Information Systems Strategy

Contents 1. Introduction 2. Methodology 3. Common links between strategic processes and HR practices 4. Identification of key success factors 5. Role of knowledge management in vesting a culture conducive to the sharing of knowledge 6. Guide for setting up successive KM platforms 7. Organizational wisdom aimed at value chain optimization 8. Conclusions and recommendations 9. References

This paper presents a case study of four software companies in Denmark developing self-service applications for the same self-service area. This study outlines the process of how the four companies developed their self-service applications and a usability study of the completed software solutions. In this study, we have analysed the customer and end-user involvement and compared these results to the results of the usability evaluations. The main findings show that the usability varied in the four cases, and the ones who had the most customer involvement from case workers showed the highest number of usability problems in the self-service solutions for the citizens. We discuss the user-centred design approaches used, the drawbacks and benefits of customer and user involvement, and case workers acting as citizen representation during the development process of the software.

Perkembangan IS/IT menuntut seluruh lembaga organisasi dan bisnis, termasuk lembaga pendidikan dan asrama mahasiswa, untuk memiliki sistem informasi yang strategis dan terintegrasi untuk menunjang kegiatan operasional dan pencapaian visi misi organisasi. Asrama Mahasiswa Nusantara (AMN) Surabaya menghadapi tantangan dalam pengelolaan sistem informasi yang belum terintegrasi dan strategis, sehingga menghambat efektivitas layanan operasional dan pencapaian visi organisasi. Untuk mengatasi masalah tersebut, perencanaan strategis sistem informasi dengan menggunakan framework Anita Cassidy yang berfokus pada penyelarasan sistem informasi dengan tujuan bisnis. Proses perencanaan strategis SI dengan Anita Cassidy meliputi tahapan visioning, analysis, direction, dan recommendation. Pengumpulan data dilakukan melalui wawancara dan analisis strategis melibatkan tools pendukung seperti SWOT, Value Chain, Porter's Five Forces, dan McFarlan Strategic Grid. Penelitian menghasilkan solusi strategis sistem informasi yang disusun dalam roadmap pengembangan 5 tahun dengan skala prioritas berdasarkan ketergantungan sistem, nilai bisnis, risiko, serta estimasi biaya dan waktu. Rencana strategis ini diharapkan menjadi pedoman pengembangan sistem informasi yang berkelanjutan dan sejalan dengan visi AMN Surabaya.

Blockchain technology is growing massively where the number of blockchain platforms and decentralized applications are increasing rapidly in the last years. However, most of the existing blockchain networks are operating in a standalone environment isolated from each other, which increases scalability and connectivity issues in the current blockchain platforms as well as limiting the blockchain adoption in industry ecosystems. In the current phase, different blockchain networks don't have mutual trust where they cannot interact with each other and their capacity level has only reached a level similar to LAN. Due to the high barriers between the independent isolated blockchain platforms, researchers have started to focus on the concept of Blockchain interoperability. Blockchain interoperability is the ability of connecting multiple blockchain networks together, which significantly increases and solves scalability and connectivity issues in the blockchain platforms. Given the potential of blockchain interoperability and cross blockchain communication, many researchers are working on finding the optimal cross blockchain communication solution. As blockchain interoperability is emerging as an essential blockchain feature, the number of proposed blockchain interoperability solutions have been increasing within the last few years. In this paper, a survey of all the available cross blockchain communication solutions are discussed with a comparison of the proposed architectures.

The integration of distributed ledger technologies (DLTs) into multi-cloud environments presents a transformative approach to addressing data integrity and transactional security challenges in modern digital infrastructures. This review comprehensively examines the intersection of multi-cloud computing and distributed ledger systems, highlighting their potential to provide decentralized, tamper-proof, and transparent data management solutions across diverse cloud platforms. The paper explores key architectural frameworks, consensus mechanisms, interoperability protocols, and cryptographic models that enable seamless integration while ensuring scalability, reliability, and enhanced security. Furthermore, it analyzes current use cases, such as supply chain management, financial services, and healthcare, where multi-cloud DLT integration mitigates risks of single points of failure, data breaches, and unauthorized access. By identifying emerging trends, technological limitations, and research gaps, this review offers valuable insights into optimizing multicloud DLT deployments for robust data integrity and secure transactional processes. The study underscores the growing importance of cross-cloud blockchain interoperability and regulatory compliance in advancing secure and resilient multicloud ecosystems.

As organizations adopt increasingly tougher security standards, today’s users are required to remember more passwords for more systems. These passwords are more complex and have a shorter lifetime than ever before. The increased likelihood of errors in recalling passwords generates increased calls to the Helpdesk for password resets. Overall, this decreases the productivity of the user. These are two factors affecting the bottom-line of the business. The Fallback Authentication Manager provides the solution to this problem. No doubt the mechanism will be The future of SelfService Password Management. Keywords—Fallback Authentication, (Graphical Identification and Authentication, Automated password reset through E-Mail Authentication Service.

