College of Informatics - Next Generation Businesses

Transcription

1 REGIONAL STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM PROPOSAL Next Generation Business Platforms Mobile & Web 2.0 NORTHERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

2 Next Generation Business Platforms Mobile and Web 2. Project Abstract The way individuals interact with information is changing quickly. With wireless throughput quickly reaching levels needed for true dynamic applications, the mobile platform is becoming the platform of choice for business transactions. Also, the Web 2.0 platform has drastically changed the web world as well. Examples of Web 2.0 creations are Myspace, Secondlife, Ebay, etc. All of this is creating the Next Generation of Businesses and many organizations are quickly maneuvering to catch the wave. This is truly one of those developments that is transforming our lives and will impact every business s ability to compete. Organizations that are capable of making the leap to this new generation will have a significant competitive edge. Many organizations have approached the College of Informatics (COI) at Northern Kentucky University(NKU) for assistance in moving their applications and offerings into this new world. COI has the expertise to provide assistance and training to individuals to help them catch the movement that is occurring. Over the long term, these environments can help redefine the economic development opportunities for the state of Kentucky and the region within which we live. According to Wikipedia Web 2.0 is the business revolution in the computer industry caused by the move to the Internet as platform, and an attempt to understand the rules for success on that new platform. With the internet as a platform, the next generation of businesses and organizations that adopt this platform will automatically have a global audience. The ongoing shift away from voiceintensive cellular technology to data-intensive mobile broadband is a significant issue for many large industries creating the concept of a mobile platform focused on access to data any time and from anywhere. Both the web 2.0 platform and the mobile platform will significantly impact businesses and organizations success in the years to come. The organizations that catch the wave will be able to stay ahead of the peers and will provide a distinct competitive advantage. Project Narrative Web 2.0 defines a new set of practices for building and optimizing online businesses by leveraging the intrinsic strength of the Internet to create potent business outcomes. Rapidly emerging in

3 the industry, these ideas have been gleaned by using the Web itself as the ultimate proving ground to determine what ideas and approaches work best for creating market leading online businesses. COI will establish an environment for Web 2.0 training and education over the next 12 months for local organizations that are struggling with this new information age. Further, COI will work with local firms in building wireless applications that impact their business. This includes Blackberry, Windows Mobile and Iphone applications. This collaboration will be used as a vehicle to allow this region to catch the wave of the new information age. This new media phenomena bridges the gap between traditional content creators and computer programmers, creating Next Generation Businesses. These developments require essential education to help thought leaders outperform in the 21st century. This project will focus on building and delivering next-generation online products and services. This project gives participants a thorough grounding in the revolutionary world of Web 2.0, and wireless technologies, design patterns, and business models that are reshaping the face of the Web today. In execution of this project, faculty, staff and students will collaborate with the community. This approach will allow NKU to have a direct impact in the regions around the university This will be a great learning experience for students and also will provide a set of content that will impact the regions for years to come. The proposed initiative for organizations in the Northern Kentucky region and perhaps across the state will address several significant regional needs identified in Vision 2015, the region s 10-year strategic plan that positions our region to compete in a global, knowledge-based economy. The university continues to use the Vision 2015 document as a guide for its regional stewardship work. Economic competitiveness is a major focus of Vision The Web 2.0/Mobile Platform educational initiative will further the Strategic Priority Educational Excellence. NKU students will be directly engaged in working with the external organizations allowing them to gain experience in a complex and ever changing environment. These College of Informatics students will be exposed to real world experiences that will propel their success and the impact on the Commonwealth. The organizations that are driving to embace these new technologies will be able to find the expertise and education they need locally. This initiative will also assist in promoting a Competitive Economy. Competition in a global economy presents many challenges for most organizations and they need assistance to maintain a competitive edge. This project will provide many resources directed at solving technology focused problems that all of these organizations face. The Vision 2015 Report states: Competitive Economy: The Northern Kentucky region will reinvent its economy and create new jobs that insure continued growth and prosperity. Connectivity, clusters, and inclusion are the linchpins of reinvention in a globally competitive environment. Northern Kentucky must capitalize on digital advances to

4 reinforce international and local opportunities for economic and social synergies. We must support homegrown talent and encourage innovation and entrepreneurship to attract high wage, advanced technology sectors and the jobs they create. Additionally, we must become a culturally literate community of inclusion that welcomes and respects people of talent, ambition, and aspirations. The University has a vital role in preparing a technology savvy workforce that is ready to make an impact as soon as possible after graduation. Further, keeping the best of these students in this region is a priority and this initiative will demonstrate a hi tech need locally in the Commonwealth. As part of this project, NKU and COI will establish a program over the next twelve months for providing education and information for Web 2.0 and Mobile platforms that affect Next Generation Business Models. Objectives for this project include: Provide education on Web 2.0 platform to business, nonprofits, public sector Provide education on Wireless/Mobility to business, nonprofits, public sector Establish an environment for follow up to allow for maximum impact of the efforts this year to pay dividends longer term Specific deliverables include: Web 2.0 University held at the NKU Mets Center around the Web 2.0 platform o This will be a 2 day event which includes an executive track and a technical track Wireless University held at the NKU Mets Center to educate organizations and businesses around the wireless platform At least 2 student projects for Web 2.0/Mobile applications with local organizations that will share their stories as case studies Continued education around Web 2.0 and Wireless after the project With the objectives and deliverables described above, the impact on the region should be the establishment of a base of individuals that are current on next generation Web 2.0 and wireless technologies and they will understand how to apply this to the success and expansion of their organization.

