Week 9- Chapter 7: Wireless, Mobile Computing and Mobile Commerce

1. Identify common wireless devices and their application to business

Common wireless devices and their application to business include:
a. Bluetooth: is used to create small personal area networks. Its application to business is that it connects computer devices close to one person to the firm.
b. ultra-wideband: is a high bandwidth wireless technology with transmission speeds in excess of 100 Mbps. It is a good choice for business as it streams multimedia from a personal computer to a television.
c. Near-field Communications: has the smallest range of any short-range wireless networks. It joins the consumer with the business by transferring funds to the point of sale terminals.
d. Wi-Fi: is a wired LAN but does not have the cables. These wireless devices allow the business to connect its employees to internet access in a radius outside the firm.
e. Wireless mesh networks: uses multiple Wi-Fi access points to create a WAN that can be as large as 135 miles. By using many WAN access points it interconnects them for extended use.
f. Wireless broadband: is a wireless access point that allows for broad coverage and internet access. This is suitable for personnel that are in sales and need constant internet access.

2. Describe the various types and general characteristics of wireless transmission media/technologies - microwave, satellite, infrared and radio waves.
Wireless transmission media allows the user to broadcast media, transmit signals without wires over the air or in space.
The general characteristics of wireless transmission are as follows:
a. Microwave transmission: are widely used for high volume- long distance, line-of-sight communication. The line of receiving needs to be in line with the other. The advantages of using this are that it has high bandwidth and is relatively inexpensive form of transmitting technology.
b. Satellite: use communication satellites. It has high bandwidth capabilities and covers large areas
c. infrared: is infrared light that is not commonly visible to human eyesight. It is present in remote controls of DVD players, VCR’s and CD players.
d. Radio waves: send data directly between transmitters and receivers. It can travel through physical objects, inexpensive and easy to install in the business. There are various types of radio signals that can be used. These include digital radio and satellite radio.

3. What is Bluetooth/how is it used?
Bluetooth is a wireless application that has a small area network through some computers and mobile phones. It is a personal area network application that allows two users of Bluetooth to connect to one another and transfer data or information.

4. What are WLAN's, Wi-Fi, WWAN's, WiMax?
WLAN (wireless local area network) is a computer network in a limited geographical area that uses wireless transmission for communication.
Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) is a wired LAN without the cables. The transmission of data is enabled by linking the transmitter with a wireless access point and that WAN access point connects to a satellite which then provides the user internet access.
WWAN (wireless wide area network) connects the user to the internet over a geographically dispersed territory. The two categories of this is cellular radio and wireless broadband.
WiMax has a wireless access range of 31 miles and can transfer data at rates of up to 75 Mbps over a secure system and offers features of voice and video capabilities.

5. What are the drivers of mobile computing and m0bile commerce?
The drivers of mobile computing and mobile commences include:
- Salespeople and other employees that are constantly travelling can be linked to the internet through wireless networks and have access to the firms information as if they were in the office.
- Mobile computing can connect the user to a connection between a mobile and the other computing devices
- The mobility of mobile computing allows personnel to carry a mobile with them and can initiate a real time contact with other systems from wherever they are.
- The broad reach of the mobile can allow the user to be contactable at anytime, anyplace.
- Businesses and individuals can interact in mobile commerce, which allows the business to deliver new services to the customers and to attract new customers.

6. Explain the nature of RFID
RFID or Radio Frequency Identification technology allows the manufacturers to attach tags with antennas and computer chips on goods and then track their movement through radio signals. This form of tracking has replaced barcodes.

7. Identify the 4 main security threats that arise from the use of mobile technologies
The four main security threat arising firm the use of mobile technologies include:
i. rogue access point is an unauthorised access point to a wireless network. A person can use your information through being able to connect to your wireless access point. From this point the person can obtain personal details, passwords and account numbers
ii. war driving is the act of locating WLAN’s while driving around the city which allows a person to intrude the network, gaining information, data and other business resources.
iii. eavesdropping refers to the efforts by unauthorised users to access data that are travelling in wireless networks.
iv. radio frequency jamming is a person or device that intentionally or unintentionally interfering with the transmissions of the wireless networks of the business.