Showing papers on "Enterprise software published in 2012"

Cocreation of value in a platform ecosystem: the case of enterprise software

Abstract: It has been argued that platform technology owners cocreate business value with other firms in their platform ecosystems by encouraging complementary invention and exploiting indirect network effects. In this study, we examine whether participation in an ecosystem partnership improves the business performance of small independent software vendors (ISVs) in the enterprise software industry and how appropriability mechanisms influence the benefits of partnership. By analyzing the partnering activities and performance indicators of a sample of 1,210 small ISVs over the period 1996-2004, we find that joining a major platform owner's platform ecosystem is associated with an increase in sales and a greater likelihood of issuing an initial public offering (IPO). In addition, we show that these impacts are greater when ISVs have greater intellectual property rights or stronger downstream capabilities. This research highlights the value of interoperability between software products, and stresses that value cocreation and appropriation are not mutually exclusive strategies in interfirm collaboration.

Secure execution of enterprise applications on mobile devices

Abstract: A system is disclosed that includes components and features for enabling enterprise users to securely access enterprise resources (documents, data, application servers, etc.) using their mobile devices. An enterprise can use some or all components of the system to, for example, securely but flexibly implement a BYOD (bring your own device) policy in which users can run both personal applications and secure enterprise applications on their mobile devices. The system may, for example, implement policies for controlling mobile device accesses to enterprise resources based on device attributes (e.g., what mobile applications are installed), user attributes (e.g., the user's position or department), behavioral attributes, and other criteria. Client-side code installed on the mobile devices may further enhance security by, for example, creating a secure container for locally storing enterprise data, creating a secure execution environment for running enterprise applications, and/or creating secure application tunnels for communicating with the enterprise system.

Business Intelligence for Enterprise Systems: A Survey

Abstract: Business intelligence (BI) is the process of transforming raw data into useful information for more effective strategic, operational insights, and decision-making purposes so that it yields real business benefits. This new emerging technique can not only improve applications in enterprise systems and industrial informatics, respectively, but also play a very important role to bridge the connection between enterprise systems and industrial informatics. This paper was intended as a short introduction to BI with the emphasis on the fundamental algorithms and recent progress. In addition, we point out the challenges and opportunities to smoothly connect industrial informatics to enterprise systems for BI research.

Enterprise architecture, IT effectiveness and the mediating role of IT alignment in US hospitals

Abstract: Despite the possible benefits of implementing healthcare information technologies, successful implementation of effective healthcare information technology is constrained by cultural and regulatory concerns and technical obstacles encountered when establishing or upgrading an organisation's enterprise infrastructure. In this paper, we advance Ross' four-stage model of enterprise architecture maturity as a valuable IT resource for helping healthcare organisations sustain a competitive advantage. We use partial least squares (PLS) structural equation modelling to analyse survey data from 164 US hospitals at different stages of EA maturity. Our results provide evidence that enterprise architecture maturity directly influences the effectiveness of hospitals' IT resources for achieving strategic goals. Further, enterprise architecture maturity indirectly influences the effectiveness of IT resources when IT alignment is incorporated as a mediating variable. We discuss the implications of our findings for research and practice and suggest opportunities for future research. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Evaluation model of business intelligence for enterprise systems using fuzzy TOPSIS

Abstract: Evaluation of business intelligence for enterprise systems before buying and deploying them is of vital importance to create decision support environment for managers in organizations. This study aims to propose a new model to provide a simple approach to assess enterprise systems in business intelligence aspects. This approach also helps the decision-maker to select the enterprise system which has suitable intelligence to support managers' decisional tasks. Using wide literature review, 34 criteria about business intelligence specifications are determined. A model that exploits fuzzy TOPSIS technique has been proposed in this research. Fuzzy weights of the criteria and fuzzy judgments about enterprise systems as alternatives are employed to compute evaluation scores and ranking. This application is realized to illustrate the utilization of the model for the evaluation problems of enterprise systems. On this basis, organizations will be able to select, assess and purchase enterprise systems which make possible better decision support environment in their work systems.

Effects of enterprise technology on supply chain collaboration: analysis of China-linked supply chain

Abstract: Supply chain collaboration has received increasing attention from scholars and practitioners in recent years. However, our understanding of how enterprise information technology facilitates supply chain collaboration is still very limited, especially with regard to Chinese enterprise ownerships such as state-owned firms, joint-venture firms and local village-owned firms. This paper extends the theory established in enterprise information technology (IT) and supply chain collaboration literature and relates it with coordination in China-linked supply chain. Drawing upon an empirical study from 177 Chinese companies, we provide three major findings: (i) uncovered the importance of leveraging enterprise IT through supply chain collaboration; (ii) identified the relationship between enterprise ownership and enterprise technology use and supply chain collaboration in China-linked supply chain and (iii) illustrated effects of supply chain collaborative activities on operational and market performance.

