Business Systems Books

This particular series of instructional books (meaning the "QuickSteps" series) has always been one of my favorites -- they're concisely written in short paragraphs with decent descriptive pictures to help anyone learn just about any type of software application.

While I found this book to be fairly complete, I'd still only recommend it as a desk-side reference manual to use along with Microsoft tutorials themselves. While it is a cleverly written book that is not as cumbersome to use as other reference books on the market, it does not address all of the finer points of Excel.

All in all, it's a great reference book, and let's face it, sometimes it's just easier to review a chapter a few times to digest material rather than stare at a computer screen until you become cross-eyed.

All in all, I'd probably give this book a 4.5, but since that's not an option, I'll have to stick with 4 stars.

I manage a medium-sized network and support a large number of fairly savvy users. That is, most users know how to do their specific tasks very well and are willing to learn new things. But they are not willing to sit down with a book full of dense text. This is where the "Quick Steps" books come in handy. I keep a number of these books on hand and when a user requests assistance, I give them one of the books with the appropriate page bookmarked. Steps are outlined in full color with lots of pictures and pointers and tips. Additional information is set off in side boxes so users can learn more if they choose. What I have found is that once a user completes a task successfully, they get fairly excited about the experience and browse the book to learn more. The books really stimulate users to experiment with things they would not normally bother to learn. And that is where this book excels. It is a "browser." Users don't feel like they need to start at the beginning and read through to the end. I get lots of grumbles when I ask for the book back so I can pass it on to others.

This book is also great for new users. I tell them to spend a few hours working through the steps, which are easy to follow and can be done at a fairly fast pace. Most users think the full color layout is fun to work through. The down-side is that like any book, space is limited, especially with the fully-illustrated format, so you're obviously not going to find everything in these books, but I do feel they contain a good balance of material and are appropriate for corporate libraries.

Marty (the concept author for the Quick Steps series) and I are fellow writers and that is how I learned about these books. I must say that they have helped my users enormously and relieved my support task. Hey, it's the 21st century. Anyone working in an office should know how to work with operating systems and common applications. Most people can do that if they have easily accessible references and refresher material like these books. Thanks to Marty for developing the "Quick Steps" concept and to McGraw-Hill for publishing this series.

I'm a soon-to-be-graduating Psychology student at the University of Washington and I am writing this review from the perspective of some one using excel in Social Sciences.

I found this book extremely suited to my needs...each step was very clear and precise and it was easy to find the chapter or section that was most applicable to what I was working on.

It covered all of the functions of Excel that I have used in my classes thus far. Although my intro. classes had a very brief introduction to the functions I needed, as I progressed into higher level classes and used more and more Excel I found that I needed additional specific instructions for my work. This book was very helpful in that way, and saved me the bother of forever emailing questions to my professor, as I had done before I received the book.

I actually used Excel the most to analyze the significance of data from an experiment that I had designed and to graph the results. This required quite a few steps and it was helpful to have a guide to look at as I went as opposed to trying to guess what came after the basic skills I had previously learned.

I also lent this book to a friend who works in American Ethnic Studies and used Excel to organize and make tables of data for her thesis. The American Ethnic Studies major has no background in science, so was in the position of having absolutely zero knowledge of Excel. However, with this book alone, she was able to complete the Excel portion of there thesis without any additional help.

From a student's point of view, this is a great resource if your field involves any use of Excel.

I don't use Excel all the time. But when I do I don't have time to troubleshoot problems.

This hands-on, user friendly book has helped me conquer Excel. The text is readable and well organized. The visuals are clean and fully support the instructions.

I found that you can start from the beginning and teach yourself EXCEL with simple step by step instructions or you can flip straight to your topic of interest and further build your skills. This is a great tool for all levels of expertise.

I am an infrequent Excel user, so I needed a good reference book that is well indexed. That's exactly what I got with Excel 2003 QuickSteps. It's easy to find what I need when I want it. It's very well illustrated and contains a lot of great tips. The author does an excellent job of explaining the material.

I live and breath SMS so I've read and seen it all. The Administrator's Companion is a top-notch book and is highly recommended for both the beginner and the experienced SMS Administrator.

Two thumbs up! Not only does this book contains a clear explanation of a very complex subject but also it's written in a very good style. I have been working with SMS 2.0 for more than 2 years and I was forever missing a book like this - I read it overnight like a novel and several times thought - "Hey, this is how it should work ...". This book is a rare case when every word worth reading. It might be used as an introduction to the subject, as a study guide and as a reference. The latter of course doesn't substitute Resource Guide and on-line help.

