According to Steve Ballmer, Microsoft CEO, “the number one benefit of information technology is that it empowers people to do what they want to do. It lets people be creative. It lets people be productive. It lets people learn things they didn’t think they could learn before, and so in a sense it is all about potential.” In accordance with this conviction, and in the face of rapidly evolving modern times, one can be assured of the benefits of a proper education in the field of Information Communication Technology.
A major in Information Communication Technology is essentially the key to opening doors around the world for quicker, more efficient exchange of knowledge. Today, our world is truly global; global in its true sense, as individuals from a rural village in Sub-Saharan Africa are able to communicate with those in the commercialized city of Manhattan. In addition to communication, these technological advancements have assisted us in boosting commerce within underdeveloped countries, including India and Brazil. Though much of the 6 billion people on this Earth are living in unacceptable conditions, with nearly 3 billion who survive on less than two dollars a day, Information Communication Technology is enabling some of these disparities to diminish. For example, a developing country in Asia can make up for several years of underdevelopment simply by jumping ahead now with innovative ideas. By keeping up with the current technological trends, a country can practically leap out of devastation. Although it is very unlikely that an impoverished country would have the resources to focus on inventing such technology, the most pragmatic solution is investing in one’s future, particularly through education.
We are far past of the age when information had to travel by ship, for several months, before a single message was conveyed. Now, one can simply be “wired” and, with the phenomenon of the Internet, connect with practically anyone around the globe. The marvels of this medium are even more surprising when one considers the expeditious developments that have taken place in a time period of less than 20 years; from a time when the Internet was nonexistent to a time when one virtually cannot exist without access to the Internet.
While the Information Communication Technology industry is constantly expanding, demands for individuals well acquainted with such topics are increasing, perhaps more rapidly, due to each country’s desire to excel and initiate projects in this field in an effort to compete in the global game of technology. With a professional background in Information Communication Technology, one is better trained to predict the trends of the future as well as prepare for those trends.
Every corporation in America, independent of its size, needs individuals qualified in the field of Information Communication Technology. A few of these professions include: network engineers, software developers, and data center managers. The best way to prepare for the future is by understanding the factors that influence the future, and thus predicting the necessary actions that will ease these stresses.