Multi-User, Multi-Tasking

Multi-user and multi-tasking operating systems is particularly important for a business because allows many employees to carry out many tasks. A system like this would be useful in many scenarios such as banks, offices, shops, and labs, this is because it will allow lots of people to run task from the same computer at the same time.

A supercomputer would be the best choice for a multi-user, multi-tasking computer but these are more expensive to run and less economic for companies. Instead companies can use a computer with an operating system that allows multi-user and multi-tasking, this can be carried out by having employees use a login to the computer and uses a share of the operating systems processing time.

An example of this being used would be in a bank, this is when many employees would have to log into a system to assess data and be able to complete multiple tasks in order to meet the needs of customers. 

As an example, a banker may need to process a mortgage for a customer but at the same time they may need to check their previous bank statement to see if they are eligible for a mortgage. Whilst this is happening another banker in the bank may be carrying out a different process.

The downfall to a multi-user, multi-tasking operating system is that all information is shared on the system. What this means is that if any employees need to add personal information to the computer then this will be accessed by everyone else on the system. This may be an issue for workplaces like schools and colleges where they are handling student’s personal data. Furthermore, viruses can also be shared over the computers if one computer becomes effected. This then puts all the other computers at risk of the virus and prevents them from working correctly.