Kozeta Sevrani | University of Tirana, Albania (original) (raw)

Papers by Kozeta Sevrani

2014 IEEE International Conference on Computational Intelligence and Virtual Environments for Measurement Systems and Applications (CIVEMSA), 2014

A wireless sensor networks continue to grow, so does the need for effective security mechanisms. ... more A wireless sensor networks continue to grow, so does the need for effective security mechanisms. Because sensor networks may interact with sensitive data and/or operate in hostile unattended environments, it is imperative that these security concerns be addressed from the beginning of the system design. However, due to inherent resource and computing constraints, security in sensor networks poses different challenges than traditional network/ computer security. There is currently enormous research potential in the field of wireless sensor network security.

Information Society Development through ICT Market Strategies, 2015

Academic Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, Jan 3, 2022

This study shows a general view about knowledge transfer between manufacturing plants in developi... more This study shows a general view about knowledge transfer between manufacturing plants in developing countries like Albania, which are part of multinational companies' network (MCN). Part of this goal is the study of computer-based systems from conference calls and intranets to more advanced ones like data warehouses, management information systems (MIS) and executive information systems (EIS), as enablers of knowledge flow and absorptive capacity. The paper examines four case studies based on semi-structured interviews, where the data collected highlight a good coverage of computer-based systems in function of knowledge sharing. In half of the cases, this is done internally in the plant and not over the network of plants. We propose to upgrade where possible the systems used in a distributed way to have data and information connections across the network. In some cases, emerge barriers such as lack of time, lack of tolerance for errors, or the need for assistance. Conclusions show that staff training related to computer-based systems in the optics of knowledge enablers is important for the companies, while the incentives are not considered as a key factor for knowledge transfer.

Cultural Sustainable Tourism, 2019

The global economy growth is depending more on the development of service sectors and the digital... more The global economy growth is depending more on the development of service sectors and the digital technologies. Tourism as one of the most important service sectors, is driving cultural heritagelobal economy because it employs people and guarantees more revenues for local communities by using resources involved. Anyway, the use of resources has led to the need for sustainable development, since the future of next generations depends on the finite resources. Tourism is one of the industries that have embraced the sustainable development philosophy since it can be managed to be more careful about the resources, without compromising revenues. The most important elements for visitors and as such, for tourism development in a country are its resources in cultural and natural heritage. There is a close relationship between tourism and heritage. Cultural heritage can attract tourists to a site, and for this reason tourism can be also seen as the industry, which may be more interested in protecting this heritage. Digital technologies are sustaining the tourism industry in all its value chain, by bettering processes, by introducing innovative products, by bettering destinations marketing etc. But what is more important the digital technologies can contribute to manage the tourism sites in a sustainable way. The aim of this paper is to point out the importance of digitalization of cultural heritage in developing a sustainable cultural heritage tourism. Since cultural heritage tourism is one of the most important niche market in tourism, as ascertained by WTO, heritage sites need to be managed sustainably and this could be done by using digital technologies. The illustration of Albania as a case study will show the process and steps to be followed to benefit adequately from the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in heritage sites. The methodology is following the two steps: literature review and case study illustration, which will try to identify the right use of digital technologies that would help in achieving sustainability in heritage sites. Albania as the case study in question, is one of the latest destinations that has emerged in the Balkans only in the last decade. The tourism sector is growing and is being seen as one of the most important sectors for Albanian economy. Albania is differentiating its brand mainly by its natural and cultural heritage. There are different types of protected areas as part of natural heritage, while there is a list of cultural objects, museums, castles, festivals etc. as part of cultural heritage. The tourism flow in these sites is growing. On the other hand, tourism activities of different subsectors in Albania, are being more and more sustained by digital technologies. We have examples of using applications for reservations in accommodation business, social media for tourism sites and different digital technologies used by tour operators and marketing organization. The latest initiative is the digitalization of cultural heritage by the Ministry of culture. But the role of digital technologies is still weak in sustainable development in digital sites. The recommendations are focused in strengthening this role in types of heritage sites.

