Some gateways will want to spend resources on research and development work, while others may want to identify reliable existing products. Whatever the objectives of the gateway, some general principles can be identified which should inform decision making. Key factors for decision making The gateway's decisions regarding hardware, software or content must take into account various imperatives. Each gateway must identify its own specific criteria and these criteria will differ depending on the gateway's priorities. Planning for change.
Search services are a growth area in the fluid Internet environment.
Gateways need to be aware of new opportunities offered by change and be flexible enough to exploit them. In practical terms, this may mean delivering services to new audiences, incorporating new data structures, inter-working with services which may be based on different technologies. It may mean migrating to new systems, merging with other services, or taking on new service areas. Decisions need to be based on criteria that are aligned with the gateway's strategic objectives. This means that all staff in the gateway need to be aware of the objectives and how they relate to their own decisions.