bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Performance of Mobility Protocols
Authors: Zeadally Sherali , Siddiqui Farhan
Published: May 2011

In mobile computing environments; the goal is to provide continuous connectivity as a mobile host moves from one network to another – often referred to as terminal mobility. All the needed reconnection occurs automatically and non-interactively (Handley at al.; 1999). Terminal mobility can be achieved by exploiting mobile IP (Perkins; 1998) to provide mobile users the convenience of seamless roaming. Another major requirement for full mobility support is the need of an architecture that enables automatic discovery of the user location which changes with mobility of the user – a feature often referred as personal mobility. New application-layer protocols such as SIP (Handley et al.; 1999) can be used to provide this personal mobility.
Seamless Multi-Hop Handover in IPv6-Based Hybrid Wireless Networks
Authors: Li Tonghong
Published: May 2011

Mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) are becoming popular due to the abundance of mobile devices, the speed and the convenience of deployment, and the independence of network infrastructure (Chin, 2002; Royer, 1999). It is desired that MANETs be interconnected to fixed IP networks so that the Internet services can be offered to MANET nodes. In such scenarios, commonly known as hybrid ad hoc networks, mobile nodes (MNs) are viewed as an easily deployable extension to the existing infrastructure. Gateways (GWs) are installed, which can be used by MNs to communicate with nodes in the fixed network.
Session Initiation Protocol
Authors: Basicevic Ilija , Popovic Miroslav
Published: May 2011

With the appearance of the Internet as an important communications medium for widespread everyday use, which can be dated to the mid 90s, a need to establish a signalization protocol for multimedia communications was recognized. There were two major proposals: SIP by the Internet community, and H.323 by ITU-T.
Software Modernization of Legacy Systems for Web Services Interoperability
Authors: Chiang Chia-Chu
Published: May 2011

Software maintenance is an inevitable process due to program evolution (Lehman & Belady, 1985). Adaptive maintenance (Schenidewind, 1987) is an activity used to adapt software to new environments or new requirements due to the evolving needs of new platforms, new operating systems, new software, and evolving business requirements. For example, companies have been adapting their legacy systems to Web-enabling environments of doing business that could not have been imagined even a decade ago (Khosrow-Pour & Herman, 2001; Werthner & Ricci, 2004).
Towards Autonomic Infrastructures via Mobile Agents and Active Networks
Authors: Karnouskos Stamatis
Published: May 2011

As we move towards service-oriented complex infrastructures, what is needed, security, robustness, and intelligence distributed within the network. Modern systems are too complicated to be centrally administered; therefore, the need for approaches that provide autonomic characteristics and are able to be self sustained is evident. We present here one approach towards this goal, i.e., how we can build dynamic infrastructures based on mobile agents (MA) and active networks (AN). Both concepts share common ground at the architectural level, which makes it interesting to use a mix of them to provide a more sophisticated framework for building dynamic systems. We argue that by using this combination, more autonomous systems can be built that can effectively possess at least at some level of self-* features, such as self-management, self-healing, etc., which, in conjunction with cooperation capabilities, will lead to the deployment of dynamic infrastructures that autonomously identify and adapt to external/internal events. As an example, the implementation of an autonomous network-based security service is analyzed, which proves that denial of service attacks can be managed by the network itself intelligently and in an autonomic fashion.
Web Services
Authors: Curran Kevin , O’Kane Padraig
Published: May 2011

The term “Web services” was initially employed by Bill Gates, chairman of Microsoft, at the Microsoft Professional Developers Conference in Orlando, Florida on July 12, 2000. Fundamentally, the term refers to automated resources accessed via an Internet URL. However, a more comprehensive definition is that of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)1, which declare Web services as “providing a standard means of interoperating between different software applications, running on a variety of platforms and/or frameworks.” An Internet connection allows retrieval of software-powered resources or functional components and is therefore regarded as an extension of the World Wide Web infrastructure. Web services represent the evolution of a human-oriented utilization of the Web to a technology that is application driven. It attempts to replace human-centric searches for information with searches that are primarily application based (Staab, 2003).
Evaluating the Potential of Free and Open Source Software in the Developing World
Authors: van Reijswoud Victor
Published: May 2011

Development organizations and international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have been emphasizing the high potential of free and open source software (FOSS) for the less developed countries (LDCs). Cost reduction, less vendor dependency, and increased potential for local capacity development have been their main arguments. In spite of its advantages, FOSS is not widely adopted on the African continent. In this chapter the experiences of one of the largest FOSS migrations in Africa is evaluated. The purpose of the evaluation is to make an on-the-ground assessment of the claims about the development potential of FOSS and draw up a research agenda for a FOSS community concerned with the LDCs.
Patchwork Prototyping with Open Source Software
Authors: Jones M. Cameron
Published: May 2011