Chinese Business Review, 2011

The goal of this article is to determine the spread and use of e-banking technology in Albanian b... more The goal of this article is to determine the spread and use of e-banking technology in Albanian banks, to see the help and advantages that this service provides to the banks and to the customers, and of course to determine if our banking system is actually in the Internet era. In the last decade we notice that banks pay a growing attention to their marketing services and in particular to the use of the latest technologies for their promotions. The use of the Internet has influenced in the fact that customers now are closer to their banks, their number has increased, and of course through the Internet we have a more efficient exchange of products and services. A questionnaire was developed to help us understand the internet banking acceptance in Albania and other issues related to it. The questionnaire survey was conducted on 9 banks operating in Albania and from the evaluation of the collected data results that all banks that underwent questionnaire, have a separate marketing department. So marketing has an important role in the banking business. The importance of marketing rose by increased interbank competition in recent years. Crisis and economic and financial difficulties have shown that banks, which face these difficult periods, have been those which had not only a healthy bank policy, but also a strong commercial policy. These things depend on many factors, among which we can mention: the tradition, which has taught people to trust "their financial secrets" only to someone who exercises the profession of banker; the cultural and infrastructural level of development of the population, which gives approval and insures the continuousness of any discovery or development in various fields; the ability of this kind of banking to be successful, that is and remains the basis on which to establish a trustful cooperation relationship of any kind. Strong policies to e-marketing have targeted to increase the percentage of elements such as banking and credit granting. E-banking also consists of counseling online with a bank employee or financial advisor. This kind of service is not only effective for the client, who saves his time, but also more economical for the bank, which reduces its costs in human resources (an adviser to the window only deals with a client, while he can handle online more than two credit cases simultaneously, so we decrease the number of employees in general). With its low-cost structure, direct consumer marketing and innovative services, the internet is going to present a real challenge to traditional forms of banking. E-banking is seen from the banks as an opportunity to create competitive advantage over its competitors. It offers a great deal of advantages both to the banks and to the customers. Clients are becoming more and more demanding and they are expecting even higher levels of service from their banks.

SpringerBriefs in Business, 2015

Information and communications technology or information and communication technology, usually ab... more Information and communications technology or information and communication technology, usually abbreviated as ICT, is often used as an extended synonym for information technology (IT), but is usually a more general term that stresses the role of unified communications and the integration of telecommunications (telephone lines and wireless signals), computers, middleware as well as necessary software, storage, and audio–visual systems, which enable users to create, access, store, transmit, and manipulate information. In other words, ICT consists of IT as well as telecommunication, broadcast media, all types of audio and video processing, and transmission and network-based control and monitoring functions. The expression was first used in 1997 in a report by Dennis Stevenson to the UK government and promoted by the new National Curriculum documents for the UK in 2000.

SpringerBriefs in Business, 2015

Because ICTs can be applied to a tremendously diverse range of human experience, they are transfo... more Because ICTs can be applied to a tremendously diverse range of human experience, they are transforming virtually every sector of society and the economy (Riley 2000). Digital breakthroughs are creating new possibilities for improving health and nutrition, expanding knowledge, stimulating economic growth, and empowering people to participate in their communities.

SpringerBriefs in Business, 2015

ICT sector is growing significantly in Albania, especially Internet deployment. Situation is rapi... more ICT sector is growing significantly in Albania, especially Internet deployment. Situation is rapidly changing from 1 year to the other, despite the fact that this country has the lowest telecommunication in Europe. There is a general awareness about the role of ICT between people and government; and as consequence, there are many ICT-related initiatives, especially private in main urban areas. Mobile telephony has a high penetration in urban areas as an alternative solution in conditions of low penetration of fixed telephony. Despite this considerable growth of ICT deployment, there are several critical obstacles to be addressed. Some of them are related to cultural and economical conditions, for example, the problem of electrical energy shortages, especially in rural areas, high poverty and lack of telecommunications infrastructure in remote areas. A realistic view of all the possible factors mentioned above, regarding Albania, need to be analyzed, in order to fulfill the last goal of this work. It is very important to look at the conditions of Albania, in the main indicators that impact the ICT sector and infrastructures for Information Society and then to identify the areas with the greatest impact and what must be improved. So, this section will deal with four main areas:

Information Society Development through ICT Market Strategies, 2015

Albania is one of the Eastern European countries that experienced political and economic changes ... more Albania is one of the Eastern European countries that experienced political and economic changes as the transition to a multiparty democratic system and a free market economy, in 1991. These 22 years, there have been many changes that have affected all areas of political and economic development of Albania. However, it is still classified as a developing country and grouped together with other countries of the region in a group of countries with common characteristics as related to political developments, as well as economic indicators evaluated by international institutions such as the IMF and World Bank.

