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Extending Enterprise Architecture with Mobility Ming-Chien WU (Mindy) 1 and Bhuvan UNHELKAR 2 School of Computing and Mathematics, University of Western Sydney, Locked Bag 1797 South Penrith DC; NSW 1797, Australia 1: [email protected] ; 2: [email protected] Abstract— This paper discusses the extension of the Enterprise Architecture (EA) with mobile technologies. The mobile technologies provide the modern business with benefits of location and time independence in their internal as well as external business processes. Mobile Technologies (MT) in the context of EA include wireless networks, handheld devices and mechanisms to store and present contents. This paper provides a strategic approach to adoption to MT, as against mere repetition of electronic commerce on the mobile device.

I.

INTRODUCTION

The objective of this paper is to outline a comprehensive framework for incorporation of mobile technologies in an organization’s Enterprise Architecture. This initial framework described in this paper is based on the literature review and preliminary interviews with enterprise architects. The initial findings suggest an “all encompassing” approach to MT in business that considers the business processes as well as the social aspects of MT, is likely to ensure greater success, as against a pure technical approach. The paper concludes by acknowledging the mapping between this framework and the 978-1-4244-1645-5/08/$25.00 ©2008 IEEE

II.

ENTERPRISE ARCHITECTURE OVERVIEW

The modern dynamic business environment requires enterprises to integrate their business processes, systems, databases, human resources, infrastructures and technologies together. This integration of various aspects of an enterprise is facilitated by what is known as Enterprise Architecture (EA). An Enterprise Architecture represents the enterprise’s key business system, information, data, application, technology strategies and their impact on business processes and the users. META Group Inc. [8] and Virginia Information Technologies Agency (VITA) [9] both demonstrate that EA consists of four key components: Enterprise Business Architecture (EBA), Enterprise Information Architecture (EIA), Enterprise Solution Architecture (ESA), and Enterprise Technology Architecture (ETA). Further review of the literature indicates that the EBA focuses on the integration of business information systems and how the business processes run, EIS considers data storage, ESA focuses on supporting the users by making it easier for them to understand and use the solutions, and ETA assimilates the technology devices, applications, middleware, platforms, and standards to support all previous architectures. Application Application 11 JavaScript JavaScript CRM CRM CRM CRM

Service Application Application 22 Enterprise Architecture (EA) .NET .NET Service Oriented Architecture SCM SCM SCM SCM (SOA) Supply Chain Business Process

Marketing Marketing Analysis Analysis Channel Channel Management Management (Customer (Customer Based) Based) User User of of Internal Internal and and External External Enterprise Enterprise

Applications Applications of of other other Businesses Businesses (Clients, (Clients, Partners) Partners)

Se

r vi

Supply Chain Business Process (Demand (Demand Planning, Planning, SC SC Planning, Planning, Transportation) Transportation)

ce

Service

Information Technology (IT) has grown very rapidly in recent years that different generations of information systems (IS), the infrastructures and products have been showing up in the market with ever-increasing frequency [1]. However, in order to increase the ability of the enterprise to serve its customers as well as deal with its business partners in today’s dynamic business environment, there is a need to integrate these products and services through a common EA. The proper implementation of Enterprise Architecture (EA) provides the organization with competitive advantages. These advantages occur due to creating opportunities to streamline business processes, reduce costs, increase customer satisfaction and enable thorough strategic planning [2]. The common EA has successfully managed to integrate these various technologies used by the enterprises (such as Internet-based application, reusable components, security and database components). The modern business can further benefit by extending EA with strategic incorporation of mobile Technologies (MT) including wireless networks and handheld devices. This is so because of the phenomenal impact of the “time and location” independence provided by mobile Technologies [3], [4]. However, mobile business resulting from adoption of MT should not be a mere repetition of electronic commerce on the mobile devices; rather, mobile business should adopt strategic use of mobility that would result in fundamental reengineering of the business processes. This has resulted in a need to further extend and integrate mobility into the EA. This is so because mobility can provide enterprises with the ability to operate effectively, in real-time, and respond quickly to the ever increasing changes in a competitive marketplace [5]. Thus, EA, together with MT, provides an excellent opportunity for delivery of business services.

Business Process Re-engineering (BPR) approach proposed by Hammer & Champy [6], and the later work of Kalakota and Robinson [7] in their e-transformation road map.

