Future internet enterprise systems: A flexible architectural approach for innovation

Abstract

In recent years, the evolution of infrastructures and technologies carried out by emerging paradigms, such as Cloud Computing, Future Internet and SaaS (Software-as-a-Service), is leading the area of enterprise systems to a progressive, significant transformation process. This evolution is characterized by two aspects: a progressive commoditization of the traditional ES functions, with the 'usual' management and planning of resources, while the challenge is shifted toward the support to enterprise innovation. This process will be accelerated by the advent of FInES (Future Internet Enterprise System) research initiatives, where different scientific disciplines converge, together with empirical practices, engineering techniques and technological solutions. All together they aim at revisiting the development methods and architectures of the Future Enterprise Systems, according to the different articulations that Future Internet Systems (FIS) are assuming, to achieve the Future Internet Enterprise Systems (FInES). In particular, this paper foresees a progressive implementation of a rich, complex, articulated digital world that reflects the real business world, where computational elements, referred to as FInER (Future Internet Enterprise Resources), will directly act and evolve according to what exists in the real world. © 2011 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.