Information systems (IS) are the backbone of any organization today, supporting all major business processes. This book deals with the question: how do these systems come into existence? It gives a comprehensive coverage of managerial, methodological and technological aspects including: Management decisions before and during IS development, acquisition and implementation Project management Requirements engineering and design using UML Implementation, testing and customization Software architecture and platforms Tool support (CASE tools, IDEs, collaboration tools) The book takes into account that for most organizations today, inhouse development is only one of several options to obtain an IS. A good deal of IS development has moved to software vendors - be it domestic, offshore or multinational software firms. Since an increasing share of this work is done in Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America and Africa, the making of information systems is discussed within a global context.