An Assignment on

Evolution of ICT : Past to Future

Course Title- ICT in Environmental Science

Course Code- ESDM 2111

Submitted By Submitted To

Afia Sayma Shahriar Md. Arifur Rahman

BFH1909013F Assistant Professor & Chairman
Year- 2 Term – 1 Department of Environmental Science & Disaster
Session : 2018-19 Management
Noakhali Science & Technology University
ESDM, NSTU.

Submission Date- 07-03-2020

Dept. of Environmental Science & Disaster Management

Noakhali Science & Technology University

 INDEX
Topics
Introduction
Components of ICT
ICT in key sectors
Evolution of ICT
The Evolution of ICT in Bangladesh
References
Introduction
ICT Stands for "Information and Communication Technologies." ICT refers to technologies
that provide access to information through telecommunications. It is similar to Information
Technology (IT), but focuses primarily on communication technologies. This includes the
Internet, wireless networks, cell phones, and other communication media.

In the past few decades, information and communication technologies have provided society
with a vast array of new communication capabilities. For example, people can communicate
in real-time with others in different countries using technologies such as instant messaging,
voice over IP (VoIP), and video-conferencing. Social networking websites like Facebook
allow users from all over the world to remain in contact and communicate on a regular basis.

Modern information and communication technologies have created a "global village," in

which people can communicate with others across the world as if they were living next door.
For this reason, ICT is often studied in the context of how modern communication
technologies affect society.

Components of ICT
The components of information and communication technology can be described under six
broad categories. They are people, data, hardware, software, information and procedures.
A brief definition of the mentioned components is as below:

i. People enter data via a keyboard. Computer programmers write series of instructions
for computer systems that do not rely on human intervention to operate at all times.
ii. Data are raw facts and figures and are entered by people for processing.
iii. The hardware forms the physical components of a computer. They are required to
input data, process data which is then displayed in the desired format. Examples are
the mouse, keyboard, CPU, printer etc.
iv. The computer programs are what is referred to as the software.
v. Information is also processed data.
vi. Procedures are a series of actions and step undertaken to ensure that the computer
system executes task as is expected of it.

ICT in Key Sectors

The potential of ICT as a development tool rests on its ability to improve the way people do
things. The rapid changes and advancements in modern technology present a unique
opportunity for developing countries to leapfrog intermediate steps in development while
improving the quality and broadening the reach of public services.

The strategic and effective use of ICT—combined with a reform-oriented mindset, necessary
set of skills, institutional structure and capacity, appropriate business models, as well as
policy and regulatory environments—can facilitate fast and efficient delivery of public
services in key sectors.

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Telecommunications

ADB support for telecommunications and ICT is changing lives across the region. Farmers
and fisher folk receive timely weather forecasts through their mobile phones, remote village
schools connect to educational resources through internet -enabled computer labs, and
citizens transact with their governments more efficiently through online systems. ADB is also
helping to expand telecommunication networks, provide shared ICT access facilities like
Community e-Centers (CeCs), and develop innovative and relevant ICT applications.

ICT in Education

ICT can improve the efficiency and quality of education at all levels. Part of ADB's strategy
to support its education policy principles is promoting "experimentation with, and
dissemination of, innovative strategies and technologies in education." This involves
developing appropriate e-applications to help DMCs leapfrog conventional means of learning
and teaching . For example, Uzbekistan’s Information and Communications Technology in
Basic Education Project, supported by a $30-million ADB loan, is bringing education to
remote rural areas and benefiting 540,000 students.

ICT in Public Sector Management

ADB encourages governments to adopt both innovative approaches and modern technologies
to promote good governance. This is done not just by shifting from manual, paper-based
processes to automated systems, but also by creating new skills, building human and
institutional capacity, and creating an enabling policy and regulatory environment  to
facilitate public sector reforms.

ICT in Health

ICT can be a powerful tool for improving health and related services. ADB projects are
helping to improve dissemination of public health information, bridge the gap in consultation,
diagnosis, and treatment between resource-rich and resource-poor hospitals, facilitate
learning, enhance the ability to monitor diseases and other health issues, and make health
administration more efficient.

ICT in Agriculture and Food Security

ADB’s ICT efforts are raising agricultural productivity and the quality of life of farmers and
the rural poor by improving information flows, communication, and access to reliable, up-to-
date information. This enables strategic decision-making by farmers and prevents or mitigates
losses caused by natural disasters.

