É consenso entre estudiosos e práticos que a Logística desempenha um importante papel na integração da Cadeia de Suprimento dos mercados. Num ambiente cada vez mais competitivo, as organizações procuram práticas de negócios e soluções que possam ajudá-las na busca pelo sucesso. Uma dessas práticas é a terceirização das funções logísticas, através da contratação de empresas especializadas, de forma que as organizações contratantes possam se concentrar no foco do seu negócio, aumentando sua eficiência, melhorando a utilização dos recursos, reduzindo os custos de transporte, reestruturando sua cadeia de suprimentos e aumentando sua lucratividade. Nesse cenário, onde a crescente participação dos prestadores de serviços logísticos (ou, PSLs) torna-se fator estratégico para o crescimento das organizações através de alianças cada vez mais complexas, surge a necessidade de mecanismos de avaliação de desempenho que, efetivamente, reflitam a integração e a flexibilidade dos recursos envolvidos. Assim, o presente estudo se propôs a desenvolver um modelo de avaliação de desempenho de PSLs, através da metodologia da Pesquisa Operacional, apoiado pelo método AHP. A empresa escolhida para a aplicação do modelo foi a MWM International Motores – MIM – e o modelo foi aplicado no processo de transporte nacional que atende o mercado de reposição de peças. Foram avaliados 5 PSLs, através de 3 critérios e 13 atributos, qualitativos e quantitativos. Como principais resultados, verificou-se que a sistemática adotada foi aderente ao ambiente analisado, auxiliando no processo de avaliação e permitindo que a empresa possa estimular seus prestadores de serviços logísticos a melhorar seus processos e o produto destes processos – o próprio serviço prestado, traçando, juntamente com os seus parceiros, um plano de melhoria contínua que vise alcançar resultados melhores para a ambas empresas. / There is consensus among scholars and practitioners that Logistics plays an important role in the integration of the market’s Supply Chain. In an increasingly competitive environment, organizations seek solutions and business practices that can help them in their quest for success. One such practice is the outsourcing of logistics operations through the recruitment of specialized firms, so that the contracting organizations can focus on their business, increasing efficiency, improving resource utilization, reducing transportation costs, restructuring their supply chain and increasing their profitability. In this scenario, where the increasing participation of logistics service providers, known as 3PL (third-party logistics providers) becomes a strategic factor for the growth of organizations through increasingly complex alliances, a need arises for performance evaluation mechanisms that effectively reflect the integration and flexibility of the involved resources. Thus, the present study aims to develop a model to evaluate the performance of 3PLs using the methodology of operational research, supported by the AHP method. The company chosen to implement the model was MWM International Motores (MIM) and the model was applied in the national transport of the spare parts process. There were 5 LSPs evaluated using 3 criteria and 13 attributes, both qualitative and quantitative. The main results showed that the adopted system was considered adherent to the environment, assisting in the evaluation process, and allowing the company to encourage its 3PLs to improve their processes and products - the very service provided, mapping, together with its partners, a plan for continuous improvement aimed at achieving better results for both companies.

I ett kortbetalningssystem såsom Visa International Service Association (Visa) finns det fem stycken tongivande parter: kortinlösaren; kortutgivaren; kortinnehavaren; säljföretaget och Payment Service Provider (PSP). Ett säljföretag som låter sina kunder betala för varor och tjänster på sin webbplats skickar kundernas kortnummer krypterat till en PSP som vidarebefodrar dessa till VisaNet som är dataknutpunkten i Visa. VisaNet söker med hjälp utav kortnumret upp den bank som har utgivit kortet och efterfrågar samma bank om en transaktion får ske från kortet. VisaNet får ett svar som vidarebefordras vidare tillbaka till säljföretaget som sedermera även får sina pengar överförda till sitt konto från kundens konto. Uppdragsgivaren till detta examensarbete skall utveckla ett helt eget system och bli sin egen PSP utifall uppdragsgivaren beräknar att mer än 1,3 miljoner stycken kortbetalningar kommer att ske genom uppdragsgivarens kortbetalningssystem per år. När detta examensarbete utfördes uppskattades antalet kortbetalningar per år inte till denna siffra och rapportförfattaren utvecklade därför ett korbetalningssystem med hjälp utav en befintlig PSP. Kortbetalningssystemets kärna är ett API som andra systemutvecklare hos uppdragsgivaren kan anropa. API:t har ett antal funktioner såsom att utföra en kortbetalning, reservera en kortbetalning eller att avbryta en reserverad kortbetalning. Rapportförfattaren har även utvecklat ett grafiskt övervaknings- och administrationsgränssnitt för att kunna övervaka de kortbetalningar som sker samt enkelt kunna felsöka fel som uppstår i systemet.