Secure container for protecting enterprise data on a mobile device

Abstract: A system is disclosed that includes components and features for enabling enterprise users to securely access enterprise resources (documents, data, application servers, etc.) using their mobile devices. An enterprise can use some or all components of the system to, for example, securely but flexibly implement a BYOD (bring your own device) policy in which users can run both personal applications and secure enterprise applications on their mobile devices. The system may, for example, implement policies for controlling mobile device accesses to enterprise resources based on device attributes (e.g., what mobile applications are installed), user attributes (e.g., the user's position or department), behavioral attributes, and other criteria. Client-side code installed on the mobile devices may further enhance security by, for example, creating a secure container for locally storing enterprise data, creating a secure execution environment for running enterprise applications, and/or creating secure application tunnels for communicating with the enterprise system.

Gateway for controlling mobile device access to enterprise resources

Abstract: A system is disclosed that includes components and features for enabling enterprise users to securely access enterprise resources (documents, data, application servers, etc.) using their mobile devices. An enterprise can use some or all components of the system to, for example, securely but flexibly implement a BYOD (bring your own device) policy in which users can run both personal applications and secure enterprise applications on their mobile devices. The system may, for example, implement policies for controlling mobile device accesses to enterprise resources based on device attributes (e.g., what mobile applications are installed), user attributes (e.g., the user's position or department), behavioral attributes, and other criteria. Client-side code installed on the mobile devices may further enhance security by, for example, creating a secure container for locally storing enterprise data, creating a secure execution environment for running enterprise applications, and/or creating secure application tunnels for communicating with the enterprise system.

The Effect of Enterprise Systems Implementations on the Firm Information Environment

Abstract: Proponents of Enterprise Systems argue that these systems improve the information environment of the firm. However, evidence on these benefits is largely anecdotal and survey-based. In this paper, we use an archival research design to assess the impact of enterprise systems on a firm’s internal information environment as reflected in the production of management earnings forecasts. Specifically, we hypothesize that if enterprise systems improve management’s access to decision relevant internal information, management should be able to produce higher quality earnings forecasts. Consistent with disclosure theory and the purported technical characteristics of enterprise systems, we find evidence that enterprise system implementations are subsequently associated with significant increases in the likelihood of management forecast issuance and the accuracy of the forecasts. Additional robustness tests support the argument that improvements in management forecasts are due to improvements in the firm’s internal information environment rather than enhancements in management’s ability to manage earnings. Prior literature and professional guidance points to the common challenges and importance of measuring the benefits of information technology investments. Our study responds to these challenges by providing an initial basis for considering management forecast qualities as a measurable proxy for improvements in the firm’s internal information environment that result from information technology investments.

Enterprise cloud service architectures

Abstract: As a new computing paradigm, cloud computing has received a lot of attention from enterprises and has being integrated or applied to enterprise architectures. This paper surveys the state of the art of enterprise cloud service architectures. Specifically, this paper discusses enterprise cloud service architectural requirements, design approaches, architectural styles, emerging cloud service platforms, applications and related challenges in an enterprise context. This paper also identifies research trends and opportunities for researchers and practitioners in this fast moving field.

Integrated enterprise software and social network system user interfaces utilizing cloud computing infrastructures and single secure portal access

Abstract: A software-based method and system to provide a secure user interface on multiple and diverse electronic computing devices with a customized and secure dashboard feature. The systems and methods simultaneously integrate internally generated software utilities of an enterprise with externally accessed software operating in a ‘cloud computing’ environment. The systems and methods can be used in management and operations that use computer based software, data management, creative processes and communication systems. The systems and methods reduce the requirement for additional programming to integrate or interchange equivalent and independently developed software for use within an enterprise. The systems and methods permit social network communications between members of an enterprise and an external community. The security features of the user interface portal permit collaborations between parties in an external community and enterprise members that can develop new processes that remain proprietary to the enterprise and parties of an external community.

Secure mobile browser for protecting enterprise data

Abstract: A system is disclosed that includes components and features for enabling enterprise users to securely access enterprise resources (documents, data, application servers, etc.) using their mobile devices. An enterprise can use some or all components of the system to, for example, securely but flexibly implement a BYOD (bring your own device) policy in which users can run both personal applications and secure enterprise applications on their mobile devices. The system may, for example, implement policies for controlling mobile device accesses to enterprise resources based on device attributes (e.g., what mobile applications are installed), user attributes (e.g., the user's position or department), behavioral attributes, and other criteria. Client-side code installed on the mobile devices may further enhance security by, for example, creating a secure container for locally storing enterprise data, creating a secure execution environment for running enterprise applications, and/or creating secure application tunnels for communicating with the enterprise system.

