Information Technology

Information technology (IT) is the use of technological tools in order to process and manage information. This can include everything from using computers to store and retrieve data, to using enterprise software to manage business processes. IT can also refer to the application of these tools in order to support and streamline business operations.

IT is a rapidly-growing field, and there is a growing demand for IT professionals who are able to design, implement, and manage IT systems. IT professionals must be able to work with a variety of technologies and understand how they can be used to support business objectives. They must also be able to understand the needs of the business and align IT solutions accordingly.

The term "Information Technology" was first coined in a paper by measuring the impact of technology on office work published in the Harvard Business Review in 1930. Since that time, IT has undergone a tremendous evolution, driven by advances in both computing hardware and software. Today, IT is used in a variety of ways, including:

• To share information: E-mail, instant messaging and social networking platforms such as Facebook and Twitter allow us to communicate with others instantly and share information quickly and easily.
• To store and access data: Cloud computing and storage services such as Dropbox and Google Drive allow us to store data remotely and access it from anywhere.
• To work collaboratively: Online collaboration tools such as Google Docs and Basecamp make it easy for team members to work on projects together in real-time.
• To stay connected: Mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets keep us connected to the internet and allow us to access our data and applications while on the go.

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The IT field is constantly evolving, with new technologies and applications being developed all the time. As a result, those working in IT must be able to adapt to change and keep up with the latest trends.

IT is considered to be a subset of information and communications technology (ICT). ICT includes not only IT, but also such diverse areas as broadcasting, telephony, and the Internet.

The history of IT is briefer than that of the electronic computer, which it encompasses. The concept of storing, retrieving and transmitting information electronically was first conceived by Charles Babbage in the early 19th century. However, it was not until the 1930s that electrical engineers began to design and build electronic computers. The first electronic computers were developed for military purposes, and it was not until the 1950s that they began to be used for commercial applications.

The proliferation of computers in the workplace began in the 1960s, with the introduction of the mainframe computer. Mainframes were large, expensive and technically sophisticated, and only large businesses could afford to own and operate them. The 1970s saw the introduction of the microprocessor, which made it possible to build smaller and less expensive computers. As a result, computers began to proliferate in the business world and, eventually, in the home.

The 1980s were the decade of the personal computer (PC). The first PCs were little more than hobbyist toys, but as they became more powerful and easier to use, they began to find their way into the workplace and the home. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, personal computers were joined by workstations and then by notebook computers, giving most workers access to computing power that was once the exclusive domain of scientists and engineers.

The 1990s saw the emergence of the Internet, which rapidly became the most important application of computers and computer networks. The 2000s have been dominated by the proliferation of broadband Internet access, the growth of portable computing devices such as laptops and smartphones, and the rise of social networking.

In the 2010s, cloud computing and big data are two of the most important trends in IT. Cloud computing is the delivery of computing services—including servers, storage, databases, networking, software, analytics and intelligence—over the Internet (“the cloud”) to offer faster innovation, flexible resources and economies of scale. Big data is the term for the immense volumes of digital data—structured and unstructured—that are generated every day by businesses, individuals and sensors.