ADVANTAGES OF ICT:

1. Processing of data is much faster on a computer.

Example : Calculating an annual budget on a spreadsheet is instantaneous, doing the calculations by hand would take some time.

2. Repetitive processing can be better done using computerised machinery.

Example : Humans get tired, lose concentration and generally fed up if they have to repeat the same task over and over again. Robotic machinery will perform the same task repeatedly with consistent quality and never need a break, or software programs can be written to process all the records in a database.

3. Searching for data is much faster.

Example : Finding a patient's record in a doctor's surgery can be done in seconds on a computerised database system, whereas it would take a receptionist some minutes to locate a folder in a paper filing system.

4. Data storage capacity is almost limitless in a computer system.

Example : Large quantities of data can be stored on hard discs or media such as CDs or DVDs instead of needing enormous quantities of paper and many large filing cabinets. Eg. In a national driving licence database.

5. Data communications are fast and accurate. Data transmitted over a network will arrive at its destination anywhere in the world in just a few seconds.

Example : A computer user can place an order for an item on an Internet website and it will be received immediately - posting an order in the mail would take a day or two to arrive.

6.Data can be output on a computer in a variety of different formats.

Example : Annual sales figures for a retail business can be printed as a spreadsheet, displayed as a graph, or as a multimedia presentation involving text, sound, graphics and animations.