jlfranklin

The Accenture Challenge is a competition Ball State University's CICS program hosts with former CICS alumni now working with Accenture, each year. They present each team with an RFP, and it is our responsibility to take what we receive -to research, plan, and put together a final proposal, as well as a corresponding presentation that will be judged by a panel of CICS and Accenture professionals.

Going into the Accenture Challenge, I had my sights set on making it to the final round. I figured it was a good way for me to gauge my project management skills, and to see if i really was cut out to lead a team to accomplish a task. I made some earlier assumptions about what I could do based on our moderate successes during the iTERA Connected Tennessee Challenge, but I knew that this was different. I knew that no matter what happened before, this would be the ultimate test for any individual hoping to measure their skills as a leader, and a project manager. I also used this competition as a way of gauging whether or not I was cut out for the world of consulting. I knew I had tons of ideas, but I've often been told that it's my ability to get out those very ideas that was holding me back. In the end, I placed a lot of expectations on myself, as well as my team in determining if I could really do all the things I felt I could do.

I would first like to start of by saying that I have a really, really good team. The time we spent preparing for the Accenture Challenge really gave me the chance to know them a bit more. Each individual has their strengths and weaknesses, as do I , but I really feel that it was our ability to work as a team that helped us tremendously in the long run. Due to a bit of confusion during the competition, we ran into the infamous 24hr mad dash to the finish, that did not end until 8:13 a.m. (the time Ryan E. picked up the packet for delivery).

One of the things I found out almost immediately during this time is that I could handle brain drain, sleep deprivation, and tremendous pressure to reach a timeline with not even much of an afterthought. (I'm not quite sure where this came from, but my guess is that its the years of procrastination thats given me some rather valuable, yet disturbing skills.) I also noticed this in a few other teammates as well, which I feel made our team work so well together. I actually had an initial glimpse of this during the preparation of our iTERA case study, so it wasnt a complete suprise, we got I personally did not get to the actual even until it's start time, only to find our that we drew the last slot for presenting.

Blue Group Consulting
Ryan Lasure
Ryan Evans
Michael Wulff

Posted by Jeramey L Franklin at 03:59 PM | Permalink

The Center for Information and Communication Sciences’ core focus is to create future leaders with advanced skills in problem-solving and solution development and implementation within the realm of information and communication technology. Through a rich curriculum, graduate candidates learn to enhance theoretical knowledge gained in class through experiential opportunities. The projects mentioned here focus on those core lessons, giving students the ability to not only learn about, and work with new technology; but to enhance their management and collaboration skills.

The Team:
The projects mentioned in this proposal were the result of work done by graduate students working with Concept Change Organization for The Ball State University Museum of Art. To move forward with its increasing technology focus, these students are working to create a new collaborative group that brings future tech to the students and faculty of CICS and BSU at a relatively low cost. This new group will consist of members from the Concept Change Organization, as well as key representatives from: Computer Science, Center for Media Design, Digital Storytelling (TCOM), Architecture, Construction Management, and the Digital Core.

The Projects:
Multitouch Platform Development (MPD)
BSU Museum User Experience Project (UEP)
Student Server Upgrade Project (SSUP)
 

The Multitouch Platform Development Project
The Multitouch Platform Development Project, (MPD), focuses on giving CICS graduate students involved the chance to experience this cutting-edge technology from the ground level. The project will give students the ability to design, develop, and implement a multitouch “immersive learning” solution for both the CICS department, and the BSU Museum of Art. This will be a (concept) consortium initiative.
This project will feature the following technologies:
- FTIR Multitouch
- Cisco Server Development
- Microsoft
- Flash/ AS3
- C#
- Python
- RFID Tracking
- HTML
- JAVA
- Wifi

The BSU Museum User Experience Project (UEP)
The BSU Museum UEP project will give students the opportunity to develop an immersive, interactive, user platform that will enhance the way individuals interact with art. The project will make use of mobile touch devices that provide up-to-the-moment information on art pieces of interest to them. This will be a (concept) consortium initiative.