This chapter explores the concept of patchwork prototyping: the combining of open source software applications to rapidly create a rudimentary but fully functional prototype that can be used and hence evaluated in real-life situations. The use of a working prototype enables the capture of more realistic and informed requirements than traditional methods that rely on users trying to imagine how they might use the envisaged system in their work, and even more problematic, how that system in use may change how they work. Experiences with the use of the method in the development of two different collaborative applications are described. Patchwork prototyping is compared and contrasted with other prototyping methods including paper prototyping and the use of commercial off-the-shelf software.
An Agile Perspective on Open Source Software Engineering
Authors: Sahraoui Sofiane
Published: May 2011

Open source software (OSS) development has been a trend parallel to that of agile software development, which is the highly iterative development model following conventional software engineering principles. Striking similarities exist between the two development processes as they seem to follow the same generic phases of software development. Both modes of development have less emphasis on planning and design and a more prominent role for implementation during the software engineering process. This chapter expounds on this connection by adopting an agile perspective on OSS development to emphasize the similarities and dissimilarities between the two models. An attempt is first made to show how OSS development fits into the generic agile development framework. Then, the chapter demonstrates how the development process of Mozilla and Apache as two of the most famous OSS projects can be recast within this framework. The similarity discussed and illustrated between agile and OSS development modes is rather limited to the mechanics of the development processes and do not include the philosophies and motivations behind development.
Evaluation of a Migration to Open Source Software
Authors: Rossi Bruno , Russo Barbara , Succi Giancarlo
Published: May 2011

The chapter discusses the adoption and assimilation process of open source software as a new form of information technology. Specifically, the case reports a general positive attitude towards the widely used technology, the OpenOffice.org suite for office automation. Nevertheless, it shows the difficulties of the first early adopters to lead the innovation process and push other users. Different usage patterns, interoperability issues, and, in general, the reduction in personal productivity typical of the early phases of adoption are also remarked. The aim of this chapter is to give the reader an overview of the adoption process by means of the analysis of quantitative and qualitative data gathered during real world experimentation, and to shed some light on how empirical data can corroborate or challenge the existing literature about open source software and technology adoption.
Revenue Models in the Open Source Software Business
Authors: Rajala Risto , Nissilä Jussi
Published: May 2011

Profit-oriented business behavior has increased within the open source software movement. However, it has proved to be a challenging and complex issue due to the fact that open source software (OSS) business models are based on software that typically is freely distributed or accessed by any interested party, usually free of charge. It should be noted, however, that like all traditional software businesses, the business models based on OSS ultimately aim at generating profits. The aim of this chapter is to explore the key considerations in designing profitable revenue models for businesses based on OSS. We approach the issue through two business cases: Red Hat and MySQL, both of which illustrate the complexity and heterogeneity of solutions and options in the field of OSS. We focus on the managerial implications derived from the cases, discussing how different business model elements should be managed when doing business with OSS.
Ambassadorial Leadership and E-Collaborative Teams
Authors: Reilly Richard R. , Ryan Michael R.
Published: May 2011

If differences between virtual and traditional teams are bounded by the use of technology (Arnison & Miller, 2002; Griffith, Sawyer, & Neale, 2003), then virtual teams must not be considered a new phenomenon. What have changed are the tools which affect the breadth and depth of virtual teams. A global change in core communication technologies has occurred in the last 2 decades. Primary communication in the 1980s included letters, memos, telephone (one to one), and face-to-face meetings placing constraints on infrastructures supporting virtual teams; today’s communication is based on technologies that transcend the physical constraints of the past but impose new and significant challenges in the interpersonal relationships.
Blogging Technology and its Support for E-Collaboration
Authors: Dennen Vanessa Paz , Pashnyak Tatyana G.
Published: May 2011

Weblogs, commonly known as “blogs,” are Web sites that feature a series of dated posts appearing in reverse chronological order. They may be authored by individuals, groups, or organizations, and may be used to share writing and Web-based media of any kind. Although there is nothing inherent in the basic technology behind blogs specifically to facilitate community, as with many other technological media, blogs have been used to support e-collaboration and have become known as a form of Web-based discourse (Fleishman, 2002). This article discusses how blogs and their various enabling tools and technologies can be used to foster and maintain e-collaboration.
Collaboration Engineering for Designing Self-Directed Group Efforts
Authors: de Vreede Gert-Jan , Briggs Robert O. , Kolfschoten Gwendolyn L.
Published: May 2011

