Concept-Oriented Research and Development in Information Technology E-Book

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Wissenschaft und neue Technologien
• Serie: Wiley Series in Systems Engineering and Management
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 356

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2014

Beschreibung

A pioneering, concept-oriented research and development approach improves business results in technology-driven industries With contributions from IT, systems, and operations experts from around the globe, this book sets forth a tested and proven, concept-oriented R&D approach that far surpasses the results of conventional R&D. The authors explain how to create a clear concept, then build upon that concept by developing a chain of technologies and target markets in order to create, sustain, and grow successful business operations. Real-world examples and case studies from IBM and Hitachi illustrate how the concept-oriented approach can be applied to IT and other technology-driven industries anywhere in the world. Concept-Oriented Research and Development in Information Technology sheds new light on the complex relationships between concept, technology and market, explaining how all of these elements are enhanced with a concept-oriented R&D approach. Throughout the book, readers will learn a variety of innovative perspectives and methods for concept creation, technology innovation, and market cultivation. * Part I, Introduction, makes the case for a paradigm shift in R&D from a conventional approach to a concept-oriented one. * Part II, Concept Creation, liffers four perspectives on the application of the concept-oriented approach. * Part III, Fusion of Technologies, illustrates the need to fuse technologies to accommodate rapidly changing and unpredictable demands on business infrastructure. * Part IV, Glocalization of Technologies, explains why businesses need to diversify globally, yet remain in tune with local markets. * Part V, Conclusions and Future Directions, explores the potential of the concept-oriented approach to evolve with the changing needs of business and R&D. Concept-Oriented Research and Development in Information Technology helps students and professionals in IT, engineering, systems, and operations approach R&D in new ways that lead to better technologies and better businesses.

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

Wiley Series in Systems Engineering and Management

Title page

Copyright page

Foreword

Preface

Contributors

Part I: Introduction

1: Introduction

1.1 Factors of Research and Development (R&D) Approaches

1.2 R&D Approaches

1.3 Autonomous Decentralized System (ADS) Concept and its R&D

Part II: Concept Creation

Summary

2: Challenges in Technology Education and System Development in Software Ecosystem Environment

2.1 Introduction

2.2 Importance of Education

2.3 Needs Engineering

2.4 Software Ecosystem

2.5 Summary and Conclusions

Acknowledgments

3: Concept-Oriented Research and Development from Social and Cultural Perspectives

3.1 Introduction

3.2 R&D and Engineering Education

3.3 R&D and Systems Approach

3.4 R&D and Social Demand

3.5 Autonomous Decentralized System (ADS) Requirements

3.6 Concept Creation and Innovation

3.7 Conclusions

4: Roads to Smarter Cities

4.1 Introduction

4.2 IBM's Strategy

4.3 Use of Platform in the Deployment Phase

4.4 Smarter Cities

4.5 The Future

4.6 Conclusions

5: Advancing Knowledge and Evolving Society

5.1 Introduction

5.2 Research and Innovation

5.3 Innovation and Technology Transfer

5.4 The CEFRIEL Experience

5.5 Conclusions

Part III: Fusion of Technologies

6: Fusion of Technologies

6.1 Introduction

6.2 Hardware–Software Fusion

6.3 Computing and Communication

6.4 Virtual and Physical Reality

6.5 Service-Oriented Architecture

6.6 Mashup

6.7 Cloud Computing

6.8 Concept-Oriented System Development

6.9 Conclusion

7: Fusion of Computer and Communication

7.1 Introduction

7.2 Historical Perspective

7.3 System of Systems

7.4 Problem Solving

7.5 Role of Trust

7.6 Example: ATM Application

7.7 Conclusions

8: Future of Railway Signaling and Train Control

8.1 Introduction

8.2 History of Developments in the Train Control Industry

8.3 The Current Status of Communication-Based Train Control (CBTC)

8.4 Future Trends in Train Control Technology

8.5 Conclusion

9: Fusion of Control Systems, Computers, and the Real World

9.1 Introduction

9.2 Reseach and Development in The “Chaos Era”

9.3 Birth and Development of the Computer Control System

9.4 New ICT System

9.5 Conclusion and Proposed Future Expansion

Acknowledgments

10: Fusion of Computer, Communication, and Control Technologies: Needs and Strategies

