INTRODUCTION TO INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Introduction to ICT
IT (Information Technology) encompasses all of the technology that we use to collect, process, protect and store
information. It refers to hardware, software (computer programs), and computer networks.
Information and Communications Technology (ICT)
Information and communications technology (ICT) is an extended term for information technology (IT) which stresses
the role of unified communications and the integration of telecommunications (telephone lines and wireless signals),
computers as well as necessary enterprise software, middleware, storage, and audio-visual systems, which enable
users to access, store, transmit, and manipulate information.
ICT (information and communications technology - or technologies) is an umbrella term that includes any
communication device or application, encompassing: radio, television, cellular phones, computer and network
hardware and software, satellite systems and so on, as well as the various services and applications associated with
them, such as videoconferencing and distance learning.
The term ICT is also used to refer to the convergence of audio-visual and telephone networks with computer networks
through a single cabling or link system. There are large economic incentives (huge cost savings due to elimination of
the telephone network) to merge the telephone network with the computer network system using a single unified
system of cabling, signal distribution and management.
ICT has no universal definition as "the concepts, methods and applications involved in ICT are constantly evolving on
an almost daily basis." The broadness of ICT covers any product that will store, retrieve, manipulate, transmit or
receive information electronically in a digital form, e.g. personal computers, digital television, email, robots. For clarity,
Colrain Zuppo, professor and researcher, provided an ICT hierarchy where all levels of the hierarchy "contain some
degree of commonality in that they are related to technologies that facilitate the transfer of information and various
types of electronically mediated communications

Aims & Objective

ICT has become one of the basic building blocks of modern society. Many countries now regard understanding ICT
and mastering the basic skills and concepts of ICT as part of the core of education, alongside reading, writing and
numeracy.
UNESCO aims to ensure that all countries, both developed and developing, have access to the best educational
facilities necessary to prepare young people to play full roles in modern society and to contribute to a knowledge
nation.
ICT equipment or facilitates in an organization
Most organizations have a fairly impressive range of ICT devices and equipment. Across all sizes of organizations
there is generally clear evidence of ICT.

Figure 1: Some ICT equipment

ICT is an umbrella term that includes any communication device or application, encompassing; radio, television,
cellular phones, computer and network hardware and software, satellite systems, photocopiers, telephones, fax
machines, printers etc., as well as the various services and applications associated with them, such as
videoconferencing and distance learning. Invariably, these and many other devices are considered integral to an
organization, as they assist management and employees to achieve some of the tasks discussed below.
Office automation
Office automation is a combination of computer hardware, software and network connection, made
available to simplify and automate a variety of office operations, such as inventory management,
facility management, accounting, email and word processing.
It is used to digitally create, store, manipulate, and relay office information and data, needed for
accomplishing basic tasks and goals. Office automation helps in optimizing or automating existing
office procedures. Office automation makes it possible for business organizations to improve their
productivity and recognize easier ways to do business in profits. A comprehensive office automation
solution typically includes:

• Computers for all employees and/or data processing personnel

• Software that enables word processing, creating spreadsheets, managing accounts etc.
• Internet connectivity and email programs to send and receive email messages
• Fax and printing services
• Instant communication such as VoIP etc.
Benefits of office automation
Some of the advantages of office automation include:

• Office automation can get many tasks accomplished faster.

