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What is IT?

IT is short form of Information Technology and is pronounced as separate letters.IT (information technology) is the broad subject concerned with all aspects of managing and processing information, especially within a large organization or company. IT is generally not used in reference to personal or home computing and networking. While IT is often used to describe computers and computer networks, it actually includes all layers of all systems within an organization -- from the physical hardware to the operating systems, applications, databases, storage, servers and more.

Telecommunication technologies, including Internet and business phones are also part of an organization's IT infrastructure.

History Of Information Technology

Introduction

Information technology has been around for a long, long time. Basically as long as people have been around, information technology has been around because there were always ways of communicating through technology available at that point in time. There are 4 main ages that divide up the history of information technology. Only the latest age (electronic) and some of the electromechanical age really affects us today, but it is important to learn about how we got to the point we are at with technology today.

AgesPre-mechanical

The premechanical age is the earliest age of information technology. It can be defined as the time between 3000B.C. and 1450A.D. We are talking about a long time ago. When humans first started communicating they would try to use language or simple picture drawings known as petroglyths which were usually carved in rock. Early alphabets were developed such as the Phoenician alphabet.

Petroglyph

As alphabets became more popular and more people were writing information down, pens and paper began to be developed. It started off as just marks in wet clay, but later paper was created out of papyrus plant. The most popular kind of paper made was probably by the Chinese who made paper from rags.

Now that people were writing a lot of information down they needed ways to keep it all in permanent storage. This is where the first books and libraries are developed. You’ve probably heard of Egyptian scrolls which were popular ways of writing down information to save. Some groups of people were actually binding paper together into a book-like form.

Also during this period were the first numbering systems. Around 100A.D. was when the first 1-9 system was created by people from

India. However, it wasn’t until 875A.D. (775 years later) that the number 0 was invented. And yes now that numbers were created, people wanted stuff to do with them so they created calculators.

A calculator was the very first sign of an information processor. The popular model of that time was the abacus.

Mechanical

The mechanical age is when we first start to see connections between our current technology and its ancestors. The mechanical age can be defined as the time between 1450 and 1840. A lot of new technologies are developed in this era as there is a large explosion in interest with this area. Technologies like the slide rule (an analog computer used for multiplying and dividing) were invented. Blaise Pascal invented the Pascaline which was a very popular mechanical computer. Charles Babbage developed the difference engine which tabulated polynomial equations using the method of finite differences.

Difference Engine

There were lots of different machines created during this era and while we have not yet gottent to a machine that can do more than one type of calculation in one, like our modern-day calculators, we are still learning about how all of our all-in-one machines started. Also, if you look at the size of the machines invented in this time compared to the power behind them it seems (to us) absolutely ridiculous to understand why anybody would want to use them, but to the people living in that time ALL of thse inventions were HUGE.

Electromechanical

Now we are finally getting close to some technologies that resemble our modern-day technology. The electromechanical age can be defined as the time between 1840 and 1940. These are the

beginnings of telecommunication. The telegraph was created in the early 1800s. Morse code was created by Samuel Morse in 1835. The telephone (one of the most popular forms of communication ever) was created by Alexander Graham Bell in 1876. The first radio developed by Guglielmo Marconi in 1894. All of these were extremely crucial emerging technologies that led to big advances in the information technology field.

The first large-scale automatic digital computer in the United States was the Mark 1 created by Harvard University around 1940. This computer was 8ft high, 50ft long, 2ft wide, and weighed 5 tons - HUGE. It was programmed using punch cards. How does your PC match up to this hunk of metal? It was from huge machines like this that people began to look at downsizing all the parts to first make them usable by businesses andeventually in your own home.

Harvard Mark 1

Electronic

The electronic age is what we currently live in. It can be defined as the time between 1940 and right now. The ENIAC was the first high-speed, digital computer capable of being reprogrammed to solve a full range of computing problems. This computer was designed to be used by the U.S. Army for artillery firing tables. This machine was even bigger than the Mark 1 taking up 680 square feet and weighing 30 tons - HUGE. It mainly used vacuum tubes to do its calculations.

