ICT Call to Africa The Basics. By Mabel St.Germaine CEO/Director of Studies London Capital Computer College

Transcription

1 ICT Call to Africa The Basics By Mabel St.Germaine CEO/Director of Studies London Capital Computer College

2 The Information Super highway carries both Business and ICT current and would be specialists. The basics of ICT knowledge and skills are essential to us all; individuals and corporate personnel alike. There are no clerical jobs any more. Computer literacy is a minimum requirement; be it for University standard minimum entry or office job. At the core of ICT is hardware and software. Without these there is no technology there is no information super highway. But how many of us understand ICT Basics? A computer is divided into two; hardware and software Hardware These are the physical devices (things) we can see and touch; for example: Computer base [there is more inside the computer base than what meets the eye e.g. memory, hard drive, CPU, electronic circuits, etc] monitor/screen keyboard mouse Software These are the programs which make hardware function. Programs are invisible; yet play a crucial role. Software is divided into two; System software and Applications software. Think of our bodies as hardware and the air we breathe as software. By understanding the basics, we build a strong ICT foundation which can make Africa sustainable in key ICT skills. The reason the pyramids of Egypt are strong and lasted for thousands of years are because their foundation is strong; not the peak! The same applies in ICT structure, to get to the peak, start with basics and then climb. ICT basics cover the following essentials for home and industry use: Introduction to Computers Introduction to Hardware Introduction to Software Introduction to Computers Computers have been around since the 1930s, so why is it that today, everybody talks about computers? Why is it that many people are oblivious of how computers work? Why is it a must for us all to board the information super highway carrier? Simple answer is ICT is now at the core of life ; hence: 1. Computers are found everywhere at home and at work. A nurse only works in Health related industry; but ICT covers every spectrum. 2. Computers are not just business gadgets they are now part and parcel of everyday life. From internet banking to airlines texting passengers flight boarding pass. 3. By understanding the basics, information technology theft would be reduced drastically. Bearing in mind technology theft does not leave finger prints; the time to catch culprits is long and expensive [if they are caught at all] it is useless to setup roadblocks they could be anywhere from North Pole to South Pole where do investigators start!

3 4. Understanding the foundation helps us grasp the information technology security aspects which are creating headaches even for the super-rich countries. Introduction to Computer Hardware By understanding what the different devices do and how, will lead to growth and both individuals and organisations saving money. Most buy the most expensive hardware thinking it is the best. What is best in ICT? How many understand computer capacity, processor speed, memory size, hard disk size etc. What about when the computer stops working? How many African countries have enough ICT tech savvy engineers? Introduction to Software a) System Software (Operating System) These are the programs which give life to the computer e.g. Windows, UNIX (there are several flavours of Unix; Solaris, Linux, etc.). Operating system is again divided into two: Single User and Multi-User. It is impossible to find an electronic gadget without an operating system. Ipads, iphones and computers are essential tools today; from managing personal or business communication to personal banking or corporate banking. Single User operating system which run on PCs Multi User operating system which run on Servers. Servers can multitask. Think of a server or servers which control cash machines. How many people are withdrawing cash at the same time, yet the server can serve each one with equally the same speed. Virtualisation is at the forefront of the 21st century technology all possible because of operating systems. Operating system virtualisation allows a piece of hardware to run multiple operating system images at the same time. b) Application Software Software used to create documents. Software is also divided into two: Off-the-Shelf and Bespoke. Off-the-Shelf Off-the-Shelf software are programs which we can get is stores or buy online. These are already made; mass produced, hence reasonably cheap and caters for most of our needs. Most common Off-the-Shelf software programs are: Microsoft Office: o Word - Word Processing for typing documents; o Excel - Spread sheets for calculations; o Access - Database for keeping records; o PowerPoint Creating slides for Presentation; o Internet Explorer - Web Browser for surfing the internet; o Outlook communication tool. o Linux o Mozilla Firefox web browser - Evolution mail client and personal information manager; o OpenOffice.org Writer - is a word processing program; o OpenOffice.org Impress - is for creating and giving presentations;

