bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Managing the Business of Web-Enabled Education and Training
Authors: Raisinghani Mahesh S. , Baker David
Published: May 2011

Studies have shown that people remember 20 percent of what they see, 40 percent of what they see and hear, and 70 percent of what they see, hear, and do. Interactive learning applications provide a multi-sensory learning environment that maximizes the way people retain information. This accelerates learning and permits novices to perform like experts while they learn new skills. Powerful authoring systems enable vast amounts of information to be compiled quickly and presented in compelling and meaningful ways. In addition, these applications are easy and inexpensive to update. With interactive multimedia, everyone sees the same information and is exposed to identical learning environments. The reliability of instruction, quality of information, and presentation of material is consistent from user to user and from session to session. This chapter discusses a framework for distance learning and distributed learning and two case studies of a web-based synchronous learning environment in two organizations with different corporate cultures. Current challenges and implications for management are discussed.
Development of a New University-Wide Course Management System
Authors: Jafari Ali
Published: May 2011

Distance learning is no longer a conceptual discussion, a buzzword, or a show-and-tell demonstration in a computer trade show. It is a multi-billion-dollar business moving its way up to the top of universities’ lists of priorities. University and college administrators are now convinced that the Web and the Internet can and will change their traditional teaching practices into a semi-virtual and virtual operation. This is the arrival of a new paradigm where students and instructors make fewer trips to campuses to receive or deliver lectures. A variety of computer tools and environments have been commercially developed and are being used to deliver distance learning content. Course management systems or course authoring tools are among the names used to refer to such software environments. Today there is a large selection of course management software packages on the market. This has created much debate over what brand of course management system a university should choose. Is WebCT better than Topclass? How does Domino Lotus compare to WebCT and BlackBoard? Many institutions have tried to compare and contrast different course management systems in order to make a decision. While some institutions have elected to use one or more off-the-shelf course management systems, others have developed their own software. The selection or development of the “right” course management system for an educational institution is probably one of the most difficult decisions that information technology administrators have to make. It is not like deciding on the selection of Netscape versus Internet Explorer or WordPerfect versus Microsoft Word. It is substantially more complicated due to the fact that a course management environment should function as an enterprise system, able to link to or include many services and resources already in place in the university. This includes student registration, course offering catalogs, computing account IDs, personal Web servers, student information systems, and library resources, as well as file servers. Failure to link with these resources will create an expensive, difficult-to-use, and resource-intensive course management environment. A well-designed course management system should include or share resources with the existing services. Many information technology administrators may not yet understand the importance of a well-designed course management system, and often they have deployed systems without understanding the conceptual framework behind them, or defining the functional and technical requirements of the university.
Forces of Change
Authors: Nasseh Bizhan
Published: May 2011

Nothing in the history of humankind has permeated every aspect of life and culture as deeply and as rapidly as have the computer technology and the global network of the Internet. Over the last 10 years there has been a vast infusion of technology into communications, business, politics, social interactions, the workplace, and personal lives. Jobs in all sectors of society are being redefined to accommodate the new importance of information technology in society (Long and Long, 1998). Technology has made possible new forms of communication: thousands of virtual communities exist where members can share thoughts and knowledge independent of culture, country, religion, ethnicity, and economic status. In the workplace it is possible to conduct business with partners and clients without a physical presence. Technology’s influence is both national and global. As for the national influence, technology is changing the personal and professional lives of people, the operations of businesses, the communication techniques of society, the priorities of families, and the entertainment industry. Within the next few years, the population, institutions, and government will accept the extensive saturation of technology into every aspect of society as a national reality. With respect to the global influence, technology is also changing a geographically divided world into a global society and economy. A global society peopled with empowered citizens who can synchronously or asynchronously discuss issues and share knowledge can also collaborate on activities and interests and solve pressing problems. Technology’s influence is also felt in the education system. Nationally, K-12 education and higher education institutions are undergoing dramatic changes, and the development of global education has created an opportunity for learners around the world to access needed resources and learning programs. The educational system now presents the possibility of learning-on-demand without limitation of time, place, resources, and physical facilities.
Diffusion of Electronic Commerce in Australia
Authors: Quaddus Mohammed A.
Published: May 2011

