Designing, Implementing, and Managing World-Class Infrastructures

First edition; 528 pages
ISBN 0-13-087678-X
( by: Rich Schiesser )

Table of Content

Part 1- Background

Chapter 1: Historical Perspective

• Introduction
• Systems Management: A Proposed Definition
• Time Lining Early Developments of Systems Management
• The Need for a General-Purpose Computer
  • A Brief Look at IBM
• Summary

Chapter 2 : Evolving in the 1970’s and 1980’s

• Introduction
• General Purpose Becomes General Expansion
  • Evolving S/360 into S/370
  • Significant IT Developments during the 1980’s
  • Continuing Evolution of Mainframe Computers
  • Extended Use of Midrange Computers
  • Proliferation of Personal Computers
  • Emergence of Client-Server Systems
  • Impact of 1980s’ IT Developments on New Systems
  • Management Functions
  • Impact of 1980s’ IT Developments on Existing Systems
  • Management Functions
• Summary

Chapter 3 : Into and Beyond the New Millennium

• Introduction
• Reinventing the Mainframe
• The Changing of Midrange and Client-Server Platforms
• The Growing Use of PC’s and Networks
• The Global Growth of the Internet
• Lingering Effects of the Millennium Bug
• Time Lining the Disciplines of Systems Management
• Summary

Part 2 – People

Chapter 4 : Acquiring Executive Support

• Introduction
• Why Executive Support is Especially Critical Today
• Building a Business Case for Systems Management
• Educating Executives on the Value of Systems Management
  • Three Universal Principles Involving Executive Support
• Ensuring Ongoing Executive Support
• Summary

Chapter 5 : Organizing for Systems Management

• Introduction
• Factors to Consider in Designing IT Organizations
• Factors to Consider in Designing IT Infrastructures
  • Locating Departments in the Infrastructure
• Recommended Attributes of Process Owner
• Summary

Chapter 6 : Staffing for Systems Management

• Introduction
• Determining Required Skill Sets and Skill Levels
• Assessing the Skill Levels of Current Onboard Staff
  • Alternative Sources of Staffing
• Recruiting Infrastructure Staff from the Outside
• Selecting the Most Qualified Candidate
• Retaining Key Personnel
• Using Consultants and Contractors
  • Benefits of Using Consultants and Contractors
  • Drawbacks of Using Consultants and Contractors
• Summary

Chapter 7 : Customer Service

• Introduction
• How IT Evolved into a Service Organization
• The Four Key Elements of Good Customer Service
  • Identifying Your Key Customers
  • Identifying Key Services of Key Customers
  • Identifying Key Processes that Support Key Services
  • Identifying Key Suppliers that Support Key Processes
• Integrating the Four Key Elements of Good Customer Service
• The Four Cardinal Sins that Undermine Good Customer Service
• Summary

Part 3 Processes

Chapter 8 : Availability

• Introduction
• Definition of Availability
• Differentiating Availability from Uptime
• Differentiating Slow Response from Downtime
• Differentiating Availability from High Availability
• Desired Traits of an Availability Process Owner
• Methods for Measuring Availability
• The Seven R’s of High Availability
• Assessing an Infrastructure’s Availability Process
  • Measuring and Streamlining the Availability Process
• Summary

Chapter 9 : Performance and Tuning

• Introduction
• Differences between the performance and Tuning Process and Other Infrastructure Processes
• Definition of Performance and Tuning
• Preferred Characteristics of a Performance and Tuning Process Owner
• Performance and Tuning Applied to the Five Major Resources Environments
  • Server Environment
  • Disk Storage Environment
  • Database Environment
  • Network Environment
  • Desktop Computer Environment
• Assessing an Infrastructure’s Performance and Tuning Process
  • Measuring and Streamlining the Performance and Tuning Process
• Summary

Chapter 10 : Production Acceptance

• Introduction
• Definition of Production Acceptance
• The Benefits of a Production Acceptance Process
• Implementing a Production Acceptance Process
• Full Deployment of a New Application
• Distinguishing New Applications from New Versions of Existing Applications
• Distinguishing Production Acceptance from Change Management
• Assessing an Infrastructure’s Production Acceptance Process
  • Measuring and Streamlining the Production Acceptance Process
• Summary