Parlay is an open standard that focuses on opening up the telecommunication networks for new services and new service providers. It encapsulates the underlying protocols and signaling layers and provides a framework for services so that the applications do not need to handle signaling and network related tasks. Parlay is also created to integrate the public telephone network with wireless and packet based networks. Java APIs for Integrated Networks (JAIN) is the Java implementation of the Parlay specification and includes a Java framework for network access and call control, among others. I have in this thesis used the Parlay and JAIN technology to design a Virtual Private Branch Exchange (VPBX), which is a software based system for the telecommunications domain. The VPBX provides functionality such as attendant control, routing and re-routing of calls, telephone queue handling and calls on hold. All use of the system is made from mobile phones, even the attendant client application is designed for a handheld device. I have in this thesis presented an architectural design for the VPBX and an evaluation of the design.

Outsourcing är en företeelse som, trots att den egentligen är relativt gammal, fått sitt genombrott under 1990-talet. En Application Service Provider (ASP) är en ny typ av företag som bygger vidare på konceptet för outsourcing. Genom att anlita en ASP kan ett företag/organisation få tillgång till applikationer utan att behöva köpa licenser eller hårdvara. Det finns flera anledningar till att ett företag/organisation väljer att använda sig av ASP. Genom att intervjua företag/organisationer som använder ASP har en undersökning gjorts om vilka anledningar, så kallade faktorer, som varit avgörande då beslutet att anlita en ASP togs. Utgångspunkten för undersökningen har varit anledningar som ASP-marknaden och dess analytiker menar är orsaker till att ASP väljs. Resultatet av undersökningen visar att de faktorer företagen uppgett varit avgörande för beslutet att anlita en ASP i stor utsträckning överensstämmer med de kända anledningar ASP-marknaden och dess analytiker presenterat.

Denna rapport syftar till att besvara frågan om det är nödvändigt att göra omfördelningar av befintliga IT-resurser för att erhålla största möjliga nytta med application service provider-modellen (ASP-modellen). Rapporten besvarar även frågan om hur IT-avdelningens fokus hos en ASP-kund påverkats av det nya arbetssättet. De svar som presenteras i rapporten visar på att en omfördelning av IT-resurserna kan vara en bidragande orsak till att införandet av ASP anses lyckat. Vidare påvisar rapporten att efter att ASP införts försvinner vanligtvis en del av de tekniska arbetsuppgifterna och undersökningen som gjorts pekar mot att IT-avdelningen får ansvar för att ta fram krav för vidare samarbete med ASPn. Ansvaret yttrar sig genom att någon på företaget får ansvaret för att kontrollera om leverantören håller de servicenivåer som kontraktet fastställer. Slutligen pekar denna undersökning på att införandet av ASP-modellen inte medför att IT-avdelningen får ökat ansvar för att upprätta visioner och strategier för användandet av ASP-tjänster.

Allt sedan datorer började användas som en resurs i företag har mindre företag sett de höga kostnaderna dessa fört med sig. I slutet av 1990-talet skapas en modell som möjliggör att hyra program från en Application Service Provider, ASP. Med ASP-modellen följer ett flertal förväntningar och fördelar om vad modellen kan tillföra i framförallt mindre företag. De ska till exempel till lägre kostnader få tillgång till program som kan öka deras konkurrensförmåga. Denna rapports fråga är om modellen lever upp till dessa förväntningar hos kunderna. Vid intervjuer som genomfördes med fem olika företag framkom bland annat att ASP-modellen kan möjliggöra ett minskat behov av egen IT-personal och att internt kunna ge användarsupport. ASP-leverantören tar istället över denna roll. ASP-modellen kan också hjälpa till att öka ett företags konkurrenskraft gentemot andra företag och sett ur ett helhetsperspektiv sänka företagets kostnader. Användningen av ASP-tjänster anses i flera fall ha levt upp till förväntningarna.