Diffusion is the process by which a new technology spreads in its usage among a population. This chapter analyses the diffusion process of one aspect of the consumer-to-business electronic commerce (EC) in Australia, namely Internet shopping. The chapter first reviews three popular logistics diffusion models from the literature and then applies them to the EC diffusion data. Results show that the most flexible model is not significant, while the simple diffusion model (Blackman’s) is. It was also found that the past diffusion process had been mostly influenced by the “internal” interactions between the adopters and the potential adopters of EC. Further analysis of the Blackman’s model revealed some high level policy guidelines to enhance the diffusion process further into the future. Limitations of the study and future research directions were also identified.
EDI and Small/Medium Enterprises
Authors: MacGregor R. C. , Bunker D. J.
Published: May 2011

Small/ medium enterprises (SMEs) represent a sizeable proportion of the GDP of most western economies. Not only are they the single largest employer of both skilled and unskilled labour but they make up a large proportion of the supply chain of larger enterprises. Although there is a strong advocacy for the potential of EDI to improve the performance of those firms involved in the industrial supply chain, Lee, Clark and Tar (1999) suggest that much of the improvement—which includes areas such as: improving the bottom line; working faster and better in the organisation; gaining strategic advantage; strengthening customer relations; preparing for the future in business—benefits the EDI champion rather than those coerced into EDI use. Studies (Kilbane, 1998; Tucker, 1997) have shown that noncompliance to EDI by SMEs can result in larger enterprises being ‘limited’ in their own business practices often far more than the small business’s economic contribution. A number of reasons have been put forward in the literature as to why SMEs have been slow, or indeed resistant to adopt EDI. These include high set-up costs, poor security and limited EDI partners. While clearly these are important, Harvey (1992) and Mackay (1992) suggest that when attitudes to EDI are being considered, this must be taken in the context of attitudes to IT in general. Based on the views of both Harvey (1992) and Mackay (1992), this chapter examines two studies carried out in Australia. The first study examined the attitudes of SME managers towards the acquisition of IT in their organisations. 131 small businesses were surveyed, the results suggesting small business managers considered the benefits expressed by EDI advocates (improving the bottom line; working faster and better in the organisation; gaining strategic advantage; strengthening customer relations; preparing for the future in business) as being of little consequence. Rather, their primary considerations for the adoption of IT were cost/benefit, ease of use and performance. A second study concentrated on 16 of the respondents from the first study who had adopted EDI in order to conduct business with Australia’s largest steel- making company, Broken Hill Proprietary (BHP). While the second study is, at best, a pilot, both suggest that designers and advocates alike need to examine the small business environment more closely. They need to realise that the operation of SMEs differs markedly from their larger counterparts and that small businesses’ managers are more interested in maintaining the operational level of the firm rather than attempting to gain a strategic advantage.
Information Modeling in the Internet Age - Challenges, Issues and Research Directions
Authors: Siau Keng , Rossi Matti
Published: May 2011

Despite the rapid advancement of technology in the last few decades, accurate, on-time and on-budget completion of information systems development projects is still a vision rather than a reality. The software crisis is still very much alive in the new millennium as it was in the last. The sudden popularity of Internet and electronic commerce poses a new challenge to the software engineering community. With the increasing importance of electronic commerce in the beginning of the new millennium, organizations will be competing to design and develop Web-based applications. However, existing information modeling methods might not be suitable for supporting such activities. This chapter looks at some of the challenges and issues involved in engineering methods for analysis and design of Web-based information systems. It then discusses some of the research directions for information modeling in the new millennium.
A Genre-Based Method for Information Systems Planning
Authors: Paivarinta Tero , Halttunen Viekko , Tyrvainen Pasi
Published: May 2011

Currently, corporations implement diversified computer-based information systems (IS). These include organization-scale solutions such as enterprise resource planning systems, inter-, extra-, and intranet applications, product data management, and enterprise document management systems. At the same time, the end user is ever more capable of rapidly developing and tailoring small-scale applications for groups, organizational units, and personal purposes independently (Grover, Teng, and Fiedler, 1998). Furthermore, corporations are investing in information technology infrastructures that take full advantage of global networking and business process re-engineering (Broadbent and Weill, 1997; Grover et al. 1998). The emerging types of systems are becoming necessities in many smaller companies too. For example, a successful subcontracting network may require certain systems to be used by all the partners. (Song and Nagi, 1997; Toh, Newman and Bell, 1998). Evidently, the above trends call for a holistic but dynamic organizational perspective on information systems planning1 (ISP) (Huysman, Fischer and Heng, 1994; Grover et al., 1998; Spil & Salmela, 1999).
Information Models for Document Engineering
Authors: Thom James A.
Published: May 2011

