Public Research Library:
2004 CABA Information Series Reports

IS-2004-56: Focused Solutions to Complex Wired Community Transaction Issues
This paper outlines the business opportunity and legal challenges of pre-wiring a residential communication with fiber optics to each home. Important issues and challenges include mandatory subscription, competitor access, capital structure and return on asset, entity structure, service quality and carrier performance, default and remedies, and implementation. The author, Lawrence Freedman of Fleischman and Walsh, L.L.P, states that this market offers "tremendous potential for growth."

IS-2004-55: Defining 10-Foot Gaming Requirements for the Entertainment PC
The Entertainment PC is intended for use at a TV distance of 10 feet. This paper, submitted by Intel Corporation provides guidelines to developers of services, such as gaming, intending to use the Entertainment PC. The target display device may be a new digital TV or a traditional analog TV with lower resolution. Some technical issues include image size, aspect ratio, range of colors, contrast, viewable screen area, remote control unit, audio playback, and CD vs. DVD distribution. Developers are encouraged to create the same gaming software that run on both traditional PCs and Entertainment PCs.

IS-2004-54: VLAN Best Practices
This technical paper, intended for installers and managers of Virtual Local Area Networks (VLANs) was provided by Fluke Corporation. A VLAN allows devices distributed throughout a building to appear logically as if they were located on one LAN. Devices in a particular VLAN are identified by using a particular IP port number, a particular communications protocol, or by MAC address. IEEE-802.1Q is a standard that supports VLANs.

IS-2004-53: Designing Smart Environments: A Paradigm Based on Learning and Prediction
This paper presents an overview of the potential of home automation. It also introduces the MavHome (Managing an Adaptable Versatile Home), a research project at the University of Texas at Arlington. Sensor data is collected and processed by intelligent agents (computer algorithms). These agents can deduce the occupant’s movement within the house, and deliver services where appropriate, thereby saving energy.

IS-2004-52: Learning to Control a Smart Home Environment
A future home run by computer-based agents is envisioned. These agents collect and process data from sensors throughout the house looking for meaningful patterns. The researchers simulated sensor data generation to test the algorithms. Trials of MavHome (Managing an Adaptable Versatile Home) are being run in a laboratory (MavLab) and in an apartment (MavPad) at the University of Texas at Arlington.

IS-2004-51: Smart Homes
First in a series of papers from the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Texas at Arlington, this paper introduces the MavHome (Managing an Adaptable Versatile Home) research project. An intelligent home uses inputs from sensors to operate home automation systems in order to create a comfortable and efficient environment. The intelligent system is based on physical devices, communications networks, data collection, and automatic decision-making. The decision algorithms seek patterns from the sensor inputs.

IS-2004-50: The Digital Future Report: Surveying the Digital Future
This report from the University of Southern California “explores how the Internet influences the social, political, and economic behavior of users and non-users.” About 75 percent of those surveyed used the Internet for an average of 12.5 hours per week in 2004. Email and Web surfing were the top uses. Sixty percent of those who have stopped using the Internet say they do not miss it. There is growing skepticism of the reliability of information gleaned from the Internet. There has been a slight increase in on-line shopping over four years. Seventy-five percent of parents are not concerned about the time spent by children on line. Almost two-thirds of those surveyed accessed health information via the Internet. Eighty-eight percent are concerned about on-line privacy.

IS-2004-49: Ultra Broadband Access, Unleashing the Power of PON
This paper, provided by Nortel Networks discusses deployment of PON (Passive Optical Networks). Local telephone companies are considering methods for offering "triple-play" services (voice, Internet access, and video services). The latter is a challenge because telephone companies do not have broadband capabilities comparable to cable. They are planning to overcome this with PON. Multiple PON technologies such as Broadband PON (BPON), Gigabit PON (GPON), and Ethernet PON (EPON) currently exist or are near standardization, and multiple deployment models are possible. The paper describes many of the decision criteria that must be considered when deploying PONs such as time to market, technology maturity, system availability, operational considerations, video compression performance, service requirements, engineering rules, and business impacts.

IS-2004-48: Consumer Broadband: The Path to Growth and Profitability
This paper, provided by the Internet Business Solutions Group (IBSG) of Cisco Systems, Inc discusses the business opportunities associated with providing broadband services. The paper surveys the state and growth prospects for broadband-based communications. Broadband customers were found to use more services, some of which could be sold as value-added services (services beyond flat monthly rate for connection). Some providers are bundling multiple services to reduce customer churn. Broadband voice communications (VoIP) will drive out switched networks. The paper concludes that communications companies should not offer content, but rather a range of communications services: voice, video, and Internet access.

