Science & Technology

Indispensable Information Technology

Four-year old Pablo proudly places his library card on the reader of the check-out station and watches the red laser beam scan the bar code of his user number. Then he reaches into his basket, pulls out his borrowed treasures and places them on the shiny silver surface for automatic scanning of their RFID tags. He’s checking out three picture books, one audio cassette and two CD-ROMs with educational games. Although Pablo doesn’t yet know about the advanced information technology (IT) behind these easy-to-use devices, the capabilities of this technology are already a matter of course for any child of the digital generation.

Digital world.   From the automotive industry to medical technology and security solutions, almost nothing works these days without information technology. Coffee makers, clothes irons and washing machines all have smart chips inside. If Pablo wants to work in automotive mechatronics when he grows up, he will certainly need excellent information technology skills, for electronics and digital signal processing have been standard equipment in cars for years.

Information and entertainment.   Software, computer networks and related services have long been the key drivers of innovation in science and business. The rate of development is particularly fast in communications and entertainment IT. Computers, tele­phony and television as well as fixed and mobile networks are converging all the time. We can read our e-mail, watch our favorite movies or check the weather report anywhere, anytime.

The key to success.   The economic advantages achieved by innovative IT solutions are clear. Faster speeds and more security mean greater efficiency and lower costs. Thanks to business IT, financial transactions are carried out in seconds all around the globe without anyone touching a bank note. Enormous power plants, airports and stadiums are managed from digital control centers. Telematic systems control the flow of traffic in megacities and make tunnels safer. Hotels and hospitals use cutting-edge IT to make their processes more comfortable and cost-effective for guests and patients.

IT in industry.   For large industrial enterprises, even small improvements in the automatic production workflow can save millions in costs. Fed by mathematical algorithms, computers make production lines run more efficiently. Computers can even be used to lay out entire factories on the screen and simulate complex processes before they go into operation in the real world. This can shorten development times for production plants by as much as 30 percent.

Innovative government.   On the other hand, the opportunities for improving service and cutting costs through the use of IT is not yet widespread in public administration. There is still great potential for efficiency in this area. E-government and outsourcing are the magic formulas for tight public budgets.

Quality, security and reliability in IT determine the success of companies and public institutions both today and in the future. IT expertise has long since grown from a niche segment to a decisive factor in success.

To provide customers with even more selective and compre­hen­sive support, Siemens bundled its global software and IT service expertise and combined it into the new “Siemens IT Solutions and Services” Group in early 2007. With customized solutions tailored to the requirements of individual industries, Siemens customers will be able to orient their business effectively to future challenges and thus improve their competitive strength and position on the market. On request, Siemens will also handle the secure operation of entire IT landscapes.

Security issues.   Siemens experts are currently developing an automatic “vaccine” so that IT systems can heal and inoculate themselves against malfunctions. Another goal is to improve defense against viruses and “Trojan horses”. After all, the com­puter industry will have only a few hours to close security gaps in the future. Perhaps cryptography engineering would be an interesting career for Pablo. In any case, the future certainly looks bright for IT security experts.

Mauritius 54th in Network Readiness Index