Ambient Technologies, such as beacons, sensors, and other similar smart devices, can be used in work places such as offices to determine everything from whether an employee is in the building, to where they are located, and whether a booked conference room is actually in use. This is part of a larger smart office strategy involving digital facilities management solutions that respond to modern methods and manners of working, as well as smart building technologies providing digital ecosystems that allow workers empowerment through personalization and automation. This new data-driven environment contributes to energy efficiency, optimized space utilization, enhanced workplace experience and occupants' comfort. However, all of this requires standards for data interoperability and seamless networking. Facilities managers are also now taking on a different role as to how they visualize new smarter office spaces, where it is expected that new environments would support their inhabitants intelligently by promoting easier management, better efficiency, increased productivity, and enabling the buildings to be part of the creation process for design and project development. There are obviously numerous sensitivity issues with respect to gathering, storing, maintaining, and processing of the ambient environment data in terms of user privacy, security, and possibility of potential data misuse. In this chapter, we discuss the new approaches to facilities management in terms of developing smarter office spaces, embedded with devices employing Ambient Intelligence (AmI). We also articulate cases and examples of ambient technologies implementation.

Electronic Invoice Presentment and Payment (EIPP) can assist corporate treasurers in cash management and can be integrated with e-marketplaces and other B2B financial settlement activities. Its interactive approach to dispute resolution and robust payment options are critical if corporate financiers are to secure the advantages of B2B marketplaces and straight through processing (STP). Cash management providers used to offer corporates and banks different cash management products and services, but the launch of the Euro and increasing competition have seen these solutions converge. More sophisticated corporate treasurers are currently using state-of-the-art financial tools for cash management, and EIPP can assist these corporates in a similar manner to banks. This research builds on previous literature on EIPP and banking, and examines what drives EIPP adoption for financial treasurers in cash forecasting and cash-to-collections process and their use of EIPP techniques. Survey results from industry are discussed.

The logistical infrastructure of the supply chains of online and offline sales channels of suppliers have been historically often completely separate. In the growing mobile commerce market, customers interact with suppliers using multiple touch points in one overall stream of information and goods which is considered an omni-channel. For larger suppliers, this can be an intricate chain of either their own resources or global partners. For many smaller suppliers, this is a chain of third parties adding value to the core competency of the supplier. The selection of a logistics partner for a small and medium-sized enterprise SME is a substantial investment in both infrastructure and a trusted relationship. But do SME suppliers know what they are looking for in an omni-channel strategy, and why? This article examines what characteristics an SME looks for in a 3PL partner in an omni-channel strategy, and discusses how an omni-channel strategy can be developed for these players.

Blended learning, structured as a combination of traditional course instruction and additional supporting multimedia course content, can be used in higher education for a variety of reasons. In the case study that we examine, the introduction of blended learning was initiated three years ago with the purpose of creating more resources for coach-student interaction for a heterogeneous graduate student group. However, course results from this academic year have shown a disengagement of the users from the course materials and a reduced number of students submitting the final work for the course. In this research-in-progress, we are exploring why the students have stopped engaging with the course materials at midterm and will try to address how the course could be reoriented to better meet its objectives.

Omni-channel commerce involves combining traditional commerce with online commerce by integrating processes in a harmonious and complementary way throughout the organizational and IT chain, and includes external logistics partners in these processes. The objective of this research is to aid retailers in the decision on these third party logistics (3PL) partners for product delivery. The intended methodology is to develop a logistics capability framework for 3PL channel partner assessment. Based on a SERVQUAL methodology and gap analysis, a partner preference model is developed.

Growth of cloud computing as a concept continues to pose challenges on how to deliver agile, yet secure, IT services to enterprises. While the hype surrounding cloud computing may have peaked, the concept of “cloudwashing” (adding the term “cloud” to an existing service for marketing reasons) continues to cause confusion and inflated expectations with enterprise buyers. This fear, uncertainty and doubt (FUD) just slows down the growth of a potentially larger market. This is especially true for small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) who turn to IT providers to handle the underlying systems for their businesses. To assist cloud service buyers, a recent communication from the European Commission advocated voluntary certification for cloud service providers. This has sparked a debate as to the relevance and authority of certification bodies in verifying the ability and capability of cloud service providers (CSP). In this research in progress paper, we present the current status of our research on examining what role third party certifiers can play in adoption of cloud by SMEs, with a case study of one certifier in Europe already involved in market adoption to test our framework.

