INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTING
Abstract
The computing is the study of the fundamentals of the data and information that is processed by computers. The input and output of the computing are the information, necessary for businesses to operate and grow. The business data is a concept used in the marketing world to refer to solutions for businesses to use the data in a successful way to improve their business . The most important business data applications are Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Customer Resource Management (CRM) and Supply Chain Management (SCM).
One of the most important relations in the computing discipline is between hardware and software, where the hardware is the physical and tangible part of the computers, which has physical contact with the users while the software is the intangible part of the computers, which use the resources of the hardware to execute calculations and analysis. Both components are essential to the computers, and the failure of one of the two components makes useless the computer.
There are different applications for software, for operative systems, servers, programming and applications. The application software's are used by individuals and businesses to create new information products.
INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTING
Business data
The business data consist of all the information of products, clients, places and objects that are referred to the functioning of business. Today, the organizations use and generates a lot of information that it is necessary to analyses to execute the best decision-making for the company . Today there are several applications of business data according to the necessities of the organization, the most important are:
■ Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP): It is a group of modules connected to a single database. The ERP is a software package that manages all business processes of an enterprise, integrating various management functions into a single system; in other words, it represents the "backbone" of a company . The ERP is defined by two basic principles:
□ Using a workflow engine used for defining all tasks of a process and manage their implementation across all system modules.
■ Customer Resource Management (CRM): It is a business strategy focused on the customer, in which the goal is to gather the maximum amount of information about customers to build long-term relationships and increase their satisfaction. This trend is part of what is called Relationship Marketing also considers potential customers and how to build relationships with them. The central idea is to focus on the customer, known in depth to increase the value of the offer and achieve successful results. Today, commercial management and customer orientation is the key to generating competitive advantages .
■ Supply Chain Management (SCM): It is the planning and implementation of activities of the supply chain, ensuring a coordinated flow within the company and even looking beyond, in the not too distant future, among the various integrated into the value chain companies from suppliers of raw materials to the finished product distributors. These activities include sources of raw materials, production and assembly, storage and inventory, order management, distribution through all channels, and finally product delivery to the customer. SCM fundamental objectives are to reduce procurement costs, improve product margins, increase production efficiency and improve return on investment (ROI).There are computing applications that help the company to develop an SCM successfully .
Relationship between computer hardware and software
A computer to produce a useful output, its hardware and software must work together. Nothing useful can be done with the hardware itself, and the software cannot be used without hardware support.
This example reflects the relationship between hardware and software, summarized in the following points:
■ Hardware and software are required for a computer to perform useful work. Both are complementary to each other.
■ The same hardware can be loaded with different software. with the same hardware, you can perform different types of work, in the same way, that can be played with the same player different songs.
■ Except updates (such as increasing main memory, hard disk capacity or adding speakers, modem), the hardware is usually a one-time expense, while the software is an ongoing expense. In the example above would mean buying new disks, i.e. new updated software running on the same hardware.
Hardware
The components and hardware devices are divided into Basic and Supplementary.
■ Basic Hardware is fundamental and essential for the computer. Examples: motherboard, monitor, keyboard, and mouse.
■ Supplementary Hardware is no essential for the computer configuration. Examples: printer, scanner, digital video camera, webcam, etc.
Main components of the hardware:
■ Motherboard: It is the most important component of the computer, essential to its operation. Hardware components are located on the motherboard, which is a printed circuit board that houses the Central Processing Unit (CPU) or microprocessor, chipset (integrated circuit), RAM, BIOS or Flash-ROM, etc., in addition to communicating with each other .
■ Input devices: Input Devices are those that allow the user to provide external information. These are Camera, Scanner, Mouse, Flash card holder, Keyboard, Uninterruptible Power Supply, Microphone, Web camera, Digital Analog Converter, Barcode reader, Joystick, Optical pencil, Touchscreen.
■ Chipset: It is the spinal cord of the computer, integrated to the motherboard, enables this function allowing data traffic between the microprocessor (CPU) and the other components of the motherboard.
