What is "information and communications technology"

alt. 1 (context computing English) The processing of data using computers, and the movement of data between computers. 2 (context computing English) The creation of computer systems and applications, especially those that move data around a computer network, between clients and servers, or over the Internet. 3 (context computing English) The computing and communications department of an organization. n. 1 (context computing English) The processing of data using computers, and the movement of data between computers. 2 (context computing English) The creation of computer systems and applications, especially those that move data around a computer network, between clients and servers, or over the Internet. 3 (context computing English) The computing and communications department of an organization.

Information and communications technology (ICT) is an extended term for information technology (IT) which stresses the role of unified communications and the integration of telecommunications ( telephone lines and wireless signals), computers as well as necessary enterprise software, middleware, storage, and audio-visual systems, which enable users to access, store, transmit, and manipulate information.

The term ICT is also used to refer to the convergence of audio-visual and telephone networks with computer networks through a single cabling or link system. There are large economic incentives (huge cost savings due to elimination of the telephone network) to merge the telephone network with the computer network system using a single unified system of cabling, signal distribution and management.

However, ICT has no universal definition, as "the concepts, methods and applications involved in ICT are constantly evolving on an almost daily basis." The broadness of ICT covers any product that will store, retrieve, manipulate, transmit or receive information electronically in a digital form, e.g. personal computers, digital television, email, robots. For clarity, Zuppo provided an ICT hierarchy where all levels of the hierarchy "contain some degree of commonality in that they are related to technologies that facilitate the transfer of information and various types of electronically mediated communications.". Skills Framework for the Information Age is one of many models for describing and managing competencies for ICT professionals for the 21st century.