What is information technology ?
The Information Technology industry is a large industry. Over the past 50 years, IT has shaped the modern world & continues to change it.
The major segments in IT are hardware & software. Software consists of products & services. Software products are packaged or ready-to-use software made by a company for use by others. Software services companies typically do programming for client companies on a contract basis. These companies take care of the client company’s ‘outsourced’ development & maintenance of software, training, etc.
What is the size of the IT industry.
IT is a global industry: In 2010, the worldwide spending on IT was estimated to be $2.0 trillion.
Which industries use software
Some industries which use IT extensively include banking, finance, insurance & telecom. Some of the commonly used application software in business are database systems, ERP, accounting & payroll, office automation (spreadsheet, word processing), CAD/ CAM, etc.
Software is developed for different devices & ‘platforms’ such as PCs, the Web, mobiles, iPhones & gaming consoles. Software can also be classified as being for home or personal use or for business use. Operating system software, middleware or application software is another commonly-used classification.
Software is written in ‘lines’ of code where each line is a set of logical instructions for the computer. There are many alternative software ‘languages’ in which code can be written e.g. C++, Java, ASP.
In early days, in the 1960s, typical programs were small; even a program of 10,000 lines was considered big. Later, longer programs were developed e.g. those developed for NASA’s moon program which ran into a million lines of code.
Software programs need to be written, as well as constantly modified & ‘debugged’ (or corrected).
Why Indian IT industry is so talked about
· Size of IT industry in India: The Indian IT industry is large: 2 million people work here. Of these, about 1.5 million work on exports i.e. overseas contracts, while the rest work in the domestic market.
· Offshoring: Indian IT companies have pioneered the ‘offshore’ model. Thus, instead of doing work ‘onsite’ i.e. by going to work at the client’s company abroad, these companies have set up processes to get this work done in India. This results in much lower costs for the client company. By far, the biggest market for such work is the US.
· Top companies: Well-known Indian companies in this field include Infosys, TCS, Wipro & HCL Technologies. Multinational software companies like IBM, HP & Cognizant have also entered India & built an increasingly strong presence here.
In fact, there are an estimated 8000 IT firms in India. There are also thousands of other, non-IT companies in India & most of them have their own IT department, whether small or big.
· Industry growth: Since 2001, the Indian IT sector has been growing at about 28% every year; in 2008, the sector grew at 28% to reach over $70 billion in revenues. In the same year, employment grew at 26%. There is still a lot of growth possible: Indian IT firms account for only 15% of the world market of outsourced offshored software valued at $380 billion.
· English advantage: India has a large English speaking population – this is an advantage over many other countries. This is one reason why India is a preferred country for IT work. There are many new markets & areas where Indian firms are making a mark; these include the European & Japanese markets, software products, engineering services, remote infrastructure management, etc.
What are the job prospects in the IT industry
· Each year, lakhs of people are employed in the IT industry, most of them new college graduates. In 2009, Infosys is recruiting 20,000 freshers out of college at an average salary of Rs. 3.25 lakhs per year. Other large firms too are hiring in large numbers.
· A career in the software industry means being a part of the most ‘happening’ industries of our time. There is no area today that is not or will not be touched in some way by software.
· If you have an interest in trying or solving challenging problems, IT is a great field to work.
What are the job prospects in IT
According to an Associate Consultant, Cognizant Technology Solutions* :
· IT is an in-demand career so there are many opportunities to earn good salaries as compared to other industries.
· Many opportunities to travel abroad on-the-job or to find jobs anywhere in the world.
· Global outlook/ culture & world-class standards in functioning of most IT companies leads to greater work satisfaction. Also, IT companies are full of enthusiastic people who are fun to work with!
· Technology continues to expand at a rapid pace, providing great opportunities for job growth.
*Cognizant is a leading global provider of Information Technology, consulting & Business Process Outsourcing services.
What are the various job roles in IT
The IT industry is huge & growing. Most IT professionals work in offices in comfortable surroundings. They are mostly employed in IT, telecom, banking & insurance and BPO companies, among others.
Good IT professionals possess the following skills, among others :
· Logical reasoning ability
· Numerical ability
· Imaginative mind
· Interest in problem-solving
· Interest in keeping oneself updated about new technology
· Communication skills, written and oral, is a plus point
Facts about IT in India
· India has 81 million Internet users (as per The Internet Governance forum).
· India is ranked 4th among the top 10 nations in the world for high Internet usage (as per the Internet Governance forum).
· The number of mobile phone users in India is 300 million & is growing by 8 million per month.
· The domestic IT market in India is expected to cross Rs. 200,000 crore in 2012 (as per IDC India).
· Many global companies outsource IT work to India because of India’s highly-skilled, English-speaking population & low costs.
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