Network sharing through service outsourcing in inter-domain IMS frameworks

Includes abstract.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 161-167).Resource sharing can be used as a short-term solution to the imbalance between the supply and demand of network resources. Resources sharing enables operators to provide services to their subscribers using networks belonging to other operators. Resource sharing in mobile networks is increasingly becoming an option for operators to provide service to their subscribers. In this thesis we explore a mechanism for sharing access network resources that utilises negotiable short-term Service Level Agreements (SLA) that can easily adapt to changing network conditions. Through this mechanism operators of resource constrained networks may use near real time dynamic SLAs to negotiate network access services for their subscribers. We refer to this form of resource sharing as 'Service Outsourcing'

Flexible Traffic Management in Broadband Access Networks using Software Defined Networking

Abstract-Over the years, the demand for high bandwidth services, such as live and on-demand video streaming, steadily increased. The adequate provisioning of such services is challenging and requires complex network management mechanisms to be implemented by Internet service providers (ISPs). In current broadband network architectures, the traffic of subscribers is tunneled through a single aggregation point, independent of the different service types it belongs to. While having a single aggregation point eases the management of subscribers for the ISP, it implies huge bandwidth requirements for the aggregation point and potentially high end-to-end latency for subscribers. An alternative would be a distributed subscriber management, adding more complexity to the management itself. In this paper, a new traffic management architecture is proposed that uses the concept of Software Defined Networking (SDN) to extend the existing Ethernet-based broadband network architecture, enabling a more efficient traffic management for an ISP. By using SDN-enabled home gateways, the ISP can configure traffic flows more dynamically, optimizing throughput in the network, especially for bandwidth-intensive services. Furthermore, a proofof-concept implementation of the approach is presented to show the general feasibility and study configuration tradeoffs. Analytic considerations and testbed measurements show that the approach scales well with an increasing number of subscriber sessions

