Devon Electronics
102010 Gray Race Ave.
Rolla, MO 65409
241 555-2010

6 June, 2005
Field Office
6 Government Agency Drive
Rollins, PA 19063

Attention: Aaron Astuto, Communications Director
Subject: Devon Electronics Friend-or-Foe Avionics Proposal Adjustment

Dear Mr. Astuto,

I am writing in regard to the proposal Devon Electronics submitted for the recent contract for friend-or-foe electronics for military aircraft. My company's proposal listed Martha Ruiz as our lead technician for the project when it was submitted. However, Ms. Ruiz has since accepted a position at Barrett Enterprises, and will be unable to work for Devon Electronics on future projects.

Devon Electronics still hopes to work on the friend-or-foe avionics project. My company is still deciding who will take Ms. Ruiz's place, since we have a number of employees that are more than qualified to be lead technicians on aircraft electronics projects. All of our candidates have:

• At least a bachelor's degree in electronics or computer engineering.
• At least five years work experience in electronics design or project management.
• At least three years with Devon Electronics.
• Education and experience levels that are comparable to Ms. Ruiz's.

Although all our candidates for lead technician are qualified, we thought it best to inform your agency of our change in personnel. If Devon Electronics is chosen for the friend-or-foe avionics project, we will announce our new lead technician at that time. If you have any questions, please contact me at the phone number above, extension 241, or at the e-mail address below.

Sincerely,

Bo Bayles, Contact Department.
bbayles@devonElectronicsConsultingFirm.biz

This proposal recommends that we be authorized to use our time, department resources, and conduct research on upgrading software on aging computers at the local public library for our class project. We would then write a report analyzing the different options the library has for upgrading its software.

The primary function of a public library has changed as computer technology has improved. In the not-too-distant past, almost all visitors doing research at the local library used card catalogs, book indexes, and a paper-based inter-library loan system for books and articles. Today, almost all visitors use the library's public computers, the Internet, and online databases to do research. The library's public computers are also often used by children to play educational games, and by other patrons to conduct personal business and communication.

The library has purchased new computers over the last several years to respond to this increased demand, but budget concerns prohibit the library from upgrading all of its computers at once – one or two new computers are purchased every year or so. As a result, the library currently has computers that are up to 5 years old, with almost each year's computer running different software.

Security issues, such as the threats from “malware” (malicious software like viruses or “spyware”) and computer hackers, have become a concern in recent years. The primary method of defense from these threats is software updates from vendors. However, many software vendors do not provide security updates to older versions of their software, and the new versions may not run on older computer hardware. The library is also not always able to afford new versions of software for its computers, and often must retrain its employees and patrons to use new software.

We propose to investigate the different options the library can pursue to keep its computers and patrons' data safe from security threats in the most cost-effective manner. These options range from buying new hardware, buying new operating system software, buying non-operating system protection software, and using freely available “open source” software. Our purpose will be to analyze the costs associated with each option, including overhead, training, and maintenance, and also take into consideration patron and employee satisfaction.

We have contact with the public library's administrator and employees, and one of our team members has done computer work for a public library in the past. We hope to work with these individuals in doing our research over the last two weeks of June, and will have a finished recommendation by July 8. At that time, we will submit a report detailing our findings for your review.

Introduction

As computer technology has evolved, the role of computers has increased in almost all areas. One  of the places that computer technology improvements have had a dramatic effect is at public libraries. A few years ago, people doing research at libraries had to rely on card catalogs, indexes in books, and a slow inter-library loan process for books and articles. Today, people can access the information they need much more quickly – electronic catalogs make searching fast and easy, there are numerous research sources on the Internet, and electronic databases make accessing articles instantaneous. In addition to research, library patrons use public computers for:

• educational games – children can play computer games on CD-ROM that help them learn to read, learn to type, learn to do math, or entertain them.
• personal business – library patrons can use Internet banking services to balance their checkbooks using a computer, and many library patrons file their state and federal income tax returns electronically with public computers.
• personal communication – library patrons can access e-mail from public computers, and use word processing software and the public printers to print letters and documents.

To respond to this increased role for computers in public libraries, the local library has purchased new computers over the last several years. As computer software has improved, it has become more demanding of computer hardware. Due to its limited budget, the library cannot afford to replace all its computers in one upgrade cycle, so it usually buys one or two new computers each year. As a result its current set of computers contains machines that are up to five years old. Each generation of computer runs different operating system and application software.