Evolution of ICT
The beginning of ICT can be traced back when humans started to use objects to communicate
with one another. It is a ascertained that ICT began along with the rise of humans. There are
four main periods in history that divide the era of ICT, namely, the pre-mechanical,
mechanical, electromechanical, and electronic periods. The periods that greatly affect our
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lives today involve the electromechanical period and the electronic period. Nevertheless,
there is still a need to observe and learn from the previous periods to appreciate the
technologies enjoyed today.

Pre-Mechanical Age (3000BC-1450A)

There's way of speaking and drawing picture but there is no real way to store knowledge.
Based on the collective memory, 5000 years ago, the Sumerians in Mesopotamia devised a
writing system -- Cuneiform. They used signs to express spoken sounds and words.

In 2000 BC, the Phoenicians further simplified true alphabet for writing; and Greek adopted
the Phoenicians alphabets and added vowels in it. So on, the Romans gave the letters Latin
names which is the alphabet that we know today.

Figure:Petroglyph
1000 years later, the Greek folded this system and made a book wherein the Dictionary and
the Encyclopaedia are created as the first of information processing through the list of words,
definitions and sorting info alphabetically.

700 years later, the development and the numbering system was featured. Actually, at 100
and 200 AD, the first calculator was invented as the first numerical information sorter -- the
Abacus

Mechanical Age (1450-1840)

At this period. Writing, books, and numbers were the basic building blocks that they used to
understand their time and world. Information had to become more accessible to a large
portion that started to produce machines that could help the humans for their works.

In 1450, Johan Gutenberg in Mairs, Germany invented the movable type printing press. Until
then, everything was hand printed. Early 1600's. The slide rule was invented. A French
mathematician invented the Pascal Pascaline, a machine to add and subtract numbers.

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150 years later. Charles Babbage invented a machine that could calculate numbers and print
the results.

 1820- Difference Engine

 1830- Analytical Machine: remarkably like today's computers.

Figure : Difference Engine

Electromechanical Age (1840-1940)

The discovery of ways by used of electricity that knowledge and information could be
translated into electrical impulses. 
Telegraph and the development of Morse Code where alphabets were translated into dots and
clashes. 1876 Telephone was invented by Alexander Graham Bell. The discovery of electrical
waves that travel through space helps the invention of the radio of Guglielmo Marconi –
telecommunication

Figure: Harvard Mark 1

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Electronic Age (1940-Present)
There is disagreement on who built the first electronic digital computer. United States and in
Germany using vacuum tubes, much like what is in a TV to do high speed data processing

ENIAC, EDVAC, ADSAC and UNIVAC all invented. Americans beat out the Brits with the
UNIVAC, considered the world’s first commercial computer
Figure: Apple 2

FOUR GENERATINS OF DIGITAL COMPUTER:

 First generation (1951-1958)

Used vacuum tube as their main element.

 Second generation (1959-1963)

AT&T Bell's laboratories discovered crystalline mineral called semiconductor used
for the main element.

 Third generation (1964-1979)

The integrated transistors were replaced into integrated circuits- thousands of tiny
transistors were on a single silicon chip.

 Fourth generation (1979-Present)

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 The used of large scale integrated circuits and very large scale integrated circuits were
containing over a million transistors one a single tiny chip and microprocessor that
contains memory, logic and control circuit was on a tiny chip.

The Evolution of ICT in Bangladesh

In the last 3 years Bangladesh has seen a tremendous growth in the information technology
(ICT) sector. It has a market of 160 million+ people, where consumer spending is around
USD 130 billion+ growing at 6% annually. After Telco’s launched 3G services in 2013,
internet penetration in Bangladesh grew by 22% by the end of 2014. Of the 66.8 million
active Internet subscribers (BTRC Sept 2016), nearly 96% are on mobile and 10 million use
smartphones. With growing Internet connectivity, availability of cheaper smartphones, and
rapid rise in social networking (23 million + Facebook users), we have seen increased
emergence of digital savvy consumers.
Here are 3 main reasons for growth in ICT sector
1. Gov’t policy and awareness
In last 3 years the Government of Bangladesh has played a major role in promoting the ICT
sector as the next growth engine for Bangladesh. Their election manifesto of Digital
Bangladesh was campaigned by Sajib Wazed Joy, Advisor to Prime Minister for Information
and Technology and State Minister of ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak, M.P. A major role was
played by a2i, the key driver from the Prime Minister’s Office in deploying the rapid
expansion of technologies in delivering public services to citizens. Some of the key
milestones of a2i have been the following:
• 8.5 mil students learning from multimedia content developed by 100,000 teachers
• 105 Digital Talking text books for all visually disabled students
• 103 innovations incubated through Service Innovation Fund
• $28.15 mil earnings for Digital Center Entrepreneurs
The ICT ministry played a phenomenal role in creating awareness and programs to transform
ideas into reality through programs like Digital World, ICT Expo, National Hackathon,
Connecting Startup Bangladesh etc.
Recent policy by the govt. has been very helpful in creating attractiveness of the ICT sector.
Here are several key incentives:
a. 100% foreign ownership of companies allowed
b. Small-cap exchange to be implemented to allow easier raising/ listing on capital
markets
c. Software park which facilitated high speed Internet connection trade facility similar to
Export Processing Zones (EPZ)
After 3 years, we now have a mix of community tech space, co-working space and
accelerators. As an emerging economy we have fundamental gaps in infrastructure that
impact digital entrepreneurship, connectivity and technology development. These hubs are
providing that enabling infrastructure, and providing skills training in the IT sector. As a
mandate government will try to bring ICT program throughout the country, but the impact
will be less if certain areas of the country does not have surrounding ecosystem mature

