The term “information technology” was once used by those in banks and hospitals to describe information storage processes. With the advent of personal computers and interconnected networks, the world has entered the information age. IT jobs are varied and require some level of higher education.
In the 1960s and 1970s, the term information technology (IT) was a little-known phrase that was used by those working in places like banks and hospitals to describe the processes used to store information. With the paradigm shift towards information technology and “paperless” workplaces, information technology has become a household phrase. Defines an industry that uses computers, networks, software programming, and other equipment and processes to store, process, retrieve, transmit, and protect information.
In the early days of computer development, there was no computer science degree. Software development and computer programming were best left to computer scientists and mathematical engineers, due to their complicated nature. As time has passed and technology has advanced, such as with the advent of the personal computer in the 1980s and its daily use in the home and workplace, the world has entered the information age.
By the early 21st century, nearly every child in the Western world, and many in other parts of the world, knew how to use a personal computer. Corporate information technology departments have moved from using archive tapes created by a single computer operator to interconnected networks of employee workstations that store information in a server farm, often somewhere far from the main corporate site. Communication has evolved, from physical mail, to telephone fax transmissions, to near-instantaneous digital communication via electronic mail (email).
Great technological advances have been made since the days when computers were huge pieces of equipment that were stored in large air-conditioned rooms, getting their information from punched cards. The information technology industry has proved to be a huge employer of people around the world as the focus shifts in some nations from manufacturing to service industries. It’s a field where the barrier to entry is generally much lower than that of manufacturing, for example. In today’s business environment, being computer savvy is often a necessity for those who want to compete in the workplace.
Information technology jobs are very varied, although many require some level of higher education. Such diverse positions as software designer, network engineer, and database administrator are usually considered IT jobs. Almost any position involving the intersection of computers and information can be considered part of this field.
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