INFORMATION REUSE PARALLELS SOFTWARE REUSE

Reusing information products can extend the effects and benefits of the traditional corporate code reuse program. Just as organizations leverage their software modules and components in new applications, pieces of information in such forms as text, graphics, and hypermedia can find homes in subsequent products. However, although software reuse has managed some successes, information reuse remains in its infancy. The need to establish a supporting organizational framework, tools, and standards continues to pose technical obstacles to information reuse. This forum entry outlines how the information reuse program at IBM built on our software reuse experiences and begins to address these obstacles. Although relatively young, information reuse is a key part of our development process and reuse program.