Collaboration engineering is defined as an approach to designing collaborative work practices for highvalue recurring tasks, and deploying those designs for practitioners to execute for themselves without ongoing support from professional facilitators (Briggs, Kolfschoten, Vreede, & Dean, 2006; Briggs, Vreede, & Nunamaker, 2003; Vreede & Briggs, 2005). To enable the transition of collaboration support skills and their application by practitioners we need to be able to design easy to use, robust collaboration support, both in terms of process support and technology support. Collaboration Engineering research therefore addresses both a design and deployment challenge, that when overcome enable more sustained implementation of collaboration support. In this article, we will further explain the collaboration engineering approach; the challenge it addresses, the details of the approach and the research challenges it poses.
Collaborative Writing in E-Learning Environments
Authors: Santos Neide , Santoro Flávia Maria , Borges Marcos R.S.
Published: May 2011

In this article, we review the main concepts, theories and supporting tools for collaborative writing and present and discuss our tool called EdiTex. Editex supports the following activities involved in coauthoring Edition, Perception, Coordination, Interaction, and Storage. A text has an author and an identification number, besides it is composed of fragments, which can be paragraphs, phrases, sections, chapters, and these comments can be associated to each fragment. We assessed EdiTex in two case studies and the results point out that it helped the students in the task of writing an essay collaboratively. Even so, the general results showed that group composition, task nature, context and infrastructure for communication are key points for successful collaboration in groupware. In all case studies, the tasks performed were similar; all of them involving the collective production of short texts, despite the work processes have been different. The groups’ members had similar academic formation, and anyway, we observed great differences in work dynamics. Individual characteristics have strong influence; therefore the environments must stimulate, as well as exploit individualities for the success of the work.
Consequences of IM on Presence Awareness and Interruptions
Authors: Carmona Jesus
Published: May 2011

This article studies IM’s effects on interruptions and presence awareness, as well as the effect presence awareness has on interruptions. For the statistical analysis a subset of 111 elements of the February 2004 PEW Internet and American Life surveys dataset was used as a sample. PLS Graph software was used to create the structural model and test the relationships between the constructs Interruptions (INT), Presence Awareness (AWA), and use of IM in the workplace (IMW).
A Design Framework for Mobile Collaboration
Authors: Antunes Pedro
Published: May 2011

The design framework provides general constructs identifying phenomena of interest necessary to inquire about the work context, human activities, and system functionality. The framework identifies what information may interest designers, bounding their relationships with the other stakeholders. The framework also guides the design process, identifying how user requirements may be applied during the implementation phase. The framework has been validated in several realworld design cases. Two cases will be briefly described. This research contributes to the design of mobile collaborative systems. The most significant contributions are related to artifacts and emphasize that designers shall explore the potential of artifacts to support concerted work and sensemaking activities.
E-Collaboration as a Tool in the Investigation of Occupational Fraud
Authors: Waldrup Bobby E.
Published: May 2011

The purpose of this article is to blend previous research in the fields of e-collaboration and fraud examination. Specifically, compensatory adaptation theory (Kock, 1998) is used as a lens through which to model the optimal use of e-collaboration during the aforementioned second step of the default fraud model; the investigation process of occupational fraud. Finally, examples of investigatory pros and cons are presented to illustrate the model’s approach towards local optima usage points.
Global Funding of E-Collaboration Research
Authors: Kock Ned
Published: May 2011

The term e-collaboration refers to collaboration among individuals involved in the execution of common tasks using electronic technologies (Kock, 2005, 2007). Therefore, e-collaboration can be seen as a broad term that refers to a range of technology-supported activities, such as those using computer-mediated communication technologies, telephone and telephone-like devices, and group support systems (Kock, 2005a, 2005b). Those technologies are generally referred to as e-collaboration technologies.
Induced Cooperation in E-Collaboration
Authors: Barkhi Reza
Published: May 2011

This paper presents a game theoretic view of collaborative work and suggests that the design of effective GDSS tools should be guided by the way the tool discourages dysfunctional gaming behavior. We present an illustrative experimental study that investigates the influence of communication channel, incentive structure, and problem modeling tools on decision performance, diversity of solutions, and information exchange truthfulness in collaborating groups.
Instant Messaging as an E-Collaboration Tool
Authors: Liao Qinyu , Luo Xin
Published: May 2011

This article introduces the background of IM as an e-collaboration tool, discusses the utilization of IM in organizations for different e-collaboration tasks, includes solutions for pitfalls and concerns in IM enabled e-collaboration, and provides the future trend of IM for e-collaboration.
A Matrix for E-Collaboration in Rural Canadian Schools
Authors: Stevens Ken
Published: May 2011

