You arrive at work and perhaps clock in or scan your thumbprint. Your paycheck is directly deposited into your account, and you receive a computer-generated pay stub. You make a purchase, and a machine scans your item, which tracks inventory in addition to adding it to your total. You make your payment using a card versus cash, and your bank electronically pays the store. These simple actions that we do without thought are the result of advances made in IT. Convenience, real-time information, and accuracy are made possible courtesy of specialized software applications, industry-specific programs, and hardware. This week we will consider the IT that surrounds us at our workplace.

Think about where you work and consider the various forms of IT equipment and programs that your organization uses. Some may be obvious and customer-focused while others are used for internal processes. Pay careful attention and answer the following questions within your initial post:

• What type(s) of electronics/IT programs does your organization use?
• What purpose(s) do these pieces of equipment and/or programs serve?
• Who within the organization do you think uses the information the IT programs provide?
• Why is this information important?