• It eliminates the need for a large staff.
• Less storage is required to store data.
• Multiple people can update data simultaneously in the event of changes in schedule
Office automation tools
Office automation is achieved by use of the following tools:
1. Electronic publishing tools: These are office automation tools used to manipulate words, number and images
to meaningful documents like newsletters, books, letters etc. Examples of electronic publishing tools include,
word processing systems and desktop publishing applications.
2. Electronic communication tools: These are office automation tools that allow organizations to send messages
in text, video or voice form or transmit copies of documents within seconds. They enable the transmission and
distribution of text and images in electronic form over telecommunication networks, thus reducing the flow
of paper messages, letters, memos, documents and reports that floods the inter office systems. Electronic
communication tools include:
• Electronic mail: Electronic mail (Email) has changed the way people work and
communicate. This is an electronic communication tool which enables millions of
end users to send and receive electronic messages.
• Voice mail: Voice mail also known as voice store and forward is an electronic
communication tool which allows the end users to exchange digitized voice
messages, rather than electronic text. The voice message is stored on a magnetic disk
device of the voice mail computer system. Whenever there is need to hear the voice
mail, a mailbox is dialled and the message is listened to.
• Facsimile (FAX): Facsimile is an electronic communication tool which allows the
transmission of images of important documents over telephone or other
telecommunication links. A fax machine at one office location transmits to another
fax machine at another location, with both machines connected to high speed
modems.
3. Electronic meetings tools: These are office automation tools that allow conferences and
meetings to be held with participants who may be scattered across the room, a building, a
country or the globe by use of video and audio communications. Electronic meetings tools
include:
Teleconferencing: This is electronic meeting tool that allows meeting sessions
to be held in real time, with major participants being televised while participants
at remote site take part with voice input of questions and responses. This tool can
also use closed circuit television to multiple small groups, instead of television
broadcasting to reach a large group of multiple sites.
Telecommuting: This is electronic meeting tool that allows use of
telecommunication by workers to replace commuting to work from their homes.
Workers are able to carry on work activities from temporary locations other than
offices and homes (virtual offices)
4. Office management tools: These are office automation tools that provide support services
to managers and other office professionals to help them organize their work activities by
automating manual planning methods such as paper calendars, appointment books,
directories, file folders, memos and notes. This is achieved through the use of office
management software.
5. Image processing and documents management tools: These are office automation tools
that allow end users to electronically capture, store, process and retrieve images of
documents that may include numeric data text, handwriting, graphics and photographs.
These tools may interface with other electronic document presentation tools such as word
processing, desktop publishing electronic mail and voice mail. Image processing and
documents management tools include:
 • Videotext tools: These are office automation tools that allow sending and receiving
information and displaying it on screen using either broadcasting or telephone lines.
Videotext tools include:
View data: These are two-way systems for transmitting text or graphics
stored in computer databases via telephone networks, for display on a TV
screen.
Teletext: This is a non-interactive, i.e. one-way, form of videotext
transmitted as part of a TV broadcast. Information such as the latest news
headlines, financial information, weather forecast, racing results etc. are put
on top of a normal program picture or can be viewed separately.
6. Electronic Funds transfer (EFT) tools: These are office automation tools in form of
computer software and telecommunication facilities that are used to switch money from one
account to another. Banks link up their branches and with other banks and customers in
order to facilitate Electronic Funds transfer (EFT).
7. Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) tools: These are office automation tools that enable a
direct computer to computer exchange of standard business documents, such as invoices,
bills of lading and purchase orders, between two separate organizations.
Uses of ICT in organizations
Information Communication Technology has become a vital and integral part of every business plan.
From multi-national corporations who maintain mainframe systems and databases to small
businesses that own a single computer, ICT plays a role. The reasons for the omnipresent use of
computer technology in business can best be determined by looking at how it is being used across
the business world.
Communication: For many organizations, email is the principal means of communication
between employees, suppliers and customers. Email was one of the early drivers of the
Internet, providing a simple and inexpensive means to communicate. Over the years, a
number of other communications tools have also evolved, allowing staff to communicate
using live chat systems, online meeting tools and video-conferencing systems. Voice Over
Internet Protocol (VOIP) telephones and smart-phones offer even more high-tech ways for
employees to communicate.
Inventory Management: When it comes to managing inventory, organizations need to
maintain enough stock to meet demand without investing in more than they require.
Inventory management systems track the quantity of each item a company maintains,
triggering an order of additional stock when the quantities fall below a pre-determined
amount. These systems are best used when the inventory management system is connected
to the point-of-sale (POS) system. The POS system ensures that each time an item is sold,
one of those items is removed from the inventory count, creating a closed information loop
between all departments.
Data management: The days of large file rooms, rows of filing cabinets and the mailing of
