Integrated Development Environment, Coursework Example

Introduction

Software plays crucial roles in supporting hardware and ensuring successful application of processes. Software also plays crucial roles in ensuring successful completion of projects and in helping business processes. The software in this case is open source software available from the Google code. The software being open source means that its source code is licensed and available as an open source license. In addition, the copy write owner of the open source software has the rights to provide opportunities for changing, studying and distributing this software. Open source software has advantages because they are developed in a collaborative and public manner. Open source software can only be compared to open content movements and user-generated content (Concrete5, 2013). The open source code for this case is an information system based on an applicable and real software. In this case, the information system is Concrete5, which is a pure Java/JavaScript and high-speed bidirectional communication system that offers solutions for web applications.

Application Domain

Concrete5 occurs as open source software that offers a content management system. The Concrete5 is initiated for the creation of innovative HTML5. This software helps individuals to publish content online in the World Wide Web or intranet. This system has its applications on communication and streaming applications on the web. This information system has immense applications and it crucially replaces the existing approaches employed by XHR and Comet services and approaches. This information system has immense capabilities especially in offering ultra high speed and flexible bidirectional TCP sockets communication technologies (Concrete5, 2013). Most importantly, Concrete5 occurs as an open source JavaScript and Java implementation of HTML 5 WebSocket protocol. Crucially, this system has enormous resources through its set of extensions. The designers of this software incorporated ease of use because the users do not require immense technical knowledge and skills.

The Concrete5 package has a set of components that include the Concrete5 server and client. The Concrete5 server occurs as a pure based WebSocket server that has server-to-client streaming solutions. In addition, the server has server controlled C2C communication (client-to-client). The Concrete5 client occurs as a pure JavaScript based WebSocket client that has JSON support. This allows the addition of an optional user, timeout and session management, which does not require plug-ins (Pitonyak, 2004).

Analysis of the Information System’s Functionality

This information system offers immense capabilities to the user. Concrete5 speeds web applications avails numerous and innovative communication features. Using this system, an individual can create news feeds, market tickers, social networks, chat applications and online collaboration suits. In addition, Concrete5 provides different and wide ranges of functionality from powerful data to token exchange and GUI synchronization, in addition to remote procedures (Pitonyak, 2004). Using Concrete5, an individual can easily and quickly set stand-alone solutions using configurations and minimum installations procedures. This system has integration capabilities and it allows the integration of the system with existing applications. This confers immense functionalities to the entire information system.

It is important to note that the system has bidirectional capabilities derived from its TCP communications using single sockets for increased and improved server connections, and concurrent applications. The HTML 5 compliant browser supports these functions. This enable the system to carry its functions and operations quickly compared to other systems such as Comet and other XHR approaches. As a result, stay-open and polling mechanisms become obsolete with this system. The system has improved responsiveness because of reduced latency, overheads and brand-width. These elements are supported and facilitated by the lightweight TCP sockets for communication instead of the HTTP sockets (Shelly, & Rosenblatt, 2012). In addition, the system is a standardized technology specified by the W3C and IETF aspects. This enables easy interplays between the system and firewall or proxies.

This system is a communication or information system that provides immense capabilities within an organization. The system will be introduced in the organization in order to facilitate communication and interactions between the organization and its external and internal environment. The products by the firm will also benefit from the system as they seek to interact with customers, suppliers and product observers. It is crucial to note that the system has immense capabilities in passing news feeds and in chat applications. The organization requires and consumes news in order to gain knowledge of market trends and market situations (Shelly, & Rosenblatt, 2012). The news feeds will play a crucial role in guiding company policy makers and strategists draw their strategies effectively because they have latest news. The chat applications will help the company carry out internal and external chats. This will ensure that different departments and individuals in the company stay in contact.

In addition to these capabilities, the system easily creates market tickers, online collaboration and social networks. Social networks and online collaborations will help the organization gain a mass market and following. This is because online collaborations and online applications such as social media have limitless capabilities especially in communication. As a result, the company can create its own online platform for facilitating online communications, which will enable contact on a global scale. This system has TCP connections using single sockets for facilitating server connections and concurrent clients (Yuan, 2012). This means that it can serve numerous clients at the same time, giving additional flexibility, responsiveness and speed. The system also allows integration, which is crucial in information systems especially in adding speed and bidirectional capabilities to the system.

Evaluation of Size and Staffing

A commercial company can deploy the system by first developing a system integration and upgrade strategy. Essential the company must have the capabilities to upgrade its existing information system. In addition, the company must have a need for upgrading its current information system. Thereafter, the company will form a team that will carry out the upgrade process and identify the departments that essentially need the information system upgrade. This team will have several stakeholders who will represent the company during the upgrade process. These stakeholders will include the head of communications, procurement officers, and IT specialists drawn from the firm. The stakeholders will also include IT and communications consultants and suppliers (Yuan, 2012). This team will have the responsibility of performing the system upgrade on the company’s information system. This system will confer immense benefits to the company especially in communication. For instance, it will improve the speed of passing communications and information about the markets, customers, suppliers and internal situations within the company. The system will introduce bidirectional capabilities, and responsiveness to communication.

