Advantages And Disadvantages Of Fiber Optics

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Fiber Optics This paper looks at fiber optics as a technology that has been developing and improving the way the world communicates for more than two centuries. It examines its origins from 1790, when a French engineer Claude Chappe invented a system for sending messages using a series of semaphores mounted on top of two towers. This paper examines the advantages and disadvantages of fiber optics and describes some of the uses of fiber optics in our everyday lives. It analyzes the manner in which fiber optic technology has revolutionised and advanced the field of telecommunications, imaging and data transmission. Modern information systems handle ever-increasing data loads, processor speeds and high-speed interconnection networks, thus impacting our world and expanding the boundaries of our technological development in all spheres of life. INTRODUCTION Nothing in the world gives us more power and confidence than having information. The ability to communicate information is essential to achieve the successful advancement of humankind. Transmission of information is imperative to the expansion of our horizons. What does this all have to do with fiber optics? This research paper will cover the basis of fiber optics in terms of its transmission, communication, origin, uses and applications. Fiber optics transports light in a very directional way. Light is focused into and guided through a cylindrical glass fiber. Inside the core of the fiber, light bounces back and forth at angles to the side walls, making its way to the end of the fiber where it eventually escapes. The light does not escape through the side walls because of total internal reflection. Why is fiber optics so important? Besides being a flexible conduit that is used to illuminate microscopic objects, fiber optics can also transmit information similarly to the way a copper wire can transmit electricity. However, copper transmits only a few million electrical pulses per second, compared to an optical fiber that carries up to a 20 billion light pulses per second. This means telephone, cable and computer companies can handle huge amounts of data transfers at once, much more than conventional wires can carry. Fiber optic cable was developed because of the incredible increase in the quantity of data over the past 20 years. Without fiber optic cable, the modern Internet and World Wide Web would not be possible. Origin of Fiber Optics Even though it may seem new, the origin of fiber optics actually that dates back several centuries. This is a brief timeline illustrating the history and discovery of fiber optics. 1790 French engineer Claude Chappe invented the first optical telegraph. This was an optical communication system which consisted of a series of human operated semaphoresmounted on top of a tower. 1870 Irish philosopher and physicist, John Tyndall, demonstrated to the Royal Society, that light used internal reflection to follow a specific path. This simple experiment marked the first research into the guided transmission of light. 1880 Alexander Graham Bell patented an optical telephone system called the photo phone. The photo phone was an optical voice transmission system that used light to carry a human voice. This unique device used no wires to connect the transmitter and the receiver. William Wheeler invented a system of light pipes lined with a highly reflective coating that lit up homes. He used a light from an electric arc lamp placed it in the basement and directed the light around the home with the pipes. 1888 Dr. Roth and Prof. Reuss of a medical company in Vienna used bent glass rods to illuminate body cavities. 1895 The French engineer Henry Saint-Rene designed a system of bent glass rods. 1898 David Smith, an American from Indianapolis, applied for a patent on a dental illuminator using a curved glass rod. 1926 John Logie Baird applies for British patent on an array of parallel glass rods or hollow tubes to carry image in a mechanical television. Bairds 30 line images were the first demonstrations of television using the total internal reflection of light. During the same year, Clarence W. Hansell outlined principles of the fiber optic imaging bundle 1930 Heinrich Lamm, a German medical student, was the first person to assemble a bundle of transparent fibers together to carry an image. During these experiments, he transmitted an image of a light bulb filament through the bundle of optical fibers. His attempt to file a patent is denied because of Hansells British patent. 1931 Owens-Illinois invented a method to mass-produce glass fibers for Fiberglas. 1937 Armand Lamesch of Germany applied for U.S. patent on two-layer glass fiber. 1939 Curvlite Sales offered illuminated tongue depressor and dental illuminators made of Lucite, a transparent plastic invented by DuPont. 