: Since mandating in 2004 that all Belgian citizens carry electronic identification cards (e-ID), Belgium has been at the forefront of trends in electronic identification. As an eID card has become a necessity for service provisioning, the government has also started with distribution of e-ID cards to non-Belgians and children under the age of 12. Up until quite recently, the e-ID card only held the basic information of citizenship. This paper will examine the evolution of the e-ID card, and discuss the privacy issues of multi-application data on one card as the recent announcement of data for additional applications reopens the discussion of data linkage and data privacy for a card that is mandatory in usage.

Dispute settlement in domain names, both for generic top level domain names (gTLDs) (but also for country code top level domain names (ccTLDs)) must be swift and definitive, i.e. with executory force. While there is access to national courts, arbitration or other forms of dispute settlement are needed in view of the time taken in national courts. Suspension of domain names is an integral part of the dispute settlement process, and occurs prior or parallel to transfer of the domain name as a result of a dispute settlement. The proposal for the establishment of a mandatory Uniform Rapid Suspension (URS) system was made in consideration of the introduction of yet new gTLDs as an addition to the Uniform Dispute Resolution System (UDRP), primarily through the work of an Implementation Recommendations Team (IRT) and through further consultations stimulated by the International Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and the Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO), the ICANN supporting organization concerned with domain name system policy. The article, written for e-lawyers and using legal style for this reason, reviews the May 2010 as well as the November 2010 draft, and the past and presently sustained criticism on the URS system proposal as against the goal of swift, enforceable dispute settlement for gTLDs.

This article discusses legal and economic rationale in regards to open source software protection. Software programs are, under TRIPS1, protected by copyright (reference is made to the Berne Convention2). The issue with this protection is that, due to the dichotomy idea/expression that is typical for copyright protection, reverse engineering of software is not excluded, and copyright is hence found to be an insufficient protection. Hence, in the U.S., software makers have increasingly turned to patent protection. In Europe, there is an exclusion of computer programs in Article 52 (2) c) EPC (EPO, 1973), but this exclusion is increasingly narrowed and some call for abandoning the exclusion altogether. A proposal by the European Commission, made in 2002, called for a directive to allow national patent authorities to patent software in a broader way, so as to ensure further against reverse engineering; this proposal, however, was shelved in 2005 over active opposition within and outside the European parliament. In summary, open source software does not fit in any proprietary model; rather, it creates a freedom to operate. Ultimately, there is a need to rethink approaches to property law so as to allow for viable software packaging in both models.

Businesses make use of data routinely for daily operations, including sensitive and/or personal data. Personal data and information are, inter alia, seen as means towards customization of services for employees and for customers. Some elements of this processing of personal information and some practices have come under increasing scrutiny due to privacy concerns. There is undoubtedly a call for better privacy management in organisations, and a tendency to strengthen privacy regulations and policies up to the point where some of the current processes may even become impossible to execute or become outlawed. However, a basic fact is that even if users want maxmium privacy in business dealings, unless organisations can support these privacy requests, the users will not get their wish.

IT professionals who want to deploy foundation technologies such as groupware, CRM or decision support tools, but fail to justify them on the basis of their contribution to Knowledge Management, may find it difficult to get funding unless they can frame the benefits within a Knowledge Management context. Determining Knowledge Management’s pervasiveness and impact is analogous to measuring the contribution of marketing, employee development, or any other management or organizational competency. This chapter addresses the problem of developing measurement models for Knowledge Management metrics and discusses what current Knowledge Management metrics are in use, and examines their sustainability and soundness in assessing knowledge utilization and retention of generating revenue. The chapter discusses the use of a Balanced Scorecard approach to determine a business-oriented relationship between strategic Knowledge Management usage and IT strategy and implementation.

IntroductionThe previous chapter described current developments in identity management. Identity management systems are moving away from enterprise centric ‘silo’ systems towards federated and user-centric systems. The traditional single enterprise solutions with their identity data ‘silo’s’ are becoming obsolete because of the collaboration between service providers and because they are burdensome for both the individual and for organisations. Current developments towards single sign on and identity federation do acknowledge the complaints about the inconvenience of traditional identity management systems. They do, however, still mainly focus on the enterprise identity management needs: access control to resources. On the forefront of IdM developments we observe projects where the individual is increasingly placed center stage rather than enterprises.

