information and communication technology capability
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is an expanded term for information technology (IT) that emphasizes the role of unified communications and the integration of communications. For example, telephone lines, wireless signals, and computers. As well as necessary enterprise software, middleware, storage and audiovisual software. which enables users to access, store, transmit and process information.
Information technology (IT) is the use of computer hardware to store, retrieve, transmit and process data or information. Often in the context of a business or other organization. An information technology system is generally an information system, a communications system, or more specifically a computer system. Including all hardware, software and peripheral equipment. It is operated by a limited group of users. The term is most commonly used as a synonym for computers and computer networking, but it also includes other information distribution technologies such as television and telephones for example. Information technology is a subset of information and communication technology (ICT).
Use of the term information and communication technology
The term information and communication technology is also used to refer to the convergence of audio, video and telephone networks with computer networks through a single interconnection system. There are great economic incentives to integrate the telephone network with the computer network system using a standardized system for cabling and signal distribution and management. Information and Communication Technology is an umbrella term for any communication device. Including radio, television, mobile phones, computers, networks, satellite systems, etc. As well as various services and devices such as video conferencing and distance learning, which we are currently experiencing in abundance due to the spread of the Corona epidemic.
It is a broad topic and concepts within it are in a state of evolution. Covers any product that stores, retrieves, processes, transmits or receives information electronically in digital form. For example, personal computers, digital television, email, bots, or artificial intelligence. The Skills Framework for the Information Age is one of several models for describing and managing the competencies of 21st century IT professionals.
ICT Components
- Cloud Computing
The term is generally used to describe data centers that are available to many users over the Internet. The large cloud that is prevalent today often contains jobs distributed over multiple sites from central servers. If the connection to the user is relatively close, it may be set as an edge server. The cloud may be limited to one organization, which is called the enterprise cloud, and be available to many organizations i.e. the public cloud or a combination of the two, which is the hybrid cloud. The largest public cloud is Amazon AWS.
- the program
A set of instructions, data, or programs used to operate computers and perform specific tasks. Unlike programming, which describes the physical aspects of a computer, software is a general term used to refer to applications, scripts, and programs that run on a device. The software can be considered as the variable part of the computer and the fixed part hardware. Software is often divided into application programs or programs that the user downloads that meet his desire or need. and system software, which includes operating systems and any software that supports various application software.
- Hardware
In the context of technology, hardware refers to the physical elements that make up a computer or electronic system and everything related to it is physically tangible. This includes the monitor, hard disk, memory, and CPU for example. Hardware works in conjunction with firmware and software to create the functionality of a computer. Hardware is only one part of a computer system. There is also firmware built into the device and it is directly controlled.
- digital transactions
Any online or automated transaction that takes place between people and organizations without the use of paper. Digital transactions save time and money. Which leads to better profits. Customer experiences are also improved, for example the convenience of an electronic signature versus having to print and sign a contract and then return it by mail or fax. Digital transactions also improve traceability, which helps reduce errors.
- digital data
Data that represents other forms of data using specific machine language systems that can be interpreted by different techniques. The most important of these is the binary system, which simply stores complex audio, video, or text information in a string of binary characters. They are usually ones and zeros or on and off values.
- Internet access
It is the process of connecting to the Internet using personal computers, laptops or handheld devices by users or organizations. Internet access is subject to data signal rates and users can be connected to different Internet speeds for example. Internet access enables individuals or organizations to make use of Internet services i.e. web-based services. The internet started gaining popularity with dial-up internet access. In a relatively short time, Internet access technologies have changed, providing faster and more reliable options. Currently, broadband technologies such as cable Internet and ADSL are the most widely used ways to access the Internet. The speed, cost, reliability and availability of Internet access depends on the region, ISP and type of connection. There are many different ways to access the Internet. Including wireless, mobile, hotspot, dial-up, broadband, DSL or satellite connection.
With all that said, ICT generally means more than its component list. It also includes the application of all those different components at once.
The origin of the name ICT
This phrase has been used as a scientific term by academic researchers since the 1980s. The abbreviation ICT became popular after it was used by Dennis Stephenson in a report to the UK government in 1997. Variations of the phrase have spread all over the world. The UN has established a UN ICT Task Force and an internal UN office.
Technological ability
The global technological capacity for storing information has grown from 2.6 exabytes, i.e. optimally compressed, in 1986 to 15.8 in 1993. More than 55 exabytes in 2000 and 295 exabytes in 2007. And about 5 bytes in 2014. To approximate the image, this information is equivalent to one and a half stacks of CDs from the Earth to the Moon, and the equivalent of 4,500 stacks of printed books from the Earth to the Sun.
The global technological capacity to receive information through one-way broadcast networks was 432 exabytes of information in 1986. To 715 exabytes in 1993, and 2 zettabytes in 2007.
The world's effective ability to exchange information through two-way communication networks was 281 petabytes of information in 1986, and 471 petabytes in 1993. and 2.2 exabytes in 2000, to 65 exabytes in 2007, and about 100 exabytes in 2014.
ICT volume
The money spent on information technology worldwide was estimated at 3.8 trillion US dollars in 2017. It has been growing at less than 5% annually since 2009. The largest growth of 16% is expected in the area of new technologies. For example the Internet of Things, robotics, augmented or virtual reality, and artificial intelligence. The amount of money that will be spent in 2022G is estimated at just over $6 trillion. It is a relatively large amount and reflects the importance of information technology in our lives, and the services it provides to us, and the facilitation of things. Hence the importance of this field, in which scientific research must be increased and contributed to its development
Socio-economic impacts of ICT
ICT enhances, for example, economic, social and personal transactions and interactions. It has fundamentally changed the way people work, communicate, learn and live. Moreover, as the first computers, ICT continues to revolutionize all parts of the human experience. Now robots are doing many of the tasks that humans have been dealing with. For example, computers answered the phones and the calls were directed to the appropriate individuals to answer. Not only can bots now answer calls, they can often process callers' requests for services more quickly and efficiently.
The importance of ICT in economic development and business growth has been enormous. In fact, she is credited with initiating what many have called the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
ICTs also support vast transformations in society as individuals move collectively from face-to-face interactions to interactions in the digital space. This new era is often called the digital age. Despite all its revolutionary aspects, its capabilities are not evenly distributed. Simply put, richer countries and wealthier individuals have more access and therefore a greater ability to seize the advantages and opportunities that this technology, for example, supports.
The importance of information and communication technology in organizations
For a business, advances in information and communication technology have brought about a multitude of costs, opportunities, and convenience. They range from highly automated business processes that have reduced costs to the big data revolution where organizations transform the vast amount of data generated into insights that drive new products and services, to ICT-enabled transactions such as online shopping and social media that give customers more Choices in how you shop, communicate and interact.
But it has also created problems and challenges for organizations and individuals alike as well as for society as a whole. The digitization of data, the expanding use of high-speed Internet, and the ever-growing global network have all led to new levels of crime where so-called bad actors can corrupt electronically enabled schemes, illegally access systems to steal money, intellectual property or private information, or disrupt systems that control infrastructure. vital infrastructure. ICT has also brought about automation and robotics that are replacing workers who are unable to transfer their skills to new jobs. It has also allowed an increasing number of people to limit their interactions with others, creating what some people fear might lose some of their humanness by not really interacting with others.