This thesis represents not just my work, but is a milestone in more than 3.5 years of my experience I have encountered in Nanyang Technological University (NTU), from dozens of remarkable individuals whom I wish to acknowledge. The journey indeed has been nothing short of amazing. First and foremost, I owe my deepest gratitude and sincere thanks to my supervisor Dr. A. S. Madhukumar for unhesitatingly admitting me into his research group, offering me the opportunity to do my research and providing me with research funding from NTU. Professionally, I owe a considerable amount of my maturing technical, writing and presentation skills to him. It was under his watchful eye that I gained the drive and ability to select the right problem, to tackle it and to write quality papers. His mentorship was paramount in providing a holistic experience consistent with my future goals. My special thanks to Dr. Arokiaswami Alphones and Ashish James for their valuable suggestions, corrections and constant motivation which helped me to improve the quality of my work and move forward. My heartfelt thanks to NTU for graciously supporting my work by granting the research scholarship. I also acknowledge the world-class facilities provided by NTU to conduct my research in a comfortable environment, which includes the workspace, excellent libraries and recreational facilities, which always strengthened my passion in research and led me towards the pursuit of PhD degree. I would also like to offer my greatest appreciation for the staff and technicians in Center for Multimedia and Network Technology (CeMNet) for their kind assistance, as well as my friends for being by my side during every walk of my research life, making it an enjoyable one and motivating me during my difficult times. My research life would not have materialized without the sacrifices, discipline and strength instilled in me by my parents. Their unconditional love, unending inspiration and unwavering encouragement are undeniably the bedrock upon which my life is built and is largely responsible for who I am today. I am indebted to them for the faith they had in me and allowing me to be as ambitious as I wanted. Thank you, family! Last but not the least, I am deeply indebted to God almighty for showering his choicest blessings upon me, giving me the strength and determination to overcome all the hurdles before me. I dedicate all my work and honors to him.