A Brief History of the Use of Technology in Business
An Original Article from bookfresh.com
The use of technology in business has taken a sudden but remarkable upsurge in the history of man. In the old times, business took a slow pace, thanks to the lack of tools that would allow for faster business transactions. Everything was done with the help of some mechanical tools and the bare hands, which made it unthinkable to do business instantly.
A short course in the history of technology in business would allow one to see the radical yet dramatic shift from the old business procedures to the innovative approaches as seen today. In addition, it would also give one a better understanding of how important the use of technology in business is.
Technological Boom
Innovations in technology started to rise in the nineteenth century. If you come to think about it, these inventions are rather simple, but their impact on business caused it to transform to what it is today. With a steady rise in the number of patents issued by the United States Patent Office, multiple segments of the economy revolved to gain benefits.
Some of the past innovative products and methods that helped to shape the face of business and economy are the barbed wire, cattle farming, railroad air brakes, sleeping cars, the camera, the carpet sweeper, and the typewriter. All of these had influenced the way people worked and led their daily lives. When these innovations were combined, they formed a powerful army that gave way to the massive use of technology in business.
Electricity and Communications
Industrial processes rely on sources of energy for them to be fully functional. Before electricity was utilized for this purpose, other natural sources such as coal and water were used. This is rather an unconventional way of fueling up factories because the said energy sources are not readily available for industrial use. With the discovery of the incandescent bulb by Thomas Edison, a series of other discoveries and inventions gave way for instant sources of energy.
Electric utilities were ushered in during the late 1800?s. Although these utilities had a low transmission range and limited power, wide residential use became possible. These utilities were further developed by George Westinghouse that made it possible to supply both residential homes and power-hungry industries the energy that they needed to perform daily business tasks.
Communications, on the other hand, was revolutionized with the invention of the telephone by Alexander Graham Bell. It was indeed a giant leap for communication, which ultimately affected the business world in many aspects. A necessary item in any business office, the telephone has certainly bridged the gap between many people and as far as business is concerned, it brought better relationships and opportunities from clients and customers.
Current Developments
The things that the past brought for the benefit of business using technology did not stop there. Typewriters were replaced by word processors, telephones have gone mobile, and every manual business transaction is being automated with various applications and software. The use of technology in business is innumerable and widespread. Even a short history of this would suffice for one to understand how revolutionary the changes have been.
Still, technology is always evolving as it continues to grow not only for business use, but also for the growth and utilization of other fields. Therefore, coping with change is imperative for one to reap the advantages of the use of technology in business.