documents is fading fast. Most organizations store digital versions of documents on
servers and storage devices. These documents become instantly available to everyone in the
company, regardless of their geographical location. Companies are able to store and
maintain a tremendous amount of historical data economically, and employees benefit from
immediate access to the documents they need. Special data analysis tools are used to
discover hide data patterns and relationships between different data entities.
Data mining, data analysis and knowledge management: Organizations use Information
Technology to extract new or hidden interesting patterns and relationship in huge amount of
data. They use qualitative and quantitative techniques and processes used to enhance
productivity and business gain. Data is extracted and categorized to identify and analyse
behavioural data and patterns. Information Technology is used by organizations to facilitate
sharing as well as accelerated growth of knowledge. Information Technology allows the
movement of information at increasing speeds and efficiencies.
Data processing systems: Storing data is only a benefit if that data can be used effectively.
Progressive companies use that data as part of their strategic planning process as well as the
tactical execution of that strategy. Data processing systems enable organizations to track
sales data, expenses and productivity levels. The information can be used to track
profitability over time, maximize return on investment and identify areas of improvement.
Managers can track sales on a daily basis, allowing them to immediately react to lower than-expected numbers
by boosting employee productivity or reducing the cost of an item.
Customer Relationship Management: Organizations are using ICT to improve the way
they design and manage customer relationships. Customer Relationship Management
(CRM) systems capture every interaction a company has with a customer, so that a more
enriching experience is possible. If a customer calls a call centre with an issue, the customer
support representative will be able to see what the customer has purchased, view shipping
information, call up the training manual for that item and effectively respond to the issue.
The entire interaction is stored in the CRM system, ready to be recalled if the customer calls
again. The customer has a better, more focused experience and the company benefits from
improved productivity.
Service delivery to customers: Generally, today’s modern businesses pride themselves on
being customer focused and consumer oriented, and many have invested in ensuring that
their frontline staff are versed in customer service. Private sectors and governments are
using technology to improve service delivery and efficiency by providing certain services
online and introducing e-commerce facilities, which at the very least, offer customers a
more convenient and efficient experience.
Organizations’ responsiveness to new developments: Organizations are using ICT as a
major aid in:
o Processing data generated from a diverse range of channels (e.g. sales, web
analytics, inventory control, customer feedback, industry data, etc.), which, if
handled correctly, can flag developing issues and be the motivation towards
important strategic decisions.
o Facilitating the implementation of the decisions that have been made, through
innovative and cost-effective options.
o Competitive advantage: Organizations are adopting technology to, grow market share,
improve visibility or become the preferred vendors or service providers. ICT is instrumental
in achieving these goals, it achieves this through
▪ Streamlining, optimizing and automating certain internal processes, which can
reduce delays, human error, red tape, and the complexity of certain processes
▪ Introducing operational efficiencies that can reduce costs and improve the bottom
line
▪ Implementing new measures that can ultimately add value to the customer and
improve his or her experience with the organization.
o Organizations’ overall performance: ICT is introducing a paradigm shift mostly in micro,
small and medium sized businesses many of which have limited resources, and might be
looking for ways to take their operations to the next level, by helping them to re-evaluate,
what is viable, how they can raise the bar and perform better, and what new services,
products and quality standards should be introduced.
Impact of ICT in contemporary society
The society in which we live has undergone rapid and wide spread technological change, a
‘technological revolution’. Technological revolutions are associated with
o Social change in practical living conditions.
o Altered structures of economic and social life
o Movement in social attitudes and values.
o Shifts in patterns of employment.
ICT infuses work, leisure, learning and home life. The changes have come about quickly and have
affected people in the practical ways in which they live their lives and in the cultural ways in which
they see and related to each other. These changes to practical life can be beneficial to many and
also raise questions about the underlying values of the societies in which they are being developed.
Some of the effects of Information Communication Technology on society include:
Effects on Individuals
Positive effect
o Access to information: Possibly the greatest effect of ICT on individuals is the huge increase
in access to information and services that has accompanied the growth of the Internet. Some
of the positive aspects of this increased access are better, and often cheaper, communications,
such as VoIP phone and Instant Messaging. In addition, the use of ICT to access information has
brought new opportunities for leisure and entertainment, the facility to make contacts and form
relationships with people around the world, and the ability to obtain goods and services from
a wider range of suppliers.
o Improved access to education: New ways of learning, e.g. interactive multimedia, distance
learning and online tutorials and virtual reality.
o New job opportunities, e.g. flexible and mobile working, virtual offices and jobs in the
communications industry.
o New tools, new opportunities: ICT gives access to new tools that did not previously exist.
▪ ICT can be used for processes that had previously been out of the reach of most
individuals, e.g. photography, where digital cameras, photo-editing software and high
quality printers have enabled people to produce results that would previously require a
photographic studio.
