Information technology (IT) is "the study, design, development, implementation, support or management of computer-based information systems, particularly software applications and computer hardware", according to the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA). IT deals with the use of electronic computers and computer software to convert, store, protect, process, transmit, and securely retrieve information.

Today, the term information has ballooned to encompass many aspects of computing and technology, and the term has become very recognizable. IT professionals perform a variety of duties that range from installing applications to designing complex computer networks and information databases. A few of the duties that IT professionals perform may include data management, networking, engineering computer hardware, database and software design, as well as the management and administration of entire systems. Information technology is starting to spread farther than the conventional personal computer and network technology, and more into integrations of other technologies such as the use of cell phones, televisions, automobiles, and more, which is increasing the demand for such jobs.

When computer and communications technologies are combined, the result is information technology, or "infotech". Information technology is a general term that describes any technology that helps to produce, manipulate, store, communicate, and/or disseminate information.

In recent days ABET and the ACM have collaborated to form accreditation and curriculum standards for degrees in Information Technology as a distinct field of study separate from both Computer Science and Information Systems. SIGITE is the ACM working group for defining these standards. The Worldwide IT services revenue totalled $763 billion in 2009.

ICT is an acronym that stands for "Information and Communications Technology" and is used often in the context of "ICT roadmap" to indicate the path that an organization will take with their ICT needs. Sample example of usage include Micosoft and The Australian Newspaper
The terms ICT should be read as "Information Technology and Communication Technology" literally to clarify its meaning which refers to the merging (convergence) of telephone networks with computer networks through a single cabling or link system. The term ICT has grown in usage out of huge economic incentives (huge cost saving due by eliminating the telephone network) to merge the telephone network with the computer network system. See VOIP. This in turn has spurred an industry to grow with organizations using the term ICT in their name's to indicate their specialization in the process of merging the two network systems together.