Page 10 - DCAP307_PLANNING_AND_MANAGING_IT_INFRASTRUCTURE

Planning and Managing IT Infrastructure

Notes 2. IT helps the ...................................... in adapting to the new business processes and to predict
the possible impact of new technologies.
3. Due to the development of the information technology sector, the companies are being
able to keep themselves aware of the changes in the ...................................... markets.

1.2 Functions of IT

Information technology, commonly abbreviated to IT, is vital in our new technical world. IT
engineers try to ensure that brand-new software and hardware can be programmed and built to
meet the demands of businesses and individuals, while IT technicians are important in fixing
the equipment that is being used.
The function of IT is to allow us to be productive in a new digital environment, where emails can
be sent to colleagues around the world at the speed of light. The innovation of IT also means that
it has never been easier to use cloud-based systems that allow us to upload our work to the
Internet accessing it with ease and efficiency from anywhere that has connectivity.

As a department, IT workers are also the lifeblood of any business in ensuring a system which
is used for work is constantly available and free of any technical problems. After all, what is the
point in shifting to digital to become more productive if you are always having trouble with
using the new technology? Most importantly, they will also hold the function of backing up
vital data guaranteeing that a business isn’t at risk of losing vital information such as customer
databases, product prototypes and financial records.
Of course, not all of the new employees within a company will be talented in the key skill of
applying IT. This is why IT workers need to be patient and able to train up new colleagues in
using specialist systems which have been created exclusively for a company.
Finally, the function of IT is to ensure that an environment can remain safe and free of viruses or,
in the case of an email network, free of spam that can slow down progress and affect a person’s
access to their own account. It can seem like an intense battle to work in IT, but it’s a rewarding
job for many.
Some of the IT functions are discussed below.

Communication: IT enables efficient and high-speed communications. Email,
teleconferencing and Internet calling allow employees to stay in touch with their colleagues
around the world. IT also enables virtual collaboration.

Example: U.S. employees can conduct product design meetings with their Chinese or
Indian colleagues using video-conferencing.
Employees can log into their company servers from home, and travelling managers can respond
to emails or download documents using mobile technologies. Companies can also set up internal
social media sites that allow employees to exchange information and collaborate on projects.

Data Management: Data management is a key IT function. Technological advances and
increasingly complex businesses have increased text, voice and video data traffic inside
organisations. Businesses use databases to store, manage and access vast amounts of
data, including customer information, inventory records, employee files and financial
documents. However, small and large businesses must guard against unauthorised
accesses, which may compromise data integrity and raise privacy concerns.
Marketing: IT is increasingly central to a company’s marketing operations. These may
include creating advertising copy on powerful graphics computers, placing ads on social

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