There are 4 main sections of digital computing. The first was the era of vacuum tubes and punch cards like the ENIAC and Mark 1. Rotating magnetic drums were used for internal storage. The second generation replaced vacuum tubes with transistors, punch cards were replaced with magnetic tape, and rotating magnetic drums were replaced by magnetic cores for internal storage. Also during this time high-level programming languages were created such as FORTRAN and COBOL. The third generation replaced transistors with integrated circuits, magnetic tape was used throughout all computers, and magnetic core turned into metal oxide semiconductors. An actual operating system showed up around this time along with the advanced programming language BASIC. The fourth and latest generation brought in CPUs (central processing units) which contained memory, logic, and control circuits all on a single chip. The personal comptuer was developed (Apple II). The graphical user interface (GUI) was developed.

Apple 2

There is a lot more to all of these generations and ages but all you really need is a rough overview.

Information technology in BangladeshThe information technology sector in Bangladesh had its beginnings in research during the 1960s. Over the next few decades, computer use increased at large Bangladeshi

organizations, mostly with IBM mainframe computers. However, the sector only started to get substantial attention during the 1990s. Today the sector is still in a nascent stage, though it is showing potential for advancement.

History

The first computer in Bangladesh (then East Pakistan) was an IBM mainframe 1620 series,

installed in 1964 at the Dhaka center of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (later the Bangladesh). Computer use increased in the following years, especially after the independence of Bangladesh in 1971; more-advanced IT equipment began to be set up in different educational, research and financial institutions. In 1979, a computer centre, later renamed Department of Computer Science & Engineering, was established at Bangladesh University of Engineering and

Technology (BUET); the centre has been playing a pivotal role in Bangladeshi IT education since its inception. Through the introduction of personal computers, the use of computers witnessed a rapid increase in the late 1980s. In 1985, succeeding several individual initiatives, the first Bengali script in

computers was invented, paving the way for more intense computer activities. In 1995, use of the Internet began and locally made software started to be exported.

In 1983, the Ministry of Science and Technology established a National Computer Committee to create the required policies. The committee was also responsible to carry out programs to expand and promote the efficacious use of the sector. In 1988, the committee was replaced by the National Computer Board. In 1990, the ministry reformed the board and reconstituted it as the Bangladesh Computer Council to monitor computer- and IT-related works in the country.

In 2013, it was announced that a seven-year-old Bangladeshi boy, Wasik Farhan Roopkotha, would be listed as the "youngest IT expert" in the Guinness Book of World Records

IT Industry

The IT industry is a relatively new sector in the country's economy. Though it is yet to make tangible contributions in the national economy, it is an important growth industry. The Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS) were established in 1997 as the national trade body for software and IT service industry.

Starting with only 17 member companies, by 2009 membership had grown to 326. In a study among Asian countries by Japan International Cooperation Agency in 2007–08, Bangladesh was ranked first in software and IT services competitiveness and third

in competencies, after India and China. The World Bank, in a study conducted in 2008, projected triple digit growth for

Bangladesh in IT services and software exports. Bangladesh was also listed as one of the top 30 Countries for Offshore Services in 2010–2011 by Gartner. The penetration has also grown to 21.27 percent in 2012, up from 3.2 percent three years prior. As the Internet usage increases, the government expects the IT sector to add 7.28 percent to GDP growth by 2021.

Use of Information Technology To Control Corruption

In every sector, information technologies (IT) are powerful tools for controlling corruption. They work particularly well when they are embedded in broader institutional reforms. Generally, IT for controlling corruption operate by shining a bright light upon institutional processes. IT enhance transparency particularly at the transactional level, while offering opportunities for easier access to public records, and establishing linkages among geographically separated systems for better accountability. At USAID, sector specialists (e.g. for the environment, agriculture, or education) identify the specific institutional reforms that are required to control corruption, while IT specialists assist their counterparts in finding the right tools to get the anti-corruption job done. We offer a few examples, complementing reports from particular sectors. The key to understanding these examples is the recognition of the particular role IT play within broader

