Today's modern integrated technology is built on ICT systems that run in a range of contexts (e.g. Servers, PCs, mobile computing, robotics) using a range of technological solutions. This unit will provide students with an introduction and broad overview of the application of ICT in organisations.

One of the aims of this unit is to provide students with a conceptual framework to understand information technology architecture. It gives broad coverage of a range of different devices and networking used to build ICT infrastructure within an organisation. For each device, its usage, functionality, internal architecture and connectivity will be explored. This will be an exploration of a wide spectrum of ideas where students will examine some currently popular technologies, their history and their future. The unit introduces students to some of the theories and engineering practicalities that have produced recent technological advances in ICT. By exploring computing devices students will gain a fundamental understanding of computer hardware, operating systems, networks, and cloud computing.

The second main aim of the unit is to provide students with an introduction to operating systems and scripting. The main operating systems topics covered in this unit include operating systems structure and services, process management and coordination, memory management including modern implementations of virtual memory, operating system security, introductory shell scripting, file system, device management, Input/output principles. The main focus will be on the Unix operating system but the different approaches in other operating systems will be explored. Upon completion of this unit students should be able to understand how popular operating systems such as Microsoft Windows, Mac OS, UNIX, and mobile operating systems (such as Android, iOS, and Windows Phone) have been built. Students should also be able to evaluate the security of, and defend against threats to, computer systems and networks through physical and electronic means.