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This diploma thesis deals with the selection of an appropriate information system which should help to make the company processes more effective. It should also save time and enable faster adaptation to new changes in the company PORTABELL. The first part describes the essential theory to get the reader acquainted with the issues, the second part is dedicated to the analysis of corporate environment and its trouble spots. The last part deals with the selection of the information system. The information system is chosen based on the predetermined criteria and requirements.

Οι οικονομικές και τεχνολογικές εξελίξεις των τελευταίων ετών, η απελευθέρωση της αγοράς, οι ισχυρές κατά απαίτηση πολυμεσικές υπηρεσίες καθώς και ο αυξημένος αριθμός χρηστών των κινητών δικτύων υποδεικνύουν την αναγκαιότητα της σύγκλισης των δύο δικτυακών τεχνολογιών (κινητή τηλεφωνία και internet) με στόχο την παροχή υπηρεσιών Internet στο περιβάλλον των κινητών επικοινωνιών. Η παραπάνω απαίτηση οδήγησε στην δημιουργία του δικτύου επόμενης γενιάς NGN. Η διπλωματική αυτή εργασία ασχολείται με την μελέτη της αρχιτεκτονικής του επιπέδου υπηρεσιών και την υποστήριξη Ποιότητας Υπηρεσίας (QoS) σε δίκτυα Νέας Γενιάς. Συγκεκριμένα δίνεται έμφαση στις λειτουργίες ελέγχου, σηματοδοσίας και λειτουργιών αρχιτεκτονικής του QoS σε επίπεδο υπηρεσιών. Αρχικά, ορίζουμε την έννοια “QoS” όσον αφορά την οπτική του δικτύου και το χρήστη. Περιγράφονται η αρχιτεκτονική του στρώματος υπηρεσιών του δικτύου καθώς και οι λειτουργίες ελέγχου πόρου και αποδοχής των κλήσεων, που αποτελούν σημαντικό μέρος της αρχιτεκτονικής του NGN. Στη συνέχεια παρουσιάζονται αρχιτεκτονικές που προορίζονται για την παροχή του QoS (IntServ, DiffServ), στη Συμφωνία Στάθμης Παρεχόμενης Υπηρεσίας (SLA), το πρωτόκολλο σηματοδοσίας COPS. Επίσης, δίνουμε έμφαση σε ορισμένες πτυχές (χρονοδρομολόγηση, διαχείριση ουρών) μίας QoS αρχιτεκτονικής, οι οποίες είναι ζωτικής σημασίας όσον αφορά την αποδοτική παροχή Ποιότητας Υπηρεσίας. Στη συνέχεια, με τη χρήση του εργαλείου προσομοίωσης OPNET, διεξάγουμε μια σειρά προσομοιώσεων σε ένα ATM και σε ένα NGN δίκτυο. Τέλος, παραθέτουμε και αναλύουμε τα αποτελέσματα των προαναφερθέντων πειραμάτων. / The concept of an NGN (Next Generation Network) has been introduced to take into consideration the new realities in the telecommunications industry, characterized by factors such as: competition among operators due to ongoing deregulation of markets, explosion of digital traffic, e.g.,increasing use of "the Internet", increasing demand for new multimedia services, increasing demand for a general mobility, convergence of networks and services, etc. This thesis has as subject the architecture of service stratum and presents an overview of standards functions defining the Quality of Service (QoS) in Next Generation Networks (NGNs). Several standards bodies define the QoS control architectures based on their scope of work. Specifically, emphasis is given to control functions, signalling and functional architecture of QoS in service stratum. Firstly, we define the meaning of QoS according to the view of the operator’s network and terminal users. The functional architecture of service stratum and especially the part of resource and admission control functions are described in the main body. Furthermore, architectures as IntServ and DiffServ, SLAs and COPS protocol are used as providers of the QoS. Scheduling and queuing management are necessary to optimize the QoS in NGN networks. In this project, we use OPNET simulator in two scenarios to determine construct and control ATM and NGN networks. Finally, collect the results of the experiments and analyze them.

