Information Systems (IS) are the lifeblood of the modern enterprise, making up the single largest portion of capital spending among U.S. corporations. Information Systems have the power to create and restructure industries, empower individuals and firms, and dramatically reduce costs. Many of the world's most successful corporations arrived at their position in large part due to their effective use of such systems.

However, when poorly designed and implemented IS can become a major source of risk, squander shareholder wealth, waste taxpayer money, and destroy firms and careers. As a result, organizations desperately need well-trained information systems specialists and technology-savvy managers. Today's manager simply cannot effectively perform without a solid understanding of the role of information systems in organizations, competition, and society.