The role of the teacher in the classroom environment is of crucial importance for the effectiveness of the learning process. However, recent studies on the technological enhancement of education have shown that teacher's activities are not adequately supported, as the focus remains rather on the student's side. This article discusses a learner-centric approach towards supporting instructors in improving the teaching and learning processes in ambient educational environments. The proposed solution introduces an intelligent multi-agent infrastructure that monitors unobtrusively the students' activities and identifies potential learning weaknesses and pitfalls that need to be addressed at an individual or classroom level. Such real-time insights enable the instructor to intervene providing help and adapt the teaching process according to the needs of the class. For that to be achieved, several applications have been developed: (i) a real-time classroom activity visualizer, (ii) a behavioral reasoner that aims to identify common behaviors by analyzing classroom activities, (iii) a statistics records manager targeting to showcase students' progress and performance at both an individual and classroom level, and finally (iv) a series of mini-tools that enhance typical procedures that can be found in conventional classrooms, such as the classroom attendance record, the schedule manager, etc. Following the system's description, findings of a preliminary expert-based evaluation are presented and some concluding remarks regarding the deployment of the system in real-life environments are formulated. Finally, potential future extensions of the system are proposed.

When network products and services become more valuable as their userbase grows (network effects), this tendency can become a major determinant of how they compete with each other in the market and how the market is structured. Network effects are traditionally linked to high market concentration, early-mover advantages, and entry barriers, and in the cryptoasset market they have been used as a valuation tool too. The recent resurgence of Bitcoin has been partly attributed to network effects too. We study the existence of network effects in six cryptoassets from their inception to obtain a high-level overview of the application of network effects in the cryptoasset market. We show that contrary to the usual implications of network effects, they do not serve to concentrate the cryptoasset market, nor do they accord any one cryptoasset a definitive competitive advantage, nor are they consistent enough to be reliable valuation tools. Therefore, while network effects do occur in cryptoa...

This assignment paper examines the strategic transition of Eazee Shopper, a fictional Birmingham-based retail chain developed for the purpose of this study, as it adopts a hybrid traditional e-commerce business model to align with the digital transformation of the retail industry. With a network of five supermarkets across the Midlands, the study explores how Eazee Shopper seeks to integrate the strengths of traditional retail with the convenience and efficiency of e-commerce through a comprehensive information system strategy. Central to this initiative is the development of an online shopping and delivery platform designed to enhance customer satisfaction, optimise supplier and customer relationship management, and achieve key business objectives.

The paper reviews the company's history, from its establishment in 2004 to its expansion in 2006, and critically evaluates its business processes to ensure resilience and sustainability. Key strategies analysed include disaster recovery planning, risk management, and the integration of cutting-edge technologies. These measures aim to secure operational continuity and support the company's goal of achieving a threefold increase in turnover within five years.

This paper highlights the importance of regular assessments and updates to strategic plans to accommodate technological advancements and maintain competitiveness in the evolving retail landscape. The findings offer insights into the implementation of hybrid business models and their potential to drive growth in the modern retail environment.

In 1999 a project was undertaken to develop an information systems strategy (ISS) for the UK Parliament. This was the first time that both Houses of Parliament, the Lords and the Commons, had collaborated in such a venture. The paper describes the attempt to apply soft OR in the project. Because of the inherent interest of the context of the intervention, the paper describes the project in some detail. In the event the formal soft OR methods were not used but a soft approach was taken. The experience complements earlier studies in the retail, mining and electricity supply industries. The paper is the last in a series of published case studies, which describe attempts to apply soft methods in practice. Together the cases articulate the 'strand of practice' of one practitioner.

Healthcare has evolved significantly in recent years primarily due to the advancements in and increasing adoption of technology in healthcare processes such as data collection, storage, diagnostics, and treatment. The emergence of the industrial internet of things (IIoT) has further evolved e-Health by facilitating the development of connected healthcare systems which can significantly improve data connectivity, visibility, and interoperability leading to improved quality of service delivered to patients. However, such technological advancements come with their perils—there are growing concerns with regards to the security and privacy of healthcare data especially when collected, shared, and processed using cutting-edge connected sensor devices affecting the adoption of next-generation e-healthcare systems. In particular, during the front-end and back-end data transfer in health information exchange (HIE) there exist a security risk in term of confidentiality, integrity, authenticat...

Since 1984, Glaxo Pharmaceuticals has seen a dramatic expansion in the use of desktop personal computers. The use of these machines for spreadsheet modelling and data analysis, databases, graphics, word processing, project planning and statistical analysis, computerbased training and expert systems has transformed the nature of computing within the company and provided a platform for significant new co-processing developments. Over 1,300 personal computers have been installed in the company's four sites, providing a range of business benefits in terms of improved efficiency and effectiveness. Case studies of how these benefits have been provided are described, and a number of key issues for managing such change are discussed.

