EMERGING TRENDS IN INFORMATION AND

COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY
BY MEENAKSHI GAUR, MCA-IV SEMESTER,
AIIT,AMITY UNIVERSITY
E-mail:aanchi_3005@yahoo.co.in

Abstract
The role of Information Communication and Technology in the current economies is
growing very fast. The technologies are being used by all the sectors, in all the
dimensions and in all disciplines of application of the Business Processes. The paper has
tried to highlight mainly the trends used by Information Communication and Technology
which already exists and which is emerging in the field of education.
The challenges faced by the educational planners are also discussed.

Introduction Three trends in ICT industry:

A need for emergence of new trends of 1) Commoditization of connectivity.

the Information Communication and
Technology is discussed. The trends
which exist in the industry are being
discussed, and then the trends which are
emerging in the ICT are discussed
thereafter, specifically the role of ICT in
Education is highlighted with the
challenges which are being faced.
ICT: A Vibrant, Growing
Industry
ICT is no longer a Luxury. There may be
people or governments which may be a
bit less familiar or less enthusiastic. But
no doubts that everyone regards it today
as a crucial factor and key enabler of the
economy. And no economic activity in
any country can prevail without use of
ICT.
The second point is that the ICT
industry, especially in developing
countries, and mostly in Asia represents
one of the fastest growing sectors.
2) Standardization of services
3) Increasing value creation from
innovation.
We can think of services at several sub-
levels, one is developing the software;
other is integrating delivery the software
and services.
Next is standardization of software when
we talk Enterprise Resource Planning
(ERP) Or CRM, the point is users and
the biggest problem in the industry is
that even the user does not know what
they need. Moving towards
standardization has both pluses and
minuses.
On the plus side, it means software will
be more accessible, usable and may be
cost-effective to use.
And on the minus side for the system
integrator’s needs, if the software really
works as desired, if it is really as easy to
work and plug and play as it claims.

So, the standardization of software is
going to pose a significant business
challenge for many of the companies.
The trend on SAAS- “Software AS A
Service”, represents the ultimate
example of the standardization of
software to the point where the end user
may no longer be interested in the nuts
and bolts of the software itself, or where
the software runs, but it is purely
interested in the utility, the services
aspect of the software.
It also can be argued that talking about
“the ICT” revolution
is a misnomer; for there has not been one
revolution, but five—so far.
Revolution 1: The Computer
The first revolution started during World
War II, with the first large, automatic,
general electromechanical calculator,
Harvard Mark 1. It was 50 feet long,
eight feet tall, and weighed five tons. A
couple of years later, ENIAC were
presented
in Philadelphia, based on radio tubes and
practically without any internal memory,
yet using 18,000 vacuum tubes and
weighing 30 tons. “Computers” became
a new catchword, and input-output
technology graduated from punch cards
to magnetic tape, faster printers, and
more languages for programming.
Applications also were expanded, from
use in academic research to weather
forecasting, from airline ticketing to
accounting. This development continues;
the first ICT revolution is still under
way.
Revolution 2: The PC
The second ICT revolution has its roots
in the 1970s, when the first “processors
on a chip” and magnetic discs were
constructed. But as late as 1977, Ken
Olson, the legendary president of the
computer company, Digital, stated:
“There is no reason anyone would want
a computer in their home.”. This second
ICT revolution continues like the first:
the capacities of the machines increase,
their applications expand, and the
number of people who use them
multiplies.
Revolution 3: The Microprocessor
The third ICT revolution is that
microprocessors have become embedded
in an ever-widening range of products:
the steering systems of airplanes, the
control panels of hydroelectric power
stations, domestic air conditioning
systems, the traffic lights in our streets.
Even when we do not recognize it, they
have become part of our everyday lives:
in video players, credit cards, remote
controllers, cameras, hotel room door
locks, and smart buildings. There is a
microprocessor embedded in our digital
scale in the bathroom. Microprocessors
translate bar codes into prices at the cash
register, monitor electronic injection of
fuel in our cars, and determine where the
elevator stops in our building. An
ordinary household now contains some
100 microprocessors, in everything from
dishwashers to alarm systems.
Microprocessors constantly expand their
capacity, applications, and users.
Revolution 4: The Internet
The fourth ICT revolution stretches back
to the late 1960s, when the U.S.
Department of Defense drew up
guidelines for a communication network
among computers (ARPANET). After a Global Emerging Trends of ICT
while, universities in and outside the
United States were hooked up to it, and
Virtualization.
some started to use it to send messages.
A couple 22 of years later, surfing on the
Virtualization in storage and client
’net started, and more and more people
devices is moving rapidly , but much of
hooked up. A PC needed a modem to
the current buzz is focused on server
use its potential fully. This fourth ICT
virtualization.
revolution continues like the others as
Virtualization eliminates duplicate
more and more computers are
copies of data the real storage devices
interlinked with an ever-growing number
while maintaining the illusion to the
of “servers” and an expanding range of
systems who are accessing that the files
applications.
are as originally stored and can
significantly decrease the cost of storage
Revolution 5: Wireless Links
devices and media to hold information.
Instead of the motherboard function
The fifth ICT revolution was linking
being located in the data center
without lines—the new possibilities
hardware, it is located there as a virtual
opened by mobile phones. At first, they
machine bubble. Virtual desktop
were big and bulky. Reduction in size
capabilities will be adopted by fewer
and weight was accompanied by
than 45 percent of target users by 2010.
expansion of reach and functions, and
miniaturization was accompanied by
Cloud Computing.
multifunctionality. Linking without lines
now takes place not just
intercontinentally via satellites, but also The key characteristics of cloud
via high-frequency short-range radio computing are
transmitters covering a specific area or 1) Delivery of “as a service,”
cell (hence the name, “cellular phones”) 2) Delivery of services in a highly
and inside buildings by “Bluetooth” and scalable and elastic fashion,
infrared light. 3) Using Internet technologies and
techniques to develop and deliver the
services, and
4) Designing for delivery to external
customers.

