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Seamless virtual network for international business continuity in presence of intentional blocks
Fujikawa H., Yamaki H., Tsuruta S. ACM Transactions on Internet Technology18 (1):1-21,2017.Type:Article
Date Reviewed: Jul 10 2018

It is an accepted fact that international borders are vulnerable and permeable when it comes to information technology. This is why international businesses are wary of “discontinuity resulting from sudden serious degradation of network response,” which can cause large amounts of money to be lost. Businesses such as those that export metal material, import finely processed steel, and manufacture and sell apparel, for example, require continuity and the seamless transmission of voice, image, video, and text data.

The problem is especially glaring when it comes to operating in a developing country where discontinuity is caused by a governmental block, for example, the Golden Shield (GS) or the Great Firewall by China’s Ministry of Public Security. To avoid such situations, the authors suggest using “a seamless virtual network ... as an international business communication bridging solution.” They claim that their method is validated by “questionnaires to scores of business customers” (around 20) over the past three years. Beyond the quick response time in offshore applications, the method is also proven to alleviate problems such as voice echoes and video jitters.

So how is the virtual private network (VPN) used to avoid such governmental blocks and censorship, especially since other solutions can be costly, inefficient, and troublesome? Their method “exploits the staircase waveform of network delay of intentional blocking” and “automatically recognizes intentional blocking of international communication.” The authors explain:

As soon as it recognizes any sign of governmental network blockage, it changes the path to the VPN Gateway Server. [...] On recognizing the end of GS blocks, it switches the path back to the ordinary Internet ... again.

Since GS blocking occurs around three times per week, such business degradations can be costly for companies operating in a country like China. In the face of intermittent government blocks, the authors are confident that their system contributes to the preservation of international business communication and economic activity.

The system seems to operate well in the given situation, but it will need to be tested further in more businesses and in other countries. Furthermore, the writing could be improved--for example, missing articles, prepositions, and terms--to make the paper more accessible.

Reviewer:  Cecilia G. Manrique Review #: CR146135 (1809-0502)
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