Future Profit Sheet

DDS Systems

Tech strong business these days are coming up with a ton of ways to help increase productivity.  The company I currently work for, employs system administrators and programs who are so advanced they have personally designed and implemented a decisions support system to aid in day to day troubleshooting of our servers.  A decision support system (DSS) is a computer system used to provide support rather than complete automation of the decision making process. Supporting a decision means helping people in groups to gather intelligence, generate alternatives and make decisions. [1] In our company the DSS comes in the form of a “bot” that responds to queries and notifies us if issues through an instant message.  Based on past situations and our internal wiki, our DSS is able to supply us with a fast and helpful way to tackle an issue.  As an example, we might say to the “bot” that server 147 is overloaded with outgoing data.  Our “bot”, would then suggest piping some of that data through servers 146 and 147 to reduce the chance of future overloads.

While we are able to view the internal wiki ourselves, the bot dss is able to review the situation faster and give us a response that will help us prevent another situation from forming because it is able to analyzie the situation and see incidents that can occur from implementing certain fixes. Our DSS gives us a comparative advantage over their (our) competitors, allowing them (us) to make optimal choices for technological processes and their parameters [2]. When we encounter a problem, we can respond to it quickly based on our systems ability to analyze the situation.  While we are able to get back up and running in minutes our competitors that have inferior support systems are left behind.

One must recognize though that just because a decision support system is in place, it doesn’t mean that a problem is instantly fixed. A DSS cannot completely overcome the ability and attitude limitations of the person who is using it.[3]  In other words, a DSS is in place to give the user an option based on critical data.  Ultimately, the final say rests solely on the user. A task specific Decision Support System is intended to increase the quality and effectiveness of a specific decision or decisions. A well-designed DSS has the potential to assist those decisions makers who can and do use it. [3] The end-user needs to have the ability to understand the scenario and know how to properly handle it.  One must keep in mind that the DSS is a business tool and not a crutch.

 [1] http://www.bukisa.com/articles/472278_the-rle-of-a-decision-support-system-40dss41#ixzz1TbpVAPUk
[2] http://www.pitt.edu/~druzdzel/abstracts/dss.html
[3] http://dssresources.com/faq/index.php?action=artikel&id=16

Social Networking

If business want to stay afloat in the technology age, they must adjust to the current trend. A large part of the current trend is social networking. Social networking falls under the definition of Enterprise 2.0 because it is “integrating the social and collaborative tools of Web 2.0 into the office environment.” [1] Many companies that are not too technologically savvy are hiring younger individuals to he;[ because the younger generation are basically experts in social media. The most popular social media site, Facebook is used more and more every day to allow companies to connect to their clientele in a business to consumer (B2C) scenario.

Among many ways businesses connect with consumers on Facebook, two stand out the most to me, Facebook gaming, and Facebook fan pages.

To consumers Facebook games are a great way to pass the time, but what many do not realize is that it is also a huge business. In early July, Electronic Arts “agreed to buy PopCap for at least $750 million. PopCap makes popular games such as "Bejeweled" and "Plants vs. Zombies."” [2] In games such as Plant vs. Zombies, the user is able to make in-game purchases to help improve their score. These in-game purchases offer an instant gratification that people with new aged short term attention spans need to be able to stay hooked.

The second scenario is more so connected to hiring young individuals to help out. Fan pages offer people an ability to show their friends on Facebook what they are into. For the companies, these fan pages are actually a great way to get free advertising. If my best friend said that they like the restaurant “Big Jims” I get a notification when they become a fan of it. The next time I decide to eat pizza, I may remember that my friend likes that place so I may too. Many times these fan pages even offer contests. After 200 new fans come aboard because of a contest, the company will only have to shell out the money for 1 prize. Considering their customer base just grew by 200 individuals, I am sure they wouldn't mind the minimal financial loss. While many websites offer examples and ideas for Facebook contests I came across a contest that Papa Johns made up asking fans to create a new Pizza for their menu. [3] This idea not only sounds like fun for the user, it gives the company a brilliant insite into the minds of their customers.

In is impossible to say if social networking will stay as hot as it is now, but the fact is, Facebook is a huge money maker right now and a company able to use it to their advantage has a huge lead in gaining new customers over any competitor that doesn't know how to take advantage of the medium.

[1] What is Enterprise 2.0? Enterprise 2.0 Explained. http://webtrends.about.com/od/office20/a/enterprise-20.htm

[2] Earnings Preview: Electronic Arts to report 1Q – 7/25/2011 - http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43877861/ns/business-personal_finance/

[3] Facebook Contest Ideas to Grow Your Fan Pages – May 24 2010 - http://buzzmedia.com.my/article/facebook-contest-ideas

OSI Model

               Chapter four of our text book describes how data is transferred from one computer to another.  What the book is actually discussing (in the most basic sense possible) is the 7 layer OSI model.  OSI (Open System Interconnection), model “defines a networking framework for implementing protocols in seven layers.” [1]  Each time a computer attempts to transfer data, the individual bits have go through a process twice, once when the data leaves the first computer and once when it enters the second computer.  The second time around, the process is done in reverse. The Process is broken down into 7 layers.  These layers are:
Application
Presentation
Session
Transport
Network
Data Link
Physical
[2]

The diagram above shows why data goes through the OSI model twice.  As you can see, the first time is because the data is being transmitted and the second time is because the data is being received.
               In the application layer (7), the user is interacting with the computer to either send data or view received data. The presentation layer (6) takes the data and converts it to a standardized format. The session layer (5) is next.  In this layer, communication between devices is established and maintained. After communication has been established, the transportation layer (4) takes over, where error checking takes place. The network layer (3) is next, here is where a determination is made as to how the data will be transmitted between the devices (the route or path that is taken.) The data layer (2) determines what protocol should be assigned to the transmission. The physical layer (1). The physical layer consists of the actual hardware used in the networks.  This includes modems, routers and cabling. Once the data hits the physical layer, the process is repeated but instead of the procedure going from layer 7 to 1, it goes from layer 1 -7 and the information is put back together so it can be readable. [3]
               I can understand that our textbook is written for a fundamentals class, but I believe that ideas discussed should be addressed by their appropriate names. The OSI model is the backbone of network transmission and should never be overlooked.      

[1] The 7 Layers of the OSI Model – September 24^th, 2010. http://www.webopedia.com/quick_ref/OSI_Layers.asp

[2] OSI Model Concept – January 8^th, 2009 – http://www.petri.co.il/osi_concepts.htm

[3] CompTIA Network Study Guide” Exam N10-004 by Sybex April 13^th, 2004

Cloud Computing

The hot tech term these days is “Cloud Computing”; but what people do not realize is that it is actually not that new. Cloud Computing has been around for a few years now. Amazon, Apple and Google have brought Cloud Computing – specifically Software as a Serve (SaaS) to the public by introducing products like Google Doc. A company by the name of Citirx has allowed individuals to access their company software in a virtualized environment since its acquisition of XenSource in 1997. [1] With Citrix technology. a user is able to go to their company website and use Microsoft office, Quickbooks and many other pieces of software without having it installed on their system.
Some of the other popular virtualization software made by Citirx include Go To Meeting and Go To My PC. Both of which have revolutionized the tech industry. Go To Meeting allows for people to hold business meetings with associates around the world without having to leave the office. In fact, their latest version even allows the user to be part of a meeting from an Ipad. [2]
Go To My PC is a very popular item as well. It is used not just by companies but by individuals who need to access their programs, and files from anywhere, any time. The software is held on the individuals computer. In this situation, the PC holding the software and files would be considered the host or server computer. Since a remote user is access a program from a remote server this in fact could be considered cloud computing.
Some businesses worry about other companies getting a piece of their business. Citrix however seems to be doing just fine against Google, Amazon and Apples attempt at getting into the field. On July 12th Citrix showed they were willing to put up a fight by purchasing Cloud.com for a figure “less than $200 million”. [1] What will Cloud.com be used for? According the Citrix and Cloud.com, their site will be an“Open source cloud computing platform for building and managing private and public cloud infrastructure.” [3] Even though Cloud computing has been around since at least 1997, it is only today starting to pick up steam and hit the masses. Citrix was ahead of its time then, and with the purchase of Cloud.com they plan to stay on top.

