In the VITAL/design project we develop techniques to design a network of business systems to provide ICT services. Classical methods such as Information Engineering design modular systems by means of CRUD analysis but in a networked business this is not sufficient, as ownership is not taken into account. Modular networks involve decisions different kinds of ownership (of data, of processes, of systems) each with different cost and revenue structures, communication requirements, and access restrictions.

We investigate the use of value-based techniques to make these in practice by means of case studies, design new techniques and validate them in simulated case studies and action research. Based on case studies of service allocation to business systems, we propose techniques to make the trade-offs involved in these decisions. This will be embedded in "classical" architecture methods such as Information Engineering, and in e3value as a requirements engineering methods. We will validate the result in simulated case studies.