Engineering Commons^™

An Agile Information Systems Development Method In Use, Mehmet Nafi̇z Aydin, Frank Harmsen, Kees Van Slooten, Robert Stegwee

Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

Recently, agile information systems development methods, agile methods in short, have got considerable attention from practitioners. One of the reasons seems that agile methods, to some degree, can be adaptable to different project situations. However, little empirical research has been conducted on this subject. The major goal of this research is to identify which aspects of agile methods are perceived as most critical and difficult to realize and how such aspects are adapted in practice. To reach this goal we studied the working practices concerning the adaptation of an agile method in the IT department of one of the leading …

A Robustness Analysis Of Game-Theoretic Cdma Power Control, Xingzhe Fan, Murat Arcak, John T. Wen

Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

This paper studies robustness of a gradient-type CDMA uplink power control algorithm with respect to disturbances and time-delays. This problem is of practical importance because unmodeled secondary interference effects from neighboring cells play the role of disturbances, and propagation delays are ubiquitous in wireless data networks. We first show L_p-stability, for p \in [1,\infity], with respect to additive disturbances. We pursue L_{\infity}-stability within the input-to-state stability (ISS) framework of Sontag [7], which makes explicit the vanishing effect of the initial conditions. Next, using the ISS property and a loop transformation, we prove that global asymptotic stability is preserved for sufficiently …

Global Stability Analysis Of An End-To-End Congestion Control Scheme For General Topology Networks With Delay, Tansu Alpcan, Tamer Başar

Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

We analyze the stability properties of an end-to-end congestion control scheme under fixed heterogeneous delays, and for general network topologies. The scheme analyzed is based on the congestion control game of [1], with the starting point being the unique Nash equilibrium of that game. We prove global stability of this solution (and hence of the congestion control algorithm) under a mild symmetricity condition. We further demonstrate the stability of the algorithm numerically for various delays, user numbers, and topologies

Flow Controller Design And Performance Analysis For Self-Similar Network Traffic, Peng Yan

Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

Recent studies of high-resolution traffic measurement discovered the self-similarity in both LAN and WAN traffic. In this paper, we introduce a two-degree of freedom rate based flow controller, which includes a robust H^{\infity} control block and an LMMSE based capacity predictor. The former part can guarantee the robust stability against time-varying time delay uncertainties and the latter improves the transient response by predicting the self-similar cross-traffic. Implementation issues are discussed and performance analysis is provided to validate our design. We also investigate the prediction and control in larger time scale which is more applicable for the real network environment

Optimum And Suboptimum Blind Channel And Symbol Estimation For Siso Channels, T. Engi̇n Tuncer

Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

We present three methods for blind channel and symbol identification from a single or multi-block observation. These methods are deterministic approaches suitable for the identification of quickly changing wireless channels. The first method uses the finite alphabet property and it has good performance even for noisy observations. It requires only a single data frame, which is a unique feature of the method. This method can also be used to identify the channel order. For multi-block observations, we present the maximal ratio combining cross relation (MRCCR) method. It is an optimum approach in terms of instantaneous SNR and is based on …

University Place, Andrea Taylor, Kate Gaetano, Sarah Khan, Tanya Fletcher, Cynthia Moritz, Amy Speach Shires, Wendy S. Loughlin, David Marc, Margaret Costello, Rachel Boll, Samantha Whitehorne

Syracuse University Magazine

No abstract provided.

Fantasy And The Concert Hall: Musical Performance In The Electroacoustic Age, Matthew Malsky

Reconstruction: Studies in Contemporary Culture

[First paragraph]

In 1941, the famously despondent Theodor Adorno worried about the detrimental effects of radio broadcast upon the symphony. He theorized that much of value was lost when listeners experienced an orchestral performance of a composition in symphonic form through its electronic transmission to their kitchens rather than in a concert hall. Based upon empirical research done in collaboration with Paul Lazarsfeld and the Princeton Radio Research Project, he argued that the presence of music was lost to the radio listener, and with it a part of music's auratic spell, its uniqueness in time and place, its ritual, cultish …

An Information System For Streamlining Software Development Process, Serkan Nalbant

Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

In this paper an information system to be employed by software development organizations is proposed, which automates software development process. The proposed system aims to lower cost, improve schedule performance and enhance quality of the software projects by the means of automation and unifying of operational information. The characteristics of the proposed system are described. Furthermore, its use is illustrated via the explanation of an exemplary software system called PACE that serves as an information system for planning, controlling, measuring and improving software development process and projects. The relationship of PACE with Software Capability Maturity Model (CMM) is also provided.

