Information Technology in the Business Environment -- Introduction: Business and Information Technology -- Business in the Information Age: Pressures and Responses -- Reality Check: Why You Need to Know about Information Technology -- What Is an Information System? -- Reality Check II: Strategic Questions and Information Technology Answers -- Organizations and Information Technology Support -- Information Systems Infrastructure and Architecture -- Organizations: Structure and IT Support -- The Evolution and Types of Information Systems -- IT Support at Different Organizational Levels -- Managing Information Technology in Organizations -- Information Technology Infrastructure -- Computer Hardware -- The Significance of Hardware -- The Central Processing Unit -- Computer Memory -- Computer Hierarchy -- Input Technologies -- Output Technologies -- Strategic Hardware Issues -- Computer Software -- Software History and Significance -- Systems Software -- Application Software -- Software Issues -- Programming Languages -- Enterprise Software -- Managing Organizational Data and Information -- Basics of Data Arrangement and Access -- The Traditional File Environment -- Databases: The Modern Approach -- Database Management Systems -- Logical Data Models -- Data Warehouses -- Telecommunications and Networks -- The Telecommunications System -- Networks -- Network Communications Software -- Network Processing Strategies -- Telecommunications Applications -- The Internet and Intranets -- What Is the Internet?