The Internet

History of the Net

• 1982 – Internet protocol TCP/IP established from predecessor NCP

• 1983 – The Internet is made from it’s predecessor ARPANET

• 1989 – Tim Berners-Lee at CERN invents the World Wide Web

• 1994 – Mosiac software Netscape Navigator

• 1995 – Sun launches Java.

• 1996 – JavaScript launched by Netscape + Sun

World Wide Web

• The most important protocol of the Internet More and more business is moving to the Web. It is the preferred medium for E-business

• Web content spreading onto mobile devices, such as phones and pocket PCs.

Web content• HTTP is the protocol of the web. Web content is

predominantly in HTMLHTML plus ancillary languages (JavaScript, CSS, XML, etc.)

• Dynamic HTML = HTML + CSS + ScriptsHTML + CSS + Scripts

Plug-ins: Flash, Shockwave, etc.

Server-scripts:CGI, ASP, etc.

HTML(static)

DHTML (interactive)

CSSScripting(JavaScript,VBScript)

Front-end and back-end technologies

Web documentscript filesCSS files

Web Server

HTMLCSS

JavaScriptVBScript

Java

CGI /PerlASP - Active Server PagesJSP - Java Server Pages

….etc.

Plug-ins:Adobe Acrobat Reader

Macromedia FlashMacromedia Shockwave

QuickTimeRealMedia

……..etc.

Server technologies:Microsoft Commerce server

ColdfusionFlash Generator

…….etc..

back-end database &transactions systems.....

Website developmentStage Steps

1. Planning Planning the site scope, architecture and navigation Needs assessment: Staff, external consultants, hardware,

software, connectivity, project management.... Development and maintenance budgets

2. Design Designing the site look & feel Storyboards for key web page functionality

3. Development Writing the content Coding in HTML, CSS, scripts, server-scripts, multimedia,

Java, etc. Development of a content management system, i.e. interfaces to

databases and transactions systems that will keep the contents updated

Tests for functionality and error checks, possibly through an intermediate 'stage server'

Website developmentStage Steps

4. Hosting Publishing the website to the Internet/Intranet/Extranet, either on through external ISP or the company's own server

5. Maintenance Setting up organisational unit responsible for maintaining the website support and keeping contents current.

Preproduction planning is crucial for success. One of the first steps is to decide a goal for the website, and to set a budget to reach that goal

Web sites should in principle be cross-browser compatible, unless the target audience is an internal Intranet only.

Intranet

• An intranet is a website created for the internal use of an organisation for communication among employees.

• It uses the same technologies as the public Internet but is accessible only to authorized staff.

• Web technogies are cheap: Intranets are much less expensive to build than private networks and provide a tool for keeping employees informed.

Intranet contents

• HR procedures and policies, orientation and training, code of conduct, etc.

• Safety handbook of the organisation• Quality handbook of the organisation• Technical support from IT Dept• A company 'library' of electronic books that the company

has licence to use• General: Phone book, internal job postings, news, etc.• An intranet can also facilitate the exchange of information

and sharing of resources between member of a workgroup or project.

Advantages of Web use in construction:

• Easily connect globally to a vast amount of data

• Enhanced coordination and communication

• Promotion and marketing for the company

• The web as a collaboration tool through project-specific web sites.

• Development tools relatively simple

Project web sites

Project websites

Due to new technologies information overloadinformation overload is a problem in any project environment, and this applies also to the typical construction project. Studies suggest that information transmitted on a typical project is overloading design and construction professionals with a sea of paperwork. A large part of the information is pushed to collegues on a "just-in-case-they-need-it" basis. E-mail, fax, mobile phones and even a photocopy machine have created an environment of excessive informationexcessive information ‘push’. ‘push’.

Project websites

• Alternative to ‘information push’ is ‘information ‘information pull’pull’. Necessary information (which may be hard to find) is available on the project web site

• Information pull can avoid information overload• A PSWS can be a step towards an integrated

construction; all parties can log on, share and search information

• It can also be a step towards knowledge management in the organisation, experience learned from projects are stored

Project website (example)

The Internet

MAIN PAGE Project Participants Project Description/

location/photos Project Players

CommunicationsAnnouncements

Discussion section

File LibraryMeeting minutes

RFI logSchedule

Design DrawingsSpecifications

Resources pageGovernment links

Building codes

Passwordsecured

access point(Firewall)

SupportPlug-insTutorials

Project website (example)

Daily site records

Schedule &

progress

Specs &

drawings

Entrypage

Project website

1. Tender Stage

2. Design and Construction Stage - project information exchange

3. Trading (e-business/commerce)

The stages covered by web-based project management software can be categorized into the following :

Project website

Successful implementation of Web-based tools not only requires a state of readiness within one organization, but within all those involved in this process.