10.1 Introduction

10.2 Dynamic Systems and Control

10.3 Computers in Control Systems

10.4 Networked Control Systems

10.5 Communications in Robotics

10.6 Vehicle Applications

10.7 Cyberphysical Systems

10.8 National Science Foundation

10.9 Conclusions

Part IV: Glocalization

11: Glocalization of the Market

11.1 Introduction

11.2 The Term Glocalization

11.3 Concept Creation

11.4 Fusion of Technologies

11.5 Market Glocalization

11.6 Conclusion

12: Thinking Globally, Acting Locally and Thinking Locally, Acting Globally

12.1 Introduction

12.2 Transformation Framework

12.3 Value-Based Culture

12.4 Collaborative Innovation

12.5 A Smarter Planet: Collaboration and the Future of Work

12.6 Conclusion

13: Glocalization: Market Cultivation and the Future of Standards

13.1 Introduction

13.2 Innovation

13.3 Standards

13.4 Market Ecosystem

13.5 Approaches to Developing Standards

13.6 Globalization

13.7 Glocalization

13.8 Successful Standards

13.9 Future of Standards

13.10 Smart Energy Grids

13.11 Conclusion

14: Smart Urban Infrastructure as an Enabler of the Integration of Resident-Oriented Services

14.1 Introduction

14.2 New Trends in Urban Development

14.3 Authors' Concept of Smart Cities

14.4 “Glocal” Deployment of Smart Cities

Acknowledgments

15: Summary of Market Glocalization

15.1 Introduction

15.2 Organization

15.3 Standardization

15.4 Diversification

15.5 Smart Grid

15.6 Conclusion

Part V: Conclusion

16: Conclusions and Future Directions

Index

Copyright © 2014 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey

Published simultaneously in Canada

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:

Concept-oriented research and development in information technology / edited by Kinji Mori.

pages cm

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-118-47891-2 (cloth)

1. Information technology–Research. I. Mori, Kinji, 1947–

T58.5.C6625 2013

004.072–dc23

2013015037

Foreword

In the early 1970s, information technology (IT) was applied in the support or management of various operations in public utilities, including the generation and distribution of electricity, transportation, telecommunications, manufacturing, broadcasting, and other areas of social infrastructure. As IT applications began to extend into many aspects of life and society, helping to automate routine daily functions, there was a widespread belief that IT could help solve the inherent problems in social infrastructure. However, the increasing complexity of IT systems has created problems such as inflexibility for system changes, limitations in expandability of functions, and bottlenecks in availability of IT procedures. Some of these problems were resolved through the development and application of improved systems engineering and software methodologies and techniques. Nevertheless, the fundamental issue of system complexity could not be resolved. As IT applications expanded to accommodate online, real-time infrastructures, total system availability became a major issue. Systems had to be reliable, and even if some functions failed, the total system had to continue working. In the data processing systems of the time, however, it was neither simple nor easy to keep a total system working all the time even after a partial failure. This proved to be an additional system issue.

In 1977, Professor Kinji Mori, the editor and one of the authors of this book, proposed a new system concept for resolving such problems with information technology systems. Known as the autonomous decentralized system (ADS), the concept is based on the idea of interdisciplinary knowledge. During his research, he thought that a system should be composed of autonomous cells, with each having intelligent capability of executing functions, in order to simplify system function design and improve system availability. This concept was based on knowledge of the structure of a living organism, which is also composed of individual cells and organized as a total system. During the early stage of ADS development, Professor Kinji Mori, myself, and the other researchers and developers at Hitachi studied the application of conceptual system designs in various social infrastructures. During these projects, the research and development people needed to take a broad view of the system concept, taking into account not only the technology itself but also the human and social factors that can be found in business, economy, politics, history, and culture. After developing ADS, the authors concluded that ADS itself constituted the essence of concept-oriented research and development.

