Can Robots Make Customers Happier?

Curt Hall

Robotics has benefited considerably over the past two years from advances in AI, with the biggest stemming from developments around deep learning neural net architectures and machine vision systems. Consequently, today we are seeing robots employing advanced autonomous navigation and intelligent object recognition capabilities — including image-sensing functions utilizing advanced pattern matching, shape detection, and face-tracking and analysis.


7 Approaches to Agile Integration and Testing

Donald Reifer

When using Agile methods, the integration and testing effort is performed continuously since capability is built up and delivered in short iterations. In order to implement continuous integration and testing concepts, consider the seven Agile approaches examined in this Advisor.


Blockchain: Distributed, Decentralized, Immutable, and Tamper Resistant

Iweta Laskowska

Working with blockchain over the past few years has made me realize the broad possibilities of distributed networks. Certainly, one could say that blockchain is “just” a distributed database; however, emerging adoption reinforces the potential underneath. There are myriad ways to adopt this technology, including in transferring funds, managing supply chains, handling tax evasion, and performing targeted analyses of data already recorded on the blockchain.


Blockchain: Distributed, Decentralized, Immutable, and Tamper Resistant

Iweta Laskowska

Working with blockchain over the past few years has made me realize the broad possibilities of distributed networks. Certainly, one could say that blockchain is “just” a distributed database; however, emerging adoption reinforces the potential underneath. There are myriad ways to adopt this technology, including in transferring funds, managing supply chains, handling tax evasion, and performing targeted analyses of data already recorded on the blockchain.


Capability Architecture: A Blueprint for Ensuring Organizational Alignment

Dinesh Kumar

A capability architecture defines what we are and do at any given time, whereas process, information, platform, and other architectures describe how we accomplish what we are or perform what we do at any given time. As we improve or mature, what we do and/or how we do it changes over time, meaning that both our capabilities and the enabling architectures evolve.


Capability Architecture: A Blueprint for Ensuring Organizational Alignment

Dinesh Kumar

A capability architecture defines what we are and do at any given time, whereas process, information, platform, and other architectures describe how we accomplish what we are or perform what we do at any given time. As we improve or mature, what we do and/or how we do it changes over time, meaning that both our capabilities and the enabling architectures evolve.


Blockchain: Here to Stay? — An Introduction

Karolina Marzantowicz

As we explore in this issue of Cutter Business Techology Journal, blockchain is a smart but still small baby only just beginning the process of becoming an adult. The next two to three years will be important in terms of implementing proper regulations and standards to enable wider adoption of blockchain and to establish the technology on a solid legal foundation.


Strategic Risk Management for the Adoption of BaaS

Timothy Virtue

Tim Virtue focuses on the most significant risks of BaaS. He identifies common BaaS risks and proposes mitigation strategies for all of them. Virtue stresses that adoption of innovative business models is essential for new market entrants. In the build-versus-buy debate, he favors buy, although stresses that the BaaS provider should be a trusted partner, not simply a commodity supplier. Despite the significant risks involved in digital trans­formation adoption, doing nothing is the greatest risk of all. 


Strategic Risk Management for the Adoption of BaaS

Timothy Virtue

Tim Virtue focuses on the most significant risks of BaaS. He identifies common BaaS risks and proposes mitigation strategies for all of them. Virtue stresses that adoption of innovative business models is essential for new market entrants. In the build-versus-buy debate, he favors buy, although stresses that the BaaS provider should be a trusted partner, not simply a commodity supplier. Despite the significant risks involved in digital trans­formation adoption, doing nothing is the greatest risk of all. 


Blockchain in Energy and Utilities: Definitions, Use Cases, Standards, and Frameworks

Claudio Lima

Claudio Lima explains how blockchain technology can be used to digitize and foster growth in the energy sector. DLT has the potential to optimize energy management processes and to deal with the growing complexity in the decentralized energy system. Lima introduces the IEEE P2418.5 Standard for Blockchain in Energy, which creates an industry framework that will help with interoperability among different blockchain use cases and technologies. A DLT layer complements existing smart grid architectures, improves grid security and efficiency, and reduces the costs of utility operation.


Blockchain in Smart City Administration: A Look at OrgBook

Magesh Kasthuri

Magesh Kasthuri discusses how city administration can use blockchain. He provides various insights into decentralized architecture, including its technology benefits and security implementation. The article highlights a need for self-healing and auto-scaling services within a smart city architecture, which can be achieved by a blockchain network based on HyperLedger Fabric in a cloud environment. Blockchain can make cities more efficient and more resilient and adds greater transparency and security to a city’s digital processes. Applying DLT technologies in smart cities is an opportunity to reshape many aspects of how cities are organized and managed in order to better serve their citizens.


Blockchain in Smart City Administration: A Look at OrgBook

Magesh Kasthuri

Magesh Kasthuri discusses how city administration can use blockchain. He provides various insights into decentralized architecture, including its technology benefits and security implementation. The article highlights a need for self-healing and auto-scaling services within a smart city architecture, which can be achieved by a blockchain network based on HyperLedger Fabric in a cloud environment. Blockchain can make cities more efficient and more resilient and adds greater transparency and security to a city’s digital processes. Applying DLT technologies in smart cities is an opportunity to reshape many aspects of how cities are organized and managed in order to better serve their citizens.