5 Partnerships Partnerships will be established with area firms to facilitate activities in Web 2.0 and Wireless once this project has ended. In particular, Natural Bridge Technologies (an IT Company) has already been engaged on the Web 2.0 project. Capacity to Complete the Project Successfully The NKU College of Informatics has staff and faculty capable of organization and executing key educational opportunities around the Web 2.0 and wireless platforms. These resources include the following: Tim Ferguson, Executive Director, Infrastructure Management Institute Tim joined the NKU team in the fall of 2005 to lead technology outreach for NKU. As part of this efforts, NKU established the Infrastructure Management Institute (IMI). IMI is a technology collaboration platform and is part of the new & exciting College of Informatics. IMI was established to work on forward thinking technology innovation that will assist regional companies in being competitive in a global technology driven marketplace. IMI primary goal is to bring value to the staff and faculty of COI. Prior to joining NKU, Tim was Senior Vice President at Computer Associates, Intl where he lead the Business Unit Enterprise Systems Management. This business area for CA exceeded $2 billion for distributed and mainframe systems. Tim has a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Mathematics from NKU where he graduated Magna Cum Laude. David Hirsch, Program Director, Infrastructure Management Institute Program Director David Hirsch is the Program Director for the Infrastructure Management Institute at Northern Kentucky University's College of Informatics. In this role, David performs development and

6 execution of strategic programs for the organization. Examples of these programs include the Student Advanced Technology Program (which assists regional business with technology needs, while giving Informatics students opportunities to apply classroom taught skills to real world scenarios), and the "Transportation Technology" project (in which NKU has partnered with TANK to provide extended technology services, such as free Wi-Fi service, to improve transportation in the region). David joined NKU in February of 2006 to assist in developing the Infrastructure Management Institute's programs. Prior to joining NKU, David was an Assistant Vice President at Computer Associates where he performed multiple roles including heading up project management for the flagship product line, building and managing a regional technical support team, software design and development, development and delivery of technical training, and customer facing pre and post sales engagements. David graduated with honors from NKU with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science with areas of concentration in Mathematics and Business Administration. James Walden, Faculty, College of Informatics Assistant Professor, Computer Science James Walden is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Northern Kentucky University. He is the author of a number of papers on software security and has given talks and workshops on secure programming and software security at a variety of conferences. He teaches graduate and undergraduate classes in information and software security at NKU and offers regular software security workshops to professionals through NKU's Infrastructure Management Institute. Dr. Walden received his Ph.D. from Carnegie Mellon University in He then worked at Intel as a software engineer, with a focus on security sensitive applications, for five years. Prior to coming to NKU, he was a Visiting Professor of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Toledo

7 Further, COI has established a relationship with industry leaders when it comes to Wireless and Web 2.0 education and application. COI will be closely working with these firms and their expertise to deliver on this project. Sustainability The content and information produced as a result this project will impact the region for years to come. The content will continue to be maintained and enhanced. NKU/COI will be looking for additional funding to implement a phase 2 approach to bringing Next Generation technologies to the forefront of the region. Performance Evaluation The impact of this project on the region will be measured in the number of individuals that participate in the education. We believe that we will deliver education to more than 250 individuals. This will be a direct impact on the region s competitiveness. Specific Evaluation criteria include: Number of participants Individual Assessment of participants value of content of the sessions Assessment of impact on the businesses/organizations after 6 months (random sample) Further, we will measure the success of the minimum of 2 projects that are related to Web 2.0/Wireless and produce short case studies documenting these projects.

8 Budget Narrative Proposed Expenditure Budget Category CPE FY Personnel Costs 20,000 Operating Expenses 30,000 Grants, Loans, or Benefits Debt Service Capital Outlay Total $50,000 A detailed budget for this initiative is provided in the following chart. The program will run from July thru June 30, FY TOTAL Personnel Costs CPE Other Total Project staff/faculty 10,000 5,000 15,000 Student Workers 10,000 6,000 16,000 Subtotal Personnel 20,000 11,000 31,000 31,000 Operating Expenses Trainer/Speaker 14,000 6,000 20,000 fees Conference 6,000 3,0000 6,000 expenses Facilities 7,000 2,500 9,500 Expenses Various 3, Supplies Subtotal Operating 30,000 11,500 41,500 41,500 Cumulative Total $50,000 $22,500 $72,500 $72,500

9