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Context: There continues to be concern that research is not addressing the challenges that practice faces. For the benefit of academia and industry, researchers need to be aware of practitioners’ challenges and their context so that relevant and applicable research is undertaken. Objective: This paper investigates two research questions: what challenges do agile practitioners face? and, how do practitioner challenges manifest themselves in an organisational setting? It aims to map the practitioner challenge landscape, explore challenge characteristics, compare findings with previous literature and identify implications for research that is relevant to practice. Method: A combination of methods was used: elicitation of practitioner challenges collected using a Challenge Wall at a series of practitioner events; organisational Case Study using interviews, document analysis and observation; and online Survey. Findings were then compared to previous publications. Results: Challenges collected from the Challenge Wall were grouped under 27 subthemes and seven themes: Claims and Limitations, Organisation, Sustainability, Culture, Teams, Scale, and Value. Investigating one challenge in the Case Study uncovered a set of new challenges, which were inter-related. Over 50% of survey respondents experienced challenges highlighted in the Case Study. Conclusion: The landscape of agile practitioner challenges is complex and intertwined. Some challenges, such as doing agile in a non-agile environment, are multi-dimensional, affect many aspects of practice, and may be experienced simultaneously as business, organisational, social and adaptation problems. Some challenges, such as understanding cultural change or measuring agile value, persist and are hard to address, while others, such as adoption, change focus over time. Some challenges, such as governance and contracts, are under-researched, while others, such as business and IT transformation, have been researched but findings have

Agile software development relies heavily on tight and continuous collaboration, which becomes a challenge when team members work at a distance. Despite significant focus on distributed Agile working, remote working, when only one or two individuals are not co-located with the rest of the team, remains largely unexplored. We focus on one organisation with several such teams and investigate one in detail using distributed cognition – a theoretical framework for studying collaborative work. We present the results of a group retrospective, and a comparative analysis of collaboration in the team, taking the contrasting perspectives of the remote worker and his co-located teammates. The analysis shows substantial differences in three aspects: virtual artefacts; information flow; and the primacy of structure and facilities provided by collaborative platforms. Platforms that support meaningful collaboration and engagement for the remote worker, and create parity between all members of the team are crucial to integrating capability.

The aim of this thesis is to examine the reasons due to which Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) became the most widely used technology to deliver broadband connectivity in the United Kingdom (UK). The research examines the outcome starting with events in 1960s when broadband as it is defined today did not exist. The research shows that a combination of factors involving regulatory decisions, changing market conditions, and unexpected technological breakthroughs contributed to the current day mix of broadband technologies in the last mile access in the UK. To interpret the events that have shaped the development, deployment, and adoption of broadband technologies in the UK, the thesis draws from various theoretical ideas related to Science and Technology Studies (STS) to understand and analyse the events. In order to discover and establish the historical context, the thesis employs original, unpublished interviews along with the extensive use of archival material and secondary sources. Influenced by some of the core ideas of social constructionist studies, this research combines concepts from economic studies of technological change along with themes involving maintenance of technology, path dependence, and the role of bandwagon effect. These research threads are combined to understand the way development, deployment, and adoption of broadband technologies took place in the UK. The research is intended to contribute to the understanding of technology in a constantly changing regulatory and socio-economic environment and how it is shaped by multiple factors. The targeted readership is researchers, analysts, and decision makers working with broadband technology, telecommunications policy, and STS. Further research is suggested in the form of studies of wireless broadband technologies and the role of regulatory policies in the development of the UK communications market.

Purpose - This paper looks at the extent to which the bandwagon effect played a part in Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) broadband adoption combined with the regulatory measures, the slowdown in the cable industry and the changes within the telecommunications industry in the United Kingdom (UK). The dynamics of broadband deployment, broadband adoption against a real-world supply-demand equation and the factors that influenced the outcome in the UK are examined in detail. Design/methodology/approach - This paper combines historic facts and socio-economic analysis done from archival research and interview material to examine the outcome in which the less-heralded copper DSL technology outpaced cable broadband adoption. The analysis delves into the influence of the bandwagon effect and the two types of outcome associated with it i.e. network externalities and the complementary bandwagon effects. Findings - The paper argues that the deployment of broadband technologies in the UK has not taken place solely on the merits of the technology or factors such as speed, end-user demand and costs. A combination of factors related to regulatory decisions, status of industry finances, commercial expediency, short-term technical benefits and the bandwagon effect are argued to be at work. Originality/value - The paper is useful for historians, policy makers, regulators and communications industry analysts given its focus on broadband deployment in the UK in correlation to the bandwagon economics.

