IT Challenges Research Articles

(IT Governance in the Universities - Conceptual and Practical Aspects)

Bulgarian Abstract: Статията си поставя за цел да изследва ключовите концептуални и практически аспекти и предизвикателства пред управлението на информационните технологии в съвременните университети. Представя се авторовото виждане за същността и обхвата на ИТ управлението в университета и се предлага разширяване на модела на управленските взаимодействия в организациите (Pearlson & Saunders, 2010) чрез обособяване на изцяло нов тип взаимодействие, наречено „академична монархия“. При дефинирането на основните проблеми при управлението на ИТ процесите в са представени резултатите от международно изследване сред от Централна и Източна Европа Предизвикателства за IT управление в университетите (31.10-30.11.2016). English Abstract: This article aims to explore key conceptual and practical aspects and management challenges of IT in modern universities. Impersonating the author's view of the nature and scope of IT management at the university and proposes extending the management model of interaction in organizations (Pearlson & Saunders, 2010) by creating an entirely new type of interaction called academic monarchy. In defining the main problems in the management of IT processes in are presented results of an international survey of from Central and Eastern Europe Challenges for IT Governance in universities (31.10-30.11.2016).

ICT in Education: Open Source Software and its Impact on Teachers and Students

ICT in education plays a major role as teaching-learning process is concerned. There is an urgent need to improve the use of ICT education so that our schools and learners get the benefits of advances done in information technology. We have observed a stiff rise in usage of Social Media such as Twitter, Facebook and the ubiquitous nature of mobile applications. Students studying in higher classes are already familiar with social media and their dependency on the usage of these technologies have been increased many fold. Hence, we have to prepare our students so that they can face the challenges of IT using open source technologies which will act as a separate subject rather than a supporting platform for all subjects. General Terms Internet and Distributed Computer Systems.

IT Consultants in Acquisition IT Integration

Increasingly, companies are drawing on capacities provided by external consultants to design and execute strategic IT initiatives. However, despite evidence of the impact of such services on IT performance, little is still known about the roles external consultants serve in relation to specific strategic IT initiatives and how companies can draw effectively on their services. The paper investigates the use of consultants in relation to one type of major strategic IT initiative: acquisition IT integration. Acquisition IT integration, which is the integration of the acquirer’s and target’s IT following a corporate acquisition, presents a difficult but crucial IT challenge for the many acquiring organizations. Through a comparative case study of four acquirers, theoretically grounded in the resource-based view of the firm, it is analyzed how acquirers draw on external consultants to realize acquisition IT integration. Two complementary and two supplementary roles consultants assume in these projects are identified. Additionally, three characteristics of the acquisition IT integration strategy are identified that influence how the acquirers assign different roles to IT consultants. The resulting model, depicting the use of external consultants in acquisition IT integration, contributes to the literature on acquisition IT integration by providing an explanation for IT-based value creation in acquisition that is rooted in the external of the acquirer. In addition to adding to the limited, but highly relevant, extant literature on acquisition IT integration, the study also provides general insights into the use of consultants to address strategic IT initiatives.

A Socio-Technical Approach to Preventing, Mitigating, and Recovering from Ransomware Attacks.

SummaryRecently there have been several high-profile ransomware attacks involving hospitals around the world. Ransomware is intended to damage or disable a user’s computer unless the user makes a payment. Once the attack has been launched, users have three options: 1) try to restore their data from backup; 2) pay the ransom; or 3) lose their data. In this manuscript, we discuss a socio-technical approach to address ransomware and outline four overarching steps that organizations can undertake to secure an electronic health record (EHR) system and the underlying computing infrastructure. First, health IT professionals need to ensure adequate system protection by correctly installing and configuring computers and networks that connect them. Next, the health care organizations need to ensure more reliable system defense by implementing user-focused strategies, including simulation and training on correct and complete use of computers and network applications. Concomitantly, the organization needs to monitor computer and application use continuously in an effort to detect suspicious activities and identify and address security problems before they cause harm. Finally, organizations need to respond adequately to and recover quickly from ransomware attacks and take actions to prevent them in future. We also elaborate on recommendations from other authoritative sources, including the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Similar to approaches to address other complex socio-technical health IT challenges, the responsibility of preventing, mitigating, and recovering from these attacks is shared between health IT professionals and end-users.