As computers have become more and more ubiquitous, they have become targets of malicious users. Public libraries, especially, have to watch out for the security of their computers, especially when multiple patrons use public computers to file tax returns, do their banking online, and access their e-mail. Today, computer security threats include:

• hackers – rogue computer users who use weaknesses in software to gain access to computers and data they shouldn't. Many hackers specialize in identity theft, which can cost computer users thousands of dollars.
• viruses – malicious computer software that makes copies of itself and attempts to “infect” other computers. Computer viruses can be further subdivided into “trojan horses,” “worms,” and “backdoors,” based on how they work. Viruses can be anywhere from harmless to very destructive – some might display a mischievous image, others might erase important data from its host computer's hard disk [1].
• spyware – a relatively new type of malicious software that collects personal information about the user of the computer on which it resides, then sends it back to a third party [2].

The primary defense from these threats is updating software – software vendors either fix vulnerabilities in their products by releasing a new version for users to buy, or by offering a smaller revision “patch” that users can usually download for free. Both methods are often impractical for the library – sometimes it does not have the funds available to buy a new version, and sometimes updated software will not run on older hardware. When any software changes are made, the library often has to spend time and money retraining employees and re-teaching users how to use the software that has changed.

All of the library's current computers use versions of Microsoft's Windows operating system, and Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser for Internet access. These two products are the most used by library patrons, and also the most vulnerable to malicious software and hackers. This makes them the most important to update for security reasons. This leads to a number of issues:

Microsoft plans to stop offering updates to many older versions of its software, most immediately Windows 98 and Windows Me, which some library computers run. Users who want security updates will have to switch to newer versions of Windows. See Table 1 for dates for expiry of Microsoft support.These Windows upgrades can be $100 to $200 per machine for the newest Windows version.

Microsoft plans to release a new version of its Internet Explorer browser in 2005 [3] that will contain many security fixes, but it will only be available for Windows XP and Windows 2003 users. A similar Internet Explorer upgrade was released in 2004, so library computers currently have different versions installed on different computers.

The newest versions of Windows have higher “minimum system requirements,” the hardware that is necessary to run them. Even if a computer meets the minimum requirements, it may be much slower than is desirable. Updating hardware can cost anywhere from under $50 to hundreds of dollars.

Table 1: Microsoft Product Support Time Table – Source: Microsoft [4]

If all the library's computers cannot have the latest security releases for their software, they should be protected as much as possible by other software. This software includes [5]:

• anti-virus software – There are several companies that offer software that prevent virus outbreaks for public computers. These are normally available on a subscription basis, so they must be paid for each year.
• anti-spyware software – Like antivirus software, there are a number of software products aimed at keeping computers free of spyware. Many of these are freely available.
• anti-hacker software – Most commonly software “firewalls” are used to keep hackers from accessing computers. There are several types of firewalls available, some for free.
• alternative web browsers – Because Microsoft's Internet Explorer is used on over 90% of computers, it makes a good target for individuals who try to exploit its vulnerabilities. There are alternative web browsers from the Mozilla Foundation and AOL's Netscape division that are freely available and a good security reputation.
• alternative operating systems – Like Internet Explorer, Microsoft Windows is installed on a vast majority of computers, making it a large target for malicious individuals. There are alternative operating systems, many of which are freely available that have a reputation for being more secure and usable on older hardware. Various types the of Linux operating system also have a reputation for being difficult to set up.

We have been in contact with the library administrator, Amante Livros, who is enthusiastic about the proposed research. Along with some of the above information, she told us what she would want out of such a study. She said any change or addition in software necessitates retraining library employees, who may not be computer experts, so an ideal solution is:

• inexpensive to implement – the library has a limited budget, so costs for new hardware or software should be kept to a minimum.
• inexpensive to maintain – if there are recurring costs, such as the necessity to upgrade again in the near future, or renew a subscription, these costs should be minimal.
• easy for employees to learn – time and money must be spent teaching employees how to use any new software.
• easy for patrons to use – patrons must be able to accomplish what they're used to without excessively having to ask library staff for help.

This proposal's purpose is to request authorization to use our class time and project money to research the different upgrade options the library has. In the following sections of this proposal, we will outline our proposed procedure for research, present our qualifications to conduct and evaluate the research, and outline our budget.

Proposed Procedure

In conducting our research on different software upgrade options for the local public library, we will perform the following tasks, subject to your review:

1. Meet with the library administration to determine the current library computer system configurations.
2. Distribute questionnaires to library staff and patrons to find out their computer usage patterns and skill levels.
3. Investigate upgrade options by reading software reviews, contacting other libraries to share their experiences, and researching costs.
4. Test some of the trial versions and free Microsoft upgrade alternatives on library computers to find out how patrons and staff respond to them by conducting short interviews and distributing questionnaires.
5. Provide a completion report detailing our findings.

