The document discusses the history and uses of computers in business. It notes that Charles Babbage created the first mechanical computer in the 19th century and that the US government first used computers for census data processing in 1890. Later, the internet allowed for increased business efficiency through remote work and coordination. Today, computers are used across business functions like operations, marketing, HR, and finance for tasks like office automation, transaction processing, payroll, cash registers, websites, and customer databases. Benefits include automation, networked access to files, and expedited shipping/ordering.