Models and Methods for Discovering Automatable Activity Segments in a Service-Oriented Environment

Abstract

Although computers were invented in 1945, barely fifty years ago, their enormous value and impact on society has relegated much of computing discipline, fortunately or unfortunately, into a commodity status already. Not only are semiconductor-based computers inherently fast, the unique use of bootstrapping to use computers to design even faster computers has brought us to the precipitous edge of unprecedented computing performance and exceptionally powerful systems. As unintended consequences, while the pedagogical theories of computing have failed to keep pace with the rapid technological advances, of immense importance, a systematic approach to achieving reliable systems design despite complexity compounding on virtually daily basis, is sorely lacking. As a result, systems design is spinning out of control and urgently warrants a new approach to rein it in so that they may serve humanity in a safe and reliable manner. A quick analysis of the evolution of IBM Corporation is highly revealing of the challenges faced by the industry. IBM began its journey as a giant in computer hardware design including the legendary IBM 7044 and then quickly turned into a turn-key systems company with its proprietary operating system in the 1970s. By the late 1970s, the dawn of the VLSI age relegated computer hardware to the level of a commodity and IBM's desire to maintain a high profit margin forced it to turn to software as its core competency. The value of data and its manipulation became a dominant force in the marketplace and IBM emerged as a specialist in database-oriented products. Stiff competition from Oracle and other database vendors, and with the introduction of Microsoft's Access have steadily eroded IBM's cutting edge to the point where IBM is presently being forced to evolve into an entirely new company and a major player in the service industry