Peter Juliff - Böcker

As the world becomes increasingly dependent on the use of computers, the need for quality software which can be produced at reasonable cost increases. This IFIP proceedings brings together the work of leading researchers and practitioners who are concerned with the efficient production of quality software.

The education of managers at undergraduate, postgraduate and professional levels must take recognition of their need to understand the impact of information technology on the practice of their profession. Furthermore it should seek to educate and to provide the knowledge needed for these people to plan for, and to adopt IT techniques in business and management. Computer-based management information systems provide not merely a passive means of retrieving and presenting information, but rather an active enabling technology which redefines the role of the manager. This book examines the relationship between management, business and information technology and, in particular, the impact of that relationship on those responsible for the design and delivery of education programmes at all levels.

This work examines the changes in IT education which are imposed by the proliferation of networked applications within commercial organisations. Topics covered include: review of the state of the art in network-centric, multimedia IT applications; positive and negative impact of network-centric, multimedia IT on business and professional educational activities; security and rights management of computer-based information systems; ethics of network uses; the applications of the Internet and Intranet in business, industry, public administration, professional education and training; cooperation between the educational system and industry; providing competencies for professional education stakeholders to cope with drastic changes in IT; and measurement and analysis of IT education and training. It contains the proceedings of the International Conference on Educating Professionals for Network-Centric Organisations sponsored by the International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP) and held in August 1998 in Saitama, Japan.

The short history of the International Working Conference on Educating Professionals for Network Centric Organizations is a good illustration of the tremendous rate of development of global networking, its impact and of its deep penetration into management of business, industty and administration.

The power of modern information systems and information technology (lSIIT) offers new opportunities to rethink, at the broadest levels, existing business strategies, approaches and practices. Over the past decade, IT has opened up new business opportunities, led to the development of new strategic IS and challenged all managers and users of ISIIT to devise new ways to make better use of information. Yet this era which began with much confidence and optimism is now suffering under a legacy of systems that are increasingly failing to meet business needs, and lasting fixes are proving costly and difficult to implement. General management is experiencing a crisis of confidence in their IS functions and in the chiefinformation systems officers who lead them (Earl and Feeney, 1994:11). The concern for chief executive officers is that they are confronting a situation that is seemingly out of control. They are asking, 'What is the best way to rein in these problems and effectively assess IS performance? Further, how can we be certain that IS is adequately adding value to the organisational bottom line?' On the other hand, IS executives and professionals who are responsible for creating, managing and maintaining the organisation's systems are worried about the preparedness of general managers to cope with the growth in new technologies and systems. They see IT having a polarising effect on general managers; it either bedazzles or frightens them (Davenport, 1994: 119).