Sigma Wireless

5.2.2 Technical architecture

The architecture identifies the technologies and products that will be used to deliver the overall technology platform. This includes hardware and software (applications or technology) products.

Octagon recommended the use of the Microsoft Web Solutions (Microsoft DNA) technology platform. A number of other solutions were evaluated including Sun Solaris, Linux and MacOS, all of which would either not support the business model cost effectively or otherwise the complex nature of the software may have led to additional manpower requirements with specific skills which may be hard to attain and retain.

Microsoft’s Web Solution Platform (SharePoint)

Octagon’s research suggested that Microsoft’s Web solution platform consisted of a combination of Microsoft products and technologies that, when used together, would enable Sigma to fully utilise the power of the Web. The products within the platform were available today and provided a valuable set of tools for building applications that get to market quickly, integrate with existing systems and evolve over time.

Microsoft’s SharePoint Portal Server

Microsoft SharePoint Portal Server 2001 extends the capabilities of Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office by offering knowledge workers a way to organise, find, and share information. SharePoint Portal Server delivers the ability to create corporate Web portals with document management, content searching, and team collaboration features.

Sharepoint is designed to allow people who are working together to find the information they need quickly and to make available the information they produce easily. This information can be held in Word Documents, Movex, CAD Drawings, PDF files and other databases etc. Sharepoint provides a framework that allows the user to access this kind of information.

Key Features
Search Engine Document Collaboration
Data Access and Indexing Security
Subscriptions Lifecycle Management
(alerts you if a particular document changes)
Categories Digital Dashboard based Portal
(allows you to link a single document to
a number of different categories)
Search Extensibility Shareable Personal Dashboards
MS Office and Windows Integration Web Storage System
Document Versioning Standard Tools
Document Profiling Standard Interfaces

Sigma Wireless agreed to the use of Microsoft’s Web solution, Sharepoint, as the technical platform for the provision of an Internal Portal/Databank, as it met the following key criteria:

• Cost effective
• Provides all basic functionality required for Phase 1 Internal Portal/Databank
• Allows for growth and scalability
• Allows for access to multiple data sources on a query basis
• Is based on the concept of leaving files in their native format and existing storage areas and accessing from the central portal

It was evaluated against Intentia’s Movex Web Shop B2B product but was judged to be more aligned to the needs of Sigma Wireless’s business and to provide good value for money. In particular, it was preferred due to its suitability for enabling collaboration between Sigma Wireless and its customers.

The Web Shop product focused on enabling trading and transactions. However, given that the nature of Sigma Wireless’s business is relationship-based and collaborative and that there are no current plans for extending their business model to enable e-commerce based transactions the product was not suitable.

5.3 Project Team

The key members of the project were the following people:

• Joseph Moore, Managing Director, Sigma Wireless
• Managing Director, Octagon
• Sarann Kennedy, Marketing Manager, Sigma Wireless
• Damian Guerin, Operations Director, Sigma Wireless
• Niallo Carroll, Engineering Director, Sigma Wireless

Joseph was the project sponsor and Sarann was the project leader. A key point is the commonality between the team that were responsible for the eBusiness project and the team that were responsible for the successful implementation of the ERP project. Damian led the ERP project and, according to Joseph and Sarann, a huge positive of this commonality was the learning from the ERP project that they could apply to the eBusiness project.

5.3.1 External Team

Octagon

A leading Irish eBusiness Consultancy based in Clonskeagh, Dublin. Established in 1996, Octagon now has a staff of 30 people. They work with companies to develop and implement effective e-strategies that ensure their continued growth, competitiveness and profitability. They aim to deliver powerful Internet services and solutions by combining strengths in strategic business thinking, innovation and technology expertise.