Basic Definitions Data and Information

ICT: Information and Communication Technology

What is Computer?
Analog, Digital and Hybrid Computers
Different types of computers
Applications of ICT
 Data

• Information, especially facts or numbers, collected to be examined and

considered and use to help decision-making, or information in an electronic
form that can be stored and used by a computer
• Is information that has been translated into a form that is efficient for
movement or processing. relative to today’s computers and transmission
media, data is information converted into binary digital form. It is
acceptable for data to be used as a singular subject.
 Information

• Facts about a situation, person, event, etc

• Is stimuli that has meaning in some context for its receiver. When
information is entered into and stored in a computer, it is generally referred
to as data. When information is compiled or used to better understand
something or to do something, it becomes knowledge.
 Difference of Information and Data

Information Data
• Information is meaningful data • Data are the variables that help to develop
ideas/conclusions
• Information is refined form of actual data
• information relies on data • Data are text and numerical values

• Information is measured in meaningful units • Data doesn’t reply on information

like time, quantity, etc. • Bits and bytes are the measuring unit of data
• Information can also be structured as the • Data can be easily structured as the following:
following: Language; Ideas; and thoughts Tabular data; Graph; and data tree
 Difference of Information and Data

Information Data
• Information carries a meaning that has been • Data does not have any specific purpose
assigned by interpreting data
• It is low-level knowledge
• It is the second level of knowledge
• Data does not directly helps in decision making
• Information directly helps in decision making
• Data is collection of facts, which it self have no
• Information puts those facts into context meaning
• Example of information is average score of • Example of data is student test score.
class that is derived from given data
 Information and Communication Technology

• is the use of computing and telecommunication technologies, systems and

tools to facilitate the way information is created, collected, processed,
transmitted and stored. It includes computing technologies like servers,
laptop computers and software applications, as well as the wired and
wireless communication technologies that support telephones, the Internet,
the Internet of Things (IoT) and the metaverse. The goal of ICT is to improve
access to information and and make human-to-human, human-to-machine
and machine-to-machine (M2M) communication easier and more efficient.
Information and Communication Basics
Components of an ICT System
 ICT Infrastructure and Systems
• Hardware and software that supports the way information is created, disseminated,
acquired and stored.
• Infrastructure and electronics that enable communication between hardware devices.
• Protocols and interfaces that enable seamless communication and data exchanges
between different hardware and software components.
• Tools for protecting sensitive information and ensuring the integrity of an ICT system.
• Standards for protecting data in transit, during processing and at rest.
• Governance policies for how information should be accessed, secured, processed,
transmitted and stored.
• Workers who have the skills required to design, develop, maintain and support ICT
systems.
ICT Infrastructure and Systems
 What is a computer?

• is a programmable device that stores, retrieves, and processes data. The

term "computer" was originally given to humans (human computers) who
performed numerical calculations using mechanical calculators, such as
the abacus and slide rule. The term was later given to mechanical devices as
they began replacing human computers.
 Classification of computer base of data
handling

• Analog
• Digital
• Hybrid
 Analog Computer

• An analog computer is a form of computer that uses the continuously-

changeable aspects of physical fact such as electrical, mechanical, or
hydraulic quantities to model the problem being solved. Any thing that is
variable with respect to time and continuous can be claimed as analog just
like an analog clock measures time by means of the distance traveled for the
spokes of the clock around the circular dial.
 Digital Computer

• A computer that performs calculations and logical operations with

quantities represented as digits, usually in the binary number system of “0”
and “1”, “Computer capable of solving problems by processing information
expressed in discrete form. from manipulation of the combinations of the
binary digits, it can perform mathematical calculations, organize and
analyze data, control industrial and other processes, and simulate dynamic
systems such as global weather patterns.
 Hybrid Computer

• A computer that processes both analog and digital data, Hybrid computer is
a digital computer that accepts analog signals, converts them to digital and
processes them in digital form.
 Classification of computer base on size

