¶ … Communications # Technologies #Organization Communication Technologies

What is Information Communications and Media Technology (ICMT)

ICMT is derived from two fundamental terminologies -- information communication technology and media technology. Information communication technologies refer to the resources and tools used to create, manage, store, and disseminate information (Gray, 2012). They include telephony, broadcasting technologies (television and radio), computers, and other technological media for communication. Each of these media has its technological limitations -- radio, for instance, could broadcast an event live, but one would only hear the sound and not be able to see the performers; similarly, a television would be able to deliver video and sound, but not text (Croteau, Hoynes & Milan, 2011). Media technologies are platforms of computer networks that allow for the delivery of all media forms; interactive, video, picture, sound, text and live (Croteau et al., 2011). Information communications and media technologies, therefore, refer to the various tools of creating, managing and disseminating information that allow for the delivery of print, sound, still photos, and live video forms of media. They include social media networks such as Facebook and Twitter, instant messaging, and email, to name but a few.

These technologies could be beneficial to an organization in a number of ways. First, they allow for the timely sharing of information. Through instant messaging...

This helps to ensure that work in the organization continues even in the absence of supervisors, and confusion/uncertainty does not interfere with the smooth flow of work when the supervisor is off-site.
Moreover, such services facilitate the process of knowledge transfer among team members at the workplace. For instance, team members are able to explore social contexts, negotiate work expectations and collaborate on teamwork even when they are away from the workplace. ICMTs are essentially able to overcome the spatial and temporal communication barriers often encountered in face-to-face interactions.

Through social media platforms, organizations are able to market their products better than they would have done on the traditional forms of information communication such as television, radio and print media. For instance, an organization can post a video on Facebook about their newly-launched product and allow fans to post comments or even share the same with other Facebook users who may not have had access to it. This helps the marketed product reach a wider network of people, and at the same time allows for a form of interactivity that may not be possible with the traditional forms of information communication.

Towards this end, organizations need to strive to expand the use of ICMTs within their organizations as well as in…