Information Technology
The term Information Technology, or IT, is commonly used to reference the collection of tools that facilitate the use, creation, management and exchange of electronic information. These tools cut across an organization or enterprise and form the basis of the system for turning data into knowledge that can be exchanged and disseminated. There are four key elements to information technology: (1) hardware or information devices; (2) software; (3) communication technologies; and (4) services.
Hardware: The tangible physical products that we think of when we refer to IT are the hardware or information devices. More specifically, there are mainframe, desktop and portable computers, handheld devices, telecommunication products, network cabling, routers and switches, printers, video and multimedia products, and self-contained products like fax machines and calculators just to name a few.
Software: The applications that run the hardware of IT are called software. Software can be further divided into three major buckets: (1) Clientware are applications and software that run on a local machine. Examples of this would include operating systems and applications like Word, Powerpoint, or Excel; (2) Webware is the software that runs on network machines or servers and is broadly distributed. Examples of this would include web-based solutions for viewing bank accounts online and checking inventory of a product; (3) Embeddedware is software that is infused into a device to make it work without installing disks locally or relying on a network server. Examples of this include the airbag modules in your car or the microchips in your microwave.
Communication Technology: The underlying technology that supports information technology is communication technology. For example, some people think of the Internet as IT. Rather the Internet is only one of several communication technologies, like radio, television, or telephone that have increased the efficiency and effectiveness with which information devices can communicate.
Services: The final element to IT is service. Connecting the hardware, software, and communication technologies requires skill and knowledge. Service offers can range from phone installation and repair to technology development. The combinations of hardware, software, and communication technologies combine to create a critical element of most businesses that hope to be successful in the 21st century.
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