05 CDCT2203 - Topic01

Topic X Introduction to
1 Information
Technology
LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of the topic, you should be able to:
1. Define information technology;
2. State six differences between the information era and previous eras;
3. Identify five components of information technology;
4. Discuss a brief history of computers;
5. Restate five classifications of computers; and
6. Explain about Multimedia Super Corridor Malaysia (MSC
Malaysia).
X INTRODUCTION
Information technology (IT), which has been around for more than half a century,
had its beginnings in a laboratory. Now, IT is taught in schools and considered
one of the major resources in a business organisation. IT is even used in the latest
information and communication technology (ICT) gadgets, such as smartphones
and tablets (Figure 1.1).
Copyright © Open University Malaysia (OUM)

2 X TOPIC 1 INTRODUCTION TO INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Figure 1.1: Smartphone (Samsung Galaxy S4) and tablet (iPad3)

Source: http://jailbreakhow.net
In this topic, you will be introduced to the IT era. You will also familiarise
yourself with the concept of IT and its characteristics. Other important issues
which we will discuss are the principles, functions and benefits of IT. Towards
the end of this topic, the Multimedia Super Corridor Malaysia (MSC Malaysia)
and Cyber Laws will also be presented.
1.1 INFORMATION ERA

The 21st century has brought the information era, where it is continuing to
develop at a rapid pace, with computerised systems being used in almost all
types of sectors, from medical and space exploration to education, as well as
banking and manufacturing. The information demand in these fields has
increased the usage and development of many types of complex systems. Prior to
the information era, there were the agricultural era and industrial era, as shown
in Table 1.1.
Table 1.1: Descriptions of Agricultural, Industrial and Information Eras
Era Description
Agricultural Most workers are peasant farmers, where their lives depend on
Era agriculture (Figure 1.2).
Industrial Work processes are simplified through mechanisation and automation,

Era while the number of factory workers continues to grow (Figure 1.3).
To see more images on the industrial era, please visit
http://www.mtholyoke.edu/courses/rschwart/ind_rev/images/images-
ind-era.html
Information Most workers get involved in the creation, distribution and use of
Era information.

TOPIC 1 INTRODUCTION TO INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY W 3
Figure 1.2: The environment during agricultural era

Source: http://www.ckrumlov.info
Figure 1.3: The environment during industrial era

Source: http://www.industrial-revolution.org

In order to understand the evolution of the three eras, please refer to Table 1.2.
Table 1.2: Evolution of Agricultural, Industrial and Information Era
Evolution Agricultural Era Industrial Era Information Era

Mostly Peasants/farmers Factory workers Knowledge workers
Workers/ Man and land Man and machine Man and brain
partners
Tools Hand-based tools Machineries Computers/telecommunications
Source: Adapted from Senn (1998)
The technologies used in the agricultural, industrial and information era are all
different. For example, the technologies used in the industrial era (such as bull-
dozers and cranes) were meant to increase physical capabilities, while the
technologies of the information era (such as computers) are meant to enhance
workersÊ productivity. Furthermore, the information era links people together by
communication tools that use IT. Although we are in the information era, both
agricultural and industrial activities are still important.
There are six features that differentiate the information era from the previous
eras (Senn, 1998):
(a) Emergence of an Information-Based Society

In an informative society, more workers are manipulating information,
rather than working in the combined fields of agriculture and
manufacturing.
(b) Success of Business and Management Jobs Depends on IT

For example, the banking business depends very much on IT for
simplifying daily transactions, and making it fast and efficient.
(c) Work Processes are Changed and Transformed to Upgrade Productivity

For example, in the agricultural era, tractors and ploughs were used to
speed up work in the farms. However, in the information era, knowledge
gained in agricultural research plays an important role in determining how
and when to grow, and how to look after crops.
(d) IT Provides Basis for Optimisation

Efficient use of IT does not only speed up routine activities, but also allows
opportunities for a company to study and re-organise work processes for
optimising the use of resources and to raise productivity such as in business
process re-engineering.

