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• Some computers are capable of catering to the needs of multiple users at the same time
• The Computers meant to be used by multiple people at a time are commonly employed by business and educational institutions such as colleges or universities and are usually present at the core of organization’s network.
• Normally every person interacts with the system using his/her device liberating the other users from taking turns at the same keyboard and monitor
• can handle thousands of individual userdused from a great distance.
• Computers meant for organizations could perform specific tasks or maybe more general purpose capable of performing a wide array of tasks.

Classification of computers used in organizations:

The computers meant to be used in an organization may be classified follows:

• Network Servers
• Mainframe Computers
• Minicomputers
• Supercomputers

Network Servers

• A primary computer in a network
• Individual computers connect in a network
• Centralized computer that contains special-purpose software and apparatus.
• Desktop users such as in a computer lab are permanently connected to a network server.
• Users of mobile computers such as a notebook computer can rely on the network means to connect to network server.
• Different types of servers to resources such as printing, file access, database management.
• Often a powerful desktop computer can also be a server.
• large organizations may have hundreds of servers working together at the heart of their network.

Server Farms

• When several servers are arranged in groups they don’t even resemble a common PC.
• A collection of servers is referred to as “server farms” or “clusters“
• We may have “rack servers” or “blade servers“

Rack Servers

• Rack servers refer to the group of servers mounted in large racks.

Blade Servers

• Servers reduced to small that may be slid in and out of case.

Terminal

• A terminal is an I/O device that allows you to communicate with a computer that is located somewhere else.
• Usually contains a keyboard as well as a display screen such as a monitor.

Classification of Terminals

• Dumb Terminal
• Intelligent Terminal

Dumb Terminal

A Dumb Terminal does not process or store data. It is simply an input-output device as a window into a computer located somewhere else.

Intelligent Terminal

Contains few processing capabilities but usually doesn’t have any storage.

Mainframe Computers

• Used in large organisations such as insurance companies and the aviation sector where frequent access to the same data is required.
• May handle thousands of users at a time.
• Users may access a mainframe computer using a terminal or a standard PC.
• Through extremely powerful they are not flexible as they perform a specific set of tasks.
• If ever book a seat on the airline’s website you must carry out a transaction with the main computer.
• Mainframes are normally housed in special rooms so that they keep out of the reach of users

MINICOMPUTERS

• Minicomputers were initially released in the 1960s and their size was comparably smaller than computers of that time hence they were named microcomputers
• Often called midrange computers as their power lies somewhere in the middle of the desktop PC and mainframe.
• May meet the processing needs of small organization action.
• Although meant for a single user, a powerful mini-computer cater to the needs of thousands of users simultaneously.
• Use may use a terminal or a standard PC to access a centralised computer.

Super Computers

• Among all computers, supercomputers are the most powerful and are also some of the largest in terms of size.
• Handle large and complex calculations.
• Capable of performance trillions of calculations per second.
• Some supercomputers may contain thousands of processors.
• Supercomputers are common in academic and research environments. Few government agencies and very large businesses use them as well.
• Supercomputers are ideal for handling large and highly complex problems that require extreme calculating power.
• Their enormous processing power makes them suitable for solving complex problems that demand massive computation capacity.

Uses of supercomputers

• Genetic Engineering
• Weather Forecasting
• Nuclear Reactors
• Predicting climate change.
• Oil and gas exploration