Posted by: Av-Christya Joacim @ Duakin
What is ICT?
Information and Communication Technology is defined in the document "Interactive Education: An Information and Communication Technologies Strategy for Schools" (Ministry of Education, 1998) as:
~"Information Technology (IT) is the term used to describe the items of equipment (hardware) and computer programs (software) that allows us to access, retrieve, store, organise, manipulate and present information by electronic means…". Examples include: scanners, computers, projection equipment (hardware) and database, spreadsheet, and multimedia software programs (software).
~"Communication Technology (CT) is the term used to describe telecommunications equipment through which information can be sought and accessed…". Examples include; facsimile (fax) machines, teleconference phones, and modems.
Information and communication technologies (ICT) is an umbrella term that covers all advanced technologies in manipulating and communicating information. The term is sometimes used in preference to information technology (IT), particularly on these two communities: education and government. The common usage ICT is synonymous assumed the fact that IT or ICT encompasses all mediums, to record information (magnetic disk/tape, optical disks (CD/DVD), flash memory etc. and arguably also paper records); technology for broadcasting information - radio, television; and technology for communicating through voice and sound or images - microphone, camera, loudspeaker, telephone to cellular phones. It includes the wide varieties of computing hardware (PCs, servers, mainframes, networked storage). Rapidly it develops personal hardware market the comprises mobile phones, personal devices, (MP3, MP4, MP5 and MP6) players, and so much more. The full gamut of this application software, from the smallest home-developed spreadsheet to the largest enterprise packages and online software services; and the hardware and software needed to operate networks for transmission of information, again ranging from a home network to the largest global private networks operated by major commercial enterprises and, of course, the Internet. Thus, "ICT" makes more explicit that technologies such as broadcasting and wireless mobile telecommunications are included.
The Function Of ICT?
ICT may not survive in its present form for long. Sooner than later, developing countries would get over the PC mania prevalent now, unless there is a remarkable change in the economy of having a desktop PC. Any technology that requires the masses to own a PC, in its present form, to access information is unlikely to be successful in the foreseeable future. Possibilities appear to exist, however, in the mobile phone technology, which is fast becoming very affordable by the masses, is voice based and can be integrated with the Information Technology at the server end of a computer network. For example, in the field of education [1] People can ask questions through a mobile phone, a database of answers to such questions can be generated using these technologies. Currently what is in Wikipedia and call centers and the text in these databases could be converted into voice, by developing text to voice technologies in the various languages. The person seeking information can be informed when answers are available and better answers sought based on his/her feedback. The emerging 3G and 4G mobile phone technologies can indeed facilitate such developments. An alternative technology could be to integrate the mobile phone with the television screen, so that visual information can be viewed easily. Similarly, there is a possibility for developing interactive radio, on the lines of interactive TV.
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