Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP)

“Second Follow-up Paper”

By Kamakshi Samala

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) also called IP Telephony, Internet telephony, Broadband telephony, Broadband Phone or Voice over Broadband, means transmitting voice conversations over internet or IP based networks. It works in a different way to the normal telephone system of circuit switching but the VoIP uses a protocol called packet switching in which data is sent via the internet. In this system our voice is converted into thousands of packets. These packets are compressed and sent to the recipient and then reassembled. Therefore this system is referred as “a changing telephone world”. As this evolution is accelerating, traditional phone lines are slowly phasing out of both business and households and the world is slowly adopting the new and improving features of VOIP. However, in my opinion, it will take some time before users completely do away with that type of POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS), Key Telephone System (KTS) and Private Branch Exchange (PBX) switching; all of which have the ability to squeeze multiple phone calls onto a single copper line.

There are several advantages of using VOIP and are as follows:

• Cost effectiveness – VoIP is more cost effective than the standard telephone system POTS. There are different types of VOIP systems available and the cost depends on both the service provider and the user. Some VOIP systems allow calls to those who only have VoIP running, while others allow users to call anyone who has a phone. PC to PC calls are free. PC to phone call cost more than PC to PC calls but usually cost less than half the price of the regular phone call. Therefore, there are significant monetary savings for the average business or home users making national or international calls.
• VoIP features include:
• 3-way calling, call forwarding, automatic redial, and caller ID; etc
• Incoming calls can be automatically routed to one’s VoIP phone
• Free phone numbers for use with VoIP are available in U.S.A., U.K, and other countries.
• Flexibility – VoIP makes communication easy for users across the globe. Examples of which are summarized below:
• Businesses employing call centers agents can work from anywhere in the world, e.g. Call centers agents in India can make/receive phone calls to USA.
• People using Instant Messenger based VOIP systems like Skype, MSN, Google talk, etc. can make or receive calls from anywhere in the world.
• People, who subscribe for phone line replacement services, can receive or make local calls regardless of their location.
• Integration - VoIP can integrate well with media or video data or with other services in the internet such as file sharing, video conversations and audio conferences.
• Convenience - The service of VoIP may not be as convenient as a cell phone, but it is usually less expensive and moreover it works in foreign countries where a cell phone may not work at all.

Even though VoIP has several advantages, there are some disadvantages that one might want to consider before investing in it. These are as follows:

• Sound quality - The digital data which is transmitted over the internet as packets may or may not be in the correct order when the recipient receives them. The recipient’s VOIP system reassembles the packets regardless of whichever order they arrive in. However, the real time nature of voice conversations means that if the packets arrive out of order, then it could result in silence for a second or two while the data is reassembled.
• The quality and reliability of the phone service in VoIP - This is totally reliant on the internet connection and any shortcoming with internet connection and ISP may affect the VoIP calls. However, VoIP systems are not totally reliant upon internet connections as they can also use regular telephone lines and business-grade connections like T1 for voice service.
• Security - Most of VoIP solutions do not support encryption. Therefore, it becomes easy to eavesdrop on the calls and also change their content.
• Power Outages – These make it difficult to make phone calls using a VoIP system.
• Latency, jitter problem, Packet loss, echoing, etc.
• Routing of Emergency calls (911 calls) - This cannot be easily directed to a nearby call center and are impossible on some VoIP systems. It also becomes difficult to track the person in case his/her phone is not registered.
• Sending faxes - Constraints in networking and software in some of the home systems make this task problematic.

Finally, I would say that VoIP is an emerging technology which still has loopholes. But today both business and residential customers prefer this to traditional phone lines because it’s a more cost effective alternative to other expensive forms of telecommunications. Today many telecommunications companies are looking forward for the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) which will merge Internet technologies with the mobile world, using VoIP infrastructure. Although there are disadvantages associated with using VOIP systems, I feel that these issues will become a thing of the past as VOIP technology matures.

VoIP - The Third Position Paper

By Nancy

March 19, 2007

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is a technology that allows a user to make a phone call through a broadband Internet connection instead of a regular (or analog) phone line. It is a method for taking analog audio signals, like the kind we hear when we talk on the phone, and turning them into digital data that can be transmitted over the Internet. It is also one of exiting technologies that are meant to make most benefits out of the popularity of Internet. However, by looking at the ultimate goal of having VoIP: treating voice calls as just another form of data to be moved around the IP network to reduce the cost of calls and making call handling more flexible and intelligent, will it worth to upgrade from conventional phone line to this more advance technology? Will VoIP live up to the expectations set by vendors? This report offer analysis and impact of this technology on end users like a corporation.

Detailed Technological Issues:
VoIP technology uses the Internet’s packet-switching capabilities to provide phone service. VoIP has several advantages over conventional circuit switching. Another three or four calls could easily fit into the space used by a single call under the conventional system. And this doesn't even factor in the use of data compression, which further reduces the size of each call. In addition, telephone networks immediately gain the ability to communicate the way computers do.

Most VoIP provide the features that normal phone companies charge extra for when they are added to your service plan such as Caller ID, Call waiting, and Three-way calling. With many VoIP services, we can also check voicemail via the Web or attach messages to an e-mail that is sent to our computer or handheld. But behind these inflated expectations, there is an uncomfortable truth for the VoIP enthusiasts: sound quality. Until recently, an integral part of a telephone call is still considered far from satisfactory. Since VoIP is possible due to the Internet technology, limitations and drawbacks are also cause by Internet connection issues which will be further discussed in the following section.

One of the major drawbacks of VoIP is that it is dependent on wall power. The current phone runs on phantom power that is provided over the line from the central office. Even if power goes out, a telephone (unless it is a cordless) still works and this is very important for an emergency call. With VoIP, no power means no phone. A stable power source must be created for VoIP.

Another consideration is that many other systems in a house may be integrated into the phone line. Digital video recorders, digital subscription TV services and home security systems all use a standard phone line to do their jobs. There is currently no way to integrate these products with VoIP. The related industries are going to have to get together to make this work.

Internet Connection and PC Performance Issues:
Because VoIP uses an Internet connection, it is susceptible to all the hiccups normally associated with home broadband services. All of these factors will affect call quality such as latency, jitter, and packet loss. Phone conversations can sometimes become distorted, garbled or lost because of transmission errors. Some kind of stability in Internet data transfer needs to be guaranteed before VoIP could truly replace traditional phones. VoIP is also susceptible to worms, viruses and hacking, although this is very rare and VoIP developers are working on VoIP encryption to counter this.

Another performance issue associated with VoIP is having a phone system dependant on individual PCs of varying specifications and power. A call can be affected by processor drain. Opening a program that consume PC processor memory unit can cause voice quality loss. In a worst case scenario, the system could crash in the middle of an important call. In VoIP, all phone calls are subject to the limitations of normal computer issues.

Cost Issues:
VoIP can turn a standard Internet connection into a way to place free phone calls. The practical upshot of this is that by using some of the free VoIP software that is available to make Internet phone calls, we are bypassing the phone company (and its charges) entirely.

Some VoIP services offer features and services that are not available with a traditional phone, or are available but only for an additional fee. Cost of paying for both a broadband connection and a traditional telephone line may be avoidable. However, not all VoIP software and services can offer all of the features listed above in the technical session. Prices and services can be varied. Even though the cost of using the service may seem minimal, however, tools of using VoIP service including ATA (an analog-to-digital converter that takes the analog signal from the traditional phone and converts it into digital data for transmission over the Internet), IP phone (specialized phone that has RJ-45 Ethernet connector), and computer are considerably high cost investment. Especially, for a corporation who like to switch entirely its base line phone to VoIP, this costs high amount of money.

