Case 1: Wireless, Wireless Everywhere

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Case 1 Wireless, Wireless Everywhere

• Wireless sensor devices or motes
• Package together a circuit board, software,
  sensors and wireless radio
• Uses mesh networking software to transmit data
  from one mote to another

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Case Study Questions

• What are some of the business benefits associated
  with using wireless networks to collect and
  transmit data?
• What are some of the challenges being faced in
  this use of wireless technologies? What
  solutions can you offer?
• The use of wireless networking as described in
  the case is both innovative and useful. What
  other business uses can you envision for this
  approach?

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What are some of the business benefits associated
with using wireless networks to collect and
transmit data?

• Benefits would include
• Superfast wireless connections to the Web.
• Cost is about one-fourth of existing costs for
  connection to the Web.
• Productivity gains such as a 45 gain at UPS.

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What are some of the challenges being faced in
this use of wireless technologies? What
solutions can you offer?

• Problems (and solutions) would include
• Having everyone online in a meeting can be toxic
  to productivity. No laptop policies for
  important meetings.
• Enormous pressure within companies to provide
  Wi-Fi in all areas of the company. Determine
  what areas have no compelling need for wireless
  such as deskbound employees in finance or
  customer service.
• Cost exceeds the benefit to be gained by
  providing Wi-Fi such as in a manufacturing plant
  that would require numerous additional access
  points than usual.
• Security of information available via the Wi-Fi
  system. Delay implementation until security
  assurances are met.

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The use of wireless networking as described in
the case is both innovative and useful. What
other business uses can you envision for this
approach?

• Think outside the box and be creative in your
  responses while providing solid business benefits
  and recognizing the challenges if a Wi-Fi network
  was implemented as proposed.

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Real World Internet Activity

• The companies mentioned in this case, Intel, IBM,
  SAIC, and GE are all familiar names often
  associated with innovative approaches to
  technology. Using the Internet,
• See if you can find examples of other companies
  that have found ways in which to apply mote
  wireless technology to business needs.

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Real World Group Activity

• One way of describing this use of wireless
  technologies is that it represents a marriage
  between RFID and wireless networking. This
  combination of enabling technologies results in
  an entirely new way of accomplishing an old task.
  In small groups,
• Brainstorm other combinations of existing
  technologies to create new approaches to existing
  business activities.