WiMAX Technologies for New Business Methods - Case Study Example

Computing IT In the world of ever increasing needs and facilities communication infrastructure will play major role in transactions and daily activities. Broadband wireless promises to reach the markets required without the need of building the infrastructure. This results in inclusion of more customers and the services that can be delivered to the customers. The cost effectiveness and high returns for content and service providers can be ensured. There is a provision for low cost installation of wireless network. The network which includes point to point broad band wireless can be opted. If the hardware and easy installations were available the quality of the services can be commercially accepted. The WIMAX technologies will result in many industries to find new business methods and create innovative service demands. They need a strategy that depends on WIMAX to remain effective while delivering the services. Due to implementation of IEE 802.16 standards will result in lower cost of technologies in the market place. This can be utilized in a number of applications. Those include broad band connections, hot spot and cellular, enterprise connectivity for businesses. The project can use off the shelf components which demand to meet environmental conditions. This is capable of delivering the content easily. This is capable of bringing basic changes in number of fields of the council. By using matured WIMAX standards can result in a flood of improved services offered by the council to the customers. Adoption of this technology will make an organization efficient in delivering various services like CCTV network in the city which can be used to supervise patrolling duties and for surveillance. 1 It is urged to build a own communication network to escape from the future price rises by depending on service provider. 2 In order to have WIMAX solution to the city council it can be suggested to adopt enterprise wireless networking. This is because it is moving into a new era of larger band width protocols. The protocols like 802.16 are moving into market to offer a host of wireless networking solutions. The estimations of META group suggest that majority of enterprises may deploy some type of wireless applications to the mobile portion of their staff. Keeping this in view the city council can develop a wireless networking system for civic and police department. In the past some city councils objected to the networking due to some security concerns. But now the situation is different as the networking solutions were offering the security measures too. The networking is capable of solving a score of problems regarding infrastructure. Along with this it opens a way to a varied range of applications. One of the facilities is to add high band width point to point connections. This helps in extending the council’s networks between buildings, across roads and across distances within the limits of a Civic body. The recently evolved point is creating a WLAN with point to multi point solutions. Civic bodies of various cities were considering the network of WLAN in their metropolis. This is the time to estimate the cost effectiveness and benefits of the networking. In the near future number of enterprises may employ wireless networking. WiMAX is capable of bringing longer distance larger band width connections into the mix. As there is continuous enhancements in the technology of wire less networking it is important to estimate the critical requirements. The implementation must be realistic and must be executed carefully. 3 Technology The blue tooth networking is defined as Personal area network. This is 802.15 standard set. As the latest is 802.15.4 it is suggested to adopt that set. These can be optimized in small area coverage of about 10 meters with low power of transmission. This consumes lesser power also. These are local device connectors. Point to Point: Local multipoint distribution service, Multi channel Multi point Distribution Service, Cellular, Personal communications Systems, Direct Broad Cast Satellit, Digital Terrestrial come under point to point technology. These can be connected at data rates between 150 Mbps to 620Mbps within a range of 2 kilo meters. To provide high speed point to point connections low per infra red laser area can be used. This is the technology which can be used in LANs of large campuses. The basis of this system was point to multi point systems with high band width. Wire less network applications: In the metropolitan environment wireless networking can be used to use in various situations like mobility, network connections, roaming, solutions regarding infrastructure. All the above mentioned things find their application in IT solutions for networking. The important of them is network connection. This enables to connect all the area under the jurisdiction of the civic body to the central office and enables it to do transactions and conduct surveillance from any point in the city. This is made possible by providing point to pint connections between any two networks or network locations. High band width link is used to make this connection. These above mentioned situations contain connections across roads, bridges, rivers, lakes, buildings of the city or the area concerned. 