The BSU Nursing / Ball Memorial Hospital User Experience Project (UEP)
The Nursing UEP project with take information learned from the BSU Museum UEP and tailor it towards providing up-to-date patient & medical information. The project will build upon the Nursing program’s experience with handheld devices, and will allow them to monitor their patient’s charts electronically, to share charts with others, and to alert physicians when a patient is in distress, by targeting individuals in the closest proximity of the patient. The project will also produce a device that interfaces with a server and allows them to connect to data vital to saving patients. (This may include medical dictionaries, books, etc. all completely searchable through the devices database)
This project will primarily focus on verifying the technology, usability and feasibility. We will build “test” devices to prove the technology as well as provide a small wing with the ability to gain some real time use out of the devices.
Because of HIPAA, and the possibility that these devices will contain very private patient information, we will need to create beyond enterprise-level security. This may include biometric log in. (camera possibly needed) or the development of “smart” ID Tags that will contain encrypted key triggers for the device to log in.

The project will feature the following technologies:
- Resistive Multitouch
- Linux/Unix
- Android
- Flash/ AS3
- RFID Tracking
- HTML
- PHP
- mySql
- Cisco Server Development
- JAVA
- Wifi

The Student Server Upgrade Project (SSUP)
The Student Server Upgrade Project (SSUP) will give participating students the chance to experience the conception, development, and deployment of server software and hardware. This project focuses on both the technical and managerial aspects of developing, and building a business-grade server for the CICS department.
This project will feature the following technologies:
- Server Hardware Engineering
- Networking Platform: Cisco Server Development
- Server OS Platform: (Microsoft Server 2007,Ubuntu Linux, SUSE Linux, RedHat Linux)
- Platform Virtual Machine: (VM Ware, Hyper-V, Virtual PC)

The Budget:
The greatest benefit for this series of projects is its relatively low cost*, and accessibility to external funding. Additionally, because the (concept) consortium brings together individuals from departments across campus, its appeal to potential grantors increases significantly.
*Initial funding estimates for these projects fall between $10,000 – $35,000.

The Goal:
The goal behind each project is to give students the opportunity to build something “cutting-edge cool”, while still providing each student with viable work experience that will prove positive with employers. The projects also aim at generating positive recognition for both the CICS department, and its students.

Research Plans
Because of the complex nature of many of the projects, a large majority of the research will be completed during the Spring semester.
This would include:
-Multitouch Technology Usability
-Multitouch Technology Platform Research
-Augmented/Enhanced Experience Research
-Uses & Effects of technology in a Hospital, Museum Setting

Other Information
The project will also feature a small grant writing, and funding team focused on generating funds for CICS projects in the future. Our original team has already worked on a plan to generate interest within BSU, as well as with state and local officials. We also offer the ability to have a professional grant writer on board who has been writing grants for a number of years with the United Way.
Dr. Steve Jones has also committed to serving as the projects faculty liaison should the project be accepted into the HFI course.

Posted by Jeramey L Franklin at 03:09 PM | Permalink

Mobile Computing & Application Development

Mobile “Smart” devices are devices that are connected to a network, and easily configurable by its user, and can operate without the need of a computer. The Apple iPhone is an example of a consumer-grade, handheld mobile device that allows users to connect to the internet, play audio, video, shoot pictures and movies.

Mobile devices would be a great addition for any business professional because they would allow individuals to interact with the environment, and collaborate easier. They can also contain other technologies such as GPS that would allow users to navigate through the digital park.

Key Programming Languages

C, C++, JAVA, Objective-C (Apple), Flash Lite

Operating Systems

Apple Mobile OS X
- Closed-source operating system currently featured on all Apple-branded iPhone and iPod Touch Devices. Supports Objective-C, JAVA programming language.

Windows Mobile
- Closed-source operating system currently featured on HTC, Samsung, and Pocket PC devices. Supports C, C++, Visual Basic programming languages.

Google Android
- Its open-source, Open Handset Alliance (OHA) features Asus, Acer, Garmin, HTC, Huawei, Lenovo Mobile, LG, Motorola, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Toshiba as handset and mobile device manufacturers. Supports JAVA, and elements of GO (C,C++, Flash Lite) programming languages.

