INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY.

Information technology (IT) is the application of computers to

store, retrieve, transmit and manipulate data, often in the context of a
business or other enterprise. IT is considered a subset of information and
communications technology (ICT).

Information technology (IT) is the application of computers to

store, retrieve, transmit and manipulate data, often in the context of a
business or other enterprise. IT is considered a subset of information and
communications technology (ICT). In 2012, Zuppo proposed an ICT hierarchy
where each hierarchy level "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. Business/IT was
one level of the ICT hierarchy.

The term is commonly used as a synonym for computers and

computer networks, but it also encompasses other information distribution
technologies such as television and telephones. Several industries are
associated with information technology, including
computer, software, electronics, semiconductors, internet, telecom
equipment, engineering, healthcare, e-commerce and computer services.

Humans have been storing, retrieving, manipulating and

communicating information since the Sumerians in Mesopotamia developed
writing in about 3000 BC, but the term information technology in its modern
sense first appeared in a 1958 article published in the Harvard; authors Harold
J. Leavitt and Thomas L. Whistler commented that "the new technology does
not yet have a single established name. We shall call it information
technology (IT)." Their definition consists of three categories: techniques for
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processing, the application of statistical and mathematical methods to

decision-making, and the simulation of higher-order thinking through
computer programs.

Based on the storage and processing technologies employed, it is

possible to distinguish four distinct phases of IT development: premechanical (3000 BC 1450 AD), mechanical (14501840),
electromechanical (18401940) and electronic (1940present). This article
focuses on the most recent period (electronic), which began in about 1940.

USE OF INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY.
Introduction
In 1969, when the Internet was known as the Arpanet and the
World Wide Web was nothing more than a glint in a creative student's mind,
the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality funded its first project in
medical informatics.1 Since then, the Agency has continued to support
research and development projects in the use of information technology to
improve health care, awarding $250 million dollars to fund more than 150
projects in medical informatics. Today, the Agency is still blazing this
technology trail with projects that seek to develop the knowledge and tools
needed to improve the quality of care in the U.S. health care system.

Background
In 1998, the Committee on the Quality of Health Care in America,
established within the Institute of Medicine (IOM), was asked to identify
strategies for improving the quality of health care in the United States. As
part of this effort, the committee published a seminal report in March
2001, crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the 21st Century,
which focused on issues relating to health care quality in this country. The
committee concluded that the U.S. health care system did not consistently
deliver the type of high-quality care that Americans expect and deserve. The
report includes a framework and strategy for redesigning the health care
system to facilitate the delivery of high-quality care. One of the key findings
was that information and communication technology (IT) is integral to
achieving substantial quality improvement. More specifically, the report
recommended the use of IT to improve access to information and support
evidence-based decision making. The committee called for a national
commitment to building an information infrastructure to support health care
delivery, consumer health, quality measurement and improvement, public
accountability, clinical and health services research, and clinical education.

While IT has the potential to greatly improve the quality of health

care, the evidence that IT improves important health related outcomes is
limited. Even the IOM, which has endorsed the use of IT as part of a strategic
plan to improve quality of care in the U.S., acknowledges that, Although the
potential benefits of IT are compelling, the evidence in support of these
benefits varies greatly by type of application.

OBJECTIVES FOR USING

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY.
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT.
Information technology can speed up the time it takes new
products to reach the market. Companies can write product requirement
documents by gathering market intelligence from proprietary databases,
customers and sales representatives. Computer-assisted design and
manufacturing software speed up decision making, while collaborative
technologies allow global teams to work on different components of a
product simultaneously. From innovations in microprocessors to efficient drug
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delivery systems, information technology helps businesses respond quickly

to changing customer requirements.

STAKEHOLDER INTEGRATION.
Stakeholder integration is another important objective of
information technology. Using global 24/7 interconnectivity, a customer
service call originating in Des Moines, Iowa, ends up in a call center in
Manila, Philippines, where a service agent could look up the relevant
information on severs based in corporate headquarters in Dallas, Texas, or in
Frankfurt, Germany.
PROCESS IMPROVEMENT.

Process improvement is another key IT business objective. Enterprise

resource planning (ERP) systems allow managers to review sales, costs and
other operating metrics on one integrated software platform, usually in real
time.
COST EFFICIENCIES.

Although the initial IT implementation costs can be substantial, the

resulting long-term cost savings are usually worth the investment. IT allows
companies to reduce transaction and implementation costs
COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE.

Cost savings, rapid product development and process improvements

help companies gain and maintain a competitive advantage in the
marketplace.
GLOBALIZATION.

Companies that survive in a competitive environment usually have

the operational and financial flexibility to grow locally and then
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internationally. IT is at the core of operating models essential for

globalization, such as telecommuting and outsourcing.

SCOPE FOR INFORMATION

TECHNOLOGY.
Information Technology is the new and the most captivating
sector of the modern world. Every people and each of the organization are
been fascinated by the technique of it.

