IT At Work
28 mins, 1998 This video includes cases studies of small businesses, a local council and an ambulance service. Applications demonstrated include databases, electronic mail, image processing and voice recognition. The video also examines the impact on jobs and on people’s health.
Systems In Banking And Data Protection
29 mins, 2003 Banks rely on information systems but how do they work? Dave Nellist investigates. He pays a cheque into his bank. It enters the clearing system, becomes a piece of data and finally allows him to draw out cash to buy his mum a present. Every stage in the process involves systems and… Read more »
Systems In A Hotel
27 mins, 2000 This demonstrates the systems in a large hotel. The hotel’s booking system shows the rooms available and helps maximise income from the rooms, discounting prices when things are quiet. For each guest the system records a guest history, with details of their likes and dislikes. When a guest feels a room is… Read more »
Inside A Factory 1: The New Mini
26 mins, 2003 How is a car manufactured? Alison Hammond, of “Big Brother” fame, goes inside BMW’s factory in Oxford to provide a lively guide to the production process for its New Mini. PRODUCTION PLANNING: First comes production planning. Customers’ orders are analysed by a program called “Kiss” – this is vital to meet buyers’… Read more »
Systems In A Theatre
27 mins, 2005 A star from Eastenders, Toyah and a load of corny gags – the pantomime at the Marlowe Theatre has the lot. But how do their information systems work? TICKETING: The computerised ticketing system reserves you a seat and even warns if there’s bad language in the show. But the real prize is… Read more »
Converging Technologies
31 mins, 2008 In 1994 it would have taken about seven days to send someone a copy your holiday snaps. Now using a digital camera and email it takes about ten minutes. This fast-moving documentary takes us on a whistle-stop tour of the world of convergence. TECHNOLOGY CHANGE: In the early days computers were huge… Read more »
The Great IT Horror Story
31 mins, 1999 This film tells the story of how a computer project drove one company almost to bankruptcy. Comic distributor Craven Books bought a new IT system with the aim of improving its efficiency. But the system was over-ambitious – they went for the “big-bang” approach. The result: disaster. Craven lost many customers. It… Read more »
Systems In Local Government
35 mins, 2006 Local councils are often huge organisations, providing a wide variety of services, from running libraries to keeping the roads free of ice. Critical to their operation are information systems. This film visits Cornwall County Council to explore how five of these information systems work. ADMINISTRATION: Councils are vast bureaucracies generating mountains of… Read more »
Systems In A Theme Park
23 mins, 2003 Theme parks set out to scare and excite us. But behind the fun, information systems are at work. What are they? This film takes us behind the scenes at Drayton Manor Park. Ticketing: The theme park used to issue admission tickets using adapted bus ticket machines. Now a computerised system gives them… Read more »
All About E-portfolios & Multimedia
26 mins, 2008 Multimedia, it’s claimed, is the future for teaching and learning. The government’s plan is for every school student in the country to have an e-portfolio by this year. But what are e-portfolios? How do they work? This new documentary film explains the benefits and problems – and, most importantly, shows e-portfolios being… Read more »
Systems In Retailing
25 mins, 2002 Bar-codes, electronic point sale systems, hand-held terminals… information technology has transformed UK retailing. At Marks & Spencer’s IT centre, mainframe computers monitor what’s been sold in all its stores and order up new stock. Computers control every step of the M&S national distribution system. And IT isn’t confined to inside the supermarket,… Read more »
You Only Live Twice
34 mins, 2007 A new craze has hit cyberspace. They’re called virtual worlds — 3D computer generated universes where you sign up, choose a body, build a house and you’re ready to live out your “second life”. This film profiles one of the most successful virtual worlds, Second Life. TO BE AN AVATAR: The virtual… Read more »