Communities consist of layers of information flows, connection, communication, and meaning, which present a variety of opportunities for engagement. Governments have explored post-Web 2.0 platforms to extend city presence into immersive environments. While innovative, a significant amount of the design intent can be achieved through simpler approaches, such as augmented social networking. New information and communication technologies, (ICT) have helped expand the notion of community to broader constituencies. Communities either in the sense of a city as a whole, or as subsets of groups within a city, can function as agoras, the marketplace in ancient Greece-centers of information and commerce. In this paper we articulate a feasibility assessment framework for virtual public community and apply it to efforts by the cities of Decatur, GA, US and Trikala, Greece.

One of the typical design objectives of municipal Wi-Fi systems is the free or low-cost provision of connectivity for citizens, including people with disabilities and others impacted by the digital divide. This paper examines a range of municipal Wi-Fi implementation models for potential impact on e-accessibility. A comparative analysis was undertaken of sample U.S. and European municipal Wi-Fi systems to assess the business model and stakeholders involved in municipal wireless initiatives and to examine the degree of accessibility to or sensitivity of, municipal wireless systems for people with disabilities. As many people with disabilities are currently affected by social disparities in education and income, further marginalization of their communication and information access creates additional access barriers to critical information and full participation in community life.

The Flemish decree of 18 July 2008 on governmental electronic data transmission is to be situated within a wider European framework, including the European i2010 action plan and the Belgian federal initiatives on governmental electronic data transmission, and in a system which, at regional level, desires to be in the forefront of eGovernment. The decree stresses, as with the Directive 95/46/EC on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data, unicity of entry - so that the citizen is not obliged to resubmit data multiple times for different purposes, proper authentication of data so that no mistakes are fed into and perpetuated into the data banks, and transparency towards citizens about what is being transmitted about her/him by governmental services coupled with respect for privacy standards. The paper outlines the principles of governmental electronic data transmission and the protection of privacy in the framework of the Decree, in the latter case through a Commission of specialists, as well as its relation to European and Belgian federal legislation. As for example the Commission is only now being established, much remains a work in progress.

Starting from the Belgian legislation against piracy and counterfeiting, itself inspired by European legislative efforts, and the measures that could be undertaken against it, the paper suggests what is adequate for identification of pirated or counterfeit software (e.g. through identification in directories or buffers). It questions in how far governmental services should be put at the disposal of an intellectual property monopolist without proper recompense. It also contrasts local practices in seizing entire work stations, hard drives or pc's that are neither economically useful or without possibility for abuse, in particularly with regard to SME's that may by accident or neglect without bad faith carry unlicensed products accidentally and are shut down by troll-like behavior by intellectual property monopolists, while infractions are proven sufficiently by other means than shutting down ongoing work. A comparison with the EU's OLAF 'dawn raid' practices is made.

The paper discusses compliance issues and will start with a succinct discussion of the impact of the Fourth, Seventh and Eighth Company Law Directives (78/660/EEC, 83/349/EEC and 84/253/EEC, as amended in 2006), together the basis for EuroSOX, across the 27 European Union (EU) member states. The paper will thereafter focus particularly on IT governance as a means to reach the stated goals of EuroSOX.

Belgium has been in the forefront of the use of electronic identification cards (e-ID) for its citizens. According to a 2007 paper from the Federal Agency of Interior Affairs, by the end of 2009 more than 8 million Belgians have to possess an e-ID card. As an e-ID card will be necessary for service provisioning, the government has also started with the pilot phases for distribution of e-ID cards to non-Belgians and children under the age of 12. This paper will highlight what privacy and transparency aspects in the implementation process may be help other countries with a similar task. In this paper, we will discuss voluntary versus mandatory acceptance of an e-ID card, and how that impacts both privacy and transparency issues. We will also highlight Belgium's role in the Stork Consortium of countries working for interoperable e-ID across EU countries.

A long running challenge in both large and small organizations has been aligning information systems services with business needs. Good alignment is assumed to lead to good business results, but there is a need for good instruments to assess strategic alignment and business success in practice. Based on existing information management theories, we develop the I-Fit model and the I-Fit tool. The model assumes causal relationships between four main areas: ‘IT governance’, ‘Strategic Alignment, ‘Information Quality’, and ‘Business Performance’. The tool consists of 40 questions that are used to quick scan alignment. We apply the iFit tool in nine organizations in the Netherlands in order to validate the instrument. Further steps of the project are discussed, including tools for drilling down into the four main areas with greater depth.