This research study is focused on the strategic planning process for digital convergence in South African enterprises; it analyses the sophistication of digital convergence plans by interrogating the ‘how’ and ‘what’ of organisation’s planning systems. Three research areas are probed: the planning process, the planning steps and the benefits and barriers of convergence, both anticipated and experienced. The planning process i.e. the ‘how’ is interrogated with respect to the following planning process dimensions: formalisation, consistency, flow, focus, participation and comprehensiveness. The ‘what’ identifies the relevant convergence planning steps, and additionally determines whether specific activities to identify the benefits, barriers and implementation issues related to these convergence initiatives, are included. The study also identifies and compares the benefits and barriers of convergence, both anticipated and experienced. While extensive research has been conducted into the technological aspects of convergence, there is a lack of research into the planning aspects, especially the extent to which organisations are strategically planning for convergence. The results from this study will assist organisations reflect on their planning process and will enable organisations understand weaknesses and strengths within their planning process for convergence. This study also proposes an enhanced model for convergence planning This study is exploratory in nature with the intention to look for patterns and to gain familiarity with the area of strategic planning for convergence. The study is based on a series of semi-structured in-depth interviews with organisations that have implemented, or are in the process of implementing, a converged infrastructure. There are 3 main sections after the introductory chapter. The first section (chapter 2) discusses the concepts that support digital convergence and identifies some of the numerous definitions of convergence that exist in the literature. It expands on the strategic nature of convergence and importantly, presents the contributions and shortcomings of previous research. The next section (chapter’s 3 and 4) justifies the primarily qualitative approach selected for this study and defines the data analysis strategy. The last section (chapter’s 5 and 6) presents the findings from the interviews and presents the concluding remarks.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters in Communication Science at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2012. / Advances in electronic service technology have created great opportunities as well as threats to organizations in various business and services sectors. As such businesses, either willingly or reluctantly, are increasingly embracing the Internet as distribution channel in order to remain competitive or gain market share. With particular reference to e-services, absence of accurate information on factors that have influenced user’s behaviour to adopt or use e-services could mislead an organization into adopting unhelpful solutions as it strives to accelerate the implementation of e-services. The study is undertaken by a student who lives in the heart of a rural community in South Africa and also attends a University which is based in a rural settlement. This study, based on the perceptions of rural communities on the safety of e-commerce transactions, investigates factors that influence adoption and usage of e-service, especially, in eNkandla rural communities. Factors were empirically tested against data collected from four hundred participants using survey questionnaires. Perceived complexity was found to be the most significantly related factor affecting e-service adoption in rural communities of eNkandla, followed in turn by privacy and compatibility. Quality of the Internet and its relative advantage also had a notable effect on e-service usage and adoption in eNkandla rural communities.

Det svenska skolväsendet har sedan 2000-talet fått övergripande stöd från regeringen för att utveckla den digitaliserade undervisningsformen. Trots detta har upprepande årsrapporter kring IT-användning i skolan visat på brister inom användarkunskap och IT-kompetens utvecklingsmöjligheter. Syftet med denna studie är att kartlägga hur digitala lärplattformar används och varför den digitala kommunikationen mellan lärare och elever inte uppnått förväntade resultat. Följande forskningsfrågor har varit relevanta i detta sammanhang: Hur ser användandet av lärplattformar på gymnasieskolan ut idag? Varför har digitalisering ännu inte slagit igenom som ett effektivt verktyg i undervisningen? Studien är baserad på en empirisk undersökning där data insamlats från intervjuer med rektorer och lärare från sex gymnasieskolor i Gävle och Uppsala. Ett slumpmässigt urval av 80 elever har även svarat på en enkät med mål att representera den generella inställningen till skolans digitala kommunikationssystem för delning av undervisnings-och studiematerial. Vidare har en litteraturgenomgång utförts där problemområden och brister inom forskningsområdet presenteras. Dels är informationen hämtad från forskare inom kommunikation och teknologi, men även från Skolverket och Skolinspektionen. Resultatet visar på att skolans lärplattformar används som verktyg för informationsöverföring där information överförs i vertikal riktning