Software engineers develop an information model in the systems analysis and design process to represent the concepts, specification or implementation design of a software system (Fowler and Scott, 1997). This information model is designed using a modeling language such as the Unified Modeling Language (UML) defined by Rumbaugh, Jacobson, and Booch (1999). The software is implemented by translating the information model into code. Similarly, data engineers develop an information model in the database design process to represented the types of data to be stored in a database. This conceptual information model is typically defined using one of the semantic data modeling languages (Hull and King, 1987) such as Entity-Relationship diagrams (Chen, 1976), or NIAM conceptual schemas (Leung and Nijssen, 1988). The database is implemented by translating the information model into a database schema (defined using an implementation data model such as the relational data model or an object-oriented data model). Likewise, document engineers will develop an information model when designing the structure of a collection of documents. This information model will be implemented by translating it into a document schema. Traditional database information modeling has dealt with structured data such as that found in relational databases. However, much of the information produced using and stored in computers involves documents that do not contain data with a fixed structure - rather it is referred to as semi-structured data. The need for better modeling of documents is no more apparent than in the rapid and chaotic development over the last few years of the World Wide Web. In response to this need, various information models have been proposed to model the semi-structured data found in documents.
Audience-Driven Web Design
Authors: De Troyer Olga
Published: May 2011

Today Web-related software development seems to be faced with a crisis not unlike the one that occurred a generation ago when in the 1970s. Computer hardware experienced an order of magnitude increase in computational power. This made possible the implementation of a new class of applications larger both in size and complexity, the methods for software development available at that time were not able to scale up to such large projects. The “software crisis” was a fact with its legendary stories of delays, unreliability, maintenance bottlenecks and costs. Now we seem to be starting to deal painfully with a corresponding “web site crisis”. Over the last few years, the Internet has boomed and the World Wide Web with it. Web browsers are the basic user platform of the Internet. Because of the immense potential audience, and because publishing on the web is in principle very easy, the number of web applications has exploded. Most of the web sites are created opportunistically without prior planning or analysis. Moreover, even large mission-critical intranet projects are being started without any regard for methodology. The resulting problems of maintenance and development backlog, so well-known in “classical” information systems, can easily be predicted and will happen on a much larger scale. Because web sites are almost by definition required to adapt and grow, and have to interact with other sites and systems unknown at the moment of creation, these problems will also be much more complex and severe. In addition to the predictable maintenance and development problems, a new problem unknown in classical information systems has emerged: competition for the user’s attention. Especially for commercial web sites it is important to hold the interest of the user and to keep them coming back to the site. If for some reason visitors are not satisfied with the site or cannot find (fast enough) the information they are looking for, there is a high chance that they will leave the site and not return. Much more than in “classical” software systems, the usability of web applications are primordial for their success.
The Irish Experience with Disaster Recovery Planning
Authors: Adam Frederic , Haslam Joseph A.
Published: May 2011

In order to determine the extent to which IS managers and other managers are treating disaster recovery planning as a serious issue, an empirical study was carried out which aimed at determining whether Irish managers were aware of the threats facing their organizations and at measuring the extent of planning that they undertake as a result. The study found that, although well aware of the potential disasters, Irish managers are often complacent with IT matters.
Telecommuting and the Legal Aspects
Authors: Smith Ian T.
Published: May 2011

This chapter discusses teleworking/telecommuting from a legal perspective, as applied to the management of teleworkers. The main issues covered are the definition of teleworking, employment relationships and employment contracts for telecommuting, health and safety implications of teleworking, and other legal-related considerations to be taken. Lastly, implications are discussed for both the management of organizations and the legal establishment. This chapter examines teleworking from a legal point of view. Although it was written from a European (in particular, British) perspective, we have tried to use material with relevance extending beyond the boundaries of one specific country, and the arguments are intended and expected to apply to a much wider audience and circumstances.
On Knowledge Management in the Internet Age
Authors: Schwartz David G. , Divitini Monica , Brasethvik Terje
Published: May 2011

