Electronic data processing: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 12:09, 6 August 2005

Revision as of 19:11, 8 August 2005

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LEO was hardware tailored for a single client. Today, [[Intel Pentium]] and compatible chips are standard and become parts of other components which are combined as needed. One individual change of note was the freeing of computers and removable storage from protected, air-filtered environments. [[Microsoft]] and [[IBM]] at various times have been influential enough to impose order on IT and the resultant standardisations allowed specialist software to flourish.

Software is available off the shelf: apart from Microsoft products such as Office, or Lotus, or whatever, there are also specialist packages for payroll and personnel management, account maintenance and customer management, to name a few. These are highly specialised and intricate components of larger environments, but they rely upon common conventions and interfaces.

Data storage has also standardised. Relational databases are developed by different suppliers to common formats and conventions. Common [[file format]]s can be shared by large main-frames and desk-top personal computers, allowing online, realtime input and validation.