Archive for November, 2011
Definition of Information Technology
Information technology has been defined by the Information Technology Association of America, or the ITAA as being the study, design, development, implementation support and/or management of any computer based information systems. This relates particularly to software applications and computer hardware. Information technology deals with using electronic computers and software to convert, store, protect, process, retrieve with security or transmit any information. What began many years ago as a term that many had no awareness of to a term that has skyrocketed to include several aspects of computing and technology. IT is a wide based term and encompasses many areas. Professionals in information technology may perform a wide variety of tasks that range from installing computer applications to designing widely complex computer networks and information databases.
Everything from data management, networking, engineering computer hardware, software design, database design and management and administration of systems is included in the term of information technology. When covering the aspects of IT as a whole, the use of computers and information are typically associated.
The history of IT goes back several years. In order to perform the functions associated with the field of technology the modern field will use computers, servers, database management systems and cryptography.
It was not very long ago that the field of IT only consisted of a single computer operator who stored data on a magnetic tape and then placed it in storage. Times have changed drastically in the field of technology from its inception several years ago. The field today typically includes a Chief Information Officer and several individuals who work together to achieve their goals. Years ago there was simply a single operator who performed all the tasks related to this form of technology. Read the rest of this entry »
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What Good is Information Technology?
Most companies ought to have an IT department. This appears to be an obvious observation. However, it is worth recognizing that, in the memories of more than half the working population of the US, a company department organized solely around information technology was unheard of. The IT department has evolved from a narrowly focused data processing element of the accounting department to a function that supports and, in many cases, drives, nearly every area of the company. This has happened in a mere 40 years. Stand-alone IT departments are a relatively recent development. The number of people working in technology-related jobs grew six times faster between 1983 and 1998 than the US workforce at large. Information technology related industries doubled their share of the US economy between 1977 and 1998. Practically overnight, technology related services have become a global, trillion-dollar industry.
The principle driver behind this remarkable, rapid creation of a vibrant, sophisticated, and enormous industry and the attendant inclusion of a department dedicated to it in every credible company, is the quest for business productivity improvement.
The notion of technology investments as a driver of US business productivity has a controversial history. The benefits of technology investments (and IT departments) were not always so apparent. Productivity growth in the US faltered from the mid-1970s through the early 1990s, in spite of large technology investments from most major US corporations. The disconnect between heavy capital and expense investment and the theoretically associated improvements in productivity led to a so-called productivity paradox. In reaction to the failure of such large investments to produce the expected productivity gains, MIT Nobel Laureate Robert Solow famously remarked in 1987, “You can see the computer age everywhere but in the productivity statistics.” More recent research suggests that the productivity benefits from the deployment of technology have had a massive, albeit delayed, impact on the US and world economy. Read the rest of this entry »
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The Era of Information Technology
Around one hundred and fifty years ago, businesses ran their day to day operations completely different from what businesses of the modern era do to run their day to day operations. People back then worked under candle light doing math calculations on paper, the old fashion way, before electricity came about in the early 20th century. Now, most of the civilized world wouldn’t know what to do with themselves without technology. Imagine not even having a calculator for math or the internet to do research. Yes, I know, it is hard to believe people were able to survive without these advanced tools that we take for granted each day. The advances in communication combined with the evolution of the IT industry has made it possible for people to do business throughout the world in real time. Improvements in IT improve our lifestyles and business by allowing computers to reduce complications and enrich possibilities.
These days, the name “Information Technology” has managed to encompass many aspects of computer technologies invented in the past couple decades. These IT spectrums can be covered in many types of professional fields such as Management Information Systems, Computer Networking, and Software Design. Our ancestors couldn’t even fathom what our society has accomplished.
In medicine, Information Technology also plays a substantial roll. Doctors take pictures with machines like a computerized axial tomography (CAT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and can print out three dimensional images of bones, muscles, and organs. These images can help map out patient’s problems and help save lives. This day and age, it is difficult to find a field or industry that IT has not been greatly affected.
IT is completely responsible for how organized our civilization has become. The corporate world was only made possible by the communication information technology has put in place between both computer software and hardware. From a personal stand point, it would be difficult for most people to name a single person doesn’t use the internet on a regular basis. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: information technology, media and technology