Virtual Business Networks in Developing Countries Luís C

Virtual Business Networks in Developing Countries Luís C. S. Barradas † João José Pinto Ferreira ‡, ‡‡ claudio. barradas@esg. ipsantarem. pt jjpf@fe. up. pt † Departamento de Informática e Métodos Quantitativos Escola Superior de Gestão e Tecnologia Instituto Politécnico de Santarém Portugal DSIE’ 09 ‡ Departamento de Engenharia Industrial e Gestão Faculdade de Engenharia Universidade do Portugal Doctoral Symposium on Informatics Engineering 2009 Porto, February 5, 6 2009 ‡ ‡ INESC Porto Unidade de Inovação e Transferência de Tecnologia Porto Portugal 1

Agenda n Introduction n Tourism Industry Value Chain n Tourism Industry Support Network n The Tourism Virtual Business Network Model n Business Model of the Proposed Virtual Business Network n Experimental Developments n Global Architecture and Core Services n Software components n Security n Testing and Results n Conclusions and Future work DSIE’ 09 Doctoral Symposium on Informatics Engineering 2009 Porto, February 5, 6 2009 2

Introduction n Internet and information technologies have changed the way people interact and make business all over the world. (Not completely true) true n The fast progress fostered by more dynamic economies has in fact been contributing to widening the so-called digital divide between rich and poor n This is a fact for micro, small and medium enterprises located in remote micro communities in Developing Countries, that face a number of obstacles and Countries difficulties due to their: n Family business structure; n Economical status; n Limited access to information; n Technological expertise; n …and poor communications infrastructures. DSIE’ 09 Doctoral Symposium on Informatics Engineering 2009 Porto, February 5, 6 2009 3

Introduction n This project addresses three tourism sub-sectors: n Crafts; n Eco- agro-tourism, n and cultural heritage. n This sectors are: n Interdependent and complementary for a number of activities and practices n Strongly linked to rural areas in Developing Countries DSIE’ 09 Doctoral Symposium on Informatics Engineering 2009 Porto, February 5, 6 2009 4

Tourism Industry Value Chain n Producers n Hotels, Resorts, Agro-tourism Farms, Craftsmen, etc. n Wholesale Dealers n Tourism operators n Retailers n Travel Agencies n Consumers n Tourists n Governmental entities and Official Organisms n Coordinate and promote tourism destinies DSIE’ 09 Doctoral Symposium on Informatics Engineering 2009 Porto, February 5, 6 2009 5

Tourism Industry Support Network n Computer Reservation Systems n Large Tourism producers and operators n Global Distribution Systems n The market for e-Tourism has been growing quickly, but dominated by large tourism organizations… organizations n Air transportation consortiums n Digital Interactive Television Applications n Tourism operators n Internet based applications n Tourism operators, Large Tourism Producers, Travel Agencies DSIE’ 09 Doctoral Symposium on Informatics Engineering 2009 Porto, February 5, 6 2009 n …most of the micro, small and micro medium enterprises of Alternative Tourism, specialty those located in remote communities, stay out of this communities restrict circle 6

Our approach to reduce the problem n Provide small and medium enterprises with tools that enable them to: n Have the opportunity to communicate and globally publish the diversity of their touristic resources, through a clear explanatory and consistent way. resources n Be present on an virtual business network that enables them to share their touristic offers at a world wide level. n Promote an integrated and locally grounded economy chain based on a strong local identity, leveraging on local natural, human and cultural resources. n The virtual business network should be able to build a “Network effect” effect DSIE’ 09 Doctoral Symposium on Informatics Engineering 2009 Porto, February 5, 6 2009 7

The Tourism Virtual Business Network Model n Requirements of New Approaches for Virtual Business Networks n Business Model for the Proposed Virtual Business Network based on a distributed P 2 P e-marketplace n Flexible platforms n Highly Scalable n Peers (small businesses) can form groups and create «business networks» n Provide flexible and new forms or interactions DSIE’ 09 Doctoral Symposium on Informatics Engineering 2009 Porto, February 5, 6 2009 8