Measurement of e-banking services quality: an empirical experimentation in Jordan

The concept of quality and its relationship with performance tend to play a significant role in the context of e-service markets, as e-services quality is becoming even more crucial for businesses to attract, maintain and retain customers in the internet market. The quality of e-services has been one of the most researched about issues and a major challenge for both IT and business fields of study. This study refined, validated, confirmed and tested Alawneh et al. 2013 framework to evaluate e-banking services quality from the perspective of e-banking users. In the empirical study, a sample of 300 respondents from four Jordanian commercial banks was gathered to assess the reliability, internal consistency and criterion-related validity of each construct. The hypotheses were tested using WARP PLS-based structural equation modelling analyses and several key findings were revealed. Finally, implications and recommendations of these findings and future research suggestions were discussed.

Abstract ED02-01: National-scale cancer sequencing and treatment response data integration in The Netherlands

Abstract Next-generation DNA sequencing has boosted the promises of personalising cancer treatment. It has now become possible to routinely sequence the complete genome of a tumor from a patient. However, a main challenge remains how to optimally use such information for guiding therapy choice. Furthermore, it becomes clear that mutational profiling increasingly provides insight in the molecular processes driving tumorigenesis, but knowledge on prediciting the outcome of specific targeted treatments, both approved therapies and novel drugs that start becoming available for patients, remains difficult. While patient stratification based on a limited number of genetic measurements is steadily increasing, retrospective systematic analyses of genetic information and treatment outcome are still warranted to improve stratification as significant numbers of selected patients for specific treatments are non-responsive, yet may experience severe treatment side effects. In addition, ineffective treatment contributes significantly to the increasing economical burden of novel cancer treatment drugs on our national health care costs. In 2010, we established the Center for Personalized Cancer Treatment (CPCT), a collaboration between all academic medical centers in the Netherlands and an increasing number of teaching hospitals, to address this challenge and work towards implementation of DNA-guided therapy choice into routine care in the Netherlands. In all associated hospitals, we have implemented trials to collect biopsies from tumor metastases before patients start treatment with specific targeted drugs. We aim for the discovery of predictive biomarkers or treatment resistance pathways. Within our nation-wide trials, we systematicly collect and integrate tumor sequencing data (whole exome and whole genome sequencing) plus clinical and treatment response data. In addition, we feed back therapy guidance information to the treating physician in case a patient does not respond to the current treatment. In this setup, both current and future patients may benefit from comprehensive DNA analyses. I will present the choices we made towards achieving our goals and discuss the operational and IT challenges in these processes. Citation Format: Edwin Cuppen. National-scale cancer sequencing and treatment response data integration in The Netherlands. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2015 Nov 5-9; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2015;14(12 Suppl 2):Abstract nr ED02-01.

Introduction of electronic data capture method using participant-completed online web-based follow up questionnaire in mail-based study achieves expected benefits and positive participant feedback

Background To reduce data processing and postal costs, and to potentially enhance data quality in a large long-term mail-based randomised trial, the ASCEND study team developed a bespoke online web-based version of the standard 6-monthly paper follow-up questionnaire. The form incorporates verification checks and study staff were trained to provide IT support for participants. The key IT challenges included ensuring screen format compatibility with different computer devices and software compatibility with multiple browsers and versions, as well as ensuring data security which was enhanced by using a two factor user authentication scheme. The aim was to assess the impact of providing the option to study participants in a small pilot study.

China's IT Challenges and Opportunities: A Personal View

As China attempts to transition to a service economy, it struggles with high-growth expectations and tries to break the habits and policies that promoted the country's export-led manufacturing growth. The author examines some of these challenges and presents an insider's view of the current IT situation in China.

