Adelaide alumna helps reshape global online trading
Adelaide alumna helps reshape global online trading
Statistics show consumers are gaining confidence in purchasing goods and services over the internet, from buying their favourite music or books, bidding in online auctions and organising holidays.
But not many have actually stopped to think about what happens behind the scenes - how information technology converts the click of a mouse into a parcel arriving at your doorstep, in a secure and reliable way?
But University of South Australia (UniSA) PhD graduate and academic, Dr Chun Ouyang, has been researching the topic in detail and her recently passed, ground breaking thesis on Internet trading protocols is helping to develop the future worldwide standard for secure online trading.
"I tested the Internet Open Trading Protocol (IOTP) being developed by a worldwide authority on the Internet, the Internet Engineering Task Force," says Dr Ouyang, who left China four years ago to study at UniSA's School of Electrical and Information Engineering.
"The protocol supports e-commerce, providing services to four trading roles: consumer, merchant, payment and delivery handling. Obviously for any protocol involving financial transactions, it is vital they work correctly," says Dr Ouyang.
"My research revealed errors in the design of IOTP and so I proposed a set of changes. I then tested my revised IOTP model with positive results."
There are many different trading systems for exchanging money in cyberspace, such as Secure Socket Layering (SSL), Secure Electronic Transaction (SET) for credit card payments, as well as the Mondex smartcard system currently dominating the US market.
"IOTP allows these different systems to work within one framework, saving companies from substantial costs," Dr Ouyang says.
"It means companies don't have to change systems to do business in the future. Once the protocol is error free and implemented, it will become the global standard for commerce on the Internet."
Along with getting the highest commendations from thesis examiners, one of whom was a member of the Internet Engineering Task Force, Dr Ouyang's research has received a number of awards. In February this year she won the 'Student of the Year' postgraduate excellence award for UniSA's Division of Information Technology, Engineering and the Environment and she also received the division's award for best conference paper by a research candidate.
Currently, Dr Ouyang juggles the demands of family life and a nine month baby boy with a range of research projects, including an Australian Research Council Discovery Grant, a DSTO Research and Development contract and UniSA grant projects. She also lectures to undergraduate and postgraduate students.
"When I moved to Australia I felt immediately welcome. It's been such a wonderful opportunity to live, teach and research in this beautiful part of the world. While things can be extremely hectic, I take one day at a time. I just love my life here."
Related Article: