ABSTRACT
Components of information technology (IT) equipment used within the healthcare environment are many and varied. Those frequently part of the informatics estate can be categorised into two distinct types: hardware and software. The hardware includes workstations/PCs, input/output devices, display devices, printers, UPS, servers, and networks. Software plays a supporting role in making best use of the hardware capabilities and is responsible for the interface with which the user interacts. Good interfaces speed up human interaction times and increase productivity. The main component running on any workstation or server – the Microsoft Windows operating system – is traditionally utilised in healthcare environments across the UK. This is collectively for licensing reasons, for the range of applications available owing to the 'openness' of programming tools, the familiarity of the platform to many staff from the domestic environment, and overall the lifetime cost of alternative competing systems.
