Element 3
Identify information
technology equipment
LEARNING OUTCOMES
• 1. Clearly identify the information technology
equipment/software and operating system
supported by the organization.
• 2. Accurately identify equipment, location and
service requirements according to
organizational requirements.
IDENTIFY INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
EQUIPMENT/SOFTWARE AND OPERATING
SYSTEM
• As an employee of an IT organization it is
important to be aware of the type of equipment
and software that are in use as these will be
your ‘tools of the trade’.
Computer - a programmable electronic machine
that:
• takes in data and instructions (input)
• works with the data (processing)
• puts out information (output)
Equipment
IT equipment may include but is not limited
to:
• Personal computer Personal computer - A small,
relatively inexpensive computer
• Network systems designed for an individual user.
Businesses use personal
• Attached Peripherals computers for word processing,
accounting, desktop publishing
and for running spreadsheets
and database management
applications.
Network systems
There are many types of computer networks, including:
Local-area networks (LANs) - The computers are
geographically close together (that is, in the same
building)
Wide-area networks (WANs) - The computers are
relatively far apart and are connected by telephone
lines or radio waves.
Campus-area networks (CANs) - The computers are
within a limited geographic area, such as a campus or
military base. Network Systems - A group of two or
more computer systems linked together.
Attached Peripherals
Peripherals are devices, such as a
CD-ROM drive printer, mouse,
keyboard, printer, monitor, external Zip
drive and scanner, fax machines that
are attached to the computer and are
used either for input or output.
Specialized equipment
• Certain organizations may require specialized
computer equipment that you should be aware of and
be able to identify, for instance:
Type of Organization Specialized Equipment
Sales and Service Point of Sale machine
Call Centre Routers, Switches
Software
• Software is the collective term used to
describe computer programs. A program uses a
set of instructions that tells the computer what
to do. Software is often divided into two
categories:
• Systems software
• Applications software
System Software
• This describes the computer programs that
control the hardware device and ensures that
they work together effectively and efficiently.
• It includes the operating system and all the
utilities that enable the computer to function.
Application Software
This describes the programs that allow the computer
to be used, so that it can perform a specific function.
For example, an accounting application allows the
computer to be used to record accounts receivable
and accounts payable transactions.
Examples of applications software include word
processing,
Software can also be highly specialized and be
specific to certain types of organization such as:
Type of Organization Specialized Software
Accounting Peachtree Accounting, AccPac
Web development Dream weaver, Microsoft FrontPage
Educational Timetabling software, Online Educational
Software
Operating System
• Operating System – is the most important program
that runs on the computer.
• Every general purpose computer must have an
operating system to run other programs.
• Operating systems perform basic tasks such as
recognizing input from the keyboard, sending output
to the display screen, keeping track of files and
directories on the disk, and controlling peripheral
devices such as disk drives and printers.
• For large systems, such as those found in an IT
organization, the operating system has even
greater responsibilities, functioning somewhat
like a traffic cop by ensuring that different
programs and users running at the same time
do not interfere with each other.
• The operating system is also responsible for
security, ensuring that unauthorized users do
not access the system.
The table below describes two types of
operating systems:
Command Line Operating Graphical User Interface
Systems Operating Systems
Unix, MSDOS Windows (98 – XP), Macintosh
OS
NOTE: Although they all look alike, there are some differences between
operating systems.
You should be aware of which operating system is running on your
computer.
It is also very important to distinguish between the Operating System and
Applications Software.
IDENTIFY EQUIPMENT, LOCATION AND
SERVICE REQUIREMENTS
• Organizations may have standardized on certain computing solutions,
depending on their type of workflow.
• There will very likely be a computer network installed across the
organization's site or sites.
• Therefore there will be a location for Servers that is usually off-limits
to anybody except for IT personnel.
• As a member of the IT team, it is your responsibility to know not only
where these sites are, but also where each piece of equipment is
located.
• The organization’s fixed asset register will contain these details.
• Your company may have established
guidelines and schedules for servicing
equipment or it may simply follow the
manufacturer’s recommendations.
• Whichever documentation is available; you
must refer to it and put the necessary
procedures in place to make it work.
• If no guidelines exist, you may want to take
the initiative and develop your own which you
should get vetted before implementing.
ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS
Why is it necessary to service equipment?
What are the service requirements for a PC?
What is a peripheral?
What is a computer?
What is a network system?
State and define the different categories of
software.
Give 3 examples for the different categories of
software.
What is a personal computer?
