bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Adoption and Diffusion of M-Commerce
Authors: Kini Ranjan B. , Bandyopadhyay Subir K.
Published: May 2011

Mobile commerce (or in short, m-commerce) is currently at the stage where e-commerce was a decade ago. Many of the concerns consumers had regarding e-commerce (such as security, confidentiality, and reliability) are now directed towards m-commerce. To complicate the matter further, the lack of a standardized technology has made m-commerce grow in multiple directions in different parts of the world. Thus, the popularity of m-commerce-based services varies by country, by culture, and by individual user. For example, in Europe the most popular application is SMS (short message service) or text messaging, in Japan interactive games and picture exchange via NTT DoCoMo i-mode, and in North America e-mail via interactive pagers (such as RIM BlackBerry) and wireless application protocol-based (WAPbased) wireless data portals providing news, stock quotes, and weather information. It is safe to predict that these applications will take on different forms as the technologies mature, devices become more capable in form and functionality, and service providers become more innovative in their business models. It is true that m-commerce has witnessed spectacular growth across the globe. It is also encouraging that several factors are expected to accelerate the pace of adoption of m-commerce. Notable among these drivers is convergence in the voice/data industry, leaping improvements in related technology and standards, adoptive technology culture in many parts of the world, and governmental and regulatory initiatives. Despite the undisputed promise of m-commerce, there are several barriers that are slowing the pace of adoption of m-commerce. The major barriers include: (a) lack of good business models to generate revenues, (b) perception of lack of security, (c) short product lifecycle due to rapidly changing technology, (d) non-convergence of standards, (e) usability of devices, (f) limitation of bandwidth, and (g) cost. Many of the aforesaid were common to e-commerce also at its introduction and growth stage. We strongly believe it is worthwhile to investigate how e-commerce has been able to overcome these barriers so that we can incorporate some of the successful strategies to m-commerce. In our study, we will first compare and contrast e-commerce and m-commerce with respect to a set of common criteria such as: (1) hardware requirement, (2) software requirement, (3) connection or access, and (4) content. In the process, we will identify the principal barriers to the development of mcommerce as outlined in the above list.
Context-Awareness in Mobile Commerce
Authors: Sun Jun , Poole Marshall Scott
Published: May 2011

Advances in wireless network and multimedia technologies enable mobile commerce (m-commerce) information service providers to know the location and surroundings of mobile consumers through GPS-enabled and camera-embedded cell phones. Context awareness has great potential for creating new service modes and improving service quality in m-commerce. To develop and implement successful context-aware applications in m-commerce, it is critical to understand the concept of the “context” of mobile consumers and how to access and utilize contextual information in an appropriate way. This article dissects the context construct along both the behavioral and physical dimensions from the perspective of mobile consumers, developing a classification scheme for various types of consumer contexts. Based on this classification scheme, it discusses three types of context-aware applications—noninteractive mode, interactive mode and community mode—and describes newly proposed applications as examples of each.
Mobile Knowledge Management
Authors: Derballa Volker , Pousttchi Key
Published: May 2011

Whereas knowledge management (KM) has gained much attention in the field of management science and practice as the eminent source of competitive advantage (e.g., Davenport & Prusak, 1998; Drucker, 1993; Nonaka & Takeuchi, 1995; Probst, Raub, & Romhardt, 2003), one issue has been largely neglected: The aspect of mobility. Conventional solutions for knowledge management systems (KMSs) have in common that they are designed for stationary workplaces and consequently require the corresponding infrastructure—that is, personal computers and fixed-line network access. Thus, they do not cater for business processes in which workers move around in or outside the premises. The result is that knowledge support for mobile workers is often rather restricted, once a task has to be performed outside of the office.
Assessing Human Mobile Computing Performance by Fitts' Law
Authors: Thomas  , Thomas  , Alexander Schlick, Christopher , Sievert Alexander , Leyk Dieter
Published: May 2011

This chapter describes the interdependence between locomotion while walking and human input performance in mobile Human-Computer- Interaction (HCI). For the analysis of the interdependence, appropriate performance measures, for example, subjective workload ratings or error rate, have to be applied. The way in which Fitts’ law can enhance the analysis is explained. In an experiment with n=18 participants, the general indices of performance (bits per second) were measured while standing and walking with constant speed (2, 3.5, 5 km/h). Results show a significant increase of the error rate and a significant decrease of the index of performance for increased walking speed. Subsequent regression analyses allow quantitative estimation of these effects. The results show a division of the interdependence in two parts, based on the difficulty of the input task; they define threshold values for accuracy of user input. These values can be applied for the implementation and design of future Graphical User Interfaces (GUI) for mobile devices.
Introducing Mobile Government
Authors: Kuscu M. Halid , Kushchu Ibrahim , Yu Betty
Published: May 2011

