Technology in this field changes so rapidly that systems available today are predicted to be outdated within 2-3 years. With such a short life-time, it is important to both know about the current systems and to learn how t o research and evaluate those technologies not yet available. In this course, you will be exposed to a set of emerging technology topics which are just making their way into the business arena today. Courtesy of your classmates, you will be treated to a brief introduction to several topics, and given references for further study. In turn, you will research one topic and provide a summary for your classmates.
Below is a list of possible technology topics to be covered in this class. Please sign up as a study group for a particular topic. Only one group may do a topic, so it is in your best interest to identify several choices, in case your first choice is already taken. You may design your own topic, but you must have approval of the instructor. The sign up session will begin after the second class period and end at Noon on January 23, and we will post the group assignments along with the date of delivery o f these seminars by the third class period. Seminars begin with the 4th class, Jan. 28 and 29.
Your seminar should only be 15 minutes long. That is not a lot of time, so please try to pick out 3 or 4 main points to get across, and use the handout and the question/answer period to bring out other points. When designing the seminar, keep your clas smates in mind...they are the audience (not the instructor or the TAs). Remember: The goal of these seminars is to introduce your classmates to the topic, not to make them technology experts.
The Topics:
1 . To PDA or Not to PDA? Update on the Pilot and its competition
2. What are the latest developments in wireless networking technologies?
3. Size and weight: The latest in notebook and subnotebooks computers
4. PCs meet TVs: Intercast, WebTV and the competition
5. How to store lots of information: Data Warehousing and Data Mining
6. Speaking to computers: The latest in Voice Recognition
7. Chips of Tomorrow: what is coming from Intel, AMD and others
8. What are the latest developments in teleconferencing?
9. Working from home: ISDN, ADSL or cable?
10. Satellite technologies: GIS, GPS and other applications
11. Communicating between systems: what are network computers?
12. Supporting the sales staff: The latest in sales force automation
13. Is Java just a cup of hot coffee? And what is ActiveX?
14. SAP and other enterprise information systems.
15. What is XML and why should I know more about it?
16. Online B2B exchanges
17. Open sourcing
18. Streaming
The Deliverables:
The Seminar. This is the fun part. I particularly don’t call this a "presentation" or "lecture", because you are encouraged to think beyond a "we talk and you listen" format. You have about 15 minutes to get your ideas across. Have fun. Be clever. Pick your points carefully. The goal is to leave your classmates with enough understanding of your topic so if they are asked about it in an interview, it won’t be the first time they have heard the term. Your goal is not to teach them everything available on your topic. You might cover an explanation of the topic/concept, a key vendor or two, the history/current state of the technology, managerial issues surrounding the topic, key buzz words associated with your topic, and/or example s of the technology and its use. Plan what you want to get across, then plan how to best get it across.
The Handout. Prepare a 1-2 page handout and bring enough copies to class for each classmate and for the teaching staff (4 copies). This document should include all those things you wanted to include in the seminar but didn’t have time to cover. Give examples of vendors, implementations and uses of the technology. Explain why this is an important technology to know about. More interesting handouts in the past have included comparison tables, charts and pictures. Your handout must include a definition of your topic, an example of some real business using the technology, and at least two complete references for future research.
The Exam Questions. Please give me at least 10 possible questions on your topic that are suitable for an exam. These questions can be multiple choice and/or matching. I will read over them and use one or more in the exam for your section (this is a good way to make sure you cover the important issues in your seminar and/or handout, too!). These questions are due when you deliver your seminar.