Associate Professor: Roger Alan Pick
Office: Bloch 239
Hours: drop-in and by appointment
Voice: (816) 235-2336
FAX: (816) 235-2312
e-Mail: rpick@vax1.umkc.edu
Textbooks: Mary J. Cronin, Doing business on the internet, New York: Van Nostrand
Reinhold, 1994.
Peter G. W. Keen & J. Michael Cummins, Networks in action: Business choices
and telecommunications decisions, Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 1994.
Prerequisite: MIS 502 or equivalent.
Overview: Basics of data communications and telephony with how these are applied to
achieve business advantage.
Attendance: You are expected to attend class. Each of you is responsible for all information
covered in lectures, all announcements made in class, and all handouts distributed
during class.
Cheating: Assignments are expected to be your own work. (However, you may ask each
other questions.)
Neither copying nor any form of cooperation during in-class tests are allowed.
Those engaging in any of these practices will receive a grade of zero on the test
and will be required to apologize to the rest of the class.
Flagrant or repeated violations will result in additional disciplinary action.
Homework: There will be a number of homework assignments. Your lowest assignment grade
will be dropped. All the assignments together will count for one-fourth of your
grade.
Tests: There will be three open book examinations. Each exam will count for one-fourth
of your grade. Exams may be comprehensive; they will focus on most recent
material, but there will be some material that was covered prior to an earlier exam.
Makeups: A makeup exam will be given if you miss the exam due to documented causes
beyond your control. Both of these conditions must hold.
Late assignments: I will accept 2 assignments late without penalty provided they are turned in
by the next time the class meets. That's it! Assignments are also accepted
by FAX (235-2312; be sure my name is on a cover sheet).
CYA: I occasionally make mistakes in grading or in entering grades. For your protection, keep a
copy of any graded materials returned to you until you have received your semester grade
report from the University.
Finally, all aspects of this class will be handled logically, sensibly, and with understanding of your
situation. Exceptions can be made in accordance with good judgement.
Date
Topic
Assignment
23 August
Course overview, Background
Read 2-28
25 August
Technical foundations of telecommunications
Read 44-60
30 August
Telecommunications network fundamentals
Read 60-86
1 September
How the phone system works
6 September
Discussions on minicases 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, 1-4
Read 32-43
8 September
Telecommunications decision sequence
Read 97-149
13 September
Terminals
Read 152-186
15 September
Links
Read 196-224
20 September
Protocols
Read 234-259
22 September
Standards processes, ISO OSI, TCP/IP
Read 267-286
27 September
Discussions on minicases
to be announced
29 September
Catch-up and review
4 October
first exam
6 October
Architecture, LANs and WANs, TCP/IP
Read 291-298, 308-330
11 October
Internet part one
Read Cronin chapters
1-3
13 October
Internet part two
Read Cronin chapters
4-6
18 October
Internet part three
Read Cronin chapters
7-9
20 October
Networks and business strategy
Read 360-394
25 October
Discussions on minicases
to be announced
27 October
Communications integration
Read 405-435
1 November
Network design
Read 549-570
3 November
Discussions
to be announced
8 November
Catch-up and review
10 November
second exam
15 November
Network operations
Read 581-606
17 November
Economics of data communications
22 November
Managing Costs
Read 618-632
29 November
Discussions
to be announced
1 December
Organizational issues
Read 644-659
6 December
Discussions
to be announced
8 December
Catch-up and review
13 December
5:45-7:45 PM
Final Exam