1. Explain the business benefits of using wireless technology.
Completes the access technology portfolio: customers commonly use more than one access technology to service various parts of their network and during the migration phase of their networks, when upgrading occurs on a scheduled basis. Wireless enables a fully comprehensive access technology portfolio to work with existing dial, cable, and DSL technologies.
Goes where cable and fiber cannot: the inherent nature of wireless is that it doesn't require wires or lines to accommodate the data/voice/video pipeline. As such, the system will carry information across geographical areas that are prohibitive in terms of distance, cost, access, or time. It also sidesteps the numerous issues of ILEC colocation.
Involves reduced time to revenue: companies can generate revenue in less time through the deployment of wireless solutions than with comparable access technologies because a wireless system can be assembled and brought online in as little as two to three hours.
Provides broadband access extension: wireless commonly both competes with and complements existing broadband access. Wireless technologies play a key role in extending the reach of cable, fiber, and DSL markets, and it does so quickly and reliably. It also commonly provides a competitive alternative to broadband wireline or provides access in geographies that don't qualify for loop access.
Wireless technologies have the ability to centralise critical information and eliminate redundant processes.
People are mobile and have more access to information than ever before through things such as phones and laptops.
State government agencies, such as transportation departments, use wireless devices to collect field information, tracking inventory, reporting times, monitoring logistics, and completing forms — all from a mobile environment. The transportation industry is using wireless devices to help determine current locations and alternate driving routes.
2. Describe the business benefits associated with VoIP
Voice over IP: Allows the internet to carry voice in digital format, call costs have dramatically decreased as the international calls are now internet connections. Voice over IP enables phone calls, faxes, voice mail, email, web conferences over digital networks.
The most obvious and significant benefit from using VOIP is reduced telephony costs. More than 80% of the companies planning to deploy VOIP expect payback within the first three years. In reality, companies that have deployed the technology are experiencing complete return on investment within the first year.
If the cost savings wasn’t enough, businesses that deployed VOIP are experiencing other long-term benefits such as:
- Improved individual productivity
- Improved team collaboration
- Faster responsiveness to customers
- Better quality of service to customers
- Better support for globalization effort
It saves money in 3 ways:
-VOIP runs over the existing computer network
-Calls over the internet do not attract telecommunications chargers
-Customers can port their numbers between carriers
3. Compare LANs and WANs
LAN stands for Local Area Network and WAN stands for Wide Area Network. There are many comparisons between them as they are different.
| | LAN | WAN |
| Data transfer rates | LANs have a high data transfer rate | WANs have a lower data transfer rate as compared to LANs |
| Connection | One LAN can be connected to other LANs over any distance via telephone lines and radio waves | Computers connected to a Wide-area network are often connected through public networks, such as the telephone system. They can also be connected through leased lines or satellites. |
| Set up costs | Is there is a need to se up a coupe of extra devices on the network, it is not very expensive to do that | In this case since networks in remote areas have to be connected hence the set-up costs are higher |
| Definition | LAN is a computer network covering a small geographic area like a home, office, schools | WAN is a computer network that covers and wider area. Any network whose communications links cross metropolitan, regional or national boundaries over a long distance |
| Maintenance costs | Maintain at low costs because it covers small geographic area | Maintaining is difficult because its wider geographical area and costs |
| Technology | Tend to use certain connectivity technologies primarily ethernet and token ring | Use technology as ATM, Frame Relay, over the long distances. Internet is the best example of a WAN |
4. Describe RFID and how it can be used to help make a supply chain more effective.
Manufacturers, retailers, logistics providers and government agencies are making unprecedented use of RFID technology to track, secure and manage items from the time they are raw materials through the entire life of the product.
Manufacturers can especially benefit from RFID because the technology can make internal processes more efficient and improve supply chain responsiveness—for example, early RFID adopters in the consumer goods industry reduced supply chain costs between 3 and 5 percent and grew revenue between 2 and 7 percent because of the added RFID provided, according to a study by AMR Research.
Many drivers have seen RFID in action at automatic toll collection stations used at bridges, tunnels and turnpikes.
In business, RFID will be commonly used to identify pallets,containers, vehicles, tools and other assets, monitor inventory, and route materials through production processes.
RFID can provide immediate and tangible benefits throughout the supply chain. Organizations who take the time to understand the technology’s capabilities and limitations can increase their inventory visibility while streamlining their operations.
5. Identify the advantages and disadvantages of deploying mobile technology
ADVANTAGES:
Public and private sector enterprises are always in pursuit of ideas that can make them more efficient and flexible, qualities that have a direct effective on both profitability and performance. As wireless networking moves into the mainstream, many organizations find that the addition of mobile network components offers undeniable business benefits, both direct and indirect.
Seen directly, wireless solutions can improve the connectedness of a workforce and enhance decision-making by providing faster access to more current information. They can also be easier to maintain and configure, reducing the need for IT staff.
Indirectly, mobile solutions can improve worker satisfaction by providing easier, more flexible access options. They can even improve public perception, and introduce new, “cutting edge” mechanisms for customer interaction; through the following characteristcs:
• Elimination of duplicate data entry and transcription errors.
• Improved efficiency so agents can concentrate on sales and service, not paperwork and increased productivity through real-time.
• Improved customer service with faster customer response time.
• Better information sharing, and better management insight into agents’ activities and performance.
• Improved communications with control personnel, who can remain on the production floor without being out of reach; and tracking of the parts and labor associated with each order, with verification at the time of data entry.
• More accurate analysis of product costs,with better tracking of labor details against work orders.
• Significant reduction in parts retrieval time.
• Improved productivity through better communications.
• Efficient access to business-critical data.
• Faster product delivery times.
• Increased employee and customer satisfaction.
• Reduced connection costs.
• Improved provider working conditions with the flexibility offered by remote information access.
In summary the advantages include: low ongoing costs, ease of implentation, effective base-level data transfer rate, mobility, and redundancy in fututre growth.
DISADVANTAGES:
When considering options for wide area networks, it is appropriate to consider the few disadvantages presented by wireless technology.
1-Radio Interference. When multiple radio antennas are located close in proximity, or many strong spread spectrum sources inhabit a small geographic region, RF wireless loses some of its effectiveness. The signals may interfere with each other, causing re-transmission of signals and loss of throughput. But such sources are unusual in many rural communities.
2-Path Interference. Radio wireless technology is commonly advertised as "impervious" to weather. This means, essentially, that particles of rain, fog, smog, and dust are not large enough to block the transmission of the radio signal. In the 902-928Mhz frequency spectrum this is essentially true.
3-Weather and Accidental Damage. Because wireless connectivity uses external antennas, severe weather may damage these components. Lightning arrestors will be used to prevent damage to internal network equipment, but very high winds may still misalign or damage antennas. Also, one must allow for the possibility of accidents in which antennas are damaged.
4-Throughput. Wireless connectivity offers a better cost/performance ratio over time than leased data circuits; but not in comparison with fibre optic.
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