This is a case study of interinstitutional e-collaboration in a rural part of Canada, based on e-teaching and elearningfor senior high school students. In the process of developing e-collaboration between institutions, new structures and processes were created that complemented traditional schools. Through this initiative, e-collaboration provided extended educational and, indirectly, vocational opportunities for senior students in small schools in Atlantic Canada.
A New Model and Theory of Asynchronous Creativity
Authors: DeLuca Dorrie
Published: May 2011

This article is divided into sections designed to introduce the theory to the readers. In the Background section, previous theory is summarized and the need for a new model and theory addressed. The model and theory are presented in four sections: a general model and theory overview and then one section on each set of influences on creativity—cognitive, social, and media influences. Those three sections contain the propositions of the theory. In the last section, Conclusion, consistent with the central mission of a good theory (Van de Ven, 1989), ACT contributes to knowledge on creativity of teams which use asynchronous e-collaboration and applies the knowledge to developing and managing teams for organizational innovation.
A Reflection on E-Collaboration Infrastructure for Research Communities
Authors: Lau Lydia M.S. , Dew Peter M.
Published: May 2011

E-collaboration amongst researchers requires not only the people working together but all the layers of a collaborative system working together as well, starting at the point where people interface with the system. Although this article concentrates more on the technical infrastructure required for e-collaboration, the influence of the social and people issues on the conceptual design of the interface and the functionalities of the collaborative system will also be discussed. Often, the interface/interaction between the ‘soft’ and the ‘hard’ issues generates some interesting and dynamic effects between the layers of the infrastructure (Dourish, 1999).
Setting the Framework of E-Collaboration for E-Science
Authors: Bosin Andrea , Dessì Nicoletta , Grazia Fugini Maria , Liberati Diego , Pes Barbara
Published: May 2011

Collaboration for e-science, namely executing experiments in a cooperative way by sharing data, tools, and expertise towards a common scientific goal, is becoming more and more appealing in a context like the scientific community. In such a context, a critical mass is needed to address very important and complex new questions arising because of the increasing availability of experimental data made possible by continuous technological achievements. An effective collaboration can be set in place by using the increasing empowerment of the Internet to perform such distributed laboratory. By designing a lab environment able to involve accredited actors, public research centers could benefit from technologies and tools, and could become the first promoters and the key players of collaboration initiatives. Moreover, a possible interest by private actors in adhering to such labs should be stimulated in a proactive way by contracting the mutual beneficial and burdens in such a way that both kinds of actors, as well as the civil society (which eventually funds these initiatives) could all take advantage of such arrangements. In addition, privacy concerns that could arise in this type of environment are instead easily granted under appropriate rules that leave public-only scientific data, while keeping both individual and sensitive data and information protected by copyright reserved.
Sharing Information Efficiently in Cooperative Multi-Robot Systems
Authors: Rocha Rui , Dias Jorge
Published: May 2011

Multi-robot systems (MRS) are sets of intelligent and autonomous mobile robots that are assumed to cooperate in order to carry out collective missions (Arai, Pagello, & Parker, 2002; Cao, Fukunaga, & Kahng, 1997; Rocha, Dias, & Carvalho, 2005). Due to the expendability of individual robots, MRS may substitute humans in risky scenarios (Maimone et al., 1998; Mataric & Sukhatme, 2001; Parker, 1998; Thrun et al. 2003). In other scenarios, they may relieve people from collective tasks that are intrinsically monotonous and repetitive. MRS are the solution to automate missions that are either inherently distributed in time, space, or functionality.
Sustainability of E-Collaboration
Authors: Dias de Figueiredo António
Published: May 2011

In spite of its recognition as a field of research and practice with a lineage of several decades of prolific development (Kock & Nosek, 2005), virtual collaboration is still a domain where mixed results occur and failure crops up without warning (DeSanctis, Poole, Dickson, & Jackson, 1993; Blythin, Hughes, Kristoffersen, Rodden, & Rouncefield, 1997; Kock, 2004; Kock & Nosek, 2005). Even as its theoretical, technical, operational, and conceptual boundaries expand (Kock & Nosek, 2005), we still feel powerless when a promising experience of e-collaboration, which we could swear would last for a long time, suddenly collapses. In this article we discuss some fundamental conditions for sustainable e-collaboration. We start by introducing the concept of value proposal, the common ground of compatible interests required to make collaboration last, and we distill from it what we call the principle of sustainable e-collaboration. We then move to a discussion of the variable levels of collaboration and their relationship to group development, leadership and purpose. Finally, we briefly expound five groups of theories that we view as promising candidates for the future establishment of the theoretical foundations of sustainable e-collaboration. Figure 1 summarizes the key concepts of the article.
The 3C Collaboration Model
Authors: Fuks Hugo , Raposo Alberto , Gerosa Marco A. , Pimental Mariano , Lucena Carlos J. P.
Published: May 2011