från lärare till elever. I nuläget används lärplattformar främst på grund av krav från ledningen och inte som en kanal för dubbelriktad kommunikation, där lärare och elever kan diskutera lösningar på uppgifter och problem, få feedback samt tips och råd. Resultatet påvisar även att lärare upplever tekniska brister i delar av lärplattformen och att de saknar systematiska arbetsrutiner för effektiv användning. Detta utgör ett hinder som begränsar kommunikationens effektivitet med avseende till kunskapsutveckling genom lärplattformer. / The Swedish school system has since the 2000s, received overall support from the government to develop digitized teaching methods. Despite this, repetitive annual reports on IT usage in schools revealed shortcomings in user knowledge and development of IT-skills. The purpose of this study is to identify how digital learning platforms are used and why digitized communication between teachers and students in high schools have not achieved the expected results. The following research questions were relevant in the study: How is the use of learning platforms in secondary schools today? Why has the digitization not yet been seen as an effective tool in teaching? The study is based on empirical data, where data is collected from interviews with principals and teachers from six different high schools in Gävle and Uppsala. A random sample of 80 students also completed a questionnaire with the aim to represent the general attitude to the school’s digital communications system for sharing of learning material. Furthermore, a literature review helped to evaluate problem areas and gaps in the research presented. The results show that the schools’ learning platforms are used as tools for information sharing, where the information is transferred in a vertical direction from teachers to students. Today the teaching platform is mainly used due to demands from the school management, and not as a channel for bidirectional communication, where teachers and students can discuss solutions to the tasks and problems, or to get feedback and advice. The result also shows that teachers are experiencing technical defects in parts of the learning platform and that lack of systematic work procedures prevent it from effective use. This is a barrier that limits the effectiveness of communication with regard to the development of knowledge through learning platforms.

Se propõe uma estrutura alternativa para equalização adaptativa em rádio digital de microondas, obtida pela introdução de modificações em um cancelador de interferência intersimbólica. A um estágio linear de equalização são acrescentados estágios de cancelamento da interferência intersimbólica que operam com decisões preliminares dos símbolos transmitidos. O número de estágios de decisões preliminares não é restrito a um, no entanto, as decisões preliminares podem assumir níveis intermediários entre os símbolos nominais. Em uma implementação digital da função de equalização, o cancelador de interferência intersimbólica modificado implica em uma menor complexidade do circuito. Isto decorre do número reduzido de bits necessários para codificar as decisões preliminares e da menor sensibilidade do estágio linear do cancelador aos erros de quantização. Para a caracterização da estrutura proposta e do equalizador linear foi realizado um programa para computador pessoal. Particularmente para o cálculo da taxa de erro decorrente da distroção provocada por propagação multipercurso foi desenvolvida um extensão do método da integração numérica da função característica da interferência intersimbólica. O efeito dos erros nas decisões preliminares e dos erros de quantização é levado em conta no método desenvolvido. / An alternative structure is proposed for adaptive equalization in digital microwave radio. It is obtained by the introduction of modifications in an intersymbol interference canceller. Canceller stages, operating with preliminary decisions of the transmitted symbols are added to a conventional linear equalizer stage. The number of canceller stages, though, is not limited to one, and preliminary decisions are allowed to take intermediate levels between the nominal symbols. In a digital implementation of the equalization function, the modified intersymbol canceller implies in lower circuit complexity than does a linear equalizer with equivalent, or even lower, performance. This derives from the small number of bits required to codify the preliminary decisions, and from the lower sensitivity of the canceller\'s linear stage to quantization errors. In order to characterize the performance of the proposed structure and that of the linear equalizer, a personal computer program was built. Particularly, to calculate the error rate due to multipath induced distortion (the receiver\'s signature), an extension to the method of integrating the characteristic function of intersymbol interference was developed. The extension takes into account, within certain validity limits, the effect of errors in the preliminary decisions. The effect of signal and coefficient quantization is also taken into account. The interaction of the modified canceller with the demodulator\'s carrier recovery circuit is compared with that of a linear equalizer, and it is verified that the proposed structure is compatible with already in use methods of accomplishing that function.

