The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has ratified IMT-advanced standards by endorsing the fourth-generation network expectations in terms of spectrum utilization, energy efficiency and ubiquitous accessibility at a competitive cost. These accomplishments further lead us to achieve unparallel levels of scalability, capability and efficiency by defining New Radio (NR) and exploiting the every bit of spectrum and regulatory paradigms of 5G technologies. This new networking paradigm involves dynamic spectrum access, cognitive radio networks and spectrum management based on spectrum mobility and spectrum sharing. Moreover, these cognitive techniques can also be used for opportunistic spectrum access for wireless sensor networks and other real-time communication and control applications. Therefore, such cognitive, cooperative and opportunistic paradigms provide a significant improvement in the network efficiency and examine the problem of cross-layer optimization to boost the adaptability and reconfigurability. Consequently, the latest trends in telecommunication innovation and research mainly targets on the enhanced opportunistic cognitive-based wireless network system simulation, design and development.
November 2017 issue addresses the challenges being attempted in the cognitive-based wireless sensor networks. The first three papers focus on the issues related to spectrum sensing, opportunistic network parameters for the performance enhancement techniques, while last paper reports micro-strip antenna design based on artificial neural network technique.
It is expected that Cognitive Radio (CR) will emerge as a new Big Bang for the wireless data communication systems and thereby attracting many researchers and technology developers to work together to achieve the expectations of such technology. These efforts also require the state-of-the-art modifications in the regulatory and standardization procedures at the international level. The first paper, “Malicious Cluster Identification in Cognitive Radio Spectrum Sensing Using Fuzzy-Based Classifier“, by Sanvi Khandelwal, Preeti Trivedi and S V Charhate, discusses the simulation setup for the malicious user identification in spectrum sensing using fuzzy-based classifier. The authors have used the Eigenvalue-based sensing algorithms to evaluate the spectrum sensing performance.
The second paper, “Enhanced Opportunistic Network Parameters“, by Anushree S Dhore, R D Kanphade and G S Ambadkar, discusses the utility of opportunistic sharing of network resources by the user devices through all the active nodes during information transmission. This paper proposes two methods based on Hop limits and lifetime for selecting only one node for the transmission to show improved network parameters. It has been inferred that opportunistic search is crucial for retrieving remote content efficiently and is suitable to the content-centric use of the Internet.
Obviously, the design and development of a robust and reliable wireless network needs a thorough system modeling and simulation studies along with test bed and field trial results. The crucial decision for selecting the simulator depends upon its evaluating characteristics, memory constraints, utilization of the CPU cycles and scalability for simulating relevant routing protocol. The third paper, “The Performance of Wireless Sensor Network Simulators Using Advanced On-Demand Vector (AODV) Protocol“, by M Khaleel Ullah Khan and K S Ramesh, made comparative analysis of the performance of four standard network simulators with respect to different network parameters. The paper concludes that NS-3 provides a superior performance in terms of computation time.
The last paper, “Thorough Investigation of Artificial Neural Network with Applied Back Propagation Algorithm in Aperture Coupled Microstrip Patch Antenna“, by Satish K Jain and Jaya Chakrawarty, presents application of artificial neural network-based technique for the analysis of aperture coupled feed microstrip patch antenna design. A neural network-based model using back prorogation algorithm was developed with the help of few antennae variable geometrical parameters to locate the resonance frequency for microstrip patch antenna operating within the L (1-2 GHz), S (2-4 GHz), C (4-8 GHz) and partial X-band (8-10 GHz) bands. This neural network model helps in avoiding completely repeated use of the simulators/codes in calculating the resonant frequency of antenna and helps in saving computation time and cost.
Automated Teller Machines (ATMs): The Changing Face of Banking in India
Bank Management
Information and communication technology has changed the way in which banks provide services to its customers. These days the customers are able to perform their routine banking transactions without even entering the bank premises. ATM is one such development in recent years, which provides remote banking services all over the world, including India. This paper analyzes the development of this self-service banking in India based on the secondary data.
The Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is playing a very important role in the progress and advancement in almost all walks of life. The deregulated environment has provided an opportunity to restructure the means and methods of delivery of services in many areas, including the banking sector. The ICT has been a focused issue in the past two decades in Indian banking. In fact, ICTs are enabling the banks to change the way in which they are functioning. Improved customer service has become very important for the very survival and growth of banking sector in the reforms era. The technological advancements, deregulations, and intense competition due to the entry of private sector and foreign banks have altered the face of banking from one of mere intermediation to one of provider of quick, efficient and customer-friendly services. With the introduction and adoption of ICT in the banking sector, the customers are fast moving away from the traditional branch banking system to the convenient and comfort of virtual banking. The most important virtual banking services are phone banking, mobile banking, Internet banking and ATM banking. These electronic channels have enhanced the delivery of banking services accurately and efficiently to the customers. The ATMs are an important part of a bank’s alternative channel to reach the customers, to showcase products and services and to create brand awareness. This is reflected in the increase in the number of ATMs all over the world. ATM is one of the most widely used remote banking services all over the world, including India. This paper analyzes the growth of ATMs of different bank groups in India.
International Scenario
If ATMs are largely available over geographically dispersed areas, the benefit from using an ATM will increase as customers will be able to access their bank accounts from any geographic location. This would imply that the value of an ATM network increases with the number of available ATM locations, and the value of a bank network to a customer will be determined in part by the final network size of the banking system. The statistical information on the growth of branches and ATM network in select countries.
Indian Scenario
The financial services industry in India has witnessed a phenomenal growth, diversification and specialization since the initiation of financial sector reforms in 1991. Greater customer orientation is the only way to retain customer loyalty and withstand competition in the liberalized world. In a market-driven strategy of development, customer preference is of paramount importance in any economy. Gone are the days when customers used to come to the doorsteps of banks. Now the banks are required to chase the customers; only those banks which are customercentric and extremely focused on the needs of their clients can succeed in their business today.
