Cases on Telecommunications and Networking Mehdi Khosrow-Pour, D.B.A Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Cases on Information Technology IDEA GROUP PUBLISHING Hershey • London • Melbourne • Singapore Acquisitions Editor: Development Editor: Senior Managing Editor: Managing Editor: Typesetter: Cover Design: Printed at: Michelle Potter Kristin Roth Amanda Appicello Jennifer Neidig Marko Primorac Lisa Tosheff Integrated Book Technology Published in the United States of America by Idea Group Publishing (an imprint of Idea Group Inc.) 701 E Chocolate Avenue, Suite 200 Hershey PA 17033 Tel: 717-533-8845 Fax: 717-533-8661 E-mail: cust@idea-group.com Web site: http://www.idea-group.com and in the United Kingdom by Idea Group Publishing (an imprint of Idea Group Inc.) Henrietta Street Covent Garden London WC2E 8LU Tel: 44 20 7240 0856 Fax: 44 20 7379 0609 Web site: http://www.eurospanonline.com Copyright © 2006 by Idea Group Inc All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced, stored or distributed in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, without written permission from the publisher Product or company names used in this book are for identification purposes only Inclusion of the names of the products or companies does not indicate a claim of ownership by IGI of the trademark or registered trademark Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Cases on telecommunication and networking / Mehdi Khosrow-Pour, editor p cm Summary: “This book presents a wide range of the most current issues related to the planning, design, maintenance, and management of telecommunications and networking technologies and applications in organizations”—Provided by publisher Includes bibliographical references and index ISBN 1-59904-417-X — ISBN 1-59904-418-8 (softcover) — ISBN 1-59904-419-6 (ebook) Telecommunication systems—Case studies Computer networks—Case studies I Khosrowpour, Mehdi, 1951- TK5102.5.C325 2006 004.068—dc22 2006008425 British Cataloguing in Publication Data A Cataloguing in Publication record for this book is available from the British Library The views expressed in this book are those of the authors, but not necessarily of the publisher Cases on Information Technology Series ISSN: 1537-9337 Series Editor Mehdi Khosrow-Pour, D.B.A Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Cases on Information Technology • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Cases on Database Technologies and Applications Mehdi Khosrow-Pour, Information Resources Management Association, USA Cases on Electronic Commerce Technologies and Applications Mehdi Khosrow-Pour, Information Resources Management Association, USA Cases on Global IT Applications and Management: Success and Pitfalls Felix B Tan, University of Auckland, New Zealand Cases on Information Technology and Business Process Reengineering Mehdi Khosrow-Pour, Information Resources Management Association, USA Cases on Information Technology and Organizational Politics and Culture Mehdi Khosrow-Pour, Information Resources Management Association, USA Cases on Information Technology Management In Modern Organizations Mehdi Khosrow-Pour, Information Resources Management Association, USA & Jay Liebowitz, George Washington University, USA Cases on Information Technology Planning, Design and Implementation Mehdi Khosrow-Pour, Information Resources Management Association, USA Cases on Information Technology, Volume Mehdi Khosrow-Pour, Information Resources Management Association, USA Cases on Strategic Information Systems Mehdi Khosrow-Pour, Information Resources Management Association, USA Cases on Telecommunications and Networking Mehdi Khosrow-Pour, Information Resources Management Association, USA Cases on the Human Side of Information Technology Mehdi Khosrow-Pour, Information Resources Management Association, USA Cases on Worldwide E-Commerce: Theory in Action Mahesh S Raisinghani, Texas Woman’s University, USA Case Studies in Knowledge Management Murray E Jennex, San Diego State University, USA Case Studies on Information Technology in Higher Education: Implications for Policy and Practice Lisa Ann Petrides, Columbia University, USA Success and Pitfalls of IT Management (Annals of Cases in Information Technology, Volume 1) Mehdi Khosrow-Pour, Information Resources Management Association, USA Organizational Achievement and Failure in Information Technology Management (Annals of Cases in Information Technology, Volume 2) Mehdi Khosrow-Pour, Information Resources Management Association, USA Pitfalls and Triumphs of Information Technology Management (Annals of Cases in Information Technology, Volume 3) Mehdi Khosrow-Pour, Information Resources Management Association, USA Annals of Cases in Information Technology, Volume - Mehdi Khosrow-Pour, Information Resources Management Association, USA Cases on Telecommunications and Networking Table of Contents Chapter I iTalk: Managing the Virtual E-Business Daniel Robey, Georgia State University, USA Leigh Jin, San Francisco State University, USA This case describes the successful launch of a free voicemail service across the entire U.S Although initially successful, iTalk later foundered in its efforts to generate revenues with services that customers would be willing to buy Technical problems delayed deployment of new services, and relationships between iTalk’s engineers and operations personnel became strained Facing these and other problems, iTalk was not in a strong position to go public or to raise additional funds from private investors Worse, iTalk had become potential prey for takeover attempts Chapter II The Value of Coin Networks: The Case of Automotive Network Exchange® 17 Andrew Borchers, Lawrence Technological University, USA Mark Demski, Lawrence Technological University, USA As a response to strong competitive pressures, the U.S automotive industry has