Communication Tools Used in Modern Day Business

Introduction to ICT

ICT is an acronym that stands for Information Communications Technology. There is no universally accepted definition of ICT because the concepts, methods, and applications involved in ICT are constantly evolving on an almost daily basis. This evolution is not only challenging to keep up with but also has far-reaching effects on both businesses and personal lives. A good way to think about ICT is to consider all uses of digital technology that exist to help individuals, businesses, and organizations utilize information. ICT covers any product that will store, retrieve, manipulate, transmit, or receive information electronically in a digital form. For example, personal computers, digital television, email, robots, etc. Thus, ICT is concerned with the storage, retrieval, manipulation, transmission, or receipt of digital data. Importantly, it is also concerned with how these different uses can work with each other (O'Leary & O'Leary, 2007).

Communication Tools Used in Modern-Day Business

It should be noted that in business, ICT is often categorized into two broad types of product:

1. Computer-based technologies (things you can typically do on a personal computer or using computers at home or at work).
2. Digital communication technologies (which allow people and organizations to communicate and share information digitally through emails, digital newsletters, media releases, video calling, etc.).

Let's take a brief look at these two categories to demonstrate the kinds of products and ideas that are covered by ICT.

Traditional Computer-Based Technologies

Standard office applications include:

• Word processing: e.g., MS Word to write letters, reports, etc.
• Spreadsheets: e.g., MS Excel to analyze financials, calculations, etc.
• Database software: e.g., Oracle/MS SQL Server/Access to manage data in many forms from basic lists (e.g., customer contacts to catalogs).
• Presentation software: e.g., MS PowerPoint to prepare presentations.
• Desktop publishing: e.g., Adobe InDesign/Quark Express/MS Publisher to produce newsletters, magazines, and other complex documents.
• Graphics software: e.g., Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator to create and edit images such as logos, drawings, or pictures for use in DTP, websites, or other publications.

Specialist applications include:

• Accounting package: e.g., Sage/Oracle to manage an organization's accounts.
• Computer-Aided Design (CAD): to assist the design process. Specialist programs exist for many types of design such as architectural, engineering, electronics, and roadways.
• Customer Relations Management (CRM): to allow businesses to better understand their customers by collecting and analyzing data such as their product preferences and buying habits. Often linked to software applications that run call centers and loyalty cards.

The Human and Content Components of ICT

The first component of ICT relates to people. O’Leary and O’Leary (2007) state that people are the most crucial component of ICT. This is because it is people who supply data, make judgments, and decisions from the output. ICT is used by two types of people in the business environment: those working in the organization and customers who access information about the business. An exchange of information allows leaders and managers to make informed decisions. The second ICT component relates to content. To understand content, we need to differentiate between data and information (Tutor2u, n.d.).

ICT in Action: A Case Study

For example, the City of Johannesburg’s Library and Information Services Directorate is responsible for improving techno-literacy skills of communities to bridge the digital divide and provide access to global information resources to the citizens of the City through eLearning programs and other responsibilities. These responsibilities include improving skills support such as science and technology awareness, career development services, business information support, information literacy support, and reference and research support. This is implemented through eLearning digital information services, eWorld, and techno literacy skills. Now, this is what I regard as evolution (City of Johannesburg, SDBIP, 2016/17).