IS-2004-47: The Municipal Role in U.S. FTTH Market Growth
This white paper provided by the Communications Futures Program of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology discusses opportunities for municipalities to foster a market in fiber optics to homes. Municipalities accounted for 32% of FTTH installations in 2003. While telcos will be installing FTTH in some areas, municipalities will remain important market drivers for Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) deployment. Municipalities that operate utilities are likely candidates. State laws that burden municipal entry into communications are effective at discouraging it, suggesting that the March 2004 Supreme Court ruling (Nixon vs. Missouri Municipal League) will constrain growth in the FTTH market.

IS-2004-46: Net Gain: Advancing the Market for Home Technology
The purpose of this paper, submitted by the Internet Home Alliance is to provide a clear overview of the home technology integrator channel and to recommend steps industry players can take to improve it. Fifteen organizations were studied as providers of certification for integrators. Currently, there are approximately one million integrators in the U.S. only with one percent certified.

IS-2004-45: TEAHA Market Background Document
This market background document was produced by Homega Research in the framework of the TEAHA (The European Application Home Alliance) Project and was funded by the European Commission (IST Programme) It encompasses a marketing survey of past, present, and future connected home applications. This paper provides a foundation for a market analysis of the connected home. Three factors influencing this market are the environment (technological, economic, and public policy), product and services offerings, and customer demand including price sensitivity.

IS-2004-44: Big Broadband: Public Infrastructure or Private Monopolies
Wayne Caswell recently returned from an Economic Summit in Loudoun, VA, where he was invited because of a paper he wrote earlier this year: “Reviving the FORGOTTEN Information Superhighway." The summit expanded his thinking about the role of government in telecommunications policy and led to an invitation to speak at Austin InnoTech, a regional conference and exhibition with focus on the mutual relationship between technologies and nnovation. This newer paper summarizes and expands on that presentation, which was called “Fiber, Wireless and Bandwidth for TeleWork."

IS-2004-43: Are You Ready for the Audience of One?
Home media networks (HMNs) are poised for explosive growth and will radically alter the home entertainment market, making the consumer an “audience of one” for on-demand digital multimedia content. This paper, from Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. discusses the business prospects for home media networks supporting video, audio, digital photography, and gaming. Distributed media centers, including storage outside the house are presented. Advertisers will be challenged by consumers spending time viewing digital photos and listening to music rather than watching TV with commercials.

IS-2004-42: The Case for Broadband Wireless Connectivity
This white paper from Proxim Corporation, explores the options open to executives and networking professionals in public and private enterprises who seek high-speed building-to-building connectivity solutions for their campuses and remote locations, but who are also constrained by real-world budgets. It reviews the most popular leased line options including DSL, T1/E1 and fiber optic cable, as well as wireless LANs. And it delineates the advantages of broadband wireless connectivity, a solution that is finding greater acceptance due to its high capacity, ease of installation, and low cost.

IS-2004-41: Voice Over Wi-Fi Capacity Planning
As voice-over-Wi-Fi emerges as a productivity-enhancing wireless application in the enterprise, the requirements placed on Wi-Fi infrastructure deployment planning increase from simple coverage and throughput considerations to detailed capacity planning. This paper from Proxim Corporation proves that the number of non-overlapping channels in a wireless network is the key determinant of the total capacity of a network that carries voice traffic.

IS-2004-40: The Smart, Affordable Way to Build Network Redundancy
Most medium to large-scale businesses, and virtually all large organizations, have some sort of disaster recovery plan. For many, that plan begins and ends with data backup; for others, it includes remote failover servers. But, fewer businesses have plans in place to protect their network connectivity. This is a mistake that can result in hundreds of hours of downtime with unacceptable real-dollar costs. This paper from Proxim Corporation presents a case for using broadband wireless technology as a backup for a wired link to support a business.

IS-2004-39: NAIOP Terms and Definitions: U.S. Office Market
The National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP), the Forum for commercial real estate, developed this document of terms and definitions as a standardization project that would define selected office real estate terms commonly used by owners, brokers, and others in their day to day business operations. The general perception within the industry is that a standardization of terms and the resulting transparency of information may contribute significantly to increased capital flow, improved liquidity and enhanced credibility for the industry at large.

