M. Tech. Business Information Systems / The banking sector allocates a great deal of their annual budget to Information Technology. To maintain and optimise activities such as software licensing, data security, business continuity and upgrading of computer hardware and general technology infrastructure to meet new organisational requirements, huge financial resources are deployed. One innovative approach to meeting these demands is using virtual desktop technology to extend the computer life, reduce IT costs, improve security and increase availability of technology. One may surmise from the experiences of these companies that if banks replace the current personal computers with virtual desktops they may realise the same benefits. With the introduction of Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) technology; the premise is that it will alleviate these issues currently faced by banks as all these functions can be done in one place instead of doing it on every individual PC. This study seeks to explore factors of VDI adoption and its impact in terms of reducing cost, hardware and software management, remote access, improved data security and recovery, better compliance and reduced energy consumption.

Recent years have seen a revival of interest in virtualisation research. Although this term has been used to refer to various systems, the focus of this research is on systems which partition a single physical server into multiple virtual servers. It is difficult for researchers and practitioners to get a clear picture of the state of the art in server virtualisation. This is due in part to the large number of systems available. Another reason is that information about virtualisation systems lacks structure, and is dispersed among multiple sources. Practitioners, such as data centre managers and systems administrators, may be familiar with virtualisation systems from a specific vendor, but generally lack a broader view of the field. This makes it difficult to make informed decisions when selecting these systems. Researchers and vendors who are developing virtualisation systems also lack a standard framework for identifying the strengths and weaknesses of their systems, compared to competing systems. It is also time-consuming for researchers who are new to the field to learn about current virtualisation systems. The purpose of this research was to develop a framework to solve these problems. The objectives of the research correspond to the applications of the framework. These include conducting comparative evaluations of server virtualisation systems, identifying strengths and weaknesses of particular virtualisation systems, specifying virtualisation system requirements to facilitate system selection, and gathering information about current virtualisation systems in a structured form. These four objectives were satisfied. The design of this framework was also guided by six framework design principles. These principles, or secondary objectives, were also met. The framework was developed based on an extensive literature study of data centres, virtualisation and current virtualisation systems. Criteria were selected through an inductive process. The feasibility of conducting evaluations using the framework was demonstrated by means of literature-based evaluations, and a practical case study. The use of the framework to facilitate virtualisation system selection was also demonstrated by means of a case study featuring the NMMU Telkom CoE data centre. This framework has a number of practical applications, ranging from the facilitation of decision-making to identifying areas for improvement in current virtualisation systems. The information resulting from evaluations using the framework is also a valuable resource for researchers who are new to the field. The literature study which forms the theoretical foundation of this work is particularly useful in this regard. A future extension to this work would be to develop a decision support system based on the framework. Another possibility is to make the framework, and evaluations, available on-line as a resource for data center managers, vendors and researchers. This would also enable other researchers to provide additional feedback, enabling the framework to be further refined

M. Tech. Business Information Systems / Enterprise Application Integration (EAI) is an integration framework that encapsulates a set of services and technologies that forms a middle tier to enable integration of varied systems and applications across the enterprise. It is a mechanism to combine processes, software, standards, and hardware to seamlessly integrate two or more enterprise application systems allowing them to operate as a unit. There are various challenges with EAI in terms of the approach, the architecture, implementation and its operation in a business environment. Even more so in a Third-party logistics (3PL) environment, where its function is directly associated with the performance of the business. Third Party Logistic is a supply chain service provider that carries out supply chain activities on behalf of a client, also known as a shipper, for part, or all of their supply chain management. However, regardless of the value put on the 3PL, IT capabilities shippers are still not satisfied with the performance, and there are no specific guidelines for EAI usage in 3PL environment. The goal of this study was to design an Enterprise Application Integration framework for Third-Party logistics.

M. Tech. Business Information Systems / Legacy systems are standalone computer applications mostly based on old technologies used in many organizations notwithstanding the availability of more streamlined systems and newer applications. The systems are in place due to the fact that it is costly to replace them, and or they respond adequately to users' requests towards the function they are designed to do. Legacy systems play an important role in today's business because they consist of application programs that may not be upgraded and old data which may not be reformatted to suit new systems. Further, these systems are still alive because of their good pedigree and distinct characteristics. If used in silos, the Legacy systems as part of information systems make the sharing of information, security and management controls, a nightmare. As a result, this affects the process of decision making at the operation and top management levels. Synchronization of reports from the different business units becomes a problem and in the long run the whole business is rendered ineffective and inefficient. This study is calling for the need to integrate legacy systems into enterprise resource planning system. Much as this is so, there is still limited understanding of the factors that contribute to the users' acceptance of the integration of these Legacy systems into an Enterprise Resource Planning System (ERP SYSTEM). This study therefore sought to determine factors influencing users' acceptance of Legacy systems' integration into an ERP System by taking a case of the National Department of Human Settlements.