Mobility Issues:
VoIP allows users to travel anywhere in the world and still make and receive phone calls if only there is a connection to the Internet. Incoming phone calls can be automatically routed to VoIP phones, regardless of where they are connected to the network. Subscribers of phone-line replacement services can make and receive local phone calls regardless of their location. This would gain the most benefit especially an international call that will be treated as a local call with a connection to the Internet.

Security and Reliability:
As mentioned earlier, since VoIP relies entirely on the Internet connection, many security issues emerging from Internet such as virus infection, Malware and Trojan are major concerns. It is relatively easy to eavesdrop on VoIP calls and even change their content. There are several open source solutions that facilitate sniffing of VoIP conversations. A modicum of security is afforded due to patented audio codecs that are not easily available for open source applications, however such security through obscurity has not proven effective in the long run in other fields. Some vendors also use compression to make eavesdropping more difficult. However, real security requires encryption and cryptographic authentication which are not widely available at a consumer level.

Emergency 911 calls also become a challenge with VoIP. Due to some limitations in its technical issue, there is no way to associate a geographic location with an IP address. So if the caller cannot report the 911 operator where he or she is located, then there is no way to know which call center to route the emergency call to and which EMS should respond. To fix this, perhaps geographical information could somehow be integrated into the packets in the future development. VoIP providers may or may not offer directory assistance/white page listings.

The current Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) is a robust and fairly bulletproof system for delivering phone calls. Phones just work, and everyone all come to depend on that. On the other hand, computers, e-mail and other related devices are still kind of flaky. An e-mail can go down for 30 minutes and it's expected from time to time. On the other hand, a half hour of no dial tone can easily send people into a panic. So what the PSTN may lack in efficiency it more than makes up for in reliability. But the network that makes up the Internet is far more complex and therefore functions within a far greater margin of error. What this all adds up to is one of the major flaws in VoIP.

Conclusion:
The appeal of voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services is by far already attracting Internet users. This is also a technology that is being driven by consumer demands on trying to better a telephone call with gadgets found from Internet technology. However, there are still some technological difficulties that are needed to be resolved to make it perfect for Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) replacement.

In my opinion, maybe not within these upcoming years, however, these problems will eventually be fixed. Many grounds will be made up and there is a possibility that this technology will be the future audio signal transfer. For now, I think, home users will gain most benefit out of VoIP service. They can use their own computer and give VoIP a try before fully adopt it. In addition, cost of personal use is relatively small for the changeover. While there is still considerable excitement about VoIP within the business corporation, there is also a growing body of evidence of how implementations have fared to date. The capital cost of transition from PSTN to VoIP including equipment, software, and service providers are needed to be considered. With many unresolved issues as stated above, switching wholeheartedly into VoIP right now, in my thought, is not a right decision. If a CIO in a corporation would like to do so, he/she needed to check with the VoIP service providers he/she choose to confirm any advantages and limitations to their services. Underestimating the impact of VoIP on the IT infrastructure can lead to poor quality of service and worse, can impair a company’s ability to serve its customers.

Webcasting the second Follow-up Paper

Posted by Nancy

March 19, 2007

When I started searching for webcasting sources for this report, I found out that this term has been defined vaguely and used differently in many sources. According to the International Webcasting Association, IWA, they suggests the following definition: the distribution of digitally encoded multimedia (particularly audio and video) content over Internet protocol networks. Therefore any media files that were transferred though the Internet can be counted as webcasting. This makes it hard to pinpoint exactly what are the key effects on this technology since no matter one may think advantages of this technology are, there will be arguments on how these advantages yet hold for all application or vice versa.

Therefore instead of discussing only on for versus against ideas for this technology, this report will offer comments on some of webcasting characteristics that may be beneficial for users who consider adopting this technology for his/her corporation.

First of all, let me elucidate more details on the process of webcasting in order to deliver media files to end users. A webcast uses streaming media technology to take a single content source and distribute it to many simultaneous listeners/viewers. These media contents are captured on an audio input device or video capture device. It is then converted to a streaming format from an encoding station. The stream is then delivered either by a continuous stream or in a pull configuration, which retrieves the stream when a player connects to it. The term webcasting is usually reserved for referring to non-interactive linear streams or live events.

There are still debates whether we should limit the webcasting term only on transferring live events. In my pinion, it should include both “24 hour” streaming (live webcasting) and “on-demand” streaming (pre-recorded) services. While 24 hour streaming is like TV broadcasting, on-demand streaming is similar to a VCR. 24 hour streaming is the same as live broadcast, except the signal goes out over the Internet instead of the air. When a user clicks on the stream, it will take that user to a live broadcast program which can be seen as a traditional television set simultaneously. In the case of on-demand streaming, the on-demand files are always available to users, but they do not start streaming (playing) until the user clicks on them. It allows users who, in case, miss the broadcast program viewing it whenever they have free time or skip the advertisement that they are not interested into. In addition, when the user clicks, it can go to specified points in the streaming, similar to hitting the fast forward and rewind buttons on a VCR.

Flatten the World:
Webcasting has the potential to be a World Wide Television service. Because Webcasting uses the Internet as a delivery vehicle, there are virtually no geographical boundaries when compared to conventional broadcasting service. In addition, webcasting can make the most of the Web since it is a seamless convergence between the Web and broadcasting. For example, Webcasting can be used as an electronic shopping service combining the interactivity of the Web and live television broadcasting. This aspect of webcasting makes it suitable for a global business when distance, time, and reach are its priority. However, considering only on the delivery method, consuming high amount of bandwidth is by far the largest cost of webcasting. The picture quality in Webcasting has to sacrifice with real-time transmission which may makes conventional broadcasting more attractive. In this perspective, webcasting may not be preferable for Internet users and that leads us to the next discussion.

Cost Advantages:
Comparing with conventional business methods, it help an organization reducing the cost when they have to market products, train workers, educate customers, deliver company news and communicate news to the world at large. According to an article from CIO.com, typical webcasts can cost from $3,000 to $15,000 to produce, depending on the frame rate, program length, and specific tools used in order to make special effects. Different vendors, tools, applications, and technologies used for webcasting will affect the capitol cost of making one. For example, using lower technology tool may cause cheaper production cost but may increase more cost on bandwidth usages. However, more advanced media delivery techniques in order to gain better bandwidth management such as multicasting (provide the way to send packets from one host to a selective group host) and peercasting (multicasting stream via peer 2 peer connection by having a receiver peer automatically relay stream to a couple more peers), should help reducing this cost.

Real-Time Issues:
The webcast information dissemination technology is far more applicable and capable of delivering up-to-the-minute, dynamic information. Companies in the IT, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals and financial services areas are proving to be the most enthusiastic adopters of webcasting. Fast communication is critical in these industries because they're needed to update in real-time manner. In addition, broadcasting of live events such as sports, elections, and news gain the most benefit out of this technology. However, the more popular a piece of content becomes, the less likely it is that it will be available to a user desiring to see it. It can cause network traffic busy if there are high demands on watching the media.
On the contrary, a boring program in webcasting can make users lose their attention immediately and turn off the program or switch to the new one. This really causes a lot of time and money that is wasted through bad resources. For a webcast that has to be delivered live manner, like television, this brings with it substantial disadvantages. The time of a live webcast may not suit everyone but a recorded webcast, however, can be viewed on demand, making it especially convenient to the target audience. It also allows the opportunity to edit the program, making it more professional and tailored to the audience’s needs. But the lack of freshness and excitement (especially for sport event or news) may cause this recorded program less attractive.

