Infosys v3n003 (January 31, 1996) URL = http://hegel.lib.ncsu.edu/stacks/serials/infosys/infs-v3n003 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * INFOSYS: The Electronic Newsletter for Information Systems * * Volume 3, Number 3 ISSN: 1173-3764 January 31, 1996 * * * * Editor: Dennis W. Viehland, Massey University, New Zealand * * Listowners: Greg Welsh, American University, Washington DC * * Peter M. Weiss, Penn State * * Sponsor: boyd & fraser publishing, Danvers, Massachusetts * * * * Current Subscribers = 4,995 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TABLE OF CONTENTS * * * * * * * * * * * * * NEWS - From Flash Information * * ANNOUNCEMENT - Singapore IT Casebook * * REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE - Turnover in IT Industry * * CALL FOR PAPERS - Future of Information Systems * * CALL FOR PAPERS - Modeling Methods in Systems Analysis and Design * * POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT - Professor and Dean, Faculty of Commerce * * POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT - Lecturer, Social and Decision Sciences * * POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT - Chairperson, Information Systems * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * NEWS - From Flash Information * * Dennis Viehland, Massey University * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * INTERNET SECURITY. According to a survey of 1,293 information systems and security executives conducted by Information Week and Ernst & Young, security problems resulting in financial loss can be broken down as follow: network failure -- 24%, software error -- 14%, computer virus -- 12%, computer failure -- 11%, stolen data -- 7%, sabotage -- 5%, network break-in -- 4%, and others -- 23%. Other findings include the following: 1) nearly half of the respondents have lost valuable information in the last two years; 2) at least 20 respondents have lost information worth more than US$1 million; 3) nearly 70% say security risks have worsened in the last five years; 4) nearly 80% have hired a full-time information-security director; 5) 40% are not satisfied with Internet security while 28% are satisfied and 32% are unsure; and 6) in the last year, 67% of the companies surveyed have been attacked by a computer virus. "Security," InformationWeek, Nov. 27, 1995, 32-40. INTRANET. Intranets -- corporate networks based on open Internet protocols for e-mail, discussion forums, and file transfer - are still a largely untapped platform for groupware applications. Companies who are already using a groupware (eg. Lotus Notes), however, are unwilling to invest in a new infrastructure. Software developers (Netscape Communications, Lotus Development, etc.), therefore, are developing integrated Internet-based packages with groupware features. The Web is a great tool for broadcasting information but unlike groupware applications, it does not support business processes. Furthermore, many businesses think that the Internet is an inherently insecure medium. In spite of this, a survey indicates that more businesses will use the Internet in the future -- 88% of respondents in 1998, up from 55% in 1995. "Groupware taps the Internet," Byte, Dec. 1995, 24-25. Accountability and computer decision systems. [Are designers responsible for all of the uses of the systems they create?] / Johnson, Deborah G. ; Mulvey, John M. -- In: COMMUNICATIONS OF THE ACM, 38(12) Dec. 1995 p. 58-64 Ethical concepts and information technology. [The fundamental aspects of classical and contemporary ethics, particularly as they apply to the use of IT, offer valuable lessons of professional conduct.] / Laudon, Kenneth C. -- In: COMMUNICATIONS OF THE ACM, 38(12) Dec. 1995 p. 33-39 INTRANET DEVELOPMENT TOOLS. Development tools are now available for adding Web browser functionality to corporate applications. Building intranet applications to be used on private Web servers within an organization is the hottest trend in corporate information technology. Development tools available include: Sax Software's Webster Control, V_Graph's Web Widgets, Distinct Corp.'s Distinct TCP/IP SDK - Visual Edition, and Netmanage's Chameleon Internet oftware Developers Kit. "Roll your own Web browser," PC Magazine 15 (2) Jan. 23, 1996, 34. COMPUTER-RELATED CRIMES. According to a survey of 200 businesses by Michigan State University, the most common computer-related abuses are: 1) credit card fraud (96.6%); 2) telecommunications fraud (96.6%); 3) employee use of company computer equipment for personal reasons (96.0%); 4) unauthorized access to computer files for snooping (95.1%); 5) cellular phone fraud (94.5%); and 6) unlawful copying of copyrighted or licensed software (91.2%). Crimes showing the most dramatic increases over the past five years include theft or attempted theft of: 1) client information (81%); 2) trade secrets (77.6%); 3) new product plans (76.6%); 4) product descriptions (75.7%). Other abuses include: unauthorized computer access to confidential employee information (74.5%) and to confidential business information (74.4%), and theft or attempted theft of money (72.2%) and of product pricing data (71.8%). "Listen: computer crime victims speak," Datamation, Dec. 15, 1995, 20. TECHNOLOGY TRENDS. Advanced office applications, intelligent