1951 Holger Moeller applied for a Danish patent on fiber optic imaging in which he used cladding on glass or plastic fibers with transparent low-index material. This patent was also declined because of Hansells patents. In October of that same year, Brian OBrien, from the University of Rochester suggested to Abraham C. S. Van Heel of the Technical University of Delft, that applying a transparent cladding would improve transmission of fibers in his imaging bundle. 1954 The Dutch scientist Abraham Van Heel and British scientist Harold H. Hopkins separately published papers on imaging bundles. Hopkins delivered his paper on imaging bundles of unclad fibers while Van Heel reported on simple bundles of cladded fibers that greatly reduced signal interference. American Optical hired Will Hicks to implement and develop fiber optic image scramblers, an idea OBrien proposed to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). 1955 Hirschowitz and C. Wilbur Peters hired an undergraduate student, Larry Curtiss, to work on their fiber optic endoscope project. 1956 Curtiss suggested making glass clad fibers by melting a tube onto a rod of higher-index glass. Later that year Curtiss made the first glass-clad fibers using the rod-in-tube method. 1957 Hirschowitz was the first to test fiber optic endoscope in a patient. The Image scrambler project ended after Hicks tells the CIA the code was easy to break. 1959 Working with Hicks, American Optical drew fibers so fine they transmitted only a single mode of light. Elias Snitzer recognised the fibers as single-mode waveguides. 1960 Theodore Maiman demonstrated the first laser at Hughes Research Laboratories in Malibu. 1961 Elias Snitzer of American Optical published a theoretical description of single mode fibers. A fiber with a core so small it could carry light with only one wave-guide mode. 1964 Charles Kao and George Hockham, of Standard Communications Laboratories in England, published a paper indicating that light loss in existing glass fibers could be decreased dramatically by removing impurities. 1967 Corning summer intern, Cliff Fonstad, made fibers. Loss is high, but Maurer decides to continue the research using titania-doped cores and pure-silica cladding. 1970 Corning Glass researchers Robert Maurer, Donald Keck and Peter Schultzinvented fiber optic wire or Optical Waveguide Fibers capable of carrying 65,000 times more information than copper wire. These optical fibers could carry information in a pattern of light waves and could be decoded at a destination a thousand miles away. The Corning breakthrough was among the most dramatic of many developments that opened the door to fiber optic communications. In that same year, Morton Panish and Izuo Hayashi of Bell Laboratories worked with a group from the Ioffe Physical Institute in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) and made the first semiconductor diode laser capable of emitting continuous waves at room temperature. Telephone companies began to incorporate the use of optical fibers into their communications infrastructure. 1973 Bell Laboratories developed a modified chemical vapour deposition process that heats chemical vapours and oxygen to form ultra-transparent glass that can be mass-produced into low-loss optical fiber. This process still remains the standard for fiber-optic cable manufacturing 1975 First non-experimental fiber-optic link installed by the Dorset police in UK police after lightning knocks out their communication system 1977 Corning joined forces Siemens Corporation, to form Corning Cable Systems. Cornings extensive work with fiber, coupled with Siemens cabling technology, helped launch a new era in the manufacturing of optical fiber cable. General Telephone and Electronics started to send live telephone messages through underground fiber optic cables at 6Mbit/s, in Long Beach, California. Bell System started to send live telephone messages through fibers in underground ducts at 45Mbit/s, in downtown Chicargo. 1978 Optical fibers began to carry signals to homes in Japan AT T, British Post Office and STL pledge to develop a single mode transatlantic fiber cable to be operational by 1988. 1980 Graded-index fiber system carries video signals for the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York. 1981 British Telecom transmits 140 million bits per second through 49 kilometers of single-mode fiber at 1.3 micrometers 1982 MCI leases the right of way to install single-mode fiber from New York to Washington. The system will operate at 400 million bits per second at 1.3 micrometers. 1984 British Telecom lays the first submarine fiber to carry regular traffic to the Isle of Wight. 1985 Single-mode fiber spreads across America, carrying long distance telephone signals at 400 million bits per second. 