In this digital world of ours, increasing numbers of people use ICT at home, school or work. Most of these people are 'ICT users' - they expect the ICT tools to do what they want, when they want without understanding how or why. Only a minority understand what is needed, what hardware and software to buy, how to connect it all together, how to use if effectively and what to do when things go wrong. These are the 'ICT practitioners' and users cannot survive without them. As the number of users escalates, so does the need for competent practitioners.

In this Unit you will acquire a sound knowledge of the hardware and software requirements of computer systems. You will learn how to apply this knowledge to produce system specifications that meet users' requirements by analysing user needs, evaluating similar systems in different contexts and selecting and combining appropriate system components.

Your work for this Unit will culminate in the production of a detailed system specification for a specified client and the installation, configuration and testing of a stand-alone computer system.

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