The CoachLab™ class of 2006 in celebratory mood at their graduation ceremony at The Innovation Hub recently.

2006 CoachLab projects

Project 1: Design and development of a new website for CoachLab™ - 2006
Group project - Sponsored by all partners
Students: All students at CoachLab™

The Internet has evolved over the years as an important information repository, marketing environment and product selling point for both small and large businesses. This makes websites very important for institutions, organisations and governments alike.

The CoachLab™, first designed and developed by the pioneer students at CoachLab™, has remained the responsibility of CoachLab™ students with regard to updating and maintenance. The first project undertaken of the year was to redesign the website, to create a fresh and new look for CoachLab™. The project was important, as the website provides an avenue where the outside community, both industry and academia, are kept informed about the CoachLab™ activities and provide details of how to benefit from or partner with other CoachLab™ sponsors. The project was completed within one month and was regarded as successful. The new website can be accessed at: www.coachlab.co.za.

Project 2: Development of a lightweight Multimedia Message Service Center (MMSC)
to send MMS messages
Sponsored by MTN-SA
Student: Moshe Masonta

MMSCs that are used by network operators are bulky and expensive, while most of the functionality provided by such MMSCs are not used to their full capacity. To cut the cost of maintaining, renting or running such MMSCs, it is appropriate for network operators to have lightweight MMSC to perform basic functionality of relaying, storing and forwarding the Multimedia messages. The project is being developed using Perl programming language running on Linux.

Project 3: Optimal measurement of speech transmission quality in GSM/3G Networks
Sponsored by MTN-SA
Student: Philip Adar

Classical PSTN, as traditionally provided, using dedicated circuit-switched networks, is reliable and economical. A contemporary challenge is to provide high-quality, reliable and low-cost voice telephone services over non-dedicated and heterogeneous networks.

Since good voice quality is also a key factor in garnering customer satisfaction, the aim of the project was to develop a computerised voice quality measurement solution for the MTN mobile communication network. The system uses mathematical and signal processing techniques to predict user opinion of voice quality with acceptable accuracy, and is developed under a matlab programming environment. With this system, the network service providers will be able to rapidly provision new network connectivity and voice services for the purpose of real-time call monitoring and control and above all strive to ensure high standards of speech transmission quality to end users.

Project 4: Development of a wireless network analysis tool
Sponsored by MTN-SA
Student: Velile Mnisi

This project concerned the development of a wireless network analysis tool that will be used to derive the latency and throughput figures using ICMP (Internet Control Measure Protocols) packets of differing sizes. The aim is to help with network management stability and quantify connection speed for service subscribers. The throughput figures will be used to, amongst others, monitor download rate control, Quality of Service and load balancing. The developed tool will dynamically measure and estimate latency and throughput figures during connection in real time in a network and do the statistical analysis of the differing ICMP packet sizes without using file transfer or HTTP protocols. The fundamental framework of this tool is based on mathematics and statistical analysis of packets.

Project 5: Development of a lightweight high-speed WAP gateway that supports WAP 1.x and WAP 2.0 protocols
Sponsored by MTN-SA
Student: Lucien Jordaan

Technology is progressing at a very rapid rate, and the evolution of cell phones has not been an exception. As cellular phones are moving closer and closer towards computers, due to increases in processing power and memory, it has become possible to bring the Internet to the palm of your hand. Although it is currently possible to view the information from the World Wide Web on a modern cell phone, the content has to be formatted and transformed to realise wireless transmission and display of the content on the small screens of the cell phone. This is made possible by a WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) gateway. This project was aimed at investigating the necessary steps in a WAP gateway design and undetaking the actual design of the gateway. Language used for development was C++.

Project 6: Cisco Food Store Ordering Tool
Sponsored by Cisco Systems
Students: George James, IP Okunzi, Nicol Steyn, Verusha Aboo and Muneeb Thokan

The project aimed to develop a system whereby users within a building can place their food orders at the restaurant in the building via the Cisco IP phone. The restaurant administrator receives the order, processes it and notifies the user over the IP phone that the order is ready for collection. This allows users to avoid standing in a queue and effectively saves time. The administrator can use the web-based interface as a tool to add, edit and delete users and menu items. These are among many other features available to the administrator. The technology used was programming in java, html, xml and MySQL.

Project 7: Cisco Events Feedback Application (CEFA)
Sponsored by Cisco Systems
Students: George James, IP Okunzi

The Cisco Event Feeback Application (CEFA) system allows thousands of users who have attended an event to rate the event via the Cisco IP phone. The system consists of two applications, namely the web application (where the administrator can manage all presenters, events, users, questions and system settings) and the IP phone application (where the user and administrator rates events and only the administrator can view the event evaluation summary via the Cisco IP Phones). Technology used: HTML, Java, XML, MySQL, FileMaker. It is interesting to note that Cisco is looking into the commercialisation of this project.

Project 8: Web portal project for Success Factors
Sponsored by EPI-USE Systems
Students: Patience Kgonyane, Gosiame Tshetlanyane and Arnhem Bezuidenhout

The main objective in this project was to design a web portal for Success Factors (a US based EPI-USE partner) clients. This project had two parts:

• The first part involved enabling filtration of the various categories of visitors to the portal, thereby differentiating between normal visitors and potential clients so that they could be managed in an efficient manner.
• The second part was to create a web based form that enables companies that are interested in joining Success Factors as partners, allowing them to refer potential clients.

Project 9: Wireless/IP access of the SAP-HR Database Module
Shared project sponsored by MTN, Cisco Systems and EPI-USE Systems
Students: All 2006 CoachLab™ participants

Telecommunications technology has evolved to the point that our lives would be difficult without access to this important communication medium and business tool. Since many IP (Intellectual Property) solutions have been deployed to our offices and mobile phones are our constant companions, we continue in our endeavours to extend the functionality of both to save time with much of the paper work related to human resource management.

The aim of this project was to develop an integrated software solution that allows wireless/IP access of the SAP-Human Resources (HR) module. This will allow WAP capable mobile phones (through MTN-SA connection) and Cisco IP phones to integrate to the SAP HR module from EPI-USE Systems for the purposes of simple, convenient and centralised HR management. For example, users within a company would be able, amongst others, to do the following on the SAP-HR system via a WAP page or via Cisco IP phone:

• Check for leave balance and/or apply for leave
• Update employee contact details and address
• Check important company related dates or meeting schedules.

For enquiries about these projects, contact Martin Manmohan, Chief Operating Officer at Maxum Business Incubator at The Innovation Hub at +27 12 844 0033/0000 or email mmanmohan@theinnovationhub.com.

Information on the CoachLab™ at www.theinnovationhub.com/maxum_coachlab.cfm

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