The need for a virtual consultation provision platform

After returning to Malaysia, my former colleagues in the oversea intend to keep in touch with me, particularly when they need advice on game-based learning and learn-based gaming practices. I personally see this as an opportunity to raise the profile of UPSI at global R&D arena while at the same time offer me chances to provide oversea consultation service. 

Ideally, distance consultation services could be offered through tele- or video-conferencing mechanism, such as Skype or Facebook. The problem of using existing online communication tools like Skype or Facebook is that the tools do not link to service invoicing and paying mechanism, i.e. charging clients systematically at a predetermined price. The payment of consultation fee would have to direct into UPSI account, and this mechanism is absent in the current consultation system. 

Besides, when academics like me try to offer consultation services to oversea clients, particularly those who physically stay in different time zones, I usually face the following information and communication technology (ICT) and management challenges:

• the need for flexible consultation modes (synchronous and asynchronous); 
• the requirement of a slot booking and scheduling mechanism;
• the collection of consultation fee from clients in oversea;
• the fluctuation of conversion rate; and 
• the reliability of online security and cross-national confidentiality. 

I propose to design a business model for the above mentioned consultation service provision. Once the model is ready, a prototype of the consultation service provision and management system will be developed to tackle the challenged stated above.

As UPSI has been sponsoring academics to oversea to pursue master's and PhD, I believe UPSI scholars might encounter similar needs to offer consultation services to their former colleagues in foreign countries. Therefore the proposed system could benefit other academics in UPSI as well.