▪ ICT can be used to help people overcome disabilities e.g. screen magnification or screen
reading software enables partially sighted or blind people to work with ordinary text
rather than Braille.
▪ ICT has changed banking processes through the introduction of mobile banking
ICT has revolutionized the business world through mobile money transfer services e.g.
Ecommerce, Mpesa, Mobile banking etc.
▪ ICT has created many ICT related jobs.
Negative
o Reduced personal interaction (isolation): Being able to work from home and online
collaboration is usually regarded as being a positive effect of using ICT, but there can be
negative aspects as well. Most people need some form of social interaction in their daily lives
and if they do not get the chance to meet and talk with other people, they may feel isolated
and unhappy. In the family setting, family members are losing touch with each other since
during family time, technology is taking the place of personal interaction.
o Reduced physical activity: Technology may lead to people adapting to a more users may adopt
a more sedentary lifestyle. This can lead to health problems such as obesity, heart disease, and
diabetes. Many countries have workplace regulations to prevent problems such as repetitive
strain injury or eyestrain, but lack of physical exercise is rarely addressed as a specific health
hazard.
Effects on individual’s health
o Repetitive strain injuries: These are injuries resulting from wrist, hand, arm and muscle
strain, neck strain due to forced repetitive movement e.g. when entering data using
keyboard. This can be avoided by sitting in a relaxed position and changing typing
techniques.
o Eye strain and headache: Since computer users have their eyes at close, range with
monitor, there is danger of developing the Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS). The
syndrome is characterized by eye strain, headache etc. The solution to this problem is to use
monitors with good resolution and fitted with antiglare screen that filters excess light,
specific changes in screen brightness.
o Electromagnetic Emissions: These are waves of electrical and magnetic energy that are
emitted by current carrying conductors. Computer users are advised to use low emission
devices in order to avoid exposing themselves to excess emissions.
o Stress: Mental stress is another complaint. Many people who work at computer feel that
they are expected to produce more and do it faster because computers themselves are fast.
And those being monitored by computers frequently feel additional pressure.
o Other Illnesses: There have been reports that VDU emit radiations that cause, birth defects
blindness, cancer, miscarriages, sterility etc.
o Toxic: Workers in computer chip manufacturing industries are exposed to toxic chemicals
that may pose health hazards similar to those feared from Visual Display Unit (VDU).
Effects on culture
Positive Effects
o Globalization: The world has developed into a global village due to the help of information
technology allowing countries who are not only separated by distance but also by language
to shares ideas and information with each other.
Negative Effects
▪ Moral decadence: It has changed the way we talk, affected our primary, human right and
integrity. Internet users are exposed to many things e.g. watching pornographic materials,
chatting online, sending dirty messages online etc. that affect morals negatively. People also
use computers as a tool to accomplish their vices e.g. forging documents such as
certificates, passports etc.
▪ Social problems: ICT has created social problems in the society nowadays people tend to
choose online communication rather than having real time conversation. People tend to
become more individualistic and introvert.
▪ Computer crime: Computers and the internet are used to undertake illegal activities. These
activities are known as computer crimes and they include data manipulation, time bomb,
data stealing, eavesdropping, industrial espionage.
Effects on organizations
There are three main areas in which organizations are affected by the use of ICT, communication,
information management and security.
Positive
Effects on communication:
1. Faster communication speed: With the capability of bandwidth broadband and
connection speed on the internet, any information can travel fast and at an instant.
 E.g. use of Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP), email, Instant Messengers (IM),
Video conferencing etc.
2. Lower communication cost: Using internet is cost effective than the other modes of
communication, E.g. VOIP instead of normal telephone, email / messaging instead
of post, video conferencing instead of traveling to meetings, e-commerce web sites
instead of sales catalogues. People can access amount of data at a very low cost with
internet.
3. Reliable mode of communication: With internet, information could be accessed
and retrieved from anywhere and at any time. E-commerce websites allow access to
larger, even worldwide, markets. Web sites can be seen from all parts of the world
and orders can be taken wherever there is a compatible banking system to process
payments, e.g. credit / debit card, Pay-Pal, bank transfer facility.
4. Flexible response: Organizations with good communications can respond to
changes quickly. This may mean better customer relations, an improved supply
chain for goods and services, faster development of new products to meet a new
opportunity, etc.
5. Effective sharing of information: With ICT, information can be shared by people
all around the world. People can share and exchange opinions, news and information
through discussion groups, forums on the internet.
6. Information management: Organizations can benefit from using ICT for information
management. E.g., Data mining of customer information to produce lists for targeted
advertising. Improved stock control, resulting in less wastage, better cash flow, etc. Mangers
are better informed and will have more reliable and up-to-date information on which to base
their decisions.
7. Security: Although the use of ICT can bring its own security issues, see next section, it can
also solve or reduce some security problems, e.g. Encryption methods can keep data safe
from unauthorized people, both while it is being stored or while it is being sent
electronically. This is important for reasons such as data protection legislation or
commercial secrecy. ICT enables physical security systems such as fingerprint, iris or facial
recognition.
Effects on employees
Positive Effects