actively employed electronic data interchange in communications between suppliers and car makers for many years This case reviews the recent development of ANX®, a COIN (Community of Interest Network) intended to provide industry-wide connectiv- ity between car makers, dealers and Tier suppliers The authors identify technical and business challenges to the success of ANX® Chapter III Up in Smoke: Rebuilding After an IT Disaster 29 Steven C Ross, Western Washington University, USA Craig K Tyran, Western Washington University, USA David J Auer, Western Washington University, USA Jon M Junell, Western Washington University, USA Terrell G Williams, Western Washington University, USA A fire destroyed a facility that served as both office and computer server room for a College of Business located in the United States The fire also caused significant smoke damage to the office building where the computer facility was located This case, written from the point of view of the chairperson of the College Technology Committee, discusses the issues faced by the college as they resumed operations and planned for rebuilding their information technology operations Chapter IV Policy Processes for Technological Change 48 Richard Smith, Simon Fraser University, Canada Brian Lewis, Simon Fraser University, Canada Christine Massey, Simon Fraser University, Canada This case examines policy processes for the introduction of technology-mediated learning at universities and colleges It is based on the results of a two-year research project to investigate policy issues that arise with the implementation of telelearning technology in universities and colleges Chapter V Implementing Software Metrics at a Telecommunications Company: A Case Study 58 David I Heimann, University of Massachusetts Boston, USA This case study explores a metrics program to track the development of a new version of a telecommunications company’s voicemail product The study addresses the adoption of the program, its components, structure, and implementation, and its impact on product quality and timeliness The study also discusses the aftermath of the program and its place in the larger organizational culture Chapter VI Managerial Issues for Telecommuting 77 Anthony R Hendrickson, Iowa State University, USA Troy J Strader, Iowa State University, USA This case compares and contrasts the issues faced by firms in today’s telecommunications environment with an actual telecommuting case study of Trade Reporting and Data Exchange, Inc (T.R.A.D.E.), a software engineering company located in San Mateo, CA Chapter VII The Elusive Last Mile to the Internet 90 V Sridhar, Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow, India Piyush Jain, Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow, India The challenges faced by organizations in developing countries in getting reliable, high-speed Internet access to support their mission critical Web-enabled information systems are highlighted in this case The case prescribes various measures to optimally use the constrained bandwidth available from service providers The challenges in defining and monitoring appropriate service level agreements with the service providers are discussed Chapter VIII Remote Management of a Province-Wide Youth Employment Program Using Internet Technologies 109 Bruce Dienes, University College of Cape Breton, Canada Michael Gurstein, University College of Cape Breton, Canada This case describes a province-wide network of Community Access Internet sites that was supported during the summers of 1996 and 1997 by Wire Nova Scotia (WiNS), a government-funded program to provide staffing, training and technical support for these centers Remote management enabled the efficient and low-cost operation of a program involving 67 sites Chapter IX Moving Up the Mobile Commerce Value Chain: 3G Licenses, Customer Value and New Technology 128 Martin Fahy, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland Joseph Feller, University College Cork, Ireland Pat Finnegan, University College Cork, Ireland Ciaran Murphy, University College Cork, Ireland This case discusses Digifone’s (an Irish telecom company) evaluation of an open XML vocabulary as part of the mediation and billing solution for their next generation (3G) mobile services The case argues that the key to exploiting 3G technology is inter- vi industry agreement on measurement standards to effectively manage the value of the associated services Chapter X The Integration of Library, Telecommunications, and Computing Services in a University 156 Susan A Sherer, Lehigh University, USA This case study describes the process of integrating the library, computing and telecommunications services in a University with all the problems and challenges that were experienced during the project Chapter XI Nation-Wide ICT Infrastructure Introduction and its Leverage for Overall Development 172 Predrag Pale, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, University of Zagreb, Croatia Jasenka Gojšic, Croatian Academic and Research Network, CARNet, Croatia Ten years of efforts in introducing the state-of-the-art information and communication technologies (ICT) and development of ICT infrastructure on the national level are described in this case The aim of the project was to build Internet in Croatia and to foster its leverage in the broad range of activities of public interest in the society as a whole The prime target group was academic and research community, as a vehicle for the overall development in the society Chapter XII The Telecommuting Life: Managing Issues of Work, Home and Technology 196 Gigi G Kelly, College of William and Mary, USA Karen Locke, College of William and Mary, USA This case introduces one company that has decided to experiment with the telecommuting arrangement Through the eyes of one teleworker, many of the benefits