Chapter 11 : Change Management

• Introduction
• Definition of Change Management
• Drawbacks of Most Change Management Processes
• Key Steps Required in Developing a Change Management Process
• Emergency Changes Metric
• Assessing an Infrastructure’s Change Management Process
  • Measuring and Streamlining the Change Management Process
• Summary

Chapter 12 : Problem Management

• Introduction
• Definition of Problem Management
• Scope of Problem Management
• Distinguishing among Problem, Change, and Request Management
• Key Steps to Developing a Problem Management Process
• Opening and Closing Problems
• Segregating and Integrating Help Desks
• Client Issues with Problem Management
• Assessing an Infrastructure’s Problem Management Process
  • Measuring and Streamlining the Problem Management Process
• Summary

Chapter 13 : Storage Management

• Introduction
• Definition of Storage Management
• Desired Traits of a Storage Management Process Owner
• Storage Management Capacity
• Storage Management Performance
• Storage Management Reliability
• Storage Management Recoverability
• Assessing an Infrastructure’s Storage Management Process
  • Measuring and Streamlining the Storage Management Process
• Summary

Chapter 14 : Network Management

• Introduction
• Definition of Network Management
• Key Decisions about Network Management
• Assessing an Infrastructure’s Network Management Process
  • Measuring and Streamlining the Network Management Process
• Summary

Chapter 15 : Configuration Management

• Introduction
• Definition of Configuration Management
• Practical Tips for Improving Configuration Management
• Assessing an Infrastructure’s Configuration Management Process
  • Measuring and Streamlining the Configuration Management Process
• Summary

Chapter 16 : Capacity Planning

• Introduction
• Definition of Capacity Planning
• Why Capacity Planning is Seldom Done Well
• How to Develop an Effective Capacity Planning Process
• Additional Benefits of Capacity Planning
• Helpful Hints for Effective Capacity Planning
• Uncovering the Hidden Costs of Upgrades
• Assessing an Infrastructure’s Capacity Planning Process
  • Measuring and Streamlining the Capacity Planning Process
• Summary

Chapter 17 – Strategic Security

• Introduction
• Definition of Strategic Security
• Developing a Strategic Security Process
• Assessing an Infrastructure’s Strategic Security Process
  • Measuring and Streamlining the Security Process
• Summary

Chapter 18 : Disaster Recovery

• Introduction
• Definition of Disaster Recovery
• Case Study: Disaster at the Movie Studio
  • Three Important Lessons Learned
• Steps to Developing an Effective Disaster Recovery Process
• Nightmare Incidents with Disaster Recovery Plans
• Assessing an Infrastructure’s Disaster Recovery Process
  • Measuring and streamlining the Disaster Recovery Process
• Summary

Chapter 19 : Facilities Management

• Introduction
• Definition of Facilities Management
• Major Elements of Facilities Management
• The Facilities Management Process Owner
  • Determining the Scope of Responsibilities of a Facilities Management Process Owner
  • Desired Traits of a Facilities Management Process Owner
• Evaluating the Physical Environment
  • Major Physical Exposures Common to a Data Center
• A Word About Efficiency and Effectiveness
• Tips to Improve the Facilities Management Process
• Assessing an Infrastructure’s Facilities Management Process
  • Measuring and Streamlining the Facilities Management Process
• Summary

Part 4 – Technology

Chapter 20 : Developing Robust Process

• Introduction
• What Contributes to a World-Class Infrastructure
• Characteristics of a Robust Process
• Understanding the Differences Between a Formal and Informal Process
  • Helpful Ground Rules for Brainstorming
• Methods for Prioritizing Requirements
• Summary

Chapter 21 : Using Technology to Automate and Evaluate Robust Process

• Introduction
• Automating Robust Processes
• Evaluating an Infrastructure Process
• Evaluating Process Documentation
  • Benefits of the Methodology to Evaluate Process
  • Documentation
• Summary

