We report on our experiences from two user studies (lab experiments) with nearly 300 participants for QoE evaluation using real mobile services and devices in our WiFi network emulation testbed. We briefly introduce our principles for integrating real services in these studies: how we selected relevant services, how we investigated their testability and how we tested them with high efficiency.

We report on our experiences from two user studies (lab experiments) with nearly 300 participants for QoE evaluation using real mobile services and devices in our WiFi network emulation testbed. We briefly introduce our principles for integrating real services in these studies: how we selected relevant services, how we investigated their testability and how we tested them with high efficiency.

A crescente mobilidade de pessoas e recursos materiais exige um esforço constante na exploração das capacidades oferecidas pelas diferentes tecnologias disponíveis, que convergem para o fornecimento de informações e serviços em qualquer lugar com movimento, a qualquer tempo, e por meio de qualquer dispositivo, objetivos da rede mundial de cooperação e comunicação, conhecida como Internet. Em resposta a essa crescente demanda, a atual Internet está evoluindo do modelo de compartilhamento de informações para o modelo de contribuição e em um futuro próximo, para o modelo de colaboração entre provedores e consumidores, denominada de Internet do Futuro. Embora a atual Internet seja extraordinariamente bem sucedida, como um meio ubíquo de comunicação, sua atual arquitetura impõe limites para o provisionamento de serviços em ambientes heterogêneos e convergentes, demandando novas soluções que superem os desafios tecnológicos necessários ao estabelecimento da Internet do Futuro. Estas novas soluções basear-se-ão nos princípios da computação orientada a serviços, formando os componentes de um novo arcabouço de serviços para a Internet do Futuro, denominada de Internet de Serviços. Na Internet de Serviços, redes de comunicação móveis, convergentes e heterogêneas serão criadas sob demanda, disponibilizando um elevado número de serviços, funcionalmente similares, porém distintos sob o ponto de vista não funcional, dificultando a seleção dos serviços que melhor atendem o nível qualidade de serviço acordado entre provedores e consumidores. Este trabalho propõe uma nova solução para o problema de seleção de serviços, combinando algoritmos, usualmente empregados para prospecção de dados, para selecionar serviços de forma dinâmica e interativa, com base em atributos não funcionais, visando suprir as necessidades de mobilidade e colaboração em ambientes convergentes e heterogêneos, como a Internet de Serviços. Desta forma, este trabalho contribui para o projeto de pesquisa da Internet de Serviços, um dos pilares fundamentais para a elaboração da nova arquitetura orientada a serviços, que servirá de arcabouço à construção da Internet do Futuro, possibilitando inúmeras aplicações como Serviços Baseados em Localização e Computação em Nuvem. / The increasing mobility of people and resources demands additional efforts in exploring new capacities, offered by different technologies, which allows the supply of information and services in any place, any time and through any device, objective of the worldwide collaboration and communication web, known as Internet. Face to this increasing demand, current Internet is evolving from sharing to contribution model and in the near future, to collaboration model between providers and consumers. Although the current Internet has been extraordinarily successful, as a ubiquitous and universal means for communication, its architecture imposes limits for services deployment in heterogeneous and convergent environments, demanding new solutions to overcome the technological issues for Internet of Future achievement. These new solutions will be based on service oriented computing principles, providing the components of the new service framework for Internet of Future, called Internet of Services. In Internet of Services, convergent and heterogeneous mobile communication networks will be created on demand, providing a huge numbers of services, similar from functional point of view, but very different from the nonfunctional point of view, creating challenges for service selection which fits the service level agreement between providers and consumers. This work proposes a new solution for service selection process, combining algorithms commonly used for data mining, to perform dynamic and interactive service selection, fulfilling the mobility and collaborative requirements in a convergent and heterogeneous environment, such as Internet of Services. Therefore, this work contributes to Internet of Services research project, one of fundamental pillars to build the service oriented architecture, which will be used as framework for Internet of Future building, allowing many applications such as Location Based Services and Cloud Computing.

