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The progress of parallel computing in Information Retrieval (IR) is reviewed. In particular we stress the importance of the motivation in using parallel computing for text retrieval. We analyse parallel IR systems using a classification defined by Rasmussen and describe some parallel IR systems. We give a description of the retrieval models used in parallel information processing. We describe areas of research which we believe are needed.

Highly sensitive information pertaining to citizens and government transactions is processed in an electronic format, making information security a critical part of e-Government applications and architectures. Information security measures should ideally span from authentication to authorisation and from logical/physical access control to auditing of electronic transactions and log books. The lack of such measures compromises confidentiality, integrity and availability of information. Today, most e-Government projects in developing countries in Southern Africa Developing Community (SADC) face challenges in two main areas, namely, information security and application software integration. This paper aims to discuss and analyse the information security requirements for e-Government projects and proposes an information security governance model for service-based architectures (SBAs).

The current state of information security in emerging economies in SADC countries was researched. The main problems identified were the lack of software integration and information security governance, policy and administration. The design consists of three basic layers: information security governance defined at the strategic level of the government; information security policy/management defined at the management/operational level; and information security measures, implemented at the technical level. This section also proposes a policy for implementing public key infrastructures to protect information, transactions and e-services. A Token-Ring-based mechanism for implementing Single-Sign-On has also been developed as part of this study.

The main problems identified were the lack of software integration and information security governance, policy and administration. These challenges are causing e-government projects to stagnate.

The proposed approach for implementing information security in e-Government systems will ensure a holistic approach to ensuring confidentiality, integrity and non-repudiation, allowing e-Government maturity to progress from “interaction” to “online transaction” stage in emerging economies.

Research has not focused on developing a solution for emerging economies which are facing difficulties in integration software applications to deploy end-to-end e-services and to produce an underlying identity management architecture and information security governance to secure the e-services developed and deployed using an SBA. The work produced in this paper is specific to SBAs in e-government environments where legacy systems already exist. The work includes: information security governance defined at the strategic level of the government; information security policy/management defined at the management/operational level; and information security measures implemented at the technical level. This section also proposes a policy for implementing public key infrastructures to protect information, transactions and e-services. A Token-Ring-based mechanism for implementing Single-Sign-On has also been developed as part of this study.

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the problems associated with the development of e‐government in Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) countries and propose a novel framework for adopting service orientation. This framework includes a new approach and architecture for implementing service orientation called SBA‐eGOV (Service Based Architecture for E‐Government).

A comprehensive literature review was carried out to study various service oriented architecture (SOA) adoption strategies and implementation methods. The most appropriate adoption strategy and implementation method were selected. Web service adoption and implementation/development methodologies were designed separately, and then integrated to form one single framework. Web services best practices were studied to identify the specificities of web services for e‐government projects in SADC countries. A service orientation framework, which includes a service orientation development/implementation method, was developed for e‐government projects. Data from the UN report on e‐government readiness for year 2004‐2010 were analysed.

The trend showed that the e‐government index of SADC countries has been stagnating (even degrading) since 2005. One of the main reasons is the lack of software application integration. The main area of weakness is the lack of a complete framework for adopting and implementing web services. A framework for adopting service orientation, developing web services and deploying e‐services is required to enable application software integration.

By applying the proposed framework, e‐services can be deployed more rapidly to citizens, businesses and government departments.

SBA‐eGOV can be adopted by countries where e‐government projects have completed the “Internalisation” and “Interaction” stages and use to deliver e‐services to citizens.

This work comprises development of a new framework, SBA‐eGOV, which consists of a service‐orientation adoption methodology, a service‐orientation implementation methodology and a service‐based architecture for government. SBA‐eGOV is a novel and complete framework which addresses service‐orientation adoption, development and implementation. To date, no such research work has been undertaken to analyse and solve the problems surrounding e‐government projects in SADC.

Today, most organisations are using packaged software for their key business processes. Enterprise resource planning, supply chain management, customer relationship management and electronic commerce systems enable organisations to improve their focus of using information systems to support their operational and financial goals. This article argues that the need to integrate these packaged software applications with each other as well as with existing or legacy business applications drives the need for a standardised integration architecture to more flexibly implement new business processes across different organisations and applications. To illustrate the components of such an architecture, a case study undertaken at the Robert Bosch Group provided necessary empirical evidence. The Robert Bosch Group has evaluated different enterprise application integration (EAI) systems to achieve a standardised integration architecture. The article describes a reference architecture and criteria for the classification of EAI systems which are derived from different integration approaches.

To provide the strategic model of approach which helps enterprise executives to solve the managerial problems of planning, implementation and operation about information security in business convergence environments.

A risk analysis method and baseline controls of BS7799 were used to generate security patterns of business convergence. With the analysis of existing enterprise architecture (EA) methods, the framework of the enterprise security architecture was designed.

The adaptive framework, including the security patterns with quantitative factors, enterprise security architecture with 18 dimensions, and reference models in business convergence environments, is provided.

Information assets and baseline controls should be subdivided to provide more detailed risk factors and weight factors of each business convergence strategy. Case studies should be performed continuously to consolidate contents of best practices.

With the enterprise security architecture provided in this paper, an enterprise that tries to create a value‐added business model using convergence model can adapt itself to mitigate security risks and reduce potential losses.

