This handbook contains surveys of state-of-the-art concepts, systems, applications, best practices as well as contemporary research in the intersection between IT and finance. Included are recent trends and challenges, IT systems and architectures in finance, essential developments and case studies on management information systems, and service oriented architecture modeling. The book shows a broad range of applications, e.g. in banking, insurance, trading and in non-financial companies. Essentially, all aspects of IT in finance are covered.

The explosive growth in information technology has ushered in unparalleled new opportunities for advancing public service. Featuring 24 chapters from foremost experts in the field of digital government, this Handbook provides an authoritative survey of key emerging technologies, their current state of development and use in government, and insightful discussions on how they are reshaping and influencing the future of public administration. This Handbook explores: Key emerging technologies (i.e., big data, social media, Internet of Things (IOT), GIS, smart phones & mobile technologies) and their impacts on public administration The impacts of the new technologies on the relationships between citizens and their governments with the focus on collaborative governance Key theories of IT innovations in government on the interplay between technological innovations and public administration The relationship between technology and democratic accountability and the various ways of harnessing the new technologies to advance public value Key strategies and conditions for fostering success in leveraging technological innovations for public service This Handbook will prove to be an invaluable guide and resource for students, scholars and practitioners interested in this growing field of technological innovations in government.

A front-line industry insider's look at the financial technology explosion The FINTECH Book is your primary guide to the financial technology revolution, and the disruption, innovation and opportunity therein. Written by prominent thought leaders in the global fintech investment space, this book aggregates diverse industry expertise into a single informative volume to provide entrepreneurs, bankers and investors with the answers they need to capitalize on this lucrative market. Key industry developments are explained in detail, and critical insights from cutting-edge practitioners offer first-hand information and lessons learned. The financial technology sector is booming, and entrepreneurs, bankers, consultants, investors and asset managers are scrambling for more information: Who are the key players? What's driving the explosive growth? What are the risks? This book collates insights, knowledge and guidance from industry experts to provide the answers to these questions and more. Get up to speed on the latest industry developments Grasp the market dynamics of the 'fintech revolution' Realize the sector's potential and impact on related industries Gain expert insight on investment and entrepreneurial opportunities The fintech market captured over US$14 billion in 2014, a three-fold increase from the previous year. New startups are popping up at an increasing pace, and large banks and insurance companies are being pushed toward increasing digital operations in order to survive. The financial technology sector is booming and The FINTECH Book is the first crowd-sourced book on the subject globally, making it an invaluable source of information for anybody working in or interested in this space.

Sociology has evolved greatly since it′s inception as an academic discipline. It has diverged into numerous strands often flowing in disparate directions - so much so that today the notion of canonical sociology has become widely disputed. The field of sociology at present approximates to one of multi-paradigmatic complexity in which many approaches to theory must be distinguished and situated. In addition, the discipline has had to confront new challenges from globalization, the shift of interest from production to consumption, the rise of new social movements, the challenge of bio-engineering, the collapse of a ′presently existing socialist alternative′ and much else besides. The new SAGE Handbook of Sociology aims to address these new developments, while at the same time providing an authoritative guide to theory and method, the key sub-disciplines and the primary debates of today. To undertake this ambitious project three leading figures in the field of sociology were selected as editors to bring together the foremost exponents of the different strands that contribute towards the make up modern sociology. Drawn from both sides of the Atlantic the contributors have been commissioned to utilise the most up to date research available to provide a critical, international analysis of their area of expertise. The result is this essential resource collection that not just reflects upon the condition of sociology today but also looks to future developments in the discipline. The Handbook is invaluable not just all sociologists but to a wide variety of students and researchers across the social sciences. Click on ′Sample Chapters & Resources′ to download the introduction.

ICT-Driven Economic and Financial Development: Analyses of European Countries demonstrates the effects of ICT diffusion on economic, social and financial development by examining their impact on the structure and dynamics of national economies. It provides the insight into shifts observed in labour markets, international trade activities productivity factors, education and use of innovative financial products. It combines empirical analyses and data sources stretching back to 1990 make it an important contribution to understanding the effects of ICT diffusion on economic and financial development. The book answers questions such as how will national and regional economies react to upcoming ICT developments and growing usage, and what is the magnitude of impact of new information and communication technologies on various aspects of social and economic life. - Demonstrates the process fo ICT spread across European countries - Analyzes the value of ICTs from both economic and social perspective - Examines structural changes in financial markets caused by ICTs implementation