• Job creation: ICT has introduced new employment opportunity that never existed
before. It has resulted in creation of job opportunities in various economical fields. Jobs
created include programmers, system analyst, network administrators, software
engineers, web administrators etc.

• Job displacement: This is the process of replacing man power manual with the help of
a few skilled and highly trained people. Computer illiterate staff are deployed to
departments where the tasks performed do not require computer skills. This may occur
due to operations being replaced by automation, e.g. robots replacing people on an
assembly line. In most cases, the eliminated jobs are those involving monotonous and
unskilled labour, computer illiterate employees have been transferred to other areas
where manual labour is involved.

• Job replacement: After automation of tasks, some employees have been rendered
redundant. Job replacement is a situation whereby ICT take the place of redundant and
computer illiterate people at the work place. This may occur due to multiple workers
being replaced by a smaller number who are able to do the same amount of work. E.g., A
worker on a supermarket checkout can serve more customers per hour if a bar-code
scanner linked to a computerized till is used to detect goods instead of the worker having
to enter the item and price manually.

• Retraining: Generally, organizations will choose to make full use of their staff rather
than search for new staff who already have skills required. Depending on the nature of
the job, the retraining needed may be radical or quite minor e.g. a typist has keyboard
skills which are quite readily transferable to the task of word processing.

• Redeployment: Computerization generally reduces manpower but increases the

opportunities for business expansion. Redeployment means moving staff from one area
of work or responsibility to another, generally with retraining.

• Changes in working practices: Staff may be required to carry out a wider range of
tasks as a result of compensation. Flexibility rather than specialization is often the key to
introduction of new technology.

• Regarding and career prospects: Sometimes, improvement in the job grading is

introduced in order to encourage staff to accept computerization.

• Deskilling: Computerization may lead to reduction of the amount of skills that are
needed to do a particular job, although high level skills are required in the operation of a
computer.
Negative
• Cost: The cost of using ICT may cause several problems for organizations. A lot of ICT
hardware and software is expensive, both to purchase and to maintain. An ICT system
usually requires specialist staff to run it and there is also the challenge of keeping up with
ever-changing technology. These extra costs should be offset by the positive effects of using
ICT, but if an organization gets its cost-benefit analysis wrong, it may lose money.
• Competition: This is usually thought of as being a good thing, but for some organizations,
being exposed to greater competition can be a problem. If the organization is competing for
customers, donations, or other means of funding nationally or even internationally, they may
lose out to other organizations that can offer the same service for less money.
• Security: This is always a problem for any organization that uses ICT. Data must be kept
secure, Internet connections must be protected from attack, new viruses and other forms of
malware are released nearly every day. Organizations will usually have legal obligations to
protect data such as protection law it will usually be in the organization’s interest to protect
data from rivals.

