**4. ANP-based evaluation assisted by parallel and distributed computing**

The described procedure comprised the structuring of software quality criteria and an evaluation of alternative AHP-supporting software products in the multi-personnel framework of a Management Science Department of a medium-sized university. This proceeding delivers an object of reference to solve such structuring and evaluation problems in a modified situation by assistance of parallel and/or distributed computing architecture [7]. If the number of experts, whose requirements towards alternative software products diverge, essentially enhances (compared with the state of affairs in the aforementioned department) and/or if the complexity of the network structure relevant for the evaluation increases considerably, such a computing architecture would be advantageous.

Problems to be solved on a strategic decision level with a demand for scientific computing might attain a degree of complexity that distributed computing architectures are to be recommended. The more complex the ANP-network structure, the more the modelled problem delivers connecting factors for such architectures. With its possibilities to intensify the "interaction" among different criteria [7, 40], their interlacing can be represented within and between the ANP-clusters more clearly. Thus, distributed computing would help to cope with increasing complexity of multi-criteria-decision relevant network structures.

The higher the number of experts and the variety of their requirements for software quality, the more advantageous would be a parallel computing [7] which enables faster computational results [40]. Such computing architectures can support learning processes among the members of an expert group which evaluate the quality of alternative software products simultaneously within the framework of a multi-personnel, interactive process.
