Information and Communication Technology

Information technology (IT), as defined by the Information Technology Association of Americainformation systems, particularly software applications and computer hardware. IT deals with the use of electronic computers and computer software to convert, store, protect, process, transmit, and securely retrieve information. (ITAA), is "the study, design, development, implementation, support or management of computer-based

Today, the term information technology has ballooned to encompass many aspects of computing and technology, and the term has become very recognizable. IT professionals perform a variety of duties 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.

When computer and communications technologies are combined, the result is information technology, or "infotech". Information technology is a general term that describes any technology that helps to produce, manipulate, store, communicate, and/or disseminate information. Presumably, when speaking of Information Technology (IT) as a whole, it is noted that the use of computers and information are associated.

In recent years 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.

Information and communication technologies (ICT) is an umbrella term that covers all advanced technologies in manipulating and communicating information. The term is sometimes used in reference to information technology (IT), particularly in these two communities: education and government. The common usage ICT is synonymous assumed the fact that IT or ICT encompasses all mediums, to record information (magnetic disk/tape, optical disks (CD/DVD), flash memory etc. and arguably also paper records); technology for broadcasting information - radio, television; and technology for communicating through voice and sound or images - microphone, camera, loudspeaker, telephone to cellular phones. It includes the wide varieties of computing hardware (PCs, servers, mainframes, networked storage).

It has rapidly developed a personal hardware market that comprises mobile phones, personal devices, (MP3, MP4, MP5 and MP6) players, laptops, palmtops etc. The full gamut of application software spans from the smallest home-developed spreadsheet to the largest enterprise packages and online software services; similarly the hardware and software needed to operate networks for transmission of information, again ranging from a home network to the largest global private networks operated by major commercial enterprises and, of course, the Internet. "ICT" makes more explicit technologies such as broadcasting and wireless mobile telecommunications.

It should be noted that "ICT" with this English definition is different in nuance and scope compared to the "ICT" in Japanese term, which is more technical and narrow in scope.

ICT capabilities vary widely from the sophistication of major western economies to lesser provision in the developing world. But the latter are catching up fast, often leapfrogging older generations of technology and developing new solutions that match their specific needs.

Coherence Problems

The expression "information and communication technology" cannot only be referred to contemporary automated technological artifacts, but also to paper-based writing, being itself a technology ontologically, it can also be included as pre-digital means of generating information (or communication).

By including within its scope analogue technology and not emphasizing the digital aspect, and the latter’s property of digital convergence the term falls increasingly short in education of a term like ‘digital technologies’.

Another shortcoming, particularly in education is that the term ‘ICT’ is used synonymously with the term computer, and is not usually applied to the many other digital technologies which the young use everyday in their ‘education’ outside the classroom – technologies like computer games, digital TV and recorders, iPods, cell phones, smartphones, digital still and video cameras, IM, Skype and the social networks.

ICT may not survive in its present form for long. Sooner than later, developing countries would get over the PC mania prevalent now, unless there is a remarkable change in the economy of having a desktop PC. Any technology that requires the masses to own a PC, in its present form, to access information is unlikely to be successful in the foreseeable future. Possibilities appear to exist, however, in the mobile phone technology, which is fast becoming very affordable by the masses, is voice based and can be integrated with the Information Technology at the server end of a computer network. For example, in the field of education ^[1] People can ask questions through a mobile phone, a database of answers to such questions can be generated using these technologies. Currently what is in Wikipedia and call centers and the text in these databases could be converted into voice, by developing text to voice technologies in the various languages. The person seeking information can be informed when answers are available and better answers sought based on his/her feedback. The emerging 3G and 4G mobile phone technologies can indeed facilitate such developments. An alternative technology could be to integrate the mobile phone with the television screen, so that visual information can be viewed easily. Similarly, there is the possibility for developing interactive radio, on the lines of interactive TV.

Info

ICT allows users to participate in a rapidly changing world in which work and other activities are increasingly transformed by access to varied and developing technologies.

ICT tools can be used to find, explore, analyze, exchange and present information responsibly and with discrimination. ICT can be employed to give users quick access to ideas and experiences from a wide range of people, communities and cultures.