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| You need to make sure that you select the right hardware and software for the tasks that you want to perform. It is not necessary to spend large amounts of money on a computer with a very fast processor if the software you are using does not need it.
However, if you bought a computer with the minium processing power required to run the software, you may not be able to expand or change your system very easily to suit the changing needs of the organisation. |
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| An information system needs both hardware and software. The hardware includes all the visible components. The software is loaded from disc, CD or the Internet onto the hardware and provides instructions for the hardware to perform tasks.
Hardware includes:
Software includes:
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| You need to make sure the hardware and software components of the solution are compatible. In some cases, you may need to develop a solution without purchasing any new hardware components. You would have to make sure that you select software that operates well using the existing hardware infrastructure.
If the budget for the solution is large enough to allow new purchases of both hardware and software, these must be carefully selected. They must be compatible and work well with the rest of the existing system and with the systems of customers and partners. |
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The major steps (not always performed in this order) associated with information processing are:• acquisition: get hold of the data you need
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| Data and information can exist in various forms or types. These are defined by the characteristics of the data or information. Data can be presented as text, numbers, sounds and images.
Primary data is unprocessed, or raw, data. Secondary data has already been processed by someone else. The characteristics of information include the nature, structure and form:
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You can manipulate or process data using software with functions including:
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You need to think about exactly how you will process the data and whether you are:
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