Information technology provides basic knowledge about the main components of information technology: hardware and software, networks and data. Today, almost all types of organizations are increasingly dependent on information technology to achieve their strategic and operational objectives. Over the past decade, business systems have expanded to provide a secure electronic connection with sellers and buyers, and the Internet has become a primary channel for business transactions and communications.

As a regular user of various computing and communication devices, you are probably already aware of some of the innovations in computing systems and networks that have been introduced by IT vendors in recent years. Extremely rapid technological change makes it difficult to correctly guess the IT innovations that will be “winners” tomorrow, and significant mispredictions about technologies have been widespread in the past. However, it seems safe to predict that computing and communication devices will continue to affect almost every aspect of our lives.

Microcomputer technology became available as early as the 1970s, and the introduction of the first IBM PC in 1981 was the beginning of desktop computing. Today, desktop computers, laptops, and tablets produced by manufacturers around the world have become commoditized with excessive processing power equivalent to the entire computer center of an organization from the 1960s. The typical computer, laptop, or tablet that people use today has graphical icons, point-and-click and/or touchscreen navigation, and preloaded software to access the Internet, all at a price less than what the same features would have cost. 12 months earlier, with better protection against computer viruses. The features like; Portability and wireless capabilities, lightweight laptops, notebooks and tablets are becoming increasingly important and are replacing larger desktop machines in today’s offices. They can be taken to meetings, on business trips, and used at home to remotely connect to office systems.

Smaller devices have also continued to improve in functionality and have become indispensable tools for accessing email and other applications in and out of the office, on the manufacturing floor, as well as on hospital premises. In mid-2007, Apple Computer began selling a new smartphone (iPhone) with touchscreen navigation and scrolling, and simplified calling from an address book, email and text messaging, visual voicemail, video playback, and web browsing via Wi-Fi connectivity. Since then other IT manufacturers have been developing many other slimmer devices like; smartphones with similar features, and Apple has introduced a lightweight portable computer (the iPad) with a similar interface.