Lamond 2002

by Fred Lamond

Description

New technological trends, networks, Internet and e-Business, computer architectures and operating systems, servers, 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 eBusiness explosion: how will it impact the information system?
• Internet and eCommerce: what are the security problems and requirements?
• Will IP become the universal communications protocol?
• Symmetrical, shared memory, NUMA, parallel and clusters: which multiprocessor architecture is best?
• Intel, AMD, Transmeta, UltrasSPARCIII or Power 4 processors?
• Will Intel's new IA-64 architecture replace all other architectures?
• Centralised or distributed databases?
• Notes or Exchange for Email and groupware?
• How much bandwidth for wide area and local area networks?
• How can one get around the local loop monopoly?
• Cable networks, ADSL, wireless local loop, satellite or electric power distribution network?
• Customer relations (CRM) and supply chain (SCM) management programs: ERP extensions or independent applications?
• Storage area network (SAN) or network attached storage (NAS)?
• Voice over IP (VoIP): what quality of service (QoS) on private and public networks?
• PCs or thin clients: how do total costs of ownership (TCO) compare?
• Which desktop operating system?
• zOS, OS/400, Unix, Linux or Windows 2002 as server operating systems?
• How can mobile telephones and wireless communications be integrated in existing enterprise networks?
• When can we expect 3G cellular networks? For what applications?
• Relational, object-oriented or multidimensional databases?
• How will XML impact Web applications?
• Which ERP package, which program development tools?
• C++, Visual Basic, Java, C# or CURL for client PC applications?
• Sun ONE or Microsoft .NET?
• Microsoft Passport or Liberty Alliance?
• For what applications could outsourcing or Web hosting be considered?
• What relationship between operational and decision support information systems?
• Why converge computer and telephony networks and applications?
• Centralised or distributed network and systems administration?
• What tools are available?
• What security against computer viruses, worms and Trojan horses?
• Which systems are most vulnerable?
• What is the Information Systems Director's new role?
• How will the IT industry's other professions evolve?