Nokia Maemo
- Its open-source operating system is currently featured on newer Nokia-branded devices. Supports C, C++ programming languages.

Symbian
- Its open-source, Symbian Foundation Community features Compal, Coolpad, Giesecke & Devrient GmbH, Foxconn, Huawei, Logic Wireless, Murata Manufacturing Co., Nokia, AESIR, Samsung, Sharp, Sony Ericsson, ST Ericcson, and ZTE as handset and mobile device manufacturers. Supports C, C++ programming languages.

RIM Blackberry OS
- Closed-source operating system currently featured on all Blackberry-branded devices. Supports JAVA, J2ME programming languages.

Palm OS
- Open-source operating system currently featured on all Palm-branded devices. Supports C, C++, and PASCAL programming languages.

Samsung BADA OS
- Open-source operating system currently slated for a December 2009 release on Samsung-branded devices. Supports Google's GO (JAVA,C,C++, Flash Lite) programming language.

The Market
Market Size

According to a survey done by market researcher IDC, third quarter estimates project a record 43.3 million converged mobile devices, or "smart devices" shipped from Nokia, RIM, Apple, HTC, Samsung, and others; up 4.2 percent (41.5 million units) from last year, and 3.2 percent (41.9 million units) from 2009's second quarter. IDC also notes that, although Nokia is enjoying nearly 38 percent market share, its percentage is slowly eroding due to the rising popularity of Apple's iPhone, Research in Motion's Blackberry line, and HTC's Android and Windows Mobile-powered devices. This assessment is also supported in In-Stat's survey of dual-mode WIFI handsets.

Market Potential
The sheer growth of this market during one of the worst worldwide recessions in recent history,

Key Issues

Some key issues that arise with working in the mobile applications development field is the relative infancy of the field. Although growth has risen dramatically over the last 4 years, key factors to this growth, (most notably the inclusion of a robust, developer-friendly SDK, and application marketplace), have only occurred recently. This field is also plagued with a saturation of developers, some of which offer very poor quality applications.

Other possible issues include the diversity of programming languages, operating systems, and mobile handsets available for developers. This coupled with the relative instability of the market in terms of mobile OS platform market share makes it difficult for a firm to commit significant resources to one manufacturer or platform. In other words, one could invest heavily in developing for the Symbian market and within two years, without platform diversification, could see its revenues decrease as Symbian's market share decreases.

Key Benefits

Some key benefits to entering the field of mobile application development is the low cost, low barriers to market entry, and relatively high return-on-investment (ROI). Because firms working in application development do not have to spend heavily on advertising, or marketing- budgets become significantly smaller; leading to much higher revenues. When looking at barriers for market entry, for operating platforms such as Google's Android, a developer only needs the proper legal documentation to receive payment, a computer, the SDK, and knowledge of the JAVA programming platform to begin making applications.

Other key benefits to mobile application development is the ability to reach millions of customers via one point-of-presence. A firm could develop a paid application, submit it to Apple's App Store, and after passing the review, reach millions of iPhone carrying customers.