Bs News

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Building Data Warehouses Using The Enterprise Modeling Framework, Joseph O. Chan

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

This paper proposes an enterprise modeling framework for the deployment of data warehouses. The framework provides the information roadmap coordinating source data and different data warehouses across the business enterprise. The paper introduces a solution to address data warehousing issues at the enterprise level while avoiding the pitfalls of creating enterprise data warehouses and universal data marts. It further proposes a change of paradigm from point solutions focus to a methodology driven by enterprise requirements to meet the challenges of the new economy. The proposed framework emphasizes the separation of the conceptual construct from the physical and operational constructs of …

The Ecology Of Interorganizational Information Sharing, Jane Fedorowicz, Janis L. Gogan, Amy W. Ray

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

Increasingly, companies use interorganizational information systems to support business process partnerships, such as automatic replenishment systems and other supply chain initiatives, invoicing and payments, and insurance claims processing. Inter-firm networking in turn can increase the visibility of information generated and used by business partners. These business partners may experience intended and unintended impacts from the changes in the partnering relationship, in effect altering the ecology of the organization. Yet IT researchers rarely study an organization’s ecology, focusing instead on impacts upon internal processes. Our goal in this paper is to propose a definition of interorganizational information ecology, to provide IT …

Web-Services – The Next Evolutionary Stage Of E-Business, Santosh S. Venkatraman

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

Web-Services are a set of new technologies that promise to take “service-oriented” distributed computing to a whole new level, and eventually take e-business to the next evolutionary stage. Web-Services, in a nutshell, let organizations bridge communication gaps among their information systems, and build new software applications by “stitching” together existing ones. It is capable of integrating applications written in different programming languages, developed by different vendors, and running on different servers with dissimilar operating systems. Web- Services would enable companies to seamlessly connect their information systems and business processes with those of their partners and customers – thus ushering in …

Customer Relationship Management (Crm): A Comparative Study Between U.S.A. And Spain, Jesus Garcia De Madariaga

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

This paper surveys the marketing executives of the top companies in Spain with more than 100 million euros on net sales and reports the status of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solutions in their companies. The results are compared with the U.S.A. status reported by a previous study developed by InformationWeek Research in 2000 with a sample based on Fortune 500. One hundred and thirty-six companies participated in this study. The data provides insights into the strengths and weaknesses of the CRM in Spain in comparison with USA. Some viable actions are recommended to improve the usage of CRM and to …

A Conceptual Framework For E-Branding Strategies In The Non-Profit Sector, Horst Treiblmaier, Irene Pollach, Arne Floh

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

E-branding provides non-profit organizations (NPOs) with new opportunities to communicate their missions, which is of paramount importance in a market segment that competes for donations and voluntary labor. Since successful e-branding is determined by both internal and external communication strategies, we developed a framework which explains the interdependency of these two factors in NPOs. Our findings are based on qualitative interview data and a website analysis of eleven Austrian NPOs. The NPOs' internal and external e-communication strategies are categorized into three successive levels each and combined in a two-dimensional grid, which shows how NPOs integrate their communication strategies.

Xml: Gateway For Data Mobility And Universal Connectivity, Emmanuel Uzoma Opara

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

Extensible Markup Language (XML) started as an effort to simplify the standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML), which was the International Organization for Standardization’s (ISO) standard for defining data vocabularies. This study investigates XML technology as a substitute to SGML that would be Web friendly, and easy to learn and use while supporting a variety of applications for faster and more efficient data mobility on the Web. It describes several compelling reasons why XML is a useful technology for representing structured data mobility. XML is a markup language used for data structure in a textual form. A specific goal of XML …

Extensible Markup Language (Xml) For Competitive Advantage, William P. Wagner, Ralph Hilken, Q B. Chung

