This dissertation discusses the issues that need to be taken into consideration in order to grasp the dynamics of the transition from the old version of the Internet protocol (IPv4) to the new version, IPv6. The gnomon in this effort is the network economics theory which has been applied as a potential instrument to analyze the case of IP in the Greek School Network (GSN). The GSN, which links primary and secondary schools and provides them with IPv6 services, has been employed as the object of this research. The intention is to illustrate the way diffusion of Ipv6 is related to network effects and standards reinforcements mechanism. This will entail current issues regarding the metamorphosis of the Internet and debate on the ubiquitous subject on changing standards and scaling information infrastructures.

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The paper discusses an artificial intelligence system providing a solution to the complex problem of system administration. It operates in a distributed system management environment that monitors hosts across a network, detects complex problem conditions, and takes automated, unattended actions to resolve common problems. The system was specifically developed to support system administrators managing distributed multi-vendor heterogeneous networks in financial services in Russia. The system intelligence is based on client daemon processes on all hosts of the network that independently can gather system data into a local database and analyze the data using an expert system. The system can manage problem events and actions; it distinguishes itself by its scalability and ability to be easily customized by the primary users. K e y w o r d s: artificial intelligence methods, networks, system administration, distributed heterogeneous environment, system intelligence, built-in rule-based expert system 1

The alignment of information technology with business objectives tends to be a managerial priority in modern organisations. Thus, practitioners and researchers have proposed different approaches to assess this relationship, some following similar approaches whilst others proposing different ones. The variety of approaches proposed, however, has created confusion about the applicability and context in which these approaches can be used. Thus, aiming to tackle this challenge, this paper proposes a taxonomy that organises and compares studies of alignment assessment in terms of their theoretical constructors and their practical use. The taxonomy is build around two research sources: a) a review of the literature of alignment and b) a framework for comparing IS methodologies. The structure of the taxonomy permits insights into studies by means of six theoretical (objective, nature of strategy, paradigm, dimension, type of measurement, model) and six practical constructors (audience, scope, output, techniques, product, target). The taxonomy is then applied to six assessment studies. The benchmarking analysis of these helped to identify their theoretical basis and its practical use, and confirms the need for more practical mechanisms to assess alignment. Additionally, it becomes apparent that process perspectives and social understanding of alignment are the two main paradigms for alignment.

Investment in information technology (IT) infrastructure has in recent years become a strategic organizational choice. Yet, there exists little understanding of the organizational factors that determine IT infrastructure capabilities and investment requirements. Using a filed survey of both business and IT executives, this study tests a research model that links a set of organizational factors to IT infrastructure capabilities. Organizational factors explored in this study include both external environment variables (competitiveness, dynamism and heterogeneity) and internal environment variables (organizational size, information intensity, the perceived role of IT, IT-business alignment, and business synergy). The results suggest that, among all the organizational factors, IT-business alignment, the perceived role of IT, and business synergy were the most significant predictors of an organization’s IT infrastructure capabilities. The characteristics of an organization’s external environment, however, were not directly related to an organization’s IT infrastructure capabilities. Implications of the results are discussed. Determinants of Organizational IT Infrastructure Capabilities: An Empirical Study

For an organisation to undertake a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) implementation program it needs to consider a multitude of requirements. Some authors have hinted at viewing CRM within a wider perspective than just customer centric perspectives. The aim of this paper is to discuss the domain and conceptualise some of the requirements of CRM from an organisation's point of view. An organization needs to develop a roadmap outlining the path to become CRM centric. Therefore an organisation should address, or at least consider, a list of those factors at every stage of a CRM implementation program, for an implementation program to be effective. The main focus of literature in CRM has been customer centric. This paper, being the first stage of much wider research, will focus on the organisation and the internal environment. This paper will identify three information systems (IS) and information technology (IT) requirements in organisations that are integral parts of CRM. These need to achieve a level of synergy for successful CRM. To understand these three requirements (front-end systems, back-end systems, and data-handling technologies) in a CRM project is too great in magnitude at this early stage of the research. This paper begins to draw together the tenuous links between the three requirements of information systems (IS) and information technology (IT) systems.

