Search

The existence of product complementarities is especially relevant in network-type industries, such as information technology and communications, where systems of complementary components made by different manufacturers have to be assembled. Relying on the characteristics of software markets and drawing on the economic theory of complementarities, this paper investigates how complementarities create value in mergers and acquisitions between software companies. We introduce and empirically validate the software stack as a structure to measure complementarities. In a sample of mergers and acquisitions, in which either the acquirer or the target is a software firm, we find values of abnormal returns consistent with previous results. However, when we use the concept of stack, we find an inverse curvilinear relationship between abnormal returns and the distance between acquirers and targets in various layers of the stack. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses computer games as an educational or training tool of representing a model on how a system works. In 2001, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars gathered game developers, educational foundations and homeland security consultants to provide information on gaming technology and established an industry. These experts aim to convince people that game is also a medium of teaching just like books and films. Serious games emerge in various fields like science, defense and social change. This article cites several educational games, including Immune Attack created by the Federation of American Scientists, Balance of Power by Chris Crawford and Food Force by the United Nations World Food Programme.

A calendar of events for the computer industry in 2009 is presented which include the 7th International Conference on Pervasive Computing in May 11-14, the 8th International Conference on Interactive in June 3-5 and the 31st International Conference on Information Technology Interfaces in June 22-25.