Chapter 22 :Integrating Systems Management Processes

• Introduction
• Distinguishing Strategic Processes from Tactical Process

• Identifying Strategic Processes
• Identifying Tactical Processes
• The Values of Distinguishing Strategic from Tactical Processes
• Relationships Between Strategic and Tactical Processes

• Difficulties with Integrating Solely Tactical Processes
• Difficulties with Integrating Solely Strategic Processes
• Difficulties with Integrating Solely Tactical and Strategic Processes
• Examining the Integrated Relationships Between Strategic and Tactical Processes
• Significance of Systems Management Process Relationships
• Summary

Chapter 23 : Special Considerations for Client-Server and Web-Enabled Environments

• Introduction
• Client-server Environment Issues
  • Vendor Relationships
  • Multiplatform Support
  • Performance Tuning Challenges
  • Disaster Recovery Planning
  • Capacity Planning
• Web- Enabled Environment Issues
  • Traditional Companies
  • Moderate and Growing Companies
  • Dotcom Companies
• Summary

Part 5 – Appendices

• Appendix A
  • Frequently Asked Questions
• Appendix B
  • Summary of Definitions
• Appendix C
  • Assessment Worksheets Without Weighting Factors
• Appendix D
  • Assessment Worksheets With Weighting Factors
  • Bibliography
  • Index
  • About the Author

Designing, Implementing, and Managing World-Class Infrastructures

First edition; 528 pages
ISBN 0-13-087678-X
( by: Rich Schiesser )

Preface

Few industries have grown as rapidly or as widely as that of information technology (IT). What began as an infant offshoot of the accounting profession a mere 40 years ago has since matured into a prevalent and compelling force in nearly every segment of business, industry, and society in general. IT is the latest, and most significant, of cultural revolutions.

Futurist author Alvin Tofler, in his book on cultural phenomena, The Third Wave, describes three significant movements in American social development. These were the agricultural revolution of the late 1800’s, the industrial revolution of the early 1900’s, and the information revolution of the last two decades of the twentieth century.

Some 30 years ago Tofler correctly forecast many today’s social and technological trends. But even he could not predict the rapid rate of progress that the IT industry would sustain, nor its profound impact on living standards and business practices.

Much has been written about various IT breakthroughs involving chip technology, compiler designs, hardware components, and programming languages. But little has been written about how to manage effectively the environment in which IT entities co-exist and thrive. This environment is commonly called the IT infrastructure. The process of managing the many attributes that contribute to a stable, responsive IT infrastructure is known as systems management.

This book offers a historical perspective of the various disciplines of system management, along with an in-depth technical treatment of each of them. The historical background explains the when and why of each discipline to enable a better understanding of its purpose and evolution. The technical treatment or process discussion of each discipline shows how to implement and manage each one effectively, regardless of the size or type of platform. For the first time, this book addresses systems management as it applies to mainframe data centers, midrange shops, client-server environments, and web-enabled systems alike.

The 12 disciplines of system management are presented in the approximate order in which they became prevalent and integral to an infrastructure’s operation. Obviously this prioritization will vary slightly from enterprise to enterprise, depending on the emphasis of applications running at a particular center.

Managing Technology, Value, and Change in the New Economy

First edition; 300 pages
ISBN 0-13-027957-9
( by:Cooper Smith )

Preface

Technology as the Strategic Advantage
When I began writing this book I struggled with the direction I wanted it to take. Is this book to be about business, technology, or even the business of technology? I found it was hard to choose a particular direction because so much of business is now tied to technology, and so much of the interest in technology is provided by business. It finally dawned on me that if this was something I was struggling with, then other must be too.

Technology, like it or not, is more a part of our daily lives than ever before, whether we are “technical” or not. Technology is inescapable, but how many of us really understand it, or more importantly, understand how to use it to our own best advantage?

Let’s start with the basics. Just what is technology? The word itself takes on a transcendental meaning in our culture, as do terms like politics or religion. We use the term technology to express intangible concepts, much like the words talent, skill, and insight. Technology today is gadgets, mostly electronics, and we also recognize mechanics as a form of technology. But few of us look at technology as something much more than doodads and gimmicks. According to the following definition, technology is less defined by the items it produces than by the body of knowledge it comprises.