The purpose of this research is to propose metrics to evaluate the user interface factors that impact on the user experience of Software Accounting Applications (SAAs) used to support the accounting business activities in Small Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) operating in developing countries. The research commences by outlining the conceptual background that introduces the study. In the introductory chapter, the problems together with the objectives that motivate the significance of the study are presented. In the same chapter, the overall research focus and how each of the research questions are treated to accomplish the intended goals are defined. In Chapter 2, the typical accounting business activities for SMMEs operating in developing countries are investigated. Findings from the preliminary survey revealed that Pastel accounting is the commonly used SMME accounting application used in developing countries. Inventory management, cash book processing, preparation of financial statements, customer and supplier documents processing are revealed as the most prevalent SMME accounting activities. This chapter highlights the problems that inhibit the implementation and the delivery of full benefits of using these SAAs. After indentifying the SAA problems, user experience aspects of the SAA are addressed in Chapter 3. User experience (UX) is defined and existing UX evaluation criteria are discussed. The findings form the basis for choosing the applicable criteria for evaluating the User Interface (UI) factors impacting on the UX of Pastel accounting. The proposed user experience evaluation metrics are described in Chapter 4. A discussion on how the metrics are implemented and what UI aspect they measure is presented. The research design and methodology followed is discussed in Chapter 5. The chapter outlines the possible research philosophy, strategy, methods and data collecting methods. A choice is made about the appropriate approach to answer the stated research questions to satisfy the intended overall research objective. A phenomenologist, qualitative inductive approach is adopted in the study. A contextual inquiry case-study strategy is chosen as applicable to this research. Data is collected using expert reviews, user observation and subjective questionnaires. After the choice of the research techniques, the case study results are presented and analysed in Chapter 6. It is found that Pastel UI is attractive and the users are happy with the visual design of the application. The major factors that impact on Pastel accounting are its lack of 4 feedback and its complexity which makes it difficult for first time users to use the application and the paucity of the help function. After the observed findings, the conclusions and recommendations of the research are presented in Chapter 7. It has been concluded that Pastel accounting UI fails to captivate a positive user experience for first-time users; the users do not find the expected help from the Help function and are often left wondering about the status of the system and the outcome of their actions on a task. Recommendations on how designers would make Pastel user interface more helpful, easy to use, and provide adequate feedback are presented in Chapter 7.