IS-2004-38: Monitoring your WAN - When, What and How
This paper from Fluke Networks makes the case for a network manager to measure the performance of a wide area network delivering network access to a company. Network managers often assume that the network vendor is supplying the promised service. The paper will help calculate the value of link monitoring as well as help you calculate the total cost of downtime.

IS-2004-37: Connecting Devices with Web Services
Digital devices are moving from the domain of the tech-savvy to the hands, purses and pockets, homes, and cars of mainstream consumers and knowledge workers. This paper from Microsoft discusses how Web services, the cornerstone to overcoming the challenge of software and business integration, provide a consistent way to exchange information within home networks, corporate intranets and across the Internet, spanning heterogeneous environments.

IS-2004-36: Converged Applications and Enhanced Services Market Study
Converged applications, in the form of products and services, unite telephony and voice over IP (VoIP) networks with data products and services, like email, database, and customer relationship management (CRM) applications. This paper from CompTIA explores customer knowledge and acceptance of converged services. The motivation is primarily cost saving and network integration. Most companies expect to purchase converged services from a “value-added solutions provider.”

IS-2004-35: Internet-Based Video Services
Cable companies, telephone companies, and others are seeking revenue from the delivery of movies to consumers. One option is packet delivery via the Internet. This paper from Parks Associates describes key issues and impediments to growth including bandwidth limitations, especially of DSL, and licensing restrictions imposed by content producers.

IS-2004-34: Electronic Signage Networks (ESN) as Killer App
An Electronic Signage Network (ESN) provides the means for real time environmental monitoring and information display that are critical elements of Homeland Security. With the growing commercial capacities of electronic displays, Wi-Fi, narrowcasting, kiosks, satellite transmission and mobile display devices, ESNs that comprise these elements are key to public safety and community information infrastructure. This paper from Apogee Partners describes how public safety and commercial success can be achieved through Electronic Signage Networks and kiosk systems.

IS-2004-33: An Introduction to Wireless Mesh Networking
Wireless networks provide unprecedented freedom and mobility for a growing number of laptop and PDA users who no longer need wires to stay connected with their workplace and the Internet. This paper from Firetide, Inc., describes how wireless mesh networks can offer a breakthrough approach that enables making the leap from localized HotSpots to fully wireless HotZones with building-wide or campus-wide coverage and even HotRegions that span an entire metropolitan area.

IS-2004-32: Integrated Service Delivery: The 21st Century Business Model
We have gone from a product-driven business model to a customer-driven corporate structure. This paper, written by Paul Greenburg and provided by Indus Corporate Marketing explains the Enterprise Value Chain (EVP) as the basis for a services-delivery model. EVP includes collaboration among employees, partners, and suppliers. An Integrated Service Delivery model enhances customer relationships by focusing on service delivery, rather than service shipment. Revenue is generated through terms in Service Level Agreements.

IS-2004-31: Ultra-Wideband (UWB) Technology: Enabling High-Speed Wireless Personal Area Networks
Wireless connectivity has enabled a new mobile lifestyle filled with conveniences for mobile computing users. Consumers will soon demand the same conveniences throughout their digital home, connecting their PCs and other digital electronic in a wireless personal area network (WPAN) in the home. This paper from Intel Corporation describes how Ultra-wideband (UWB) technology offers a solution for the bandwidth, cost, power consumption, and physical size requirements of next-generation consumer electronic devices.

IS-2004-30: Wireless USB - The First High-speed Personal Wireless Interconnect
The Universal Serial Bus (USB), with one billion units in the installed base, is the most successful interface in PC history. Wireless USB will build on the success of wired USB, bringing USB technology into the wireless future. This paper, written by Intel Corporation, describes the Wireless USB specification that is being defined as a high-speed host-to-device connection including the targeted audience, the technology and future plans.

IS-2004-29: Electronic Systems Technicians: Estimates of Occupational Employment & Projections of Future Demand
This report from the Electronic Systems Industry Consortium presents the results of analysis performed on information available from both primary research and from secondary public data sources. The focus of this analysis was the Electronic Systems Technician occupation, a fast-growing and rapidly-evolving job category of interest and importance to a large number of U.S. employers and training institutions. The technicians provide cabling infrastructure for homes and or commercial buildings, signaling devices, signal controllers, and devices for mechanical and electrical control.

