Application of Com Tech in Communication

https://www.amazon.com/Scholastic-Educational-Research-Technology-Mathematics/dp...
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This research will demonstrate the application of computer technology in the field of Communication. A discussion of how computer technology is being used in this field, how they have been contributing to the productivity in this field and the future prospects for their use in this field will be included.

Computer Information Technology (CIT) is best described as the use and study of computers, networks, computer languages, and databases within an organization to solve real problems. This major prepares students for applications programming, networking, systems administration, and internet development.

Technologies studied in information systems include programming, networking, server administration, information security, database design and development, systems analysis and designing, and web development.
Communication can be defined as the imparting or exchanging of information by speaking, writing, or using other media.



How they are being used?

According to Ramey (2013) using technology in communication has become a necessity as it’s now part of our lives. People communicate through emails, faxes, mobile phones, texting services, video conferences, video chart-rooms and social media channels. As time goes on, more emerging technologies will change the way we communicate and it will be up to us to embrace them or not. Let’s look at the impact or use of technology in communication both to individuals and businesses; because technology has completely changed how these two parties are communicating.

Impact of technology in communication to a business.

Today, every business uses technology in its own way to reach the media and targeted consumers. Also businesses have embraced technology by easing communication within companies and among investors and suppliers.
Below are a few uses of technology in communication to a business.
• Easy Product Launch: During the past, companies and small businesses used to face a lot difficulty in informing their consumers about a new product. A company had to pay for expensive door to door marketing which could even take time to yield results. Nowadays, things have become simple, through email subscriptions, companies will have data for most consumers, so if they introduce a new item or service. The company will draft one email with details about a new service or product and that message will be delivered to all consumers in a minute. Now there are companies online specializing in this type of communication.
• Social interaction with consumers: With the recent invention of social networks like Facebook and Twitter, business can create business pages then get followers for these pages. The process is so simple and free. For some businesses, they set a budget for building a fun base for their pages, so they use these pages to update and communicate with their followers. A good example is ‘’Nordstrom’’ this is one of the largest fashion retail businesses in America. Nordstrom used its Facebook page to update followers about new items and discounts.

Impact of technology in communication to individuals.

• Text messaging services: Keeping in touch with friends is very important, so text messaging services have solved this problem by creating mobile phone apps, which enable you text your buddies on instant for free. A good example is e-buddy . The buddy chat service will allow you to chat with your close friends via text for free.
• Social networking platforms: These social interaction networks have helped individuals discover old school friends and also get new friends based on interests and region. Before this technolog, it would be next to impossible for you to find all your old friends and interact with them on instant, share life and your past on instant. It would even be difficult to get new friends from other countries. But now that barrier has been removed by social networks like facebook.com

• Parental security apps: Gone are the days when you had to lie to your parents about your location. Now with GPS tracking mobile apps, your parent will install this GPS enabled app, and they can see where you are. These apps, also have maps which indicate red zones, so you can tell if your child is in that area. When something wrong is detected, the App will notify the parent that their child might be in danger. See example of such App.
• Use of emails: Even though social networks are trying to replace email communication; there is certain information which users cannot exchange via social networks. So email services like Yahoo Mail, Hotmail and Gmail. Have eased communication. It’s now very rare to find a person writing a letter, because that will involve posting it at a postal office and paying delivery fees, which is not the case when you use electronic mail.

How Computer Technology has contributed to the productivity of the field?

Nayab N. (2014) stated that throughout history, developments in technology and communications have gone hand-in-hand, and the latest technological developments such as the Internet and mobile devices have resulted in the advancement of the science of communication to a new level. The process of human communication has evolved over the years, with many path-breaking inventions and discoveries heralding revolutions or a lift from one level to another.
1. The invention of pictographs or the first written communication in the ancient world gave us written communication. These writings were on stone and remained immobile.
2. The invention of paper, papyrus, and wax, culminating in the invention of the printing press in the 15th century, made possible transfer of documents from one place to another, allowing for uniformity of languages over long distances.
3. The latest revolution is the widespread application of electronic technology such as electronic waves and signals to communication, manifesting in the electronic creation and transfer of documents over the World Wide Web.