This chapter introduces the mobile government concept and creates a context for discussing various applications, services, and the relevant technologies. The context presented also includes the introduction of ideas on the characteristics of mobile government and some major issues that justify the necessity of the mobile government and identify the potential that it possesses. This chapter should serve as a foundation for the discussions on the further chapters.
Database Queries in Mobile Environments
Authors: Marsit N. , Hameurlain A. , Mammeri Z. , Morvan F.
Published: May 2011

The technological evolution of networks together with the development of positioning systems has contributed to the emergence of numerous location-based services. Services related to this expanding area will become of major technical as well as economical interest in the coming few years. This aroused a great deal of interest from the scientific community at large and specifically from those studying these services and their diverse requirements and constraints. One of the direct consequences in the database field is the appearance of new types of queries (mobile queries issued from mobile terminals and/or requesting information associated with moving objects such as vehicles). Our objective in this chapter is to present a comprehensive survey of the field of research work related to mobile queries, with particular attention to the location issue.
A Taxonomy of Database Operations on Mobile Devices
Authors: Lim Say Ying , Taniar David , Srinivasan Bala
Published: May 2011

In this chapter, we present an extensive study of database operations on mobile devices which provides an understanding and direction for processing data locally on mobile devices. Generally, it is not efficient to download everything from the remote databases and display on a small screen. Also in a mobile environment, where users move when issuing queries to the servers, location has become a crucial aspect. Our taxonomy of database operations on mobile devices mainly consists of on-mobile join operations and onmobile location dependent operations. For the on-mobile join operation, we include pre- and post-processing whereas for on-mobile location dependent operations, we focus on set operations arise from location-dependent queries.
Engineering Wireless Mobile Applications
Authors: Mahmoud Qusay H. , Maamar Zakaria
Published: May 2011

Conventional desktop software applications are usually designed, built, and tested on a platform similar to the one on which they will be deployed and run. Wireless mobile application development, on the other hand, is more challenging because applications are developed on one platform (like UNIX or Windows) and deployed on a totally different platform like a cellular phone. While wireless applications can be much smaller than conventional desktop applications, developers should think in small terms of the devices on which the applications will run and the environment in which they will operate instead of the amount of code to be written. This paper presents a systematic approach to engineering wireless application and offers practical guidelines for testing them. What is unique about this approach is that it takes into account the special features of the new medium (mobile devices and wireless networks), the operational environment, and the multiplicity of user backgrounds; all of which pose new challenges to wireless application development.
Design Methodology for Mobile Information Systems
Authors: Maamar Zakaria , Mahmoud Qusay H.
Published: May 2011

Mobile information systems (MISs) are having a major impact on businesses and individuals. No longer confined to the office or home, people can use devices that they carry with them, along with wireless communication networks, to access the systems and data that they need. In many cases MISs do not just replace traditional wired information systems or even provide similar functionality. Instead, they are planned, designed, and implemented with the unique characteristics of wireless communication and mobile client use in mind. These unique characteristics feature the need for specific design and development methodologies for MISs. Design methods allow considering systems independently of the existing information technologies, and thus enable the development of lasting solutions. Among the characteristics that a MIS design method needs to consider, we cite: unrestricted mobility of persons, scarcity of mobile devices’ power-source, and frequent disconnections of these devices. The field of MISs is the result of the convergence of high-speed wireless networks and personal mobile devices. The aim of MISs is to provide the ability to compute, communicate, and collaborate anywhere, anytime. Wireless technologies for communication are the link between mobile clients and other system components. Mobile client devices include various types, for example, mobile phones, personal digital assistants, and laptops. Samples of MIS applications are mobile commerce (Andreou et al., 2002), inventory systems in which stock clerks use special-purpose mobile devices to check inventory, police systems that allow officers to access criminal databases from laptops in their patrol cars, and tracking information systems with which truck drivers can check information on their loads, destinations, and revenues using mobile phones. MISs can be used in different domains and target different categories of people. In this article, we report on the rationale of having a method for designing and developing mobile information systems. This method includes a conceptual model, a set of requirements, and different steps for developing the system. The development of a method for MISs is an appropriate response to the need of professionals in the field of MISs. Indeed, this need is motivated by the increased demand that is emerging from multiple bodies: wireless service providers, wireless equipment manufacturers, companies developing applications over wireless systems, and businesses for which MISs are offered. Besides all these bodies, high-speed wireless data services are emerging (e.g., GPRS, UMTS), requiring some sort of new expertise. A design and development method for MISs should support professionals in their work.
TCP Enhancements for Mobile Internet
Authors: Sardar Bhaskar , Saha Debashis
Published: May 2011

Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), the most popular transport layer communication protocol for the Internet, was originally designed for wired networks, where bit error rate (BER) is low and congestion is the primary cause of packet loss. Since mobile access networks are prone to substantial noncongestive losses due to high BER, host motion and handoff mechanisms, they often disturb the traffic control mechanisms in TCP. So the research literature abounds in various TCP enhancements to make it survive in the mobile Internet environment, where mobile devices face temporary and unannounced loss of network connectivity when they move. Mobility of devices causes varying, increased delays and packet losses. TCP incorrectly interprets these delays and losses as sign of network congestion and invokes unnecessary control mechanisms, causing degradation in the end-to-end goodput rate. This chapter provides an in-depth survey of various TCP enhancements which aim to redress the above issues and hence are specifically targeted for the mobile Internet applications.
Handheld Computing and Palm OS Programming for Mobile Commerce
Authors: Hu Wen-Chen , Fu Lixin , Yang Hung-Jen , Lee Sheng-Chien
Published: May 2011

It is widely acknowledged that mobile commerce is a field of enormous potential. However, it is also commonly admitted that the development in this field is constrained. There are still considerable barriers waiting to be overcome. One of the barriers is most software engineers are not familiar with handheld programming, which is the programming for handheld devices such as smart cellular phones and PDAs (personal digital assistants). This article gives a study of handheld computing to help software engineers better understand this subject. It includes three major topics: • Mobile commerce systems: The system structure includes six components: (1) mobile commerce applications, (2) mobile handheld devices, (3) mobile middleware, (4) wireless networks, (5) wired networks, and (6) host computers. • Handheld computing: It includes two kinds of computing: client- and server-side handheld computing. • Palm OS programming: The Palm OS Developer Suite is used to develop applications for palm devices by handheld programmers. This article focuses on Palm OS programming by giving a step-by-step procedure of a palm application development. Other client-side handheld computing is also discussed.
Robust Intelligent Control of Mobile Robots
Authors: Fraser Gordon , Steinbauer Gerald , Weber Jörg , Wotawa Franz
Published: May 2011

An appropriate control architecture is a crucial premise for successfully achieving truly autonomous mobile robots. The architecture should allow for a robust control of the robot in complex tasks, while it should be flexible in order to operate in different environments pursuing different tasks. This chapter presents a control framework that is able to control an autonomous robot in complex realworld tasks. The key features of the framework are a hybrid control paradigm that incorporates reactive, planning and reasoning capabilities, a flexible software architecture that enables easy adaptation to new tasks and a robust task execution that makes reaction to unforeseen changes in the task and environment possible. Finally, the framework allows for detection of internal failures in the robot and includes self-healing properties. The framework was successfully deployed in the domain of robotic soccer and service robots. The chapter presents the requirements for such a framework, how the framework tackles the problems arising from the application domains, and results obtained during the deployment of the framework.
A Mobile Intelligent Agent-Based Architecture for E-Business
Authors: Weng Zhiyong , Tran Thomas
Published: May 2011

This article proposes a mobile intelligent agentbased e-business architecture that allows buyers and sellers to perform business at remote locations. An e-business participant can generate a mobile, intelligent agent via some mobile devices (such as a personal digital assistant or mobile phone) and dispatch the agent to the Internet to do business on his/her behalf. This proposed architecture promises a number of benefits: First, it provides great convenience for traders as business can be conducted anytime and anywhere. Second, since the task of finding and negotiating with appropriate traders is handled by a mobile, intelligent agent, the user is freed from this time-consuming task. Third, this architecture addresses the problem of limited and expensive connection time for mobile devices: A trader can disconnect a mobile device from its server after generating and launching a mobile intelligent agent. Later on, the trader can reconnect and call back the agent for results, therefore minimizing the connection time. Finally, by complying with the standardization body FIPA, this flexible architecture increases the interoperability between agent systems and provides high scalability design for swiftly moving across the network.
A Database Service Discovery Model for Mobile Agents
Authors: Song Lei , Li Xining , Ni Jingbo
Published: May 2011