Other Webcasting Application:
Distance learning will be beneficial to this technology. A lot of US universities such as MIT and UC-Berkeley used webcasting to help promote their classroom activities (lecture note, event announcement) or help students alternatively gain more class resources.

Standard Issues:
One of the major disadvantages of Webcasting is that it has no established standard. This could be a critical problem for full-fledged Webcasting service. Standards help reducing risks for market entrants by negating the prospect of product obsolescence, further research, development costs, risks of consumers ending up with an orphaned product, and increasing competitiveness in international markets.
Webcasters may be reluctant to invest full-scale without the confidence that their choice of Web broadcasting systems will not be fully employed in the market. Digital right management (DRM) technology is also an important standard that are used to limit the distribution of any digital contents. It is integrated into some commercial software which may or may not be the one that users have. This may end up by letting users facing legal issues of copyright if he or she employs the non-integrated DRM software

Security Issues:
Currently there is no any confirmation on finding virus or spyware infected from downloading a streaming media. There are some reported but most of the infection does not come directly from downloading the media but rather to require users to download some update programs in order to view the media. There are some research articles mentioning on the security issue of private networks streaming. Basically, they have focused on security issues around implementation and use of the Direct Data Placement Protocol (DDP) and Remote Direct Memory Access Protocol (RDMAP). It is not directly related to webcasting. However, some part of their idea may be able to use for further developing on webcasting security issue on any organization networks. Seem like the best answer right now is “choosing trusted sources”.

Summary:
Based on the discussion of strength and weakness of webcasting, it is more likely that it has a potential to be the leading convergence technology in the future. Webcasting can provide live and/or video-on-demand services, reach a vast area of the world instantly through the Internet, and also provide seamless interactive service such as e-commerce business.

However, a more important factor that will determine the future of webcasting for a business organization lies in emphasizing the importance of implementation instead of mere adoption of new innovation. I found that the technology is suitable to convey live broadcasting events such as breaking news and sports. Some business may found it useful for training, showcase events, or updating real-time information. Even though consuming large bandwidth is the current major concern of webcasting technology, however, with more advanced technology in transmission line and reduction of bandwidth cost in the future, this may help webcasting being more attractive technology. Companies in the IT, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals and financial services areas that real-time information are critical in their business proving to be the most enthusiastic adopters of webcasting.

Tanner Dabel

2^nd Opinion paper

VoIP

Is VoIP a Silver Bullet for the Global Business World?

When I say Gizmo Project, Skype and Vonage, what’s the first thing to pop into your head? No, we’re not talking about the furry creature from that creepy 80’s movie called Gremlins. Yes, Skype is a real word (seriously, it’s a company!) No I’m not talking about the retro van in the Vonage commercials, or the “w-hoo hoo” theme song of theirs. I’m talking about VoIP (Voice over IP). The concept had been around for a couple years, buts it’s quickly taking shape on the global level.

VoIP basically is the means in which you can use an internet connection or company T1 line to make or take phone calls. Rather then using the traditional phone lines, the call actually is run through an existing network with access to an internet connection (e.g. WiFi and broadband) or private company T1 lines. What use to be a cheap way for exchange students and US troops overseas to make calls back to home, has turned into a new global business solution.

Along with many other technologies, VoIP has both pros and cons. For as many pros that come with using VoIP, there are close to the same amount of cons (which actually aren’t against VoIP itself, but have to do more with its limitations.) Some people are ready to give up the traditional phone to go entirely VoIP (usually this occurs more on a personal level and not a company), while others refuse to have anything to do with VoIP. Ideally a business should look for that magic compromise somewhere in the middle. This strongly is determined by what the company does and how it uses the many forms of communication.

First evaluating and discussing the pros to VoIP; the foremost pro is VoIP’s mobility. VoIP allows business travelers the ability to make and take calls where ever, whenever. The only requirement is that of an internet connection. Often in these cases, that connection is a WiFi hot spot (e.g. hotels data centers, airport terminals or street side coffee shops.) This optimal mobility allows business travelers to take and make calls overseas as if they were local calls. If one where to work in San Francisco, but currently was in Tokyo for a business trip, they could take their VoIP phone number with them. It essentially is like having a cell phone that worked on a global level, but instead of having a small cell phone, you just need access to a computer with the internet. As you can quickly see, the benefits of this for some would be tremendous to some.

Another positive aspect to VoIP lay in how VoIP is already inherently integrated into computer and internet technologies. Such features that are often included with VoIP services: 3-way calling, phone conferencing, call forwarding, auto redial and caller id. In addition to these features, other features enhance the already mentioned; such as: (1) video (for 3-way calling and phone conferencing), (2) file transfer (for 3-way calling and phone conferencing) and (3) online status (for call forwarding, auto redial and caller id). All these features can greatly enrich the phone call and usually at no charge; whereas with traditional phone calling, some features are not possible, while others come with a fee.

As with all wonderful things in life, not everything is prefect. Let’s now cover the cons to using VoIP. Again, these cons are not necessarily because VoIP is bad or evil, but more or less because of its current limitations. The first one has to do with security. Depending on what a company uses its communication lines for, VoIP may not be the most secure option. As it stands now, VoIP cannot handle encryption very well. Though this aspect of VoIP is being addressed, I believe it will take some time to improve this element of VoIP. Until then, any company dealing with sensitive information may not want to use VoIP as its choice for telecommunications.

Another aspect of VoIP that is currently being worked on, but still needs improvement is the quality and stability of calls made via VoIP. It’s not uncommon to run into any of the following issues: echoes, lag time, cross over and even dropped calls. Because of this a company who needs stable telecommunication lines may not want to use VoIP until it can be shown that these problems no longer exist, or exist only at the same level as using the standard phone.

Additionally VoIP due to its nature of being ultra mobile also runs into troubles with geographical features tied to the traditional telecommunications, primarily the 911 system. Usually, when one makes a phone call to the 911 system, it can be determined geographically where the call is being made and the nearest dispatch center receives the call. Because of this permanent geographical element with traditional landlines, VoIP fails terribly in this respect. At the present time, the issue is being addressed and the E911 (enhanced 911) systems is being revised to bring VoIP into the 911 network. This however, will not completely fix the geographical aspect that landlines have, which VoIP does not. This will only allow those using VoIP to register where they normally are, so that educated guesses can be made as to the geographically location of the call incase the 911 system is being used.

Shifting to the physical demands of VoIP, another aspect that sets it apart from physical phone lines is that of power source dependency. Unlike phone lines, when the network goes down, or there are brown/blackouts; the VoIP in that area also is susceptible to going down. Because of the power source dependency, companies must be aware that using VoIP as it’s primarily form of telecommunications made lend itself to a troublesome situation if their power goes out or networks go down.

Speaking of power outages and networks going down, another key aspect of VoIP is the ability to firewall it. Some countries that have government run telephone systems currently are imposing restrictions on VoIP. One of the ways to restrict it is through the means of setting up firewalls to block transmissions into our out of a country. These governments have the capacity to shutdown and cause VoIP blackouts. Other means to restriction of VoIP is that of taxes, charges, bans, fees and in some extremes considering it a criminal offense. Because of this, if a company decides to use VoIP (especially for global business traveling), they should first look into how other they counties they deal with, treat VoIP.

