Computer Usage in Business

Using computers for your business increases productivity.

Almost all companies use computers in their businesses, from large corporations to small, locally owned sole proprietorships. The Internet helps connect businesses with customers worldwide. Laptops allow accessibility to business users in locations away from the office, while video conferencing makes it possible to hold a meeting between employees from many locations.

History

Computer usage in business made its debut in 1951 when the Lyons Electronic Office computer was released in England to aid in daily scheduling. IBM began making its mark on the industry when it released the 1401 mainframe computer in 1961. By 1965, Digital Equipment Corp introduced a small, fast, lower-priced computer (PDP-8), which quickly attracted small businesses. Banks adopted the Tandem-16 in 1975 to compute on line transactions. Companies such as Apple, Commodore and Compaq cranked out computers along with IBM throughout the end of the 20th century, as technology continued to rapidly increase.

Significance

Computer usage in businesses has exploded for many reasons. Speed, cost and efficiency all factor into increasing productivity. Many administrative functions are performed easily, including bookkeeping, mass mailings and maintaining personnel records. Record keeping of important documents and archival of files optimize routine tasks. Communication spreads quickly through email and messenger software.

Benefits to Small Business

Small businesses greatly benefit from using computers, combining task efficiency with personnel savings. Office software packages, such as Microsoft Office Suite 2010, enable small businesses to employ one person to perform administrative tasks, finance and accounting functions, presentation preparation and database records maintenance.

Disadvantages

Although computers greatly aid a business environment, there are a few disadvantages. Because technology is always changing, costs are involved to upgrade both hardware and software systems. Many times when an upgrade is made to one component, another problem arises, resulting in greater expenditures. Communicating between computer platforms has come a long way from the early days; however, there still can be problems involved with transferring and using files created from different operating systems or versions of software. Viruses can attack computers from various sources, and when the Internet is “down,” work many times comes to a standstill.

Training

Any company that uses one or more computers in their business will be involved with training employees in computer concepts and software applications. Even if you are the sole owner and worker in your company, learning new marketing strategies via Internet, performing administrative tasks or becoming efficient in a key software application used in your company will all be mandatory parts of executing your day-to-day operations. There are many types of training available that make instructing employees more convenient. Online courses, web seminars, podcasts and old fashioned personal training are all used by businesses in the 21st century.

References

• Computer History Museum
• Reference for Business: Training and development

Resources

• Usability Professional Association
• Physician’s News Digest: Using computers to monitor finances