AN OBJECTIVE, ENTROPY-BASED APPROACH TO EVALUATING MIGRATION ISSUES IN COMPUTER IS

Recent breakthroughs in computing technology have created a set of per plexing new problems for information systems (IS) professionals. These revolve around decisions to be made about replacing current systems w ith newer technology, upgrading existing systems, and migrating to oth er platforms or environments. Many decision makers must rely on subjec tive assessments, such as their instincts or the recommendation of ven dors rather than on an objective analysis of their information needs a nd how they can be met by various system alternatives. A model to quan tify these issues, providing an objective measure for comparing system alternatives, including migration, would be valuable. Such a model is demonstrated here; it uses the Shannon-Weaver entropy model in conjun ction with quality measures to quantify actual and potential system ef fectiveness.