Book excerpt: This book examines the role of research and the production of knowledge in the information society, with special emphasis on developing areas of the world. It is based on a three day conference that immediately precedes the second phase of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), in Tunisia (November 2005). Core issues of the conference lie at the intersection of computer science and engineering, information and communication technologies, the world wide web and development. The book contains current and cutting-edge technologies and trends in the utilization of information technology for science and engineering.