WHAT IT MEANS:
There was a time when the term "data" referred exclusively to computer text information. But today, the definition of data has
expanded to include any piece of communication that can be expressed in the bits and bytes of the digital world. This can
range from text to graphics; from voice to music; from simple emails to sophisticated web content.
The rapid growth of the Internet has enhanced the role of data communications in modern life. Computer networks are the
conduits and the floodgates for this ocean of information, which is now being used to spur technologies such as mobile
computing, wireless communications, high-speed broadband, instant messaging, personal digital assistants and other
innovations. An entire generation of hardware-including hubs, bridges, switches and routers-was developed to support this
modernization. At the same time, protocols and standards are in constant development and refinement to assure that these new
information appliances share a common "language" in order to work effectively together.
WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU:
The surge in data communications means that skilled people are needed to plan, manage and configure a growing data
infrastructure. "Advances in technology and knowledge generation over the next few years will radically transform the very
nature of how we grow our economy and how we compete," according to a January 2002 statement by Phillip J. Bond, Under
Secretary of Commerce for Technology. This market-driven demand can be seen in a 2002 New York Times Job Market survey, which
declared that students graduating with technical degrees are typically offered the highest starting salaries compared to their
peers holding other degrees.
The Data Communication Systems Technology program in the School of Information Technology at ITT Technical Institute
emphasizes technical skills that are used to design, deploy and manage data communication systems and infrastructures.
Graduates of this program may pursue career opportunities in a variety of entrylevel positions with various titles such as
communications technician, network technician, system administrator, network administrator, system engineer, network engineer,
system analyst, network analyst, system specialist and network specialist.
This program is available at the following campuses. Please select a campus to learn more about this program.
|
