Virtua Team Talk

I have always thought that the fundamental problem with ‘business data’ is that it never quite tells the ‘whole story’. But according to a recent BBC report all that might be about to change.

In a 1950 paper entitled “Computing Machinery and Intelligence”, computer scientist Alan Turing started with the words: “I propose to consider the question, ‘Can machines think?’”  At that time the whole idea of such a thing as “intelligent Computers” seemed something out of science fiction and somewhat ridiculous. But now we are sixty years on and today the question is more valid than ever.

Technology continues to leap forward year on year with ever greater processing powers, bigger clouds, faster internet connections, sleeker interfaces and an increasing number of what might be termed “self-learning algorithms”.

It poses an interesting question: Are computers really getting closer to human intelligence by being able to make value judgements? In other words can they understand concepts and process in a world that is not just black and white and in real time? Surprisingly for many computer scientists the answer is a resounding “yes”.

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It was recently announced that the European Commission (EU) is undertaking a deeper investigation into the spread of the internet following a previous study. The regulator says it expects an explosion in the number of household appliances and other devices connected to the net between now and 2020.

As part of this new study it will be launching a consultation over controls relating to the way information is gathered, stored and processed. One of the motivations for this consultation is because the EU wants to “ensure the rights of individuals are respected”. The public are also being invited to send in their views before a 12th July deadline.

The commission says that the average person living within the twenty seven-nation EU membership currently has at least two devices connected to the net – typically a computer and smartphone. It expects the figures to rise to seven though by 2015. In other words a total of 25 billion wirelessly connected to the net worldwide. By the end of the decade it says that this figure could potentially rise to 50 billion.

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According to Ofcom the UK’s first mainstream 4G mobile service may launch later this year. The regulator says it has received an application by ‘Everything Everywhere’ to use its existing spectrum to offer the higher-speed service. Also, interestingly Ofcom is saying that it does not believe the move by the owner of the Orange and T-Mobile networks would distort competition and has given other operators four weeks to submit their views about the proposed change.

Ofcom had previously stated that next-generation 4G services would not be rolled-out until 2013 / 2014 following a planned auction of 800MHz and 2.6GHz frequencies which include parts of the spectrum historically used by analogue TV and being switched off as part of the switch to digital services. Now ‘Everything Everywhere’ plans to jump ahead by varying its 1800MHz spectrum licenses to allow the use of LTE (long term evolution) and Wimax technologies.

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With the recent spell of good weather it seems that many minds are now turning towards the 2012 London Olympics and looking forward to this amazing sporting spectacle with London at the centre of attention.

The build up to the games is now gaining increased momentum in preparation for the Summer and there is a flurry of activity in getting all the elements of the infrastructure tested and ready. In an increasingly digital age the role played by both operational and communications technology in the planning and staging of the Olympic and Paralympic Games is vital.

The technology will undoubtedly play a critical part in the planning and delivery of all services and functions across a wide range of venues including video boards, score boards and public announcement systems. The public address systems alone are vital components in terms of informing, educating and entertaining the audience particularly within the stadiums where good clear communication will be essential to enhance the whole spectator experience.  A number of dedicated Technology teams will ensure that core competition information and accurate sport results are captured, produced and communicated to a worldwide audience.

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I was interested this week to read a recent technology report from the BBC about the growing phenomenon that some whimsically refer to as ‘BYOC’ which stands for ‘Bring Your Own Computer.’ It refers to companies who are now offering their staff the chance to choose the devices they use for work – a laptop, desktop, Mac, tablet or iPad etc.

Some commentators have even gone so far as to suggest that soon you may find yourself using your own device – laptop, tablet and/or smartphone – for work whether you like it or not!

Some of us dream of a world where you have your choice of laptop, smartphone or tablet at work – all of which are, of course, connected seamlessly and are constantly updated! Indeed for those who feel like screaming in frustration when their  ancient XP desktop computer tries and fails to open their inbox this might seem like an impossible dream – but for some people that day is already here.