Concrete5 is a cross-platform and interactive web application that facilitates real-time applications using WebSockets. The system enables interactivity of applications with WebSockets and cross-platform real time communication. This means that the system will not experience lag time and laxity in communication as experienced in other systems such as the Comet and XHP systems. In addition, the system has integration capabilities with other communication frameworks. This means that the company will not have to dispose its current system, but rather perform an upgrade of the system using this system (Yuan, 2012). This will help the communication and information system currently used by the company gain additional functionality because it will maintain the capabilities of the current system.

Essentially communication and the passage of information ensure interactivity. This means that the company will have all the crucial or vital information required for the successful execution of its operations. The platform supports Web 3.0 media such as Facebook and Twitter, which comprise popular social networking platforms. This will ensure that the company has immense social media capabilities and presence. The HTTP protocol previously used has downsides or disadvantages. These include the limits of the protocol for the transmission of documents only. In addition, this protocol has cumbersome tricks for the execution of near time interactions. This protocol is also ultimately non-standardized and it has lag-times and slow response mechanisms (Yuan, 2012). The introduction of the Concrete5 system leads to the creation of permanent connections, which ensures that the system does not have connect or disconnect problems. This system also has an efficient full duplex mode and it does not have delays in Halb-Duplex modes. In addition, the system has immense communication and information system advantages because it is bidirectional on single TCP channels instead of the required two channels in the HTTP platform. The system confers real time push in communication without experienced polling delays.

Though the system has high functionalities for communication and information systems, it has low request and responses for documents. However, the system allows for bidirectional and real time communications between allocations and applications. This will give the company desired functionalities in communications between applications. The system also has a dynamic and scalable cluster for managing services and nodes. It is important to note that the system has close to 1/400 of HTTP overheads and TCP verbindung. In addition, the system has a third of latency and permanent connections. As a result, the system has a single TCP port, which enables the company to save 50% of server’s resources. Additionally, the system is standardized by W3C and IETF, which helps in the protection of investment (Shelly, & Rosenblatt, 2012). Therefore, the system is cheaper, quicker and it has additional portability. The system also has an effective and desirable technological state, which facilitates its usage of platforms such as close to all browsers, and systems applications. The system’s code can also be created using a number of languages such as Python, Java and C#. Therefore, Concrete5 brings users from different platforms together, hence, facilitating communication and the passage of information.

The development and execution of the information system will require a considerable size of workers. The project will require 7 months for development, integration and implementation into the current communication and information system. The project will require a staffing of 20 IT and communication specialists who will work within the provided time to ensure that the project is completed. This team will not disintegrate because it will be required for the maintenance of the information system (Shelly, & Rosenblatt, 2012). This team will perform weekly evaluation of the system after the implementation of the system as the primary communication and information system for the company. The logs of activities by the developers shows the processes required for a successful development of the code and integration of the system into the current system. This log also provides the time required for the completion of the project.

Estimation of Effort

The estimation of effort requires an evaluation of the cost and time required for the completion of the project. The total project cost the company 5 million dollars. The project also required 20 specialists in communication and information systems. Therefore, in my opinion, the project required immense effort and dedication from the stakeholders and company in order for its successful completion. The team of 20 specialists included 8 designers, 7 testers and 5 developers (Concrete5, 2013). This team will be hired for close to two years in order to ensure the system is effective. The team will also be hired for that long to ensure that aspects of maintenance have been addressed.

What Is The Differences When Compared To Competitors?

Compared to other information systems such as Jwebsocket, Concrete5 provides better interactivity and integration of communication systems. Jwebsocket requires the integration of real time communication into the Sencha/ExtjS framework. This integration requires online collaboration with ExtjS. This process proceeds with the integration of WebSocket into the existing Sencha/ExtjS application. The integration will replace the AJAX/XHR proxy with the WebSocket proxy. Because of the integration, the company will have worldwide data synchronization in real time. The Concrete5 facilitates online collaboration through the Concrete5 and Sencha/ExtjS. The Concrete5 framework facilitates the use of replicable engines and embedded or stand-alone operations. In addition, the framework requires WebSocket applications and plug-ins, which will ensure that the system is completely open (Concrete5, 2013). The Concrete5 tokens require common language for the comprehension of incoming packets. The data format for this case could be JSON, CSV and XML. The framework has cross browser compatibilities that enable native support in various browsers. In addition, the framework enables flash-fallback for older versions of browsers and Comet Fallback and Long-Polling.

References

Concrete5. (2013). What Is Concrete5. Concrete5. Retrieved From < http://code.google.com/p/Concrete5/>

Pitonyak, A. D. (2004). OpenOffice.org macros explained. Whitefish Bay, Wisc: Hentzenwerke Publ.

Shelly, G. B., & Rosenblatt, H. J. (2012). Systems analysis and design. Boston: Course Technology Cengage Learning.

Yuan, J. X. (2012). Liferay portal systems development: Build dynamic, content-rich, and social systems on top of Liferay. Birmingham, U.K: Packt Open Source.