MIST 7500 - Fall 2013; C3 - Internet Future

I watched videos of Vint Cerf, Tim Berners-Lee (both insiders of the design and implementation of the internet as we know it) and Kevin Kelly (Founder and Editor of Wired Magazine) as they discussed their visions of the future and the internet. All three endorsed cloud computing as the future storage protocol of computer systems, and the integration of data into our daily lives (roughly called “The One”). All things will be linked together by data. We will be identified by this data and able to use it to advance our society. It will be one big “open source society”.

Vint Cerf also touched on sensor networks and the role they will play in this future lifestyle. The mundane tasks of daily life will be automated by pre-determined settings. Households will be more efficient because of this. He thinks this will allow people to focus on other aspects of life and society.

These videos were very informative. All three men have a similar macro-vision of data and society in the future. I can see where integration of big data would simplify our lives. We would have accurate data at our fingertips. I do have some concerns with this “open source lifestyle”. To allow strangers to become intimate with our personal information poses a multitude of security and safety risks. In our current society and internet, criminals steal identities and anything of value with the click of a mouse. In general, people will have to become more enlightened and less savage for this future society to work.

*Image taken from Tim Berner-Lee presentation @ TED 2009.

Until next time...

MIST 7500 - Fall 2013; C1 - Internet History

The Internet started in the late 1960’s as a way for government researchers to share information. Computers in the '60s were large and bulky. In order to make use of information stored in any one computer, one had to travel to the site of the computer. Another catalyst in the formation of the Internet was the Soviet Union's launch of the Sputnik satellite and the discovery of missiles in Cuba. This spurred the U.S. Department of Defense to consider ways information could still be transmitted across the country even after a nuclear attack. This eventually led to the formation of ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network), the network that ultimately evolved into what we now know as the Internet. ARPANET was a great success but membership was limited to certain academic and research organizations who had contracts with the Department of Defense. In response to this, other networks were created to provide information sharing. Protocols were standardized so that computers of any platform and location could integrate into the internet. The networks and users expanded exponentially until ARPANET was no longer needed. It was decommissioned in 1983. Over the last 30 years, the internet has grown and changed our lives.

We are no longer using the internet as a “tool”. With the advances over the past decade, we as a society are merging with the internet. It is becoming a part of us and our daily lives.

My top five internet events that shaped the internet

• First connection (circa 1969) – ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network) connects the computers of UCLA and Stanford Research Institute’s Augmentation Research Center (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network). The transmission was done using a 300 baud rate modem.

• Protocol standardization (circa 1983) – TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol and Internet Protocol) allowed for computers of any type and location to connect together. This protocol is the merging of the original TCP and IP protocols that allow the computers at each end of the network to control the flow of packets (rather than the previous protocol of the main computer controlling it). The Department of Defense adopted this protocol and made it the industry standard by 1985 through seminars with the computing industry.

• Websites and web browsers (circa 1994) – Up until the mid-1990’s, most users of the internet were computer engineers, government employees, or university students. They connected via dial-up modems to iRC’s (Internet Relay Chat) and BBS’s (Bulletin Boards) which were text-based message boards/meeting places. When Mosaic was introduced to “the masses”, it allowed users to expand on their internet experience, and view webpages that offered unique content and images.

• Application development (circa 2000) – The creation of server-side technologies (ASP, PHP, etc.) and client-side (Java, JavaScript, ActiveX, etc.) empowered businesses to overcome the limitations of HTML and allowed webpages to become interactive and customizable.

• High-speed internet hardware (circa 21st century) – Advances in the hardware that carries data packets across the networks, has allowed us to become “part of the internet”. Modems have given way to routers and smart switches that can monitor internet traffic and make adjustments to maximize throughput. When TCP/IP was first invented, modems carried data at a baud rate of 300 bits/second. By comparison, today’s smart switches routers can carry data at speeds of 450 Mbits/second and beyond.

Until next time...

MIST 7500 - Fall 2013; B3 - Business Strategy Models

For the final assignment of week two, we had to analyze our fantasy business model from week one. We had many options to use for the analysis. I was torn between Porter's Five Forces Model or a SWOT Analysis. I felt the Five Forces Model was more fitting for my company.

Once the analysis was complete, we were instructed to create a video presentation or screencast discussing our results. Click on the link below to see my screencast.

OR CLICK HERE

I hope you enjoyed the video. Check back soon. Until next time...

MIST 7500 - Fall 2013; B1 - Business Strategy Models

In this week's class, we expanded on business modeling and how it can be used to formulate/analyze a business strategy.

Based on the authored works of John Hagel and Marc Singer, they believe companies are comprised of three different segments.

1. Customer Relationship Management - The business segment that finds customers and tries to maintain them.
2. Product Innovation Business - The segment that creates new products or services.
3. Infrastructure Management - The management of essential operational components such as policies, operational processes, HR, etc.

These three components are very different in their initiative and scope of operation. At times they can be incompatible.