(e) Success in IT Depends on the Effectiveness of Using it

For example, in the agricultural era, farmers needed to know the methods
of taking care of buffaloes, cows and land. The industrial era required
industry workers to know and be able to deal with machines effectively.
Finally, the information era requires people to know how IT can increase
productivity and improve product and service qualities.
(f) IT is Embedded or Integrated into Many Products and Services

In the tourism industry, IT is used in ticketing, airports, hotels and rest
houses, car rentals, etc. Indirectly, IT provides added value to products
and services. These values take the form of quality, reliability, skills,
attractiveness and other characteristics that fulfil customersÊ needs.
ACTIVITY 1.1
1. According to Alvin Tofler (http://calculemus.org/lect/07pol-

gosp/arch/proby-dawne/materialy/waves.htm), we are now
in the third wave, which is known as the information wave.
Discuss in groups on what information era is and present it
during your tutorial.
2. From the three eras you have read in the text above, in which
era do you think Malaysia is currently? Explain your opinion.
1.2 WHAT IS INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY?

Before going deeper into this subject, it would be good to be able to differentiate
between data, information and knowledge, as shown in Table 1.3:
Table 1.3: Definitions of Data, Information and Knowledge
Element Definition
Data Raw facts, figures, diagrams and other details, such as quiz marks and
the cost of computers.
Information An organised and meaningful interpretation which is useful about the
data, such as quiz performance and computer specification.
Knowledge Understanding and giving attention to a set of information and on how
the information can be used well, such as to give extra classes or to
upgrade computer performance.

The definitions in Table 1.3 explain that „data‰ which have been refined,
formatted and summarised are changed into „information‰. Information that has
been interpreted, decided and acted upon is changed into „knowledge‰. With
knowledge, users can make the best decisions and take appropriate actions.
In general, IT is the main player in the information era. This technology is used to
access, store and distribute information, especially information in digital form. IT
refers to the use and deployment of various items in the creation, storage and
distribution of information. Table 1.4 contains some definitions of IT.
Table 1.4: Definitions of Information Technology
Source Definition
Behan and IT is a term for explaining the technology that enables us to record,
Holmes (1990) store, process, retrieve, send and receive information.
Martin et al. IT consists of all forms of technology involved in the collection,
(1994) manipulation, communication, presentation and utilisation of data
(which are transformed into information).
Senn (1998) IT contains three components, which are computers,
communication and expertise. A combination of the three
components creates opportunities for people and organisations to
become more productive, effective and generally successful
without being separated.
Renolds (2010) IT includes all tools that capture, store, process, exchange and use
information.
As mentioned in Table 1.4, we can define IT as a broad-based technology

required to support information systems. IT supports activities involving
creation, storage, manipulation and communication of information, together with
their related methods, management and applications. The core of IT is the
microelectronic component, i.e. the microprocessor chip, which processes data,
information, images, sound, graphics, and etc. that has given birth to modern
computers. Besides the microprocessor technology ă others include the storage
technology, data capture technology and communication technology.

Today, computers are connected via telecommunication networks transcending

even national borders. As such, IT has been taken simply as a combination of
computers and communications. In order to have a complete IT system, five
components of IT as shown in Figure 1.4, must come together.
Figure 1.4: Five components of information technology

1.2.1 Brief History of Computers

History of computers can be traced back to thousands of years ago ă the use of
abacus in China. This device computes using sliding beads arranged on a rack. In
1642, Blaise Pascal invented the mechanical calculator called the Pascaline. Charles
BabbageÊs difference engine, an automatic calculator was built in 1812 and later,
Hermann Hollerith in 1890, used punched cards to read and store data.
The history of computers is best explained in terms of generations. The first

generation was about 65 years ago and we are currently in the fifth generation.
Table 1.5 describes five generations of computers.
Table 1.5: Five Generations of Computers
Generation Years Description