Computational support for collaboration may be realized through the interplay between communication, coordination, and cooperation tools. Communication is related to the exchange of messages and information among people; coordination is related to the management of people, their activities and resources; and cooperation is the production taking place on a shared workspace. This model, which we call the 3C model, was originally proposed by Ellis, Gibbs, and Rein (1991), with some terminological differences. Cooperation, which Ellis et al. denominates “collaboration,” here characterizes the joint operation in a shared workspace.
Using IM to Improve E-Collaboration in Organizations
Authors: Luo Xin , Liao Qinyu
Published: May 2011

Broadly defined as electronic technologies that enable collaboration among individuals engaged in a common task (Kock, 2005b), electronic collaboration (e-collaboration) is now viewed as a new strategic weapon for organizations to fundamentally improve the traditional business relationships and quality of business processes. Since the emergence of innovative information technologies including e-mail, teleconferencing, videoconferencing, and most recently, instant messaging (IM), the importance of e-collaboration has risen as organizations have made the shift from personal computing to interpersonal or collaborative computing that may more effectively and efficiently leverage their business resources for decision-making. Prior literature suggests that the utilization of e-collaboration technologies can avail organizations of facilitating business-to-business interactions and thereby more quickly and easily solving business problems that are in need of integrative operations and smooth information distribution and sharing amid different inter and intra organizational constituents (Johnson & Whang, 2002; Kock, 1999, 2005b; Kock & Hantula, 2005).
Using the Web for Contract Negotiations
Authors: Martz Ben , Gardner Susan
Published: May 2011

Negotiation skills play a critical role for today’s knowledge workers. Therefore, the need for university students to develop negotiation and problem-solving skills grows more important each year. Concurrently, the need for students to understand and work with computers continues to grow. This paper presents the exploratory results of using a prototype computer negotiation system developed around a set of real world data. The paper reviews previous research perspectives of negotiation, traditional (face to face) and information system perspectives (electronic). The social information processing theory posits that these characteristics differ between these two groups and that over time the characteristics exhibited by electronic group members should match those exhibited by the traditional group members. The results found differences in the characteristics of satisfaction, trust and tolerance, but did not find a convergence of perceptions between the two groups. The paper concludes by addressing critical success factors for future research in this area.
Virtual Teams Adapt to Simple E-Collaboration Technologies
Authors: DeLuca Dorrie , Gasson Susan , Kock Ned
Published: May 2011

The knowledge that virtual process improvement teams have been successful (DeLuca, Gasson, & Kock, 2006; Kock & DeLuca, 2006; DeLuca & Valacich, 2006; Kock, 2006) and lessons learned from those teams may be what is needed to provide confidence to organizations that virtual process improvement efforts would come to fruition. To manage such initiatives effectively, it is important to understand how these virtual teams overcame the difficulties of e-collaboration. Existing theories of information processing in organizations do not scale well to the complex forms of knowledge integration required at the boundary between the diverse teams found in virtual organizations. Thus, we based our investigation on a new theory of communication behavior, compensatory adaptation theory (CAT) (Kock, 2005b) and the relationships suggested by it, explained in the next section. We also operationalize a key construct, compensatory adaptations and present the adaptations made by participants in the study (DeLuca et al., 2006).
Voice-Based Group Support Systems
Authors: Aiken Milam
Published: May 2011

One of the primary reasons large meetings utilizing group support systems (GSS) are more efficient and effective than traditional meetings is because the former are based upon typed comments and opinions while the latter are based upon voice input (Nunamaker, Briggs, Mittleman, Vogel, & Balthazard, 1997). Using a keyboard, participants can submit comments to the group anonymously and simultaneously, but in an oral meeting, participants must take turns speaking to avoid confusion. Further, group members in an electronic meeting can skim recorded typed comments easily, while most traditional meetings do not have complete transcripts available as the discussion progresses. Even analyzing new comments is more efficient with a GSS. Most people can read faster than they can listen, and in an oral meeting, the rate of input is limited by the current speaker’s voice.
Accessibility of Mobile Applications
Authors: Kamthan Panjak
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 article 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.
Adaptive Transmission of Multimedia Data over UMTS
Authors: Alexiou A.
Published: May 2011

