Rokeshia Robinson
MCS 760
2nd position paper
4/8/07
E-learning/training technology has allowed businesses to reach outside of their stateliness, while avoiding travel and time costs. The technology has also changed the way we access knowledge, how we learn, and how ongoing training is delivered. Not long ago, the only option for ongoing training occurred infrequently in a classroom for days or weeks at a time. Today, knowledge must continually be created, published, and distributed “just in time.” The huge amount of content available on the internet has found its way towards Web sites that cater to IT training and learning. While classroom learning will not disappear, increasing numbers will choose the internet to complement traditional learning.
E-learning has enabled organizations to keep up with all of these changes. Organizations are now seeing that people learn more effectively in small chunks rather than lengthy courses. The corporate culture need to support a continuous learning environment and deliver personalized learning based on user skills, experience, and backgrounds. While most people have used the Internet to gather new information, learn a new skill, maintain certification, or do their jobs, these are just the beginning of a fully formed strategy to support e-learning/training.
Frequently, the costs for an e-learning/training program are lower than traditional instructor-led training, since travel costs are eliminated and larger numbers of students can be supported. (Often, the disadvantage is the start-up costs for investment in the technology and development time.) The wide variety of online tutorials and courses ensures that the prices will remain low or even free to anyone who wants information about a certain knowledge area or skill. (i.e.; taking a free tutorial or low-cost introductory course might give a person enough of an understanding to be able to make some decisions before embarking on an expensive classroom training program. )
An ROI case study from IBM showcases $395 million saved in 2001 through the use of e-learning, as well as 43 percent of learning hours that were delivered through e-learning. (An e-learning ROI case study @www.astd.org) Another factor in the ROI equation is time and ability to train more users. For example, Krispy Kreme only trained 60 store managers in 1999, then they launched a new Management 101 blended training program including on-line courses, training videos, and classroom with 149 participants in 2001. The management turnover dropped and Krispy Kreme was able to open eight more stores than planned in 2001 (Kim Kiser, “On the Rise,” Online learning Magazine) According to Brandon Hall’s report “Return on Investment and Multimedia Training” (www.brandonhall.com)the actual time required for training by computer averages about half of that required for instructor led training, lowering costs further. A generic ROI template for an e-learning business case is available at www.tiainc.com.
All in all, I believe that e-learning brings business value to organizations. E-learning provides opportunities to address the need for a highly skilled workforce to stay competitive, the need to distribute information globally to employees, customers, and partners, the need to acknowledge new products, changes in technology, and just in time learning. In addition to these benefits, the advantages of implementing e-learning strategy include substantial savings in travel cost and time. The organization that I am currently employ at also use e-learning /training as a means to get employees to the level that they need to be as well as build new skills sets for future roles. I often overhear employees praise this form of learning due too how flexible it may be.
Monday, April 9, 2007
Green goes great
Chinnapong Somsueb
Position paper on green policy.
Green Policy goes great.
Nowadays, several businesses have been growing in both manufacturing and service sectors. Computer businesses are also increasing in supply and demand to the market. The manufacturing of computers will be increasing the same as the businesses are growing. As a result, our environment could be affected by several performances. Focusing on the computer industry, there are many obsolete computers around as much as the pollutants during the production process. Moreover, some computers might have been used without enough power consuming awareness. Therefore, the green policy has been announced not only to protect our environment, but also improve the company’s image and position.
Several regulations have been issued for protecting our environment. For example, Design For Environment (DFE) is a method by which environmental considerations and constraints can be integrated into existing processes and product design practices. It involves considering the environmental impact of all materials and processes that are involved in the entire life-cycle of the product (1). HP which is one of the biggest computer manufactures, has been recycling products since 1987, and has developed its DFE policy in 1992 (2). Furthermore, Dell has also launched an environmental policy called Dell Earth in order to display the environmental awareness which related to its products and processes.
Obviously, any company which is involved with green policy could reduce waste, energy, materials, and hazardous substances in its products and manufacturing, as well as increase overall environmental friendliness (1). This will help the environment from any harmful circumstances. Additionally, IT buyers at government agencies and institutions will be able to search a database called EPEAT, the Electronics Products Environmental Assessment Tool which is a system to help purchasers in the public and private sectors evaluate computers before buying.
However, computer manufacturers have to register their products at the site by certifying they have met the IEEE 1680 standard list (3). This is a standard for Environmental Assessment of Personal Computer Products. This would be an alternative way to do computing business. Powerful performance with the excitement innovation would not be enough for the future. The environment is one of the biggest issues that everyone has to pay attention to in order to protect and improve it.
From my stand point, even though someone would see this green campaign as the new marketing advertisement, new image of the company, or it would cost the company more to launch in the first hand. I totally agree with green policy for several reasons. For example, many businesses would harm or affect our environment, therefore we should help to protect or improve our world by using either the environmentally friendly goods, or preventing any harmful products. As a result, both individuals and businesses should be involved in the environmental issue as much as they could. If we can help to protect our environment together, our world will be a better place to live together.