1st 1951ă1958 Basically used vacuum tubes, which are electronic tubes,
about the size of light bulbs. Example: Universal Automatic
Computer (UNIVAC) ă a very large and fast machine, but not
very successful as tubes were frequently burnt out when
overheated.
2nd 1959ă1964 1959 marks the start of the 2nd generation with the invention
of transistors. Transistor is a three legged component which
occupies 1/100th of the space occupied by 1st generation
computers. It is more reliable and has greater computational
power than the earlier generation.
3rd 1965ă1970 With the invention of integrated circuits made of silicon chips
in 1965, computers were smaller, inexpensive and can
perform functions of hundreds of transistors.
4th 1971ă The use of the microprocessor, which is a silicon chip that
present contains a central processing unit (CPU) where all the
processing takes place, is the standard in all computers
currently. Computers moved into peopleÊs homes rather
than just being used by large business corporations. Not only
found in computers, microprocessors are also used in digital
watches, pocket calculators, cars, telephones, television sets,
etc. Portable computers were made possible, and there is
greater development in data communications, as well.
5th Mid „Artificial Intelligence‰ based computers that could carry
1990să out certain tasks mimicking human characteristics such as
future problem-solving. For example, Expert Systems help doctors
diagnose patients, robots carrying out routine or dangerous
jobs, etc. Humans are able to communicate with computers
using natural language.

In the early years of computer technology, computers were used only by

scientists and engineers. They used computers to do research and development.
Later, computers were used by business and governmental organisations.
Computers were used to support the running of businesses, large and small.
Now, computers are being used by professionals, students and in homes.
In general, microchips have become more powerful, have bigger memory

capacity and other hardware components too have increased tremendously,
without much increase in their physical sizes. Therefore, computers have become
smaller and cheaper with bigger capacity and more capability.
1.2.2 Computer Classification

In the field of IT, there are various types of computers that you can use,
depending on the job you want to do. There are small computers as well as very
large ones. They are specialised in catering for the types of jobs on the basis of
processing power, speed, cost, security and various other criteria. You will see
many of these terms used in the following topics.
There has never been a rigid definition of the various classes of computers.
Indeed, their functions and capabilities keep on expanding and as such, the
number of classes is even debatable. However, there is a broad spectrum of
computing hardware ranging from supercomputers to microcomputers, with no
sharp line dividing the classes. In general, computers decrease in size and cost as
you go down from the large supercomputers and mainframes to the small
microcomputers. The five classifications are shown in Table 1.6.

Table 1.6: Five Generations of Computers
Computer
Description
Classification
Microcomputer It is a desktop computer, as well as a personal computer (PC). The
label personal computer is associated with microcomputers because
they are designed for use by one person at a time. It is not to be
confused with the microprocessor, which is literally a computer on a
chip. In a microcomputer, the microprocessor, electronic circuitry
and memory chips are mounted on a single circuit board called
the motherboard. It is the motherboard that distinguishes one
microcomputer from another. Important hardware components will
be discussed in detail in the next few topics.
Mainframe This computer is defined as the big sized commercial computer
designed specifically for a multi-user environment and it is used by a
whole corporate body. It normally has more than 100 remote
terminals. The mainframe is very strong in terms of security,
connectivity and data management capabilities. It must reside in a
specially controlled environment ă with special heating, ventilation
and air-conditioning equipment to control the temperature, humidity
and dust level around the computer.
Minicomputer Until the late 1960s, all computers were mainframes only. They were
just called computers. Later, computer vendors began to introduce
smaller machines to make them affordable to the smaller companies.
This gave birth to the minicomputers. Today, a minicomputer can be
defined as the smallest computer designed specifically for a multi-
user environment. The system must be able to service between two
and 100 remote terminals at one time.
Supercomputer This is the largest, fastest and most expensive computer available.
It is extremely powerful and especially designed for high-speed
numerical computations needed in complex engineering
applications. Supercomputers are processor intensive, whereas the
mainframes are input-output intensive. Supercomputers can perform
arithmetic calculations at a speed of billions of floating-point
operations per second (gigaflops). Cray Research, NEC and Fujitsu
are the leading manufacturers of supercomputers.
Workstation There are other classifications of computers like super-minis, super-
micros, mini computers, etc. ă they are the intermediate stages of an
earlier classification. Some computers are called servers and clients.
The workstation is a network terminal (intelligent but without disc).
It often refers to a terminal with RISC processors, instead of Intel. In
general, a workstation is simply a high-end personal computer.

