Basic Information About Information Technology

(It is important to note and understand that, while some organizations are more established than others, no one organization has yet to establish itself as the definitive source for all Information Technology content and material. However, all provide important pieces to a greater puzzle that represents the evolution of the industry, throughout the decades.)

As it pertains to organizations within enterprises, IT represents an operational group that helps solve such problems as those related to Data, Information and Knowledge capture, persistence, processing, brokering, discovery and rendering. Such organizations can be as small as one or two people that can be shared between multiple small business and as large as multi-billion dollar structures that are common in all Fortune 500 enterprises.

Today, the term information has ballooned to encompass many aspects of computing and technology, and the term has become very recognizable. IT professionals perform a variety of functions (IT Disciplines/Competencies) that range from installing applications to designing complex computer networks and information databases. A few of the duties that IT professionals perform may include data management, networking, engineering computer hardware, database and software design, as well as the management and administration of entire systems. Information technology is starting to spread farther than the conventional personal computer and network technology, and more into integrations of other technologies such as the use of cell phones, televisions, automobiles, and more, which is increasing the demand for such jobs.

When computer and communications technologies are combined, the result is information technology, sometimes called "infotech."Information technology is a general term that describes any technology that helps to produce, manipulate, store, communicate, and/or disseminate information.

In the recent past, ABET and the ACM have collaborated to form accreditation and curriculum standards for degrees in Information Technology as a distinct field of study separate from both Computer Science and Information Systems. SIGITE is the ACM working group for defining these standards. The Worldwide IT services revenue totaled $763 billion in 2009

It is important to consider the overall value chain in technology development projects as the challenge for the value creation is increasing with the growing competitiveness between organizations that has become evident (Bird, 2010). The concept of value creation through technology is heavily dependent upon the alignment of technology and business strategies. While the value creation for an organization is a network of relationships between internal and external environments, technology plays an important role in improving the overall value chain of an organization. However, this increase requires business and technology management to work as a creative, synergistic, and collaborative team instead of a purely mechanistic span of control. Technology can help the organization recognize improved competitive advantage within the industry it resides and generate superior performance at a greater value, according to Bird.

Synonyms

Common interchangeable terms used for Information Technology include but are not limited to:

• Information Systems (IS)
• Information Sciences (IS)
• Information Management (IM)
• Management & Information Sciences (MIS)