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The Information Technology Association of America (ITAA) defined information technology as “the study, design, development, implementation, support or management of computer-based information systems, particularly software applications and computer hardware.” In other words, IT includes both the systems themselves and the work of creating, deploying, supporting, and managing them.
What ITAA’s definition means
ITAA’s wording describes a field of work centered on computer-based information systems. It is broader than a list of devices: it includes the activities involved throughout a system’s life, from studying and designing it to implementing, supporting, and managing it. The definition gives particular emphasis to software applications and computer hardware.
The Computing Research Association archive reproduces this definition and attributes it to ITAA. It does not name an individual who coined or delivered the wording. Read the archived definition.
What does ITAA stand for?
ITAA stands for the Information Technology Association of America. A 2008 U.S. House hearing document says the association was founded in 1961 as the Association of Data Processing Services Organizations, or ADAPSO. The hearing describes its historical role in public policy, business networking, and national leadership for the IT industry; that account should not be read as a description of the organization’s current activities. See the 2008 House hearing record.
How ITAA’s definition differs from the federal procurement definition
The two definitions serve different purposes. ITAA describes information technology as a professional field and the work performed around computer-based systems. The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) defines IT for government acquisition, focusing on equipment or interconnected systems used by an agency to handle data or information, along with related resources.
| Comparison | ITAA wording | Federal Acquisition Regulation |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Describes the discipline and work around computer-based information systems. | Sets a definition for government procurement. |
| Emphasis | Activities across the system lifecycle, with particular attention to software applications and computer hardware. | Agency-use equipment or interconnected systems, including computers, ancillary equipment, software, services, and related resources. |
| Setting | General professional usage. | Use in the context of a government agency’s acquisition and information-handling needs. |
The FAR definition is an administrative rule for a specific setting, not a replacement for ITAA’s field-oriented description. See FAR 2.101.
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