software assistants, Internet-enabled applications, project-centric workspaces, ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) connections, and speech recognition will help shape what Microsoft CEO Bill Gates calls the "personalized connected office". In this new environment where individual applications will be superfluous, you'll be able to bring together information of all types (sales projections, video, charts, documents) and navigate through them without opening up any application. Broadband connection to the PC or ATM (asynchronous transfer mode), however, is not for the immediate future. Instead, the evolution will be toward midband connection, say Bill Gates. IBM Chief Lou Gerstner's look at the future includes network-centric computing; ATM network connections; Internet-enabled applications; easy-to-use products; tiny, dense storage devices; and wearable computers. "The next "next big thing," PC Magazine 15 (2) Jan. 23, 1996, 31. The relationship between organizational characteristics and information system structure : an international survey / Grover, V.; Segars, A. H. -- In: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INFORMATION MANAGEMENT, 16(1) Feb. 1996 p. 9-25 DATA MINING SOFTWARE. Tools for data mining -- "a new class of data access and analysis that gives companies unparalleled capabilities to extract hard-to-get-at data, spot trends, and recognise patterns in corporate databases" -- fall into four categories: 1) tools for ad hoc query and reporting, 2) tools for managed query environments, 3) tools for multidimensional analysis, and 4) data mining. Leading tools for each of these areas are described. "There's gold in databases," Information Week, Jan. 8, 1996, 52-54. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (IT) PURCHASING SURVEY. The key findings of Information Week's annual IT purchasing survey are as follow: 1) nearly 60% of CIOs plan to boost spending in '96, 2) half of CIOs say their central IS (information systems) group will spend 75% of corporatewide IT funds, 3) Web and online services are used or planned for by nearly 75% of companies, and 4) client-server is used or planned for by 100% of companies. In sum, spending will grow, recentralizing of IS management will continue, equipment purchases will shrink, networking will rule, and hot technologies will get hotter. "The money machine," Information Week, Jan. 8, 1996, 28-35. Start fixing year 2000 problems now!. [Applications that depend on dates, and you'd be surprised at the many ways they do, are already beginning to fall. This is one project you can't put off.] / Celko, Joe -- In: DATAMATION, 42(1) Jan. 1st, 1996 p. 36-38 Tool up for 2000. [As the next millenium looms closer, vendors are releasing many types of analysis and conversion tools to help companies keep their large software programs working properly.] / Baum, David -- In: DATAMATION, 42(1) Jan. 1st, 1996 p. 49-50 Information extraction. [This breakthrough method for sorting through reams of text, linking relevant information while ignoring the irrelevant, has stimulated research into natural language processing and promises practical text-analysis applications.] / Cowie, Jim ; Lehnert, Wendy -- In: COMMUNICATIONS OF THE ACM, 39(1) Jan. 1996 p. 80-91 Breaking the Unix barrier. [Windows NT web servers are giving many businesses an attractive alternative for launching their own sites.] / Angell, David -- In: INTERNET WORLD, 7 (2) Feb. 1996 p. 28-30 Editor's Note: Flash Information is a bibliographic electronic newsletter for the computing community. Subscription is free. Contact flash@citi.doc.ca for more information. These abstracts are extracted from the 4-8 Dec, 1`995, 2-5 Jan, 8-12 Jan, and 15-19 Jan, issues. \EOA * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ANNOUNCEMENT - Singapore IT Casebook * * Soon Ang, Nanyang Technological Univ * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * The first Singapore IT casebook, "Exploiting IT for Business Competitiveness: Cases and Insights from Singapore-based Organizations," (1996) is available from Addison-Wesley Publishing Ltd as part of the Singapore Business Development Series. Edited by Boon Siong Neo (Nanyang Business School, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore), the book offers a rich set of case studies on how organizations exploited IT to enhance their business competitiveness. The cases in this book come from a cross-section of government (IT2000, TradeNet, Port of Singapore Authority, Housing and Development Board), MNCs (DHL, Citibank, Seagate) and Singapore local organizations (Creative Technology, DBS Bank, ABACUS, Xpress, YCH Logistics). For more information about the book or specific cases in the book, please send an e-mail message with a mailing address to: Dr Soon Ang Working Paper Series Information Management Research Center (IMARC) Nanyang Business School Nanyang Technological University Nanyang Avenue 639798 Singapore E-mail: asang@ntuvax.ntu.ac \EOA * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE - Turnover in IT Industry * * Dalip S. Mahal * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * IT turnover has been high compared to other professions since the inception of the industry and many people take this phenomena as being endemic to the industry. Ultimately, the