While blockchains and more generally distributed ledger technologies (DLTs) are passing over their hype curve peak, their shortcomings are becoming more apparent. One relatively recent approach to address their performance, scalability, privacy, and other problems are to use multiple different DLTs instead of relying on just one. While there are no really established standards for combining several DLTs, a few repeating patterns can be observed. In this paper, we present a survey of interledger approaches, discussing and comparing their underlying mechanisms. A shared motivation for all of the discussed interledger solutions is to move away from the ''one chain rules them all'' model to one that allows the interconnection of multiple ledgers, with different features and advantages, while also supporting innovation. The interledger approaches discussed in this survey include 1) atomic cross-chain transactions, 2) transactions across a network of payment channels, 3) the W3C Interledger Protocol (ILP), 4) bridging, 5) sidechains, and 6) ledger-of-ledgers. The approaches are compared according to whether they support the transfer or the exchange of value, their interconnection trust mechanism, complexity, scalability, and transaction cost. INDEX TERMS Atomic swaps, blockchain, cross-chain transactions, distributed ledger technologies (DLTs), hash-locks, interledger protocol (ILP), sidechains, time-locks.

The Central and State governments trying to implement effective E-Governance in the Gram Panchayat System (GPS). for this purpose, the government used ICT Technology and provide an online platform for the gram panchayat. The traditional governance structures in Gram Panchayats have faced challenges, including inefficiencies, lack of transparency, and vulnerability to corruption. To address these issues, we propose the integration of blockchain technology to revolutionize the functioning of the Gram Panchayat system. In response to these challenges, our proposed framework leverages the decentralized and immutable nature of blockchain technology to address existing issues. The primary focus of this framework lies in streamlining processes, fostering citizen participation, and ensuring tamper-proof data storage. In this theoretical framework, blockchain serves as the underlying infrastructure to record and validate transactions, decisions, and service delivery across the Gram Panchayat system. The integration of smart contracts further automates routine tasks, reducing bureaucratic bottlenecks and enhancing operational efficiency. The proposed theoretical blockchain framework enables immutable and transparent record-keeping of various administrative processes, such as fund allocation, resource management, and decision-making. By utilizing smart contracts, the framework automates contract execution, ensuring adherence to predefined rules and reducing the scope for human error and manipulation.

As organisations move away from locally hosted computer services toward Cloud platforms, there is a corresponding need to ensure the digital forensic integrity of such instances. This need is largely motivated by the locus of responsibility and also by the associated risk of legal sanction and financial penalty. Effective monitoring of activity and events is an essential aspect of such forensic readiness. A major concern is the risk that monitoring systems may themselves be targeted and affected by intruders, thereby nullifying the prospective benefits of such internal software surveillance facilities. In this paper, we outline an approach to intrusion monitoring that aims to ensure the credibility of log data and provide a means of data sharing that supports log reconstruction in the event that one or more logging systems is maliciously impaired. In addition, we identify and describe the multi-level interpretation problem as an inherent challenge to managing forensic recovery in the Cloud.

The adoption of permissioned blockchain networks in enterprise settings has seen an increase in growth over the past few years. While encouraging, this is leading to the emergence of new data, asset and process silos limiting the potential value these networks bring to the broader ecosystem. Mechanisms for enabling network interoperability help preserve the benefits of independent sovereign networks, while allowing for the transfer or sharing of data, assets and processes across network boundaries. However, a naive approach to interoperability based on traditional point-to-point integration is insufficient for preserving the underlying trust decentralized networks provide. In this paper, we lay the foundation for an approach to interoperability based on a communication protocol that derives trust from the underlying network consensus protocol. We present an architecture and a set of building blocks that can be adapted for use in a range of network implementations and demonstrate a proof-of-concept for trusted data-sharing between two independent trade finance and supply-chain networks, each running on Hyperledger Fabric. We show how existing blockchain deployments can be adapted for interoperation and discuss the security and extensibility of our architecture and mechanisms. CCS Concepts • Computing methodologies → Distributed computing methodologies; • Software and its engineering → Interoperability; • Networks → Network protocols;

Process standardization is targeted to address the digital society in general and business community in particular for satisfying the needs of inter-enterprise integration standards that provide real-world value (as mentioned in the Object Management Group Mission statement). For this purpose a unified model that allows a better understanding on the nature and significance of strategic alignment in theory and practice called 'Abstraction Standardization Customization Personalization model' (ASCP Model) is conceived based on Abstraction-Standardization-Concretization Methodology. Classification is an important tool for perception and can be found in numerous scientific disciplines. Several application areas of classification are described in the context of information modeling. The usefulness of classification both as a reference model and a methodology is required for the purpose of systematically positioning the macro level problems in various layers defined in the classification scheme and is adopted in ASCP Model. ASCP Model is a classification scheme to drive and derive Process Standardization. Consistency in operations is necessary for claiming the process as a reference to set of standard patterns. Business Process Modeling has undoubtedly emerged as a popular and relevant practice in this regard. Our findings suggest that the critical areas of concern are standardization of processes, process modeling approaches, identification of the value and its proposition in business process modeling and in model-driven process execution. It is believed that ASCP both as a model and methodology is expected to persist as a road for building standard process blocks targeting the digital governance and digital business community in the future.