Knowledge management in general, and Internet-based knowledge management in particular, is one of the foremost strategic directions being investigated and adopted by corporations today. The promises of better decision making, faster turnaround times, improved organizational communication, and higher levels of cooperation and interaction among personnel, have all combined to create a holy grail kind of aura. Yet, like the grail the goals here are elusive, and the road to reaching them is long and fraught with pitfalls. Each of us, as individuals, performs a variety of functions that can be termed knowledge management. We remember things: names, numbers, experiences, and procedures. We know how to do things such as ride a bike; bake a cake; calculate a derivative; fix a flat tire. We know where to find information that we don’t remember on our own: we write things down; file them; enter them in a PDA. Some of us do it better, some of us are chronically disorganized, but at the end of the day each of us is performing his or her own knowledge management function.
The Challenge for Customer Service
Authors: Saward Guy
Published: May 2011

It is a truism that customer service is the key to business success. It is particularly true given competition and new business practices lead customers to want products that are “free, perfect, now” (El Sawy et al., 1998). The trend in UK customer service, led by the U.S., is for service delivery via Call Centres to be deflected towards the Internet. Providing the knowledge to support this (O’Leary, 1998), along with relationship management (Duke et al., 1999) is a key application area for knowledge management (KM). However, the research into KM for effective customer service is minimal. What is clear is that publishing information on an intranet, extranet, or Internet does not constitute effective customer support. This chapter takes a case study approach to exploring knowledge management for customer service. The key problem we are working towards solving is how best to deploy knowledge via distributed information systems. The case study is derived from the author’s involvement in a project for a financial institution (referred to as AFI throughout). It describes a particular approach to managing knowledge that combines elements from information retrieval (IR) with KM. A key part of this is the evaluation of alternative interfaces that take different approaches to the presentation of search results.
The Challenges of Interorganizational Management
Authors: McKay Judy , Marshall Peter
Published: May 2011

Contemporary business environments and trends for the future suggest that successful organizations of the future must not only be efficient, effective, competent, and competitive within any specific domain or marketplace, but that they must most importantly be flexible and adaptable, able to respond appropriately to change and turbulence in their environmental context. Thus, the challenge for managers would seem at least twofold. Managers must devise structures and strategies for their organizations that enable such flexibility and adaptability to be nurtured to ensure survival. Furthermore, it would seem that managers need to facilitate organisational learning, and thus must actively manage and capitalize on the organisation’s information and knowledge resources. The virtual organization is posited as an ideal organisational form for prospering in contemporary business environments which are characterised by turbulent change, uncertainty, intense competition, and the globalization of business and its markets (Wigand et al., 1997). The virtual organisation ideal is characterised by a number of significant components, such as:
The Application of IT for Competitive Advantage at Keane, Inc.
Authors: Andrews Mark R. , Papp Raymond
Published: May 2011

The Keane Company, founded in 1965 by John F. Keane, has grown from a local software service company into a national firm which has three operating divisions and over 45 branches throughout the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Within these operating divisions are multitudes of consulting opportunities, ranging from supplemental staffing, project management and application outsourcing. This case will focus on Keane’s approach to Project Management and how they provide this service to their clients. This includes not only how Keane is hired for Project Management but how they train their clients on how they too can implement the Keane philosophy of Productivity Management. Instead of focusing on any one client of Keane, their overall technology strategy will be highlighted, from their early days through the present to illustrate how Keane has successfully incorporated information technology and Project Management to become a major player in the software service and consulting field. The goal of this case is to provide the student with an example of business-technology strategy in action and allow them to explore future paths that Keane may take based on how they use technology today and in the decade to come. Several discussion questions are included which focus on Keane’s IT strategies and their implementation. These questions can be used to stimulate class discussion or given as written assignments to be handed in.
From Pilot to Practice
Authors: Gebauer Judith , Farber Frank
Published: May 2011

In this case study we report on how Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) is utilizing emerging technologies to support engineering and procurement processes. In the context of a major construction project, the National Ignition Facility (NIF), scope, complexity, and tight budget and time restrictions required streamlined business operations and improved collaboration between engineering and procurement. In order to establish a unified information technology (IT) architecture, LLNL is integrating formerly isolated systems and enhancing them through internal development as well as commercial products. The result is highly customized to LLNL’s needs and allows the Lab to meet the requirements of NIF-related engineering and procurement processes in terms of cost, time, quality and complexity. The project also serves as a test bed for a lab-wide, integrated IT infrastructure. This case study is a follow-up to Gebauer and Schad (1999).
Deploying Distributed Computing
Authors: Sawyer Steve , Gibbons William
Published: May 2011

