Author: Great Britain: National Audit Office
Publisher: The Stationery Office
ISBN: 0102943710
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 88
Book Description
This is a companion volume to the main NAO report (HCP 33-I, session 2006-07, ISBN 0102942323) and it contains details of 24 case studies which form the basis of the NAOs analysis of factors that contribute to successful delivery of IT-enabled programmes and projects which have achieved tangible benefits for citizens and taxpayers. Drawn from the public and private sectors in the UK and overseas, these case studies include: i) the Department for Work and Pensions Payment Modernisation Programme which cost £824 million and has transformed the payment of benefits and pensions through direct bank payments; ii) the Oyster electronic smartcard introduced by Transport for London in 2003 and a capital cost of £40 million; and iii) from the private sector, the UK trade associations chip and PIN programme at a cost of £1.1 billion.
Delivering Successful IT-enabled Business Change
Author: Great Britain: National Audit Office
Publisher: The Stationery Office
ISBN: 0102943710
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 88
Book Description
This is a companion volume to the main NAO report (HCP 33-I, session 2006-07, ISBN 0102942323) and it contains details of 24 case studies which form the basis of the NAOs analysis of factors that contribute to successful delivery of IT-enabled programmes and projects which have achieved tangible benefits for citizens and taxpayers. Drawn from the public and private sectors in the UK and overseas, these case studies include: i) the Department for Work and Pensions Payment Modernisation Programme which cost £824 million and has transformed the payment of benefits and pensions through direct bank payments; ii) the Oyster electronic smartcard introduced by Transport for London in 2003 and a capital cost of £40 million; and iii) from the private sector, the UK trade associations chip and PIN programme at a cost of £1.1 billion.
Publisher: The Stationery Office
ISBN: 0102943710
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 88
Book Description
This is a companion volume to the main NAO report (HCP 33-I, session 2006-07, ISBN 0102942323) and it contains details of 24 case studies which form the basis of the NAOs analysis of factors that contribute to successful delivery of IT-enabled programmes and projects which have achieved tangible benefits for citizens and taxpayers. Drawn from the public and private sectors in the UK and overseas, these case studies include: i) the Department for Work and Pensions Payment Modernisation Programme which cost £824 million and has transformed the payment of benefits and pensions through direct bank payments; ii) the Oyster electronic smartcard introduced by Transport for London in 2003 and a capital cost of £40 million; and iii) from the private sector, the UK trade associations chip and PIN programme at a cost of £1.1 billion.
Enabling Flexibility in Process-Aware Information Systems
Author: Manfred Reichert
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 3642304095
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 517
Book Description
In today’s dynamic business world, the success of a company increasingly depends on its ability to react to changes in its environment in a quick and flexible way. Companies have therefore identified process agility as a competitive advantage to address business trends like increasing product and service variability or faster time to market, and to ensure business IT alignment. Along this trend, a new generation of information systems has emerged—so-called process-aware information systems (PAIS), like workflow management systems, case handling tools, and service orchestration engines. With this book, Reichert and Weber address these flexibility needs and provide an overview of PAIS with a strong focus on methods and technologies fostering flexibility for all phases of the process lifecycle (i.e., modeling, configuration, execution and evolution). Their presentation is divided into six parts. Part I starts with an introduction of fundamental PAIS concepts and establishes the context of process flexibility in the light of practical scenarios. Part II focuses on flexibility support for pre-specified processes, the currently predominant paradigm in the field of business process management (BPM). Part III details flexibility support for loosely specified processes, which only partially specify the process model at build-time, while decisions regarding the exact specification of certain model parts are deferred to the run-time. Part IV deals with user- and data-driven processes, which aim at a tight integration of processes and data, and hence enable an increased flexibility compared to traditional PAIS. Part V introduces existing technologies and systems for the realization of a flexible PAIS. Finally, Part VI summarizes the main ideas of this book and gives an outlook on advanced flexibility issues. The book’s target groups include researchers, PhD students and Master students in the field of information systems. After reading the book, they will better understand PAIS flexibility aspects. To support the easy use as a textbook, a series of exercises is provided at the end of each chapter and slides and further teaching material are available on the book’s web site www.flexible-processes.com. Professionals specializing in business process management (BPM) who want to obtain a good understanding of flexibility challenges in BPM and state-of-the-art solutions will also benefit from the presentations of open source as well as commercial process management systems and related practical scenarios.
