Towards a Framework for Managing the Information Environment

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Miller, Bob | Malloy, Mary Ann | Masek, Ed | Wild, Chris

Affiliations: The MITRE Corporation, One Enterprise Parkway, Suite 220, Hampton, VA 23666 USA, Tel.: +1 757 825 9230; Fax: +1 757 825 8512; E-mail: drbob@mitre.org or mmalloy@mitre.org

Abstract: Whether military, commercial, or non-profit, enterprises must react to changes in their environments by leveraging available information to make effective decisions. Consequently, managing information plays a central role in any enterprise and is a major factor influencing the quality of its decisions. This paper presents a Framework that assists in understanding, planning and analyzing an enterprises Information Environment. The Framework is used to review historical approaches to information interoperability: the ability of processes and sys-tems to effectively exchange and use information services. To address shortcomings, a new information-centric approach is discussed. Its principles suggest a tiered system architecture consistent with the Frameworks structure. The collection of services needed to support an information-centric capability is characterized as an information supermarket or infomart. The Joint Battlespace Infosphere concept developed by the U.S. Air Force Scientific Advisory Board is presented as an infomart example.

Journal: Information Knowledge Systems Management, vol. 2, no. 4, pp. 359-384, 2001