Information systems have become the backbone of all kinds of organizations today. In almost every sector—manufacturing, education, health care, government, and businesses—large and small information systems are relied upon for everyday work, communication, information gathering, and decision-making. Yet, the inflexibilities in current technologies and methods have also resulted in poor performance, incompatibilities, and obstacles to change. As many organizations are reinventing themselves to meet the challenges of global competition and e-commerce, there is increasing pressure to develop and deploy new technologies that are flexible, robust, and responsive to rapid and unexpected change.