value of an IT department rests with its personnel, therefore determining the factors causing turnover would be a first step to determining how to prevent it. Companies are now talking about how important IT is, and that it needs to be better integrated with the firm's business. Some companies are in the midst of business process re-engineering (BPR) chasing the holy grail of improved bottom line results. How does an IT professional acquire business experience in a domain if they are changing jobs every two to four years? IT professionals like Ed Yourdon have consistently identified lack of good management practices as being one of the biggest causes of IT turnover, and they go on to suggest proactive IT practices to solve the problem. After a decade of advise there are some changes in the way upper management treats the IT department, but not many. My feeling is that upper management is not yet convinced that there are factors under their control which lead to IT turnover. Since proactive plans have not had much of an effect, I am trying to determine a link between management controlled factors and IT turnover. To determine these factors I need IT practitioners to take 20-25 minutes to fill out a survey and return it to me. The results of the survey will be gathered and broadcast by March 15 as widely as possible on the internet. If you are interested in filling out the survey, please send e-mail to morgoth@CAM.ORG and I will e-mail you a copy of the survey. About 100 surveys will be needed to received before February 15 to generate meaningful results; any suggestions on news groups or other internet forums which could help me get the required number would be appreciated (have about 40 currently). Thank you. \EOA * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * CALL FOR PAPERS - Future of Information Systems * * G Dhillon, * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * United Kingdom Academy For Information Systems First Annual Conference: The Future of Information Systems 10-12 April 1996 Cranfield University Cranfield, Bedford UK Structure of the Conference: The detailed timetable for the Conference is still to be finalised, but the structure has been agreed by the Board of the Academy to be based on three themes -- teaching, research, practice -- one on each day of the conference. Papers are invited for each of the days under the following headings: --Workshops based on submitted working papers in 3 streams: undergraduate, postgraduate, practitioners and managers. --Refereed papers - concerning research addressing the interdisciplinary nature of the subject. --Workshops - based on submitted working/concept papers addressing subtopics within the definition of the subject as defined by the Academy. --Key issue workshops - brief viewpoint/concept papers from industry/academia to initiate discussion by a panel and delegates. Submission details/deadlines: Working papers, research papers, and working/concept papers are due by 9th February 1996. Notification of acceptance by 29th February 1996 (except research papers, by 16th February 1996). Final versions of all contributions are required by 22nd March 1996. Other details about papers (formatting, length, author bibliographical information, electronic submissions) should be requested from a.britnell@cranfield.ac.uk. Conference contact for authors/submission of papers: Professor John Ward UKAIS Conference Cranfield School of Management Cranfield, Bedford MK43 0AL Voice: 01234 754417 Fax: 01234 751806 E-mail: a.britnell@cranfield.ac.uk Queries from authors/interest in conference attendance: Alex Britnell UKAIS Conference Cranfield School of Management Cranfield, Bedford MK43 0AL Voice: 01234 754477 Fax: 01234 751806 E-mail: a.britnell@cranfield.ac.uk \EOA * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * CALL FOR PAPERS - Modeling Methods in Systems Analysis and Design * * Keng Siau, Univ of British Columbia * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Workshop on Evaluation of Modeling Methods in Systems Analysis and Design May 20-21, 1996 Crete, Greece Numerous modeling methods are used in systems analysis. New paradigms (most notably the object-oriented approach) and new models within a paradigm (there are at least a dozen different OO modeling methods) are constantly being introduced. Clearly, not all methods are suitable in all contexts. Systematic evaluation is needed to understand the strengths and weaknesses of each modeling method and the appropriate contexts and tasks where it can be most suitably applied. This understanding is important for the use of existing methods and for the development of new methods. Three categories of evaluation techniques can be identified: purely theoretical (eg, the use of ontological or linguistic framework), purely empirical (eg, experimental comparison of methods), and a hybrid (ie, theoretical approach with empirical evidence). Although the need for such studies is well-recognized, there is a paucity of research in the area. Evaluation of modeling methods remains a challenge in information systems engineering. There is a need for innovative, effective, and efficient techniques for such evaluation. The objective of this workshop is to provide a forum for researchers and practitioners interested in systems analysis