I just took a SMS training class with the author. He knows his stuff. Buy this book.

This book is a must have for anyone planning, supporting or implementing SMS. Easy to follow and understand.

Of all the resources I have used in learning to implement SMS 2.0, including classes and other books, this book is by far the best. The book is very well organized and I particularly liked the "Real World" sidebars that appear throughout the book, very valuable info! My only regret is not buying it sooner. I would give it my highest possible recommendation. Don't leave home without it!

Any project one can undertake is not necessarily going to be like all the others. "The Principles of Project Management: Run Projects on Time and To Budget Using This Simple Step-by-Step Guide" is an informed and informative handbook for managers in charge of making their projects the best they can be with proper planning, strategy, and beginnings. With advice on warning signals to help people stay on the right track, "The Principles of Project Management: Run Projects on Time and To Budget Using This Simple Step-by-Step Guide" is a top pick for community library business collections and any would be project leader.

This is a short book, but it's packed with useful information about project management. It neatly avoids getting bogged down with PM jargon, instead cutting to the core concepts. It's not designed to get you through a project management qualification (though it might help!), but will certainly help you to become more efficient at managing projects, which at the end of the day is what *really* matters. Aimed at people who want to get projects done, even if they're not officially 'project managers' within their organisation.

The book is broken into five sections - what project management is (and just as importantly, what it isn't), getting started with projects (covering the who, what, where, why and when of project initiation), getting the project done (tools, best practice, project control), the essentials of good project communication, and finally following through - closing off the project.

Rounded off with appendices covering essential project tools, templates, and links to useful software apps, this is a great book for people starting out in project management. And whilst not strictly aimed at experienced project managers, I'm sure that everyone will find something useful to take away.

Great stuff.

Do you find yourself responsible for executing projects and need some guidance on how to get the job done? If you do, then this book is for you! Author Meri Williams, has done an outstanding job of writing a book that shows you how to get projects completed and delivered on time.

Williams, begins by explaining why Project Management is a difficult thing to do effectively. Then, the author explains why leading teams, managing schedules and implementing ideas, takes a lot of focus and hard work. Next, she gives advice on work styles and issue tracking. The author also discusses why stand-up meetings are very difficult to prepare for. She continues by showing you why closing on handling is a total disconnect. Finally, the author discusses how to measure operational success, ongoing support and maintenance.

This most excellent book aims to lay out defined steps to get projects done right and on time. But, more importantly, the author designed this book for people who are working on larger projects by themselves.

'The Principles of Project Management' is one of those books that does nearly everything right in my eyes. A small footprint (204 pages = don't say more than you need to), fantastic design, and good writing and content. It's no secret that sitepoint is one of my favorite technical publishers out in the field today and nearly every one of their books gets 5 stars from this reviewer.

This book is no different.

Project Management is a difficult thing to do and do effectively. Managing schedules, leading teams, getting ideas to fruition all takes a lot of hard work and focus. To be a good project manager you have to wear all sort of different hats and it's a daunting task. Like salespeople, if you are a great project manager you can have a lot of success and a lot of times it's the kind of skills that can't be taught, but are ingrained inside you.

But you can make those skills stronger no matter what level project manager you are.

From Gantt charts to tables to delegation, estimates, and becoming an amateur psychologist working with your team, this book is one of the best inros to becoming an effective project manager. You will learn all the necessary skills to be successful and have fun while learning.

If you are an experienced PM you owe it to yourself to read this quick book and if you are newbie this should be required reading. Great content and ideas + a great design make for an outstanding effort and book!!

***** HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

I don't usually work as a project manager, but I've been in enough projects to recognize most of the pitfalls described in this book.

The book provides a good, common sense approach to project management. Some of it may be overkill for smaller projects, and some of it may not quite cut it for really huge projects, but for anything inbetween it's a worthwhile resource.

I enjoyed Meri's relaxed style of writing (although she uses more exclamation point than one usually expects from a fully sane person :)). The way she shares her personal experience makes her advice all the more credible.

After reading the book, I felt like taking over a project I'm involved with at work, just to put it back on track again.

Many organizations struggle with the implementation of the balanced scorecard. It is rumoured that about 70% of these projects fail. There are many reasons given for this, like wrong timing, no commitment of the organization, inadequate IT etc. These failures are a shame because, as the book Quest for Balance shows, the use of a good PMS helps organizations obtain better results! So we should concentrate more on the reasons for PMS-failure and the things we can do to make these successful. This book concentrates on the human factors which influence this success. These factors are still too often ignored, probably because humans are so hard to deal with. Based on case study research the author has discovered which factors are the most important, like visible commitment of top management and a firm belief in performance management. Also management styles are discusses. With this book the failure rate of BSC-implementations surely must go down.

