what is information technology?

Information technology (IT), as defined by the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA), is "the study, design, development, implementation, support or management of computer-based information systems, particularly software applications and computer hardware." IT deals with the use of electronic computers and computer software to convert, store, protect, process, transmit and retrieve information, securely.

Recently it has become popular[citation needed] to broaden the term to explicitly include the field of electronic communication so that people tend to use the abbreviation ICT (Information and Communications Technology), it is common for this to be referred to as IT & T in the Australasia region, standing for Information Technology and Telecommunications.

Today, the term information technology has ballooned to encompass many aspects of computing and technology, and the term is more recognizable than ever before. The information technology umbrella can be quite large, covering many fields. IT professionals perform a variety of duties that range from installing applications to designing complex computer networks and information databases. A few of the duties that IT professionals perform may include data management, networking, engineering computer hardware, database and software design, as well as the management and administration of entire systems.


Professional organizations
The Canadian Information Processing Society (CIPS) is the largest professional body for computing in Canada.
NASSCOM is an association of Indian IT companies.
AITech-Assinform, Information Technology Association is an association of Italian IT companies.
The Computer Society of India (CSI) is the national body representing computer professionals.
The British Computer Society (BCS) is a UK body that represents those working in IT. It is the largest United Kingdom based professional body for computing, with a world-wide membership of over 58,000 members in over 100 countries.
ACM
The Information Technology Association of America (ITAA) is an industry trade group for several U.S. information technology companies.
The Australian Computer Society (ACS) is the recognised association for Information & Communications Technology (ICT) professionals in Australia.
The Australian Information Industry Association is the national organisation representing the ICT companies in Australia.
The Philippine Software Industry Association is an association of Philippine IT companies.
The Information Technologies Institute, Marmara Research Center, The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey

References
Adelman, C. (2000). A Parallel Postsecondary Universe: The Certification System in Information Technology. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education.
Allen, T., and M.S. Morton, eds. 1994. Information Technology and the Corporation of the 1990s. New York: Oxford University Press.
Shelly, Gary, Cashman, Thomas, Vermaat, Misty, and Walker, Tim. (1999). Discovering Computers 2000: Concepts for a Connected World. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Course Technology.
Webster, Frank, and Robins, Kevin. (1986). Information Technology—A Luddite Analysis. Norwood, NJ: Ablex.