3. When the geographical situation does not permit cable connection wireless connection was used. The long haul connections include the connections between distant campuses and buildings or work places which are far away with no chance of connections near by. LMDS, MMDS, Infra Red, Laser depending technologies were used to make point to point connections. The usage of technology depend upon the factors like distance, radio frequencies and the band width needed. The next important thing in networking a civic body is infrastructure solutions. The infrastructure bottle necks regarding networking can be solved by using wireless solutions. The immediate network extension for new buildings, temporary extension which include a conference room or a venue, the immediate broad band solution for VoIP in Civic body network. The mobility and roaming technologies were used to monitor the features while on mobile by the administration. Next comes the implementation and planning required for it. Along with consideration of business needs survey about radio frequency must be done to decide possible sources of interference. The number of devices needed for the support, the range of transmission, the general estimation over the size of transfer of data, the speed of network, network security and the measures required for the quality of the service. The access point of wireless connection works as a bridge and transmits signals to the particular client on the network. This point will have a complete suite of mechanisms which can route the network. The management interface base along with load balancing can be included in the networking. The planning of installing a network contains the following stages. Business requirement assessment, basic infrastructure definition, surveying of sites, planning of cells, network design, and implementation are the important five stages to be considered while installing networking. Estimating the requirements of business The networking serves a number of necessities. This needs the evaluation of some questions. They are about the role and range of wireless network, the particular requirements of business, the factors that affect the band width and service needs, the capacity of network handling the data, the location needs that affect the capacity of networking, the number of users that use network simultaneously. Before addressing the infrastructure necessities it is good to develop a initial site diagram. But there can be instances that compel to modify the initial diagram. But to minimize this compulsion it is better to map out coverage area requirements. In doing the above things it is necessary to keep the following points in mind. Reducing the speed is capable of increasing the range. But this can be done with there is larger band width. To avoid congestion between different users who were assigned different access points, 802.11a and 802.11b, 802.11g protocols can be used at different frequencies. 3 For authentication of the device the access points the implementation requires access points. The functions like security for the data, the management of devices and bridging between the network wherever required were done by access points. The characteristics of the access points are Device authentication, security of data and management of devices. The access points will have an identification number which defines the part of the network controlled by it. This was password protected. Security of Data will be given by various mechanisms like WEP and WPA. These measures may change from network to network depending on the needs of it. Another important aspect of the networking is wireless switches. These can be termed as an alternative to provide complete functional access points for each part of large network. The device adapters connect devices to the network. These can be called as network interface cards. These are attached in network by PCMCIA, USB, Compact flash interface, Computer expansion slot. But in the latest developments they were in built in the devices. Surveying the site and planning of cells in the network requires specialized tools. They include radio frequency analysers, tools of measurement and others. This needs a reasonable amount of time. The planning of cells can be undertaken after surveying the site. This is for getting good radio frequency signal when the workers move through the networking. The recording of above details gives a guide for the network designing. The different stages are building plans review, documenting the existing network infrastructure, estimating and calculating the Radio frequency emission sources and standards, the review of possible obstructions for transmission, Planning to locate the Radio Frequency cells, documentation,. Network designing can be developed from the documentation of initial planning, site survey. It includes determination of placement and characters of access points, adjustment of network settings in providing operation in this setting, adopting the required security solutions, picking up of vendors according to the necessities of networking. 3 Management Issues The management issues regarding the above discussed networking include the management of wireless networking, the cabling of the access points, the computers in the networking, server management, the software upgrading when required, countering and avoiding the vulnerability of the networking due to lapses in protocols. Each of the above mentioned things requires a separate department and a manager who supervises all these departments. Wireless networking: The wireless networking is a the alternative for the networking when there is no scope for cabling. These are RF devices, infra red devices and WiMax solutions and 802.11 protocols. These require continuous monitoring and upgrading whenever there are enhancements in the technology. The management of link with the service provider and satellite signals required. The maintenance of these can be given for the firms which offer the services on contact basis. This management can be given to an organization like Camvera that put 25 municipal systems each averaging 150 to 300 square miles each.4 They are technologically agnostic and can provide solutions of management for clients like civic bodies. Their presence is in six states in the south east of US. Intel is planning to integrate WiMax chip sets into PCs in the coming year. The hand held PCs and Cell phone makers also may follow the same. But the problem in the computers in wireless networking is the battery life and backup. That can be addressed by availability of chargers wherever possible and minimizing the backup problems of the battery. For this the civic body must collaborate with company like Intel which produces these types of PCs. They can solve the management problems regarding PCs by getting the solutions from the PC supplier. 