Information Technology

       In the beginning computers were human. Then they took the shape of metal boxes, filling entire rooms before becoming ever smaller and more widespread. Now they are evaporating altogether and becoming accessible from anywhere.

      That is about as brief a history of computers as anyone can make it. The point is that they are much more than devices in a box or in a data centre. Computing has constantly changed shape and location—mainly as a result of new technology, but often also because of shifts in demand.

The first “computers” were indeed people. The word originally meant an individual who solved equations, often using a mechanical calculator. Hundreds of them were employed by big companies that needed to do a lot of number-crunching, such as aeroplane manufacturers. It was only around 1945 that the word came to describe machinery.

       But even after that, computing kept undergoing mutations—or, in the jargon, platform shifts. The mainframe, the original computing platform, was dethroned by minicomputers, which in turn gave way to personal computers, which are now being pushed aside by hand-held devices and smartphones. With each step the architecture—the underlying structure of computing—became more distributed.

      Now, computing is taking on yet another new shape. It is becoming more centralised again as some of the activity moves into data centres. But more importantly, it is turning into what has come to be called a “cloud”, or collections of clouds. Computing power will become more and more disembodied and will be consumed where and when it is needed.

      The rise of the cloud is more than just another platform shift that gets geeks excited. It will undoubtedly transform the information technology industry, but it will also profoundly change the way people work and companies operate. It will allow digital technology to penetrate every nook and cranny of the economy and of society, creating some tricky political problems along the way.

Comprehension:

1. Information technology is changing principally because of:
   a. the changing needs
   b. new technological advances
2. According to the author the first computers were:
   a. calculators
   b. humans
   
3. Platform shifts are:
   a. advances in computing systems
   b. development of machinery in general
4. Computing systems are taking the form of clouds means:
   a. computers have become smaller
   b. computing power will be disembodied.