Many organizations struggle with the implementation of the balanced scorecard. It is rumoured that about 70% of these projects fail. There are many reasons given for this, like wrong timing, no commitment of the organization, inadequate IT etc. These failures are a shame because, as the book Quest for Balance shows, the use of a good PMS helps organizations obtain better results! So we should concentrate more on the reasons for PMS-failure and the things we can do to make these successful. This book concentrates on the human factors which influence this success. These factors are still too often ignored, probably because humans are so hard to deal with. Based on case study research the author has discovered which factors are the most important, like visible commitment of top management and a firm belief in performance management. Also management styles are discusses. With this book the failure rate of BSC-implementations surely must go down.

Many organizations struggle with the implementation of the balanced scorecard. It is rumoured that about 70% of these projects fail. There are many reasons given for this, like wrong timing, no commitment of the organization, inadequate IT etc. These failures are a shame because, as the book Quest for Balance shows, the use of a good PMS helps organizations obtain better results! So we should concentrate more on the reasons for PMS-failure and the things we can do to make these successful. This book concentrates on the human factors which influence this success. These factors are still too often ignored, probably because humans are so hard to deal with. Based on case study research the author has discovered which factors are the most important, like visible commitment of top management and a firm belief in performance management. Also management styles are discusses. With this book the failure rate of BSC-implementations surely must go down.

Andre de Waal manages to prove the importance of the human element as a critical success factor for using performance management systems (PMS). In this book he gives a clear overview which factors are important and how managers can use them. He uses very interesting case material to support his views. This book is not only for managers that want to set up a new PMS but also for managers that already use a PMS and struggle with it. A book that every manager needs to read and use in practice!

In every implementation project the most difficult part is dealing with the human factor. It isn't so difficult to technicaly implement a balanced scorecard but getting people to actually use it always turns out to be the most difficult part. This book researches which elements we have to take into account to make sure that managers will use the balanced scorecard. Seeing that the scorecard is one of the most popular management tools of the last decade this is very important. The book provides useful advice as well as proof that using the scorecard indeed helps a company get better results. This is good news for everybody.

This book was a welcome break from the manual that comes with version 7.0. Very easy to understand the basics and it also contains alot of other stuff. I needed to create some reports quickly and this book really helped.

The best on the market you will find. The book is very easy to follow and chapters are very nicely arranged. Good work.

My company purchased Crystal Reports as the main utility for pulling data from our large relational database. I had never seen Crystal before much less used it. I got my hands on this book today at 12:30 p.m. By 1:17, I was pulling data and manipulating reports like a pro. I would recommend this book to anybody who has to learn Crystal in a hurry.

The company i work for purchased Crystal Reports for a report conversion proyect and i had never used this software before and in couple of hours i was creating some basic to complicated reports. I recomend this book for anyne who need to get hands on fast.

This book was an excellent start for Crystal. I can actually read the huge technical Crystal Report books and understand what they are reffering to. It helped open the door to a whole new world.

Provides a concise and creative discussion of the economic and political dimension of global financial reform. --David Hale, Global Chief Economist, Zurich Group

Examines G8 policy dynamics over the last 30 years with rare vigour and insight. Both a sensible blueprint for a new international financial system, and the definitive handbook for a new kind of governance within the G8 architecture. --Dr Yoichi Funabashi, Deputy Editor for Economic Affairs, Asahi Shimbun

A welcome addition to the literature on this important global network. Significant and accessible contributions to the study of the G7/G8. --Millennium: Journal of International Studies

This is a first-rate piece of work that contributes significantly to our understanding of the current state and future prospects for stability and order in the international financial system. --Michael Hawes, Queen's University

Although the authors are senior established figures assessing the world establishment, they nonetheless reach some lively and controversial conclusions. It is a well-written and carefully considered overview of the problems of patching up the international monetary structure, as seen primarily from the viewpoint of the G7, at the very end of the last century. --Charles Goodhart, London School of Economics and Political Science