Cultural Sustainable Tourism, 2019

The global economy growth is depending more on the development of service sectors and the digital... more The global economy growth is depending more on the development of service sectors and the digital technologies. Tourism as one of the most important service sectors, is driving cultural heritagelobal economy because it employs people and guarantees more revenues for local communities by using resources involved. Anyway, the use of resources has led to the need for sustainable development, since the future of next generations depends on the finite resources. Tourism is one of the industries that have embraced the sustainable development philosophy since it can be managed to be more careful about the resources, without compromising revenues. The most important elements for visitors and as such, for tourism development in a country are its resources in cultural and natural heritage. There is a close relationship between tourism and heritage. Cultural heritage can attract tourists to a site, and for this reason tourism can be also seen as the industry, which may be more interested in protecting this heritage. Digital technologies are sustaining the tourism industry in all its value chain, by bettering processes, by introducing innovative products, by bettering destinations marketing etc. But what is more important the digital technologies can contribute to manage the tourism sites in a sustainable way. The aim of this paper is to point out the importance of digitalization of cultural heritage in developing a sustainable cultural heritage tourism. Since cultural heritage tourism is one of the most important niche market in tourism, as ascertained by WTO, heritage sites need to be managed sustainably and this could be done by using digital technologies. The illustration of Albania as a case study will show the process and steps to be followed to benefit adequately from the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in heritage sites. The methodology is following the two steps: literature review and case study illustration, which will try to identify the right use of digital technologies that would help in achieving sustainability in heritage sites. Albania as the case study in question, is one of the latest destinations that has emerged in the Balkans only in the last decade. The tourism sector is growing and is being seen as one of the most important sectors for Albanian economy. Albania is differentiating its brand mainly by its natural and cultural heritage. There are different types of protected areas as part of natural heritage, while there is a list of cultural objects, museums, castles, festivals etc. as part of cultural heritage. The tourism flow in these sites is growing. On the other hand, tourism activities of different subsectors in Albania, are being more and more sustained by digital technologies. We have examples of using applications for reservations in accommodation business, social media for tourism sites and different digital technologies used by tour operators and marketing organization. The latest initiative is the digitalization of cultural heritage by the Ministry of culture. But the role of digital technologies is still weak in sustainable development in digital sites. The recommendations are focused in strengthening this role in types of heritage sites.

Chinese Business Review, 2011

The goal of this article is to determine the spread and use of e-banking technology in Albanian b... more The goal of this article is to determine the spread and use of e-banking technology in Albanian banks, to see the help and advantages that this service provides to the banks and to the customers, and of course to determine if our banking system is actually in the Internet era. In the last decade we notice that banks pay a growing attention to their marketing services and in particular to the use of the latest technologies for their promotions. The use of the Internet has influenced in the fact that customers now are closer to their banks, their number has increased, and of course through the Internet we have a more efficient exchange of products and services. A questionnaire was developed to help us understand the internet banking acceptance in Albania and other issues related to it. The questionnaire survey was conducted on 9 banks operating in Albania and from the evaluation of the collected data results that all banks that underwent questionnaire, have a separate marketing department. So marketing has an important role in the banking business. The importance of marketing rose by increased interbank competition in recent years. Crisis and economic and financial difficulties have shown that banks, which face these difficult periods, have been those which had not only a healthy bank policy, but also a strong commercial policy. These things depend on many factors, among which we can mention: the tradition, which has taught people to trust "their financial secrets" only to someone who exercises the profession of banker; the cultural and infrastructural level of development of the population, which gives approval and insures the continuousness of any discovery or development in various fields; the ability of this kind of banking to be successful, that is and remains the basis on which to establish a trustful cooperation relationship of any kind. Strong policies to e-marketing have targeted to increase the percentage of elements such as banking and credit granting. E-banking also consists of counseling online with a bank employee or financial advisor. This kind of service is not only effective for the client, who saves his time, but also more economical for the bank, which reduces its costs in human resources (an adviser to the window only deals with a client, while he can handle online more than two credit cases simultaneously, so we decrease the number of employees in general). With its low-cost structure, direct consumer marketing and innovative services, the internet is going to present a real challenge to traditional forms of banking. E-banking is seen from the banks as an opportunity to create competitive advantage over its competitors. It offers a great deal of advantages both to the banks and to the customers. Clients are becoming more and more demanding and they are expecting even higher levels of service from their banks.