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

eXtensible Markup Language (XML) has received much attention in the popular press lately as a new technology designed to facilitate information sharing among business entities. One of the biggest problems that companies are experiencing today with XML is that many executives do not understand what XML is and why it is important, nor do they understand what its potential impact on their information strategy might be. In this paper, we present an overview of XML and a framework for generating IS strategic alternatives, which was introduced in its original form in the 1980s. This framework is adapted to suit the …

An Investigation Of Internet Auction Markets: Evidence From Ebay, Kevin Bracker, Ken Smith

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

The purpose of this paper was to examine a market with different characteristics than a typical “financial” market using high frequency continuous transactions data. The market selected for this purpose was an Internet auction market for collectibles, specifically Ty Glory BearsTM sold on the eBay, Inc. web site. This market was chosen for its relatively high activity and homogeneity. The results indicated evidence of signaling related to seller’s reputation and product information, seasonality based on day-of-the-week, and limited market dept h.

Examining The Benefits Of Project Management Professional (Pmp) Certification For Is Project Managers And Organizations, Robert C. Mahaney, Bertie M. Greer

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

The project management professional (PMP) certification has gained a positive reputation among project managers as well as with HR managers and recruiters. However, the organizational benefits are untested. This paper examines the business value of PMP certification. The three questions this study investigates are, “What value does certification give project managers?” “What value does certification give organizations?” and “How can organizations encourage project managers to pursue certification?” Content analysis of transcripts from twenty-five structured interviews identified several reasons businesses should encourage their project managers to pursue PMP certification, but many of the benefits are not easily quantified.

Two Developing Countries With Two Different Economic Results: A Comparative Study Of Thailand & Morocco, Debora J. Gillard

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

After visiting Thailand in 1996 and Morocco in 2001, it was very evident that these two countries had many similarities. Both countries are ruled by monarchs, both are developing countries, and both have overcome many adversities. However, today we find these two countries are very different in their involvement in the global community and in their local economic development. This paper is a study of similarities and differences in the development of Thailand and Morocco which has resulted in the current economic status.

Review Of The Opnet It Guru Software, Jeng-Chung Victor Chen

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

The OPNET IT GURU has been in existence for years and designed to be used for the industry and the academics. The simulation software is now in version 10.0 and equipped with abundant features such as: modeling network topology and traffic, application impact assessment, and server capacity planning. The features of modeling network topology and traffic are ideal for network engineers to experiment different kinds of scenarios before implementation of any networks, which in turn could cost the organizations less on the IT budget. The application impact assessment is useful when measuring the end-to-end time of the deployed or to-be-deployed …

Building Relationships That Last: Integrating Public Relations Into Web Design, Richard V. Mccarthy, Jay E. Aronson, Robert Petrausch

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

This paper explores the relationship between web site design, public relations strategy, and a consumer’s intention to return to a web site. This relationship is defined through a model that explores the influence of information satisfaction, particularly when the web site design is congruent with the consumer’s expectations. The public relations dimension extends the consumer web site design model by interjecting a long-term focus on relationship building that organizations will need to make electronic commerce a viable investment in information technology resources. This is significant because it recognizes the importance of developing loyalty and trust online.

Deciding On The Appropriateness Of B2b Reverse Auction Technology Adoption: An Ahp Approach Combined With Integer Programming, Tobias Schoenherr

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

Although Business-to-Business online reverse auctions have emerged as a promising purchasing tool, no research has been found that provides a model to assess the reverse auction decision in a systematic way. This paper fills this gap by presenting an integrated approach, utilizing Analytic Hierarchy Process techniques and an Integer Programming Formulation, to decide whether Reverse Auction Technology (RAT) adoption is cost-effective and appropriate. The model developed is a practical decision support tool that allows for the consideration of both qualitative and quantitative decision factors, and for the adoption of multiple modes of RATs, which are contrasted to traditional purchasing.

A Genetic Algorithm Assisted Hybrid Approach To Web Information Integration, Jia-Lang Seng, Ming-Hsiung Ying

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

No abstract provided.

