Name: ________________________ Section: _______ Date: _______________
Grade 6- ICT
Ch- 2 Software (Notes Continuation)
Communication software:
Communication software provides remote access to systems and allows users to
contact people using the internet. It can be used to send files and messages as text,
images, audio and video.
Web browsers
• Web browsers allow users to view web pages and websites created in web
authoring software and hosted on servers that are connected to the internet.
• These servers may be in another country. Different browsers have different
features and compatibility with file types used on the World Wide Web.
• Browsers also allow users to access other systems that use the internet but are
not on the World Wide Web, such as file transfer protocol (FTP) servers.
Email
• Emails can be sent and received by software installed on a computer.
• This locally installed software acts as a client to an email server.
• In addition, it often stores or uses a database of contacts, which is sometimes
available as another application.
• As well as locally installed applications, users can access email through webmail
software, which they reach through a web browser.
• Webmail is an example of a web application that is hosted on a web server and
accessed using an internet connection.
• Some webmail applications allow users to store emails offline for access when
they do not have an internet connection.
• Email applications often provide features such as labels to help organise emails
and filters.
Social media
• Social media can be accessed through a web browser or by using locally
installed apps.
• Some apps provide access to multiple social media accounts.
• App developers create apps that people can download and install on their digital
devices.
HIA Pg. No. _____
• Tweet Deck is an example of communication software used with social media.
SMS
• Short messaging service (SMS) applications are found on mobile phones.
• They allow users to send up to 160 text characters per message using the mobile
phone network.
• They do not require an internet connection.
MMS
• Multimedia messaging service (MMS) applications extend the capabilities of
SMS.
• MMS can deliver more than 160 characters per message and can include video,
animations, images and audio.
• Like SMS, they are sent using the mobile phone network and do not require an
internet connection.
Instant Messaging
• Instant messaging applications are very similar to MMS application, but they
require a connection to the internet.
• They can allow users to see when other users are typing, and users can also
prevent others from seeing when they are typing.
• Messages sent via instant messaging applications can include location data.
Subject Vocabulary:
Timeline a linear graphical representation of events and the time and order in which
they occur
Critical path the shortest time a project will take to complete (if no problems or failures
are experienced)
Milestone a time or date by which a task must be completed
File Transfer Protocol (FTP) a method of exchanging data and files across a network
Filter a computer program that only allows certain types of information to pass through
it
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HIA Pg. No. _____
Software Licensing
Sometimes, users require a software licence to be able to install and use software on
a computer.
There are many types of software licence and the details of software licensing are
complicated. To make things easier to understand, you can think about the two types of
software that are available:
• Free or open software
• Proprietary
Free or open source:
Free software licences give users the right to study, modify, copy, or distribute a
program. The user can decide if, and how much, to charge for a copy of the software or
any service provided by the software. This means that free software can be made
available for a fee or free of charge. ‘Free’ refers to the user’s freedom to charge
whatever they want because there are no restrictions on the use of the software.
Open-source software licences make the source code available to users so that they
can modify how the software works or distribute the modified or unmodified software.
Proprietary:
Proprietary software is software that is marketed and distributed by its owner under a
brand name. the software owner can decide the fee for the software and whether or not
the software should be distributed.
Proprietary software can be made available for a fee or free of charge. When no fee is
required, the software is called ‘freeware’. Unlike software distributed under an open-
source licence, software with a proprietary licence usually does not make its source
code available.
Software updates
Updates to software are released by software developers for the following reasons:
• Fixing security vulnerabilities or bugs
• Increasing compatibility with newer operating systems
• Improving performance and efficiency
• Introducing new features
• Improving usability
Software updates are usually made available for download from a server on the
internet. Some updates can be scheduled to happen automatically when they are
released.
HIA Pg. No. _____
It is important to back up a system and files before updating software in case the update
introduces problems, such as removing components that other software needs in order
to function.
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Subject vocabulary:
Software licences a legal arrangement that gives a user the rights to install and use
software.
Free software: software that can be modified or distributed by a user
Open- source software: software for which the source code is made available to users
Source code a collection of instructions that forms a piece of software
Proprietary software: software that is marketed and distributed by its owner under a
brand name
Freeware proprietary software provided free of charge to users
Update (noun) a change or addition to a computer file so that it has the most recent
information; (verb) to make a change or addition to a computer file so that it has the
most recent information
Bugs errors in the program’s source code
Compatibility ability of one device, system, or application to work with other devices,
systems, and applications
Usability the ease with which a device or application can be used
Vulnerability weakness or exposure to harm
HIA Pg. No. _____