The computer industry has grown to include the design and sale of computers, software, networking, and IT services. It encompasses sales, production, development, manufacturing, and aftermarket products. The industry overlaps with the Internet industry and offers a wide range of career opportunities.
The phrase “computer industry” applies to most jobs and businesses that involve computers or information technology. Years ago, the computer industry described only the small work done on early computers, often room-sized machines programmed to perform only a few discrete functions. Since then the industry has grown by leaps and bounds and now includes not only the design and sale of computers themselves, but also the development and manufacturing of software, computer networking and the Internet, wireless and broadband connectivity, and a whole information technology services series.
Depending on the context, references to the computer industry can mean different things. In business, the computer industry is generally understood as the sector of a given economy that deals with the sale and production of technology. The health of technology companies over time, computer sales competition among brands, and the financial prospects of innovations in mobile and tablet computing are among the pieces that make up the computer industry as it is known to market analysts and investors corporate.
Developers often see the industry a little differently. Sales and marketing are certainly a big part of what makes computing a viable industry, but many of these computers depend on technological parts, programs, and infrastructure to be marketable. The manufacturing of computer components and the design of computer hardware, while mostly done behind the scenes, are as much a part of the computer industry as the final sale of completed machines.
The creation, marketing and development of aftermarket products are also important elements of the computer industry. Many machines come with some pre-loaded software, but most computer owners choose to purchase additional programs to customize and personalize their experience. Software ranging from basic word processing and data analysis to gaming and photo editing are readily available, usually in disc form or via Internet download.
Some parts of the computer industry overlap with parts of the so-called ‘Internet industry’, particularly with regards to online activities. For the most part, however, the building blocks of what makes the Internet — the wires and cables, the packets and the signals — are generally considered a primary function of the computer industry. Computers and other computer-like devices, including many smartphones and handheld computers, depend firstly on the functional ability of computers to connect and secondly on the ubiquitous or near-ubiquitous availability of those connections. Computer scientists and IT professionals who work to network computers and enable devices to be web-ready are a very essential part of the industry these days.
Just as there is no set standard around the computer industry, there is also no limit to the type of career or job one might find in that industry. Industry is, in most cases, much more than sales, production and development. Brand representatives, administrative staff and corporate technology support staff can all legitimately claim to work in what is widely known as the computer industry. As the industry continues to grow as technology evolves, employment opportunities and innovative potential will likely grow as well.
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