Auerbach Publications © 2002 CRC Press LLC 2/02 INFORMATION MANAGEMENT: STRATEGY, SYSTEMS, AND TECHNOLOGIES INFORMATION EVERYWHERE Peter Tarasewich and Merrill Warkentin INSIDE Why Do We Need a Pervasive Environment? Workgroup Meeting; Emergency; Business Traveler; Logistics Management; Overall Pervasive Environment; Modeling the Pervasive Information Environment; Creating the Pervasive Information Environment Welcome to the unwired world. Communication is no longer restricted by wires or physical boundaries. People can communicate with each other anytime of the day or night. Users can access their data and systems from anywhere in the world. Devices can communicate with other devices or systems without the need for human intervention. At least in theory. The technology that currently exists, although still limited in certain regards (such as bandwidth and battery life), enables the creation of the devices and networks necessary for these wireless communications. But data is also part of the communication process for much of what we do, and is essential for communication between devices. Unfortunately, no matter how much effort is invested in creating a seamless technology network, the efforts will be in vain unless an equally seamless data structure is im- plemented along with it. Organizations must ensure that their information systems are structured to allow manipulation of data on or between the myriad of once and future technologies. Only then will there exist a truly pervasive environment that will benefit the dynamic information require- ments of the individual, an organization, or society as a whole. The idea of pervasive computing is not new. Discussions related to pervasive computing have been oriented toward technological factors. Proponents predict that networked computers (devices ranging from handhelds to information appliances to embedded sensors) will be dif- fused throughout everything we do and all systems with which we inter- act. Computing devices will be used to access information on anything and everything. Much attention is be- ing paid to mobile devices and appli- cations, but not to the information PAYOFF IDEA The growing capabilities of wireless technologies have created the potential for a “totally connect- ed” society. The potential benefits are enormous, the implementation will be difficult. This article presents a model for a pervasive information en- vironment that is independent of technological change, and presents reasons why such a vision is necessary for long-term organizational success. 1-01-52