In order for the construction industry to successfully embrace Web-enabled project management tools, at a large scale, it must equally consider technology, process and people.

XML

• HTML has predefined tags. In XML (eXtensible Markup Language) the vocabulary of tags is freely extensible

• XML has much wider scope than HTML

• It is generally accepted as the future carrier of web content and already the carrier for e-business protocols.

XMLXML content can be converted to HTML by a style sheet (XLS), but XML is not limited to Web browsers

XMLdata

XLSHTML

DTDor Schema

DTDor Schema

Other Webconnected

device

XML & e-business

• Business-to-Business (B2B). An agreement of XML tag semantics allow for an e-business protocol. Uses include electronic trading, electronic tendering, online bidding, online request for quotations, electronic information exchange, online project management, virtual enterprises, electronic banking.

• Business-to-Consumer (B2C): includes online retailing, online consulting, online real state, online servicing, and online training.

• Intra-organizational: includes enterprise workflow, co-operative design over the network, managing and sharing documents and drawings, online meetings.

E-business

• A B2B e-business standard, in general, involves the description of the message formats exchanged (e.g. purchase order), transport protocols (e.g. HTTP), the sequencing (e.g. after sending a purchase order message, an acknowledgement message must be received), the process (e.g. after a purchase order is accepted, the goods must be delivered to the buyer), and the security to be provided (like encryption, non-repudiation).

E-business in construction supply chain

ORGANISATIONContractor/Designer

CLIENT Users/Customers

Supplier 1

Supplier 2

Supplier 3

Bu

sin

ess-

to-

bu

sin

ess

(B

2B

)

Business-to-business(B2B)

Business-to-customer(B2C)

Intraorganisational Intraorganisational Consumer-to-consumer

Mobile Internet

• The fastest growing method of web browsing is through wireless, handheld devices

• The 'mobile revolution' is about convergence of technologies: computing + Internet technologies + networking + telecommunications.

Wireless protocol optionsProtocol Description

GSM Very successful standard for voice but less suitable for data due to low data rates (9600 bps)

GPRS GSM overlay protocol allowing for higher data transfer speeds

WLAN (IEEE 802.11)

(IEEE 802.11b)

Wireless LAN. Data rates are very high (for the 'b' standard up to 11 Mbps, but coverage is limited to certain areas ~150 meters from each access point.

Bluetooth Short-range, high rate protocol between devices.

UMTS UMTS belongs to the 3rd generation of mobile communications. In the initial stages speeds are likely to be 64-384 kbps, - much faster when stationary. Networks not yet rolled out in Turkey.

Mobile devices

Mobile PhonesMobile Phones

Extremely mobile GPRS phones are available, but they have very small WAP screens with few lines and simple graphics – too small for effective use of data applications. Relatively low functionality software.

Mobile devices

SmartphonesSmartphones

Integrated GSM/GPRS phone and PDA organiser. Larger screen (e.g. 160x160 pixels or more) suitable for e-mail, limited web browsing and small versions of office applications

Mobile devices

Pocket PCsPocket PCs

Fast 32-bit processors and 64+ MB memory run powerful programs, better display e.g. 16-bit colour in 240 by 320 pixels or more. Integrated wireless networking is restricted to Bluetooth, but add-ons for WLAN are available as plug-in cards

Mobility: Possibilities to bring IT onto construction sites

Camera plug-in

WLAN connection card(later GPRS / UMTS?)

Large screen for easy entry and viewing of data

AutodeskOnSite

Appendix: i-mode

• i-modeTM, the system created by Japanese cellular operator NTT DoCoMo has acquired +30 million users (Mid 2002) in Japan alone, having started in 1999.

• In Europe i-mode is marketed by e.g. E-plus (Germany, owned by Dutch KPN)

• To create web pages for the i-mode system, developers have to employ a special subset of HTML known as compact HTML (cHTML), which includes some extra tags.

WAP and i-mode

• WAP language WML forms a subset of XML. The data only has to be created once (in XML) and can then fed to both WAP servers and HTML based Web servers. With i-mode to achieve the same result one must create two separate sets of data (XML & cHTML)

• i-mode supports colour graphics, WAP does not

• i-mode is proprietary technology whereas WAP is the result of co-operation between the handset vendors and the software industry in the WAP Forum

• WAP is relative failure; i-mode is a big success with private consumers