Software industry development is acknowledged as an important engine of economic growth for many developing countries. The role of national policy has been identified as a catalyst to software industry and software exports development. Academic and practitioner frameworks have emerged to guide policymakers to the factors that are critical to success. This article adopts an institutional theory perspective on the strategy-making and implementation process and examines how historically rooted, taken-for-granted assumptions limit the possible courses of action and may also simultaneously open up new opportunities. Certain complexities and contradictions are highlighted through a longitudinal case study of Costa Rica where there is an ongoing strategic planning effort to increase software exports. Key findings from the research are related to improving our understanding of how software exports policy is influenced by local, emergent institutions that have been shaped by particular historical circumstances. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quanta was founded in 1988 by an Electrical Engineering (EE) engineer with the objective to manufacture laptop PCs. After a decade of dedication, positioning and evolution in the personal computer industry, Quanta has become the world's largest notebook PC contract manufacturer. This paper explores the business strategies and core competencies that have made Quanta the chosen manufacturing partner by nine out of ten of the global notebook PC vendors. Quanta's operating efficiency is compared with that of other major Taiwanese notebook PC manufacturers as a gauge of Quanta's competitive edge. The risks of Desknote as a threat to existing notebook PC business as well as the opportunity for Chinese domestic IT product demand and low cost manufacturing are also addressed. This research analyses Quanta's best practices as benchmarks for other companies in the IT business. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Firms increasingly rely upon information technology (IT) to manage organizational knowledge, though this does not inevitably result in increased knowledge sharing. In contrast, we know that in the case of non-commercial open software development, IT plays a central role in knowledge sharing between software developers. This paper acknowledges the impact of a blogosphere - a system of connected weblogs (i.e. personalized and informal publications on the Internet in reverse chronological order) - on the motivation of lead users to develop commercial software together with the employees of a large for-profit organization. On the basis of multi-method data, collected over a 28-month period, our results indicate parallels to the field of open source software: we argue that weblog technology and its features evoke intrinsic and extrinsic motivation to engage in knowledge sharing within a commercial software development project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a theory of innovation in services based upon the development of new markets that exploit the powers of ICT to coordinate service production and delivery. As digital communications and computational infrastructure have developed over the past few decades, the scale and scope of the service sector has also evolved such that it is now, we believe, in the midst of a productivity revolution driven by the ICT enabled decomposition of services to their elemental parts and the subsequent gains through specialization and reintegration of these elements. This works to advance existing services and create new services, and so to drive the growth of economic activity. In this paper, we propose a theory of this evolutionary process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present paper, the concepts of chaos and nonlinear dynamics are briefly introduced and the tools used in the characterization of a chaotic or nonlinear system are discussed for studying the performance of dispatching policies in manufacturing systems. The scheduling of a simple manufacturing system with the help of common assignment rules has been simulated first. The results are studied and analysed with the help of time-delay plots. Some conclusions are drawn and, based on them, a new method of scheduling is proposed. The method is tested against conventional rules and the results are evaluated and discussed, specifically by addressing practical and generalization issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bearing in mind that activity requirements of manufacturing enterprises (MEs) can usefully be described as a network of dependent processes, the current paper identifies complementary properties of state-of-the-art enterprise modelling and simulation modelling techniques. It is observed that, when these techniques are used in a coherent fashion, they have potential to create semantically rich models of process networks that can be computer-executed so as to replicate and/or predict organizational behaviours. The current paper describes an outline of how a particular choice of well-proved enterprise modelling and simulation modelling techniques can be used in an integrated fashion. Also described are interim research findings when using such an integrated modelling approach in a case study furniture making company. For key segments of business processes currently deployed by the case study company, the outcome has been new qualitative and quantitative understandings about (a) alternative ways of organizing multi-product flows through a constrained (in situ) set of human and technical resources and (b) potential performance enhancements that could be achieved in process segments by purchasing, commissioning and deploying alternative systems of human and technical resources. Research groundwork is now in place to support the case study company as in the future it makes (a) medium-to-long term investment decisions about new manufacturing control strategies and the purchase of new resource systems and (b) short-to-medium term production planning and control decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To support the application of information technology in quality management, the current paper presents a case study of quality assurance information system modelling for product development projects in a small- to medium-sized enterprise. The object-oriented modelling approach of unified modelling language (UML) was employed. The graphical and well-defined symbols are ideal for modelling complex manufacturing operations. The modelling process was detailed through the depiction of examples for individual diagrams. Through the modelling process, the computerization of product development projects management was realized and a prototype for company-wide application of the approach was established. In addition, the model will provide manufacturers with guidance in comprehending the modelling techniques of UML for achieving computer-integrated manufacturing environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An integrated methodology using quality function deployment (QFD) and analytic network process (ANP) is proposed to determine and prioritize the engineering requirements of a cast part, based on the customer needs, for selecting and evaluating an appropriate rapid prototyping (RP)-based route for tooling fabrication. The QFD incorporates a planning matrix to translate the customer needs into measurable engineering requirements using a robust evaluation method based on ANP. Experimental data generated by carrying out benchmarking studies of widely used RP processes were used to facilitate assignment of relative weights in ANP. The methodology is demonstrated and validated with an industrial example of a separator body casting. It has proved to be a robust evaluation and decision-making tool for selecting appropriate tooling route for a given casting based on customer requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A computer-aided process planning (CAPP) and machine assignment system, capable of coping with the changes in products and system, are required for reconfigurable manufacturing systems (RMS) or other dynamic manufacturing environments. The capabilities of the machines and manufacturing systems in RMS change with each configuration. An approach is presented for selecting the different types of machine(s) and their appropriate configurations to produce different types of parts and features, according to the required machine capabilities. The structure of the machine tool is represented in a kinematic chain-like format that captures the number, type and order of different axes of motion on both the tool or workpiece side for the machine. The proposed method is illustrated with an example. More than one minimum machine configuration may be generated for a single-operation cluster, which increases the flexibility in machine tool selection. The developed approach is general in nature and not limited to RMS. It is applicable to any manufacturing system where dynamic and flexible process planning and machine assignments are required. It could serve as an important tool in aiding the machine assignment/selection and process planning activities at the initial stages of manufacturing systems design and subsequent changes in products scope, and facilities expansion, downsizing and modification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article contributes to the literature on the use of Information Technology (IT) in Human Services by reporting on an evaluation that was conducted of a program that provided computers, private chat software, technical and professional support and internet access to a group of single mothers to increase their support network through online communication. The program proved to be successful on several dimensions and one of the major contributing factors to its success was the anonymous nature of the chat communication. Additional research is advised to look further into the role of anonymity in creating honest and meaningful exchanges in this kind of “electronic” support group. It is one of the characteristics that distinguished this type of support group from traditional support groups and makes this not just a substitute for face-to-face support groups but a unique form of support. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

For most social workers it is no longer possible to delay technological proficiency (Abell & Galinsky, 2002). In order to use evidence, one must constantly produce evidence throughout practice; every day and where applicable in most helping situations. Computer Assisted Technology (CAT) is one of the tools a social worker can use to produce his/her own evidence which can be used to maximize practice efficacy. Further combined with clinical observations, it can be used to prevent making false case conclusions. Practitioners are encouraged to use CAT to produce evidence which leads to more informed and judicious practice. doi:10.1300/J394v03n03_09 [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article offers information about information system development (ISD) agility in the Netherlands. It notes that ISD agility explores the ways on how and why ISD organizations sense and respond swiftly as they develop and maintain information system applications. It embraces certain concepts of exploration and exploitation in investigating agility in the context of ISD organizations. Depending on the organization's learning focus, they can make choices depending on how they respond and sense such agility, based on how they value speed with regards to other process goals including quality, cost, risk and innovative contents.

