IT is not Information Technology

Before you take positions on this title – please examine the words – “Information” & “Technology” to understand their scope.

Information

A small collection of definitions from Internet

                     i.            knowledge: definite knowledge acquired or supplied about something or somebody

                   ii.            gathered facts: the collected facts and data about a specific subject

                  iii.            knowledge that you get about someone or something : facts or details about a subject

            iv.        the communication or reception of knowledge or intelligence

Modern computer science uses this word “Information” word to position maturity above data, databases, analysis, inference and integration. A wide variety of rapidly evolving technologies are developed to detect, classify and present information from digital content.

Technology

                     i.            method of applying technical knowledge: a method or methodology that applies technical knowledge or tools

                   ii.            the use of science in industry, engineering, etc., to invent useful things or to solve problems

                  iii.            a machine, piece of equipment, method, etc., that is created by technology

                 iv.            Technology (from Greek) is the making, modification, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems, and methods of organization, in order to solve a problem, improve a pre-existing solution to a problem, achieve a goal (Wikipedia)

IT

The extreme proliferation of the word IT has dragged its significance away from Information! The term is used in diverse and often unintelligible contexts with great ease.

I had been writing on this for a while. IT has become a vague, overly general and obscuring word.

IT Department

The word IT is used largely in CIO’s world to designate a set of people organized as IT-Department and it functions. A cursory look at any standard IT-Departments services consist of:

Active Directory, AntiVirus, E-Mail Messaging, Enterprise Mobility, File Server Management, IDC Monitoring, IDC, System Integration, IDC Network, Security, IDC Storage, IDC Tape Backup, Internet, IT Asset Management, Lync, Online Meeting, Lync Audio Conference, Video Conferencing, Network (LAN & Wi-Fi), Printing, Remote Access, Right Fax Service, SAP, Sharepoint, Telephone Service, User Provisioning etc.

A role and authority map for Head IT&S (Information Technology & Services) also is largely in line with the above list of services. Examples are:

      i.        Build and provision of all of the

a.      IT applications

b.     digital and communications infrastructure

     ii.        Manage and Operate Risks associated with

a.     Plan and execute the annual program

b.     digital assets such as IT&S systems and digital information facilities:

                                          i.    Platforms

                                         ii.    Storage

                                        iii.    Access Networks

                                        iv.    Facilities etc.

c.     IT Services (TYPICALY - Active Directory, AntiVirus, E-Mail Messaging, Enterprise Mobility, File Server Management, IDC Monitoring, IDC, System Integration, IDC Network, Security, IDC Storage, IDC Tape Backup, Internet, IT Asset Management, Online Meeting, Audio Conference, Video Conferencing, Network (LAN & Wi-Fi), Printing, Remote Access, Right Fax Service, SAP, Sharepoint, Telephone Service, User Provisioning etc. – YOU SHOULD CHECK YOUR IT DEPARTMENT’S SERVICE LIST, If in doubt)

d.     Suppliers and Service agencies

e.     build and provide “infrastructure” for all of the Group’s Information Technology applications (programs)-

                                          i.    Computer-based applications: Applications running on laptop or desktop, servers, workstations, web servers, client-servers, split across multiple platforms etc.

                                         ii.    Telecom applications: Serving functions relating to voice telephony, IP telephony and those running on mobile devices – including voice/data traffic planning and provisioning.

    iii.        Security & Risk management

a.     Access and content security

b.     Business Continuity Plan

 Analysis

21^st century is rightfully the age of “Information”. The computers & communication technologies and the mature software systems – opened the access to, creation of and use of information world-wide in hitherto unimaginable ways. INFORMATION is the product of the data, analysis, knowledge and inference of the 7+billion mankind. TECHNOLOGY is the forefront achievement of the man-kind.

Let me compare the typical IT department to your travel analogy {all analogies have a limited purpose to direct towards a conceptual relation} to argue why IT is NOT Information Technology.

Your Travel

You choose to travel for business or pleasure frequently. There is a specific goal to your travel. Similarly you use “data”, “information” and “technology” to do some specific business decision.

	TRAVEL	INFORMED – TECHNOLOGY based BUSINESS Decision
GOAL	Enjoying the place / Meeting People/ ..	Benefitting from the business decision
You Do	A decision to travel from one place to another	Invoke a decision making forum or a Process
Choose	Transport choices {Airplane, Ship, Car, Bicycle, Bullock-cart, walk-down ..}	Tools {Excel, PowerPoint, SAP …}
Agent	Driver (Pilot, Ship-Captain, Car-Driver ..)	Processing Analyst
Service to Tool	Petrol-Pump, Airport, Maintenance agency (Car service depot ..)	IT Department
Technology of Tool	Who made your transport medium. {Boeing, Airbus, Benz ..}	Creators of your tool {IBM, Microsoft, SAP, Schlumberger …}
Ingredients in use of tool	Route-Plan, Petrol, Airport access, Roads	SOP (or ERP workflow), Data, Application access, Infrastructure capacity

If you follow my thought process, you note that there is “core” technology with Airbus, Ford, or Benz. A small part of it is used by the car-service company in your neighborhood. The pilot or car-driver learns a small functional part of technology, needed to operate the transport. You may not be capable of doing it (I can’t drive a bullock-cart or an Airbus). You decide the mode of travel with main regard to distance, time and cost. The outcome of travel has little to do with technology of Boeing – it is only facilitated by it.

You can see the important ROLE MAPPING between the analogy and the work you do in business.

The data processing person in your business is the one who is creating INFORMATION. It is the transport’s driver {pilot} who is taking you to the destination. But a Pilot really doesn’t have much understanding of the Aircraft technology.

The Service agencies that help you run the car are similar to your IT department. It facilitates to run the tool – reliably and efficiently. They don’t contribute either to INFORMATION or to TECHNOLOGY that such information can create in your business.

The Airbus, Benz, IBM or SAP are the real creators of technology and they determine how and what information is created in your business. 

Unlike the transport analogy, INFORMATION is a living and evolving entity. It develops in to multifarious facets and differentiates the business outcomes. It is the business that should be sensitive to and capable of creating the best information and apply the correct technology.

Creating Technology in business using information or using Technology to address the Information related problems – is not IT as we normally understand.

IT is only a service function that makes your tools and its digital ingredients available for the processing. IT department carries out "computerization".

IT is NOT “Information Technology”.