What are some key components of an ICT system?

Information and Communication Technology, or ICT, refers to the tools and systems used to create, store, process, and communicate information electronically. Everyday items like printers, paper, pens, books, libraries, and classrooms are not themselves ICT, since they either are not electronic or do not process and transmit information digitally. Televisions, radios, and telephones are examples of communication technology, but they represent only individual devices rather than the full set of components that make up an ICT system.

An ICT system is properly described by three core components working together: hardware, the physical equipment such as computers, printers, and network cables; software, the programs and instructions that make the hardware perform tasks; and networks, the connections that allow devices to communicate and share data with one another. All three must be present for information to be captured, processed, stored, and communicated electronically.

A useful exam check is to ask whether an item is physical equipment, a set of instructions, or a connection for communication; hardware, software, and networks map exactly onto those three roles.