The number of services that will become available in distributed networks (in particular, on the Internet) is expected to grow enormously. Besides classical services such as those offered by printers, scanners, fax machines, and so on, more and more services will be available nowadays. Examples are information access via the Internet, music on demand, Web services, and services that use computational infrastructure that has been deployed within the network. Moreover, the concept of service in mobile agent systems, which will be described in this article, has come into prominence recently. The mobile agent model is a new distributed software development paradigm as compared to the traditional client-server model. Instead of calling operations on servers with some form of synchronization, the user passes on his or her goal to an agent that can migrate within the computational environment and knows how to handle it without being controlled. In brief, mobile agents are active, autonomous, intelligent objects that are able to move between locations in a so-called agent system. Mobile agents must interact with their hosts in order to use their services or to negotiate services with other agents (Song & Li, 2004). Discovering services for mobile agents comes from two considerations. First, the agents possess local knowledge of the network and have a limited functionality, since only agents of limited size and complexity can migrate efficiently in a network and have little overhead. Hence, specific services are required that aim at deploying mobile agents efficiently in the system and the network.
Databases for Mobile Applications
Authors: Shing Yip Yee , Tin Chan Lit , Wai Shiu Ka , Bose Indranil , Ping Wang , Shan Mok Wai
Published: May 2011

Owing to the rapid development of mobile technology over the past few decades, there have been many different kinds of mobile devices emerging in the market, and most of them work with databases seamlessly. Mobile phone gaming, downloading of ringtones, and e-calendaring are some of the prominent examples of mobile applications that require the close integration of mobile devices with databases. Mobile devices take various forms and configurations. The packaging, form factors, hardware platforms, operating system support, and functional capabilities vary across these devices. There are, however, many common attributes shared by the devices, such as notebook computers, pen-based computers, handheld computers, and the like, all of which are used in mobile computing. These devices can be categorized into the following categories according to their functionalities and features, as detailed in Dhawan (1997). They are: • notebook computers • personal digital assistants • tablet computers • hybrid mobile devices • mobile phones In this article, we focus on personal digital assistants (PDA) and mobile phones as they are the most popular and commonly used mobile devices in the industry.
Mobile Ad Hoc Network
Authors: Dhar Subhankar
Published: May 2011

A mobile ad hoc network (MANET) is a temporary, self-organizing network of wireless mobile nodes without the support of any existing infrastructure that may be readily available on conventional networks. It allows various devices to form a network in areas where no communication infrastructure exists. Although there are many problems and challenges that need to be solved before the large-scale deployment of an MANET, small and medium-sized MANETs can be easily deployed. The motivation and development of MANET was mainly triggered by Department of Defense (DoD)-sponsored research work for military applications (Freebersyser and Leiner, 2002). In addition, ad hoc applications for mobile and dynamic environments are also driving the growth of these networks (Illyas, 2003; Perkins, 2002; Toh, 2002). As the number of applications of wireless ad hoc networks grows, the size of the network varies greatly from a network of several mobile computers in a classroom to a network of hundreds of mobile units deployed in a battlefield, for example. The variability in the network size is also true for a particular network over the course of time; a network of a thousand nodes may be split into a number of smaller networks of a few hundred nodes or vice versa as the nodes dynamically move around a deployed area. Ad hoc networks not only have the traditional problems of wireless communications like power management, security, and bandwidth optimization, but also the lack of any fixed infrastructure, and their multihop nature poses new research problems. For example, routing, topology maintenance, location management, and device discovery, to name a few, are important problems and are still active areas of research (Wu & Stojmenovic, 2004).
The Smart Card in Mobile Communications
Authors: Dietze Claus
Published: May 2011

This chapter gives an introduction into the smart card technology and its history by outlining the role of the smart card in mobile communications systems. The role of the smart card as a key enabler for services requiring or utilizing unambiguous user-identification is outlined. These services include multimedia and high-security services such as mobile commerce or mobile banking. Smart cards containing the described mechanisms provide the user with privacy and the capabilities to use information, personalized according to his needs, in a wide-spread system with a virtually unlimited number of services. Furthermore, the capabilities of the smart card to enhance services, to secure the issuers’ revenues and to increase the usage of the services by providing a trustful platform for the user are described. Future evolutions and further developments of the smart card are illustrated, including how they pave towards new types of applications and services.
Mobile Commerce Multimedia Messaging Peer
Authors: Yow Kin Choong , Mittal Nitin
Published: May 2011

