Information technology improves productivity

The world is so dependent on technology today that it has become an expected component in our daily lives. We depend on it at home, at school, and at work. The use of technology in the office has become commonplace.

From the fax machine to the telephone, the printer, the copier, the computer, and the Internet, technology is improving the productivity of professionals, educators, and students everywhere. It has become so common that most offices today would cease to operate effectively without it.

The most widely used forms of technology are the computer and the Internet. We use them instead of the phone to send emails. They are used to quickly send copies of documents instead of using a fax or copier machine and hand-carry them to our co-workers. The combination of the computer and the Internet allows people to fax documents and even make phone calls. Skype is a perfect example of this technology.

Access to information technologies has become a necessity for prosperity and economic development worldwide. Underdeveloped countries are increasingly equipped with computers and Internet access, which allows them to communicate with the rest of the world and strengthen their economies.

Many years ago, when computers were introduced to society, people worried that they would have a dehumanizing effect. To some extent, that might be true because we often use email to communicate in the office instead of calling or visiting our co-worker next door or even down the hall, but the positives outweigh the the negatives. With the ability to quickly share and process information, and conduct extensive research effectively, most of us might wonder how businesses ever managed without the existence of the computer and the Internet.

The Blackberry and other time-saving portable devices bring greater convenience and increased productivity to professionals whose work extends beyond the office.

There are many other forms of technology that enable professionals of all educational and skilled backgrounds to produce products and services that would otherwise be impossible.

It has been said that approximately 40 percent of US productivity growth between 1995 and 2002 is attributed to the existence of information technology. Computers and the Internet give everyone who has access to them a voice, and the numbers are growing by leaps and bounds.