Task 1: Meet with the library administration to determine the current library computer system configurations.

Our first meeting with the library's administrator, Amante Livros, revealed that the public library's current computers are up to five years old and running various versions of Microsoft's Windows and Internet Explorer software. We request time on the morning of June 20th to meet with Amante Livros again, and get from her the exact specifications of the library's public computers.

Task 2:Distribute questionnaires to library staff and patrons to find out their computer usage patterns and skill levels.

Our meeting with Amante Livros also revealed that the library staff has varying levels of experience with computers and software, so ascertaining their skill level is important in determining what upgrade options are the most feasible. We propose to give the library staff members questionnaires asking about their computer skills. We also propose to leave questionnaires for library patrons that use the public computers asking about both their computer skills and for what tasks they most use library computers.

Task 3:Investigate upgrade options by reading software reviews, contacting other libraries to share their experiences, and researching costs.

Our team member, Samir Bolton, is experienced with many anti-virus and anti-spyware software. We propose to use his knowledge and opinions from reviews from computer magazines (available at the public library) and web sites to determine which companies provide the best software for our purposes. We asked Amante Livros to refer us to other library administrators, so we can contact them about their computer upgrade policies. We request time and money for phone calls to conduct short interviews, and further correspondence can be done via e-mail.

Task 4: Test some of the trial versions and free Microsoft upgrade alternatives on library computers to find out how patrons and staff respond to them by conducting short interviews and distributing questionnaires.

Getting actual usability data on some of the possible upgrade options would be very valuable in determining the best option to recommend. According to our preliminary research, there are freely available and easy-to-install versions of the Linux operating system.  These Linux distributions can be temporarily installed on a computer with a CD-ROM drive without affecting the computer's normal operating system [6]. We also propose installing alternative web browsers from the Mozilla Foundation and Netscape. We request time to ask library patrons and staff what they think about using the alternative software, and collect questionnaires asking about its usability, learning curve, and features.

Task 5: Provide a completion report detailing our findings.

After finishing gathering, we will analyze the data from our interviews, research, and questionnaires, and compile a report outlining our findings. We will submit this report to you for our class assignment, and to Amante Livros at the public library, so she can consider its conclusions. In the report, we will explain the problem we studied, the methods we used to study it, the pros and cons of each option we studied, and the conclusions we drew. The evaluation of the different options will consider the costs of implementation, cost of maintenance, and ease of use for both patrons and library staff. We will submit the completed report on July 8.

Team Credentials

We are confident that our team has the knowledge and experience necessary to conduct the proposed research and deliver useful recommendations.

Bo Bayles is our team's leader. He is a sophomore in Computer and Electrical Engineering. He worked in his small town's local library during high school, where he did both library-aide work and computer work. He also worked for and volunteered at his high school doing computer maintenance. He has experience in leading team projects from classes, notably his Engineering Design course.

Samir Bolton is a Computer Science major sophomore. He is interested in web page design and computer security, especially anti-virus and anti-spyware measures. He has done beta-testing of software for a number of products, including web browsers, operating systems, and computer programming applications. Samir will be our technical expert for computer software.

Helen Trene is a junior in Communications. She is experienced in writing reports, and conducting interviews. In high school, she worked for a company that did telephone surveys for government project awareness. Her research and writing skills will aide us in our project.

Budget

Our proposed budget includes estimates for the time necessary to conduct our research, costs associated with telephone interviews, refreshments for team meetings, and printing costs for questionnaires and the final report. This budget is itemized in Table 2.

Sources

1. “Computer Virus.” Wikipedia. 7 June, 2005. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_virus>
2. Delio, Michelle. “Spyware on My Machine? So What?” 7 June, 2005 <http://wired-vig.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,65906,00.html?tw=wn_story_page_prev2>
3. Foley, Mary Jo “Microsoft Internet Explorer 7.0 Details Begin to Leak.” 7 June, 2005.  <http://www.microsoft-watch.com/article2/0,1995,1776290,00.asp>
4. “Product Lifecycle Dates - Windows Product Family.” Microsoft. 6 June, 2005.  <http://support.microsoft.com/gp/lifewin>
5. Mossberg, Walter. “How to Protect Yourself From Vandals, Viruses If You Use Windows.” Wall Street Journal. 7 June, 2005. <http://ptech.wsj.com/archive/ptech-20040916.html>
6. “LiveCD.” Wikipedia. 6 June, 2005. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_cd>