As you can see, VoIP does have many fantastic features to it. But along with the great potential, one must look at what limitations it also brings. In some situations, VoIP seems to be a very good solution, but as with all technology, there is no silver bullet that can remedy every situation. Many outside factors should be considered prior to a company investing in VoIP. Companies also should not over invest in VoIP. By that I mean, a complete replacement of traditional phone lines. As pointed out in some situations above, VoIP isn’t always the best option as a form of telecommunication. As long as a company does its homework and fully understands how it can harness the power and potential of VoIP, I believe it can be a very useful tool in the business world.

VoIP 1th Position paper

VoIP Position Paper-security issues

Rokeshia Robinson

March 19, 2007

Voice over internet protocol (VoIP i.e., IP telephony, Internet telephone, Digital Phone) is the routing of voice conversation over the Internet or any other IP-based network. The voice data flows over a general-purpose packet-switched network, instead of traditional dedicated circuit-switched voice transmission lines. Before VoIP, telecommunications occurred over a public switched telephone network, that is, voice data traversed circuit switched connections. The cost savings of VoIP, both in dollars and bandwidth, compared to that of circuit switched networks is encouraging companies to move to VoIP. However, VoIP deployment has brought several security concerns.

Securing VoIP system is a lot more challenging than securing pure data network. Since VoIP does not have a dominant protocol standard, the support of two standards in products just increases the chance of buggy application. In addition, the quality of service requirement of VoIP leaves less working room for possible security measures. Not to mention various threats to confidentiality, integrity and availability of VoIP systems.

VoIP needs two types of protocols; signaling protocol and media protocols. Signaling protocols manage call setup and teardown. Media protocols manage the transmission of voice data over IP networks. However, every vendor uses either its own proprietary or one of two standards, H.323 and SIP (session initiation protocol). For example, Cisco uses the SCCP (signaling connection control part) protocol, were as the organization that I currently work for use the Avaya-UNISTIM (unified network stimulus) protocol. These proprietary protocols make it difficult to inter-connect products from different vendors.

Quality of service is vital for the success of VoIP since few will use it if VoIP can not deliver at least the same voice quality as traditional telephone network. While, I believe that the quality for VoIP may be affected by latency, jitter, and loss packets these same issues affect traditional telephone networks. VoIP has introduced requirements for data packets to reach their destination in a more restricted time frame than other internet protocol (IP) applications. Many applications are somewhat tolerant of packet delay and it may be imperceptible to the client using the application. Packet delay in VoIP, however, can reduce the functionality to unusable.

Another security issues surrounds the ability to eavesdrop on phone conversations. Conventional telephone eavesdropping requires either physical access to tap a line, or penetration of a switch. With VoIP, opportunities for eavesdroppers increase dramatically because of the large number of nodes in the path between two conservation entities. If the attacker compromises any of theses nodes, he/she can access the IP packets flowing through that node. There are several free network analyzers and packet capture tools that can convert VoIP traffic to wave files. These tools allow the attackers to save the conversation into the files and ply them back on a computer.

Unauthorized access attack is another security concern when using VoIP. A legitimate user may perform an incorrect or unauthorized operations function and may cause delirious modification, destruction, deletion or disclosure of switch software and data. An intruder may masquerade as a legitimate user and access an operation port of the switch.

In conclusion, I can go on and on about security stuff and how these issues would influence businesses decision not to implement VoIP. Unfortunately, there are some countermeasures to most of the security concerns that I have addressed. However, these security issues continue to be ongoing issues within organizations who adapt VoIP technology. With all the other potential threats lurking out there, I wouldn’t just to this technology unless I had the right security team and IT team in place to manage the ongoing issues.

BitTorrent

David Stevens
March 5, 2007
MCS 760

BitTorrent

BitTorrent was developed as means of widely distributing large amounts of data, specifically it enables the transferring of large files or a large group of files. Users use a BitTorrent client to request a certain file or prepare a file for transmission. The corporate use of BitTorrent clients has remained limited while the general public has associated BitTorrent use with software and media file piracy. However, there have been some new developments that are forcing companies to look at how they could use BitTorrent. A base of BitTorrent client users exists which gives companies a low barrier of entry into the selling of downloaded content. Small companies that would be unable to deliver content over the Internet if they were required to provide their own hardware and bandwidth.

BitTorrent Inc. is selling their own licensed content and material that Hollywood studios have licensed them to distribute over their website. BitTorrent Inc. is attempting to deliver digital rights managed multimedia content to customers that want to rent a movie. Their service is set up like the other online movie rental services (Cinemanow.com and Movielink.com), however they rely on their customers using a BitTorrent client to download the material instead of proprietary software.

Additionally, BitTorrent is being used by open source software providers to distribute disc images. This is an example of an organization with a low overhead finding ways to cheaply and efficiently distribute their product. The manner that the open source community is using BitTorrent to freely distribute their software shows how a business opportunity exists for companies wanting to distribute or sell multimedia content. Video game developers and movie studios could use BitTorrent to sell disk images of their content to increase their sales and expand their product's market influence.

The viability of using BitTorrent for a non-multimedia situation is not a realistic option. BitTorrent is designed to move large files or a large group of files easily, but it is not the most efficient choice when trying to move small files. The BitTorrent Protocol is an affective option for companies that are looking at ways to deliver on-demand multimedia. An business application that will most likely develop in the near future will consist of movies being downloaded using a protocol like BitTorrent for people to watch on their home theaters instead of going to a movie theater. The process of delivering the content in a fashion that is secure from having the content pirated is making this business prospect not viable at present.

The manner that digital rights are enforced and respected will affect BitTorrent's future. It is possible for the BitTorrent protocol to be successfully used when distributing and receiving legal content, but it is important that the standardization of digital rights occurs and becomes widely accepted. As long as the piracy image of the BitTorrent protocol is allowed to exist the delivery of multimedia content over the Internet will be tainted. However, it is also necessary that consumers and suppliers come to an understanding of what each digital license allows the users to do with their content and how much they should be charged for said license. The existence of the piracy market shows that consumers feel that the cost of a legal digital license is too great to offset the risks (legality issues, computer viruses, poor content quality) of downloading pirated material.

Position paper for Webcasting

Chinnapong Somsueb

ID# 1671071

March 12, 2007

Position paper for Webcasting

Webcasting is the "transmission of linear audio or video content over the Internet." (1) The streaming technology is used to share content with many simultaneous listeners and viewers. Therefore, the majority type of content for webcast would be a television-related show. In addition, webcast would be useful in the education industry as well because of distance learning or video on-demand which students can watch and learn at their convenience. There are several the benefits of webcasts such as convenience, accessibility, and using Internet technology.

Due to the use of Internet technology, webcasts can be a convenient way to receive content. Unlike either television or radio which, is on pre-programmed times, we can access to obtain webcast contents at our convenient. For example, people can go to broadcasters’ websites and watch their favorite programs on their free time either at home or school.

In addition to convenience, we can also access webcast contents either by only voice or multimedia such as radio, TV, and any presentation almost everywhere that has computer and internet connection. According to Internet World Stats, as of January 2007, approximately 1,094 million people worldwide use the Internet (1). Therefore, those people could be able to access any webcast contents. This is a huge number of people compared with other types of media. Moreover, the number of people who can access the network is increasing significantly.

Similar to the current TV and radio technology, Internet and multicast technology are also used in webcasting. Therefore, many users can access the same content at the same time. Furthermore, webcasts can be accessed by using this Internet technology from wherever there is a computer with an internet connection. This could spread not only the entertainment materials, but also the education-related content. The education materials will become easier to access. Moreover, this multicast still has an opportunity to be improved and developed in order to be more optimized and delivered a bigger size of multimedia contents.

