The Reference Point Method: requirements-based ICT convergence solution development

The Reference Point Method has been developed by T-Systems as an overall approach for making the complexity in developing ICT convergence solutions manageable. It is based heavily on requirements engineering at the level of business process architecture, technology neutral architecture, technology specific architecture, and telecom architecture. The integration of all these architecture levels is realized by special interfaces at each level called reference points. This method touches the areas of software architecture design and requirements engineering and emphasizes the integration of both. First, it is used to investigate the needed business processes and to get a first insight into the needed system landscape. Then, the corresponding results provide the basis for the operative planning of the ICT systems.