Earning Money - A Situation Based Approach for Mobile Business Models

Current mobile business models for mobile commerce do not seem promising with regard to substantial revenue streams for mobile network operators as well as mobile service providers. Today’s settings require customers to “invest” into data transmission before being able to enter a mobile service, i.e. they are forced to pay for all data transmitted regardless whether this data is valuable content or just unwanted marketing messages. In this paper we propose a new business model, which allows mobile service providers to use information about the customer by situation based profiling in order to identify high value customers and sponsor their data transmission costs. It is shown, that by applying this approach revenue streams can be increased significantly for all parties involved, contributing to a more positive perspective for future developments in the mobile market

Mobile qualified electronic signatures for secure mobile brokerage

Despite a legal framework being in place for several years, the market share of qualified electronic signatures is disappointingly low. Mobile Signatures provide a new and promising opportunity for the deployment of an infrastructure for qualified electronic signatures. We that SIM-based signatures are the most secure and convenient solution. However, using the SIM-card as a secure signature creation device (SSCD) raises new challenges, because it would contain the user’s private key as well as the subscriber identification. Combining both functions in one card raises the question who will have the control over the keys and certificates. We propose a protocol called Certification on Demand (COD) that separates certification services from subscriber identification information and allows consumers to choose their appropriate certification services and service providers based on their needs. This infrastructure could be used to enable secure mobile brokerage services that can ommit the necessity of TAN lists and therefore allow a better integration of information and transaction services

Mobile qualified electronic signatures and certification on demand

Despite a legal framework being in place for several years, the market share of qualified electronic signatures is disappointingly low. Mobile Signatures provide a new and promising opportunity for the deployment of an infrastructure for qualified electronic signatures. We analyzed two possible signing approaches (server based and client based signatures) and conclude that SIM-based signatures are the most secure and convenient solution. However, using the SIM-card as a secure signature creation device (SSCD) raises new challenges, because it would contain the user’s private key as well as the subscriber identification. Combining both functions in one card raises the question who will have the control over the keys and certificates. We propose a protocol called Certification on Demand (COD) that separates certification services from subscriber identification information and allows consumers to choose their appropriate certification services and service providers based on their needs. We also present some of the constraints that still have to be addressed before qualified mobile signatures are possible

FinTech Industrial Banks and Beyond: How Banking Innovations Affect the Federal Safety Net

The FinTech industry has been utilizing technological innovations to provide services traditionally offered by the banking and financial industry. Until now, many FinTech firms engaging in these activities had non-bank state licenses. The uncertainties surrounding their current business models and the desire to expand the operations led some of these firms to apply for industrial bank charters. An industrial bank charter is one of the few ways for a commercial firm to control a depository institution and allows FinTech firms to retain their technological investments that are not directly related to banking. However, access of these industrial banks to the federal insurance, payment services, and the discount window raise some concerns. It is claimed that the parent companies of these banks might gain an unfair advantage over their competitors, misguide their creditors, or limit their liabilities by benefitting from the federal subsidies given to the banking industry. This Note analyzes these claims and proposes two alternatives—credit card banks and state bank subsidiaries—for the FinTech firms seeking to engage in the business of banking. Particularly, engaging in non-bank activities through bank subsidiaries could eliminate some of the persistent moral hazard problems that the industrial bank model might entail. Although the industrial bank activities would not pose a significant risk to the federal safety net, these alternatives to the industrial banks could be preferable for sustaining the development of the FinTech industry as well as maintaining a safe and sound banking system

CPA expert 2000 fall/winter 2001

https://egrove.olemiss.edu/aicpa_news/1042/thumbnail.jp

The place of artificial reefs in the lives of small-scale fishers in Terengganu, Malaysia

Mainly deployed with the objective of enhancing fisheries resources, artificial reefs began to gain scientific attention in the 1970s. They continue to be a popular agenda in fisheries management, largely due to their potential in improving the lives of coastal communities. Current performance evaluations of artificial reefs, however, continue to focus more on reef effects on the biology and fishing gain of the area where they are deployed. This is despite repeated calls to expand the performance evaluation to include input from artificial reefs users. This thesis examines the dimensions of small-scale fisher- folks' relations with artificial reefs in Terengganu, Malaysia. Using the livelihood approach, the research focuses on non bio-economics data and explores the "currently ignored" domains of artificial reefs to examine the various components of small-scale fishers' livelihood-making. It reveals important insights of the social, cultural, economic, political and ecological changes that have been affected by artificial reef programmes from the perspectives of fishing communities. Based on the results of in-depth interviews carried out in Setiu, Terengganu, it is concluded that although artificial reefs are perceived to enhance local fisheries resources, small-scale fisher-folks' opportunity to benefit from them depends much on how artificial reefs fit into these fishers' fishing strategies, which are strongly related to their livelihood assets, particularly their social and human capitals. Furthermore, artificial reefs' impacts on Setiu small-scale fishers' livelihood are related to their effect on illegal commercial fishery in the area, where although their presence do deter trawl fishery, artificial reefs are paradoxically an ideal fishing site for purse seine fishery. By exploring these various human dimensions of artificial reefs, the thesis offers a broader perspective on the evaluation of this complex marine phenomenon