What is information technology?

IT or information technology refers to the development, maintenance, and use of computer software,

systems, and networks. It includes their use for the processing and distribution of data. Data means

information, facts, statistics, etc., gathered together for reference, storage, or analysis.

The word technology on its own refers to the application of scientific knowhow for practical purposes.

According to Information Technology Trends in 2019:

“Information technology refers to anything related to computing technology. The Internet, for example, comes

under the umbrella term IT. So does computer hardware, software, and networking.”

Software includes all the computer programs – codes and instructions – within a computer. Computers do not

work without software. Hardware, in this context, refers to the physical components of a computer system. The

screen (monitor), mouse, and motherboard, for example, are hardware items.

“Information technology is the design and implementation of computer networks for data processing and

communication.”

“This includes designing the hardware for processing information and connecting separate components, and

developing software that can efficiently and faultlessly analyze and distribute this data.”

Why is information technology important?

Simply put, the work of most organizations would slow to a crawl without functioning IT systems. You’d be
hard-pressed to find a business that doesn’t at least partially rely on computers and the networks that connect
them. Maintaining a standard level of service, security and connectivity is a huge task, but it’s not the only
priority or potential challenge on their plates.

More and more companies want to implement more intuitive and sophisticated solutions. “IT can provide the
edge a company needs to outsmart, outpace and out-deliver competitors,” says Edward Kiledjian, a Chief
Information Security Officer and technology blogger. Let’s take a look at the needs that current and future IT
specialists will be working on:

 Data overload: Businesses need to process huge amounts of data. This requires large
amounts of processing power, sophisticated software and human analytical skills.
 Mobile and wireless usages: More employers are offering remote work options that require
smartphones, tablets and laptops with wireless hotspots and roaming ability.
 Cloud services: Most businesses no longer operate their own “server farms” to store
massive amounts of data. Many businesses now work with cloud services—third-party
hosting platforms that maintain that data.
 Bandwidth for video hosting: Videoconferencing solutions have become more and more
popular, so more network bandwidth is needed to support them sufficiently.
Based on the volume of these needs, you probably won’t be too surprised to learn that employment of computer
and information technology occupations is projected to grow 13 percent from 2016 to 2026, which is faster than
the average for all occupations, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.*

What Is an Information System?

Introduction

If you are reading this, you are most likely taking a course in information systems, but do you even know what
the course is going to cover? When you tell your friends or your family that you are taking a course in
information systems, can you explain what it is about? For the past several years, I have taught an Introduction
to Information Systems course. The first day of class I ask my students to tell me what they think an
information system is. I generally get answers such as “computers,” “databases,” or “Excel.” These are good
answers, but definitely incomplete ones. The study of information systems goes far beyond understanding some
technologies. Let’s begin our study by defining information systems.

Defining Information Systems

Almost all programs in business require students to take a course in something called information systems. But
what exactly does that term mean? Let’s take a look at some of the more popular definitions, first from
Wikipedia and then from a couple of textbooks:

 “Information systems (IS) is the study of complementary networks of hardware and software that people
and organizations use to collect, filter, process, create, and distribute data.”[1]
 “Information systems are combinations of hardware, software, and telecommunications networks that
people build and use to collect, create, and distribute useful data, typically in organizational settings.”[2]

 “Information systems are interrelated components working together to collect, process, store, and
disseminate information to support decision making, coordination, control, analysis, and viualization in
an organization.”[3]

As you can see, these definitions focus on two different ways of describing information systems:
the components that make up an information system and the role that those components play in an organization.
Let’s take a look at each of these.

Components Of Information System

An Information system is a combination of hardware and software and telecommunication
networks that people build to collect, create and distribute useful data, typically in an
organisational, It defines the flow of information within the system. The objective of an
information system is to provide appropriate information to the user, to gather the data, processing
of the data and communicate information to the user of the system.
Components of the information system are as follows:

1. Computer Hardware:
Physical equipment used for input, output and processing. What hardware to use it depends upon
the type and size of the organisation. It consists of input, an output device, operating system,
processor, and media devices. This also includes computer peripheral devices.
2. Computer Software:
The programs/ application program used to control and coordinate the hardware components. It is
used for analysing and processing of the data. These programs include a set of instruction used for
processing information.
Software is further classified into 3 types:
1. System Software
2. Application Software
3. Procedures
3. Databases:
Data are the raw facts and figures that are unorganised that are and later processed to generate
information. Softwares are used for organising and serving data to the user, managing physical
storage of media and virtual resources. As the hardware can’t work without software the same as
software needs data for processing. Data are managed using Database management system.
Database software is used for efficient access for required data, and to manage knowledge bases.
4. Network:
 Networks resources refer to the telecommunication networks like the intranet, extranet and
the internet.
 These resources facilitate the flow of information in the organisation.
 Networks consists of both the physicals devises such as networks cards, routers, hubs and
cables and software such as operating systems, web servers, data servers and application
servers.
 Telecommunications networks consist of computers, communications processors, and other
devices interconnected by communications media and controlled by software.
 Networks include communication media, and Network Support.
5. Human Resources:
It is associated with the manpower required to run and manage the system. People are the end user
of the information system, end-user use information produced for their own purpose, the main
purpose of the information system is to benefit the end user. The end user can be accountants,
engineers, salespersons, customers, clerks, or managers etc. People are also responsible to develop
and operate information systems. They include systems analysts, computer operators, programmers,
and other clerical IS personnel, and managerial techniques.