SELF-CHECK 1.1
1. Differentiate the terms data, information and knowledge. Then

give one example for each term.
2. Briefly explain the history of computers.
ACTIVITY 1.2
As a learner, which type of computer classified in Table 1.6 is suitable

for you? Explain.
1.3 PRINCIPLES OF INFORMATION

TECHNOLOGY
We can appreciate how IT helps organisations and people. We have heard and
read how IT can increase profitability of companies and businesses. People too
have gained a lot by using the computer to work and for entertainment. On the
other hand, we also know the negative effects of computer viruses which have
caused computer system failures at many organisations and among individual
users.
Certainly, the main objective of using IT is to help people and organisations to

solve problems and to initiate creativity, thereby, making them work faster and
more effectively. IT can facilitate them in their daily activities. Therefore, IT frees
people from routine work, enables them to focus more attention on solving
problems and improves their daily lives. Table 1.7 describes eight IT principles.

Table 1.7: Eight Information Technology Principles
Principle Description
Reliable It is impossible to say that an IT system works 100% all the time.
Sometimes, it works 99% of the time and 1% it does not work.
However, it is important that reliability does not go below a certain
threshold.
Secure The environment in which the IT system operates must be secure
from unauthorised access or malicious destruction.
Flexible People are able to use the IT system anywhere they are and
anytime.
Foster innovation Creativity in developing new software and hardware for the new
era, such as early warning systems for bad weather.
Responsive IT system is able to provide a range of services.
Easy and All the tools and facilities should be easy to learn and use.
transparent
Consistent The IT environment must be consistent and internationally
interoperability accepted so that information can be exchanged readily.
Affordable People should be able to afford the IT systems they intend to use.
1.4 FUNCTIONS AND BENEFITS OF

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Senn (1998) says that IT performs six functions of information work ă collecting,
processing, generating, storing, retrieving and delivering. In most cases, two or
more functions are done simultaneously. These are mentioned in Table 1.8,
which illustrates the functions, definitions and examples of IT.

Table 1.8: Six Functions of Information Technology
Function Definition Example

Collecting Collecting records of activities to be Reading voter information, reading
used later electricity meters
Processing The process of changing, analysing, Counting votes, processing of
calculating and synthesising all electricity bills, word processing,
forms of data or information processing of taxes
Generating Assembling information into useful Electricity bills, tables, graphs,
forms, whether as text, audio or charts on discs, tapes, CD-ROM
image files
Storing The computing process of storing Income tax records, society
data and information to be used membership records, traffic offence
later records
Retrieving Locating data and obtaining them Faxes, e-mails, voice mails, reports
again
Delivering Taking/sending/presenting to E-mails, voice mails
There are four benefits that the advancement of IT has given to all its users. These
can be seen in Table 1.9.
Table 1.9: Four Benefits of Information Technology
Benefit Definition
Speed A relative value ă computers can perform within seconds, at speeds that
are much faster than humans.
Consistency Computers are efficient in doing repetitive jobs consistently, i.e.
producing the same results for the same jobs.
Accuracy Computers work very accurately ă tracking even small differences.
Reliability With their speed, consistency and accuracy, we can trust and rely on
computers in producing the same results again and again.
With these four benefits that can be gained from the use of IT, we cannot ignore
the opportunities offered by it. In general, there are two categories of
opportunities:
(a) Helping People ă For example, assisting special people (the disabled),
increasing human productivity and helping people towards having better
lives; and

