Microsoft chairman and CEO, Bill Gates, discusses how technology can help run businesses better today and how it will transform the nature of business in the near future.ìBusiness is going to change more in the next ten years than it has in the last fifty,î Gates states in the bookís introduction. The convergence of digital technologies ñ PCs, e-mail, the Internet and new personal digital devices ñ is already bringing about fundamental, irreversible change.  New digital tools are being adopted more rapidly than the technologies that reshaped the 20th Century ñ television, telephones or even electricity.  This accelerated pace of change requires businesses to adapt and act now.ìI wrote the book because technology is changing everything,î Gates said.  ìI wanted to give business people and other organizational leaders a roadmap that shows how they can take advantage of the incredible opportunities of the digital age.î At the heart of the new economy, Gates says, is a new way of doing business, using fast, accurate information to plan the right product, deliver unparalleled customer service, empower workers and react to changes in the market place. According to Gates, success will come to those who create a world-class digital nervous system that allows information to flow through their companies for maximum and constant learning.  A central theme is the empowerment of people from lower-level employees who can use information to lift the nature and quality of their work, to the CEO, who can use better information to drive the companyís strategic direction.  Gates outlines twelve steps that business should take to make certain theyíre getting the most out of their technology investments to get smarter workers, more effective overall corporate performance, and more satisfied customers.LOS NEGOCIOS EN LA ERA DIGITAL covers three broad areas of business: commerce, business operations and knowledge management.  Each chapter explores a particular question such as, ìHow can I use the Internet to improve customer satisfaction?î Gates then shows how a digital approach can be used to solve the problem or create new opportunities.  Gates uses examples from companies in more than 20 industries, as well as examples from Microsoft involving product development, customer service, marketing, and human resources.  A checklist of business and technical lessons concludes each chapter.