Industrialization of quantum communication technologies

Summary form only given. The field of quantum key distribution has made rapid advances in the past years. Networks of QKD links were implemented, commercial QKD systems are available and research systems have reached GHz repetition rates and distances beyond 200 km. Usually decoy protocols with attenuated laser light pulses are used, where the asymptotic key rate of a QKD system is proportional to the fraction of single photon pulses sent [1]. Single photon sources (SPSs) intrinsically have a higher single photon fraction and thus reach higher key rates.

Information security in the post quantum era for 5G and beyond networks: Threats to existing cryptography, and post-quantum cryptography

Despite the expansion of digital transformation, interpersonal interactions remain the foundation for successful business-to-business (B2B) sales meetings in complex exchanges. This study focuses on rapport building and examines it as an explicitly and implicitly manifested ongoing process covering the entire duration of a B2B sales meeting. Based on empirical findings from a qualitative study of Japanese business professionals, the study develops a process conceptualization of rapport building. It draws on the rapport management model from sociolinguistics, showing how rapport building is based on meeting individuals’ fundamental needs for appreciation, approval, fair consideration, and social inclusion, besides fulfilling business-related rapport needs. Based on the data, we identified three phases in rapport building (establishing, developing, and leveraging) and various overt and covert rapport-building activities the salesperson can adopt to create and nurture rapport with a customer by relying on verbal, nonverbal, and intuitive cues. Our findings indicate that only the final phase, leveraging rapport, offers an optimal setting for discussions on future business opportunities. The study challenges the stereotypical notion of rapport as mere small talk at the beginning of a sales meeting and provides valuable managerial implications related to successful rapport building.

PRICES are less central in business than in economic theory. Curve analysis of price determination has led economists to think of the relation of price to cost as the central problem not only in political economy but also in the pursuit of profits by business men. To business managers such problems as maintaining sales or working capital are at least equally pressing, and the higher strategy of trading in future business opportunities, whether in the form of going concerns, patents, or other crystallized advantages of position, is often of still greater concern. Hence the constant attention of the chief executive is rarely focused upon prices. Rather, the pricing process is usually conceived as a semi-automatic part of a complex machine, designed to provide satisfactory margins per unit of sale without requiring much detailed attention by the management.

This paper proposes a framework to deliver a faster workable project module in an innovative, dynamic environment. The increased demand in mobile and internet applications drive businesses to rethink their customer needs to a greater extent and undertake digital transformation to compete in the marketplace. The agile methods as an approach is gaining popularity to develop innovative solutions while Design Thinking leads to transformation, evolution and innovation, and to form new ways of managing current and future business opportunities. The proposed framework supports the evolving Digital Transformation by combining the benefits of Agile methods and Design Thinking. This paper contributes to the body of knowledge on Design Thinking and Agile methodology by providing a framework which integrates the core processes of Agile methods and Design Thinking.

Case Presentation: E.C. is a 53-year-old postmenopausal female, referred for treatment of hypertension, with a family history of type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and coronary heart disease (CHD). Until learning that her blood pressure was “too high” during a routine physical examination, she felt well, and her postmenopausal symptoms had responded to hormone replacement therapy. She was not overweight (her body mass index [BMI] was 23.7 kg/m2), and the only abnormality on physical examination was a blood pressure of 145/95 RAR. Laboratory results revealed a normal blood count and urinalysis, with the following fasting plasma concentrations of relevant metabolic variables (in mg/dL): glucose 102, triglycerides (TG) 238, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) 147, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) 52. E.C. is hypertensive and hypertriglyceridemic and at increased risk for CHD. Less obvious is that these metabolic abnormalities are highly likely to be the manifestations of a more fundamental defect—resistance to insulin-mediated glucose disposal and compensatory hyperinsulinemia, changes that greatly increase CHD risk.1,2⇓ The importance of insulin resistance as a CHD risk factor was first explicated in 1998, and the cluster of abnormalities likely to appear as manifestations of the defect in insulin action designated as syndrome X.1 Support for this notion has grown almost as fast as the names used to describe the phenomenon. The Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III) has recently3 recognized the importance as CHD risk factors of a “constellation of lipid and nonlipid risk factors of metabolic origin,” designated this cluster of abnormalities as “the metabolic syndrome,” and indicated that “this syndrome is closely linked to insulin resistance.” Table 1 lists the criteria the ATP III stipulated be used to diagnose the metabolic syndrome, and a recent report4 has applied these criteria to the database of the Third National Health and Nutrition …