In conclusion, consumers, students, and broadcasters would be able to gain several advantages from webcasting technology, such as convenience and accessibility. The most significant issue about distributing multimedia throughout the internet is that the speed of the network has to be fast enough in order to receive it smoothly. Additionally, this type of broadcasting depends on computers and the Internet. The Internet is the only channel on which people who have internet can watch and receive contents if they want a webcast. On the other hand, since 1995, the growth of webcasting traffic has roughly doubled year after year. As a result, there are many opportunities for webcasting to grow and to be used widely.

Reference:

(1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Webcast

Joe Farrar

2^nd Opinion paper

Webcasting

The term webcast is generally accepted as meaning “the transmission of audio or video content over the Internet.” Webcasting is not a new technology; it has been around since the late nineteen-nineties. As of late, webcasting has become far more prevalent due to the fact that broadband internet connections are becoming the norm. This increased prevalence, combined with an increasingly savvy user, is changing the way businesses are able to communicate both internally and externally

For example, a CEO can now deliver a speech to all employees in real-time or have it archived to be viewed at a later date. Corporate training videos containing specific product information can also be made available behind the firewall to ensure employees possess the specific knowledge necessary to perform their duties. Additionally, customers are able to support themselves by accessing user-friendly streaming videos developed to answer common FAQ’s. This new form of communicating translates into savings in terms of both time and money for corporations. This savings stems from the end-user’s empowerment to choose when to review material.

New mediums are being introduced via the internet all the time. What was originally looked at as sophomoric and juvenile is being seen as big business. Take the online video site YouTube for example. YouTube doesn’t produce any content and it doesn’t sell anything to consumers. However, it recently was sold to Google for $1.65 billion dollars. The reason for YouTube’s success is because of its reach. It serves up 100 million videos per day to viewers all over the world making it the largest provider of online videos on the planet. YouTube is a mosaic of user-uploaded video content that ranges from cute to just plain bizarre. However, with more people spending more time online and less time watching television, it is able to compete with traditional broadcast companies by offering a range of options for users to view. In the future, I see YouTube becoming even more popular as they have stated that they will begin paying producers of content on a per hit basis. This per-hit model will give video producers more reason to create more entertaining and innovative content, thereby cementing YouTube’s place in the market.

Podcasting is another form of webcasting that uses either a personal compute or a portable music player to pull content that is selected from a list. The word "podcast" is derived from Apples iPod, and is distinguished from other webcasting formats through its ability to download automatically. Podcasts give the user the freedom to take the audio and, increasingly, video content with them wherever they go. Language lessons, corporate announcements, and museum tours can all be pushed down to the user so they can listen or watch it when it is most convenient. I was recently in a church that had a weekly podcast from its archdiocese for the congregation.

Webisodes are new and original content usually provided to supplement the original programming on either cable or television network. This is usually used to promote or advertise a show or product prior to its release. Additionally, original web based content similar in format to television shows have been produced for viewing solely online. However, these online programs usually last only for a few episodes.

As consumers demand these types of content, the technologies that support its delivery will get even better. We can expect surround-sound and high-definition quality video delivered at the click of a mouse. Companies will find ways to incorporate these technologies into their corporate culture and to take advantage of emerging technologies to serve their best interests. In the long run, this means that we can expect both a richer online experience at home and at the office.

Is there room for IM in the corporate world?

"My first position paper"

Posted by Tanner Dabel

Feb. 11^th, 2007

Surprisingly IM (instant messaging) systems were created in the 70’s, but went unnoticed until the mid 90’s. It was at this time that client systems like ICQ and AOL started to resonate with the mainstream population. Many attribute this to our mass awakening of the internet and its common day usage in the mid 90’s. This quickly became the age of the internet, email, chat rooms and instant messaging systems. Communication no longer was limited to verbal or print; it had transcended the boundaries of becoming digital.

Early on IM systems were adopted primarily by teenagers as a social and recreational tool. This was a means to communicate with friends and family through ones computer rather then on the phone or in person. Usage of IM systems often occurred outside of school and the workplace. Due to this informal usage; rules, laws and polices were loosely defined and rarely needed. One needn’t be concerned with the legal, financial or regulatory issues involved with using an IM system for private and personal use.

Slowly over the last decade though, this loosely defined form of digital communication has been seeping into the corporate world. Those users whom were teenagers just ten years ago are in their 20’s and now hitting the corporate world. As the saying goes, old habits die hard. For those who want to eradicate it from their already infected business, I have one phrase for you; “Good Luck!” For those who haven’t been infected yet, I have another phrase for you; “Start planning!” Like a virus with no cure, IM systems in the workplace are spreading faster than the corporate world can coupe with them.

As with an incurable virus, businesses only have one real choice, “acceptance”. But, instead of allowing IM to be an ongoing virus, businesses can morph it into an antivirus; viewed more as a solution, rather then a problem. Basically, you get what you make. You can’t make IM go away, so make it into something positive, rather then negative. IM may be young, but it’s stubborn. Its here and it isn’t going to go away. If a company is smart, it will use IM to its advantage, using all its features working it into the companies’ schema. If a company isn’t, it’ll either a.) bury its head and ignore it or b.) attempt to eradicate and fail.

Since its always fun to discuss the bad news first, I’ll quickly cover why it’s bad for a company to ignore IM as a potential problem and why it’s bad to try to eradicate it from you company. As with most problems, the issue isn’t going to go away. Most likely, the people whom work for you are more technically savvy than you, especially the younger ones. As stated above, old habits die hard. These people have been using IM for years and it’s now embedded in their day to day life. If nothing is done, these people will (if they haven’t already) take it upon themselves to install these IM systems and use them unchecked and uncontrolled. Starting to see how ignoring this could be very bad to your company? Imagine all the confidential leaks, intellectual property issues and privacy concerns that might be occurring and you’ve chosen to ignore it. Oh and this is just the outbound threats. Now imagine all the people your people are talking to. Think a few of them might have viruses, worms, spyware or malware? I bet so, and all it takes is one person to click “accept” for one peer to peer file transfer and now your dealing with a level 3 Symantec threat dancing around on your network. Sounds fun doesn’t it. Those are considered the inbound threats. Lastly, let’s not forget all the legal and financial ground that IM systems seem to tread on. Most of this ground hasn’t been covered yet and has the potential to be a powder keg of lawsuits waiting to happen.

Now let’s discuss trying to eradicate it. How do you plan to do this? Block specific ports that IM systems use? Sorry try again, most current IM systems use port crawlers and can get around this. Tell your workers not to install or use them? Yeah, that’s like telling a kid “don’t touch this”, then walking away and hoping they listened. Block all ports from allowing IM system a way in, yeah, but its going to cost thousands in what I’d consider wasted funds. Oh and you know, as soon as its completely blocked, someone will start developing a “work-a-round” to enable it again. In addition, completely blocking it takes away all the positive uses IM systems have to over. Oh and it gives your workers just one more reason to be disgruntled with you.

Ok, enough dwelling on the negative reaction to IM systems, lets move on to the more logical and beneficial aspects to an IM system. If implement correctly, a lot of the cons to having an IM system quickly evaporate. First things first however, when deciding to implement an IM system you’ve got to round up the troops and get a plan in motion. The best course of action is to bring management, IT and legal together. Management needs to decide on what the IM policy will be. This is very important. The policy should cover how the IM system should be used, when to use it and with who and why it should be used. It should also cover who controls it, who monitors it, who installs and upgrades it. In addition, it should also be mentioned that the IM system is an extension of the company and all incoming and outgoing IMs are subject to being logged and on file for future record keeping, investigations and potential audits. Oh and lastly, the policy needs to cover enforcement and punishment if IM is abused (and it might be good to define what abusing it would entail). Basically, the policy needs to clearly explain all the aspects that could be considered when using IM in the workplace. As this is being done, the IT department should look into what clients are available, and need to start coming up with an implementation, monitoring and upgrading plans for the IM system. IT needs to understand how the system will be integrated into the company and its business function. Lastly, legal needs to be brought into the conversation so they can clearly explain to the company where IM might be abused and how it could impact the company when and if it is abused.

