-----Original Message----- From: owner-ifip_ga@ifip.or.at [mailto:owner-ifip_ga@ifip.or.at]On Behalf Of Plamen Nedkov Sent: quinta-feira, 5 de Dezembro de 2002 08:49 To: All Subject: [IFIP] TC Visions - TC8/Dewald Roode
Dear All,
We continue Project "Visions from the IT Engine Room" with Professor Dewald Roode, Chairman of IFIP TC 8 on Information Systems.
Dewald should know the nuclear capability of South Africa since he worked for the South African Atomic Energy Board as early as the late 60-ties. In 1981 he became the first Executive Director of the Computer Users Council of South Africa. In 1995 he was appointed Director, Information Technology at the University of Pretoria and in 1998 he became the first Director of the new School of Information Technology at the University a position he retained until his early retirement at the end of 2001. Currently he maintains a busy schedule as owner of an information management consultancy firm and continues to supervise a number of doctoral students as extraordinary professor at the University of Pretoria.
Asked about activities which could have a significant impact in future, Dewald opines:
"In spite of the recent floundering of dot com companies, and a world-wide slump in IT, it remains a fact that the world, and specifically the organizational world, is becoming more and more dependent on IT and Information Systems. In such a business climate it is to be expected that suppliers will always come forward with new solutions to existing problems (and will sometimes even create new problems for which they have the solutions!) that promise to once and for all solve an organization's headaches. This is simply the way a free market operates. It is our duty to shed light on and work towards greater understanding of the inherent complexity of information systems in organizational context. More importantly, this understanding should diffuse into the organizational world, and should not remain encapsulated in academic circles. "
For an exclusive interview with Dewald Roode click here -> http://www.ifip.or.at/secretariat/tcvisions.htm and then follow the link under his photo.
Enjoy,
The Delivery Co.
Fun zone - joke lovers only!
So as to probe whether information systems are almighty in the business environment here is a sketch for Dewald to tackle ;-))
Boss of a multinational telecom: "Who says that you should work less after I tried to kiss you during the Christmas party?"
Secretary: "My lawyer!"
-------------------------------- Plamen Nedkov Executive Director, IFIP Hofstrasse 3, A-2361 Laxenburg, Austria Tel: +43 2236 73616 Fax: +43 2236 736169 http://www.ifip.org/