Computer Asset Management System

1
Computer Asset Management System

• Project Feasibility
• CS 410, Fall 2005 Semester
• October 20, 2005

2
Agenda

• Speakers
• Problem Statement
• Proposed Solution
• What We Are Not Doing
• Hardware Components

• Software Components
• Market Analysis
• Schedule
• Cost
• Risks Issues
• Conclusion

3
Speakers

• Gold Team
• Keith Mulkey Project Overview
• Joe Kane Hardware
• Sergei Yemelianoff Software
• John Gedville Market Analysis
• Keith Mulkey Wrap up

4
Problem Statement

• Network Administrators and Corporate Asset
  managers in large organizations spend numerous
  hours each year tracking and locating computer
  hardware assets.

5
Proposed Solution

• A turn-key computer asset management and
  inventory system based on RFID (Radio Frequency
  Identification) tag technologies integrated with
  a specialized database management system.

6
What We Are Not Doing

• We are not re-inventing the RFID based inventory
  management systems already available and used by
  the Department of Defense and corporate giants
  such as Wal Mart.

7
Hardware Components

• RFID Tags
• Passive or Active
• Four frequency ranges
• Re-writeable or write once

• RFID Scanner
• Types of readers Fixed and Mobile
• PC card and compact flash
• Wireless LAN with 802.11G or other wireless
  technology

8
Hardware Components of the Computer Asset
Manager System
RFID Scanner
Computer
PDA
RFID Tag
9
Software Components

• RFID Application Program Interface
• Every manufacturer provides its own API
• Communicates with a PC via TCP/IP socket or COM
  port
• Client Server paradigm
• Connect PDA to remote server PC
• Server PC communicates with a database engine

10
Software Components

• Database Engine
• Independent database server
• Software provides initial script of DB creation
• Development Platform SDKs
• J2SE J2ME
• JAVA APIs java.com., java.net., sun.jdbc.

11
Market Analysis

• Straw poll survey indicates 72 of those surveyed
  indicated an interest in such a product
• Very large potential market computer repair
  facilities such as the Geek Squad
• Nearly 7,000 agents
• Plans to open 20-50 stand-alone stores by the end
  of 2006

12
Schedule
13
Estimated Development Cost
14
Risks Issues

• Risks
• Most obvious risk is questionable market
• Meeting development schedule given other demands
  on team members time
• Issues
• Management challenge with respect to diverse
  schedules of team members

15
Conclusion

• Market is questionable mainly due to already
  existing products.
• Overall however
• This system would be of great benefit to
  organizations that track a great many computer
  assets.
• Project is technically feasible
• Costs are within the budget of our group
• Development schedule is achievable in CS410/411
• Our team has the expertise to complete the
  project.
• The potential benefits outweigh the risks