What is information technology?

Question

What is information technology?

Answer 1

We use the term information technology or IT to refer to an entire industry.

Actually information technology is the use of computers and software to manage information.

The information technology department of a large company would be responsible for storing information, protecting information, processing the information, transmitting the information as necessary, and later retrieving information as necessary.  

Answer 2

Backtracking the history of this term, it is what used to be called Information Services, Information Systems, Computer Support, etc. all the way back to Data Processing & Computer Engineering.  As the technology of computers has changed so has this career field.

Most people would think that the term only applies to the support technician they get when their computer gets hung up, but that would be wrong in the 'real' world of business.  Jobs in IT include both hardware & software support; relational database management - especially as systems are merged & need to share information & interfaces; web design; master data management; etc.

As telecommunications & computers merge together more, even more careers will be formed.  It is an ever-changing career field.