Introduction
For thousands of years, human beings have manipulated items around them to make tools that helped make life easier. For example, the invention of fire changed the history and trajectory of human life forever. As it was during the early years of human development and civilization, human beings continued to use items available to them to make life easier for them. However, during the first and second industrial revolutions, innovations in technology in terms of software and hardware accelerated to unprecedented levels. Consequently, for the last three decades, information technology developments and innovations have overshadowed all other developments and revolutionized how people interact, work, and go about almost everything.
Evolution of Technology
The use of technology to make life dates back millions of years when pre-humans learned to shape stones into tools. However, information technology has a much younger history that dates back to the Second Industrial Revolution. Modern IT has a history of six decades that has seen five key changes (Rocha, et al, 2021). These include mainframe or centralized computing where one massive computer was used to perform several limited operations. Personal computing saw a new era in which computers were significantly smaller, powerful, affordable, and could perform more complex tasks.
From the personal computer era, the era of the client-server dawned. In this era, it became possible for hundreds of computers to connect and draw their information from a single server. In a client-server relationship, hundreds of computers are networked to a few servers that provide necessary services and capabilities. In the enterprise computing era, it became possible for companies to process large amounts of data in real time and make decisions based on the processed data (Elahi, 2017). Finally, the latest evolution in the IT field is cloud computing. Cloud computing eliminates an organization’s need for physical infrastructure.
Components of Information Systems
Information systems are made up of five components with the first component being the computer hardware. Hardware is the physical technology and includes peripheral devices such as the mouse, keyboard, disks, and routers (Elahi, 2017). The second component is software which includes system and application software. Operating software manages the hardware while application software is designed for specific tasks.
The third information system component is telecommunication which is a network that connects hardware. It includes Ethernet cables, Wi-Fi, or fiber optics. The fourth component is the data warehouse and databases (Elahi, 2017). Computer systems retrieve needed information from databases by querying using specific criteria. The fifth component is human resources which are needed to operate the hardware and software.
An Examination of the Excel and Word Computer Software
Excel incorporates simple and complex tools and functions that allow a user to collect, organize, and analyze quantitative data. The most widely used and famous Excel software is Microsoft Excel. By using tools provided by Microsoft Excel, an individual can perform simple and complex operations on collected quantitative data more efficiently and accurately as opposed to performing manual manipulation of data and calculations. It also makes it easier to identify trends that can help in organizational or individual decision-making.
On the other hand, word processing software allows users to edit, save, and print a document. The most common and widely recognized word-processing software is Microsoft Word. Microsoft Word has features that allow users to edit, copy, and paste the text. It also allows a user to save the text in different formats such as Portable Document Format (PDF) among others. The latest editions of Microsoft Word also allow a user to save documents in their cloud accounts and incorporate plugins that allow a real-time check of spelling, grammar, and plagiarism mistakes.
The Future of Computers
Information technology is generally only coming of age with wide adoption by the general public and industries. However, some of the more complex information systems powered by artificial intelligence and machine learning are yet to mature. Therefore, in the future, machine learning and artificial intelligence computer systems will replace the more mundane systems that exist today and go on to revolutionize how human beings interact, work, and do everything else (Senjyu, 2021). Quantum computing is also likely to move from the nascent stage it is currently and take a central role in data storage and sophisticated calculations.
The future may also mark the end of dumb electronics and other household items. The internet-of-things technology has seen mild adoption throughout the world. However, as people’s income rises and a greater need for efficient household items increases, there is a possibility that Internet of Things devices will replace most of the world’s dumb devices (Emary, & Brzozowska, 2020). The Internet of Things promises a future where physical devices will be interconnected and have a greater processing capacity which will help households and make life more efficient.
Conclusion
Information technology has seen at least five different eras since the invention of the first computer machine more than six decades ago. With each era, computers and their networks become smaller while their functionality improves. Despite the improved performance, information technology evolution is nowhere near its peak. Instead, promising technological inventions such as the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and quantum computing show human beings are on the cusp of the greatest innovations yet.
References
Elahi, A. (2017). Computer systems: Digital Design, Fundamentals of Computer Architecture and Assembly Language. Springer.
Emary, & Brzozowska, A. (2020). Shaping the Future of ICT: Trends in Information Technology, Communications Engineering, and Management. CRC Press
Rocha, A., Adeli, H., Dzemyda, G., Moreira, F., & Correia, A. (2021). Trends and Applications in Information Systems and Technologies. Springer International
Senjyu, T. (2021). Information and Communication Technology for Intelligent Systems. Springer.