The impact of implementation of VOIP in call centres : A Western Australia perspective

By fostering the finalization of open standards and the convergence of voice, video and data, the internet protocol provides an ideal driver for the definition of the infrastructure of new multimedia and advanced communications applications (Adams & Bhalla, 2005). The key advantages of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoiP) for enterprises have been the promise of lower costs, infrastructure consolidation and increased flexibility. Carriers are also positioning VoiP as a cost-saving business solution. It is an application which seemed like a godsend to business and people alike who rely on telephony services (Blood, 2005). The aim of this study was to investigate what factors may influence the adoption of VoiP as a technology as a West Australia context. Specifically the research undertook a case study using an establish call centre in a government agency, City of Melville. The company is a provider of wide range of services including recreation centres, aquatic centres, libraries, creches, pre-school centres, community centres, food inspection services, citizenships, recycling, planning and building services, maintenance, streetscapes, landscaping disability services, immunisation clinics, cultural and educational centres, environmental preservation and management. This study analysed the steps through to adoption of VoiP and IP telephony from the original technology for the Melville City Council call centre. Also, the procedures towards acquisition and installation of the supporting framework that eases the implementation and day to day running are depicted. The main impacts on the company as a result of the implementation in terms of cost reduction and implications, staff satisfaction and benefits, ease of business operations has been reported in this study. Statistics of the business functions and operations based on VoiP solutions were critically analyzed. Results from the research suggested further research needs to be undertaken on factor affecting the adoption of VoiP in a Western Australia context

A Tutorial on Geographic Information Systems: A Ten-year Update

This tutorial provides a foundation on geographic information systems (GIS) as they relate to and are part of the IS body of knowledge. The tutorial serves as a ten-year update on an earlier CAIS tutorial (Pick, 2004). During the decade, GIS has expanded with wider and deeper range of applications in government and industry, widespread consumer use, and an emerging importance in business schools and for IS. In this paper, we provide background information on the key ideas and concepts of GIS, spatial analysis, and latest trends and on the status and opportunities for incorporating GIS, spatial analysis, and locational decision making into IS research and in teaching in business and IS curricula

Designing a location model for face to face and on-line retailing for the UK grocery market

The vast and rapid expansion of internet usage has generated widespread online sales, making the UK one of the leading countries for e-commerce. Until now there has been no clear understanding or analysis of the spatial variations of online activities. Many studies have,however, examined the variance in online buying among different demographic groups usually based on limited survey information. These variations have often been explained by reference to two theories – efficiency theory and diffusion of innovations theory (Rogers, 1995). This lack of research to date is also manifest in the lack of consideration of online sales in traditional store location methodologies. The aim of this research is to establish a new model for site location which includes e-grocery shopping on the UK retail sector. Having explored the literature around the geography of e-commerce and the surveys of geodemographic usage, the thesis explores data unique to the academic sector- namely Sainsbury’s store revenue (for both physical and online channels) and customer data based on their loyalty card (interaction data). The analysis of these data sets establishedfour major trends in the relationship between online share and store provision with insights into the substitution of online and physical channels in areas with limited accessibility to physical grocery stores. Using this information, a new, revised SIM is built and calibrated to include estimates of revenue for both face to face and online stores. It is hoped this will provide an important addition to the existing kitbag of techniques available to retail store location planners

Designing a location model for face to face and on-line retailing for the UK grocery market

The vast and rapid expansion of internet usage has generated widespread online sales, making the UK one of the leading countries for e-commerce. Until now there has been no clear understanding or analysis of the spatial variations of online activities. Many studies have,however, examined the variance in online buying among different demographic groups usually based on limited survey information. These variations have often been explained by reference to two theories – efficiency theory and diffusion of innovations theory (Rogers, 1995). This lack of research to date is also manifest in the lack of consideration of online sales in traditional store location methodologies. The aim of this research is to establish a new model for site location which includes e-grocery shopping on the UK retail sector. Having explored the literature around the geography of e-commerce and the surveys of geodemographic usage, the thesis explores data unique to the academic sector- namely Sainsbury’s store revenue (for both physical and online channels) and customer data based on their loyalty card (interaction data). The analysis of these data sets establishedfour major trends in the relationship between online share and store provision with insights into the substitution of online and physical channels in areas with limited accessibility to physical grocery stores. Using this information, a new, revised SIM is built and calibrated to include estimates of revenue for both face to face and online stores. It is hoped this will provide an important addition to the existing kitbag of techniques available to retail store location planners