1986 The first fiber optic cable begins service across the English Channel. In the same year, ATT sends 1.7 billion bits per second through single-mode optic fiber 1991 Masataka Nakazawa of NTT reports sending soliton signals through a million kilometres of cable 1996 Fujitsu, NTT Labs and Bell Laboratories all report sending one trillion bits per seconds through a single optical fiber. They have all used separate experiments and different techniques to achieve this. APPLICATIONS OF FIBER OPTICS As the popularity of optical fibers continue to grow, so does their applications and practical uses. Fiber optic cables became more and more popular in a variety of industries and applications. Communications / Data Storage Since fiber optics are resistant to electronic noise, fiber optics has made significant advances in the field of communications. The use of light as its source of data transmission has improved the sound quality in voice communications. It is also being used for transmitting and receiving purposes. Military Optical systems offer more security than traditional metal-based systems. The magnetic interference allows the leak of information in the coaxial cables. Fiber optics is not sensitive to electrical interference; therefore fiber optics is suitable for military applications and communications, where signal quality and security of data transmission are important. The increased interest of the military in this technology caused the development of stronger fibers, specially designed cables and high quality components. It was also applied in more varied areas such as hydrophones for seismic and sonar, aircrafts, submarines and other underwater applications. Medical Fiber optics is used as light guides, imaging tools and as lasers for surgeries. Another popular use of fiber optic cable is in an endoscope, which is a diagnostic instrument that enables users to see through small holes in the body. Medical endoscopes are used for minimum invasive surgical procedures. Fiber optics is also used in bronchoscopes (for lungs) and laparoscopes. All versions of endoscopes look like a long thin tube, with a lens or camera at one end through which light is emitted from the bundle of optical fibers banded together inside the enclosure. Mechanical or Industrial Industrial endoscopes also called a borescope or fiberscope, enables the user to observe areas that are difficult to reach or to see under normal circumstances, such as jet engine interiors, inspecting mechanical welds in pipes and engines, inspecting space shuttles and rockets and the inspection of sewer lines and pipes. Networking Fiber optics is used to connect servers and users in a variety of network settings. It increases the speed, quality and accuracy of data transmission. Computer and Internet technology has improved due to the enhanced transmission of digital signals through optical fibers. Industrial/Commercial Fiber optics is used for imaging in areas which are difficult to reach. It is also used in wiring where electromagnetic interference (EMI) is a problem. It gets used often as sensory devices to make temperature, pressure and other measurements as well as in the wiring of motorcars and in industrial settings. Spectroscopy Optical fiber bundles are used to transmit light from a spectrometer to a substance which cannot be placed inside the spectrometer itself, in order to analyse its composition. A spectrometer analyses substances by bouncing light off of and through them. By using optical fibers, a spectrometer can be used to study objects that are too large to fit inside, or gasses, or reactions which occur in pressure vessels. Broadcast/CATV /Cable Television Broadcast or cable companies use fiber optic cables for wiring CATV, HDTV, internet, video and other applications. Usage of fiber optic cables in the cable-television industry began in 1976 and quickly spread because of the superiority of fiber optic cable over traditional coaxial cable. Fiber optic systems became less expensive and capable of transmitting clearer signals further away from the source signal. It also reduced signal losses and decreased the number of amplifiers required for each customer. Fiber optic cable allows cable providers to offer better service, because only one optical line is needed for every  ± 500 households. Lighting and Imaging Fiber optic cables are used for lighting and imaging and as sensors to measure and monitor a vast range of variables. It is also used in research, development and testing in the medical, technological and industrial fields. Fiber optics are used as light guides in medical and other applications where bright light needs to shine on a target without a clear line-of-sight path. In some buildings, optical fibers are used to route sunlight from the roof to other parts of the building. Optical fiber illumination is also used for decorative applications, including signs, art and artificial Christmas trees. Optical fiber is an essential part of the light-transmitting concrete building product, LiTraCon which is a translucent concrete building material. ADVANTAGES OF FIBER OPTICS The use of fiber optics is fast becoming the medium of choice for telecommunication systems, television transmission and data networks. Fiber optic cables have a multitude of advantages and benefits over the