Deployment of Enterprise Architecture in the Namibian Government: The Use of Activity Theory to Examine the Influencing Factors

AbstractGovernment in both developed and developing countries strive to deliver effective and efficient services to its citizens. Hence the rapid increasing use of information technology to enhance service delivery. However, IT carries its own challenges, such as incompatibilities, lack of integration and lack of scalability. Many approaches, from both academic and professional domains have been employed to assess the challenges, for improvement purposes. Government of some countries have therefore introduced enterprise architecture (EA) to addressing IT challenges. Similarly, EA is influenced by many factors, making it not as easy as we are made to understand. Thus activity theory was applied to examine and understand how the challenges manifest into complexities, and in turn, have negative impacts on services delivery.The use of the activity theory (AT) helps to reveal that non‐technical factors were completely ignored or sometimes considered to be less significant to the technical factors. Based on the interpretation of the findings, process, communication, lack of awareness, roles and responsibilities, actors’ relationships, policies and people were uncovered as some of the influencing factors in the deployment of EA, in the Namibian government‐wide Ministries. The communication between various business units and IT unit was influenced by those in authority as they make use of their power for individual interest. These types of legitimate actions through roles and responsibilities, contributed to the misalignments of business processes and activities in the deployment of EA in the Namibian government‐wide Ministries. If both technical and nontechnical factors are not considered in the implementation of systems and technologies governments’ service delivery will continue to be hampered as depicted in the framework presented in this article.

Reusable Function Discovery by Call-Graph Analysis

Nowadays, one of the IT challenges faced by many enterprises is the maintenance of their legacy system and migration of those systems to modern and flexible platform. In this paper, we study the network properties of software call graphs, and utilize the network theories to understand the business logic of legacy system. The call graphs turn out approximately scale-free and small world network properties. This finding provides new insight to understand the business logic of legacy system: the methods in a program can be naturedly partitioned into the business methods group and supportive methods group. Moreover, the result is also very helpful in reusing valuable functionality and identifying what services should be to expose in the migration from legacy to modern SOA context.

Review on Main Memory Database

The idea of using Main Memory Database (MMDB) as physical memory is not new but is in existence quite since a decade. MMDB have evolved from a period when they were only used for caching or in high-speed data systems to a time now in twenty first century when they form a established part of the mainstream IT. Early in this century, although larger main memories were affordable but processors were not fast enough for main memory databases to be admired. However, today’s processors are faster, available in multicore and multiprocessor configurations having 64-bit memory addressability stocked with multiple gigabytes of main memory. Thus, MMDBs definitely call for a solution for meeting the requirements of next generation IT challenges. To aid this swing, database systems are reconsidered to handle implementation issues adjoining the inherent differences between disk and memory storage and gain performance benefits. This paper is a review on Main Memory Databases (MMDB).

Bacterial lipopeptides and heat-killed Staph aureus modulate lung vascular endothelial permeability via Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) (67.3)

Abstract Background: Endothelial cell (EC) TLR2 activation modulates endothelial permeability. We hypothesized that heat-killed Staph aureus (HKSA) induces lung vascular permeability via TLR2, and mapped out the role of NF-κB and MAP kinases in TLR2 agonist modulation of EC permeability. Methods: Electric Cell-substrate Impedance Sensing was used to quantify permeability of lung microvascular EC (LMVEC) monolayers treated with bacterial lipopeptides or HKSA. Signaling pathways were probed by inhibiting MAP kinases and NF-κB. Lung permeability was assessed after IT challenge with HKSA. Results: Bacterial lipopeptides had a biphasic effect on permeability of human LMVEC, with an initial decrease at 1-2 hours that was JNK-dependent, followed by a sustained increase that was NF-κB-dependent. HKSA also induced LMVEC permeability. Anti-TLR2 IgG reduced the HKSA-induced LMVEC permeability. The permeability effects of HKSA were also reduced in LMVEC from TLR2 KO versus WT mice. IT challenge with bacterial lipopeptide and HKSA induced lung vascular leak in mice via TLR2. Conclusions: Bacterial lipopeptides and HKSA modulate endothelial and lung vascular permeability via TLR2. We speculate that the early TLR2-induced reduction in permeability may serve to limit spread of bacteria out of the vascular space, thereby reducing the development of tissue foci of infection, whereas the later increased permeability facilitates WBC trafficking and later reparative processes during active infection.

