Лекция: Information technology

The computer industry itself — the development and manufacturing of computer hardware and software — had a major impact on society in the late 20th century and has become one of the world's largest industries in the 21st century. Certainly, the hardware manufacturers, from the chip makers to the disk-drive factories, and the software developers created many thousands of jobs that did not previously exist.

The industry spawned many new companies, called start-ups, to create products out of the new technology. Competition is fierce among computer companies, both new and old, and they are often forced by market pressures to introduce new products at a very fast pace. Many people invest in the stocks and securities of the individual “high-tech” companies with the hope that the companies will succeed. Several regions around the world have encouraged high-tech companies to open manufacturing and development facilities, often near major universities. Perhaps the most famous is the so-called Silicon Valley just south of San Francisco in California.

The information technology (IT) sector experienced tremendous growth in the late 20th century. By the early 21st century, computer-related jobs employed millions of people around the world.

Not all computer professionals work directly for a company. Many are independent consultants who are hired to accomplish a specific task and are paid by the hour. A consulting job may last from a few hours to several years.

Systems analysts develop methods for computerizing businesses and scientific centers. They and computer consultants also improve the efficiency of systems already in use. Computer-security specialists help protect the integrity of the huge information banks developed by businesses and governments.

Applications programmers write commercial programs to be used by businesses and other organizations as well as in the home. Systems programmers write the complex programs that control the inner workings of the computer. Many specialty areas exist within these two large groups, such as database programmers and designers of graphical user interfaces.

As more small- and medium-sized businesses have become computerized, they have required more people to operate their systems. Computer operators and systems administrators typically need to handle several types of computers and be familiar with a diversified range of applications and systems software. Companies also need specialists to administer their Web sites.

Other important careers in the IT field include computer scientists, who perform research and teach at universities, and hardware designers and engineers, who work in areas such as microchip and peripheral equipment design. Information-center or database administrators manage the information collections developed by businesses or data banks.

Management careers include that of a data-processing manager, who is responsible for managing the computing needs of a business. At the executive level is the chief information officer (CIO) of a company, who is responsible for the computing needs of an entire corporation.

Various support careers also exist, including technical writing, computer-based training, and operations management, which do not necessarily require extremely technical backgrounds. Graphic artists (especially those familiar with computer-based drawing programs) work with programmers and Web-page designers to create informative and attractive Web sites.

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