Best grade: The bottom line of the systems management approach to IT systems is total quality assurance

The management of information technology (IT) systems integrates people, technologies and information systems procedures effectively and optimally to solve business problems. It is a combination of information technology and management. A theoretical study of computer science is not needed as the management of IT systems involves the application of management techniques in a computer-related environment. It emphasises the collection, organisation, analysis and dissemination of information for the planning and control of business or organisational operations.

The management-IT systems programme develops technical skills and administrative insights required for the design, development, implementation, maintenance and management of organisational information systems. The bottom line of the systems management approach to IT systems is total quality assurance through process-related improvements in the entire organisation.

What do i have to do?

Professionals in this field are trained to build information systems for the present and the future. They handle the complex problems of building bridges between computer science professionals, who have a technical orientation, and management professionals, who have a functional perspective.

Management-IT systems professionals function in various fields such as systems analysis, management-information processing, database, telecommunications/networks, software systems, simulation models, and the design and development of new computer systems or management. They are best suited for the positions of application programmers, business analysts, quality analysts and systems managers.

Specialised professionals in this field provide the adequate managerial and control skills for the Internet, intranet, distributed applications, client servers, multimedia, and e-mail security, through a practical command of technologies like Networks, Java, Perl, interfaces and transactions needed to run them. They give a global view of the various aspects brought into effect by such technologies, in order to enable organisations to understand their ongoing, rapid development.

What should i study?

You should be a graduate in any discipline from a recognised university with a minimum of 50 per cent marks to pursue courses in management-IT systems. A good blend of IT and management concepts, with emphasis on a holistic approach to problem-solving by using IT, is provided by the courses. A number of topics from cognition of latest technologies to building leadership and managerial skills are covered.

What next?

IT has revolutionised business practices and a new concept — management of IT systems — has been designed to introduce students to IT applications in business and industry, and to provide them with an integrated perspective of different functional areas of management. Graduates of this programme find employment in a wide variety of settings in business, service-related industries, agriculture, government, education and research.

The emergence of new information and communication technologies linked to computerised networks in companies, calls for new skills and therefore, for new professionals who have mastered them. Changes in hardware, software and telecommunication technologies are playing a major role in the way our society is evolving.

In the last decade, the rate of change in information technology has increased. Indeed, it is clear that we are now entering an era where explosive change in telecommunication technology, combined with ever-increasing computing power, will lead to profound changes in information systems that support our organisations.

These changes will affect the way our organisations function, will lead to new business opportunities and will thus create a need for professionals who can manage data and support the management.

where to study

• Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta.
• S.P. Jain Institute of Management and Research, Mumbai.
• National Institute of Industrial Engineering, Mumbai.
• Manipal Institute of Management, Manipal.
• Symbiosis Institute of Computer Studies and Research, Pune.