This volume explains how advances in computer technology will augment communication in person-to-person, organizational, and educational settings. It describes the convergence of virtual reality and group decision support, and how these will serve educational and organizational effectiveness. Contributors--experts from business and academia--examine what the computing/communications world will look like in the near future, what the specific needs of various industries will be, and how innovations will fit into organizations and society.

These three topics are addressed with attention to the following questions: What will be the size of initial and future markets for advanced computer and communications technology? What will be the future computing environment in manufacturing operations, in the executive suite, in the office, in the field and on the road, at the point of service, for the computer-integrated enterprise, at home, in the school, and in the global marketplace?

FRED YOUNG PHILLIPS is Research Programs Director at the IC2 Institute of the University of Texas at Austin. He is also Associate Director of the Center for Cybernetic Studies and Senior Lecturer in the Graduate School of Business at the University of Texas.