By now you must be wondering how is this related to what I really want to share with you.  These competitions have sparked my desire to go into consulting and also to help others learn about the field.  My teammate/friend and I then found out that College of IST used to have a consulting club.  It hasn’t been active for a few years so we decided to look into it more.  We felt that with our experiences and success we could help revitalize this inactive student organization.  I was never involved in a student organization executive board before I took this initiative.  A few weeks ago IST Consulting Club became an officially recognized student organization at Penn State.  The process was very much like starting your own company.  So what exactly is the IST Consulting Club, what are we trying to accomplish?

The IST Consulting Club is now active and will launch Fall 2012. The goal of our student organization is to guide students through the “real life” of consulting professionals.IST Consulting Club can help you land a rewarding internship or full-time offer in the various areas of consulting. Regardless of your major we can offer you the training and hands-on learning experience necessary to excel in not only the consulting industry, but also in the corporate world at large.  IST Consulting Club members can look forward to attending and participating in general club meetings, speaker events, community consulting projects, exclusive case study competitions, mentorship programs, seminars, networking events, and so much more! 

I will be serving as the IST Consulting Club President and leading this exciting new student organization.  I really can’t wait to make my mark on my school, my college, and my fellow classmates.  If you want to get in touch with me feel free to leave a comment below or send me a tweet.  I would love to hear your feedback on the IST Consulting Club and our plans for it.  Any suggestions are welcome and can only go to improve the club.

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Earlier today Samsung unveiled the “Next Galaxy” aka the Galaxy SIII ending months of crazy rumors.  I was fortunate enough to have the time to watch the entire event as well, which can be found here: TheNextGalaxy.com.  As hard as it was to watch this keynote I figured it was important enough to watch the whole way through.  Let me give you a brief introduction to the Galaxy SIII before I give you my personal opinion of it.

Major specs include a 4.8-inch PenTile Super AMOLED 720p Display, 8-megapixel back-camera & 1.9-megapixel front-facing camera with 990ms start-up time, 3.3fps burst mode, 16, 32GB, or 64GB of storage with micro SD expansion, Bluetooth 4.0 support, GPS with GLONASS reception, high-throughput 40MHz 802.11n Wi-Fi, NFC, and a relatively large 2,100mAh battery. The global version of the device will be using the Exynos 4 Quad quad-core SOC and regional variants could be using alternatives much like the Galaxy SII did in the U.S. The phone measures 8.6mm thick, which is thicker than the Galaxy SII’s 8.5mm design. There will be 4G LTE versions of the phone as well.

As far as software Samsung is of course using Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich with its own TouchWiz Nature UX skin on top.  Samsung has added a ton of new features to TouchWiz that they hope will make Android 4.0 even better.  Smart Stay is one of the features I was more impressed with.  With Smart Stay the Galaxy SIII uses the front facing camera to tell if your actually reading the phone or not.  That way if you’re reading a long email the phone’s screen won’t power off making you have to re-type your password.  This is a great addition to Android 4.0, but what about the rest of the new additions to TouchWiz Nature UX.

S-Voice, AllShare Improvements, S-Beam(Modified Android Beam), Automatic Photo Tagging, Best Photo, Smart-Alert, and other enhancements were all added to Android 4.0 through TouchWiz Nature UX.  Samsung was not kidding when it says TouchWiz helps them differentiate from other OEM’s.  They do add in a lot of extra functionality, but the bigger question is how valuable these features are to the everyday person.

I watched the comments and reactions poor in around Twitter and my favorite website The Verge.  Like most Apple keynotes, disappointment was felt by many Android fans because of Samsung’s choices.  To be fair they have plenty of reasons to be disappointed with Samsung so here is what I have to say about Samsung’s new flagship phone:

I was not in any way impressed with any of the announcements Samsung made today.  Keep in mind I own a Galaxy Nexus on Verizon so I am going to be comparing the SIII to the phone sitting on my desk.  Let’s start with the screen Samsung put into the Galaxy SIII.  It’s literally the same screen found in the Galaxy Nexus just 0.2″ larger.  My biggest frustration with the Galaxy SIII is the fact that there is physical hardware buttons where there should be virtual software buttons on the screen.  The addition of hardware buttons is simply a huge letdown especially when the phone ships with Android 4.0 ICS.  They are not necessary at all.

I don’t like to be negative, but I find it necessary to criticize Samsung for today’s disappointing announcements.  TouchWiz Nature UX ruins the polish of Android 4.0 ICS.  They took a perfectly good user experience and modified every last aspect of it.  I am all for competition between OEM’s, but TouchWiz Nature UX will delay future Android updates significantly and with Jelly Bean right around the corner it’s a huge concern for consumers.

The fragmentation of Android continues to get worse and worse because of the OEM’s skins and customization’s.  This is why I only recommend buying Google Nexus devices and it’s why I pledge to only buy Nexus devices from now on.  I even got Samsunged by Samsung.  What I mean by that is that I am still waiting on my Android 4.0 ICS update for my Galaxy Tab 10.1.  Instead of waiting for that I bought the new iPad, but let’s get back on topic.