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 3642304095
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 517
Book Description
In today’s dynamic business world, the success of a company increasingly depends on its ability to react to changes in its environment in a quick and flexible way. Companies have therefore identified process agility as a competitive advantage to address business trends like increasing product and service variability or faster time to market, and to ensure business IT alignment. Along this trend, a new generation of information systems has emerged—so-called process-aware information systems (PAIS), like workflow management systems, case handling tools, and service orchestration engines. With this book, Reichert and Weber address these flexibility needs and provide an overview of PAIS with a strong focus on methods and technologies fostering flexibility for all phases of the process lifecycle (i.e., modeling, configuration, execution and evolution). Their presentation is divided into six parts. Part I starts with an introduction of fundamental PAIS concepts and establishes the context of process flexibility in the light of practical scenarios. Part II focuses on flexibility support for pre-specified processes, the currently predominant paradigm in the field of business process management (BPM). Part III details flexibility support for loosely specified processes, which only partially specify the process model at build-time, while decisions regarding the exact specification of certain model parts are deferred to the run-time. Part IV deals with user- and data-driven processes, which aim at a tight integration of processes and data, and hence enable an increased flexibility compared to traditional PAIS. Part V introduces existing technologies and systems for the realization of a flexible PAIS. Finally, Part VI summarizes the main ideas of this book and gives an outlook on advanced flexibility issues. The book’s target groups include researchers, PhD students and Master students in the field of information systems. After reading the book, they will better understand PAIS flexibility aspects. To support the easy use as a textbook, a series of exercises is provided at the end of each chapter and slides and further teaching material are available on the book’s web site www.flexible-processes.com. Professionals specializing in business process management (BPM) who want to obtain a good understanding of flexibility challenges in BPM and state-of-the-art solutions will also benefit from the presentations of open source as well as commercial process management systems and related practical scenarios.
How Internet Protocol-enabled Services are Changing the Face of Communications
Author: United States. Congress. House. Committee on Energy and Commerce. Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 80
Book Description
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 80
Book Description
Enabling Enterprise Transformation
Author: Nagy K. Hanna
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1441915087
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 321
Book Description
Private enterprises in advanced economies have been learning to use information and communication technology (ICT) to innovate and transform their processes, products, services and business models, significantly improving productivity and competitiveness. Moreover, the ICT industry itself has become a major source of job creation and a contributor to economic growth and business transformation. A key question today is whether and how developing countries can learn to benefit from the ICT revolution, and what roles the government and private sector can play. Already, a number of developing countries have been inspired by the example of India and China, and are now seeking to jump on the outsourcing bandwagon. Nevertheless, with few exceptions in the developing world, little attention has been paid by policymakers and practitioners to invest systematically and proactively in ICT-enabled growth, poverty reduction and grassroots innovation. Most communities and small and medium-sized enterprises in developing countries, for example, face multiple constraints to adopting and leveraging this general purpose technology, and lack the capabilities for maximizing its potential. In "Enabling Enterprise Transformation", Nagy Hanna draws on his rich experience of over 35 years at the World Bank and other aid agencies as a development strategist and ICT policy expert, the most current research, and best practices from around the world to provide practical tools for promoting economic and social transformation through ICT. He assesses various initiatives to develop and diffuse ICT, such as innovation funds, incubators, parks, public-private partnerships, and comprehensive promotion programs. He argues for the strategic options now open for developing countries to participate in ICT production, to deploy ICT to transform industries and services, and to leverage ICT as a new national infrastructure for improving the business environment and enhancing the competitiveness of the whole economy. The challenge for leaders in developing countries is to create such social and institutional dynamics for learning about ICT use and adaptation at many levels. Lessons gained so far from programs to build these social learning and innovation capabilities at the institutional and grassroots levels should be shared among developing countries, and a dialogue among business leaders, policymakers, development agencies, educational institutions, and the general citizenry must be advanced.
