Technology and Globalization – The IT Revolution

Technology and Globalization go hand in hand. If it had not been for advancements in information technology, globalization would not have been possible. The improvements that took place in computer software and hardware, and telecommunications in the 1990s has improved the networking and communication systems of the different countries of the world and it has therefore resulted in countries having access to its global partners easily, thereby increasing its economic strength. Information Technology or IT has been instrumental in the expansion of ideas, products and resources which has therefore led to better connectivity among nations and people irrespective of the geographical borders or boundaries. Global integration has been catalyzed by IT. The social lives and economies have been revived and transformed in many countries and the IT revolution has been one of the major reasons for that.

Products and services that are made or enhanced by Information Technology have been used by individuals in almost every walk of life. The best part about the IT revolution is that it has been rapid in nature and has taken very little time to spread its wings over the planet. Some 20 years ago, a decent desktop was available to only a small group of people, and it was also fairly expensive when compared to the prices now. However, things have changed dramatically and there is almost no home in a developed or developing country which does not have access to computer and the Internet.

As far as mobile phones were concerned, it was a dream of an ordinary individual to own one and people who carried these mobile phones some 15 years ago belonged to the elite section of the society. These mobile phones, fifteen years ago, were bulky and were not that easy to carry. However, things have changed now and in America more than fifty percent of its population has a mobile handset. In some developing countries like India and China, the number of people carrying mobile handsets is more than people who have a fixed line connection.

Some ten years ago Internet was not as popular as it is now and people were not able to access the World Wide Web as they are able to now. But today, Internet and the World Wide Web are not only part of every individual’s life but it has also transformed the way many retailers and sellers do their business. With numerous social networking systems and mailing systems, communication has become fairly easy and any individual can now talk to any individual on the planet irrespective of the geographical distance. Education is no more restricted to traditional universities and classrooms. Distance education and online learning has transformed the way people learn things. An Indian student can now earn a Japanese university degree without having to travel to Japan physically. The decrease in hardware has also contributed to the IT revolution. With computer and mobile handset prices coming down in developing countries like India, China, and Brazil; more people have been able to own computers than ever before.