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Title: Genius Executive Centre

Type: Field case

Author: John Kandiri

Product Number: 2007-S-03

Publication date: January 2007

Length: 15p

 

Discipline: IT for business

 

To order:

CASE SYNOPSIS: 

On 30th July 2005, Mr. Harrison Karanja and Mr. Stephen Alala, two young Kenyan entrepreneurs, had launched Genius Executive Centre (GEC).

GEC provided workspace to customers. More specifically, it provided customers with a ready-to-use desk, a chair, a computer workstation and a server space. There was also internet connection, telephone, a common boardroom and a secretary provided by GEC. Wireless connectivity was implemented in the Local Area Network (LAN) forming a Wireless LAN.

By March 2006, some problems had surfaced in course of GEC operations. Customers had relentlessly rated the network connectivity poorly during the centres evaluation of customer satisfaction.  Internet and network access being central to the GEC services meant this was a serious problem that could not be compromised.  The partners were to meet the next day in order to find the solution to the obstinate connectivity issue.

Learning Objective:
The student should be able to:

  1. Understand the working of the current network configuration
  2. Identify the problem with the current network configuration
  3. Analyze the problem in relation to (i)
  4. Develop a decision of best configuration
  5. Come up with an alternative network configuration with possible design the proposal
  6. In all, the student should be able to apply : The theory, Concepts and Techniques in network configuration
  7. To introduce students to the case discussion method as a valuable active learning pedagogy

 

Immediate Issue:
The network performance was a real threat to business operation. There was therefore an urgent need to look at the problem with an aim of coming up with a solution that would deliver quality of service (QOS) to clients whose connectivity was a major concern.

Basic Issues:
This case is design to be used at the very end of the Networking course. Alternatively, the case can be introduced after the students have covered Network Analysis and Design chapter of the networking course. For Computer security course, it can be introduced after a discussion on challenges of wireless networks.  The case will make students see the real world networking scenario.

It can best be applied when the students have gone through the basic networking concepts with coverage on network topologies.

The case can as well be used to enhance understanding the security threats in wireless networks in the Computer Security class.

Setting: Nairobi, small enterprise (30 employees), information technology.