Multimedia resources: An information model and its application to an MPEG2 video codec

Still today, diagnosing a problem with multimedia resources, such as video and sound cards, is insufficiently automated. These resources therefore cannot be accurately managed. One reason for this is the lack of their thorough modeling. In this paper, we fulfill this need, by proposing a generic information model, which we further apply to an MPEG2 video codec. We highlight the main characteristics of this kind of codec, identify parameters that influence these characteristics, and reveal some of the trade-offs that the application developer can consider in order to design efficient software for MPEG2 codecs. In addition to the benefits of this modeling for the user and the application developer, we also show how useful it could be for the providers of distribution services, such as live video transmission. These providers can use our model to achieve resource management on an end-to-end basis

Management of multimedia resources: from a generic information model to its application to an MPEG2 video codec

New open service architectures provide a management framework for telecommunications services, telecommunications networks and computing resources. However, the introduction of multimedia applications in these architectures will require the management of the underlying multimedia resources (e.g., codecs, converters, etc). Multimedia resources are the basic components that support multimedia communications. In this paper, we tackle this issue by proposing a generic management information model for multimedia resources and then instantiate it for the management of an MPEG2 video codec. This information model provides a data representation of the multimedia resources in order to manage them efficiently

A method to ease creation of telecommunications services based on a Generic Component Model

This paper proposes a method to ease the creation of -distributed- telecommunications services. The method is based on a generic component model which is a common software architecture applicable to the design of every component of a telecommunications service. The concepts, architecture and specification of the Generic Component Model are presented. The method based on the Generic Component Model is then applied to the design of a Connection Management Service on top of an ATM communication platform Keywords: TINA, Service Specification, Design and Management

A generic service management architecture for multimedia multipoint communications

With rapid advances in multimedia processing technologies, and in high bandwidth network technologies, new kinds of multimedia applications are now emerging. These applications require real-time, multimedia, and multipoint interactions involving multiple communicating entities and leading to a need of more sophisticated communication control functionalities. In this paper, a generic integrated and flexible service management architecture for multimedia multipoint communications is proposed, which offers three main generic functions, namely Quality of Service (QoS) negotiation, QoS monitoring and control, and session management

Service Management: From definition to information modeling

In this paper, we split the service management layer, as defined in the Telecommunication Management Network (TMN), into two sublayers, namely the service application management sublayer and the service network management sublayer. The former deals with managing the mapping of the non functional requirements into functional constraints over the telecommunication service of interest, while the second reveals the management details related to meeting the functional requirements over that service. At each sublayer, we propose an information model and emphasize the correspondence with the other sublayer

Cross-border Business in the European Union and Statutory Disclosure Requirements: Using IT as a Catalyst for Further Market Integration

This paper highlights the gap between the opportunities for EU-companies to fully exploittheir freedom of establishment on the one hand and the obstacles flowing from the mainly nationalorganisation of information filing requirements through business registers on the other hand. Fromthe point of view of companies, this gap partly neutralises the efforts replayed both in EU regulationand ECJ jurisprudence to guarantee the freedom of establishment. Companies are not only oftenobliged to file the same information in different countries but, due to the lack of information sharingbetween the countries in which they are established, investors, creditors and other stakeholders maysuffer information asymmetries. We analyse the possible legal approaches towards organising thefiling of information in a network model. The design of a technical solution to improve the crossbordersharing of corporate data in order to decrease administrative burdens on the freedom lies atthe heart of the BRITE project. BRITE wishes to increase the interoperability of business registers,not only with a view to facilitating the cross-border establishment of companies, but also as a toolfor other users (including public authorities) who can benefit from the better dissemination of publiccompany data and the possibility to aggregate data at a European level. We submit that the Europeanlawmakers have not yet fully exploited the possibilities offered by linking national publicinformation systems into networks, although the Transparency Directive does envisage a networkapproach as regards the dissemination of company and financial information by listed companies

Advanced Manned Launch System (AMLS) study

To assure national leadership in space operations and exploration in the future, NASA must be able to provide cost effective and operationally efficient space transportation. Several NASA studies and the joint NASA/DoD Space Transportation Architecture Studies (STAS) have shown the need for a multi-vehicle space transportation system with designs driven by enhanced operations and low costs. NASA is currently studying an advanced manned launch system (AMLS) approach to transport crew and cargo to the Space Station Freedom. Several single and multiple stage systems from air-breathing to all-rocket concepts are being examined in a series of studies potential replacements for the Space Shuttle launch system in the 2000-2010 time frame. Rockwell International Corporation, under contract to the NASA Langley Research Center, has analyzed a two-stage all-rocket concept to determine whether this class of vehicles is appropriate for the AMLS function. The results of the pre-phase A study are discussed