In a mobile-commerce world, shops could provide product brochures, cards, sounds, songs and so forth in the form of multimedia messaging presentations, which could be used by a customer to send to friends. Shopping malls will have information kiosks equipped with wireless access capabilities, and could perform searches across the mall’s network to update its multimedia message repository. Customers can download and distribute to their friends such multimedia content via mobile messaging, leading to increased revenue for the shops. Over the years, mobile messaging has become an essential means of communication, and it is going to be even more so with the merging of the Internet and Mobile Networks. The ability to message from a phone to a computer on the Internet and vice versa is making messaging a powerful means of communication (Yeo, Hui, Soon, & Lau, 2001). This article discusses the development of a multimedia messaging client for a personal digital assistant (PDA) and a Kiosk providing multimedia messages composition, search, share and send capabilities. Various messaging technologies, enabling wireless technologies and the peer-topeer model, are also discussed and evaluated in this article. We substantiate the ideas discussed in this article with a description of an MMS PDA client application using JXTA with specific references to a shopping mall scenario.
B-POS Secure Mobile Payment System
Authors: Grillo Antonio , Lentini Alessandro , Me Gianluigi
Published: May 2011

The B-POS (Bluetooth Point of Sale) is the prototype of a secure, mobile macropayment system. Since heterogeneous wireless network technologies such as PANs, LANs, and WANs have wellknown security weaknesses, it is mandatory to enforce security services, such as authentication, confidentiality, integrity, and non-repudiation. This article describes a Java-based macropayment system prototype featuring security and independence from an e-money third party acting as an intermediary. This system can rely on the existing financial network infrastructure (e.g., credit card, ATM networks).
Mobile Banking Systems and Technologies
Authors: Lee Cheon-Pyo , Warkentin Merrill
Published: May 2011

The last decade has witnessed the rapid growth of mobile communication devices and wireless technologies across the globe. The convergence of mobile devices and wireless technologies has not only changed the way many activities are conducted, but has also provided a foundation for a new type of technology-aided commerce called mobile commerce (m-commerce). As e-commerce’s next evolutionary stage, m-commerce opens up new business opportunities in business-to-consumer (B2C) markets in addition to extending current operations in e-commerce and traditional brick-and-mortar businesses (Varshney & Vetter, 2002). The significant power of m-commerce is primarily a result of the anytime- anywhere connectivity of wireless devices, which provides unique experiences and services (Figge, 2004; Zwass, 2003). One of the most promising and value-added m-commerce services is mobile banking (Lee, McGoldrick, Keeling, & Doherty, 2003; Mallat, Rossi, & Tuunainen, 2004). Mobile banking is the newest electronic delivery channel to be offered by banks in which technology has become an increasingly vital element, and it provides convenience and enhanced value to both banks and customers. With its clear benefits, mobile banking is now gaining rapid popularity in European and Asian countries with the significant market penetration of mobile handsets and the optimally designed marketing tactics of service providers (Suoranta & Mattila, 2004). However, mobile banking is still marginally adopted across the globe, and especially in the U.S., the growth appears much slower than anticipated (Mallat et al., 2004). In the United States, there are only a small number of banks that have actually introduced mobile banking services, and most other mobile banking efforts are in small-scale trials (Charny, 2001). Therefore, the technology which will be employed in the United States market has been of interest not only to financial institutions, but also to mobile technology developers and future users.
Exploring the Use of Mobile Data Services in Europe
Authors: Constantiou Ioanna D. , Bina Maria
Published: May 2011

Mobile data services seem a promising revenue source for the stakeholders that have heavily invested in mobile communications infrastructures. However, in the Western world those services have not reached the mass markets yet. This chapter focuses on two markets that are representative of the European socioeconomic environment, Greece and Denmark, with the aim to investigate and compare mobile data services use through the means of an online survey. We depict two user groups and observe their behaviors in both countries. The results indicate differences in locations and frequency of services use that can be attributed to specific socioeconomic characteristics. However, certain similarities exist in the experience derived from mobile data service use since users believe that services cannot cater to their specific needs. We conclude by underlining the current challenges faced by mobile service providers in order to increase mobile data services use and summarizing user groups’ characteristics.
A Mobile Portal for Academe
Authors: Lehmann Hans , Berger Stefan , Remus Ulrich
Published: May 2011