and design modeling methods to meet, present their research results and experience reports, and exchange ideas on the subject. Relevant topics for this workshop include theoretical and/or empirical methods to study and evaluate modeling methods used in (not exhaustive): --Information systems analysis --Business process redesign --Object-oriented analysis --Requirement engineering --Enterprise modeling --Data/database modeling Work on theoretical foundations, research methods, case studies and experience reports related to modeling are of particular interest to this workshop. Important dates: --February 10, 1996: Send an e-mail message to indicate interest, preferably with an abstract of up to 150 words (optional) --March 1, 1996: Complete paper to be received (see instructions below) --April 1, 1996: Notification of acceptance Submission Guidelines: Four copies of manuscript should be submitted to: Keng Siau Faculty of Commerce and Business Administration The University of British Columbia 2053 Main Mall, Vancouver B.C. Canada V6T 1Z2 E-mail: klsiau@unixg.ubc.ca The author(s) may submit an abstract of up to 150 words (using e-mail) to the co-chairperson (klsiau@unixg.ubc.ca) for comments and suggestions. All submissions should be double-spaced and use Times 12pt or equivalent fonts. Papers are limited to 2,500 words (excluding abstract, tables, figures and references). A separate cover sheet should be enclosed giving the title of the paper, the name(s) of the author(s) and their affiliation(s), and the address (including e-mail address and fax number) to which correspondence should be sent. The number of words should be indicated on this page. The paper should also include an abstract of no more than 150 words. The papers will be evaluated based on (i) relevance to the workshop's theme; (ii) theoretical and methodological soundness; (iii) contribution to the field; and (iv) quality of writing. General Information The workshop is part of the program for the 8th International Conference on Advanced Information Systems Engineering (CAiSE'96, May 20-24, 1996). Information about the CAiSE conference is available at: http://www.ics.forth.gr/caise96 \EOA * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT - Professor and Dean, Faculty of Commerce * * Derek Smith, University of Cape Town * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Applications are invited for the post of Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Commerce which becomes vacant on the retirement of Professor Leon Kritzinger. The successful candidate will be required to take up office on 1 July 1996 or as soon as possible thereafter. As the Dean, you will provide academic and administrative leadership for the Faculty of Commerce. Candidates will be expected to show leadership, drive and initiative; be flexible, adaptable and able to manage people and change. Experience in management in an academic or business environment would be an advantage. The remuneration package includes attractive staff benefits such as a 13th cheque, a generous contribution to medical aid costs, non- contributory retirement funding, a car scheme and a housing subsidy in certain circumstances. Details are available on request. For further information, please contact Staff Recruitment Officer Voice: (021) 650-2192 Fax: (021) 650-2138 E-mail: perslw@bremner.uct.ac.za. To apply, please send your curriculum vitae together with the names, addresses, telephone, fax and e-mail numbers of three contactable referees to Staff Recruitment Office Human Resource Management Department University of Cape Town Rondebosch, 7700, South Africa by 15 March 1996. The University of Cape Town is committed to policies of equal opportunity and affirmative action which are essential to its mission of promoting critical inquiry and scholarship. \EOA * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT - Lecturer, Social and Decision Sciences * * Douglas Wholey, Carnegie Mellon Univ * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Lecturer in Information Systems Department of Social and Decision Sciences Carnegie Mellon University The Department of Social and Decision Sciences seeks to fill a lecturer position in a highly successful undergraduate major in Information and Decision Systems. The candidate should be able to teach courses such as structured analysis and design and introduction to human-computer interaction, should be willing to teach team-based project courses, and should be willing to serve as an advisor to information systems students. This is primarily a teaching and advising position. Candidates with demonstrated ability in teaching or demonstrated ability in corporate training programs will be preferred. Research interests in organizations, decision making, decision support systems, interface design, human-computer interaction, or computer-supported cooperative work would be a plus. The Department of Social and Decision Sciences is an interdisciplinary department combining psychology, economics, sociology, and political science. Candidates will be considered who have completed a PhD degree in any of these fields, or in related fields such as information systems or organization science. Review of applications will begin on January 1. The closing date for applications is February 