Information Technology Definition and Curriculum

Definition What is IT? What is ICT?

IT/ICT http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_and_communication_technologies IT or ICT is the branch of engineering the use of computers and telecommunications http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_difference_between_ICT_and_IT http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/I/ICT.html ICT stands for 'Information and Communication Technology'. IT stands for 'Information Technology'. The two are very similar. The main difference is that IT is more widely used within industry, whereas ICT is applied to the academic and education side and used in places of learning http://www.unescobkk.org/education/ict/technologies/ : what is ICT technology that are used to transmit, store, create, display, share or exchange information by electronic means. This broad definition of ICT includes such technologies as radio, television, video, DVD, telephone (both fixed line and mobile phones), satellite systems, computer and network hardware and software; as well as the equipment and services associated with these technologies, such as videoconferencing, e-mail and blogs.

Computing Curriculum Computer Engineering Computer Science Information Systems Information Technology Software Engineering Source: A cooperative project of The Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) The Association for Information Systems (AIS) The Computer Society (IEEE-CS) 30 September 2005 Copyright © 2006 by ACM and IEEE. All rights reserved.

What are these different kinds of computing degree programs? How are they similar? How do they differ? The computing curricula volumes can be found at http://www.acm.org/education/curricula.html and http://computer.org/curriculum IT Curriculum 2008 is available --- open here CS 2008 is available --- here IS Curriculum 2010 --- open here

This major contextual change has several factors driving it, including: Complex globally distributed information systems development – Web technologies and development - mature Emergence of a new architectural paradigm – Service-oriented architecture, Web services, software-as-a-service, and cloud computing are all important elements in the new way of organizing the fundamental architecture for computer-based systems ERP/packaged software – Information systems and business processes have become closely integrated, and increasingly often, core infrastructure applications are based on large-scale enterprise systems. ERP (enterprise resource planning) Ubiquitous mobile computing – Global organizational life using a variety of devices has become dependent on mobile and ubiquitous platforms. IT control and infrastructure frameworks – Frameworks and standards such as COBIT, ITIL, and ISO 17799 have become very important sources of guidance for IT/IS practices in organizations through governance models.

Computing Curriculum

What Is Computing? Any goal-oriented activity requiring, benefiting from, or creating computers Computing includes designing and building hardware and software systems for a wide range of purposes; processing, structuring, and managing various kinds of information; doing scientific studies using computers; making computer systems behave intelligently; creating and using communications and entertainment media; finding and gathering information relevant to any particular purpose, and so on. Computing also has other meanings For example, an information systems specialist will view computing somewhat differently from a software engineer.

Information technology programs began in the late 1990s During the 1990s, computers became essential work tools at every level of most organizations, and networked computer systems became the information backbone of organizations While this improved productivity, it also created new workplace dependencies as problems in the computing infrastructure can limit employees’ ability to do their work. IT departments within corporations and other organizations took on the new job of ensuring that the organization’s computing infrastructure was suitable, that it worked reliably, and that people in the organization had their computing-related needs met, problems solved, etc.

CE (Computer Engineering) concerned design and construction of computers and computer-based systems It involves the study of hardware, software, communications, and the interaction among them Its curriculum focuses on the theories, principles, and practices of traditional electrical engineering and mathematics and applies them to the problems of designing computers and computer-based devices Study software development, focusing on software for digital devices and their interfaces with users and other devices CE has a strong engineering flavor Currently, a dominant area within computing engineering is embedded systems, For example, devices such as cell phones, digital audio players, digital video recorders, alarm systems, x-ray machines, and laser surgical tools all require integration of hardware and embedded software and all are the result of computer engineering

CS (Computer Science) Computer science spans a wide range: developments in robotics, computer vision, intelligent systems, bioinformatics, and other exciting areas The work of computer scientists as falling into three categories They design and implement software: challenging programming jobs. CS researchers are working with scientists from other fields to make robots become practical and intelligent aides, to use databases to create new knowledge, and to use computers to help decipher the secrets of our DNA. Computer science spans the range from theory through programming

IS (Information System) IS focus on integrating information technology solutions and business processes to meet the information needs of businesses Understand both technical and organizational factors serve as an effective bridge between the technical and management communities within an organization A majority of Information Systems (IS) programs are located in business schools. All IS degrees combine business and computing coursework. For example, programs in Computer Information Systems usually have the strongest technology focus, while programs in Management Information Systems emphasize the organizational and behavioral aspects of IS.

IT (Information Technology) IT is often used to refer to all of computing. degree programs that prepare students to meet the computer technology needs of business, government, healthcare, schools, and other kinds of organizations The systems must work properly, be secure, and upgraded, maintained, and replaced as appropriate possess the right combination of knowledge and practical, hands-on expertise to take care of both an organization’s information technology infrastructure and the people who use it IT specialists assume responsibility for selecting hardware and software products appropriate for an organization, integrating those products with organizational needs and infrastructure, and installing, customizing, and maintaining those applications for the organization’s computer users Examples of these responsibilities: the installation of networks; network administration and security; the design of web pages; the development of multimedia resources; the installation of communication components; the oversight of email systems; and the planning and management of the technology lifecycle by which an organization’s technology is maintained, upgraded, and replaced

SE (Software Engineering) SE is the discipline of developing and maintaining software systems integrate the principles of mathematics and computer science with the engineering practices learn more about software reliability and maintenance and focus more on techniques for developing and maintaining software that is correct from its inception

Knowledge Area CE CS IS IT SE