| We will argue that the phenomenon of multimedia is symbiotic with and indigenous to the "information superhighway" |
| We will also argue that the future of the post-industrial society is critically dependent on the society's ability to build, maintain, and effectively utilize the information infrastructure. |
| As a result, the notion of multimedia is promoted from a relatively obscure technical term into one of the central issues of the contemporary society. |
| We will show how the developments in the global economy, government policies, social behavioral patterns, and information technology are intertwined and how they will define the societies' immediate future. |