institutional reform. Environment Studies in the forestry sector regularly call attention to the problem of illegal logging. In the Russia Far East region, for example, illegal logging in some areas constitutes from 30 to 50 per cent of the total harvested timber. Key multinational non-governmental organizations have said that enforcement measures are not enough. IT can be used in prevention programs, for example by installing remote sensing and video monitoring systems, linked to a geographic information system (GIS), to generate maps from any computer linked to the Internet. Personal digital assistants (PDAs) have been used successfully to track wildlife in programs designed to minimize and control poaching, and to record fisheries catches at dockside for more precise monitoring of compliance with special

environmental regulations. When data on catch are recorded in the PDA, the boat captain’s statement on catch location can also be recorded and then used in a GIS to generate assessment maps linked to data on ship movements and catch from other boats. Anomalies can help track down violations of applicable regulations. Procurement Procurement scandals are endemic in all sectors, and can have particularly dire consequences when, for example, inferior construction materials are illegally substituted, or compensation funds in public-works projects are diverted. Recently, in Lesotho’s Highlands Water Project, some believe that corruption prevented funds from reaching the communities to be adversely affected by a new dam. One company was convicted of accepting bribes totaling more than a quarter million US dollars. IT in the form of electronic procurement systems can inhibit the

ability of government officials to solicit bribes from bidders. Online public review of tender documents can assure appropriate competition and public scrutiny of procedures. The registration of permits online, with fees paid separately to a commercial bank, can reduce fraudulent construction practices that lead to structural failures and human casualties. Legal Systems Isolated courtrooms with little public scrutiny regularly host improper if not fraudulent proceedings. One innovation is to record court sessions for public review.IT can take this innovation one step further, through cheap digitization and streaming audio available anywhere on the Internet for public review. Community information centers with Internet access in public libraries, schools, universities, or other facilities can provide a place for the public to go to access such a resource. Many jurisdictions are

requiring public officials to publicize their assets and liabilities in order to identify and preclude conflicts of interest.IT can carry this innovation one step further, making such disclosures more accessible to the public via the Internet through community information centers, enhancing transparency. The disclosure documents themselves can be filed electronically, using online forms and simple document uploading systems, at which point they become immediately public and accessible. Agriculture Land registries are a frequent locus of corruption. A geographic information system can link public records on parcel ownership rights to the payment of taxes or of fees for construction and other permits. Cash transactions can be handled in one location, neutral to the agency receiving the cash, while the permit or

registration documents themselves can be filed online at community information centers. Maps can be generated via the Internet that quickly highlight where fees have (and have not) been paid, enabling the landholder to identify when a payment has not been properly registered. Rules and regulations, for example about public commodity auctions or export requirements, are often difficult to discern and subject to arbitrary interpretations by corrupt government officials or by brokers who exploit their favored access to information to extract fees that would otherwise be unnecessary. Online publishing of such rules and regulations, with access through community information centers, would alleviate this problem. Placing these access points at major ports, border posts, or transit points would substantially enhance effectiveness. Many agriculture programs endeavor to make price information more readily available to farmers and marketing

agents. In Bolivia, USAID’s market access program broadcasts market prices daily on both broadcast radio and the Internet, resulting in higher revenues for producers. Education Almost anyone who has worked in a low-income community overseas is familiar with the story of the corrupt schoolmaster who stole the exam fees of an unwitting student, or who requires payments for after-school tutorials before a passing mark can be awarded. Innovators like Cisco have introduced worldwide tutorial and testing systems, with carefully constructed exam systems to assure the integrity of high-level testing. In some countries, donated textbooks and other teaching materials rarely make their way intact to remote schools in rural areas. Online systems

accessible through community information centers can list what was shipped so that parent associations can compare to what was actually delivered to their children. In the Gambia, the Education Management Information System tracks and ranks teachers by their seniority, language abilities, and subject specialization for use in making teacher assignments to particular schools. Such ICT systems shine a bright light, permitting greater public scrutiny and challenges to questionable decisions, helping parents assure that their school districts assign their children the teachers they rightly deserve. Energy Consumers of public utilities frequently pay their usage fees, yet have their service disconnected anyway. At the utility office in many countries, there is inevitably no record of payment, and the receipt presented as proof of payment is discounted as fraudulent. Geographic information systems that incorporate third-party payment locations and mapping to confirm proper recording and account status are