I-centric User Interaction

Die Vision I-centric Communications bedeutet, einen uneingeschränkten Blick auf das menschliche Kommunikationsverhalten zu werfen, um Kommunikationssysteme entsprechend daran angepasst zu entwickeln. Diese Vision definiert einen benutzerorientierten Ansatz zur Erstellung von Diensten und Anwendungen. Dies setzt zunächst eine Analyse der Benutzeranforderungen voraus, um geeignete Systeme und Dienste zu entwerfen. Anstatt Technologie-fokussierte Lösungen ohne jegliche Anpassung an die jeweiligen Personen anzubieten, sollte ein I-centric System seine Dienste ohne sichtbare technische Details und unter Berücksichtigung von Benutzerpräferenzen sowie der Benutzerumgebung darbieten. Der Vision von I-centric Communications folgend, stellt die vorliegende Arbeit einen Ansatz zur Realisierung der Idee von I-centric User Interaction vor. Dieser Ansatz erweitert und vervollständigt die Vision durch verbesserte Benutzerinteraktionsfähigkeiten. Diese Dissertation zeigt, dass es möglich ist, Kommunikationssysteme zu realisieren, die die Interaktion zwischen Benutzern und Diensten ohne Einschränkung auf bestimmte Technologien für Benutzerschnittstellen sowie in personalisierter und umgebungsberücksichtigende Art und Weise unterstützen. Derartig verbesserte Benutzerinteraktion wird die Akzeptanz und die Benutzung von Diensten erhöhen. Einerseits soll die Benutzerinteraktion verschiedene Arten von Technologien für Benutzerschnittstellen unterstützen, durch die die Geräte-Unabhängigkeit und der ständige Zugang zu den Diensten ermöglicht werden. Entsprechend dem aktuellem Kontext und der Absicht können die Benutzer die bevorzugte und geeignete Art der Interaktion wählen. Andererseits soll die Interaktion selbst den Benutzerpräferenzen sowie der jeweiligen Umgebung angepasst werden. Dementsprechend diskutiert die vorliegende Arbeit diese unterschiedlichen Problembereiche, identifiziert die notwendigen Funktionen und bietet entsprechende Lösungsansätze jeweils. Die Arbeit präsentiert und analysiert zunächst die Vision I-centric Communications mit Hinblick auf den Aspekt der Benutzerinteraktion. Basierend auf den identifizierten Anforderungen wurde ein Ansatz zur Realisierung von I-centric User Interaction entwickelt. Dieser Ansatz, der in dieser Arbeit vorgestellt wird, spezifiziert ein Service Adaptation Framework und einzelne Modelle für Generische Benutzerinteraktion , für Personalisierung sowie für Ambient Awareness , die sich jeweils auf die identifizierten Problembereiche konzentrieren. Abschließend präsentiert die vorliegende Arbeit Ergebnisse einer prototypischen Realisierung des dargelegten Ansatzes. Die Ergebnisse demonstrieren die Einsetzbarkeit der entwickelten Konzepte und die Erfüllung der Vision von I-centric User Interaction . Die Forschungsarbeit im Bereich I-centric Communications wurde in Kooperation zwischen dem Lehrstuhl für Offene Kommunikationssysteme (OKS) der Technischen Universität Berlin (TUB) und dem Fraunhofer Institut FOKUS durchgeführt. Die Vision sowie das Referenzmodell für I-centric Communications , die in der vorliegenden Arbeit vorgestellt werden, sind Ergebnisse dieser Kooperation. Die Forschungsschwerpunkte der Kooperation zwischen TUB und FOKUS waren das Generelle Modell für I-centric Dienste , die Dienstplattform für I-centric Dienste sowie ein Ansatz zur Interaktion zwischen Nutzern und I-centric Dienste . Die vorliegende Arbeit konzentriert sich auf den Ansatz I-centric User Interaction , der die Interaktion zwischen Nutzern und den Diensten betrachtet. Die Aspekte der I-centric Dienste werden in der vorliegenden Arbeit nicht betrachtet. Diese Aspekte wurden in einer zweiten Dissertation von Stefan Arbanowski, Fraunhofer FOKUS, analysiert und ausgearbeitet. Die Ergebnisse dieser Arbeit wurden in verschiedenen nationalen und internationalen Forschungsprojekten (BMBF LiveFutura, BMBF PI-AVIda, BMBF VHE-UD, IST WSI, IST WWRI), Standardisierungsgremien (OMG, WWRF), Konferenzpapieren sowie Zeitschriften eingebracht, um die Vision von I-centric Communications einem größeren Auditorium vorzustellen.The vision of I-centric Communications means to take an unlimited look at human communication behavior and to adapt the activities of communication systems to it. This vision defines a user-centered approach for the realization of services and applications. It requires to start analyzing user demands to design suitable systems and services. Instead of just providing technology-focused solutions without any adaptation to individuals, an I-centric system should provide services hiding technical details and considering the individual s preferences as well as the individual s environment. Following the vision of I-centric Communications, this thesis introduces an approach to realize I-centric User Interaction. This approach enhances and completes the vision by providing advanced user interaction capabilities. It answers the question whether it is possible to realize a communication system, which allows the interaction between user and services without any restriction to specific user interface technologies and in a personalized as well as ambient aware manner. Such enhanced user interaction will lead to a higher acceptance and increased usage of services. On the one hand, the user interaction shall support different kinds of user interface technologies enabling Device Independence and ubiquitous access to the services. According to their current context and intended action, users can select the preferred and suitable way of interaction. On the other hand, the user interaction shall be adapted to the user s preferences and to the user s environment. Accordingly, this work discusses these different areas of concern, identifies necessary functions, and provides suitable solutions for each. First, the thesis introduces and analyses the vision of I-centric Communications with special regard to the aspect of user interaction. Based on the identified requirements and areas of concern, an approach to realize I-centric User Interaction was developed. The approach, presented in this thesis, specifies a Service Adaptation Framework and individual models for Personalization, for Ambient Awareness, and for Generic User Interaction focusing on the respective areas of concern. Finally, the thesis illustrates the results from the prototypical implementation of the presented approach, which has been pursued in several projects in parallel. These results demonstrate the applicability of the developed concepts and the fulfillment of the vision of I-centric User Interaction. The work in the area of I-centric Communications was carried out in cooperation of the Department for Open Communication Systems (OKS) at the Technical University Berlin (TUB) and the Fraunhofer Institute FOKUS. The vision and the reference model for I-centric Communications, introduced in this thesis, are results of this cooperation. The main research directions for the cooperation between TUB and FOKUS have been a general model for I-centric services, the service platform for I-centric services, and an approach for the interaction of users with I-centric services. This thesis focuses on an approach for I-centric User Interaction. The general aspects of I-centric services as defined by the vision are out of scope of this thesis. Nevertheless, these aspects have been analyzed by Stefan Arbanowski, researcher at Fraunhofer FOKUS, in a second PhD thesis in parallel. The results of this work have been contributed to different national and international projects (BMBF LiveFutura, BMBF PI-AVIda, BMBF VHE-UD, IST WSI, IST WWRI), standardization bodies (OMG, WWRF), conferences papers, and journals by introducing the vision of I-centric Communications to a larger auditorium, and by exploiting parts of the developed I-centric systems

