Understanding Information Technology

Information technology, commonly abbreviated as IT, encompasses the components and techniques used to process and transmit information. It is most closely associated with computing, the internet and telecommunications, but the term also describes the broader economic sector built around these technologies.

What Information Technology Includes

IT brings together tools and methods that enable information to be handled and communicated. Its principal areas include:

• Computing, which supports the processing and management of information.
• Internet technologies, which connect systems and enable digital communication.
• Telecommunications, which allow information to be transmitted across distances.

Although these technologies can improve people's lives, they should not be treated as a universal remedy. Their value depends on how effectively and widely they are made available and used.

IT and the Digital Divide

When more residents of a community adopt information technology, the digital divide within that community can shrink at that point in time. Broader adoption means that more people can use IT as a practical tool in their activities, while fewer remain excluded from its benefits.

This relationship makes access and participation important parts of technological development. The presence of technology alone is not enough; people must also be able to use it meaningfully.

A Definition That Changes Over Time

Information technology is a dynamic concept because perceptions of what counts as new technology change. At the end of the 19th century, the telephone could have been classified as a new technology under definitions used today. Television occupied a similar position when it emerged and became widely popular during the 1950s.

Technologies eventually become familiar parts of everyday life. Computers, once regarded as new and transformative devices, are now so established that they can no longer be described simply as new technology. IT therefore refers not only to particular devices, but also to an evolving collection of systems and techniques for processing and communicating information.