relatively easy to implement and can alleviate this kind of corruption. Consumers can visit kiosks or other types of public Internet access points, pulling up maps tied to geographic information system (GIS) databases showing their particular residence or place of business, color-coded to indicate whether payment has been received. Online payments using smart cards tied to payroll accounts can appropriately be implemented in some countries where appropriate banking networks have been established. In the mining industry, excise taxes on mined ores and other commodities are frequently based on inspections at the mines. Frequently what is officially loaded on trucks at the mines

does not match what gets transferred to ocean-going vessels at the port. Integrated computer systems linked by satellite can compare receipts and bills of lading, reducing corruption. Conclusion The key to understanding how information and communications technologies can reduce corruption is to understand that IT are tools used in the context of broader programs of institutional reform. Thus sector specialists (e.g. in energy, education, or agriculture) are best situated to identify problems and construct the necessary reforms. IT specialists within USAID work with these sector specialists to identify the right tools to make those institutional reforms work most efficiently.

Use of Information Technology To Control Corruption In Bangladesh

Bangladesh places at the bottom of many corruption and governance indexes. Transparency International (TI) ranked Bangladesh as the most corrupt country in the world for five consecutive years (2001-2005). TI considers both political and administrative corruption in its’ index. The World Bank identified Bangladesh as the 12th and 17th among the most corrupt

countries in 2004 and 2005 in the corruption index of the governance indicators (Kaufmann, Kraay and Mastruzzi 2006). Furthermore, the World Economic Forum identified Bangladesh as the most corrupt country among 125 in the corruption sub-index of the Global Competitiveness Report for 2006-07.

A world map of the 2014 Corruption Perceptions

The Government of Bangladesh has taken some important initiatives to develop our IT sector. Still we are waiting to see a fruitful change in our Information Technology. However, some remarkable steps of government are highlighted for information.

* IT has been declared as a thrust sector.

* Quick implementation of the recommendations of JRC report (a high powered committee for software export).

* Waiving all taxes and duties from import of computer hardware and software.

* Hundred percent remittances of profit and capital gains for foreign investors without any approval.

* BTTB's implementation of DDN service.

* Decision to link Bangladesh to global highway through submarine cable link by next two years.

How Use of I.T Can Control Corruption In Bangladesh

Low the chances of unemployment.

Stop lack in rules of law.

Digitalize Bangladesh.

Helps to find correct income tax.

Helps to pay correct income tax.

Helps to find not given income tax.

Stop stealing vote in political election or others.

People will be more in control.

People will get instant news.

And many others .

Findings

IT (information technology) is the broad subject concerned with all aspects of managing and processing information, especially within a large organization or company.

Information technology has been around for a long, long time. Basically as long as people have been around, information technology has been around because there were always ways of communicating through technology available at that point in time.

There are 4 main ages that divide up the history of information technology.

1) Pre-mechanical

2) Mechanical

3) Electromechanical

4) Electronic

The IT industry is a relatively new sector in the country's economy. Though it is yet to make tangible contributions in the national economy, it is an important growth industry.

In every sector, information technologies (IT) are powerful tools for controlling corruption. They work particularly well when they are embedded in broader institutional reforms. Generally, IT for controlling corruption operate by shining a bright light upon institutional processes.

How Use of I.T Can Control Corruption In Bangladesh.

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Conclusion

The evolution of information technology reached a turning point with the development of the Internet. Once a government project, the Internet was created for military purposes. Through the course of its development, researchers began finding other uses for the network, and use of the technology spread worldwide. Access to the Internet today by individuals, businesses, and institutions alike has created a global market for Internet service and has spurned an increase in productivity in the technological communication field .

Unfortunately, in addition to the educational, commercial, personal, and governmental uses of the Internet, global use of the Internet also includes Internet fraud, transmitting of illegal items, and certain forms of harassment.

But still it plays a very big role in terms of controlling corruption around the world and in Bangladesh also.