Informationsinfrastrukturen im Wandel. Changing ... - DINI

212 Andreas Degkwitz, Peter Schirmbacher
transitional solutions if they succeed in providing services within the
framework of the central information structure. The situation is very different
with interdisciplinary and subject-related applications. A very important
area for development will certainly lie in the technical support of workflow-based
processes. At present, such support is primarily available for
application environments, which are still very heterogeneous. As far as a
SOA structure is concerned, the continued use of WEB standards and XML
interfaces will play a key role in the integration of the technical systems.
4. General remarks on the current state of affairs
In principle, it can be stated that all the measures and projects executed
in the area of integrated forms of information management focus on optimising
central service portfolios. At the same time, all the most recent examples
suggest that cost efficiency is the basic motivating force. Differences
may be identified in the main lines of approach and, above all, in the
varying local circumstances that largely determine the desired processes of
change. There is, however, no such thing as an initial scenario in which one
can start “from the beginning”, as it were. In other words, all development
projects originate in structures that have existed for many years, are frequently
encrusted, and (with their existing staff, or at least with their stagnating
physical resources) need to be transformed or shaken up.
The differences in approach – which have one basically similar goal
(improving the service) – may be characterised as follows: they either focus
on advancing technical developments (extending and optimising technical
infrastructures) or on organisational developments, which may be related to
both the structures of the information infrastructure and its structural areas
as well as on the university‟s structural areas (the departments, administration,
centres, etc.) On closer examination, however, it is evident that the
focal points of the two approaches are reciprocally related to one another
and rooted in a distinct value-added context allowing them to achieve the
prime goal of significantly improving central services. Further technological
developments and the resulting services necessitate new forms of work
and organisation which are, in turn, the prerequisites for achieving the
technical and services-related development objectives. Efficient manage-