Bridgeware

Hardware or software that converts data or translates programs from one format
into another.

Any software or hardware that eases the transition from use of one computer
system to use of another not entirely compatible one. Bridgeware is normally
supplied by a computer manufacturer when a new range of machines does not offer
complete upward compatibility from some previous range. Typically the
bridgeware will permit programs developed for the previous range to be executed
(perhaps after minor modifications) on the new range of machines.

System software

System software coordinates the activities and functions of hardware and software,
and it controls the operations of computer hardware. Learn about different types of
system software, including utility software, device drivers and firmware.

System Software
Software is a generic term for an organized collection of computer data and
instructions. There are two types of software: application software and system
software. Application software helps users solve a particular problem or carry out a
specific task. A word processor is an example of application software.
System software coordinates the activities and functions of hardware and software,
and it controls the operations of computer hardware. A computer's operating
system is an example of system software. Operating systems control the computer
hardware and act as an interface with application programs. System software also
includes utility software, device drivers and firmware, which we will be looking at
in this lesson.

Utility Software
Utility software helps to manage, maintain and control computer resources.
Operating systems typically contain the necessary tools for this, but separate utility
programs can provide improved functionality. Utility software is often somewhat
technical and targeted at users with a solid knowledge of computers. If you use a
computer mostly for e-mail, some Internet browsing and typing up a report, you
may not have much need for these utilities. However, if you are an avid computer
user, these utilities can help make sure your computer stays in tip-top shape.
Examples of utility programs are antivirus software, backup software and disk
tools. Let's look at each of these in a bit more detail.
Antivirus software, as the name suggests, helps to protect a computer system from
viruses and other harmful programs. A computer virus is a computer program that
can cause damage to a computer's software, hardware or data. It is referred to as a
virus because it has the capability to replicate itself and hide inside other computer
files.
One of the most common ways to get a virus is to download a file from the
Internet. Antivirus software scans your online activity to make sure you are not
downloading infected files. New viruses are coming out all the time, so antivirus
software needs to be updated very frequently.
Backup software helps in the creation of a backup of the files on your computer.
Most computer systems use a hard disk drive for storage. While these are generally
very robust, they can fail or crash, resulting in costly data loss. Backup software
helps you copy the most important files to another storage device, such as an
external hard disk. You can also make an exact copy of your hard disk.
Increasingly, backup software uses cloud storage to create backups. This typically
means you pay a fee to use the storage space of a third party and use their backup
software to manage which files are going to be backed up.
Disk tools include a range of different tools to manage hard disk drives and other
storage devices. This includes utilities to scan the hard disks for any potential
problems, disk cleaners to remove any unnecessary files, and disk defragmenters to
re-organize file fragments on a hard disk drive to increase performance. Disk tools
are important because a failure of a hard disk drive can have disastrous
consequences. Keeping disks running efficiently is an important part of overall
computer maintenance.

Device Drivers
A device driver is a computer program that controls a particular device that is
connected to your computer. Typical devices are keyboards, printers, scanners,
digital cameras and external storage devices. Each of these need a driver in order to
work properly.
Device drivers act as a translator between the operating system of the computer
and the device connected to it. For many types of devices, the necessary drivers are
built into the operating system. When you plug in a device, the operating system
starts looking for the right driver, installs it and you are ready to start using the
device. This is referred to as plug-and-play and is much preferred over having to
manually install the correct drivers.
There are so many different devices, however, that not all of them are built into the
operating system. As an alternative, the operating system can look online to find
the right driver to install. Many hardware devices, however, come with the
necessary drivers. For example, if you buy a printer, it may come with a CD that
typically will include the correct driver. The advantage of this is that the hardware
manufacturer can make sure you have the right driver for the printer.

The utility programs is a type of system software that allows a user to perform
maintenance-type tasks, usually related to managing computer, its devices, or it
programs.

The utility programs for large computer systems are designed for professional
system programmers to either modify or repair the system software. Many utility
programs such as programs for finding files, diagnosing and repairing system
problems, cleaning up a hard drive, viewing images, playing multimedia files and
backing up files. It also helps to secure and safeguard data.

They are user friendly and designed for end users, change the monitor’s
background pattern, or install computer hardware. It is a software program that
performs a specific task, usually related to managing or maintaining a computer
system.

Most operating system include several built-in utility programs. Some of the
principal utility programs are as follows:

File manager
A file manger is a utility that perform functions related to file management.

Data recovery
A data recovery utility is used to “undelete” a file or information that has been
accidentally deleted. With this function, users are able to undo the last delete
operation that has taken place.
Maintenance log and activity information
The operating system can create a log of system users and provide a record of
system activity.

Screen saver
A screen saver prevents a monitor’s display screen from being etched by an
unchanging image.

Backup
The backup utility allows users to make a backup (duplicate) copy of the
information on the hard disk. During the backup process, the backup utility
monitors progress and alert the user of it needs additional media, such as CD.

Data compression
Data compression removes redundant elements, gaps, and unnecessary data from a
computer’s storage space, so less space is required to store or transmit data.

Disk defragmenter
Disk defragmenter is a utility that reorganize the files and unused space on a
computer’s hard disks that the operating system accesses data more quickly and
programs run faster.

Virus protection
A virus consists of hidden programming instructions that are buried within an
application or system program. They can reproduce themselves and cause damage
to computer programs. There are many security programs available, such
as antivirus programs and antispyware programs and firewall programs.

A computer program is a sequence of instructions for performing a task designed

to solve specific problems. Each program instruction is designed to
be executable by a computer; computers require the capacity to execute programs
in order to function.
The instructions of a computer program are often specified by a computer
programmer. A computer programmer does this by means of the application of
a programming language. From the program in its human-readable form of source
code, a compilercan derive machine code, which are computer program
instructions that—as a result of being specified in a language that a computer can
understand—are able to be directly executed by the computer they have been
provided to.
A programmer, developer, dev, coder, or software engineer is a person who
creates computer software. The term computer programmercan refer to a specialist
in one area of computers or to a generalist who writes code for many kinds of
software.

Programming language, a formal language designed to communicate instructions

to a machine, particularly a computer.

Computer Related Jobs

Database administrators (DBAs) use specialized software to store and organize

data.[1]
The role may include capacity planning, installation, configuration, database
design, migration, performance monitoring, security, troubleshooting, as well
as backup and data recovery.

Web design encompasses many different skills and disciplines in the production
and maintenance of websites. The different areas of web design include web
graphic design; interface design; authoring, including standardised code
and proprietary software; user experience design; and search engine optimization.
Often many individuals will work in teams covering different aspects of the design
process, although some designers will cover them all.
A network administrator, sometimes called a systems administrator, is
responsible for keeping an organization’s computer network up to date and running
smoothly. Any company or organization that uses multiple computers or software
platforms needs a network admin to coordinate the different systems.
Information security analysts plan and carry out security measures to protect an
organization's computer networks and systems. Their responsibilities are
continually expanding as the number of cyberattacks increases.