For thousands of years, people have always had a need to exchange and gather
             information accurately and efficiently. As time went by, technology took on many
             changes and greatly improved the way information is produced and gathered in today's
             business environment. Some of the first major devices were the invention of the
             telephone and later the answering machine. These tools helped businesses take on new
             shapes and forms. With the birth of computer technology, information has taken on
             dramatic advances that have forever changed today's business. The Internet, which was
             first invented for classified communication use by the U.S. Government, is now used by
             practically every business, from small to large and domestic to foreign.
             Amazingly, the Internet has significantly narrowed the communication gap bordering
             people and business. This technology has increased the speed of business, brought
             together a global business community, and greatly changed the way that information is
             gathered and produced. The use of the Internet is so great that firms have become
             dependent on its technology to the point where it is needed to maintain a competitive
             place in today's realm of business. Most people and businesses use the Internet vastly to
             advertise, provide and retrieve important information, and to link together
             communication between employees within businesses.
             The Internet has also changed the way business people interact through the use of
             communication devices such as electronic mail, teleconferencing, webcasting, and
             telecommunications. Most have become dependent on electronic mail and they
             correspond on a regular basis. E-mail, like the Internet, and other forms of electronic
             communication, have spread so rapidly throughout business that most could not perform
             efficiently without them. With the advances made in the Internet, e-mail, and
             te...