• Methods of enhancing existing capabilities:
• Discuss the reasons why organisations may wish to upgrade hardware/software provision.
  

• Future proofing:
• Factors could include hardware/software development, organisation ethos, task driven change, software change.
• Understand that hardware and software exists which allow packages to run on different platforms, and the advantages and disadvantages of these approaches.

• Backup strategies:
  Describe the different options available for backup systems and understand the implications and limitations of use.
  Understand the strategies for backup scheduling and storage of backups.
  

• Evaluation of software:
• Describe the mechanisms/procedures for software evaluation e.g. establish client/user needs, establish software capabilities and match.
  

• Evaluation criteria:
• Understand the need for establishing evaluation criteria, to include;
  • agreed problem specification
  • functionality
  • performance - use of benchmarks
  • usability and human-machine interfaces
  • compatibility with existing software base
    transferability of data
  • robustness
  • user support
    resource requirements including hardware, software and human
  • upgradability
  • portability
  • financial issues -
    • development cost
    • development opportunities.

• Evaluation report:
• Understand the function of an evaluation report and know that the content will include:
  • methodology used
  • actual evaluation
  • recommendations
  • justification.

14.3 Database Management Concepts

• Explain the purpose of a database management system (DBMS).
• Explain the role of the database administrator.
• Explain what is meant by data consistency, data integrity, data redundancy and data independence.
• Describe what is meant by entity relationships and data normalisation.
  

14.4 Communication and Information Systems

• Describe the use of networked systems for various applications.
• Describe the network infrastructure required to support the World Wide Web e.g. the role of routers and servers.

• Applications of communication and information systems:
• Select and justify an appropriate networked system for a particular application.
  

• Distributed systems:
• Understand that distribution can apply to both data and control.
• Describe the uses of distributed databases and understand the advantages and limitations of such distribution.
  

• Client/server systems:
• Describe the concept of a client/server database.
• Recall the relevant advantages of a client/server database over a nonclient/
  server database.
  

14.5 Networks

• Network security, audit and accounting:
• Understand the particular security, audit and accounting problems associated with networks and recall the steps which can be taken to preserve security.
• Describe the measures taken to protect network traffic against illegal access.
• Understand the reasons for using audit software in providing a network service.
• Understand the reasons for using accounting software in providing a network service.

• Network environments:
• Understand how a network environment affects the user interface provided, e.g. security, control of software, control of files, access rights.
  

14.6 Human/Computer Interaction

• Describe the psychological factors that affect human/computer interaction, e.g. user friendly, give help to novices, provide short cuts for experts, make use of human long-term memory to maximise efficiency.
  

14.7 Human/Computer Interface

• 
  Recall different approaches to the problem of communication with ICT systems and discuss the resource implications of sophisticated HCI.
• Discuss the implications for customising software to develop a specialist HCI.
  

14.8 Software Development

• Understand that there are different ways of providing software solutions to specialist applications, e.g. user written, internal development team/department, external software house to specification.
• Describe the possible criteria for selection of software solutions to specialist applications and the place within the corporate strategy.
  
  

14.9 Software Reliability

• Describe methods of ensuring that software is reliable: a testing, ß testing, agreements between software houses and purchaser for testing.
• Understand the reasons why fully-tested software may fail to operate successfully when implemented as part of an information technology system.
• Understand the need for maintenance release(s).
  

14.10 Portability of Data

• Protocols and standards:
• Explain the need for portability of data, e.g. ease of transferring numerical, graphical and textual data between applications.
• Describe the need of standards for interchanging numerical, graphical and textual data between different hardware and software platforms.

• Communication standards:
• Know of the existence, benefits and limitations of standards.
• Understand the protocols and addressing mechanisms used to support the World Wide Web.
  

• Emergence of standards:
• Recognise the existence of de facto standards based on historic precedent and sales success in comparison to formal standards.