(b) Helping to Solve Problems ă For example, assisting in the process of

problem identification, exploring a number of alternative solutions and
implementing the solution with success.
IT has been used in various fields with the objective of solving problems and
helping people. Hence, we should know the three basic responsibilities of IT
users as follows:
(a) Knowing the capabilities and limitations of IT;
(b) Using IT ethically and correctly; and
(c) Ensuring data and information security against various threats.
1.5 CAREERS AND INFORMATION

TECHNOLOGY
IT is closely linked with most careers today. In general, two categories that are
related to IT and careers are:
(a) Information Technology as a Career

Technical knowledge and skills in IT provide job opportunities in the field
of IT. Among careers in IT are system analyst, IT officer, network
administrator, network specialist, software engineer, knowledge engineer,
programmer, data processing manager, project manager, computer system
consultant, system integrator, system administrator, chief information
officer, system engineer, website manager, etc. They are called IT
professionals. Sometimes, they are also considered as important players
behind the computer, i.e. those who develop and maintain software and IT
tools.
(b) Information Technology Users

IT users are generally known as end-users. End-users get involved in the
use of IT but they are not required to have technical knowledge of IT. For
example, doctors use computers to access patient information but they do
not need to know how the system is developed. In general, users can be
divided into three types ă novice users, semi-skilled users and skilled users.
IT applications are created for them to use.
Both IT professionals and IT users need to communicate with each other for the
increasing use of IT, for creating new ideas and getting the desired benefits.

SELF-CHECK 1.2
State six types of careers in the field of information technology.
1.6 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN

MALAYSIA
Multimedia Super Corridor is one of the latest IT developments in Malaysia. It is
a Malaysian agenda for achieving Vision 2020 and the main strategy for
achieving competitive advantage in an economy based on knowledge. As users
of IT, we need to equip ourselves in order to acquire the full benefits of this
technology.
Where are we in the utilisation of IT? As of now, there are still very few factories
or manufacturers that use IT, not to mention the robotic systems. Industries that
do utilise IT, do not fully exploit the potential of this technology. The results of a
review by Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) and National Productivity
Corporation (NPC), as reported in the Seventh Malaysia Plan, show that most
manufacturers utilise IT for administration, rather than the manufacturing
process. However, there are signs of an increase in the use of IT in the
manufacturing processes of small and medium-sized industries.
1.7 MULTIMEDIA SUPER CORRIDOR

MALAYSIA (MSC MALAYSIA)
One of the national IT development projects that has been hotly debated is the
Multimedia Super Corridor Malaysia (MSC Malaysia). Multimedia Super
Corridor Malaysia was initially an area covering 15 × 50km, spanning Kuala
Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) in the north, until the Kuala Lumpur International
Airport (KLIA) in the south. Oil palm estates were converted into an information
valley. Two intelligent cities have been built within the Multimedia Super
Corridor Malaysia area, i.e. Cyberjaya and Putrajaya. Cyberjaya houses the
information and multimedia technology industries, while Putrajaya is the new
administrative centre of the federal government. The Multimedia Development
Corporation (MDeC) was set up to oversee the development of MSC Malaysia.