■ Central Processing Unit (CPU): The CPU may be composed of one or more integrated circuits that are responsible for interpreting and executing instructions, manage, coordinate and process data.
■ Storage unit: Storage Unit or Memory stores all data that are processed in the computer and is divided into main memory and secondary or auxiliary memory.
■ Primary or Main Memory (RAM - ROM): Main Memory or primary computer is the RAM, ROM and cache memories. The RAM (Random Access Memory or Random Access Memory) is an integrated circuit or chip that stores programs, data and results executed by the computer and temporarily because its content is lost when it is turned off. The RAM can be read and written so that its contents can be modified.
SOFTWARE
The software is a set of programs which control the performance of the computer, causing it to follow in their actions a series of predetermined logical schemes. To perform a task, the software needs to specify a sequence of instructions that a computer must perform to solve a problem. This sequence of instructions will be written in language that can be understood by a computer that is a program. The program controls the computer's processing activity, and the computer performs what the program wants to do.
The software is defined as the immaterial part of computing, because although the programs are the software residing on a physical medium, such as main memory or discs (or any rigid storage device), the function of the programs on a computer is similar to the thinking of a human being.
The software is the link between the hardware and the user. The computer itself has no possibilities to communicate with the user and vice-versa since it separates the language barrier. The software tries to shorten the barrier, establishing communication procedures between user and machine; that is, the software works as an intermediary between the hardware and the user.
The progress of hardware is increasing so that physical devices have more "intelligence" each time. The previous makes the hardware functions you be resolved previously only by software.
Software types
There are three software types available for the computer users: System, Programming, Server, and Application.
System: The operative system software is the basic software for a computer. The operative system allows the computer to start and give to the user a basic platform to install other software for programming, applications of servers. The available operative systems in the market are mainly three: Windows, Mac and Linux. The Windows operative system, developed and commercialized by Microsoft Inc. is a platform that allows the user to install productive and leisure applications above the operative system. The Windows operative system is the most popular operative system in enterprises and individuals. The Mac Operative System is developed and commercialized by Apple Inc., offers similar functions as Windows, but only works with computers manufactured by Apple Inc. The Linux is an open source operative system with an important demand in servers due to its open code and benefits in server applications .
Programming: The programming software is installed over the operative system, used by professional users that have skills in programming language programming. The programming software allows the user to create new routines and programs compatible with the operative system. The most popular programming languages are Java and C++.
Server: The server software is installed on the operative system and has the function to administrate hardware and software resources in a computer network. The server software manages Internet connections, bandwidth, data transmission, application controls and license sharing. The server software is available for any operative system .
Application software: The application software is the most used software. The application software's includes browsers, text and image editor, music and movie player and others. There are available free and paid applications in the market.
There are application software's that includes management functions as programming, sales, accountability, and administration. The programming software's administered the tasks, resources, time with graphic facilities as resources distribution, Gantt graphic, S-Curve and instant reports. The programming software is used by project managers and engineers to administrate projects, executions, and engineering plans. There are proprietary providers of programming software's as Microsoft Project and free license software in standalone and cloud platforms as Gantt Project, Gantter, and Ganttpro.
The sales software's are used in wholesalers and retailers that use the software as the interface between the client, cashier and the accountability data of the organization. The sale software manages the inventory, price tags, code bars, clients list and sales registry. The sales software gives the user a daily report of the results of the day including information of the day, operator and observations. There are several providers of sales and point of sale software as Saint, Mercury Pay, Ecrs and Kildar.
The accountability software substitutes the hand-made accountability books of Inventory Book, Diary Book, Ledger Book, Income Statement and Balance Sheet. The accountability software requires data input from a sales software or manual input of data from the user. There are the market sales and accountability solutions that integrate boot functions. The accountability software works using tables and accounts according to the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS).
The administration software is a tool used for administrators and managers of organizations and companies to support the decision-making of the organization. The administration software requires data input from an accountability software or manual input of data from the user. There are in the market administration software's integrated with sales and accountability functions.
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