Este trabalho apresenta uma nova aplicação de wavelets em sistemas de espalhamento espectral. A aplicação apresentada foi realizada no contexto de detecção multiusuário e pode ser empregada em sistemas de acesso múltiplo por divisão de código. A detecção e a estimação são realizadas através de um algoritmo de inferência bayesiana, empregando o Amostrador de Gibbs e utilizando as wavelets para melhorar a relação sinal ruído na recepção. Na transmissão, um código específico, baseado na wavelet de Haar, modula o sinal contendo a informação preparando-o contra alterações que possam ocorrer devido a características intrínsecas do canal de ruído branco, gaussiano e aditivo. Esta técnica foi aqui denominada de modulação wavelet. Na recepção, uma transformada wavelet de Haar é aplicada ao sinal, gerando coeficientes wavelets. A ortogonalidade da wavelet de Haar torna possível executar um procedimento de cancelamento de ruído, em inglês denoising, que melhora a qualidade da recepção. Para validar a abordagem apresentada neste trabalho, foi executada uma série de simulações. Os resultados mostraram um melhor desempenho sistêmico com o emprego de wavelets. Nas simulações foram observados vários parâmetros de sistema, dentre eles e amplitude do sinal, a taxa de erro de bits (BER, bit error rate) e a variância do sinal. Os resultados foram bastante satisfatórios, indicando uma redução do ruído da ordem de 3dB em relação ao valor sem cancelamento de ruído. Este trabalho abre novas oportunidades de pesquisa para o uso de wavelets em sistemas de espalhamento espectral e telecomunicações em geral. / This work presents a new application of wavelets to spread spectrum systems. The presented application was made in the context of multiuser detection and can be used in code-division multiple access systems. Detection and estimation are performed through a Bayesian inference algorithm and, employing the Gibbs sampler and utilizing wavelets to improve the signal-to-noise ratio at the reception. At the transmission, a specific code based on the Haar wavelet modulates the signal containing the information, preparing it to alterations that may occur due to the intrinsic characteristics of the additive Gaussian noise channel. This technique was here denominated wavelet modulation. At the reception, a Haar wavelet transform is applied to the signal, generating wavelet coefficients. The orthogonality of the Haar wavelet makes it possible to perform a noise cancelling process, called denoising, which enhances the receiving quality. To validate the approach presented in this work, a number of simulations were performed. The results showed a better system performance with the use of wavelets. Several parameters were monitored in the simulations, among them the signal amplitude, de BER (bit error rate), and the signal variance. The results were very satisfactory, indicating a noise reduction of approximately 3dB referred to the value without noise cancelling. This work opens new research opportunities for the use of wavelets in spread spectrum systems and Telecommunications in general.