3G migration in Pakistan

The telecommunication industry in Pakistan has come a long way since the country\u27s independence in 1947. The initial era could be fairly termed as the PTCL (Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited) monopoly, for it was the sole provider of all telecommunication services across the country. It was not until four decades later that the region embarked into the new world of wireless communication, hence ending the decades old PTCL monopoly. By the end of the late 1990\u27s, government support and international investment in the region opened new doors to innovation and better quality, low cost, healthy competition. Wireless licenses for the private sector in the telecommunication industry triggered a promising chain of events that resulted in a drastic change in the telecommunication infrastructure and service profile. The newly introduced wireless (GSM) technology received enormous support from all stakeholders (consumers, regulatory body, and market) and caused a vital boost in Pakistan\u27s economy. Numerous tangential elements had triggered this vital move in the history of telecommunications in Pakistan. Entrepreneurs intended to test the idea of global joint ventures in the East and hence the idea of international business became a reality. The technology had proven to be a great success in the West, while Pakistan\u27s telecom consumer had lived under the shadow of PTCL dominance for decades and needed more flexibility. At last the world was moving from wired to wireless! Analysts termed this move as the beginning of a new era. The investors, telecommunication businesses, and Pakistani treasury prospered. It was a win-win situation for all involved. The learning curve was steep for both operators and consumers but certainly improved over time. In essence, the principle of deploying the right technology in the right market at the right time led to this remarkable success. The industry today stands on the brink of a similar crossroads via transition from second generation to something beyond. With the partial success of 3G in Europe and the USA, the government has announced the release of three 3G licenses by mid 2009. This decision is not yet fully supported by all but still initiated parallel efforts by the operators and the vendors to integrate this next move into their existing infrastructure

Hands-on Science. Advancing Science. Improving Education

The book herein aims to contribute to the advancement of Science to the improvement of Science Education and to an effective implementation of a sound widespread scientific literacy at all levels of society. Its chapters reunite a variety of diverse and valuable works presented in this line of thought at the 15th International Conference on Hands-on Science “Advancing Science. Improving Education

The design and engineering of innovative mobile data services: An ontological framework founded on business model thinking

