Application definition is perhaps one of the most critical work activities or efforts in the practice of dealing with Internet and Telecom assets and resources. Define the application properly and it can significantly improve enterprise operations and profitability. Define it loosely, incompletely, or improperly and it could stifle growth, stop the business, or prevent a new venture from getting off the ground.

Defining communications applications requires business and technical knowledge. It s also helpful to have experience defining applications in a particular field. For example, defining Internet and telecom applications specific to the manufacture of widgets may work well in a business manufacturing fishing line, sinkers, and tackle boxes, but someone with this background would be in for significant study before successfully designing and building a network for a regional bagel bakery. However, if the regional bagel bakery wanted to expand to a foreign country and required a network, someone with experience building a network for the foreign expansion for a widget or fishing gear manufacturing enterprise would be a good candidate to undertake the work. Building global or international networks across government boundaries requires specialized knowledge of disparate regulations as well as communications service provider capabilities and practices across these same boundaries and within the host countries of the enterprise sites involved. The process of defining communications applications is fairly simple if it is started with a clear understanding of the enterprise operation contemplating investment in equipment and expenditures for services. There are two basic sets of conditions. Understanding and...