Expected trends in information communication and media technology sectors

¶ … Icmt

In a competitive environment, one thrives based on their ability to build a competitive edge over their competitors. ICMT is one way through which organizations today gain competitive advantage in their respective industries. The term ICMT basically stands for the various tools and resources used in communication within the organization. Today, ICMT is used to a significant extent in various sectors including healthcare, business, and entertainment. It is expected that as more and more people purchase mobile devices, and the internet becomes more accessible, organizations will make huge profits from online activities and sales. This will, however, depend on how well they can address the risks of information security breaches and environmental damage. Environmentalists warn that increased use of computers and other electronic devices come at a cost to the environment. This text analyzes the expected trends in the ICMT sector, and the threats and opportunities presented to organizations by these trends. It also suggests ways through which organizations could maximize on the opportunities while minimizing the threat posed by the identified risks so as to be able to take full advantage of the projected trends.

Introduction

ICMT is an integral component of organizations today, supporting multiple segments in the economy, and providing benefits to homes, businesses and individuals. The ICMT industry has recorded significant progress over the last decades, evolving from the plain old telephone service (POTS) to advanced wireless and fiber optic technologies. Experts are of the view that despite this large extent of evolution, the ICMT industry is still largely immature, and significant opportunities exist in growth and innovation (Andersen & Coffey, 2012). We can, therefore, expect to see the multiplier effect of ICMT throughout specific industry sectors increase over the coming decades. ICMT is an element of ICT, which currently contributes approximately $1 trillion dollars to the U.S.' GDP and an estimated $400 billion in benefits to other sectors that rely on ICT directly (Andersen & Coffey, 2012). It is estimated that the ICT sector's contributions to GDP have risen by 25% since the 1990s (Andersen & Coffey, 2012). A study by the National Research Council in fact showed that the ICT sector accounted for approximately 25% of economic growth in the U.S. between 1995 and 2007 (Andersen & Coffey, 2012). This is sufficient indication that ICT has been a significant driver of economic growth since the 1990s. Worryingly, however, most researchers have focused on the evolution and growth of the ICT sector as a whole, leaving a lot to be desired in relation to the contribution of specific elements of ICT such as ICMT. This text seeks to address this knowledge gap by providing insight on how ICMT has developed and evolved in the U.S. over the years, and the risks and opportunities that it poses to organizations and business ventures.

What is ICMT?

The term ICMT is derived from two core terminologies -- information communication technology and media technology. ICT (information communication technologies) refers to the various tools and resources that are used to create, manage, store, and disseminate information. They include computers, broadcasting technologies (radio and television), and telephony. Information communication technologies, however, have one major technological limitation -- they are not able to deliver all forms of media. Television, for instance, could deliver information in video and sound form, but not text; moreover, a radio could deliver sound, but no video (Croteau, Hoynes & Milan, 2011). This is where media technologies come in -- these are communication technologies that allow for the delivery of all forms of media: live, text, sound, picture, video, and interactive. Towards this end, information communication and media technologies refer to the various tools of communication that allow for the delivery of live, still photos, sound, and print forms of media (Croteau et al., 2011). Examples include email, instant messaging and social networking sites.

Components of ICMT

The term ICMT is a composite term, which embodies four fundamental concepts: information, communication, media and technology. Gray (2012) posits that in order to understand the term effectively, one needs to have a perfect understanding of the aforementioned four components.

Information can be defined simply as processed data, or that which aids in the making of decisions. Waterville and Gilbert (2000) define it as a potentially useful fact capable of causing the human mind to change its view or opinion.

Communication refers to the transfer of information from one person to another, with the aim of getting them to accept a particular opinion (Waterville & Gilbert, 2000). Communication is a process requiring a sender, a receiver, a language and a code that is understandable to both the sender and receiver. Communication is said to have taken place when the sender's action produces a reaction from the receiver (Waterville & Gilbert, 2000).

Media stands for the various tools and resources used in the transmission and dissemination of information from the sender to the receiver. Communication media could take one of two forms: a) analog -- the conventional telephonic, television and radio broadcasts; and b) digital -- telegraphy and computer-mediated communication. The most commonly used media for communication include fiber optics, communication satellites, microwave transmission, coaxial cable, and wire pairs (Waterville & Gilbert, 2000). Communication media act as channels for communication, linking various computing devices so that they may interact with each other and share information.

The final component of ICMT is technology. This can be defined as the use of scientific knowledge to assist human beings in eliminating things that impede them from living comfortably. In this context, technology refers to the specific gadgets that are used in communication, including radio, television, GSM handsets, cell phones, telephone, computers, GPS (global positioning systems), and smart phones. It is these technologies that are linked together through communication media in order for information to flow.

Elements of an ICMT System

Any ICMT system comprises of five basic elements: people, data, information, hardware and software.

People: people are responsible for supplying data into the ICMT system and at the same time making decisions and judgments about the output information supplied by the system (Doyle, 2008).

Data: this is the raw material entered into the system, and which is later processed into information (Doyle, 2008).

Information: this is the output from the ICMT system; the result of data processing (Doyle, 2008).

Hardware: the physical components that comprise the system, including input devices (scanners, mouse, keyboards); output devices (plotters, printers, screens); storage devices (hard drives, memory); and tangible communication media used in the transmission of information such as coaxial cables (Doyle, 2008).

Software: the computer programs and applications that carry out the actual job. They include email, spreadsheets, and word processing software (Doyle, 2008).