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University.This research investigates mobile service design and engineering in the mobile telecommunications industry. The mobile telecommunication business is shifting from one that was voice-centric to one that is almost all data-centric; thanks to recent rapid advances in Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). The underlying reasons behind this shift can be traced back to two main issues that are interlinked. The first and major reason is that telecoms (telecommunication companies) are trying to generate new revenue streams based on data and information transmissions, given the saturation of the voice market. This is rational given the market opportunities in one direction and the pressures being generated by the current economic downturn from the other direction. The second reason relates to the flexibility of data, compared to voice. Indeed, the number of services that can be developed on the basis of data are much greater than those that can be developed on the basis of voice. However, the design and engineering of successful and innovative mobile data services has proven to be a complex undertaking. The number of effective mobile data services is relatively small and the revenue generated from such offerings has generally been below expectations. This research develops an ontological framework to help in changing this situation, and making mobile services engineering more effective and successful, following the design-science research paradigm. Design-science research, in general, aims to solve unstructured but relevant organizational or social problems through the development of novel and useful artefacts. As the current research aims to help in solving the mobile data services engineering dilemma by developing a purposeful ontological framework, the design-science research paradigm is deemed fitting. Within this paradigm, the author develops a novel design approach specified for ontology engineering, termed “OntoEng”. This design approach is used in this research for developing the ontological framework. The developed ontological framework is founded on business model thinking. The idea is that creating innovative mobile data services requires developing innovative business models. Indeed, innovative business models can help translate technological potential into economic value and allow telecoms to achieve their strategic objectives. The ontological framework includes the development of an ontology, termed “V4 Mobile Service BM Ontology” as well as “Mobile Key Value Drivers” for designing and engineering innovative mobile data services. The V4 Mobile Service BM Ontology incorporates four design dimensions: (1) value proposition including targeting; (2) value architecture including technological and organizational infrastructure; (3) value network dealing with aspects relating to partnerships and co-operations; and finally (4) value finance relating to costs, pricing, and revenue structures. Within these four dimensions, sixteen design concepts are identified along with their constituent elements. Relationships and interdependencies amongst the identified design constructs are established and clear semantics are produced. The research then derives six key value drivers for mobile service engineering as follows: (a) Market Alignment; (b) Cohesion; (c) Dynamicity; (d) Uniqueness; (e) Fitting Network-Mode; and (f) Explicitness. The developed ontological framework in this research is evaluated to ensure that it can be successfully implemented and performs correctly in the real world. The research mainly utilizes case analysis methods to ensure the semantic correctness of the ontological framework. Indeed, the developed ontological framework is employed as an analytical lens to examine the design and engineering of three key real-life cases in the mobile telecommunications industry. These cases are: (1) Apple’s iPhone Services and Applications; (2) NTT DoCoMo’s i-mode Services; and (3) Orange Business Services. For further validation, the developed ontological framework is evaluated against a set of criteria synthesized from ontology engineering and evaluation literature. These criteria are: Clarity; Coherence; Conciseness; Preciseness; Completeness; and Customizability. The developed ontological framework is argued to make significant contributions for theory, practice, and methodology. For theory, this research provides (1) a novel ontological framework for designing and engineering mobile data services; (2) a unified framework of the business model concept; and (3) a new design approach for ontology engineering in information systems. For practice, the current research provides practitioners in the telecommunications industry with systematic and customizable means to design, implement, analyze, evaluate, and change new and existing mobile data services to make them more manageable, effective, and creative. For methodology, the use of the design- science research paradigm for ontology engineering signifies the focal methodological contribution in this research given its novelty. This research also contributes to the understanding of the design-science research paradigm in information systems as it is relatively new. It provides a working example in which the author illustrates how recognizing design-science research as a paradigm is essential and useful to the research in information systems discipline

Social capital in urban environments: intersection of theory, research and practice literature

This paper attempts to stretch the understanding of the relationship between social capital and attributes of the physical environment through an exploration of the intersection of social capital theory, urban design practitioner guidance and empirical research on social capital that considers the built environment as a variable. Viewing such knowledge through the lens of social capital, the links, overlaps, and extensions were extrapolated thereby attempting to operationalise the theoretical notion of social capital, within sustainability assessment