In a mainframe environment, many people share access to a mainframe computer.

A large central processor is kept in a purpose-built computer centre staffed by personnel responsible for maintaining it. Individuals in the organisation access the mainframe computer through terminals on their desktops in order to share common organisational resources, such as software programs or electronic data. As we use the term today, a mainframe is actually identified more by the ‘environment’ in which the mainframe is operated. In other words, the physical environment: the controlled temperature and humidity and the physical security of having the mainframe behind locked doors.

Mainframe computers are used as tools to support a given ‘business’ application such as

• processing applications for licences

• processing government payroll information

• processing financial accounts

• processing environmental resource information.

In all of these applications, the common denominator is the work process and the rules for undertaking the process. Everyone is undertaking a part of the whole work process and everyone must complete his or her work in accordance with the procedures required to make sure the job is done satisfactorily and the data are complete and consistent.

For example, if ten people are responsible for managing government payroll, each will have a separate responsibility. They will all have access to the same database through the mainframe computer, and each person must complete his or her task adequately before the ‘job’ can be considered complete.

The automation of a given work process, such as processing government payroll information, is often viewed as an information system.

Information system: The combination of information, technology, processes and people brought together to support a given business objective.

The mainframe is the data and application repository for most organisations. It is also the hub for most online business activities. It is believed that mainframes still house 90 per cent of the data major organisations rely on to conduct their business. Despite claims that mainframe technology is dying out, sales of mainframe hardware and software remain steady. The term ‘mainframe’ has always had the image of being something large in size. Yet, however big the early ‘room-filling’ mainframes were, today’s modern versions are no bigger than the size of a household refrigerator. The level of mainframe sophistication has grown over the more than thirty years of its evolution; organisations still recognise its advantages in terms of performance, reliability and security.

Network computing

A network computing environment is one in which an organisation has linked together personal computers that have been connected into a network.

There are a number of types of computer networks.

Local area network: A computer network located within a relatively limited area such as a building, agency or university campus. Also known as a LAN.

Wide area network (WAN): A computer network that covers a large geographical area.

There are an estimated 25 million computers connected to local area networks world wide. The purpose of networking personal computers and even mainframes together is to permit employees in the organisation to

• communicate with one another as well as others outside the organisation, normally through the use of electronic messages

• access information and services supported on the World Wide Web

• share documents and data

• support various work processes in the organisation based on the automation of specific tasks.

A network environment can range in sophistication from very simple to very complex. Some networks are used to support simple electronic mail communication. In other networks, employees may be able to share documents with each other and carry out the work of their work groups, project teams, etc. by exchanging electronic documents through e-mail. The most sophisticated organisations may have automated entire work processes. For instance, draft documents such as responses to letters sent to senior officials, are sent through various approval levels (such as action officer to manager to director to senior official) without ever being printed onto paper (except perhaps the final version, which needs to be signed by the senior official).