As communications technology is being developed, users’ demand for multimedia services raises. Meanwhile, the Internet has enjoyed tremendous growth in recent years. Consequently, there is a great interest in using the IP-based networks to provide multimedia services. One of the most important areas in which the issues are being debated is the development of standards for the universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS). UMTS constitutes the third generation of cellular wireless networks which aims to provide high-speed data access along with real-time voice calls. Wireless data is one of the major boosters of wireless communications and one of the main motivations of the next-generation standards. Bandwidth is a valuable and limited resource for UMTS and every wireless network in general. Therefore, it is of extreme importance to exploit this resource in the most efficient way. Consequently, when a user experiences a streaming video, there should be enough bandwidth available at any time for any other application that the mobile user might need. In addition, when two different applications run together, the network should guarantee that there is no possibility for any of the above-mentioned applications to prevail against the other by taking all the available channel bandwidth. Since Internet applications adopt mainly TCP as the transport protocol, while streaming applications mainly use RTP, the network should guarantee that RTP does not prevail against the TCP traffic. This means that there should be enough bandwidth available in the wireless channel for the Internet applications to run properly.
Cache Invalidation in a Mobile Environment
Authors: Lim S.
Published: May 2011

In this article, we describe the use of caching that allows coping with the characteristics of the mobile environment. We concentrate particularly on cache invalidation strategy, which is basically a type of caching strategy that is used to ensure that the data items that are cached in the mobile client are consistent in comparison to the ones that are stored on the server.
Contractual Obligations between Mobile Service Providers and Users
Authors: Willis R. , Serenko A. , Turel O.
Published: May 2011

This article will present implications for both scholarship and practice. In terms of academia, it is believed that researchers conducting empirical investigations on customer loyalty with mobile services should be aware of the two independent dimensions of the business-customer relation-ship and utilize appropriate research instruments to ensure the unidimensionality of each construct.
Cooperative Caching in a Mobile Environment
Authors: Lim S.
Published: May 2011

In this article, we concentrate particularly on cooperative caching, which is basically a type of caching strategy that not only allows mobile clients to retrieve database items from the servers, but also from the cache in their peers.
CORBA on Mobile Devices
Authors: Aleksy M.
Published: May 2011

While CORBA has been very successful in the domain of enterprise computing, its adoption for mobile devices is obstructed by a central problem: the limited resources of such devices. If standard-compliant CORBA-based applications are to be executed on mobile devices, storage requirements, for example, represent a major bottleneck. But for all that, several research groups have made an effort over the past few years to establish the CORBA standard in the domain of mobile devices. The existing approaches can be divided into three categories:1. approaches that are restricted in the sense that they use an implementation of the IIOP protocol only,2. approaches that build on the minimum CORBA specification, and3. approaches that rely on other ways to reduce the memory footprint of a CORBA implementation. In the following sections of this chapter, these approaches will be discussed in detail.
Decision Analysis for Business to Adopt RFID
Authors: Lin K. , Lin C. , Leu H.
Published: May 2011

The objectives of this article are to: (1) describe basic components of a mobile computing and commerce device, RFID; and (2) explore the current practices, issues, and applications in this mobile technology.
Intelligent Medium Access Control Protocol for WSN
Authors: Malik H. , Shakshuki E. , Denko M.
Published: May 2011

This article reports an ongoing research that proposes an approach to the expansion of sensor-MAC (S-MAC), a cluster-based contention protocol to intelligent medium access control (I-MAC) protocol. I-MAC protocol is designed especially for wireless sensor networks (WSNs). A sensor network uses battery-operated computing and sensing devices. A network of these devices are used in many applications, such as agriculture and environmental monitoring.
An Interactive Wireless Morse Code Learning System
Authors: Yang C. , Chuang L. , Yang C. , Chang J.
Published: May 2011

Morse code has been shown to be a valuable tool in assistive technology, augmentative and alternative communication, and rehabilitation for some people with various conditions, such as spinal cord injuries, non-vocal quadriplegics, and visual or hearing impairments. In this article, a mobile phone human-interface system using Morse code input device is designed and implemented for the person with disabilities to send/receive SMS (simple message service) messages or make/respond to a phone call. The proposed system is divided into three parts: input module, control module, and display module. The data format of the signal transmission between the proposed system and the communication devices is the PDU (protocol description unit) mode. Experimental results revealed that three participants with disabilities were able to operate the mobile phone through this human interface after four weeks’ practice.
iPod as a Visitor's Personal Guide
Authors: Patel K.
Published: May 2011

With the increasing use of digital media together with the handheld devices, this iPod application will eliminate the need for human guides and will provide an entertaining experience to visitors. It will be very useful for landmark tourist destinations such as aquariums and museums, and there will be a huge demand with the increasing flow of tourists in Australia, which according to Tourism Australia (2005) was an increase of 5.4% from 2004 to 2005, with tourists numbering 5.5 million in the latter year.
Location-Based Multimedia Services for Tourists
Authors: Kalliaras Panagiotis , Sotiriou Athanasios-Dimitrios , Papageorgiou P. , Zoi S.
Published: May 2011

