Dispensing basic advice on how businesses can adapt to our technological age, McDowell, a Microsoft vice-president, and Simon (Beyond the Numbers) explain, "Earlier technologies were like equipping a home with indoor plumbing: they saved time and made the experience more pleasant... but in this new era, the technology becomes a catalyst for changing the business itself." In the aftermath of the dot-com meltdown, which has senior managers reassessing the role of the Internet and related technologies in their organizations, this engaging book couldn't be better timed. The authors stress that technology must be at every organization's core, enabling a firm to improve upon what it does and to gain competitive advantage, and that various corporate technology-based systems need to work in concert. Prescriptions for incorporating technology range all over the map and cater to CEOs who lag behind the curve: for example, senior management must communicate by e-mail to show, at least symbolically, that their company is devoted to change; firms should put as much information as possible about their inner workings on corporate intranets. Devoted readers of business books, and those under 35, won't find much new in these lessons, though they are worth repeating. But old-school management may find this clear advice helpful. (Mar.)
