Information Technology

The hidden date for this stamp can be found in the top-left corner.

Canada has many reasons to be proud of its presence on the international stage and, among these, few are so well known as our achievements in the fields of high technology. Four high-tech sectors have been particularly important to our economy, and each of these will be the subject of domestic-rate (45¢) stamp release scheduled for 15 February, 1996. Darrell Corriveau, Glenda Rissman and Peter Scott of Q30 Design Inc collaborated on the design of High Technology Industries. The Toronto firm's previous experience includes the design of The Holocaust commemorative stamp and the award-winning International Dinosaur album published in 1993. Each stamp in the set is a blend of images that illustrate segments of a technology or industry. While each stamp is distinctive, the set is unified by a creative visual style that balances photographs with line drawing representing specific and technical elements. And because the progress of technology is so dependent on the input and creativity of industry, this series takes care to recognize the contribution of particular industries to the health of the economy and the life of country. Information age. Information rich. Information overload. The time seems faraway when information technology referred only to practical uses for computers. But two trends have since broadened that definition. First, computers have become tools for communications as well as for data processing and information storage. At the same time, telecommunications systems are now largely reliant on computer technology. This convergence means that many see information technology as everything from the infrastructure which supports the phone network to the information processing software for personal computers. The long history of information technology in Canada is as impressive as its future potential. Alexander Graham Bell refined the telephone with tests in Brantford, Ontario in the 1870's. An intercity telegraph system linked various Canadian locations in the 1890's. Radio's utility was demonstrated in 1901 when Guglielmo Marconi sent a message from Cornwall, England to Signal Hill in St. John's, Newfoundland. The next big challenge and opportunity for the information technology industry is the information highway - a merging of telephone, cable television and computer networks. Although the final form of the information highway is far from clear, several Canadian companies are developing high-capacity communications technology that will definitely be part of it. The artwork for the information technology stamp emphasizes the movement of information through communication infrastructures built with Canadian products such as fibre optics and computer networking equipment. It also highlights the extended reach of new information technology. The most compelling detail in the stamp is the photograph of an eye. It reminds us that video is an increasingly important medium for information technology. In response, Canadian companies are at the forefront of developing sophisticated equipment and software for multimedia transmission.