IT 111

INTRODUCTION TO
COMPUTING
 Course Description
This course provides an overview of the computing
Industry and Computing profession, including Research
Applications in different fields; an appreciation of
Computing in different fields such as Biology, Sociology,
Environment and Gaming; an Understanding of ACM
Requirements, an Appreciations of the history of
computing, and Knowledge of the Key Components of
Computer Systems (Organization and Architecture),
Malware, Computer Security, Internet and Internet
protocols, HTML4/5 and CSS.
 Course Outcomes
• 1.Cognitive
• 1.1. Explain fundamental principles, concepts and
evolution of computing system as they relate to
different fields.
• 1.2. Expound on the recent developments in the
different computing knowledge areas.
• 1.3. Analyze solutions employed by organizations
to address different computing issues.
•
 Course Outcomes
•
• 2. Psychomotor
• 2.1. Use different and appropriate
productivity tools in creating required
documents.
• 2.2. Make a personal website or blog using
the knowledge and skills in HTML and CSS.
•
 Course Outcomes
•
• 3. Affective
• 3.1. Influence others by following various
netiquettes and ethics in using computers
or technologies.
Course Topics for Prelim
• Industry in the Profession
• Evolution of Computing
• Key Components of a Computer System,
Course Topics for Midterm
• Review on Productivity Tools
• Malware
• Computer Security
Course Topics for Prelim
• Networks, Internet and Internet Protocols
• HTML and CSS
• Computer Systems
CHAPTER 1
INDUSTRY IN THE PROFESSION

At the end of the chapter the student should

be able to:
• Discuss and enumerate the different
profession and careers in the computing
fields, computing domains, computing
discipline and computing knowledge areas.
Recitation #1.
• Describe “Industry” in one word.
– Comment your answer in the chat box.
• First 3 students to comment will have a
recorded recitation & participation points.
• Other students to comment with a different
but on point answer will have a
participation points
“Industry” general definition
• economic activity concerned with the
processing of raw materials and
manufacture of goods in factories.
Recitation #2.
• Describe “Professional” in one word.
– Comment your answer in the chat box.
• First 3 students to comment will have a
recorded recitation & participation points.
• Other students to comment with a different
but on point answer will have a
participation points.
“Professional” general definition
• a person engaged or qualified in a
profession.
Recitation #3:
Why do we need to study Industry in IT
Profession?
(First student to answer will have a recorded
recitation & participation points.)
Computer Industry
• encompasses those companies that
manufacture computers and computer
components

• includes software publishers and

peripheral device manufacturers
Information Technology Industry (IT Industry)

• refers to the companies that develop,

produce, sell or support computers, software
and computer-related products.

• includes companies in the computer industry,

software publishers, communications service
vendors, information services and service
companies
Recitation #4.
• Give an example of a company/business
that belong to a Computer/IT industry.
– Comment your answer in the chat box.
• First 3 students to comment will have a
recorded recitation & participation points.
• Other students to comment with a different
but on point answer will have a
participation points.
Important Note:
• Not every company that uses computer is
part of the computer industry or IT
Industry.

• Bank – banking industry

• Clothing store – apparel industry
Categories of Companies included in the IT Industry:

• Equipment Manufacturers – design and

manufacture computer hardware and
communications products. E.g. CISCO, IBM

• Chipmakers – design and manufacture

computer chips and circuit boards, E.g.
Intel, AMD
Categories of Companies included in the IT Industry:

• Software Publishers – create computer software,

including applications, operating systems and
programming languages. E.g. Microsoft, Adobe Systems

• Service Companies – provide computer-related

services, including business consulting, Wed site
design, Web hosting, Internet connections, computer
equipment repair, network security and product
support.
Categories of Companies included in the IT Industry:

• Computer Retailers – (sometimes called resellers)

include companies that sell computer products
through retail stores, direct sales representatives,
mail-order catalogs and websites.

*Although some companies fit neatly into one of

the above categories, other companies operate in
two or more areas.
Economic Factors