Studying The Value Of Information Sharing In E-Business Supply Chain Management, Aryya Gangopadhyay, Zhensen Huang

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

The supply chain management of goods and services involves multiple trading partners such as raw-material suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, and retailers. Every one of these trading partners need to determine their requirements, in terms of merchandise, and match them against availability, pricing, and cost of transportation. At every step of the supply chain economics information retrieval is a crucial and recurring process. In this paper we study information sharing as a strategy for improved decision making that can increase the profitability of the entire supply chain. We describe various different models for information sharing and illustrate the benefits of information sharing …

Improving Workflow In Home Healthcare Industry: A Case Study, Mohan Rao, Norma Teran, Michael Savard

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

Home healthcare industry is facing increasing pressure to change business processes and manage information flow electronically. With the help of a case example, this paper describes how a web- based system could improve the workflow communication problems in home healthcare companies. Every department of the case company has its own software to assist in everyday operations but is unable to communicate with one another electronically. All documents necessary in the coordination of care have to move physically between departments. The proposed solution is a web-based electronic form management system that would improve regulatory compliance and operating efficiency.

Aircraft Picture Postcards As A Tool For Influence Through Images, Daniel Martel

Reconstruction: Studies in Contemporary Culture

[First paragraph]

The era in which we live at the turn of the millennium is defined by most scholars -- depending on their specialisation -- as the era of worldwide economic integration, adoption of technologies of western origins, internal harmonization of institutions and working procedures, and cultural standardization. The roots of this can be traced back to the Renaissance, as well as the industrial revolutions and economic liberalism. Their driving forces are successful economic transactions and permanent innovation. According to this worldview, the ultimate goal of any such activity is the optimised individual situation of any human being or economic …

An Implicit Surface Modeling Technique Based On A Modular Neural Network Architecture, Manuel Carcenac

Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

Independently from artificial intelligence applications, an artificial neural network can be viewed as a powerful tool for function reconstruction. Previous papers used this property to model an implicit surface out of some control points by reconstructing its underlying scalar field. Such an approach requests the neural network to memorize the control points, which has turned problematic for complex surfaces. In our paper, we show that this problem can be efficiently tackled by adapting the architecture of the neural network to the features compounding the surface: by learning first these features independently and then blending them gradually together, our modular architecture …

Real-Time Classification Algorithm For Recognition Of Machine Operating Modes By Use Of Self-Organizing Maps, Gancho Vachkov, Yuhiko Kiyota, Koji Komatsu, Satoshi Fujii

Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

In this paper a new algorithm for classification and real-time recognition of different a-priorily assumed operating modes for construction machines is proposed. This algorithm utilizes the effectiveness of the Self-Organizing Maps (SOM) for creating the so called Separation Models, that are able to distinguish each operating mode separately. After training, these models are used in a real-time procedure, which calculates at each sampling time the minimal Euclidean distances from the current data point to a certain node of each SOM. Then the separation model (represented by a respective SOM) that has the least minimal distance to this data point defines …

Measuring Online Students' Ability To Apply Programming Theory: Are Web Courses Really Working?, Kathryn A. Marold, Wayne Haga

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

As a response to troubling doubts about the success of Web-delivered courses that include problem solving and critical thinking skills, the authors gathered data from two online sections of the CIS Application Programming with Visual Basic course at Metropolitan State College of Denver over two semesters and compared it with the data from classroom sections. T-tests showed a significant difference in the means of student projects and tests that required application of theory learned. All sections of the course used the same syllabus and assignments and were taught by the same instructor. Internet students scored significantly lower in theory portions …

A Study Of The Relationship Between Internet Diffusion And Culture, Ravi Nath, N.R. Vasudeva Murthy

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

The unevenness in the diffusion rates of the Internet across nations is commonly referred to as the “digital divide.” Technological, economic and political factors are often mentioned as the primary contributing factors to this digital gap. However, there is sufficient evidence in support of the proposition that a nation’s culture also plays a role in how citizens adopt and use technology innovations. This paper examines the relationship between the cultural dimensions proposed by Hofstede and the Internet adoption rate of nations. Data from sixty-two countries are used to establish a regression model and the empirical results show that cultural traits …