Information Technology (IT)

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The field of information technology (IT for short) is often associated with the computer systems, hardware, software, and networks related to the processing and distribution of data. These include networking hardware, such as servers and routers, and applications that allow communication over various networks and the Internet at large. 

The first "modern" use of the term "information technology" was in a 1958 Harvard Business Review article defining IT as technology that falls into one of three categories:

• Techniques for processing
• The application of statistical and mathematical methods to decision-making
• The simulation of higher-order thinking through computer programs

Current definitions refine the scope to the computer systems, hardware, software, and networks related to the processing and distribution of data.

Organizational units that handle computer systems, hardware, software, and networks related to the processing and distribution of data are often called IT departments. Some organizations refer to their IT departments as IS (information systems) or MIS (management information systems).

Over the decades, IT technicians' primary focus has been on designing, installing, managing, and troubleshooting computers and networking components. In recent years, the scope of IT has been shifting to more than just computers, switches, routers, and access points.

Today, it's LED lighting, cameras, door locks, thermostats, machine monitoring controls, TVs, and even air conditioners--come under the purview of IT.