Application Application 33 CORBA CORBA ERP /ISAN ERP Back-end Back-end Business Business Process ERP ERP Process (Ordering, (Ordering, Purchasing, Purchasing, HR, HR, Accounting) Accounting)

Figure 1: EA integrates several generations of EIS (Extended from [10]) Kamogawa and Okada [10] state that EA should integrate various generations of enterprise information systems (EIS) such as Supply Chain Management (SCM) system, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system, and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. These software systems may have been created using different programming languages, databases, and may be operating on different technology platforms. These differences in technologies and platforms can cause problem for enterprises that want to run their business processes across various EIS. Cook [11] advocated that EA should allow integration and coordination of using different

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generation EIS across whole enterprise, including internal and external enterprise. Figure 1 depicts extends the aforementioned original idea to integrate not only EIS, but also the people, data, processes, applications, platforms, and middleware together. Furthermore, whenever translation from one platform to another is required, the eXtensible Markup Language (XML) makes the task easy [12] (it will be described how it works in section five). The secured application 1 offers the service which can be located and consumed by application 2. These kind of software systems, build around the concept of ‘services’ being offered and received, are based on ‘service- oriented architecture’. Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) provides basis for most modern-day enterprise architectures [13]. This integration makes EA provide the best solution as an integrated enterprise. Additionally, applications of other businesses, which are external enterprise users, include the customers, partners, suppliers, or all members in a supply chain are also able to see a unified view of the EA as well. This internal and external enterprise architecture integration is the blueprint solution for different generation information systems that form the future of applications coordination. III.

MOBILE TECHNOLOGY OVERVIEW

Mobile Technology (MT) is a significant emerging technology that has the potential to influence various organizational applications including different generation EIS. MT influence EA as they are technologies without wires with the ability to communicate through a multiplicity of hand-held devices. MT encompasses any aspect of communication that is achieved without land-based or wired mechanisms. Thus, mobility, in a strict sense, is a subset of wireless technologies. The term “wireless technology” can also be used to describe modern wireless connections such as those in cellular networks and wireless broadband Internet. In modern usage, wireless is a method of communication that uses low-powered radio waves to transmit data between the mobile terminals [14]. The terminals, such as mobile phones, iPods, Personal Digital Assistants (PDA), Global Positioning System (GPS), watches, email-only devices, handheld computers, and “wearable” technology, are carried by individuals and are far more “personal” than mere desktop PCs. There are lots of mobile technologies have been developed, a range of them in this section that are likely to influence the various business processes of an organization and their usage in M-SCM. Additionally, four parts of mobile technologies are discussed here, based on their functionalities: Telecommunication technology : “3G” mobile phone with Bluetooth The development of 3G-related technologies has overcome the limitation of the previous generation of mobile technologies by allowing higher transmission rates and more complex ecommerce interactions. According to “The Nielsen/NetRatings Australian Internet and Technology Report 2004-2005” [15], Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) usage in Australia has grown by 21% in the past years resulting in high popularity of mobile phones. People utilize mobile phones for communication, working, banking, and shopping has been z

affecting all features of daily life in the real world. Further to the 3G applications, Buttery and Sago [16] also describe the Bluetooth connectivity and the resultant applications that are increasingly being built into mobile telephones, allowing some very interesting Mobility (M)-Commerce opportunities to be created. For example, retailers are able to provide samples of products to download via a Bluetooth link located close to the actual item, potentially resulting in better customer service and an enriched shopping experience. Bluetooth technology envisages consumers walking around and giving out messages wirelessly in order to buy items from vending machines, or buying low value tickets, or even making small value ‘cashless’ purchases such as newspapers. Location-based technology: Mobile satellite networks (GPS device) Olla [17] declares that integrating space technology into mobile communications offers exact positioning of useful location sensitive information used for direction-finding and map-reading based services - the current popular application is GPS. These applications are becoming commonplace; with Fitch [18] pointing out that the technique for interfacing satellite links to global networks is well developed. In addition, GPS devices have already used on SCM and intelligent transport systems to improve delivery service and tracking production location. z