A Blockchain is essentially a distributed database of records, or public ledger, of all completed and shared transactions or digital events. Each transaction in the public ledger is validated by a majority of the system's members. Information can never be deleted after it has been submitted. The Blockchain includes a precise and verifiable record of every single transaction that has ever occurred. The most well-known application of Blockchain technology is Bitcoin, a decentralized peer-to-peer digital money. Although the digital currency bit coin is very contentious, the underlying Blockchain technology has performed perfectly and has found a wide range of uses in both the financial and non- financial worlds. The basic idea is that the Blockchain creates a means for achieving distributed consensus in the digital online world. By producing an unquestionable record in a public ledger, involved entities may be assured that a digital event occurred. It paves the way for the transition from a centralized to a democratic, open, and scalable digital economy. This innovative technology offers huge possibilities, and the change in this field has just begun. This research paper describes Blockchain technology supports crypto currency and some specific applications in both the financial and non- financial sector and also this research paper will examine the difficulties that lie ahead and the business opportunities for this fundamental technology that is going to transform our digital world. Keywords: Blockchain, Bitcoin, Financial and non-financial sector, Technology

We aim to provide a comprehensive systematic analysis of scholarly publications in the field of board compensation in financial sectors extending through the years 1987 to 2021. Hence, the most notable themes, theories, and contributions to the literature are identified, and research developments over time are evaluated. With the identification of a final sample of 87 research papers indexed in Scopus, we identify research gaps to provide insight into future research following a systematic method. The results revealed that the United States of America received the broadest research interest, along with cross-country research. While the literature lacked to provide investigations for other countries of the world. Although the effect of compensation on organizational outcomes (performance and grow) is still unclear in the literature, several factors have been introduced as key drivers of the compensation, including the country’s level of development, the development of equity markets, the development of banking system, its dependence on foreign capital, collective rights empowering labor, the strength of a country’s welfare institutions, employment market forces, and social order and authority relations. On a theoretical level, agency theory has been most popular in the literature, along with providing multiple theoretical frameworks with agency theory as a slack resources theory, managerial talent theory, and managerial power theory. This is the first research to our knowledge that used a systematic review (SR) of literature to give a complete and comprehensive evaluation of the literature on board compensation in the financial sector. The current study documents the flow of literature on the board’s compensation in the financial sectors over 24 years and establishes future research opportunities.

The present study identifies, organizes, and structures the available scientific knowledge on the recent use and the prospects of Voice Assistants (VA) in private households. The systematic review of the 207 articles from the Computer, Social, and Business and Management research domains combines bibliometric with qualitative content analysis. The study contributes to earlier research by consolidating the as yet dispersed insights from scholarly research, and by conceptualizing linkages between research domains around common themes. We find that, despite advances in the technological development of VA, research largely lacks cross-fertilization between findings from the Social and Business and Management Sciences. This is needed for developing and monetizing meaningful VA use cases and solutions that match the needs of private households. Few articles show that future research is well-advised to make interdisciplinary efforts to create a common understanding from complementary findings—e.g., what necessary social, legal, functional, and technological extensions could integrate social, behavioral, and business aspects with technological development. We identify future VA-based business opportunities and propose integrated future research avenues for aligning the different disciplines’ scholarly efforts.

In the modern world, the financial sector faces a wide range of extraordinary events, from market shocks and geopolitical tensions to pandemics and cyberattacks. These diverse challenges significantly impact banks. Recently, particular attention has been drawn to the influence of artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum computing (QC) technologies on the stability of the financial system. This article analyzes the potential areas of impact of quantum technologies on the financial sphere in general and the resilience of financial institutions in particular.It's determined that quantum technologies can simultaneously pose both threats and new opportunities. Specifically, the article analyzes the potential of quantum technologies to break existing cryptographic algorithms that protect the confidential data of financial institutions' clients. This threat is exacerbated by the possibility of "harvest now, decrypt later" attacks, where malicious actors intercept data today with the intention of decrypting it in the future. This presents challenges and threats for online/mobile banking, payment operations, and corporate communications. Among the positive impacts of quantum technologies on banking, the article highlights improved financial risk assessment, particularly enhanced accuracy in stress testing, portfolio management, and derivatives pricing, by solving problems inaccessible to classical computing. The potential of quantum machine learning for fraud detection is also noted. Attention is given to the financial sector's response to these challenges. Initiatives for developing quantum-resistant (post-quantum) cryptography are considered as the primary method for mitigating the risks associated with the proliferation of quantum computing, along with new cryptographic protocols and quantum key distribution as a new opportunity to enhance security. The article emphasizes the responsibility of central banks in forming quantum-readiness strategies, including investments in post-quantum cryptography, expertise development, and the adaptation of regulatory frameworks. The conclusion drawn is that although the immediate benefits of quantum technologies may be modest, their long-term transformative potential for the financial sector is immense.