Blockchain is one of the most recent disrupting technologies. Since Bitcoin emerged as its initial application, many blockchain projects arose offering different features for general and domain specific scenarios. In turn, Blockchain platforms work as isolated environments and they do not support interaction (i.e. interoperability) between each other.During the last years, some academic and industry efforts were performed in order to achieve interoperability between blockchain platforms. However, these efforts solve specific use cases and do not provide a general interoperability solution. In order to organize existing work in the area, this paper provides a feature-based classification framework based on 16 key interoperability features, that enabled the classification of 65 academic papers in three categories and six subcategories.The results show that nowadays research is focused on public interoperability, while private and public-to-private interoperability are still on their f...

Sensitive records stored in the cloud such as healthcare records, private conversation and credit card information are targets of hackers and privacy abuse. Current information and record management systems have difficulties achieving privacy protection of such sensitive records in a secure, transparent, decentralized and trustless environment. The Blockchain technology is a nascent and a promising technology that facilitates data sharing and access in a secure, decentralized and trustless environment. The technology enables the use of smart contracts that can be leveraged to complement existing traditional systems to achieve security objectives that were never possible before. In this paper, we propose a framework based on Blockchain technology to enable privacy-preservation in a secured, decentralized, transparent and trustless environment. We name our framework SmartCoAuth. It is based on Ethereum Smart Contract functions as the secure, decentralized, transparent authentication a...

In presenting this dissertation as a partial fulfillment of the requirements for an advanced degree from Georgia State University, I agree that the Library of the University shall make it available for inspection and circulation in accordance with its regulations governing materials of this type. I agree that permission to quote from, copy from, or publish this dissertation may be granted by the author or, in her absence, the professor under whose direction it was written or, in his absence, by the Dean of the Robinson College of Business. Such quoting, copying, or publishing must be solely for scholarly purposes and must not involve potential financial gain. It is understood that any copying from or publication of this dissertation that involves potential gain will not be allowed without written permission of the author.

'cALI.IERs, R.D. (1987). Information systems planning in the United Kingdom and Australia-a comparison of current practice. Oxford Surveys in Information Technology, 4, pp. 223-255; GALLIERS, R.D. (1991). Strategic information systems planning: myths, reality and guidelines for SUCcessful implementation.

In recent years, blockchain technology has gained significant attention for its potential in various domains. However, the lack of interoperability between different blockchain platforms poses a significant challenge in meeting the demands of the modern world. To address this issue, our research focuses on unlocking blockchain interconnectivity through smart contract-driven cross-chain communication. We aim to contribute to the development of a model that enhances the functionality and usability of blockchain technology. To achieve interoperability, we explore various options and leverage the power of smart contracts. These contracts enable seamless communication and exchange of services between different blockchain platforms, as well as with legacy systems. By implementing our proposed model, we intend to bridge the gap between isolated blockchain systems, enabling them to work together efficiently and effectively. To validate the effectiveness of our model, we have conducted a comparative analysis with existing parent blockchain models for cross-chain communication. We have measured and compared their mean and standard deviation, which indicate the performance improvements achieved by our approach. The results demonstrate that our model outperforms the existing parent blockchain model, offering better cross-chain communication capabilities and showing a 42.27% improvement in efficiency as well. Through our research, we aim to contribute to the advancement of blockchain technology by addressing the critical issue of interoperability. By enabling seamless communication and collaboration between different blockchain platforms, our model has the potential to revolutionize various industries and unlock new opportunities for innovation and growth.

During the last years, interoperability has become one of the main challenges within blockchain research as blockchains increasingly require to integrate between each other. Indeed, blockchains work by design in silos of information as interoperability is not a native feature. The main efforts in the field target permissionless blockchains, such as Bitcoin and Ethereum. However, interoperability in permissioned blockchains remains as an almost untouched area of work as they introduce additional requirements focusing on privacy and identity. Although, there are some interoperability solutions for permissioned blockchains, they are either high-level design proposals not providing concrete implementations or focus on interoperability issues between business applications and blockchain platforms. In this paper we propose a gateway-based platform-to-platform interoperability solution for permissioned blockchains, which comprises a detailed solution design and a reference implementation. The proposal was assessed through the development of a social security case study, based on the reference implementation and using two blockchain platforms: Hyperledger Fabric and Corda.