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enough to support viable startup, and accelerator activities. For example, Dhaka has enough
critical mass of all the right things – access to funding, universities, international tech
companies, media, entrepreneurs, etc., which allows the place to build a successful tech hub.
Building a thriving ecosystem requires close collaboration between the public and private
sectors. As we move along this path, we predict that we will develop a closer working
relationship between the public and private sector.
2. BASIS policy and advocacy
The software association of Bangladesh, popularly known as BASIS brought focus on startup
activities in Bangladesh. Shameem Ashan ex-president of BASIS demonstrated tremendous
leadership. They initiated well known program like BASIS Soft Expo, BASIS Student
Forum, BASIS e-commerce alliance etc. to create awareness about startups and facility the
growth of this sector. BASIS also helped shaped policy frame work for the ICT sector and
few of the policies are outlined below:
a) 7 year tax holiday for registered IT companies
b) Private equity and venture capital policy frame work implemented as of July 2015
c) Vat for e-commerce reduced to NIL
3. Private sector movement at the heart

 Start-ups – There has been significant increase of new startup and founders joining the
space which was not seen in the past. It is not limited to first time entrepreneur only, but
people with professional work experience taking risk to join the startup life. A recent
study by Light Castle Partners (LCP) identified top 3 sectors where startups are currently
working now: e-commerce, tech and impact businesses.
 Telcos- Have played one of the major stakeholder as they built the Infrastructure
investment in 3G that practically jump started the internet enabled businesses in
Bangladesh. Local private device suppliers played the second biggest role in bringing the
smart phone prices down locally manufacturing them. Last year 3 major telcos either
started an accelerator program or sponsored one to promote digital business in
Bangladesh such as Grameenphone Accelerator which provided access to deal flow.
 Investment – We have few local angel investors who provides seed funding, however
their numbers are very limited with a deal size below US$50,000. However there are
larger financial institutions that have invested across various range. Few of the venture
capital and private equity companies who are currently working in Bangladesh are :
Fenox Ventures, IPE capital, BD Venture Limited, Aviskar, DEFTA Partners, Innotech
Corporation, Bangladesh Venture Capital, Razor Capital, 500 startups, Segnel Ventures,
IMJ Ventures, Mind Initiative, Brummer & Partners, Princestreet, Osiris Group VIPB,
IFC etc. A recent study by Light Castle Partners (LCP) identified preferred sectors by
investors are MFS (83%), Health Tech (67%) and C2C Commerce (50%). Few of the
local startup that recently got fund are listed below to our best knowledge- , GObd,
PayWell, Priyo.com, Solaric, SureCash, Styleline, Direct Fresh, AjkerDeal, Eshosikhi,
Pathao, Bagdoom, Sheba, BPCL, Brian Station, Studio 71, Smart Compare, Light Castle
Partners, Magnito Digital, Doctorola .
 Ecosystem Builders – The startup ecosystem originally started in 2013 with main
advocates being Startup Dhaka also know as SD Asia, Team Engine, Hub Dhaka, EMK

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 Center, Better Stories, Preneur Lab etc. Most these companies are involved in mentoring,
coaching and accelerator program which help startup develop their business to next stage.

References
Merali, Y., Papadopoulos, T., & Nadkarni, T. (2012). Information systems strategy: Past,
present, future?. The Journal of Strategic Information Systems, 21(2), 125-153.
Haux, R. (2006). Health information systems–past, present, future. International journal of
medical informatics, 75(3-4), 268-281.
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