Business Application Acquisition: On-Premise or SaaS-Based Solutions?

Abstract: The benefits of migrating business software applications to the cloud is a dominant IT topic among consultants, software managers, and executives. The broad interest in cloud computing is motivated by the prospect of quick, painless deployment and maintenance of applications that are now a burden of the enterprise. The authors propose an analytical method for deciding whether the features and cost of a cloud solution are appropriate to the business IT problem and whether the risks are reasonable and manageable.

LogicBlox, platform and language: a tutorial

Abstract: The modern enterprise software stack--a collection of applications supporting bookkeeping, analytics, planning, and forecasting for enterprise data--is in danger of collapsing under its own weight. The task of building and maintaining enterprise software is tedious and laborious; applications are cumbersome for end-users; and adapting to new computing hardware and infrastructures is difficult. We believe that much of the complexity in today's architecture is accidental, rather than inherent. This tutorial provides an overview of the LogicBlox platform, a ambitious redesign of the enterprise software stack centered around a unified declarative programming model, based on an extended version of Datalog.

Case study of open-source enterprise resource planning implementation in a small business

Abstract: Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems have been recognised as offering great benefit to some organisations, although they are expensive and problematic to implement. The cost and risk make well-developed proprietorial systems unaffordable to small businesses. Open-source software (OSS) has become a viable means of producing ERP system products. The question this paper addresses is the feasibility of OSS ERP systems for small businesses. A case is reported involving two efforts to implement freely distributed ERP software products in a small US make-to-order engineering firm. The case emphasises the potential of freely distributed ERP systems, as well as some of the hurdles involved in their implementation. The paper briefly reviews highlights of OSS ERP systems, with the primary focus on reporting the case experiences for efforts to implement ERPLite software and xTuple software. While both systems worked from a technical perspective, both failed due to economic factors. While these economic conditio...

Techniques to apply and share remote policies on mobile devices

Abstract: Techniques to apply and share remote policies on personal devices are described. In an embodiment, a technique includes contacting an enterprise server from an enterprise application operating on a personal device. The enterprise application may receive policies from the enterprise server. The policies may be applied to the enterprise application. When a second enterprise application on the personal device is launched, the policies may also be applied to the second enterprise application. When a policy is changed on the enterprise server, notification is pushed to the personal device and all related enterprise applications on the personal device may be updated to enforce the policy change. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

A Practice-Based Framework for Enterprise Coherence

Abstract: In this paper, the authors discuss a practice-based framework that enables enterprises to make the coherence between key aspects, such as business and IT, explicit. The term “coherence” is preferred over the more common term “alignment”, since the latter is generally associated with bringing two concepts in line (typically “Business” and “IT”). The word coherence, however, stresses the need to go beyond this. Enterprise coherence considers the alignment of all important aspects of an enterprise.

Why Do Complementors Participate? An Analysis of Partnership Networks in the Enterprise Software Industry

Abstract: In the enterprise software industry, large providers (hubs) are fostering partner networks with smaller companies (spokes) that complement their platforms. This study takes the perspective of these spokes and seeks to understand their motivation to partner. It is the first to simultaneously examine two theoretical perspectives that help explain partnership formation. The input-oriented perspective holds that organizations enter inter-firm arrangements in order to access external resources and capabilities. The output-oriented perspective posits that the complementarity of the partners' products influences the benefits obtained from a partnership. In order to examine the relevancy and possible interaction of these two perspectives, a multiple-case study is conducted. Qualitative data from 17 spoke organizations is gathered and thoroughly analyzed. The study confirms that the hub's reputation and its capability to provide integrated systems are generally important reasons for partnering. However, the extent to which the hub's innovativeness and its commercial capital motivate spokes to partner varies substantially. The key finding of this study is that these variations can be explained by differences in the level of product complementarity. This leads to the conclusion that there is a widely neglected interaction effect between the input- and output-oriented perspectives in explaining the formation of hub-and-spoke partnerships.

Modifying pre-existing mobile applications to implement enterprise security policies

Abstract: A system is disclosed that includes components and features for enabling enterprise users to securely access enterprise resources (documents, data, application servers, etc.) using their mobile devices. An enterprise can use some or all components of the system to, for example, securely but flexibly implement a BYOD (bring your own device) policy in which users can run both personal applications and secure enterprise applications on their mobile devices. The system may, for example, implement policies for controlling mobile device accesses to enterprise resources based on device attributes (e.g., what mobile applications are installed), user attributes (e.g., the user's position or department), behavioral attributes, and other criteria. Client-side code installed on the mobile devices may further enhance security by, for example, creating a secure container for locally storing enterprise data, creating a secure execution environment for running enterprise applications, and/or creating secure application tunnels for communicating with the enterprise system.

