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Building Linkage Programs

Building the linkage programs to tie the Web and enterprise systems into a coherent system involves two similar approaches: augmenting HTML programs and augmenting enterprise programs.

Augmenting HTML Programs. The augmented HTML programs include a data-access subprogram. In addition to the data-access function, many augmented programs may include programs to facilitate interactive input and to merge the enterprise data into pages for presentation. These subprograms may contain SQL statements or procedure codes, called scripts. Examples of these tools or products include DECOUX, SWOOP, OpenUI and OpenWeb, WebDBC, and Open Horizon’s Connection for Java.

DECOUX supports an augmented form of HTML that includes embedded SQL statements. SWOOP supports the generation and maintenance of Web systems that store information in an ORACLE relational database. The development tools OpenUI and OpenWeb, WebDBC, and Open Horizon’s Connection for Java are based on the function-call models that let developers integrate prebuilt, vendor-driven key components together using C++ or other nonprogramming tools. These tools are now being investigated for applications such as hotel reservation, payroll, and human resource.

Augmenting Enterprise Programs with Embedded HTML Statements.

Advanced features of HTML, such as forms, are embedded into enterprise programs and are used to capture input transaction data from Web clients. The input data are then fed into enterprise programs for processing. For example, Visual Object COBOL 1.0 by Micro Focus uses CGI to link HTML forms to COBOL programs and therefore let COBOL programs take input from HTML forms.

Besides using the above tools, Java, Sun’s object-based open-system language, can be used to create the linkage programs to tie key components together. Furthermore, Java is said to be able to create Web-enabling interactive applications from scratch.

CHALLENGES AND STRATEGY ISSUES

As commercial Web sites and users continue to grow at an incredible rate, corporations are faced with an opportunity: Incorporating Web technology into enterprisewide applications to improve their competitiveness in the global market. The following is a list of questions and suggested solutions that address this opportunity:

  How do corporations attract potential customers via the Internet and the Web? They can build a presence on the Web, and then expand and enhance their Web pages.
  How do corporations make enterprise data accessible via the Web to enhance service effectiveness for both employees and customers? They can move enterprise data into a HTML format, use Web technology to connect legacy data, build search and index mechanisms to enterprise data, or develop intranet applications.
  How do corporations deal with the barriers slowing down the implementation of enterprisewide systems, such as multiplatforms, security, bandwidth, and multiple development tools? Organizations can plan both external Web and internal Web as an ideal solution for multi-platforms or make intranets a solution for addressing the internal communication concerns. They can also install security tools or firewalls to prevent unauthorized users from reaching vital legacy data or applications and implement systems to track appropriate technologies, such as Web development tools, Web servers, and security tools.
  What strategies will corporations need to develop to remain competitive? They can recognize the Web as one part of IS solution, integrate traditional systems and Web-based systems. Managers can support a new intranet development environment. Organizations can prepare for electronic commerce and provide staffing and training for Web technology.

Regardless of Web technology’s effectiveness for certain tasks, the rapid growth of the Web and its impact in the global market should not be viewed lightly. Facing these challenges and thus effectively deploying the Web to empower users requires planning. The following sections expand on the previous suggestions, for better planning.

BUILDING A PRESENCE ON THE WEB

Corporations should position themselves on the Internet’s Web by building home pages without any delay. As competitors’ presences on the Web increase, one way to guarantee the failure of the above challenges is to adopt a “wait on it” approach.

EXPANDING AND ENHANCING THE PAGES

Simply migrating paper-based product catalogs to the pages and recording CEO’s welcome messages is insufficient to attract potential customers to visit the organization’s Web sites repeatedly. Corporations need to think new ways to both enhance and expand the pages. These may include:

  Making key enterprise data accessible via Web browsers Enterprise data always serves as a foundation from which information can be derived. Both predesigned and ad hoc queries on key enterprise data must be considered to reflect friendliness and flexibility.
  Providing additional services and facilities from the pages Examples of these services include customer and technical support, downloading reports, forms, policies and procedures, or software products; on-line documentation. Examples of facilities may include a registration form to collect users’ information and interests, a special form to allow the users comment on products, and a platform to facilitate interactive communications.

PLAN INTRANET APPLICATIONS

How the Web is used within a corporation must be planned. Although many applications may be developed based on Web technology, those that involve communication, information sharing, and information distribution should be planned and built first.

PREPARE FOR ELECTRONIC COMMERCE

As Web technologies continue to mature, the solutions designed to prevent security breaches, stateless transactions, and performance concerns will be gradually available. Thus, corporations must prepare for electronic commerce by making enterprisewide applications — including mission-critical applications — Web-capable. This may include building Web-capable applications from scratch, linking the enterprise data to the Web, and building the linkages between existing enterprise applications and the Web.

Corporations should identify and plan the projects for electronic commerce. Information reporting or inquiry projects may be built first, because linking SQL databases to the Web will be easier to do. Designing special searching mechanisms on enterprise data will also be necessary for fast inquiry response.

Building the linkages between existing enterprise applications and the Web can be performed next. The proven tools and techniques necessary for building such linkages should be evaluated and selected. Depending on the specific needs of the individual corporations, applications to be linked are ranked.

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Both developers and users must accept proper training for the emerging Web technology. Overall, developers and users should understand how the Internet and the Web can be accessed, used to gather information, and implemented to create business opportunities. The users who are responsible for publishing must learn HTML tools to create pages. Developers must learn the development tools to reengineer applications on the Web. Developers mastering the tools, including such programming languages as C++ and Java, will be essential for successful Web-enabled transformation.

CONCLUSION

Web capabilities are extensive and growing more complex and sophisticated at a rapid rate. To keep abreast of such changes, systems developers must consider such factors as security, transfer protocols and languages, and development tools and environments. All capabilities must be evaluated in context of the enterprise — its goals as well as its propensity for risk-taking. Only with a careful weighing of the advantages and disadvantages can an organization move into the technology of the World Wide Web.


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