Nayab also said the most significant impact of technology on communication is the spread of the Internet and the possibility of sending emails and chatting. In the pre-information technology days, a document often required re-typing on the typewriter before the final version. Sending the letter across a distance to someone else required a visit to the post office and a postage stamp. Faster methods such as telegrams had severe limitations in text and were quite costly. Computers and the Internet have made the process of creating and editing documents and applying features such as spell check and grammar check automatically easy and natural. Email let us send documents to any part of the globe within seconds, making telegrams and even ordinary letters mostly obsolete. The Internet has thus increased the speed of communications manifold, and reduced the costs drastically. The huge amount of knowledge accessible by a click of the mouse has helped improve the quality of communication. Translating a text from an unfamiliar language to a familiar language, seeking out the meaning of an unknown word, and getting follow up information on an unfamiliar concept are all possible thanks to the internet.
Technology allows easy storage and retrieval of communication when needed, especially verbal communication, the storage of which was very difficult before. It now becomes easier to rewind and clear misconceptions rather than make assumptions, or contacting the person again to clear doubt.
The invention of new gadgets such as mobile phones made communication easier by allowing people to communicate from anywhere. An underestimated impact of mobile gadgets is the effect they have on the nature of communication. The possibility of high quality communication from anywhere in the world to anywhere else at low costs has led to a marked decline in face-to-face communications and to an increased reliance on verbal and written communication over electronic media. The small keyboards on mobile phones and other hand-held devices that make typing difficult has resulted in a radical shortening of words and increasing use of symbol and shortcuts, with little or no adherence to traditional grammatical rules. Such change now finds increasing acceptance in the business community. Communication has become concise and short, and the adage “brevity is the soul of wit” finds widespread implementation, though unintentionally.

Looking Ahead to Future prospect IT In Communication

Kent G. (2010) mentioned, Fifty years ago, the tools we rely upon to communicate today were only science fiction. Today, you can purchase a Smartphone and make calls, surf the Web, play games, run applications and accomplish more than most speculative fiction authors dared to dream. So what's next? In the short term, we'll likely see basic cell phones slowly fade away. As Smartphone become more common and less expensive, more people will adopt them. The process is gradual. As with most new technologies, a group of enthusiastic adopters lead the way. Sometimes, the general population will follow the early pioneers -- the compact disc is a good example of such technology. In other cases, the early adopters end up owning technology that becomes obsolete without ever finding wide acceptance -- like Laser Discs.

Glen H (2008) said, the Internet will continue to play an increasing role in communication. Voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) already plays a large role in several communication products and services. Sites like Facebook and Twitter allow users to communicate with networks of people. With the rise of the Web, people now have a platform from which they can address the world. In the past, only celebrities and politicians could address so many people at one time. Now, anyone with an Internet connection can do the same thing. This may lead to changes in everything from entertainment to politics. Using the Web as a communication tool, people with aspirations may be able to find an audience more easily than ever before. One way we might see communication change in the future is through augmented reality. In an augmented-reality system, you view the world through a technological overlay. This could take the form of a hand-held device like as Smartphone -- there are several augmented-reality applications already available for some phones. Another possible application is through a set of augmented-reality glasses. In either case, you can view the world around you and see real-time digital information about what you're viewing.
The classic example of augmented reality is the restaurant review. You could stand in front of a restaurant and, through an augmented-reality system, read customer reviews or view the daily specials without ever walking inside. But the applications don't have to stop with locations. Augmented-reality systems might extend to people as well. Imagine looking at a stranger and seeing that person's name, Facebook profile, Twitter handle and other information. Clearly, augmented reality systems will raise concerns about privacy and safety, but such systems are already in development. Then there's video conferencing. While the technology has existed for years, video calls aren't popular in the United States. It might be because the hardware hasn't been compelling or cost-effective enough. But now webcams are starting to appear on televisions and are standard on many laptops.
 
References
Ramey K. (2013), Retrieved October 15, 2015 from http://www.useoftechnology.com/technology-communication/
Nayab N. (2014) “How Communication has evolved with new Technologies” Retrieved October 18, 2015 from http://www.brighthubpm.com/methods-strategies/79052-exploring-how-technology-has...
Kent G. (2010), "Sprint unveils first 4g phone." Retrieved October 19, 2015 from http://reviews.cnet.com
Glen H. (2008), “The Future of Communication and Conversation." Retrieved October 19, 2015 from http://www.futurist.com/2008/01/15/the-future-of-communication-and-conversation/...

Project Group:
Kemisha Francis # 1213084
Elizabeth Ogbaisi
Kimberley Clark # 1222327