Advances in Network-based Information Systems

Abstract

Tremendous advances in the information systems and the communication technologies for the last two decades have made our society an all-connected network environment. Stand-alone or stationarynetworked information systems from the first decade have been integrated into small chips or devices as system-on-chips. In particular, the wireless communication network has superimposed on the existing wired network over the various mobile devices during the last decade. Additionally, different types of access networks have been deployed and almost every object is becoming connected to the single global network throughout the world. As a result, the information systems connected to the single network now may span from RFID barcodes, biomedical sensors, personal or home entertainment devices and automated office machines to environmental surveillance systems,disastermanagement systems,military equipment, and space satellites. In regards to the network as the infrastructure of the all-connected environment, several essential aspects are required to be considered: addressing, routing, quality control, admission control, unified interface and security. Similarly, issues on unique identification, end-to-end connectivity, protocol adaptation, and homogeneous access also need to be thoroughly discussed. This special issue looked for several high quality research results with outstanding theoretical and practical contributions to the technological advancements of the network-based information systems within the various unfolded technological aspects listed above. To meet the goal, the papers in this special issue were distilled from the papers presented in the 14th International Conference on Network-based Information Systems (NBiS-2011), held in Tirana, Albania. Since this event started in 1998, it has been throwing a large effort to bring together researchers from both network and information systems with the aim of encouraging the exchange of ideas and experiences between these two communities. The selected six outstanding papers have been expanded and revised through a strict review process for months.