98 research outputs found
TINA as a virtual market place for telecommunication and information services: the VITAL experiment
No full textThe VITAL (Validation of Integrated Telecommunication Architectures for the Long-Term) project has defined, implemented and demonstrated an open distributed telecommunication architecture (ODTA) for deploying, managing and using a set of heterogeneous multimedia, multi-party, and mobility services. The architecture was based on the latest specifications released by TINA-C. The architecture was challenged in a set of trials by means of a heterogeneous set of applications. Some of the applications were developed within the project from scratch, while some others focused on integrating commercially available applications. The applications were selected in such a way as to assure full coverage of the architecture implementation and reflect a realistic use of it. The VITAL experience of refining and implementing TINA specifications and challenging the resulting platform by a heterogeneous set of services has proven the openness, flexibility and reusability of TINA. This paper describes the VITAL approach when choosing the different services and how they challenge and interact with the architecture, focusing especially on the service architecture and the Ret reference point definitions. The VITAL adjustments and enhancements to the TINA architecture are described. This paper contributes to proving that the TINA-based VITAL ODTA allows for easy and cost-effective development and deployment of advanced end-user and operator services, and can indeed act as the basis for a virtual market place for telecommunications service
Offering Role Mobility in a TINA Environment
No full textThis paper presents the concept of role mobility and the value of role mobility in an open service environment. We outline the aspects of role management and role mobility and we describe an open, reusable component for role management. Then, we show how this component can be deployed in a TINA environment with a minimum number of changes to the TINA service architecture
Grid-Based Interactive Virtual Scientific Experiments for Distributed Virtual Communities
No full textE-learning technologies have matured to a point where distance learning classes are commonly offered from many leading Universities around the world. A major challenge in such distributed classrooms is the formation of virtual communities among the participating students, enhancing the overall learning experience. Shared virtual laboratories offer the possibility of forming such virtual communities as students form lab teams to run the same interactive simulation and in the course of such experiments learn to interact and understand each other better. We have designed and implemented a Virtual Scientific Experiment architectural framework on top of a Grid infrastructure for running interactive virtual laboratory experiments for such distributed student communities with visualization capabilities. The architecture is based on Web Services standard protocols such as WSDL and WS-Notification as implemented in the WSRF specification. For the first concrete instantiation of this architecture, we ported a stand-alone Wireless Sensor Network simulator written in Java in our Grid-based architecture and extended it to allow for initial collaborative parameter setup and on-the-fly visualization of the simulation execution and interaction with it, a capability not present in the original simulator. We report on results from running such simulations on a local Grid infrastructure. System evaluation results from a distributed pool of students show the added value of our system in enhancing distance-learning programs and Virtual Classes with extensible collaborative and interactive Virtual Laboratories sessions
A service engineering approach to inter-domain TMN system development
No full textThe deployment of service management systems in a multi-service environment opens a whole area of issues. Requirements for openness and reusability can be satisfied by following a service engineering approach where the service management functionality is decomposed to reusable service components. Such an approach that was based on TMN technology is presented in this paper and conclusions are drawn about the potential of other available technologies with regard to service management
The role of institutional repositories in addressing higher education challenges
No full textOver the last decade, Higher Education around the world is facing a number of challenges. Challenges such as adopting new technologies, improving the quality of learning and teaching, widening participation, student retention, curriculum design/alignment, student employability, funding and the necessity to improve governance are considered particularly in many literature. To effectively operate and to survive in this globalization era, Higher Education institutions need to respond those challenges in an efficient way. This paper proposes ways in which institutional data repositories can be utilized to address the challenges found in different literature. Also we discuss which repositories can be shared across the institutions and which need not to be shared in order to address those challenges. Finally the paper discusses the barriers to sharing Higher Education repositories and how those barriers can be addressed
A generic component for managing service roles
No full textThere are a number of architectures that describe how service providers can provide telecommunications services to their customers. Architectures like TINA address service control and service management issues for communication exchanges among human service users. n this paper we point out the importance of role-based exchanges in a telecommunications environment and we present a generic component that provides role management. We describe how this component was implemented and integrated in a TINA-like environment. We also describe why a role can be modelled as a mobile entity and how role mobility relates to role management. Finally, some conclusions are drawn
Evaluating a Web-Based Information System for Managing Master of Science Summer Projects
No full textWe describe the design of a web-based information system for monitoring MSc summer projects in the School of Electronics and Computer Science at the University of Southampton, and a mixed method quasi-experimental study involving 290 MSc project students, 19 monitors, and 69 supervisors in electronics and computer science, using the system over a period of 17 weeks. Statistically significant results presented here are: Students making heavy use of the system achieved higher marks on their project dissertation, while no such correlation was found with marks for other parts of their MSc. Likewise, student's monitor activity is significantly correlated with their own activity and dissertation mark. These results suggest that educational information and project management systems positively affect student achievement and academic staff involvement is crucial for these systems to be successful. Future work includes a more detailed analysis of success factors and their impact on student performance
Web evolution and Web Science
No full textThis paper examines the evolution of the World Wide Web as a network of networks and discusses the emergence of Web Science as an interdisciplinary area that can provide us with insights on how the Web developed, and how it has affected and is affected by society. Through its different stages of evolution, the Web has gradually changed from a technological network of documents to a network where documents, data, people and organisations are interlinked in various and often unexpected ways. It has developed from a technological artefact separate from people to an integral part of human activity that is having an increasingly significant impact on the world. This paper outlines the lessons from this retrospective examination of the evolution of the Web, presents the main outcomes of Web Science activities and discusses directions along which future developments could be anticipated
Integrating TINA into an Internet-Based Services Market
No full textThe deregulation of the telecommunication industry is providing the basis for a competitive, open market in telecommunications services. The TINA Consortium is developing a software architecture that aims to support both communication and information services in an open services market. This paper examines the suitability of TINA for use in an open services market based on Internet technology. An implementation of a composite, IP-based service that uses features of the TINA Service Architecture is presented, and the implications for the wider integration of TINA and the Internet in the delivery of open services are discussed
Taking the relationship to the next level: a comparison of how supporters converse with charities on Facebook and Twitter
No full textSocial media provide a unique opportunity for charities to reach a large audience with whom they can engage in productive two-way conversations. This abstract reports findings from a study that seeks to determine the extent to which these conversations occur, and whether they differ between Facebook and Twitter. Differences arise showing that Facebook receives more conversations in response to the charities' own posts. However, on Twitter more comments are made per each engaged supporter, which could represent more unsolicited discussion that provides an alternative type of value
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