Major corporations (e.g. DEC's DECnet and IBM's

d Today, many companies more on FAXes than on mail.

connect, connected, connecting, connector, connectivity, connection

ais an important concept in global communications.

bHe only got that contract because he has in the government.

cMake sure the is not loose before you call a service
technician.

dOnce the new telephone lines are , our system should be more

efficient.

	'I know they said they were going to introduce new technology, but this isn't quite what I expected.' Listening
Task 9	Listen to this conversation in which Charles, the Information Services Manager in an American insurance company, talks about the steps involved in making a document available to users via document image-processing. Put the steps in the right order.
		Index is stored.
		Quality of scan is checked.
		Envelope is opened by a machine.
		Temporary key number is generated and written on the document.
		IMS index transaction and customer name is entered into the computer.
		Mail arrives in the mailroom.
		Temporary document number is entered into the computer to link it with the previously-generated index.
		Document is scanned.
		Document pages are removed and arranged by a clerk.
		Document can be accessed by users.
		Computer supplies routing and indexing data.
		Document pages are transferred to the mail analyst.

Speaking

Task 11We have looked at some of the benefits of replacing people with computers in

the office. What are the negative aspects of this policy?

Writing

Task 12Write two paragraphs, one listing the benefits, the other listing the negative

aspects of replacing people with computers.

Information systems

Reading

1 ____All businesses are interested in more or less the same information,

regardless of the nature of their operations.

2The managing director of a company needs a lot more detailed information about the day-to-day operations than his executives do.

3 Functional management require up-to-the-minute information so that

they can take action to control events as they happen.

4 _____Information systems are usually computerized.

5Transaction processing systems are usually the first systems to be

installed.

Information systems

The objective of information systems is to provide information to all levels of management at the most relevant time, at an acceptable level of accuracy, and at an economical cost.

Individual businesses require information according to the nature of their

5 operations. A car manufacturer is particularly interested in the extent of competition from overseas manufacturers in the home market and competition from other home-based manufacturers. A tour operator is concerned about purchasing power and its effect on holiday bookings and the political situation prevailing in the various countries.

10 As a general guide, the detail contained in reports containing information varies according to the position of the recipient in the hierarchical management structure. The chairman and managing director of a company require details of operations which are broad in scope and which concentrate on key factors pinpointing economic and financial trends.

15 Functional management require information relating to the departments they are responsible for in sufficient detail to enable them to apply whatever measures are required to bring situations into line with requirements. They require information relating to events as they occur so that appropriate action can be taken to control them.

20 Information systems are often computerized because of the need to respond quickly and flexibly to queries. At the bottom level in the information hierarchy are the transaction processing systems, which capture and process internal information, such as sales, production, and stock data. These produce the working documents of the business, such as

25 invoices and statements. Typically, these are the first systems which a company will install. Above the transaction-level systems are the decision support systems. These take external information — market trends and other external financial data — and processed internal information, such as sales trends, to produce strategic plans, forecasts, and budgets. Often such

30 systems are put together with PC spreadsheets and other unconnected tools. Management information systems lie at the top of the hierarchy of information needs. The MIS takes the plans and information from the transaction-level systems to monitor the performance of the business as a whole. This provides feedback to aid strategic planning, forecasting,

35 and/or budgeting, which in turn affects what happens at the transactional level.

Writing

Word-play

Complete the puzzle and find the key word in 10 down.

Across

1 The T of MIS. (11)

2 Another term for a VDU. (7)

3 See 8.

4 An A/D_____ changes analog signals into digital signals. (9)

5 The `D' of VDU. (7)

6 The decision___ systems combine information from outside and inside an
organization to produce strategic plans and forecasts. (7)

7 Voice_____ systems permit people to talk to computers. (11)

8 and 3 ________ systems capture and process information generated within

an organization (e.g. sales and production data). (11,10)

9 Converted from an analog to a digital signal. (9)

Down

10 The amount of deskspace (or floorspace) taken up by a computer. (9)

Language focus H

The passive

Passives are very common in technical writing where we are more interested in facts, processes, and events than in people. We form the passive by using the appropriate tenses of the verb to be followed by the past participle of the verb we are using.

Examples:

Active

1 We sell computers. (simple present)

2 Babbage invented The Analytical Engine'. (simple past)

Passive

1 Computers are sold.(simple present)

2 'The Analytical Engine' was inventedin 1830. (simple past)

Facts and processes

When we write or talk about facts or processes that occur regularly, we use the present passive.

Examples:

1 Data is transferredfrom the internal memory to the arithmetic-logical unit along channels known as buses.

2 The other users areautomatically deniedaccess to that record.

3 Distributed systems are builtusing networked computers.

Read the text below, which describes the insurance company's procedure for dealing with PC-users' problems. Fill in the gaps using the correct form of the verb in brackets.

All calls ^{1 _______________________________} (register) by the Help Desk staff. Each call

_____________________ (evaluate) and then ³

(allocate) to the relevant support group. If a visit ⁴ (require), the user^s ____________________________ (contact) by telephone, and an

appointment ⁶ (arrange). Most calls

__ (deal with) within one working day. In the event of a

major problem requiring the removal of a user's PC, a replacement can usually

1The part of the processor which controls data transfers between the various input and output devices (call) the control unit.

2The address bus (use) to send address details between the

memory and the address register.

3The pixel positions (pass on) to the computer's pattern

recognition software.

4An operating system (store) on disk.

5Instructions written in a high-level language (transform) into machine code.

6In the star configuration, all processing and control functions

(perform) by the central computer.

7When a document arrives in the mail room, the envelope

(open) by a machine.

When we write or talk about past events, we use the past passive. Let us look at some examples.

Examples:

1 COBOL was first introduced in 1959.

2 Microsoft was founded on the basis of the development of MS/DOS.

3 The organization was created to promote the use of computers in education.

Exercise 3Fill in the gaps in the following sentences using the appropriate form of the

verb in brackets.

1 Microsoft (found) by Bill Gates.

2C language (develop) in the 1970s.

3During that period, enormous advances _ (make) in

computer technology.

4The following year, twice as many PCs _________________ (sell).

5In the 1980s, at least 100,000 LANs laboratories and offices around the world.

6The first digital computer Pennsylvania in1946.

7Last year, more software companies before.

8IBM's decision not to continue manufacturing mainframes

(reverse) the year after it (take).

Computers in education

Start-up

Task 1Make a list of the ways computers are used in education.

Speaking

Task 2Discuss these questions:

1 How are computers used in your school?

2What do you think the following terms mean?

afurther education

bopen learning

Reading

National Council for Educational Technology

The Council's purpose is to bring beneficial change to the processes of learning in education and training through the development and application of educational technology.

Educational technology — or learning technology, as it is sometimes known -

5 embraces everything from the way computers, satellites, and interactive video are used in schools, colleges, and industry to issues of copyright and flexible learning. Focusing on the learner, our purpose is to support change in the ways we learn by applying the benefits of educational technology — especially the new information technologies — to the process of learning.

10 We design and produce learning materials in all subjects to support education
and training. We carry out research and manage projects, offer consultancy
on technical matters, support training for trainers and teachers, and offer
expertise in areas such as open and flexible learning, resource management,
and educational software. We provide a comprehensive information and

15 enquiry service.

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