In this world of compulsive IT buying where parents spend 1 to 4K dollars on machines only to see their kids loading them with software games by the hundreds of megabytes, and when corporations loose tons of money on IT projects that fail, this book is likely to be quite enlightning. Mr Strassman has set himself to the task of examining the economics of IT from the point of view of the decision maker (i.e IT managers, engineers, computer specialists...). The book contains a great deal of information and is written in a style that shows a mastery of the English language that I have rarely seen in a technical book. That does not mean that this text can be read easily: it is "dense" and requires the reader's full attention, but it is worth the effort. The book is also technical in its own way, but accessible to the non computer specialist. Mr Strassman's thesis is that IT projects, like any technological investments that have strategic implications, do not automatically generate a positive economic return. Apparently, such a fundamental principle is still not totally understood as firms have wrongly invested and still do in cyclical way in computers. To be sure, evaluating and justifying IT projects is no piece of cake, and special models need to be developped if one is to have some idea as to where he is going with this technology. The book is, I believe, recommended for both practionners and academics.

The main targets for Paul Strassmann's unmasking of misconceptions about the business use of computers include the Gartner Group, advocates of Best Practices, and that mouth piece of computing vendors, the computing trade press (e.g., CIO Magazine). While not a particularly angry polemic, Strassmann is all the more devastating for his understated, simple, and straight-forward marshaling of basic facts. The Gartner group is making a fortune telling executives in various industries what per cent of revenue for a particular vertical industry should be spent on their firms computing function in order to remain profitable. For example, insurance spends a relatively high per cent of revenue, whereas manufacturing is less. Retail is in the middle. In industry after industry, Strassmann demonstrates there is no correlation in spending on computers and profitability. None. That is the meaning of the random scatter diagram which graces the front cover of this book. Some profitable companies spend a large per cent, others spend a significantly smaller per cent. Some losing firms spend a large per cent, others spend a smaller one. This is regardless of what measure of profitability is used (return on assets, return on net investments, or economic value-added (Strassmann's favorite)). Note this result, while surprising, is consistent with computers making decisive contributions to efficiency, competitive viability, and value creation. One of Strassmann's databases collects facts that warrant a sobering conclusion. Over half the nominees of popular magazine excellence awards are likely to be losers in economic value within three years of scoring well on somebody's checklist of best practices (p. 137). Strassmann unmasks CIO Magazine's "Enterprise Value Awards" as attributing to computerization gains made by improving basic business and management practices. When the single most profitable industry recorded a return on equity of about 35 % (1996), what are claims of 14,000% and 600% supposed to mean? Such astronomical claims are a disservice to information systems managers and to the computer industry as event subsequently demonstrated at the selected companies (pp. 170-171). The trade press rely on survey data about IT spending gathered by main-in questionnaires or telephone surveys (p. 107). Is that what you want to rely on? Instead of INFORMATION WEEK "Excellence Awards" a better method would be to interview customers who have defected to the competition. Instead of treating computers as a capital asset, rather evaluate what effective management can accomplish with the cooperation of knowledge workers equipped with computers. Naturally, this puts responsibility squarely where it belongs. One particularly Strassmannesque idea is that software is (or ought to be) the repository of knowledge capital about a business and its processes. If well-designed -- a large IF -- software is virtually immortal,can be continually improved as bugs are corrected, is cheap to reproduce, and does not wear out in being used. The residual value of software -- what it is worth to an organization at the end of the estimated payback period used to justify its being built in the first place -- is not generally recognized in justifying undertaking software projects. It needs to be. Its recognition would invite and justify the use of object-oriented methods and open system standards on a large-scale and work against the build-and-junk approach (p. 281) so greatly promoted by the vendors and trade press benefiting from the churn in infrastructure. Systems become obsolete as operators and users are unable to adapt user interfaces to changing business processes and market conditions requiring rapid-response actions under stressful conditions. Residual value is enhanced by familiar information manipulation methods across applications. It is to this simplifying factor that Strassmann attributes the run-away success of internet browsers and the relevant (anti-Microsoft Windows) paradigm. "Instinctive simplicity carries enormous benefits" (p. 333). The recommendation? "Adopt tools that keep long-term knowledge assets and short-term technological assets separated" (p. 355). At times Strassmann may seem like a veritable voice crying in the information wilderness. However,given his credentials as a former CIO at Xerox and Undersecretary (i.e., CIO) of Information Technology for the United States Department of Defense, his simple and powerful style of writing from significant unrecognized knowledge, it is this reviewer's belief he will provide tomorrow's management gospel. One can only hope people really read him this time. --Excerpt from my review published in COMPUTING REVIEWS, December 1997

Wow. And all this time I thought I was nuts. If you're in the IT profession, DO NOT bring this book to work. In many organizations, you would be shot without hesitation for even quoting from this book. "50% of all IT spending is crap, you just don't know which half."

