ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces the concept of enterprise architecture and examines the opportunity costs and ripple effects of decisions made in an enterprise setting. It considers the inclusion of open sources, open standards, and commercial elements in an enterprise network. Network fax and voice mail systems may be integrated with the e-mail service to deliver other content into users’ inboxes, while instant messaging and chat functions may provide online awareness and synchronous communication integration with the asynchronous e-mail that is the heart of this selection. Some e-mail services may provide options for proxy relay systems in remote offices that are not always connected to the business network; others may provide a feature-rich Web-based client that allows users to access e-mail through the Internet. The most fundamental level of conflict underlies any selection of standards or platforms, and in consolidating business units and technologies.