This project has proven to be a success with the number of well-known

international IT companies coming to the Multimedia Super Corridor Malaysia
area, far exceeding the original targeted numbers. It was also planned that the
Multimedia Super Corridor Malaysia area would finally expand to cover the
entire country. (Please visit www.mdec.com.my to know more about the
development of Multimedia Super Corridor Malaysia).
A Bill of Guarantees has been provided by the government to attract companies

operating in the Multimedia Super Corridor Malaysia area, which are awarded
the Multimedia Super Corridor Malaysia status. These are:
(a) Provision of world-class physical and information infrastructures;
(b) Unrestricted permission for local and foreign knowledge workers;
(c) Ensuring freedom of ownership, by giving Multimedia Super Corridor

Malaysia status companies exceptions from the need to have local
ownership;
(d) Giving freedom to Multimedia Super Corridor Malaysia status companies

to obtain capital from local and international loans for setting up
Multimedia Super Corridor Malaysia infrastructures;
(e) Provision of attractive financial incentives;
(f) Being a regional leader in Intellectual Property Rights and Cyber Laws;
(g) Ensuring that there is no censorship of the Internet;
(h) Provision of a telecommunication tariff that is globally competitive;
(i) Issuing a tendered contract of Multimedia Super Corridor Malaysia

infrastructure to companies that intend to make Multimedia Super Corridor
Malaysia their regional hub; and
(j) Provision of an agency with authority to act as a one-stop super shop to

ensure Multimedia Super Corridor Malaysia can fulfil the needs of
companies.
Multimedia Development Corporation also acts as a one-stop centre to fulfil the

10 guarantees, especially for speeding up visa, licence and permit applications.
The telecommunication infrastructure to be provided in MSC Malaysia is to be of
2.5G bps up to 10G bps. Besides that, an international advisory panel (IAP) for
MSC Malaysia was also formed, whose members included leaders of
multinational corporations in the field of ICT.

ACTIVITY 1.3
1. Seven flagship applications of Multimedia Super Corridor Malaysia
have been identified. They can be divided into two categories, i.e.
multimedia development and multimedia environment. The first
four applications come under multimedia development, while the
last three applications come under multimedia environment. Please
state the seven applications (to help you answer this question, please
visit the following website ă www.mdec.com.my).
2. A number of government departments and the private sector have

developed their own websites and info kiosks. This shows a rise in
the realisation of the concept of information distribution via the
Internet. Give seven examples of various government department
websites or info-kiosks that are available over the Internet. (To
answer this question, you need to browse through the websites on
the Internet).
1.8 CYBER LAWS

Among the guarantees provided for Multimedia Super Corridor Malaysia status
companies are the enactment and implementation of six Cyber Laws, which have
now been passed by the Parliament. Among the laws are:
(a) Digital Signature Act 1997;
(b) Copyright Act (amendment) 1997;
(c) Computer Crime Act 1997;
(d) Telemedicine Act 1997;
(e) Communications and Multimedia Act 1998; and
(f) Communications and Multimedia Commission of Malaysia Act 1998.
ACTIVITY 1.4
There are six Cyber Laws that have been passed by Parliament. Work in
pairs, visit this website ă www.mdec.com.my and please state all six
Cyber Laws, together with their explanations.

• Information technology is defined as a broad-based technology required to

support information systems.
• There are six differences between the information era and previous eras:
emergence of an information-based society, success of business and
management jobs depends on IT, work processes are changed and
transformed to upgrade productivity, IT provides basis for optimisation,
success in IT depends on the effectiveness in using it, and IT is embedded or
integrated into many products and services.
• The five components of IT are data, software, hardware, people and

procedures.
• We have looked at brief histories of computers (five generations) and

five computer classifications, which are microcomputer, mainframe,
minicomputer, supercomputer and workstation.
• We have learned about eight IT principles (reliable, secure, flexible, foster

innovation, responsive, easy and transparent, consistent interoperability, and
affordable).
• There are six IT functions (collecting, processing, generating, storing,

retrieving and delivering) and four benefits of IT (speed, consistency,
accuracy and reliability) in our daily lives.
• Latest developments and opportunities in Malaysia created by the progress

of IT should not be ignored.
• We need to share experiences, manpower, expertise, wisdom ă and all these

are also termed as „smart partnership‰ ă to grab the opportunities offered by
IT.
• We may not be the first nation to invent IT, but we can use IT as a platform to
make Malaysia a developed nation.

