Mass Media
Newspapers have been suffering with the advent of the Internet. Having to come up with new ways to bring content to people such as having online platform. However, there are newspapers that have not been able to compete and closed. Even venerable ones such as Newsweek are in trouble.
However, ICT presents potential for news companies to grow, through the integration of technology. Currently, a flexible screen is already in development can be commercialised in the near future. Imagine carrying this flexible screen instead of many different newspapers and books. Other than revolutionising our lifestyle, this technology can have the potential to bring greater access to a lot more people. Imagine people in lesser developed countries being able to access interactive news and information about the world. Perspectives can change, motivating them to create.
Games the Engine for Technology
The military has been developing many of the technology that has been later converted for civilian use. One of the most impactful one is the Internet. However, with shrinking military budgets worldwide, many cutting edge technologies have been developed by the gaming industry. For example, the development of simulation technology is so advanced that the military is now using simulation games to train soldiers.
Gaming is a multi-billion dollar industry that has become the forefront of virtual reality and simulation. For example, Project Natal that is being developed by Microsoft is totally revolutionary. The Artificial Intelligence (AI) is able to respond appropriately to human actions and emotions and make people feel connected to the AI characters. Imagine the application of this technology from gaming to other areas. For example, having an AI nanny to mind the kids when parents are busy working. Such simulation technologies can also be applied in the medical field to train doctors to perform better surgeries.
Info Systems
Currently, we have many systems in an organisation. From customer management to office productivity suites to employee management systems. These systems are not linked up and thus do not talk to each other. In the future, these information can be more readily shared among the systems.
Cloud computing is being accepted as the future of info systems. It is cheaper as companies only pay for what they use instead of having to won their own servers. In addition, the software is easily customised and is upgraded seamlessly instead of systems such as SAP (everyone can definitely remember how troublesome SAP was).
Server farm
imagine a huge room filled with rows of these servers
The Chief Infomation Officer's (CIO) will tend change from trying to own and create their own systems to a more strategic role. The new CIO will be able into resources in cloud computing and look at how to better integrate the systems in the organisation and customising the systems to make it useful to the users of the organisations and only keeping relevant date instead of archiving everything.
Some people may argue that cloud computing will result in compromised security such as sensitive information being stolen or information being lost. There are many measures to deal with such security issues and firms providing the cloud computing service have taken many measures to reassure the customers. Currently, companies use a mixture, where some non-sensitive and non-essential data are outsourced, retaining direct control over the sensitive and essential data. However, in the near future, I believe that cloud computing will be the norm and companies will be comfortable with outsourcing all their info systems and data archiving.
ICT and The Millennium Development Goals
(refer to Making ICT work for the Poor: Pursuing the Millennium Goals through ICT by Anna Badim)
In history, information was only available to the rich and powerful. Only the rich and powerful had access to education, the masses were not educated and had to work in hard labour. In modern times access to information is still remote many third world countries due to high costs to get the tools to access. However, with satellite television and the Internet, accessibility has improved.
Cheaper mobile phones and netbooks have allowed many people in third world countries to access to all the information in the world. Access to all the information and news in the Internet has changed the perspectives of these people. The exposure enables them to improve their lives and learn. In addition, they can seek help by sharing their stories to get support from others.
By providing greater access to ICT, third world countries are able to access the information and leapfrog. For example in healthcare, the third world countries do not need to spend a lot of money develop their own software in patient management, they can use software already developed and implement it in their healthcare system to help improve the management of patients' history and disease tracking. In education, teachers can tap to resources available online to teach students and enable students to experience the outside world.
Conclusion
ICT had provided many improvements to our lives. There are still many promising technologies in the near future with ICT. One may wonder if machines are able to have human personalities like those displayed in Project Natal, will humans be overrun by machines. Fortunately, Prof Michio Kaku a renowned theoretical physicist has assured that currently the smartest AI only have the intelligence of a cockroach.
Then technology advancement will make us reconsider what it means to be a human.
Overall I rate this lesson as 8 out of 10.
Then technology advancement will make us reconsider what it means to be a human.
Overall I rate this lesson as 8 out of 10.
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