Information Technology Has Advanced a Long Way

¶ … Information technology has advanced a long way since its invention and in today's hi-tech world; IT is continuously enhancing its ways towards comforts and luxuries. New thoughts and ideas are coming with every passing second, and what started as only a blurred vision, now became a necessity for all mankind. In this essay, a glimpse of the journey of IT is provided from the start till present and its effects over individual and social aspects. The journey begins with the digitization in 1950s. It was the time when overall, every machine was operated on the analogue system and there were no signs of digital information and communication technology. The history begins with the invention of transistor in the year 1947, which converts analogue signals into digital signals of binary format and can be used in many ways in electronic circuits. This invention really embarked its name in the field of IT since as it was invented; many electronic devices started using it in the integrated circuits. Several government and private organizations set up their computer systems, but at this time, there was no concept of a personal computer hence digitization affects the mankind on the whole, by providing facilities and comfort on a large scale. But this was actually the time which leads towards the personal luxuries of mankind and globalization.

After a massive development in digitization, there came the era of data communication of 1970s. By the invention of digital technology, it has become possible to make several identical copies of a data and also digital signals can be amplified again and again by the use of the same circuit. In this era, the transfer and transmission of electronic data in the form of signals started by means of some transferring media, which include fiber optics, telephone cables, microwaves, electromagnetic waves etc. That was the era in which the use of digital media had started and the compact disks or floppy disks took the place of analogue media. Since the mode of transfer became too easy, the businesses began to expand and the impact of globalization started taking its shape by means of product development and growth. The individuals also took benefit from the entire scenario as the data transfer became easy and simple. But overall, the technology remained in the hands of technocrats and huge organizations and started paving its way towards individual comforts. Due to this advancement in the field of IT, several countries enforced laws of deregulation in the period of 1980s, in which the industry was granted permission in its operations so that the maximum benefits can be obtained. When the communication industry was granted this freedom, there was a flux in the field of IT and communication. A rapid development was seen in the variety of computer technology in organizational, social and individual lives. Several telecommunication companies came on front and offered a wide range of products and services to the customers, producing a broad vision of information and communication activities. This led the developed countries towards economic development and individuals from such countries took full advantages of the situation. There were more job openings in the sector than ever, and people liked to become a part of fast pacing technological society. During this era, the computers became a household in millions of homes and it becomes necessary for everyone to have some knowledge of the computer operations to get a good job. This scenario led towards the most beneficial invention of the last century, internet.