IM systems have plenty of reason as to why they shouldn’t be used. But most of those reasons are only there if the IM systems are not correctly implemented and have no policy or are not subject to any guidelines. If time is taken to correctly implement an IM system and a well thought out policy is developed, many great things can be done with IM. The key to running an IM system within your company successfully is to understand everything there is to know about that IM system and to communicate this information to your workers as well. Knowledge and awareness will go a long ways in turning this potential problem into a great solution.

So, let’s go back to that initial question: Is there room for IM in the corporate world? Simply put; I don’t think we have a choice. IM systems are working their way into businesses left and right. Weather we want them or not, they’re going to seep in. Now that they are here, let’s work at turning it into a positive situation, rather then allowing it to be a negative one.

“Peer to Peer Revisited…”

My first of two follow papers for MSC 760

By Tanner Dabel

March 7^th, 2007

As with the prehistoric age of the dinosaurs; traditional peer to peer (P2P) computing is no more. The idea of having a one to one connection is outdated and is quickly being replaced by a more clever way of accomplishing the same thing. This new way is a protocol called BitTorrent. Its inception was just a few years ago, but like that of the mythical asteroid that caused mass extinction for dinosaurs; BitTorrent’s impact has been profound.

The protocol is fairly simple; it replies torrent clients and torrent files. Someone wanting to use BitTorrent technology needs to have a torrent client. This can easily be found at any of the torrent websites out on the net. Once this client is downloaded, one can use the client to create torrent files. These torrent files contain meta data about the file to be shared or available to others on the same network. The information on the torrent files usually consists of a URL that directs a torrent trackers (part of the torrent client) to other trackers (other clients) that host the actual file on their computer. Torrent files also have hash code tables and checksum code to help trackers determine how to cut up and distribute the file wanting to be shared. Now the nifty thing about BitTorrent is it prides itself on a one to many type connection. When someone goes to find an archive of torrent files, they select the file they are looking for, the tracker of the torrent file goes out to the network and looks to see who all has a copy of the file one is looking to download. Once it’s been determined who has it, the hash tables are used to start randomly pulling pieces of the file in 64 kb to 1 mb sizes, slowly constructing the file. Say 20 people on the network have the same copy of a specific file you’re looking to download, when you execute the torrent file associated with file you want, chances are you’ll start getting pieces from those 20 computers out there on the network.

There are many pros and cons to using a system like this. Beginning first with the pros, the over overwhelmingly obvious pro is that of speed. Through the means of being able to pull down multiple pieces of the file all at the same time, you’ve now increased the amount of data flowing into one’s computer. The speed at which the data is flowing in is unaffected and going at the same speed as it always has been, but the amount of points (or entry ways via “pipes”) has been increased to be more than the traditional one point/pipe. Underlying pros to using BitTorrent also include redundancy checks so that no only is the file as a whole checked for errors, but each incoming piece of the whole is also checked for errors. Another benefit to using BitTorrent is alleviating some of the distribution costs and responsibility on the original source of the data. As soon as more than one copy of a file is available on the network, distribution of that file is a shared process, rather then an individual process. This cuts down on bandwidth issues, hardware wear and tear and in some cases hosting costs. This also removes dependency issues on the original person who has the copy of the file one is looking for. In the traditional peer to peer (P2P) computing one was dependent on the source they were downloading from. With a one to one connection, as soon as the distributor of a file went off line, the file was no longer available and a dependency block occurred. With BitTorrent, if one person goes off line, as long as other copies are on the network, requests to fill those pieces of the whole can be answered by other computers.

Quickly discussing the ideal venues in which BitTorrent can be used would be any in which the license of the content can legally be secured, or instances in which the license either is not enforced or is open to the public. Good examples of this would be Open Source Software projects (Linux is currently using this to push versions of Linux OS and patches), independent musical bands that want their music in the hands of as many people as possible, or companies like BitTorrent, inc. or Sub Pop records who deal solely in the distribution of legally bought and licensed material. Another area greatly affected by the technology is the digital multi media industry. On a corporate level, BitTorrent technology would be ideal for them considering the vase amounts of data that is moved around and stored by these companies.

Moving on to discuss the cons, the primary issue at the present time deals with the unintended uses of BitTorrent. Specifically speaking, the moving around and sharing of files that are in direct conflict with the copyrights attached to them. Because BitTorrent allows the moving around and sharing of any type of computer file, this includes, but is not limited to movies, games, applications and music. All of these types of files usually have specific copyrights on them and licenses agreements. However, with the lack of enforcement mechanism on most torrent sites, there are not controls in place to restrict the sharing of illegal content.

Briefly diving into the legal issues that have arisen from BitTorrent, though the inception of it was only a few years ago, BitTorrent’s rap sheet is a mile long. The key players in this are the MPAA (movie industry) and the RIAA (music industry). Over the last three years they’ve come at entities insisting on abusing the BitTorrent technology. Supernova.org whom use to be the popular torrent hub on the internet was quickly and abruptly shutdown in December of 2004. This marked the beginning of the end for BitTorrent abuse. Soon LokiTorrent look the helm of being the popular torrent hub, 3 months after Supernova bit the dust, LokiTorrent was next. They hit finical troubles and quickly became controlled by those who were hunting it; the MPAA. Later that year, EliteTorrent was raided and shutdown by the FBI. In November of 2005 BitTorrent.com made an announcement that all content linked to the torrent files they archived would be legal and legitimate files not infringing upon copyright laws. This was a bold move for the BitTorrent arena as one of the “members” of the community was now showing that it was possible to enforce copyrights on the material that was being accessed through the torrent files hosted at these sites. Popularity of BitTorrent.com quickly fell. Since then a company has risen by the name Pirate Bay. They have been raided in the past, their site has gone down from time to time, but thus far they continue to prevail. Given enough time however, the MPAA and RIAA will catch up to them legally speaking. Until then, Pirate Bay is working desperately to secure an island in international waters that they can claim as their own, not under the protection of copy right laws. If this actually occurs, they will have created a first; a digital nation which is centrally located on the islands servers, but citizenship would be decentralized globally around the world.

Other cons that go against the BitTorrent technology are minor security issues and some networking limitations, but currently the largest barrier for BitTorrent is the legal issues that have given it a black eye in the few years of being around. I think as soon as the abuse of the BitTorrent technology goes down and no longer is in the limelight, the real power of BitTorrent will finally come to light and be used to revolutionize how we move and share information on the global level.

The follow up BitTorrent paper.

Chinnapong Somsueb

ID# 1671071

BitTorrent is a peer-to-peer (P2P) file distribution protocol. It is using the distribution of large amounts of data widely without the original distributor incurring the whole of the corresponding costs of hardware, hosting or bandwidth resources. It was originally run under the BitTorrent Open Source License. There are several compatible clients who can use this type of protocol, written in a variety of programming languages, and run on a number of computing platforms. There are several advantages to BitTorrent protocol such as legalized protocol, alternative distribution channels, utilization of computer and networking resources, and an innovation of internet technology.