This book should be required reading for upper level managers, especially those involved in any aspect of the IT budgeting process.

While the material is a bit dry, the information is presented well. What's contained in this book could help you avoid thousands in needless IT spending.

I found the book very well organized and not afraid to challenge the established ways of measuring IT Value to the business. Anyone who is searching for options and alternatives to measuring IT projects and infrastructure will gain many new insights. A must for the CIO bookshelf.

Hello,

This book hits the nail on the head. How come so much innovation, technology and inspiration has been so sorely misused? The answers all here, together with quite a few remedies.

This is straight and hard talk about putting IT in its place and then putting it to work for the business.

This is the book that every CEO should read and every CIO take heed of.

It's wonderfully unassuming, forthright and uncompromising.

Get it before IT gets you.

Regards,

Martyn R Jones

I used to work with Salim and would highly recommend his book

If you are thinking to start or have already started a small business in New Jersey, this book is definitely for you. Written in simple, yet concise text, this book is easy to follow, easy to understand, and yet full of all the information you could ever need to start, run, and be successful at your business in New Jersey. Use this book as a reference tool for tough situations, or read it thoroughly before you get started, either way, this useful publication by Salim Omar will guide you, lead you, and take you around all of the business mumbo jumbo. Full of wisdom and true experiences, learn from others and get this book today.

Everything that is essential to starting, maintaining, growing, and exiting your business is covered in this one, must read book. Salim Omar wirtes in a concise and easy to follow method that makes this book an easy, yet compelling read. He provides the reader with the foundation to run a successful business, as well as, the strategic insight to aid in planning, decision-making, and implementation.

Keep this book handy. You will find yourself referring to it for many years to come. This book will help you reinvent your business and, ultimately yourself.

" This book should be mandatory for any person new in business, and it should be read and reviewed by veterans. I highly recommend this book. I have given it to some of my patients and they love it!!"

"Straight Talk" gives you the "big picture" from a true entrepreneur, and the "small detail" from a CPA who knows his stuff. The mix is extremely valuable, full of wisdom and experience. It's easy to read, with sophisticated concepts translated into easy-to-understand possibilities. I found myself taking notes throughout the book and realized that my business had just gained a terrific new tool. Best of all, you get GREAT marketing advice at a price you'd never find from a marketing agency. Take the advice and your business will definitely grow!

"Coach" Ron Tunick writes in a simple, easy to read style that is widely relatable. Drawing on his own experience, he provides personal tips that have aided his own success and starts you thinking about your own life and goals. Coach encourages you to evaluate the way you think and devise strategies to expand your own personal experience.

When I read The Thinking Room my first impression was that it was such an easy read and I felt so comfortable reading it. Reading the book was like sitting and talking to Ron you feel his great passion from start to finish. His passion is the one of the things that jumps out at you instantly while reading this wonderful book. I highly reccommend reading The Thinking Room.

I will say your writings re-opened my eyes and charged my soul! I started reading this book by Ron Tunick and could NOT put it down until I finished it! The writer shares his own real experiences, but put them to real life business developement. The Thinking Room is a place to go outside the everyday thought process but "I can do it" is the thought never to be forgotten. I too have a thinking room, just 15 minutes a day gives me new insight. A great rating for anyone to read, whether in business for yourself or not!

With so many self-helpy, "I'll show you the way" books out there with complicated verbiage, unrealistic assertions and vague philosophies, it is REFRESHING to read something so straight-forward. I love this book's practical, easy-to-apply methods for creating success in life. It's TOTALLY DIFFERENT than anything else out there. A must-read for anyone wanting to grow in their professional life, though you will see improvements in all areas of life. Destined to become a classic!

This book really opened my eyes!!Now I can believe and know that one day if I just take time out and realize what is important in life, I can be a big success one day. Ron Tunick is a genius and I just couldn't put his book down! Everything he said in his book is completely true and I plan on using his "tools of wisdom" to make me a huge success in business and in life!!

A good read. The title is a little misleading, however, because the book also covers wireless without the Web. In other words, peer to peer networks inside buildings, outside buildings, and to the home seem like the most promising aspects of the wireless revolution, as described in this book. As the author states, it's simply a matter of time, not if, wireless will touch every aspect of our lives.