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1441915087
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 321
Book Description
Private enterprises in advanced economies have been learning to use information and communication technology (ICT) to innovate and transform their processes, products, services and business models, significantly improving productivity and competitiveness. Moreover, the ICT industry itself has become a major source of job creation and a contributor to economic growth and business transformation. A key question today is whether and how developing countries can learn to benefit from the ICT revolution, and what roles the government and private sector can play. Already, a number of developing countries have been inspired by the example of India and China, and are now seeking to jump on the outsourcing bandwagon. Nevertheless, with few exceptions in the developing world, little attention has been paid by policymakers and practitioners to invest systematically and proactively in ICT-enabled growth, poverty reduction and grassroots innovation. Most communities and small and medium-sized enterprises in developing countries, for example, face multiple constraints to adopting and leveraging this general purpose technology, and lack the capabilities for maximizing its potential. In "Enabling Enterprise Transformation", Nagy Hanna draws on his rich experience of over 35 years at the World Bank and other aid agencies as a development strategist and ICT policy expert, the most current research, and best practices from around the world to provide practical tools for promoting economic and social transformation through ICT. He assesses various initiatives to develop and diffuse ICT, such as innovation funds, incubators, parks, public-private partnerships, and comprehensive promotion programs. He argues for the strategic options now open for developing countries to participate in ICT production, to deploy ICT to transform industries and services, and to leverage ICT as a new national infrastructure for improving the business environment and enhancing the competitiveness of the whole economy. The challenge for leaders in developing countries is to create such social and institutional dynamics for learning about ICT use and adaptation at many levels. Lessons gained so far from programs to build these social learning and innovation capabilities at the institutional and grassroots levels should be shared among developing countries, and a dialogue among business leaders, policymakers, development agencies, educational institutions, and the general citizenry must be advanced.
Artificial Intelligence-Enabled Digital Twin for Smart Manufacturing
Author: Amit Kumar Tyagi
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1394303580
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 628
Book Description
An essential book on the applications of AI and digital twin technology in the smart manufacturing sector. In the rapidly evolving landscape of modern manufacturing, the integration of cutting-edge technologies has become imperative for businesses to remain competitive and adaptive. Among these technologies, Artificial Intelligence (AI) stands out as a transformative force, revolutionizing traditional manufacturing processes and making the way for the era of smart manufacturing. At the heart of this technological revolution lies the concept of the Digital Twin—an innovative approach that bridges the physical and digital realms of manufacturing. By creating a virtual representation of physical assets, processes, and systems, organizations can gain unprecedented insights, optimize operations, and enhance decision-making capabilities. This timely book explores the convergence of AI and Digital Twin technologies to empower smart manufacturing initiatives. Through a comprehensive examination of principles, methodologies, and practical applications, it explains the transformative potential of AI-enabled Digital Twins across various facets of the manufacturing lifecycle. From design and prototyping to production and maintenance, AI-enabled Digital Twins offer multifaceted advantages that redefine traditional paradigms. By leveraging AI algorithms for data analysis, predictive modeling, and autonomous optimization, manufacturers can achieve unparalleled levels of efficiency, quality, and agility. This book explains how AI enhances the capabilities of Digital Twins by creating a powerful tool that can optimize production processes, improve product quality, and streamline operations. Note that the Digital Twin in this context is a virtual representation of a physical manufacturing system, including machines, processes, and products. It continuously collects real-time data from sensors and other sources, allowing it to mirror the physical system’s behavior and performance. What sets this Digital Twin apart is the incorporation of AI algorithms and machine learning techniques that enable it to analyze and predict outcomes, recommend improvements, and autonomously make adjustments to enhance manufacturing efficiency. This book outlines essential elements, like real-time monitoring of machines, predictive analytics of machines and data, optimization of the resources, quality control of the product, resource management, decision support (timely or quickly accurate decisions). Moreover, this book elucidates the symbiotic relationship between AI and Digital Twins, highlighting how AI augments the capabilities of Digital Twins by infusing them with intelligence, adaptability, and autonomy. Hence, this book promises to enhance competitiveness, reduce operational costs, and facilitate innovation in the manufacturing industry. By harnessing AI’s capabilities in conjunction with Digital Twins, manufacturers can achieve a more agile and responsive production environment, ultimately driving the evolution of smart factories and Industry 4.0/5.0. Audience This book has a wide audience in computer science, artificial intelligence, and manufacturing engineering, as well as engineers in a variety of industrial manufacturing industries. It will also appeal to economists and policymakers working on the circular economy, clean tech investors, industrial decision-makers, and environmental professionals.
