What is informatization?

Informatization is a rather lengthy process. A specific project for building an information system is a step and a step in this long-term process. It is through such specific projects that informatization construction progress is realized. On other hand, implementation of each construction project should be guided by direction and principles of informatization. They are connected by information system planning.

Informatization is a long-term development process! The term informatization is not a new term. For more than 20 years, people have been having extensive discussions on various issues. In particular, at 16th National Congress of Communist Party of China, "informatization stimulates industrialization" was positioned as main national policy.

What is informatization? Simply put, this is a historical process of transformation of human society from an industrial society into an information one! This is a comprehensive and profound transformation that humanity is experiencing. Just as wave of industrialization swept world for hundreds of years, plunging all regions and nations of an agrarian society into industrial age, today's wave of informatization is forcing people to move from industrial civilization to a higher level of civilization - civilization of information age. The difference is that today's great transformation is deeper, faster and more pervasive, affecting almost every aspect of human life, affecting everything from economic structure, system of government, and ending with life habits. To people living in this era, no one can avoid or ignore it. The most important feature of this revolution is that information as a resource has received unprecedented attention, development and use.

With regard to this concept, we can experience and understand it in following five aspects:

Firstly, informatization is based on widespread use and popularization of modern information technologies.

Marxism believes that productivity is most basic driving force of social progress, and increased productivity is source of force that promotes human social change. Since middle of 20th century, technologies such as computers and communications that help people process information have been invented one after another, developed and spread rapidly, and were applied in various areas of economy and society. If use of steam engine ushered in prelude to Industrial Revolution, then modern IT is increased productivity that has brought about today's big changes. Without this foundation, informatization is out of question.

Secondly, it is too narrow to understand informatization only from purely technical progress.

Informatization is a complex and fundamental change. Marxism believes that development of productive forces will inevitably lead to a change in production relations. When modern IT is applied in various areas of society and economy, changes will never stop at stage of quantitative changes, such as faster information processing and more efficient word processing, but will lead to various aspects, such as working methods, management systems, and profit sharing, and even way of life and way of thinking of people have changed accordingly. Therefore, we must fully understand comprehensive nature of this great change.

Thirdly, most important feature of this great change lies in importance, development and use of information resources.

The most important feature of industrial revolution is emphasis on energy resources and development and use of energy resources. coal. In last few decades, we can see that main feature of this great change lies in development and use of information resources. In past, various optimization and planning algorithms could only remain in theory, and various types of practical fields were obtained thanks to generation of computers. The result is a significant increase in labor productivity with approximately same material and energy resources. Information is wealth!

Fourth, another important point is understanding implications or benefits of informatization.

Some people with traditional ideas often accuse informatization of lies, because "information cannot be eaten or carried." In fact, indirect role of information is a value added effect. The role of information lies in fuller and more efficient use of physical resources such as matter and energy. Therefore, informatization is not an isolated process, separated from existing productive and social activities of people, but its function is expressed in improving functions and efficiency of various types of social activities. The use of modern information technologies makes it possible to do what was previously impossible. For example, daily summary of national customs data, real-time query of hundreds of millions of data, super summary of national population information, instant transmission and exchange of global information, etc. At same time, accuracy and accuracy of many works, such as machine tools with CNC and precision medical equipment, laser-guided bombs, etc.

Fifthly, goal of informatization process is to achieve a new height of human civilization, not only an unprecedented increase in level of material production, but also a new situation in spiritual life.

For example, exchange and collaboration of research work on Internet makes today's international academic exchanges much faster and more efficient than decades ago. From comfort of your home, you can collaborate on projects and develop software together online.