Question

Using the five-component model, explain the difference between IT and IS. Explain why you can buy IT, but you can never buy IS. What does that mean to you, as a potential future business manager?

Answer 1

Information Technology (IT) and Information System (IS) are two different things but IT comes under IS only.

Information System is such a type of a platform which manages information regarding technology and technology products. IS is a study of technology related information with such references that help people, organizations etc to collect data, process data, create and also to distribute data. For all this IS plays an important role.

Information Technology on the other hand uses the information provided by the IS and helps in technological storage and transfer. IT thus comes under IS only.

Using the five-component model, the difference between IT and IS are as follows :-

• Mainly five-components are hardware , software , database , network and people. On these components IT and IS will be differentiated.

1. For IT, components that are used are hardware , software , database and network. The main purpose of IT is to emphasis on these components to deliver the best services to people or any entity and make use of these components at their best. With the help of these components, IT can be used in various fields like database , cyber-security , business intelligence , computer programming etc.
2. For IS , all the five components play a major role i,e., hardware , software , database , network and people. Here these five components together perform and thus perform input , output , feedback etc. To better understand, let's take an example , In a hospital, records of patients are made, then to make the records and also to access the records of so many patients, components like hardware and software are used. Then to store and save these datas other electronic devices are used. These all components are also IT components but as mentioned earlier IT is a part of IS.

Yes, it's true that one can buy IT but not IS. This is because of the reason that IT works through the components of IS and with the help of the components services are produced and thus due to this service money comes in. One may buy the end product but one can't buy the knowledge applied to make that product. Money value is on tangible things like end products but to make the product the knowledge applied is intangible which no one can buy. Thus here, IT is the end product and IS is the knowledge used. IS is a study of information technology.

As a potential future business manager, services by IS and IT is a very good and growing business in the market. IT and IS is the core service which is required by almost all big enterprises in this era of globalization. For IT, computer science plays an integral part to establish the role of IT ans IS. So, definitely , it's demand is huge and thus makes it a successful opportunity.