If you watch the keynote video I posted a link to above, you’ll see exactly why Samsung and Apple are in a huge lawsuit.  I am an Android fan at heart, but what Samsung does is copy every last thing Apple does directly.  S-Voice is rip-off of Apple’s Siri, Scan & Match for Music is a rip-off of iTunes Match, AllShare Cast Dongle is very similar to Apple TV, and plenty of other software was directly designed with iOS in mind.  It’s simply pathetic to see Samsung continue to copy its strongest competitor in the mobile space.

The Samsung Galaxy SIII is simply ugly compared to its competition.  Offered in blue and white options, the phone looks downright ugly and cheaply designed.  With Samsung logo’s and hardware buttons below the screen, I simply can’t stand looking at this phone.  The Galaxy Nexus, Nokia Lumia 900, and HTC One X all have a much cleaner and cohesive design that almost anyone would say is better than Samsung’s new Galaxy SIII.

I could really pick out every flaw of this new phone if I wanted to, but for keeping this short I will summarize.  The U.S. variants of the Galaxy SIII will most likely not be any faster or better than the Galaxy Nexus.  The biggest thing for me is that all of the versions of the Galaxy SIII will come with TouchWiz and simply won’t get updated when the newest version of Android comes out.  That’s why I am staying far away from skinned devices from now on.  I got burnt by Motorola when I was using a Droid X,  I got burnt by Samsung with my Galaxy Tab 10.1, so I hope that I never get burnt by Google on my Galaxy Nexus.

In short, I know Samsung will continue to sell more phones than anyone else, because they make the phone available to so many worldwide and have a good marketing push outside of the U.S.  Samsung does make good hardware when it chooses to, but the Galaxy SIII is not one of those devices. When the phone launches in Europe on May 29^th I expect it to sell very well.  Sadly the majority of early adopters buy the phone for its good hardware and then custom ROM the software to get rid of TouchWiz.  It’s not a good experience at all, but it’s working well and Samsung will most likely sell 20 million units of the Galaxy SIII this year.

This article contains content from The Verge

]]> http://joshstine.wordpress.com/2012/05/03/samsung-galaxy-siii-reaction/feed/ 2 joshstine Galaxy S3 http://joshstine.wordpress.com/2012/03/08/the-new-ipad-the-failures-of-android-tablets/ http://joshstine.wordpress.com/2012/03/08/the-new-ipad-the-failures-of-android-tablets/#comments Thu, 08 Mar 2012 15:11:42 +0000 Josh http://joshstine.wordpress.com/?p=1786 ]]> Yesterday Apple announced the 3rd generation iPad, and boy was it awesome.  Keep in mind I own two Android tablets(Galaxy Tab 10.1 & HP TouchPad with CM9).  When Apple showed an image of my Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 with Android 4.0 ICS during the keynote presentation yesterday I couldn’t help but laugh.  After nearly 4 months Samsung still has not said anything about updating my Galaxy Tab 10.1 to Android 4.0 ICS.  Even when that happens it still won’t solve the issues facing Android tablets.  There is very little developer support and the experience of using an Android tablet is nowhere close to what Apple is doing with the iPad.  Andy Rubin (Father of Android) thinks developers should just scale up phone apps for Android tablets, which is a terrible idea and even worse experience.  Like Apple mentioned yesterday, there is so much unused space in the Twitter Android Tablet app.  It’s like that for nearly all Android tablet apps with very few exceptions.  Every cool new tablet app and game is created for the iPad and not the Android tablets.  I don’t mind my Galaxy Tab 10.1, but it doesn’t have Android 4.0 ICS and Samsung will skin it when they release it anyways.

Obviously I am frustrated by the fragmentation that exists in Android, and it’s the reason I will only buy Google Nexus devices from now on.  Google needs to stop creating fragmented experiences from Android device to device.  It’s very hard to get excited about new versions of Android knowing that I will never be able to update to them.  It’s a sad reality in the Android ecosystem and it needs to change.   That is why I ordered the New iPad last night.  I was very impressed with the retina display on it, and I feel that I am sending a message to the Android Tablet manufactures and more importantly Google.  I like finished products.  

Samsung has also shown me that they aren’t very serious about creating great products.  It’s March and they haven’t announced a single product that is innovative or any good for that matter.  Like come on who is going to buy a phone with a projector on it that runs Android 2.3…  I want my software to always be up to date on my mobile devices.  I also want great developer support.  These are two things that Samsung is not capable of providing with any of its phones.  There is one exception being the Galaxy Nexus, but that’s Google’s phone and not Samsung’s.

I have seen why people are using the iPad everyday and not the 100 Android tablets, and if I were Google I would be very worried.  I love Android, but it’s just really bad on a tablet.  The great user experience is lacking big time.  There came a point in time that I became very unhappy at my Android tablets and realized they just aren’t very good.

