Review Questions
1. Define what is encompassed in the term information technology.
Information technology includes both the computer technology that enables the processing and storing of information as well as the communication technology that enables the transmission of this information.
2. What are some of the ways that IT has become “pervasive”?
In the workplace, IT has become commonplace. It is becoming rare for an employee in most industries to go a day without interacting with some form of IT. Further, more employees are becoming reliant upon IT for some of their daily tasks or even may perform the majority of their daily work using IT.
However, IT has not only become pervasive in the workplace: IT can also commonly be found in the home and in public areas. In fact, by the end of the 1990s, these technologies had become so commonplace that airplane passengers today are instructed as to when the use of computers and cellular phones are and are not permitted. Airports, cafes, and other public locations are also already offering wireless network access, which make possible access to other individuals and computer networks while walking down a hallway or eating lunch.
Further, for some individuals, their social life is facilitated by or completely dependent upon IT. Cell phones, text messages, blogs, social networking websites, emails, web cams, online games, virtual worlds, and other forms of digital communication have become more pervasive in recent years and have replaced some face-to-face social interaction.
3. What kinds of portable IT can help employees work more efficiently and effectively?
Today’s portable technologies allow employees to work outside of the confines of physical offices – at home, at a client organization, or on the road. Lightweight portable microcomputers and handheld devices have become so useful and affordable that they have become indispensable