A complex systems perspective on innovation, investment and regulation of evolving telecommunications networks

This thesis is a Doctoral Thesis of the International Executive Doctorate Programme (DBA) at the School of Management, Cranfield University, UK. The purpose of the study is to present the results of the research dedicated to the topic of Infrastructure Sharing, a common method to make use of the limited infrastructure resources of many stakeholders. The research aims to develop a decision support tool for a National Regulating Authority (NRA) on the basis of a software simulation representing infrastructure in use as complex systems consisting of agent and infrastructure networks. By applying a computational Agent-Based Modelling (ABM) approach to policy decisions, i.e. influence of Duct and Pole Access (DPA) to incumbent telecommunication infrastructures, the research investigates regulatory considerations that stimulate the development of alternative networks. The final deliverable of the research is a simulation tool that provides a solid foundation for simulating experiments, which allows analysis of demand for broadband services by different subgroups of users. The results of the study are of value for regulators, practitioners, representatives of telecommunication and other network industries, and scholars who deal with the topic of sustainable infrastructure development and recognise the value of a complex system perspective

Politics and the Pursuit of Efficiency in New Zealand's Telecommunications Sector 1987-2008

Economic analysis takes as its defining performance benchmark the pursuit of increases in efficiency. Competition law and industry-specific regulation provide two competing means of intervention whereby the pursuit of efficiency can be enhanced. Ultimately legislators decide how governance of industry interaction will be allocated between these two institutional forms. Whilst competition law can govern interaction in most industries where the underlying economic conditions are sufficiently different industry-specific regulation offers advantages. However its weakness is the risk of capture leading to the subjugation of the efficiency end to the pursuit of other objectives. But if the regulatory institution could be bound in some way to pursue an efficiency objective could the risk of capture be averted? New Zealand's 'light-handed' regulation instituted in 1987 attempted to enshrine the pursuit of efficiency into statute firstly by relying solely upon competition law and contractual undertakings and subsequently creating a regulatory body with an explicit legislated efficiency directive. In practice however the inability of a government prioritising efficiency to bind its successors to pursue the same objective renders sector strategy and hence the efficiency objective subject to political capture. Consequently inherent systemic instability attends the pursuit of the efficiency objective and the institutions overseeing its enforcement

A Horizontal Leap Forward: Formulating a New Communications Public Policy Framework Based on the Network Layers Model

Over the course of the last several decades, legal and structural fictions have evolved and have been integrated into the reality of communications theory and regulation. In this Article, the Author argues that the development of a layers approach to communications regulation of IP networks would lead to greater efficiencies while addressing public policy issues. By reconceptualizing communications regulation along horizontal layers, Mr. Whitt posits that the logical walls surrounding the key components of IP networks should be removed to promote increased functionality of communications oversight and management. In this way, the outmoded vertical separation associated with the legal legacy of communications regulation may be replaced by a horizontal system designed to accommodate new technologies and functions, as opposed to attempting to force congruency between new network characteristics and twentieth century regulations

Congestion control in multi-serviced heterogeneous wireless networks using dynamic pricing

Includes bibliographical references.Service providers, (or operators) employ pricing schemes to help provide desired QoS to subscribers and to maintain profitability among competitors. An economically efficient pricing scheme, which will seamlessly integrate users’ preferences as well as service providers’ preferences, is therefore needed. Else, pricing schemes can be viewed as promoting social unfairness in the dynamically priced network. However, earlier investigations have shown that the existing dynamic pricing schemes do not consider the users’ willingness to pay (WTP) before the price of services is determined. WTP is the amount a user is willing to pay based on the worth attached to the service requested. There are different WTP levels for different subscribers due to the differences in the value attached to the services requested and demographics. This research has addressed congestion control in the heterogeneous wireless network (HWN) by developing a dynamic pricing scheme that efficiently incentivises users to utilize radio resources. The proposed Collaborative Dynamic Pricing Scheme (CDPS), which identifies the users and operators’ preference in determining the price of services, uses an intelligent approach for controlling congestion and enhancing both the users’ and operators’ utility. Thus, the CDPS addresses the congestion problem by firstly obtaining the users WTP from users’ historical response to price changes and incorporating the WTP factor to evaluate the service price. Secondly, it uses a reinforcement learning technique to illustrate how a price policy can be obtained for the enhancement of both users and operators’ utility, as total utility reward obtained increases towards a defined ‘goal state’