Data is information that can be processed electronically. Electronic data processing (EDP) is the automated use of technology to process data. EDP coverage is insurance for data processing equipment and data loss. The EDPT is a military exam for computer programming aptitude.
Data is information and can include anything from alphanumeric characters to dates, equations, and multimedia content. Data processing is one of the stages in the information processing cycle and comes after the data has been captured, entered, and validated. This was originally done by individuals and incrementally, using punched tape or tab cards or other methods. Electronic data processing (EDP), also called automatic data processing (ADP) or information processing, is the automated use of information technology for the purpose of processing data, whether to classify, record, summarize or manipulate it.
Originally, this term covered the entire field of computers and their activities. The first scientific computer that IBM made commercially available wasn’t called a computer: it was called the IBM 701 Electronic Data Processing Machines — machines was plural because the system was made up of 11 interconnected units; it was later known as the 701 Data Processing System. Also, Electronic Data Processing was the original name of Honeywell, Inc. from 1960 to 1963.
EDP coverage is insurance focused on covering equipment, home-developed software, damage or data loss, and any resulting loss of income. Pre-packaged software is generally not covered. As damage to data processing equipment and data can be caused by electrical problems, changes in temperature and humidity and magnetic disturbances, and as these are excluded from standard policy coverage, they must be chosen specifically. Portable computing devices, projectors and peripherals may be included in coverage. A separate type of computer virus and hacking cover is also available as part of the EDP cover.
Two branches of the U.S. military, the Marine Corps and the Air Force, offer an exam called the Electronic Data Processing Test (EDPT) as a way to determine aptitude for computer programming or technical specialties. It is offered at the Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS). The EDPT is not offered until the Armed Forces Professional Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) – the entrance exam given to enlist in the United States military – has been completed. A score of 71 for the Air Force and 50 for the Marine Corps is required to qualify for the jobs. It is possible to repeat the test, but only after a six-month waiting period.
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