Information technology (
IT) is a term used to define a very
broad group of related
ideas,
practices and
technology. It is generally defined as the ensemble of technologies (be they
hardware or
software) used to create, maintain, exchange and explore information. This information may be of almost any
conceivable kind:
text,
video,
voice,
multimedia. In business, the term is most often used to describe
telephone and
computer technology, and their
interface. As the
information revolution marches onward, however, IT professionals will work on nearly any project which deals with information of any kind.
IT is more of a paradigm than a physical object or easily definable idea. In modern business practices, technology is being used (and being sold) to marry information from what were previously separate sources. Consultants and IT professionals will often stress the need for a good IT strategy in order to connect all the information within a company together, creating a synergy between different areas and hopefully both improving efficiency and the ability of the company to respond to challenges and innovate.
If this w/u seems really vague, it is partly by intention. As with many other terms used in the business world, the definition of IT is loose. Make work projects, and all that. Also, what do I know; I'm just an academic who stumbled upon a nodeshell. I hope someone else will supercede this.