81 Examples of ICT

John Spacey, updated on April 30, 2020

ICT, or information and communications technology, is a broad term for digital infrastructure including software platforms, foundational services, networks and data centers. This is essentially an extension of the term IT to include the services of traditional telecom companies that offer communications services such as voice in addition to other IT services. The following are common elements of ICT.

AI Platforms	API Platforms
Analytics	Asset Management
Blockchain	Business Intelligence
Business Process Management	Business Software
Collaboration Tools	Compliance Platforms
Computing Platforms	Content Delivery Network
Content Management	Customer Relationship Management
DNS	Data Management
Data Migration	Data Mining
Data Sharing	Databases
Development Platforms	Digital Advertising
Ecommerce	Edge Computing
End-User Computing	End-User Devices
Enterprise Resource Planning	Event Processing
Facility Management	Factory Automation
Game Platforms	Geospatial
Governance Platforms	Health Systems
IP Telephony	Identity and Access Management
Information Security Platforms	Information Visualization
Infrastructure Management	Infrastructure as a Service
Instant Messaging	Integration
Internet of Things	Knowledge Management
Load Balancing	Logging
Machine Learning	Marketing Platforms
Markets & Exchanges	Media
Mobile Platforms	Natural Language Platforms
Network Management	Network Monitoring
Network Services	Office Productivity
Operations Platforms	Payment Systems
Procurement Platforms	Risk Management Platforms
Robotics Platforms	Sales Force Automation
Satellite Services	Scientific Computing
Search Applications	Service Desk
Service Directories	Service Management
Service Monitoring	Social Media
Speech Recognition	Statistical Analysis
Storage Platforms	Teleconferencing
Telemetry	Transaction Processing
Unified Communications	VPN
Video Conferencing	Voice Services
Wireless Networks

Definitions

ICT is a term that is meant to include IT and telecom as a single concept. This makes sense due to a process of digital convergence whereby IT companies are becoming telecom companies and telecom companies are becoming IT companies and media companies. ICT is often used to describe the technology sector of the economy. It is more often used to describe foundational infrastructure as opposed to consumer technology. Some definitions of ICT start listing specific technologies such that they fail to be broad and general. The following are reasonable definitions of ICT.

(1) Digital infrastructure.

(2) The sector of the economy that provides foundational technology services and platforms.

Notes

The term ICT is primarily used by governments, telecom companies and academics. IT companies are likely to avoid the term as they view it as tied to telecom which they view as an old industry.