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1 Evolution of Information Technology and Its Impact on Society Acknowledgment We are very grateful & thankful to Almighty ALLAH. Our Entire group members worked real hard and a special thanks to Mr. IRFAN ALI, who always, showed us the way with a lot of energy and enthusiasm. And we would like to mention the support of our parents without them we are nothing… so we dedicate this file to our PARENTS… because they undoubtedly supported us throughout …

Evolution of Information Technology and Its Impact on Society

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Page 1: Evolution of Information Technology and Its Impact on Society

1 Evolution of Information Technology and Its Impact on Society

Acknowledgment

We are very grateful & thankful to Almighty ALLAH. Our Entire group members worked real hard and a special thanks to Mr. IRFAN ALI, who always, showed us the way with a lot of energy and enthusiasm.

And we would like to mention the support of our parents without them we are nothing… so we dedicate this file to our PARENTS… because they undoubtedly supported us throughout …

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2 Evolution of Information Technology and Its Impact on Society

Abstract

In simple words ‘I.T’ means collection, storage, dissimilation and use of information. Not confined to hardware & software but acknowledgement of importance of man & the goals he sets to the technology.

The scientific technological & engineering disciplines & the management techniques used in information handling & processing their application, computer & their interpretation with man, machines and associated social, economical & cultural matters are covered in I.T.

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Introduction

Information Technology is the:“Study, design, development, implementation, support or management of computer-based information systems, particularly software applications and computer hardware"

I.T deals with the use of electronic computers and computer software to convert, store, protect, process, transmit, and securely retrieve information.

When computer and communications technologies are combined, the result is information technology, or "InfoTech". Information Technology (I.T) is a general term that describes any technology that helps to produce, manipulate, store, communicate, and/or disseminate information. Presumably, when speaking of Information Technology (I.T) as a whole, it is noted that the use of computers and information are associated.

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BackgroundData leads to information, information leads to knowledge, knowledge leads to wisdom, & wisdom is the key to existence of human civilizations.

Our need of accuracy & revolution towards processing of information has led us to ‘Information Revolution’. Computers and IT tools can take humans to the peak of new millennium or destroy human civilization.

Major activities that expedited the information age:

a. In 1820’s Charles Babbage invented the ever first computer called Babbage machine. It was based on mechanical gears & discs. This was the first step of human mankind towards computer.

b. From 1890 to 1900, abundant and rapid development of electricity. In 1928, electron movement thesis came that opened various aspects towards pristine fields. Invention of electronic equipments fueled the revolutionary scenario of I.T.

c. In 1943, transistor was developed.

d. In 1948, ENIAC, the First computer of modern age was invented by US; it was based on Vacuum Tubes.

e. In 1958, transistors were used (Advantage: less power consumption, more accurate. Computers accommodated 100s & 1000s of transistors. Result: Computers size was as big as room).

f. ICs replaced transistors. ICs evolved during last 35 years and have now become multi tasking, sophisticated algorithm design based chips. Computers of human types are replacing ICs by neuron type chips and neural networks.

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Technological aspects of I.T

Enabling Technologies involves:

a. Data Generation

b. Data Processing 1. Conversion of data into a form that can be processed by computer. 2. The storing or processing of data by a computer.

c. Data Transportation

d. Data Storage

e. Data Retrieval

f. Data Representation

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EVOLUTION OF ITMajor Technologies evolved in the entire activity are:

1) Data Processing & storage by computers: In the form of silicon based IC (integrated circuit)

technology.

2) Communication technology: Optical fiber communication resulting fiber optic link

around the globe.

3) Memory technologies:Laser disc & CD-ROM.

4) Display technologies: LCD & digital.

Communication Technology:

Main thrust to it came from development of computer technology and defense requirements. One would wonder that backbone of today IT, the internet was started as small project (ARPANET) to communicate within the defense requirements in 1970s.

The basics of communication technology can be understood with the following

Optical fiber technology in communication is used today so that information must not be lost even to a smaller extent. Satellite technology & internet use has been wide spread.

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Memory Technology:

This technology is related to improvement of communication technology. This technology has been broadly divided into two parts:

(a) Steroidal memory & semiconductor memory.

(b) Laser memory devices such as CDROMS, DVD&LDROMS, and MP3 systems.

Concept in Hardware –Neuron Chips

{In software it can be terms as copying the solution} As human beings reach by complex analysis, researchers are heading on to develop the computer that would conclude the problems i.e. diagnosing through conclusions (in the past) in spite of lack of modern machines. (Simulation techniques).

Artificial Intelligence Software:

For detection of fault in the field whether that be space research centre, automobile industries or any other field e.g. in a satellite launching vehicle if there is any functional problem, the software will itself detect it as well as find its solution.

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Basis of Enabling technologies

• A Global information infrastructure basis is to create information channel i.e. information can move to one-another; information distribution

• A national information infrastructure & static information infrastructure as natural corollaries to JIT (Just in Time), can be developed in integrated manner.