29. Candidates initially should send a letter describing their interest in the position, a curriculum vita, transcripts (if a recent PhD), teaching evaluations, a brief writing sample, and three recommendations. Please send applications to Sara Kiesler, Chair Information Systems Committee Department of Social and Decision Sciences Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA 15213 \EOA * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT - Chairperson, Information Systems * * Timothy Finin, University of Maryland-BC * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Chairperson Department of Information Systems University of Maryland Baltimore County Baltimore MD 21228 The Department of Information Systems invites applications for the position of Chair. The successful candidate will be an experienced academic leader and researcher with scholarly accomplishments that qualify for the rank of full professor. The new chair will play a leadership role in filling several tenure track positions in the planned expansion of this highly interdisciplinary research and academic department. Information Systems, which offers BA, BS, BS/MS, MS, and PhD degrees, is one of the key departments in the School of Arts and Sciences. Its undergraduate programs are the largest on campus with over 700 majors. In addition, there are about 100 MS students and 40 doctoral students. The Department's faculty and programs have a broad view of Information Systems. Research and teaching interests currently include decision support system, intelligent tutoring systems, human-computer interaction, human factors, artificial intelligence, hypertext and multimedia environments, neural networks, information systems and software design, modeling and simulation of information systems, telecommunication and networks, management information systems, health informatics, and legal informatics. The department has excellent research and teaching facilities that include Sun SparcStations, NEXT machines, high-end Mac's , PC's and an assortment of scanners, printers, and graphic plotters. In addition, the department has access to the University's VAX cluster of UNIX and VMS machines, SGI cluster of Indigos, the University's Imaging Research Center and to the Supercomputer Consortium. UMBC's web page is and the Department's is . Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience. Starting date is flexible. Screening of Applicants will begin on February 1, 1996, and continue until the position is filled. Applicants are invited to send a complete curriculum vitae with a statement of interest and name and addresses of 4 to 6 references. Nominations and applications should be sent to: Dr. Y. J. (Ray) Chen Chair, Search Committee Department of Information Systems University of Maryland Baltimore County Baltimore, MD 21228-5398. \EOA * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ABOUT INFOSYS * * INFOSYS is an electronic newsletter for faculty, students, and * * practitioners in the field of Information Systems. INFOSYS * * publishes news items, requests for assistance, calls for papers * * announcements of professional meetings and conferences, position * * announcements, journal table of contents, and other items of * * interest to the Information Systems community. * * * * INFOSYS is published biweekly, more frequently if volume requires * * it. INFOSYS operates as an electronic mailing list on listserv * * software at American University in Washington, DC. The editor is * * Dennis W. Viehland . * * * * INFOSYS is sponsored by boyd & fraser, publishers of educational * * materials for computer and information education. Contact Bill * * Lisowski or visit http://www.bf.com/bf.html * * or gopher.bf.com for more information about boyd & fraser. * * * * To subscribe to INFOSYS send the following one-line e-mail * * message to listserv@american.edu: subscribe infosys yourfirstname * * yourlastname (e.g., subscribe infosys John Smith). You will * * receive a welcome letter that will tell you more about INFOSYS * * and listserv. To cancel your subscription send the following * * message to listserv@american.edu: unsubscribe infosys * * * * Guidelines for submitting articles to INFOSYS are published in * * the Welcome message each new subscriber receives (or e-mail "get * * infosys welcome" to listserv@american.edu). Send articles to * * infosys@american.edu or d.viehland@massey.ac.nz. * * * * The INFOSYS Calendar of Upcoming Events is updated fortnightly * * and can be obtained in the following ways: * * --E-mail: send the following one-line message to * * listserv@american.edu: get infosys calendar * * --FTP: anonymous FTP to ftp.american.edu; file is pub/infosys/ * * infosys.calendar * * --Gopher: gopher to listserv.american.edu; choose INFOSYS * * --WWW: forthcoming * * * * INFOSYS Back Issues are archived by Robert McArthur at: * * AUSTRALIA: http://www.fit.qut.edu.au/~mcarthur/infosys/ * * by Eric Morgan (N Carolina State Univ) at: * * USA: ftp://ftp.lib.ncsu.edu/stacks/serials/infosys/ * * USA: wais://wais.lib.ncsu.edu/infosys * * USA: http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/stacks/infosys-index.html * * by Brian Fitzgerald (University College Cork) at: * * EUROPE: http://www.ucc.ie/htbin/infosys * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *