What exactly is IT?

If you think about Information Technology the first thing that comes to your mind are usually computers. But what does information technlogy and what exactly is IT?

Considering the Oxford Dictionary, IT is “the study or use of systems (esp. computers, telecommunications, etc.) for storing, retrieving and sending information”. Consequently, information is generated, transported and emitted with the help of technology – for example as measurement or language data, pictures or videos. IT describes a lot more though than calculating, storing, transmitting, more than electrical engineering and computer science. You could call it the “interface between humans and machines” that is integral in present economy and science.

Higher standards of living

Not only stock markets or big banks rely on IT, but also a lot of multimedia devices like laptops, MP3 players and machinery for production run with IT-support. Day in day out we come across IT: we use electricity and water for cooking and washing, with our smartphones we connect with friends, navigation systems lead our ways, we pay cashless with our credit cards, use public transport, doctors connect us to highly professional machines and a lot of devices support us at home – the everyday life becomes a lot easier and more comfortable. Engineers continuously develop new concepts and products at attractive business locations. The IT service sector grows steadily and this trend is expected to continue in the future. It is one of the keystones of the smart-city-development. Using innovative solutions in order to help to go easy on resources and raw materials is the quintessence of a smart city in times of worldwide climate change.

The city of Vienna takes a pioneering role in IT. About 54.000 people are responsible for innovations and a smooth workflow in IT-companies. The initiative “Digital City Wien” demonstrated on September 16^th where IT can be found in our everyday live and how important this branch is for us. Whoever wanted to set a sign for IT, ordered a free “I like IT”- shirt. The goal was to combine networking and to create new points of access for the society, taking into consideration today’s demands on energy efficiency. This concerns for example the user-behaviour-oriented transport mobility, energy-saving building structures or technical innovation in the healthcare sector. More information about that flashmob, is visible here.

Different funds support (pilot) projects and start-ups, we will be happy to consult you.

Foto credits: JD Hancock via Flickr