A Framework for Systematic Evaluation of Software Technologies

Many organizations struggle to make informed decisions when investing in new software technologies. This paper examines the problems of evaluating the likely impact of a new software technology within an organization, and describes an important component of such an evaluation based on understanding the " deltas " provided by the new technology. The main contribution of this paper is a framework for organizing software technology evaluations that highlights technology deltas. That is, the framework centers on the premise that new technologies must be positioned within the context of their contemporaries, and analyzed from the point of view of what they contribute in relation to those existing technologies. The technology delta framework is described, and is illustrated through its application to the Object Management Group's Object Management Architecture (OMA). Strengths and weaknesses of the approach are then analyzed, and required future work in this area discussed.