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.
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
21st
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”.