Today, many working environments and industries are considered as knowledge-intensive, that is, consulting, software, pharmaceutics, financial services, and so forth, and the share of knowledge work has risen continuously during the last decades (Wolff, 2005). Knowledge management (KM) has been introduced to overcome some of the problems knowledge workers are faced when handling knowledge, that is, the problems of storing, organizing, and distributing large amounts of knowledge and its corresponding problem of information overload and so forth (Maier, 2004). At the same time, more and more people leave (or have to leave) their fixed working environment in order to conduct their work at changing locations or while they are on the move. Mobile business tries to address these issues by providing (mobile) information and communication technologies (ICTs) to support mobile business processes (e.g., Adam, Chikova, & Hofer, 2005; Barnes, 2003; Lehmann, Jurgen Kuhn, & Lehner, 2004,). However, compared to desktop PCs, typical mobile ICT, like mobile devices such as PDAs and mobile phones, have some disadvantages, that is, limited memory and CPU, small displays and limited input capabilities, low bandwidth, and connection stability (Hansmann, Merk, Niklous, & Stober, 2001). So far, most of the off-the-shelf knowledge management systems provide just simple access from mobile devices. As KMS are generally handling a huge amount of information (e.g., documents in various formats, multimedia content, etc.), the management of the restrictions described becomes even more crucial (Berger, 2004). Based on requirements for mobile applications in KM, an example for the implementation of a mobile knowledge portal at a German university is described. The presented solution offers various services for university staff (information access, colleague finder, campus navigator, collaboration support). With the help of this system, it is possible to provide users with KM services while being on the move. With its services, it creates awareness among remote working colleagues and hence, improves knowledge sharing within an organization.
Integrating Mobile-Based Systems with Healthcare Databases
Authors: Jiao Yu , Hurson Ali , R. Potok Thomas E. , Beckerman Barbara G.
Published: May 2011

In this chapter, we discuss issues related to ehealth and focus on two major challenges in distributed healthcare database management: database heterogeneity and user mobility. We designed and prototyped a mobile-agent-based mobile data-access system framework that can address these challenges. It applies a thesaurus- based hierarchical database federation to cope with database heterogeneity and utilizes the mobile-agent technology to respond to the complications introduced by user mobility and wireless networks. The functions provided by this system are described in detail and a performance evaluation is also provided.
The Prospects of Mobile Government in Jordan
Authors: Abu-Samaha Ala M. , Samad Yara Abdel
Published: May 2011

This chapter aims to assess the viability of mobile governmental services in Jordan as a precursor to embracing mobile government as a complementing medium of communication. Reflecting on Jordan’s experience with electronic governmental services, it is evident to say that the first wave of electronic governmental services was delivered through the Web as the sole communication channel. Despite the success of a number of governmental entities to utilise such a communication channel, the penetration of the Internet in the Jordanian society is very low which dampens such limited cases of success. Currently, the e-government initiative is considering mobile phones for the future waves of its electronic service delivery on a multi-channel platform. This chapter articulates the concerns and issues surrounding the viability of mobile government in terms of availability of bandwidth and reach. The chapter will provide a number of statistics and other qualitative reviews concerning previous experiences in the Jordanian electronic government initiative.
Mobile Computing for M-Commerce
Authors: Sofokleous Anastasis , Angelides Marios C. , Schizas Christos
Published: May 2011

The ubiquitous nature of modern mobile computing has made “any information, any device, any network, anytime, anywhere” a well-known reality. Traditionally, mobile devices are smaller, and data transfer rates are much lower. However, mobile and wireless networks are becoming faster in terms of transfer rates, while mobile devices are becoming smaller, more compact, less power consuming, and, most importantly, user-friendly. As more new applications and services become available every day, the number of mobile device owners and users is increasing exponentially. Furthermore, content is targeted to user needs and preferences by making use of personal and location data. The user profile and location information is becoming increasingly a necessity. The aim of this article is to present an overview of key mobile computing concepts, in particular, those of relevance to m-commerce. The following sections discuss the challenges of mobile computing and present issues on m-commerce. Finally, this article concludes with a discussion of future trends.
Mobile Advertising
Authors: Jelassi Tawfik , Enders Albrecht
Published: May 2011

