Wi-Fi Implementation in Hospitality Industries - Assignment Example

Degree Project Project Approval Form Supervisors Project Wi-Fi Implementation in Hospitality Industries Brief outline of project The nature of the project is a Wi-Fi implementation and the prototyping method will be used in the implementation. The term Wi-Fi is a short form of Wireless Fidelity which is a name given to 802.11 series of Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs). Wireless LAN is a computer networking technology in which Radio Frequency (RF) is used as a connecting medium instead of wires and cables. The need for a wireless LAN arose due to the requirement of mobility of users while staying connected to the network. Users can access the network within a specified range without any physical contact with the main server. This facility has been made available to the users by the introduction of modulation techniques into networking. In order to keep up and competitive hotels and resorts they must consider what is happening in the world around them and looking for additional sourse, internet access is a key factor to attract business customer to hotels. Wi-Fi technology has quickly been adopted by hotels and resorts to keep up and competitive, improve quality of guest services, incrase revenue. In my project I will discuss business issues and strategy behind of addapting Wi-Fi technology in hotels. Description of artefact being produced Wi-Fi Implementation in Hospitality Industries Introduction: Wireless fidelity or Wi-Fi is a communication technique extensively used by many companies for being 'always in touch' with clients, employees, service providers etc. The service oriented industries in particular are the one's reaping maximum benefit out of this technique. Wi-Fi in general is also termed as "wireless LAN." But it has wider scope and dimension than a LAN. In Wi-Fi, products from different manufacturers with a set of specifications, can work effectively. It is a very convenient and quick method to hook online at home, the office and when traveling. Any Wi-Fi enabled computer can hook on the internet and surf the desired information. WiMAX is an improvement over Wi-Fi, in which the coverage area is broadened like that of a the cell phone network and there is no need to look for the small WiFi hotspots. This system too is in the evolutionary stage. WiMAX is short for 'Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access', and it is also known by the name IEEE 802.16. In practical terms, operation of WiMAX is similar to WiFi but at comparatively higher speeds, over greater area and for a much greater number of users. This service is somewhat similar to the mobile phone services, where we get signal on our mobile almost everywhere, depending upon the mobile transmitter/ repeater towers. Problem Area Statement: It is a technology which enables streaming media, e-mail access, real-time messaging etc. In the project we are to study 'how best these networks can be used in the Hospitality Industry' or in other words how to optimise the use of Wi-Fi networks for making the hospitality industry more hospitable and caring. A company can keep track of its customers/ clients, employees etc. using Wireless techniques, and communicate with them wherever they are. This arrangement is quite similar to the mobile phone networking. The big difference is, Wi-Fi makes high speed broadband networking possible even on the move. A wireless network uses Radio Frequency (RF) waves, like cell phones, televisions and radios do. For a hospitality industry what matters the most is continuous and consistent look-after of the customers by the company. At times communication companies set up 'Wi-Fi hotspots' in areas most frequented by business travellers. These are the areas in which wireless High speed internet can be accessed from anywhere without any supporting cables etc. This allows us to easily connect multiple computers which can be moved from place to place without disconnecting or reconnecting bunch of wires. These being the initial years, broadly there are couple of challenges before the hospitality industry, like; Establishing comprehensive awareness level about Wi-Fi networks amongst its own employees and service partners. Making the usage widely acceptable to its clientele. Gathering enough resources for being a part of the Wi-Fi network. Literature Review and Analysis: Wi-Fi, or 802.11b LAN, operates in the frequency spectrum of 2.4Ghz and supports quite high speeds up to 11Mbps. Airport, Pubs, Coffee shops, Hotels, Motels, Inns, Public entertainment places, Shopping Malls, Libraries, Restaurants, Expo-Marts, Convention Halls, Downtown business districts, Departmental Stores, Laundromats, Auto repair shops, Vacation rental properties, Resorts etc. are the places marked as hotspots for Wi-Fi networks. Wireless adapter is all that is required to access the information gateway. The newer versions of Laptops and desktop computers are having inbuilt adapters for Wi-Fi access. The latest in PCs the Pocket/ Palm PCs are now available with Compact Flash-support, or built-in Wi-Fi. Obviously there are security concerns as eavesdropping can prove fatal for the security of data and personal details of the user. Some of the security threats during Wi-Fi access could be like; People can see what Web sites we're visiting, in real time. Login information of e-mail accounts and FTP accounts is compromised. The Network is open for others to connect. Ghost writing can be done using our internet connection. It may be used for sending and/or receiving spam, illegal music files, porn content etc. Others on the network can access any shared files on Laptops/ PCs or servers connected to the network. To address such concerns some of the techniques used are; Wired Equivalency Privacy (WEP): WEP uses 64-bit or 128-bit encryption. 128-bit encryption is considered more secure. The user has to know the WEP key, generally in the form of a numerical password. Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA): There's another technique for protecting the user. It is called Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA). In this technique temporal key integrity protocol encryption is used. WPA is considered more secure than WEP. Media Access Control (MAC): This technique is somewhat different from WEP or WPA in the sense that it doesn't use a password to authenticate users. Instead it uses a computer's physical hardware. Each computer is supposed to have its own unique MAC address. In this technique MAC address filtering takes place which allows only machines with specific MAC addresses to access the network. Customers/ Users are also advised to Disable all sharing of files and folders and to use personal firewall software. Make sure that they are connected to the Wi-Fi network thru a legitimate access point. Use anti-virus software. Use and Updated version of their operating system. At times hospitality industry provides free Wi-Fi high speed internet access to its guests as a complementary benefit. This helps in keeping the customer in good humor and ensures customer loyalty. Hospitality industry resorts