Jeremy Daugherty ninthstar@hotmail.com

EDT 646 Spring 2006

Assignment III Timeline Validations

2-07-06

Introduction
To complete this assignment I interviewed a representative from a small software development company called the iset group and a representative from an alternative education facility named Vision Quest. Their views varied greatly, though in several cases they both have yet to experienced a given “flattener.”

Flattener #1 The Fall of the Berlin Wall.... and the Release of Windows 3.0

The founder of the iset group had just left working for large furniture company to begin a custom software programming business. When Windows 3.0 first came out a year later it was big step forward for users, but big step back for the iset group and many of their fellow software developers. Initially, the iset group overcame this hurdle by continuing to program in DOS. It was about 3 years later, in 1993, as better working program development tools became more commonly available for the Windows environment that the iset group began to see benefits from Windows. By writing directly for the Windows OS the programmers only had to address the OS and it then would address each peripheral as needed.

In contrast Vision Quest didn’t really experience the benefits of a Windows environment until the turn of the century. Up until this point, if there were computers available, they had no real school coordinated purpose. It was in 2000 that a curriculum and school wide grading software were put in place for teachers to use in conjunction with the idle computers.

Flattener #2 The Netscape (web browsing and email)

The iset group stayed about 2 years behind web based technologies as they became available. This was due to being “burned” previously because of early adoption of technology. Also, they were dealing with mission critical systems that needed to be reliable 24/7 365, so they didn’t want to use new technology that was unproven. They did, however, use email in order to communicate with business who had adopted part of their communication structure.

Again, the Vision Quest school, behind because of lack of need and budget, did not migrate their systems to a web based platform until 2003. From this migration on, the majority of communications throughout the school were done via email. Though previous to this platform, many other internet technologies were being used in the classrooms.

Flattener #3 Work Flow Software (Common software communication standards)

The iset group’s whole initial business was based on writing communication standards. In 1992 the founder of the company wrote a proprietary file transfer protocol which is basically the same as XML. As common standards emerged the company’s market share dwindled. These factors make the iset group wish for the old days when you could make big business of writing communications protocols.

In contrast common standards have been a boon to the Vision Quest School. Since the introduction of computers in the classrooms and curriculum in 2000, the Vision Quest school is very thankful for common standards. It has enabled them to use many technologies easily and cost effectively. The most favorite of which is tours and class room collaborations which are enable though the use of the web cams.

Flattener #4 Open source software
Neither the iset group, nor the Vision Quest School, has had any interaction with open source software beyond the use of the web and vicariously apache based servers.

Flattener #5 Outsourcing
While Vision Quest has not had any experience with outsourcing it has affected the iset group. They have experienced an additional reduction in their business due to their biggest customer ended up outsourcing work to other locations. They eventually lost this customer completely in 2000.

Flattener #6 Off-Shoring
Again, both of my chosen institutions indicated they have had no experience with this “flattener.”

Flattener #7 Supply-Chaining
In 2002-2003 the iset group participated in supply-chaining by producing a new type of software for a client’s warehouses. This software enabled the flow of goods from one side of the warehouse to the other with minimal, if any, storage time.

Here again the educational facility has had no experience. I would suggest that this lack of experience stems from its area of focus being on educating people instead of durable goods. They really don’t have a use for developing a supply chain. While the iset group doesn’t work with durable goods either they do have the ability to work with companies who do.

Flattener #8 In-sourcing

Since about 2002 the iset group has worked as a consultant to other companies. Essentially, they in-source; taking over a section of a client’s business to make it more efficient and effectively. Interestingly, as of last year, Vision Quest School has in-sourced its IT maintenance to the Wyoming Public School District. While the company makes money doing IT consulting the School losses money by allowing another school do do it for them. Of course, I may have judged to early, I didn’t get into the financials with the Vision Quest representative. They could be saving money, but I think they made the switch because they lost one of their technology coordinators.

Flattener #9 In-forming

Around 2003 the iset group began to find search engines extremely useful. Internet search allows them to build their knowledge about certain issues and software interactions without having to pay another outside consulting firm. On the other hand, a real difference happened for Vision Quest school in 2000 when their computer systems became connected to the internet. This connectivity in combination with search engines allowed for students to due better, more diverse research. It also allowed teachers to integrate technology into their lesson plans

This is only flattener which my educational facility experienced before the business institution. I would suggest this flipping of experience is due to the business needing very specific information while the school only needed general common knowledge.

Flattener #10 Steriods

In 2000 laptops allowed the iset group to become more productive by essentially giving them a mobile office from which to program code. Also, it acted as a mobile date planner with the use Microsoft Outlook. For Vision Quest the impact of mobile technology has been very negative. They find themselves viewing mobile technologies with a negative bent because of the disciplinary issues that began surfacing in 2003 over student mobile phone use. These issues include the interruption of class with ringing phones, lost phones, stolen phones, and picture phones in locker rooms. In order to adapt the school has instituted new policies regarding phone possession.

Here again is a difference between a business and a school. Specifically, we find users at a school who are only on the look out for their individual wants instead of the needs of the whole. In the business world the mobile user may want more individualism, but they want it while still respecting the needs of the whole.

Interview Notes

everything is now done on computer trying to implement paperless school

…single tool and die worker Mac user…… ‘486 95

2yrs behind though did use email…from a development standpoint. The business was high reliability not marketechure ‘97

mosaic user…. Dial up BBS. Email: ’99 start of business

’03 once on server of school district everything has been done via email and web since then.

Focused on programming this type of non proprietary reduce his completive advantage because he wrote software the translation software. ’92 doing himself

Dreamweaver standard …. For webdevelopment…. ‘02

’04 effected industry around

Vision Quest is currently unaffected by outsourcing.

This grew the business conveyor systems in PA (he … ’02-’03

Laptop in 2000 allow for new

‘bag phone (Motorola.) Century Cellunet.

’03 fighting with Kids over cell phone use. Inerupt class