more traditional methods of information systems, such as copper or coaxial cables. Speed One of the greatest benefits to using fiber optic systems is the capacity and speed of such a system. Light travels faster than electrical impulses which allow faster delivery and reception of information. Fiber optic cables also have a much higher capacity for bandwidth than the more traditional copper cables. Immunity to electromagnetic interference Coaxial cables have a tendency for electromagnetic interference, which renders them less effective. Fiber optics is not affected by external electrical signals, because the data is transmitted with light. Security Optical systems are more secure than traditional mediums. Electromagnetic interference causes coaxial cables to leak information. Optical fiber makes it impossible to remotely detect the signal which is transmitted within the cable. The only way to do so is by actually accessing the optical fiber itself. Accessing the fiber requires intervention that is easily detectable by security surveillance. These circumstances make fiber optics extremely attractive to governments, banks and companies requiring increased security of data. Fire prevention Copper wire transmission can generate sparks, causing shortages and even fire. Because fiber optical strands use light instead of electricity to carry signals, the chance of an electrical fire is eliminated. This makes fiber optics an exceptionally safe form of wiring and one of the safest forms of data transmission. Data signalling Fiber optic systems are much more effective than coaxial or copper systems, because there is minimal loss of data. This can be credited to the design of optical fibers, because of the principle of total internal reflection. The cladding increases the effectiveness of data transmission significantly. There is no crosstalk between cables, e.g. telephone signals from overseas using a signal bounced off a communications satellite, will result in an echo being heard. With undersea fiber optic cables, you have a direct connection with no echoes. Unlike electrical signals in copper wires the light signals from one fiber do not interfere with those of other fibers in the same cable. This means clearer phone conversations or TV reception. Less expensive Several kilometers of optical cable can be made far cheaper than equivalent lengths of copper wire. Service, such as the internet is often cheaper because fiber optic signals stay strong longer, requiring less power over time to transmit signals than copper-wire systems, which need high-voltage transmitters. Large Bandwidth, Light Weight and Small Diameter Modern applications require increased amounts of bandwidth or data capacity, fiber optics can carry much larger bandwidth through a much smaller cable and they arent prone to the loss of information. With the rapid increase of bandwidth demand, fiber optics will continue to play a vital role in the long-term success of telecommunications. Space constraints of many end-users are easily overcome because new cabling can be installed within existing duct systems. The relatively small diameter and light weight of optical cables makes such installations easy and practical. Easy Installation and Upgrades Long lengths of optical cable make installation much easier and less expensive. Fiber optic cables can be installed with the same equipment that is used to install copper and coaxial cables. Long Distance Signal Transmission The low attenuation and superior signal capacity found in optical systems allow much longer intervals of signal transmission than metallic-based systems. Metal based systems require signal repeaters to perform satisfactory. Fiber optic cables can transmit over hundreds of kilometres without any problems. Even greater distances are being investigated for the future. To use fiber optics in data systems have proven to be a far better alternative to copper wire and coaxial cables. As new technologies are developed, transmission will become even more efficient, assuring the expansion of telecommunication, television and data network industries. DISADVANTAGES OF FIBER OPTICS Despite the many advantages of fiber optic systems, there are some disadvantages. The relative new technology of fiber optic makes the components expensive. Fiber optic transmitters and receivers are still somewhat expensive compared to electrical components. The absence of standardisation in the industry has also limited the acceptance of fiber optics. Many industries are more comfortable with the use of electrical systems and are reluctant to switch to fiber optics. The cost to install fiber optic systems is falling because of an increase in the use of fiber optic technology. As more information about fiber optics is made available to educate managers and technicians, the use of fiber optics in the industry will increase over time. The advantages and the need for more capacity and information will also increase the use of fiber optics in our everyday