Production barcode technology: Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Radio frequency identification (RFID), mentioned in the earlier section, is an important emerging technology that has been increasingly used in logistics and SCM in recent years. RFID technology can help SCM system to identify, sort, and control the product and information flow all through a supply chain. Today RFID is a standard technology that uses radio waves to automatically identify people or objects. There are several methods of identification, the most common of which use RFID tags and readers [19]. RFID Technology helps highly location-based tracking, reduces the cost and humanmistake risks, also improves the effectively and efficiency of EA. z

z Wireless network technology: WLAN and WiMAX Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) is a standards-based technology enabling the delivery of last mile wireless broadband access as an alternative to cable and DSL. The purpose of WiMAX is to ensure that broadband wireless radios manufactured for customer use interoperate from retailer to retailer [20]. The main advantages of the WiMAX standard are to enable the implementation of advanced radio features in a standardized approach, and provide people in a city with online access via their mobile device. Currently, laptop computers and some PDA devices can be attached to a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) using a Compact Flash (CF) or a Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) card. In future, PDAs and mobile phones might support multiple network technologies. WLAN is expected to continue to be an important form of connection in many business areas. The market is expected to grow as the benefits of WLAN are recognized [21].

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IV. APPLYING MOBILITY TO ENTERPRISE ARCHITECTURE Architectures are patterns that enable creation of design and successful implementations. A good architecture provides quality and reusability and it prevents rework. This is so because it incorporates numerous possibilities and options that would otherwise be very costly to incorporate as an ‘add-on’. Enterprise architectures provide a basis for incorporating maximum possibilities of changes and expansions of applications and systems in the future. However, as new and disruptive technologies are introduced in the organization, the architecture itself needs an upgrade [22], [23]. For example, from a standard 3-tier architecture (data, business and interface layers), a good architecture now also incorporates people. Such architecture allows us to consider the ‘disruptive’ mobile technology in a more strategic manner. M-EA

People

System Process

Figure 3: M-EA model

Data

IT+ Mobile Technology

Firgure2: M-EA Structure Literature review of EA indicates 4 key components which described on above sections, this research defines M-EA as Figure 2 as a structure of integrating business processes with integrating mobile technology and IT supported, by providing a visualization enterprise solution of the relationships among the System, Process, People, and Data in an organization. Moreover, M-EA will connect existing and new systems to enable collaborative operation within the entire organization in real-time service – which extending EA to provide better access among systems on production planning and control, inbound and outbound logistics, material flows, monitoring functions, and performance measurements. Mobile technology provides better service and real-time response communication between business and consumer of EA. As people currently carry mobile phones with Bluetooth technology, these technologies can be used for making payments and related service concepts through simple downloads on their mobile devices. WiMAX can help EA integration much more effectively and update unanimity between all retailers of enterprise. The general intraorganizational M-EA uses WLAN technology to provide all the employees to access the enterprise system anytime, anywhere. In addition, Hurster et al. [24] pointed out that GPS devices and RFID technologies have already popular used on SCM systems to improve delivery service, tracking location of goods, reduces the cost and human-mistake risks, and especially improves the effectively and efficiency of EA [25]. Consideration of these MT is important in the exercise to integrate EA – particularly as those technologies applications are maturing rapidly [26].

Figure 3 shows the M-EA model and its contents on the application service when the information/data storage goes through the enterprise bus or middleware cooperation. This transfer is a basis to help business processes orchestration reengineering. Moreover, the new processes are the basis of integration different generation of enterprise information systems. The most popular four enterprise information systems are SCM system, CRM system, ERP system, and financial (FI) system cooperation within EA. RFID technology could specifically support the SCM system to help tracking the location of the materials and products. Composite environment consists in various segments of different radio technologies such as 3G/‘Beyond 3G Systems’ (B3G) [27]/ digital video broadcasting (DVB) [28]/ WLAN/WiMax etc. , the user has the ability through a multimodal terminal to be connected to the most appropriate one based on some business criteria. People could hold various mobile devices through mobility server and web service to connect to Internet portal, including web and mobile portal to access the M-EA business process, system, and data structure. The technologies of Web Services build on top of XML, Web Services Description Language (WSDL) and Universal Description, Discovery and Integration (UDDI), provide an excellent basis for integrating the applications of the enterprise – particularly when they are on separate platforms. There is a need, however, to provide wireless glue to EA as outlined here. The solution for the requirement would result in strategic incorporation of apply MT into EA starts on an enterprise repository which is a comprehensive system containing all applications and the enterprise model. People can reach the system using the Internet though the native API/ XML, web forms, and web service. They can use their mobile, some with Bluetooth headphone, GPS, PDA, portable computer (laptop) through service provider (WAP), or wireless Hub (HTTP) to connect with enterprise repositories – facilitated by EA [29].