5 The lapses like certifying WiMax broadband wireless kit may cause the technology to miss the boat. But now there is no such problem as it was certified. But this type of delays in bringing latest technology in hardware and software in to the networking can cause the networking outdated. So there must be continuous updating of the hardware and soft ware used in networking. Cost Benefit Risk Analysis The cost benefit risk analysis mainly depend on the Return on Investment. The invested amount must give reasonable returns in reasonable period of time. The identification and implementation of technologies and procedures are capable of reducing the cost of ownership. When we talk about wire less LAN it cannot be considered as replacement for cabled infrastructure. But the implementation of it wherever necessary can increase its usage in future and can decrease cost to make larger usage possible. It is now seeking user productivity and IT team productivity. 5 The Companies or Civic bodies which use these systems must stretch IT resources and must be able to get economic and commercial profits from the activities and the companies. The speed and quality of wireless networking in future we can see a mix of wireless and LAN systems to get cost effectiveness. The wireless technology is slowly replacing the LAN system for new strategic applications. So for cost benefit effect the civic bodies can adopt the wireless technology step by step in the cable networking they possess now. First to minimize the cost the wire less technology can be used where there is no scope for cable infrastructure. Then slowly the technology can be extended to the places where there is scope of increasing of income by increase in the speed and quality of services. This can be said by the fact that 89% of the enterprises and civic bodies who implemented wire less technology in the above prescribed manner experienced this type of implementation. 5. In all the surveys by Wireless LAN Association it was known that the returns were within one year of implementation. Before implementing the wireless technology the end user benefit must be analyzed. If the end user is benefiting from the increase of speed of the networking and was willing to pay more the system can be implemented with cost effectiveness. The study of WLANA that includes 34 WLAN installations found that costs for applications, outsourcing and network management are critical factors that affect the cost of owner ship. The wire less LAN must enable an enterprise or a civic body to produce or deliver quality goods or quality services which are capable of enhancing the income of the organization. In the above study it was found that cost per head (user) was $4550. So the return must be planned accordingly depending on the number of users and the amount they pay. The extra costs will flow down to the customer and he has to pay more. The implementation of Wireless LAN must cite more efficient use of space and productivity. In the case of Civic bodies the funds where there will be no returns like services in the field of law and order the result must be taken into consideration. The wireless technology can be used for good communication to tackle the situation. In managing the internet in school it can be easier for a civic body as it makes the internet access more better. One of the services of the Civic body is health care. The rising in the costs of health care makes the ROI critical for efficiency. The IT investments in the health industry can be increased with ROI coming in one year. The health care costs are increasing at a rate of 5 percent every year. This can be reduced by better communication between doctor and patient who are far away. This is possible by internet and wireless LAN as they enable to reduce health care costs regarding deputation and travel. In case of cash transactions the wire less LAN can offer better service to the customer where there is no cable infrastructure available. This enables the civic bodies to render sophisticated services in remote areas and can increase the collection of revenues in future. As the Civic bodies work with revenues from public they can wait for a bit longer time than the private enterprises for ROI and can effectively implement Wireless LAN solutions. Conclusions: It was given that the residents of city mentioned were potential customers and can pay reasonably for services the WiMax solutions. So they were discussed with the planning and estimation for installation of the networking. The protocols 802.15 protocols were recommended to be implemented. This is for minimizing the lapses in the networking as they were the latest protocols available. It was recommended that the cabling can be done wherever possible and the wireless networking can be implemented in the places where cabling and other infrastructure was not available. Though this increases the cost of ownership, this ensures connectivity of remote areas which increases revenues in future. The different devices used for various access points were discussed in order to put efficient technology in place. The CCTV network for the surveillance was recommended to enhance the law and order situation. The site survey, planning and designing were discussed in a cost effective manner. The cost benefit risk analysis was done in a manner which gives returns in shortest time possible and the areas where