Chapter 4: Applications of ICT Flashcards
Give 3 ways ICT is used in banking?
- Paying money in and taking it out by ATM, check or electronically
- Paying bills and providing statements
- Banks provide these services through telephone, ATM, intent or in person at the terminal in the branch
How is ICT used in the manufacturing industry and what two things is it linked to?
Production control by using robots or computers
- Computer Aided Design (CAD)
- Computer Aided Manufacture (CAM)
What is geocaching?
A high tech game of hide and seek where a geocache is placed and the location shared. Finders have to find it using a GPS device
Give 3 ways ICT can be used in weather forecasting?
- Satellites can show cloud formations
- Measuring devices can record information
- Specialist modelling software
Give 2 advantages of software based training for the end user?
- They decide their own pace and how much work to do
2. Choose their preferred style of learning and redo parts they are unsure of
Give 2 disadvantages of software based training for the end user?
- Need basic ICT skills
2. Completed training may not mean that anything has been learnt
Give 2 advantages for the trainer of software based training?
- Can see weaknesses and strengths of each students
2. Can use their free time to help weaker students if they require help
Give 2 disadvantages for the trainer of software based training?
- May not be available when the student is using the system
2. Needs to know how to review and mark completed training
What is a network?
Two or more computers connected together to communicate and share data
Describe 2 ways a family might use a wireless home network?
- Multiple computers can be connected to the internet to share music, photos and videos
- Printing is centralised
Describe 2 ways a wireless network could be used at work?
- Work files can be shared for the whole team to work and print out
- Network can monitor and record all users actions and add security to files
Give 6 limitations of ICT?
- Battery life
- Processing power
- Storage capacity
- Size of technology
- Bandwidth
- Security
Name the 4 distributed databases?
- Duplicated
- Central database with local indexes
- Vertical partitioning
- Horizontal partitioning
What is a duplicated database?
Where each location has an entire copy of the database
What is a central database with local indexes?
A database held in a central location. The indexes is a data structure containing references that allow specific data to be looked up and accessed quickly
What is a partitioned database?
When parts of the data is stored at different locations
What is vertical partitioning?
When the data is separated based on the individual fields into two tables of required and not required fields
What is horizontal partitioning?
When data is separated based on the records into different ables with the same structure but with different rows
What is data integrity?
Making sure that data is complete and whole
Explain the mix of 4 advantages and disadvantages of a duplicated database?
- Speed is high because of local access
- Security is low because of the multiple copies
- Data integrity and consistency are bad because any changes needs to be made to all
- Storage space required is a lot for all the copies and communication links are needed to update each site
What 4 things should be considered when comparing distributed databases?
- Speed
- Security
- Flexibility including data integrity and consistency
- Storage space and communication links
In distributed databases, what is record locking?
A problem if two locations try to change the same data at the same time, then the incorrect version may be stored.
Explain advantages and disadvantage of centralised databases with local indexes?
1&2. The speed and security is high as data can be found with the index and the location is centralised
- Integrity and consistency higher as data is only in one location with no copies and its easier to protect against viruses
- Needs a lot of storage and communication links because of large amount of data passing between central storage and local indexes
Explain advantages and disadvantages for partitioned databases?
- Speed is high if stored locally, and slower if held in another location
- Security depends on individual locations as some is stored in multiple places and needs individual back ups
- Integrity and consistency are bad as changes need to be made to all and is more prone to viruses
- Storage differs at different locations and communication links are required to update each site
What happens during the interception of data and how can it be prevented?
A third party gains the data when it is being sent from one location to another. It can be prevented by encryption as they won’t be able to understand the data
What 3 components does an expert system have?
- Knowledge base
- Inference engine
- User interface
What is an expert system?
A computer program made up of rules that analyse information about a specific problem to result in a method to solve it
What two things does the knowledge base of an expert system contain?
- Contains factual knowledge, which is specific to the topic, found widely in text books or the internet
- Also contains heuristic knowledge, acquired through experience, reasoning and guessing
In an expert system, what does the inference engine do?
It asks the end user questions and more questions based on their answers until the problem has been solved
What is the inference engine based on?
Rules, which consists of the condition of IF and the action of THEN
Give 4 ways Management Information Systems are used?
- Collect, process and produce reports
- Summarise data collected into tables or graphs
- Assist in decision making by presenting specific data
- Organise financial information
Describe 3 things that digital television offers?
- TV guides and the ability to remind and record
- Change camera angles or different endings to programmes
- Live voting on contests
Who are the 3 main people impacted by digital television services?
- Viewers watching the programmes
- Company producing the programmes
- Broadcaster delivering the programmes to the viewers
Define and explain the 3 internal resources?
- Human - employees involved with the system
- Technological - hardware and software in the organisation
- Accommodation - buildings, furniture and anything not covered by human and technological resources
Why is accuracy and timely manner important for the exchange of information?
- It’s relied on by other people, so it needs to be accurate for them to be confidence
- Information needs to be received in time for it to still be valuable and useful
What 4 characteristics do personnel systems store about employees?
- Name and address
- Personal details - DOB, NI number, salary
- Job details - date employed, job title, promotion, pension
- Courses completed
What 3 things do finance systems do?
- Manage money coming in such as when customers buy and pay for a product, which is recorded on an invoice
- Manages money going out such as bills the organisation generates
- Future predications, producing reports of income against expenditure to predict how much will be spent on future campaigns and expansions
Describe 3 features of stock control systems?
- Quantity of physical items held, including supplier, minimum stock level and reorder amounts
- System produces reports and predicts amount of stock based on previous records and events
- Make use of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags to record items
Name 5 systems where telecommunications is used?
- Telephone systems
- Banking
- Production control
- GPS and navigation
- Weather forecasting
Describe in 2 ways how ICT is used in telephone systems?
- Used in voice recognition, menu options or voice mail systems
- System can allow numbers to be blocked or shown and the last caller to be found
What is software-based training?
A computer program, whether local or devolved through the internet which assists the end user in learning something using tests, checkpoints and revision
Define what a distributed database is?
A single logical database that is spread physically across different computer in multiple locations that are connected by data communication links
How is data integrity maintained?
By controlling data entry by validating and verifying it, checking that is conforms to rules such as length, range and presence
Explain the aim of the methods used in the security of distributed databases and give 3 ways used to prevent physical access to data?
The main aim is to prevent the individual getting to the terminal
- Security guards patrolling
- Access control on entrances and locks on doors
- Software guards such as logon screens and passwords
What is an expert?
A person with expert knowledge on a specific subject
How does an expert system aid decision making?
They provide a conclusion and an action to take based on the information available
What 2 systems are used in decision making and what can they both save?
- Management Information Systems (MIS)
- Expert System
They can both same time and labour costs
In the exchange of information, give 3 ways information exchanged in a timely manner?
- By using electronic communication
- Internal systems that automate the flow of electronic information
- Manual procedures that can move paperwork around
What is a personnel system and what is it also known as?
Human resources (HR) A system that deals with storing employees data and their time in the organisation
What 7 factors affect the quality of information?
Consistency Accuracy Relevance Presentation Age of information Level of detail