SpringerBriefs in Business, 2015

Information and communications technology or information and communication technology, usually ab... more Information and communications technology or information and communication technology, usually abbreviated as ICT, is often used as an extended synonym for information technology (IT), but is usually a more general term that stresses the role of unified communications and the integration of telecommunications (telephone lines and wireless signals), computers, middleware as well as necessary software, storage, and audio–visual systems, which enable users to create, access, store, transmit, and manipulate information. In other words, ICT consists of IT as well as telecommunication, broadcast media, all types of audio and video processing, and transmission and network-based control and monitoring functions. The expression was first used in 1997 in a report by Dennis Stevenson to the UK government and promoted by the new National Curriculum documents for the UK in 2000.

SpringerBriefs in Business, 2015

Because ICTs can be applied to a tremendously diverse range of human experience, they are transfo... more Because ICTs can be applied to a tremendously diverse range of human experience, they are transforming virtually every sector of society and the economy (Riley 2000). Digital breakthroughs are creating new possibilities for improving health and nutrition, expanding knowledge, stimulating economic growth, and empowering people to participate in their communities.

SpringerBriefs in Business, 2015

ICT sector is growing significantly in Albania, especially Internet deployment. Situation is rapi... more ICT sector is growing significantly in Albania, especially Internet deployment. Situation is rapidly changing from 1 year to the other, despite the fact that this country has the lowest telecommunication in Europe. There is a general awareness about the role of ICT between people and government; and as consequence, there are many ICT-related initiatives, especially private in main urban areas. Mobile telephony has a high penetration in urban areas as an alternative solution in conditions of low penetration of fixed telephony. Despite this considerable growth of ICT deployment, there are several critical obstacles to be addressed. Some of them are related to cultural and economical conditions, for example, the problem of electrical energy shortages, especially in rural areas, high poverty and lack of telecommunications infrastructure in remote areas. A realistic view of all the possible factors mentioned above, regarding Albania, need to be analyzed, in order to fulfill the last goal of this work. It is very important to look at the conditions of Albania, in the main indicators that impact the ICT sector and infrastructures for Information Society and then to identify the areas with the greatest impact and what must be improved. So, this section will deal with four main areas:

Information Society Development through ICT Market Strategies, 2015

Albania is one of the Eastern European countries that experienced political and economic changes ... more Albania is one of the Eastern European countries that experienced political and economic changes as the transition to a multiparty democratic system and a free market economy, in 1991. These 22 years, there have been many changes that have affected all areas of political and economic development of Albania. However, it is still classified as a developing country and grouped together with other countries of the region in a group of countries with common characteristics as related to political developments, as well as economic indicators evaluated by international institutions such as the IMF and World Bank.

Abstract Virtual teams are used more and more by companies and other organizations to receive ben... more Abstract Virtual teams are used more and more by companies and other organizations to receive benefits. They are a great way to enable teamwork in situations where people are not sitting in the same physical place at the same time. As companies seek to increase the use of virtual teams, a need exists to explore the context of these teams, the virtuality of a team and software that may help these teams working virtually. Virtual teams have the same basic principles as traditional teams, but there is one big difference. This difference is the way the team members communicate. Instead of using the dynamics of inoffice face-to-face exchange, they now rely on special communication channels enabled by modern technologies, such as e-mails, faxes, phone calls and teleconferences, virtual meetings etc. This is why this paper is focused on the issues regarding virtual teams, and how these teams are created and progressing in Albania. Keywords: Virtual, Team, Communication, Development

