Why should you give a Device an IP address?

Question

Since this is not my area of expertise, I searched Google under the key words "IP address" to get these possible sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IP_address
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/I/IP_address.html
http://computer.howstuffworks.com/question549.htm

I hope this helps. Thanks for asking.

Overly simplified answer: every device attached to a TCP/IP Network must have an IP Address. An IP Address is like your computer or device's phone number or mailing address. If you don't have a phone number, people with a telephone can't call you. If your device does not have an IP Address, nothing in the network can talk to it.