Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1.
How might you use a local area network in your home?
What devices could connect to such a network?
5.
What is a shared workspace? Describe how you might use
a shared workspace if you were the manager of an impor-
tant global project for your organization.
2.
Why is an organization that employs centralized processing
likely to have a different management decision-making
philosophy than an organization that employs distributed
processing?
6.
Develop a set of criteria to use to determine if a given job
position is a good candidate for telecommuting.
7.
Do you think that this course is a good candidate for a
distance learning course? Why or why not?
3.
What are the pros and cons of public Wi-Fi access?
4.
Briefly discuss the pros and cons of e-mail versus voice mail.
Under what circumstances would you use one and not the
other?
8.
Why do you think so many wireless communications pro-
tocols have been developed? Will the number of protocols
increase or decrease over time?
PROBLEM-SOLVING EXERCISES
1.
You have been hired as a telecommunications consultant to
help an organization assess the benefits and potential cost
savings associated with replacing an existing wired LAN
with a wireless Wi-Fi network for an organization of 450
people located in a three-story building. You have deter-
mined that the cost to remove the current LAN and replace
it with a new Wi-Fi network is $150,000. The cost of mov-
ing an existing LAN jack or installing a new one for the old
LAN was $125 per change. The number of moves and
installs averaged 25 per month. Develop a spreadsheet to
analyze the costs and savings over a five-year period. Write
a recommendation to management based on your findings
and any other factors that might support or not support the
installation of a Wi-Fi network.
2.
As the CIO of a hospital, you are convinced that installing
a wireless network and portable computers is a necessary
step to reduce costs and improve patient care. Use Power-
Point or similar software to make a convincing presentation
to management for adopting such a program. Your presen-
tation must address points such as defining the benefits and
potential issues that make such a program a success.
TEAM ACTIVITIES
1.
With a group of your classmates, develop a proposal to
install videoconferencing equipment in one of your school's
classrooms so that students can view lectures at a distant
videoconferencing facility. What sort of equipment is
required, who provides this equipment, and what does it
cost to install and operate?
2.
Form a team to identify the public locations (such as an
airport, public library, or café) in your area where wireless
LAN connections are available. Visit at least two locations
and write a brief paragraph discussing your experience at
each location trying to connect to the Internet.
WEB EXERCISES
1.
Do research on the Web to identify the latest 4G commu-
nications developments. Which 4G communications
option seems to be the most broadly used? Write a short
report on what you found.
2.
Go online to identify and document an interesting use of
encryption or VPN at a commercial organization.