This paper examines the shifting regulatory policies in the United Kingdom (UK) across three market segments, telecommunications, radio/television and cable, starting with British Telecom’s (BT’s) denationalisation in 1984. For the period examined, this paper focuses on following key events: –The phased liberalisation of the UK communications industry starting with the BT-Mercury Communications duopoly in 1984 –The allocation of cable franchises as regional monopolies in the mid-1980s –Introduction of satellite broadcasting and the influence of British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB) Corp. on broadcasting services in the 1990s –The emergence of the Internet/Web and the subsequent development of a broadband policy from mid-1990s onwards Drawing on Dodgson et al.’s concepts of Market logic, Coordination Logic, and Complex-Evolutionary Logic, the authors argue that the forms of regulation introduced shaped the ways the UK communications industry developed. Thus although the denationalisation grew out of a free market ideology, in practice the free market philosophy was tempered for a number of pragmatic reasons. Prominent among these was a need to create a competitive market in a context where competitors would be unlikely to emerge without regulatory intervention, and an emphasis on price competitiveness to ensure that the end-users benefitted from the best possible prices on available products and services. Subsequent events show that these interventions had unintended consequences. The unforeseen popular demand for Internet/Web access found regulators struggling to find ways to promote a competitive market, and incumbent operators struggling to find a way to offer a suitable product.

The aim of this paper is to discuss three different case studies related to the use of 3D visualisation for projects focussing on urban development, regeneration, and Smart City demonstrations. With each of the case studies, the problem statement, the approach adopted for 3D visualisation, and the outcome is covered. The paper concludes by discussing what 3D visualisation offered to each project. The paper discusses how in order to effectively use 3D visualisation the approach needs to be adapted according to the problem statement. Depending on the project requirement, 3D visualisation is likely to serve multiple purposes in urban development, regeneration, and Smart City demonstration projects. The paper suggests that the use of 3D visualisation adds an extra dimension to presenting data and also provides an effective tool for analysing the data.

This paper examines the factors that led to the ascendence of copper-based broadband technologies for delivering Internet connectivity in the United Kingdom. The outcome for competing fixed-line technologies such as coaxial cable and optical fibre is considered in conjunction with the role played by strategic and policy choices of regulators and a nascent competition in the telecom market. The paper shows that the deployment of copper-based broadband technologies was highly contingent on political expediency, uncertainty surrounding the potential end-user adoption of Internet connectivity, the fragmented nature of infrastructure development post-privatization, and commercial imperatives for British Telecom as competitive market forces took hold. The paper correlates these developments with the nascent digital transformation of telecom industry through software-defined networks, network function virtualization, and open radio access network technologies. The paper highlights that due to the inherently capital-intensive nature of the telecom industry and the role of end-user demand in competitive markets, the paradigmatic change offered by fibre technologies, or digital transformation of access network infrastructure will be a long-term prospect rather than a near-term outcome.

Agile organizations have to deal regularly with change and at the same time adapt to sustain agility. In this paper, we present an initial study to identify factors considered when changes need to be made to sustain agility. We used a novel data collection approach, critical decision method (CDM), and investigated three theoretical lenses, paradox theory, situation awareness and shared mental models, to explore the kind of practical consequences they help to uncover. This paper presents the findings of this initial study together with reflections on the data collection method and the three theoretical lenses. Three key dimensions relevant to sustaining agility emerge from the use of these theoretical lenses: teams vs organization; understanding the environment vs the impact of change internally; and understanding “now” vs looking into the future.

The aim of this talk was to examine the current state of software and hardware developments in quantum computing and understand their implications for the future of the Internet of Things (IoT). This talk considered the current level of readiness of quantum computing technologies, opportunities quantum computing technologies could create for IoT, and possible unknowns posed by quantum computing technologies to the emerging IoT ecosystem. The talk explored possible trajectories of development and implications for key market players in both these technologies. This talk was delivered as part of an invitation-only speaker series in the 6th IEEE IoT Summit at the Radio & Wireless Week (RWW) 2023.