Anyways I ordered the new iPad because of the awesome combination of software and hardware:

2048 x 1536 Retina Display

Dual-Core Apple A5X with Quad-Core Graphics

5-megapixel auto-focus rear-camera 

4G LTE Support

Bluetooth 4.0 Support

10-Hour Battery Life

iOS 5.1

These features are unmatched of course and for me the selling point was the screen.  Of course the fact that there are 200,000 iPad apps also helped a bunch.  In general I think I am going to love it and I can’t wait to see this amazing screen.  This will be my first Apple product in nearly 6 years.  After having an Android tablet for 8 Months I can say I have grown tired of it and that’s another reason I ordered the iPad.  It’s hard to believe I am buying one after I thought how worthless it was for nearly 2 years.  I am just a few short weeks away from opening the fantastic new iPad!

Public Internet connections have created security challenges for many consumers and businesses, but how do we go about solving these challenges?  One of the great software tools we can implement is a Virtual Private Network to encrypt connections back to a corporate or private network.  It provides organizations the ability and power to allow their employees to get work done on the go without sacrificing the loss of sensitive information.  Penn State ITS operates it’s own VPN service for students, faculty, and staff who wish to use the campus Wi-Fi.  This implementation also gives students access to remote services available only on campus machines.  Many departments at Penn State have embraced the use of VPN’s including our own College of IST, in which students can use the PSU VPN to complete virtual lab assignments from the comfort of their own machine.  The capabilities of some VPN services are endless, but they must all ensure that the data transmitted over them is completely secure for end-users.  How do we technically define what a correct VPN implementation is and isn’t?      

VPN Service

A Virtual Private Network or VPN is a networking service that offers access to private networks through widely available public Internet infrastructure.  As defined by the professionals at Cisco, “A VPN is a communications environment in which access is controlled to permit peer connections only within a defined community of interest, and is constructed though some form of partitioning of a common underlying communications medium, where this underlying communications medium provides services to the network on a nonexclusive basis.”  VPN’s are normally classified as a Wide Area Network or WAN, which can cover anywhere from a single city to the entire world.   Through tunneling VPN’s are able to use both public Internet infrastructure and private Intranet infrastructure, which is one the great advantages behind VPN’s.  VPN’s also use different security protocols and techniques when implementing different types of VPN’s.  It usually comes down to the needs of the end-users and how strict the security policies are at different types of organizations.  One trend is very clear to me; many different organizations need VPN technologies for their end-users.       

Through a VPN, end-users can typically use services that would normally be found on corporate machines inside companies.  With most VPN’s you can access documents and hardware and run software that belong only to the inside of a private network.  VPN’s help companies and organizations cut IT costs because it removes the need to run physical lease lines to end-users.  IT departments also won’t have to pay for long-distance telephone services used by dial-up connections, because VPN’s use standard public Internet infrastructure.  The third way in which organizations can cut costs is through long-term operating and support costs.  Support and maintenance of the organizations VPN services can be maintained and supported by a third-party company who specializes in VPN support.  You are making a trade-off by using a third-party IT company, but I believe the IT department will have more money to use for other IT-related spending.

The other main benefit of using VPN’s in organizations is the fact that they are very flexible and scale-able to work with any number of users in an organization.  For large global companies, VPN’s are very important because they connect all of the different offices around the world so employees can be more productive.  It keeps the organizations data safe while helping employees communicate better and faster.  There are many more benefits to consider when thinking about organization VPN deployment, but these tend to be the main benefits when considering long-term IT plans.

VPN’s can guarantee data security over a public network through a number of techniques.  It is a very important that we have some type of security associated with VPN’s because they can provide users with access to some very critical information inside organizations.  With VPN’s we can use many different cryptographic networking protocols to ensure data integrity over public networks.  Some of the more popular protocols include SSL/TLS, SSH, and IPSec.  With SSL/TLS it encrypts all network traffic above the transport layer.  This makes it very safe to use when using a public network to connect to a private VPN.  In SSH we can take advantage of the OpenSSH project.  With this we can securely encrypt networking communications using software based on the SSH protocol.  The IPsec protocol works similarly to both, but it’s based on the IP protocol and it both encrypts and authenticates each data packet in the entire network communication session going over the Internet.  All three of these protocols are great for securing VPN’s and also many other networking technologies.  VPN’s are critical to so many users because they guarantee data security whenever using public networks.     

Penn State VPN

The Penn State virtual private network is a secure encrypted connection to Penn State servers through a wireless connection. In order to access Penn State’s VPN, you need to have a Penn State access account. The VPN allows you to connect securely to Penn State servers off campus as if you were connecting on campus. To do this you will use VPN software, which you can download from Penn State, to connect securely through a third party ISP cable modem to Penn State wireless network labeled “pennstate.” Through this, you are able to access Penn State servers specifically meant for a Penn State IP address. When you connect through a VPN to Penn State servers, it automatically assigns you a Penn State IP address as if you were connecting from somewhere on campus. This way you can access things such as library reserves, PASS system, etc.

