Magister Legum - LLM

Information, communication and broadcasting convergence is changing the business landscape in South Africa, as organisations adopt new converged information, communication technology (ICT) products and services to satisfy the needs of customers. Simultaneously, major changes are taking place in the South African telecommunications business environment creating new marketing opportunities and threats for Telkom SA, the only fixed line telecommunication operator in South Africa. Some of the findings of the study are • the commodization of the fixed line telecommunication network • political and regulatory changes are reshaping the telecommunications landscape by allowing the entry of new competitors • new technological innovations in Information Communication Technology (ICT) and mobile communication is driving change • social and economic change is fueling the speed of environmental change poor economic climate is quickening the competitive pace amongst South African businesses forcing them to attain efficiencies and effectiveness for survival • organisations worldwide are competing for limited resources and markets and turning to ICT to achieve their objectives • customer needs are changing - demanding better and innovative communication products and services - providing opportunities to competitors • the Internet is reshaping traditional business models as businesses are seeking to establish competitive advantages through the Internet • the migration of the Internet to the mobile telephony sector These changes are creating new marketing opportunities and threats for South African fixed line telecommunication operators and are threatening the survival of fixed line telecommunication operators worldwide and in South Africa. Information Technology, broadcasting and telecommunication technology convergence, has created many new ICT products and services opportunities that telecommunication competitors are offering existing customers of the fixed line operators network indicating lethargy from their side. In order for the fixed line operators to survive they must apply innovation and revise their strategic planning models. / Business Management / DCOM (Business Management)

The Diploma work deals with the explanation conceptions of the age and the parallel failures of the changes. Work defines closer specification of senior attitude, need and interests toward (ICT). To improve of senior lifelihood and lifestyle I am introducing the use of ICT. It can be helpful for senior citizens to inter-connect again in the social community. The contemporary trends of ICT are presented here which they are suitable for retired citizens and can be accessibled in the trade. I reclined my opinion during my own work experience as an assistant in project: ``Click by the right button, grandad!``

Abstract This thesis focuses on the timely problem of energy-efficient transmission for wireless multiantenna cellular systems. The emphasis is on transmit beamforming (BF) and active antenna set optimization to maximize the network-wide energy efficiency (EE) metric, i.e., the number of transmitted bits per energy unit. The fundamental novelty of EE optimization is that it incorporates the transceivers' processing power in addition to the actual transmit power in the BF design. The key features of the thesis are that it focuses on sophisticated power consumption models (PCMs), giving useful insights into the EE of current cellular systems in particular, and provides mathematical tools for EE optimization in future wireless networks generally. The BF problem is first studied in a multiuser multiple-input single-output system by using a PCM scaling with transmit power and the number of active radio frequency (RF) chains. To find the best performance, a globally optimal solution based on a branch-reduce-and-bound (BRB) method is proposed, and two efficient designs based on zero-forcing and successive convex approximation (SCA) are derived for practical applications. Next, joint BF and antenna selection (JBAS) is studied, which can switch off some RF chains for further EE improvements. An optimal BRB method and efficient SCA-based algorithms exploiting continuous relaxation (CR) or sparse BF are proposed to solve the resulting mixed-Boolean nonconvex problem (MBNP). In a multi-cell system, energy-efficient coordinated BF is explored under two optimization targets: 1) the network EE maximization and 2) the weighted sum EEmax (WsumEEmax). A more sophisticated PCM scaling also with the data rate and the associated computational