While the Internet has become the dominant platform for individuals and organizations to exchange information with other parties, the regulation of the Internet in which laws and technology come to play have never reached an international common ground. Nations, due to their root theories, legal perspectives and cultural differences, tend to regulate the Internet in their own way. This article first surveys the models for Internet regulation, then examines some social, cultural, political and economical differences in perspectives between the European Union and the United States that impact Internet regulation. Important regulatory issues such as electronic commerce, privacy and data protection, intellectual property rights and content regulation are discussed. The insight provided in this work could help policy makers of the leading nations in the cyberspace to improve their mutual understanding in the quest for establishing a global legal environment for the Internet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From its inception in the 1960s, Internet governance has been a largely ad hoc affair. Private-sector United States-based bodies have played crucial roles in developing the Internet, the most recognisable being the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), a non-profit, private-sector American corporation formed in 1998 to take responsibility for key Internet management functions. ICANN's structure and, indeed, its very existence, reflects the Internet's origins within the American academic sector, and the dominance thus far of the United States in the growth of the Internet. This structure now faces a challenge from the growing internationalisation of the Internet, which necessitates governance on a more international basis. At the World Summit on the Information Society in December 2003, it was agreed that a United Nations working party should be set up to review Internet governance. This article will consider the arguments for change, and will conclude that greater internationalisation of Internet governance is required if the Internet is to achieve its full potential in developing countries, as well as in the developed world. Models for international regulation will be considered, and the article will conclude by proposing a model that will best satisfy both the need for change, and the need to protect the essentially dynamic nature of the Internet from bureaucratic government intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last twenty years, Ireland has become a hotbed of software activity. According to the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Information Technology Outlook 2000, Ireland is the largest exporter of software goods in t he world (IDA, 2002). In t he past, smaller countries have suffered from economic disadvantage, but with the recent rapid development of IT sectors, a country that is both small geographically as well as demographically may achieve increased per capita levels of IT infrastructure built and used within that country (Dedrick et al., 1995). With a population of fewer than 4 million and producing software sales worth €10,150 billion, €8,500 billion of which is software exports, Ireland's software industry has experienced significant success in producing and exporting software (IDA, 2002). Ireland's emergence as an economic lsquo;Celtic Tigerrsquo; has evolved as a result of Ireland's openness to the global market and to increased overseas investment. The authors propose a conceptual framework of factors that identify the key facets of national involvement that have impacted this software growth. This study investigates the extent to which institutional influences, such as government policies, have contributed to the evolution and growth of Ireland's software industry. In order to identify this governmental impact on the Irish software sector, the authors identify four small developed countries that have experienced significant IT industry growth. The varying levels of government intervention in these cases are considered, indicating the importance of national involvement in each of the four IT industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we investigate how perceived attributes of computer technology influence its rate of adoption in the workplace. In order to achieve this, the diffusion of innovation literature was reviewed looking for a set of common attributes that could be responsible for the largest rate of adoption. The literature suggests that Rogers' five attributes of innovation namely, relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, trialability, and observability explain up to 87% of the innovation rate of adoption. About 1200 knowledge workers in 56 public and private medium and large organizations across Saudi Arabia of different managerial levels and spanning a wide spectrum of industries and services have participated in this study. The findings highlight the role and direction of these factors toward computer technology adoption in developing countries. This should help decision makers in this part of the world cultivate the positively correlating factors to enhance computer technology adoption while trying to reduce the effects of the negative factors. We contend that the findings are also valuable for practitioners from western cultures in applying computer-based information systems solutions to developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