In today's world, there are numerous projects for “smart” (technologically advanced) cities and smart communities that have IT services that use social databases and planning tools built into their infrastructure plans. When designing IT systems for such smart cities, engineers often experience the same difficulties as those that arose as in the early stages of information technology application. Furthermore, the infrastructures of present-day smart cities are larger, more complicated, and built more quickly than were previous infrastructures. In this respect, researchers, designers, and engineers also need to take a concept-oriented approach. In recent years, our company, Hitachi, has focused on its social innovation businesses, which enables us to provide a wide variety of infrastructural equipment and systems based on information technology. In the planning phase of a project, we try to clarify the design for our clients. We believe that concept-oriented research and development is key to the future success of IT.

Professor Mori is an old friend of mine, with whom I have worked closely for many years. In my early days at Hitachi, I was a computer system designer, responsible for industrial applications of the company, including electricity generation, railways, water supply, and various manufacturing industries. I have met the contributors of this book and have had fruitful discussions with most of them. I really enjoyed my years as a system designer, especially the occasions when we developed systems based on concept-oriented system design. Furthermore, I firmly believe that this concept-oriented approach is key to solving many of the complicated and unpredictable aspects of today's world, not only of technology but also of society itself. I hope that the readers of this book will enjoy reading about the intensive achievements of the authors in many practical applications.

Hiroaki Nakanishi

Representative Executive Officer and President

Hitachi, Ltd.

Preface

The concept-oriented IT research and development (R&D) approach proposed in this book is based on current trends in society, the economy, technology, and the commercial market, which are the main drivers in shifting to a new R&D approach. The concept of R&D involved in creating a chain of technologies and markets is divided into technology and business concepts. The technology concept is a general abstract approach for characterizing a basis for technologies to be created toward cultivating markets. The business concept is a general abstract approach for characterizing a basis for markets to be cultivated toward developing technologies. The two concepts are applied together to successively evolve technologies and markets in the R&D process. In unpredictably changing situations, these concepts should be applied consistently, to avoid changing the basic direction of R&D. The approach consisting in the application of either of these two concepts to create a chain of technologies and markets is defined as concept-oriented R&D. Without these concepts, technologies and markets are inconsistently dispersed. The objective of this concept-oriented approach is to achieve a new value of sustainability by creating a chain of technologies and markets in recent unpredictably fluctuating socioeconomic conditions or trends. Information technologies are used to generate products and services to be put on the market. Through operation in utilizing products and services, new needs and problems in markets have arisen that lead to the creation of new technologies and markets.

In this book, a new, unconventional concept-oriented R&D approach has been shown to be effective in real-world conditions. Viewpoints on how to achieve concept creation, technological innovation, and market cultivation are discussed. The primary emphasis is on creating a chain of technologies and markets on the basis of a consistent concept for achieving a sustainable society and economy through R&D, with a focus on the field of information technology (IT).

Current R&D approaches are shifting from conventional technology-oriented and solution-oriented approaches to concept-oriented approaches to increase business sustainability by adapting to changing socioeconomic situations. In the late nineteenth century, at the beginning of the industrial revolution, individual consumers had few commodities in their daily lives and business activities, but most consumers expressed common needs for these commodities. Therefore, manufacturers played a key role in the market, and they formulated a technology-oriented R&D approach that enabled them to target both technology and market; as a result, the R&D technology directly contributed to the dominance of the market. In the 1990s, due to diversification of user needs, developing technologies to satisfy these different needs became the main factor in R&D. Finding and resolving problems to meet these needs became essential. Therefore, solution-oriented R&D became the main approach. However, now, in the twenty-first century, user needs, as well as those of society and the economy, have been not only diversifying but also changing rapidly and unpredictably. Thus, it is difficult for solution-oriented R&D to consistently satisfy market demands. If there is limited, narrow focus only on special needs and technologies, the markets for these technologies may eventually become unsustainable in the unpredictably changing real-world situations. Unlike the conventional approaches, a concept-oriented R&D is proposed to accommodate a chain of technologies and markets.

In Part I (Chapter 1), the reader is introduced to historic trends in R&D approaches with respect to both technological and socioeconomic aspects. The difference between conventional and concept-oriented R&D is also clarified. As an example of concept-oriented R&D, the autonomous decentralized system (ADS) is described not only regarding the concept, technologies, and applications but also regarding the background of the concept creation and the chain of technologies and markets.

