1. The Scenario

You have been asked to prepare a feasibility study and an initial design to enable a large Holiday Resort Complex located on a small island in the Indian Ocean to utilise mobile technologies to improve the resort's efficiency and provide electronic services for the guests.

The island and resort are exclusively owned by the shipping company - Island Cruise. Every Saturday the Island Cruise ship - Odysseus - calls at the island bringing guests to stay at the resort and weekly supplies from the mainland.

The complex consists of a storehouse to supply the complex and an administrative building - both of which are sited some distance from the main complex. The key complex consists of three bars, two restaurants, two swimming pools, a small gymnasium, a heath and beauty centre and a small shop catering for the guests. The guests are accommodated in three hundred and fifty detached chalets dispersed over the island.

The resort's management have identified numerous key areas where they would like to see benefits from the proposed system.

• Baggage processing of guest's luggage (ship/chalet - chalet/ship).
• Check in times (currently huge numbers of guests disembark at the same time, causing long delays at check in to the resort).
• An automated tally system of guest's consumables that is drinks, meals, snacks etc. (currently guests sign for their consumables using a paper chit system).

There are four categories of user: -

• Resort guests
• Resort managers - example facilities, entrainment, staffing, resources etc.
• Resort staff - that is the staff required to cater for the guests needs such as bar staff, chefs, waiters, porters, chamber maids etc
• Administrative staff who look after accounts, stock, billing etc

All categories of user must be able to access email and Internet services.
Appropriate levels of security must be provided.

2. Assignment stages

Stage 1 Cost-Benefits Analysis

• Identify the various costs associated with the deployment, operation and maintenance of a mobile-access system.
• Identify the benefits to the various categories of user, arising from the addition of a mobile-access facility.

Stage 2 Technical Requirements

• Identify the technical requirements of the system. This should relate to the usage requirements of the various types of user, and the number of users in each category.
For example, what is the total bandwidth requirement? What level of security is required? How many concurrent users need to be expected? What proportion of the complex needs coverage? etc.

• Discuss any conflicts that arise between the various technical requirements.

Stage 3 Design

• Produce a cellular design map showing the geographical aspects of the cellular network, including cell size, cell overlap and coverage.

• Produce a topological design, showing how the wireless part of the network would be integrated into the wired backbone network.

Stage 4 Devices

• What devices will be required to construct the network?

• What devices will users connect to the network?

• What are the technical capabilities and limitations of users' devices, and how do these issues affect the design requirements?

Note. You are not expected to actually implement the system.

Stage 5 Critical Evaluation

You should summarise the outcome of your coursework, concentrating on:

• Conclusions that can be drawn from the work you have carried out.

• A critical evaluation of the design process and the final design, for instance discussion about the design and development processes and how the product and process quality were ensured at each stage. Make clear what you would do differently if you were to repeat the coursework again.

• A reflection of your learning experience. You need to be specific and not just say ‘I learned a lot about this or that ...' but say exactly what you did learn. Comprise other points such as time management issues and technical issues.