What is ICT?
There are two options of what the acronym ICT could stand for:
1. information and communication technology
2. information, communication and technology
“[M]en’s lives may depend upon a comma” Johnson, J
These might appear to be subtle distinctions, but there is a significant difference in
meaning – the second is much broader than the first.
Option 1
Most people will tell you that ICT is a shortening for “information and
communications technology” – option number one above. Let’s unpack that
phrase. So it is “information technology” or “communications technology”. It is not
“information” or “communication” standing on its own. “Information” or
“communication” has to go with technology – they cannot exist independently. You
could shorten information and communications technology to just technology.
Option 2
In my view, it should be “information, communication and technology” – option
number two above. Each aspect of the acronym can stand on its own. So it
includes “information” or “communication”. It also includes technology or
“information and communications technology”. This interpretation is wider.
Another way of looking at it is that ICT stands for:
1. Information – (or data) in paper or electronic format
2. Communication – in person or electronically (electronic communications), in writing
or voice, telecommunications, and broadcasting
3. Information technology (IT) – including software, hardware and electronics
4. Communications technology – including protocols, software and hardware
A plumbing analogy
The distinction is also illustrated by drawing an analogy between an information
system and a plumbing system.
A plumbing system is made up of storage tanks where water is stored. The
equivalent in an ICT system would be a storage device where information is stored
– maybe a hard drive or a content management system. This could be referred to
as information technology.
Water flows through the pipes. The equivalent in an ICT system would be
communications technology. For example fibre, Internet protocol, or VOIP.
Standing water would be the equivalent to information or data. For example, data
in a file in pdf format.
Flowing water would be the equivalent to a communication. For example, a data
message, or a voice or data packet.
Information (stored water) is stored using information technology (storage tanks)
and a communication (flowing water) reaches the recipient through
communications technology (pipes).
Recent uses of acronym ICT
Let us look at some recent uses of the acronym ICT.
Wikipedia
Wikipedia defines ICT as “information and communication technology“. They also say
that their explanation may require clean-up to meet their quality standards – I
might give it a go.
Information and Communications Technology Law Book
The latest textbook on ICT law says that is a shortening for and the book is entitled
“Information and Communications Technology Law“. In the book itself, the authors do
not go into details as to why they believe ICT is a shortening of information and
communications technology. I don’t agree with their shortening because their book
deals with information law and communications law – and not just information
technology law or communications technology law. The title is narrower than the
content. For example, data protection is not just about information technology.
Black economic empowerment charter for the ICT sector
There are various relevant sections in the black economic empowerment charter
for the ICT sector, which I have quoted below for ease of reference. The ICT BEE
Charter is unfortunately poorly drafted and contradicts itself. Have a look at the
sections below. For example, the drafters have defined ICT in different ways.
Initially, ICT is a shortening for “Information, Communication and Technology”, but
then in the definition of ICT it is defined as “Information and Communication
Technology”. As illustrated above, there is a difference in meaning between these
two and therefore the ICT BEE Charter contradicts itself. In my view, they got it
right initially. An example of poor drafting is the definition of “Information &
Communications Technologies Sector”. It is not clear what it means – I’m not even
going to try to interpret.
“Recognising the cross cutting nature of Information, Communication and
Technology (ICT), and its role in the social and economic development of our
country.
“ICT” means Information and Communication Technology and refers to the
combination of manufacturing and services industries that capture, transmit and
display data and information electronically (OECD 2002: 18; SAITIS 2000: 3)”
The “Information & Communications Technologies Sector” shall without in any
way limiting the ordinary meaning of the terms, mean the sector in which
employers and employees are associated for the carrying on of any one or more of
the following activities:
marketing, manufacturing, assembling, servicing, installing, maintaining and/or
repairing systems, software, equipment, machines, devices and apparatus, whether
utilising manual, photographic, optical mechanical, electrical, electrostatic or
electronic principles or any combination of such principles, that are primarily
intended for the recording and/or processing and/or monitoring and/or
transmission of voice and /or data and/or image and/or text or any combination
thereof for use in any one or more of the following activities:
accounting, calculating, data processing, data transmission, duplicating, text
processing, document reproduction, document transmission, record keeping and
record retrieval, broadcasting or transmission for entertainment or information
purposes of voice and/or image and/or text or any combination thereof and/or; the
provision of services relating to the above.
