Concept-Oriented Research and Development in Information Technology

7

Fusion of Computer and Communication

Hermann Kopetz

Vienna University of Technology, Wien, Austria

Abstract

The fusion of computer and communication technology on one hand and the in-depth integration of information processing systems into the daily operation of highly developed economies and societies on the other hand lead to a fundamental paradigm shift in the design and operation of computer systems. We need a new system development methodology that supports change and is not focused on design toward a static, authoritative specification, or a outdated system design view. This chapter elaborates on this fundamental required paradigm shift in computer system design and operation. It starts with a brief retrospective view of the time when computation, storage, and communication were still separate activities and the interface between a static computer system and the outside world was relegated to humans. In Section 7.3 the system-of-systems concept is explained as a possible answer to the posed problem of design for change. The chapter concludes with a demonstration of this concept in the well-known example of an ATM application.

7.1 Introduction

The fusion of computer and communication technology and the integration of information processing systems in the routine operation of highly developed economies and societies has led to a paradigm shift in design and operation of computer systems. The solutions to many of the most urgent societal problems, such as global warming, need ...