Communication Know how

Computers Multimedia Development
Corporation (MDeC)
Cyber Laws
Multimedia Super Corridor
Flagship applications
Malaysia (MSC Malaysia)
Information era
Personal computer (PC)
Information technology (IT)
Information and communication
technology (ICT)
Behan, K., & D. Holmes. (1990). Understanding information technology

(2nd. ed.). Sydney, Australia: Prentice Hall.
Martin, E. W., DeHayes, D. W., Hoffer, J. A., & Perkins, W. C. (1994). Managing
information technology: What managers need to know (2nd. ed.).
New Jersey, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Senn, J. A. (1998). Information technology in business: Principles, practices and

opportunities. New Jersey, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Reynolds, G. W. (2010). Information technology for managers. Boston,

MA: Cengage Learning.

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Topic X Introduction to

Copyright © Open University Malaysia (OUM)

Figure 1.1: Smartphone (Samsung Galaxy S4) and tablet (iPad3)

1.1 INFORMATION ERA

Table 1.1: Descriptions of Agricultural, Industrial and Information Eras

Industrial Work processes are simplified through mechanisation and automation,

Copyright © Open University Malaysia (OUM)

Figure 1.2: The environment during agricultural era

Figure 1.3: The environment during industrial era

Copyright © Open University Malaysia (OUM)

Table 1.2: Evolution of Agricultural, Industrial and Information Era

Evolution Agricultural Era Industrial Era Information Era

Source: Adapted from Senn (1998)

(a) Emergence of an Information-Based Society

(b) Success of Business and Management Jobs Depends on IT

(c) Work Processes are Changed and Transformed to Upgrade Productivity

(d) IT Provides Basis for Optimisation

Copyright © Open University Malaysia (OUM)

(e) Success in IT Depends on the Effectiveness of Using it

(f) IT is Embedded or Integrated into Many Products and Services

1. According to Alvin Tofler (http://calculemus.org/lect/07pol-

1.2 WHAT IS INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY?

Table 1.3: Definitions of Data, Information and Knowledge

Copyright © Open University Malaysia (OUM)

Table 1.4: Definitions of Information Technology

As mentioned in Table 1.4, we can define IT as a broad-based technology

Copyright © Open University Malaysia (OUM)

Today, computers are connected via telecommunication networks transcending

Figure 1.4: Five components of information technology

Copyright © Open University Malaysia (OUM)

1.2.1 Brief History of Computers

The history of computers is best explained in terms of generations. The first

Table 1.5: Five Generations of Computers

Generation Years Description

Copyright © Open University Malaysia (OUM)

In the early years of computer technology, computers were used only by

In general, microchips have become more powerful, have bigger memory

1.2.2 Computer Classification

Copyright © Open University Malaysia (OUM)

Table 1.6: Five Generations of Computers

Copyright © Open University Malaysia (OUM)

1. Differentiate the terms data, information and knowledge. Then

2. Briefly explain the history of computers.

As a learner, which type of computer classified in Table 1.6 is suitable

1.3 PRINCIPLES OF INFORMATION

Certainly, the main objective of using IT is to help people and organisations to

Copyright © Open University Malaysia (OUM)

Table 1.7: Eight Information Technology Principles

1.4 FUNCTIONS AND BENEFITS OF

Copyright © Open University Malaysia (OUM)

Table 1.8: Six Functions of Information Technology

Function Definition Example

Table 1.9: Four Benefits of Information Technology

Copyright © Open University Malaysia (OUM)

(b) Helping to Solve Problems ă For example, assisting in the process of

(a) Knowing the capabilities and limitations of IT;

(b) Using IT ethically and correctly; and

(c) Ensuring data and information security against various threats.

1.5 CAREERS AND INFORMATION

(a) Information Technology as a Career

(b) Information Technology Users

Copyright © Open University Malaysia (OUM)

1.6 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN