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The impact of IT in Business What is Information Technology? Information technology (IT) is an essential aspect of modern business. It refers to the use of computers, networks, hardware, software, and other physical devices to create, store, process, and exchange data and inf...

The impact of IT in Business What is Information Technology? Information technology (IT) is an essential aspect of modern business. It refers to the use of computers, networks, hardware, software, and other physical devices to create, store, process, and exchange data and information. IT is responsible for such a large portion of our workforce, operations, and access to information that it comprises an integral part of any business strategy. Businesses can utilize information technology through the use of computers and different software to run operations in a smoother fashion. Companies are able to analyse specific data and plan their business journey accordingly using the trends and information presented in the data. IT also fosters innovation in business, resulting in smarter apps, improved data storage, faster processing, and wider access to information. The Business Information Technology (BIT) major is designed to provide students with expertise in the development and use of computer systems and applications. The Benefits of IT in Business The Benefits of IT in Business are numerous; from increased operational efficiency to improved security and the ability to automate daily tasks. With information technology, businesses can get more work done in less time and with better accuracy. Companies also benefit from the advantages over their competitors, as well as the ability to promote their products and services through IT. Moreover, when it comes to investments, inputs, and projections in insurance, managed IT services can provide companies with a great advantage. Furthermore, adapting to new practices and maximizing the benefits of IT can help businesses stay ahead of the competition. 1. Automation With the help of information technology, businesses can automate certain processes and tasks including customer support, data entry, and bookkeeping. This reduces the need for manual labor and frees up time for employees to focus on their core competencies. Automation can help businesses become more efficient and save time, money, and resources. 2. Artificial Intelegence Information technology has enabled businesses to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to streamline their operations. AI can analyze data quickly and accurately, making it easier for businesses to make well- informed decisions quickly. It also helps reduce the need for manual labor and the associated costs. This is especially helpful when large amounts of data need to be analyzed and processed. 3. Improved Productivity Information technology helps businesses increase their productivity by allowing them to access data quickly and accurately, which can help improve decision-making processes. In addition, it enables businesses to communicate more effectively with customers and staff, helping ensure that projects are completed on time and within budget. Improved productivity can lead to increased profits, as businesses will be able to produce more products or services in less time. 4. Improved Customer Service Information technology helps businesses interact with customers in real-time, thus providing them with better customer service. Businesses can also use AI to handle complex customer queries and provide personalized experiences to customers. This helps build customer loyalty and improves brand reputation. 5. Cloud Computing Cloud computing is another way that information technology has revolutionized businesses. By using cloud-based applications, businesses can store and access data from any device or location. This can help businesses save resources and time by eliminating the need to install software on individual devices or maintain server hardware. In addition, it makes collaboration between employees easier as they can access the same data from anywhere. Increasingly, businesses are shifting to the cloud computing to leverage its many benefits. It has been predicted that more than $1 trillion will be impacted in IT spending. 6. Remote Working Information technology enables businesses to provide their employees with the option of remote working. This can help reduce costs associated with office space and increase productivity by allowing employees to work from anywhere in the world. In addition, it helps businesses become more flexible as they can hire employees without having to worry about geographical boundaries. Implementation of information technology provides the ability to remotely access your company’s network, throw on a headset, and get things done with your team. As a result, it equips employees with the ability to get the work done even if they are not physically present at the workplace. Such agility has a number of benefits. Therefore, it has gained massive popularity. 7. Mobile Technology The increasing use of mobile technology has enabled businesses to access data and communicate with customers in real-time. Businesses are now able to offer their customers a wide range of products and services via their mobile devices. This increases customer engagement, which can lead to increased sales and revenues. In addition, it enables businesses to better manage their operations, as they can easily monitor and track data in real-time. Mobile technology has become an integral part of businesses in today’s digital world and its importance is set to continue growing. The trend of BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) is on the rise owing to increased employee satisfaction. Mobile technology takes business communication to a whole new level. A mobile team can improve the workplace productivity considerably. There are numerous ways to integrate mobile technology in the workplace. In fact, chances are, your employees are already using it. 8. Cyber Security The use of information technology has created a need for businesses to secure their networks from cyber threats. Businesses are now investing more in cyber security solutions such as firewalls and antivirus software to protect their data from hackers and malware. In addition, businesses are also taking steps to educate their employees on the importance of cyber security and how to stay safe online. This is crucial as cyber attacks can have a devastating effect on businesses, resulting in financial losses and damage to their reputation. Therefore, it is essential for businesses to invest in cyber security solutions to ensure the safety of their data. 9. Management of Resources Information technology has enabled businesses to better manage their resources. This includes the ability to monitor and track employee performance, inventory levels, customer data, and financial information in real-time. Businesses can also use software applications such as enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems to manage their operations more efficiently. ERP systems enable businesses to manage their resources in a more cost-effective way. Information technology is at the core of such software. The implementation of ERP is progressing at a rapid rate with more and more businesses implementing this efficient technology to make certain business processes hassle-free. 10. Open Source Software Open source software has become a popular choice for businesses looking to reduce their IT costs. These software solutions are typically free or available at low cost and can be easily customized to meet the specific requirements of the business. In addition, open source software often comes with user-friendly features and support from a large online community. The primary benefit of open source software is its flexible license. This allows modifications to the source code. This means that you have the facility to customize its functions according to your requirements. Almost every software that businesses use has open source variants that are widely available on the Internet. Utilizing these could mean multiple benefits at reduced expenses. 11. Customer Support The use of information technology has enabled businesses to provide better customer support. Businesses can now offer their customers a wide range of services such as online chat, email support, and self-help options. This helps to reduce costs and improve customer satisfaction. It also enables businesses to quickly respond to customer queries, which is essential for creating a positive customer experience. Businesses are increasingly investing in customer relationship management (CRM) software to manage their customer interactions more effectively. CRM systems enable businesses to collect, store, and analyze customer data. This helps them understand customer behavior and identify opportunities for improvement. Software and its Types In a computer system, the software is basically a set of instructions or commands that tells a computer what to do. Or in other words, the software is a computer program that provides a set of instructions to execute a user’s commands and tell the computer what to do. For example like MS-Word, MS-Excel, PowerPoint, etc. The chart below describes the types of software: Above is the diagram of types of software. Now we will briefly describe each type and its subtypes : System Software System software is software that directly operates the computer hardware and provides the basic functionality to the users as well as to the other software to operate smoothly. Or in other words, system software basically controls a computer’s internal functioning and also controls hardware devices such as monitors, printers, and storage devices, etc. It is like an interface between hardware and user applications, it helps them to communicate with each other because hardware understands machine language(i.e. 1 or 0) whereas user applications are work in human-readable languages like English, Hindi, German, etc. so system software converts the human-readable language into machine language and vice versa. Features of system software: Let us discuss some of the features of System Software: 1. System Software is closer to the computer system. 2. System Software is written in a low-level language in general. 3. System software is difficult to design and understand. 4. System software is fast in speed(working speed). 5. System software is less interactive for the users in comparison to application software. Types of system software: It has two sub types which are: 1. Operating System: It is the main program of a computer system. When the computer system ON it is the first software that loads into the computer’s memory. It manages all the resources such as memory, CPU, printer, hard disk, etc., and provides an interface to the user, which helps the user to interact with the computer system. It also provides various services to other computer software. Examples of operating systems are Linux, Apple macOS, Microsoft Windows, etc. 2. Language Processor: As we know that system software converts the human-readable language into a machine language and vice versa. So, the conversion is done by the language processor. It converts programs written in high-level programming languages like Java, C, C++, Python, etc(known as source code), into sets of instructions that are easily readable by machines(known as object code or machine code). 