| Internet history timeline | 
| Early research and development: Merging the networks and creating the Internet: Commercialization, privatization, broader access leads to the modern Internet: Examples of Internet services: 1989 (1989): AOL dial-up service provider, email, instant messaging, and web browser1990 (1990): IMDb Internet movie database1994 (1994): Yahoo! web directory1995 (1995): Amazon online retailer1995 (1995): eBay online auction and shopping1995 (1995): Craigslist classified advertisements1995 (1995): AltaVista search engine1996 (1996): Outlook (formerly Hotmail) free web-based e-mail1996 (1996): RankDex search engine1997 (1997): Google Search1997 (1997): Babel Fish automatic translation1998 (1998): Yahoo Groups (formerly Yahoo! Clubs)1998 (1998): PayPal Internet payment system1998 (1998): Rotten Tomatoes review aggregator1999 (1999): 2ch Anonymous textboard1999 (1999): i-mode mobile internet service1999 (1999): Napster peer-to-peer file sharing2000 (2000): Baidu search engine2001 (2001): 2chan Anonymous imageboard2001 (2001): BitTorrent peer-to-peer file sharing2001 (2001): Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia2003 (2003): LinkedIn business networking2003 (2003): Myspace social networking site2003 (2003): Skype Internet voice calls2003 (2003): iTunes Store2003 (2003): 4chan Anonymous imageboard2003 (2003): The Pirate Bay, torrent file host2004 (2004): Facebook social networking site2004 (2004): Podcast media file series2004 (2004): Flickr image hosting2005 (2005): YouTube video sharing2005 (2005): Reddit link voting2005 (2005): Google Earth virtual globe2006 (2006): Twitter microblogging2007 (2007): WikiLeaks anonymous news and information leaks2007 (2007): Google Street View2007 (2007): Kindle, e-reader and virtual bookshop2008 (2008): Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2)2008 (2008): Dropbox cloud-based file hosting2008 (2008): Encyclopedia of Life, a collaborative encyclopedia intended to document all living species2008 (2008): Spotify, a DRM-based music streaming service2009 (2009): Bing search engine2009 (2009): Google Docs, Web-based word processor, spreadsheet, presentation, form, and data storage service2009 (2009): Kickstarter, a threshold pledge system2009 (2009): Bitcoin, a digital currency2010 (2010): Instagram, photo sharing and social networking2011 (2011): Google+, social networking2011 (2011): Snapchat, photo sharing2012 (2012): Coursera, massive open online courses2016 (2016): TikTok, video sharing and social networking
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Information and communications technology (ICT) is an extensional term for information technology (IT) that stresses the role of unified communications and the integration of telecommunications (telephone lines and wireless signals) and computers, as well as necessary enterprise software, middleware, storage and audiovisual, that enable users to access, store, transmit, understand and manipulate information.
ICT is also used to refer to the convergence of audiovisuals and telephone networks with computer networks through a single cabling or link system. There are large economic incentives to merge the telephone networks with the computer network system using a single unified system of cabling, signal distribution, and management. ICT is an umbrella term that includes any communication device, encompassing radio, television, cell phones, computer and network hardware, satellite systems and so on, as well as the various services and appliances with them such as video conferencing and distance learning. ICT also includes analog technology, such as paper communication, and any mode that transmits communication.
ICT is a broad subject and the concepts are evolving. It covers any product that will store, retrieve, manipulate, process, transmit, or receive information electronically in a digital form (e.g., personal computers including smartphones, digital television, email, or robots). Skills Framework for the Information Age is one of many models for describing and managing competencies for ICT professionals in the 21st century.