A crescente mobilidade de pessoas e recursos materiais exige um esforço constante na exploração das capacidades oferecidas pelas diferentes tecnologias disponíveis, que convergem para o fornecimento de informações e serviços em qualquer lugar com movimento, a qualquer tempo, e por meio de qualquer dispositivo, objetivos da rede mundial de cooperação e comunicação, conhecida como Internet. Em resposta a essa crescente demanda, a atual Internet está evoluindo do modelo de compartilhamento de informações para o modelo de contribuição e em um futuro próximo, para o modelo de colaboração entre provedores e consumidores, denominada de Internet do Futuro. Embora a atual Internet seja extraordinariamente bem sucedida, como um meio ubíquo de comunicação, sua atual arquitetura impõe limites para o provisionamento de serviços em ambientes heterogêneos e convergentes, demandando novas soluções que superem os desafios tecnológicos necessários ao estabelecimento da Internet do Futuro. Estas novas soluções basear-se-ão nos princípios da computação orientada a serviços, formando os componentes de um novo arcabouço de serviços para a Internet do Futuro, denominada de Internet de Serviços. Na Internet de Serviços, redes de comunicação móveis, convergentes e heterogêneas serão criadas sob demanda, disponibilizando um elevado número de serviços, funcionalmente similares, porém distintos sob o ponto de vista não funcional, dificultando a seleção dos serviços que melhor atendem o nível qualidade de serviço acordado entre provedores e consumidores. Este trabalho propõe uma nova solução para o problema de seleção de serviços, combinando algoritmos, usualmente empregados para prospecção de dados, para selecionar serviços de forma dinâmica e interativa, com base em atributos não funcionais, visando suprir as necessidades de mobilidade e colaboração em ambientes convergentes e heterogêneos, como a Internet de Serviços. Desta forma, este trabalho contribui para o projeto de pesquisa da Internet de Serviços, um dos pilares fundamentais para a elaboração da nova arquitetura orientada a serviços, que servirá de arcabouço à construção da Internet do Futuro, possibilitando inúmeras aplicações como Serviços Baseados em Localização e Computação em Nuvem. / The increasing mobility of people and resources demands additional efforts in exploring new capacities, offered by different technologies, which allows the supply of information and services in any place, any time and through any device, objective of the worldwide collaboration and communication web, known as Internet. Face to this increasing demand, current Internet is evolving from sharing to contribution model and in the near future, to collaboration model between providers and consumers. Although the current Internet has been extraordinarily successful, as a ubiquitous and universal means for communication, its architecture imposes limits for services deployment in heterogeneous and convergent environments, demanding new solutions to overcome the technological issues for Internet of Future achievement. These new solutions will be based on service oriented computing principles, providing the components of the new service framework for Internet of Future, called Internet of Services. In Internet of Services, convergent and heterogeneous mobile communication networks will be created on demand, providing a huge numbers of services, similar from functional point of view, but very different from the nonfunctional point of view, creating challenges for service selection which fits the service level agreement between providers and consumers. This work proposes a new solution for service selection process, combining algorithms commonly used for data mining, to perform dynamic and interactive service selection, fulfilling the mobility and collaborative requirements in a convergent and heterogeneous environment, such as Internet of Services. Therefore, this work contributes to Internet of Services research project, one of fundamental pillars to build the service oriented architecture, which will be used as framework for Internet of Future building, allowing many applications such as Location Based Services and Cloud Computing.