Communication needs will continue to grow; the functions of email, instant messaging, Weblogs, and wireless communications will improve
as the demands of informational society increase so to fulfill the thirst
Information Technology is needed.
Information Technology deals and has jobs related to
electronic and software of computers to store, convert, process, protect,
retrieve securely, and transmit information. In recent days this technology
and the professionals in this field have encompassed every aspect of
technology and computing. It has achieved more recognition today than in
the past.
The IT professionals as they are referred as perform various
duties, which range from the application of installation to even designing
some computer networks of a complex nature.
Along with these, some databases applications are a part of
their job profiles. Some also perform management of data, engineering,
networking, design of software and databases, then engineering of hardware
and even system administration and management too.
Information Technology asks the professionals to be in
consultation with the top order management members to get help in
determining the business goals and also the technical goals.

Then the professionals have to prepare a plan with details related

to the achievement of goals.
They also have to provide direction to the computer programmers,
system analysts, workers related to computers, and also specialists of
support.
Maintenance of networks and their security are a part of an IT
professionals job and skills.
The chief officers of technology have the task of evaluation of all
the innovative and new technologies and also do the determination of their
benefits to the organization or the firm.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY.
STUDYING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN ORGANIZATIONS:
RESEARCH APPROACHES
In contrast to the steady and rapid advances in semiconductor
technology, information storage, networking, and applications, the
interaction of IT with various elements of society is more complex. Although
IT performance in many cases improves exponentially, the utility to users in
many cases improves more slowly (Chandra et al. 2000). For example, a
doubling of computer processing speeds may bring only small improvements
in the most widely used applications, such as word processing or
spreadsheets. Furthermore, although it is common to talk about the "impact"
or "effect" of IT or the Internetimplying a one-way influencethe
interaction of IT with society is multidirectional and multidimensional. Over
the past two decades, many studies have explored how organizations use IT.
Cumulatively, these studies have found that a simple model of IT
leading to social and organizational effects does not hold (Kling 2000).
Instead, IT is developed and used in a social context in which organizations
and individuals shape the technology and the way it is used. The
implementation of IT is an ongoing social process that involves changes in
people's roles and in organizational procedures. Incentives and trust are
important factors in the success of IT implementation. The following sections
examine the effects of IT on the economy and the general public.

IT APPLICATIONS IN BUSINESS
Businesses use IT in many different ways. Some IT applications
automate a variety of basic business activities, from production control
systems in manufacturing to word processing and financial calculations in
office work. Other applications involve databases and information retrieval
that support management, customer service, logistics, product design,

marketing, and competitive analysis. Through IT, companies can combine

computing and communications to facilitate ordering and product tracking.
IT functions often are implemented as mechanizations of older,
manual processes; ideally, however, they involve fundamental redesign of
processes. The use of IT by business began with and in many instances
continues to rely on mainframe computers, minicomputers, and
microcomputers, as well as telephone networks including the public switched
network and leased-line private networks.

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REVIEW OF THE STUDY.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY & ITS ROLE IN THE MODERN ORGANIZATION.
Information technology (it) 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, it 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 companies, 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.
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
DATA MANAGEMENT.

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The days of large file rooms, rows of filing cabinets and the mailing
of documents is fading fast. Today, most companies 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.
MANAGEMENT INFORMATION 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. Management
information systems (MIS) enable companies to track sales data, expenses
and productivity levels.
CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT.

Companies are using it 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.

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DATA COLLECTION.

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FINDINGS.
SIGNIFICANCE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY.

The S&E community developed IT, in many cases for S&E

applications. Scientists and engineers have been among the earliest and
most intensive users of many IT applications. It is not surprising that IT has
played a major role in the practice of S&E and in the evolution of S&E
institutions.
IT AND R&D
IT has provided new tools for the simulation and modeling of complex
natural, social, and engineering systems. It has enabled new methods of
data collection and has made possible the creation of massive, complex, and
shared data sets. It has changed the way scientific knowledge is stored and
communicated. IT has facilitated the sharing of computational resources and
scientific instruments among scientists and engineers in different locations
and has aided communication and collaboration among large groups of
researchers.
MODELING AND SIMULATION
Modeling and simulation have become powerful complements to
theory and experimentation in advancing knowledge in many areas of S&E.
Simulations allow researchers to run virtual experiments when actual
experiments would be impractical or impossible. As computer power grows,
simulations can be made more complex, and new classes of problems can be
realistically simulated. Simulation is contributing to major advances in
weather and climate prediction, computational biology, plasma science, highenergy physics, cosmology, materials research, and combustion, among
other areas. New visualization techniques for displaying simulation data in
comprehensible formats have played an important role.
IT AND DATA
IT has long been important in collecting, storing, and sharing scientific
information. More recently, IT has enabled automated collection of data. For
example, automated gene sequencers, which use robotics to process
samples and computers to manage, store, and retrieve data, have made
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possible the rapid sequencing of the human genome, which in turn has
resulted in unprecedented expansion of genomic databases (Sinclair 1999).
In many scientific fields, data increasingly are collected in digital form, which
facilitates analysis, storage, and dissemination. For example, seismic data
used to measure earthquakes were once recorded on paper or film but now
are usually recorded digitally, making it possible for scientists around the
world to analyze the data quickly.

