Enterprise Information Infrastructure (EII)

Abstract

The American business in the Information Wave in the 21st century increasingly relies on computer and information networks for the conduct of vital operations. The computerized telecommunications networks, customer interfaces, services, applications, and related technologies create the Enterprise Information Infrastructure (EII). The industry which supports the development of EII and other information infrastructures (NII – National Information Infrastructure, GII – Global Information Infrastructure, and Local Information Infrastructure) is valued domestically at about $1 trillion in 2000. Not surprisingly, with this kind of money at stake, the emerging technologies that will define information infrastructures in the future have become the subject of much discussion and many grand schemes. But suppliers are not the only ones anticipating benefits from the new information infrastructure. Business users also hope to increase their productivity and quality of life through the application of technologies and services in a wide variety of contexts. But despite all the great expectations of industry insiders and technology users, the general business practitioners remain largely unaware of exactly what is taking place because the majority of these services are invisible to the naked eye.