complexity is assumed. The SCA-based methods are derived to solve these problems in a centralized manner, and distributed algorithms relying only on the local channel state information and limited backhaul signaling are then proposed. The WsumEEmax problem is solved using SCA combined with an alternating direction method of multipliers, and iterative closed-form algorithms having easily derivable computational complexity are developed to solve both problems. The work is subsequently extended to a multi-cell multigroup multicasting system, where user groups request multicasting data. For the MBNP, a modeling method to improve the performance of the SCA for solving the CR is proposed, aiming at encouraging the relaxed Boolean variables to converge at the binary values. A second approach based on sparse BF, which introduces no Boolean variables, is also derived. The methods are then modified to solve the EE and sum rate trade-off problem. Finally, the BF design with multiantenna receivers is considered, where the users can receive both unicasting and multicasting data simultaneously. The performances of the developed algorithms are assessed via thorough computer simulations. The results show that the proposed algorithms provide 30-300% EE improvements over various conventional methods in the BF optimization, and that JBAS techniques can offer further gains of more than 100%. / Tiivistelmä Tämä väitöskirja keskittyy ajankohtaiseen energiatehokkaaseen lähetinsuunnitteluun langattomissa solukkoverkoissa, joissa suorituskykymittarina käytetään energiatehokkuuden (energy efficiency (EE)) maksimointia, eli kuinka monta bittiä pystytään lähettämään yhtä energiayksikköä kohti. Työn painopiste on lähettimien keilanmuodostuksen (beamforming (BF)) ja aktiivisten lähetinantennien optimoinnissa. EE-optimoinnin uutuusarvo on ottaa lähettimien prosessoinnin tehonkulutus huomioon keilanmuodostuksen suunnittelussa, varsinaisen lähetystehon lisäksi. Työ antaa hyvän käsityksen erityisesti tämänhetkisten solukkoverkkojen energiatehokkuudesta, ja luo työkaluja EE-optimointiin tulevaisuuden järjestelmissä. Ensin suunnitellaan keilanmuodostus yksisolumallissa, jossa tehonkulutus kasvaa lähetystehon ja aktiivisten radiotaajuusketjujen lukumäärän mukana. Ongelmaan johdetaan optimaalinen ratkaisu, ja kaksi käytännöllistä menetelmää perustuen nollaanpakotukseen tai peräkkäinen konveksi approksimaatio (successive convex approximation (SCA)) -ideaan. Seuraavaksi keskitytään keilanmuodostuksen ja antenninvalinnan yhteisoptimointiin (joint beamforming and antenna selection (JBAS)), jossa radiotaajuusketjuja voidaan sulkea EE:n parantamiseksi. Tähän ehdotetaan optimaalinen menetelmä ja kaksi käytännöllistä SCA-menetelmää perustuen binääristen ja jatkuvien muuttujien yhteisoptimointiongelman relaksaatioon, tai harvan vektorin optimointiin. Monisoluverkon EE-optimoinnissa käytetään yksityiskohtaisempaa tehonkulutusmallia, joka skaalautuu myös datanopeuden ja prosessoinnin monimutkaisuuden mukaan. Työssä käytetään kahta suorituskyvyn mittaria: 1) koko verkon energiatehokkuuden, ja 2) painotettujen energiatehokkuuksien summien maksimointia (weighted sum EEmax (WsumEEmax)). Ensin johdetaan keskitetyt ratkaisut SCA-ideaa käyttäen. Tämän jälkeen keskitytään hajautettuun optimointiin, joka pystytään toteuttamaan paikallisen kanavatiedon avulla, kun matalanopeuksinen skalaariarvojen jako on käytettävissä tukiasemien välillä. Ensin WsumEEmax-ongelma ratkaistaan yhdistämällä SCA ja kerrointen vaihtelevan suunnan menetelmä, ja lisäksi ehdotetaan iteratiivinen suljetun muodon ratkaisu molempiin ongelmiin, joka mahdollistaa tarkan laskennallisen monimutkaisuuden määrityksen. Lopussa työ laajennetaan monisoluverkkoon, jossa tukiasemat palvelevat käyttäjäryhmiä ryhmälähetyksenä. Keskittymällä JBAS-ongelmaan, ensin ehdotetaan lähestymistapa parantaa SCA-menetelmän suorituskykyä yhteisoptimointiongelman relaksaation ratkaisemisessa. Toinen yksinkertaisempi lähestymistapa perustuu harvan vektorin optimointiin, joka ei vaadi binäärisiä muuttujia. Lisäksi menetelmiä muunnellaan myös energiatehokkuuden ja summadatanopeuden kompromissin optimointiin. Lopussa työ ottaa huomioon vielä moniantennivastaanottimet, joka mahdollistaa sekä täsmälähetyksen että ryhmälähetyksen samanaikaisesti. Menetelmien suorituskykyä arvioidaan laajamittaisilla tietokonesimulaatioilla. Tulokset näyttävät väitöskirjan menetelmien lisäävän energiatehokkuutta 30-300% verrattuna lukuisiin perinteisiin menetelmiin BF-optimoinnissa, ja JBAS-menetelmät antavat vielä yli 100% lisää suorituskykyä.