This teaching case describes the efforts of one department in a large organization to migrate from an internally developed, mainframe-based, computing system to a system based on purchased software running on a client/server architecture. The case highlights issues with large scale software implementations such as those demanded by enterprise resource package (ERP) installations. Often, the ERP selected by an organization does not have all the required functionality. This demands purchasing and installing additional packages (known colloquially as “bolt-ons”) to provide the needed functionality. These implementations lead to issues regarding oversight of the technical architecture, both project and technology governance, and user department capability for managing the installation of new systems.
Learning Technology Management While Teaching Technology Management
Authors: Brennan Linda L. , Johnson Victoria E.
Published: May 2011

This case study presents an evaluation pilot of a technology-enabled service, specifically a distance learning program at a university. The primary intent of the case is to illustrate the management of a trial evaluation of an information technology and the need for explicit criteria considering multiple technical and organizational factors. The secondary purpose of the case is to share the learning specific to the administration and delivery of a distance learning program using various media. The distance learning program was conducted on a trial basis with 16 students in a 13-course, 18-month Master of Science in Technology Management (MSTM) program. Compressed video and Internet-based technologies were used for course delivery, in addition to limited on-site instruction. The case study describes the motivation and progression of the trial, up to the point when a decision had to be made about continuing the program beyond the trial. The experience is considered from multiple perspectives, specifically those of the school administration, faculty, and students. Positive and negative aspects are highlighted to lay the groundwork for analysis at the decision point.
Strategic Information Systems for Competitive Advantage
Authors: Griffiths Gareth , Hackney Ray
Published: May 2011

This chapter describes three critically important features for the planning, sustainability and implementation of strategic information systems (SIS). The literature identifies a consistent lack of success by organisations in achieving business benefits from their SIS investments and in particular the difficulties of obtaining a sustained competitive advantage over rivals. There appears to be little evidence that this record has improved as organisations increasingly rely on SIS to support their business strategy. The chapter focuses upon the need for appropriate SIS planning, the role of unique, causally ambiguous ‘isolating mechanisms’ in order to sustain SIS-derived competitive advantages and concludes by summarising the implementation factors deemed to be of real practical importance for the success of large-scale SIS projects based upon recent empirical research. The high failure rate of SIS applications in business is deemed to be largely of a managerial rather than a technical causation (Earl, 1989;Burn, 1993; Galliers et al., 1994;Barnett and Burgelman, 1996; Powell and Dent-Micallef 1997; Willcocks and Lester 1999; Watson et al., 2000). This chapter identifies and considers three components which are critical in this respect to enable an IT strategy fusion with the rest of the business (Papp, 1998).
INTECoM
Authors: Atkins Clare
Published: May 2011

An important contributor to the success of any complex database development is the comprehensive and accurate capture and recording of the users’ information requirements. Indeed, both the technical and economic success of the system under development is likely to rest largely on the quality of the data structure design and the information requirement analysis on which it is based. The data models, which represent the results of the analysis and design activities necessary to achieve this quality outcome, are therefore critical components of the database development process. Nevertheless, research suggests that this modeling is not always done well and in some cases is not done at all (e.g., Hitchman, 1995). However, implicit in the creation of a database is the design of a data model, and thus the only optional feature is the level of formality that has been followed in its development (Simsion, 1994). Since the publication of Chen’s (1976) original description of an Entity-relationship (E-R) model, a significant amount of academic research into data modeling has concentrated on providing ever richer, more complex and more formal models with which to better represent reality (Hirschheim, Klein & Lyytinen, 1995). In addition, researchers and practitioners have also recognized the importance of data models as a means of communication. However, little attention has been given to examining the appropriateness of various modeling techniques to the very different requirements of the analysis and design activities that they support, although matching tools to activities would seem to be an essential prerequisite for success. The INTECoM framework, described in this chapter, was developed to emphasize and better serve the differing nature of these activities, and also to improve access for all users to both the process and the outcome of data modeling. The framework was initially instantiated with two widely used data modeling techniques, the NIAM-CSDP (Natural Language Information Analysis-Conceptual Schema Design Procedure) and the Entity-Relationship (E-R) approach. This instantiation was chosen primarily because the two techniques represent significantly different ways of working (Bronts, Brouwer, Martens & Proper, 1995) towards the construction of a relational database. This is not to suggest that other instantiations are not possible or desirable, particularly where the target DBMS is of a different paradigm.
Inclusion Dependencies
Authors: Rivero Laura C. , Doorn Jorge H. , Ferraggine Viviana E.
Published: May 2011

