In this paper, we introduce a context aware middleware framework that has been developed over the years to serve as an enabler for user centered services. Firstly, we will discuss about a sensory API mechanism developed to allow an abstraction of sensing elements to report information in a structured manner. We will then proceed to discuss how this sensed information is represented in an ontolo...

The Sukuk market has become the fastest growing segment of the Islamic financial services industry. Governments and other corporate entities have started tapping the local and international Sukuk markets in order to raise the required funds. The investor base is also expanding and Sukuk has now become a popular and obvious choice for retail investors in a number of jurisdictions. However, becau...

Consider an electronic commerce (e-commerce) environment where the consumers subscribe to data objects; a server distributes these objects electronically which are then retrieved by the consumer. We propose a protocol showing how the distribution of data objects can be done in a secure and efficient manner. In our protocol, (1) consumers who have subscribed for an object can get access to the o...

This paper studies optimal long-term electric power capacity strategies with capacity options. Gencos can sign contracts with Discos, where such contracts take the form of capacity options that may or may not be executed by Discos at some pre-specified maturation date. Capacity not offered in the options market, or for which options by Discos are not executed, can then be offered in the spot ma...

This paper quantifies the economic benefits associated with the introduction of greater spatial granularity in short-term pricing in the California wholesale electricity market. On April 1, 2009, California switched to a nodalpricing market with an integrated day-ahead forward market and real-time imbalance market from its original zonal market design with bilateral day-ahead scheduling, a real...

Multinationals often serve foreign markets by producing domestically and exporting as well as by investing directly in foreign production facilities. We argue that if the multinational competes in an oligopolistic market characterized by strategic complements then there are strategic reasons to use two production facilities -committing to a second source allows the firm to keep average cost low...

We analyze a problem where a market maker on behalf of buyers allocates a given amount of order among N suppliers each with finite capacity. Specifically, we analyze a situation in which suppliers have the option of going to open market and selling their capacity at a market price. However, the supplier will incur search costs. Moreover, the demand for the supplier capacity in the open market i...

All decisions about investments in new generation, transmission, distributed energy resources and load management are based on expectations about future market conditions. This paper develops an analytical framework for evaluating forward contracts and investment decisions under the assumption that firms are risk averse. A fixed price/fixed quantity delivery contract forms the basis for the por...