The Penn State VPN uses the 802.1X wireless authentication to encrypt the data that is sent back and forth from a computer to Penn State servers wirelessly. It also uses the SSH (Secure Shell Tunneling) protocol in order to make sure data is encrypted so people can’t see what is being streamed over the Internet from a private network to a public network.

The “LIAS-VPN” entry and the “ISP to PSU” entry are two different types of VPNs. They are used for off campus access only. The “LIAS-VPN” entry has access to Penn State resources, and network shared drives plus the library reserves, databases, resources, etc. The “ISP to PSU” entry only has access to Penn State resources and network shared drives only. However the “LIAS-VPN” has limited connections so if you do not need access to library resources use the “ISP to PSU” entry instead. The “LIAS-VPN” is just allowing you to connect specifically to the library and its resources through a private connection which guarantees that everything you are looking at is private. It ensures that you are connecting securely. Each time you connect remotely, it assigns you a Penn State IP address, which is how you are able to access the library’s resources and the University’s network.

Department VPN in Penn State

Some of the colleges that offer VPN services are The College of Business, The College of Information Sciences and Technology, and The College of Engineering.  All three offer a safe and secure wireless Internet to the users within their college.  Only members of the Penn State Smeal College of Business with personal laptops can access the VPN services, and the laptop must be provided through the college. To access the VPN you must also have a Penn State User ID and Password.  After the user is granted access the wireless session is encrypted to prevent anyone from listening in.  The Colleges of Engineering and IST work in the same fashion with signing in, and encrypted sessions.  These Colleges’ systems also use firewalls to keep out unwanted hackers.  The firewalls close and open ports actively used by hackers to show the vulnerabilities in the system. Any attempt at access from non-College buildings or off campus buildings will be denied.

A virtual lab service provides the ability to access a virtual computer network from the comfort of your personal computer. This means that you can access software and other restricted resources from your computer that you do not have installed or normally have access to. Also, you are able to transfer files and information back and forth between the virtual lab service and your computer.  With a virtual lab you are running two independent machines.  To compare VPN and a virtual lab, a virtual lab allows a user to connect to another computer remotely. VPN allows a user to connect to an organization’s network system from anywhere. For example, if you were to work from home, you would need to gain access into your company’s VPN for the private databases, files, etc. If you wanted to access your work computer as well, then you would need a virtual lab service. VPN’s and virtual labs are different. VPN services come with the advantages of cost savings and network scalability. However, there are disadvantages and limitations. VPN services require a great deal of set up and installation; therefore, a broad working knowledge of Internet infrastructure is necessary. In addition, the company or organization that uses it does not control the actual performance of the VPN. That is in the hands of the third party, or the Internet service provider, ISP.  In terms of virtual lab, one of the pros is isolation of applications. If an application crashes on one machine, it will have no effect on any application on the other machine. Another benefit is standardization. Virtual labs have hardware that is generally unchanging and consistent, so even though the host machines will change, the virtual lab never will. One of the biggest advantages is mobility. You are free to move from computer to computer, place to place, without having to be concerned you won’t be able to access certain files or software, etc. The biggest flaw of virtual labs is cost. This mostly stems from licensing and hardware.

 I believe the IT office should implement a SSL VPN (Secure Sockets Layer) over an IPSec VPN because it can be used with a standard web browser and does not need client software installation on each end user’s computer. This will result in an easier implementation process for IST. SSL VPN also allows for more precise access control, so if we were to use this with IST virtual lab, we could control the access to the lab, allowing only IST students access.

Conclusion

Implementing Virtual Private Network’s to increase security of a public Internet connections is a wise choice.  It can be vital to Businesses and Universities for protecting private information from being seen or copied by hackers.  Students and employees can access all their private information without worry because with VPN the connection is encrypted and firewalls are used.  It is obvious why Penn State is implementing VPN’s into their Colleges.  Virtual Private Network’s are becoming more and more necessary in today’s day and age with the amount of cyber crime.

Image Credit: The Verge

Huawei, the company you’ve never heard of is having a very solid MWC 2012.  They announced three very high-end Android 4.0 smartphones earlier this morning, but now they are showing off the highest-end Android tablet at MWC 2012.  No tablet manufacture has created a tablet with a full HD resolution screen yet, but the Huawei MediaPad 10 FHD has just that. Featuring a 10.1″ widescreen 1920×1200 screen, Huawei F3V2 Quad-Core Processor, 8.8mm thickness, 8MP back camera,  and Stock Android 4.0 the MediaPad 10 FHD seems to be ready to take on the competition.  I don’t write about all the hundreds of Android devices flooding the market; just the devices and manufactures who are doing something that’s better than anyone else.  Honestly, the MediaPad 10 FHD looks identical to the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1(Samsung don’t sue).  We might as well be looking at what the Galaxy Tab 2 should have been.  According to Huawei they plan to release the MediaPad 10 FHD in Q2 this year.  Let’s hope they can come up with competitive pricing by launch time.  