life. Conclusion From its humble beginnings in the 1790s to the introduction of highly transparent fiber optic cable in the 1970s, very high-frequency optic fibers now carry phenomenal loads of communication and data signals across the country and around the world. From surgical procedures to worldwide communication via the internet, fiber optics has revolutionised our world. Fiber optics has made important contributions to the medical field, especially with regards to surgery. One of the most useful characteristics of optical fibers is their ability to enter the minute passageways and hard-to-reach areas of the human body. But perhaps the greatest contribution of the 20th century is the combination of fiber optics and electronics to transform telecommunications. Fiber optic transmission has found a vast range of applications in computer systems. As we move towards a more sophisticated and modern future, the uses of fiber optics are increasing in all computer systems as well as telecommunication networks. As new optical fibers are being made, many telecommunication companies are joining forces to share the cost of installing new network cables. In July 2009 and underwater fiber optic cable was put down along the East African coast by Seacom. New technologies are constantly being invented and video phones and video conferencing such as Skype are becoming an everyday occurrence in many businesses and households. Shopping from home via the internet and online stores such as Amazon.com and Kalahari.net are making many peoples lives easier. Even television on demand, such as being offered by DSTV, will replace the current cable television systems of today. We live in a technological age that is the result of many brilliant discoveries and inventions. However, it is our ability to transmit information and all the media we use to achieve this that is responsible for this evolution. Our progress from using copper wire a century ago to modern day fiber optics that can transmit phenomenal loads of data over longer and longer distances at ever increasing speed has expanded the boundaries of our technological development in all spheres of life.

Latinos in Baseball :: essays research papers fc

I chose this topic because I thought that it was important to highlight the recent successes of the Latino baseball players to show how minority groups can prosper in America. Latino atheletes have gain notoriety and riches through the sport of baseball. These are things that they couldn’t have dreamed about achieving without Major League baseball. Major League Baseball has given Latin Americans the opportunity to better their economic and social situation. Many Latin American children dream about playing baseball in the Major Leagues. One reason for this is because to them playing in the Major Leagues is a way out of their current situation. There is poverty in many Latin American countries. Many children dream of being rich and famous like their Latin American heroes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Their heroes include Sammy Sosa. Sammy Sosa, because his homerun race with Mark Maguire has become a household name. To many Latinos he represents the opportunity to succeed. He has opened doors for many Latinos to play in the Major Leagues.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many Latinos have taken advantage of this opportunity. Latinos now make up almost thirty percent of Major League Baseball players. There are currently almost two hundred Latino baseball players in the Major Leagues. Many of these Latino baseball players have experienced much success.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Juan Gonzalez was the 1998 American League MVP. Sammy Sosa won the 1998 National League MVP award. Bernie Williams was the 1998 American League batting champion. Ivan Rodriguez won the 1998 America League MVP award. Pedro Martinez was the 1999 Cy Young Award winner. Rafael Palmiero won the American League Gold Glove Award in 1999. These are just a few of the outstanding Latino baseball players currently in Major League Baseball.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The highest paid baseball player in Major League Baseball history is a Latino. Alex Rodriguez signed a seven-year contract for two hundred and fifty-six million dollars in 2000. This not only made him the richest baseball player ever, but also the richest Latin American athlete in history. The signing of Alex Rodriguez proved that Latin American athletes deserved to sign big money contracts just like the other players.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Teams are taking are taking advantage of the abundance of talent in Latin America. All major League teams are active in the Dominican Republic. The Dodgers, the first team to move into the Latin American market, scout the area’s talent closely. About one hundred and four of the two hundred and thirty-seven minor-leaguers they had under contract at the start of the year were from that region.