Main Entry: tech.no.lo.gy

Function: noun

Inflected
Form(s): plural-gies

Etymology: Greek technologia systematic treatment of an art, from technE
Art, skill + -o- + -logia -logy

Date: 1859
1. a: the practical application of knowledge especially in a particular area: ENGINEERING 2 <medical technology> b: a capability given by the practical application of knowledge <‘a car’s fuel-saving technology>

2. : a manner of accomplishing a task especially using technical processes, methods, or knowledge

3. : the specialized aspects of a particular field of endeavor educational technology

-tech.nol.gist/-jist/noun
-http://www.m-w.com/dictionary.htm

People frequently lament, “My life is controlled by technology,” as they struggle to unlock their car door with a keyless entry device while simultaneously attempting to respond to the pager vibrating on their hip. Technology is the body of knowledge that is required to first implement useful tools and then to put them to practical use. Technology transcends gadgets by giving meaning to the processes that make these tools a reality and give then their value.

Which leads me to the purpose of this book: to give you a strategic advantage in your personal and professional life by providing you with insight to and instruction on the use and effects of technology, knowledge, and innovation. More specifically, its purpose is to identify and develop the concept of digital technology and the intelligence that it introduces to your complex communication and computing devices, in addition to your mundane household appliances, such as your dishwasher, toaster, and microwave.

My goal is to help you become a technologist (or at least to sound like one)-someone who understands technology. Now, there are many people who will read this, myself included, who would immediately claim no understanding of technology whatever! Few of us can sit and tell someone else just how a cellular phone works. However, it is not the role of the technologist to understand how a piece of technology actually works. That is left for the designer, the architect, and the engineer. It is the technologist’s job to understand the purpose and use of specific technologies and how they can either be used separately or in combination to satisfy a particular need or set of needs. In other words, the technologist, given a specific task to accomplish, must decide not on how a cellular phone works, but if the cellular phone can help accomplish his or her goal, either entirely or in part.

But I’m Not an Engineer!

Often, people assume the term technologist is synonymous with scientist or engineer, and indeed there are times when these terms can be used interchangeably. But technologist can also be just as easily interchanged with businessman, artist, playwright, or homemaker. A technologist, essentially, is anybody who uses a tool for a specific purpose. Tools and technology are almost synonymous. However, tools are concrete objects, such as hammers, shovels, and computers, while technology is not only the tools themselves, but also the knowledge of how to use them. Let me illustrate this point with a well-known example.

Leonardo da Vinci was technologist as much as he was an artist. There is little doubt that da Vinci was greatly gifted in a number of areas, painting being foremost among them. But it wasn’t the canvas and paintbrush that made da Vinci the extraordinary artist he was; it was his God-given ability to see a subject or a view in his mind’s eye and to recreate it, in detail, with the tools of his trade. In other words, anybody can put paint to a canvas, but it is vision, insight, and talent that determine whether or not that person is an artist.

The same can be said for da Vinci’s insight into mechanical devices. Da Vinci was responsible for hundreds of mechanical designs, if not actual implementations, from airplanes to tanks. He dabbled in architecture, anatomy, sculpture, engineering, geology, hydraulics, and the military arts, all with success, and in his spare time he doodled with parachutes and flying machines that resembled inventions of the 19th and 20th centuries. He made detailed drawings of human anatomy, which are still highly regarded today.

These achievements are even more remarkable because the extension of his imagination redefined sources from nature (birds and tortoises) into man-made inventions-or early technologies. Since models of these technologies existed only in nature, it was left to da Vinci’s imagination to just “dream up” his own mechanical versions. All the more astounding is the fact that although most of these imaginative creations have been realized in the present, such as the tank, the helicopter, and the transportable crane, hardly any were actually realized in da Vinci’s own lifetime or for several generations afterward.