Magister Legum - LLM / South Africa

M. Tech. (Department of Information and Communication Technology, Faculty of Applied and Computer Sciences), Vaal University of Technology. / The work-integrated learning (WIL) concept was introduced to enhance the employability of students completing their IT qualification at universities of Technology (UoTs) in South Africa. Employability is defined as a combination of characteristics that make a person a useful and thereby desirable employee. WIL is defined as a component of a curriculum to improve the value of student learning by integrating academic training and practical workplace exposure. However, a large cohort of students registered for the IT qualification at UoTs do not find company placement for WIL, resulting in these students having to complete this final qualifying module of their qualification by undertaking a group project on campus. The group project entails developing a software system for a client. The overall sentiment expressed by employers, lecturers and students in this study is that students who remain on campus for the group project are not as well-prepared as those who find placement at a company for their in-service training. This study aimed to develop and propose an approach to a creative pedagogy in the form of a simulated working environment on campus within a tertiary educational setting to contribute towards enhancing the learner-content relation of WIL students, in order to improve the employability of students by providing the on-campus project students with an equal opportunity to those going into industry for their in-service training. The philosophy adopted for this research is interpretivism, with the Vaal University of Technology as the case of the research. The investigation adopted a mixed-method approach where respondents were requested to complete questionnaires focusing on their perceptions of on-campus group work vs. in-service training at companies for the WIL component of the IT qualification. Five respondent groups were identified for participation in the study, namely: i) In-service training students, i.e. WIL students who found placement in a company; ii) Project students, i.e. WIL students who remained on campus to do a group project; iii) Graduates, i.e. students who already completed WIL and graduated; iv) Employers of WIL students who found placement at a company; and v) Lecturers involved in WIL training on campus. The responses of the various respondent groups were analysed qualitatively and quantitatively. Comparisons of the perceptions of the respective groups were made to explore the possibility of a viable solution to the on-campus group work challenges that were identified. Based on reviewing recent literature, analysing the data collected from the completed to questionnaires by different role players, and adapting and the institutional strategy framework for WIL developed by Jacobs in 2015, an approach to a creative pedagogy in the form of a virtual company on campus for WIL students is presented to provide students who cannot find placement in industry for their in-service training with an equal experience to the in-service training company students. The proposed pedagogical approach incorporates the five standards defined by Tharp in 2018 as requirements for an effective and successful curriculum in the development of the actual virtual company. These include: contextualisation, challenging activities, joint productive activity, intellectual conversation and language development. The proposed approach adopts a three-layered approach to a creative pedagogy, with the aim of improving the employability of on-campus WIL students. The first layer lays the basis for implementing a virtual company on campus and includes aspects such as the objective for a simulated working environment on campus, employer preferences, and the skills set students should possess for employers to offer them a placement in their company for in-service training. The second layer focuses on the details that should be in place for a virtual company to be successfully implemented. This practical layer in the implementation of the virtual company focuses on infrastructure, Finance, HR, legislative approval, and appropriate assessments. The third layer only follows when the second layer has been put into place. This layer deals with how academic content can be included in the proposed pedagogical approach. The study also revealed that in addition to adopting the concept of a virtual company on campus for WIL students, a substantial focus should be on soft skills training. The exit level outcomes (ELOs) related to a simulated working environment for the WIL module of the IT are specified in the HEQF (Higher Education Qualifications Framework) document as set out by the South African Qualifications Authority.