• Information superhighways comprise of satellite links, optical fiber links, microwave networks (3G/4G networks), telephone lines, communication modes (internet modes), cellular phone stations, VSAT terminals.

• Most common hardware in the user’s premises is a PC with multimedia technology & associated communicator links.

• Operational & Application Software: In a nutshell, system of information to behave in certain manner is necessary.

Applications of I.T IT applications are almost ubiquitous; key coverage areas include:

i. Education & training systems

ii. E-governance

iii. Industrial sector

iv. Improvement in social interaction & it is expected that manufacturing discrimination will disappear

v. Employment to multitude of people.

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Identification of main developments

The identification of significant developments begins chronologically in 1969. It was decided to arrange the developments in a chronological order. The advantages of this approach for this section of the report are that the developments are presented in a logical order. A development in the sphere of information technology often was dependent upon other developments that preceded it. The chronological order therefore provides a simple and commonly understood framework in which to present the summary.

Timeline:

1969: The Arpanet is introduced, funded by the department of defense.

1970: The first automatic teller machine is introduced.

E.F.Codd describes the relational model (databases).

1971: The first single chip central processing unit was introduced, the Intel 4004.

The first network e-mail message is sent by Ray Tomlinson of Bolt Boranek and Newman.

1972: Lexitron, Wang and VYTEC introduce Word Processing systems.

1973: The Xerox Paulo Alto Research Centre developed the Alto, an experimental computer that uses a graphical user interface and a mouse.

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1978: Ron Rivest, Adi Shamir and Leonard Adelman introduce the RSA cipher as a public key cryptosystem.

1979: The first electronic spreadsheet program is introduced.

1981: IBM introduces its first personal computer with an operating system developed by Microsoft.

1983: The switch over to the TCP\IP protocol marks the beginning of the global Internet.

1985: Microsoft releases the Windows operating system.

1989: The World Wide Web project is proposed to the European Council for Nuclear Research (CERN).

1990: Windows version 3.0 is released bringing a stable graphical user interface to the IBM Personal Computer.

1993: The Mosaic NCSA is developed by the National Centre for Super-computing Applications.

1995: The first full length feature movie created by a computer is released. Toy Story.

Late 1990`s: The emergence of electronic commerce

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The Impact of Information Technology on Society

Another definition is "general society". Society can be defined as "a community, nation, or broad grouping of people having common traditions, institutions, and collective activities and interests. The report will examine how the technological developments which have occurred in information technology have influenced a "broad grouping of people" in their "common traditions, institutions and/or collective activities". This broad grouping of people will primarily be those in the industrialized world of where "information technology" is commonly available.

Institutions

The word institutions can incorporate a wide variety of organizations. For the purposes of this report the institutions we will examine will be:

Governments, Commercial businesses, News & Media organizations, Educational organizations.

. The influence which information technology development has had on these areas will be mainly focused on how the technology has "improved" the processes by which the institution accomplishes its task or goal.

o Governments:

How has the development of information technology influenced the way Governments operate?

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The "government" of a nation will be comprised of many varied institutions. However developments in information technology have helped governments to improve their "service" to their citizens. Advances in Database technology for example have enabled the governments of various countries to collate and monitor statistical information that they can use to combat fraud, manage the economy in a more informed way.

Information Technology has also had a major impact on the defense capabilities of governments. This covers both a government's capability towage war and their intelligence gathering capability. Advances in weapons technology and weapons design have increased the effectiveness of various governments' armed forces. For example it would have been impossible to design airplanes such as the B2 Bomber if it were not for the advances made in information technology. The B2 bomber relies on a "continuous curvature" design to minimize radar signature. It would have been impossible to design or build this machine without the development of computer modeling techniques.

Information Technology has also had a major impact on a government's intelligence agencies. Encryption of sensitive information has enabled governments to obtain added security. However attempting to decrypt information is also a major area of work for those employed by the government.

The advance of information technology has also led to a need for new legislation to be introduced, for example in the United Kingdom the Data Protection Act of 1998. The governments data protection act Web Site gives the following eight rules regarding personal information:

1. It must be fairly and lawfully processed; 2. Processed for limited purposes; 3. Adequate, relevant and not excessive; 4. Accurate; 5. Not kept longer than necessary; 6. Processed in accordance with the data subject's rights; 7. Secure; 8. Not transferred to countries without adequate protection.

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o Commercial Businesses:

How has the development of information technology influenced commercial businesses?

The advances in information technology have heavily influenced commercial businesses in several ways. The most important role of information technology in a commercial business however is to provide a commercial advantage. Advances such as computer aided design, relational database technologies, spreadsheets, and word processing software all provide a commercial benefit to the business, as does automation of manufacturing processes (as Sara-Lee did in 1964).

It is beyond the scope of this report to go into detail about how the various software developments can be used to provide a commercial advantage, other than increasing the productivity and innovation of the workforce.

