It's the IT infrastructure and the IT advancements that make this possible. IT has indeed changed the way we work and live. But don't be fooled. It's what you know-and how fast you can know it. But don't confuse information with data.
Information is the world's most valuable commodity.
And sometimes it's more difficult to unearth than gold or diamonds. We are smothered with data-tons and tons of sales data, scientific data, government data, financial data, geographic data, demographic data, historic data. But those mountains of data must be mined for essential pieces of information. For that, software engineers are developing effective, customized programs that sift through the data and grab hold of the specific information that is needed for rapid, intelligent decision-making. What you don't know can hurt, says AnneMarie Ferraro '90, quality engineering manager for MicroStrategy.