2014 IEEE International Conference on Computational Intelligence and Virtual Environments for Measurement Systems and Applications (CIVEMSA), 2014

A wireless sensor networks continue to grow, so does the need for effective security mechanisms. ... more A wireless sensor networks continue to grow, so does the need for effective security mechanisms. Because sensor networks may interact with sensitive data and/or operate in hostile unattended environments, it is imperative that these security concerns be addressed from the beginning of the system design. However, due to inherent resource and computing constraints, security in sensor networks poses different challenges than traditional network/ computer security. There is currently enormous research potential in the field of wireless sensor network security.

Information Society Development through ICT Market Strategies, 2015

Academic Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, Jan 3, 2022

This study shows a general view about knowledge transfer between manufacturing plants in developi... more This study shows a general view about knowledge transfer between manufacturing plants in developing countries like Albania, which are part of multinational companies' network (MCN). Part of this goal is the study of computer-based systems from conference calls and intranets to more advanced ones like data warehouses, management information systems (MIS) and executive information systems (EIS), as enablers of knowledge flow and absorptive capacity. The paper examines four case studies based on semi-structured interviews, where the data collected highlight a good coverage of computer-based systems in function of knowledge sharing. In half of the cases, this is done internally in the plant and not over the network of plants. We propose to upgrade where possible the systems used in a distributed way to have data and information connections across the network. In some cases, emerge barriers such as lack of time, lack of tolerance for errors, or the need for assistance. Conclusions show that staff training related to computer-based systems in the optics of knowledge enablers is important for the companies, while the incentives are not considered as a key factor for knowledge transfer.

Cultural Sustainable Tourism, 2019

The global economy growth is depending more on the development of service sectors and the digital... more The global economy growth is depending more on the development of service sectors and the digital technologies. Tourism as one of the most important service sectors, is driving cultural heritagelobal economy because it employs people and guarantees more revenues for local communities by using resources involved. Anyway, the use of resources has led to the need for sustainable development, since the future of next generations depends on the finite resources. Tourism is one of the industries that have embraced the sustainable development philosophy since it can be managed to be more careful about the resources, without compromising revenues. The most important elements for visitors and as such, for tourism development in a country are its resources in cultural and natural heritage. There is a close relationship between tourism and heritage. Cultural heritage can attract tourists to a site, and for this reason tourism can be also seen as the industry, which may be more interested in protecting this heritage. Digital technologies are sustaining the tourism industry in all its value chain, by bettering processes, by introducing innovative products, by bettering destinations marketing etc. But what is more important the digital technologies can contribute to manage the tourism sites in a sustainable way. The aim of this paper is to point out the importance of digitalization of cultural heritage in developing a sustainable cultural heritage tourism. Since cultural heritage tourism is one of the most important niche market in tourism, as ascertained by WTO, heritage sites need to be managed sustainably and this could be done by using digital technologies. The illustration of Albania as a case study will show the process and steps to be followed to benefit adequately from the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in heritage sites. The methodology is following the two steps: literature review and case study illustration, which will try to identify the right use of digital technologies that would help in achieving sustainability in heritage sites. Albania as the case study in question, is one of the latest destinations that has emerged in the Balkans only in the last decade. The tourism sector is growing and is being seen as one of the most important sectors for Albanian economy. Albania is differentiating its brand mainly by its natural and cultural heritage. There are different types of protected areas as part of natural heritage, while there is a list of cultural objects, museums, castles, festivals etc. as part of cultural heritage. The tourism flow in these sites is growing. On the other hand, tourism activities of different subsectors in Albania, are being more and more sustained by digital technologies. We have examples of using applications for reservations in accommodation business, social media for tourism sites and different digital technologies used by tour operators and marketing organization. The latest initiative is the digitalization of cultural heritage by the Ministry of culture. But the role of digital technologies is still weak in sustainable development in digital sites. The recommendations are focused in strengthening this role in types of heritage sites.