Context: There continues to be concern that research is not addressing the challenges that practice faces. For the benefit of academia and industry, researchers need to be aware of practitioners’ challenges and their context so that relevant and applicable research is undertaken. Objective: This paper investigates two research questions: what challenges do agile practitioners face? and, how do practitioner challenges manifest themselves in an organisational setting? It aims to map the practitioner challenge landscape, explore challenge characteristics, compare findings with previous literature and identify implications for research that is relevant to practice. Method: A combination of methods was used: elicitation of practitioner challenges collected using a Challenge Wall at a series of practitioner events; organisational Case Study using interviews, document analysis and observation; and online Survey. Findings were then compared to previous publications. Results: Challenges collected from the Challenge Wall were grouped under 27 subthemes and seven themes: Claims and Limitations, Organisation, Sustainability, Culture, Teams, Scale, and Value. Investigating one challenge in the Case Study uncovered a set of new challenges, which were inter-related. Over 50% of survey respondents experienced challenges highlighted in the Case Study. Conclusion: The landscape of agile practitioner challenges is complex and intertwined. Some challenges, such as doing agile in a non-agile environment, are multi-dimensional, affect many aspects of practice, and may be experienced simultaneously as business, organisational, social and adaptation problems. Some challenges, such as understanding cultural change or measuring agile value, persist and are hard to address, while others, such as adoption, change focus over time. Some challenges, such as governance and contracts, are under-researched, while others, such as business and IT transformation, have been researched but findings have

The aim of this paper is to discuss three different case studies related to the use of 3D visualisation for projects focussing on urban development, regeneration, and Smart City demonstrations. With each of the case studies, the problem statement, the approach adopted for 3D visualisation, and the outcome is covered. The paper concludes by discussing what 3D visualisation offered to each project. The paper discusses how in order to effectively use 3D visualisation the approach needs to be adapted according to the problem statement. Depending on the project requirement, 3D visualisation is likely to serve multiple purposes in urban development, regeneration, and Smart City demonstration projects. The paper suggests that the use of 3D visualisation adds an extra dimension to presenting data and also provides an effective tool for analysing the data.

The aim of this thesis is to examine the reasons due to which Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) became the most widely used technology to deliver broadband connectivity in the United Kingdom (UK). The research examines the outcome starting with events in 1960s when broadband as it is defined today did not exist. The research shows that a combination of factors involving regulatory decisions, changing market conditions, and unexpected technological breakthroughs contributed to the current day mix of broadband technologies in the last mile access in the UK. To interpret the events that have shaped the development, deployment, and adoption of broadband technologies in the UK, the thesis draws from various theoretical ideas related to Science and Technology Studies (STS) to understand and analyse the events. In order to discover and establish the historical context, the thesis employs original, unpublished interviews along with the extensive use of archival material and secondary sources. Influenced by some of the core ideas of social constructionist studies, this research combines concepts from economic studies of technological change along with themes involving maintenance of technology, path dependence, and the role of bandwagon effect. These research threads are combined to understand the way development, deployment, and adoption of broadband technologies took place in the UK. The research is intended to contribute to the understanding of technology in a constantly changing regulatory and socio-economic environment and how it is shaped by multiple factors. The targeted readership is researchers, analysts, and decision makers working with broadband technology, telecommunications policy, and STS. Further research is suggested in the form of studies of wireless broadband technologies and the role of regulatory policies in the development of the UK communications market.

This paper examines the shifting regulatory policies in the United Kingdom (UK) across three market segments, telecommunications, radio/television and cable, starting with British Telecom’s (BT’s) denationalisation in 1984. For the period examined, this paper focuses on following key events: –The phased liberalisation of the UK communications industry starting with the BT-Mercury Communications duopoly in 1984 –The allocation of cable franchises as regional monopolies in the mid-1980s –Introduction of satellite broadcasting and the influence of British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB) Corp. on broadcasting services in the 1990s –The emergence of the Internet/Web and the subsequent development of a broadband policy from mid-1990s onwards Drawing on Dodgson et al.’s concepts of Market logic, Coordination Logic, and Complex-Evolutionary Logic, the authors argue that the forms of regulation introduced shaped the ways the UK communications industry developed. Thus although the denationalisation grew out of a free market ideology, in practice the free market philosophy was tempered for a number of pragmatic reasons. Prominent among these was a need to create a competitive market in a context where competitors would be unlikely to emerge without regulatory intervention, and an emphasis on price competitiveness to ensure that the end-users benefitted from the best possible prices on available products and services. Subsequent events show that these interventions had unintended consequences. The unforeseen popular demand for Internet/Web access found regulators struggling to find ways to promote a competitive market, and incumbent operators struggling to find a way to offer a suitable product.

