information technology (IT)

Information technology (IT), also known as IT, uses computers, storage devices, networks, other physical equipment, Infrastructure, and processes to create, store, process, and exchange electronic data. It is typically used to support business operations instead of technology for personal use or entertainment. Commercial IT includes both computer technology as well as telecommunications.

The Harvard Business Review coined Information Technology to distinguish between machines built for a specific purpose and appliances with a general-purpose function that can be programmed to do many different tasks. Since the mid-20th Century, the IT industry has evolved. Computing capability and device costs have decreased.

What is information technology

The IT department ensures that all the systems, networks, data, and applications are connected and working correctly. The IT department is responsible for three main areas:

Maintains and deploys Infrastructure, applications, and services (servers, networks, and storage) for business.

Monitors, optimizes, and troubleshoots the performance of applications and services;

Oversees the security, governance, and management of applications, services, and Infrastructure.

The majority of IT staff are divided into different roles within their team. These include

Administration. Admins are responsible for deploying, operating, and monitoring IT environments, such as systems, networks, and applications. Administrators are responsible for various duties, including software upgrades, training users, managing software licenses, procuring, data management, and monitoring compliance and business processes.

Support. Help desk staff are experts at answering questions, gathering data, and directing troubleshooting for hardware and software. IT support includes IT asset management and change management. It also involves helping administrators with procurement and handling data backup and recovery.

Applications. Businesses rely on software for work. Third-party applications, like email server software, are often purchased and deployed. Many organizations have a team of developers who create applications, interfaces (such as APIs), and other -based tools. The applications can be written in many popular languages and then integrated with other apps to create seamless and smooth interactions. Developers may also be asked to create interactive business websites or build mobile applications. To keep up with the trend of agile or continuous development, developers must be more involved in IT operations such as monitoring and deploying applications.

Compliance. Businesses are required to adhere to a variety of government and industry-driven regulations. IT staff are responsible for securing, monitoring, and controlling access to data and applications in order to meet regulatory requirements. These staff members are heavily involved in security tasks and regularly interact with the legal and business teams to prevent, detect and investigate possible breaches.

Why is Information Technology Important

Data is said to be the fuel that drives industries around the world. It may sound hyperbolic, but it’s true that few businesses – large or small – can compete without it. The tool allows you to create, process, analyze, exchange, secure, and store information.

These core business practices include:

Product development and design

Marketing and market research

Sales and billing;

Customer development and retention

Accounting and taxation

Human resources and payroll

Compliance with regulatory requirements

The computing industry has impacted almost every aspect of business and our daily lives. Another reason IT is essential is the ubiquity and pervasiveness of computing. Computing devices have expanded far beyond personal computers and servers. All businesses and most individuals use multiple computing devices today, including smartphones, tablets, laptops, and game consoles. They also use doorbells, thermostats, and vacuums.

These devices, including many IoT (Internet of Things), connect to the Internet, with billions of devices worldwide. This complex and potentially dangerous environment requires IT expertise in management, security, and maintenance.

Information technology examples

How does IT fit into the business world? Here are five examples of how IT is used in teams:

Upgrade of a server. A data center server is nearing the end of its operational and maintenance cycle. IT staff will choose and purchase replacement servers, configure the new server, deploy it, back up applications and data from existing servers and transfer them to the new server. They will also validate that the servers function correctly and decommission or repurpose the old servers.

Monitoring security. Businesses use tools to log and monitor activity in systems, applications, and networks. When IT staff receives alerts about potential threats, they investigate the cause and immediately take action to resolve the issue.

A new software. An organization determines the need for a mobile application to allow customers to access their account information and conduct transactions on smartphones and tablets. The developers work on creating and refining a suitable app according to the roadmap. The Operations team posts the latest iteration of a new mobile app for download and then deploys the back-end component of the application to the organization’s IT infrastructure.

Business Improvement. An organization needs to increase the availability of a critical application to support revenue-generating strategies or business continuity. IT staff should design a high-availability cluster to improve the performance and resilience of the application. This will ensure that it can continue to operate even if there is a single outage. The IT staff can also improve data protection and recovery.

Support for users. Developers work on a significant upgrade to a business application. The promotion will be documented by admins and developers working together. IT staff could deploy the upgrade to a limited beta test — allowing only a small group of users to try out the new version. They would also develop and deliver comprehensive training for all users in preparation for the eventual release.