[1] Citirx Makes a Run at the Cloud July 14th, 2011 http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/citrix-makes-a-run-at-the-cloud-07142011.html
[2] Online Meetings Made Easy http://www.gotomeeting.com/fec/online_meeting
[3] What Is Cloud.com? http://www.cloud.com/

Database

 When I worked on the NYC taxi enhancement project, I took a lot of calls from the taxi drivers with questions and problems with our technology. Sometimes the device wouldn’t turn off, other times a transaction wouldn’t process. They were able to call us 24/7 and speak to a representative. The IT department built a ticketing database to allow us to handle the increase in phone calls. Our system, built using Microsoft Access 2003 was considered a “Traditional” approach to database management because the information used in the database was only relevant to troubleshooting. I thought that a traditional approach was great because customer service calls were the only reason anyone ever used the database. [1]
 Microsoft Access is considered to be both a single user and multiple user database suite. Only one person was able to modify the file but multiple people were able to view it at the same time. This feature is called concurrency controlled and is very important because it prevents errors in the database. These errors would occur if two people were attempting to modify the same record at the same time. Unfortunately, the program would have worked a lot better if multiple people could modify the database, and only certain entries were blocked. To resolve this problem, customer service reps would write the information from phone calls down, and later enter them into the system. Customer service members had to write to information twice, so while the system worked for reviewing the problems, they ended up having to do twice the work. In addition, customer service was required to save all of the written tickets, which basically made the database useless.
 The data dictionary was in my opinion quite standard for a trouble ticket system. Included in the database was:
Customer Service Rep
Date
Time
Driver Medallion Number
Driver Hack Number
Description of Problem
Damaged Device
Resolution
Resolved Date
Resolved: Yes / No
 The system was by no means flawless but having a single place to hold all of the reports was great. More over, It allowed us to see which device had the most problems (The monitor, the meter, the drivers monitor…). The taxi drivers already hated the idea of putting the systems in their cars [2]
 The biggest challenge our ticketing database had was its max character count. Since we were using MS Access 2003, the max character count was around 255 per text field [3]. I had to be quite sparing with my words. It was incredibly difficult to do while I was on the phone taking the ticket information. Eventually I learned to write everything by hand before submitting the electronic ticket. (Quite counterproductive) The positive aspect to the max character count was that people were forced to be brief in their descriptions. Brief descriptions means more direct and to the point explanations. I don’t think that MS Access was a good choice for our ticketing database. I believe in scalability and this program was not good in the respect, it became basically useless to me quite fast.
[1] The Traditional Approach Vs. The Database Approach http://www.insideism.com/2010/05/traditional-approach-vs-database.html

[2] NY taxi drivers strike again over tracking system http://www.reuters.com/article/2007/10/22/us-newyork-taxis-idUSN2246131020071022 october 22, 2007

[3] Maximum Limits of Microsoft Access Database http://www.hotscripts.com/forums/database/28980-maximum-limits-microsoft-access-database.html may 10, 2006

Hardware and Software

Instead of coming up with a fictitious business scenario, I thought I would talk about a company I used to work for. Anybody who spends time in New York City knows about the taxi enhancement project that allows for passengers to pay with credit cards and watch TV. I am fortunate enough to say that I had the opportunity to work on that project. I will be taking this opportunity to explain how the technology in the enhancement project worked.

 When a passenger enters a the cab, the first thing they will notice is a touch screen LCD monitor mounted in the divider. This acts as an BOTH and input and output device because it allow users to make selections as to what they want to read, hear and see (by touch), as well as seeing the results.

 The map function on these screens ran on the Google map API. The map system shows where the cab is in the city, and allows passenger the ability to feel comfortable that they are taking the most direct root.

 The system runs on a small computer placed on the drivers side of the divider. The software that we used was actually Microsoft Windows embedded. This allowed us a slim yet robust operating system where we could modify the services to work the way we wanted them to.

 The computer itself was fairly unimpressive except for one special piece of hardware. The lifeblood of our system was the GPS/GSM module. The GPS section was used for location-based services like finding the car on a map, or tracking the cab from a remote source. The GSM section of the module was used to transmit data through a cellular network. This data included credit card numbers for transactions, video, audio and text for news updates.

