Emergent Technology CT060-3.5-3 EMTECH by Muhammad Riza Aulya
Firdaus (TP 017427)
Individual Assignment
Intake
:
UC3F1010TECH 30th March 2011 15th July 2011 50% Mr.Nicholas
Jeremy A/L Francis
Hand Out Date : Hand In Date : Weightage Lecturer : :
Staffordshire University Asia Pacific University College of
Technology & Innovation
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Table of Contents
Introduction
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2 Background and current situation
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3 Market and Product situation
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3 Background of the company
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4 Evaluating Opportunities
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4 Problem
Statement.............................................................................................................
4 Target User and Rationale
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6 Assessment of the technology
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7 Implementation
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11 Conclusion
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14 References
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Chapter: Table of Contents
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E M E R G E N T Introduction
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This research report will propose new technology, which can be
beneficial for University College of Technology and Innovation
(UCTI) management and students by integrating the current systems
with mobile technology. The system called personal mobile webspace
(PMW), obviously it will work similarly like current UCTI webspace
that the company has. PMW is mobile applications, that require the
user to download and install the application on first time use, and
then its allowing a user to access their own details, any other
related matters with study and university. On the first user
require an internet connection and login according to their own
username and password like the webspace did for authentication,
then the application will retrieve all the data, documents, details
of the user and save it on their mobile. The next times the user
runs the application, it is not necessary to have internet access
because its still will run on the offline mode and show the
retrieved data. If the user runs the application and at the same
time also connected to the internet, the application will get the
updated data. Mainly, since the application has a personal name who
helps user in organizing his profile, academic data, and reminder
for any deadline that he has regard to academic matters,
administration and any other extra thing that the user needs a
reminder. This propose system can help students to avoid the delay
in getting things done, and help to remind the user when the time
is close with any important upcoming event, especially like
assignment submission, payment due.
On the other hands, PMW is being proposed to make ease of UCTIs
students. With PMW, they will be able to access webspace using
their fingertips, and it considers much more convenient for them,
because just access from their own mobile (the same devices that
they use for send message and call people) without bordering them
to sit in front of pc and connect through the internet. From the
management side, this application can increase their satisfaction
of every student and help to retain them or decrease the number of
student resign before they finish their program/course. Chapter:
Introduction Asia Pacific University College of Technology and
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Background and current situationMarket and Product situationWhen
the first time mobile device has invented, its mainly for making
and receiving a call or a message. Follow by the development of
technology, mobile phone functionalities have broadly extended with
some added or extra features such as music player, camera and other
entertainment things that have been integrated. Somehow, is not
only that but nowadays mobile phone has developed with similarly
like a small computer and tries to added computer functionalities
inside a mobile phone such as an ability to read and modify office
document, edit a picture with quite sophisticated option, send an
email, surf the internet and so on. Besides that, mobile phone has
become primary needs, where most of the people are having it on
their hand. Meaning that its a time for mobile, integrating a
desktop software or website that can only be access via desktop
initially with mobile can be considering a good chance. People like
to have a mobile phone rather than a telephone box because its
giving a convenience way where they can bring anywhere with only
bringing along small devices.
According to The Sydney Morning Herald (2009), in the past
people using mobile for just calls and texting to their contact, in
the information-age people are also checking emails on their
handsets and more than 70% access online entertainment and
information services. Nowadays, almost every human in this world
having their own mobile phone, and it became one of the basic or
secondary needs after their primary needs such as food, shelter,
air, water and others that has been fulfilled. According to the CBS
news (2010), even during an economic crisis, there is no drop or
decline in the demand communication services. In other from the
growth in mobile phone and subscription services, another factor
that has led to a jump in mobile internet use is the growth in
adoption of faster 3G phones, more than 63 of respondents in
Australia stated they had a 3/3.5G handset (SMH, 2009). However,
there is possibility's speed of access web from mobile phone may
increase or even much faster than web access from desktop
computers. Chapter: Background and current situation words, the
number of mobile phone and service subscriptions worldwide has
increased. Aside
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Background of the companyThe Asia Pacific University College of
Technology & Innovation (UCTI) is one of the Malaysias premier
institutions of Higher Learning. UCTI is a University where a
unique fusion of technology, innovation and creativity works
effectively towards preparing graduates for significant roles in
business and society globally. It originally established as the
Asia Pacific Institute of Information Technology (APIIT) in 1993
and funded by the SAPURA Group, UCTIs sound approach to nurturing
school leavers into qualified professionals has resulted in our
graduates being highly sought after by employers (APIIT, 2011).
