Stephen E. Arnold
this book
Stephen Arnold’s latest book provides a clear statement of the new uses of the Internet and how to take advantage of these remarkable developments. The central argument of the book is that the Internet is not a function, like electronic mail, but a new architecture. This structure can enable functions and data on legacy systems and new peer-to-peer architectures.
In the seven years between 1993 and 1999, the Internet moved from academe to the mainstream. In 2000, the euphoria gave way to pragmatism. New Trajectories of the Internet: Umbrellas, Traction, Lift and other Phenomena identifies this important shift and provides a road map to the business opportunities, pay-offs and risks from the use of the Internet in 2001 and beyond.
This study places equal emphasis on technology and business strategy. It answers such questions as: What business models give a business traction; that is, the ability to deliver on promises of cost reduction and revenue enhancement? What are the key factors in developing repeat users in an organisation? What does the new computing paradigm look like? What are the four stages in an intranet or Internet service’s expansion?
The book provides profiles of a new type of systems integrator, the Application Service Provider or ASP. What are the service and cost realities of building network services via the ASP approach? The infusion of content and indexing services into a network architecture offers new opportunities to leverage information. The book clearly identifies the risks that accompany certain decisions about outsourcing, licensing or building from within.
The focus on business principles and brief, clear explanations of important new technologies means that senior managers, Internet entrepreneurs, software developers, consultants and information professionals and newcomers to the Internet can gain valuable insights quickly. This book provides a balanced view of portals, personalisation, intranets, knowledge management and content management, among other trends.
Stephen Arnold explains why ‘silver bullet’ solutions require a careful costing analysis before buying into any ‘solution’. Pivotal technologies such as data mining and predictive statistics create opportunities for personalising computer use and raise new concerns about privacy and security. Relationship technology offers a new suite of tools for coming into closer contact with users. These ‘R’ technologies create the need for a sequence of services to be put in place before ‘R’ technologies deliver revenue to a company.
Search and retrieval has become a ubiquitous service. However, the search-and-retrieval function often disappoints more than it satisfies. Important new developments in indexing, searching and displaying information are moving from test centres to the mainstream. What is available, and when to use a specific technology, remain the most important and difficult facing users and developers alike. This book strips much of the mythology from search and retrieval.
Pricing services is a key component of a successful business model. As the economic environment undergoes rapid change, online users need guidelines for assembling pricing models. Buyers want insight into the pricing tricks and traps that are now commonplace in network and information services.
A wealth of tables, illustrations, examples, a glossary, and pointers to useful Web resources make this a must-have study of ‘The Internet’ at Stage II of its young career.
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