Technology Management for Business Software Development

Business technology management (BTM) is a term for a group of services intended to help businesses that might not have their own information technology (IT) department. BTM can include technology planning, software development, project management, software support, database services, disaster recovery, network management, security, and document services such as e-billing, document formatting, and mass printing and mailing. A company that offers BTM services may offer consulting or the actual service itself.

In some cases BTM can be used to augment technology services provided by the in house staff. Speciality services such as operating system support, network security planning, and software integration services are prime candidates for BTM. Other software development services such as custom software development, custom eCommerce software development, and database development are also good candidates for BTM services.

BTM strategy can take several forms, largely depending upon the available internal resources and frequency of need for the required technology services. As an example, burdening the software development staff with a significant software re-write could have a serious impact on business operations and might be more suited to outsourcing to a software development company. Other software development projects such as web site development and custom e-commerce software development projects might also be developed more efficiently by a business software organization specializing in InternetSoftware development. Effective BTM personnel should always weigh the cost/benefit and risks associated with all technology projects.

Effective business technology management can take many forms and utilize many tools. Most commonly used tools include project management software, task assignment and performance monitoring tools, bug tracking systems, and automated testing systems.