Chinese Business Review, 2011

The goal of this article is to determine the spread and use of e-banking technology in Albanian b... more The goal of this article is to determine the spread and use of e-banking technology in Albanian banks, to see the help and advantages that this service provides to the banks and to the customers, and of course to determine if our banking system is actually in the Internet era. In the last decade we notice that banks pay a growing attention to their marketing services and in particular to the use of the latest technologies for their promotions. The use of the Internet has influenced in the fact that customers now are closer to their banks, their number has increased, and of course through the Internet we have a more efficient exchange of products and services. A questionnaire was developed to help us understand the internet banking acceptance in Albania and other issues related to it. The questionnaire survey was conducted on 9 banks operating in Albania and from the evaluation of the collected data results that all banks that underwent questionnaire, have a separate marketing department. So marketing has an important role in the banking business. The importance of marketing rose by increased interbank competition in recent years. Crisis and economic and financial difficulties have shown that banks, which face these difficult periods, have been those which had not only a healthy bank policy, but also a strong commercial policy. These things depend on many factors, among which we can mention: the tradition, which has taught people to trust "their financial secrets" only to someone who exercises the profession of banker; the cultural and infrastructural level of development of the population, which gives approval and insures the continuousness of any discovery or development in various fields; the ability of this kind of banking to be successful, that is and remains the basis on which to establish a trustful cooperation relationship of any kind. Strong policies to e-marketing have targeted to increase the percentage of elements such as banking and credit granting. E-banking also consists of counseling online with a bank employee or financial advisor. This kind of service is not only effective for the client, who saves his time, but also more economical for the bank, which reduces its costs in human resources (an adviser to the window only deals with a client, while he can handle online more than two credit cases simultaneously, so we decrease the number of employees in general). With its low-cost structure, direct consumer marketing and innovative services, the internet is going to present a real challenge to traditional forms of banking. E-banking is seen from the banks as an opportunity to create competitive advantage over its competitors. It offers a great deal of advantages both to the banks and to the customers. Clients are becoming more and more demanding and they are expecting even higher levels of service from their banks.

SpringerBriefs in Business, 2015

Information and communications technology or information and communication technology, usually ab... more Information and communications technology or information and communication technology, usually abbreviated as ICT, is often used as an extended synonym for information technology (IT), but is usually a more general term that stresses the role of unified communications and the integration of telecommunications (telephone lines and wireless signals), computers, middleware as well as necessary software, storage, and audio–visual systems, which enable users to create, access, store, transmit, and manipulate information. In other words, ICT consists of IT as well as telecommunication, broadcast media, all types of audio and video processing, and transmission and network-based control and monitoring functions. The expression was first used in 1997 in a report by Dennis Stevenson to the UK government and promoted by the new National Curriculum documents for the UK in 2000.

SpringerBriefs in Business, 2015

Because ICTs can be applied to a tremendously diverse range of human experience, they are transfo... more Because ICTs can be applied to a tremendously diverse range of human experience, they are transforming virtually every sector of society and the economy (Riley 2000). Digital breakthroughs are creating new possibilities for improving health and nutrition, expanding knowledge, stimulating economic growth, and empowering people to participate in their communities.

SpringerBriefs in Business, 2015

ICT sector is growing significantly in Albania, especially Internet deployment. Situation is rapi... more ICT sector is growing significantly in Albania, especially Internet deployment. Situation is rapidly changing from 1 year to the other, despite the fact that this country has the lowest telecommunication in Europe. There is a general awareness about the role of ICT between people and government; and as consequence, there are many ICT-related initiatives, especially private in main urban areas. Mobile telephony has a high penetration in urban areas as an alternative solution in conditions of low penetration of fixed telephony. Despite this considerable growth of ICT deployment, there are several critical obstacles to be addressed. Some of them are related to cultural and economical conditions, for example, the problem of electrical energy shortages, especially in rural areas, high poverty and lack of telecommunications infrastructure in remote areas. A realistic view of all the possible factors mentioned above, regarding Albania, need to be analyzed, in order to fulfill the last goal of this work. It is very important to look at the conditions of Albania, in the main indicators that impact the ICT sector and infrastructures for Information Society and then to identify the areas with the greatest impact and what must be improved. So, this section will deal with four main areas:

Information Society Development through ICT Market Strategies, 2015

Albania is one of the Eastern European countries that experienced political and economic changes ... more Albania is one of the Eastern European countries that experienced political and economic changes as the transition to a multiparty democratic system and a free market economy, in 1991. These 22 years, there have been many changes that have affected all areas of political and economic development of Albania. However, it is still classified as a developing country and grouped together with other countries of the region in a group of countries with common characteristics as related to political developments, as well as economic indicators evaluated by international institutions such as the IMF and World Bank.

