Developing Quality Complex Database Systems: Practices, Techniques and Technologies provides opportunities for improving today's database systems using innovative development practices, tools and techniques. An emphasis is placed on organizational and management issues.

"Focused on the latest research on text and document management, this guide addresses the information management needs of organizations by providing the most recent findings. How the need for effective databases to house information is impacting organizations worldwide and how some organizations that possess a vast amount of data are not able to use the data in an economic and efficient manner is demonstrated. A taxonomy for object-oriented databases, metrics for controlling database complexity, and a guide to accommodating hierarchies in relational databases are provided. Also covered is how to apply Java-triggers for X-Link management and how to build signatures."

"Offering enterprise resource planning (ERP) deployment strategies for information as diverse as patient records, police and community relations, and geospatial services, this text addresses the complex issues that information and communication technologies pose for small, midsize, and large organizations. Provided are recent research findings as well as practical assessments and suggestions for managers."

"Providing a snapshot of current methods and development activities in the area of Internet databases, this book supplies answers to many questions that have been raised regarding database access through the web. Provided are a number of case studies of successful web database applications, including multiple-choice assessment through the web, an online pay claim, a product catalog, and content management and dynamic web pages. Also covered are querying and mining of web data and issues such as gaining physical/low-level access to web-powered databases and heterogeneous web databases."

Portals present unique strategic challenges in the academic environment. Their conceptualization and design requires the input of campus constituents who seldom interact and whose interests are often opposite. The implementation of a portal requires a coordination of applications and databases controlled by different campus units at a level that may never before have been attempted at the institution. Building a portal is as much about constructing intra-campus bridges as it is about user interfaces and content. Designing Portals: Opportunities and Challenges discusses the current status of portals in higher education by providing insight into the role portals play in an institution's business and educational strategy, by taking the reader through the processes of conceptualization, design, and implementation of the portals (in different stages of development) at major universities and by offering insight from three producers of portal software systems in use at institutions of higher learning and elsewhere.

In the last few years we have observed an explosive growth of multimedia computing, communication and applications. This revolution is transforming the way people live, work, and interact with each other, and is impacting the way business, government services, education, entertainment and healthcare are operating. Yet, several issues related to modeling, specification, analysis and design of distributed multimedia database systems and multimedia information retrieval are still challenging to both researchers and praclitioners. Distributed Multimedia Databases: Techniques and Applications points out these challenges and provides valuable suggestions toward the necessary solutions, by focusing on multimedia database techniques.

This book presents the latest research ideas and topics on how to enhance current database systems, improve information storage, refine existing database models, and develop advanced applications. It provides insights into important developments in the field of database and database management. With emphasis on theoretical issues regarding databases and database management, the book describes the capabilities and features of new technologies and methodologies, and addresses the needs of database researchers and practitioners. *Note: This book is part of a new series entitled "Advanced Topics in Database Research. This book is Volume Three within this series (Vol. III, 2004).