This chapter is based on research conducted in cooperation with 12Snap, the leading European mobile marketing company, which has implemented large-scale mobile advertising campaigns with companies such as McDonald’s, Nestlé, Microsoft, Coca-Cola, Adidas, and Sony. To set the overall stage, we first discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the mobile phone in comparison to other marketing media. Then we propose a framework of different types of advertising campaigns that can be supported through the usage of mobile devices. These campaign types include (1) mobile push campaigns, (2) mobile pull campaigns, and (3) mobile dialogue campaigns. Building on this framework, we analyze different campaigns that 12Snap implemented for different consumer goods and media companies. Drawing from these experiences we then discuss a number of key management issues that need to be considered when implementing mobile marketing campaigns. They include the following themes: (1) the choice of campaign type, (2) the design of a campaign, (3) the targeting of the youth market, and (4) the combination of different media types to create integrated campaigns.
From Communities to Mobile Communities of Values
Authors: McManus Patricia , Standing Craig
Published: May 2011

Edith Cowan University, Australia
Personalization and Customer Satisfaction in Mobile Commerce
Authors: Hsu HY Sonya , Kulviwat Songpol
Published: May 2011

Southern Illinois University, USA; Hofstra University, USA
Cross-Cultural Consumer Perceptions of Advertising via Mobile Devices
Authors: Haghirian Parissa , Madlberger Maria
Published: May 2011

Sophia University, Japan; Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration, Austria
Accessibility of Mobile Applications
Authors: Kamthan Pankaj
Published: May 2011

The increasing affordability of devices, advantages associated with a device always being handy while not being dependent on its location, and being able to tap into a wealth of information/ services has brought a new paradigm to mobile users. Indeed, the mobile Web promises the vision of universality: access (virtually) anywhere, at any time, on any device, and to anybody. However, with these vistas comes the realization that the users of the mobile applications and their context vary in many different ways: personal preferences, cognitive/neurological and physiological ability, age, cultural background, and variations in computing environment (device, platform, user agent) deployed. These pose a challenge to the ubiquity of mobile applications and could present obstacles to their proliferation. This chapter is organized as follows. We first provide the motivation and background necessary for later discussion. This is followed by introduction of a framework within which accessibility of mobile applications can be systematically addressed and thereby improved. This framework is based on the notions from semiotics and quality engineering, and aims to be practical. Next, challenges and directions for future research are outlined. Finally, concluding remarks are given.
User-Centered Mobile Computing
Authors: Mohamedally Dean , Zaphiris Panayiotis , Petrie Helen
Published: May 2011

Mobile computing and wireless communications continue to change the way in which we perceive our lifestyles and habits. Through an extensive literature review of state-of-the-art human-computer interaction issues in mobile computing (Mobile HCI), we examine recent pertinent case studies that attempt to provide practical mobile capabilities to users. We thus contribute to the reader a primer to the philosophy of developing mobile systems for user centred design. User centred design elicits the needs and requirements of end users. Its purpose in mobile systems is to enable useful computing and communicating experiences for diverse types of users, anywhere at anytime and on demand. We shall therefore illustrate to the reader some of the key constraints of mobile devices such as limited visuals, contextual awareness and mobility itself, and more importantly how they can be overcome through innovative design and development.
The Sociotechnical Nature of Mobile Computing Work
Authors: Sawyer Steve , Tapia Andrea
Published: May 2011

In this article we discuss the sociotechnical nature of mobile computing as used by three policing agencies within the United States. Mobile devices, access, and service was provided via a third-generation wireless network to a focal application, Pennsylvania’s Justice NETwork (JNET), a secure Web-based portal connecting authorized users to a set of 23 federated criminal justice and law enforcement databases via a query-based interface. In this study we conceptualize mobility and policing as a sociotechnical ensemble that builds on the social-shaping of technology perspective and the tradition of sociotechnical theorizing, focusing on the co-design of work practices and technologies to support work. Drawing from the social informatics tradition, we turn a critical, empirical, and contextual lens on the practices of mobility and work. Our analysis of the data leads us to observing that the social and the technical are still considered separately in the context of mobile work. This simple view of social and technical as related, but distinct, often leads to problems with collecting and interpreting evidence of ICT-based systems’ design and use. We further note that this over-simplification of sociotechnical action is likely to continue unless more viable analytic approaches are developed and the assumptions of the current techno-determinist approaches are challenged more explicitly.
Mobile Phone Use Across Cultures
Authors: Khattab Ishraga , Love Steve
Published: May 2011