Agile V. Waterfall

Waterfall to Agile References Pavolka, R. , Mount, V. , Neymeyr, A. , & Rhodes, C. From Waterfall to Rapid Prototyping (2005). Supporting Enterprise-wide Adoption of the Oncourse Collaboration and Learning (CL) Environment at Indiana University. SIGUCCS ’05 Proceedings of 33rd Annual ACM SIGUCCS Fall Conference, 312 – 319. Northrop, Robert (2004). The Fall of Waterfall. Intelligent Enterprise 7. 3, 40-41. Adams, John (2013). Change in Software Techniques Helps FHLB Reduce Defects. American Banker, Technology Section, Volume 178 No. 3. I. Agile v. Waterfall Agile Development Methods (Agile) and the Waterfall Method (Waterfall) are two different styles of designing and managing the Soft Development Life-Cycle (SDLC) within an organization. Waterfall being the more traditional approach and Agile newly born just twelve years ago, there is much debate over which approach works best and when. Companies have used Waterfall for decades of successful projects and in most compani es the approach has been ingrained into the very fabric of the company.The organization of teams and human resources in information technology (IT) can be anywhere from loosely to entirely based on the method that the organization is using. More and more organizations are starting to see the advantages of Agile now and are questioning older methods almost entirely because of the fast-paced business world of the twenty-first century. Agile allows an organization to respond to that change more quickly without sacrificing quality work or customer satisfaction.Waterfall, on the other hand, with its precise planning can offer better time management and money savings. In a fast-paced society where the time it takes to bring a product to market could mean the difference between success and failure, Agile is making its way into more and more organizations everyday. And, everyday more and more of these organizations are struggling with the change that is required to adopt Agile methods as we ll as the woes that this fast-paced development style introduce to the organization. II. What is WaterfallWaterfall is the classical system development model. The model of software development hones its ideas from the manufacturing world. It is based on a step-by-step approach to creating products from the conceptual phase to implementation and maintenance. Waterfall focuses its development strategy on the distinct phases of a project: concept, design, implementation, testing, installation, and maintenance. In larger organizations and on larger scale projects these phases of production are often handled by different people and even different teams.Using Waterfall, the concept phase of a project tends to be the single most important phase. This is the step during which the development team gathers and analyses its customer’s needs and documents the problem that the software solution is expected to solve. The documentation and analysis needs to be precise, in depth and even fla wless because once the phase is complete there is no turning back—modifications to a project, no matter what phase its in when the modification or change order is received, require that the project fall back to the concept phase.While several techniques such as use cases and customer interviews are used to gather this information the results of the analysis and requirements gathering that are carried out in this phase are typically relayed to the next phase in the form of a formal document. This document serves as the sole resource for the team who handles the second phase: design. Design entails actually making determinations as to exactly how a team intends to in later phases execute the solution.This is when platforms, programming languages, data storage methodology, equipment types, standards and graphical user interface decisions are made. Design also entails other high-level project decisions on ideas such as how security will be handled and resource management. The des ign step delivers its decisions on these matters, commonly know as the design specifications to the third phase: implementation. Implementation is very simply put the execution of the requirements in the design specifications document.During this phase, developers actually write the code that makes the software system work. Hardware specialists similarly setup the equipment and hardware that are necessary for the solution. The application is developed, debugged and tested against the design document and once it passes muster, the product is handed off to the next phase: testing. Testing is often handled by a quality assurance team. The team upon taking delivery of the product refers back to the documents created during conception and ensures that all of the requirements are satisfied by the solution.This team documents the project and uses business cases or test cases to determine whether the solution actually is the complete solution and whether or not it actually works in its enti rety. This team generally hands off the functioning solution, its documentation and a user manual to the next phase: installation. An installation or delivery team then hands the product over to the customer. This team also often provides formal training to the end-user. Delivery is followed by maintenance. Maintenance of a product usually includes end-user support, debugging of system flaws that are discovered after delivery, and change requests.If Waterfall is executed to the letter of its design, there will be no overlap between the separate phases of the project. Clearly defined timelines for each step are known at the onset of the project and serve as milestones for progress during development. The requirements in a well executed Waterfall project will be so very detailed of point driven that little time is wasted in later phases on things like re-writing blocks of code or back-and-forth’s that question ambiguity in understanding on the developers part.It is a tried and true and has advantages such as minimal wasted