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V.

IMPLEMENTATION OF MOBILE ENTERPRISE ARCHITECTURE MODEL

The implementation of M-EA should use "Current" and "Target", "As-is" and "To-be" framework to identify the clearly process migration plan from current different generation EIS to the Enterprise target dream architecture, which is M-EA. The manner in which this IT and mobile technology incorporation takes place successfully is studied here through the framework outlined in the migration plan table. The migration table plan lists information system lifecycles including description, analysis, design, and implementation plan [30] of current state of enterprise, and desired target state M-EA of enterprise. Following Table 1 is the designed migration plan table of M-EA implementation for this research. Table 1: M-EA Migration Plan Table Current state “asis” Description

Key factors

Desired Target state “To-be” Reserve assessment indicator Target M-EA opportunities

Assessment indicator result Construct current Design Construct Target M-EA EA Target M-EA Implementation Target M-EA opportunities plan implementation plan result Analysis

Firstly, the research team goes to interview the company to understand the key factors of people, process, technology, data, and system of current EIS; analysis and document them into the current state description section. From those documentations, finding the gap and drawing the diagrams to show the reserve assessment indicator for the target state. After that, setting up the meeting with EA building team of the company to those diagrams and those assessment indicator results. Moreover, discuss in the meeting to analysis and decide which IT and MT infrastructures could be extended with current EA as target M-EA opportunities into their company. After the meeting, the research team will construct the current EA diagrams, also the target M-EA diagram to shows how the MT could be adapted to new M-EA, and makes the new M-EA be matched the enterprise expected extension. Furthermore, these diagrams will have to be modified through many times meeting with EA building team to have final decision which MT application opportunities they would like to integrate into their M-EA and have a plan schedule to show how the implementation processes and timeline should be achieved. After the research team and EA building team finalize the implementation plan schedule, the implementation plan tables of people, processes, technology, data and systems have been completed as well. At the last stage, the research team has construct the comprehensive M-EA implementation table to prevent duplicates implementation process between different factors implementation table, also effective the implementation processes and reduce the implementation schedule time.

By the way, security has to be given due consideration when the enterprise want to implement M-EA into their company. The increased mobile computing power of handheld devices introduces new security threats. The security threats would be in the form of loss of confidentiality, integrity and availability. Password protection is included in most handheld devices as a counter measure [31]. Furthermore, network and application security measures also need to be considered when extending enterprise architecture with mobility. Having risk identification and risk planning measures could help to overcome some risks [32]. Service also requires security levels to control that the users who can use which service for what purpose [33]. A possible solution is to build security measures into mobile platforms and applications themselves. Base on above, security is the important part that has not been considered in this research. CLEW (Closed Loop Environment for Wireless) is a new mobile-based technology designed by a company called Alacrity Technology based in Canberra, Australia. This technology improves the security of using mobile technology, and this company- Alacrity Technology would like to be the partnership company in this research project, aims to improve M-EA security. CLEW technology is introduced as an Intelligent Mobile Internet Interaction [34]. CLEW is more secure than SMS message, and also records the replies from the receiver. Messages sent out by CLEW to recipients are authenticated signing off with a password. Therefore, it is much more secure than SMS, and also if the recipient does not sign off, the backend systems of CLEW can send out messages to other pre-agreed people in a list agreed upon with the organization until it schedules the required number of personnel. VI. CONCLUSIONS & FUTURE DIRECTIONS This paper outlines the importance of M-EA model as the means to identify and provide for the integration challenges between various applications and technologies within the enterprise. Moreover, this paper also provided an overview of EA, MT and applications of M-EA. We argued that MT needs to be integrated with the overall EA and the business processes of the enterprise. Such integration would result in an M-EA that would enable enterprise to conduct business across the location and time boundaries. Thus, an M-EA is a powerful tool to integrate, manage and grow the enterprise’ operation. Further validation of M-EA is the future direction of this research. The research team is currently undertaking case studies by interviewing people who have experiences and knowledge on constructing EA. These interviews with experienced EA architects is enabling us to validate the outlined M-EA model, as also the action research study being undertaken with our industrial partner. This action research study indicates that enterprises can benefit with the help of MEA through its step-by-step framework for extending and integrating the existing EA with mobility and security. Furthermore, after completing the action research studies, the critical success factors that lead to implementation of M-EA will be investigated and summarized. This will result in

