Continuous Innovation with DevOps : IT Management in the Age of Digitalization and Software-defined Business

This book connects the new world of digitalization with classic IT management. With the presence of software in objects, products and processes, most businesses will become software-defined businesses. Software development and software management are thus key to stay competitive in an environment that demands continuous innovation.  The authors provide a comprehensive introduction to continuous innovation, the DevOps concept and lay the foundations of an innovation-oriented IT management. The DevOps approach to continuous innovation, which combines lean and agile concepts with an automated tool chain, enables solutions that synergize fast (re)action through digital innovation on the one hand and long-term development cycles and stable operation on the other. A comprehensive case study of T-Systems MMS, a digital service provider from Deutsche Telekom in Germany, illustrates the use of this approach in practice.

Rainer Alt is a full professor for Business Information Systems at Leipzig University (Germany). He earned a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (Germany) and received a Ph.D. as well as a postdoctoral degree from the University of St. Gallen (Switzerland). Before assuming his current position, he was a visiting researcher at the University of California (USA), a senior consultant at Roland Berger in Germany, and an assistant professor at the University of St. Gallen. His research focuses on interorganizational information systems and methodologies for business innovation.

Gunnar Auth is a full professor of Information Systems for public administration and e-government at Meissen University of Applied Sciences (Germany). He obtained a diploma in Business Information Systems from the University of Bamberg (Germany) and a Ph.D. from the University of St. Gallen (Switzerland). His research interests include digitaltransformation of public administration with special focus on service, process and project management. Before he became a professor he worked several years as manager at car manufacturer Daimler and later as IT Director/CIO at Leipzig University (Germany). Currently, he is involved in developing a bachelor’s program on digital public administration at Meissen University.

Christoph Kögler heads the IoT & Cloud Solutions department at T-Systems Multimedia Solutions GmbH, one of the leading European internet solution providers. He has more than two decades of leadership and business development experience in IT, telecommunications and other high-tech industries. As a recognized expert in the Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain and other leading edge technologies, he strives for delivering maximum customer value with his team and is a regular speaker at national and international conferences.