188 JOURNAL OF EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES IN WEB INTELLIGENCE, VOL. 5, NO. 2, MAY 2013 Developing a Common Personalization Framework for the E-Application Software Systems Zuhoor A. Al-Khanjari Sultan Qaboos University, College of Science, Department of Computer Science, Emails: [email protected] Abstract — E-application represents any online software information overload and saving their time, users could application including e-governance, e-learning, e- be provided with personalized information collected commerce and other e-applications. Organizations are solely for them. For this, developers could control their intended to develop their own style of e-application websites reactions to be able to display information software. They consider personalization issues to depending on user’s profiles. Currently, personalization positively approach their users. To retain users' trust and loyalty, organizations develop a robust e-application of e-application software system is gaining importance software system, which might complicate the online with the advancing maturity of such application processes. The user of several e-applications could be the software [2]. same person. Since each organization has its own e- Personalization is an old concept, which origin goes application, users might find difficulties in using different back to 1870s with regards to direct marketing letters. types of e-application software systems to complete their However, the current research focuses on online services, which might be the same service in some personalization of e-application software systems, cases. How to help the users to reduce the time needed to which started in the 1990s when marketers showed accomplish certain service without making their life interest in personalizing their websites to attract more difficult? How to help the organizations to facilitate their services through the personalized e-application software users [3]. In 1996, Yahoo’s My Yahoo started systems? How to help new organizations understand the following its users' actions, collecting their preferences needs of their users and develop their own customized in user’s profile and saving the profiles in Yahoo’s personalized e-application software system? Current database. Yahoo’s visitors benefited from the author argues that this problem could be solved by personalized content of the page [4]. In 1997, Peppers developing a common template framework for and Rogers defined personalization as the practice of personalized e-application software system? To support delivering specific information to the user based on the this argument, this paper at first addresses the user profile [5]. In 1998, Nielsen [6] defined importance of the personalization concept and presents a personalization as computer interface attributes by a framework for personalized e-application software system. Secondly it discusses the results of the conducted user model or an algorithm depending on user’s survey to know whether users support the selections, behavior, and demographic information. implementation and usage of a common personalization Early 2000s, Lands’ End Company applied the framework for e-application software systems. The results personalization concept to get users’ preferences on of the survey were impressive in supporting the their products. Users’ information was analyzed and argument. This indicates the necessity for having a stored in the company’s database in order to produce common personalized e-application software system for personalized information for those users. During the all parties: organizations, users and developers. same period, Edina, Minnesota-based Net Perceptions offered personalization solutions to the Kmart and J.C. Index Terms— Personalization, personalization process, Penney. In 2000, the company helped Guitar Center, personalization framework, online service and e- which was the leading retailer of music products, and application software system. Subsidiary Musician Friend to increase their sales. The companies gained knowledge about product I. INTRODUCTION E-application software is simply defined as online relationship, profit margins, and overstock status. communication between individuals, organizations or During this period, personalization software were both. It facilitates processing transactions created and used to develop personalized web pages. In electronically. The ‘e’ in the e-application terminology 2000, Fink and Kobsa [7] indicated that personalization means the technology and ‘application' refers to the of e-commerce application used in general to denote traditional application model [1]. Users of the e- user–adaptive system. Late 2000, Goodyear Tire & application software receive a lot of redundant Rubber Co. turned to personalization to help respond to information from the internet. To help them in reducing the demand for the information in a specific format. Also, the Portal technologies from Computer © 2013 ACADEMY PUBLISHER doi:10.4304/jetwi.5.2.188-195 JOURNAL OF EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES IN WEB INTELLIGENCE, VOL. 5, NO. 2, MAY 2013 189 Associates International Inc. enabled the users to and typologies of personalization in the web context access and arrange several types of the personalization and they suggested a conceptualization of information in relation to users’ products for personalization. In 2010, Chien-Chih [19] proposed an personalization purpose. The literature indicated that integrated service framework for combining number of companies, which used personalization personalized and community functions to support features, has increased from 36% in the early 2000 to mobile travel planning and management. Al-Kasasbeh 56% in the mid 2001. This shows how important the and colleagues [20] appraised the user satisfaction as personalization is to the organizations [4]. It was an improvement predicator of the success of e- indicated by [8] that the intention of the marketers for application software. Also, in the same year, Khapre using the WWW was to generate specific or and Chandramohan [21] proposed a personalization personalized sales opportunities within the mass algorithm for the customization of the user profile to market. This helped the marketers to achieve user’s support different steps of interaction with e-services. expectations. Further, the use of the WWW facilitates The purpose of this study is to investigate about the developing user’s profile. In 2001, Kemp [9] pointed importance of e-application software in general, out that personalization appeared to be hard to define, understand the development process of personalized e- apply and execute because it has different meanings application software and show how personalization under the context of different businesses. In the same issues could be used to effectively support those year, Kotler et al. [10] indicated the need to link applications. This study shows the desire to develop segmentation, targeting and positioning towards stronger relationships between the organizations and targeted marketing. Other researchers linked their users, improve the online services, reduce time personalization to Consumer Relationship Management needed to complete online services, increase users' (CRM). In 2002, Palmer [11] indicated that loyalty for the involved organizations, increase personalization makes it easy for customers to use e- organizations' profit margins and increase their product service website. In 2003, Murthi and Sarkar [12] cross-selling. It is hoped from this study that it would defined personalization as collecting users’ be possible to identify and produce general guidelines preferences, matching products to users’ preferences and a personalized e-application software framework and checking user preferences with the selected for other organizations to use. The common products. In the same year, Pierrakos et al. [13] personalization framework could then be customized indicated the close relationship between Web usage and used depending on the requirements of the mining and Web Personalization. Also, they involved organizations. constructed a conceptual model of interactive integrated marketing communication. This model has II. PERSONALIZATION four components: 2-way of communication, the level of In this paper, personalization is defined as a concept response control, the personalization of the of generating a well organized and an intelligent list of communication relationship and the database products and recommendations to the users of the technology. In 2004, Goldsmith [14] included involved website depending on the users' preferences to personalization as one of the major changes that are gain their loyalty and increase their interest in this kind influencing and will continue to influence e-marketing. of websites. Personalization could be based on In 2005, Adomavicius and Tuzhilin [15] defined structure or content aspects [22]. Most of the personalization as an iterative process of understand- personalization techniques nowadays use the former deliver-measure cycle. The Personalization Consortium aspect of personalization. These aspects of in 2005 defined personalization as the use of personalization are very important for recognizing the technology and user details to control the interaction of features of personalization [23]. Karat et. al. [24] online business between personalization and originally proposed 75 features of personalization of individuals [3]. In 2006, Vesanen and Raulas [16] the e-commerce applications, collected from different created