In Part II, the creation of a concept as a key factor in achieving a chain of technologies and markets is discussed and clarified in terms of four aspects: (1) human education, (2) an interdisciplinary perspective, (3) business fields (commerce), and (4) correlation between aspects 1–3. (Aspect 4 can also be termed the chain of concept creation.) First, people should be educated regarding the philosophy and consistent application of concept creation, technological innovation, and market cultivation. Through education, people's viewpoints or knowledge can be broadened from one technical field to the interdisciplinary, social, and cultural fields. With this broadened view, business can be expanded from a component of a system to a whole system or a system of systems. Aspects 1–3 can drive the innovation chain or sequence of concept, technologies, and markets.

In Part III, the authors argue that technological innovation is possible by fusing technologies outside their conventional classifications to achieve sustainability. This fusion has been accelerated by IT. Computer and communication, communication and control, control and computer, and computer, communication, and control technologies have penetrated IT systems in various forms, such as the Internet, wireless communication links, broadcasting, infrared beacon systems, cellular radio, and local area networks. Computers have been an enabling tool for control facilities. Computer control is now a standard practice in implementation on any physical scale ranging from a single device to a large system. When decisionmaking functions are distributed in a control system, communication becomes essential.

In Part IV, the creation of global and local markets is discussed from three organizational perspectives: organization; intellectual property; and values for individuals, society, and the overall economy, such as convenience, safety, or efficiency. Customer needs have diversified globally while remaining specific to local markets of emerging as well as technologically advanced economies. For market cultivation, it is important to understand how companies apply their intellectual property through their organizations in society to create new values, such as sustainability. The coexistence of global and local markets proceeds through global organizations with local cooperation in R&D. Intellectual property is used through standardization in accordance with the characteristics of global and local customer needs and contributes to creation of multiple values by applying the technologies in global and local societies. The term glocalization is defined as a combination or synthesis of global and local markets, organizations, standards, and values.

In Part V (Chapter 16), the author argues that the concept-oriented R&D approach initially developed against the background of constantly changing socioeconomic situations. This approach has a clear target for creating a chain of technologies and markets by applying concept-based R&D.

This book provides guidelines for employing a concept-oriented R&D approach for researchers, engineers, and students to achieve sustainable R&D, and provides project managers with the tools to create a chain of technologies and markets in present and future socioeconomic situations.

Kinji Mori

Waseda University, Tokyo

Contributors

Yinong Chen, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA

Alfonso Fuggetta, CEFRIEL and Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy

Yasushi Fukunaga, Nidec Research and Development Center, Nidec Corporation, Tokyo, Japan

Colin Harrison, IBM Corporation, Armonk, New York, USA

Xun Jing, State Key Laboratory of Rail Traffic Control and Safety, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing, China

Michinaga Kohno, Hitachi, Ltd., Tokyo, Japan

Hermann Kopetz, Vienna University of Technology, Wien, Austria

Cathy Lasser, IBM, Southbury, Connecticut, USA

Xiaodong Lu, Electronic Navigation Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan

Kinji Mori, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan

Masaki Ogata, East Japan Railway Company, Tokyo, Japan

C. V. Ramamoorthy, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA

Katsuhiko Shirai, Waseda University and Open University of Japan, Tokyo, Japan

Richard Mark Soley, Object Management Group, Inc., Needham, Massachusetts, USA

Tang Tao, State Key Laboratory of Rail Traffic Control and Safety, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing, China

Masayoshi Tomizuka, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA

Yukio Toyoshima, Hitachi, Ltd., Tokyo, Japan

Part I

Introduction

1

Introduction

Kinji Mori

Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan

Society and the economy have changed rapidly and unpredictably over the past several decades, and technology is becoming increasingly reflective of general socioeconomic trends. Basic needs for daily life have been satisfied as technology has advanced, especially until the latter half of the twentieth century.

Historically, technologies have contributed to supporting personal life. On the other hand, as technologies and their applications have advanced rapidly and globally, their contributions to society have not been evaluated adequately.

Technological research and development (R&D) has to be dynamically directed to advance both society and the economy:

Society Environmental issues, such as climate change, earthquakes, and tsunamis, as well as rapid industrial advancement in emerging countries, have impacted society. Conventional technologies and their research activities have not been regarded as appropriate for such changing situations. Therefore, technological R&D must change to achieve sustainability as well as growth.