The aim of the work consists of: identifying the e-commerce activities implemented by the financial sector in Mexico, using quantitative methods, in order to perform a cluster analysis. Through a compilation of data from the Census on information and communication technologies (2019), sales in millions of pesos and sales methods through ecommerce (Company website, third-party website) are established as study variables. , social media, email). The results indicate that the financial sector that operates in Mexico City reflects the highest amount of sales revenue through e-commerce in: the company's website, third-party website and email, while the sector predominates in social networks financial institution of Nuevo León. Challenges are observed in the integration of technologies industry 4.0 that allow generating greater competitiveness in digital marketing

The vinyl industry has a rich history of providing solutions to society's needs. These include flame‐resistant wire insulation, piping systems for safe drinking water, and weatherable, flame‐resistant systems for siding, windows, auto interiors, floors, and pool liners. Also included are shatter‐resistant clear containers with handles, safe blood supplies and intravenous solutions, and flame‐resistant computer housings and electrical boxes. These are but a few of the things of which the vinyl industry can be proud. The vinyl industry is mature, and as in many other mature industries, much of the technical and business effort goes into running the day‐to‐day businesses, putting out fires, reducing costs, and driving efficiencies. If poorly managed, this will be an all‐consuming effort, leaving no thought and no effort at all on longer‐term business opportunities. The future will look much different than today. Identifying future trends will allow well‐managed companies, looking for these future business opportunities, to seek out and set aside some efforts for developing future technologies and businesses. In this paper we discuss some future trends and needs, such as inexpensive and safe drinking water, personalized public transportation, prevention of resource depletion, high‐powered energy packages, nonpolluting energy sources, human genetic engineering, e‐bombs, and computers. The opportunities for the vinyl industry to participate in these changes also are discussed.

The paper synthesizes global experiences and key lessons in the regulation and supervision of cyber risk in the financial sector. It draws on the IMF’s financial stability surveillance and technical assistance work. It underscores the increasing frequency and complexity of cyber threats. These threats present systemic risk as financial institutions and market infrastructures become more reliant on digital technologies. The paper delineates established good practices for effective, proportionate, and outcome-oriented regulatory frameworks. To build these, authorities need to: (1) ensure frameworks address information and communication technology and comprehensive cyber risk management; (2) establish clear governance arrangements and rigorous risk management protocols; (3) conduct systematic testing and ensure robust oversight of third-party service providers; (4) apply good supervisory practices in supervision and oversight —including offsite and onsite supervision, thematic reviews, simulation exercises; and (5) develop strategies for sector-wide operational resilience. The findings advocate for a calibrated approach blending principles-based and prescriptive regulation, adaptable to the maturity of individual institutions. Ongoing supervisory visibility and capacity development remains essential. By providing actionable recommendations, the paper seeks to support authorities worldwide in enhancing cyber resilience, promoting financial stability, and preserving the integrity of the digital financial ecosystem.

Purpose–The objective of this study is to provide a support tool for managers to identify future business opportunities.Design/methodology/approach–The proposed model consists of eight-steps. For the first step the authors propose two studies: trends analysis and change drivers' identification; these help to identify the most relevant trends in areas that may affect the business activities. All this information is put into a Delphi process with the help of experts in order to find the common denominator of where the future is going; afterwards, with this information, the authors can build events and scenarios for the business opportunities. Then, a diagnostic of the study area, sector or organization through the dynamic diagnostic methods is performed.Findings–Once the opportunities have been identified, a strategic analysis that allows decision making to prioritize and define the activities or projects that may be achievable in the future is done, and the result of the process is a portfolio of business opportunities projects fully defined and ready to be planned with a roadmap.Originality/value–The proposed model allows the managers to consistently organize their development processes targeted to real business opportunities.

The key question among policy makers and marketing scholars alike is 'how can SMEs become more financially viable?' bearing in mind that we now live in a highly globalized society that is driven by technological, social and economic forces. Consequently, for SMEs to become more financially viable in the changing business landscape, it becomes more imperative now than ever before for this set of enterprises to develop some core business orientations and/or capabilities, particularly that of brand orientation and market-sensing capability. Against this backdrop, the current article examines the role of brand orientation and market-sensing capability in relation to the profitability of SMEs in the context of a financial intermediation sector. Based on the findings from 119 surveyed financial services SMEs in one of Africa’s largest economies, we have empirical support that both brand orientation and market-sensing capability contribute significantly to SMEs profitability. Our results demonstrate the need for SMEs in the African financial intermediation sector to develop an 'in-house' branding culture that takes into cognizance 'local' market conditions, and more particularly employee involvement. More so, SMEs should endeavour to develop market-sensing capability given that this unique capability is key to unlocking both present and future marketing opportunities.