3. Device Driver: A device driver is a program or software that controls a device and helps that device to perform its functions. Every device like a printer, mouse, modem, etc. needs a driver to connect with the computer system eternally. So, when you connect a new device with your computer system, first you need to install the driver of that device so that your operating system knows how to control or manage that device. Application Software Software that performs special functions or provides functions that are much more than the basic operation of the computer is known as application software. Or in other words, application software is designed to perform a specific task for end-users. It is a product or a program that is designed only to fulfill end-users’ requirements. It includes word processors, spreadsheets, database management, inventory, payroll programs, etc. Features of application software: Let us discuss some of the features of Application Software: 1. An important feature of application software is it performs more specialized tasks like word processing, spreadsheets, email, etc. 2. Mostly, the size of the software is big, so it requires more storage space. 3. Application software is more interactive for the users, so it is easy to use and design. 4. The application software is easy to design and understand. 5. Application software is written in a high-level language in general. Types of application software: There are different types of application software and those are: 1. General Purpose Software: This type of application software is used for a variety of tasks and it is not limited to performing a specific task only. For example, MS-Word, MS-Excel, PowerPoint, etc. 2. Customized Software: This type of application software is used or designed to perform specific tasks or functions or designed for specific organizations. For example, railway reservation system, airline reservation system, invoice management system, etc. 3. Utility Software: This type of application software is used to support the computer infrastructure. It is designed to analyse, configure, optimize and maintains the system, and take care of its requirements as well. For example, antivirus, disk fragmenter, memory tester, disk repair, disk cleaners, registry cleaners, disk space analyser, etc. Difference between system software and application software Now, let us discuss some difference between system software and application software: System Software Application Software It is designed to manage the resources of the It is designed to fulfil the requirements of computer system, like memory and process the user for performing specific tasks. management, etc. Written in a low-level language Written in a high-level language Less interactive for the users More interactive for the users Application software is not so important System software plays vital role for the for the functioning of the system, as it is effective functioning of a system. task specific. It is independent of the application software to It needs system software to run. run.  Generations of Computer First to Fifth Generations of Computer Computers are essential devices that you must have used while growing up. There are also pretty good chances that you still use a computer daily. Have you ever wondered what a computer really is? Do you know what the generation of computers is? If you are curious to know the answer to these questions, that is great. In this article, we will answer both of these questions in great detail. Let’s first begin with what the meaning of computers is. According to experts, a computer can be defined as an electronic device used for manipulating information or data. Computers also have the ability to store, retrieve and process information. These days, people use computers for typing documents, playing games, sending emails and browsing the internet. One can also use these devices to create or edit presentations, spreadsheets and videos. You might also be interested to know that the evolution of computers began sometime during the 1940s. At that time, the first generation of computers was created. Since then, experts have also developed other generations of computers. As of now, there are five generations of computers. In the field of electronics and technology, generation is computer terminology. This term refers to the change that a computer goes through. Earlier, the term generation was used to differentiate between different hardware technologies. However, these days, generation can be used to refer to both software and hardware; these together form the entire computer system. In the rest of the article, we will discuss these five computer generations. Before we jump on to the details, it is important to go through an overview of these generations. The Generation of Computer Evolution is Generally Divided Into 5 Categories. S.no Time-period Generations of Computer Evolving Hardware 1 1940-1950 First-generation Vacuum-Tube Based 2 1950-1960 Second generation Transistor Based 3 1960-1970 Third generation Integrated-Circuit Based 4 1970-Present Fourth Generation Microprocessor-Based 5 Present-Future Fifth Generation Artificial Intelligence Based The First Generation of Computers- (the 1940s-1950s) 1. The main electronic component used in the computers of the 1940s to 1950s era were vacuum tubes. 2. The main memory storing units were magnetic tapes and magnetic drums. 3. The machine language was used as the programming language. 