With an international student community from more than 80 countries
studying in its Malaysian campus, UCTIs achievements in winning a
host of prestigious awards at national and regional levels over the
years bear testimony to our commitment to excellence in higher
education and training, as well as innovative research and
development and commercialization. UCTI (through APIIT) is
Malaysias first institution to achieve Multimedia Super Corridor
(MSC) Company Status, as well as the only institution to have won
the prestigious MSC Asia Pacific ICT Awards every year since the
inception of the awards in 1999. Source:
http://www.ucti.edu.my/introduction.htm
Evaluating OpportunitiesProblem StatementAs UCTI management, now
their job its to maintain the quality of learning and apply as the
upcoming years. Students are the main customer, one of the ways to
attract and keep retaining the existing student by providing good
facilities to support their study. One of the facilities that
currently has provided is webspace, the site. Where is containing
any information related with academic and university matters. All
the necessary information has uploaded and publishes on the
webspace. Webspace act as the center of all information regarding
to campus and all students academic matters. However, the student
sometimes might go outside to do some activities or hanging out or
going back to their hometown which Asia Pacific University College
of Technology and Innovation Level 3 Chapter: Evaluating
Opportunities much as the company can afford to increase their
quality, so they can compete with others in
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possibly overseas. In this case, the student is not in front of
pc, and they would not be able to access any data from webspace.
Some problems may occur when the student is in the situation just
get information that the result has updated, and they may be so
curious to see their academic result when the time is published,
but they are outside. The others' case is when they need to check
their timetable, especially venue and time, and require them to
connect to the internet and check it online. Therefore, this PMW is
being proposed to solve this kind of problems that has occurred to
the student.
Since UCTI has increase the number of course in every semester
with extra assessment such as test, presentation and any other
things instead of exam and assignment submission. The student may
need a help to remind them when certain important upcoming event
are close with the deadline, where it can be assignment submission
or payment overdue and reminder can avoid any late submission or
extra charge being applied when outstanding payment. PMW also can
consider to educate the student, when the student is outside of
campus and suddenly thinking not come to class without strong
reason, currently because they does not know about their attendance
percentage and by hoping that should be fine at the end and just
skip the class. Some students did more than one time, and make
their attendance very low and hardly for them to get the docket
before the exam. With PMW the student is able to check their
updated percentage of their attendance on their hand, when its
showing low percentage they may cancel his unexpected desire to
skip the class.
On the other hands, most of the technology has adopted mobile
technology. Mobile phone is now widely used not only for calling or
texting purposes like the first time it was invented. It recorder,
organize the schedule, notes, and browse information through the
internet. Surfing online through a mobile phone is become faster
and even sometimes it beat the speed of surfing through a desktop
computer. However, people may prefer to surf online through their
mobile phone since it designed for mobility purposes and simple
without bringing along big and heavy devices to surf online, and
its offer almost the same result or even exactly like people can
see when they surf from their desktop computer. In this case, some
problems which arise and stated above should be solved by utilizing
this mobile technology and Asia Pacific University College of
Technology and Innovation Level 3 Chapter: Evaluating Opportunities
is now being utilized for any other purposes such as a game, music
player, camera, video
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situation of UCTI that have to maintain or even increase their
quality of education by providing good facilities and medium for
education purposes.
Target User and RationaleThe main purpose the technology is
being implemented is to make ease of APIIT/UCTI students when they
are not sitting in front of computer or out of home without
bringing along their laptop to surfing the internet to access the
webspace. In the future, the student can easily check their
timetable schedule, attendance, result, fee statement, renew
library loan and reserve the librarys resource such as a book or a
project.
After analyzing the problem stated above, the PMW will be
developed and implemented to overcome certain problems arise, and
catch up with the opportunities of the trend of surf online through
mobile devices. The technology is going to be a convenient system
for the user who are the student and lecturer of APIIT/UCTI by
accessing the webspace through the mobile phone and may help in
terms of organizing the upcoming event regarding their academic
matter or necessary information has been set earlier. Now that the
problem has been identified, once implemented, the technology could
bring about significant tangible and intangible benefits.
The tangible benefits are: Reduce the number of late payment.
This case can help management to save their income in the proper
schedule and receive any payment by the expected date. Indirect
promotion. Student's satisfaction may bring more benefit and income
for the management, because the power or word of mouth of the
student may attract other people to study in APIIT/UCTI. Chapter:
Evaluating Opportunities
The intangible benefits are: Time efficiency. User does not need
to go find any cybercaf or hotspot area to access webspace with
their laptop. Convenient. User can access webspace anywhere anytime
using their mobile phone. Asia Pacific University College of
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User may not get an overdue fee. Because the PMW can help them
to remind the user when the upcoming event is close to the
deadline. User may manage their time well to the assignment.