The evaluation of conceptual schemes of actual databases may result in the discovery of inclusion dependencies. An inclusion dependency is defined as the existence of attributes in a table whose values must be a subset of the values of attributes in another table. When the latter set conforms a key for its table, the inclusion dependency is key-based. Key-based inclusion dependencies are fully enforced by most current database systems. On the contrary, if the second set is not the key of the relation, the inclusion dependency is non-key-based. This kind of inclusion dependency is completely disregarded by actual systems, obliging the users to manage them via special-case code or triggers. This implies an excessive effort to maintain integrity and develop applications, among other inconveniences. The chapter goal is to give a heuristics to redesign the conceptual schema. This is based on the identification of hidden business rules and the conversion of non-key inclusion dependencies into key-based ones.
Integrating the Balanced Scorecard and Software Measurement Frameworks
Authors: Eickelmann Nancy
Published: May 2011

This chapter describes the integration of the Capability Maturity Model (CMM) and ISO-9126 software measurement frameworks with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Independent Verification and Validation Facility (NASA IV&V). Balanced Scorecard IV&V is a unique aspect of software development practice as it provides a service of independent and objective lifecycle evaluation of the software product and processes used for development. To accomplish this rigorous task a sophisticated measurement program is desirable. This chapter describes the application and integration of strategic measurement (BSC) with organizational measurement (CMM) and product measurement (ISO-9126). The CMM is a measurement model of ordinal ranking of an organization’s software process variability and repeatability. As an organization’s process becomes more mature it may traverse the scale from a level one to a level five organization. The CMM provides a basis for collecting accurate and timely measures of process performance. The international standard ISO/IEC-9126 focuses on information technology and software product evaluation through measurement of software quality characteristics. The development of a core set of metrics for implementing the Balanced Scorecard is the most difficult aspect of the approach. Developing metrics that create the necessary linkages of the operational directives with the strategic mission prove to be fundamentally difficult as it is typical to view organizational performance in terms of outcomes or results. The metrics must address performance drivers or the measures that provide feedback concerning day to day progress.
Intelligent Software Agents in Electronic Commerce
Authors: Raisinghani Mahesh S. , Klassen Christopher , Schkade Lawrence L.
Published: May 2011

Although there is no firm consensus on what constitutes an intelligent agent (or software agent), an intelligent agent, when a new task is delegated by the user, should determine precisely what its goal is, evaluate how the goal can be reached in an effective manner, and perform the necessary actions by learning from past experience and responding to unforeseen situations with its adaptive, self-starting, and temporal continuous reasoning strategies. It needs to be not only cooperative and mobile in order to perform its tasks by interacting with other agents but also reactive and autonomous to sense the status quo and act independently to make progress towards its goals (Baek et al., 1999; Wang, 1999). Software agents are goal-directed and possess abilities such as autonomy, collaborative behavior, and inferential capability. Intelligent agents can take different forms, but an intelligent agent can initiate and make decisions without human intervention and have the capability to infer appropriate high-level goals from user actions and requests and take actions to achieve these goals (Huang, 1999; Nardi et al., 1998; Wang, 1999). The intelligent software agent is a computational entity than can adapt to the environment, making it capable of interacting with other agents and transporting itself across different systems in a network.
Knowledge Engineering in Adaptive Interface and User Modeling
Authors: Chen Qiyang , Norcio A. F.
Published: May 2011

This chapter presents the issues of user modeling and its role in adaptive human-computer interface (HCI). Particularly, it focuses on knowledge acquisition and representation in user modeling. Several related problems in the traditional user modeling systems are also identified and discussed.
Structure- and Content-Based Retrieval for XML Documents
Authors: Chang Jae Woo , Jin Du-Seok
Published: May 2011

As the number of XML documents is dramatically increasing, it is necessary to develop an XML document retrieval system that can support both structure-based retrieval and content-based retrieval. In order to support the structure-based retrieval, we design four efficient index structures, i.e., keyword, structure, element and attribute index, by indexing XML documents based on a basic element unit. In order to support the content-based retrieval, we design a high-dimensional index structure based on the X-tree so as to store and retrieve both color and shape feature vectors efficiently. Finally, we do the performance evaluation of our XML document retrieval system in terms of system efficiency, such as retrieval time, insertion time, and storage overhead, as well as system effectiveness, such as recall and precision measures.
Supporting Object Oriented Modeling Techniques
Authors: Dahanayake Ajantha
Published: May 2011

