Shared Distributed Functionality : Its (dual) meanings and why it matters

The paper studies the dual meaning of shared distributed functionality: at the two levels of users and of information systems. It is based on a case that unfolded in Swiss agriculture between 2017 and 2019. Three projects attempted to build a sector-wide information infrastructure. Their aim was to share sensitive agricultural data between organisations. The first developed a service platform with a centralized database and APIs. The second was a data standardization plan from the authority. The last was a distributed peer-to-peer platform for organisations to share data when authorized by farmers. The paper shows how the projects differed in the dependencies they created at the digital level, and how these dependencies promised to feed back to the organizations involved. The analysis of dependencies helps to understand how different approaches to shared distributed functionality at the digital level can influence the digital transformation of society.