A trust evaluation scheme of service providers in mobile edge computing

Mobile edge computing (MEC) is a new computing paradigm that brings cloud services to the network edge. Despite its great need in terms of computational services in daily life, service users may have several concerns while selecting a suitable service provider to fulfil their computational requirements. Such concerns are: with whom they are dealing with, where will their private data migrate to, service provider processing performance quality. Therefore, this paper presents a trust evaluation scheme that evaluates the processing performance of a service provider in the MEC environment. Processing performance of service providers is evaluated in terms of average processing success rate and processing throughput, thus allocating a service provider in a relevant trust status. Service provider processing incompliance and user termination ratio are also computed during provider’s interactions with users. This is in an attempt to help future service users to be acknowledged of service provider’s past interactions prior dealing with it. Thus, eliminating the probability of existing compromised service providers and raising the security and success of future interactions between service providers and users. Simulations results show service providers processing performance degree, processing incompliance and user termination ratio. A service provider is allocated to a trust status according to the evaluated processing performance trust degree.

pShare: Privacy-Preserving Ride-Sharing System with Minimum-Detouring Route

Online ride-hailing (ORH) services allow people to enjoy on-demand transportation services through their mobile devices in a short responding time. Despite the great convenience, users need to submit their location information to the ORH service provider, which may incur unexpected privacy problems. In this paper, we mainly study the privacy and utility of the ride-sharing system, which enables multiple riders to share one driver. To solve the privacy problem and reduce the ride-sharing detouring waste, we propose a privacy-preserving ride-sharing system named pShare. To hide users’ precise locations from the service provider, we apply a zone-based travel time estimation approach to privately compute over sensitive data while cloaking each rider’s location in a zone area. To compute the matching results along with the least-detouring route, the service provider first computes the shortest path for each eligible rider combination, then compares the additional traveling time (ATT) of all combinations, and finally selects the combination with minimum ATT. We designed a secure comparing protocol by utilizing the garbled circuit, which enables the ORH server to execute the protocol with a crypto server without privacy leakage. Moreover, we apply the data packing technique, by which multiple data can be packed as one to reduce the communication and computation overhead. Through the theoretical analysis and evaluation results, we prove that pShare is a practical ride-sharing scheme that can find out the sharing riders with minimum ATT in acceptable accuracy while protecting users’ privacy.

A Contract Service Provider Model for Virtual Assets

With the recent rise in the cost of transactions on blockchain platforms, there is a need to explore other service models that may provide a more predictable cost to customers and end-users. We discuss the Contract Service Provider (CSP) model as a counterpart of the successful Internet Service Provider (ISP) model. Similar to the ISP business model based on peered routing-networks, the CSP business model is based on multiple CSP entities forming a CSP Community or group offering a contract service for specific types of virtual assets. We discuss the contract domain construct which encapsulates well-defined smart contract primitives, policies and contract-ledger. We offer a number of design principles borrowed from the design principles of the Internet architecture.

An Analysis on the Terms and Conditions of the Clickwrap Agreement and the Benefits of Maintaining the Click Wrap Agreement in Cloud Computing

One of the most unique forms of contracting is apparent in cloud computing. Cloud computing, unlike other conventional methods, has adopted a different approach in the formation of binding contract that will be used for the governance of the cloud. This method is namely the clickwrap agreement. Click wrap agreement follows a take it or leave it basis in which the end users are provided with limited to no option in terms of having a say on the contract that binds them during the use of cloud services. The terms found in the contract are often cloud service provider friendly and will be less favourable to the end user. In this article, the authors examine the terms that are often found in the cloud computing agreement as well as study the benefit that is entailed in adopting this contracting method. This chapter has undertaken a qualitative study that comprises interviews of cloud service providers in Malaysia. Hence, this study is a novel approach that also provides insight in terms of the cloud service provider perspective regarding the click wrap agreement.

Cloud Computing Service Provider Business Model Success Characteristics

In a digital arena, information technology services provision is shifting to a cloud computing ecosystem. Cloud computing is an enabler for digital transformation with cloud computing service providers central to the digital transformation of both companies and higher education. As cloud computing service providers play the role of an ‘architect' for companies as supply chain is digitised and in supporting higher education institutions striving to deliver user-focused services in the face of increasing competition, an understanding of successful characteristics of cloud computing service provider business models is of main interest for providers and may also be of value for companies and higher education institutions when selecting cloud computing service providers. Despite the importance of cloud computing service providers' business models, information systems literature has provided limited analysis on the characteristics of successful business models. As such, the chapter aims to contribute to the emerging research on characteristics of successful business models.

Experimental Study of SaaS, Its Categories and Contribution in Cloud Computing

SaaS is software as a service. In previous days when the concept of providing the facility of distributed system from where information can be shared was introduced then the concept of Application service provider came into the picture. The idea was to provide application-based services to the companies using client server techniques. It became popular. SaaS is introduced to provide software also as a service which is upgraded version of the ASP. In this paper SaaS will be discussed in detail. There are two main types of SaaS. The challenges in implementation of SaaS will also be discussed.

Beschaffungsdienstleister im Vergabeverfahren

For the first time, this research opens up the field of procurement services, which has long existed in the real world, in a profound and comprehensive manner by developing a phenomenology and typology based on Art. 2 (1) No. 17 Directive 2014/24/EU. In essence, Nicole Lieb sheds light on the legal status of the procurement service provider and examines the legal requirements for the division of labour between it and the contracting authority in the context of an award procedure (the whether, the how and the consequences). Finally, valuable legal policy suggestions are made for the professionalisation of public procurement.

Payment Systems as a Driver for Platform Growth in E-Commerce

This chapter visits some of the fundamental concepts from platform economics, network effects, and network externalities. Further on, it discusses definitions of two-sided and multi-sided markets, how they are treated as business models. These concepts are further compared to the concept service ecosystem. A case of a payment service provider whose business model contributes to the growth of e-commerce is included. The purpose is to tease out how research on platforms has developed since e-commerce was in its infancy. The fundamental concepts developed in network economics are still valid and have been translated into different fields with a focus on value creation, information, and interaction. How platforms within platforms spur each other's growth is an area that has the potential to reach new insights on the platform economy.

State of the Art of Smart Technologies

Smart cities rely on smart technologies in all their possible forms; hence, this chapter is focusing on the state of the art of smart technologies. It describes these smart devices in all their ways and forms. In addition, techniques of software applications that are embedded in these smart devices are described along with their capabilities to adapt automatically and modify behavior to fit a user's environment. A smart city paradigm is also presented that focuses on sensors, smart devices, smart service provider subsystems, and smart sector infrastructure. A broader model of smart cities is discussed, and the chapter provides concrete goals, infrastructure, domains, and constituents. The chapter concludes by examining operation features such as the industrial setting, ubiquity, throughput, channels, and interoperability.