IT

(pronounced: eye-tee)

An all-encompassing term that refers to the devices used for creating, storing, using, or exchanging information, and to the design and practical application of the devices themselves.

An IT department is the technical group within a company, responsible for overseeing, managing, evaluating, and upgrading the various forms of technology the company is using (see: IS). Primarily a computer term, IT is considered the driving force behind what is known as the information revolution or the information age.

Historical perspective: If the future of data center switches excite you, you may want to pursue a future in IT. As of 2010, IT is all about the cloud. Things like collaboration software, data centers and storage, infrastructure, network management, performance optimization, security, virtualization, and wireless and mobility are all part of cloud computing.

Note: IT is a chat acronym for "Imagine That."