and challenges of telecommuting are explored Chapter XIII Application of an Object-Oriented Metasystem in University Information System Development 210 Petr C Smolik, Brno University of Technology, Czech Republic Thomas Hruška, Brno University of Technology, Czech Republic This case presents experience from design and implementation of a university information system at the Brno University of Technology The newly built system is vii expected to provide the students and staff with better tools for communication within the university’s independent faculties, departments, and central administration An object-oriented metasystem approach was used by the IT Department to describe the services offered by the university information system and to generate needed program code for run-time operation of the system Chapter XIV Integrating Information Technologies into Large Organizations 224 Gretchen L Gottlich, NASA Langley Research Center, USA John M Meyer, NASA Langley Research Center, USA Michael L Nelson, NASA Langley Research Center, USA David J Bianco, Computer Sciences Corporation, USA Methods for how information technology tools are currently cutting cost and adding value for NASA Langley internal and external customers are presented in this case Three components from a larger strategic WWW framework are highlighted: Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Integrated Computing Environment (ICE), and LANTERN (Langley’s intranet) Chapter XV Globe Telecom: Succeeding in the Philippine Telecommunications Economy 242 Ryan C LaBrie, Arizona State University, USA Ajay S Vinzé, Arizona State University, USA This case examines the role and implications of deregulation in the telecommunications sector on an IT-based services organization, Globe Telecom, in the Philippines Globe has continued to succeed despite the competition against the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company, which at one time controlled over 90% of the telephone lines in the Philippines Globe has been able to this through strategic partnerships, mergers, and acquisitions Furthermore, Globe has developed into a leading wireless provider by its effective use of modern information technology Chapter XVI Implementing a Wide-Area Network at a Naval Air Station: A Stakeholder Analysis 268 Susan Page Hocevar, Naval Postgraduate School, USA Barry A Frew, Naval Postgraduate School, USA LCDR Virginia Callaghan Bayer, United States Navy, USA This case study illustrates the use of a non-traditional approach to determine the requirements for the Naval Air Systems Team Wide-Area Network (NAVWAN) It is considered to be non-traditional because the case data enable the use of stakeholder analysis and SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) assessments to determine the requirements instead of asking functional proponents about function and data requirements viii Chapter XVII Information Technology & FDA Compliance in the Pharmaceutical Industry 280 Raymond Papp, University of Tampa, USA The impact of information technology on the pharmaceutical industry as it responds to new FDA guidelines is presented in this case One such guideline is that all New Drug Applications (NDA) be submitted in electronic (paperless) format Pharmacies must now take steps to assure that its use of information technology will allow it to not only meet FDA guidelines, but achieve its corporate goals of improved efficiency and reduced operating costs Chapter XVIII Norwel Equipment Co Limited Partnership (L.P.) Internet Upgrade 292 Kenneth R Walsh, Louisiana State University, USA Norwel Equipment Co Limited Partnership (L.P.) is a Louisiana business retailer of construction equipment specializing in John Deere heavy-equipment and has secured exclusive John Deere rights for most of the State of Louisiana This case illustrates business and technology issues facing Norwel Chapter XIX Integration of Third-Party Applications and Web Clients by Means of an Enterprise Layer 309 Wilfried Lemahieu, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium Monique Snoeck, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium Cindy Michiels, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium This case study presents an experience report on an enterprise modelling and application integration project for a young company, starting in the telecommunications business area The company positions itself as a broadband application provider for the SME market Whereas its original information infrastructure consisted of a number of stand-alone business and operational support system (BSS/OSS) applications, the project’s aim was to define and implement an enterprise layer, serving as an integration layer on top of which these existing BSS/OSSs would function independently and in parallel Chapter XX Shared Workspace for Collaborative Engineering 331 Dirk Trossen, Nokia Research Center, USA André Schüppen, Aachen University of Technology, Germany Michael Wallbaum, Aachen University of Technology, Germany The case study describes the design process for a collaborative engineering workspace at the University of Technology Aachen, Germany, under development within a research project considering distributed chemical engineering as an example Current .. .Cases on Telecommunications and Networking Mehdi Khosrow-Pour, D.B.A Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Cases on Information Technology IDEA GROUP PUBLISHING Hershey • London • Melbourne... Information Resources Management Association, USA Cases on Strategic Information Systems Mehdi Khosrow-Pour, Information Resources Management Association, USA Cases on Telecommunications and Networking. .. foundation of modern information technology which has affected all aspects of societal and organizational functions in our modern world Cases on Telecommunications and Networking, part of Idea Group