Information Technology: An Introduction Book

This book is intended as an introduction to the current concepts, applications and tools of information technology. It is for the non-specialist in the field and does not assume a familiarity with the underlying mathematical and engineering ideas. The book is organized into two main parts; these are graded in their level of technical detail. In part 1, chapter 1 is about some of the fundamental concepts of information technology, in particular about information itself, chapter 2 is about the applications of this new technology in many areas of industry, commerce, education and training, leisure, medical and welfare. Established applications are clearly distinguished from those which, though technically feasible now, are possibilities for the future. These two chapters are essentially descriptive in their approach. They aim to explain more what information technology can do, rather than how it is done. That latter job is reserved for part 2. There, the important concepts and tools of information technology are given a more technical treatment, though still at an introductory level. Part 2 includes a resume of the three areas which form the historical basis of information technology - computers, telecommunications and data networks. A further ten chapters are devoted to the relevant technical developments which have grown out of the first three over the last few years, from "artificial intelligence" to videotex systems. Readers who wish only to gain an impression of the scope and implications of information technology will find the first two chapters adequate for this purpose, and could use part 2 and the general reading section as reference sources. Such readers will welcome the generous cross-referencing from part 1 to part 2. Readers with an interest in, but no background knowledge of, the technical aspects of information technology may find it helpful to read about computers and telecommunication systems in part 2 first, as these form the foundation of the subject. The third edition brings two new chapters and many detailed changes to the book. One of the new chapters, on the management of information technology, reflects the steadily accumulating experience in the introduction, operation and assessment of systems and services which involve IT. The other, on satellite communications, emphasizes the growing importance of broad-band telecommunications. As before, the detailed changes take account of recent developments and trends in the broad field of information technology, including new sections on high-definition television, compact discs, and neural computing. Another growth area of IT, electronic publishing, has made a real impact on the book - this edition has been fully electronically prepared, from early drafts to the final camera-ready copy.Read More