Browsing by Author "Norman, Michael"

Now showing 1 - 6 of 6
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    Cell phone notification via bluetooth for Web 2.0 applications
    (Telkom, 2009) Mutemwa, Muyowa; Tucker, William David; Norman, Michael
    This paper discusses how an Instant Messaging application on a computer can use Bluetooth in order to provide vibration notification on a mobile phone. The initial motivation was to aid Deaf1 office workers to know when events happened on the computer on their desks. Deaf people with access to modern technology have become accustomed to using Instant Messaging, email and video conferencing. However, most of these applications are designed for hearing users and often use audible notification. Cell phone vibration offers a way to convey similar notifications because many Deaf users have a cell phone. The use of SMS has also become widespread among Deaf users because they cannot hear or speak, even though they might be somewhat text illiterate. Vibration notification in addition to aural notification is common on most cell phones and Deaf users can use the former. This paper describes a Bluetooth notification system to notify a Deaf user with vibration on a cell phone whenever a new Instant Message is received on a given computer. A design goal was to provide an application programming interface to the notification system so that it can be used with any form of Web 2.0 desktop communication tool.
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    Development of a health management information system using agile software-engineering methods
    (2013) Shahidzay, Amir Kror; Norman, Michael
    The purpose of this thesis is to discuss the development of a web application from scratch. It serves to build a health management information system from basic principles and covers all the software engineering activities starting from the gathering of requirements, evaluating these and eventually implementing a health management information system by applying several iterations of the Agile-extreme-programming-software-engineering approach to develop a Health Management System for the Kabul University Poly-clinic located at Kabul University campus in order to computerize clerical activities at the hospital. Questionnaires were used to uncover the clerical problems experienced by the hospital sta . Attempts to address these problems by designing and im- plementing software and re ne the software after some iterations of feedback- redesign-and-implementation following the guidelines of Agile extreme pro- gramming. The previous Health management systems at the hospital were paper based. The new computerized system has eased the burdens of tracking the les of patients at the hospital, leading to easier and more e cient access to information by the health-care professionals at the hospital. An assessment of the impact this has had on the medical and clerical sta and the smoother administration of the hospital by repeated user acceptance testing by means of questionnaires con rms the success of the project.
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    Internet protocol-based push to talk
    (Telkom, 2010) Kobo, Hlabishi Isaac; Tucker, William David; Norman, Michael
    This paper discusses a way of offering voice instant messaging based on Internet Protocol using Session Initiation Protocol. The purpose of this investigation is to enhance the modern social communication amongst the people of South Africa who are already accustomed to text-based instant messaging. The proposed application aims to implement the traditional Push-to-Talk technology using Internet Protocol. Thus the proposed IP-based Push-to-Talk is a new approach to voice communication which emulates a walkie-talkie system. On the mobile phone IP-Push-to-Talk herein referred to as Push-to-Talk over a cell phone can be viewed as a voice SMS. The adoption of a Push-to-Talk service was inspired by the fact that it applies half-duplex communication. This enhances the primary objective of offering a cheap voice instant messaging. In half-duplex communication, only one person can talk at a time, thereby avoiding bidirectional charging. The project was implemented on two platforms, a PC and a mobile phone. The PC Push-to-Talk was implemented through client server approach whilst the mobile Push-to-Talk through a peer-to-peer approach. Several software engineering strategies were used for user requirements gathering as well for testing. Six users participated in the test and the results were gathered through questionnaires. The results showed that, half-duplex communication is efficient and yet very economical as it makes less usage of system resources.
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    An investigation into the appropriateness of using agile processes to build an educational management information system
    (University of the Western Cape, 2010) Sammadyar, Abdul Wahid; Norman, Michael; Faculty of Science
    Since there was a need for an Educational Management Information System (EMIS) in the Ministry of Education in Afghanistan, we designed and implemented a prototype for use in the ministry and investigated the appropriateness of using Agile methods for producing the EMIS. The prototype consisted of a database containing data about schools and a Dari interface which was used by educational planners, managers and policy makers of the ministry for decision making and planning. Agile methods are relatively new in software engineering and have an approach and development guidelines which strive for user satisfaction and early incremental delivery of software. We adapt them to local conditions due to their collaborative client-developer approach. The interface, a key component, is easy to use and efficient. The key research result is an evaluation concerning the appropriateness of using Agile Methods for developing the EMIS. Focus groups and surveys were used to develop the prototype and accomplish the study.
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    An investigation of the best-practices for implementing an Ecommerce software engineering project comparing two common methodologies, viz. Agile and Traditional.
    (University of the Western Cape, 2020) Chidyiwa, Octavia; Norman, Michael
    In a world where technology is advancing at a very rapid pace, global competition has significantly increased, and this is putting pressure on software companies to produce quality software. It has therefore become critically important to manage well the implementation of software engineering projects by employing effective methods that ensure the best product is produced. The most popular software project implementation methodologies are the Traditional methods and Agile methods. This research explored these two methodologies by comparing the strength and weakness of both approaches. The research was conducted using a constructionist epistemology with a critical inquiry using the grounded theory methodology, applying both quantitative and qualitative methods to the case studies. Findings were collected through participant observation using a designed questionnaire targeting a selected sample of the study population. This sample of the population consisted of Ecommerce organizations in the Western Cape province of South Africa to establish which of the Traditional or Agile methods would best lead to the successful implementation of Ecommerce software engineering projects. The research results showed that the Agile methodology was the preferred and recommended approach. Very few participants of the research supported the Traditional approach to still be considered and used for projects with well-known end goals. An Ecommerce website prototype for a local Cape Town business was constructed as following the Agile approach to measure and validate the findings of the research. The prototype was built successfully from conception to the final delivery product and on time confirming the Agile approach as best for Ecommerce software development. In conclusion, the Agile methodology is the choice approach based on reviewed literature, the research results, and the prototype construction. These results will help in critical decision making regarding an appropriate development methodology to follow for the Ecommerce industry in the Western Cape.
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    Secure contactless smart card transactions on mobile devices
    (Telkom, 2009) Poroye, Adeola; Tucker, William David; Norman, Michael
    This paper presents work in progress to explore the utility of Near Field Communication technology to secure mobile financial services. The objective is to evaluate the potential of this approach as an upcoming technology for mobile cash transactions. The paper argues that Near Field Communication technology offers a feasible solution and can be integrated into a standard cellular handset to turn it into a contactless smart card. The motivation is to create a new secure way for the unbanked to perform financial transactions. A prototype has been developed and tested with participants in a laboratory environment. This paper also reports on preliminary results.