4. The sizes used to be very large which could take up entire rooms and the speed was very slow. 5. The only input/output devices were paper tape and punched cards. 6. Around 100 different vacuum tubes were used in order to produce the computers. 7. Examples are UNIVAC1, ENIAC, IBM 701 and IBM 650, etc. The Second Generation of Computers- (the 1950s-1960s) 1. The main electronic component used in the computers of the 1950s to 1960s era were transistors. 2. The main memory storing units were magnetic tape or disk and magnetic core. 3. The assembly language was used as the programming language. 4. The sizes were smaller as compared to those of the first generation and they used to consume low power and generate less heat. 5. There was an improvement in speed. 6. The input/output devices were magnetic tape and punched cards. 7. Examples are IBM 1401, IBM 7094 AND IBM 7090, UNIVAC 1107, and so on. The Third Generation of Computers- (the 1960s-1970s) 1. The main electronic components used in the computers of the era 1060s to 1970s were integrated circuits ICs. 2. The memory storing units were the magnetic disk or take and a large magnetic core. 3. High-level languages such as BASIC, COBOL, Pascal were used as the programming language. 4. The sizes were smaller and efficient and the computers were called minicomputers. 5. There was an improvement in reliability and speed as compared to the second generation of computers. 6. The input/output devices were keyboards, magnetic tape monitor, printer, etc. 7. Examples are IBM 370, IBM 360, UNIVAC 1108 and so on. The Fourth Generation of Computers- (1970s-present) 1. The main electronic components used in the fourth generation of computers are microprocessors and very large scale integration (VLSI). 2. When thousands of transistors are attached to a single microchip, it is known as VLSI. 3. Semiconductor memory storage units such as RAM, ROM, etc were introduced. 4. RAM (random-access memory)- Temporarily stores the programs and data and the contents are lost when the computer is shut down. 5. ROM (read-only memory)- Permanently stores the data and programs and the contents are retained even after shutting down the computer. 6. High-level languages such as C#, JAVA, Python, JavaScript are used as programming languages. 7. The sizes are smaller and the speed has improved. 8. The input/output devices are a monitor, mouse, keyboard, printer, and so on. 9. Examples are STAR 1000, APPLE II, IBM PC, and so on.  The Fifth Generation of Computers- (present and the future) 1. The main electronic components that are used in the present generation of computers is Artificial Intelligence which uses the parallel processing method and the Ultra-Large Scale Integration (ULSI). 2. The fifth generation of computers understands the natural human language. 3. The speeds are really fast and the sizes are also small. 4. The fifth-generation computers are portable and have a huge storage capacity. 5. The input/output devices are keyboards, monitors, touchscreen pens, printers, light scanners, and so on. 6. Examples are laptops, desktops, tablets, smartphones, etc. Different Characteristics of Computer Computers have many peculiarities and characteristics, which make them so much popular among us. Some of the important characteristics of a computer are enumerated below: Speed Accuracy Diligence Versatility Reliability Multitasking Storing data No IQ No feeling Speed The computer can calculate or perform any task very fast as compared to the human brain. It can perform or execute millions of instructions within a second. Generally, its data processing speed is calculated in terms of Megahertz(MHz) or Gigahertz(GHz). Hertz is the basic unit of frequency that measures the number of oscillations or clock cycles per second. The more the number of clock cycles, the more is the processing speed of computers. The computer has the capability to solve complex computations within a fraction of a second, whereas the same calculation may take hours of time for the human. Accuracy Computers present a high degree of accuracy. Whatever may be the input or instruction given to it by the user; it will calculate the same and give a meaningful result accurately. The error calculation may be due to human or wrong input. Diligence A human may get tired after continuous hours of work. But, the computer can work for hours without fatigue or tiredness. It never loses concentration for hours of continuous work. It can calculate millions of instructions for hours without making any errors. Versatility Versatility is another very important characteristic of computers. The computer can work in almost every field of modern human civilization. The computer is used at home for surfing the internet and multimedia applications such as gaming, watching movies or online videos, listening to your favorite audio track, and so on. The same computer is used at the office of any organization for the front office, reception center, preparing presentations for meetings, or managing payrolls of the employees. Computers are used on a large scale in the e-commerce industry for efficient business operation worldwide. The versatile use of computers in every field makes it an inevitable component of the modern digital world. Reliability Another characteristic of computers is their reliability. The computer delivers a high degree of reliability. That is why almost everything in this world is computer-driven. Today, all the major industries’ business operations all across the world are performed efficiently using the computer because of its reliability. The company business is more profitable with the