information technology

  Information Technology Definition The phrase “information technology” goes back to  a 1958 article  published in the Harvard Business Review. Authors  Harold J. Leavitt  and  Thomas L. Whisler  defined several types of information technology: Techniques for the fast processing of information The use of statistical and mathematical models for decision-making The “simulation of higher-order thinking through computer programs.” “While many aspects of this technology are uncertain, it seems clear that it will move into the managerial scene rapidly, with definite and far-reaching impact on managerial organization,” they wrote. Six decades later, it’s clear that Leavitt and Whisler were onto something big. Today, information technology refers to everything that businesses use computers for. Information technology is building communications networks for a company, safeguarding data and information, creating and administering databases, helping employees troubleshoot problems with their comp