Information Technology – An Informational Equivalent of the Human Mind
Information, in a broad sense, is structured, processed and organized information. It gives context to other data and allows decision making to be made. For instance, a single customer’s sale at a particular restaurant is information this becomes information the business can use to categorize the different dishes on the menu. A person might classify the various food groups according to their price, nutritional value, and other factors. This information aids decision making because it enables businesses to target customers effectively.
The advantage of using information technology to manage large databases is that information systems are scalable. In other words, they can be scaled to fit the current demands of the organization. They do not have to be very intricate because the user does not have to know every detail in order to use them effectively. For instance, a simple operating system used to manage financial data will be much less complex than a complex database management system that stores documents on a hard disk. Both information technology systems and computers need to be linked together, which gives rise to a concept of operating system and information systems.
Operating systems on the other hand, refer to the applications that are installed on the computer systems. Applications include web browser, word processor, office suite, email client, and various other types of software. The applications allow the users to perform specific tasks such as searching a database, posting messages on a bulletin board, or inputting information into a form. Database management software, on the other hand, is a program that helps the systems store information and allow access by the users.
When information technology and computer systems are combined, it is called information systems specifically, a BLS (Business Lifecycle Management) system. BLS is an industry term that stands for Business Lifecycle Services. This includes application development environments, database management systems, application delivery processes, and billing and inventory systems. The term was first introduced at the International Labor Organization in 1995.
Information systems and computer-related products have a wide variety of uses, which include business process integration and the creation of the application environment. The business process integration refers to the integration of two or more systems so that the users can efficiently conduct a particular procedure. The application environment refers to the user interface, windows, command shells, and other features that facilitate computer operation. BLS can also include the following concepts: the information hierarchy, the information environment, the data model, the information distribution, and the operational methods. The development environment provides the means for developing the systems, and the database management software controls how the systems are accessed.
Computers and information systems can replace the human mind, but the average person cannot be said to be in a state of “conscious mind” yet. Therefore, we should take the available information technologies and develop them into an informational equivalent of the human mind. In doing so, we will be able to eliminate most of the risks associated with using computers, because they will become a sort of computing device, which can be considered a variant of the human mind. In future articles, we will be exploring some of the ramifications of information technology on the society as a whole, including government regulation, ethical issues, and the role of the information systems in enhancing individual and group performance.