Managing Technology, Value, and Change in the New Economy

First edition; 300 pages
ISBN 0-13-027957-9
( by:Cooper Smith )

Table of Content

Preface

• Technology as the Strategic Advantage
• But I’m not an Engineer!
• What’s Ahead?
• How This Book is Organized

Chapter 1 : The History of Technology

• The Age of Ancient Technology
• Technology as Necessity

Chapter 2 : The Business of Technology

• Let’s Get Down to Business
• New Technology, Old Ideas
• Business Enters the Digital Age
• The Tried and True
• Moving into More Practical Matters
• The Real World
• The Microscopic Point of View

Chapter 3 :Managing Technological Change

• Technology and the Workplace
• Business Case Models: Life in the Real World
  • Case 1: Driven by Business
• Case 2: Driven by Technology
  • Technology as a Cost Center
  • Technology as a Profit Center
• The Trade-Offs
• The Most Common People Issues
  • Lack of Senior Technical Resources= The Organization Structure
• Ineffective Systems Management Planning/Implementations= The Organization Structure
  • Focusing on Technology

Chapter 4 : The Limits of Technology

• Life in the Real World
  • Case Study: Digital Equipment Corporation
• Technical Innovation Meets Business Motivation
• The End of a Dynasty
• The New Revolution
  • The Beginning of the End

Chapter 5 : The Future of Technology

• Technology Forecasting
  • Into the Crystal Ball
  • How much is too much?
• The Second Industrial Revolution
• The Rise of the Knowledge Base Economy

Chapter 6 : The Internet

• What the Internet is Not
• Major Concepts
• The Economics of Information
  • What Gives Information Its Initial Economic?
• The End of Channels and Hierarchies
  • Unbundling the Corporate Infrastructure for the Internet Hyper-Archy
  • The Corporate Structure Redefined

Chapter 7 : Developing Technological Strategies

• The “Information-Based” Organization
• Knowledge Is Power
• A world of Chiefs
• The Executive Challenge: A Brave New World
• The New Corporate Culture
• Now That We Know What Not to Do, What Should We Do?

Chapter 8 : Developing Business Strategies

• Understanding the Correlation Between Competitive Advantage and Organizational Alignment
• Aligning the Network
• The Insider’s View
• Aligning the Organization
• Aligning for the Future
• Aligning the Unknown

Chapter 9 : The Integration of Technology in Our Business and Personal Lives

• The Knowledge-Based Economy
• Defining the E-conomy
• A Company of One
• My Technology, Myself
• The True Revolution
• Most frequently Asked Questions

Appendix A

• Lotus Notes, the Emerging Technology that Stayed that Way

Appendix B

• CIGNA Corporation: Laying New Organizational Roots with Reengineering

Appendix C

• Competition: Walking the Walk and Talking the Talk

Appendix D

• Couch Potatoes, Remain Seated

Appendix E

• Technology Paradox

Bibliography
Index

A 4-D Framework

First Edition,304 pp.
ISBN: 0-13-032989-4
( by:Sanmay Mukhopadhyay and Cooper Smith )

Table of Content

Preface
Acknowledgements
Part 1
What is an E-Business?

• The New Playing Field

Chapter 1: Drivers of the E-World

• Introduction taking the Plunge

Business Drivers

• To Do Business All the Time
• To Do Business Affordably
• The Net Economy Meets the Global Economy
  • Global Competition
  • Non-Traditional Competition
  • Communities
  • Channels
  • Real-Time Demand and Supply
  • Auctions
• People Drivers
  • People Make the World Go Around!
  • The Internet Experience
  • Mass Customization
  • Self-Service
• Process Drivers
  • Transformed Processes
• Technology Drivers
  • Connectivity
  • Anywhere
  • Lighting Speed
  • Convergence

Chapter 2 : Why the 4D Framework?

