Information Technology in the Modern Business World

Information Technology in the Modern Business World

Information technology (IT) is a career path I have focused on over the past five years of my life. While working toward a degree in management my decisions have consistently led me to pursue a career path in information technology. Being a network administrator for over three years and then being hired as an outside IT consultant gave me a unique perspective on both sides of IT involved with business. The ability to see the technical needs of a business from within, as well as the ability to monitor the needs of a stand-alone IT company allows me the unique ability to comment on the different aspects of information technology as it can pertain to today’s modern businesses’ needs.

Information technology is a requirement in today’s business world in all but the most archaic fields. The tedious and menial tasks of the day to day operations of businesses used to require a receptionist, filing clerk, or storage rooms now can be managed by software loaded on a server. A server can handle simple tasks such as email client hosting, database storage, and client and data tracking. This all used to take many hours of labor for many different employees to collect the same amount of data. IT can now allow employees to work more efficiently, accurately, and even at times work remotely from the comfort of their own home.

Information technology is the technology involving the development, maintenance, and use of computer systems, software, and networks for the procession and distribution of data (Merriam-Webster). IT can also include the storage and security of data. Information technology, at is most basic form, is a system of computers, called a network, used by a business to process, store, and transmit data. Users input information and data from sources such as a scanner, keyboard, or recording device which is then processed. The data would be processed by the computer or a server. If a computer is a workstation, generally the computer becomes a data input device and the input data is processed by a server. Once the information is processed the output is received directly by the person inputting the data or it is sent to a database to be stored for later use. Upon receipt, data can be discarded or stored until analyzed. This process can be modified to fit the needs of the user. Companies or users may need data to be processed multiple times before storage or multiple copies of the same data may need to be stored (Enterprise Features).

Nearly every business relies on these technologies to be able to effectively complete their daily procedures. An effective IT analyst, team, or staff will help prevent any downtime which can occur in a business. Without the effective IT staff, an organization can waste time, money, and effort focusing on repairing the network infrastructure instead of focusing on their specialized duties for which they