Expected Trends in ICMT in the U. S

Increased Focus on Green ICT: ICMT has certainly changed the way we conduct business and live our lives; however, it has done so at a cost (Saha, 2014). Each stage of a computer or mobile device's life, from its production, through to its use and disposal has some effect on the environment (Saha, 2014). Manufacturing such devices consumes electricity, water, and harmful chemicals, and in turn generates hazardous wastes (Saha, 2014). It is estimated, for instance, that a single PC generates about a ton of carbon dioxide every year (Saha, 2014). As more and more people purchase smart phones and other mobile devices over the coming years, the extent of damage to the environment can be expected to go up (Saha, 2014). The government is taking steps to minimize this; and as such, we could expect to see organizations shift towards green ICT (Saha, 2014).

Green ICT can be defined as the adoption of practices and technologies "that will lead to more sustainable computing with the goal of reducing carbon emissions and energy usage" (OSEC Business Network, 2011, p. 7). Experts estimate that globally, investment in greener data centers will rise from $3.8 billion in 2010 to $13.8 billion in 2016 as organizations strive to undercut each other in green ICT investment (OSEC Business Network, 2011). Towards this end, we could begin to see organizations make huge investments in power management and server visualization technologies as a way of reducing emissions resulting from ICMT use (OSEC Business Network, 2011).

ICMT in Entertainment: with the increasing number of people who own smart phones and other mobile devices, one could expect some major changes in ICMT investment in the entertainment and gaming industry (OSEC Business Network, 2011). Experts posit that we, for instance, could expect to see an increase in wireless games over the coming years (OSEC Business Network, 2011).

Increase in Wireless Infrastructure: in 2011, the Obama administration committed to making high-speed wireless infrastructure available to all Americans regardless of where they live and work (The White House, 2011). The president committed to making more airwaves available for enhanced smart phones and other wireless devices, so that more and more Americans are able to use the internet to play, work, and learn (The White House, 2011). With this, we could expect to see more and more organizations conduct research and development in wireless technology, and invest in the same as a way of taking advantage of the president's offer. One could, therefore, expect to see huge investments in enhanced smart phones and wireless-enabled mobile devices over the coming years.

Risks and Opportunities for Businesses and Organizations

The expected trends discussed in the preceding section present both risks and opportunities for businesses and organizations in the U.S.

Opportunities

Expanded Operations: the increased availability of wireless networks is deemed to make the internet more accessible to a larger faction of the population. This translates to a wider online market for goods and services, and expanded ecommerce spending. Businesses could use this opportunity to make themselves known to customers outside their geographical locations through the World Wide Web and social media sites. Moreover, they could use this expanded online presence to make their products known across the country.

Increased Efficiency: the movement towards green ICT accords organizations an opportunity to gain competitive advantage over their competitors by designing their ICMT systems in such a way that they cause minimal or no damage to the environment. This they could do through the following strategies:

i) Green Use: using information systems and computers in an environmentally-sound manner, and reducing their energy consumption (Saha, 2014).

ii) Green Disposal: recycling, reusing and refurbishing old, unwanted computers and mobile devices (Saha, 2014).

iii) Green Design: choosing environmentally-sound, energy efficient computers, servers and mobile devices as indicated by the number of energy-rating stars on the equipment (Saha, 2014).

iv) Green Manufacturing: designing their manufacturing systems for computers and associated subsystems in such a way that they have minimal or no impact on the environment (Saha, 2014).

In so doing, organizations will be able to increase their overall efficiency, with lower energy costs, and huge savings on government taxes as a result of following government policies on the environment (Saha, 2014). Moreover, such organizations are deemed to enjoy a competitive edge because as Saha (2014) points out, customers will often consider a service provider's environmental initiatives and records when making purchasing, outsourcing or leasing decisions.

Risks

The greatest risk is likely to face organizations over the coming years is information privacy and security. With the internet more easily accessible, more and more operations will begin to be conducted online, and more customers will begin to shop via virtual platforms. Customers will provide their contact details, addresses, account numbers, and other personal details to be able to conduct their shopping and make payment online. Organizations are deemed to face a serious information security risk with this kind of information in their systems. The risk of cyber-attacks is high in such cases, and an organization stands to lose both credibility and customer loyalty should it fall prey to security breaches.

To minimize this risk, organizations will need to invest heavily in information security technologies such as encryption software. They will also need to educate their customers on how to ensure their own security when shopping online. Only then will they be able to take full advantage of the opportunities outlined earlier.

Conclusion

In a competitive marketplace, success is determined by one's ability to gain an edge over their competitors. Investing in ICMT is one way through which the modern-day organization gains a competitive edge over its competitors. Information communication and media technologies (ICMT) refer to the various tools of communication that allow for the delivery of live, still photos, sound, and print forms of media. Today, ICMT is used in the organizational setting for a variety of functions including payroll, stock control, order processing, purchasing, accountancy, banking, and ecommerce. Its use is expected to become more prominent over the coming years as more and more people purchase smart phones and other mobile devices, and as the internet becomes more accessible. More and more people will begin to shop online, implying that organizations stand immense opportunities for increasing their scales of operation and expanding outside their geographical localities. Moreover, with the current shift towards green ICT, organizations could build a competitive edge by designing their ICMT systems in such a way that they cause minimal or no damage to the economy. Organizations stand to increase their profitability with the projected trends in the ICMT industry. However, they are also deemed to face some serious information security risks. In order to take full advantage of the opportunities presented by the projected trends, organizations will need to invest in customer awareness programs and information security technologies to minimize the threat posed by the identified risks.