My research concluded by the dissertation thesis focused on transfer pricing in financial management. The aim of this paper was to analyze the use of contracts for cost-sharing, contracts for contributing to the cost and service level agreements in a group of related persons of multinational companies. The work is divided into three logical parts. The first part of my dissertation analyzed the available scientific work and literature. A number of publications deals with the issue but only marginally. I thus drew upon mainly legal texts. I assumed the potential for practical use based on my finding that about 72 % of companies doing business in research and development operate in clusters of related persons. The second part of the paper deals with contracts for cost-sharing and cost contribution agreements. The basic problem of both agreements is reasonable estimation of the expected benefits. I suggested a procedure for estimation of benefit sharing among participants and also what indicators to use for measuring. Then I defined the share of costs. I suggested a definition of K.O. criteria for other than the U.S. legislation for incorrectly estimated shares. In this theoretical treatise on the weighted cost of capital I have found that companies that are not part of a group of related persons have a lower WACC. I pointed to the significant impact of agreements on avoidance of double taxation. As an alternative to the above contracts in the Czech Republic I presented a contract of association under the Civil Code. The third part of this work is dedicated to the Service Level Agreement. I conclude that it is necessary in certain ways to measure benefits, as it is a very important factor for the recipient of services. The benefits, however, cannot be measured directly, but through auxiliary variables, when the determining will always be influenced by the applied accounting standards. The second examined aspect was the allocation of costs to the service provider. Here, I conclude that there is no universally correct way. However, essential for these costs are only the actual relevant costs incurred in connection with the provision of intangible assets. Lastly, I focused on the usual profit margin surcharge over the cost provider of intangible assets. I conclude that when setting profit margins in accordance with the arm's length principle one should build on the level of normal returns on the invested assets of the provider.

隨著主管機關對金融商品規定的鬆綁，金融機構業務型態的變化越來越多，量也越來越大，對資訊系統依賴的程度也越來越高。其中，證券公司業務的執行及對客戶的服務，更是高度依賴IT服務的可用性、可靠性、安全性和表現的效能。然而，IT與業務部門需求認知上的落差及IT部門在企業內扮演角色認知上的錯誤及不當的IT管理方式，反而讓問題的發生層出不窮，IT也經常落入問題處理的深淵。 問題的複雜度雖然不斷提高，相對於業務單位對系統穩定性的要求卻更高。問題是：企業不可能因為追求效率上的完美而不斷花錢投入IT資源。在IT資源有限的情況下，IT部門須對這些問題，進行更有效的管理及回應。因此，IT治理不僅已成為金融機構實現業務目標的基本要素，也是獲取客戶信任不可或缺的元素。本論文則嘗試透過導入行之有年的ITIL管理方法，協助解決證券公司資訊部門的困境。 為能達到良好的IT服務治理結果，本研究針對業務單位對IT部門所提供的資訊服務期望，透過ITIL的服務水準管理流程（Service Level Management，SLM）來加以定義及描述。主要做法： 1.利用ITIL流程改善模型（Process Improvement Model）的四階段步驟，參考營業服務管理（Business Service Management，BSM）的觀念與做法，讓IT單位與業務部門能有更好的溝通。 2.依據溝通的結果產出實際可行之服務水準協議。簡言之，即是由使用者的角度去找出所需達到的IT服務標準。還可依此畫出營業服務與IT服務間之對應關係，明確彼此的責任。 3.透過重複不斷的檢討與回饋，讓IT服務能越來越符合實際業務的需要。 本研究發現，透過案例「致富快手」系統在服務水準管理流程中所獲得的業務單位對IT部門的服務期望資訊，對照現況IT部門的服務表現與目標水準的差異分析。的確可以協助IT部門就資訊服務的提供現況來推導，以獲致未來可進行服務改善的目標項目。而不再是以個人的直覺來進行系統維護與IT投資，這些效益還包括： 1.增進IT了解自己在企業營運上的價值貢獻；體會與業務單位的分工合作關係，減輕彼此的對立。 2.營業服務關鍵流程協助IT部門進行資源佈署，優化IT投資。 3.對營業服務關鍵流程，提供一具體、可量化的衡量標準與描述。可依此建立SLA與OLA。 4.服務期望與服務現況比較，了解IT服務對營業服務支持程度。 5.服務期望與服務現況差異化分析，為日後服務改善之依據。 6.營業服務與IT資源對應，明確IT資源關鍵元件；為備援建置及容量管理之重點對象。 7.以Business/IT知識庫檢視監控機制涵蓋程度，做為服務改善之目標。 8.透明IT營業支援服務體系，增進雙方溝通與問題處理有效性。 研究中也發現，服務水準管理流程只是在規範IT服務相關單位的行為活動。也就是說，服務水準管理流程其實只是在訂定IT服務的目標，至於應如何來實現，仍須藉由其他服務提供(Service Support)流程的有效支持；改善的具體實現，又會反應在服務水準指標的執行結果上，兩者其實為互相呼應，相輔相成的因果關係。 / As the finance production deregulates, the financial institutions could run more and more various businesses. In order to offer quality service, it’s necessary to have IT support in the back. So does Security Corporation. The business performances of a security corporation almost depend on an available, reliable, and secure IT services. However, there are some problems occurred between the business and IT units. In one hand, they both have misunderstanding in cognition to the other party; on the other hand, passive attitude and ineffective management of IT department made two groups always unsatisfied to each other. Furthermore, the spending of IT investment in a company is limited, but the business units continually require of better performance requirement. The atmosphere between two parties is in tension. For solving those problems, the study of IT governance comes out. It helps organization offer better IT service under limited resources. Moreover, IT governance is not only the effective method to realize business object, but the important one to obtain the customers’ trust. As the result, we use one of IT governance methodology, ITIL (IT Infrastructure Library), to resolve the predicament of IT department in the security corporation. In this paper, we identify the expectation to IT service from Business units using the concept of SLM (Service Level Management) module described in ITIL. Our analysis steps are as follow: I.Understand the needs: We use the “Process Improvement Model” in ITIL and the concept in BSM (Business Service Management) to analyze the “real” requirements from business units. II.Settle and implement the agreements: After clarify the relationship between business function and IT service, the most important document in SLM, SLA (Service Level Agreement), will be ready for recording the result of negotiation of two parties. It’s also good for addressing the responsibility. III.Review and improve the IT services: After implement, it’s necessary to review the result, and get the feedback for next service improvement. By continuous improvement, IT service will be able to match the business needs. In the case, we conduct the gap analysis between the expectation of business department and real performance of IT service. It helps IT department to understand “where we are” and “what we want”. Through the result of the comparison, it provides an obvious direction for service improvement, instead of by “intuition” only. It also includes other benefits like that: I.The IT department can realize its role in whole enterprise. It could have better cooperation with business department. II.The BSM helps IT manager to deploy its resources and optimize the investment in IT. III.The methodology provides a concrete, measurable standard and description to the business. It’s useful to establish the SLA and OLA (Operation Level Agreement). IV.The comparison between expectation and current status can show how the level of IT services support business services. V.The gap analysis provides the direction of service improvement. VI.The IT resources components are highlighted. Those components are major objects in backup mechanism and capacity management. VII.The Business/IT Knowledge base helps to review the range of monitor. VIII.The IT support system can be revealed. It is benefit to communication and problem management. The study shows that Service Level Management focus on how to restrict the action of IT Services provider. In other words, the whole process just helps to fine out the object of IT Services. It also needs support of other Service Support processes. Furthermore, the services’ quality improve will be showed by the Service Level Index. The SLM and other process complement to each other. To sum up, SLM is good for IT units to identifying needs and catching them. However, it should implement with other process to get better effect.

The private security industry is tasked with protecting lives and property against an evolving array of personal and property threats. Rendering such services comes with many market related challenges for private security providers. These services are rendered to various types of clients like government departments, hospitals, universities and shopping malls amongst others. These clients have unique and different needs and expectations, therefore shopping malls as clients of the private security industry were selected for the purpose of this research. The qualitative research approach was used for this study wherein a questionnaire was used to obtain information from private security and shopping mall personnel working in shopping malls in Gauteng. The findings of this study reveals that there are indeed client retention challenges that are facing private security companies providing services to shopping malls. Based on the findings, recommendations for the private security providers and further research in shopping mall security management are made. / Security Risk Management / M.Tech. (Security Management)