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CONCLUSION.
IT continues to develop rapidly as the key underlying technologies of
semiconductors, disk drives, and network communications improve at
exponential rates. Constant improvements in the underlying technologies
make possible new IT applications that affect all areas of society, including
the economy, households, government, and the R&D enterprise.

Throughout society, the utility of IT applications tends to advance

much more slowly than the underlying technologies. A doubling of processing
speeds, for example, does not bring a doubling of utility. The effective
implementation and use of IT are the result of a complex process that
requires not only adoption of a technology but also changes in organizations
and institutions. As part of this process, individuals and organizations
actively adapt (and sometimes resist) the technologies.
As a result, the effects of IT on society often take place more slowly
than visionaries predict. Nevertheless, the effectsdriven by the continual
change in underlying technologiesare substantial over time.
IT, as defined in this chapter, reflects the combination of three key
technologies: digital computing, data storage, and the ability to transmit
digital signals through telecommunications networks.
Rapid changes in semiconductor technology, information storage,
and networking, combined with advances in software, have enabled new
applications, cost reductions, and the widespread diffusion of IT. The
expanding array of applications makes IT more useful and further fuels the
expansion of IT.

A fourth trend is the ever-increasing array of applications that make IT

more useful. Computers were originally used primarily for data processing.
As they became more powerful and convenient, applications expanded. Word
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processing, spreadsheets, and database programs were among the early

minicomputer and PC applications. Over the past two decades, innovations in
software have enabled applications to expand to include educational
software, desktop publishing, computer-aided design and manufacturing,
games, modeling and simulation, networking and communications software,
electronic mail, the World Wide Web, digital imaging and photography, audio
and video applications, electronic commerce applications, groupware, file
sharing, search engines, and many others. The growth and diversity of
applications greatly increase the utility of IT, leading to its further expansion.

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RECOMMENDATION.

IT AND INNOVATION
In addition to its interactions with R&D, IT influences several other
elements of the innovation process, including the market environment for
and the organization of innovation. The Council of Economic Advisers (2001)
notes that the U.S. economy in the late 1990s was characterized by the high
rate of technological innovation and by the central role of IT. The council
observes that innovation in the "new" economy appears to have changed in
several ways, including the intense competition and positive feedback that
drive innovation, the mechanisms for financing innovation, the sources of
R&D, and the innovation process itself. IT is involved in each of these
changes, and many of the changes are most visible in the IT sector.

MARKET ENVIRONMENT FOR INNOVATION

The rapid pace of technological advances, together with the

expectation that this pace will continue (see sidebar, "Moore's Law"), has led
to an environment in which companies in most industries know they must
continually innovate. As noted above, intense competition and feedback
drive the development and adoption of new technologies. The availability of
one technology stimulates demand for complementary technologies, which
in turn lowers production costs and encourages further demand for the initial
technology.
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The Internet may be stimulating innovation by forcing many

industries to innovate. For example, in the food industry, the fact that some
companies are using electronic procurement is forcing others to do the same
(Hollingsworth 1999). In some cases, IT may increase competition simply by
making markets more global and bringing firms in contact with more
competitors.
The rapid improvement in IT has created opportunities in new
applications such as secure Web servers or e-commerce software, which in
turn create opportunities for new businesses. New forms of business activity
(such as electronic marketplaces) and new IT-enabled business processes
present many opportunities for innovation. Labor markets tend to be cyclical.
In response to the tight conditions in the IT labor market during 19962000,
wage increases attracted more people to the field, and many initiatives
around the country were set up to help expand the IT workforce. Slower
growth and even layoffs in the IT industry have also reduced demand for IT
workers.

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BIBLOGRAPHY.
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Education.
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Allen, T., and M.S. Morton, eds. 1994. Information Technology and the
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Alpar, P., and M. Kim. 1991. "A Microeconomic Approach to the Measurement
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Ante, S.E., with A. Borrus and R.D. Hof. 2001. "In Search of the Net's Next Big
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Autor, D., L. Katz, and A. Krueger. 1997. "Computing Inequality: Have

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Crisis. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution Press.
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Associates.

ANNEXURES.
QUESTIONAIRE.
1. Do Use Information Technology?
Yes

No

2. Is Using Information Technology Beneficial At Your Workplace.

Yes
No
3. Do Use Of Information Technology Makes Work Easy?
Yes
No
4. Is Using Information Technology Time Consuming?
Yes
No
5. Information Technology Is Important In Every Departments.
Yes

No

6. Do It Help In Decision Making?

Yes

No

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7. Do It Help At Operational Level?

Yes

No

8. Do It Help In Research And Developing New Products?

Yes

No

9. Do Information Technology Help In Management?

Yes

No

10. Information Technology Is Very Important In Any Organization For Smooth

Functioning?
Yes

No
THANK YOU.

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