Internet Standardization: A Participant Analysis

Tässä diplomityössä tarkastellaan tieto- ja viestintätekniikka-alan (ICT) standardointityötä. Tutkimme erityisesti Internet-standardointia. Aikaisempi tutkimus osoittaa, että standardit luovat perustan teknologioiden yhteentoimivuudelle ja, että ne mahdollistavat sekä tietojen että informaation välittämisen järjestelmien välillä. Standardit toimivat siten edesauttajina ja katalyytteinä, joista on sekä taloudellista että teknistä hyötyä. Aikaisemmat tutkimukset osittavat myös, että usean johtavan toimijan ydinstrategiaan kuuluu nykyään standardien kehitystyöhön osallistuminen. Osallistuminen standardointityöhön saattaa myös olla avain tulevaan kaupalliseen menestykseen. Tässä työssä tutkimme ensisijaisesti mikä Internet-standardoinnin menestyksen mittari ja perustaso on. Vertailemme myös tiettyjen yhtiöiden standardointipanostuksia ja niitten yhteyttä yhtiöiden kaupalliseen menestykseen. Lisäksi tutkimme myös erikseen suomalaisten toimijoiden saavutuksia IETF:ssä. Kirjallisuuskatsauksessa otamme tarkemmin esille, missä, miksi ja miten ICT-alan standardeja kehitetään. Selvitämme myös tutkimus- ja kehitystyön yhteyttä standardointiin sekä määritämme motivaatioita standardointityöhön osallistumiselle. Osana tätä diplomityötä suunnittelemme ja kehitämme ohjelmiston sekä tietokannan joka antaa meille mahdollisuuden tallentaa, käsitellä ja tutkia useita eri Internet Engineering Task Force:n (IETF) työprosesseja ja -dokumentteja. Hyödyntämällä tietokantaamme ja kehitettyä ohjelmistoa voimme mitata ja analysoida useita IETF:n standardointiprosessin näkökulmia ja myös tutkia lähemmin siihen osallistuvia yrityksiä. Tuloksemme osoittavat, että Suomen ICT-klusterin aikaansaannokset IETF:ssä ovat verrattain hyvät. Lisäksi voimme todeta, että Cisco:n saavutukset voidaan pitää menestyksen mittarina lähes kaikkia IETF:n standardointityön osa-alueita tarkasteltaessa. Tulostemme perusteella ehdotamme myös, että osallistujien kaupallisella ja standardointityön menestyksellä on yhteys.This thesis examines standards-setting in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) industry. Special attention is given to Internet standardization. Previous research suggest that standards lay the ground for compatibility, interoperability, and interchange of data in the ICT field. Standards thus function as enablers and accelerators with both economical and technological benefits. Previous research also suggests that participating in standards development and influencing the outcome by contributing to the standardization process have become core strategic choices of many leading players. Participating in the development of a winning standard can be critical to later business success. In this thesis we will therefore aim to clarify what the benchmark for success in Internet standardization is. We also compare selected organizations' standardization activities to figures measuring their success on the marketplace. The standardization achievements of the Finnish ICT cluster are also given extra attention. Our literature study elaborates on how, why, and where ICT standards are developed. The relationship between Research and Development (R&D) and ICT standardization is clarified and we also establish motivations for participating in the standards development process. As a part of this thesis we design and create a database that enables us to retrieve and process all working documents related to the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) standardization process. Using the database and custom tools created for this task allows us to measure and analyze several aspects of the IETF standardization process and the participants active therein. The results suggest the Finnish ICT cluster has performed comparatively well within the IETF, that Cisco's achievements can be considered the benchmark for success regarding virtually all aspects of IETF standardization, and that there is a linkage between participants' success in standardization and their merits on the marketplace

Internal governance of the IETF, W3C and IEEE: structure, decision-making and internationalisation

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Oxford University Press via the ISBN and DOI in this recordNOTE: the title of the author accepted manuscript available in this record is slightly different from the chapter published onlineChapter 3 explains the internal organization of SDOs. It outlines the four main layers which make up the Internet and focuses on the principal SDOs associated with them: the IETF, W3C, the Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards (OASIS), and IEEE, analysing their governance structures and most salient areas of work. Standards are important for interoperability and to prevent lock-in to single company technology. SDOs enable a wider technical community to scrutinize proposals for errors and security. Nonetheless, procedures for decision-making are complex and often opaque. The chapter explores decision-making in a governance context. It charts the evolution of each SDO, and its main purpose, functions, and central decision-making processes. It highlights the differences as well as the degree of synergy and collaboration between each and then explains how procedures vary between the different fora and how moving goalposts and high barriers to entry make it difficult for civil society to participate.Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC

Assessing the Financial Impact of Mergers on Islamic Banks: A Case Study of Sustainable Finance and Maqasid Approach

Bank mergers and acquisitions (M&A) have been on the rise globally, particularly in emerging economies where policies aimed at enhancing financial system stability have been driving restructuring in the banking sector. Qatar\u27s M&A market, while comparatively new, has distinct characteristics. A recent study aimed to determine the impact of M&A activity on the financial performance of Barwa Bank (later Dukhan Bank) in Qatar over six years from 2017-2022, covering three years before and three years post-merger. The study found that the bank\u27s liquidity, profitability, solvency, and investment ratios did not vary significantly, suggesting that M&A activity did not significantly affect the bank’s financial performance. Despite these findings, the study provides recommendations for future research and implications for theory and practice in this area. The results are discussed in the light of SDGs and Maqasid al Shariah, and which goals this merger support the most are analyzed. The paper’s discussion is expected to be a guideline for future mergers to be more sustainable toward 2030 goals

Independent review of the African Network Operators Group (AfNOG)

The African Network Operators Group (AfNOG) is a forum for technical coordination and cooperation among African Internet service providers and network engineers from the region’s universities, research institutions, and industry. AfNOG is unaffiliated with any national government and has no policy-making role or aspirations. The curriculum associated with AfNOG’s training mission is effective, state-of-the-art, custom developed by the people who teach it, and made freely available to all participants for use in teaching others. Over the past nine years AfNOG has been extraordinarily successful. AfNOG should continue on the path of institutionalizing its capabilities and broadening its outreach

AXMEDIS 2008

The AXMEDIS International Conference series aims to explore all subjects and topics related to cross-media and digital-media content production, processing, management, standards, representation, sharing, protection and rights management, to address the latest developments and future trends of the technologies and their applications, impacts and exploitation. The AXMEDIS events offer venues for exchanging concepts, requirements, prototypes, research ideas, and findings which could contribute to academic research and also benefit business and industrial communities. In the Internet as well as in the digital era, cross-media production and distribution represent key developments and innovations that are fostered by emergent technologies to ensure better value for money while optimising productivity and market coverage