Thursday, March 20, 2008

ABOUT ICT APPLICATION

The capacity of modern enterprises to compete is largely based on application software and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) platforms. Understanding modern enterprises requires the contribution of specialists from various engineering disciplines. In this paper we distinguish business, application software, and ICT platform engineering. Each has its own description of architecture with interfaces. Whereas the relationship between business and ICT development is generally characterised as one of symbiosis, there exists no comprehensive description of the patterns that lead to mutual advantage in the association among them. Nevertheless the continuing development of ICT allows for new business strategies, and vice versa. Concepts and solutions emerging in one domain diffuse into others where their application provides the seed for new developments.

ICT can defined as "the study, design, development, implementation, support or management of computer-based information system, particularly software applications and computer hardware." ICT deals with the use of electronic computers and computer software to convert, store, protect, process, transmit, and securely retrieve information.

We regard the ICT enabled enterprise as an evolutionary system that is subject to the developments in its market. It interweaves stable behavioural patterns termed “business as usual” with changes ranging from small and incremental to radical. The enterprise moves into increasingly advanced uses of ICT and application software to achieve its business goals. It must keep developments in the various disciplines in tune to succeed. This process is called alignment.

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