HaIRST: Harvesting Institutional Resources in Scotland Testbed. Final Project Report

The HaIRST project conducted research into the design, implementation and deployment of a pilot service for UK-wide access of autonomously created institutional resources in Scotland, the aim being to investigate and advise on some of the technical, cultural, and organisational requirements associated with the deposit, disclosure, and discovery of institutional resources in the JISC Information Environment. The project involved a consortium of Scottish higher and further education institutions, with significant assistance from the Scottish Library and Information Council. The project investigated the use of technologies based on the Open Archives Initiative (OAI), including the implementation of OAI-compatible repositories for metadata which describe and link to institutional digital resources, the use of the OAI protocol for metadata harvesting (OAI-PMH) to automatically copy the metadata from multiple repositories to a central repository, and the creation of a service to search and identify resources described in the central repository. An important aim of the project was to identify issues of metadata interoperability arising from the requirements of individual institutional repositories and their impact on services based on the aggregation of metadata through harvesting. The project also sought to investigate issues in using these technologies for a wide range of resources including learning, teaching and administrative materials as well as the research and scholarly communication materials considered by many of the other projects in the JISC Focus on Access to Institutional Resources (FAIR) Programme, of which HaIRST was a part. The project tested and implemented a number of open source software packages supporting OAI, and was successful in creating a pilot service which provides effective information retrieval of a range of resources created by the project consortium institutions. The pilot service has been extended to cover research and scholarly communication materials produced by other Scottish universities, and administrative materials produced by a non-educational institution in Scotland. It is an effective testbed for further research and development in these areas. The project has worked extensively with a new OAI standard for 'static repositories' which offers a low-barrier, low-cost mechanism for participation in OAI-based consortia by smaller institutions with a low volume of resources. The project identified and successfully tested tools for transforming pre-existing metadata into a format compliant with OAI standards. The project identified and assessed OAI-related documentation in English from around the world, and has produced metadata for retrieving and accessing it. The project created a Web-based advisory service for institutions and consortia. The OAI Scotland Information Service (OAISIS) provides links to related standards, guidance and documentation, and discusses the findings of HaIRST relating to interoperability and the pilot harvesting service. The project found that open source packages relating to OAI can be installed and made to interoperate to create a viable method of sharing institutional resources within a consortium. HaIRST identified issues affecting the interoperability of shared metadata and suggested ways of resolving them to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of shared information retrieval environments based on OAI. The project demonstrated that application of OAI technologies to administrative materials is an effective way for institutions to meet obligations under Freedom of Information legislation

eHealth and mHealth initiatives in Bangladesh: A scoping study

BACKGROUND: The health system of Bangladesh is haunted by challenges of accessibility and affordability. Despite impressive gains in many health indicators, recent evidence has raised concerns regarding the utilization, quality and equity of healthcare. In the context of new and unfamiliar public health challenges including high population density and rapid urbanization, eHealth and mHealth are being promoted as a route to cost-effective, equitable and quality healthcare in Bangladesh. The aim of this paper is to highlight such initiatives and understand their true potential. METHODS: This scoping study applies a combination of research tools to explore 26 eHealth and mHealth initiatives in Bangladesh. A screening matrix was developed by modifying the framework of Arksey & O’Malley, further complemented by case study and SWOT analysis to identify common traits among the selected interventions. The WHO health system building blocks approach was then used for thematic analysis of these traits. RESULTS: Findings suggest that most eHealth and mHealth initiatives have proliferated within the private sector, using mobile phones. The most common initiatives include tele-consultation, prescription and referral. While a minority of projects have a monitoring and evaluation framework, less than a quarter have undertaken evaluation. Most of the initiatives use a health management information system (HMIS) to monitor implementation. However, these do not provide for effective sharing of information and interconnectedness among the various actors. There are extremely few individuals with eHealth training in Bangladesh and there is a strong demand for capacity building and experience sharing, especially for implementation and policy making. There is also a lack of research evidence on how to design interventions to meet the needs of the population and on potential benefits. CONCLUSION: This study concludes that Bangladesh needs considerable preparation and planning to sustain eHealth and mHealth initiatives successfully. Additional formative and operational research is essential to explore the true potential of the technology. Frameworks for regulation in regards to eHealth governance should be the aim of future research on the integration of eHealth and mHealth into the Bangladesh health system.DFI