 Obviously there is a lot more to the taxi enhancement project, but that is actually a pretty good overview. If you are interested in hearing more, feel free to contact me. 

Monitoring Social Networking

I have always found great interest in the idea of crowd sourcing. When individuals come up with an idea, it could be good or it could be bad. However, if multiple people come up with the same idea and it is heard over and over again, most likely, there is something there. 

 There is a book called “The Wisdom of Crowds” by James Surowiecki. (1) The book starts with a story of a crowd at a fair. They are asked to guess the weight of an ox. The individual’s guesses are all over the place, but the average weight based on the individual’s guesses was closer to the ox's true-butchered weight than the estimates of the separate guesses made by cattle experts.

 Having access to individual’s social media data is like striking gold. With access to data mining findings, one could probably make a fortune just by analyzing peoples posts, and information. If you were to see interest in the same products over and over again, it is not unreasonable to assume that it’s a great product, and a company worth investing in.  This isn’t the best example but take Google +. I guarantee there are a good amount of people that have heard of the new Google + product because some of their facebook friends are asking for an Invite. Once they get the invite they talk even more about it…. The product is not even close to being out of beta and they keep doubling in size. On June 24^th Google’s stock was at $475ish on July 6^th, it was at $545ish. Thank you Google + and thank you crowd sourcing.  

If anyone wants to get a peak at their new product, just let me know and I’ll send you the much requested invite.

1. The Wisdom of Crowds: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wisdom_of_Crowds

system scalabiltiy

Today, every company uses some form of information system. When a company starts out, a small system is usually fine but less technologically advanced companies don’t typically think about system scalability. Scalability is the term used to describe a systems ability to handle growth; as a company grows, their system needs to grow with it. How does a system grow with a company, some people upgrade their hardware (scaling vertically, or up), others just and new hardware (scaling horizontally, or out). Scaling out doesn’t necessarily mean adding more workstations, it relates more to the servers. Neither way is necessarily wrong, but standardization within the company needs to be achieved to have a well working network.

[1]

 As we can see here, when one scales up, they are adding a small amount of advanced hardware to handle their requirements. When a company scales out, they are combining “the power of multiple machines into a virtual single machine with the combined power of all of them together.” [1]Scaling out is a temporary low cost solution that many small companies choose mainly because they don’t have the cash flow to scale up. While scaling up allows for lesser space, it also allows for a much less complex programming environment. 

 The reason for scalability is simple; as a company grows their system needs grow too. Allowing multiple users on the server at the same time is probably one of the most important aspects of a network environment. A network at a company with ten people will need to be able to hold ten people. As the company grows to 1,000 people their networking needs will have to grow with it. Increased network space, and speed are very important. Also important is network redundancy. “..If you have a single point of failure and it fails you, then you have nothing to rely on. If you put in a secondary (or tertiary) method of access, then when the main connection goes down, you will have a way to connect to resources and keep the business operational.” [2] Eventually people will be working remotely and well need to have access to a Citrix style system. Citrix “lets you deliver on-demand virtual desktop and applications anywhere your users work…to any type of device, bringing unprecedented flexibility and mobility to your workforce.” [3] In essence a well-scaled network will allow multiple users to work from wherever they are, just as if they were in the office. 

 Information systems come in all sizes, from an individual desktop running Microsoft access to a multinational organization with 10s of thousands of workers. Every company needs to be aware of there IS needs and figure out the most efficient way to scale them in the future. The most cost effective way, is not always the best; similarly the most expensive hardware isn’t always the best. The best system is what works correctly for your company while still giving you room to grow.

 [1] Shalmon, Nati. "The Difference Between Scale-Up and Scale-Out." Discussions about middleware and distributed technologies. Nati Shalmon, 09/01/2010. Web. 10 Jul 2011. <http://natishalom.typepad.com/nati_shaloms_blog/2010/09/scale-up-vs-scale-out.html>.

[2] Shimonski, Robert J. "The Importance of Redundancy."The Importance of Network Redundancy. Windows Networking, 06/15/2010. Web. 10 Jul 2011. <http://www.windowsnetworking.com/articles_tutorials/Importance-Network-Redundancy.html>.

[3] Citrix Systems (2010). "Products and solutions". Citrix. Retrieved 2011-07-10.