ABSTRACT
The development of IT systems in the organisation has taken place in a period of monopoly markets for IT-based services and skilled labour shortages (Friedman, 1989).
Monopoly suppliers and centralised DP departments
Suppliers of the early computer systems not only employed the skilled staff required to install them, but also employed and supplied staff to train the operators, to provide on-going support and to maintain the systems within the user-organisations. Their support was crucial since the early mainframes were unreliable, requiring frequent maintenance of hardware components. Programs too required maintenance in the form of amendments and adjustments to meet user needs. Usually, only those who had designed the systems had sufficient expertise to do this kind of work.