4 o OpenOffice.org Calc - is a spreadsheet tool. Other Off-the-Shelf software programs are: Programming languages C, C++, Java, VB.Net etc. Web scripting languages XML, ASP, PhP, Perl, Python etc. Computerised Accounting Sage, Quickbooks, Myob, Pastel etc. Bespoke These are in-house software; designer made, hence expensive and designed for special needs of an organisation. These would be special programs used for example in hospitals, banks, government departments, cash register tills, airline industry, factories etc. Bespoke programs drive the economy. Bespoke programs are written by Programmers (qualified people writing software using programming languages). Africa needs Bespoke programs. For example, each country has its own tax system including those in regional blocs, hence each country should have special software to provide for this. But without programmers, it is difficult. Solution for African Governments Introduce ICT curriculum in schools. Ensure ICT hardware is manufactured or assembled locally. Invest in technology (African Silicon Valleys) Invest in training; not just a quick short training, but detailed training and apprenticeships where trainers are given goals, practical guidance and taught skills needed in industry and business organisations. However, the biggest problem is ICT hardware costs. Almost all African countries import ICT equipment. As stated before, homes and organisations alike need ICT; how many can afford if all Africa ICT hardware is imported? Think of shipping cost; though most African countries do not charge duty, there is VAT, clearing/import and storage charges the cost keeps rising; by the time the imported ICT equipment reaches the importer s desk, even by putting a mark-up of 15%, the price would be out of reach to many. Importing every aspect of ICT equipment hinders computerisation of both public and private sectors. Remove red tape; most African Governments do not even allow second hand computers in Government departments. Considering the Government is the largest employer, how many billions would be spent? Not forgetting the fast pace of technology; let alone obsolescence time-frame rate; can home users, governments and corporates keep up? There is nothing wrong with good refurbished equipment. Governments and companies should have proper procedures and be supplied with good long lasting hardware. Then also maintenance, ICT needs to be checked and maintained regularly. Technology changes, though in ICT they say if it ain t broken, why mend it. I was in this multinational bank in the City of London recently. They still had CRT monitors nobody bothers but in Africa it is almost taboo if you are still using CRT. But there are cars on the road which are more than 30 years old yet nobody bothers. ********

5 Now we reach the spaghetti junction. Those current or would be Business specialists drop off here. Those current or would be ICT specialists choose your exit road before reaching the junction from the following: Road 1 Computer Science Road 2 Networking (the longest road with more side roads than any other). Road 3 Web Design Road 4 Graphic Design Road 5 Programming Road 6 Database Management Computer Science covers metadata [different concepts] including networking, programming and database. Networking can be divided into Basic Networking, PC Hardware Support, Telecommunications Hardware, Cisco Networking, Windows Networking, Unix Networking and Telecommunication System Technology. Networking is at the core of data transmission; from text messages, to voice and video transmission. Web Design is modern art which is at the core of today s technology. A picture speaks a thousand words as they say. Graphic design is not just the difference between beautiful and boring. It is the difference between customers choosing an organisation or its competitors. If Networking is the food we need to survive, Programming is the air we need to breath. Nothing in technology would be possible without programming. Database Management Systems help summarise the vast data organisations store. Without database management, it would take forever to search for data. Database Management software include Oracle Database, Windows SQL, MYSQL to mention a few. About the author: Mabel St.Germaine has over 20 years experience in ICT and worked as CEO/Director of Studies at London Capital Computer College (UK) in the London financial district (City of London) for 16 years. Since 1997, Mabel has trained students and corporate companies in ICT programmes in London UK and also in the following African countries; Zimbabwe, South Africa, Namibia, Malawi, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Ghana. Mabel received a Post Graduate Diploma in Computer Science at University of Canterbury (UK) 1996; qualified as Microsoft MCSE in 2003, Cisco CCNA in 2005 and Cisco CCNP in 2008.