IT | Information Technology
What is Information Technology – IT Definition
Information Technology or IT is a broad range of technology that involves tools and processes relating to office automation, multimedia, and telecommunication. It covers the development, use, maintenance, as well as troubleshooting of hardware, software, networks, the Internet, and all else relating to computers and data processing.
Information Technology History – How IT developed
According to Open Book Project, Information technology has existed probably since the beginning of time as man started communicating with each other. Although information technology sounds contemporary, it can be described depending on the era we are talking about. During the ancient times, people started to draw pictures in rocks. The alphabet was later developed that allowed people to write down and record experiences and other important information during that time. The invention of paper and the discovery of ink for writing also allowed the people to record events during their time. At around 875AD, the number system was also invented. The abacus, a type of calculator, was also developed, which proved to be the first sign of information processor.
During the 1400s to 1800s, in the period called the mechanical era, more significant technological inventions were made that somehow greatly developed to the information technology that we have now. Among the significant machine inventions include the slide rule, Pascaline by Blaise Pascal, and Charles Babbage’s difference engine.
Following the mechanical era was the electromechanical era that occurred between 1840 and 1940. It was when telecommunication was born starting off with the telegraph, followed by the Morse code, telephone, and radio. Around 1940, Mark 1, a very huge computer, was created by Harvard University. It was the very first large-scale automatic digital computer in the US.
The period of 1940 until now is called the electronic era. Computers were and are being developed and made smaller to fit different homes and establishments. Digital computing started from vacuum tubes and punch cards, as well as rotating drums for internal storage. It evolved to vacuum tubes with transistors and magnetic tapes, as well as magnetic cores for internal storage. This was later replaced with integrated circuits and maintained the magnetic tape, but the magnetic core developed into metal oxide semiconductors. Finally, the Central Processing Unit (CPU) was developed, which contained circuits and memory in one chip.
Today, information technology developed into a wide range of expertise that manages these computer systems controls the complex and sensitive data that computers store, modernizes communication systems, and continually updates business processes.
What are the benefits of Information Technology
Information benefits almost everything that we are into today. The business sector, the health sector, the government, the education sector, the cultural sector, and more all take advantage of the different benefits of information technology, including the following:
- Globalization – Because of the development of information technology, we are able to share and receive information throughout the world.
- Efficient Communication – Communication has become more and more efficient because of continuous improvement with information technology – Text messages, video calls, and emails, and instant messages (IM) have made it easier and faster to communicate with other people.
- Economical – While many businesses and other institutions invest some amount of money in information technology, the investment always results to be more cost-effective. Computerized work saves time and increases productivity, thus helping small and big companies increase their profits.
- Efficient data management – The continuous development of information technology has paved the way for better protection of one’s sensitive data, especially in business, as well as better control and manipulation over these data.
- Emerging of new jobs – Internet connection has allowed for online jobs that happen inter-regionally. It has also introduced outsourcing jobs, such as the BPO (business process outsourcing) industry.
- Marketing – Different businesses can now take advantage of the Internet to market and advertise their products and services online. The use of websites has allowed institutions to gain wider presence.
- Employment – Because information technology is very much needed in our time today and since it covers a broad range of expertise, more and more people study this field and find good-paying jobs in different institutions.
Because of information technology, many tasks are now automated, information that we urgently need are now easily available, and communicating has never been this easy and efficient. Information technology has made our lives a lot easier and it still continually improves.
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