Posted by Jeramey L Franklin at 12:05 PM | Permalink

After another sleepless night, filled with rather uncomfortable stomach grumblings –a result of my gluttonous Thanksgiving free-for-all; I decided there was no better way to get my mind off plans for multi-touch computing, augmented reality, and virtualization, than to pick up a copy of the latest Entrepreneur magazine and begin reading, (not really but let’s pretend for a moment). For anyone that knows me, this is probably not a surprise- as my apartment is littered with magazine upon magazine that, (this is true, it’s my excuse for not reading books), eventually end up in knee-high piles until I decide to donate them to a greater cause. It was in an article about “The Entrepreneur Economy” by Jason Daley that I came across a very, very interesting concept… the grassroots economy.
This grassroots economy is a concept in which a leaner, more flexible national economy is borne out of smaller, more agile companies that put a premium on innovation and boot the dated corporate structures founded by our father’s fathers out the door. The exciting thing about this particular concept is the fact that it is something we are already starting to see –more so in the current economy. Companies like Fisker Automotive, Visio, Facebook, MySpace, Google, all came from this same agile business strategy and are already becoming big players their respective fields.
Perhaps the most interesting company from this group is the story, and near success of hybrid car company Fisker. Founded by Henrik Fisker a little over 19 months ago, Fisker has outpaced GM in the development, production, and future deployment of a electric-propelled hybrid vehicle. (And no, I’m not talking about that aesthetically-challenged Prius, or other current hybrid offerings because they don’t even fit into this category.) Automotive designer Henrik Fisker’s flagship Karma sports coupe is in a league of its own. The gorgeous interior and exterior styling, innovative drivetrain, and high-quality detail place this car in the luxury ranks of Porches, BMWs, and Mercedes. The cool thing about this car, and the company is not that it has managed to create a game-changing vehicle, but that it has managed to do so barely two years in the industry. So what does all this have to do with grassroots economies? Well, Fisker has credited his agile business structure for the company’s rapid growth, and entry to the market. Because he was able to outsource a great majority of his manufacturing to roughly 80 suppliers around the world, he has been able to run an automotive company with no more than 50 paid employees. Yep, that’s right- 50.
Another great example mentioned in the article is Vizio which, due to its agile business approach, has been able to move along with the economy, generating an astonishing $1.9 billion in sales. Both companies focused on creating innovative products with minimal overhead. This is something we can see when looking at many of today’s startups. Many founders are now moving away from the old business structure in favor of a lighter approach – focusing on product first. It’s also worth noting that while the credit markets are only just now lending again, many of the small businesses have found ways to generate funding without going into debt.

Posted by Jeramey L Franklin at 02:38 AM | Permalink

One of the most interesting emerging technologies is Intel’s work with consumer-grade fiber optics. LightPeak is Intel’s attempt at high-speed data connection through a cabling format usually found in USB or FireWire. LightPeak uses a proprietary chip that handles multiple types of data sent over the same line so that high-priority traffic like video or voice data is sent first. LightPeak can potentially replace connectors like USB, FireWire, and Ethernet, providing transfer speeds of up to 100 Gigabit per second.
This technology would be ideal for use in very demanding computing environments due to its ability to handle multiple data formats and loads with high speeds.

For information regarding LightPeak Technology, follow the links below:

CNET Article
LightPeak Demonstration
LightPeak and Apple
PDF Overview

Posted by Jeramey L Franklin at 12:57 PM | Permalink

Augmented reality is a technology that makes use of virtual computer-generated imagery used through a live direct or indirect viewpoint. The virtual field is usually real-time and is used to enhance physical, or environmental elements. One of the most notable uses of augmented reality is its use in the NFL to display the first down marker and simulated football players, or during English Premier League Soccer games to display the banner sponsor at the center of the field. By adding computer generated elements to real-time visual viewpoints, individuals can create advanced interactive environments that combine additional information to current events.

Another use for augmented reality is for HUD, or Heads-Up Displays that are used by military personnel to help better assess and control a battlefield situation. The first major use of the HUD was in fighter jets, and was eventually adapted for footsoldiers. The HUD is also seen on Mercedes-Benz, and BMW luxury vehicles to display information typically found on the instrument panel.

Posted by Jeramey L Franklin at 03:55 PM | Permalink

Cloud computing is the use of computer technology via the internet where the technology infrastructure is virtualized and offered as a service for a typical user. Cloud computing is divided into three categories: Infrastructure-as-a-Service, Platform –as-a-Service, and Software-as-a-Service.

The Google Apps suite of tools is an example of cloud computing being used as Software-as-a-Service. This is because it allows users to do various work in word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations via the internet. Cloud computing is now being used for entertainment purposes due to its ability to host multiple users in a virtual environment. Evidence of this can be seen in online gaming where users log into an online environment to collaborate and interact with other users.

Posted by Jeramey L Franklin at 11:13 PM | Permalink