Blockchain Regulatory Sandboxes

Patryk Walaszczyk

Patryk Walaszczyk discusses regulators’ role in blockchain adoption. He evaluates different approaches to regulatory sandboxes and questions their value in driving innovation and blockchain technology adoption. The author provides information about the scope and objectives of some blockchain sandboxes as well as their outcomes so far. It is to be hoped that current government efforts will accelerate blockchain adoption and that new business models across industries will emerge.


Beyond Cryptocurrency: There’s More to Blockchain

Pavankumar Mulgund, Ankit Sharma, Adarsh Srivastava, Lavlin Agrawal

This article examines the technical feasibility of DLT to handle enterprise requirements and demands. The authors investigate the strategic value that blockchain technologies bring to the table, examine potential use cases in various business domains, and discuss the challenges involved in the realization of these use cases. They explore how the nature of certain businesses makes them better suited for blockchain technology and discuss the best practices involved in developing blockchain-based applications.


Blockchain: New Industry Trends, Developments, Use Cases — Opening Statement

Karolina Marzantowicz

This issue of Cutter Business Technology Journal (CBTJ) continues the conversation we began in our last CBTJ and focuses on blockchain technology adoption beyond cryptocurrencies and financial services. The authors explore areas such as energy and utilities and government and present real examples of successful DLT implementations. They share their practical experiences in overcoming and addressing some of the known issues with blockchain projects.


Blockchain: New Industry Trends, Developments, Use Cases — Opening Statement

Karolina Marzantowicz

This issue of Cutter Business Technology Journal (CBTJ) continues the conversation we began in our last CBTJ and focuses on blockchain technology adoption beyond cryptocurrencies and financial services. The authors explore areas such as energy and utilities and government and present real examples of successful DLT implementations. They share their practical experiences in overcoming and addressing some of the known issues with blockchain projects.


The Rise of the Customer-Centric Business Model

Curt Hall

Today we are seeing a growing interest in the customer-centric business model among organizations that have come to see such models as a practical way to support a standard customer experience across all their various channels and brands.


Top Intriguing Business Agility & Software Engineering Excellence Articles for 2019

Karen Coburn

As has been our tradition for the last several years, we’ve compiled the five most intriguing articles published by the Business Agility & Software Engineering Excellence practice for today’s Advisor. How did we come up with this list? We chose the articles that garnered the most feedback from Cutter Members. Your questions and comments not only make it possible to create lists like this, they help focus Cutter’s Senior Consultants’ research on the areas that are most important to organizations like yours. So please keep your feedback coming.


Top Intriguing Business Agility & Software Engineering Excellence Articles for 2019

Karen Coburn

As has been our tradition for the last several years, we’ve compiled the five most intriguing articles published by the Business Agility & Software Engineering Excellence practice for today’s Advisor. How did we come up with this list? We chose the articles that garnered the most feedback from Cutter Members. Your questions and comments not only make it possible to create lists like this, they help focus Cutter’s Senior Consultants’ research on the areas that are most important to organizations like yours. So please keep your feedback coming.


Top Intriguing Business Technology & Digital Transformation Strategies Articles for 2019

Karen Coburn

We’ve compiled the five most intriguing articles published by Business Technology & Digital Transformation Strategies in 2019 for today’s Advisor.


Top Intriguing Business & Enterprise Architecture Articles for 2019

Karen Coburn

As has been our tradition for the last several years, we’ve compiled the five most intriguing articles published by the Business & Enterprise Architecture practice for today’s Advisor. How did we come up with this list? We chose the articles that garnered the most feedback from Cutter Members. Your questions and comments not only make it possible to create lists like this, they help focus Cutter’s Senior Consultants’ research on the areas that are most important to organizations like yours. So please keep your feedback coming.


Top Intriguing Cutter Business Technology Journal Articles for 2019

Karen Coburn

As has been our tradition for the last several years, we’ve compiled the five most intriguing articles published by the Cutter Business Technology Journal this year for today’s Advisor. How did we come up with this list? We chose the articles that garnered the most feedback from Cutter Members and clients and those that created controversy among Cutter Senior Consultants and Fellows.


Top Intriguing Data Analytics & Digital Technologies Articles for 2019

Karen Coburn

As has been our tradition for the last several years, we’ve compiled the five most intriguing articles published by the Data Analytics & Digital Technologies practice this year for today’s Advisor. How did we come up with this list? We chose the articles that garnered the most feedback from Cutter Members and clients and those that created controversy among Cutter Senior Consultants and Fellows.


The Global State of Business Architecture: Where We Are and Where We’re Going

Whynde Kuehn

As we near the end of another year, it is a good time to reflect and look forward. Whether you are think­ing over your organization’s business architecture practice or your own business architecture career, an awareness of the bigger picture is important for comparison and inspiration. That is the purpose of this Executive Update.


Blockchain: Here to Stay? — Opening Statement

Karolina Marzantowicz

In this Cutter Business Technology Journal (CBTJ), we take a broad look at the opportunities and disruptions that blockchain creates. Our authors explore reasons why blockchain application is still slow regardless of overall interest in the technology. Enterprises are still struggling to find a blockchain that fits their needs, especially from a scaling perspective. A key observation from these articles is that regulation and compliance can help drive blockchain technology adoption. Blockchain (and related use cases such as cryptocurrency and digital assets) is currently subject to very limited regulation. In this issue, the authors provide researchers and practitioners with an overall view of the current state of blockchain adoption and what industry participants perceive as its challenges. They present real-world examples of DLT implementations and demonstrate how this new technology can deliver new value.