Innovation and Information Technology in Services

The missing effect of investments of firms in information and communication technologies on productivity is studied by various recent papers (e.g. Oliner and Sichels 1994, Landauer 1995, Brynjolfsson and Hitt 1996). Several explanations are given for this missing link. Our paper deals with two of them, using two newly available data sets for the German service sector. Using data from a survey of innovative activities in services we show that investment in information technology (IT) has a stronger effect on the quality of services than on the productivity of the IT-using firm. IT investment seems to be especially effective when innovations enhance the delivery speed and the spatial or temporal availability of service. Moreover, data of the German IT survey point towards the need to differentiate between types of IT investment. It is shown that especially the most recent generation of IT as indicated by the number of PCs used is the source of productivity growth whereas traditional IT like mainframes exhibit only minor productivity effects. We conclude from our results that mismeasurement of the quality of new products and processes is one important reason for our inability to uncover the productivity effect of IT. Moreover, dividing IT-investment by the type of IT clarifies that the kind of IT a firm uses is more important for productivity growth what than its quantity. In any case we expect that the bulk of the IT-related productivity growth is still to come. In order to realize the benefits from IT investment entirely, firms have to undergo a large restructuring of business functions. --Information Technology,Productivity,Service Sector

The flat phase of fixed-connectivity membranes

The statistical mechanics of flexible two-dimensional surfaces (membranes) appears in a wide variety of physical settings. In this talk we discuss the simplest case of fixed-connectivity surfaces. We first review the current theoretical understanding of the remarkable flat phase of such membranes. We then summarize the results of a recent large scale Monte Carlo simulation of the simplest conceivable discrete realization of this system \cite{BCFTA}. We verify the existence of long-range order, determine the associated critical exponents of the flat phase and compare the results to the predictions of various theoretical models.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures, 3 tables. LaTeX w/epscrc2.sty, combined contribution of M. Falcioni and M. Bowick to LATTICE96(gravity), to appear in Nucl. Phys. B (proc. suppl.

Massively parallel approximate Gaussian process regression

We explore how the big-three computing paradigms -- symmetric multi-processor (SMC), graphical processing units (GPUs), and cluster computing -- can together be brought to bare on large-data Gaussian processes (GP) regression problems via a careful implementation of a newly developed local approximation scheme. Our methodological contribution focuses primarily on GPU computation, as this requires the most care and also provides the largest performance boost. However, in our empirical work we study the relative merits of all three paradigms to determine how best to combine them. The paper concludes with two case studies. One is a real data fluid-dynamics computer experiment which benefits from the local nature of our approximation; the second is a synthetic data example designed to find the largest design for which (accurate) GP emulation can performed on a commensurate predictive set under an hour.Comment: 24 pages, 6 figures, 1 tabl

A parallel genetic algorithm for the Steiner Problem in Networks

This paper presents a parallel genetic algorithm to the Steiner Problem in Networks. Several previous papers have proposed the adoption of GAs and others metaheuristics to solve the SPN demonstrating the validity of their approaches. This work differs from them for two main reasons: the dimension and the characteristics of the networks adopted in the experiments and the aim from which it has been originated. The reason that aimed this work was namely to build a comparison term for validating deterministic and computationally inexpensive algorithms which can be used in practical engineering applications, such as the multicast transmission in the Internet. On the other hand, the large dimensions of our sample networks require the adoption of a parallel implementation of the Steiner GA, which is able to deal with such large problem instances

Probabilistic structural mechanics research for parallel processing computers

Aerospace structures and spacecraft are a complex assemblage of structural components that are subjected to a variety of complex, cyclic, and transient loading conditions. Significant modeling uncertainties are present in these structures, in addition to the inherent randomness of material properties and loads. To properly account for these uncertainties in evaluating and assessing the reliability of these components and structures, probabilistic structural mechanics (PSM) procedures must be used. Much research has focused on basic theory development and the development of approximate analytic solution methods in random vibrations and structural reliability. Practical application of PSM methods was hampered by their computationally intense nature. Solution of PSM problems requires repeated analyses of structures that are often large, and exhibit nonlinear and/or dynamic response behavior. These methods are all inherently parallel and ideally suited to implementation on parallel processing computers. New hardware architectures and innovative control software and solution methodologies are needed to make solution of large scale PSM problems practical

Innovation and Information Technology in Services

The missing effect of investments of firms in information and communication technologies on productivity is studied by various recent papers. Several explanations are given for this missing link. Our paper deals with two of them, using two newly available data sets for the German service sector. Using data from a survey of innovative activities in services we show that investment in information technology (IT) has a stronger effect on the quality of services than on the productivity of the IT-using firm. IT investment seems to be especially effective when innovations enhance the delivery speed and the spatial or temporal availability of service. Moreover, data of the German IT survey point towards the need to differentiate between types of IT investment. It is shown that especially the most recent generation of IT as indicated by the number of PCs used is the source of productivity growth whereas traditional IT like mainframes exhibit only minor productivity effects. We conclude from our results that mismeasurement of the quality of new products and processes is one important reason for our inability to uncover the productivity effect of IT. Moreover, dividing IT-investment by the type of IT clarifies that the kind of IT a firm uses is more important for productivity growth what than its quantity. In any case we expect that the bulk of the IT-related productivity growth is still to come. In order to realize the benefits from IT investment entirely, firms have to undergo a large restructuring of business functions

Green IT, China – France: similar reactions?

Based upon a study carried out both in France and in China, this communication aims to answer the following question: Is it useful to invest in Green IT for Universities? This research provides information on the perception of individuals with respect to the label "green" placed on an IT object and also highlights the need to take into account the affective dimension of attitude in the Technology Acceptance Model. Our results may help in investment decisions regarding "green" technologyTechnology Acceptance Model, Green IT, intercultural study

Networking high-end CAD systems based on PC/MS-DOS platforms

The concept of today\u27s technology has been dropped. Everything is now either oobsolete or experimental. Yesterday\u27s technology is appealing only because it is tried-and-true and prices are reduced for clearance. Tomorrow\u27s technology is exciting, somewhat expensive and not well tested. In the field of architecture, where most firms are medium or small, having limited resources, the high cost initially required for a CAD installation was generally impossible to meet not too many years ago. From spreadsheets and CAD graphics to network file systems and distributed database management, the basic systems and application tools have matured to the point that the possibilities are now limited mainly by how creatively the architects can apply them. CAD systems on the market today are not so different from the systems of the mid 70s, except they have gone from hardware costing a hundred thousand dollar to PC based systems, costing under ten thousand dollars. Choices of hardware and software for CAD systems undergo continual changes in power and efficiency. There will come a point where upgrading will create more a deficiency rather than an augmentation of capability efficiency and overall function. Thus it becomes a major problem for the prospect buyer