A framework for distributed information management in the virtual enterprise: The VEGA project

Networking technology, object-oriented distributed systems, workflow mechanisms, Product Data Technology and the WEB are now the obvious foundations for complex information management and concurrent engineering in the distributed virtual enterprises to come. The outcome aims at promoting standard, flexible and extensible IT infrastructures with solutions for potential scalability, robustness and universal platform neutrality in operating heterogeneous enterprise environments, and seamless access to multiple corporate data. This paper provides an overall picture of the objectives, technological research and achieved results of the ESPRIT project VEGA(1), supplying the architectural basements of open distributed frameworks to deal with new IT systems challenges.