who use them. It commonly includes communications technology, such as the internet.

ICT and computers are not the same thing. 

Computers are the hardware that is often part of the ICT system. ICT systems are used in a number of environments, such as; offices, shops, factories, aircraft and ships. They're also used in fields such as: communications, medicene and farming. 

The Importance of ICT Systems

By using ICT systems we are: more productive - we can complete a greater number of tasks in the same time at reduced cost by using computers than we could prior to their invention, we are able to deal with vast amounts of information and process it quickly and we are able to transmit and recieve information rapidly. 

There are three types of ICT system: information systems - this type of ICT system is focused on managing data and information. Examples of these are a sports club membership system or a supermarket stock system. Control Systems - these ICT systems mainly control machines. They use input, process and output, but the output may be moving a robot arm to weld a car chassis rather than information. Communications systems - the output of these ICT systems is the successful transport of data from one place to another.

ICT systems work by taking inputs (instructions and data), processing them and producing outputs that are stored or communicated in some way. The higher the quality and better thought-out the inputs, the more useful the outputs. 

ICT systems cannot function properly if…