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International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 26-29, 1987 / Town and Country Hotel, San Diego, California / Spacecraft telemetry systems have evolved from simple hardware devices to complex computer applications performing data acquisition and formatting tasks. This paper reviews the role of spacecraft computers in performing telemetry functions and examines computer based telemetry systems being considered for use on the NASA Space Station.

This dissertation investigates the critical success factors behind the successful introduction of Mobile Data Services to the South African market. An evaluation of the history of telecommunications found that progress in the global telecommunications industry has been characterised by innovation in technological hardware, followed by innovation in policies. Such innovation mainly contributed to the development of voice services in the mobile telecommunications industry. Wireless technology is no longer simply an extension of fixed line voice communication, but a mature independent technology. This maturity is also reflected by the declining state of revenues generated by voice services. Market incumbents expect data services to provide increased revenues. The current wireless industry business value chain is evolving and becoming more complex due to new incumbents in the market and new relationships that are formed between new and existing incumbents. Although a new structured value chain is presented, reality indicates a diffusion of functions within the value chain. The study has identified a number of the Critical Success Factors, which will be required to facilitate the introduction of Mobile Data Services to the South African market. Central to determining these Critical Success Factors is the design of a structured framework or model, which allows for this. The basic elements of this model are constructed from core concepts in the market, which became elevated during the literature study and industry survey. The model demonstrates the need to integrate the various components into a single coherent strategy, which is imperative for determining the Critical Success Factors. Copyright 2004, University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. Please cite as follows: Benn, LJ 2004, A strategic business model for the introduction of Mobile Data Services in an emerging economy – focus on the South African market, MSc dissertation, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd < http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-06102005-093913 / > / Dissertation (MSc (Technology Management))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Graduate School of Technology Management (GSTM) / unrestricted

Information, products and services can be requested and purchased via the Interactive Video Data Service (IVDS) system developed by The Center for Wireless Telecommunications, Virginia Tech. This system consists of three components - User control, Repeater unit and a Host program. The user requests a service using his/her television remote (User control). A transceiver (User control) located near the television set responds to user requests by extracting information hidden in the commercial's audio, and transmitting information to the repeater unit. The receiver unit decodes received messages and forwards them in capsules to the Host component. Thus the user requests are received by the host system. The repeater unit is a real-time operating system with its in-built hardware and software functions. Application specific software can be written using the existing software drivers and libraries (kernel) to decode and process messages. The Host program monitors and responds to received user messages. This thesis focuses on the repeater unit hardware setup and discusses the application software implementation developed to receive messages from the transceiver box and to retransmit the messages in a different format over the Internet. The software specifications included no incoming message loss, ability to statically hold 10000 user messages, time-stamp and location-stamp (using a GPS receiver) forwarded messages, scheduling messages for retransmission based on message priority, and retransmission using the point-to-point protocol (PPP) using a dial-up modem connection. In order to achieve better performance the existing software kernel was re-written in some sections. This thesis also discusses some of the system limitations from the repeater unit's perspective. / Master of Science