• Redundancy: Computerization of office work inevitably reduces the manpower

requirements for the existing level of work, but redundancy does always result. This is
usually because computers are introduced in response to an expansion in the business of an
organization.
• Changes in working: staff may be required to carry out a wider range of tasks as a result of
Computerization.
Effects on education
Positive
On the positive side, the use of ICT in education can provide opportunities that might not otherwise
exist, such as:

• Distance learning, where students can access teaching materials from all over the world
• The ability to perform ‘impossible’ experiments’ by using simulations
 • The possibility for students to have individual learning programs within a topic, rather than
everybody having to do the same thing at the same time at the same pace. Able students can
be given more challenging work, less able students can access remedial lessons
Negative
• There are large costs involved and poorer students / educational establishments can end up
being disadvantaged. This is often referred to as being a factor in the digital divide.
• Students, and sometimes teachers, can get hooked on the technology aspect, rather than the
subject content. Just because a topic can be taught via ICT, does not mean that it is taught
most effectively via ICT. Even if a subject can be taught effectively via ICT, and there is the
money available, it does not always follow that there is any advantage to it.
Effects on environmental
Positive
• Paperless environment: ICT has created paperless environment information can be stored
and retrieved through digital medium instead of papers.
Negative
• Energy consumption and radiation: Initially computers consumed a lot of energy hence
generated a lot of heat and emitted electromagnetic radiation. In recent years the
Environment Protection Agency (EPA) launched energy star policy to encourage minimal
use of power of electronic devices.

• Environmental pollution: It has contributed to environmental pollution e.g. garbage dumps

of dead computer parts, printers, monitors etc. are disposed in landfills hence causing
environment pollution Nickel Cadmium laptops batteries contain cadmium and when buried
landfills can leak into underground water tables and catchments areas.
ICT ethics
Ethics is a set of moral principles that govern the behavior of a group or individuals, likewise,
computer ethics is a set of moral principle that regulate the use of computers.
Ethical issues in ICT
Some common issues of computer ethics include:

• Intellectual property: Intellectual property refers to creations of the intellect i.e.

inventions, literary and artistic works, symbols, names, images and design used in
commerce hence the name. Intellectual property is usually divided into two branches
namely,

• Industrial property: This is a set of moral principles that protect the following:
o Patents: A patent grants the owner an exclusive monopoly on the
ideas behind an invention for 20 years. The congressional intent
behind patent law was to ensure that inventors of new machines,
devices, or methods receive the full financial and other rewards of
their labour and yet still make widespread use of the invention possible
by providing detailed diagrams for those wishing to use the idea
under license from the patent’s owner.
o Trade Secrets: Any intellectual work product a formula, device,
pattern, or compilation of data-used for a business purpose can be
classified as a trade secret, provided it is not based on information in
the public domain. Protections for trade secrets vary from state to
 state. In general, trade secret laws grant a monopoly on the ideas
behind a work product, but it can be a very tenuous monopoly.
o Trademarks, industrial designs, commercial names, designations and
geographic indications (location specific brands) etc.
• Copyright: This is a set of moral principles that protect literary and artistic
works such as novels, poems, plays, films, musical works, artistic works such as
drawings, paintings, photographs, sculptures and architectural designs. Copyright
is a legal concept enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original
work, exclusive rights to it usually for a limited time. For works made available
over a communication network such as the internet the copyright protects
original authorship. However, the copyright law does not protect, ideas,
procedures or methods of operation hence once such online work has been made
public, nothing in the copyright law prevents others from developing another
work based on similar principles and ideas.
• Computer crime: This is any illegal activity undertaken using computers and the internet
and that targets the security of computer systems and the data processed by them, e.g.
unauthorized access, damage to computer data or programs, sabotage to hinder the
functioning of a computer system or network, unauthorized interception of data to, from and
within a system or network, viruses etc.
• Privacy: This is ensuring that individuals maintain the right to control what information is
collected about them, how it is used, who has used it, who maintains it and what purpose it is
used for. Protect personal information to keep others from using it in unethical ways.
• Plagiarism: This is copying someone’s work and passing it as your own e.g. copying
programs written by others programmers and claiming it as your own. It involves lying
cheating and dishonesty.
Emerging trends in ICT
Advancement and application of information technology are ever changing. Some of the trends in
the information technology are as follows

• Social Platforms
The evolution of social media into social platforms. This means company websites may no longer
be the first port of call for customers. This has the potential to disrupt the way companies conduct
business, posing new challenges and opportunities for IT. For example, “social identities” based on
the rich history of information that individuals leave in social networks will become much more
valuable to businesses than the traditional and isolated information they get when an individual
register on their corporate website.