• The IT industry has been described as the

most dynamic, most prosperous, most
economically beneficial industry the world
has ever known.
Recitation #5.
What makes IT Industry successful?
• (First student to answer will have a
recorded recitation & participation points.)
What makes IT Industry successful?
• Demands
• Needs
• Competitions
Marketing Channels
• Computer Retail Stores
• Mail-order / Internet outlets
• Value added Reseller (VAR)
• Manufacturers direct
Industry Regulation
• Government agencies
• Self-regulated
Industry Regulation
• In many countries, export restrictions
affect the type of technology that can be
sold to foreign governments and
individuals.
• Most IT industry leaders oppose further
regulation of their industry.
Industry Regulation
• Several organizations provide a forum for the IT
industry to examine issues, express views, and
work out self-governing policies and set standards.
• The software & Information Industry Association,
formerly known as the Software Publishers
Association focuses on protecting the intellectual
property of members and lobbying for a legal and
regulatory environment benefits the entire IT
industry.
Industry Regulation
• Organizations such as IEEE Standards
Association help the IT industry standardize
technology such as microprocessor
architecture and network protocols, as well
as programming languages and multimedia
components.
PROFESSION AND CAREERS IN
THE COMPUTING FIELDS
Recitation #6.
Describe “Computer Professionals” .
(First student to answer will have a recorded
recitation & participation points.)
• Computer professional is any person
whose primary occupation involves the
design, configuration, analysis,
development, modification, testing or
security of computer hardware or
software.
Preparing for a career in the computer industry

• decide on the area in which you are

interested and then become educated in
that field.
• Attend a Trade School/Technical School/
Vocational Attend College/Universities
• School
6 Main Areas
1. Management. Directs the planning, research, development,
evaluation, and integration of technology
– Chief information
officer (CIO) / chief
technology officer (CTO)
– E-commerce
director
– Network
administrator/wireless network
administrator
– Project leader/
manager
6 Main Areas
2. System development and programming. Analyzes, designs,
develops, and implements new information technology and
maintains and improves existing systems.
– Computer games
– designer/programmer 
– Computer
– Scientist
– Database
analyst
– Desktop or mobile application programmer/ developer
– Web software
developer
6 Main Areas
3. Technical services. Evaluates and integrates new technologies, administers
the organization's data resources, and supports the centralized computer
operating system and servers.
– Computer Technician
– Database administrator
– Desktop
– publisher/compositor
– Digital Forensics examiner
– Graphic designer/illustrator
– Quality assurance specialist
– Storage administrator/analyst
– Web designer
– Webmaster/Web administrator
6 Main Areas
4. Operations. Operates the centralized
computer equipment and administers the
network, including both data and voice
communications.
– Computer
operator
– Data communications analyst / VoIP
specialist
6 Main Areas
5. Training. Teaches employees how to use
components of the information system or
answers specific user questions.
– IT / IS / CS Instructor
– Corporate Trainer
– Help Desk Specialist
6 Main Areas
6. Security. Develops and enforces policies that are designed to
safeguard an organization's data and information from
unauthorized users.
– Chief security
officer (CSO)
– Computer security
specialist/mobile
security specialist
– Network security
administrator
– Security
administrator
10 Domains in Computer
Science
1. Computer Theory
-is the branch of computer science concerned
with finding out how efficiently a given
problem can be solved on a model
computer using a given algorithm.
Focuses on:
Computability theory - concerned with
finding out whether or not a problem is
solvable with a finite number of
computations.
1. Computer Theory
Focuses on:
Complexity Theory - deals with finding out
how much time an algorithm will take to
solve a problem based on how many
elements are involved with the
computation.
Formal languages - are a way of talking
about languages in the abstract.
2. Algorithms
-are an explicitly described method for
solving a problem. Focuses on:
Computability theory - concerned with
finding out whether or not a problem is
solvable with a finite number of
computations.
3. Cryptography
-is an ancient science concerned with secret
writing.
In the modern context of computers,
cryptography is the science of encrypting
data.
4. Distributed Computing
-is a means of breaking up a complex problem,
distributing the pieces to various computers
across a network (usually the Internet), and
having them work on the problem concurrently
until the problem is solved.
According to Bill Godfrey, distributed computing is
performed with a client-server model where
the server sends out work packages and
constructs the answer from the responses
returned by the clients.
5. Cloud Computing
• The practice of using a network of remote
servers
• Hosted on the internet
• To store, manage and process data
• Rather than a local server or a personal
computer
5. Cloud Computing
The word “Cloud”
• Cloud, which is everywhere can get access
from anywhere through internet
 The word “computing”
• The word “computer” itself, derived from
the word “computing”, which means do
any work as we can have done with
computer.
6. Computational Learning
Computational learning, more
commonly referred to as machine
learning is a sub-field of artificial
intelligence. More specifically, “Machine
learning is the field that is dedicated to
the design and development of
algorithms and techniques that allow
computers to 'learn'”.
7. Computer Vision
Computer vision is the field of computer science
in which the goal is to process video or still
images and produce from them a representation
of the world.