Doctor Legum - LLD / Along with its inumerable wonders, the advent of the internet has brought with it very bad vices. The notion of convenience, which comes with the use of the internet, can be attributed to criminals who wish to disguise the proceeds of their ill-derived funds, or what is better known as cyberlaundering. Cyberlaundering is a phenomenon that seems negligible on face value, but, to the contrary, has very dire effects, especially on national economies, which are in no way trifling.This study describes the problem of cyberlaundering, pointing out the various legal issues pertaining to it. Given that cyberlaundering is a comparatively new crime, which is not yet conceptualized legally, criminal justice authorities find it hard to detect, investigate and prosecute cyberlaundering. An adequate legal regime against cyberlaundering is currently non-existent, as there is presently no concise international or national legal framework in place to contain the problem. Whilst the chief focus of the thesis is to devise a legal framework to combat cyberlaundering, considerable attention is also devoted to the tension that arises between public and private interests, amongst several other legal issues that come to play along the way. This is a debate that necessarily arises when legislatures resort to more radical anti-cyberlaundering laws. The study advocates a middle ground, which leads to the desired end of curbing the exponential growth of cyberlaundering, at the very least.

L’élaboration mais aussi le développement du marché unique a favorisé les échanges sur la base du commerce international, marqué depuis plusieurs années par la tertiarisation de l’activité économique. De ce fait, le secteur d’activité le plus dynamique de ces deux dernières décennies est celui des services, ce qui se matérialise sur le plan international par l’adoption de l’AGCS et au sein de l’Union, par l’élaboration et la mise en place de la directive « services ». La directive 2006/123/CE a de particulier la mobilisation sans égal qu’elle a provoqué. La matière est sensible car elle touche un large panel de domaine. La directive « services » constitue l’amorce d’un changement structurel profond, en ce sens qu’une approche purement économique de la question serait incomplète sans la prise en considération du facteur humain et que le texte est le dernier apport majeur sur la question. / The development of the single market has promoted the exchanges based on the international trade principles, which has been impacted for many years by the raise of the importance of the service sector in the economy. Therefore, the most dynamic sector of the past two decades is the service sector, which has been materialized internationally through the adoption of the GATS and in the European union through the development and the implementation of the directive on the "services". The directive EC /2006/123 has particularly mobilized as the subject is sensitive and affects a wide range of field. The Services Directive represents the beginning of a deep structural change as a purely economical approach to the issue would not be complete without the consideration of the human factor and because the text represents the last major contribution on the subject.

The purpose of the study was to explore perceptions of PLWHA towards using traditional medicines (TM) together with antiretroviral therapy (ART). The study was conducted in two ART health facilities in the Manzini Region in Swaziland. Audiotaped individual interviews were conducted to collect data. The study population was PLWHA using TM and ART and were aged 18-49 years. Voice recording was used to capture data during the in-depth interviews until saturation was reached. One grand tour question was asked and follow-up probing questions were asked dependent on participant responses and study objectives. Findings of the study revealed that PLWHA are still searching for a cure, and the preexistence of TM prior to ART is influencing them to combine TM and ART. Several reasons for combining the two treatment modalities were, to boost the immune system, enhancing appetite, to treat opportunistic infections and ART side effects. There was stigma associated with long-life ART and discrimination for using TM experienced by PLWHA. It could benefit the country to repeat the similar research at National level, to include all the four regions, in both rural and urban settings. / Health Studies

The thesis addresses the research question: How to describe, understand, and explain IT service delivery? Based on the research question, the following research questions were derived:  How to analyse IT service delivery based on ITIL in order to determine its current situation? How to formalize elements of IT service delivery in maturity level that can be used to assess its current status? These research questions are answered by two IT artefacts: an analysis method and a maturity model for IT service delivery. Both of them are constructed by design-science research guidelines. The analysis method is focused on understanding the IT service delivery in organizations; it is founded on the IT service delivery processes of Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) version 2. The method proposed has been applied through three case studies of Nicaraguan Internet Service Providers (ISPs). The maturity model is oriented to formalize and assess the maturity level of IT service delivery; it is supported by IT service delivery elements that are considered significant for managing IT service delivery by the Nicaraguan ISP sector, by IT service concepts, and by maturity model properties, and complemented by the IT Service Capability Maturity Model. The maturity model provides a mechanism for evaluating the maturity level of IT service delivery through a set of maturity statements and includes a graphical representation; it is also applied to the traceable information of the current status of IT service delivery of one of the Nicaraguan ISPs. / QC 20110209