This paper outlined the business risks in convergence environments with risk analysis and baseline controls. It is aguably the first attempt to adapt the EA approach for enterprise executives to solve the security problems of business convergence.

The purpose of this paper is to present a model for measuring enterprise architecture (EA) readiness in organizations.

This paper reviews the literature of enterprise architecture, defines and extracts factors and indicators of enterprise architecture readiness with factor weighting and indicators. Thereafter the authors propose a model to measure organization EA readiness in practice.

In this paper nine factors and 34 indicators that affect enterprise architecture are defined and an enterprise architecture readiness model is constructed. The model of research is practical, because it specifies readiness of organization in enterprise architecture and helps to define current state of organization via factors and indicators, and from priorities of factors and indicators, alerts organization of an optimization strategy.

In order to increase the utility of the model for use in other organizations, further studies can help to refine the model.

The essence of extracting and choosing factors and indicators in this study is from enterprise architecture processes and key success and failure factors of enterprise architecture in organizations. In addition selected factors and indicators related to organization infrastructure not related only to enterprise architecture project planning and executing are examined through the use of a questionnaire. The model derived from this study can be utilized as a multi‐dimensional and practical model because of its complexity and examination of organizational infrastructures.

Points out that changing management information systems (MIS) is a dangerous and complex process, for which business executives are not qualified. Adds that not changing is just as bad. Discusses the differences between a fundamental change of architecture and conventional systems development. Recommends consideration of three questions: is it really necessary to reconfigure core systems architecture? How can flexibility be built in? What approach to implementation? Observes that to date (1989) few firms have satisfactorily addressed the problems raised by antiquated core architectures. Concludes that reconfiguration efforts must be congruent with company strategy.

Smart city services are supported by information and communication technologies (ICT) referred to as digital technologies which increasingly promise huge opportunities for growth but are faced with system alignment and data integration issues when providing digital services. Therefore, this study aims to use enterprise architecture (EA) in digital transformation of cities by developing an architecture to address system alignment and data integration in digital transformation of cities.

Qualitative method is applied to evaluate the presented architecture based on electric-mobility (e-mobility) scenario, and data was collected using case study via interviews from a municipality in Norway to validate the applicability of EA for digital transformation of city services.

Findings from the interviews were represented in ArchiMate language to model the digital transformation of e-mobility in smart cities. Findings suggest that the architecture serves as a guide to recommend urban administrators of the potential of EA and digital transformation in addressing system alignment and data integration issues in smart cities.

Data used in this study is from a single case, hence there is a need to evaluate the application of EA for digital transformation of city services with data collected from multi-cases.

This study adopts enterprise architecture approach to support city transformation as it has been widely applied by institutions to align business and ICT components.

This study provides implication on how municipalities can use EA and digital transformations towards a sustainable smart city.

An architecture is presented that can be used as a guide to help urban developers and designers in deploying sustainable transport policies for smart cities. Additionally, EA is used to foster digitalization towards achieving system alignment and data integration in cities to support urban environment as they digitally transform services provided to citizens.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a guide through which the Zachman Framework can be used to address challenges and for successful implementation of enterprise architecture (EA) in an organisation that deploys it.

Qualitative research methods were followed, within which the case study approach was applied. The interpretive method was used in the analysis of the qualitative data.

Based on the findings, a method is proposed through which EA can be implemented in an organisation by using the Zachman Framework.

This is an original research work. Also, the paper has not been submitted to other journal for review and possible publication.

In smart cities pervasive systems are deployed by enterprises and stakeholders in municipalities to provide digital services to citizens. But cities are faced with the challenge of achieving system pluggability, mainly service integration due to numerous actors and systems needed for smart urban transformation. Hence, there is need to employ a comprehensive and holistic approach to help achieve service integration of pervasive platforms. Therefore, this study presents an Enterprise Architecture Framework (EAF) to support smart urban transformation.

In this study the design science research methodology is adopted based on a multi-case studies of two organizations and data is collected using semi-structured interview from an organizations and municipality in Norway to validate how service integration can be achieved by the developed EAF to address pluggability challenges faced in urban environment.

Findings suggest that the presented EAF provides the structure to manage changes and maintain urban transformation and aims to align the business with the underlying information systems from the perspective of the stakeholders. Additionally, findings from the case studies modelled in ArchiMate language depict how service integration of different pervasive platforms provide digital services for smart urban transformation.

This research only employed semi-structured interviews to validate service integration of digital platforms, other identified dimensions of pluggability were not fully addressed in this study.

Findings from the case studies provides insights on how pervasive platforms can be integrated to achieve a pluggable digital service from different stakeholders and data sources in practice. The developed EAF presented in this study provide a model that supports collection and exchange of data from different data sources in smart urban environment to enable the provision and consumption of digital services.

The developed EAF aids system pluggability of actors and systems in providing digital service such as smart urban transformation that contributes to sustainable use of electric mobility in cities.

As cities increasingly deploy pervasive platforms to support urban innovation, researchers are seeking to explore how these platforms shape urban transformation. Presently, prior studies do not offer important insights into pervasive platform management from urban perspective. Against this backdrop, this study employs the information systems perspective of digital platforms literature roots in software development and physical product development to depict how the EAF can be employed to describe specific cases that integrate different pervasive platforms deployed by different stakeholders communicating to co-create collective digital services to citizens.