Abstract
This paper describes the evolution of information technology (IT) from the 1980 to the present by examining the experiences of the member corporations of the Leading-edge Systems Users Group (LS-KEN), a Fujitsu user association which conducts research on new IT and its uses. Two sources provide the lens through which this transformation is viewed. First are annual survey reports, which are used to reveal trends of IT utilization, and second are the yearly themes of research groups within the LS-KEN. Based on this analysis, the author divides the evolution of IT into 3 phases: a Data Processing phase; an IT phase; and an Open Network phase. The characteristics of IT technologies and use, along with the activities of the members of the LS-KEN, are discussed for each of the phases.