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immense practical understanding of the key organizational benefits and challenges in implementing the M-EA model. REFERENCES [1] Ramakrisham, K.R., Bhattar, R.K., Dasgupta, K.S., and Palsule, V.S. Review of Wireless Technologies and Generations. In Unhelkar B. (Ed.), Chapter 11 of book: Handbook of Research in Mobile Business: Technical, Methodological and Social Perspectives. . IGI Global, Hershey, PA, USA, 2006 [2] Y. Lan and B. Unhelkar. Global Enterprise Transitions: managing the process. Hershey, PA: IGI publication, 2005. [3] S.J., Barnes, 2002. The mobile commerce value chain: analysis and future development. International Journal of Information Management 22 (2), 91-108. [4] D.S. Linthicum. Enterprise application integration. Addison- Wesley information technology series, 2000 [5] B. Unhelkar (Ed.). Handbook of Research in Mobile Business: Technical, Methodological and Social Perspectives. Hershey, PA: Idea Group Reference, 2006 [6] M. Hammer and J. Champy, Reengineering the Corporation: a manifesto for business revolution, London: Nicholas Brealey, 2001. [7] R. Kalakota and M. Robinson, E-business 2.0: roadmap for success, Boston, MA: Addison-Wesley, 2001. [8] R. S. Bittler. Adaptive Enterprise Architecture. META Group, Inc., CTUSA, 2004. Private presentation to UWS Advanced enterprise Information Management Systems (AeIMS) Research Group on 13/11/2006 [9] Virginia Information Technologies Agency, Enterprise Definitions and Models. Commonwealth of Virginia, 2006. [Online]. Available: http://www.vita.virginia.gov/cots/ea/modelAndArchitecture/index.cfm [10] T. Kamogawa and H. Okada. Issues of e-business implementation from Enterprise Architecture viewpoint. Proceedings of the 2004 International Symposium on Applications and the Internet Workshops (SAINTW’04), 2004 IEEE [11] M.A. Cook. Building Enterprise Information ArchitecturesReengineering Information Systems. Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1996. [12] World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), Extensible Markup Language (XML,) 1996-2003, [online]. Available: http://www.w3.org/XML/ [13] M. Kunz, D. Krafzig, D. Slama (2007), Governing the legacy-to-SOA transformation.Cutter IT Jurnal, Vol. 20, No.6 June 2007, Cutter Information LLC. [14] R. Scheniderman. The Mobile Technology Question and Answer Book. Amacom: American Management Association, 2002 [15] Film Victoria Australia, (2006). iSH MEDIA. Digital Sanbox Seminar Film Victoria June 2006. [online]. Available: http://film.vic.gov.au/resources/documents/S2_speaker_Kylie_Robertson _powerpoint.pdf [16] S. Buttery, and A. Sago, Future application of Bluetooth. Chapter 4 of book: Mobile and wireless communications: key technologies and future application. British Telecommunications Plc: the IEE. 2004. [17] P. Olla. Incorporating commercial space technology into mobile services: developing innovative business models. Idea Group Inc. , 2005 [18] M. Fitch. The use of satellite for multimedia communications. Chapter 10 of book: Mobile and wireless communications: key technologies and future application. British Telecommunications Plc: the IEE. 2004. [19] D. Kou, K. Zhao, Y. Tao and W. Kou. RFID Technologies and Applications. In Enabling Technologies for wireless E-business. (W. Kou and Y. Yesha, Ed), Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg, 2006. pp 89-108. [20] WiMAX Forum, WiMAX Forum - Frequency Ask Question, 2006. [online]. Available: http://www.wimaxforum.org/technology/faq, [21] L. Burness, D. Higgins, A. Sago, and P. Thorpe. Wireless LANs – present and future. Chapter 3 of book: Mobile and wireless communications: key technologies and future application. British Telecommunications Plc.: the IEE. 2004. [22] M. Pulkkinen. Systemic Management of Architectural Decisions in Enterprise Architecture Planning. Four Dimensions and Three Abstraction Levels. Proceedings of the 39th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences – 2006 IEEE [23] B. Unhelkar. Transitioning to a Mobile Enterprise: A Three-Dimensional Framework. Cutter IT journal Vol. 18, No. 8, Cutter Information LLC, August, 2005

