EFINITION

EFINITION
information technology (IT)






By
 Rich Castagna
 Stephen J. Bigelow, Senior Technology Editor
What is information technology?

Information technology (IT) is the use of any computers, storage, networking
and other physical devices, infrastructure and processes to create, process,
store, secure and exchange all forms of electronic data. Typically, IT is used
in the context of business operations, as opposed to technology used for
personal or entertainment purposes. The commercial use of IT encompasses
both computer technology and telecommunications.
The Harvard Business Review coined the term information technology to

make a distinction between purpose-built machines designed to perform a
limited scope of functions, and general-purpose computing machines that
could be programmed for various tasks. As the IT industry evolved from the
mid-20th century, computing capability increased, while device cost and
energy consumption decreased, a cycle that continues today when new
technologies emerge.
What does information technology encompass?

The IT department ensures that the organization's systems, networks, data
and applications all connect and function properly. The IT team handles three
major areas:
1. deploys and maintains business applications, services and infrastructure
(servers, networks, storage);
2. monitors, optimizes and troubleshoots the performance of applications,

services and infrastructure; and
3. oversees the security and governance of applications, services and

infrastructure.
Most IT staff have different responsibilities within the team that break into
several key areas including:
 Administration. Administrators handle the day-to-day deployment,

operation and monitoring of an IT environment, including systems,
networks and applications. Admins often perform a range of other duties
such as software upgrades, user training, software license management,
procurement, security, data management and observing adherence to
business process and compliance requirements.
 Support. Help desk staff specialize in answering questions, gathering

information and directing troubleshooting efforts for hardware and
software. IT support often includes IT asset and change management,
helping admins with procurement, handling backup and recovery of data
and applications, monitoring and analyzing logs and other performance
monitoring tools and following established support workflows and
processes.
 Applications. Businesses rely on software to perform work. Some

applications are procured and deployed from third parties, such as email
server applications. But many organizations retain a staff of
skilled developers that create the applications and interfaces -- such as
APIs -- needed to deliver critical business capabilities and services.
Applications might be coded in a wide array of popular languages and
integrated with other applications to create smooth and seamless
interactions between different applications. Developers might also be
tasked with creating interactive business websites and building mobile
applications. The trend toward agile or continuous development paradigms
require developers to be increasingly involved with IT operations, such as
deploying and monitoring applications.
 Compliance. Businesses are obligated to observe varied government- and

industry-driven regulatory requirements. IT staff play a major role in
securing and monitoring access to business data and applications to
ensure that such resources are used according to established business
governance policy that meets regulatory requirements. Such staff are
deeply involved with security tasks and routinely interact with legal and
business teams to prevent, detect, investigate and report possible
breaches.
IT
encompasses many different technologies, capabilities and functions.
Why is information technology important?
It's been said that data is what powers industries worldwide. That may be
hyperbole, but few businesses -- large or small -- can remain competitive
without the ability to collect data and turn it into useful information. IT provides
the means to develop, process, analyze, exchange, store and secure
information.
THIS ARTICLE IS PART OF
What is IT/OT convergence? Everything you need to know

 Which also includes:
 5 benefits and challenges of IT/OT convergence
 Understand the best IT/OT convergence strategies
 5 ways to facilitate the convergence of IT and OT in IoT
DOWNLOAD 1
Download this entire guide for FREE now!
Data processing plays a significant role in these core business practices,

among others, including:
 product development and design;
 marketing and market research;
 sales and invoicing;
 customer development and retention;
 accounting and taxes;
 human resources and payroll; and
 regulatory compliance.
Computing has penetrated practically every part of business and much of our
personal lives. The ubiquity of computing -- also referred to as pervasive
computing -- is another reason why IT is critical. Computing devices have
evolved well beyond personal computers and servers. Today, all businesses
and most individuals have and use multiple computing devices, including
phones, tablets, laptops, game consoles and even doorbells, thermostats,
vacuums and many kitchen appliances.
Virtually all these devices, many of which are part of the IoT, tap into the
internet, which interconnects billions of devices worldwide. It's a complex and,
potentially, perilous environment that requires IT expertise for management,
security, maintenance and reliability.
Examples of information technology

So how is IT actually involved in day-to-day business? Consider five common
examples of IT and teams at work:
1. Server upgrade. One or more data center servers near the end of their
operational and maintenance lifecycle. IT staff will select and procure
replacement servers, configure and deploy the new servers, backup
applications and data on existing servers, transfer that data and
applications to the new servers, validate that the new servers are working
properly and then repurpose or decommission and dispose of the old
servers.
2. Security monitoring. Businesses routinely employ tools to monitor and

log activity in applications, networks and system IT staff receive alerts of
potential threats or noncompliant behavior -- such as a user attempting to
access a restricted file -- check logs and other reporting tools to investigate
and determine the root cause of the alert and take prompt action to
address and remediate the threat, often driving changes and
improvements to security posture that can prevent similar events in the
future.
3. New software. The business determines a need for a new mobile
application that can allow customers to log in and access account
information or conduct other transactions from smartphones and tablets.
Developers work to create and refine a suitable application according to a
planned roadmap. Operations staff posts each iteration of the new mobile
application for download and deploy the back-end components of the app
to the organization's infrastructure.
4. Business improvement. A business requires more availability from a

critical application to help with revenue or business continuance strategies.
The IT staff might be called upon to architect a high-availability cluster to
provide greater performance and resilience for the application to ensure
that the application can continue to function in the face of single outages.
This can be paired with enhancements to data storage protection and
recovery.
5. User support. Developers are building a major upgrade for a vital

business application. Developers and admins will collaborate to create new
documentation for the upgrade. IT staff might deploy the upgrade for
limited beta testing -- allowing a select group of users to try the new
version -- while also developing and delivering comprehensive training that
prepares all users for the new version's eventual release.
Software vs. hardware
IT includes several layers of physical equipment (hardware), virtualization,
management systems, automation tools, operating systems, other system
software and applications used to perform essential functions. User devices,
peripherals and software can be included in the IT domain. IT can also refer to
the architectures, methodologies and regulations governing the use and
storage of data.
Software
There are two categories of software: system software and applications.
System software encompasses the computer programs that manage the basic
computing functions. They include the following:
 OSes;
 BIOSes;
 boot programs;
 assemblers; and

EFINITION

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

EFINITION

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

EFINITION

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

EFINITION

information technology (IT)

What is information technology?

The Harvard Business Review coined the term information technology to

What does information technology encompass?

2. monitors, optimizes and troubleshoots the performance of applications,

3. oversees the security and governance of applications, services and

 Administration. Administrators handle the day-to-day deployment,

 Support. Help desk staff specialize in answering questions, gathering

 Applications. Businesses rely on software to perform work. Some

 Compliance. Businesses are obligated to observe varied government- and

THIS ARTICLE IS PART OF

What is IT/OT convergence? Everything you need to know

 5 benefits and challenges of IT/OT convergence

 Understand the best IT/OT convergence strategies

 5 ways to facilitate the convergence of IT and OT in IoT

Download this entire guide for FREE now!

Data processing plays a significant role in these core business practices,

 product development and design;

 marketing and market research;

 sales and invoicing;

 customer development and retention;

 accounting and taxes;

 human resources and payroll; and

Examples of information technology

2. Security monitoring. Businesses routinely employ tools to monitor and

4. Business improvement. A business requires more availability from a

5. User support. Developers are building a major upgrade for a vital

You might also like