• An Introduction to the 4D Framework
• Why this Approach?
• Explanation
• Spiral/Iterative Methods Work Better
• High-Velocity Business Processes Demand Rapid Iteration
• E-Business Characteristics

• Conclusion

Part 2
Into the Matrix

• The New Era

Chapter 3 : The First Dimension: E-Drivers

• A New Definition for E-Organizations
  • Levels of E-Organizations and E-Businesses

Chapter 4 : The Second Dimension: Phased Implementation

• Phase 1: Understanding Phase
• Phase 2: Solutions Phase
• Phase 3: Implementation
• Phase 4: Maintenance and Monitoring Phase
• Change Continues
  • Understanding organizational Culture
  • Maintenance/Monitoring Phase

Part 3
The Third Dimension: Redesign Disciplines

• Value Chain Analysis
• Value Chain Linking
• High- Velocity Process Management
• Change Management

Chapter 5 : Value Chain Analysis

• Introduction
  • When to Apply the Method
• What is a Value Chain?
  • 4D Value Chain Analysis
  • The 4D Framework- Value Chain Relationship
• Basic Definition and Concepts of the Value Chain
  • Different Types of value Chain Results
  • Two Different, Yet Integrated Value Chain Management Cycles
• Value Chain Model Testing
  • E-Investment Bundles
• Putting It All Together
• Phase 1: Understanding Phase
  • Opportunity Recognition
  • Justification
• Phase 2: Solutions Phase
• Phase 3: Implementation Phase
• Phase 4: Maintenance and Monitoring Phase
• The Value Chain Linking Technique
  • Concepts and Principles
  • The Basic Link Map
  • Additional E-Initiatives
  • E-Initiatives
• Value Chain Notation and Rules
  • Results
  • E-Initiatives (Business, People, Process, and Technology)
  • Value Chain Matrix

Chapter 6 : Value Chain Program and Value Chain Linking

• Value Chain Linking
• The Value Chain: A Detailed Link Map
  • Principles of Multiple Cause-Effect
  • Rules for Value Chain Linkage
  • Integrity Rules
  • Value Chain Formulation Modes
  • The Value Chain Link Process Summarized
  • Important Guidelines
• Summary

Part 4
Where to Now? Chapter 7 : High-Velocity Process Management

• High-Velocity Process Management (HVPM) Revisited
  • How to Create “High Velocity”
  • Roles and Responsibilities
  • Summary
• Understanding Phase
  Typical Deliverables
• Solutions Phase
  • Deliverables
• Implementation Phase
• Monitoring and Maintenance Phase

Chapter 8 : Change Management

• Change Management in E-Business
• The E-Change Management Process
  • Why Have Organizational Transformation Initiatives (like E-Initiatives) Failed?
  • Key Concepts and Definitions
• Value Chain Results-Based Change
  • An Organization as a System
  • Developing Comprehensive Change Programs
  • Managing E-Transition as a Process
  • Multiple Models
• E-Change Management Models
  • Best-of-Breed Model
  • The Breadth of a Change
  • The Depth of a Change
• Nature of Change” Identification
  • Change Types
  • Identifying the Resources Required for a Change
  • Organizational Process Model
  • Important Ideas
  • Organizational Power Model

Chapter 9 : Implementing the E-Change Management Process

• The Value Chain Results Management Cycle
  • E-Change Understanding Phase
  • E-Change Assessment Phase
  • E-Transition Solutions Phase
  • E-Change Implementation Phase
• Methods

• Generation Methods
• Recording and Documentation (An Important Deliverable)

• Value Chain Results
• Documenting E-Initiatives
• Classifying E-Initiatives
• Evaluating E-Initiatives: Depth and Breadth

Chapter 10 : Case Study: Fictitious ABC Company

• Problem Definition
• Solution
• Project Management Approach
  • Project Plan
  • E-Business Project Team Organization, Roles, and Responsibilities
  • Communication
  • Continuous Transition Approach
  • Project Control
  • Critical Success Factors
  • E-Business Project Management Tools
• Business Elements
• People Elements
  • Skills Development
  • Roles and Responsibilities
  • Cultural Analysis
  • Communication Styles
• Technology Elements
  • Process Assessment Evaluation Checklist
• Process Elements
  • Change Management
  • Business Case Analysis Process
  • Business Processes (HR-Related)
  • Transition Management Process
  • Production QA/Acceptance Process
  • Problem Management
  • IT Change Management
  • Asset Management
  • Event Monitoring
  • Performance Management and Capacity Planning
  • Internal Support Agreement/Process
  • IT Customer Satisfaction Process
  • Disaster Recovery
  • Configuration Management/Release Distribution
  • Software Change Management
  • Systems and Infrastructure Management
  • Charge-Back Process
  • IT Planning Process
• Case Study
• Component-Based Method
  • Understanding Phase
  • Solutions Phase
  • Implementation Phase
• Summary