Future applications of computer vision may

include helping visually impaired people,
gesture based user interfaces, advanced security
systems, and better robot navigation systems.
8. Big Data
The idea of big data is fairly self-
explanatory, it is the collection and
analysis of large amounts of data.
9. Neural Networks
Neural networks are artificial intelligence agents
that simulate biological neuron structures to
process inputs and produce outputs.

The applications of neural networks are far

reaching. They can perform tasks such as making
predictions based on available data, interpreting
visual data for f ace recognition, and other
computer vision tasks, and even serve as expert
systems such and perform medical diagnoses.
10. Tractable Problem Vs. Intractable Problem
The tractable problems can be solved
in a reasonable amount of time for most
values of possibilities while the intractable
problems can only be solved in our life
time if possibilities is too small to be of
any practical use.
Computing
Disciplines
Computer Engineering.
• Typically involves software and hardware
and the development of systems that
involve software, hardware, and
communications.
Computer Science.
• Currently the most popular of the
computing disciplines; tends to be
relatively broad and with an emphasis on
the underlying science aspects.
Information Systems.
• Essentially, this is computing in an
organizational context, typically in
businesses.
Information Technology.
• Focuses on computing infrastructure and
needs of individual users; tends to involve
a study of systems (perhaps just software
systems, but perhaps also systems in
support of learning, of information
dissemination, etc.).
Software Engineering.
• Focuses on large-scale software systems;
employs certain ideas from the world of
engineering in building reliable software
systems.
Software Engineering.
• Focuses on large-scale software systems;
employs certain ideas from the world of
engineering in building reliable software
systems.
Computing Disciplines
And Majors
Computer Engineering (CE)
• Computer engineering (CE) students study
the design of digital hardware and software
systems including communications systems,
computers and devices that contain com
• For them, programming is focused on digital
devices and their interfaces with users and
other devices. An important area within
computing engineering is the development
of embedded systems.
Computer Science (CS)
• Computer science (CS) spans the range from
theory through programming to cutting-
edge development of computing solutions.
a) designing and building software;
b) developing effective ways to solve
computing problems, such as storing
information in databases, sending data
over networks or providing new
approaches to security problems; and
Computer Science (CS)
c) devising new and better ways of using
computers and addressing particular
challenges in areas such as robotics,
computer vision, or digital forensics
(although these specializations are not
available in all computer science
programs).
Information Systems (IS)
These are the important issues that businesses
rely on IS people to address.
• What information does the enterprise need?
• How is that information generated?
• Is it delivered to the people who need it?
• Is it presented to them in ways that permit
them to use it readily?
• Is the organization structured to be able to use
technology effectively?
Information Systems (IS)
These are the important issues that businesses rely on
IS people to address.
• Are the business processes of the organization well
designed?
• Do they use the opportunities created by information
technology fully?
• Does the organization use the communication and
collaboration capabilities of information technologies
appropriately?
• Is the organization capable of adapting quickly enough
to changing external circumstances?
Information Technology (IT)
• As a name of an undergraduate degree
program, it refers to the preparation of
students to meet the computer technology
needs of business, government,
healthcare, schools, and other kinds of
organizations.
Information Technology (IT)
• IT professionals possess the right
combination of knowledge and practical,
hands-on expertise to take care of both an
organization’s information technology
infrastructure and the people who use it.
Software Engineering (SE)
• Software engineering (SE) is concerned
with developing and maintaining software
systems that behave reliably and efficiently,
are affordable to develop and maintain,
and satisfy all the requirements that
customers have defined for them.
 Mixed Disciplinary Majors
• Bioinformatics combines elements from at
least biology, biochemistry, and computer
science, and prepares students for careers
in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical
industries, or for graduate school in
informatics. Some programs may also
include elements from information
systems, chemistry, mathematics, and
statistics.
 Mixed Disciplinary Majors
• Computer Science and Mathematics
combines computer science with
mathematics of course. Some of these
programs are found at schools that do not
have a full major in computer science;
some are found at universities with very
large computer science departments.
 Mixed Disciplinary Majors
• Gaming and Animation. Majors for
students interested in creating computer
games and computer animations are being
developed at a number of schools. These
majors have various flavors and may
combine either or both of computer
science and information technology work
with either or both of art and (digital)
media studies.
 Mixed Disciplinary Majors
• Medical (or health) informatics programs are
for students interested in students who want to
work in a medical environment. Some students
will work as technology experts for hospitals;
some in public health; some students may be
premed or pre-dental. Coursework may be
drawn from any or all of computer science,
information systems, or information technology
in combination with biology, chemistry, and
courses unique to this interdisciplinary field.