The Android phone of MWC 2012 has leaked a day ahead of schedule.  The HTC One X is looking like it will be the best Android phone to be shown at MWC 2012.  This is the heavily rumored quad-core phone that every technology blog has been talking about since the Galaxy Nexus launch.  HTC is taking a card from Apple’s book by offering the One X in both Black and White options.  The One X will feature a blazing fast 1.5GHz quad-core Tegra 3 processor, 4.7″ Super LCD2 720p HD display with Gorilla Glass, 32GB of storage, new dual-shutter camera tech, 8MP 28mm wide-angle lens, 1GB RAM,  an NFC chip with Google Wallet support, and most importantly Android 4.0 ICS.  Sure this all sounds very awesome, but what could HTC have managed to mess up this time.  The One X comes with a standard non-removable 1800mAh battery, No LTE support(No Verizon version), No expandable storage, Sense 4.0, physical menu buttons, and its not a Nexus.  Ideally this phone could have ended up being the Nexus 3 instead of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus a few months back, but Google always puts out the Nexus phone in early winter.  

The One X has some impressive specs, but it has some significant drawbacks that could really annoy an end-user like myself.  I won’t even have the option of buying this phone because it doesn’t support Verizon 4G LTE service.  I really can’t wait to see what the reviews say about the One X.  I am sure HTC will have some over-the-top new software features in Sense 4.0, but when it delays Android updates by months I can’t see why you would want any of it.  If only this phone had stock Android 4.0 ICS.  This was probably the only phone that actually made me re-think buying a Galaxy Nexus next month, but now it seems I have nothing to worry about.  Good luck HTC!     

Broadband Internet services can have some very different definitions and meanings and it has created confusion among consumers, while at the same time creating myths throughout the industry.  According to FCC, broadband is defined as, “Internet access that allows users to access the Internet and Internet-related services at significantly higher speeds than those available through “dial-up” Internet access services”.  The main way we can determine if a service is offering broadband is to find out if you have to dial-in over the phone or not.  If you have to tie up your phone line by dialing-in you aren’t using a broadband service.  A broadband service allows you to keep your phone line free and it gives the user a continuous connection to the World Wide Web.  Broadband is available through many different technologies such as cable modems, cellular broadband, Wi-Fi, and fiber optics just to name a few.  The many services that are available can become quite confusing as to what works best for different user needs.  One of the most popular ways to connect to a broadband Internet service is through a cable modem provided by your cable company.  Not every cable company can afford to offer these broadband services, so we rely on many of the larger cable companies. 

Comcast offers many different levels of broadband Internet services to millions of households across the United States.  The flexibility of their service is that your broadband connection comes through coaxial cable just like your cable television does.  Comcast offers customers a standard cable modem box, but you can purchase your own cable modem box as well instead of renting it from Comcast.  Through this cable modem you can hook up a wireless router and create a home network so everyone in your house can take advantage of broadband internet.  One of the main reasons people select a cable company to provide them with broadband is the fact that you can select many different broadband speeds.  Being able to select the speed you need is very convenient for customers and it helps keep costs low for the broadband providers.  Comcast for instance offers broadband speeds ranging anywhere from 1.5 Mbps all the way up to 105 Mbps.  Cable modem based broadband services are not the only way to obtain a broadband connection.

One of the up and coming ways to connect to a broadband service is through cellular providers.  There are a few ways you can go about doing this, but the smartphone revolution has already offered new ways to connect to broadband speeds on the go.  Until 4G LTE came out on Verizon Wireless, it was nearly impossible to find a cellular provider that offered fast cable-like speed cellular broadband.  With 4G LTE technologies we can obtain very fast connection speeds through devices like smartphones and mobile hotspot adapters.  On many Verizon Wireless 4G LTE devices you can set up your own personal wireless hotspot which will allow you setup a network using your phones connection.  It’s still a very new concept, but its flexibility is unmatched because you can set up a wireless network anywhere you have 4G LTE service.  As Verizon Wireless’s 4G LTE rollout continues we believe that consumers may adopt this way of connecting to broadband services.               

         The ITIF, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation is a U.S. non-profit organization that focuses on technological policy; it has been referred to as a “Think Tank” for technology innovation.  Their mission is to “promote new ways of thinking about technology-driven productivity, competitiveness, and globalization”.  Every year, the ITIF uses data collected by the OECD, Organization of Economic Cooperation to calculate broadband technology for each country based on specific measures.  From these calculations, the countries are then ranked.  The measures used for rankings are: Household Penetration (subscribers per household), Speed, (Average download speed in Mbps) and Price, (Lowest monthly price per Mbps).  The calculation process is very concise, considering many different factors.  The rankings are a composite measure of the sum of standard deviation scores from the three indicators previously listed.  Standard deviation is a measure of variability and it is used simply because it accounts for variation that may or may not exist from the average.  As an example, a lower standard deviation score will represent data points that are close to the mean of the data.  In contrast, a higher standard deviation represents data points that are strewn over a large amount of values, on both sides of the spectrum. When the standard deviation is taken from the data in each broadband indicator and added together, a good and even representation of data will be evident.  

