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Understanding Internetworking Infrastructure. Announcements. Business Analysis Proposal due Tuesday next week Business Plan explained today. Business Plan Project.
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Announcements • Business Analysis Proposal due Tuesday next week • Business Plan explained today
Business Plan Project • The objective of this project is to put together a business plan that sets out the strategic direction for a company utilizing information technology. • The two primary objectives are: • To make realistic projections of opportunities and risks • To present these in a compelling way that would attract funding and support from the organization
Options • Option 1: • Choose your own • Option 2 • One-number dialing solution • Option 3 • Campus transportation network
Option 1: Your own startup idea • Be creative, use this opportunity to explore an idea you have • Focus on document you would present to venture capitalist
Option 2: One-number voice communication • You have developed software to integrate all of the voice connections in someone’s life • home phone • work phone • mobile phone • online voice account • Other? • Each user can set the system to recognize where you are, and one integrated voicemail system consolidates messages in one location. • Business plan should include • Product release strategy • Target market segments • Potential revenue and costs • Risks • Alternative potential fee structures, and which you anticipate would be the most attractive
Option 3: Campus Transportation Management System • You have been assigned by the director of operations for TAPS on campus to run a more cost-effective, efficient bus service. • You have developed a system where the current combination of city buses and campus transport would be enhanced by • Detailed forecasting of demand as well as • Online response to fluctuations. • (For example, • this could involve a less structured timetable, and more back-up capacity. • by installing cameras at each bus stop to monitor how many people are waiting, the manager could send extra buses in response to high demand. • Create a business plan of • how a program like this could be released, • including the technology requirements and costs. • Pay attention to risks to the existing infrastructure including what partnerships would need to be entered into.
Business Plan should include • Executive Summary • Less than a page overview of the idea • Customer Need and Business Opportunity • An argument for the potential of the product or idea • Business Strategy and Key Milestones • Plan a timeline over about five years • Marketing Plan • Who is the intended customer? • How will you convince them to adopt the product? • Operations Plan • What is needed to pull this off? • Management and Key Personnel • How many people • How will the organization be structured, and what changes are needed? • Give brief profiles of key individuals • Financial Projections
Estimates • You are not expected to know exact numbers for costs etc. but the estimates should be realistic. • Use charts and tables wherever appropriate. Venture capitalists and CEO’s do not like to do more work than they have to in evaluating.
Due date(s) • Project Due date: May 24 • Optional Early Draft: May 15 (for instructor feedback)
Today: Understanding Network Infrastructure • Module 2 of text • ’75% of all IT dollars to go Infrastructure. Isn’t it time you learned what it is?’ • IBM ad campaign
Key trends • More reliance on IT infrastructure • New services • Distributed Processing • New business models
Challenges • Poor IT decisions lead to • Products with insufficient support • Relying on outdated protocols/systems • Technology / management divide • Who makes decisions?
1980’s • PC released • People moved jobs to computers • No longer needed staff for computing/data processing • LANs allowed people to share files, printers etc. • IT services provided over distributed servers
1990’s • Internet boom • TCP/IP provided robust standard for messages between all computers on web • Network resources available to individuals
Fig 5.3 Metcalfe’s Law “The usefulness of a network increases with the square of the number of users connected to the network”
Fig 5.4 Bandwidth Explosion Growth faster than computer chips
Components of Internetworking Infrastructure • Network • Hardware/software that permit exchange of information between processing units and organizations • Processing Systems • Hardware/software providing ability to handle business transactions • Facilities • Physical systems that house and protect devices • Trend: Increasing freedom to manage resources • See table 5.1
Table 5.1: Fundamental components of internetworking infrastructure
Networks • Local Area Networks (LANs) • Hubs, switches, wireless access points, network adapters • Wide Area networks (WANs) • Routers • Firewalls, Security Systems • Caching, Content Acceleration
Processing Systems • Client Devices and Systems • Server Devices and Systems • Mainframe Devices and Systems • Middleware • Infrastructure Management Systems • Business Applications
Facilities • Buildings, physical space • Network Conduits, connections • Power • Environmental Controls • Security
Discussion • How much does a typical manager understand of computing networks? • What educational opportunities are there?
Operational Characteristics if Internetworking • Internetworking Technologies are Based on Open Standards • Internetworking Technologies operate asynchronously • Internetworking communications have inherent latency • Internetworking technologies are naturally decentralized • Internetworking technologies are scalable • See tables 5.2, 5.3
Table 5.3: Communication Technology, Bandwidths and User Groups
Business Implications • Quicker communications leads to efficiency • More data leads to better-informed decisions • Progress of processes become transparent • Processes more efficient • Make and sell becomes sense and respond
Threats • Automation can lead to chain reaction, cascading failures • Outside attacks • See table 5.4
New service models • Physical location of computers less important • Economies of scale for particular services • New capabilities must be integrated into existing systems • Deal with legacy technology • Reliability must improve • See next case!
Discussion: Outsourcing • What about outsourcing of infrastructure?
Case Thursday • iPremier • Made-up case of IT failure