Web usage continues to exceed projections. So build architectures and applications robust enough to accommodate unexpected growth. Yes, everyone has ceilings on what he or she can spend, but impress upon management that embarrassing e-business mishaps and slowdowns are far more costly in the long run. Plan to be at it awhile. Even those businesses that build in adequate capacity for growth will have to change direction based on unanticipated traffic and usage patterns.
Flexibility matters even more than raw size.
Take Merrill Lynch. Before launching online stock trading in early December, managers worried about unforeseen holes in the IT infrastructure. But rather than delay this crucial business initiative, Merrill Lynch execs decided to stay on schedule but underplay the promotion. The result was a smooth launch. Merrill Lynch is now ready to draw more attention to the service through an ad campaign.