         There are three different measures used to calculate broadband technology.  In addition to the actual broadband adoption rate, speed and price prove to be very important measures to consider.  For example, two countries may differ greatly in the amount of broadband subscribers.  In 2006, Switzerland had 28.5 broadband subscribers per 100 people whereas Japan only had 20.2 subscribers out of a hundred (itif.org).  At first glance, it seems as if Switzerland is prospering over Japan.  However, 100 mbps fiber optic service is available at $27 dollars per month in Japan and users in Switzerland only have access to 2.4 mbps DSL at $52 per month (itif.org).  Residents of Switzerland are paying a lot more money for slower connections.  The second indicator is the speed of broadband downloads.  This is difficult to judge because different countries operate with different connections and varying speeds.  An average speed is composed for each country using the advertised download speeds from Internet providers. Speed is very important to consider because downloading an average sized file at 4 mbps may take 3 minutes in one country and 15 in the next.  It all comes down to varying download speeds.  The final measure is household penetration.  The OCED organizes their household penetration rates per capita, however household adoption may be a more accurate indicator.  For example, the average household size in Korea is 3.1 people whereas in Sweden the average size is 1.9 (itif.org).  Varying household sizes results in different levels of broadband connections to achieve the same level of penetration.  In Korea, if one person in the household was a broadband subscriber, that 1 connection will give 50% more people broadband connection than in Sweden (itif.org).

         Within the actual ITIF report, there are many different tables ranking countries using broadband statistics.  In June of 2011, the Netherlands came in first for the number of fixed broadband subscriptions with 38.5 subscribers per 100 people.  The United States placed 14^th with 27. 3 subscribers per 100 people.  The broadband penetration in that same year reports the Netherlands still in the lead with 38.5 subscribers while the U.S moves down to 19^th place with it’s 27.3 subscribers per 100 people.  In June 2010, Netherlands once again tops the charts for fixed broadband penetration and density with 37.8 subscribers every 100 people and a population density of 405.1 (Inhab/km2).  The U.S places at 18^th with 27.1 subscribers and a population density of 32.8.  When looking at broadband prices per megabits in September 2010, the U.S comes in at $2.00 while in 2008; the U.S was determined to be at $2.83.  The U.S decreased prices in later years.

2010 Ranking and Comparison of U.S. Rankings in 2008 and 2010

1d: Fixed and wireless broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants (June 2011) – Actual Lines

1k: Broadband penetration and GDP (June 2011) – Actual Lines

3a: Fixed broadband penetration and density (June 2010) – Coverage and Geography

4d: Range of broadband prices per megabit per second of advertised speed – Prices

4e: Average monthly bit/data caps (Sept 2010) – Prices

4f: Average monthly subscription prices for connections below 2.5 Mbps (Sept 2010) – Prices

5a: Average advertised downloads speeds (Sept 2010) – Services and Speeds

5f: Fastest advertised connection offered by surveyed cable operators

When looking at the rather low broadband ranking of the United States it is important to note the different factors that come into play.  The first important factor to look at is the fact that compared to other countries; the United States has a rather low population density.  The convenience of supplying broadband to a densely populated urban area cannot be beaten.  With all the rural areas of the United States it becomes much more inconvenient, and much more costly to supply broadband.  Obviously this is a crucial part of why the United States would have such a low broadband ranking.

Another important factor to be looked at is the idea that market forces dictate the pace of broadband.  This means that the United States simply does not need any more broadband then it has, and if they did they would push much harder for it elsewhere.  This would mean that certain other countries have an unnecessary amount of broadband and are wasting their money on it.  If it were a pressing enough issue and the majority of the U.S. was unhappy then something would be done.  However, not enough Americans are worried about the supply of broadband let alone our rank on the broadband list.  

The final factor to look at is error in measurement.  The variable in question when talking about measurement error is broadband penetration on a per capita basis.  Certain people think that on an absolute basis, the United States would be number one.  They think it is unfair to compare countries of such different sizes.  A mistake in the broadband penetration like this would definitely throw off the rankings for the United States.

Some policy suggestions that we can give to Congress to improve broadband situations in the U.S. is to try and start to have every major city offer a municipal WiFi network, and later branch it out to the suburbs and possibly rural areas of the U.S.  This way everyone with access to a computer will have access to some sort of broadband.  Since people see broadband and high-speed Internet as the new way of doing business effectively, the U.S. could make broadband access a public utility, just like water or electricity.  This way more and more homes would have access to the Internet for their needs because in today’s world it is hard to live without Internet, just like it is hard to live without electricity.

