On-board B-ISDN fast packet switching architectures. Phase 1: Study

The broadband integrate services digital network (B-ISDN) is an emerging telecommunications technology that will meet most of the telecommunications networking needs in the mid-1990's to early next century. The satellite-based system is well positioned for providing B-ISDN service with its inherent capabilities of point-to-multipoint and broadcast transmission, virtually unlimited connectivity between any two points within a beam coverage, short deployment time of communications facility, flexible and dynamic reallocation of space segment capacity, and distance insensitive cost. On-board processing satellites, particularly in a multiple spot beam environment, will provide enhanced connectivity, better performance, optimized access and transmission link design, and lower user service cost. The following are described: the user and network aspects of broadband services; the current development status in broadband services; various satellite network architectures including system design issues; and various fast packet switch architectures and their detail designs

Tourist destination loyalty: a multidimensional perspective

Tese de doutoramento, Ciências Económicas e Empresariais, Faculdade de Economia, Universidade do Algarve, 2015This research seeks to reduce the existing gap in destination marketing knowledge by explaining tourists’ loyalty from an integrated perspective whereby several variables intervene in its formation. The study investigated the utility of applying the Investment Model (Rusbult, 1980a; 1983) to reveal the processes underlying loyalty formation, integrating the findings of loyalty antecedents from marketing and tourism literature, namely, satisfaction, motivations, variety seeking, commitment, investment size and income. Moreover, to reinforce the understanding of loyalty process patterns and validate the determinants that persist under different contexts and over the years, this research has examined whether the destination loyalty model was invariant across different groups (Lisbon and Faro and the Azores and Madeira, as well as, over the IATA years 2009/10 and 2010/11). The model was validated empirically by employing a sample of 8991 questionnaires collected for the INITIATIVE:pt1 study. Structural Equation Models (SEM) using AMOS 19 were developed to examine the relationships between the various variables in the model. The results indicates that motivation is influencing tourists’ satisfaction level, which in turns, determines the level of commitment. The investment tourists need to make, negatively influence tourists commitment and both explain loyalty from an attitudinal or behavioural perspective. Loyalty is explained by the promise of tourists to risk new destinations (variety seeking). The variety seeking is explained by motivations and satisfaction, but it is not influenced by the tourist family income. The findings suggest that the Investment Model, (Rusbult, 1980a) worked in the context of destinations loyalty. Finally, it was found that some of the model relations exert differential effects between the various groups being more evident on the in Azores and Madeira and on the longitudinal perspective (2009/10 and 2010/11). This results provide an opportunity for new research to be undertaken on developing a comprehensive destination loyalty model that not only contributes to progress in knowledge on the processes which produce loyalty in tourists, but also to progress in management techniques and marketing strategies to tackle such a challenge: gaining and retaining destination visitors

Proceedings of the Second International Mobile Satellite Conference (IMSC 1990)

Presented here are the proceedings of the Second International Mobile Satellite Conference (IMSC), held June 17-20, 1990 in Ottawa, Canada. Topics covered include future mobile satellite communications concepts, aeronautical applications, modulation and coding, propagation and experimental systems, mobile terminal equipment, network architecture and control, regulatory and policy considerations, vehicle antennas, and speech compression

Marketing for Sustainable Tourism

The aim of the Special Issue is to discuss the main current topics concerning marketing for sustainable tourism with reference to territories (i.e., tourism destinations, protected areas, parks and/or natural sites, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, rural regions/areas, etc.) and tourism enterprises and/or organisations (i.e., destination management organisations, hospitality enterprises, restaurant enterprises, cableway companies, travel agencies, etc.). In destinations where natural resources are pull factors for tourism development, the relationships among local actors (public, private, and local community), as well as marketing choices, are essential to develop sustainable tourism products. To this end, the Special Issue encourages papers that analyse marketing strategies adopted by tourism destinations and/or tourism enterprises to avoid overtourism, to manage mass sustainable tourism (as defined by Weaver, 2000), and to encourage and promote sustainable tourism in marginal areas or in territories suffering lack of integration in the tourism offer. Special attention will be given to contributions on the best practices to manage territories and/or enterprises adopting sustainable marketing strategies

Proceedings of the Fifth International Mobile Satellite Conference 1997

Satellite-based mobile communications systems provide voice and data communications to users over a vast geographic area. The users may communicate via mobile or hand-held terminals, which may also provide access to terrestrial communications services. While previous International Mobile Satellite Conferences have concentrated on technical advances and the increasing worldwide commercial activities, this conference focuses on the next generation of mobile satellite services. The approximately 80 papers included here cover sessions in the following areas: networking and protocols; code division multiple access technologies; demand, economics and technology issues; current and planned systems; propagation; terminal technology; modulation and coding advances; spacecraft technology; advanced systems; and applications and experiments

NASA Compendium of Satellite Communications Programs

A comprehensive review is presented of worldwide communication programs that range in time from the inception of satellite communications to August 1971. The programs included are: Echo, Courier, West Ford, Telstar, Relay, Syncom, Lincoln experimental satellites, Intelsat, Tacsat, Skynet, Nato system, and Telesat

NASA compendium of satellite communications programs

A comprehensive review of worldwide satellite communication programs is reported that ranges in time from the inception of satellite communications to mid-1971. Particular emphasis is placed on program results, including experiments conducted, communications system operational performance, and technology employed

Artificial Intelligence and Cognitive Computing

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a subject garnering increasing attention in both academia and the industry today. The understanding is that AI-enhanced methods and techniques create a variety of opportunities related to improving basic and advanced business functions, including production processes, logistics, financial management and others. As this collection demonstrates, AI-enhanced tools and methods tend to offer more precise results in the fields of engineering, financial accounting, tourism, air-pollution management and many more. The objective of this collection is to bring these topics together to offer the reader a useful primer on how AI-enhanced tools and applications can be of use in today’s world. In the context of the frequently fearful, skeptical and emotion-laden debates on AI and its value added, this volume promotes a positive perspective on AI and its impact on society. AI is a part of a broader ecosystem of sophisticated tools, techniques and technologies, and therefore, it is not immune to developments in that ecosystem. It is thus imperative that inter- and multidisciplinary research on AI and its ecosystem is encouraged. This collection contributes to that

NASA compendium of satellite communications programs

A comprehensive review is given of worldwide satellite communication programs that range in time from the inception of satellite communications to mid-1974. Particular emphasis is placed on program results, including experiments conducted, communications system operational performance, and technology employed. The background for understanding these results is established through brief summaries of the program organization, system configuration, and satellite and ground terminal characteristics. Major consideration is given to the communications system aspects of each program, but general spacecraft technology and other experiments conducted as part of the same program are mentioned summarily