The New Wave in Information Technology: : What IT Means for Business

Citation

Deakin, A. (1998), "The New Wave in Information Technology: : What IT Means for Business", Journal of Management Development, Vol. 17 No. 4, pp. 301-303. https://doi.org/10.1108/jmd.1998.17.4.301.2

The New Wave in Information Technology examines developments in computing and communications and the actual and potential uses of combining the two technologies in intelligent networks. It is based on an intensive research project in 1993‐96 in the USA, Japan and Europe among computer, communications and software vendors ‐ and leading user organizations. The Preface expresses the authors’ appreciation to 300 senior executives, systems designers, computer and communication specialists and other experts in the USA, UK, Germany, Austria, Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland and Japan. Ninety‐four computer manufacturers, communications companies, financial institutions, service companies and university laboratories participated. A personalized list is found in the Acknowledgements.

The book is divided into three parts entitled “The search for efficient communication solutions”, “The challenge of a business systems architecture” and “Communications companies address network design problems”. Each of the parts contains four chapters. Chapter 1 introduces many of the book’s themes. It discusses the concept of a broadband telecommunications infrastructure underpinning new network designs, enabling gigastreams of multimedia information to flow around the globe. The infrastructure should actively promote an open, deregulated market to ensure flexibility. Multimedia and virtual reality can assist in providing both sender and receiver with a shared (3D) communication environment. User‐centred experimentation with the new technologies is required to permit exploration of their impact and potential use. The new generations of superfast switches with intelligent artefacts used to transfer information over a fibre‐optic (and satellite) superhighway will encourage enterprise competitiveness. Challenges and possible bottlenecks in the construction of these networks include the vast investments required, of which the larger part are software‐related for the intelligent switching (“agent” programs) to optimize the high‐speed, broadband connections.

Chapter 2 looks at macroengineering and an open systems architecture that the global networks require in order to ensure the integration of different services, such as telecommunications, cable television and telephone, and different manufacturers’ equipment. Applications such as electronic meetings via interactive computer‐based video‐conferencing with virtual reality could be supported. Chapter 3 considers the Internet and the opportunity for competitive pricing, under which communication distances might become irrelevant as far as pricing is concerned. In spite of “firewalls” and encryption, there is still, however, a lack of security in the Internet regarding, for example, online credit‐card transactions. Also, global telecommunications standards have not been agreed, de jure regulation falling behind de facto innovation.

The subject of Chapter 4 is the envisioned US information superhighway and national information infrastructure to deliver multimedia business information to companies and entertainment and business data to homes. Applications are likely to include 24‐hour banking, two‐way television and remote medical diagnosis. Europe is lagging behind because of telco monopolies that are still to be deregulated.

Chapter 5 discusses the principles characterizing a business systems architecture such as “federated solutions” with distributed client‐server architecture and looks at an example from banking. It concludes by recommending dynamic partnerships between suppliers and in‐house experts to establish and maintain technology supply chains, which open systems enable. Banking is again a model in Chapter 6, which considers that the network is the bank, discussing realspace and virtual reality applications. Virtual reality is compared with existing MIS/EIS approaches.

Chapter 7 examines re‐engineering the business network architecture through adaptable and flexible object‐oriented solutions. The concept and use of object frameworks (templates) is also discussed. Chapter 8 details how efficient networking solutions can be provided in a transaction environment through, for example, load balancing and unit cost analysis. It also previews the advent of desk area networks as a transition from local area networks.

Chapter 9 discusses technological breakthroughs leading to new network designs and includes a comparison of different communication disciplines (frame relay, ATM, TDM, X.25, FDDI). Chapter 10 describes different issues in research and development investments. A number of R&D projects are discussed. In particular the requirements for synergy and collaboration between government, industry and university are emphasized as well as the need for rapidly bringing projects to the marketplace.

Chapter 11 describes a number of projects at the Nynex Science and Technology Laboratories which are contributing towards the global information age. Chapter 12 considers networks for intelligent buildings and cities. The book ends, somewhat abruptly, with the challenging question “(But) are we able to build the social and ethical infrastructure to capitalize on the widening horizon of technical possibilities?”

Considering that the subjects of telecommunications and networking are vast and rapidly developing, it may be said that the authors have selected the topics and examples well. The book is addressed to both graduate students in engineering and telecommunications and to designers and developers of new systems. Nevertheless, it retains a sufficiently general approach to be of interest to non‐specialist readers as well. The style is clear and the book is well written. There are many thought‐provoking points and illuminating statistics. Perhaps because of the diverse nature of the rapidly changing current developments in networking, the narrative tends, however, not to flow well across chapters and there is some repetition of the main themes, which detract somewhat from the book’s fluency. This apart, the book highlights the ongoing and forthcoming developments of the networking age.