The way organisations conduct their business is affected by the sector within which they operate, as well as several other factors. Various models attempt to explain how a range of factors may affect the success of a business. Such models take under consideration aspects associated with politics, economical factors, social context, immediate environment, competitors, product specific issues, customer needs and infrastructure. It is quite difficult to agree on a definitive list of factors affecting business

However, most of the business models measuring impact on success and performance seem to have a common element that is strongly associated with the way technology is used and exploited. It is evident that over the past few decades, the role of technology has become very important in the way organisations perform their operations and support their processes

There are organisations that are dependent on technology to such an extent that any technological failures are likely to dramatically affect business. The role of technology is critical for organisations that may be involved in sectors such as e-commerce

Over the past few years we tend to focus on computer-related areas of technology enhancement and improvement. The use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) seems to be core for business. The support such technologies provide for processes, operations and transactions helps organisations to improve their performance and increase their revenues and profits

It is necessary to consider that technology is a concept that may cover software, hardware, networks, and other areas where technological improvement may take place. Organisations must consider how investment in technological evolution may help them to conduct their business in a more effective way

The investment in technology may take several forms, as organisations may seek ways to integrate technological support in their operations, while businesses may invest resources in the investigation of how business operations may be enhanced by the use of technology. Certain business sectors may require investment in research and development for the creation of new products, the deployment of enhanced services and the mapping of technology support to business offerings

The following sections discuss in more detail the impact of technology on business by covering a range of important topics and explaining how business concerns may relate to the use of technology

A very important topic relates to the need for organisations to define their product offerings and provide a detailed description of how the lifecycle of a product may be affected by the use of technology

The topic of obsolescence is also discussed as it is critical to be able to assess how the evolution of technology requires organisations to review frequently the need for further investment and possibly the replacement of any technology that no longer serves its originally identified purpose in an efficient way

Furthermore, organisations need to consider how their use of technology must be protected against industrial espionage and, in general, from competitors that wish to replicate successful business models based on technology use. An area of concern is the use of patents as a mechanism for the protection of innovative and creative solutions. Awareness of legal issues associated with the use of technology is also essential for organisations as it is increasingly difficult to forecast and control the impact of technology

It is also important for organisations to assess the impact of technology on various sectors. As technology is used for transforming business operations to e-business transactions, we must be aware of any issues relating to the way e-business solutions are deployed in different sectors

Organisations must perform a feasibility study in order to assess their capacity and resources with respect to their ability to invest in the use of the Internet as part of the business. It is critical to assess both the macro- and micro-environment of organisations and examine whether the Internet is likely to pose a threat or an opportunity for the business

Organisations must also consider the fact that they will not be the only ones capitalising on the use of the Internet, as well as the deployment of solutions that utilise information and communication technologies. It is necessary to identify how other organisations in the same business sector use technology and to investigate the ways organisations may gain a competitive advantage

Finally, organ

service provision, online transactions, banking, learning, healthcare and customer care