Eyepoint System

This new way of interacting with our laptops or desktops is introduced and developed by Stanford University for the first time. In the Eye Point system, eye-tracking technology and keyboard hot keys, which require both the users’ hands and eyes, result in greatly reducing the user’s dependency on the mouse. According to the users of this new technology, the system seems to be able to read the users’ minds since they can web surf by eye movement. In addition to that, the keyboard interaction with eye tracking technology shows some a possibility that in the near future the Eye Point systemic computer might become standard soon.

This Eye Point system has four steps: targeting at the desired link, pressing the hot key, magnifying the targeted link or targeted area on the screen, and finally releasing the hot key you just pressed, which activates the link. These steps result in incorporating the user’s hands and eyes to maximize accuracy and precision of the information input. Also, this incorporation helps the system to eliminate the false positive resulted by using eye movements alone. The Eye tracking device, which is embedded into a headset or a monitor frame, moves along with the user’s pupils and calculate which area of the screen the user is viewing so that it is able to magnify the area the user focused. Since the eye tracking device doesn’t have functions of the mouse, the hotkeys are used for the desired action such as single click, double click, right click, mouse over, or start click-and-drag. This Eye Point system supports not only web surfing, but also gaze-based application switching, called “EyeExpos”, eye-scrolling, and gaze-based password, called “EyePassword”.

This technology has a great advantage of its speediness, efficiency, and accuracy. Compared to mouse, it is much faster since a sing glaze makes clicking a link. Thus, this system can pull off the efficiency of employees; they can easily do a research by the Internet and can make word documents faster than ever. Moreover, even people with disabilities can work with computer since this Eye Point System allows limiting the use of mouse. Furthermore, as mentioned on the above, its accuracy is higher than the use of mouse, which often results in clicking the wrong link by misplacing. However, the Eye Point System uses eye tracking, so it only focusing on what the user’s eyes are gazing. Also, the addition of the use of hot keys increase the accuracy; while not pressing the hot key, the eye tracking technology alone cannot click a link.

Nevertheless, this technology is still unstable. It is still in the process of developing, so it makes some errors due to information overloaded on the visual channel and false activations. Also, the system sometimes miscalculate the gaze information.


References
-Emerging Technology Trends, "Using Eyes and hands for Web surfing", Available at
http://blogs.zdnet.com/emergingtech/index.php?paged=4

-ComputerWorld, "Stanford University's EyePoint: Web Surfing With Eye Gaze", Available at
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&taxonomyName=software&articleId=297900&taxonomyId=18&intsrc=kc_feat
- Stanford HCI Group, "GUIDe:Gaze-enhanced User Interface Design", Available at
http://hci.stanford.edu/research/GUIDe/

Smart Card

Smart Card is a technology that can store lots of data by using IC, integrated circuit. It is a pocket-sized card, so it is easily movable. Due to its size and its resemblances to credit cards, the users might often have confusion, but inside it is completely different from a credit card. Unlike a credit card which is just made of plastic with magnetic stripe, Smart Card has an embedded microprocessor, which is under the golden pad. Nowadays, in Europe, smart cards are commonly used. Nonetheless, in United States, they are just starting to be used because the magnetic striped cards are still widely used. In Canada, the smart card is fully implemented in 2004. Smart Cards have a capacity of 8 kilobytes of RAM, 346 kilobytes of ROM, 256 kilobytes of programmable ROM, and finally a 16 bit microprocessor. It does not contain batteries, but its energy is supplied by its card reader. Smart cards can substitute as credit cards and electronic cash, and they can be used as a tool of wireless communication, loyalty systems, banking, satellite TV, and Government identification. Moreover, it, attaching to a personal computer with a card reader, can authenticate the user. In addition to that, Smart cards can be used as access (security) application. For example, the individual’s pc access or the front gate access of the company can be controlled by smart cards.

Smart cards are in two kinds of forms. One is a contact smart card, which is needed to be inserted into the card reader and make contact with electrical connectors so that the information stored in the cards can be read and re-write the information. The other is a contact less smart card, in which the information of the chip is sent through RFID (Radio-frequency identification) induction technology. This kind of smart card, with an antenna, requires only short moment to complete transaction. They are often used when transactions are needed processed quickly. Currently, the hybrid card, which has two chips and both characteristics of contact and contact less smart card, is introduced.

Compared to smart cards, magnetic stripe technology is not the best way of storing sensitive information. The stripe is easily breakable. On the contrary, a smart card has the microprocessor for the mean of security since it’s impossible to copy it. Also, it is easy to carry along. Moreover, unlike credit cards, it has high resistance to magnetic and dust. Furthermore, it can store massive information. However, there are some minor weak points of smart cards. First of all, magnetic striped cards are cheaper, compared to smart cards. Also, contactless smart cards often fail to read information.

Reference
- IEEE Entity Web Hosting, "Smart Cards", Avaiable at http://www.ewh.ieee.org/r10/bombay/news5/SmartCards.htm
- Wikipedia, "Smart Card", Available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smart_card
- How Stuff Works, "What is a smart card?", Available at http://computer.howstuffworks.com/question332.htm

E-CRM

In order to discuss what E-CRM is, the prior thing to do might be to explain about CRM. CRM stands for Customer Relationship Management. A CRM system uses information about customers so that a company is able to have some insights into customers' needs, while satisfying them, and maximize company's profit. A CRM system can be used as tools of marketing, sales, and service. The main goal of CRM is to minimize negative interactions with customers and provide them with positive experience. Most of those companies have developed incremental homegrown CRM solutions to track customer issues and provide the best customer experience possible.

Then, what is E-CRM? E-CRM is a way of managing the customers and keeping better relationship with them by the means of internet or other digital media, including, SMS(Short Message Service), mobile data, and interactive Television. E-CRM is usually used by e-business companies, and it can support e-sales, e-service, and e-marketing. Thus, e-mail is a big part of almost all E-CRM. All e-CRM systems have a knowledge base, which is an electronic collection of information, which is composed of answers to various questions. The knowledge base should be stored in an RDBMS (relational database management system) so that it can be used whenever it is needed.

Compared to off-line CRM, E-CRM has an advantage of rapidly collecting accurate datas through the Internet. Another advantage is that E-CRM can measure customer's real time reaction and real time price; it results in data flow occurring at real time. Due to its real time information collecting system, it can be used as tools of data mining, statistical method, and data warehouse. Moreover, a company, with E-CRM, can neglect the physical distance from customers so that it can manage its customers in the global aspect. In other words, with E-CRM, Canadian company can manage customers in Africa or Europe. Furthermore, in the aspect of personalization, through e-mails or internet, a company can provide its customers with services, which result in one to one marketing.

However, there are some voices about dangers of customers' private information being exposed to others. Customers want the assurance that their data is not shared with third parties without their consent and not accessed illegally by third parties. Customers also want their data used by companies to provide a benefit for them. For example, an increase in telemarketing calls is generally resented by customers; nonetheless, some relevant offers is generally appreciated by customers.



References
- Channel Web, "The Basics of E-CRM", Available at http://www.crn.com/it-channel/18814862
- Wikipedia, "E-CRM", Available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Customer_relationship_management#Privacy_and_data_security
-CRM Today, Available at http://www.google.co.kr/search?complete=1&hl=ko&newwindow=1&q=E-crm&lr=&aq=null