Published on May 11th, 2014 | by Guest

The Evolution of IT

In the beginning, there was the Zuse Z3. This was in 1941, and it was the first programmable computer on record (depending on how broadly you define the term “computer”), and it set us on a decades-long path of constant evolution in the IT world.

In a relatively short time, the world has gone from a single-use, massive computers that could only be accessed by a few people with a very specific skill set to a situation in which a major part of the population has immediate access to significant computing power.

From the early, hesitant steps, people now have the freedom to access information and applications from a wide range of devices, no matter where they are.

First steps

1940s – The basics of computer technology are developed, and the first programmable computer is created at the beginning of the decade. In a few years computers begin to use transistors as part of their architecture.
1950s – Data storage changes with the introduction of the hard disk drive.

Getting Connected

1960s – The first modems are created making it possible to transmit data over long distances, and online transactions are processed for the first time.
1970s – ARPANET is created for the Department of Defense, virtual machine protocols are developed, and inventive engineers design email and online gaming systems.

Going Public

1980s – ARPANET splits up, dividing military and civilian networks, effectively creating the public internet. Home computers become easier to use with GUIs, and the first domain name is registered.
1990s – HTML is developed and brings a type of standardization to the web. Commercial uses begin to proliferate, and people connect in new ways, sharing files and using mobile devices (Nokia makes this possible by producing the first cell phone with internet access).

Taking Over

2000s – The internet has integrated into many aspects of daily life with social networks like Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. Blackberry produces the first smartphone, and companies begin launching apps based solely in the cloud.
2010s – Even the government moves to the cloud, and the companies begin shifting to Platform as a Service to develop their apps in a powerful and secure environment.

Infographic

There have been a lot of unexpected changes over the decades, but the current trends are pointing toward multi-platform, multi-provider, multi-cloud systems. There are still a lot of challenges to overcome as we continue to progress, but the cloud has created more flexibility and power than has been readily accessible before.

Author Bio:

Matt Smith works for Dell and has a passion for learning and writing about technology. Outside of work he enjoys entrepreneurship, being with his family, and the outdoors.

Tags: ARPANET, cloud, evolution, flexibility, infrastructure, IT, platform, service