Wireless Web is a refreshing kind of book. I'm tired of books that introuduce a new technology, paint a rosy picture, and then leave the reader dangling three months later. This isn't one of those books. It tells it like it is. Wireless isn't easy. In fact, implementing a Wireless Web solution is nearly at the bleeding edge of what's possible, as the author states. There are traps at every corner, and you'd better know what to expect. In this respect, the Wireless Web provides a map of the "speed bumps" along the way. If you're going to give it a go on the Wireless Web, you'd better have this book or some other roadmap with you.

Having just put down Bergeron's last book, "The Eternal E-Customer", I was interested to see his visionary take on the wireless web. I wasn't disappointed. "The Wireless Web" compellingly captures the multitude of opportunities which the unethering of the Web affords. What I appreciated most about this book (and Bergeron's style as in his previous book) was the practical advice on how any executive can take advantage of these wireless opportunities. Bergeron succinctly explains how a company can embrace this new technology to their competitive advantage. Five stars!

In just a few years the Internet has revolutionized the way we do business. Email, online shopping and digital music downloaded from the Internet are now integral parts of our everyday lives. Technology aware companies have now turned to wireless web for the next big leap in commerce and communication. The race is on for deploying cutting-edge wireless technology.

As a business and technology consultant I am often asked by clients to provide some guidelines on how to proceed in this new and fast moving industry. Is trading stocks using a wireless PDA really a secure transaction and are electronic coupons delivered to customers via cell phones a technical feasible marketing solution? What communications provider should I use when connecting my sales force via WAP based browsers to a wireless CRM solution? And should we look to Europe and Japan for the future in wireless communication, or will it turn out to be another bursting bubble as we have experienced with too many dot.com business ventures?

"The Wireless Web", unlike so many other books covering technology topics, provides an easy to read and well-structured roadmap on how to develop a winning wireless strategy. Bergeron starts off explaining the history of this industry and it's economic drivers and then provides an overview of the current state of technologies, the various systems, protocols and technical standards used in the US and compares them to the more cohesive and further developed Japanese and European technologies. The latter part of the book focuses on the future, introducing the reader to opportunities and potential risks wireless technologies will offer as well as technical and political limitations it will face as this technology matures He closes with a well structured guideline on how to develop a wireless strategy of any scale.

In summary, this book will familiarize the reader with this new and dynamic industry and provide the knowledge required to develop, communicate, and execute a successful wireless strategy. Although written for the non-technical executive, I recommend this book to every one confronted with wireless technologies, the corporate executive implementing a wireless enterprise information portal as well as the cell phone user confronted with evaluating roaming charges, communication protocols and coverage areas when selecting a calling plan. This book definitely deserves a place on the bookshelf of any technologist.

Many people have been impressed by what they have seen of the new wireless services in Europe and Japan. Based on the promise of these offerings, wireless operators have spent billions of dollars for 3G licenses in Europe that will require tens of billions to implement. Based on the amount of money invested and planned for the next few years, it looks like the days of broadband wireless Internet are about to be with us. What should you be doing now? That's the question that this book addresses.

The Wireless Web is the best book I have seen for describing the background of how technology and customer needs are converging to provide new wireless offerings and the potential for new ways to solve problems. About two-thirds of the book is aimed at providing a layperson's description of technology, social, and governmental developments that will influence what will be offered by companies. The remaining third gives you a template for thinking about what these developments mean for your business. For most people now, that decision will relate to when to get involved.

In my consulting practice, it is clear that there are enormous opportunities now to develop intellectual property and new business models that can be implemented immediately. For those who mainly want to use the wireless web as an adjunct to their businesses, on the other hand, you have lots of time.

The best advice in the book is to be sure that you have the business processes in place that will allow you to connect wireless technology to your business when the rest of the infrastructure and equipment are in place.

Basically, wireless Internet connections will become more important as a disruptive technology than the land-wire connected Internet. By always having a device present (whether a cell phone, personal digital assistant, pager, or some new device), individuals will be able to simplify their lives while they are on the go or in any fixed location. As a result, transactions will be transformed. For example, food manufacturers may have to bid for a consumer's business while she or he is walking down the aisles of a supermarket.

For the first time, you will be able to shape the entire consumer or customer experience around what that person prefers. The potential for positive differentiation becomes enormous, as a result.

My main caution to you is that this field is rapidly changing. This information will become out-of-date rapidly. So read the book now if you are going to.

After you have considered some of the ways that the wireless Internet can improve your offerings, I suggest that you go back to the drawing boards to see how much of these changes you can offer now without broadband wireless connections. In this way, the wireless Internet can be a powerful metaphor now for improving your performance.

Be helpful . . . all the time and everywhere!