Le cyberespace a radicalement changé la donne sur le plan de la sécurité internationale, modifiant la représentation que nous pouvions avoir de la guerre. Nous assistons aujourd’hui à une nouvelle forme de conflit où l’information constitue à la fois un support d’action, mais également un actif sensible qu’il convient de maitriser. L’encadrement des comportements dans le cyberespace est donc devenu de facto un impératif pour maintenir sa stabilité. C’est ainsi que de nombreuses initiatives ont été amorcées tant par les États (par exemple avec la création du groupe d’experts gouvernementaux en charge des progrès des technologies de l’information et des communications dans un contexte de sécurité internationale), que par les acteurs privés (normes alternatives en tout genre). Cependant, leur convergence n’est que partielle leurs positionnements géopolitiques et stratégiques divergents considérablement. Alors que les États veulent préserver leur marge de manœuvre dans le cyberespace, les acteurs privés souhaiteraient quant à eux assurer la continuité et le développement de leurs activités par la création d’un cadre juridique contraignant les comportements étatiques. Notre travail de recherche vise ainsi à trouver une solution au clivage entre ces différents acteurs. Selon nous, peu importe les perceptions et les désirs de chacun ; si un encadrement juridique du cyberespace doit voir le jour en droit international, celui-ci ne pourra aboutir sans le concours des États et des acteurs privés qui doivent donc collaborer. Cependant, il est essentiel de ne pas s’abandonner dans une quête de l’idéal, et ce en adoptant une démarche pragmatique ancrée dans la réalité. La régulation du cyberespace étant multiple en ce sens où chaque acteur est la source d’un flux normatif précis (réglementation étatique et régulation technique), il convient de trouver le moyen de faire coïncider leurs approches, tout en conservant la place de chacun dans l’ordre international pour éviter tensions et conflits. Dans notre travail de recherche, nous avons fait le choix de présenter notre argumentation en quatre temps. Il s’agit tout d’abord de rappeler les spécificités du cyberespace faisant de lui un lieu de conflits à part entière (Chapitre 1). Dans un second temps, nous expliquerons cette volonté des États de vouloir rendre à tout prix applicable aux cyber-attaques, un droit international pourtant inadapté aux défis techniques posés par ces nouvelles armes (Chapitre 2). Les acteurs privés étant les grands experts du réseau, nous étudierons dans un troisième temps les initiatives normatives qu’ils ont su mettre en place, celles-ci venant d’ailleurs concurrencer le travail de réflexion mené par les États (Chapitre 3). Finalement, nous arriverons à la conclusion que la cyberpaix ne sera réellement possible que si trois éléments sont réunis : la corégulation, l’internormativité et la confiance entre les États et les acteurs privés (Chapitre 4). / Cyberspace has radically changed international security, altering our understanding of warfare. Today, we are witnessing a new form of conflict in which information is both a medium for action and a sensitive asset that must be controlled. In order to maintain the stability of cyberspace, it has de facto become imperative to regulate actions in cyberspace. For this reason, many initiatives have been started by States (for example, the Group of Governmental Experts in the Field of Information and Telecommunications in the Context of International Security) and by private actors (various alternative norms). However, their convergence is only partial, as their geopolitical and strategic positions diverge considerably. While States want to preserve their room for maneuver in cyberspace, private actors would like to ensure the continuity and development of their activities by creating a legal framework which constrains the behavior of States. This research project seeks to find a solution to the divide between these different actors. From our point of view, regardless of one's perceptions and desires, a legal framework for cyberspace in international law will see the light of day only if States and private actors cooperate. However, it is essential that we do not abandon ourselves to a quest for the ideal and adopt a pragmatic approach that is rooted in reality. Because the regulation of cyberspace is animated by multiple sources of norms stemming from different actors (state regulation and technical rules), it is necessary to find a way to make their approaches coincide, while preserving everyone's place in the international order to avoid tensions and conflicts. In our research, we have chosen to present our argument in four chapters. We first recount the features of cyberspace that make it a place of conflict in its own right (Chapter 1). Second, we explain the desire of States to apply international law to cyber-attacks, although it is ill-suited to the technical challenges posed by these new weapons (Chapter 2). Third, given that private actors are the major experts of the network, we will examine the normative initiatives that they put in place and that compete with the work carried out by States (Chapter 3). Finally, we will come to the conclusion that cyberpeace will be possible only if three elements are brought together: coregulation, internormativity, and trust between States and private actors (Chapter 4).

