InformationWeek
Defining The Business Value Of Technology
June 1, 1998
Integrated Systems: Enterprise Harmony
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The supplier portion of the system is called the Ford Supplier Network, which receives information from Ford's global database of suppliers and its own internal human-resources system. The network will eventually be linked to global dealer and franchise databases as well, letting all these parties collaborate, exchange application data, and carry out transactions.
E-Mail Integration
Ford initially used directories to unify various E-mai l systems, including IBM Profs. Ford began using LDAP-based directories in 1996 to address the growing computing demands brought about by Web traffic. LDAP lets Ford employees and its business partners use a single-sign-on scheme for accessing intranet and extranet resources.
"As we continue to add more functionality to the network--the Ford Extended Enterprise--we need better ways to manage and control it," Liedel says. Planned directory enhancements include the addition of transparent naming services, directory-enabled network-policy management, and support for more platforms, including legacy systems.
Similarly, Health First uses its directory to tie together the components of its health-care delivery system, says Rich Rogers, Health First's VP and CIO. Health First operates hospitals, physician practices, and a health maintenance organization. Using Novell Directory Services, the health-care provider has created a unified infrastructure that connects its various businesses. The directory has also let the company standardize a number of its business and technical processes, instead of operating in a fragmented, disparate way, Rogers says.
Health First and Ford aren't alone in their drives to reap the benefits of directory services. Gartner Group Inc. estimates that by 2001, metadirectories and directory synchronization will be used by 70% of large enterprises. Metadirectories, such as the system used at Ford, integrate the existing directories found in databases, E-mail systems, and other applications. Synchronization is the process of ensuring that all the data in these various directories are up to date and in agreement.
The need to better manage the growing complexity of the IT environment is a key reason companies are starting to adopt directories. "There is a groundswell of customers starting to look at comprehensive, enterprisewide directories," says Jamie Lewis, president of the Burton Group, a networking consulting firm. Vendors also are starting to bring out useful products that support the LDAP standard. There's also a growing list of applications that make use of directories, from network administration tools to Web-based data-management programs.
Data Aggregation
In the short term, companies can reduce administration costs by aggregating information into a directory, says Lewis. In the long term, people are beginning to realize that if they start this unification now, they'll be in a better position to leverage it for E-commerce chores such as ensuring enterprisewide security and issuing digital certificates.
Companies are deploying directories for a variety of other business reasons. New York Life, for example, wants to integrate its human-resources and E-mail directories to create a single resource for its 40,000 employees worldwide.
New York Life uses an X.500/ LDAP-compliant directory from OpenDirectory Inc. "We've used it primarily as a metadirectory for personnel information to start with," says Jeff Denecke, assistant VP of architecture for the insurer. New York Life has multiple E-mail directories, phone directories, mailing lists, and lists for employee badge maintenance. "The directory is the spot to integrate all of that information into a single source," says Denecke.
New York Life's IT department wrote an application in Visual Basic that provides a profile of each employee and his or her system preferences. The application is used by the human-resources department to automate employee start and termination practices, and by the building security staff for issuing and canceling employee badges. The company no longer has to issue paper directories and manually deal with the constant staff changes typical of large organizations.
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Illustration by David Chen
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