rly that the PC has, even now, only just begun to take hold. The reasons become clear once we look at the bigger picture, and realise that as computing power, home computer use and credibility in the World Wide Web increases, businesses are having to adjust their strategies of targeting customers from the base level up.
             Fifteen years ago, a typical business would be using PCs mainly in the head office for their word processing capabilities – many still ran on typewriters. Five years ago, they would be starting to implement PC based retail systems to facilitate transfer of transaction data from till to back office to head office. These days a large chain can survive only if they run a high spec, PC based retail system, powered by a sophisticated database server, that will distribute figures across the dense network of desktop PCs and laptops at head office for workers' processing and directors' perusal. They also need a clear e-presence, with an intricately designed marketing website, usually sporting information about the current product range and if applicable an on line ordering system, for customers to purchase products and merchandise. A typical network for a retail sector business would be modeled along these lines:
             The information system database server holding all sales and accounts data for distribution and processing across the network (along with a development server for maintenance and progression of the database system) being connected not only to the various departments at head office that utilize this information, but also to the home user who can view information and make purchases over the internet.
             However, with increased computing power there will always come a loss of reliability, and juggling the ratios of these two factors will prove to be a critical task to any business looking to progress the information technology they work with. A system can break down anywhere from the ground up, ...