Blockchain is one of the most recent disrupting technologies. Since Bitcoin emerged as its initial application, many blockchain projects arose offering different features for general and domain specific scenarios. In turn, Blockchain platforms were designed as isolated environments where interoperability was not a native feature. During the last years, academic and industry efforts worked to improve interoperability between blockchain platforms and provided many solutions to solve this problem. However, there is not consensus in the literature on how to classify certain type of solutions and the classification of some of them is not straightforward, which hinders the understanding of the work in the area. In order to organize existing work, this paper provides a feature-based classification framework based on fourteen key interoperability features, that enabled the classification of sixty-two academic papers in three categories and six subcategories. The results show that nowadays research is focused on public interoperability, while private and public-to-private interoperability are still on their first steps. Based on these results, this work also discusses nowadays blockchain interoperability landscape, identifies challenges, and suggests future research directions.

Blockchain is one of the most recent disrupting technologies. Since Bitcoin emerged as its initial application, many blockchain projects arose offering different features for general and domain specific scenarios. In turn, Blockchain platforms work as isolated environments and they do not support interaction (i.e. interoperability) between each other.During the last years, some academic and industry efforts were performed in order to achieve interoperability between blockchain platforms. However, these efforts solve specific use cases and do not provide a general interoperability solution. In order to organize existing work in the area, this paper provides a feature-based classification framework based on 16 key interoperability features, that enabled the classification of 65 academic papers in three categories and six subcategories.The results show that nowadays research is focused on public interoperability, while private and public-to-private interoperability are still on their f...

In 1999 a project was undertaken to develop an information systems strategy (ISS) for the UK Parliament. This was the first time that both Houses of Parliament, the Lords and the Commons, had collaborated in such a venture. The paper describes the attempt to apply soft OR in the project. Because of the inherent interest of the context of the intervention, the paper describes the project in some detail. In the event the formal soft OR methods were not used but a soft approach was taken. The experience complements earlier studies in the retail, mining and electricity supply industries. The paper is the last in a series of published case studies, which describe attempts to apply soft methods in practice. Together the cases articulate the 'strand of practice' of one practitioner.

During the last years, interoperability has become one of the main challenges within blockchain research as blockchains increasingly require to integrate between each other. Indeed, blockchains work by design in silos of information as interoperability is not a native feature. The main efforts in the field target permissionless blockchains, such as Bitcoin and Ethereum. However, interoperability in permissioned blockchains remains as an almost untouched area of work as they introduce additional requirements focusing on privacy and identity. Although, there are some interoperability solutions for permissioned blockchains, they are either high-level design proposals not providing concrete implementations or focus on interoperability issues between business applications and blockchain platforms. In this paper we propose a gateway-based platform-to-platform interoperability solution for permissioned blockchains, which comprises a detailed solution design and a reference implementation. The proposal was assessed through the development of a social security case study, based on the reference implementation and using two blockchain platforms: Hyperledger Fabric and Corda.

Blockchain is one of the most recent disrupting technologies. Since Bitcoin emerged as its initial application, many blockchain projects arose offering different features for general and domain specific scenarios. In turn, Blockchain platforms were designed as isolated environments where interoperability was not a native feature. During the last years, academic and industry efforts worked to improve interoperability between blockchain platforms and provided many solutions to solve this problem. However, there is not consensus in the literature on how to classify certain type of solutions and the classification of some of them is not straightforward, which hinders the understanding of the work in the area. In order to organize existing work, this paper provides a feature-based classification framework based on fourteen key interoperability features, that enabled the classification of sixty-two academic papers in three categories and six subcategories. The results show that nowadays research is focused on public interoperability, while private and public-to-private interoperability are still on their first steps. Based on these results, this work also discusses nowadays blockchain interoperability landscape, identifies challenges, and suggests future research directions.

Conventional web based systems present a multiplicity of attack vectors and one of the main components, the database, is frequently configured incorrectly, frequently using default settings, thus leaving the system wide open to attack. Once a system has been attacked, valuable audit trail and system log data is usually deleted by the intruder to cover their tracks. Considering the average industry time between breach and discovery, there is often little or no forensic trail left to follow. While this presents a significant challenge to these conventional systems, when such a system uses cloud computing, the challenge increases considerably. In a conventional setting, the enterprise can use a robust firewall to afford some protection to enterprise users, however in a cloud setting, the enterprise firewall will not extend to external services, and a lot more people than are often considered can have access to cloud resources. Of equal importance is that in cloud settings, where new instances may be automatically spooled up and shut down to follow the demand curve, any data stored on the running instance before shut down will be irretrievably lost. We demonstrate how the configuration of a simple immutable database, running on a separate private system can go a long way to resolving this problem. Index Terms-Cloud security and privacy; immutable database; forensic trail.

