Model for Trans-sector Digital Interoperability

Abstract

Interoperability refers to the ability of two or more systems or components to exchange information and to use the information that has been exchanged. The importance of interoperability has grown together with the adoption of Digital Information Networks (DINs). DINs refer to information networks supported by telecommunication infrastructures and terminated by microprocessors. With an upcoming interest in services science and trans-sector business models, a stronger driver arises to further break the interoperability barriers across sectors. In this paper, we propose a novel model to address trans-sector digital interoperability, which by definition involves interoperability across different economic sectors connected by DINs. Particularly, we specify how a well known interoperability framework, the ATHENA framework, should be adapted for the economic sector plane. Based on data from the Eurostat survey on ICT usage and e-Commerce in enterprises and using a trans-sector scenario example, we illustrate how conclusions about trans-sector interoperability can be extracted and technological implications can be derived.

Value of digital information networks: a holonic framework

“…We demonstrated that our framework has a much wider application range than the DUT and MIT frameworks. For example: 1) to make the development of information networksupported services more systematic [112]; 2) to investigate levels of economic cross-sectoral IT infrastructure interoperability [111]; and 3) to be used by Eurostat to redesign their surveys in a more conceptually valid way.…”

“…An important implication results from focusing in the intermediate processes without specifying the end-to-end observables: a variety of other applications becomes obvious. In parallel with value assessment, we are investigating two other applications for our framework: service design [112] and infrastructure interoperability [111]. But even within value assessment, the evolutionary holonic approach brings a significant difference to the concept of value than the one understood by the MIT and the DUT frameworks.…”