1. Introduction

In every aspect of your life you are surrounded by computers and IT systems. They make your life run smoothly and give you access to goods and services which people could only dream about a couple of decades ago. They are there from the moment you are woken up by your digital alarm clock in the morning until you go to bed and watch your T.V. or listen to your iPod before drifting off to sleep.

Over the next few pages we will be looking at how computers and IT systems are used in different sections of the economy.

For your e.c.d.l examination, you don't need to know much detail about these systems but you do need to be able to recognise whether a computer or a person would be the best choice for carrying out particular tasks.

Use the links on the left-hand side to navigate through the pages.