ICT Data Systems In Business

  • Created by: Amy
  • Created on: 28-05-13 19:13

Data Sources

Primary Data - collected first-hand by the business itself

Secondry Data - collected by someone outside the firm

Data needs to be: Accurate and Relevent

Data is stored, procceses and communicated using a data system

PURPOSE - What dose the data system need to do? 

MEDIUM - Data systems can be Paper based or Computer based

Paper-based systems:

  • useful when hard copies of documents are needed
  • Can take up a lot of stourage space

Computer-based systems:

  • Data can be processed quickly and accuratly
  • confidential data needs to be very carefully protected
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Computers - Hardware and Software

  • Computers can be Desktop (large and in one space) 
  • Computers can be Portable (laptops and netbooks)
  • Smartphones and PDAs are handheld computers
  • computers can be connected together using a network (communicate)
  • the choice of computer will depend on:
    • where it will be use
    • the task that needs to be done
    • the cost

 HARDWARE - The bits of kit you can actually touch (eg keyboard, printer etc.)

SOFTWARE - The programs used on the computer - the operating system (Windows) and applications (word, spreadsheets etc.)

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Data Input Devices

Input device - anything thats used to enter date onto a computer

1) Keyboard - most versatile input device, type words and numbers, can be slow

2) Mice - pointing device and clicking, direction and speed the computers being pushed in, vital for internet surfing

3) Digital Camera - Photographs without film, downloaded onto the computer (JPEG)

4) Scanners - convert images into data, paper documents, converts data into digital signals

5) Data Forms - paper or computer forms, data is written or typed onto them, surveys, paper: manual, written down, need to be entered into a computer. Computer: electronicaly, direct to the computer, entered by user, fewer mistakes 

6) Voice Recognition - microphones, capture sound which is stored digitally, convert speech into text, no typing needed, not 100% reliable 

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Data Storage Devices

Needs to be stored securly and accessed easily

1) Hard Discs - digitally encoded storage device, internal storage, hard drive in every computer

2) CDs - (compact discs) originally designed to store audio, hold about 700 MB

CD-ROM - Read only (cant be altered) (ROM = Read only memory)

CD-R -  Write data on a blank (R = Recordable)

CD-RW - Data can be erased and the disk can be reused (RW =Rewritable)

3) DVDs - (Digitally Versatile Discs,can hold more data than a CD (8GB) have the same properties as CDs

4) High Capacity Stotage Devices - external hard drives connected to a computer by a USB (memory stick) giving extra storage, instant back up, simple way to recover data

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Data Output Devices

Hardware used to communicate results of processing data, Business oftern need hard copies

1) Printers, produce hard copies

Laser Printes - large businesses, fast, quiet, high quality, expencive (buy and repair)

Ink Jet Printers - cheap, good resolution, small, slower than lazer, ink costs alot

Dot-Matrix Printers -  pins and ink ribbon to create a patten of dots (forming characters),slow and noisy but cheap to run and reliable

2) Monitors - screen, big old ones (Cathode ray tude) new thin ones (LCD)

3) Projectors - connect to a computer, progect image on a screen, presentations, can display video, light and portable, needs dim lighting and a screen

4) Speakers - output audia data 

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Protecting Data

Data must be kept secure as some may be confidential, stolen data can be used to commit identity theft or steal money, comertition may get there hands on it, can be corrupted.


  • Virus Protection Software - (eg Norton) protect you agains virvses
  • Firewalls - a layer of protection to stop sombody hacking your computer
  • Passwords - stop unautharised personel lookig at your data, only you know it
  • Encryption - code data so that it makes no apparent sense (Bank details)
  • Screen savers - locks on them that require a password to stop other people taking your data
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Data Protection Act

1998 - A law designed to protect personal data stored on computers or in an organisation paper filing system. 

8 Principles: Data...:

1) Must be collected and used fairly and inside the law

2) Must only be held and used for the reasons given

3) Must only be used for those registered purposes, cannot be given away or sold

4) Must be adequarte and relevant

5) Must be accurate and up to date 

6) Must not be kept longer than is necessary

7) Must be kept safe and secure

8) Must not be transferred outside of the European Economic Area

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Rights of the Data Subject and Exemptions

Rights of the Data Subject

1) The right to view the data hed about them 

2) The right to prevent the processing of data of it may cause distress or damage to themselves

3) The right to compensation of damage or distress has been caused 

4) The right to have inaccurate data changed or deleted

5) The right to prevent data being used to send junk mail 

6) The right of complaint to the infromation commissioner 


there are some complete emxempions (national security reasons (so MI5)) and some partial exemptions (the taxman and police, criminals are not alowed to see there files, a data subject has no right to see information stored about there health, a school pupil can see personal files)

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Anisa -Team GR


Well Done

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