[24] Hurster W., Fuychtuller H. and Fischer T. Mobile Batch Tracking- a breakthrough in supply chain management. In Unhelkar B. (Ed.), Chapter 63 of book: Handbook of Research in Mobile Business: Technical, Methodological and Social Perspectives. . IGI Global, Hershey, PA, USA, 2006 [25] Schilhavy R., and Salam A.F.. Emerging mobile technology and supply chain integration: using RFID to streamline the integrated supply chain. In Unhelkar B. (Ed.), Chapter 62 of book: Handbook of Research in Mobile Business: Technical, Methodological and Social Perspectives. . IGI Global, Hershey, PA, USA, 2006 [26] A. Ghanbary. Evaluation of mobile technologies in the context of their applications, limitations and transformation. In B. Unhelkar (Ed.), Mobile Business: Technological, Methodological and Social Perspectives. Idea Group Publishing, USA. 2006. [27] H. Skianis, G. Kormentzas and K. Kontovasillis. Interactions between Intelligent Multimodal Terminals and a Network Management System in a B3G Environment. Wireless Communications and Mobile Computing. 2005; 5:679-695. [28] G. Mastorakis, E. Pallis and G. Kormentzas. A Fusion IP/DVB Networking Environment for Providing Always-On Connectivity and Triple-Play Services to Urban and Rural Areas. IEEE Networks, MarchApril2007, Volume:21, Issue: 2, On page(s): 21-27 [29] C. Finkelstein. Enterprise Architecture for Integration: rapid delivery methods and technologies. Artech House: U.S.A. 2006. [30] Z. Irani, M. Themistocleous, and P.E.D. Love. The impact of enterprise application integration on information system lifecycles. Information & Management 41 (2003) p177- p187: Elsevier Science [31] A. Rolstadas and B. Andersen. Enterprise Modeling- improving global industrial competitiveness. Kluwer Academic publishers, 2000. [32] Ghosh, A. K. (2001). Security and Privacy for E-Business. New York: John Wiley & Sons [33] S. Nand. (2006) Developing a Theory of Portable Public Key Infrastructure (PORTABLEPKI) for Mobile Business Security. In Unhelkar B. (Ed.), Chapter 27 of book: Handbook of Research in Mobile Business: Technical, Methodological and Social Perspectives. . IGI Global, Hershey, PA, USA [34] Tatham, A. (2006). How CLEW could authenticate credit cards to avoid credit card fraud. In U. AEIMS research Group (Ed.) (pp. Technical Presentation). Alacrity: Sydney.

AUTHOR PROFILE Ming-Chien WU (Mindy) (MIT, major in IS Management) holds RTS funds places undertaking her PhD level research (second year) at the University of Western Sydney (UWS) in Australia. Her specific research focus includes the issues and challenges in extending the Enterprise Architecture with mobility and creating a model for Mobility Enterprise Architecture (MEA). She is in the second year of her PhD studies starting from July of 2006. Mindy is a consultant of MethodScience Company and a member of the Emerging Technologies sub-group with Advanced enterprise Information Management Systems (AeIMS) and Mobile Internet Research and Applications Group (MIRAG) research groups at the University of Western Sydney. She is also an active student member of Australian Computer Society (ACS). She published her research outcomes in research books and has also presented in the 18th Australasian Conference on Information Systems (ACIS) 2007 Doctoral Consortium and some innovation conferences.

Bhuvan Unhelkar (BE, MDBA, MSc, PhD; FACS) has 24+ years of strategic, as well as hands-on, professional experience in Information and Communication Technology. He is the Founder of MethodScience.com and has notable consulting and training expertise in software engineering (modelling, processes and quality), enterprise globalization, Web Services and mobile business. He earned his Doctorate in the area of “object orientation” from the University of Technology, Sydney. In his academic role at the University of Western Sydney, he teaches, amongst other units, Object Oriented Analysis and Design and IT Project Management, and leads the Mobile Internet Research and Applications Group (MIRAG). He has authored/edited ten books and has extensively presented and published research papers and case studies. He is a sought-after orator, a Fellow of the Australian Computer Society, Life member of Computer Society of India, a Rotarian and a previous TiE Mentor.

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