time and easy handover—handover of the project or a part of a project in waterfall can be a very smooth process because of all of the documentation that is produced in the analysis and design phases of the project. The documentation can even smooth over team-member attrition. III. What is Agile Agile Software Development is an umbrella for a particular style of development methods that focus on self-organization or cross-functional teams to develop smaller packages of a product more quickly than has been traditionally done.The basis for all of these methods is The Agile Manifesto (www. agilemanifesto. org). The author of the manifesto argues that working software, delivered in small packages, delivered in shorter timeframes (weeks not months) by teams who are self-organized and able to communicate freely throughout the process with both the customer and other stakeholders can respond to change and deliver a more effective approac h to software development in the volatile business world today.The manifesto declares that individuals and interactions are more important than processes and that following a design document is not as necessary as having the ability to change quickly. Agile’s focus is on a rhythmic continuity in the lifecycle of a project. The packages that are delivered tend to be broken down into timeframes as small as a week and generally not more than four weeks long. Customers receive working software continuously and the project is more of a living, breathing software that can overtime change to meet the needs of a rapidly changing marketplace.Agile teams meet frequently, as often as daily to discuss status and approach. Teams focus on reusing code blocks and making decisions about platforms and languages as necessary and with a better chance that standards and new technologies won’t change or become outdated before delivery takes place. IV. Which is the better way? The question so many teams and organizations are debating regularly these days is ‘which is better Agile or Waterfall? ’. Both Waterfall and Agile offer benefits and shortcomings and neither can be called universally better or universally out-of-date.The decision must be made based on each organization’s and each project’s circumstances. Team size can be a significant factor. Waterfall methodology is hard to manage with a small team. Waterfall relies on division of responsibilities and in very small teams this may result in an overwhelming workload for team members. Time to market with Waterfall; however, is longer whereas Agile methods can get product to market quicker so if time is a very high priority Agile may be the methodology to use.Indiana University documented a case in which its own IT Training and Education (ITTE) department underwent the change from its previous standard Waterfall approach to an Agile methodology. The team started questioning its approach t o development of training materials first when its materials started becoming obsolete before they were even delivered. The team found itself being tasked to develop and deliver training materials for a product that it saw as a â€Å"moving target†. It quickly became clear that the old Waterfall methodology would not work given the rapidly changing requirements.The situation required more constant contact with the stakeholders and that the team be able to deliver consistently changing and updated training materials as the system it was training on was an ever-changing system itself. ITTE faced problems in the transition. One such hurdle was changing the mindset of its customer. The team’s customer had grown used to having ITTE deliver large Waterfall sized training packages on static, tried and true, well planned, designed, thought-out and fully-functional software systems.The overhaul of it Course Management System (CMS) was, however, being updated constantly and the customer often expressed feeling of being Beta Testers rather than end users. In addition, ITTE’s own team members struggled with the behavioral changes that were necessary to adapt in order to make a more Agile model of development work for the team. Communications amongst team members, for example, became more necessary on a more frequent basis. The team also faced the task of training users on a system that was not fully functional.Users were, at times, resistant to the change themselves and found confusion in the fact that incomplete software was being delivered. The users were as accustomed to receiving fully functional systems and training as the ITTE team was used to delivering. ITTE also soon learned it necessary to assign team members exclusively to this project. In the past, the team’s Waterfall approach had allowed resources to be more spread out, whereas with the new Agile approach team members were so consistently involved with the living project that they were necessarily exclusively assigned to the CMS project.With all of the challenges that it faced, ITTE concluded that the change in methodology improved its reputation with the customer. More frequent face time and feedback response made the customer happier. It also concluded that, as a team, ITTE was able to produce more products cheaper, faster and more efficiently using its new approach to the SDLC. A single case, however, can’t be used to make a determination for the next company facing this decision. The fact is the right approach to software development is the approach that works best on a case-by-case basis.While Waterfall may still be the best approach for fixed-price, fixed-scope, short-term projects, Agile may be better suited to a project where the scope is expected to creep because of a changing marketplace. And there are teams that have even begun applying Agile methodologies to a Waterfall approach and vice versa. So perhaps the appropriate approach for an or ganization is to not decide on one or the other for the organization but to embrace both Agile and Waterfall methodologies and to learn to apply each appropriately.

