Master of Information Technology

Name Reg. No Title Supervisors
Arnold Ndukuyu MIT/001/2012 Adoption Of Mobile Computing For Ubiquitous Data Management In Sugar Companies In Kenya
  1. Dr.Anselemo P. Ikoha
  2. Dr. Franklin Wabwoba

ABSTRACT

With the prevalence of mobile devices and great advances in communication technologies in satellite and wireless LAN, Mobile Computing provides users with greater opportunity to manage data and access information and services stored on the Internet and central repositories, regardless of users’ physical locations and movement behaviours (Pervasive Environment). Mobile Data Management is considered in the developed world as a paramount component in Mobile Computing to address mobility, besides the difficulties like intermittent connectivity, mobility and scarcity of resources that will be addressed by the technological trends. There are two key problems in Data Management for field-based operations in pervasive environments, namely data dissemination and data sharing. This scenario has pushed companies in the developing world to rethink their business models, reinvent their organizations and rewire their operations in order to reap the benefits and overcome the challenges of enterprise mobility. To re-engineer the process and motivate adoption, it is important to gain an understanding of the way customers in organizations and employees are using (and want to use) mobility, as well as understanding of business processes, customer interaction processes and how employees work, which will help leverage the capabilities of mobile devices to optimize how they work across functional silos and maximize business benefits from software solutions. This study aims at exploring the Mobile Technologies and Data Management for adoption of Mobile Computing, determine the usability of Mobile Computing Technologies and establish the utilization of Mobile Data Management as well as asses challenges affecting adoption of Mobile Computing to facilitate development of a framework for adoption of Mobile Techno-Data Management in pervasive environments. The study is designed to use mixed method design into the adoption of Mobile Computing for Ubiquitous Data Management and to obtain information concerning the current status with respect to the variables. This study proposes to model a framework extended from Technology, organization, and environment framework (TOEF) about an effective ubiquitous environment. The population of the study will be 1659 workers in the 10 sugar companies in Kenya, from which a convenient sample of 406 workers will be selected using Cochran (1963), formula for calculating sample size .Both primary and secondary data will be used for the study. To achieve the objectives of the study, questionnaires, interview, observation and modeling will be used.The study will largely use a questionnaire as a key instrument for primary data collection. Qualitative data will be analysed through content analysis. Quantitative data will be analysed through the use of descriptive and inferential statistics methods. The study is to help organizations adopt Mobile Computing Data Management for their workforce and clients alike as a solution for ubiquitous computing to migrate from manual operations and fixed network computing as well as seeks to inform policy makers on the implementation of enterprise mobility. This research contributes to the world of knowledge around mobility with ubiquitous computing as the next computing generation to improve on production efficiency in organizations in Kenya.