IS-2004-28: Games-on-Demand: the Reality and Future
As of 2003 there were about 110,000 customers for PC games and two million by the end of 2007. This paper written by Yuanzhe (Michael) Cai, Analyst for Parks Associates categorizes PC games as online browser-based, online non-browser-based, sales via downloads of the complete games, partial download + online play. 50% of the core gamers are interested in games-on-demand. Some retailers don’t want competition for downloads of games upon initial market release. Game console makers have little motivation to use the web for software distribution.

IS-2004-27: Judo Lessons for Wireless ISPs
Parks Associates anticipates that by 2008, more than 2 million U.S. households will be using services based on unlicensed broadband wireless (UBW) technologies, including Wi-Fi, proprietary technologies, and the upcoming WiMAX standard. Such an accomplishment, however, is contingent on the Wireless Internet Service Providers (WISPs) ability to create and execute successful competitive strategies. This paper written by Yuanzhe (Michael) Cai, Analyst for Parks Associates proposes business strategies for WISPs to gain market share of broadband Internet access without incurring crushing competition from telephone and cable companies.

IS-2004-26: Home Entertainment Automation Using UPnP AV Architecture and Technology
This paper written by Edward Steinfeld, Embedded Computing market Consultant, presents an overview of the UPnP Audio Visual (AV) specification and unique functions, followed by a description of the UPnP functions and protocols. The UPnP AV specifications define a set of UPnP device and service templates that specifically target home environments with consumer electronic (CE) equipment such as TVs, VCRs, DVD players, stereo systems, MP3 players, and PCs. The key elements are a media server, a media player (also called a renderer), and a control point for selecting the content and managing the networked devices.

IS-2004-25: XML Web Services Security: Learning From Application Security Disasters
Adoption of Web Services technology promises potentially great benefits, but like most new technology adoption, there are also serious questions about new information security risks. This paper, written by John Sebes of Integral Security Consulting, presents methods for protecting data that is encoded in a database using XML, and transmitted using SOAP via the Internet. Recommendations are provided for data encryption, user authentication, validated code packets, and checking queries into a database.

IS-2004-24: GridWise Standards Mapping Overview
“GridWise™ is a concept of how advanced communications, information and controls technology can transform the nation’s energy system—across the spectrum of large scale, central generation to common consumer appliances and equipment—into a collaborative network, rich in the exchange of decision making information and an abundance of market-based opportunities” (Widergren and Bosquet 2003). To support this effort, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, developers of the GridWise concept, has surveyed relevant official standards and specifications developed by consortia in the fields of home and building systems, information technology, market trading and economics, energy, and industrial systems that could ultimately contribute significantly to advancements toward the GridWise vision.

IS-2004-23: XML Web Service in Utility Automation
Software vendors and IT departments in the "business" community have adopted the Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) and XML Web Services paradigm as the de facto standard for loosely integrating computing systems. Utility company automation system managers, managers charged with the task of maintaining a reliable power grid, are beginning to recognize the benefits of loosely coupled system integration. In this paper, originally published in the March/April 2004 edition of Electric Energy T&D Magazine, Gridlogix describe how XML Web Services, a standards-based integration technology, will allow system managers to leverage existing monitoring and control systems and rapidly integrate them with new automation technologies and external business applications.

IS-2004-22: Content Control for Wireless Data
Content Control presents yet another opportunity to Service Providers to drive new revenue streams, as subscribers are now demanding content for their wireless devices. It also presents an opportunity to provide value-added services that will help reduce churn and build customer loyalty. In this document, Bridgewater Systems discusses Content Control for wireless data services, content opportunities that exist for Service Providers, and how Content Control is achieved.

IS-2004-21: Reliable Wireless Networks for Industrial Systems
This paper from Ember Corporation details both theory and case studies for mesh networks, focusing on several important issues including: weaknesses of point-to-point wireless systems that can be addressed by adopting an Internet-like distributed messaging model, why networks for "smart devices" must be able to configure themselves, and why wireless mesh systems actually become more reliable as the number of nodes is increased.. The paper also includes a Case study of a wireless mesh installation at a water treatment plant.