Part 5
Appendices Appendix A

• Assessment

Appendix B

• E-Business Project Management

Appendix C

• Case Study

Appendix D

• Example of Change Control Templates
• Index

A 4-D Framework

First Edition,304 pp.
ISBN: 0-13-032989-4
( by:Sanmay Mukhopadhyay and Cooper Smith )

Preface

Technology and business have been working hand in hand, literally, for centuries. The last 50 years have ushered in first the Electronic Age and now the Digital Age. Never has the potential marriage of technology and business meant so much to so many. In just the last 10 years alone, the leap from the Digital Age to the Internet age promised to go beyond the potential of landing on the moon. However, as high as the Internet rocket rose, it crashed. Why? Were expectations set too high for too long? Were the American business markets too greedy, too avaricious, too anxious to strike it rich?

Perhaps. Greed is nothing new, and the internet rage of the 1990’s is not much different than any other Gold Rush. A few actually do get rich, many more fail, but almost everyone tries their hand one way or another to grab the brass ring. Although the Gold Rush of 1849 created thousands or even hundreds of millionaires, it also helped create the city of San Francisco and eventually the San Francisco Bay area. Once the hype and the hoopla settled down, a small port town nestled in a raw windy bay found itself engulfed in a population doing what most populations do: eat, sleep, drink, work, and, hopefully, earn a living-first with their hands and now 150 years later with their minds. Yet the results of those 150 years, no matter how they started, are undeniable. Once miners seeking gold flocked to this little town; 150 years later their descendants are the doctors, lawyers, engineer, and academics who now breathe life into Silicon Valley.

No doubt, by the time the next century rolls around the Internet Gold Rush will have had as much historical significance as San Francisco’s, perhaps even more, for in reality it is still going on. The Internet, although without the hype, without the fanfare, is still going strong and growing every day. The ubiquitous ness of the “Net” is slowly taking route, albeit late for some, but just in time for the real revolution that is taking place throughout the world: the quiet, unassuming revolution that is here to stay, the effects of which businessman, technologists, and consumers, can only guess at over the next few decades.

Hopefully, by now we have learned that the Internet in and of itself is not the magic elixir that makes all of a business’s ills disappear. It will not make us all instant millionaires. But we are starting to look analytically at what it can and does do. Business is all about communication and that is where the real evolution lies. Business and business people now realize they cannot view the Internet as a separate entity to be exploited in and of itself. It, too, is a tool, like any other. Like the networks it runs on, like the computers that access it, it must be incorporated into any business the same way. The Internet is a means to an end, not the end, itself.

With that in mind, this book hopes to shed some light on our views of what kind of strategies business should and do employ to bring about some of the old-fashioned business objects of competitive advantage, productivity gain, and, yes, old-fashioned profit. The 4D Framework will probably not be the only business strategy on how to use the Internet to its maximum effectiveness in the next few years, nor will it be the last. But we do hope it will be the most useful.

Cooper Smith, former director of technology at Nickelodeon Digital Lab and Animation Studios, is currently the CTO at Education World, a Web site geared toward teachers and students. He holds an engineering degree from Harvard.

Published Works

• Technology Strategies: Managing Technology, Value, and Change in the New Economy

Design, Techniques and Processes

First edition; 286 pages

ISBN: 0-13-096288-0

( by: Floyd Piedad and Michael Hawkins )

Table of Contents

First edition; 286 pages

( by: Floyd Piedad and Michael Hawkins )

Floyd Piedad is an IT veteran with over 11 years experience in the industry. His expertise lies in the areas of systems management, IT operations, systems analysis and design, and web development. He gained his skills through working with IBM and from running his own companies. He is presently the CEO of Philippine and Scandinavian IT Services.

Published Works

• High Availability: Maximizing Every Aspect Of System Availability