Reliability

=Reliability=

From the ITGS Guide: Reliability refers to the operation of hardware, the design of software, the accuracy of data or the correspondence of data with the real world. Data may be unreliable if it is entered incorrectly or if it becomes outdated. For example, a medical record that becomes dissociated from the patient it refers to becomes unreliable. The reliability of machines, software and data determines our confidence in their value.

//Operation of hardware// In a recent Watchdog report, the latest Sony Playstation 3 is shown to have a catastrophic hardware failure. Watch the Watchdog report at the bottom of the following link to learn more about the Playstation hardware reliability issues: [|http://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/17/sony-attacks-bbc-watchdogs-ps3-hardware-failure-report/] Hardware reliability is measured using the standard Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF).
 * Examples of Reliability**

//Design of software// When Windows released Vista, the operating system that superceeded Windows XP, many users experienced problems and lost confidence in the new operating system, with a result that some users downgraded back to the old version of Windows. Apple mac used this issue to promote the reliability of the mac o/s in one of it's adverts. To view this advert go to: @http://www.apple.com/getamac/ads/ - and click the 2007, PR Lady advert

//Accuracy of data// If data stored on a computer is inaccurate it can lead to serious consequences from wrongful arrests, to inaccurate bank transfers and incorrect stock control data. There is also much discussion around information found on the internet and the reliability and accuracy of this data. In the following example, Prison staff have returned to paper records due to the inaccurate records and incomplete data stored on the prisoner database. @http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/2008/03/20/229945/prisoner-database-riddled-with-errors.htm @http://www.computerweekly.com/blogs/tony_collins/2008/03/errors-in-thousands-of-records.html