|
The
Big Picture: Technology
The
maturing of client-server computing environments, including
powerful data communications, is the basic enabler for
our LossPREVENTION and GlobalAUTHORIZATION solutions.
PC clients can now function as intelligent, user-friendly,
graphical front-ends to comprehensive, enterprise-level
solutions. The back-end components of these solutions
run on powerful servers, uni- or multiprocessor machines,
which can handle complex, concurrent queries and large
amounts of data efficiently. These servers are sometimes
optimized for use by a relational database, which is
currently the preferred way for organizing the data
that the solutions then use in support of various business
functions.
While
many of the functions possible in this open-systems,
client-server environment were possible or individually
available before on mainframe or minicomputer systems,
the new platforms bring a number of key advantages:
•
Cost-per-transaction is dramatically less.
•
Instead of being character-based and cryptic, the
user interface is graphical and friendly, hence accessible
by non-technical users; the user interface adheres
to the industry standard look-and-feel, so users are
already familiar with its basic operation from their
experience with other, similar acting applications.
•
The new platforms use standard, low-cost microprocessor
technology - the best components from multiple vendors
can be easily mixed and matched.
•
These systems can be easily scaled up by adding more
standard subsystems of the required kind.
•
These systems use standard systems technology, from
the operating system, to networking, to network and
system management, to peripherals - these standard
components are more reliable and less expensive to
acquire and maintain than specialized tools.
•
Open systems are easier and less expensive to maintain
because their production is oriented towards “shrink-wrapping”
and because technical know-how for these systems is
more widely available than for proprietary, legacy
platforms.
•
Due to the large volume (and associated revenue) of
world-wide open systems shipments, the current and
future R&D investment will be greatest in these
products, leading to even more advanced, leading-edge
platforms and solutions.
Next:
The Big Picture; Open Systems
|
