This essay discusses several ways in which IT has impacted our lives.
Impact of Current Information Technology – Outline
IIntroduction
IIBusiness Trends
IIIEducation
IVPersonal IT Usage
VConclusion
Impact of Current Information Technology
IIntroduction
Information technology (IT) ins probably one of the most significant developments in human history since the printing press. It has given rise to one of the most fascinating communications devices ever created, the Internet. It has come into our homes, our schools and our offices, tying us together in unprecedented ways. It is one of the most important developments in recent memory.
This paper takes a brief look at the impact IT has had on society, and what it might bring us in the future.
IIBusiness Trends
Just a few decades ago, businesses had little in the way of office machinery except typewriters. Fax machines were new; only Xerox made copiers, and the computer was a monster that took up an entire room. These behemoths were housed almost exclusively on college campuses or in government laboratories.
With the development of the personal computer, the situation changed; it was so quick it sometimes seems like it was overnight. At first, businesses were happy to use computers because their word processing programs made typing projects much easier. But using a computer like a high-powered typewriter defeats the purpose of having the machine in the first place. Companies soon discovered that their PCs could do a great deal more.
The Essay on The Impact of Information Technology on Governments and Educational Organizations
... bomber B2 would be impossible without the development of computer modeling techniques in IT. the Impact of Information Technology on Educational organizations: As IT has ... to the society has for qualified people to develop these Information Technologies. Developments such as the internet, satellite television has created a good ...
Companies began to network offices together so that they could share files and work on the same projects from distant locations. They connected to the Internet and put out advertisements to draw new customers. And perhaps one of the most significant business developments to come with IT is the creation of the electronic marketplace.
Companies that sell their products over the Internet greatly increase the number of potential consumers who see their offerings. Even if the company is not actively selling goods, a website is a tremendously helpful tool. A well-designed, easy to navigate site can stimulate interest so that a potential customer calls or writes for further information. We have gotten used to hearing “our check our website, at www.whatever.com” for details.
Other business applications of IT include “data mining,” “knowledge management,” and “modeling and simulation.” (Kalil, PG).
This last is particularly interesting, as it allows companies to build prototypes in the computer. These prototypes perform exactly the same way a three-dimensional model would, and yet are far less expensive than building the “real thing.” This way, if the prototype doesn’t work, there isn’t the strain on the company’s resources there would be if a real model (car, plane, truck, train) had been built. If it does work, it can be put into production quickly.
IIIEducation
Although computers are now common in the classroom that has not been the most significant step in their use as educational tools. I believe that distinction has to go to distance education.
The concept is not all that new, because the idea of remote classrooms with a teacher appearing on television has been in place for decades. But the idea of conducting an entire class over the Internet is radically different. In distance education, the students may never set foot in a classroom at all. They will interact with the teacher and with their peers via email; they may participate in lectures via some sort of instant messaging service. The assignments are posted by the instructor, and the completed assignments are returned to him/her through email.
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... inside and outside of the company. Both of these applications (computers and the Internet) also provide a business with capabilities to broadcast ... phone call by using your computer. The possible advantages of implementing the Internet in the classroom are as diverse as the ... problem solving, and group work. This section of the paper will elaborate on how the Internet provides access to resources ...
Attending class by accessing the Internet does of course mean that the student cannot participate in a live exchange with his peers and the instructor, so in that sense the spontaneity of the classroom is missing. However, for students in very remote areas, or when classes are offered at one campus and not another, it is a viable solution, and it is made possible by IT.
IVPersonal IT Usage
Of course the single biggest item here is the personal computer. Having a computer at home has revolutionized life for millions of people around the globe. We tend to get our news from the computer; we may find ourselves in a discussion with someone on the other side of the planet; and we tour museums and shops in distant cities among many other uses. Many people now work from home (“telecommuting”) rather than physically going to the office. This saves road congestion and helps diminish pollution. Children and teens use the computer to help with their homework, and with the Internet, they have the entire world as a resource.
VConclusion
The impact of IT on society is hard to overestimate. Many of the developments, as I’ve indicated, have been positive, but there are some negatives as well, specifically a tendency to spent more time alone, or interacting only with the computer rather than with real people. Still, for most of us, IT has made a sizeable impact, and a positive one, on our lives.
VIReference
Kalil, Thomas A. “Information Technology for the Twenty-First Century: Implications for E-Business.” Information Impacts Magazine [On-line]. April 1999. Accessed: 16 Mar 2003. http://www.cisp.org/imp/april_99/04_99kalil.htm