IS-2004-20: Life Cycle Costing of Automation Controls for Intelligent and Integrated Facilities
The purpose of this report, written by Thomas Keel of Georgia Institute of Technology for CABA's Intelligent & Integrated Buildings Council, is to demonstrate, by using life cycle costing methodology that owners receive the best value, as defined by total cost of ownership over the life of new building construction or substantial renovation, by implementing intelligent & integrated building technologies. Many sources provided data, both objective and subjective, for this research. Current literature on the subject suggests that intelligent buildings with integrated controls can maximize energy saving control strategies, and more readily abide with federal guidelines for building construction. This research and data analyses can be tailored to, and is applicable for, any commercial office building.

IS-2004-19: Zen and the Art of Content Protection
Despite years of research on content protection, a 14 year old with a smart ripper and a basic PC can start distributing high quality copies of a DVD within minutes of release. This paper from The SVP Alliance starts with a short description of how digital content distribution works and concludes with four foundations of secure content distribution.

IS-2004-18: Best Practices for Securing the Mobile Enterprise
Employees need to access sensitive data while using portable computers, PDAs, and cell phones. But increased mobility also means increased risk. In this paper Credant Technologies present a management checklist of methods for improving the security of data exchanged between the enterprise and mobile equipment.

IS-2004-17: A Standard Approach to Content Protection
This paper, provided by The SVP Alliance describes Secure Video Processor (SVP) - a standard secure method for digital content protection providing new opportunities for content delivery while ensuring protection for content owners, and low cost and ease of use for consumers.

IS-2004-16: “New” Ultra-Wideband Technology
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission is allowing unlicensed communications in the 5GHz range with modulation schemes occupying 500 MHz. This paper from Staccato Communications introduces multi-band signaling methods that comply with this specification while using well known principles of wireless communications. These multi-band technologies maintain many of the while utilizing the UWB unlicensed spectrum.

IS-2004-15: CABA Intelligent & Integrated Buildings Council Task Force 2 Middleware
White Paper
The Middleware white paper was developed by a task force of CABA's Intelligent and Integrated Buildings Council (IIBC) to promote and orchestrate awareness of the capabilities and benefits of middleware to the commercial building industry; To enhance the relationship between key commercial building stakeholders ( ie: architects, contractors, systems integrators and owners/operators) and the community of CABA members that produce building automation middleware; and to improve the business environment for middleware solutions in the commercial building market. The paper defines middleware and describes a number of case studies where middleware has provided a solution to integrate new intelligent building technology implementations with legacy systems.

IS-2004-14: Prepaid Wireless Data Services
Mobile voice services are maturing and most Service Providers are finding that market growth is slowing, requiring that they implement new services to maintain revenues. In addition to marketing to existing subscribers, though, Service Providers also need to add new subscribers. Bridgewater Systems suggest that one market segment that provides immediate revenue opportunities is Prepaid Data Services.

IS-2004-13: Why Is Government Subsidizing the Old Networks When 'Big Broadband' Convergence is Inevitable and Optimal?
At a recent forum former, former FCC Chairman Reed Hundt described the benefits -- and inevitability -- of digital convergence, and called on federal government and the FCC to replace today's old networks with a universal Big Broadband network capable of spurring innovation and U.S. telecom sector growth into the twenty-first century. In this paper published by the New American Foundation, Hundt presents the benefits of U.S. government rewriting communications regulation to encourage the creation of a public network that delivers 10-100 Mbps to residences and 1-10 Mbps to business for voice and video Internet-based services.

IS-2004-12: If Buildings Could Talk: How Information Technology Can Increase Energy Efficiency and Demand Management in Buildings
This paper written by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory for the U.S. Department of Energy discusses energy management in a competitive environment. The paper describes how the demand for electricity can be controlled to avoid supply peaks and excess reserves through load management. Load management can be achieved through the installation of “smart devices” such as appliances that react to a varying price for electricity or “smart gateways” in buildings.

IS-2004-11 GridWise™: The Benefits of a Transformed Energy System
The combination of market deregulation, the growth in electricity demand and the normal “boom and bust” cycle all add up to a looming crisis in the industry. The increased availability of energy information technologies can play an important role in addressing these issues. The collective application of these information-based technologies to the U. S. power grid is becoming known as the GridWise™ vision or concept. This paper written by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory for the U.S. Department of Energy presents a preliminary scoping assessment conducted to envision the general magnitude of several selected benefits the GridWise concept could offer when applied nationally.