For an organisation to undertake a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) implementation program it needs to consider a multitude of requirements. Some authors have hinted at viewing CRM within a wider perspective than just customer centric perspectives. The aim of this paper is to discuss the domain and conceptualise some of the requirements of CRM from an organisation's point of view. However, CRM needs to be identified as the whole organisation, including its internal and external environments. Undertaking CRM in any organisation needs to be preceded by a sequence of stages. An organization needs to develop a roadmap outlining the path to become CRM centric. Therefore an organisation should address, or at least consider, a list of those factors at every stage of a CRM implementation program, for an implementation program to be effective. The main focus of literature in CRM has been customer centric. This paper, being the first stage of much wider research, will focus on the organisation and the internal environment. This paper will identify three information systems (IS) and information technology (IT) requirements in organisations that are integral parts of CRM. These need to achieve a level of synergy for successful CRM. To understand these three requirements (front-end systems, back-end systems, and datahandling technologies) in a CRM project is too great in magnitude at this early stage of the research. This paper begins to draw together the tenuous links between the three requirements of information systems (IS) and information technology (IT) systems. Writing this paper and shifting its focus towards requirements engineering, the author has realised that a whole area of literature has to be explored, because CRM is another IS implementation.

this paper is to discuss the domain of CRM from an organisation's point of view. However, CRM needs to be identified as the whole organisation, including its internal and external environments. Undertaking CRM in any organisation needs to be preceded by a sequence of stages. An organization needs to develop a roadmap outlining the path to become CRM centric. Therefore an organisation should address, or at least consider, a list of those factors at every stage of CRM, in order to let the implementation program to be effective. The main focus of research in CRM has been customer centric. This paper, being the first stage of much wider research, will focus on the organisation and the internal environment. This paper will identify three information systems (IS) and information technology (IT) streams in organisations that are integral parts of CRM. These need to achieve a level of synergy for successful CRM. To understand these three streams (front-end systems, back-end systems, and data-handling technologies) in a CRM project is too great in magnitude at this early stage of the research. This paper begins to draw together the tenuous links between the three streams of information systems (IS) and information technology (IT) systems to generate a two-stage conceptual model of CRM from an organisational perspective. Stage-one describes the descendants in each information system and technology stream, stage-two conceptualises the model of the whole organisation

For an organisation to undertake a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) implementation program it needs to consider a multitude of requirements. Some authors have hinted at viewing CRM within a wider perspective than just customer centric perspectives. The aim of this paper is to discuss the domain and conceptualise some of the requirements of CRM from an organisation's point of view. However, CRM needs to be identified as the whole organisation, including its internal and external environments. Undertaking CRM in any organisation needs to be preceded by a sequence of stages. An organization needs to develop a roadmap outlining the path to become CRM centric. Therefore an organisation should address, or at least consider, a list of those factors at every stage of a CRM implementation program, for an implementation program to be effective. The main focus of literature in CRM has been customer centric. This paper, being the first stage of much wider research, will focus on the organisation and the internal environment. This paper will identify three information systems (IS) and information technology (IT) requirements in organisations that are integral parts of CRM. These need to achieve a level of synergy for successful CRM. To understand these three requirements (front-end systems, back-end systems, and datahandling technologies) in a CRM project is too great in magnitude at this early stage of the research. This paper begins to draw together the tenuous links between the three requirements of information systems (IS) and information technology (IT) systems. Writing this paper and shifting its focus towards requirements engineering, the author has realised that a whole area of literature has to be explored, because CRM is another IS implementation.

The purpose of this paper is to present empirical findings suggesting a mechanism that caused a well-managed systems development project to counteract its own strategic aim. The case study concerns a large strategically important business development project in a multinational corporation. The project was built on a vision of a ‘new ’ company, utilising IT to enable some new and radically different business processes. Its aim was to change the company’s production focus into a more market-oriented focus, and to change the appearance of the company on the market through integration of its different parts. Thus aligning the competitive strength of the company with market demands. However, during the adaptation and implementation of SAP R/3, which was the technology supposed to enable the ‘new company’, the project started to drift from its strategic aims. The development process in which IT was conceived as a tool for individuals unintentionally but systematically counteracted the idea of organisational utilisation of IT that initially guided the project. As an effect the new system to large extent became a copy of the old systems. Basically resulting in an updated version of the ‘old ’ company, rather than the envisioned new company.