there will be no returns (as it was a civic body), the enhancement of the quality of services was considered. In inventing a firm for implementing networking and managing it comvera was considered and for the PC management in the networking the hardware services of Intel were recommended. While doing cost benefit analysis the ROI was considered. This means that the extra investment was not opposed if the returns were in reasonable time. The cost benefit analysis in this paper does not represent the low cost owner ship. It supports the enhancement in cost if the return on investment is within one year. Keeping future benefits and the competition in adopting the technology the extra investment is suggested for increasing productivity and profitability in the areas where they are possible. This is because the subject (wireless LAN) discussed in the paper is costly technology and adoption of it needs more investment than its alternative. So when it is not possible to get the latest technology for the same capital, the return on the investment is considered. If the return on the investments was substantially more than the return on the previous technology it can be adopted keeping in view the returns that are possible in future. References: 1. Intel team, 2006, Case study, Intel, http://www.intel.com/netcomms/technologies/wimax/17914_Sundance_CS_r06.pdf 2. Opinions, 2006, Wire less solution for leeds, Government Technology, http://www.governmenttechnologyuk.com/ 3. Info tech research group, 2004, Enterprise wireless network: A view to the future, Infotech.com, http://www.itbusinessedge.com/research/ 4. Panel summary, 20065, The technology Road Map, Digital cities convention, http://www.w2idigitalcitiesconvention.com/10122005/e_s/tech_roadmap.html 5. Martin Courtney, 2006, 3G may beat WiMax by punch, Novell, http://www.itweek.co.uk/itweek/news/2147437/3g-beat-wimax-punch 6. Learning Centre, 2006, Wireless LAN ROI, Wireless LAN Association, http://www.wlana.org/learn/roi.htm Appendix 1. a wireless solution for Leeds Looking at the area, it’s the last place you’d visualise as a hotbed of technological innovation, with its patchwork of typical Leeds redbrick terraces and estates mixed with industry. Areas such as Burmantofts, Harehills, Gipton, Killingbeck and Seacroft are amongst the top 2 per cent of most deprived areas in the country. But that’s exactly why Innovation Leeds sees it as the perfect place to start a brand new communications network that could change the face of this side of Leeds. Leeds is best known as a regional focus for Yorkshire and the Humber, and the north east. When the media started bringing the local branch of Harvey Nichols into every piece about the city, they were just emphasising what everyone in the area knows – it has the best shopping in Yorkshire, and a booming legal and financial sector. But every city has areas that desperately need help, and East Leeds is a world away from glossy high-streets and the leafy suburbs elsewhere in the city. The story began when East Leeds Homes, wholly owned by Leeds City Council, wanted to replace and upgrade their CCTV system. They approached Innovation Leeds, and started a very exciting ball rolling, that grew like a snowball and will enhance community safety and bring new, socially-based services to the area, plus support the council’s delivery of streetscene services. 2. info~tech research group Enterprise wireless networking is moving into a new age as new high bandwidth protocols, such as 802.11g, move into the marketplace, offering a host of new connection possibilities and applications. Wireless networking has been available to the enterprise for several decades now, but it has only recently come into the spotlight with a huge increase in bandwidth and a high level of visibility due to the rollout of Wi-Fi hotspots and 2.5 to 3G cellular services. According to the META Group, 65 percent of enterprises will deploy some form of wireless applications to the mobile portion of their workforce within the next three to four years. At the moment, however, many organizations struggle with .nding the appropriate application to deploy and sector in which to deploy it. Major issues, such as security concerns, which have thwarted implementation in the past have now been addressed, and accelerated development within the enterprise market is likely to result. Wireless networking solves a number of infrastructure problems, as well as opening the way to a range of new applications. Initially, the most common usage was in adding high bandwidth point-to-point connections in order to extend corporate networks between buildings, across roads, and across distances within a metropolitan area. This usage has continued, although it is now fairly routine. The major area of growth recently has been in point-to-multipoint solutions, which are capable of creating a high bandwidth wireless LAN (WLAN). With this technology maturing to the point where connection hot spots are ubiquitous, and with several cities considering provision of WLAN access throughout their metropolitan areas, it is important to view the usages, bene.ts, and costs of providing this technology within the enterprise. While the major focus of this paper is upon enterprise WLAN technology and its deployment, it is important to consider this in the larger context of wireless networking. Enterprises may employ most, if not all, of the major wireless network technologies, which will be coming increasingly together over the next several years as roaming becomes established between 802.11 and cellular networks, and WiMAX brings longer distance high bandwidth connections into the mix. With continued development of wireless networking, understanding the special requirements of this technology is essential. Careful implementation with realistic costing is critical to success. Read More