This research investigates mobile service design and engineering in the mobile telecommunications industry. The mobile telecommunication business is shifting from one that was voice-centric to one that is almost all data-centric; thanks to recent rapid advances in Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). The underlying reasons behind this shift can be traced back to two main issues that are interlinked. The first and major reason is that telecoms (telecommunication companies) are trying to generate new revenue streams based on data and information transmissions, given the saturation of the voice market. This is rational given the market opportunities in one direction and the pressures being generated by the current economic downturn from the other direction. The second reason relates to the flexibility of data, compared to voice. Indeed, the number of services that can be developed on the basis of data are much greater than those that can be developed on the basis of voice. However, the design and engineering of successful and innovative mobile data services has proven to be a complex undertaking. The number of effective mobile data services is relatively small and the revenue generated from such offerings has generally been below expectations. This research develops an ontological framework to help in changing this situation, and making mobile services engineering more effective and successful, following the design-science research paradigm. Design-science research, in general, aims to solve unstructured but relevant organizational or social problems through the development of novel and useful artefacts. As the current research aims to help in solving the mobile data services engineering dilemma by developing a purposeful ontological framework, the design-science research paradigm is deemed fitting. Within this paradigm, the author develops a novel design approach specified for ontology engineering, termed “OntoEng”. This design approach is used in this research for developing the ontological framework. The developed ontological framework is founded on business model thinking. The idea is that creating innovative mobile data services requires developing innovative business models. Indeed, innovative business models can help translate technological potential into economic value and allow telecoms to achieve their strategic objectives. The ontological framework includes the development of an ontology, termed “V4 Mobile Service BM Ontology” as well as “Mobile Key Value Drivers” for designing and engineering innovative mobile data services. The V4 Mobile Service BM Ontology incorporates four design dimensions: (1) value proposition including targeting; (2) value architecture including technological and organizational infrastructure; (3) value network dealing with aspects relating to partnerships and co-operations; and finally (4) value finance relating to costs, pricing, and revenue structures. Within these four dimensions, sixteen design concepts are identified along with their constituent elements. Relationships and interdependencies amongst the identified design constructs are established and clear semantics are produced. The research then derives six key value drivers for mobile service engineering as follows: (a) Market Alignment; (b) Cohesion; (c) Dynamicity; (d) Uniqueness; (e) Fitting Network-Mode; and (f) Explicitness. The developed ontological framework in this research is evaluated to ensure that it can be successfully implemented and performs correctly in the real world. The research mainly utilizes case analysis methods to ensure the semantic correctness of the ontological framework. Indeed, the developed ontological framework is employed as an analytical lens to examine the design and engineering of three key real-life cases in the mobile telecommunications industry. These cases are: (1) Apple’s iPhone Services and Applications; (2) NTT DoCoMo’s i-mode Services; and (3) Orange Business Services. For further validation, the developed ontological framework is evaluated against a set of criteria synthesized from ontology engineering and evaluation literature. These criteria are: Clarity; Coherence; Conciseness; Preciseness; Completeness; and Customizability. The developed ontological framework is argued to make significant contributions for theory, practice, and methodology. For theory, this research provides (1) a novel ontological framework for designing and engineering mobile data services; (2) a unified framework of the business model concept; and (3) a new design approach for ontology engineering in information systems. For practice, the current research provides practitioners in the telecommunications industry with systematic and customizable means to design, implement, analyze, evaluate, and change new and existing mobile data services to make them more manageable, effective, and creative. For methodology, the use of the design- science research paradigm for ontology engineering signifies the focal methodological contribution in this research given its novelty. This research also contributes to the understanding of the design-science research paradigm in information systems as it is relatively new. It provides a working example in which the author illustrates how recognizing design-science research as a paradigm is essential and useful to the research in information systems discipline.

The mobility, flexibility, convenience, and ubiquity of mobile data services (MDS) have contributed to their enormous growth and popularity with users. MDS allow users to communicate through mobile texting (mTexting), mobile Instant Messaging (mIM), multimedia messaging services (MMS), and email. A unique feature of MDS that enhances its popularity among its users is the awareness capability, which is revolutionizing the way MDS is being used to communicate today. It allows potential communication partners to socialize through these technologies. This dissertation explored the relationship between user experience, perceived richness, perceived social presence and satisfaction with MDS. A research model for examining the antecedent conditions that influence social presence, richness, social interaction and satisfaction with MDS was developed. Partial least square analysis showed that user experience influenced both social presence and richness. Also supported was the relationship between richness, social presence and satisfaction with MDS. Social presence mediated the relationship between user experience and richness. However, only one dimension of interactivity influenced social presence.

Research data management (RDM) focuses on the organization and description of data, from its entry to the research cycle through to the dissemination and archiving of valuable results. RDM entails storage, security, preservation, compliance, quality, sharing and jurisdiction. In the academic world, RDM can support the research process by searching for relevant data, storing data, describing data and advising researchers on good RDM practice. This study focused on developing RDM services. The aim of the study was to establish the role Makerere University Library could play in developing RDM Services. A number of questions were formulated to guide the researcher in finding answers to the research questions. A literature review, based on the research sub-questions, was carried out. The review covered the concept of RDM, academic libraries and their RDM practices, various RDM services in academic libraries, RDM services that require sustainability and how current researchers, in general, manage their data. The research undertaken took a qualitative approach with a case study design. This was due to the need to gather in-depth and comprehensive views and experiences regarding RDM at Makerere University. A purposive sampling technique was used to identify researchers who are actively involved in managing research data at Makerere University. Data were collected using semi structured interviews, from eight participants; one from each college. The participants were selected because of their knowledge about RDM and semi-structured interviews were preferred due to their flexibility. An interview schedule was used as the data collection instrument. Data was transcribed into Microsoft Word for easy analysis. Findings that addressed the research question and sub-questions were presented and interpreted in chapter four and conclusions as well as recommendations were discussed in detail in chapter five of this research report. In summary it is possible to say that although researchers, from across the entire university, generate big volumes of research data it appears that researchers themselves manage, control and store their data making use of different removable devices. This is risky. So there is a need to develop RDM skills for all stakeholders. It does appear though that the researchers at Makerere University would be willing the support of RDM services if these are developed by the library. / Mini Dissertation (MIT)--University of Pretoria, 2017. / Carnegie Corporation of New York / Information Science / MIT / Unrestricted

