This article gives an overview of information technology as applied to the work of translation. It takes an historical approach, assessing the impact of changes over the last ten years. The theoretical basis of empirical systems is described briefly and informally, and the evolution of applications typical of translation work such as translation memory systems, machine translation systems, terminology management and extraction tools is discussed. Considerable emphasis is put on the development of information technology and on recent developments in the management and exploitation of information sources. The author concludes that the rapid evolution of the last ten years is only the beginning of a major shift which will have radical consequences for translators as for many other professions.