Importance of new technologies
Today, the so-called progress in information technology, covering computer hardware and software and telecommunications, are having a great effect. In fact, it says we’re in a new type of company called Information Society or Knowledge Society, which has replaced the two previous economic models, the agrarian society and industrial society.
In the model of agriculture, exploitation of the land was a way to generate wealth. In the industrial model, new technologies and new production systems, allowed the mass production of consumer products. However, the generation of wealth today has to do with other ways to proceed. Besides the importance of capital accumulation and production technology, what really becomes crucial is knowing what customers want, what competitors are doing, where and to whom you can buy and sell on better terms, what changes legislation may affect the company or sector, and so on.
In short, it is essential to have timely information to make the best decisions at the right time. In this situation, new information technologies are very relevant. Allow to obtain and process more information than manual means. So companies invest in them.
However, like any technology, it must be remembered that ICT is only one instrument (yes, very powerful and flexible) for the management of enterprises. It is therefore clear that new technologies are an essential and continuous development within any company. But the technologies are much more present in large firms than in small and medium enterprises (SMEs), this is mainly due to the size of the company and, therefore, the scope of it and its investment capability management, but little by little the difference is narrowing, as many SMEs are becoming aware that the use of ICT is a key issue for expansion and survival.