In conclusion, broadband is a growing industry in the world and the U.S. needs to realize that it is not something we can take for granted anymore.  With much of the U.S. trying to go “green”, people need access to high-speed Internet in their everyday lives, which is why this is so important.  Most people think of the U.S. as the best place in the world in every category and they need to realize that the U.S. is beat in some categories, such as broadband.  This is why Congress needs to take an active role in this to make sure we get back into the game and are able to compete with other countries.  We may never be ranked #1 in broadband, but it’s vital that we get broadband quickly to the millions of Americans who don’t have access each day.

Voice over Internet Protocol or VoIP is changing the way we are able communicate with others around the world in a big way.  Many of us rely on VoIP services every day to make phone calls over the Internet to our friends.  Without the flexibility of VoIP we simply would not be able to use services like Skype, Google Voice, and Vonage.  VoIP is a group of communication protocols that work together to allow people to communicate through broadband Internet.  Traditional phone companies have taken notice to the emergence of VoIP telephone solutions because it’s the future of the telecommunications business.  VoIP is very attractive to many types of customers as an alternative to traditional land-line telephones because of its cost-effectiveness, security, and portability.  Of course with any new technology there are advantages and disadvantages and it’s something that we will have to investigate when deciding if VoIP is a viable option for everyone.  Taking the Internet and combining it with the telephone was not an easy task.   It can take years to work out the flaws in any product and when it comes to VoIP there is no exception to this.  Despite VoIP’s drawbacks, there is no denying its impact and bright future in the telecommunications business.

You might be asking how does VoIP work?  An end user must first gain access to a TCP/IP based network and be able to connect to the Internet using at least broadband quality Internet service.  Once there, the user has to decide what solution works best for them.  The decision comes down to the use of ATA boxes, IP Phones, or Peer to Peer connections.  ATA boxes are converters that companies like Vonage use to convert analog signals into digital signals, which in return allow us to send these digital signals over the Internet using VoIP.  IP Phones eliminate the need for an ATA box by using traditional networking standards such as built in RJ-45 Ethernet and Wi-Fi.  IP Phones have become very popular in the enterprise because of there flexibility to hook into existing infrastructure.  Peer to Peer connections using VoIP has become very popular to many users because of applications such as Skype, AIM, and Google Talk.  The fact that you don’t even have to own a telephone to participate in Peer to Peer connections over VoIP is very significant.  In the end no matter which of these configurations you decide to use your communication will ultimately be routed through a VoIP gateway.  The VoIP gateway breaks down the digital signals into tiny data packets where they will finally be sent off to the person you are communicating with over the Internet.  VoIP is smart enough to reconvert the data packets being sent back into analog signals, which assure compatibility for the person you plan on communicating with over the phone.

Residential customers who want to use VoIP services first need to decide what service provider to use.  Vonage tends to be the most popular VoIP residential provider so we will focus on what happens when you sign up for Vonage.  Vonage allows customers to use their existing land-line phone number to pair with the Vonage Phone Adapter. Vonage’s phone adapter is just a simple name for an ATA box, which converts analog signals into digital signals.  Vonage provides each customer with a phone adapter that is plugged into the customer’s home phone, a computer, and a high-speed Internet connection.  Once this connection is established you can take full advantage of the great features that Vonage provides.  Vonage continues to add functionality to their VoIP solutions and their newest feature is something that anyone with a smart-phone might be interested in using.  Vonage Extensions allow you to use your Vonage calling plan on the go using either an Android or iOS device.  This feature attempts to compete with the mobile telecommunications companies like Verizon and AT&T because they charge for different levels of calling plans.  Mobile telecommunications businesses use a few conditions to keep users on their calling plans, which also prevent the growth of VoIP companies.  Vonage Extensions would use your smart-phone’s data plan and almost all of the mobile operators have stopped offering unlimited data plans to their subscribers.  Along with limited data plans, most mobile operators offer unlimited calling plans as the basic calling plan to their subscriber, which gives them no significant reason to make use of VoIP services on mobile phones.  VoIP services like Vonage are great, long term solutions for residential phone subscribers, but we cannot help but notice the mobile operator’s plans when it comes to VoIP solutions.

Residential use of VoIP solutions has some very significant advantages and disadvantages when being compared to traditional land-line services.  Cost savings, portability, scalability, and the advanced features offered are some of the most well-known advantages that VoIP solutions provide.  Let me explain how VoIP can save you a whole lot of money.  VoIP providers offer unlimited calling in the U.S. and Canada, while also offering cheap international calling rates to subscribers.  Vonage for instance also bundles advanced features into their calling plans to give customers more functionality over traditional land-line phones.  Caller ID, Call Waiting, Call Blocking, 3-Way-Calling and many other features are included as standard features for no extra fee.  Portability is another reason why VoIP has advantages over traditional land-line phones.  With most VoIP providers you can check your voicemail and missed calls from anywhere in the world as long as you have access to a high-speed Internet connection.  Accessing your VoIP provider is nearly as convenient as checking your email when traveling.  The convenience of making calls for free using your home phone number could be fairly useful.  

