Browsing by Author "Mbarika, Irene"

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    The Digital Divide in India: Which Universality Approach is ideal for Gujarat State of India?
    (International Journal of Innovative and Applied Research, 2014) Mayoka Kituyi, Geoffrey; Kabaale, Edward; Nakabonge, Fatinah; Mbarika, Irene; Balunywa, Luqman; Mbarika, Victor W.
    Information Communication Technology is increasingly becoming beneficial to humankind, given the latest developments. Today, there is so much potential to the extent that using ICTs, we are able to communicate, conduct financial transactions such as cash deposits and withdrawals at banks, money transfers, pay school fees and other bills using mobile phones. However, most, of these technologies are within few hands. The gap between those who have and those who do not have access to these technologies in India is on the increase. This study used a qualitative research approach to explore the digital divide challenge in India’s state of Gujarat. The study also examined the approaches that had been undertaken to address the digital divide challenge. Findings indicate that the digital divide in Gujarat state affects people irrespective of gender, age group, location, literacy level, income and physical ability. The approaches used to mitigate the digital divide and enhance universality were identified as Call Centres, Internet Kiosks, Bhoomi Projects, Gyandoot Projects, Warana Wired Village Projects, Common Service Centers, Social Media, Drishtee Projects, Gyandoot Projects and Village Knowledge Centres. However, the use of Call Centres, Internet Kiosks, Drishtee Projects and Gyandoot Projects were found to be the most suitable approaches for addressing different forms of the digital divide. Findings further reveal that no single approach can address all forms of the digital divide. Therefore, we recommend the use of a set of approaches in order to address the digital divide and foster Universality.
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    Requirements Engineering Process Improvement Challenges faced by Software SMEs in Uganda
    (International Journal of Computer Applications, 2014) Kabaale, Edward; Mayoka Kituyi, Geoffrey; Mbarika, Irene
    Despite the numerous benefits of Requirements Engineering Process Improvement, many Ugandan software developing companies seem not to properly conduct it. This has implications on the quality of software being produced by these organizations. Moreover, little research has been conducted to establish the challenges being faced by the Small and Medium Enterprises that produce software in Uganda. This study examines the challenges of requirements engineering process improvement in Ugandan SME software companies with an aim of coming up with recommendations for improving the quality of software produced by Ugandan SME software companies. A qualitative research approach was used where four software producing companies in Uganda were selected to participate as case studies. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze data. The main challenges hindering successful Requirements Engineering Process Improvement were identified as ambiguous requirements from the clients, lack of user’s involvement and lack of management support. The study recommends that for successful Requirements Engineering Process Improvement in Ugandan software companies, there should be training, user involvement and establishment of proper change management strategies.