In the telecom sector, a huge volume of data is being generated on a daily basis due to a vast client base. Decision makers and business analysts emphasized that attaining new customers is costlier than retaining existing ones. Business analysts and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) analyzers need to know the reasons for churn customers as well as behavior patterns from existing churn customers data. This study proposes a churn prediction model that uses classification as well as clustering techniques to identify churn customers and provides the factors behind the churning of customers in the telecom sector. Feature selection is performed by using information gain and correlation attribute ranking filter. The proposed model first classifies churn customers data using classification algorithms in which the Random Forest (RF) algorithm performed well with 88.63% correctly classified instances. Creating effective retention policies is an essential task of the CRM to prevent churners. After classification, the proposed model segments the churning customer's data by categorizing the churn customers in groups using cosine similarity to provide group-based retention offers. This study also identified churn factors, that are essential in determining the root causes of churn. By knowing the significant churn factors from customers data, CRM can improve the productivity, recommend relevant promotions to the group of likely churn customers based on similar behavior patterns and excessively improve marketing campaigns of the company. The proposed churn prediction model is evaluated using metrics such as accuracy, precision, recall, f-measure, and Receiving Operating Characteristics (ROC) area. Results reveal that our proposed churn prediction model produced better churn classification using RF algorithm and customer profiling using k-means clustering. Further, it also provides factors behind the churning of churn customers through rules generated by using the attribute selected classifier algorithm.

The immense increase in multimedia-on-demand traffic that refers to audio, video, and images, has drastically shifted the vision of the Internet of Things (IoT) from scalar to Multimedia Internet of Things (M-IoT). IoT devices are constrained in terms of energy, computing, size, and storage memory. Delay-sensitive and bandwidth-hungry multimedia applications over constrained IoT networks require revision of IoT architecture for M-IoT. This paper provides a comprehensive survey of M-IoT with an emphasis on architecture, protocols, and applications. This article starts by providing a horizontal overview of the IoT. Then, we discuss the issues considering the characteristics of multimedia and provide a summary of related M-IoT architectures. Various multimedia applications supported by IoT are surveyed, and numerous use cases related to road traffic management, security, industry, and health are illustrated to show how different M-IoT applications are revolutionizing human life. We explore the importance of Quality-of-Experience (QoE) and Quality-of-Service (QoS) for multimedia transmission over IoT. Moreover, we explore the limitations of IoT for multimedia computing and present the relationship between the M-IoT and emerging technologies including event processing, feature extraction, cloud computing, Fog/Edge computing and Software-Defined-Networks (SDNs). We also present the need for better routing and Physical-Medium Access Control (PHY-MAC) protocols for M-IoT. Finally, we present a detailed discussion on the open research issues and several potential research areas related to emerging multimedia communication in IoT.

It is predicted that by 2025, all devices will be connected to the Internet, subsequently causing the number of devices connected with the Internet to rise

Applications of Blockchain (BC) technology and Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) are increasing exponentially. However, framing resilient and correct smart contracts (SCs) for these smart application is a quite challenging task because of the complexity associated with them. SC is modernizing the traditional industrial, technical, and business processes. It is self-executable, self-verifiable, and embedded into the BC that eliminates the need for trusted third-party systems, which ultimately saves administration as well as service costs. It also improves system efficiency and reduces the associated security risks. However, SCs are well encouraging the new technological reforms in Industry 4.0, but still, various security and privacy challenges need to be addressed. In this paper, a survey on SC security vulnerabilities in the software code that can be easily hacked by a malicious user or may compromise the entire BC network is presented. As per the literature, the challenges related to SC security and privacy are not explored much by the authors around the world. From the existing proposals, it has been observed that designing a complex SCs cannot mitigate its privacy and security issues. So, this paper investigates various Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques and tools for SC privacy protection. Then, open issues and challenges for AI-based SC are analyzed. Finally, a case study of retail marketing is presented, which uses AI and SC to preserve its security and privacy.

A cognitive radio wireless sensor network is one of the candidate areas where cognitive techniques can be used for opportunistic spectrum access. Research in this area is still in its infancy, but it is progressing rapidly. The aim of this study is to classify the existing literature of this fast emerging application area of cognitive radio wireless sensor networks, highlight the key research that has already been undertaken, and indicate open problems. This paper describes the advantages of cognitive radio wireless sensor networks, the difference between ad hoc cognitive radio networks, wireless sensor networks, and cognitive radio wireless sensor networks, potential application areas of cognitive radio wireless sensor networks, challenges and research trend in cognitive radio wireless sensor networks. The sensing schemes suited for cognitive radio wireless sensor networks scenarios are discussed with an emphasis on cooperation and spectrum access methods that ensure the availability of the required QoS. Finally, this paper lists several open research challenges aimed at drawing the attention of the readers toward the important issues that need to be addressed before the vision of completely autonomous cognitive radio wireless sensor networks can be realized.