There is a growing demand for climate reporting of digital solutions and Internet services. However, the impacts of data transmission have historically been the least studied part of the ICT sector and in the few studies that exist, the magnitude of Internet energy intensity varies by a scale as large as 20,000. This indicates that the assessment of network traffic is a complex task, and there is currently no consensus of how to correctly assess it.  In an attempt to guide process development within the area, this report sought to identify and address potential challenges with assessing the environmental impact of network traffic during its life cycle. This was completed through a combination of a literature review and semi-structured interviews with experts in the field. Several areas in the form of knowledge gaps, unsolved methodological issues, and areas in need of further development were identified and addressed.  Eight key challenges were identified and relate to the areas of system boundaries, data collection methods, energy intensity metrics, transparency and data availability, age of data, allocation procedures, assumptions on inventory level, and impact categories. In an attempt to address said challenges, several suggestions on how to proceed were presented, as well as areas in need of further investigation. It was furthermore found that the sector should strive to agree upon a number of parameters of significance to enable future harmonized studies of the environmental impact of network traffic during its life cycle. / Efterfrågan på klimatrapportering av digitala lösningar och Internettjänster ökar allt mer. Samtidigt är effekterna av datatrafik historiskt sett den minst studerade delen av IKT-sektorn, och i de få studier som finns varierar storleken på Internets energiintensitet med en skala på 20 000. Detta indikerar att bedömningen av nätverkstrafik är en komplex uppgift, och i nuläget saknas en konsensus kring hur det bäst kan mätas.  I ett försök att vägleda processutveckling inom området försökte rapporten identifiera och analysera potentiella utmaningar som kan uppstå när man bedömer miljöpåverkan av nätverkstrafik under dess livscykel. Med en kombination av en litteraturstudie och halvstrukturerade kvalitativa forskningsintervjuer med experter inom forskningsområdet identifierades och behandlades ett flertal områden i form av kunskapsluckor, olösta metodologiska frågor och områden i behov av vidareutveckling.  Resultatet visade att åtta utmaningar av hög relevans existerar inom områdena systemgränser, datainsamlingsmetoder, energiintensitetsmätvärden, transparens och datatillgänglighet, snabb teknikutveckling, allokering, antaganden och miljöpåverkningskategorier. I ett försök att ta itu med de nämnda utmaningarna presenterades ett flertal förslag till lösningar samt områden som behöver undersökas ytterligare i framtiden. Det konstaterades dessutom att sektorn behöver sträva efter att enas om ett antal parametrar av betydelse för att möjliggöra framtida harmoniserade studier av nätverkstrafikens miljöpåverkan under dess livscykel.

This research seeks to establish how e-learning may contribute towards knowledge construction for Management Accounting students at the University of South Africa. More specifically, the research is designed to investigate how educational technologies like e-learning may benefit and improve the teaching and learning of Management Accounting at Unisa. Educators need to understand how students learn so that they can establish suitable learning strategies. Studies have shown that generally, e-learning applications are little used, sometimes because of inappropriate content and technologies. Other prohibitive factors are costs, poor or inadequate technology infrastructure and a shortage of human resources. On the strength of a comprehensive literature survey, a framework to address and manage challenging aspects of teaching and e-learning were developed. Problem areas and critical success factors were considered. The said framework ought to assist with organising complex issues and reveal parts that need further work. The utility of the framework was evaluated through a staged process. First, it was tested and evaluated through the model of a lecture. Secondly, both qualitative and quantitative surveys among university lectures