• Cloud computing
Cloud computing is defined as utilization of computing services, i.e. software as well as hardware
as service over a network. Typically, this network is the internet.
o Cloud computing reduces IT infrastructure cost of the company.
o Cloud computing promotes the concept of virtualization, which enables server and storage
device to be utilized across organization.
o Cloud computing makes maintenance of software and hardware easier as installation is not
required on each end user’s computer
• Data security
The thought that all IT has to be architected to be foolproof, is giving way to a security architecture
that, responds proportionately to threats when and where they happen.” As a result, the role of
people in data security will decline, replaced by automated capabilities that detect, assess, and
respond immediately.

• Data privacy
Individual privacy will take center stage as a result of increased government regulation and policy
enforcement.

• Mobile Application
Another emerging trend within information technology is mobile applications (software application
on Smart phone, tablet, etc.) Mobile application or mobile app has become a success since its
introduction. They are designed to run on Smartphone, tablets and other mobile devices. They are
available as a download from various mobile operating systems like Apple, Blackberry, Nokia, etc.
Some of the mobile app are available free where as some involve download cost. The revenue
collected is shared between app distributor and app developer.

• User Interfaces
User interface has undergone a revolution since introduction of touch screen. The touch screen
capability has revolutionized way end users interact with application. Touch screen enables the user
to directly interact with what is displayed and also removes any intermediate hand-held device like
the mouse. Touch screen capability is utilized in smart phones, tablet, information kiosks and other
information appliances.

• Analytics
Analytics is a process, which helps in discovering the informational patterns with data. Data
analytics is a tool used to support decision-making process. It converts raw data into meaningful
information. Predictive analytics is a tool used to predict future events based on current and
historical information. Social media analytics is a tool used by companies to understand and
accommodate customer needs.

• Ubiquitous computing
This is a method of enhancing computer use by making many computers available throughout the
physical environment, but making them effectively invisible to the user i.e. they appear as a single
system. Distributed systems are a good example e.g. the internet.

• Architecture
Information technology is evolving from a world that is server-centric to one that is service-centric.
Companies are quickly moving away from monolithic systems that were wedded to one or more
servers toward finer-grained, reusable services distributed inside and outside the enterprise. The
goal: to decouple infrastructure, systems, applications, and business processes from one another.

• User experience (UX)

Business process design will be driven by the need to create superior user experiences that help to
boost customer satisfaction. Great user experiences will require more layered approaches than what
is typical today. As such, application design will be a multidisciplinary exercise: Typically handled
today by IT

• Nanotechnology
This is creating of computer components, machines and other structures that are less than 100
nanometers in size one nanometer is one billionth of a meter.
• Optical computing
Optical chips, which use light waves to transmit data, are also currently in development. A
possibility for the future is the optical computer, a computer that uses light, such as from laser
beams or infrared beams to perform digital computations. Since light beams do not interfere with
each other, optical computers can be much smaller and faster than electronic PCs.

• Tera scale Computing

This is the ability of computers to process one trillion floating point operations per second
(teraflops). The focus of Tera scale computing is the use of multi core processors used in
conjunction with multithread hardware and software to increase the number of tasks that can be
processed at the same time.

• 3D Chips
This is another technique for packing an increasing number of components onto small chips. With
3D chips, transistors are layered, which cuts down on the surface area required.

• Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning

Artificial intelligence is poised as a tool of choice for businesses and solution providers. As is often seen
with social media, AI, combined with machine learning, deep learning and neural networks, can be a
powerful combination. Businesses can use AI to achieve cost-saving benefits, streamline business
processes, improve the customer experience, enable more efficient communications through chatbots,
increase customer satisfaction and provide insight into purchasing behavior to inform decision-making.

• Blockchain
Past discussions of blockchain often hinged on cryptocurrency, but the real power lies in the immutability
and transparency of a blockchain. Blockchains use distributed ledger technology resulting in a fixed and
highly visible record of activity with high potential for business applications.
The blockchain is an information system that holds promise for supply chain management, enabling
transparency into the journey of materials from origin to product. Blockchain technology will also allow for
better record management, providing a snapshot of any record from its origination. This could be used to
verify orders, purchases, returns, receipt of product—you name it.