Purpose - This paper looks at the extent to which the bandwagon effect played a part in Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) broadband adoption combined with the regulatory measures, the slowdown in the cable industry and the changes within the telecommunications industry in the United Kingdom (UK). The dynamics of broadband deployment, broadband adoption against a real-world supply-demand equation and the factors that influenced the outcome in the UK are examined in detail. Design/methodology/approach - This paper combines historic facts and socio-economic analysis done from archival research and interview material to examine the outcome in which the less-heralded copper DSL technology outpaced cable broadband adoption. The analysis delves into the influence of the bandwagon effect and the two types of outcome associated with it i.e. network externalities and the complementary bandwagon effects. Findings - The paper argues that the deployment of broadband technologies in the UK has not taken place solely on the merits of the technology or factors such as speed, end-user demand and costs. A combination of factors related to regulatory decisions, status of industry finances, commercial expediency, short-term technical benefits and the bandwagon effect are argued to be at work. Originality/value - The paper is useful for historians, policy makers, regulators and communications industry analysts given its focus on broadband deployment in the UK in correlation to the bandwagon economics.

As the online advertising market has grown, issues such as high volume of ads, highly personalised and targeted ads, the role of algorithmic biases, lack of transparency of ad placement, and complex financial flows in the ad tech supply chain have received increased attention in academic and popular literature. Despite concerted efforts within the industry and legislative action at national and international levels, available measures to monitor and detect these challenges are often perceived to lag behind increasing layers of intermediation and ever-increasing footprint of the online platforms. The aim of this paper is to discuss how a comparative and integrative framework for regulatory oversight of online advertising could be assembled. For this purpose, the paper draws on a literature review of peer-reviewed articles and grey literature to identify the challenges in online advertising, known mitigation strategies, and possible outcomes of the strategies. As part of the initial specification of the framework developed, the paper covers broad categories of market players, type of challenges, mitigation strategies, and intended outcomes for regulatory oversight of online advertising. Additional areas for investigation and potential improvement of the draft framework are also identified. The ideas discussed in this paper are expected to be of interest to digital economy researchers, policy researchers and policy makers, various players in the online advertising supply chain, public and private sector stakeholders monitoring and investigating the online advertising ecosystem, and anyone interested in balancing the economic gains of online advertising against the challenges it poses to the platform end-users and the wider online platform economy.

As of 2021, there were more than 170 guidelines on AI ethics and responsible, trustworthy AI in circulation according to the AI Ethics Guidelines Global Inventory maintained by AlgorithmWatch, an organisation which tracks the effects of increased digitalisation on everyday lives. However, from the perspective of day-to-day work, for those engaged in designing, developing, and maintaining AI systems identifying relevant guidelines and translating them into practice presents a challenge. The aim of this paper is to help anyone engaged in building a responsible AI system by identifying an indicative long-list of potential stakeholders. This list of impacted stakeholders is intended to enable such AI system builders to decide which guidelines are most suited to their practice. The paper draws on a literature review of articles short-listed based on searches conducted in the ACM Digital Library and Google Scholar. The findings are based on content analysis of the short-listed literature guided by probes which draw on the ISO 26000:2010 Guidance on social responsibility. The paper identifies three levels of potentially relevant stakeholders when responsible AI systems are considered: individual stakeholders (including users, developers, and researchers), organisational stakeholders, and national / international stakeholders engaged in making laws, rules, and regulations. The main intended audience for this paper is software, requirements, and product engineers engaged in building AI systems. In addition, business executives, policy makers, legal/regulatory experts, AI researchers, public, private, and third sector organisations developing responsible AI guidelines, and anyone interested in seeing functional responsible AI systems are the other intended audience for this paper.

Agile software development relies heavily on tight and continuous collaboration, which becomes a challenge when team members work at a distance. Despite significant focus on distributed Agile working, remote working, when only one or two individuals are not co-located with the rest of the team, remains largely unexplored. We focus on one organisation with several such teams and investigate one in detail using distributed cognition – a theoretical framework for studying collaborative work. We present the results of a group retrospective, and a comparative analysis of collaboration in the team, taking the contrasting perspectives of the remote worker and his co-located teammates. The analysis shows substantial differences in three aspects: virtual artefacts; information flow; and the primacy of structure and facilities provided by collaborative platforms. Platforms that support meaningful collaboration and engagement for the remote worker, and create parity between all members of the team are crucial to integrating capability.