Because the system will be able to alert them before the due date.
Reduce the number of late submission. For the UCTI management will
be beneficial because their staff may go back on time without
having much trouble to wait for a student submitted their
assignment or project.
Assessment of the technologyTechnological change is an accepted
fact of the global business environment. The problem of accelerated
practical change affects matures by industries more acutely as they
struggle for survival in the competitive world market. UCTI wanted
to implement a new technology. They should be aware that handling
resources with technology requires a commitment to managing the
practical change process. Therefore, they will need a technology
assessment to anticipate the impact of innovation on the elements
of theproduct/service value chain and strengthen the overall
corporate strategy.
As a reference of Micheal Porter Five forces, below are the
specific steps, and consideration for assessing proposed technology
in UCTI (STI, 2001): 1. Identify all the distinct components and
technologies of the organizations value chain for products and
processes. UCTI is a higher educational Institute, where their main
according to their interest and the availability of courses that
offered. UCTI provides fours levels of study such as foundation,
diploma, degree, and posts graduate level. As management, they
should know how to provide good quality and maintain their good
reputation. One of the examples, providing sufficient and good
facilities in order to attract new students and increase
satisfaction of existing students. 2. Identify potentially relevant
technologies in other industries or under scientific development.
UCTI has R&D department in the separate building, which is
called Asia Pacific University College of Technology and Innovation
Level 3 Chapter: Assessment of the technology product/service is
providing course for students who are willing to learn and
study
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CTI. CTI connected internally with UCTI, whereby they may help
in developing software to support and increase effectiveness of the
current system. CTI is one of the potential departments that may
help UCTI to develop the proposed technology.
The first two steps and considerations above can be considered
as scoping and searching phases. Manager of UCTI Technology
Services or one of their managements initially will start with
determining the area of development or research, based on company
resources and capabilities. In this case, the person had seen the
problems about the difficulties that student facing when they want
to check the academic matter in the webspace when they were not
sitting in front of a desktop computer. There is an opportunity for
UCTI to expand one of their services to the mobile technology,
since the number of user is increased and mostly has similar
functionalities like the desktop computer. Therefore, the person
decides to scope the proposal for proposing a new way in accessing
the webspace for UCTI students and mobile technology as one of the
possible solutions. UCTI management should provide certain
resources, especially manpower to support the success of this
development. The team will lead by one project manager, and then
they may start to conduct further research such as survey to gather
more information about the problems, requirements, and so on.
Before it, they should have done research about the presences of
the emerging technology and commercial viability.
3. Brainstorm, exercise visioning techniques, and simulate the
effects of various combinations of technologies upon the value
chain. Once the system has implemented, this proposed technology
that called PMW will provide significant benefits1. Possible
technique that UCTI can use for developing and implementing this
PMW is corporate with CTI, and a project manager. In order to
ensure the quality and requirements of PMW as the student needs,
various research and survey may involve proving this preliminary
research. A project manager also a responsibility to ensure that
the PMW fulfill the requirements or even provide more features, and
able to get a good respond and feedback as acceptance of the
proposed technology. Furthermore, this proposed technology will
expand the capabilities of webspace from a web Chapter: Assessment
of the technology
1
Please refer to Evaluating Opportunities, Sub topic Target user
and Rationale
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browser as the website into a mobile application that user
allows access personal data with or without internet connection. 4.
Determine the likely path of change of key technologies. Basically,
there is no major change of current webspace, because it will still
keep running on the future with an expansion for the mobile
applications. However, it will not remove the purpose of webspace
and provides an inconvenience way for the student to access
webspace through their own mobile, especially when they out of home
without bringing along their laptop. 5. Determine which of those
technologies and potential changes are most significant for
competitive advantage and industry structure. a. In terms of the
development cost, the proposed technology did not any special or
extra software. The only possibilities are mobile devices for the
testing purposes. However, UCTI has necessary software and hardware
for the development of PMW, and in terms of testing it can be done
using the emulator. UCTI also has CTI that will help them in
providing a programmer or even a team, and the cost will be
effectively less than a new company that not had R&D
department. UCTI will require discussing, negotiating, and
cooperating with CTI about implementing the proposed technology. b.