Se propõe uma estrutura alternativa para equalização adaptativa em rádio digital de microondas, obtida pela introdução de modificações em um cancelador de interferência intersimbólica. A um estágio linear de equalização são acrescentados estágios de cancelamento da interferência intersimbólica que operam com decisões preliminares dos símbolos transmitidos. O número de estágios de decisões preliminares não é restrito a um, no entanto, as decisões preliminares podem assumir níveis intermediários entre os símbolos nominais. Em uma implementação digital da função de equalização, o cancelador de interferência intersimbólica modificado implica em uma menor complexidade do circuito. Isto decorre do número reduzido de bits necessários para codificar as decisões preliminares e da menor sensibilidade do estágio linear do cancelador aos erros de quantização. Para a caracterização da estrutura proposta e do equalizador linear foi realizado um programa para computador pessoal. Particularmente para o cálculo da taxa de erro decorrente da distroção provocada por propagação multipercurso foi desenvolvida um extensão do método da integração numérica da função característica da interferência intersimbólica. O efeito dos erros nas decisões preliminares e dos erros de quantização é levado em conta no método desenvolvido. / An alternative structure is proposed for adaptive equalization in digital microwave radio. It is obtained by the introduction of modifications in an intersymbol interference canceller. Canceller stages, operating with preliminary decisions of the transmitted symbols are added to a conventional linear equalizer stage. The number of canceller stages, though, is not limited to one, and preliminary decisions are allowed to take intermediate levels between the nominal symbols. In a digital implementation of the equalization function, the modified intersymbol canceller implies in lower circuit complexity than does a linear equalizer with equivalent, or even lower, performance. This derives from the small number of bits required to codify the preliminary decisions, and from the lower sensitivity of the canceller\'s linear stage to quantization errors. In order to characterize the performance of the proposed structure and that of the linear equalizer, a personal computer program was built. Particularly, to calculate the error rate due to multipath induced distortion (the receiver\'s signature), an extension to the method of integrating the characteristic function of intersymbol interference was developed. The extension takes into account, within certain validity limits, the effect of errors in the preliminary decisions. The effect of signal and coefficient quantization is also taken into account. The interaction of the modified canceller with the demodulator\'s carrier recovery circuit is compared with that of a linear equalizer, and it is verified that the proposed structure is compatible with already in use methods of accomplishing that function.

Este trabalho apresenta uma nova aplicação de wavelets em sistemas de espalhamento espectral. A aplicação apresentada foi realizada no contexto de detecção multiusuário e pode ser empregada em sistemas de acesso múltiplo por divisão de código. A detecção e a estimação são realizadas através de um algoritmo de inferência bayesiana, empregando o Amostrador de Gibbs e utilizando as wavelets para melhorar a relação sinal ruído na recepção. Na transmissão, um código específico, baseado na wavelet de Haar, modula o sinal contendo a informação preparando-o contra alterações que possam ocorrer devido a características intrínsecas do canal de ruído branco, gaussiano e aditivo. Esta técnica foi aqui denominada de modulação wavelet. Na recepção, uma transformada wavelet de Haar é aplicada ao sinal, gerando coeficientes wavelets. A ortogonalidade da wavelet de Haar torna possível executar um procedimento de cancelamento de ruído, em inglês denoising, que melhora a qualidade da recepção. Para validar a abordagem apresentada neste trabalho, foi executada uma série de simulações. Os resultados mostraram um melhor desempenho sistêmico com o emprego de wavelets. Nas simulações foram observados vários parâmetros de sistema, dentre eles e amplitude do sinal, a taxa de erro de bits (BER, bit error rate) e a variância do sinal. Os resultados foram bastante satisfatórios, indicando uma redução do ruído da ordem de 3dB em relação ao valor sem cancelamento de ruído. Este trabalho abre novas oportunidades de pesquisa para o uso de wavelets em sistemas de espalhamento espectral e telecomunicações em geral. / This work presents a new application of wavelets to spread spectrum systems. The presented application was made in the context of multiuser detection and can be used in code-division multiple access systems. Detection and estimation are performed through a Bayesian inference algorithm and, employing the Gibbs sampler and utilizing wavelets to improve the signal-to-noise ratio at the reception. At the transmission, a specific code based on the Haar wavelet modulates the signal containing the information, preparing it to alterations that may occur due to the intrinsic characteristics of the additive Gaussian noise channel. This technique was here denominated wavelet modulation. At the reception, a Haar wavelet transform is applied to the signal, generating wavelet coefficients. The orthogonality of the Haar wavelet makes it possible to perform a noise cancelling process, called denoising, which enhances the receiving quality. To validate the approach presented in this work, a number of simulations were performed. The results showed a better system performance with the use of wavelets. Several parameters were monitored in the simulations, among them the signal amplitude, de BER (bit error rate), and the signal variance. The results were very satisfactory, indicating a noise reduction of approximately 3dB referred to the value without noise cancelling. This work opens new research opportunities for the use of wavelets in spread spectrum systems and Telecommunications in general.