Information Technology (IT), has been impacting society for thousands upon thousands of years. Because these technologies were at the forefront of IT, smoke signals, paper, pen, and printing presses were once all considered to be the best in communication.
It is now widely recognized that digital communications are at the forefront of IT. Digital communication technology, like all other Information Technology innovations, is revolutionizing society, business and culture.
What is it that digital communication has over all other technological advancements? How can this technology play a role in our modern society?
IT serves as a facilitator. IT is a medium that allows large amounts of information to be stored, processed, or transferred at lightning fast speeds. This allows for more information to be available for making decisions, maintaining relationships, monitoring markets, or following movements.
This notion is powerful and can be used to inform decisions. While the military, education institutions, and large businesses have known the power and importance of this idea for a long time, mainstream society has only recently embraced the power and information for small and social movements.
Information Technology is a enabler. Only a few specialized companies can claim that IT is their core business. Information Technology is used by most corporations and institutions to support core business functions. This could include improved communication between employees, suppliers, customers, or asset management. Digital communication is more efficient than ever in the storage, processing, and transfer of information, regardless of its purpose. It is important to remember that digital communication does not alter core business, ideas, ethics, or movements. They are able to operate at a higher scale and more efficiently.
Information Technology is the custodian. Information Technology is able to serve any request with massive data stores. This is the security paradox of modern Information Technology. You could argue that having more information makes our lives easier, safer, and more rewarding. The other argument is that these benefits are also our Achilles heal because of the security implications of unauthorised infiltration.
It is clear that information technology plays a significant role in shaping and constraining the future of information technology. This technology allows us to gather, manipulate, and communicate vast amounts of information. IT’s role is to improve the efficiency, speed, accuracy, and capacity of all elements that can be benefited from modern Information Technology systems.
