1. Information Technology (IT)

This lesson provides comprehensive information on the field of IT, covering tasks such as device management, security, and maintenance, and vendors like Microsoft, Cisco, and Dell. Discover the key aspects of IT and ensure your business stays up-to-date with the latest solutions.

Jeremy Theocharis

February 16, 2023

8 min read

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Introduction

IT is the hardware and software to connect thousands of devices in a network and manage their exchange of information. The purpose is to enable data storage and its usage for business and operations. Tasks range from connecting simple telephones to managing complex global networks.

As you can see, the field of IT spans a wide range of topics, ranging from data and device management, over security and scalability concerns to development and maintenance.

Typical responsibilities:

Setting up phones, PCs, printers and other office hardware
Monitoring devices and networks for security breaches
Maintaining local servers
Configuration of business systems e.g. ERP/SAP
Updating devices to ensure IT security
Setting up local networks and Wi-Fi
Implementing business solutions like automation
And many more…

Typical vendors:

What is important in IT?

Nobody wants to build an app for years just so that the end-user removes it within 30 seconds

We will see the exact same chart later in the next chapter related to Operational Technology(OT).

High importance

Category	Description
Quick development cycles, e.g., agile	Good user experience is more important than a perfectly designed app
Scalability	Apps need to handle millions of users at the same time (e.g., Google, Netflix)
User experience	If something is unintuitive, people tend not to use it

Of lesser importance:

Category	Description
Reliability & Safety	Hardware is redundant, if one fails another can take over; Consequences of hardware failures are smaller
Maintainability & standards	Standards are usually best-practices and might change over time. No hard-written norms.
Certifications	Therefore, certifications are not legally required

More and more manufacturers are offering their software platforms everywhere on the internet as a panacea for simplifying and optimizing all production processes. But can this really work? Despite the increasing convergence of IT and OT, companies should think twice before using one system to handle both areas. This is because, historically, the vast majority of providers have their roots in either IT or OT. How did this happen, and why does the history of IT and OT make it advisable to separa

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