This article presents the AVATON system. AVATON aims at providing citizens with ubiquitous user-friendly services, offering personalized, location-aware (GSM Association, 2003), tourism-oriented multimedia information related to the area of the Aegean Volcanic Arc. Towards this end, a uniform architecture is adopted in order to dynamically release the geographic and multimedia content to the end users through enhanced application and network interfaces, targeting different device technologies (mobile phones, PDAs, PCs, and TV sets). Advanced positioning techniques are applied for those mobile user terminals that support them.
Mobile Ad-Hoc Networks
Authors: Lim Sim M. , Ming Chin C. , Min Tan C.
Published: May 2011

In the future, communication devices, communication-capable devices or sensors and home electronic appliances will have the capability to form various MANETs, and interoperate with the global communication networks. These MANETs play an important role in supporting various visions toward the creation of a world of ubiquitous computing where computation is integrated into the environment, rather than having computers that are distinct objects. One of the goals of ubiquitous computing is to enable devices to sense changes in their respective surroundings and to automatically adapt and act on these changes based on user needs and preferences. With ubiquitous computing, people can move around and interact with computers, devices and home appliances more naturally than they currently do.
A Mobile Computing and Commerce Framework
Authors: Teufel S.
Published: May 2011

This encyclopedia on mobile computing and commerce spans the entire nexus from mobile technology over commerce to applications and end devices. Due to the complexity of the topic, this chapter provides a structured approach to understand the interrelationship in between the mobile computing and commerce environment. A framework will be introduced; the approach is based on the Fribourg ICT Management Framework, elaborated at our institute with input from academics and practitioners, which has been tried and tested in papers, books, and lectures on ICT management methods. For published examples, please consult Teufel (2001, 2004), Steinert and Teufel (2002, 2004), or Teufel, Götte, and Steinert (2004).
Mobile Multicast
Authors: Schmidt T. , Wählisch M.
Published: May 2011

In this review we will summarize the state of the art in current work to multicast to Mobile IPv6 networks. The principle conceptual problems are discussed and analyzed. Propositions for improvement and possible directions to further proceed towards a mobile multicast are presented.
Mobile Phones for People with Disabilities
Authors: Al-Khalifa H. , Al-Salman A.
Published: May 2011

Nowadays, the demand for mobile phones by people with special needs is evolving. Disabled people can utilize mobile phones for personal communication, security, social integration, and autonomy. Personal communication is one of the most important reasons that disabled person uses a mobile phone. For example, people with motor disabilities cannot easily reach the wired telephone within a limited period of time when it rings. Security is another reason that most disabled people strive for. In case of emergency, illness, or accident, mobile phones are considered a fast communication channel. Furthermore, to keep in touch with society and to feel autonomous, people with special needs think that the mobile phone is a good medium for social integration and self-independence (Abascal & Civit, 2000).
Mobile Telephony in Sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Ifinedo P.
Published: May 2011

A mobile telephone is a telecommunications device that connects its user to a network using a wireless radio wave transmission technology. In some parts of the world, mobile phones are known as cellular phones. Mobile telephones were first introduced in the mid-1980s (Marcussen, 2002; Sadeh & Sadeh, 2002; Sarker & Wells, 2003). Mobile telephony is diffusing globally due to a variety of reasons, including cost advantages in setting up the system compared to landlines, its small-sized nature, portability, and its ability to foster and enhance social relationships, among others (Plant, n.d.; Marcussen, 2002; Sadeh & Sadeh, 2002; Sarker & Wells, 2003; ITU, 2004; Anonymous, 2006). According to reports by ITU (2004), the percentage of total telephone subscribers that are mobile telephone subscribers has been increasing over the last five years. In 2005, mobile telephone subscribers were approximately 62% of total telephone subscribers for the five regions of the world.
New Transaction Management Model
Authors: Abdul-Mehdi Z. , Mamat A. , Ibrahim H. , Dirs M.
Published: May 2011

In this article, we consider the distributed database that can make up mobile nodes and the peer-to-peer concept. These nodes are peers and may be replicated both for fault-tolerance, dependability, and to compensate for nodes that are currently disconnected. Thus we have a distributed replicated database where several sites must participate in the synchronization of transactions. The capabilities of the distributed replicated database are extended to allow mobile nodes to plan disconnection, with the capability of updating the database on behalf of the mobile node by using a fixed proxy server to make these updates during the mobile disconnection, once a mobile reconnects automatically, synchronously, and integrates into the database.
An Ontology-Based Approach for Mobile Agents' Context Awareness
Authors: Amara-Hachmi N. , El Fallah-Seghrouchni A.
Published: May 2011

