When you hear the phrase IT, you probably think of the techies at your company who fix the computer issues.
In reality, IT, or Information Technology, is much more than that. According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the term “information technology” has been around since 1958.
Each year, technology encompasses more and more of our daily lives, so what IT once meant has evolved over time. With IT adoption spanning across organizations, managed IT service provider software can be helpful in consistent monitoring, oversight into the entire IT infrastructure, on-demand IT support, and more.
You would be hard-pressed to find a company that doesn’t at least partially rely on computers, IT software, and the networks that connect them during their day-to-day tasks. Simply put, most businesses and organizations would crumble without functioning IT systems. So, what exactly is information technology?
Information Technology, or IT, is the study or use of computers and telecommunications to store, retrieve, transmit, or send data.
The term IT is commonly used as a synonym for computers and their networks, but it also encompasses other information distribution technologies, like television and smartphones. Essentially, IT refers to anything related to computing technology.
Whether you work in a large or small business, Information Technology will play a large role in your day-to-day tasks. Businesses use IT in three main ways: to support basic information processing tasks, help with decision-making, and support innovation.
For instance, when it comes to information processes, IT is used to streamline tasks from computing and printing payroll to creating presentations. IT also supports building websites for products and services.
When it comes to decision-making tasks, businesses should use IT to understand metrics like which customers have overdue accounts or when customers are showcasing shopping cart abandonment.
To support innovation, IT tools in the workplace allow for continued research on topics. Think about where we’d be without the internet. Honestly, it’s hard to fathom, but this tool is a vital aspect of information technology.
Here are some additional real-world use cases of information technology in business.
Related: Expand your vocabulary with our roundup of 70+ must-know cyber security terms and their definitions!
As a society, we have taken steps to embrace IT more than ever before. We see it almost everywhere, especially in online education, social networks , smartphones, job creation, agriculture, and entertainment.
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Whether you find yourself in a conventional workplace or not, you are bound to encounter and use Information Technology in varying aspects of your life. Some that you may encounter include:
Interested in learning more about IT software and how it applies to your daily life? Check out our roundup of the best IT software in the market!
When it comes to growing careers, jobs in Information Technology are skyrocketing. The field of IT encompasses a wide range of career paths, with some being more popular than others. Responsibilities range from keeping systems and data secure to making sure networks are up and running.
A career in IT offers a multitude of advantages, making it a highly sought-after field:
Related: Learn how to become a web developer and break into the field of IT!
No matter the role, those who work in IT need to be able to solve technology problems, both big and small.
Information technology is composed of several moving parts, and without it, we wouldn’t have some of our most-loved products and software programs. Whether you find yourself to be extremely tech-savvy or a novice in the realm of technology, chances are you can’t go a day without using some element of information technology.
Interested in learning more about the ins and outs of IT? Check out everything you need to know about cyber security and 13 cyber security tips from the experts!
This article was originally published in 2019. It has been updated with new information.
Mara Calvello is a Content Marketing Manager at G2. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Elmhurst College (now Elmhurst University). Mara works on our G2 Tea newsletter, while also writing content to support categories on artificial intelligence, natural language understanding (NLU), AI code generation, synthetic data, and more. In her spare time, she's out exploring with her rescue dog Zeke or enjoying a good book.