Unlike some peer to peer applications, the BitTorrent implementation is open source. BitTorrent itself does not offer a search feature to find files and makes no attempt to cover the host ultimately responsible for facilitating the sharing. Noticeably, there are several legal uses of BitTorrent protocol, such as a distribution channel of companies and individually owned or licensed materials, Amazon S3 (Simple Storage Service), a scalable internet-based storage service, and the distribution channels of free and open source software. For that reason, this is a good opportunity for businesses to find ways to expand.

Moreover, BitTorrent could be a distribution channel for samples of music, videos or movies in order to lunch them into the market. This alternative would be a channel for internet and torrent users who might not be reached by other media. The market of both new artists and open source software would be spread through BitTorrent.

In addition, BitTorrent protocol allows the usefulness of computer and networking resources to become more effective. In replacement of using the client-server model, BitTorrent uses similar technology in the peer-to-peer method. Therefore, every computer represents peers who function both as clients as leechers and severs as seeders, who use the same torrent. As a result, a large number of files will be distributed and delivered throughout the internet without loading them onto any particular server.

New innovations or technology would be created to support the use of this innovation. As it is one of internet protocols which was innovated in order to find alternate methods of file distribution. If any technology becomes successful, the improvement or new technology will come after that success. In particular, programmers are free to take the BitTorrent source code to the program and modify it for particular purposes. The success of BitTorrent could encourage upcoming innovation. Thereafter, we will have more advanced technology in the future.

Even though BitTorrent boasts the advantages stated above, there are some disadvantages such as copyright and legal issues, computer security and networking problems, and networking resources. However, we can protect users from these disadvantages by avoiding any inappropriate websites and software and using it for a specific purpose. Furthermore, we should be aware of our own risk and protect our vulnerable data from any threats. Finally, people have a right to use any software that they want to in a proper manner. Thus, we can gain several benefits from this protocol, such as a legitimate protocol, an alternative channel of file distribution, utilization of computer and networking resources, and an innovation of internet technology.

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BitTorrent

http://dessent.net/btfaq/

Open Source Software

“First Follow-up Paper”
By Kamakshi Samala

Open-source software refers to any computer software whose source code is available under a license or arrangement such as the public domain that permits users to study, change, and improve the software, and to redistribute it in modified or unmodified form. It is often developed in a public, collaborative manner. Open-source software generally allows anybody to make a new version of the software, port it to new operating systems and processor architectures, share it with others or market it. The main aim of open source is to let the product be more understandable, modifiable, duplicatable, reliable, simply accessible, and be still marketable. It’s more like plug and play depending upon ones business requirements. Examples of open source licenses include Apache License, BSD license, GNU General Public License, GNU Lesser General Public License, MIT License, Eclipse Public License and Mozilla Public License.

The participants of open source software, who are mostly volunteers, are distributed amongst different geographic regions and they use tools to collaborate in source code development. Often these tools are available as open source software. Source code availability also makes it much easier to isolate bugs, and helps a programmer to fix them. By having the source code available, it is possible to perform a thorough inspection and verify the correctness of the algorithm and the implementation scheme used. Revision control systems like Concurrent Versions System (CVS) and Subversion (svn) are examples of tools that help centrally manage the source code files and they help make changes to those files for a software project. Examples of some of the successful open source projects and organizations are: Apache Software Foundation, Eclipse Foundation, Java, JBoss, Linux, Mozilla Foundation, MySQL, Open-Xchange, OpenOffice.org, etc.

There are many advantages of open source software. Some of them are follows:

There is no one with the power to restrict in a unilateral way how the software is used. Such a power helps, for example, when a proprietary software vendor decides not to upgrade some software product for some old platform. In this case, customers can only stick to the old version of the software or switch to another product. If open source software is used, customers can also fund some development for the desired platform, or look for other vendors to provide the upgrades of the same product.

There is no single entity on which the future of the software depends. This is a very common concern with proprietary software. Say for example that a company uses a software product and relies on the software manufacturer for upgrades and continued development. If the software manufacturer closes doors or decides to discontinue development of the product, no one has the right to take the program and continue development on it, which would in turn kill its usability in the market. This then leads to mergers in the software market which then usually leads to cannibalization of some software product allowing just one or two to get to the market. Open source software protects against this, because if the group or company that originated the code decides to stop development, it is always possible to fund another software group to continue the maintenance and improvement, without any legal or practical limitations.

No per-copy fees can be charged for modified versions, and anyone can use the current code to start new projects. Working knowledge can be gathered at a minimal cost. This is what made internet software systems such an important factor in the new economy. Students and people trying new technologies are able to integrate and adopt them immediately, without the hurdles of commercial or non-disclosure license agreements.

There are fewer conflicting priorities due to marketing pressures. Usually open source software is delivered when it is ready, and when the development team feels that its quality is good enough. This means that software usually does not need as many service packs, updates and helps to reduce the maintenance cost. This could turn into disadvantage if a product is indefinitely delayed, or if some feature is missing one release after another. In this case, the competition between projects generally helps. If a project starts failing to meet the expectations of its users, more often new project is introduced by using the same code base, to fill this gap. This happens especially if there is market for some new features or for better quality versions of the application.

Open source software is a low cost alternative to proprietary software. If we take an example of the open source Linux operating system, it is commonly seen as a low cost alternative to Microsoft's operating system, or Sun's version of Unix. The popularity of open source is seen in the fact that today the largest market share for web servers is held by the open source Apache system. If we take the example of Microsoft, suppose when Microsoft announces a new version of its Windows Server operating system, it invariably phases out support for older versions of the system. Users who are satisfied with older versions of Windows will be eventually forced to upgrade if they want to continue receiving vendor support. In contrast, there is no forced upgrade cycle with open source. Older versions of open source products continue to be supported through the open source community and third party support providers as long as there is demand in the marketplace for such support.

When we compare open source from closed source (or proprietary) software, advocates of closed source argue that since no one is responsible for open-source software, there is no incentive or guarantee that it will be fixed, and there is nobody to take responsibility for negligence. Basically it’s argued that there is no support for open source software. To counter argue, it’s true that open source support usually consists of forums. In practice, existing users of open-source software appear perfectly happy with open-source support arrangements. The breadth of resources available for open-source applications is so great worldwide that we can get support, communicate with a developer or download a patch say within a day. Some open-source applications also have support offered by the original developers. JBoss, for example, is backed by JBoss Group, which includes the 10 core developers who wrote the application. Depending on the contract, users can obtain 24/7 professional support. Another example can be MySQL where MySQL Network offers 24/7 support by having direct access with the developers as necessary to handle problems.

I would say that for software buyers, the best strategy is to consider mature and established open source products as well as proprietary software products that adhere to open standards. In this way, buyers can choose the best software product for the job, by considering the fact that the value of their investment will be preserved without locking the organization in to a single vendor solution. If they do decide that Open Source software is right for them, then they should examine all the various software options carefully first.

• Is the software well established or is it still in its infancy?
• Are there regular updates, patches and new features?
• Is there a support forum?
• Are the support forums active?
• Do forum participants help each other out?
• Are reputable companies using the software?
• Is the documentation complete and coherent?
• What are the general costs with hiring contractors who are familiar with the software?

The bottom line is there are a number of ways to chart successful open source business strategies. Open source provides a powerful tool for getting a business on a faster revenue trajectory, for improving value, and for out-maneuvering the competition. If we consider different business models, some of the models parallel traditional commercial software; others invoke new services or businesses. Examples like Amazon, Google, Neoteris, etc. demonstrate that Linux, MySQL, and other Open Source software can even help companies that are not strictly in the software business achieve tremendous growth and profitability in a relatively short period of time.