and students were conducted to further confirm the applicability of the framework. Though the outcome of the validations were satisfactory, more research needs to be carried out over a longer period of time in order to determine the scalability of the framework and to remove any inconsistencies. Aspects of the framework could be used to incorporate ICTs, e.g. the use of spreadsheets and the Learning Village into communities of practice. / Hierdie navorsing poog om vas te stel hoe e-leer kan bydra tot kenniskonstruksie vir Bestuursrekeningkunde-studente aan die Universiteit van Suid-Afrika. Die navorsing is meer spesifiek ontwerp om vas te stel hoe opvoedkundetegnologieë soos e-leer die onderrig en leer van Bestuursrekeningkunde by Unisa kan bevorder en verbeter. Opvoeders moet verstaan hoe studente leer sodat hulle geskikte leerstrategieë kan ontwikkel. Studies toon dat e-leertoepassings normaalweg min gebruik word, soms omdat die inhoud en tegnologieë nie toepaslik is nie. Ander faktore wat dit belemmer, sluit in onkoste, swak of onvoldoende tegnologie-infrastruktuur en ’n tekort aan mensehulpbronne. ’n Raamwerk om die uitdagings van onderrig en e-leer te bestuur, is op grond van ’n omvattende literatuurstudie ontwikkel. Probleemareas en kritiese suksesfaktore is in gedagte gehou. Die genoemde raamwerk behoort van nut te wees vir die organisering van ingewikkelde kwessies en toon watter dele verdere werk vereis. Die bruikbaarheid van die raamwerk is deur middel van ’n stapsgewyse proses geëvalueer. Eerstens is dit getoets en geëvalueer op grond van ’n lesingsmodel. Tweedens is kwalitatiewe en kwantitatiewe meningspeilings geloods; sowel universiteitsdosente as -studente is versoek om die toepaslikheid van die raamwerk te bevestig. Alhoewel die uitkoms van die validasies bevredigend was, moet verdere navorsing oor ’n langer tydperk gedoen word om die skaleerbaarheid van die raamwerk te bepaal en enige teenstrydighede uit die weg te ruim. Aspekte van die raamwerk kan gebruik word om IKT’s, bv die gebruik van sigblaaie en die Learning Village, by praktyksgemeenskappe te inkorporeer. / Ucwaningo lufuna ukuthola ukuthi ngabe ukufunda nge-e-learning noma ngendlela yeelektroniki kungafaka kanjani esivivaneni ekwakheni ulwazi kubafundi be- Management Accounting eYunivesithi yeNingizimu Afrika noma i-University of South Africa. Ngokuqonde ngqo, ucwaningo ludizayinwe ukuthi luphenyisise ngkouthi amatheknoloji emfundo afana ne-e-learning angaba nenzuzo kanjani kanye nokuthuthukisa ukufunda nokufundisa kwi-Management Accounting eUnisa. Abafundisi kudingeke baqondisise ukuthi izitshudeni zifunda kanjani ukuze bakwazi ukuthola amasu afanele okufunda. Izinhlaka eziningi zocwaningo ezenziwe zibonise ukuthi ngokunabile, ama-application amaningi e-e-learning asetshenziswa kancane, kodwa ngesinye isikhathi lokhu kubangelwa wukuthi kusuke kunengqikithi engahambisani kahle ngokufanele kanye namatheknoloji angafanele. Ezinye izinto eziyizihibe, zindleko, ingqalasizinda ye-theknoloji yezinga eliphansi noma engenele kahle kanye nokusweleka kwabantu abawusizo. Ngokulandela imibhalo efundwe ngokujulile, kwenziwe uhlaka lokubhekana nokuphatha izinselele maqondana nokufunda nokufundisa kwase kwenziwa nge-e-learning. Kubonelelwe nemikhakhe enezinkinga kanye nokubhekana nezindawo ezinomphumela obambekayo nobalulekile. Uhlaka okukhulunywa ngalo kumele lusize ekuhleleni izinto eziyisixakaxaka kanye nokuveza izingxenye ezisadinga ukuthi kubhekwane nazo ukuzixazulula. Ukusetshenziswa kohlaka kuye kwahlolwa ngezinqubo ezinezigaba. Esokuqala isigaba, siye sathestwa kanye nokuhlolwa ngokusebenzisa imodela yesifundo. Esesibili isigaba, besingesokwenza ama-qualitative nama-quantitative survey kubafundisi baseyunivesithi kanye nabafundi, ukuqinisekisa ukusebenza kahle kohlaka. Ngisho noma ukubheka imiphumela yokuqinisekisa uhlolo ibiyenelisa, kusadingeka ukuthi kwenziwe olunye ucwaningo, esikhathini eside ukuze ukusetshenziswa kohlaka kuye ngokungezeleka ukubandakanya iningi (scalability), kanye nokuqeda izinto ezenza ukuthi kube nokwehluka-hluka nokungahambelani kahle ekusetshenzisweni (inconsistencies). Izingxenye zohlaka zingasetshenziswa ukwengamela ama-ICTs, isib. ukusetshenziswa kwama-spreadsheets kanye ne- Learning Village kulawo maqembu asebenzisa uhlaka. / Management Accounting / Ph. D. (Accounting Science)