Abstract in English, Afrikaans and Zulu / The aim of this study was to determine the key factors which explain the adoption of mobile data services in South Africa and incorporate them into an explanatory framework that can be used to indicate whether a new mobile data service that is introduced into the South African Mobile Market will be successful. Additionally, it shows that the current usage of mobile data services in South Africa supports the framework. The research used a design based on a mixed methods methodology. The research was conducted using a literature survey and two research phases. The literature survey was an extensive review of communication technology adoption frameworks and all the possible factors of adoption. This literature survey was also used to develop the discussion document which was used as the guidelines for the Phase 1 interviews. The interviews were with experts in the telecommunications market in South Africa and were used to determine the key drivers of adoption and possible moderating factors of mobile data services. From those interviews a preliminary model was proposed. Phase 2 was a market survey which tested the framework and moderating factors in different metropolitan areas as well as examined the current usage of mobile data services. The statistical analysis used in determining the framework incorporated Descriptive Statistics, Factor Analysis, using Principal Axis Factoring, and Structural Equation Modelling. The framework, which was based on the Technology Acceptance Model, introduced two new constructs. The first new construct was the Mobile Service Providers Marketing Tactics and the second was Social Pressure and Aspirational Value. The two constructs combined can be used to explain why mobile service providers with low cost strategies are not successful. Demographic factors such as Age were found to influence the adoption as well as Socio-economic factors such as Income. Personal factors such as Technical Knowledge, Ability and Skills and Attitude towards Technology were also found to influence adoption. Geographical location was found to be the most important moderating factor. The current mobile data usage supported the framework. The results of data usage highlighted the fact that nearly 50% of the study’s participants spent over 4 hours per day interacting with their mobile devices and that the participants from Gauteng spent more than 2½ times on mobile services than those in the other metropolitan municipalities of Cape Town and eThekwini / Die doel van hierdie studie was om die sleutelfaktore te bepaal wat die aanneming van selfoondatadienste in Suid-Afrika verklaar, en hulle te verenig in ʼn raamwerk waarmee aangetoon kan word of ʼn nuwe selfoondatadiens die Suid-Afrikaanse selfoondatamark suksesvol sal betree. Afgesien hiervan dui hierdie studie aan dat die huidige gebruik van selfoondatadienste in Suid-Afrika die geldigheid van die voorgestelde raamwerk bevestig. ʼn Mengsel van metodes is in die navorsing toegepas. Die navorsing het uit ʼn literatuuroorsig en twee navorsingsfases bestaan. Die literatuuroorsig het ʼn deurtastende oorsig van die raamwerke vir die aanneming van kommunikasietegnologie en alle moontlike faktore daarvoor behels. Uit die literatuuroorsig is die besprekingsdokument saamgestel wat as riglyn gedien het vir die onderhoude in fase 1 van die navorsing. Onderhoude is met kundiges uit die Suid-Afrikaanse telekommunikasiebedryf gevoer om die belangrikste dryfvere vir aanneming en moontlike remfaktore ten opsigte van selfoondatadienste te bepaal. ʼn Voorlopige model is op grond van die onderhoude aangebied. Fase 2 het ʼn markopname behels waarin die raamwerk en remfaktore in verskeie metropolitaanse gebiede getoets en die huidige gebruik van selfoondatadienste ondersoek is. Die statistiese analise waarop die raamwerk berus, het bestaan uit beskrywende statistiek, faktorontleding met behulp van hoofasfaktorering, en struktuurvergelykingsmodellering. Twee nuwe konstrukte het uit die raamwerk wat op die tegnologieaanvaardingsmodel gegrond was, gespruit. Die eerste was selfoondiensverskaffers se bemarkingstrategieë en die tweede sosiale druk en aspirerende waarde. Saam verklaar die twee konstrukte waarom selfoondiensverskaffers