Applications Of Computers || Basic Guide

The computer has applications in almost every aspect of life. Some of the important ones are:

• Business
• Banking
• Insurance
• Education
• Marketing
• Healthcare
• Engineering design
• Defense
• Communication
• Governments
• Medicine
• Entertainment
• Home
• Sports

Business

A computer has a high speed of calculation, diligence, accuracy, reliability, or versatility which has made it an integrated part in all business organizations.

The computer is used in business organizations for −

• Payroll calculations
• Budgeting
• Sales analysis
• Financial forecasting
• Managing employee database
• Maintenance of stocks, etc.

Banking

Today, banking is almost totally dependent on computers.

Banks provide the following facilities −

• Online accounting facility, which includes checking current balance, making deposits and overdrafts, checking interest charges, shares, and trustee records.
• ATM machines that are completely automated are making it even easier for customers to deal with banks.

Insurance

Insurance companies are keeping all records up-to-date with the help of computers. Insurance companies, finance houses, and stockbroking firms are widely using computers for their concerns.

Insurance companies are maintaining a database of all clients with information showing −

• Procedure to continue with policies
• Starting date of the policies
• Next due installment of a policy
• Maturity date
• Interests due
• Survival benefits
• Bonus

Education

The computer helps in providing a lot of facilities in the education system.

• The computer provides a tool in the education system known as CBE (Computer Based Education).
• CBE involves control, delivery, and evaluation of learning.
• Computer education is rapidly increasing the graph of a number of computer students.
• There are a number of methods in which educational institutions can use a computer to educate the students.
• It is used to prepare a database about the performance of a student and analysis is carried out on this basis.

Marketing

In marketing, uses of the computer are following −

• Advertising − With computers, advertising professionals create art and graphics, write and revise copy, and print and disseminate ads with the goal of selling more products.
• Home Shopping − Home shopping has been made possible through the use of computerized catalogs that provide access to product information and permit direct entry of orders to be filled by the customers.

Healthcare

Computers have become an important part of hospitals, labs, and dispensaries. They are being used in hospitals to keep the record of patients and medicines. It is also used in scanning and diagnosing different diseases. ECG, EEG, ultrasounds and CT scans, etc. are also done by computerized machines.

The following are some major fields of health care in which computers are used.

• Diagnostic System − Computers are used to collect data and identify the cause of illness.
• Lab-diagnostic System − All tests can be done and the reports are prepared by computer.
• Patient Monitoring System − These are used to check the patient's signs for abnormality such as in Cardiac Arrest, ECG, etc.
• Pharma Information System − The computer is used to check drug labels, expiry dates, harmful side effects, etc.
• Surgery − Nowadays, computers are also used in performing surgery.

Engineering Design

Computers are widely used for engineering purposes.

One of the major areas is CAD (Computer-Aided Design) that provides creation and modification of images. Some of the fields are −

• Structural Engineering − Requires stress and strain analysis for the design of ships, buildings, budgets, airplanes, etc.
• Industrial Engineering − Computers deal with design, implementation, and improvement of integrated systems of people, materials, and equipment.
• Architectural Engineering − Computers help in planning towns, designing buildings, determining a range of buildings on a site using both 2D and 3D drawings.

Defense

Computers are largely used in defense. Modern tanks, missiles, weapons, etc. The Military also employs computerized control systems. Some military areas where a computer has been used are −

• Missile Control
• Military Communication
• Military Operation and Planning
• Smart Weapons

Communication

Communication is a way to convey a message, an idea, a picture, or speech that is received and understood clearly and correctly by the person for whom it is meant. Some main areas in this category are −

• E-mail
• Chatting
• Usenet
• FTP
• Telnet
• Video-conferencing

Government

Computers play an important role in government services. Some major fields in this category are −

• Budgets
• Sales tax department
• Income tax department
• Computation of the male/female ratio
• Computerization of voters lists
• Computerization of PAN card
• Weather forecasting