- http://www.cbronline.com/article_feature_print.asp?guid=A4A70049-5957-44C7-9C38-E6BF60B66662
- http://www.infoworld.com/article/06/07/21/HNgreenlist_1.html
Going Green
Follow-Up Paper
Joe Farrar
The issue of e-waste is one that cannot be easily solved by any single entity or act of charity. Its solution lies in the collective effort and education on the part of consumers. If left unchecked, e-waste could become a serious threat to the environment and the health of future generations.
E-waste is for the most part not dealt with by the industrialized nations that produce the bulk of the global electronic waste. Strict EPA standards and recycling guidelines make it cheaper to export this problem to the developing countries of the third world for profit than to deal with it at home.
Trade in e-waste is exporting real harm to poor communities of the third world. The manner in which these materials are disposed of pollutes the land, air, and water. Men, women, and children of poorer developing countries are exposed to what is simply poison. Westerners who produce the waste or the waste brokers who benefit from its trade do not realize the severe health and economic impact. Poor countries with loose environmental laws that receive e-waste find themselves having to choose between developing their economies and the health of their citizens.
Education is the greatest tool in the fight against export of e-waste as it still remains the dirty little secret of the technology revolution. The blame for how e-waste is mishandled has been skirted by government officials, the electronics industry, and even by some companies involved in e-waste recycling.
Under the current model in which electronics are produced, e-waste begins its journey to toxic landfills before products ever hit store shelves since electronic manufacturers refuse to eliminate hazardous materials or design products for easy disassembly. In addition, government policies fail to hold manufacturers responsible for coming up with end of life-cycle solutions for their products.
Ultimately, consumers are the unwitting recipients of a toxic product sold to them by companies with the ability to prevent or limit the use of toxic materials in the manufacturing phase of the product life cycle. Left with only a few choices as to how and where to recycle, and even less information on recycling responsibly, consumers often make the wrong decision. The misguided belief that recycling is the only viable solution simply results in more problems after the fact, particularly when the e-wastes are toxic and disposed of improperly.
The crux of this issue relates to the fact that few of us realize just how the obsolete computer we pay someone to take off our hands to recycle might end up in a toxic landfill in
Companies such as Green Disc have shown that making a profit and helping the environment do not need to oppose one another. GreenDisc offers services to “handle all your techno trash disposal needs from a CD to a PC and just about everything in between.” The amount of e-waste GreenDisk and other e-cycling businesses are able to responsibly reconstitute barely scrapes the surface of what could some day be a huge industry. Ideally, more of these types of companies will pop up around the globe affording consumers more responsible options.
Aside from the for-profit operations, there are also many not-for-profit organizations like the
Sunday, April 8, 2007
Going Green Revisited: The Green Revolution… And the Giant Machine
“Going Green Revisited: The Green Revolution… And the Giant Machine”
My second of two follow papers for MSC 760
By Tanner Dabel
So, have we finally wakened up from our long slumber of just throwing stuff away? Is it time for the world to act? Are we really doing everything we can recycling wise? Or, is it too late, did we let the deadline come and go? Did we wait too long, has the damage been done? Did we ruin Earth beyond repair? If you’re asking yourself any of the above questions, you’ve already entered the world of “Going Green”. If you haven’t, welcome to a new revolution… The Green Revolution. A war fought not with guns, tanks or ammo, but with research, campaigns and policy.
What is this Green Revolution? It is the recent response to electronic waste (aka e-waste). What is e-waste? Simply put, it’s the bad guy. This is the evil doer we must combat against (the enemy). Ironically, we are our own enemy! We as human beings are the only ones on this Earth who generate e-waste. E-waste can be defined as any number if things ranging from ipods, to TV’s, to computer servers. Basically anything that’s an electronic, or runs off electricity can at some point be considered e-waste. It becomes e-waste when the item has reached the end of its life cycle and we throw it out. It could have been because new technology replaced it or it no longer works because it’s broken. Up until roughly a decade ago, this e-waste was simply dumped and forgotten. Often these dumpings would happen at sea or in 3rd world countries.
Let us shift our focus now and think of the Green Revolution as a means to fix the giant machine (Earth). This machine has many levers and gears. There are two primary mechanics that work with and influence the machine, organizations and the companies. Both have opinions on how the machine should be fixed. Sometimes they agree, oftentimes, they don’t. There are two key locations where the machine is failing, here on American and far off distance lands of a third world country. Think of these locations as two parts of the machine, with a conveyor belt between them. Part A of the machine is in the
The machine is old, outdated and needs to be revamped. As mentioned above, the machine is failing and there’s a problem. Right now, the machine creates waste in part A, this waste travels down the conveyor belt to part B and once at part B the waste stops and just builds up. Sometimes this waste even falls off in the middle of the conveyor belt. The waste is toxic and it damages most everything that it comes in contact with.
