A few examples of the many industry segments that employ computer scientists are given below. Telecommunications industry Modern telecommunications systems are complex combinations of hardware and software. These systems are distributed across thousands of specialized computers, serve hundreds of millions of users, and must be extremely reliable and efficient. Financial industry Computers have long played a central role in managing financial transactions. Now, they are also crucial in selecting investment strategies and making detailed trading decisions.
Computer scientists play a central role in developing such systems.
Electronic commerce Computer scientists created the technology that drives the World Wide Web, and computer scientists continue to develop the technology that is turning the Web into a vehicle for global-scale electronic commerce. Computer scientists are also playing a central role in helping business organizations, from massive conglomerates to small shops, develop a presence on the Web and develop the tools to actually do business electronically. Manufacturing Computer systems play a central role in the operation of modern manufacturing plants of all kinds. They offer tremendous flexibility, allowing a plant to quickly convert from one product to another to new demands. Computer scientists create the software that makes such flexible manufacturing possible.