Cultural Sustainable Tourism, 2019

The global economy growth is depending more on the development of service sectors and the digital... more The global economy growth is depending more on the development of service sectors and the digital technologies. Tourism as one of the most important service sectors, is driving cultural heritagelobal economy because it employs people and guarantees more revenues for local communities by using resources involved. Anyway, the use of resources has led to the need for sustainable development, since the future of next generations depends on the finite resources. Tourism is one of the industries that have embraced the sustainable development philosophy since it can be managed to be more careful about the resources, without compromising revenues. The most important elements for visitors and as such, for tourism development in a country are its resources in cultural and natural heritage. There is a close relationship between tourism and heritage. Cultural heritage can attract tourists to a site, and for this reason tourism can be also seen as the industry, which may be more interested in protecting this heritage. Digital technologies are sustaining the tourism industry in all its value chain, by bettering processes, by introducing innovative products, by bettering destinations marketing etc. But what is more important the digital technologies can contribute to manage the tourism sites in a sustainable way. The aim of this paper is to point out the importance of digitalization of cultural heritage in developing a sustainable cultural heritage tourism. Since cultural heritage tourism is one of the most important niche market in tourism, as ascertained by WTO, heritage sites need to be managed sustainably and this could be done by using digital technologies. The illustration of Albania as a case study will show the process and steps to be followed to benefit adequately from the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in heritage sites. The methodology is following the two steps: literature review and case study illustration, which will try to identify the right use of digital technologies that would help in achieving sustainability in heritage sites. Albania as the case study in question, is one of the latest destinations that has emerged in the Balkans only in the last decade. The tourism sector is growing and is being seen as one of the most important sectors for Albanian economy. Albania is differentiating its brand mainly by its natural and cultural heritage. There are different types of protected areas as part of natural heritage, while there is a list of cultural objects, museums, castles, festivals etc. as part of cultural heritage. The tourism flow in these sites is growing. On the other hand, tourism activities of different subsectors in Albania, are being more and more sustained by digital technologies. We have examples of using applications for reservations in accommodation business, social media for tourism sites and different digital technologies used by tour operators and marketing organization. The latest initiative is the digitalization of cultural heritage by the Ministry of culture. But the role of digital technologies is still weak in sustainable development in digital sites. The recommendations are focused in strengthening this role in types of heritage sites.

Chinese Business Review, 2011

The goal of this article is to determine the spread and use of e-banking technology in Albanian b... more The goal of this article is to determine the spread and use of e-banking technology in Albanian banks, to see the help and advantages that this service provides to the banks and to the customers, and of course to determine if our banking system is actually in the Internet era. In the last decade we notice that banks pay a growing attention to their marketing services and in particular to the use of the latest technologies for their promotions. The use of the Internet has influenced in the fact that customers now are closer to their banks, their number has increased, and of course through the Internet we have a more efficient exchange of products and services. A questionnaire was developed to help us understand the internet banking acceptance in Albania and other issues related to it. The questionnaire survey was conducted on 9 banks operating in Albania and from the evaluation of the collected data results that all banks that underwent questionnaire, have a separate marketing department. So marketing has an important role in the banking business. The importance of marketing rose by increased interbank competition in recent years. Crisis and economic and financial difficulties have shown that banks, which face these difficult periods, have been those which had not only a healthy bank policy, but also a strong commercial policy. These things depend on many factors, among which we can mention: the tradition, which has taught people to trust "their financial secrets" only to someone who exercises the profession of banker; the cultural and infrastructural level of development of the population, which gives approval and insures the continuousness of any discovery or development in various fields; the ability of this kind of banking to be successful, that is and remains the basis on which to establish a trustful cooperation relationship of any kind. Strong policies to e-marketing have targeted to increase the percentage of elements such as banking and credit granting. E-banking also consists of counseling online with a bank employee or financial advisor. This kind of service is not only effective for the client, who saves his time, but also more economical for the bank, which reduces its costs in human resources (an adviser to the window only deals with a client, while he can handle online more than two credit cases simultaneously, so we decrease the number of employees in general). With its low-cost structure, direct consumer marketing and innovative services, the internet is going to present a real challenge to traditional forms of banking. E-banking is seen from the banks as an opportunity to create competitive advantage over its competitors. It offers a great deal of advantages both to the banks and to the customers. Clients are becoming more and more demanding and they are expecting even higher levels of service from their banks.

