This introductory text is a streamlined presentation of the essentials of information systems that every business student needs to know. Contemporary and student-friendly, the text fully explores the various kinds of information systems and the innovative techniques by which they are being used by organisations for their benefit. The text has many unique features including brief cases, long chapter end cases, career implication features, web search exercises etc. that create a dynamic learning environment and reinforce the concepts more meaningfully. Table of Contents 1. Information Systems: The Big Picture. 2. Information Systems for Competitive Advantage. 3. Database Management. 4. Telecommunications and the Internet. 5. Electronic Commerce, Intranets and Extranets. 6. Organizational Information Systems. 7. Enterprise-Wide Information Systems. 8. Information Systems Development and Acquisition. 9. Information Systems Ethics, Computer Crime and Security. Appendix A: Information Systems Hardware. Appendix B: Information Systems Software. Appendix C: Networking.