They expanded on the modeling aspect and determined that through their research, they are seeing five business model patterns emerge:

• Unbundling - Shedding off all the "extras" while maintaining the primary business. (Ex. Telecom companies spinning off their maintenance and service departments to independent contractors.)
• The Long Tail - Offering extended product lines to diversify the business and expand the customer base. (Ex. Netflix offering 1000's of Indy/European films that wouldn't have been exported to other countries many years ago.)
• Multi-Sided Platform - Mutual collaboration between separate companies. (Ex. Nintendo Wii brings together game players and developers on their gaming platform.)
• Free - Offering free products and supplementing revenues from a less-traditional source. (Ex. Trial versions that let you test software, before you buy.)
• Open Business Model - Allowing collaboration from many sources to improve products. (Ex. Linux is an open source operation system, with thousands of programmers around the world making improvements.)

Finally, we wrapped up the night with Porter's Five Forces. This is a simple yet effective format to determine the strengths and weaknesses of an industry from a company perspective. Each force is then rated as high, medium, or low threat. A high threat means it is easy to break into the industry and be successful, such as techy/IT businesses. A low threat means it is hard to break into the industry. There could be no room for growth, or government regulations that prohibit "easy" entry, such as the automotive industry.

Porter's Five Forces

1. Threat of New Entry
2. Buyer Power
3. Supplier Power
4. Threat of Substitution
5. Competitive Rivalry

Porter later added a sixth force: Business Complementors. These can be positive (Hulu and the major networks) or negative (government intervention and activist groups).
A simple diagram illustrating the five forces model (taken from simpletemplates.com).

 

A lot of useful information that can help businesses determine their opportunities for success. That is all for now. Until next time...

MIST 7500 - Fall 2013; A3.1 - business modeling current employer

In this installment, we were tasked with creating a business model that reflects our current employer. I used BMFiddle's {bmfiddle.com}business model canvas tool. My current employer manufactures steel building products for the commercial and residential construction industry. We are the industry leader in maintaining high standards of quality and safe building construction. Here is the link to my business model canvas.

https://bmfiddle.com/f/#/r73D4

Feel free to check it out and let me know if you have any questions! Until next time...

MIST 7500 - Fall 2013; A3.2 - business modeling fantasy company

In the second half of the business modeling assignment, we were tasked with imagining a fictitious company. Since I am not currently in the technology industry and unsure of where I would like to end up at the end of this master's program, I went with a more general vision. I called it Apps 'R' Us. Basically, it's a company that designs sensibly-prices apps for businesses. The apps would allow these businesses to connect with new customers and maintain their existing customer base.

Check out the link:

https://bmfiddle.com/f/#/HSPq8

Enjoy!! Until next time...

MIST 7500 - Fall 2013; A2 - What is a router?

MIST 7500 - Fall 2013; Assignment A2 - What is a router?

In part two of our first assignment, we were tasked with listening to the Techstuff podcast on "What is a router?" This was my first time listening to this podcast channel. I found the podcast to be informative without overwhelming the audience with overly-technical terms. The hosts were entertaining as well. The following bullet points highlight the discussion.

• Routers allow the transfer of information across different layers of communication from a local level (LAN) to a global level (WAN/Internet).
• Router hardware is offered in wired and wireless.
• Its main function is to direct the data packets from the transmitting computer to the receiving computer.
• RIP: Routing Information Protocol  - A method used by routers to determine the most efficient paths for the flow of information across the internet. It transmits packets through various avenues and logs the speed and success of the packets.
• To prevent redundant information from flowing through the internet and overloading the system, routers are able to terminate these packets after successful transmission.
• Most routers have switch capabilities. This allows you to network local computers together without the need for enterprise hardware components.
•  Every router has a unique identifier/address to avoid conflicts. It’s called a Media Access Control (MAC address).
• Wireless routers have different ratings for signal strength and speed. (a, b, g, n). 
• Firewalls installed on the firmware of the router help reduce security risks to your computer and LAN.

That's all for this week's assignments. Check back next week for more classroom shenanigans!!

MIST 7500 - Fall 2013; A1 - What is this blog all about?

MIST 7500 - Fall 2013; Assignment A1 - What is this blog all about?

First a few words about me. My name is George Renzi and I am currently enrolled in the Master's of Internet Technology program at UGA. It is a cohort-style program and we meet twice weekly at the UGA Gwinett campus. For the past 15 years I have worked for the same company in the manufacturing industry. I have held numerous positions of varying responsibility through out my career and have had the opportunity to relocate four times over that time period. My goal is to get involved with technologies that will shape our future lifestyles.

Now onto the "meat and potatoes" of this blog. I will be highlighting weekly topics and readings from the MIST 7500 Internet Technology class under the tutelage of Dr. Craig Piercy. Some of the topics that will be highlighted in this course include:

• Fundamentals of Business Modeling
• Internet infrastructure
• Network hardware components
• Tools and methods used in the development of networked applications
• HTML and big data (cloud) basics
• mobile internet applications basics

That's it for now. Make sure to check back for weekly updates!!