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1394303580
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 628
Book Description
An essential book on the applications of AI and digital twin technology in the smart manufacturing sector. In the rapidly evolving landscape of modern manufacturing, the integration of cutting-edge technologies has become imperative for businesses to remain competitive and adaptive. Among these technologies, Artificial Intelligence (AI) stands out as a transformative force, revolutionizing traditional manufacturing processes and making the way for the era of smart manufacturing. At the heart of this technological revolution lies the concept of the Digital Twin—an innovative approach that bridges the physical and digital realms of manufacturing. By creating a virtual representation of physical assets, processes, and systems, organizations can gain unprecedented insights, optimize operations, and enhance decision-making capabilities. This timely book explores the convergence of AI and Digital Twin technologies to empower smart manufacturing initiatives. Through a comprehensive examination of principles, methodologies, and practical applications, it explains the transformative potential of AI-enabled Digital Twins across various facets of the manufacturing lifecycle. From design and prototyping to production and maintenance, AI-enabled Digital Twins offer multifaceted advantages that redefine traditional paradigms. By leveraging AI algorithms for data analysis, predictive modeling, and autonomous optimization, manufacturers can achieve unparalleled levels of efficiency, quality, and agility. This book explains how AI enhances the capabilities of Digital Twins by creating a powerful tool that can optimize production processes, improve product quality, and streamline operations. Note that the Digital Twin in this context is a virtual representation of a physical manufacturing system, including machines, processes, and products. It continuously collects real-time data from sensors and other sources, allowing it to mirror the physical system’s behavior and performance. What sets this Digital Twin apart is the incorporation of AI algorithms and machine learning techniques that enable it to analyze and predict outcomes, recommend improvements, and autonomously make adjustments to enhance manufacturing efficiency. This book outlines essential elements, like real-time monitoring of machines, predictive analytics of machines and data, optimization of the resources, quality control of the product, resource management, decision support (timely or quickly accurate decisions). Moreover, this book elucidates the symbiotic relationship between AI and Digital Twins, highlighting how AI augments the capabilities of Digital Twins by infusing them with intelligence, adaptability, and autonomy. Hence, this book promises to enhance competitiveness, reduce operational costs, and facilitate innovation in the manufacturing industry. By harnessing AI’s capabilities in conjunction with Digital Twins, manufacturers can achieve a more agile and responsive production environment, ultimately driving the evolution of smart factories and Industry 4.0/5.0. Audience This book has a wide audience in computer science, artificial intelligence, and manufacturing engineering, as well as engineers in a variety of industrial manufacturing industries. It will also appeal to economists and policymakers working on the circular economy, clean tech investors, industrial decision-makers, and environmental professionals.
