IT infrastructure Hardware

What is IT infrastructre It is the physical facilities, services and management that support computing in the organization. It consists of: Hardware Software Networks and telecommunications Databases

Importance As a manager you will face decisions about investment in hardware, software and services so you need to know the possible options before you make the decision. IS/IT infrastructure is important because: Your firm is largely dependent on its infrastructure for delivering services to customers, employees, and suppliers. It defines the firm's capabilities now and in the near future.

Hardware Computer hardware is part of the IT infrastructure that is needed for a computerized information system to operate. Because there are many options of computer hardware available and because technology changes very quickly you need to be familiar with the various possibilities. You need to know the needs of your organization and the type of hardware that is suitable for those needs.

Hardware components Hardware consists of : Input Devices Memory Central Processing Unit (CPU) Output Devices Storage Devices

Input devices Input devices convert data from a format that 'makes sense' to humans (such as numbers, names, dates) into an electronic format that 'makes sense' to the computer or 'machine language'. Examples of input devices are: - Keyboard - Mouse - Scanner - Touch screen

Selecting input devices Selecting input devices: It is important to choose the appropriate input device so that the system works efficiently. The selection of an input device mainly depends on three factors: - Volume: the size of data may require certain input devices. - Speed: if large volumes of data need to be entered. - Accuracy: in some business applications accuracy is important.

CPU Central processing unit (CPU): Is the main processing component of a computer system. The CPU performs processing by carrying out instructions given in the form of computer programs.

Storage Devices Storage devices: Provides a means to store data and programs permanently until they are required for processing. Storage devices include: - Hard disks - Optical disks - Flash disks

Selecting Storage Devices Selecting storage devices Depends on the following factors: - Speed: using computerized information systems usually depends on accessing and processing data quickly and efficiently. - Capacity: How much data can a device store. - Cost: is normally given in terms of cost per megabyte. -Reliability: some devices are more reliable than others.

Output Devices Output devices: These devices translate the results of processing from electronic format into a human-readable form Output devices include: - Printers - Screens (which could also be an input device(.

Selecting output devices: The main factors affecting the selection of a proper output device are: - Appropriateness: the output device should be appropriate for the business application. For example a plotter is efficient for producing large diagrams but is not an appropriate way to print a business letter. - Speed: In some applications speed of an output device can be a crucial factor. For example, if large amounts of output are printed then the speed of the printer is very important. - Cost: The operating cost of some devices may be low while others such as printers may be high. -Response time: Many activities require constant and immediate feedback. For example, if you are using a word processor you need to see the output immediately Selecting Output Devices