The Second Edition of The Handbook of Financing Growth has been designed to help leaders and advisors gain a solid understanding of the financing strategies, sources, and transactions that will allow them to excel in such an unpredictable environment. Written by an experienced group of practitioners who operate within this dynamic market—and fully updated to reflect new market realities—this reliable resource outlines the full spectrum of funding alternatives currently available to emerging growth and middle-market companies and presents the practical strategies and techniques you need to be aware of when considering the capitalization, growth, or sale of your, or your client's, company. New material found in this Second Edition includes detailed discussions of positioning a business for value creation before the transaction and how your financing strategy fits into the overall plan for growing and raising capital as well as creating an exit. Among various techniques, the authors address buyouts and recapitalizations as two alternatives to create shareholder liquidity and potentially finance future growth. A new chapter on M&A addresses the acquisition process and how to fund acquisitions and external growth initiatives, while additional case studies highlight bank financing alternatives and growth equity.

Although the notion is a relatively recent one, the notions and principles of Granular Computing (GrC) have appeared in a different guise in many related fields including granularity in Artificial Intelligence, interval computing, cluster analysis, quotient space theory and many others. Recent years have witnessed a renewed and expanding interest in the topic as it begins to play a key role in bioinformatics, e-commerce, machine learning, security, data mining and wireless mobile computing when it comes to the issues of effectiveness, robustness and uncertainty. The Handbook of Granular Computing offers a comprehensive reference source for the granular computing community, edited by and with contributions from leading experts in the field. Includes chapters covering the foundations of granular computing, interval analysis and fuzzy set theory; hybrid methods and models of granular computing; and applications and case studies. Divided into 5 sections: Preliminaries, Fundamentals, Methodology and Algorithms, Development of Hybrid Models and Applications and Case Studies. Presents the flow of ideas in a systematic, well-organized manner, starting with the concepts and motivation and proceeding to detailed design that materializes in specific algorithms, applications and case studies. Provides the reader with a self-contained reference that includes all pre-requisite knowledge, augmented with step-by-step explanations of more advanced concepts. The Handbook of Granular Computing represents a significant and valuable contribution to the literature and will appeal to a broad audience including researchers, students and practitioners in the fields of Computational Intelligence, pattern recognition, fuzzy sets and neural networks, system modelling, operations research and bioinformatics.

Life in the digital era offers an array of new and invigorating opportunities, as well as a new set of challenges when facing the dissemination of fresh innovations. While once reserved for personal use, online platforms are now being utilized for more critical purposes, such as ocial revolution, political influence, and governance at both the local and national levels. Promoting Social Changes and Democracy through Information Technology is a definitive reference source for the latest scholarly research on the use of the internet, mobile phones, and other digital platforms for political discourse between citizens and governments. Focusing on empirical case studies and pivotal theoretical applications of technology within political science and social activism, this comprehensive book is an essential reference source for advanced-level students, researchers, practitioners, and academicians interested in the changing landscape of democratic development and social welfare.

CUTTING-EDGE DEVELOPMENTS IN HIGH-FREQUENCY FINANCIAL ECONOMETRICS In recent years, the availability of high-frequency data and advances in computing have allowed financial practitioners to design systems that can handle and analyze this information. Handbook of Modeling High-Frequency Data in Finance addresses the many theoretical and practical questions raised by the nature and intrinsic properties of this data. A one-stop compilation of empirical and analytical research, this handbook explores data sampled with high-frequency finance in financial engineering, statistics, and the modern financial business arena. Every chapter uses real-world examples to present new, original, and relevant topics that relate to newly evolving discoveries in high-frequency finance, such as: Designing new methodology to discover elasticity and plasticity of price evolution Constructing microstructure simulation models Calculation of option prices in the presence of jumps and transaction costs Using boosting for financial analysis and trading The handbook motivates practitioners to apply high-frequency finance to real-world situations by including exclusive topics such as risk measurement and management, UHF data, microstructure, dynamic multi-period optimization, mortgage data models, hybrid Monte Carlo, retirement, trading systems and forecasting, pricing, and boosting. The diverse topics and viewpoints presented in each chapter ensure that readers are supplied with a wide treatment of practical methods. Handbook of Modeling High-Frequency Data in Finance is an essential reference for academics and practitioners in finance, business, and econometrics who work with high-frequency data in their everyday work. It also serves as a supplement for risk management and high-frequency finance courses at the upper-undergraduate and graduate levels.

The use of electronic evidence has increased dramatically over the past few years, but many lawyers still struggle with the complexities of electronic discovery. This valuable book provides lawyers with the templates they need to frame their discovery requests, and provides helpful advice on what they can subpoena.