The Future of Enterprise IT in the Cloud

The widespread availability and adoption of cloud services creates new challenges for enterprise IT and prompts the need for new methodologies, tools, and skill sets for managing a hybrid portfolio of these services and traditional IT systems.

Managers challenges to widen global excellence and talent management in post-recession world of business and information technology

Information technology is rapidly changing. This increases the complexity of IT management and challenges to employers especially in the post recession world. The world has been through the recession for the most part of last to last year. Now, the recession is over. The economy is back on track but it has been a very slow economic recovery. The present article is a review of the post recession strategies adopted by leading organisations. It has observed from the survey that there is a need to adopt appropriate strategic plans and new talent management policies and changing information technologies to deal effectively with the global changing scenario. The key findings of the article is that the economy has posed many challenges for businesses and IT – including the need to make sure they are prepared for the upturn.

Emerging Issues & Challenges in Cloud Computing—A Hybrid Approach

As cloud computing continues to gain more momentum in the IT industry, more issues and challenges are being reported by academics and practitioners. In this paper, we aim to attain an understanding of the types of issues and challenges that have been emerging over the past five years and identify gaps between the focus of the literature and what practitioners deem important. A systematic literature review as well as interviews with experts have been conducted to answer our research questions. Our findings suggest that researchers have been mainly focusing on issues related to security and privacy, infrastructure, and data management. Interoperability across different service providers has also been an active area of research. Despite the significant overlap between the topics being discussed in the literature and the issues raised by the practitioners, our findings show that some issues and challenges that practitioners consider important are understudied such as software related issues, and challenges pertaining to learning fast-evolving technologies.

Hospital IT Challenges: is SOA the Cure?

Hospital IT Challenges: is SOA the Cure?

Hospital IT Challenges: is SOA the Cure?

Hospital IT Challenges: is SOA the Cure?

The Rise of Emerging Markets: Opportunities and Challenges for IT

Emerging markets-nations in the process of rapid growth and industrialization, including China, India, Brazil, Russia (the BRIC countries), South Africa, South Korea, the Philippines, and Mexico-have been attracting much attention in recent years, and for good reason. They represent two-thirds of the world's population, generate over 20 percent of the world's gross domestic product, and are restructuring themselves to foster further growth and socioeconomic development (www.emeraldinsight. com/products/journals/journals. htm?id=ijoem). Furthermore, they're increasingly using IT in areas such as education; healthcare; business, economic and human development; and government. New opportunities thus exist for the IT industry and emerging markets to embrace each other. Consequently, IT Professional is introducing this new "IT in Emerging Markets" department. To trigger an ongoing discussion, in this inaugural installment the author examines the importance of emerging markets, IT's role in their growth, and the related challenges that IT professionals will face.

Service-Oriented Business-IT Alignment: a SOA Governance Model

The concept of Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) has had a significant impact not only on software engineering but on the analysis of an organization’s business layer as well. It contributes to developing information systems that are compatible with the needs of agile organizations. This fact brings us to investigate the new approach of Business-IT Alignment (BITA) by utilizing SOA features. In this paper we will first examine the importance of SOA in both business and IT perspectives. We will proceed by showing the SOA governance as a roadmap for bringing the concept of SOA in the context of BITA (as one of the major IT challenges). Finally, we will propose a SOA Governance Model (SOAGM) that should help aligning IT investments with business strategies.

Public and Private Sector IT Governance: Identifying Contextual Differences

This paper highlights systemic contextual differences and the unique IT Governance issues that might arise in public and private sector organizations. Public sector organizations constitute a significant component of economic activity in most countries. Like their private sector counterparts, many public sector agencies are struggling to cope with reduced or inadequate IT budgets and are continuously looking for ways to extract maximum value from IT resources. While both sectors face similar managerial-level IT issues and challenges, we argue that there are systemic differences between private and public sector organizations suggesting that a one size fits all approach to IT Governance may not apply.