Materials Enabled Designs
Author: Michael Pfeifer
Publisher: Butterworth-Heinemann
ISBN: 0080941834
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 321
Book Description
There are books aplenty on materials selection criteria for engineering design. Most cover the physical and mechanical properties of specific materials, but few offer much in the way of total product design criteria. This innovative new text/reference will give the "Big picture view of how materials should be selected—not only for a desired function but also for their ultimate performance, durability, maintenance, replacement costs, and so on. Even such factors as how a material behaves when packaged, shipped, and stored will be taken into consideration. For without that knowledge, a design engineer is often in the dark as to how a particular material used in particular product or process is going to behave over time, how costly it will be, and, ultimately, how successful it will be at doing what is supposed to do. This book delivers that knowledge.* Brief but comprehensive review of major materials functional groups (mechanical, electrical, thermal, chemical) by major material categories (metals, polymers, ceramics, composites)* Invaluable guidance on selection criteria at early design stage, including such factors as functionality, durability, and availability* Insight into lifecycle factors that affect choice of materials beyond simple performance specs, including manufacturability, machinability, shelf life, packaging, and even shipping characteristics* Unique help on writing materials selection specifications
Publisher: Butterworth-Heinemann
ISBN: 0080941834
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 321
Book Description
There are books aplenty on materials selection criteria for engineering design. Most cover the physical and mechanical properties of specific materials, but few offer much in the way of total product design criteria. This innovative new text/reference will give the "Big picture view of how materials should be selected—not only for a desired function but also for their ultimate performance, durability, maintenance, replacement costs, and so on. Even such factors as how a material behaves when packaged, shipped, and stored will be taken into consideration. For without that knowledge, a design engineer is often in the dark as to how a particular material used in particular product or process is going to behave over time, how costly it will be, and, ultimately, how successful it will be at doing what is supposed to do. This book delivers that knowledge.* Brief but comprehensive review of major materials functional groups (mechanical, electrical, thermal, chemical) by major material categories (metals, polymers, ceramics, composites)* Invaluable guidance on selection criteria at early design stage, including such factors as functionality, durability, and availability* Insight into lifecycle factors that affect choice of materials beyond simple performance specs, including manufacturability, machinability, shelf life, packaging, and even shipping characteristics* Unique help on writing materials selection specifications
Enabling Blockchain Technology for Secure Networking and Communications
Author: Ben Mnaouer, Adel
Publisher: IGI Global
ISBN: 1799858413
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 339
Book Description
In recent years, the surge of blockchain technology has been rising due to is proven reliability in ensuring secure and effective transactions, even between untrusted parties. Its application is broad and covers public and private domains varying from traditional communication networks to more modern networks like the internet of things and the internet of energy crossing fog and edge computing, among others. As technology matures and its standard use cases are established, there is a need to gather recent research that can shed light on several aspects and facts on the use of blockchain technology in different fields of interest. Enabling Blockchain Technology for Secure Networking and Communications consolidates the recent research initiatives directed towards exploiting the advantages of blockchain technology for benefiting several areas of applications that vary from security and robustness to scalability and privacy-preserving and more. The chapters explore the current applications of blockchain for networking and communications, the future potentials of blockchain technology, and some not-yet-prospected areas of research and its application. This book is ideal for practitioners, stakeholders, researchers, academicians, and students interested in the concepts of blockchain technology and the potential and pitfalls of its application in different utilization domains.
Publisher: IGI Global
ISBN: 1799858413
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 339
Book Description
In recent years, the surge of blockchain technology has been rising due to is proven reliability in ensuring secure and effective transactions, even between untrusted parties. Its application is broad and covers public and private domains varying from traditional communication networks to more modern networks like the internet of things and the internet of energy crossing fog and edge computing, among others. As technology matures and its standard use cases are established, there is a need to gather recent research that can shed light on several aspects and facts on the use of blockchain technology in different fields of interest. Enabling Blockchain Technology for Secure Networking and Communications consolidates the recent research initiatives directed towards exploiting the advantages of blockchain technology for benefiting several areas of applications that vary from security and robustness to scalability and privacy-preserving and more. The chapters explore the current applications of blockchain for networking and communications, the future potentials of blockchain technology, and some not-yet-prospected areas of research and its application. This book is ideal for practitioners, stakeholders, researchers, academicians, and students interested in the concepts of blockchain technology and the potential and pitfalls of its application in different utilization domains.