The Tourism Virtual Business Network Model n Business Model for the Proposed Virtual Business Network, based on a distributed P 2 P e-marketplace model (a first approach ) DSIE’ 09 Doctoral Symposium on Informatics Engineering 2009 Porto, February 5, 6 2009 9

The Tourism Virtual Business Network Model n A Tourism Virtual Business Network Model fostered by a distributed P 2 P e -marketplace, with specialized peers DSIE’ 09 Doctoral Symposium on Informatics Engineering 2009 Porto, February 5, 6 2009 10

Experimental Developments n Core P 2 P Technology n JXTA - Set of XML based protocols for the development of heterogeneous P 2 P networks n Global Multi-layer Architecture DSIE’ 09 Doctoral Symposium on Informatics Engineering 2009 Porto, February 5, 6 2009 11

Experimental Developments n Software components Enterprise Application I P Search Application B Main targets: I Main Targets: • Producers • Intermediaries • Official organisms or non-profit private entities DSIE’ 09 Doctoral Symposium on Informatics Engineering 2009 Web Mirror WM P Main Targets: • Producers (Membership) • Intermediaries (Membership) • Consumer (Search) Porto, February 5, 6 2009 12

Experimental Developments n Software components: Web Mirror n Main functionalities n n Doctoral Symposium on Informatics Engineering 2009 Porto, February 5, 6 2009 Membership tool n DSIE’ 09 Local and P 2 P Search tool Mirror Service 13

Experimental Developments n Software components: Enterprise application n Main functionalities n Offer creation and editing tool n Offer publishing management tool n Business partners presence, look-up and management tools n Instant Messaging tool n Search tool n Broker services DSIE’ 09 Doctoral Symposium on Informatics Engineering 2009 Porto, February 5, 6 2009 14

Experimental Developments n Software components: Search application n Main functionalities n Business partners presence, look-up and management tool n Instant Messaging tool n Search tool DSIE’ 09 Doctoral Symposium on Informatics Engineering 2009 Porto, February 5, 6 2009 15

Experimental Developments n Security n Quite basic at the current status of the prototype n Includes peer authentication on the network n E-marketplace peers belong to a special Peer Group n Logical segmentation of the P 2 P Network n Communications and resource sharing are done in the group scope. DSIE’ 09 Doctoral Symposium on Informatics Engineering 2009 Porto, February 5, 6 2009 16

Experimental Developments n Testing and Results n Testing Environment n Semi-closed and laboratorial environment n Main Focused in tasks of n Sharing; n Searching; n and transferring tourism offers n …as well the start of basic trading interactions n Peer involved on the experimental marketplace DSIE’ 09 Doctoral Symposium on Informatics Engineering 2009 Porto, February 5, 6 2009 17

Experimental Developments n Testing and Results n Users were involved in testing n Charge testing methods used n All the services and functionalities provided by the applications were tested simultaneously, in order to simulate a real situation of the business network operation. n Operational results n Good functional operation of the tested software applications and services n Main drawbacks n Internet located peers had some difficulties to communicate with the firewalled peers. n Taking a few seconds to complete connections n Increase of the amount of network traffic DSIE’ 09 Doctoral Symposium on Informatics Engineering 2009 Porto, February 5, 6 2009 18

Conclusions and Future work n Typical e-marketplaces supporting technologies require some expertise, expertise powerful hardware resources and infrastructures, which carry on large supporting costs. n Promoting a virtual business network supported by a P 2 P based emarketplace, seems to be a good strategy to achieve the low costs and create a network effect n From a technical perspective, the flexibility provided by the proposed distributed P 2 P e-marketplace ensures the support for the sustained growth of peer nodes in the network. n Future work includes n Improve security aspects n Improve the way of connection with peers located on NAT/ firewalled LANS DSIE’ 09 Doctoral Symposium on Informatics Engineering 2009 Porto, February 5, 6 2009 19