to Revenue Management (RM) which is a scientific technique combining Operations Research, Statistics and Customer Relationship Management (CRM). This technique also segments the customers, depending upon their paying capacity, usage of various services etc. Also the needs and requirements of a business traveller happen to be quite different from that of a vacation traveller. Revenue Management process also involves demand forecasting and pricing of the different market segments. For hospitality industry It is relatively easy to install a Wi-Fi network as compared to wired LAN as it requires minimum cabling. The Initial investment for Wi-Fi can be higher than required for a wired LAN but the overall installation and maintenance cost is lesser and under the Revenue Management scheme it fits quite well. To protect the data of a Wi-Fi user encryption/ decryption technique is used for data transfer. But this arrangement slows down the speed of internet. For this very reason it is observed that in order to provide faster access, at times the hotel/ restaurant owner prefers compromising the security aspect. This is not a healthy practice from a long-term business perspective, as it may bring in short term gains for the business enterprise and the user but once the rogue elements take over, it may result in massive loss of data and business prospect. Wi-Fi internet access costs depend upon the service provider and it varies from one service provider to another. Wi-Fi service providers typically offer monthly or daily access plans. There are websites which help in finding the Wi-Fi hotspots, so that the traveller can plan out the logistics beforehand. The main problem in Wi-Fi access is that the number of hot spots is limited or very small, and accordingly the coverage area is sparse. The upgraded version WiMAX has the potential to erase the blackout areas prevalent in suburban and rural pockets, having no access to normal Broadband connections and Wi-Fi signals. A WiMAX system essentially consists of two parts: I. A WiMAX tower: Similar to a cell-phone tower - A single WiMAX tower can provide coverage to a very large area - as big as 8,000 square km. II. A WiMAX receiver: The receiver and antenna unit could be a small box or PCMCIA card, or they could be built into a laptop. The most advanced step in the area of Wi-Fi access is the Global Area Network (GAN). This proposal is also known as IEEE 802.20. The driving ideology behind this concept is the roaming facility of cell phone networks, with users able to travel across the country and still having access to the networks all the time. This network will be having enough bandwidth to offer Internet access comparable to cable modem service, and it would also be accessible through mobile phones besides laptops and other PCs. For a hospitality industry this would bring in windfall of opportunities as they could follow the global tourist/ traveller anywhere around the globe, with minimum amount of cost to both the parties. This tracking may take the form similar to RFID tags being used by some companies in tracking the movement of personnel/ vehicle and communicate with them whenever required. Once the global tourist agrees to radiate his/ her identity to the hotel and requests for communication from the hotel end, the hotel can track his location and send him a pick up car etc. Conclusion: Hospitality industry is indeed going to benefit immensely from the judicious use of Wi-Fi networks. But, at the same time the industry will have to find convincing responses to the security issues and related apprehension of the customers. Hospitality industry has the potential of making the client feel at home. But slight aberration in understanding the client and his needs may prove to be quite costly and nightmarish experience both for the industry as well as to the customer. Issues like breach of privacy and data security are the prime concerns for a customer. RFID technology is said to be the first one offering promise as the first iteration of intelligent sensor networks but there are the concerns of health hazards as a result of overexposure to these radiations. Strategies are to be devised in the light of such apprehensions. References: 1. Marshall Brain and Tracy V. Wilson, 'How WiFi Works', available online at http://www.howstuffworks.com/wireless-network.htm [Oct 24, 2006] 2. 'Building a Wireless Network', available online at http://computer.howstuffworks.com/wireless-network1.htm [Oct 24, 2006] 3. 'Hotels, Motels, Inns and Resorts with Free Wi-Fi', available online at http://www.wififreespot.com/hotels.html 4. Eric Janszen, 'Understanding Basic WLAN Security Issues', available online at http://www.wi-fiplanet.com/tutorials/article.php/953561 Proposed Schedule of work (list of activities and planned dates I will be selecting a team of 2 - 5 people who will be discussing the user requirement of the system, These are the users who will be making use of the system, in order to outline their requirements and how they would like to see the final system. The same users will then test the system in order to critically review the prototype. I have created a question bank that I need to ask. I will be having interviews with selected members of the team. Once user requirements for the proposed system have been discussed I will be applying the user requirement. Questionnaire 1. Are you a frequent traveller 2. You feel the need to remain connected 3. Have you made use of Wi-Fi earlier a. If YES i. How frequently do you make use of wi-fi services ii. Are you satisfied with the services and the accrued returns b. If NOT i. Did you not use it because you were not aware ii. Did the cost benefit calculations dissuade you from using it 4. Are you aware about the vulnerability of your system and data while making use of wi-fi 5. Do you make it sure that you start using the wi-fi services only when you see legitimate access point/s 6. Are you aware about the rogue access points 7. In your laptop, do you make it a point to disable the file sharing arrangements while on tours 8. Are your aware that the Radio Frequency (RF) may also result in some harmful effects to human body 9. Are you satisfied with the kind of hospitality services you are getting on tours 10. Would you like that during the tours your hotel takes good care of your pick-up and droppings to and from the airports 11. Do you get no-frills Internet connectivity during your stay in Hotels 12. Which are the hotels that you generally prefer for your stay on tours 13. What are the suggestions that you would like to share with us towards improvements in the Wi-fi technology implementation. Interview Questions (User) 1. How often do you access the internet through Wi-Fi network 2. How much is the payment that you generally make for Wi-Fi access 3. What is/ are the basic reason/s for your using the Wi-Fi network 4. What are the security risks that you are aware about and take due care of while using the Wi-Fi network Comments and decision, highlighting any problems (to be completed by supervisor) Signatures Date Student Supervisor (before submission) Module co-ordinator (after submission) Read More