Unlike some 30 years ago, today a business that is up to date can’t afford to ignore the existence of computers. Even basic events like bookkeeping, schedules, and office labels are being created by software. Many small and medium size firms are integrating information system to their body and become partially or fully dependent on computers.
Managers from all levels rely on software that would assist them in taking decisions, making forecasts or even effectively leading their employees. There are thousands, if not millions, of paid software solutions for almost any kinds of businesses and company sizes. Of course, it also depends on the overall economic situation of the country, but it’s not uncommon anymore to even see a small corner groceries store doing its accounting on a computer.
Businesses are not the only financial units that could benefit from the rapidly developing IT field. Today, there are over a hundred online funds transferring services, some of which have expanded so much, that are one of the biggest financial managing companies in the world - PayPal. There are millions of online retails that could ship to your doorstep, clothes, medicine, even food. There are pre-paid or on-demand services that make your life easier and save you a trip to the local video store (do they even exist anymore?) and get you the movie in a matter of seconds.
As Steve Ballmer, CEO of the biggest software company known to human kind, Microsoft, once said: “As computing has rapidly extended beyond the "back office," it has added significant value across organizations--from information insight to sophisticated business analysis” (Ballmer, 2004). There are millions of companies that, if left with no computers, would vanish and declare bankruptcy in a matter of hours. There are, also, new age firms that call themselves internet companies, or virtual companies, a phenomenon that was never before seen, and until recently not even considered possible. Now, though, these virtual corporations proudly name themselves as the future of business, the so glorified by sci-fi writers, hybrids of the future, both flesh and machine, combined together to achieve new heights.
As scary as this might sound to some, I think, this is the natural result of our tireless efforts to help ourselves by exploring and exploiting the yet to be completely utilized magnificence of the world of Information Technologies.