Business managers should understand open source business strategies and determine which strategies are useful for their companies to adopt. Investors should consider the models when evaluating companies they may be considering for their portfolios. Therefore, identifying trends quickly and taking action towards adopting a right source of software would be a powerful advantage for any type of business.

Microsoft Vista Operating System

“First Position Paper”
By Kamakshi Samala

After more than five years of intensive efforts, Windows Vista is finally complete. Vista is the successor to Windows XP, the PC operating system which is currently used by over 400 million people. This new operating system is a major Windows update with lots of new functionality and features. In the words of Microsoft, it’s a new operating system which is "Confident, Clear, Connected." It's the first Windows version which provides developers with a major new programming model in ten years.
The first difference of Vista from Windows XP is Windows Aero, an entirely reworked user interface with semi-transparent windows. Microsoft has put a great effort into Vista's appearance. Its new typeface gives the program a modern feeling and subtle animations make its even more attractive. New programs include the Sidebar, a floating layer of single-purpose programs called gadgets; flip 3D presents all open windows in all programs, and visual and feature upgrades are very nice. But the more important areas of improvement are security, stability, ease of implementation, support and improved performance. Intelligent navigation and more powerful file-manipulation tools improve its efficiency.

According to Microsoft, the system requirements for Vista don’t look too daunting: 800 MHz processor with 512 MB of memory, at least 15 GB of free space on a minimum 20 GB hard drive with SVGA graphics. This clearly indicates that Microsoft is referring to the minimum specifications. But migrating one’s PC to Vista means it will need updated drivers for one’s printer, Ethernet card, audio card and other hardware and one may also have to deal with incompatible programs. Microsoft offers six versions of Vista. In all editions of Windows Vista, there are new diagnostic tools and monitors to check and report on the current status of our PC. All editions of Windows Vista include Microsoft's free antispyware application, and Windows Defender. Despite all these features, users claim that Vista runs better in computers with plenty of computing horsepower.
There should be tangible reasons to make the upgrade to Vista. Microsoft offers several reasons starting with security. The security features which are standard with Windows Vista include an improved User Account Control system and built-in malware (spyware, adware, virus) protection. But are the new security features alone enough to compel a small business to upgrade to Vista? I would say probably not, unless the small business already experienced a security breakdown.

Other features like ReadyBoost allow a Windows Vista machine to be able to use a single USB flash memory drive as a caching tool. The Windows XP Standby and Hibernate features have been replaced with a new Sleep option. It works a little differently depending on whether the computer is a desktop or laptop. In the desktop version of Sleep, anything in use is stored to both system RAM and hard drive. This would allow the computer come out of Sleep mode in around 2 to 3 seconds. For laptops, Sleep works by storing data in RAM if battery power is sufficient. When the battery power level has diminished, the data is automatically transferred to disk for protection.

There are many other operating system improvements incorporated into Windows Vista such as improved backup, new explorer tools, simplified networking, search tools, and many more. Even though there are several different versions of Vista, most small businesses will likely focus on Vista Business.

With the launch of Windows XP, Microsoft promised users a more stable operating system which they delivered. For Windows Vista, Microsoft is pointing to a more secure platform. Recalling the service packs and continual updates for Windows XP, a more secure Windows in Vista would be a welcome situation for both users and small business IT support.

Windows Vista promises enhancements that will not only improve the computing experience, but also advance mobile communication. Such features of mobility combine common notebook-focused features, a suite of enhanced security tools, and a Network and Sharing Center. Although these mobility features might tempt organizations to migrate their notebook computers ahead of their desktop PCs, but this would be an ill-advised move. Firstly, migration to Vista or any new platform promises to be a complex process. Planning and validation for a migration should be based on business requirements. Second, even the best-planned Vista migration is likely to encounter unforeseen problems that are best worked out from a fixed location, that is, from the desktop. Third, Vista's security features, even though attractive, offer nothing specific to notebooks and are nearly all available from third parties on XP. Organizations requiring near-term mobile security should better use the third-party tools than to rush and compromise with Vista migration.
Microsoft promotes Vista as a remedy to a large number of mobility challenges like power management, network awareness, offline access to important data, multiple displays, readability, etc. and these new features do make headway in these areas. Although Vista's mobility features are useful, they are not essential. None of them constitute an immediate requirement for any organization. Considering all of the new features along with the concentration on security, will small businesses allocate the necessary resources to implement Windows Vista? Some will, some won’t. For the small companies whose systems are nearing the end of their lifecycle will consider Vista. Vista is a clear improvement over Windows XP, but small businesses who have recently upgraded their system would probably wait till Windows Vista is widely adopted. As a result, organizations should resist the idea of early migration ahead of desktop computers, unless specific business issues are being addressed.

From the economic impact point of view, analysts emphasized that while Microsoft will earn a great deal of money through Vista, even more will be generated by European companies within the Microsoft "ecosystem." Some researches say that Germany, U.K., France, Denmark, Poland and Spain, which collectively account for more than 65 percent of IT spending in the European economic zone (the EU, plus Croatia, Norway and Switzerland) are representative of Europe as a whole and, for that matter, they are much of the developed world. Therefore, the launch of Windows Vista in six large European countries will create more than 50,000 technology jobs and will lead economic benefits for companies there.

The International Data Corporation (IDC), commissioned by Microsoft Corp., has released a research study that reports how the Windows Vista operating system will drive significant economic growth in the United States in its first year of shipment. It indicates that Windows Vista will provide a foundation for the information technology market moving forward, creating more than 100,000 new jobs and driving $70 billion or more in revenues for Microsoft's partners and the industry at large. The impact of Windows Vista on the U.S. market will drive substantial revenue and growth for many companies that are part of the Windows ecosystem i.e., companies that sell hardware, write software, provide IT services or serve as IT distribution channels. The study predicts that the release of Windows Vista will help more than 200,000 U.S. IT companies that will produce, sell or distribute products and services running on Windows Vista. This would also include many small and locally owned businesses. The study forecasts that each dollar of Windows Vista-related revenue earned by Microsoft in 2007 will generate more than $18 in revenue for the IT industry at large. The IDC study also shows that the Microsoft ecosystem is making a sizable investment to roll out Windows Vista worldwide. IDC expects Microsoft partners to invest approximately $10 billion in Windows Vista- related products and services between now and the end of 2007. As these products and services gain mass-market adoption over the course of the next year, IDC expects Microsoft's partners and others in the IT industry to generate more than $70 billion in revenues directly tied to Windows Vista. This includes revenue from manufacturers that sell hardware for running the new operating system, revenues for non-Microsoft software packages built to run on Windows Vista, and other services supporting Windows Vista.

The major pros of this operating system are the beautiful user interface and security improvements. The cons are the significant hardware requirements and compatibility issues with current hardware and software. Despite Microsoft assertions about the improved reliability of Vista, I would wait and see its approach. Microsoft's previous operating system, Windows XP, required two "service packs" issued over a number of years to improve security and new flaws are still routinely discovered. Therefore, the decision to upgrade the system to Windows Vista now or wait depends on the firm and the age of its PCs. Like all new operating systems, it will take time for the major bug fixes to come out (say around six to 12 months). Most likely many existing hardware devices will not work without driver updates from their manufacturers. Vista includes thousands of drivers but most of them have been created directly by Microsoft. Many hardware manufacturers do not yet have drivers available for Vista. According to a leading market intelligence firm, IDC, more than a year after the release of Windows XP, only 10 percent of the world's business community was running it. Vista is a much bigger step taken forward than XP was, and from corporation point of view, I think we can expect it to be adopted at the same rate or slower than XP.