In a previous work (Amara-Hachmi & El Fallah-Seghrouchni, 2004), we proposed a component-based generic adaptive mobile agent (GAMA) architecture that exhibits a minimal mobile agent behavior. In this article, we will focus on GAMAs’ awareness of their execution context. Thus, we propose a formal model of context to be used in a semantic approach for checking agents’ compatibility with new execution contexts. The remainder of this article starts with definitions of context and context-awareness for GAMA mobile agents. We then introduce our context model and detail the proposed approach, before concluding the article.
P2P Models and Complexity in MANETs
Authors: Seet B.
Published: May 2011

This article first overviews some of the most common P2P architectures in use today by Internet users, and then proceeds to evaluate and discuss each of their architectural strengths and weakness for MANET through a qualitative complexity analysis.
Perceived Quality Evaluation for Multimedia Services
Authors: Koumaras H. , Pallis E. , Xilouris G. , Kourtis A. , Martakos D.
Published: May 2011

The scope of this article is to outline the existing procedures and methods for estimating the PQoS level of a multimedia service.
Providing Location-Based Services under Web Services Framework
Authors: Guan J. , Zhou S. , Zhou J. , Zhu F.
Published: May 2011

Location-based services (LBSs) provide personalized services to the subscriber based on his or her current position. By combining information on the location of a mobile user, services can be tailored exactly to the user’s situation. These powerful location-based services are the keys to the growth of the mobile Internet in both the consumer and business markets. The geographical location of mobile phones can be used by operators and service providers to create and offer location-based mobile services, which employ accurate, real-time positioning to connect users to nearby points of interest, advise them of current conditions such as traffic and weather, or provide routing and tracking information—all via wireless devices. For subscribers, this means access to attractive, convenient, value-added services that will make their lives easier and more fun, save time, enhance business efficiency, and increase personal safety (Anckar & D’Incau, 2002).
Secure Agent Data Protection for E-Commerce Applications
Authors: Guan S.
Published: May 2011

Agent integrity is one such area crucial to the success of agent technology. The integrity protection for agent code is relatively straightforward. A more complex code integrity scheme to handle code-on-demand is also proposed in Wang et al. (2002). Agent data, however, is dynamic in nature and will change as the agent roams from host to host. Despite the various attempts in the literature (Chionh, Guan, & Yang, 2001), there is no satisfactory solution to the problem so far. Some of the common weaknesses of the current schemes are vulnerabilities to revisit attack and illegal modification (deletion/insertion) of agent data.
Security Architectures of Mobile Computing
Authors: Grahn K.
Published: May 2011

Mobile Internet users expect the same network service quality as over a wire. Technologies, protocols, and standards supporting wired and wireless Internet are converging. Mobile devices are resource constrained due to size, power, and memory. The portability making these devices attractive also causes data exposure and network penetration risks. Mobile devices can connect to many different wireless network types, such as cellular networks, personal area networks, wireless local area networks (WLANs), metropolitan area networks (MANs), and wide area networks (satellite-based WANs). Wireless network application examples are e-mailing, Web browsing, m-commerce, electronic payments, synchronization with a desktop computer, network monitoring/management, and reception of video/audio streams.
Semantic Caching in a Mobile Environment
Authors: Lim S.
Published: May 2011

In this article, we describe the use of caching, which allows coping with the characteristic of the mobile environment. We concentrate particularly on semantic caching, which is basically a type of caching strategy that is content-based reasoning ability with the ability to—in addition of caching query results—remember the queries that generated these results. Semantic caching provides accurate, semantic description of the content of the cache.
Sensor Data Fusion for Location Awareness
Authors: Sekkas O. , Hadjiefthymiades S. , Zervas E.
Published: May 2011

During the past few years, several location systems have been proposed that use multiple technologies simultaneously in order to locate a user. One such system is described in this article. It relies on multiple sensor readings from Wi-Fi access points, IR beacons, RFID tags, and so forth to estimate the location of a user. This technique is known better as sensor information fusion, which aims to improve accuracy and precision by integrating heterogeneous sensor observations. The proposed location system uses a fusion engine that is based on dynamic Bayesian networks (DBNs), thus substantially improving the accuracy and precision.
SMS-Based Mobile Learning
Authors: Petrova K.
Published: May 2011

SMS (short message service, or text messaging) is an extremely popular and still growing 2G mobile data service, especially with young adults (Finn, 2004; Prensky, 2005; MMA, 2006; Grinter & Eldridge, 2003), which makes it suitable as a learning technology. This short article presents and illustrates the concepts of SMS-enabled m-learning, describing a series of SMS learning scenarios derived from the literature. The defining features of the scenarios are identified and discussed, including future trends.