Communication technologies Information and

 Communication technologies Information and: the definitive guide

Information and: the definitive guide

Communication technologies (ICT) generated a digital revolution by breaking down the barriers of space and time that existed a few years ago, giving way to a reinvention in the economy, innovation, and global competitiveness.

These are the result of the interaction of telecommunications and computing. Whose most representative element is the computer, and more specifically the Internet.

But what is ICT? Well, they are the set of technologies that allow access, production, processing, treatment, storage, transmission, and communication of information presented in different codes (be it text, sound, image, among others).
Information and communication technologies have created — and are creating — new forms of communication, making it possible to improve their level (making them faster and of higher quality); translating this into a reduction in costs and time both in the business world and in life itself, providing greater comfort and improving people's quality of life.

Do you want to know everything you need to know about them and what is their importance for companies? So, we invite you to read this content to the end; in it, you can learn, among other key points, about:

• What are information and communication technologies?
• Main characteristics of ICT.
• Types of information and communication technologies.
• The objective of ICT in the labor field.
• Importance of ICT for companies.
• Let's get started!

What are information and communication technologies?
The expression “TIC” or “TICs” corresponds to the Spanish acronym for Information and Communication Technologies, being in English “ICT” (Information and Communications Technology).

There are multiple definitions of ICT, among which we highlight the explanations of various authors:

For Graells (2000), information and communication technologies are:

A set of technological advances, made possible by information technology, telecommunications, and audiovisual technologies, all of these provide tools for the treatment and dissemination of information and have various communication channels. The most powerful element that integrates ICTs is the Internet, which has led to the configuration of the so-called Information Society.

Thompson and Strickland (2004) define information and communication technologies as:

Those electronic devices, tools, equipment, and components, capable of manipulating information that support the development and economic growth of any organization. It should be noted that in environments as complex as those that organizations must face today, only those who use all the means at their disposal and learn to take advantage of market opportunities by always visualizing threats, will be able to achieve the objective of being successful.

For his part, Jesús Salinas (2008) states that :

ICTs are changing, following the rhythm of continuous scientific advances and in a framework of economic and cultural globalization, they contribute to the ephemeral knowledge and the continuous emergence of new values, causing changes in our economic, social and cultural structures, and influencing almost all aspects of our life: access to the job market, health, bureaucratic management, economic management, industrial and artistic design, leisure, communication, information, our way of perceiving reality and thinking, the organization of companies and institutions, their methods and activities, the form of interpersonal communication, the quality of life, education ... Its great impact on all areas of our life makes it increasingly difficult for us to act efficiently without them.

In other words, ICTs are the set of technologies developed to make communication more efficient, and facilitate the issuance, access, and treatment of information; all this through communicational and technological tools.

Main characteristics of ICT

Julio Cabero (1998) collected, from different authors, the most representative characteristics of information and communication technologies. Being 10 in total:

1. Immateriality

They create, process, and communicate immaterial information that can be taken in a completely transparent and instantaneous way to any place and multiple users.

Being, the information in multiple codes and forms, its raw material.

2. Interactivity

This is possibly the most important characteristic of information and communication technologies. And, it consists in that it allows the exchange of information between the machine and the user, adapting, depending on the interaction, the resources used to the needs and particularities of the subject.

3. Interconnection

It refers to the possibility of creating new technologies from the connection between them, that is, although they are presented independently, they can be combined, thus expanding their connections.

For example, telematics. This is the interconnection between communication technologies and computing, and with this combination, we obtain new resources such as email.

4. Instantaneity

Communication networks and their integration with information technology have made it possible to use services that facilitate the transmission and communication of information, between physically remote places, in an instantaneous way.

5. Image and sound quality

Technological advances have made it possible to raise the parameters of high-quality multimedia transmissions, increasing the reliability of the information transmitted.

6. Digitization

The information of different types that it contains (sound, images, animations, text, among others) is transmitted digitally and must be represented in a single universal format.

7. Penetration in all sectors of society

The impact of information and communication technologies extends to all sectors of society, that is, it is reflected in the cultural, educational, economic, and industrial sectors, among others.

8. Innovation

ICTs are always in constant innovation and change, which allows the transfer of information and communication to be better and better.

9. Trend towards automation

The complexity itself leads to the existence of tools that allow automatic management of information in the various personal, professional and social areas, giving way to improving productivity and reducing task execution times.

 

10. Diversity

Its usefulness is very diverse, ranging from mere communication between users to the transformation process to create new information. In other words, they execute more than one function, thus serving various purposes.

Types of information and communication technologies
There are three types of information and communication technologies, and they refer to different criteria according to the context of the use of the term. These are:

1. Networks

Networks are communication systems, which connect various computers. These are made up of:

• Users;
• hardware;
• software.

Among its advantages are exchanging and sharing information, sharing resources, greater effectiveness, and homogeneity in applications. And they refer to:

Telephone networks
Fixed telephony: At present it is the least used and the most basic method, to have an Internet connection it is necessary to use a modem.
Broadband: It is a superior method to fixed telephony because it is faster.
Mobile telephony: It is the most used method, and allows a speed equal to the broadband network. This method regularly suffers from alterations and improvements than the previous ones.
Television networks
Terrestrial television: The transmission is made in the form of radio waves transmitted through open space. It is the traditional method of transmitting the broadcast signal.
Satellite television: Retransmits a television signal emitted from a point on Earth, from a communication satellite.
Cable television: The one that transmits radio frequency signals through optical fibers or coaxial cables.
Internet television: The contents are translated into a format capable of being transported over IP networks.
Home networking
These networks can be implemented via Ethernet cables or wirelessly. It is the most common for the comfort it provides to users.

2. Terminals and equipment

They are the access points that people have to global information. These are the elements that have evolved the most and are constantly evolving.

They cover all the devices through which the information and communication networks operate, and are connected to the network. Some of these devices are:

• Computer;
• computer operating systems;
• televisions;
• Internet navigator;
• smartphones;
• video game consoles;
• tablets;
• audio and video devices; among others.

3. Services

It refers to the wide spectrum of services offered by networks and terminals and equipment. Among which are:

email;

• long-distance education;
• online games;
• blogs;
• electronic commerce;
• information search;
• electronic administration;
• online banking;
• cloud storage;
• entertainment services; among others.

Objectives of information and communication technologies in the labor field
The objectives of these technologies are based on their ability to facilitate tasks, share information and improve communication. And, these goals are: