• Identify the relationship between Information Technology (IT) and Information Systems (IS) and common examples of these in the current business world, including business-critical systems
• Identify the impact IT and IS have on individuals and organisations and the importance of organisations keeping up with technological advances
• Identify the major developments in IT over the last two decades and the range of IT services provided by IT organisations
• Define the concept of e-business and give examples of its use

Unit 2: Health & Safety in IT Services

• Identify key reasons why Health & Safety must be taken seriously in any business and give examples of both good and bad practices, as described under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH)
• Identify examples of both good and bad practices with regard to the use of computer workstation equipment as described under the Display Screen Equipment (DSE) – Operators Guidelines
• Identify potential dangers relating to work carried out around hazardous voltages
• Identify the key areas of awareness one should have when working on customer’s sites as laid out under the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 (HASAW) – Peripatetic Workers
• Identify examples of both good and bad practices with regard to manual lifting
• Define the phrase Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) and identify the implications associated with static ESD-damaged components
• Identify methods of controlling ESD in the workplace and the reasons why it is important to regularly test ESD protection devices

Unit 3: Service and Support for PCs

• Identify what a Personal Computer (PC) is and give examples of typical uses
• Identify the fundamental concept of operation of a computer and recognise that all computer hardware operates with the binary numbering system
• Recognise the range of units used for data storage by PCs, including Bits, Bytes, Kilobytes, Megabytes, Gigabytes and Terabytes
• Recognise and explain the role of the main hardware components of the PC, explain how they work and demonstrate the ability to install and configure the main hardware components of the PC
• Recognise the role of the main software components of the PC and demonstrate the ability to install and configure the main software components of the PC
• Demonstrate the ability to apply basic troubleshooting techniques to problems involving both hardware and software

Unit 4: Service and Support for PC Networks

• Describe the term network and the advantages and disadvantages of networking computers
• Describe peer-to-peer (workgroup) networks, server-based networks, combined networks and the common terms used to define them
• Describe Local Area Networks (LAN), Wide Area Networks (WAN), Enterprise Networks and the differences between them
• Identify the main functions of a Network Operating System, network connections and interconnectivity devices
• Describe the key operational features of both the Ethernet and Token Ring technologies and the basic principles for data movement in a network, including packet-switching
• Identify the seven layers of the OSI model
• Give examples of fault-tolerant hardware

Unit 5: Service and Support for PC Peripherals

• Identify the key operational features of both the laser and inkjet printers and typical field replaceable units (FRUs) and customer replaceable units (CRUs) components in current laser printers
• Identify the major stages involved in the print cycle of a laser printer and the main software processes involved in printing from a PC application to a local printer
• Demonstrate the ability to install, configure and troubleshoot common issues with Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) display systems and multimedia devices
• Identify the key features of various storage devices

Unit 6: Service, Support and the Internet

• Identify reasons why use of the Internet is growing rapidly and the fundamental concept of operation of both the Internet and the World Wide Web (WWW)
• Identify the main role of an Internet Service Provider (ISP)
• Demonstrate the ability to operate the basic range of functionality on current popular Browsers and the ability to effectively use search sites on the Internet
• Identify the main advantages of using electronic mail (e-mail) over conventional mailing systems

Unit 7: Customer Skills for IT Services

• Demonstrate the ability to introduce oneself, greet customers in an appropriate manner and be able to distinguish between open and closed question types
• Identify effective techniques for dealing with awkward customer questions and good practices for dealing with angry customers
• Identify effective techniques for handling customer complaints, good practices for following up customer complaints and appropriate appearance for customer-facing role
• Identify advantages of operating as a team

Unit 8: Data Security and Support Considerations

• Identify the importance of data protection in the business world and the basic concept of firewalls in relation to data protection
• Identify the major software licensing groups for software licensing
• Identify the detrimental effects a computer virus can have on an organisation
• Give examples of common methods employed to protect organisations from the threat of computer viruses