Trends in Enterprise Architecture Research and Practice-Driven Research on Enterprise Transformation: 7th Workshop, TEAR 2012, and 5th Working

Abstract: This volume constitutes the proceedings of the combined 7th International Workshop on Trends in Enterprise Architecture Research (TEAR 2012) and the 5th Working Conference on Practice-Driven Research on Enterprise Transformation (PRET-5), held in Barcelona, Spain, October 23-24, 2012, and co-located with The Open Group's Conference on Enterprise Architecture, Cloud Computing, and Security. Joining the forces of the two events with The Open Group Conference provided the unique opportunity for an intensive exchange between practitioners as well as for discussions on standardization efforts and academic research in the areas of enterprise transformation and enterprise architecture (EA). Based on careful reviews by at least three Program Committee members, 18 papers were chosen for inclusion in these proceedings. They were presented in six sessions on enterprise architecture management (EAM) effectivity, languages for EA, EAM and the ability to change, advanced topics in EA, governing enterprise transformations, and EA applications.

Formalizing the Cloud through Enterprise Topology Graphs

Abstract: Enterprises often have no integrated and comprehensive view of their enterprise topology describing their entire IT infrastructure, software, on-premise and off-premise services, processes, and their interrelations. Especially due to acquisitions, mergers, reorganizations, and outsourcing there is no clear 'big picture' of the enterprise topology. Through this lack, management of applications becomes harder and duplication of components and information systems increases. Furthermore, the lack of insight makes changes in the enterprise topology like consolidation, migration, or outsourcing more complex and error prone which leads to high operational cost. In this paper we propose Enterprise Topology Graphs (ETG) as formal model to describe an enterprise topology. Based on established graph theory ETG bring formalization and provability to the cloud. They enable the application of proven graph algorithms to solve enterprise topology research problems in general and cloud research problems in particular. For example, we present a search algorithm which locates segments in large and possibly distributed enterprise topologies using structural queries. To illustrate the power of the ETG approach we show how it can be applied for IT consolidation to reduce operational costs, increase flexibility by simplifying changes in the enterprise topology, and improve the environmental impact of the enterprise IT.

Method, process and system to atomically structure varied data and transform into context associated data

Abstract: A novel method, system and process for the enterprise software are described. The data is created, captured, ingested, stored, atomized, monitored, separated, analyzed, enriched, correlated, managed, automated, processed, isolated, secured and synthesized (for example published or automatically pushed to user). The data is recreated using automated contextual delivery methods and processes. This process enables a user to regulate the industry wide leading practices and constantly enrich data. Task allocation is automated. This SaaS and/or Cloud computing system may be installed and distributed across users' device, public cloud, behind a company's firewall and/or additional security may be provided using privacy vault. This method, system and process for this software may be implemented on a machine readable media.

Automating enterprise architecture documentation using an enterprise service bus

Abstract: Currently the documentation of Enterprise Architectures (EA) requires manual collection of data resulting in an error prone, expensive, and time consuming process. Recent approaches seek to automate and improve EA documentation by employing the productive system environment of organizations. In this paper, we investigate a specific Enterprise Service Bus (ESB) considered as the nervous system of an enterprise interconnecting business applications and processes as an information source. We evaluate the degree of coverage to which data of a productive system can be used for EA documentation. A vendor-specific ESB data model is reverse-engineered and transformation rules for three representative EA information models are derived. These transformation rules are employed to perform automated model transformations making the first step towards an automated EA documentation. We evaluate our approach using a productive ESB system from a leading enterprise of the fashion industry.

Controlling mobile device access to enterprise resources

Abstract: A system is disclosed that includes components and features for enabling enterprise users to securely access enterprise resources (documents, data, application servers, etc.) using their mobile devices. An enterprise can use some or all components of the system to, for example, securely but flexibly implement a BYOD (bring your own device) policy in which users can run both personal applications and secure enterprise applications on their mobile devices. The system may, for example, implement policies for controlling mobile device accesses to enterprise resources based on device attributes (e.g., what mobile applications are installed), user attributes (e.g., the user's position or department), behavioral attributes, and other criteria. Client-side code installed on the mobile devices may further enhance security by, for example, creating a secure container for locally storing enterprise data, creating a secure execution environment for running enterprise applications, and/or creating secure application tunnels for communicating with the enterprise system.

Modeling and analyzing of an enterprise collaboration network supported by service-oriented manufacturing

Abstract: Service-oriented manufacturing is a new manufacturing paradigm and it has appeared in large-scale enterprise clusters over the past few years. In this situation, the increasing service demands from...