The Internet is becoming more centralized, more asymmetric in terms of information and power distribution, more biased, less secure and less trustworthy. Blockchain technologies already allow the decentralized exchange of digital assets in a secure and fair manner, but its application to information transmission is mostly unexplored. This article outlines our vision for ONTOCHAIN, a semantically enhanced blockchain software ecosystem that enables the creation of secure distributed applications that empower users, ensure their privacy, high quality of service, and ultimately encourage pluralism and democracy. The primary goal of ONTOCHAIN is to achieve trustworthy service exchange and content handling for a variety of disciplines, including health, economy, public services, energy and sustainability, news, media, entertainment, industry 4.0, and tourism, employing advanced knowledge management mechanisms.

The Internet is becoming more centralized, more asymmetric in terms of knowledge and power distribution, more biased, less privacypreserving and less trustworthy. Blockchain technologies already enable the safe and fair exchange of digital assets in a decentralized manner; however, its application to information exchange remains largely unexplored. This article exposes our vision for a semantically-enriched blockchain software ecosystem named ONTOCHAIN, that enables the development of trustworthy distributed applications that can empower users, guarantee both their privacy and high quality of service, and ultimately support pluralism and democracy. ONTOCHAIN aims primarily to attain trustworthy service exchange and trustworthy content handling by means of advanced knowledge management mechanisms for several domains such as health, economy, public services, energy and sustainability, news, media, entertainment, Industry 4.0 and tourism. We present the main components of the ONTOCHAIN architecture and their functionality. Finally, the validity of our approach is exemplified by describing how decentralized applications can be enabled by the ONTOCHAIN ecosystem.

Decentralized ledger technology (DLT) is becoming ubiquitous in today's society.  After an initial grassroots adoption, enterprises embrace this technology, following the opportunity to expand to new businesses - the technology is maturing. However, organizations need to connect their existing systems and processes to blockchains (centralized - decentralized) securely and reliably, sometimes also implying to connect blockchains (decentralized - decentralized). This challenge is known as blockchain interoperability. Blockchain interoperability comes in three modes: data transfers, asset transfers, and asset exchanges. As blockchain interoperability is still maturing, there are many unsolved challenges across the different interoperability modes. In this \emph{position paper}, we illustrate the remaining challenges of interoperability, focusing on the systematic evaluation of interoperability mechanisms, based on the state of the art and our own experience. We first introduce the ...

Lean principles, aiming at eliminating waste and increasing efficiency at a company, take their roots from the initiatives of Taiichi Ohno. After the implementation of the principles at the Toyota Motor Company for the first time, businesses started to discover the benefits of lean implementation in terms of efficiency increase. As the adaptation of lean into the manufacturing sector is continuing, the necessity of assessing the level of leanness at the firm-level maintains its importance. Taking systems approach as a basis, the lean performance of an organization should be assessed as a whole. Therefore, we propose a holistic leanness assessment framework, which encapsulates various dimensions of the leanness assessment and we identify the importance and causal relationships between the sub-criteria. In order to identify the importance and causal relationships between the sub-criteria, we used fuzzy Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL). Our findings show that t...

A core enabler for blockchain or DLT interoperability is the ability to atomically exchange assets held by mutually untrusting owners on different ledgers. This atomic swap problem has been well-studied, with the Hash Time Locked Contract (HTLC) emerging as a canonical solution. HTLC ensures atomicity of exchange, albeit with caveats for node failure and timeliness of claims. But a bigger limitation of HTLC is that it only applies to a model consisting of two adversarial parties having sole ownership of a single asset in each ledger. Realistic extensions of the model in which assets may be jointly owned by multiple parties, all of whose consents are required for exchanges, or where multiple assets must be exchanged for one, are susceptible to collusion attacks and hence cannot be handled by HTLC. In this paper, we generalize the model of asset exchanges across DLT networks and present a taxonomy of use cases, describe the threat model, and propose MPHTLC, an augmented HTLC protocol for atomic multi-owner-and-asset exchanges. We analyze the correctness, safety, and application scope of MPHTLC. As proof-of-concept, we show how MPHTLC primitives can be implemented in networks built on Hyperledger Fabric and Corda, and how MPHTLC can be implemented in the Hyperledger Labs Weaver framework by augmenting its existing HTLC protocol.

The development of an information systems (IS) strategy for a mineral extraction and processing plant operated by Rio Tinto Zinc (RTZ) in South Africa is described. The participative approach used was developed from soft OR and systems thinking. The aim of the Richards Bay project was to test commercially whether the Participative Information Management Strategy (PIMS) methodology could be used as a standard method to be applied to the development of an information systems strategy at any mine site. The paper describes the implementation of the process and the problems encountered. More generally it discusses the diffusion of new ideas in an international company, illustrated by the use of the participative approach for other activities including systems development. Conclusions are drawn about the value of participative approaches based on soft OR in this context.

