EDOC: meeting the challenges of enterprise computing

An increasing demand for interoperable applications exists, sparking the real-time exchange of data across borders, applications, and IT platforms. To perform these tasks, enterprise computing now encompasses a new class of groundbreaking technologies such as Web services and service-oriented architecture (SOA); business process integration and management; and middleware support, like that for utility, grid, peer-to-peer, and autonomic computing. Enterprise computing also influences the processes for business modeling, consulting, and service delivery; it affects the design, development, and deployment of software architecture, as well as the monitoring and management of such architecture. As enterprises demand increasing levels of networked information and services to carry out business processes, IT professionals need conferences like EDOC to discuss emerging technologies and issues in enterprise computing. For these reasons, what started out as the Enterprise Distributed Object Computing (EDOC) conference has come to encompass much more than just distributed objects. So this event now used the name International EDOC Enterprise Computing Conference, to recognize this broader scope yet also retain the initial conference's name recognition

Alert based monitoring of stock trading systems

Nowadays stocks are traded electronically instead of manually with an open outcry approach. As a result, business activities of investment banking organizations rely heavily on the availability of their trading systems. Any system failure will directly affect their business and in turn damage their reputation. Due to the complexity of the business, trading of stock requires services provided by many systems even within the same company. Any failure of a single system may stop the business. However, the monitoring of many systems simultaneously is not an easy task. This paper proposes a Web service approach to monitor all the systems related to stock trading within an investment banking organization. We develop a model for specifying how to detect potential system problems quickly, how to escalate the issues to relevant parities on time with an alert mechanism, and how to manage system outages properly. © 2006 IEEE

A global criminal and terrorist tracking framework using semantic grid technologies

With the recent outbreak of terrorist attacks, there is aneed for better collaborative actions against tracking terroristsand criminals worldwide. Besides political, administrative,and privacy concerns, disparate terrorist andcriminal information and supporting resources make itparticularly difficult for monitoring and tracking terroristand criminal activities. Existing software, hardware, andnetwork infrastructures are still not scalable and efficientenough for a centralized Global Criminal and TerroristTracking (GCTTF) system. Motivated by the emergingtechnologies of multi-agent information systems (MAIS)that can effectively assist mobile law enforcement personneltogether with Semantic Web and Grid Computing technologiesthat can effectively organize a large amount ofinformation and service resources, we propose that a ubiquitouscriminal and terrorist tracking system be builtupon these technologies. In this paper, we formulate andpropose a scalable, flexible, and intelligent MAIS infrastructurefor a proactive GCTTF. Clients can be built intomobile devices of law enforcement personal and stationarycheckpoints while backend systems can scale up to a gridfor thousands of systems. We also outline how agents canmake use of ontology from the Semantic Grid computingenvironment to better track criminal and terrorist activities. © 2008 IEEE

Tendering Process Model (TPM) implementation for B2B integration in a web services environment

Improvements can be made for tendering processes to solve B2B interoperability and integration problem by means of Web services technology. In this paper, we detail our tendering process model (TPM) based on Web services with SOAP messages exchange in XML format to improve inefficient manual or semi-automated tendering process. Adopting TPM, seeking ideal tender-supplier couple (TSC) with a business-to-business (B2B) application is illustrated as a real example to find best tender for suppliers and best quotation for tenders respectively. The approach discussed in this paper is a novel application in tendering process of logistics industry and is beneficial to stakeholders involved. © 2007 IEEE

Web-service based information integration for e-mortgage contract matchmaking decision support: A case study in Hong Kong

Effective decision making often requires disparate information from heterogeneous sources. When significant contracts are involved, gathering such information is particularly slow and inefficient. As real estate business plays an important role in Hong Kong economy, there is a strong need for a handy and efficient service to assist the mortgage searching activities. Presently, a property buyer lacks of the mortgage information for the interested property when making the purchase decision. Many buyers can only search for the property mortgage after a down payment is made because of keen competitions in purchasing. However, sometimes the bank cannot offer the mortgage plan as the buyer expected because of the buyer's financial status, property valuation, and price trend. Therefore, we study on the requirements of an e-Mortgage Contract Matchmaking Service (EMS) for offering it in the form of a Web service via real estate agencies to the buyers. The EMS can be incorporated into the agency's property management system so that the relevant mortgage information (provided by the participant financial institutions) could be revealed when the buyer is making the purchase decision. Moreover, the EMS offers mortgage contract evaluation and ranking to assists the prospective buyer earlier in the decision-making stage. © 2006 IEEE

Implementing a facial recognition system with alerts and Web services

The Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) is currently utilizing static images stored in computers or on printed hard-copies to recognize Missing Persons (MP) and Wanted Persons (WP). This method is unsuitable for today's rapidly changing environment. The Missing Person Unit (MPU) is still using plastic sheets with human distinguishing characteristics to sketch the face of the MPs. This approach is ineffcient and ineffective because of the limitations of manual working procedures, such as searching the image in the manual filing system. So, it is time the HKPF transformed those manual procedures into computerized systems because the recognition of MP or WP is a vital function in the MPU. Further, contemporary Web services technologies are being employed to solve various operational problems, such as mobile access and information integration with other governmental departments. ©2008 IEEE

Web-service based information integration for e-financial planning system matchmaking decision support

Gathering and using information extracted and integrated from heterogeneous source for decision making is not an easy task, especially for the decisions of investment or selection of insurance, which are the two main components of financial planning. Well organized financial planning is significant to achieve their various life goals and quality after retiring. However, most people have inadequate investment knowledge to choose suitable investment tools for them. In this paper, we present a conceptual model to formalize such financial requirements and solutions under risk as well as our implementation based on Web services, which are essential for an effective Electronic Financial Planning System (EFPS). This helps increase the quality of the consultation and decision support and lower the service costs due to process improvements. © 2006 IEEE