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Our responsibilities at Virtua are these days as much about project managing as they are providing experienced technical people to work on complex telecoms projects.

In many ways deploying experienced and qualified project managers is becoming more and more important as discrete pieces of work are often wrapped up within larger projects with a lot of critical interdependencies. Even for dedicated technical experts having an awareness of project management concepts can help enormously in their day to day work.

But being a ‘good’ project manager doesn’t happen overnight! Anyone who regularly reads the Newspapers, Telecomms or IT magazines will be familiar with the shocking track record of projects that have either failed to deliver or delivered late and over budget.

In fact, studies by numerous research bodies have proven beyond doubt that despite many advances in the reliability of components generally, and a much greater focus on training Project Managers, every year billions of pounds are wasted on systems and projects that fail to deliver and thus the true costs to business of months wasted on non-productive effort are staggering.

So where is it all going wrong? And why?

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It’s almost auction time again and the usual scramble for spectrum space has now started to gain momentum.

In the words of Ofcom, “The auction of 4G licences will allow smartphone and tablet computer users to stream and download at super high speeds almost anywhere in the UK.” The new ’4G’ connections work like current phone technologies, but deliver internet as fast or faster than many home wi-fi connections. What is still not clear though is when UK phone users will get access to the high-speed mobile networks that are now widespread in the USA. Based on the current proposals for the auction later this year at least 98% of the population would have access to mobile broadband.

This is likely to set the scene for an explosion in tablet and smartphone use because demand for mobile data in Western Europe is expected to go up by more than 500% over the next five years according to analysts.  Users will have to upgrade to new 4G tablets and phones in order to benefit but demand is expected to be high. In particular Apple’s upcoming ‘iPhone5’ is widely expected to have a 4G connection.

The new licences will give operators access to frequencies that are being free’d up as the UK switches off analogue TV and moves to digital. Ofcom’s proposals will be of particular benefit to people living in rural areas where there has been no commercial incentive to set up a new mobile infrastructure in the past.

Ofcom Chief Executive Ed Richards commented: “This is a crucial step in preparing for the most significant spectrum release in the UK for many years. The proposals published today will influence the provision of services to consumers for the next decade and beyond.”

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It’s interesting how Partnerships can start in so many different ways. Some result from careful analysis of business synergies resulting in formal proposals, some are the end result of a slow and steady convergence of ideas and strategies and some result from nothing more than a casual conversation between like-minded people.

The owner of the business park where we are based, Llew de Souza is also the MD and owner of an organisation called ‘Graham Smith UK’ who provide network connectivity solutions – particularly cabling for the Telecoms sector. When Virtua moved to our new premises a year ago we soon got to know our new neighbours better and it’s amazing how quickly relationships can develop from these casual acquaintances. Read the rest of this entry »

An area where Virtua has been leading the industry is the deployment of ‘femtocells’.

Essentially a femtocell is a small cellular base station, typically designed for use in a home or small business, that connects to the service provider’s network via broadband (such as DSL or cable). A femtocell allows service providers to extend service coverage indoors, especially where access would otherwise be limited or unavailable.

For a mobile operator, the attractions of a femtocell are improvements to both coverage and capacity. Consumers benefit from improved coverage, potentially better voice quality, better battery life and, depending on the carrier, they may also be offered more attractive tariffs.

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We have all been there. That awful moment when we need to make an important phone call or send a critical email and then we suddenly find our battery-life has run out and our device needs urgent re-charging. Because of the power-hungry nature of nearly all today’s portable devices whether tablets, laptops or smart phones, we are often left staring in desperation at a rapidly diminishing battery-life indicator in annoyance and frustration.

The good news, though, is that getting caught short with a dwindling power supply may soon be a thing of the past thanks to the efforts of researchers at Illinois’ Northwestern University.

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