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 computers or mobile devices, or doing a range of other work to ensure the efficiency and security of business information systems.