Includes bibliographical references and index.

1. INFORMATION SYSTEMS: Introduction; Decisions; Value of information; The idea of a system; Management information systems; Informal and formal information. 2. STRATEGY AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS: The need for a business strategy; Business strategic planning; Business information systems strategy; Information systems strategy today. 3. BUSINESS INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY: Historical development of computing technology; Hardware; Software. 4. DISTRIBUTED SYSTEMS, NETWORKS AND THE ORGANIZATION: Networks and distributed systems; The idea of a distributed system; Organizational benefits of distributed systems; Organizational levels and distributed systems; The extent of distribution; The distribution of data; Networks and communications; Standards; Electronic data interchange; The effects of the Internet on business. 5 BUSINESS, THE WORLD WIDE WEB, AND THE INTERNET: The evolution of the Internet; How the Internet works; What the Internet offers; The World Wide Web; The Internet and copyright; The Internet and financial transactions; Intranets and Extranets. 6 ELECTRONIC COMMERCE AND BUSINESS: A brief introduction to E-Commerce; Key features of E-Commerce; Conducting business over the Internet; Trade cycles and E-Commerce; E-Commerce Business Models; The development and management of a business website; Trends in E-Commerce.7. DECISION SUPPORT AND END-USER COMPUTING: Features of decision support systems; Types of decision support system; The development of decision support systems; Group decision support; End-user computing; Human computer interaction.8. FILE ORGANIZATION AND DATABASES FOR BUSINESS INFORMATION SYSTEMS: Files and file structures; Records and record structure; Physical and logical views of data; Data storage files, records and lists; File-based and database approaches to data storage; A three-level architecture for databases; Models and schemas; Network models; Hierarchical; Relational models; Object-oriented databases; Microcomputer data.

Building on the success of the last three editions of Business Information Systems: Analysis Design and Practice, this established text offers a comprehensive understanding of how information systems can aid the realisation of business objectives. Analytical in its approach, the text is particularly suited to those in upper undergraduate business degrees taking a module in Information Systems or an Information Systems Development module in Computer Science, as well as those following specialist Business Information Systems pathways. The text is also widely used on MBA courses. Key Features *The chapter covering networks and distributed systems is expanded to accommodate recent developments in the use of the internet. *New chapter on e-Commerce and business applications. *Increased critique of Rational Planning Models. *Coverage of the operational issues concerning the management of information systems. *Additional new material on hot topics: data warehousing; data mining; business intelligence; knowledge management; intranets; new organisational forms; virtual teams/governance of IT.