The SQUEEZE: In Business @ the Speed of Thought: Using a Digital Nervous System, Bill Gates discusses the impact that technology will have on businesses today and in the future. Gates believes that technology will transform the very nature of business, stressing the importance and need for managers to view the “need for technology” not as an overhead requirement, but as meeting a strategic asset objective. Offering detailed examples of companies successful at implementing technology, Gates examines the successes of Microsoft, General Motors, and Dell as they are the key indicators of businesses that have used information networks to manage inventory, sales, and customer relationships. Gates suggests that competing on the digital playing field is not for the fainthearted, but continues to encourage a national dialogue.

Notable Endorsement: “Microsoft is working hard to push Business @ the Speed of Thought into the national dialogue, and for many it will be difficult to see the book as anything but a finely tuned marketing campaign for the forthcoming versions of Windows NT and MS Office. Nevertheless, as Gates has shown time and time again, him, Microsoft, and perhaps even this book you may ignore at your own peril. --Harry C. Edwards

Common Q’s Answered by this Book:

• What impact has technology had on companies that need a digital network system to manage a database of products, services, and related commercial resources?
• What is the link between Microsoft, General Motors, and Dell that makes the need for technology significant?
• What types of further discussions has the national dialogue on technology produced to date? 

About the Author: Bill Gates is an American programmer, inventor, and philanthropist. Gates is the former chief executive officer and current chairman of Microsoft, the world’s largest personal computer software company. Gates is consistently ranked as one of the world’s wealthiest people. During his tenure at Microsoft, Gates also held the position of chief software architect. Gates continues to remain the largest individual shareholder, owning 6.4 percent of the common stock. Throughout his career, Gates has authored and co-authored several books on the personal computer revolution.

Book Vitals:

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (March 1999)