CWE from an SME perspective

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CWE from an SME perspective

• John Lindström and Anders Lundkvist

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Agenda

• Introduction
• Methodology
• CWE practice for SMEs over the last 20 years
• Barriers for results from CWE research to become
  SME practice
• Summary

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Introduction

• High tech SMEs often early adopter of
  new/innovative tools improve operations, speed,
  quality, ability to co-operate
• Collaborative Working Environment (CWE) tools
  accepted as common tools
• Definition of CWE
• integrated and connected resources providing
  shared access to contents and allowing
  distributed actors to seamlessly work together
  towards common goals
• Examples (and evolution) of CWE-tools
• Telephone, fax, cellphone, SMS, e-mail, web
• Conference tools, VoIP, Instant Messaging (IM)
  like ICQ and Skype, Internet based project
  management tools, web based office suites with
  shared work spaces

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Introduction, cntd

• This paper discusses
• CWE-tools and enabling infrastructures from a
  high tech SME perspective during the last 20
  years in Europe
• Barriers for results from CWE research and
  development to not become SME practice

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Methodology

• Arctic Group AB high tech consulting company,
  SME, developing IT-systems for public and private
  sector customers
• Analyzed restrictions for use of CWE tools during
  development and research projects where worked
  with customers and partners
• 105 projects (Sweden, Europe, Asia) during last 4
  years
• Categorized every worked day into type of CWE
  tool limitations (project type A-C) and small
  large customers
• Type A projects no limitations
• Type B projects some limitations
• Type C projects strong limitations

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Methodology cntd
Stable sample - except for 2005
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Methodology cntd
1 lt Small lt 50 50 lt Medium lt 250 250 lt Large
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CWE practice for SMEs over the last 20 years

• Telephone and fax
• Cellphone and SMS
• E-mail
• Web
• CWE tools (conference tools, VoIP, IM, Internet
  based project tools, wikis, web based office
  suites with shared work spaces)
• Characteristics of SME uptake of new technology
  (CWE tools)
• High tech SMEs often early adopters
• Low tech SMEs slower (IT knowledge)
• Communications infrastructure (bandwidth)

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Barriers for results from CWE research to become
SME practice

• Observations from 105 projects
• Barriers
• Large organizationsIT- and information security
  policies
• Employees tries to find ways around
• Separate ICT infrastructures
• Use security tools
• Sarbanes-Oxley act (US SEC) paper trail of
  e-mail and IM-traffic
• Security issues browser problems, http, web
  mail, IM-tool flaws, unsecure VoIP, H.323 and SIP
  protocol vulnerabilities. Hinders widely accepted
  use!

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Barriers cntd

• Questions
• What CWE-tools to allow from an efficiency
  perspective is there a trade off or not?
• How should high tech SMEs collaborate with large
  organizations? Efficiency and cut costs.
• If CWE-tools are not addressed by an
  organizations IT- and information security
  policies and how to use them in a secure manner
  that needs to be looked at!

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Summary

• Methodology
• CWE practice for SMEs over the last 20 years
• Barriers for results from CWE research to become
  SME practice
• John Lindström, Luleå Univ. Anders Lundkvist,
  Arctic Group AB
• Sr Project Mgr CEO
• jlm_at_cdt.ltu.se anders.lundkvist_at_arcticgroup.se
• 46 70 674 5859 46 70 674 5858

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Questions ?