The Information Technology Association of America (ITAA) defines Information Technology as "the study, design, development, implementation, support or management of computer-based information systems, particularly software applications and computer hardware."
The term "information technology" came about in the 1970s. Information Technology (IT) is a field concerned with the use of technology in managing and processing information. IT provides supports the use of electronic computers and computer software to convert, store, protect, process, transmit, and retrieve information. IT is a field which aids in making useful and sustainable the technology which Computer Science provides. The first commercial computer was the UNIVAC I. It was designed by J. Presper Eckert and John Mauchly for the U.S. Census Bureau. Since then, four generations of computers have evolved. Each generation represented a step that was characterized by hardware of decreased size and increased capabilities. The first generation used vacuum tubes, the second used transistors,the third integrated circuits, and the fourth used integrated circuits on a single chip. The late 70s saw the rise of microcomputers, followed closely by IBM’s personal computer in 1981. Today, the term Information Technology has ballooned to encompass many aspects of computing and technology and the term is more recognizable than ever before. The Information Technology umbrella can be quite large, covering many fields. IT professionals perform a variety of duties that range from installing applications to designing complex computer networks and information databases.
Information Technology or IT, also cited as Information Service (IS) or Management Information Service (MIS), can be defined as the development, design, study, implementation and management of computer related information. It can also be defined as the use of computer (hardware and software) to manage information.
Components of Information Technology
• Computers: Computers are very important in order to store and process data. Depending on the size, cost and processing ability, computers are divided into four categories. They are mainframes, supercomputer, minicomputers and microcomputers (desktops or personal computers).
• Servers: A server is a combination of hardware and software, and is used to provide services to the client computers. These services generally include storage and retrieval of information. A standalone computer can also act as a server, provided it's running on server operating system.
• Database Management Systems (DBMS): Database Management System is basically a set of software programs which manages the storage and retrieval and organizes the information in a computer. This information is in the form of a database and is managed with the help of softwares. The DBMS accepts requests from the application program and instructs the operating system to transfer the appropriate data. There are various departments to monitor the flow of information, which include System Administrators, IT Managers, Database Administrators and Chief Information Officers (CIOs).
• Networking: A computer network is a collection of computers and peripherals connected to each other through different modes. These modes can be wired or wireless. The network allows computers to communicate with each other (share information and resources like printers, scanners, etc.).
• Network Security and Cryptography: Network security is one of the most important aspects of information technology. It consists of all the provisions made in an underlying computer network, in order to prevent unauthorized usage of information. It also includes implementing the policies adopted by the government and the applicable cyber laws. It is also helpful in providing protection from computer hacking at the cyber boundaries of an organization.
Information System (IS)
An Information System (IS) is any combination of information technology and people's activities using that technology to support operations, management, and decision-making.In a very broad sense, the term information system is frequently used to refer to the interaction between people, algorithmic processes, data and technology. In this sense, the term is used to refer not only to the information and communication technology (ICT) an organization uses, but also to the way in which people interact with this technology in support of business processes.
Information system is a set of interrelated component that collect, process, store, and disseminate information to support companies’ managerial team in decision making, coordinating, controlling, and analyzing.
The information systems undergo at least four phases:
a) Initiation, the process of defining the need to change an existing work system
b) Development, the process of acquiring and configuring/installing the necessary hardware, software and other resources
c) Implementation, the process of building new system operational in the organisation, and
d) Operation and maintenance, the process concerned with the operation of the system, correcting any problems that may arise and ensuring that the system is delivering the anticipating benefits. The management of these processes can be achieved and controlled using a series of techniques and management tools.
Data
The term data refers to groups of information that represent the qualitative or quantitative attributes of a variable or set of variables. Data (plural of "datum", which is seldom used) are typically the results of measurements and can be the basis of graphs, images, or observations of a set of variables. Data are often viewed as the lowest level of abstraction from which information and knowledge are derived. Raw data refers to a collection of numbers, characters, images or other outputs from devices that collect information to convert physical quantities into symbols, that are unprocessed.
The terms information and knowledge are frequently used for overlapping concepts. The main difference is in the level of abstraction being considered. Data is the lowest level of abstraction, information is the next level, and finally, knowledge is the highest level among all three. Data on its own carries no meaning. In order for data to become information, it must be interpreted and take on a meaning.
There are two main types of data:
1. Qualitative and
2. Quantitative
The Four Stages of Data Processing
Input: Data is collected and entered into computer.
Data processing: Data is manipulated into information using mathematical, statistical, and other tools.
Output: Information is displayed or presented.
Storage: Data and information are maintained for later use.
Information
The word information is derived from Latin informare which means "give form to". Most people tend to think of information as disjointed little bundles of "facts". The way the word information is used can refer to both "facts" in themselves and the transmission of the facts. Information is what is used in the act of informing or the state of being informed. Information includes knowledge acquired by some means. When information is entered into and stored in a computer, it is generally referred to as data. After processing (such as formatting and printing), output data can again be perceived as information. When information is packaged or used for understanding or doing something, it is known as knowledge.
System
A system is a combination or arrangement of parts to form an integrated whole. A system includes an orderly arrangement according to some common principles or rules. A system is a plan or method of doing something.
A system is a collection of elements or components that are organized for a common purpose. The word sometimes describes the organization or plan itself (and is similar in meaning to method) and sometimes describes the parts in the system (as in "computer system").
What Is a System?
System: A set of components that work together to achieve a common goal
Subsystem: One part of a system where the products of more than one system are combined to reach an ultimate goal
Closed system: Stand-alone system that has no contact with other systems
Open system: System that interfaces with other systems
A computer system consists of hardware components that have been carefully chosen so that they work well together and software components or programs that run in the computer.
The main software component is itself an operating system that manages and provides services to other programs that can be run in the computer.
A filing system is a group of files organized with a plan (for example, alphabetical by customer). All of nature and the universe can be said to be a system. We've coined a word, ecosystem, for the systems on Earth that affect life systems.
No comments:
Post a Comment