Blockchain is a distributed ledger technology (DLT) to manage data in a decentralised way. During the last years, interoperability has become one of the main challenges within blockchain research as blockchains increasingly require integration between each other. Indeed, blockchains work by design in silos of information as interoperability is not a native feature. The main efforts in the field are focused on blockchains, such as Bitcoin and Ethereum. However, interoperability in DLT remains as an almost untouched area of work as they introduce additional requirements focusing on privacy and identity. Although there are some interoperability solutions for DLT, they are either high-level design proposals not providing concrete implementations or focus on interoperability issues between business applications and blockchain platforms. In this paper we propose a gateway-based platform-to-platform interoperability solution for DLT, which comprises a detailed solution design and a referen...

Distributed ledger technologies (DLT) usage is currently limited to a single platform as they don't have design-based interoperability capabilities. In general, it's challenging for a DLT to communicate with another one. Although several DLT solutions have been proposed and applied in specific application areas, building a general purpose interoperability solution for any DLT remains a challenge. In previous work, we proposed a tailor-made interoperability solution between Hyperledger Fabric and Corda. This paper extends that work to enable interoperability between Hyperledger Fabric and Ethereum. The main contributions of this paper are proposals for a new Ethereum connector, a new request-response interaction model and the introduction of future payments to enable the payments of services. A prototype was developed and evaluated through a case scenario, performance tests and cost analysis. Performance tests showed bottlenecks under heavy load scenarios due to Ethereum'...

Blockchain is a distributed ledger technology (DLT) to manage data in a decentralised way. During the last years, interoperability has become one of the main challenges within blockchain research as blockchains increasingly require integration between each other. Indeed, blockchains work by design in silos of information as interoperability is not a native feature. The main efforts in the field are focused on blockchains, such as Bitcoin and Ethereum. However, interoperability in DLT remains as an almost untouched area of work as they introduce additional requirements focusing on privacy and identity. Although there are some interoperability solutions for DLT, they are either high-level design proposals not providing concrete implementations or focus on interoperability issues between business applications and blockchain platforms. In this paper we propose a gateway-based platform-to-platform interoperability solution for DLT, which comprises a detailed solution design and a referen...

A core enabler for blockchain or DLT interoperability is the ability to atomically exchange assets held by mutually untrusting owners on different ledgers. This atomic swap problem has been well-studied, with the Hash Time Locked Contract (HTLC) emerging as a canonical solution. HTLC ensures atomicity of exchange, albeit with caveats for node failure and timeliness of claims. But a bigger limitation of HTLC is that it only applies to a model consisting of two adversarial parties having sole ownership of a single asset in each ledger. Realistic extensions of the model in which assets may be jointly owned by multiple parties, all of whose consents are required for exchanges, or where multiple assets must be exchanged for one, are susceptible to collusion attacks and hence cannot be handled by HTLC. In this paper, we generalize the model of asset exchanges across DLT networks and present a taxonomy of use cases, describe the threat model, and propose MPHTLC, an augmented HTLC protocol for atomic multi-owner-and-asset exchanges. We analyze the correctness, safety, and application scope of MPHTLC. As proof-of-concept, we show how MPHTLC primitives can be implemented in networks built on Hyperledger Fabric and Corda, and how MPHTLC can be implemented in the Hyperledger Labs Weaver framework by augmenting its existing HTLC protocol.

This document describes the approach of iNGENIOUS to develop an interoperability layer, aggregating data coming from different existing and forthcoming IoT technologies. The deliverable describes the state of the current technologies and the planned innovations applied to Internet-of-Things (IoT) data management and applications.

In recent years, blockchain technology has gained significant attention for its potential in various domains. However, the lack of interoperability between different blockchain platforms poses a significant challenge in meeting the demands of the modern world. To address this issue, our research focuses on unlocking blockchain interconnectivity through smart contract-driven cross-chain communication. We aim to contribute to the development of a model that enhances the functionality and usability of blockchain technology. To achieve interoperability, we explore various options and leverage the power of smart contracts. These contracts enable seamless communication and exchange of services between different blockchain platforms, as well as with legacy systems. By implementing our proposed model, we intend to bridge the gap between isolated blockchain systems, enabling them to work together efficiently and effectively. To validate the effectiveness of our model, we have conducted a comparative analysis with existing parent blockchain models for cross-chain communication. We have measured and compared their mean and standard deviation, which indicate the performance improvements achieved by our approach. The results demonstrate that our model outperforms the existing parent blockchain model, offering better cross-chain communication capabilities and showing a 42.27% improvement in efficiency as well. Through our research, we aim to contribute to the advancement of blockchain technology by addressing the critical issue of interoperability. By enabling seamless communication and collaboration between different blockchain platforms, our model has the potential to revolutionize various industries and unlock new opportunities for innovation and growth. INDEX TERMS Bridging multiple blockchain platforms, decentralized systems, distributed ledger technology, framework for communication, transaction.

