Information Technology Basics

Information Technology (IT) Overview

• The primary focus of Information Technology (IT) is on the use of computers and software to manage, process, and store various types of data.

History of IT

• The term "information technology" first appeared in its modern sense in 1958.
• Harold J. Leavitt and Thomas L. Whisler coined the term "information technology" in 1958, stating that "the new technology does not yet have a single established name. We shall call it information technology (IT)".

Definition of IT

• Information Technology (IT) can be categorized into three definitions: 1) the application of computers and telecommunications to process, store, and disseminate vocal, pictorial, textual, and numerical information, 2) a term that encompasses all aspects of computing and information processing, and 3) the study, design, development, implementation, support, and management of computer-based information systems.

IT Systems and Projects

• An Information Technology System (IT system) generally includes hardware, software, network, and database components.
• An IT project usually refers to a specific, planned series of activities and tasks that are designed to achieve specific goals and objectives.

Computing and Data

• The term "IT" is often used as a synonym for computers and computer networks.
• The branch of computer science that studies procedure, structure, and the processing of various types of data is called data science.
• The earliest known mechanical analog computer is the Antikythera mechanism.
• Electronic computers began to appear in the 1940s, using either relays or valves.

Early Computer Science

• Computer science was first mentioned before the 1950s under institutions such as the University of Cambridge and the University of Pennsylvania.
• As Alan Turing began to question technological advancements, the concept of artificial intelligence began to emerge.

Pioneers of Computer Technology

• Some of the major pioneers of computer technology in the mid-1900s include Charles Babbage, Ada Lovelace, and Alan Turing.
• The invention of Charles Babbage's Analytical Engine is considered one of the first machines that could be considered a complete computing machine by modern standards.