French hardware manufacturers were by and large incapable not only of translating technological advances into industrial products but even of understanding the new opportunities these advances offered. While true up to a point, this approach, focused on the failure of the so-called ''national champion'' policy, is incapable of explaining why French providers of IT services have had considerable success both in their own domestic market and in the wider European market. The argument advanced is that a very active higher education policy and national research strategy has produced a supply of particularly valuable competences which feed the IT sector. In addition, the previous mission-oriented policies encouraged the development of effective technological districts which now nurture the appearance of a plethora of small, innovative IT firms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the impact of institutional environment on the growth of the Indian information technology (IT) industry. The study reveals that before the first generation of reforms, that is, 1991, the government was pursuing a structuralist approach toward economic development. After liberalization in 1991, the government embarked on pro-active economic policies for the diffusion and production of IT. Consequently, the IT industry experienced an unprecedented growth rate in domestic as well as export markets. However,foreign direct investment (FDI) policies have not been successful in attracting the desired level of foreign investment, which is very important for a high-tech sector such as IT hardware manufacturing. The study suggests that immediate corrective measures need to be taken to augment the IT manufacturing industry, which can significantly contribute to national economic development and employment generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the community model of content management in the Internet industry. Aspects of the characteristics of content on the Internet and the traditional media industry; Role of virtual communities as business model for community management; Models of content management; Consequences of the new characteristics of content in the Internet.

The exceptional performance of Dell Computer in recent years illustrates an innovative response to a fundamental competitive factor in the personal computer industry - the value of time. This article shows how Dell's strategies of direct sales and build-to-order production have proven successful in minimizing inventory and bringing new products to market quickly, enabling it to increase market share and achieve high returns on investment. The Dell case illustrates how one business model may have inherent advantages under particular market conditions, but it also shows the importance of execution in exploiting those advantages. In particular, Dell's use of information technology (IT) has been vital to executing both elements of its business model - direct sales and build-to-order - and provides valuable insights into how IT can be applied to achieve speed and flexibility in an industry in which time is critical. Many of the insights gained from this case can be applied more generally to other time-dependent industries, suggesting that the findings from the Dell case will have implications for a growing number of companies and industries in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventional wisdom suggests that a fast single-server queue is preferable to a number of slower single-server queues. The rationale is that if the service rate of the superposed queue is the sum of the service rates of the individual queues, then the average waiting time for the superposed queue is smaller than the weighted average waiting time of the individual queues. This argument, however, assumes that the service time of the customers is perfectly scalable. Unfortunately, this assumption rarely holds in reality. In this paper we analyze the superposition of MIGI 1 queues. We assume that there are scalable and unscalable components in the service time. On the basis of the criteria of average waiting time and average response time, we derive necessary and sufficient conditions for whether the superposition of queues is preferable. Examples of magnetic rotational disks are given to illustrate our findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The announcement by Japan's Ministry of Trade and Industry in 1981 of its intention to use government-sponsored collaborative research to lead the world towards ‘Fifth Generation’ computing prompted a sudden enthusiasm for collaboration in Europe and the US. The UK was at the vanguard of this movement to ‘learn from Japan’ and used pre-competitive collaborative research as the central organizing theme of its Alvey Programme to strengthen the country's ability to compete in advanced information technology (IT). While Alvey produced a number of benefits, commercialization of research outputs fell short of popular Western perceptions of Japan's achievements. However, a review of MITI schemes prior to the Fifth Generation announcement reveals that, for the most part, they were neither pre-competitive nor collaborative. Moreover, problems with abstracting the operation of MITI's schemes from other aspects of Japan's national innovation system undermine their value as a model for UK policy. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article discusses on the effect of users working on intensive data entry in factory-like condition as it results to alienation and work-related ill health in mechanized factories. There are a lot of issues to be tackled regarding the human use of computers mainly about health and also computer interaction, communication and exploring new ways of displaying data. Behavior and Information Technology was established to conduct research on different topics related to computer.

This article focuses on the trend of IT outsourcing-offshoring in the U.S. despite two decisions that may appear to be counter to the trend. The first decision, JP Morgan has decided to begin performing IT functions that it had previously outsourced, and has not renewed its $5 billion contract with IBM. The second, General Electric plans to sell its $400 million annual revenue India-based call-center business. Such decisions make the overall outsourcing situation more complex. Outsourcing vendors, though, continued to upgrade their services to higher value-added activities such as software development, integrating business processes, and software maintenance. Offshore movement into higher-end development activities is likely to continue because there is no lack of computer skills offshore. The Software Engineering Institute estimates that about 40 percent of the top-rated software companies are located in India. Another complicating factor is the trend toward the development of backup sites in places such as the Philippines, where English fluency is common. This is being done to ensure against the political risk in a country that has had several nose-to-nose confrontations with another nuclear power.

Editorial. Looks into the development and progress of the computer industry. Changes observed in computer applications; Acceptance of computers as a shared resource or a social vehicle; Introduction of the Internet to users; Impact of information technology on organizations.