Distributed ledger technologies (DLT) usage is currently limited to a single platform as they don't have design-based interoperability capabilities. In general, it's challenging for a DLT to communicate with another one. Although several DLT solutions have been proposed and applied in specific application areas, building a general purpose interoperability solution for any DLT remains a challenge. In previous work, we proposed a tailor-made interoperability solution between Hyperledger Fabric and Corda. This paper extends that work to enable interoperability between Hyperledger Fabric and Ethereum. The main contributions of this paper are proposals for a new Ethereum connector, a new request-response interaction model and the introduction of future payments to enable the payments of services. A prototype was developed and evaluated through a case scenario, performance tests and cost analysis. Performance tests showed bottlenecks under heavy load scenarios due to Ethereum'...

Distributed ledger technologies (DLT) usage is currently limited to a single platform as they don't have design-based interoperability capabilities. In general, it's challenging for a DLT to communicate with another one. Although several DLT solutions have been proposed and applied in specific application areas, building a general purpose interoperability solution for any DLT remains a challenge. In previous work, we proposed a tailor-made interoperability solution between Hyperledger Fabric and Corda. This paper extends that work to enable interoperability between Hyperledger Fabric and Ethereum. The main contributions of this paper are proposals for a new Ethereum connector, a new request-response interaction model and the introduction of future payments to enable the payments of services. A prototype was developed and evaluated through a case scenario, performance tests and cost analysis. Performance tests showed bottlenecks under heavy load scenarios due to Ethereum'...

Blockchain is currently one of the most popular technologies, providing privacy, transparency and trust. However, until now, it does not take into consideration the large amount of existing data and standards for decentralized data distribution and processing on the Web, that would leash new opportunities and business innovations for this emerging technology. Moreover, according to the vision of the Semantic Web, a key concept lies on data (semantic) annotations, querying and interlinking. Nevertheless, exporting knowledge resulting from different and possible interlinked blockchain networks, is still a major challenge. To address the aforementioned challenges, we propose ISLAND, a modular framework that is set to expose a unified abstraction layer to any data consumer that aims to infer meaningful knowledge from blockchain generated data, while at the same time enabling the semantic interoperability of them. In addition, a smart manufacturing use case scenario is presented as well as the potential business impacts are discussed.

Distributed ledger technologies (DLT) usage is currently limited to a single platform as they don't have design-based interoperability capabilities. In general, it's challenging for a DLT to communicate with another one. Although several DLT solutions have been proposed and applied in specific application areas, building a general purpose interoperability solution for any DLT remains a challenge. In previous work, we proposed a tailor-made interoperability solution between Hyperledger Fabric and Corda. This paper extends that work to enable interoperability between Hyperledger Fabric and Ethereum. The main contributions of this paper are proposals for a new Ethereum connector, a new request-response interaction model and the introduction of future payments to enable the payments of services. A prototype was developed and evaluated through a case scenario, performance tests and cost analysis. Performance tests showed bottlenecks under heavy load scenarios due to Ethereum'...

A typology of IS strategy has recently been forwarded in the literature in which IS strategy is categorized into three types: Innovative, Conservative, and Undefined. But more recent investigations in IS found that when firms attempt to take an ambidextrous approach, to some degree exhibiting both moderately innovative and conservative strategy behaviors, firms tend to perform equally well or better than those implementing predominately a single approach. Therefore, this paper proposes an extension to the existing typology by including a fourth strategy-IS Ambidextrous. It contributes by operationalizing and testing the extended typology in a model that assesses IS strategies' impacts on dynamic capabilities development and ultimately on performance. It is found that, in practice, a substantially high percentage of firms strive to be ambidextrous and that this approach to IS is a rewarding strategy and by no means inferior to any of the other IS approaches in the typology.

To fully cope with the requirements of innovative 5G use cases, evolving business models and flexible networking scenarios spanning multiple administrative domains are envisioned. In this context, transparent and trusted frameworks that enable network service providers and infrastructure providers to advertise, negotiate and acquire, in real time, 5G resources and services, distributed over various geographical areas, are extremely valuable. To address this goal, emerging Distributed Ledger Technologies (DLTs) arise as well-suited solutions to ensure distributed security and trust, as well as effective and agile transaction management across the various parties involved in the 5G service chain implementation. Following this vision, this paper presents the design of a DLT-enabled Marketplace aimed to foster the secure trading of heterogeneous resources in dynamic 5G ecosystems. The performance of an initial implementation as proof-of-concept is also analyzed. The results of this proof-of-concept validate the feasibility of a decentralized marketplace implementation in the context of 5G resource trading.