Today's mobile computing devices provide a convenient means to search for points-of-interest (POIs) such as restaurants and accommodation. Mobile Preference-Based Search Tools (PBSTs) allow users to identify POIs such as restaurants or accommodation most suited to their needs and constraints using a mobile device. These devices however, have several design constraints including limited screen space and hardware capabilities. Adaptive User Interfaces (AUIs) have been proposed to address these issues but have not been extensively applied to mobile PBSTs such as mobile tourist guides. In addition, AUIs possess several benefits and advantages over static (traditional) interfaces, which do not take a user's preferences, skill set and experience into account. Little research, however, has been conducted into identifying the potential benefits of AUIs for mobile preference-based searching (PBS). The aim of this research was to determine the extent to which an AUI could improve the effectiveness and user satisfaction of mobile PBS. A literature study was conducted to determine the benefits and limitations of existing mobile PBSTs and determine how these could be improved. The potential benefits of AUIs for mobile PBSTs and a mobile map-based visualisation system were identified. A suitable model for incorporating an AUI into a mobile PBST was identified. The requirements for a mobile PBST were combined with the potentially adaptable objects of a Mobile Map-based Visualisation (MMV) system to provide adaptation suggestions for POInter, an existing mobile tourist guide. A field study using POInter was conducted in order to measure the extent to which participants agreed with suggestions provided for adapting the information, interaction and visualisation aspects of the system. These results were used to derive adaptation requirements for A-POInter, an adaptive version of POInter. Using a model-based design approach, an AUI was designed and implemented for A-POInter. An extensive field study was then conducted to evaluate the usability of the adaptations provided by A-POInter. The quantitative and qualitative data collected from the evaluations allowed the usability of A-POInter to be determined. The results of the field study showed that the participants were highly satisfied with the usability and the usefulness of the adaptations provided by A-POInter. Conclusions and recommendations for future work based on the results of the research were then outlined to conclude the dissertation.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Prior to the invention of Personal Computers the scope of research activities was limited by the pre-existing capabilities of problem solving mechanisms. However, with the advent of PCs and inter-networking thereof, the new tools (hardware and software) enabled the scientific community to tackle more complex research challenges and this led to a better understanding of our environment. The development of the Internet also enabled research communities to communicate and share information in real time. However, even the Internet has limitations of its own when it comes to the need of sharing not only information but also massive storage, processing power, huge databases and applications, expensive and delicate scientific instruments, knowledge and expertise. This led to the need for a networking system that includes these above-mentioned services, using the Internet infrastructure, semantic web technologies and pervasive computing devices, which is so called Grid Computing. This research study deals with a Generic Campus Grid Computing framework, which mobilizes the available idle/extra computing resources residing in the faculty-computing centres for use by the e-community on CPU-intensive or Data-intensive jobs. This unused computing capacity could be utilized for Grid computing services; hence, the already available resources could be more efficiently exploited. Besides, this could be a huge saving when compared to the cost of acquiring supercomputers by these institutions. Therefore, this research study intends to establish a simple and functional Generic Campus Grid Computing Framework at this stage, with the consent that subsequent research studies could deal with further assessment in a more detailed perspective and practical implementation thereof. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Voor die uitvinding van die Persoonlike Rekenaar is die omvang van navorsingsaktiwiteite beperk deur die voorafbestaande vermoëns van probleemoplossingsmeganismes. Met die verskyning van PR's en die daaropvolgende internetwerking daarvan, het die nuwe gereedskap (hardeware en sagteware) die wetenskaplike gemeenskap in staat gestel om meer komplekse navorsingsuitdagings aan te pak. Dit het gelei tot groter begrip van ons omgewing. Die onwikkeling van die Internet het navorsingsgemeenskappe ook in staat gestel om in reële tyd te kommunikeer en inligting te deel. Nietemin, selfs die Internet het gebreke wanneer dit kom by die behoefte om nie slegs inligting te deel nie, maar ook massiewe stoorruimte, verwerkingskrag, baie groot databasisse en toepassings, duur en delikate wetenskaplike toerusting, kennis en kundigheid. Dit het gelei tot die behoefte aan 'n netwerksisteem wat bogenoemde dienste insluit, deur gebruik te maak van Internet-infrastruktuur, semantiese web tegnologieë, en alomteenwoordige rekenaartoestelle. Hierdie sisteem staan bekend as "Grid Computing" of te wel Rooster Komputasie. Hierdie navorsingstudie handel oor 'n Generiese Kampus Rooster Komputasie Raamwerk wat die ongebruikte, ekstra komputasiebronne, wat beskikbaar is in fakulteite se rekenaargebruikersareas, mobiliseer vir gebruik deur die e-gemeenskap op SVE-intensiewe of Dataintensiewe toepassings. Hierdie ongebruikte komputasie kapasiteit kan aangewend word vir Rooster komputasie dienste; gevolglik kan die beskikbare bronne dan meer effektief benut word. Verder kan dit lei tot groot besparings wanneer dit vergelyk word met die koste om superrekenaars aan te koop deur die betrokke instansies. Dus, op hierdie stadium stel hierdie navorsingstudie dit ten doel om 'n eenvoudige en funksionele Generiese Kampus Rooster Komputasie Raamwerk te skep met dien verstande dat daaropvolgende studies sou kon fokus op verdere assessering met 'n meer gedetaileerde perspektief en met praktiese implementasie.

The Internet has shifted from the Web 1.0 era to the Web 2.0 era. In the contemporary era of web 2.0, the Internet is being used to build and reflect social relationships among people who share similar interests and activities. This is done through services such as Social Networking Sites (Facebook, Twitter etc.) and the web blogs. Currently, there is a very high usage of Social Networking Sites (SNSs) and blogs where people share their views, opinions, and thoughts. This leads to the production of a lot of data by people who post such content on SNSs. As a result, SNSs and blogs become the ideal platforms for opinion monitoring and the trend analysis. These SNSs and Blogs could be used by service providers for tracking what the public thinks or requires. The reason being, having such knowledge can help in decision making and future planning. If service providers can keep track of such views, opinions or thoughts with regard to the services they provide, they can better their understanding about the public or clients’ needs and improve the provision of relevant services. This research project presents a system prototype for performing opinion monitoring and trend analysis on Facebook. The proposed system crawl Facebook, indexes the data and provides user interface (UI) where end users can search and see the trending of a topics of their choice. The system prototype could also be used to check the trending topics without having to search. The main objective of this research project was to develop a framework that will contribute in improving the way government officials, companies or any service providers and normal citizens communicate regarding services they provide. This research project is premised on the conceptualization that if the government officials, companies or any service providers can keep track of the citizen’s opinions, views and thoughts with regards to services they provide it can help improve the delivery of such services. This research and the implementation of the trend analysis tool is undertaken in the context of the Siyakhula Living Lab (SLL), an Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICTD) intervention for Dwesa marginalized community.