Electronic TextbooksElectronic TextbooksPresentation 3 – Preliminary Project Presentation 3 – Preliminary Project

PlanPlan

Presented by Michael Dmuchowski

For the Ebook Group

Team Members and Team Members and ResponsibilitiesResponsibilities

Joel Carter : Project Manager, Web Integration. Divyesh Vallabh: Web Design, Assistant Project

Manager. Vadim Dolt: Database Design, Internet Integration,

MS Project Schedule. John Griffith: Marketing, Web Design. Ronak Patel: Marketing, Bookstore Liaison,

Alternate Presenter. Michael Dmuchowski: Presenter, Technical

Research.

Project Goal:Project Goal:A quick reviewA quick review

Provide at least one CS class with an electronic textbook for use within the next academic year.

Project ConceptsProject Concepts

Small Ebook Reader used by Students and faculty.

Server Based Distribution of book content and lecture materials.

Web Based interface for ordering /downloading books.

Access points in Bookstore and CS labs to distribute faculty generated materials.

Market Considerations:Market Considerations:

Ebook is lowest cost electronic book on market.

Other electronic books targeted more towards business and government.

$6.8 Billion Dollar Market for educational books.

Time to market in less than 1 year once content agreements reached.

1st Phase – School supplied resources minimize startup costs.

Technically oriented target group should facilitate deployment.

Project Organization:Project Organization:

Three teams working simultaneously: Marketing: Surveys and advertising evaluations

currently underway. Negotiations with Bookstore, publishers and technology providers in preliminary phase.

Web Page Design: 60% complete. Waiting on web integration tool specifications to finish design.

Web Integration: Oracle and other back end support mechanisms in evaluation phase.

Contractual AspectsContractual Aspects

Secured evaluation unit from NuvoMedia.

Working on publishers to secure content for test class.

Evaluating CS courses for possible public-domain or faculty generated content as an alternative.

Waiting on Barnes and Noble representative from ODU bookstore for access requirements.

Researching possible funding for test class to offset reader costs.

Schedule 1 – Web DesignSchedule 1 – Web Design

Approximately 60% Done.Mailto function, Links pages, contact

information in place. Front End design for accessing book server

underway.Adding online survey to poll CS students.

Schedule 2 – Web IntegrationSchedule 2 – Web Integration

Oracle SQL evaluation underway.Integration with Web Page estimated to be

complete before end of Spring Semester.Waiting on NuvoMedia development tools

for secure access to book content (currently in beta testing at NuvoMedia).

Schedule 3 – Market SurveySchedule 3 – Market Survey

Surveys conducted in selected CS classes show 68% acceptance rate for project concept.

Web based survey will be conducted once web page scripting done.

Possible demonstration of Ebook in CS classes once evaluation unit in hand.

MilestonesMilestones

Web Page Complete: 1st Week December.

Test Database Complete: March 2000.

Web/Database Integration Complete: Spring 2000.

Publisher Agreements: Spring or Summer 2000.

First Evaluation Class: Fall 2000.

Possible Early Test with evaluation units if arrangements with NuvoMedia can be reached.

Resource OverviewResource Overview

1st Phase – Current

2nd Phase - Evaluation

3rd Phase - Deployment

Severs: School Provided.

Severs: School Provided.

Severs: Commercial Contracted.

Internet Access: School Provided.

Internet Access: School Provided.

Internet Access: Commercial Contracted.

Tech Support: Students.

Tech Support: Students.

Tech Support: Sub-contracted.

Most Current Version on the Web Site.

MS Project ScheduleMS Project Schedule

Hardware Resources – Long Hardware Resources – Long TermTerm

NT Web Server - $10,000 Database Server - $10,000 Firewall Machine - $1,000 Router - $3,000 Hardware Hub - $300 2 Printers - $1,500 (LaserJet & Inkjet) 4 Developer Systems - $6,000 ($1,500 each) 3 UPS (Servers) - $1,500 ($500 each) 4 UPS (Developers) - $1,000 ($250 each) 1 Scanner - $150 Total: $34,450

Software Resources- Long Software Resources- Long TermTerm

MicroSoft SQL - $8,000 (25 Clients)NT Enterprise Edition - $3,200 (25 Clients)Web/Application Development Tools-

$1,500Encryption Software - $1,500Firewall Software - $10,000Total - $24,200

Personnel ResourcesPersonnel Resources

1 Database Admin. - $12,000 ($50/hr)(6 weeks) 1 Web Developer - $12,000 ($50/hr) (6 weeks) 1 Network Engineer -$12,000 ($50/hr) (6 weeks) 1 Trainer - $800 ($20/hr) (1 week) 1 Technical Writer – $6,000 ($50/hr) (3 weeks) Total: $42,800

Facility RequirementsFacility Requirements

Office Space ($12/sq. ft) - $20,000 ($5,000/month)

Telephone Service- $200 ($50/month)Electrical – TBDInternet Service – ISP Contracted Service

Contract Support ServicesContract Support Services

Rocket Ebook - $270SoftBook - $1,000Everybook - $1,600Total: $2,870

Resource ConsiderationsResource Considerations

ODU may share costs when system is online.

NuvoMedia may partially fund/discount hardware (readers).

Possible funding from other parties that have expressed interest in the project.

Evaluation MethodsEvaluation Methods

Survey pilot class after semester to gauge success/failure.

Online / Bookstore sales can be measured directly. Web Hits on homepage can be used to monitor

interest in project. Downloads of faculty generated documents can be

tracked to gauge use. Sales of Ebook readers / downloads can be tracked

directly.

Potential ProblemsPotential Problems

ODU Bookstore won’t want to participate.Publishers won’t want to participate –

possible solution with locally developed content.

NuvoMedia may suffer financial losses.Development delays / integration problems

may force deployment deadline back.

Positive IndicatorsPositive Indicators

Our project has been documented in NuvoMedia online newsletter.

We have been contacted by two other businesses (one start-up) interested in working with us.

Ebook format adopted by Microsoft for use in future Windows products.

ConclusionsConclusions

Technical Problems don’t seem impossible, most of our problems are legal and/or administrative. Interest in

project will grow considerably, we believe, if our pilot project is

successful.