wat laekostestrategieë volg, misluk. Daar is bevind dat demografiese faktore soos ouderdom, en sosiaal-ekonomiese faktore soos inkomste, aanneming beïnvloed. Volgens die bevindings word aanneming eweneens bepaal deur persoonlike faktore soos tegniese kennis, vermoë en vaardighede asook houding jeens tegnologie. Daar is bevind dat geografiese ligging die belangrikste remfaktor is. Die huidige selfoondatagebruik bevestig die geldigheid van die raamwerk. Die uitslag van datagebruik benadruk die feit dat byna 50% van die deelnemers aan die studie langer as vier uur per dag met hulle selfone doenig is, en dat deelnemers in Gauteng twee en half keer meer as deelnemers in die metropolitaanse munisipaliteite van Kaapstad en eThekwini aan selfoondienste bestee. / Inhloso yalolu cwaningo bekuwukuthola izinto ezibalulekile ezichaza ukwamukelwa kwezinsiza zamadatha amaselula eNingizimu Afrika nokuzifaka ohlakeni oluchazayo olungasetshenziswa ukukhombisa ukuthi ngabe insiza entsha yedatha ethulwe emakethe yamaselula eNingizimu Afrika izophumelela. Ngaphezu kwalokho, kukhombisa ukuthi ukusetshenziswa kwamanje kwezinsiza zedatha yamaselula eNingizimu Afrika kuyalusekela uhlaka. Ucwaningo lusebenzise umklamu osuselwe ezindleleni zokwenza ezixubile. Ucwaningo lwenziwe kusetshenziswa ucwaningo lwezincwadi kanye nezigaba ezimbili zocwaningo. Ucwaningo lwezincwadi belungukubuyekezwa okubanzi kokwamukela kwenzinhlaka zobuchwepheshe kwezokuxhumana kanye nazo zonke izici ezingenzeka ukuthi zamukelwe. Lolu cwaningo lwezincwadi lusetshenzisiwe futhi ukuthuthukisa umqulu wezingxoxo osetshenziswe njengezinkombandlela zokuxoxisana nabantu besigaba 1. Izingxoxo ebezinazo bezingochwepheshe emakethe yezokuxhumana eNingizimu Afrika futhi zasetshenziselwa ukuthola izidingongqangi zokwamukelwa kanye nezici zokulingisanisa kwezinsiza zamadatha amaselula. Kulezo zingxoxo, kuphakanyiswe isifaniselo sokuqala. Isigaba 2 bekungukucwaningo lwezimakethe oluhlola uhlaka kanye nezici zokulinganisa ezindaweni ezahlukahlukene zedolobha kanye nokuhlola ukusetshenziswa kwamanje kwezinsiza zedatha yamaselula. Ukuhlaziywa kwezibalo okusetshenzisiwe ekunqumeni uhlaka lufake izibalo ezichazayo, ukuhlaziya izakhi, kusetshenziswa izisekelo eziyinhloko zokuphamba, kanye nesifaniselo sokulinganisa esihlelekile. Uhlaka, olwalususelwa kusifaniselo sokwamukela ubuchwepheshe, lwethule izakhiwo ezimbili ezintsha. Isakhiwo esisha sokuqala kwakungamacebo wokukhangisa wabahlinzeki bezinsiza zamaselula futhi owesibili kwakuyingcindezi yomphakathi nenani lesifiso. Lezi zakhiwo zombili ezihlanganisiwe zingasetshenziswa ukuchaza ukuthi kungani abahlinzeki bezinsizakalo zamaselula abanamasu ezindleko eziphansi bengaphumeleli. Izici ezithinta abantu ezinjengobudala zitholakele ukuthonya ukwamukelwa kanye nezici zezomnotho nezenhlalo ezifana nomholo. Izici ezithinta umuntu ngqo ezifana nolwazi lwezobuchwepheshe, ukwazi ukwenza kanye namakhono, nesimo sengqondo maqondana nezobuchwepheshe zatholakala zithonya ukwamukelwa. Indawo yendawo yatholakala njengesici sokulinganisa esibaluleke kakhulu. Ukusetshenziswa kwedatha yeselula yamanje kusekele uhlaka. Imiphumela yokusetshenziswa kwedatha igcizelele iqiniso lokuthi bacishe babe ngama-50% ababambe iqhaza kulolu cwaningo bachithe isikhathi esingaphezu kwamahora amane ngosuku bexhumana nemishini yabo yamaselula nokuthi ababambiqhaza abavela eGauteng bachithe izikhathi ezingaphezu kwezingu-2½ kuzinsiza zamaselula kunalabo bakwamanye amadolobha amakhulu aseKapa naseThekwini. / Business Management / D.B.L.

This diploma thesis deals with the topic of „Position and Function of Call Centres in Telecommunications”. It focuses on alternative ways of customer´s communication with the company mainly by mobile phone. The content of this work is the characteristics of services, the specification of ways of communication between the customer and the company, the description of T-Mobile´s products using the alternative ways of communication with the company, the survey of T-Mobile´s Call centre´s activities and the research part. The aim of this work is to find out recomandations and progressions for improvement of working and standing of Call centre within the T-Mobile group. At the end of the work there are added some appendixes.