Information technology is among many important aspects of technology. The number of people moving towards the field of IT has been increasing rapidly due to the increased demand for skilled IT professionals in almost every sector of the modern world. What has made IT, such a vast sector? What are the various job opportunities available in this sector? How is IT related to the software industry? These are a few questions among many that rise in our minds. Let us explore what does IT stand for in software industry.
What Does IT Stand For In The Software Industry?
The acronym IT stand for Information Technology in software industry. It deals with everything related to modern communication and information processing. It plays a crucial role in today’s human life, right from chatting with friends to securing communication with space stations.
What do IT people do?
We cannot see IT which stand for Information technology in software industry from a single perspective. It cannot be narrowed down to a single aspect, rather, it is an umbrella of so many job roles. We all need to communicate in one way or the other in our daily life. IT (Information Technology) makes things easier for us. Though it is hard to constrain the huge scope of IT, I have listed the basic functions of the IT industry below.
Generation of Information
For information to be transferred, it should be created first. To explain more accurately, IT has a responsibility of collecting information from all around the world. This is made possible through sophisticated technologies such as satellites. This information can be anything. For instance, the temperature at each point of the globe is a useful set of information that can be processed to find out the rate of global warming.
To get a clear understanding, one needs to know the difference between data and information. Data is unorganized and meaningless. It is raw which provides no use. Information is extracted from raw data by IT professionals which provides a useful meaning.
Creative people are required to create new information.
Analyzing and Processing Information
When we get useful information from a data source, it is now time to process it. The IT job roles that involve this phase of analyzing information are in huge demand right now. For instance, a big data engineer is responsible for storing and managing a colossal amount of data.
Knowledge of Probability and statistics is essential for getting extremely beneficial data about data which is also called metadata. This knowledge builds the fundamentals of Artificial Intelligence which is based on the idea of machine learning. This amazing strategy predicts the future by analyzing data from the past.
Storing and Manipulating Data
IT professionals are also responsible for the secure storage of data. Data needs to be stored in a way such that it is easy to access any piece of data at any instance. A technology called DBMS (Data Base Management System) comes into play here.
People specialized in database management and mining will have the ability to add, delete and modify the data in a database in an efficient way. Data miners validate the changes that have been made to data.
Networking
Another major responsibility of IT is to transmit information from one place to another. This concept can be well explained with the working of the internet. Files meant to be publicly accessed are stored in specialized computers called servers. These servers serve files whenever asked for by a client computer.
IT professionals are responsible for setting up and maintaining this complex network. So that, people can communicate 24/7 without any interruption.
Various Roles of IT
Information Technology has become inevitable in this digital age. It is indeed very hard to find spots where IT doesn’t play a role. Let me discuss some of the major roles of IT.
- It is used by the meteorological department to collect information about the weather in any part of the globe. Hence, IT plays a crucial role in weather forecasting.
- It is also the base for space exploration. Without establishing communication channels, we can’t reach beyond earth.
- Another important role of IT is automation and robotics. The need for manpower can be reduced with the emergence of powerful automated machines and robots.
- With huge advances in technology, the threats and crimes associated with these technologies have also increased. Cybersecurity, a subdomain, of IT is dedicated to protecting information from reaching the wrong hands. Thus, information security is another application of IT.
- It also helps people in the medical field. Doctors now do surgeries, collaborating with foreign medical specialists with the help of sophisticated video conferencing and other ways of real-time communication.
Pros and Cons in IT Job
Pros in IT Job Roles
Job roles in IT are countless. Let us take a look at some of the benefits you get, from working as an IT professional.
- You get work-from-home opportunities exclusively in IT.
- Freelancing is another way of working at your own pace. If you have the necessary skills, you can take on projects from different companies in your interest.
- It offers a high salary for most of its job titles.
- You may get onsite opportunities which will give a chance for you to visit foreign countries.
Cons in IT Job Roles
Like any other field, the IT industry comes with its disadvantages. Some of them are as follows:-
- A job in IT means that you are supposed to spend all of your working time in front of a computer. This increased screen time may affect one’s health in a long run.
- The private sector dominates this field. When you work in a private company, you must always have a backup plan. Because when companies run out of the project, they initiate mass layoffs. This creates a threat to job security. However, if you are skilled, you could thrive in this field forever.
Conclusion
Information Technology provides an ocean of opportunities. It only takes the right skill set to enter the field and achieve something great. The software industry depends on Information Technology for almost all the phases involved in Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC).
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the difference between software development and IT?
It includes domains apart from developing software. Software development is assisted by information technology. Since software development requires the processing of information, IT has become an integral part of software development.
- What is the scope of IT other than software development?
You can work on communication systems and networks which are away from but related to software development. You can also work in jobs involving communication with customers.