Recently, the ubiquitous use of mobile phones by people from different cultures has grown enormously. For example, mobile phones are used to perform both private and business conversations. In many cases, mobile phone conversations take place in public places. In this article, we attempt to understand if cultural differences influence the way people use their mobile phones in public places. The material considered here draws on the existing literature of mobile phones, and quantitative and qualitative work carried out in the UK (as a mature mobile phone market) and the Sudan (that is part of Africa and the Middle East culture with its emerging mobile phone market). Results indicate that people in the Sudan are less likely to use their mobile phones on public transport or whilst walking down the street, in comparison to their UK counterparts. In addition, the Sudanese are more willing to switch off their mobile phones in places of worship, classes, and meetings. Implications are drawn from the study for the design of mobile phones for different cultures.
Business Model Typology for Mobile Commerce
Authors: Derballa Volker , Pousttchi Key , Turowski Klaus
Published: May 2011

Mobile technology enables enterprises to invent new business models by applying new forms of organization or offering new products and services. In order to assess these new business models, there is a need for a methodology that allows classifying mobile commerce business models according to their typical characteristics. For that purpose a business model typology is introduced. Doing so, building blocks in the form of generic business model types are identi- fied, which can be combined to create concrete business models. The business model typology presented is conceptualized as generic as possible to be generally applicable, even to business models that are not known today.
Universal Approach to Mobile Payments
Authors: Karnouskos Stamatis , Vilmos András
Published: May 2011

An old saying coming from the telecom world states that nothing can be really considered as a service unless you are able to charge for it. The last several years have seen a boom in interest in mobile commerce, mainly due to the high penetration rates of mobile phones. Furthermore, there is evident the need for a real-time, open, and trusted payment service that can be used any time, anywhere, and that can handle any transaction in any currency. Such a service would promote not only content creating activities but would empower the electronic and mobile commerce area and kick-start new innovative services. The time is right for such a mobile payment service, because the infrastructure, the business models, and other conditions that favor its existence are realistic and in place (Vilmos & Karnouskos, 2004). Up to now, we have witnessed the rise and fall of several efforts in the area, ranging from realizing simple intangible good purchases, up to interaction with real points of sale (POS) and person-to-person (P2P) transactions. Day by day, new trials are initiated, targeting different sections in the MP area; however, there is still no solution that is open and widely accepted. In this article, we first introduce the reader to the mobile payment area, present the guiding forces behind it, and subsequently examine such an open, secure mobile payment approach that has been successfully designed, implemented, and tested. Furthermore we identify some midterm future trends that we consider will be of high importance to the further development of the area.
Linking Businesses for Competitive Advantage
Authors: Quah Tong-Seng , Leow Chye-Huang
Published: May 2011

In a highly competitive business environment, every organization is trying to achieve more using fewer resources. This is particularly true in this Internet era, where many businesses are moving from “brick-and-mortar”-based operation towards having at least an Internet presence, where e-commerce is fast gaining acceptance. Recent advances in mobile agent technology promise yet another powerful tool to gain competitive advantage—to deliver cost-effective services through utilizing Internet infrastructure. Such a development helps both individuals and organizations achieve higher productivity at lower cost. In this chapter, the authors describe an intelligent mobile agent-based system that links hotels and restaurants to provide gourmet goers with a convenient way of searching for their choice restaurants. The system sends off intelligent mobile agents to automatically roam the Internet, gather the relevant information about food and services from participating restaurants, and provide the most optimized selection as suggestions to help the users make their meals decision. This greatly reduces information overload for the users. Participating business establishments also benefit, through increased business.
Security in Mobile Agent Systems
Authors: Fang Chua Fang , Radhamani G.
Published: May 2011

Agent technologies have grown rapidly in recent years as Internet usage has increased tremendously. Despite its numerous practical benefits and promises to provide an efficient way of mitigating complex distributed problems, mobile agent technology still lacks effective security measures, which severely restricts its scope of applicability. This chapter analyzes and synthesizes the different security threats and attacks that can possibly be imposed to mobile agent systems. The security solutions to resolve the problems and the research challenges in this field are presented.
Authentication, Authorisation, and Access Control in Mobile Systems
Authors: Noll Josef , Kálmán György
Published: May 2011

Converging networks and mobility raise new challenges towards the existing authentication, authorisation, and accounting (AAA) systems. Focus of the research is towards integrated solutions for seamless service access of mobile users. Interworking issues between mobile and wireless networks are the basis for detailed research on handover delay, multi-device roaming, mobile networks, security, ease-of-use, and anonymity of the user. This chapter provides an overview over the state of the art in authentication for mobile systems and suggests extending AAA mechanisms to home and community networks, taking into account security and privacy of the users.