In terms of product differentiation. This proposed technology, will
enhance the product differentiation of UCTI. Because, other
educational institutes may only have a traditional way in providing
and delivering educational material and communication with their
student through the website. UCTI will be having software that
enables their students to access personal information or any
academic matter through their mobile phone. c. In terms of
beneficial. It can improve overall industry or company structure
such that the client or student benefits. This proposed technology
focus to provide a convenient way for the student to communicate
and gather their personal and academic information easily through
the mobile phone, and may increase the students satisfaction of the
facilities that have provided by the university. Chapter:
Assessment of the technology
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6. Evaluate likely technology proposals with respect to human
factors (resources) and organizational capabilities. Since UCTI is
one of the IT Universities, they should be considered as eligible
to develop this proposed technology. In terms of software, UCTI has
alliances with MSDN, where all the development tools that may be
needed are available with the corporate license, and for the open
source software development such as Netbean from Sun Microsystem is
available in online to download without any cost. Hardware is the
personal computer that UCTI and CTI already had it, and programmers
can be supported by the CTI. 7. Compare proposals with actions by
the competition or in-depth research and demonstrate a clear
advantage. UCTI may bring forward the proposed technology into a
competition or conduct in-depth research in order to prove the
strengths. Research also my help them to identify the weaknesses
and threat that should be eliminated or decreased. This proposed
technology will increase students satisfaction and enhance the
current system and facilities that UCTI has provided.
Five steps above are about evaluating the technology or
opportunities. It may undertake feasibility studies of the
proposal. Its the steps to define some possible technology or
solution, and decide the most suitable solution to be implemented
on the next step. A technology development and market entry also
should have to be defined, and the financial competitive. Besides
that, the impacts of the new technology will be analyzed as
well.
corporate strategy. UCTI management or project development team
has decided to develop and implement Pesonal Mobile Webspace
(PMW).
After finish the assessment processes, and determine whether to
pursue the proposed technology. The next step is addresses how to
pursue it, by making a strategic commitment to the new
technology.
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Chapter: Assessment of the technology
8. Develop and present a technology strategy that strengthens
the organizations overall
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Most managers know from experience how inaccurate forecasts can
be. However, the way to solve the problem is not to look for better
forecasters. There are many forces work against the possibility of
getting the right forecast. Because the future no longer stable,
the better approach is required accepting uncertainty,
understanding it, and making it part of the reason project or
planning defined. The approach should be made with the flexibility
and ready for the future changes follow the trends of business
environment.
Scenario planning has been chosen to guide the implementation of
the proposed technology. Scenario planning is strategic planning
method that organization uses to develop flexible long-term plans.
UCTI will require a group of analysts to generate a strategy
options for policy and decision makers. They should find
information and data from the past and present. It includes
customer demographics, service sales history, company information,
direct and indirect competitor information, etc. Then. They combine
those data with specific and detailed future-oriented possible,
estimated, or projected data and information about the services,
social trends, industry trends, technical trends, market trends or
other speculative data.
As a reference from Wharton on Managing Emerging Technologies
books, below are the steps in the scenario planning processes for
developing and implementing PMW for UCTI (Day, and Schoemaker,
2004): 1. Define the issues or problem area that needs to be
understood. In this case, the issues will be how to maintain the
quality and satisfaction of the students, and provides a convenient
way for them to interact with current UCTI webspace. UCTI has a
good reputation in the market and other education industries,
especially in Malaysia and surrounding countries such as Thailand,
Indonesia and Singapore. There is a problem arise, where the
students facing difficulty to access their webspace when they out
of home. 2. Identify the major stakeholders and actors will involve
during the development and implementation. Currently, the share of
UCTI has owned by SAPURA and EKUINAS, and both are the main
stakeholders that should be involved to agree to Asia Pacific
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Implementation
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pursue the planning for the period of time. The actors will be
Technology Services manager, higher management, and external
entities such as CTI that may involve helping develop the proposed
technology. In general, there are UCTI managements, the
stakeholders' representative should be agreed for the development
and UCTI management will form a team together with CTI as R&D
of the company. 3. Identify and study the main forces that are
shaping the future. UCTI management or the project team might learn
various forces, through reading, seminars or internal discussion,
other activities that may arise from new issues will emerge. They
should have done in-depth research and consultation from a
different group of people and external sources to identify the
forces shaping the future. In this case, the main object will be
the current webspace, and mobile technology as one of the potential
forces. 4. Identify trends or predetermined elements that will
affect the issues. Primary research may require for this project,
but the management should have defined various key points or trend
of every single question that will be given as survey. Hypothesis
based on the past information, and preliminary research about the
current situation can be done to help in defining the trends'
elements. Demographic and technological involvement in the company
can become the trends' elements, because the number of user will be
based on acceptance of the students and technology infrastructure
that has established to support the implementation. 5. Identify the
key uncertainties from main forces. In the previous steps, the
graphic and diagram may be needed to help in identifying the
trends' elements. Then this step may involve interrelation or
correlation of the variable. Project manager may help to decide the
most three key uncertainties, and draw as the matrix correlation.
For this case, the key uncertainties that can be considered are
growth of students, type of and awareness of the webspace. 6.
Select the two most important key uncertainties. Project team may
have done further research and studies about the future
circumstances of the emerging technology. From three key
uncertainties, here the project team decides to narrow down the
scope into Chapter: Implementation mobile devices whether it
supports internet functionality, and students preferences
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two, which are growth of students and students preferences and
awareness of the current webspace. 7. Assess the internal
consistency and plausibility of the initial learning. From the two
key uncertainties, project team may assess the keys in terms of the
consistency and plausibility. Students preferences and awareness of
the current webspace may eliminate because, today's UCTI has
focused their students system where all the access should be
started from the webspace, and includes downloading academic
materials. Previously, they were having learfinity for academic
material and webspace as a site to access student academic matters.
Where only few students visit the webspace to find news or upcoming
event in the university. Meaning that, mostly a student should have
introduced by the marketer and student services staff about
webspace, and for academic material, they have to go to webspace.
8. Assess the revised scenarios in terms of how the key
stakeholders. This phase will assess the scenario includes the key
uncertainty and problem area from the stakeholder view and
responds. Project team may give a brief explanation about the most
key uncertainty and reason why the problem area has chosen. Besides
that, project team also should test the acceptance of the key
stakeholders which their shareholder and UCTI management. Project
team should show the result of the research that can be considered
as supportive and good respond about the proposed technology, and
shown the cost and benefits analysis. Because mostly stakeholder
will more concerns about the financial, and return of investment
when they have decided to agree on this project. Then, the
acceptance level will be high since the requirements have been
gathered, and it has a good respond from students as end user, and
clear financial analysis that can benefit the company and the user.
9. Reexamine the internal consistencies of the learning scenario.
Project team should transform and draw the learning scenario into
diagram or modeling. This is to help them to reexamine within the
internal consistencies. They may draw the flow, with some comment
or feedback or data that have gathered from the research to explain
in brief about certain flow or level. Another technique is drawing
using mind-map, from one main area to the sub-area and the
description. Then, it will more easily for the project manager and
UCTI management to measure the value of this project. Asia Pacific
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10. Reassess the uncertainty ranges of the main variable of
interest. Project should compile the documentation from the step
one until nine, and prepare in a booklet and also a slide to
present with UCTI management and stakeholders. These are the
confirmation steps, and final review of the scenario plan for this
proposed technology. In case one the actor involves has seen some
incoherence or give suggestions to enhance based on the market
trends and company capabilities. It will help project team to have
better strategies to cope with the full range of scenario.
ConclusionPersonal Mobile Webspace (PMW) has proposed by
considering the perspective of business and information technology.
It shows how business and IT work simultaneously in maintaining
quality of services and achieving organizational goals. Project
team has proven the importance of technology for every business in
education industry, where it can enhance the company efficiency and
effectiveness and serve their students in better ways if the
company how to utilize it to help their business processes and
activities.
However, information system technology can be considered as a
vital for a successful business enterprise in todays world. Timely
and complete information is required to make good business
decisions and to implement profitable business and marketing
strategies. This situation requires a mobile application system
that can gather the information in a flexible and convenient way
and the proposed technology can be as one of it. PMW will be
developed based on the user requirements, company specification,
and most probably able to give good feedback such as students
satisfaction, and boots company reputation.
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Chapter: Conclusion
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T E C H N O L O G Y References
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APIIT, 2011, History [online], Available from
http://www.apiit.edu.my/history.php, [Accessed on 28th June
2011]
CBS news, 2010, Number of Cell Phones Worldwide Hits 4.6B
[online], Available from
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/02/15/business/main6209772.shtml,
[Accessed 12nd July 2011]
Day, G.S. and Schoemaker, P.J.H., 2004, Wharton on Managing
Emerging Technologies, Canada, Jhon Wiley and Sons
Nanda, J.K., 2006, Management Thought, New Delhi, Sarup&
Sons.
SMH, 2009, Aussies call an end to just phoning on mobile
[online], Available from
http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/mobiles/aussies-call-an-end-to-just-phoning-onmobiles-20090929-ga33.html,
[Accessed 12nd July 2011]
STI, 2001, Key Consideration in the technology assessment
process, Piedmont, The Strategic Technology Institute
UCTI, 2011, Introduction Asia Pacific College of Technology and
Innovation, Available Chapter: References from
http://www.ucti.edu.my/introduction.htm, [Accessed on 28th June
2011]
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