3.2 How Technologies Really Get Used

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Simply put, six processes are normally followed to select technology. In descending order, they are:

Basic needs. Clearly, the key requirements will cause technologists to make certain design assumptions that (hopefully) are subject to further analysis. These assumptions can be based upon current practices such as the "buy or build" decision for a new software system. What is significant here is that if it is likely a new human resource package will be purchased and customized instead of built from the ground up, a different path will be pursued with subsequent requirements and, thus, technology decisions. This can include computing platforms and operating systems, workstations, the network, and disaster recovery or business continuity.

Corporate standards. Many big projects are upgrades to, or extensions of, legacy systems or infrastructure. Adding a new site to an existing wide area network, or bringing local area network (LAN) server operating systems up to the manufacturer's current revision are typical examples. Standards can dominate nearly every aspect of technology, if for no other reason than to leverage cost savings through "single sourcing," and reduce confusion from installation, support, and compatibility perspectives. Exhibit 3 approximates what is undoubtedly in place in your organization.

Exhibit 3: Typical Technology Standards

For "Web" software, only Visual Basic (VB) and eXtensible Markup Language (XML) are permitted.
All directory infrastructure shall be LDAP compliant.
The e-mail client is Company D's.
Only one brand of the UNIX operating system is supported.
All routers and switches shall be provided by Z, Inc.
All new cabling will be Cat. 6.
Use only 1-gHz XYX laptops with 512 mb of RAM, infrared port disabled.
HotSurf is the preferred browser.

Personal preference. Quite naturally, people go with what they know when given the chance. If you could write new code with any one of three "languages," you are most likely to pick the one you have had previous success with, all things being equal. Unfortunately, comfort levels do not always lead to intelligent choices.
Evaluation. I was on a project where the sponsor mandated the use of IP Telephone for a new site instead of the company's traditional choice of private branch exchange (PBX) telephony. Because IP Telephone was a new technology at the time, three products were evaluated in terms of functionality, performance, ease of use, and each manufacturer's support capabilities. This competitive analysis was backed up with a pilot of the selected product before the final decision was made to go forward with IP Telephone. In other situations where new ground is being broken, consultants are brought in to research the market place to see what other like-minded customers are doing, or to analyze potential solutions against requirements where in-house expertise might be thin. In the IP Telephone situation, we contracted with a firm who had successfully installed that product in a similar environment, thereby minimizing the risk associated with our dearth of in-house expertise for design, implementation, and support.
Fit. This is the main reason that "fit" appears in the Big Thirteen interrogatory. In the present context, that tiny word expands into the following questions:
- Do we know how to use this technology?
- Will it cause any issues with legacy infrastructure, including existing applications, protocols, topologies, or monitoring tools?
- Can the support infrastructure, including data centers, network management, help desks, maintenance or support vendors, and local support personnel absorb this new technology?
Cost. Although this technology, once deployed, can be proclaimed as the best thing since sliced bread, will the accrued benefits turn out to be a smart, defensible investment?

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