The scalability of VoIP services can be another determining advantage when upgrading from traditional phone lines.  From an enterprise perspective it could potentially save an organization thousands of dollars to switch to a VoIP solution.  Not only is it easier to maintain, but it’s was built to be used by the enterprise.  Of course VoIP isn’t perfect and it carries a few limitations.  Power outages, call quality, and emergency calls are three major issues facing VoIP.

The most significant issue facing VoIP services is the inability to place calls during power outages.  If the power goes out you most likely won’t be able to connect to your high-speed Internet provider nor your VoIP provider.  Backup power generators are a solution to power outages, but how many people actually own one?  Another issue associated with VoIP services is call quality.  VoIP calls use a digital signal, which means you either have a connection established or you don’t.  Unreliable Internet connections can cause bad call quality over VoIP because data packets could be dropped in transit.  The last major issue with VoIP deals with how emergency calls are handled.  For instance when you call the police dispatcher, they see your phone number and your location if the call is from a land-line telephone.  VoIP calls can be made anywhere the caller has an internet connection, which means it could be very hard to track the callers location in an emergency.  When traveling it’s very important that you update your VoIP account address because 9-1-1 services are better able to track your location in emergency situations.  For emergencies it’s best to always try to use a traditional land-line telephone when possible.

Most VoIP users have experienced issues relating to “delay” and “lag”.  We must remember though that VoIP services are routed through the Internet protocol and sometimes problems arise between networks.  Packet delivery is never perfect and sometimes there is a delay with the delivery of packets. This could be caused by your ISP, the amount of bandwidth you have, or your router could be overloaded. Also, a packet could have been dropped or sent somewhere else and when that happens, a packet is usually resent. However, VoIP doesn’t resend packets. So instead of there being a delay, there is just a gap in the voice. Another type of delay is called jitter. This is when the packets all arrive at irregular times to the server. So since voice is continuous, the receiving router has to work out the packets so that there is no disruption with the voice. It could be worse for a cell phone or residential VoIP service because they are all using shared lines. A cell phone uses the same cell tower as thousands of cell phones and if everyone accessed it at the same time, such as at a Penn State football game, the tower gets overloaded and there is a heavy delay. The same type of issues can happen with residential services as well. Everyone in the area uses the same shared phone lines. If everyone is using it at the same time, there could be a huge delay in telephone service.  Many times a user will experience lag when dealing with off-shore VoIP service lines because these international support centers have an unreliable ISP.  In many parts of the world, countries do not have the same reliable broadband connections or infrastructures that we are blessed with in the United States.

It is possible to design a corporate installment of VoIP that maintains all the advantages listed above, while also eliminating limitations. The disadvantages listed above, quality of phone service, power outages, and emergency calls all have remedies that can be put in place to provide a more secure, reliable, and overall smoother, VoIP service. To begin with, a power outage can be detrimental to business when using VoIP simply because it will be difficult, if not impossible, to connect to the high-speed Internet connection or VoIP provider.  Any business, in any design, should be operating with the safety of a background generator. If the power were to go out, calls will be saved, potentially saving clients and business. Another limitation of VoIP is the danger of emergency calls. Due to the fact that VoIP calls appear with a landline number and area code, it is difficult for authorities to track your location unless you constantly update your location. A solution to this problem is DECT VoIP phones, Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications. These phones have the ability to plug into a computer using a USB cord and/or telephone socket. This will result in the base station functioning as VoIP and the hand held phone is DECT, a normal hand held phone. To create a corporate design with a few DECT VoIP phones would extinguish the concern for making emergency calls. The last limitation is the actual quality of the service. A new corporate deployment of VoIP should include upgraded software and optimizing computers for broadband. With installations of applications that allow computer operating systems to handle larger and faster transfer rates the quality of service will greatly improve. In addition, the amount of extraneous downloads/streaming should be limited, if not discontinued. The downloading of large files will take away from data transfer rates, which may lead to dropped calls and slower connections. If large files must be downloaded, an allotted time to do so would be wise. With these improvements to limit VoIP imitations, the advantages of cost savings, portability, stability, and advanced features will still be maintained.

As a team we feel very strongly that VoIP services are the future of communication.  Despite some of the disadvantages of VoIP services on the market currently, we believe that they will eventually be solved.  VoIP gives people more options and features for a lot lower cost and it’s something all businesses need to invest into to.  As budgets continue to be cut in IT departments, VoIP services are continuing to mature and grow.   The Internet is extremely powerful and there’s no denying VoIP services are an example of that.  There is simply no denying VoIP is the future of how we communicate over telephones and around the world.

In typical fashion, MWC rumors and leaks have already begun this year.  Based on a fair amount of evidence we know what Microsoft will introduce Windows Phone 8 later on in the year.  Microsoft has even confirmed the leaked features coming to Windows Phone 8, which we will see hit the market around Windows 8 launch time(October 2012).  Here is the list of features coming to WP8: