Information technology and information handling

During the last twenty years, the techniques for information handing - information technology- have developed very considerably. Information Technology (IT) involves a combination computer techniques, telecommunication techniques and electronics that is used in the production, distribution, storing and retrieval of information. The main features of the developments within the field of information technology are :

• Increased computer power - resulting in quicker and cheaper computer handling
• Cheaper storage media, for example, optical media such as CD-ROM (Compact Disc-Read Only Memory)
• The digitalisation of information - text, pictures, speech, sound and video - facilitating the integration of different types of information
• Increased use of networks - local, national and international - for data transmission and greater network capacity
• Smaller apparatus
• Increased dependability of hardware and software
• facilitate information handling, while at the same time increasing the number of choices and thereby making searching more complex.

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