Information technologies include the entire field of computer-based information processing (i.e., hardware,
software, applications, and services, telecommunication links and networks, digital databases, and the integrated
technical specifications that enable these systems to function interactively). Information technologies are a major
force in the U.S. economy and new applications are being developed and deployed into the marketplace on an 18-
to 24-month cycle. Government, industry, and academia are investing millions of dollars and thousands of hours
researching and developing information technologies to serve a wide spectrum of purposes. Available and emerging
information technologies are changing business processes and practices; how products and services are manufactured,
purchased, and delivered; and how people live, learn, work, and communicate.