This chapter focuses on exploring the capability of the CAME environment, to support a problem area that requires a design approach that uses the modeling techniques of an object oriented method. The problem presented lies in the design and development of a computerized automobile map system using the modeling techniques prescribed by the OMT method (Rumbaugh et al., 1990). As this problem area requires an object modeling technique, the need to advocate UML was not necessary. The case study is concerned with the introduction of computerized display systems in automobiles, and one of the potential applications for these systems is automated map display. The map system should provide access to a collection of maps for a region. Within this region, the maps should show cities, towns, and the routes between them. The maps should also display restaurants, hotels, and other points of interest to travelers. Within large cities, enough roads will be shown to give an efficient route between any two points. The system should automate as much of the access and displaying of the maps as possible. Simple function buttons will be provided to allow the user to zoom in or out, or pan across the map in any direction. The system should control display clutter automatically by showing only the most important features at the selected zoom level. In the default mode, a region surrounding the cars’ current position will be shown, and the display should scroll automatically to reveal new map features as the car moves. The automobile’s position will be determined using a global positioning device that computes position based on satellite signals. The above outlines the functionality required from a computerized automobile map system.
Managing Value-Creation in the Digital Economy
Authors: McIntosh John C. , Siau Keng
Published: May 2011

This research seeks to advance understanding of information as a source of value creation in the digital economy. It therefore focuses on the nature of information itself as a resource, the effective management of which may be used to create products and services of economic value. Implicit in this assertion is the belief that the mere possession of information technology is a necessary but not sufficient condition. Hence, we focus not on the management of information technology, but on the ways that different types of information may be used to create value. The reader should note that our use of the term “products” refers to both tangible and intangible offerings. The convergence of information, physical products and services is becoming a particularly powerful driver of value creation in the form of fusion products that embody all three elements (Berryman et al., 1988; Goldman et al., 1995). Toward this end we develop a classification of information types based on the rate at which information changes and the degree to which information can be combined with other types of information to create value. We then use the classification scheme to describe the types of information that underpin four Internet business models. The reader should note that we do not purport to describe all extant business models. The Internet is a technologically dynamic, fast changing environment. It is virtually a certainty that other models will arise.
Intelligent Networks
Authors: Brennan Rob , Jennings Brendan , McArdle Conor , Curran Thomas
Published: May 2011

Many see the Intelligent Network (IN), which is today the prevalent means of providing services based on manipulation of voice call setup, as a starting point for the service delivery platform of the future. In this chapter we outline the basic elements of the IN as it exists today. We then discuss some of the technical and commercial limitations that are currently driving the development of IN. The following three sections summarize Internet/information technology and PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) integration standardization work carried out by the IETF (PINT/SPIRITS), the Parlay consortium (Parlay) and the OMG (IN/CORBA Interworking) respectively. The final two sections identify important common trends in the development of IN and some issues for which immediate solutions are not apparent.
Virtual Private Networks
Authors: Pickett Lance , Lassila Kathy S.
Published: May 2011

VPN development has been driven by the rapid growth of Internet access, the critical mass of companies with a Web presence or conducting some form of e-commerce over the Internet, and the great concern for saving money. The objectives of this chapter are to provide a brief background on the development and technology of VPNs, describe several current VPN implementations and their impacts, and discuss key management issues surrounding the adoption and implementation of VPNs.
The Evolution of Web Marketing Practice
Authors: Roldan Malu
Published: May 2011

This chapter reviews the current state of Web marketing practice and presents a framework on the relationships among Web technology capabilities, marketing approach and customer orientation. We present a discussion of how Web technology capabilities — such as data, network reach, traceable traffic, portability, interactivity, and high-bandwidth transmission — enable different marketing approaches – specifically, matching, branding, customer experience, and viral marketing. The viability of these approaches is determined by how well they match the orientations of target customers – be it recreational, experiential, convenience, or economic. Propositions regarding the interaction between current practices and shopper orientations are presented as a basis for determining effective Web marketing practices.
4I
Authors: Pazgal Amit , Sikka Sandeep
Published: May 2011