IS-2004-10: IT Basics for Energy Managers - The Evolution of Building Automation Systems Toward the Web
The capability and use of information technology (IT) and the internet in the form of web-based energy control systems continues to grow at a rapid rate, and it is imperative that facility managers, maintenance managers, and energy managers become ready to work with current and future applications of internet-based control technologies in their facilities. This paper, published first in the Strategic Planning for Energy and the Environment Journal of The Association of Energy Engineers is intended to help prepare energy managers to understand some of the fundamental concepts of web-based building automation systems (BAS). We thoroughly examine each component of a BAS in today’s BAS technology and what a BAS might look like in the future.

IS-2004-09: Sound Solutions for Wireless Woes
Several new technologies will improve the range and speed of wireless networks, with a combined effect of 10,000 times the capacity of dialup 56 Kbps modems. With such advancements, networks that use radio signals for communication could replace most of the network cabling we now use. How real is this promise? When will we see it? And what will it mean for equipment manufacturers, service providers, homebuilders, and homeowners? This paper from Wayne Caswell provides a survey of the present and emerging radio-based LAN standards including 802.11x, 802.15x, 802.16, 802.20, 3G, mesh networks, and smart antennas.

IS-2004-08: Sum Total - determining the true cost of development for embedded security
Embedded security has become a prerequisite: manufacturers must embed security in their devices to meet market demands. This paper from Certicom explores the issues surrounding development costs for embedded applications — and particularly embedded security — and concludes with a method for calculating the total cost of development.

IS-2004-07: Operations support system (OSS) requirements and solutions for carrier-grade Wireless LAN Services
One of the major challenges in offering carrier-grade public Wi-Fi service is choosing and deploying an effective OSS infrastructure. This paper from Pronto Networks discusses the OSS requirements for end-users, service providers, network operators, and venue owners, in addition to providing recommendations for service providers and network operators evaluating different OSS options. . Some issues discussed include quick user access, roaming among networks, optional charging for services, network security, network brand identification, and location information for local ad insertion.

IS-2004-06: MMS Business Models
The Mobile Message Standard enhances cellular telephone text messaging with graphics, photos, and sound. Charles Lafage of Juniper research describes the Peer-to-Peer and Server-to-Mobile Business models for delivering MMS-based services. He also describes new relationships that will be required in the Server-to-Mobile model that will result from revenue sharing required as content is delivered from alternative sources.

IS-2004-05: Infotainment Essentials
One of the most interesting fields within the mobile entertainment space is that of 'infotainment': the combined worlds of information and entertainment as well as related services. Paul Skeldon of Juniper Research describes the applications and services that will comprise this market and the extraordinary growth forecast. He also touches on some of the hurdles including security and whether people will pay for this type of service.

IS-2004-04: WiFi - The Opportunity
This paper provides a short overview of a research paper by Juniper Research, a UK based provider of business intelligence. The excerpted data forecasts the opportunity as well as the access technology choices, device choices and location variables for the nomadic user. Worldwide opportunity forecasts are included.

IS-2004-03: SAFE: A Security Blueprint for Enterprise Networks
The principle goal of Cisco's secure blueprint for enterprise networks (SAFE) is to provide best practice information to interested parties on designing and implementing secure networks. This document focuses heavily on threats encountered in enterprise environments. Network designers who understand these threats can better decide where and how to deploy mitigation technologies. By taking the threat-mitigation approach, this document should provide network designers with information for making sound network security choices.

IS-2004-02: The Strategic and Financial Justification for IP Communications
Today's economic climate has made it more crucial than ever for decision makers to consider what type of return their organizations can expect from prospective investments. The intent of this white paper from Cisco Systems is to provide senior managers with the necessary strategic and financial justifications to make effective decisions regarding investments in IP Communications. It explains why a combined network for carrying data, voice, and video is less expensive for a company to maintain and more useful for employees to access e-mail, voice mail, faxes, etc. whether inside the building, at home, or traveling. Issues of quality and reliability are also discussed.

IS-2004-01: Extending the Enterprise - A bottom-line look at extending network access to mobile workers
Throughout history, corporations have continually honed their workflow processes to improve productivity, lower operations costs, and maximize profitability. The latest opportunity for business-process improvement lies in extending network access to mainstream employees who are often away from their desks. This paper contributed by Cisco Systems encourages companies to use wireless networks, IP communications, and teleworking as the technology enablers to allow professionals to conduct business away from their desks.