It is interesting to note however that as different businesses compete with each other, the commercial advantage one can have over another may depend primarily on it's use of information technologies.

For example being able to extract information as to what the customer really wants and how to provide for that want can provide a significant advantage. This extraction of information is facilitated and indeed made possible by the technology used to store and manipulate this information. As the hardware and software mechanisms used to store and manipulate the information become more sophisticated and quicker the business can utilize its stored information to maximize it's commercial advantage.

The use of information technology to monitor a businesses performance can also enable the business to highlight areas where they are not making the most use of their resources. The use of information technologies can also increase the businesses income through advertising in the various available forums. Advances in information technology over the last thirty years have lead to the television for example being more widely used today than thirty years ago (e.g. the introduction

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of transistor based televisions reduced costs while increasing reliability).

o News & Media Organizations:

How has the development of information technology influenced the way news and media organizations deliver content?

Due to the nature of news and media organizations, the information technologies have particular relevance to them. As noted earlier "Information technology is the technology used to store, manipulate, distribute or create information". News and media organizations are intimately acquainted with each of these elements of information technology. However this report will focus on the distribution and creation of information.

Developments such as the Internet and satellite television have created new medium and audiences through which and to which these organizations can disseminate their information.

Given the situation thirty years ago the developments that we have seen have enabled the news and media organizations access to more people, they have a wider audience. The audience however now has a wider, global choice. News reports can be received which highlight many different sides of an international conflict for example than was possible before. The relative cheapness of being able to publish information on the Internet for example means that virtually anyone can publish information accessible anywhere in the world.

o Educational organizations:

How has the development of information technology influenced the way educational resources are provided?

As information technology has developed over the last thirty years, educational establishments have been influenced in

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various ways. The most obvious example has been the introduction of information technology related courses. These courses are introduced to try to satisfy the demand that society has for qualified people to develop these information technologies.

The distribution of information is not the only concern of educational establishments. For example one of the aims of Universities is to create information. This "creation" is done by research. Information technologies have enabled researchers to access a wider source of information than previously available through such technologies as the Internet (the original Arpanet being set up primarily to assist research). The Internet and other related technologies such as electronic mail, also enable collaborative projects to be undertaken between geographically distant groups.

FACTORS THAT HELP TECHNOLOGY SUCCEED

What are the factors that help technology succeed in bringing about these benefits?

--Evidence of a detailed technology plan. Such a plan should consider funding, installation and integration of equipment, ongoing management of the technology. The plan should also express a clear vision of the goals of the technology integration. 

--Teacher training and continuing education. Teachers should know how to operate the technology and how to integrate it into the curriculum. 

--Support from administration. Administrative support can come in the form of funding, or in restructuring schedules and physical space to reflect the new learning environment. 

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--Support from the community. Parents, businesses, and community members can use technology as a springboard to become more involved in the activities of neighborhood schools. All can help with wiring or technical support. Parents can use e-mail to facilitate communication with teachers and administrators. Businesses can use e-mail to help mentor students and help them prepare for the workplace. 

--Support from government. Adequate funding and appropriate policy making can help to assure that technology is accessible to all schools on an equal basis. 

The Benefits of Information Technology

--Explored and represented information dynamically and in many forms 

--Became socially aware and more confident 

--Communicated effectively about complex processes 

--Became independent learners and self-starters 

--Worked well collaboratively 

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--Knew their areas of expertise and shared expertise spontaneously and 

--Used technology routinely and appropriately. Another effort called the Buddy Project (Indiana's Fourth Grade, 1990) supplied students with home computers and modem access to school. Positive effects included: 

--An increase in writing skills 

--Better understanding and broader view of math 

--Ability to teach others, and 

--Greater problem solving and critical thinking skills. 

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ConclusionTo offer a conclusion to this report we should detail the aspects of the aim that we have fulfilled. Here then was the initial aim.

"The aim of this report is to provide a brief summary of some of the main technological developments that have taken place in information technology and how these developments have had an influence on the way we work and on society in general, in the last thirty years."

By giving a timeline of some of the developments that have been seen in information technology, we have provided the brief summary of the main technological developments.

The sections following that which, deal with the impact of information technology on the common traditions, institutions and the collective activities and interests provide an analysis of how the developments impacted on the general society.

It has been shown that the developments in information technology have had an impact on general society perception of information. Without going into specific detail about individual situations, it has been shown that impact has been fourfold:

1. Storage2. Manipulation 3. Distribution 4. Creation

These four areas dealing with information in which society’s perception of information has changed. As communication and information technologies have been developed, the various elements that makeup society, whether they be individuals or organizations, expect to be able to use information in ways that were not possible thirty years ago. Society expects to be able to store more than was previously conceived. Society expects to be able to manipulate the information they have for their benefit, to increase understanding and discover new relationships. Society expects to be able to distribute

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information quickly, efficiently and cheaply. Society now expects the creation of new information to be facilitated by these new technologies.