One of the strongest trends in modern society is the continuing evolution from a manufacturing to a service-oriented economy. The desirability of this may be arguable, but the fact remains that a smaller and smaller percentage of the work force is directly involved in manufacturing goods, and an increasingly larger percentage is concerned with providing services. Another strong trend is the evolution toward what has been called an “information society.” Information is now recognized as a fourth resource, along with capital, labor, and raw materials as the bases of a dynamic economy.