Using pCs and pc-Compatibles

PCs and PC-compatibles are used in organizations of all sizes. A case in point is H&R Block, the largest income tax preparation firm in the United Stares. Block has headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri, with 7,000 offices nationwide. Using over 4,000 personal computers, Block offered its Rapid Refund program to all its customers for the 1990 filing year. Block uses personal computers in the Kansas City office to connect directly to the Internal Revenue Service computers, thus electronically filing income tax returns. The regional offices use portable and desktop computers to prepare returns and electronically send them to the PCs in Kansas City. This speeds up the entire process and results in far less paperwork for everyone involved. Refunds for electronic filing usually arrive in three weeks. If they so desire, Block customers can take a Rapid Refund loan in anticipation of their refund check. The participating bank makes the loan, and the IRS pays the bank. In 1990, using personal computers, H&R Block filed 2,892,000 electronic tax returns.

Тhе ibm Personal System/2

In 1987, IBM launched a new line of personal computers that were technologically more sophisticated. They arc called the Personal System/2 (PS/2) computers. PS/2s are smaller, sleeker machines that use the 3½-inch micro floppy and are capable of utilizing some advanced internal components that enhance speed and make the machine more versatile. There are many different models of PS/2s, including one that works just like the original PC, a PC/AT, and several 386 and 486 models.

IBM chose to make the PS/2 a closed architecture, meaning competitor would need permission to obtain the specifications and duplicate it. More in keeping with its corporate philosophy, IBM hoped to keep the market to itself. Most computers have a closed architecture; the Apple Macintosh is another example. Two aspects of the PS/2's closed architecture are the Micro Channel Architecture (which permits connections to other larger IBM computers) and the operating system, called OS/2®. It provided advantages over DOS such as utilizing more random access memory (RAM) and multitasking, the ability to use two or more applications at the same time. Although slow to catch on in the early years, PS/2 use is growing; and IBM has made OS/2 available for sale to anyone who wants to use it. There are many factors in the computer industry that are leading away from any type of closed architecture.

Using ps/2s

Banks have traditionally used the latest computer technology to automate their own operations. First New York Bank for Business found a way to use personal computers to improve customer service. In the past, when a customer wanted to cash a check, the signature card had to be compared to verify identity. That meant looking through a card file or contacting central bookkeeping, which could take as long as 30 minutes.

New York Bank for Business installed PS/2s with special graphics capabilities and software called Signet to perform this task. Now, when tellers retrieve customer account information from the computer, they see the authorized signatures appear right on the screen. The system also tells them what other signatories are permitted on the account or if two signatures are required to cash a check. Using the powerful PS/2s and Signet, they can cash a customer's check in a minute or less, while offering the customer superior protection against forgery at the same time.