Cloud computing is a style of computing

that providers deliver a variety of IT
enabled capabilities to consumers. It
enables very small companies to grow.

Social Software and Social

Networking.
Social software includes a broad range
of technologies, such as social
networking, social collaboration, social
media and social validation. Soon a
social platform should be adopted
Organizations should be adopted so that
your views and voice should not left
mute in a dialogue where your voice
must be heard.
Redefinition of learning spaces.
The ordered classroom of 40 desks in
rows of 5 may quickly become a picture
of the industrial age as colleges around
the world are making them thinking the
most appropriate learning environments
to increase collaborative, cross-
disciplinary, students centered learning.
Concepts such as greater use of light,
colors, and circular tables, individual
spaces for students and teachers, and
smaller open learning spaces for project-
based learning are increasingly
emphasized.
Teacher-generated open content.
School systems are increasingly
empowering teachers to identify and
create the learning resources that they
find most effective in the classroom.
Many online texts allow teachers to edit,
add to, or otherwise customize material
for their own purposes, so that their
students receive a tailored copy that
exactly suits the style and pace of the
course. Such activities often challenge
traditional notions of intellectual
property and copyright.
Teacher managers/mentors.
The role of the teacher in the classroom
is being transformed from that of the
font of knowledge to an instructional
manager helping to guide students
through individualized learning
pathways, identifying relevant learning
resources, creating collaborative learning
opportunities, and providing insight and
support both during formal class time
and outside of the designated time.
Ubiquitous learning.
With the emergence of increasingly
robust connectivity infrastructure and
cheaper computers, college systems
around the world are developing the
ability to provide learning opportunities
to students “anytime, anywhere”. This
trend requires a rethinking of the
traditional 40 minute lesson. In addition
to hardware and Internet access, it
requires the availability of virtual
mentors or teachers, and/or opportunities
for peer to peer and self-paced, deeper
learning.
ICT in education:
Information communication technology
is changing the trends and norms that
were set for the contemporary world. It
is not only connected the world at one
single platform but also helping in
reducing the gap of digital divide and
digital opportunity.
The main purpose of the strategy for
information and communication
technology. Implementation in education
is ti provide the trends of integration of
ICT into general activities which serves
to education.
Whether school students usually do their
formal studying in school, the case is not
same for the students in higher
education, a growing minority of whom
may study only partly-or not at all-on the
campus of the university that is running
their course. In developed countries, this
is often because students are working
while studying.
Most of pure distance universities, build
on older techniques of distance learning.
Many universities offer a mix of delivery
methods. Annually, the goal is to widen
access into markets that can not easily be
reached with more traditional approach.
Some offer the same course online and
in a classroom, otherwise a hybrid mix
of electronic and traditional methods of
delivery some setup satellite campuses
with broadband links through which the
students can learn partly at a distance.
Challenges
The problem for educational planners is
how to reach, within a reasonable time,
the needs of the majority who are poor,
uneducated, and live in rural areas: how
to fund, implement, and maintain the
educational part of ICT networks. This
question is all the more to be highlight
because most major international
teleoperators do not include sub-Saharan
Africa or the remote areas of Central
Asia in their business strategy plans. The
bitter fact is this: What happens in a
country does not depend on the state of
the art, but on the state of its economy.
Equally important question is not that
who can use the internet, but who can
produce it. Both IT workforce and IT
professionals are required who can
produce a content material for internet.
The cyber law in India also imposes
certain restrictions and their violations
may take the form of offences and
contraventions. Cyber crimes in India
are taken care of by the Information
Technology Act, 2000 (IT Act, 2000),
but not completely helpful in preventing
them. These aspects must be kept in
mind by Companies, Individual and even
by the Government.
With the rapid change in technology,
training cannot be a one-shot affair; we
have to be updated continuously to stay
abreast of developments. Planning and
designing educational systems so that
they familiarize students with a
technology that is being modified and
evolving continuously is not just an
intellectual challenge, it is also an
economic one.
Acknowledgement:
I express my deepest thanks to “Mrs.
Ritu Punhani, Assistant Professor, AIIT
and Mrs. Alpana Kakkar Assistant
Professor, AIIT” . They helped me lot
during the research.
References:
1. By Meoli Kashorda, Ph.D., MIEEE,
MIET, Faculty of Information
Technology, Strathmore University.
Emerging trends in ICT education
2. 10 Global Trends in ICT and
education:
http://blogs.worldbank.org/edutech/10-
global-trends-in-ict-and-education
3. Emerging Trends in ICT and
Education
http://www.usq.edu.au/course/material/e
du5472/content/mod11.htm
4. By: John LeBaron Jay M. Robinson
Distinguished Professor of Educational
Technologies Western Carolina
University University of North Carolina
Cullowhee, NC, USA
Research Report for GeSCI Meta-
Review of ICT in Education

5. By Praveen Dayal.
ICT trends in INDIA-2006.