use of a computer. Because computer helps to perform any task in a very short time and in a reliable manner. Multitasking Multitasking capability of computer is also the major characteristics of a computer. It can have the capacity to perform different types of tasks at the same time. You can surf the internet, at the same time, you prefer to listen to your favorite music. Simultaneously, you can make a document in MS word. Storing data Computers can store any amount of information after processing them. The stored information can be used by the user in the future. The storage media like hard disk, floppy disk, optical disc are used for storing the data. The computer can store a huge collection of data and information for future reference. Nowadays, the concept of cloud computing has made things simpler and easier. You do not need to bother about the local hard drive capacity of your computer to store a large amount of data. The online storage facility provided by the biggest IT companies like Google, Microsoft, Amazon, etc. provides the facility for online cloud storage. The user has to subscribe to the cloud computing applications like Google Drive, Microsoft Azure, etc. to avail of the cloud storage facility. No IQ The computer doesn’t have its own intelligence. It performs its task only when some input is given by the human (user). The computer is dependent on humans to perform any task. It always receives instruction or input from the user to execute the given task efficiently and correctly. It waits for the user input and processes the result based on the input given to it. No feeling The human being has feelings and emotions. Because of this nature, the performance or working capacity of humans varies from person to person. Unlike a human being, the computer doesn’t have such feelings or emotions that reflect the performance capability of the computer. Also, the computer does not recognize its user’s mood, whether he/she is happy or sad. Data and Information  What is data?   The concept of data as it is used in the syllabus is commonly referred to as ‘raw’ data – a collection of text, numbers and symbols with no meaning.  Data therefore has to be processed, or provided with a context, before it can have meaning.  Example  3, 6, 9, 12  cat, dog, gerbil, rabbit, cockatoo  161.2, 175.3, 166.4, 164.7, 169.3  What is information?  It is important that students learn the concept of what ‘information’ is as used in information technology.  Information is the result of processing data, usually by computer. This results in facts, which enables the processed data to be used in context and have meaning.  Information is data that has meaning. Components of a Computer System - Input, Process, Output Conventional and assistive computer technologies are similar in that both employ the core concepts of input, information processing, and output (ATA, 2000). Understanding these concepts is essential to understanding how AT helps individuals with disabilities access a computer. Each system first must have a means to input information. This information is then processed. From the processed information, the computer produces some type of output. Input or output devices can be modified to provide access to individuals with disabilities who cannot use standard input or output devices. To provide a better understanding of input, output, and processing, these concepts are defined as follows. Input - the information entered into a computer system, examples include: typed text, mouse clicks, etc. Processing - the process of transforming input information into and output. Output – the visual, auditory, or tactile perceptions provided by the computer after processing the provided information. Examples include: text, images, sound, or video displayed on a monitor or through speaker as well as text or Braille from printers or embossers. Input Device – any device that enters information into a computer from a external source. Examples include: keyboards, touch screens, mouse, trackballs, microphones, scanners, etc. Processing Device – the electronics that process or transform information provided as an input to a computer to an output. Examples include: the Central Processing Unit (CPU), operating systems (e.g. Windows, Apple software), microprocessors (e.g. Intel, Pentium), memory cards (RAM), graphic and other production application or programs (Adobe, Microsoft Word, etc). Output Device - a device used by a computer to communicate information in a usable form. Examples include: monitors, speakers, and printers, etc. The following is an example showing how these three concepts work together: To access a website, the user opens an internet browser and, using the keyboard, enters a web address into the browser (input). The computer then uses that information to find the correct website (information processing) and the content of the desired site is displayed in the web browser (output). AT for computer access can be applied by adapting either the input or output component of a computer system. Doing this provides an individual with a disability with a tool that utilizes his or her abilities to access a computer. An example of adapting an input device is providing an individual who does not have use of his or her hands with speech recognition software to enter text into a computer as opposed to a keyboard. As for adapting an output device, an individual with a visual impairment can use either a screen magnifier or screen reader to access output on a computer screen. Information processing, in terms of a computer, does not involve a human element and thus does not require assistive technology adaptations.