Let’s first begin with the organizations and how they want the machine fixed. Often times these groups are involved with informational campaigns to raise awareness of the e-waste issue. They act as the educators. They are the advocate for the machine being fixed. They try to alert us to an issue that has been decades in the making and just finally being realized. The average American most likely, doesn’t even know what e-waste is, or just how much of a problem it is. I know prior to this topic presentation, either Joe (my presentation partner), nor I really understood nor were aware of just how bad this problem really is. It wasn’t until we both started to research for this topic, that we realized just how deep the rabbit hole goes. The most important goal for the organizations is awareness. As more people become aware of the problem, more people will want to help to fix the problem. As more people aid to fix the problem, more solutions can be generated and ultimately, the best one can be used.
Some organizations are involved with combating issues that lay in part B of the machine. This deals with the issue of overseas dumping of e-waste. Without some way to prevent this from occurring, the waste at part B of the machine will continue to just pile up, slowly destroying any future use of this area of the machine. Groups such as BAN (Basel Action Network) want to rework the conveyor belt so that it doesn’t even go to part B anymore. These organizations argue that Part B of the machine in all honestly, wasn’t supposed to be used in the way it has been in the past. The e-waste dumping was loosely controlled and widely abused. Over dumping, inappropriate dumping and unsafe dumping have all occurred with little reaction or recourse by the global community. Part B of the machine is in total failure, most everything is ruined, and this part of the machine needs to be disassembled.
Other organizations suggest that if part B is going to be disassembled, preparations need to be made in the realm of part A. This is done so that waste doesn’t continue to be produced and sent down the conveyor belt to part B. The Rechargeable Battery Recycle Corporation (RBRC) would be an example of such an organization. They act as an outlet for rechargeable batteries. Their goal is to modify the machine in such a way that waste doesn’t end up in part B of the machine, but rather, stays in part A. The RBRC is helping to cut off the disposal aspect of rechargeable batteries, by helping to complete the life cycle of a rechargeable battery. Instead of throwing the battery out at its end of life stage, the battery can be recollected, recycled and its materials are used to either make new batteries, or be used in alternative uses. Whatever cannot be recycled from the battery is responsibly disposed of in a safer, more appropriate ways than what was done in the past. Tougher regulations and better polices all play a role in providing more responsible ways to dispose of any toxic materials.
Let’s now move into the realm of the companies. They are the other mechanic of the machine. For years, they did nothing and allowed the machine to break. Some companies are even responsible of the failure of part B of the machine by purposely sending waste to part B. For others, perhaps there wasn’t intent for this and it wasn’t done out of ill-will, but none the less, their company was still responsible for the e-waste that broke the machine. Though its being addressed now, when e-waste was first created as something else (before it was e-waste) little foresight and vision was used in developing what are considered “Green” items. These would be items that can be recycled down more easily than items of the past.
Some companies have stepped to the forefront and have decided to take responsibility for their past actions. One such company is that of Toshiba, who has implemented a recycling and trade in program. The aims of this program are to prevent waste from traveling down the line and ending up in part B of the machine. With Toshiba’s recycle/trade in program, e-waste is either passed to a new user (reuse), repaired, then resold (refurbishment) or disassembled (recycled). Furthermore, Toshiba doesn’t just take responsibility for its own items, they are willing to take back any e-waste people are willing to send them. They also are willing to give store credit on items that still hold market value as an incentive for the consumer to use their recycling/trade in program.
Another company, Dell, has branched out and tried more than just the mainstream type of take back recycling program. Dell has become the pioneer as of late in the computer manufacturing industry as an innovative and creative “Green” company. Dell is looking beyond just parts A and B of the machine and venturing into areas no one had thought of. One such case is that of their “Plant a Tree” optional fee when you buy a computer from them. Dell is allowing customers the option to donate $2 while buying a laptop, or $6 while buying a desktop. This donation would then be passed along to an organization that is involved with planting trees all around the world. The importance here is that Dell has just transcended the boundaries of what it means to be a responsible “Green” manufacturer. Dell is no longer concerned with just taking back e-waste. By doing this, Dell is using its leverage as one of the largest computer manufacturers to put a worthy green campaign front and center. Dell also offers a similar recycling program as Toshiba and has implemented a “Recycling Tour”. This recycling tour travels the country providing consumers with an easy “drop up” type location to give back e-waste to Dell. The tour has been largely successful and Dell is planning to extend the tour for another year.
As you can see, there are many areas for the organizations to pick and choose who wants to advocate for what within the inter workings of the giant machine. Some want to fix one part, while others want to fix another part. In the whole though, looking at the big picture, they all play an important role in helping to fix the machine. Likewise, companies are starting to step up and take responsibility for fixing parts of the machine. It may be hard for the organizations to influence the companies into cleaning up part B of the machine, but at least, they are working to revamp and recreated part A of the machine. If both organizations and companies can come together to remedy part A of the machine, at least the problems with part B won’t get any worse then they already are. Hopefully overtime, as part A is fixed, solutions will become available to fix part B. Until then, lets all “Go Green”…
Monday, March 26, 2007
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
- 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
- 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.
Monday, March 19, 2007
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.
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