SpringerBriefs in Business, 2015

Information and communications technology or information and communication technology, usually ab... more Information and communications technology or information and communication technology, usually abbreviated as ICT, is often used as an extended synonym for information technology (IT), but is usually a more general term that stresses the role of unified communications and the integration of telecommunications (telephone lines and wireless signals), computers, middleware as well as necessary software, storage, and audio–visual systems, which enable users to create, access, store, transmit, and manipulate information. In other words, ICT consists of IT as well as telecommunication, broadcast media, all types of audio and video processing, and transmission and network-based control and monitoring functions. The expression was first used in 1997 in a report by Dennis Stevenson to the UK government and promoted by the new National Curriculum documents for the UK in 2000.

SpringerBriefs in Business, 2015

Because ICTs can be applied to a tremendously diverse range of human experience, they are transfo... more Because ICTs can be applied to a tremendously diverse range of human experience, they are transforming virtually every sector of society and the economy (Riley 2000). Digital breakthroughs are creating new possibilities for improving health and nutrition, expanding knowledge, stimulating economic growth, and empowering people to participate in their communities.

SpringerBriefs in Business, 2015

ICT sector is growing significantly in Albania, especially Internet deployment. Situation is rapi... more ICT sector is growing significantly in Albania, especially Internet deployment. Situation is rapidly changing from 1 year to the other, despite the fact that this country has the lowest telecommunication in Europe. There is a general awareness about the role of ICT between people and government; and as consequence, there are many ICT-related initiatives, especially private in main urban areas. Mobile telephony has a high penetration in urban areas as an alternative solution in conditions of low penetration of fixed telephony. Despite this considerable growth of ICT deployment, there are several critical obstacles to be addressed. Some of them are related to cultural and economical conditions, for example, the problem of electrical energy shortages, especially in rural areas, high poverty and lack of telecommunications infrastructure in remote areas. A realistic view of all the possible factors mentioned above, regarding Albania, need to be analyzed, in order to fulfill the last goal of this work. It is very important to look at the conditions of Albania, in the main indicators that impact the ICT sector and infrastructures for Information Society and then to identify the areas with the greatest impact and what must be improved. So, this section will deal with four main areas:

Information Society Development through ICT Market Strategies, 2015

Albania is one of the Eastern European countries that experienced political and economic changes ... more Albania is one of the Eastern European countries that experienced political and economic changes as the transition to a multiparty democratic system and a free market economy, in 1991. These 22 years, there have been many changes that have affected all areas of political and economic development of Albania. However, it is still classified as a developing country and grouped together with other countries of the region in a group of countries with common characteristics as related to political developments, as well as economic indicators evaluated by international institutions such as the IMF and World Bank.

Abstract Virtual teams are used more and more by companies and other organizations to receive ben... more Abstract Virtual teams are used more and more by companies and other organizations to receive benefits. They are a great way to enable teamwork in situations where people are not sitting in the same physical place at the same time. As companies seek to increase the use of virtual teams, a need exists to explore the context of these teams, the virtuality of a team and software that may help these teams working virtually. Virtual teams have the same basic principles as traditional teams, but there is one big difference. This difference is the way the team members communicate. Instead of using the dynamics of inoffice face-to-face exchange, they now rely on special communication channels enabled by modern technologies, such as e-mails, faxes, phone calls and teleconferences, virtual meetings etc. This is why this paper is focused on the issues regarding virtual teams, and how these teams are created and progressing in Albania. Keywords: Virtual, Team, Communication, Development