New technologies require new paradigms and a fresh perspective in analyzing and comprehending their implications. Computer networks, the Internet and the World Wide Web (WWW) in particular have already revolutionized many business practices. The satisfactory application of traditional marketing models to the analysis of online marketing practices is difficult at best. Thus, this chapter offers a new and an intuitive conceptual framework for analyzing, interpreting and managing the marketing process in a connected world. Specifically, we propose a model consisting of four crucial aspects: Intensity, Integration, Interaction, and Identification (4I). Each of these four aspects should be carefully analyzed according to prespecified guidelines to ensure the success of any on-line business. The chapter describes characteristics that will be intrinsic to marketing in the future connected world. We investigate the reasons underlying these characteristics. We suggest a detailed procedure for managing these future attributes using the 4I model. In the process of doing so, we also compare and contrast our model to traditional marketing models and demonstrate its superiority.
Exploring Consumers' Willingness to Contribute to Internet Web Sites
Authors: Dellaert Benedict G.C.
Published: May 2011

One of the most interesting opportunities when introducing e-commerce in producer consumer networks is that the new information technology structure may be used to empower consumers to be more active participants in the economic value creation process (e.g., Hoffman and Novak, 1996; Alba et al., 1997). Consumers may for example create their own personalized version of a Web site or services, or communicate with other consumers about products they have bought. Many Internet-based firms have recognized the potential benefits of these opportunities and are encouraging consumers to make contributions to their Web sites. Some examples of Web sites encouraging various types of consumer contributions are presented in Table 1. Allowing consumers to contribute more actively to different stages of the supply chain can create three main types of economic benefits. First, consumers can assist producers in achieving lower production costs and creating higher consumption utility for the consumer’s own benefit (e.g., by lowering transaction costs or by allowing producers to make more customized products). Secondly, they can also assist producers in generating similar benefits for other consumers. Thirdly, the Internet can be a vehicle through which consumers can generate additional value for each other, directly and without business intermediation (e.g., by providing suggestions for new product designs or by sharing information about past consumption experiences).
Comparing Consumer Purchase Behavior on the Internet and in Brick-and-Mortar Stores
Authors: Zhang Jie
Published: May 2011

A research area that has gained interest of marketing researchers in recent years is the comparison of consumer behavior on the Internet and traditional brick-and-mortar stores. We offer an overview of the recent developments in this research area and summarize the key findings along two dimensions: 1) factors that may cause behavioral differences in the two types of shopping environments; and 2) patterns of behavioral differences identified in the literature. We also outline our own recent work as an example to illustrate how this stream of research can help improve marketing strategies and tactics on the Internet. Directions for future research are discussed in the last section.
Success in Business-to-Business E-Commerce
Authors: Ratnasingham Pauline
Published: May 2011

The growth of business-to-business e-commerce has highlighted the importance of computer and communications technologies and trading partner trust for the development and maintenance of business relationships. Cisco Systems Incorporation, an international company, is now the second largest company in the world, behind Microsoft. Its solid financial performance is partly due to its early focus on the Internet as a channel to cut administrative costs, and boost customer service satisfaction. Cisco International provides end-to-end networking solutions which customers use to build a unified information infrastructure of their own, or to connect to someone else’s network. The end-to-end networking solutions provide a common architecture that delivers consistent network services to all users (Cisco Fact Sheet, 2000). Cisco network solutions connect people, computing devices and computer networks, allowing trading partners to access or transfer information without regard to differences in time, place or type of computer systems. By using networked applications over the Internet on its own internal networks, Cisco globally is gaining contributions of at least NZ$825 million a year in operating cost savings and revenue enhancements (Cisco Newsroom, 2001).
Enabling Electronic Medicine at Kiwicare
Authors: Al Qirim Nabeel
Published: May 2011

Telemedicine emerges as a viable solution to New Zealand health providers in reaching out to rural patients, in offering medical services and conducting administrative meetings and training. No research exists about adoption of telemedicine in New Zealand. The purpose of this case study was to explain factors influencing adoption of telemedicine utilizing video conferencing technology (TMVC) within a New Zealand hospital known as KiwiCare. Since TMVC is part of IT, tackling it from within technological innovation literature may assist in providing an insight into its adoption within KiwiCare and into the literature. Findings indicate weak presence of critical assessment into technological innovation factors prior to the adoption decision, thereby leading to its weak utilization. Factors like complexity, compatibility and trialability were not assessed extensively by KiwiCare and would have hindered TMVC adoption. TMVC was mainly assessed according to its relative advantage and to its cost effectiveness along with other facilitating and accelerating factors. This is essential but should be alongside technological and other influencing factors highlighted in the literature.