Leveraging Applications of Formal Methods, Verification and Validation. Specialized Techniques and Applications
Author: Tiziana Margaria
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3662452316
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 661
Book Description
The two-volume set LNCS 8802 and LNCS 8803 constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 6th International Symposium on Leveraging Applications of Formal Methods, Verification and Validation, ISoLA 2014, held in Imperial, Corfu, Greece, in October 2014. The total of 67 full papers was carefully reviewed and selected for inclusion in the proceedings. Featuring a track introduction to each section, the papers are organized in topical sections named: evolving critical systems; rigorous engineering of autonomic ensembles; automata learning; formal methods and analysis in software product line engineering; model-based code generators and compilers; engineering virtualized systems; statistical model checking; risk-based testing; medical cyber-physical systems; scientific workflows; evaluation and reproducibility of program analysis; processes and data integration in the networked healthcare; semantic heterogeneity in the formal development of complex systems. In addition, part I contains a tutorial on automata learning in practice; as well as the preliminary manifesto to the LNCS Transactions on the Foundations for Mastering Change with several position papers. Part II contains information on the industrial track and the doctoral symposium and poster session.
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3662452316
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 661
Book Description
The two-volume set LNCS 8802 and LNCS 8803 constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 6th International Symposium on Leveraging Applications of Formal Methods, Verification and Validation, ISoLA 2014, held in Imperial, Corfu, Greece, in October 2014. The total of 67 full papers was carefully reviewed and selected for inclusion in the proceedings. Featuring a track introduction to each section, the papers are organized in topical sections named: evolving critical systems; rigorous engineering of autonomic ensembles; automata learning; formal methods and analysis in software product line engineering; model-based code generators and compilers; engineering virtualized systems; statistical model checking; risk-based testing; medical cyber-physical systems; scientific workflows; evaluation and reproducibility of program analysis; processes and data integration in the networked healthcare; semantic heterogeneity in the formal development of complex systems. In addition, part I contains a tutorial on automata learning in practice; as well as the preliminary manifesto to the LNCS Transactions on the Foundations for Mastering Change with several position papers. Part II contains information on the industrial track and the doctoral symposium and poster session.
Professional Windows Vista Gadgets Programming
Author: Wei-Meng Lee
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 047017661X
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 410
Book Description
As an easy-to-use application that provides information at a glance, a gadget allows users to quickly and easily obtain weather information, RSS news feeds, and much more. In Windows Vista, there are two types of gadgetsSidebar and SideShow gadgets and Microsoft MVP author Wei-Meng Lee covers both. You’ll begin by walking through the development of a simple gadget, and then each successive chapter breaks down the specific APIs that are relevant to enhancing a gadget so that you can clearly learn how a gadget is built.
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 047017661X
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 410
Book Description
As an easy-to-use application that provides information at a glance, a gadget allows users to quickly and easily obtain weather information, RSS news feeds, and much more. In Windows Vista, there are two types of gadgetsSidebar and SideShow gadgets and Microsoft MVP author Wei-Meng Lee covers both. You’ll begin by walking through the development of a simple gadget, and then each successive chapter breaks down the specific APIs that are relevant to enhancing a gadget so that you can clearly learn how a gadget is built.
Computer Performance Engineering
Author: Maria Simonetta Balsamo
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3642407250
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 360
Book Description
This book constitutes the refereed post-proceedings of the 10th European Performance Engineering Workshop, EPEW 2013, held in Venice, Italy, in September 2013. The 16 regular papers presented together with 8 short papers and 2 invited talks were carefully reviewed and selected from 33 submissions. The Workshop aims to gather academic and industrial researchers working on all aspects of performance engineering. Original papers related to theoretical and methodological issues as well as case studies and automated tool support are solicited in the following areas: performance modeling and evaluation, system and network performance engineering, and software performance engineering.
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3642407250
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 360
Book Description
This book constitutes the refereed post-proceedings of the 10th European Performance Engineering Workshop, EPEW 2013, held in Venice, Italy, in September 2013. The 16 regular papers presented together with 8 short papers and 2 invited talks were carefully reviewed and selected from 33 submissions. The Workshop aims to gather academic and industrial researchers working on all aspects of performance engineering. Original papers related to theoretical and methodological issues as well as case studies and automated tool support are solicited in the following areas: performance modeling and evaluation, system and network performance engineering, and software performance engineering.