This book places IT in perspective by tracing its development through time, covering its origins in business, the massive expansion of the role of IT at the end of the 20th century, the growth of the internet, and the successes and failures of companies involved in this development.Despite its ubiquity in the modern world, the author highlights that efficient use of IT by businesses can only be gained by a good understanding of its potentials and pitfalls, highlighting how its informed use in practice is essential for companies to succeed. Finally, questions are raised concerning the future of IT: who will reap the benefits and why? Will IT continue to provide solutions and will it always deliver on its promise? Will it cease to advance and thus cease to be studied or will it continue to develop and thus provide new opportunities and challenges to users?