Authors:
Markus Eurich
1
and
Roman Boutellier
2
Affiliations:
1
Technology and Innovation Management (TIM), Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zürich (ETH); SAP (Switzerland) Inc. Research, Switzerland
;
2
ETH Zürich, Switzerland
Keyword(s):
Middleware Integration Platform, e-Business Applications, Future Directions, Real World Internet, Horizontalization, Business Models.
Related
Ontology
Subjects/Areas/Topics:
Applications
;
Artificial Intelligence
;
Collaboration and e-Services
;
Communication and Software Infrastructure
;
Context-Awareness
;
e-Business
;
Enterprise Architecture
;
Enterprise Engineering
;
Enterprise Information Systems
;
Entertainment
;
Future Directions
;
Industrial
;
Integration of Data Warehousing and Data Mining
;
Knowledge Discovery and Information Retrieval
;
Knowledge-Based Systems
;
Middleware Platforms
;
Mobile Information Systems
;
Other Areas of Application
;
Symbolic Systems
;
System Architectures
;
Technology Platforms
;
Ubiquity
;
Web Information Systems and Technologies
Abstract:
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has the potential to transform business on different levels. Changes in the ICT market, the technology and its dynamics, and of customers’ demands and needs will challenge the current business models of ICT companies. If middleware integration platforms integrate presently isolated networks, organizations may have to re-define their role and their business scope; especially if the assumptions hold true that middleware platforms foster disintermediation and enable new players to enter the market. In this paper, the business potential of reusing sensing, actuation and processing services for different applications - termed horizontalization - is described. It provides insights to the design and architecture of middleware integration platforms designed to enable horizontal services and gives examples of e-business opportunities that can be realized on top of middleware integration platforms.