Lamond 2003

by Fred Lamond

Description

New technological trends, networks, Internet and e-Business, computer architectures and operating systems, servers, ERP, CRM and other program packages, PCs and thin clients, databases and program development tools: what are the new standards, how are they evolving and what strategies should users adopt?
Key questions addressed:

• The e-Business explosion: how will it impact the Information System?
• Will IP become the universal communications protocol?
• When can we expect Ipv6?
• Symmetrical, NUMA, Shared Memory and parallel clusters: which multiprocessor architecture is best?
• Centralised or distributed databases?
• Notes or Exchange for e-mail and Groupware?
• How much bandwidth for wide area and local area Networks?
• Cable networks, ADSL, wireless local loop, satellite or electric power distribution Network?
• How can ERP, SCM, CRM and other program packages be integrated with legacy programs?
• Storage Area Network (SAN) or Network Attached Storage (NAS)? Will they merge?
• Voice over IP (VoIP): what quality of service (QoS) on private and public Networks?
• Which desktop operating system? Can Linux make a breakthrough?
• zOS, AOS/400, Unix, Linux or Windows .Net as server operating systems?
• Which server hardware architecture: Itanium vs AMD64, Power 4 and UltraSPARC III?
• How can mobile telephones and wireless communications be integrated in existing Enterprise Networks?
• Relational, Object-Oriented or multidimensional databases?
• How will XML impact Web applications?
• C++, Visual Basic, Java, C# or CURL for Client PC applications?
• IBM Websphere, Sun ONE or Microsoft .NET?
• Microsoft Passport or Liberty Alliance?
• What relationship between operational and decision support information systems?
• Centralised or distributed Network and systems administration? What tools are available?
• What security against computer viruses, worms and trojan horses?
• When is outsourcing of the IT infrastructure and/or new software project advantageous?