HydroShare is a collaborative online system being developed by the Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrologic Science Inc. (CUAHSI) with the goal of facilitating the dissemination, visualization, and publishing of hydrologic data and models. External web applications serve a key role in extending HydroShare's capabilities, so robust application programming interfaces (APIs) are a vital component of HydroShare's architecture. Hydrologic data stored on HydroShare are defined by a data type, and much of these data are either geospatial or time series data. Although HydroShare's API provides ways to upload and download files, as well as access certain metadata, it does not currently provide GIS services defined by the Open Geospatial Consortium, or Hydrologic Information System (HIS) services developed by CUAHSI. The absence of these services severely limits the capabilities of HydroShare apps while also increasing the development time and complexity of apps that are developed.To help alleviate this disconnect between HydroShare and HydroShare apps, I have developed a system which helps extend HydroShare's data service capabilities using GeoServer and a Water Data Server to expose GIS and HIS data services for HydroShare content. With this system in place, HydroShare apps have much better access to HydroShare content, allowing them to be developed in less time, and provide much more powerful visualization, access, and analysis services to HydroShare users.

This study investigated the role of academic libraries in implementing research data services, UKZN being the case study. The objectives of the study were to identify the need for research data services among UKZN researchers, to identify the major challenges associated with introducing research data services at UKZN, and to determine the possibility of implementing research data services at UKZN Libraries. The Data Curation Centre Lifecycle model was adopted as a framework for the study as it manages to connect the different stages of research data management. The study took a mixed methods approach of which interviews and a survey were used. A purposive sample was used to select library staff and random sample was drawn from 1341 UKZN academics. From a sample of 1341, 299 was the minimum size recommended by the Raosoft sample size calculator for a 5% margin of error and 95% confidence level. For quantitative analysis, an online questionnaire was administered using Google Forms. A series of questions were formulated for guidance in obtaining answers to the study objectives. Google Forms was used for the analysis while figures and tables were created using Microsoft Excel. Interviews from the library staff were recorded and data from interviews was transcribed into Microsoft Word. The study revealed that UKZN Libraries are still struggling with RDM policy development. The findings of the study revealed that researchers who responded to the study showed a lack of RDM awareness while library staff showed a moderate level of awareness. The study revealed that researchers at UKZN work with different types of data and they use different storage options such as removable storage devices, computer hard drives and cloud services. Although a few researchers have developed data management plans at UKZN, they have not done so because they were mandated by the institution - UKZN has not yet developed DMPs and library staff are not aware which funders require DMPs. The researchers who responded to the study showed interest in different trainings such as, training on data storage, development of DMPs and metadata creation. The library staff were more eager to provide data storage, data archiving and sharing mainly because of the existence of the UKZN data repository (Yabelana). Study recommendations are based on the analysed data. One of the recommendations was that UKZN Libraries should assume a role of being an advisor and trainer for research data services at UKZN.

Understanding the implications of climate change on streamflow regime is complex as changes in climate vary over space and time. However, a better understanding of the impact of climate change is required for identifying how stream ecosystems vulnerable to these changes, and ultimately to guide the development of robust strategies for reducing risk in the face of changing climatic conditions. Here I used physically based hydrologic modeling to improve understanding of how climate change may impact streamflow regimes and advance some of the cyberinfrastructure and GIS methodologies that support physically based hydrologic modeling by: (1) using a physically based model to examine the potential effects of climate change on ecologically relevant aspects of streamflow regime, (2) developing data services in support of input data preparation for physically based distributed hydrologic models, and (3) enhancing terrain analysis algorithms to support rapid watershed delineation over large area. TOPNET, a physically based hydrologic model was applied over eight watersheds across the U.S to assess the sensitivity and changes of the streamflow regime due to climate change. Distributed hydrologic models require diverse geospatial and time series inputs, the acquisition and preparation of which are labor intensive and difficult to reproduce. I developed web services to automate the input data preparation steps for a physically based distributed hydrological model to enable water scientist to spend less time processing input data. This input includes terrain analysis and watershed delineation over a large area. However, limitations of current terrain analysis tools are (1) some support only a limited set of specific raster and vector data formats, and (2) all that we know of require data to be in a projected coordinate system. I enhanced terrain analysis algorithms to extend their generality and support rapid, web-based watershed delineation services. Climate change studies help to improve the scientific foundation for conducting climate change impacts assessments, thus building the capacity of the water management community to understand and respond to climate change. Web-based data services and enhancements to terrain analysis algorithms to support rapid watershed delineation will impact a diverse community of researchers involved terrain analysis, hydrologic and environmental modeling.