• Super computer
• Mainframe computer
• Mini computer
• Micro computer
 Super Computer
• The super computers are the most high performing system. A supercomputer
is a computer with a high level of performance compared to a general-purpose
computer. The actual Performance of a supercomputer is measured in FLOPS
instead of MIPS. All of the world’s fastest 500 supercomputers run Linux-based
operating systems. Additional research is being conducted in China, the US,
the EU, Taiwan and Japan to build even faster, more high performing and more
technologically superior supercomputers. Supercomputers actually play an
important role in the field of computation, and are used for intensive
computation tasks in various fields, including quantum mechanics, weather
forecasting, climate research, oil and gas exploration, molecular modeling,
and physical simulations. and also Throughout the history, supercomputers
have been essential in the field of the cryptanalysis.
 Mainframe Computers

• These are commonly called as big iron, they are usually used by big
organizations for bulk data processing such as statistics, census data
processing, transaction processing and are widely used as the servers as
these systems has a higher processing capability as compared to the other
classes of computers, most of these mainframe architectures were
established in 1960s, the research and development worked continuously
over the years and the mainframes of today are far more better than the
earlier ones, in size, capacity and efficiency.
 Mini computers
• These computers came into the market in mid 1960s and were sold at a much
cheaper price than the main frames, they were actually designed for control,
instrumentation, human interaction, and communication switching as distinct
from calculation and record keeping, later they became very popular for
personal uses with evolution.
In the 60s to describe the smaller computers that became possible with the
use of transistors and core memory technologies, minimal instructions sets
and less expensive peripherals such as the ubiquitous Teletype Model 33
ASR.They usually took up one or a few inch rack cabinets, compared with the
large mainframes that could fill a room, there was a new term
“MINICOMPUTERS” coined
 Micro computer

• A microcomputer is a small, relatively inexpensive computer with a

microprocessor as its CPU. It includes a microprocessor, memory, and
minimal I/O circuitry mounted on a single printed circuit board. The previous
to these computers, mainframes and minicomputers, were comparatively
much larger, hard to maintain and more expensive. They actually formed
the foundation for present day microcomputers and smart gadgets that we
use in day to day life.
 Applications of ICT

• In Home
• In Office
• At Factory
• In Transport
• In Communication
• In Education
• In Health
 In Home

• Entertainment – Movies, Music, and different animation games

• Browsing the web
• Online shopping
• Mobile and internet banking
 In Office

• Transaction processing
• Desktop publishing
• Word processing
• Production design
• Financial Analysis
 At Factory

• Computer-Aided Design (CAD) is used to design and develop products.

• Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM) is used to manufacture them.
• Inventory control
• Planning and Process Control
• To run robots that create, finish, assemble and test products and their
components
 In transport

• To improve road, air and rail transport

• In air traffic control
• For monitoring of freight and the day-to-day transport system
• For booking air tickets or railway tickets online
• For simulation training for pilots
 In Communication

• Mobile phones
• Internet
• Satellite communication
• TV broadcast
 In Education

• Classroom, Library, Laboratory, Museum Computers

• E-Learning
• Computer Based Learning
 In health
• Support efficient exchange of information between health professionals,
• They enable transfer of patient records between sites and they can improve clinical
effectiveness, continuity and quality of care by health professionals.
• Physicians use ICT to understand the human body and to diagnose disorders.
• Computer controlled laser machines are used in surgery.
• The complex surgeries can be performed by smallest possible cuts on
the patient body.
• This is done by operating through a technique, called Endoscopy
• ICTs are also helpful in training doctors for surgery.
• The surgeries can be performed on computer controlled models or by using
virtual reality techniques.
• These models simulate a real life environment by using computers to perform a particular task.
 references
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• Vaughan, J. (2019, July 31). What is data? - definition from whatis.com. Data Management.
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• Information. Cambridge Dictionary. (n.d.-b). https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/information
• Contributor, T. (2021, May 18). What is information? - definition from whatis.com. Data Management.
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• Rouse Margaret Rouse is an award-winning technical writer and teacher known for her ability to
explain complex technical subjects simply to a non-technical, M. (2023, June 27). Information and
Communication Technology (ICT). Techopedia. https://www.techopedia.com/definition/24152/information-and-
communications-technology-ict
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• What is a computer?. Computer Hope. (2022, February 7).
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 references

• rajusinghbhati. (2023, February 27). Classification of Computers.

GeeksforGeeks. https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/classification-of-
computers/
• G-11-ICT Lesson 2: Some applications of ICT - Leadstar International
Academy: E-learning. E. (2020, November 3).
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