Following World War II, the electronic technology that had been used during the war was transferred to government and business sectors. This technology included one of the earliest computers. The first all-purpose electronic digital computer was named ENIAC. Developed at the University of Pennsylvania in 1946, it relied on thousands of vacuum tubes like the ones used in the first television sets and radios. In 1951, UNIVAC became the first computer that could handle large amounts of both numeric and alphabetic data.
In the 1960s, the invention of the transistor made it possible to build smaller, more powerful computers. Computers designed specifically for home use were introduced in the 1970s. As the computer field continued to produce faster, more efficient, and more powerful computers, the capacity of the machines to read, store, process, and organize information dramatically increased. By the late 1970s, computers were indispensable to private companies, schools, hospitals, and government agencies, all of which rely on vast amounts of information.
Today, all types of organizations use computers to process and organize many different kinds of data and information. For example, hospitals maintain computerized patient records and schools automate student transcripts.
In recent years, employment for data entry clerks has declined because of the development of computer systems and technology (e.g., scanners, voice recognition technology, web forms, etc.) that allow organizations to collect information directly from customers, vendors, and other sources.
- Accountants and Auditors
- Billing Clerks
- Bookkeeping and Accounting Clerks
- Business Continuity Planners
- Business Development Managers and Directors
- Business Intelligence Analysts
- Business Managers
- Buyers
- Chief Customer Officers
- Chief Executive Officers
- Chief Financial Officers
- Chief Information Officers
- Chief Sustainability Officers
- Client Services Managers
- Collection Workers
- Compliance Managers
- Computer and Video Game Designers
- Computer Network Administrators
- Computer Programmers
- Computer Support Specialists
- Computer Systems Programmer/Analysts
- Computer Trainers
- Continuous Improvement Managers
- Corporate Climate Strategists
- Corporate Community Relations Directors
- Corporate Lawyers
- Corporate Librarians
- Cost Estimators
- Cultural Advisers
- Customer Service Directors
- Customer Service Representatives
- Customs Brokers
- Data Processing Technicians
- Database Specialists
- Digital Agents
- Directors of Corporate Sponsorship
- Directors of Security
- Document Management Specialists
- Economists
- Embedded Systems Engineers
- Event Planners
- Executive Recruiters
- Forensic Accountants and Auditors
- Graphic Designers
- Graphics Programmers
- Human Resources Managers
- Information Security Analysts
- Internet Consultants
- Internet Developers
- Internet Executives
- Internet Security Specialists
- Internet Store Managers and Entrepreneurs
- Internet Transaction Specialists
- Labor Union Business Agents
- Loss Prevention Managers
- Management Analysts and Consultants
- Mobile Software Developers
- Office Administrators
- Payroll Directors
- Product Development Directors
- Product Management Directors
- Product Managers
- Professional Organizers
- Proposal Managers
- Purchasing Agents
- Receptionists
- Regulatory Affairs Managers
- Regulatory Affairs Specialists
- Sales Managers
- Sales Representatives
- Secretaries
- Software Application Developers
- Software Designers
- Software Engineers
- Software Quality Assurance Testers
- Statisticians
- Strategy Managers
- Systems Setup Specialists
- Technical Support Specialists
- Technical Writers and Editors
- Temporary Workers
- Traffic Managers
- Typists and Word Processors
- User Experience Designers