Chapter one
Introduction
Background of the Study
Human civilization has so far witnessed three stages of development in history. Firstly, there was agricultural revolution, then industrial revolution and now information and communication technology (ICT). The advent of information and communication technology otherwise called computerization is as a result of man’s early attempt to device easy means of solving practical problems. For instance, man started solving some calculations by using stones, ropes, knots, cowries, pebbles, sticks and marks until the introduction of abacus, 2500 years ago (Ehiamatalor, Osu-Nwufo, Yahaya and Oladunjoye, 2010).
According to them, abacus was the beginning of a good effort towards the production of mechanical instrument for calculation. Abacus is defined as a frame bearing parallel wires that was used for counting. With that development, Blaise Pascal, a French philosopher and mathematician invented and produced the first mechanical adding and subtracting machine. This was improved upon by Goffried Leibnitz, a German who improved the former to multiply and divide along with adding and subtracting capabilities.In the course of that, Charles Babbage an English man advanced further the state of computation by inventing a machine for entering figures and doing calculation in an automatic sequence.
Thereafter, an American statistician, Herman Hallerith used that invention of Babbage to produce statistical calculation and tabulation machine which helped the United State bureau of census to produce the census figures earlier than expected. His success motivated him to form the international business corporation (IBM) which is the leading companies in the world today in computer production and marketing (Ehiamatalor, Osu-Nwufor, Makari-Yahaya and Oladunjoye, 2011).
Graham (2010) defines computer as an electronic gadget that stores and process information under the control of a set of steps by step instructions called programs. Microsoft Encanta encyclopedia (2010) defines computer as an electronic device that can receive a set of instructions or program and carry out this program by performing calculation on numerical data or manipulation of the forms of information. A computer cannot carry out a task until it has been provided with appropriate program otherwise known as software, while the physical equipment is the hardware, the combination of software and hardware is the computer system. Computer era, as it is known today and began in 1939 when Atanasoff Bery computer ABC computer was manufactured by John U. Atanasott, a mathematics professor. When he required to perform some mathematical operation for 20 masters and doctorates students. Hence, the ABC computer was modified by a number of people to produce what we have today in revolutionarizing our economy.According to O’Brien (2009) computerization is to furnish with a computer or computer system, that is to enter, process, or store (information) in a computer or system of computers.