Iisys

The Institute of Information Systems (iisys) represents the central research center for informatics of University of Applied Sciences Hof. It is financed by the free state of Bavaria, the Upper Franconia Foundation and the European Union. Current research projects are focused on integrated information systems designed to support operational business procedures.

By conducting technology projects with international partners, the institute is expanding its expertise in the area of information systems and can ensure the connection for international research and progresses. Building on this expertise, the institute is conducting application projects in cooperation with software and system houses, as well as the IT-Departments of large companies.

The goal of these projects is to generate new products and services to directly improve the management and data usage of mid-size companies. The software and system houses represent a multiplicator with the result that a large number of companies can use this expertise. The following research groups represent the institute:

• Analytical Information Systems
• Sustainability, Compliance and IT Laws
• Smart Grids
• System Integration
• Visual Analytics
• Cyber-Physical Systems
• Multimedia Information Systems

The institute is a competence center for operational applications of informational systems. Iisys’ main task is to prove results of international research projects for practicality, to adjust them and to make them available for economy and society. It represents the connection between international research and development in this area and the actual practice in companies. iisys is structured in the following areas:

• Management: supports the technology and application area in the areas of acquisition and realization of projects.
• Technology area: This area is concentrated, with various research groups, on methods for data management, data analysis and development and implementation of connected information systems in business processes. Thereby, prototypical solutions for applications on the basis of new algorithms and methods will be developed. These technology projects are targeted at the validation and optimization of this algorithm and methods so that they are usable for real applications in companies. The technology area works with external research centers in order to partake regional companies on the results of international research and development for information systems.
• Application area: This area is primarily focused on services. In collaboration with IT-companies, products are developed which focus on the needs of mid-sized companies. A multiplier interaction of the IT-companies is promised, in which regional enterprises can participate in the institute’s developments.

The following projects in particular have particular trans-regional importance:

• Smart Grid Solar: This project is a pilot study for the capture and coordination of the total power supply within a region in order to generate an intelligent grid. It is conducted in Upper Franconia and iisys, University of Erlangen, numerous energy providers and the cities Hof and Arzberg are project partners as well.

iisys is also in charge of projects directly linked to economic promotion: The scientific administration of the institute is represented by deputy Richard Göbel, by Jörg Scheidt, both IT professors of the Hof University, and by Anne-Christine Habbel (managing director).

Migraine Radar (iisys): The goal of this research project is the systematic analysis of factors responsible for episodic headache diseases like migraine or tension headache. One important research objective is the examination of the correlation between increased migraine attack rates and changing weather conditions. In 2011 Migraine Radar was one of the winners in the competition "Was macht gesund?" ('What makes healthy?') by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Germany). The migraine data are recorded via a web-based form as well as smartphone apps throughout Germany since June 2011. The second project phase began in June 2015 in cooperation with the Migraine and Headache Clinic Königstein and the Institute of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology at the University of Rostock. Furthermore, the migraine data acquisition was also extended to Austria and Switzerland.

iisys includes also projects which are serving the direct economic promotion:

• Your Way into the Cloud (completed): As part of the sponsored project of the European Social Funds (ESF), iisys is providing assistance for software producers interested in offering cloud services and SMU's interested in using them.
• eBusiness-Lotse Upper Franconia: As part of the funding initiative "eKompetenz-Netzwerk für Unternehmen", iisys and the IGZ Bamberg, with the eBusiness-Lotsen Oberfranken, are providing vendor neutral and practical information for the eBusiness of companies, especially SMU and handcraft. Specifically, topics like Online-Marketing, cloud and information systems for resource efficient processes are in focus.

The scientific administration of the institute is represented by Richard Göbel, the deputy by Jörg Scheidt, both informatic professors of the Hof University, and by Anne-Christine Habbel (managing director).

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