Palm Beach Atlantic University SAT Scores, Admit Rate

Palm Beach Atlantic University (PBAU) admits the large majority of applicants each year. In 2016, the school accepted 93 percent of those who applied. Those interested in applying will need to send in an application (which can be filled out online), scores from the SAT or ACT, and official high school transcripts. Check out PBAUs website for more information about applying, including important deadlines. Admissions Data (2016) Palm Beach Atlantic University Acceptance Rate: 93%GPA, SAT and ACT Graph for PBA AdmissionsTest Scores -- 25th / 75th PercentileSAT Critical Reading: 470 / 600SAT Math: 460 / 570SAT Writing: - / -What these SAT numbers meanACT Composite: 21  / 27ACT English: 21 / 28ACT Math: 19  / 26What these ACT numbers mean Palm Beach Atlantic University Description Palm Beach Atlantic University is an interdenominational Christian liberal arts institution located in West Palm Beach, Florida. It sits along the Intracoastal Waterway just a mile away from the Atlantic Ocean, allowing easy access to several local beaches, and the campus is also 30 minutes from Wellington and an hour north of Fort Lauderdale. The university has an average class size of 17 students and an undergraduate  student/faculty ratio  of 12 to 1. Palm Beach Atlantic University offers 48 undergraduate majors and several graduate and professional degree programs. The organizational management major within the MacArthur School of Leadership is by far the most popular academic program at the university, with other popular courses of study including management, nursing and biblical and theological studies. Outside of academics, the university also has more than 60 social, professional and religious student clubs and organizations, and the Palm Beach Atlantic Sailfish compete as independent members of the NCAA Division II and the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA). Enrollment (2016) Total Enrollment: 3,764  (2,926 undergraduates)Gender Breakdown: 35% Male / 65% Female79% Full-time Costs (2016  - 17) Tuition and Fees: $28,520Books: $1,000 (why so much?)Room and Board: $9,300Other Expenses: $5,678Total Cost: $44,004 Palm Beach Atlantic University Financial Aid (2015  - 16) Percentage of New Students Receiving Aid: 100%Percentage of New Students Receiving Types of AidGrants: 100%Loans: 57%Average Amount of AidGrants: $17,319Loans: $6,204 Academic Programs Most Popular Majors:  Biology, Business Administration, Ministry, Nursing, Organizational Management, Psychology Graduation and Retention Rates First Year Student Retention (full-time students): 75%4-Year Graduation Rate: 40%6-Year Graduation Rate: 51% Intercollegiate Athletic Programs Mens Sports:  Soccer, Tennis, Golf, Baseball, BasketballWomens Sports:  Softball, Volleyball, Soccer, Golf, Cross Country, Tennis, Basketball Data Source National Center for Educational Statistics If You Like Palm Beach Atlantic University, You May Also Like These Schools University of Florida: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphFlorida Atlantic University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphUniversity of Miami: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphSoutheastern University: ProfileFlorida Southern University: ProfileLynn University: ProfileNova Southeastern University: ProfileFlorida State University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphFlorida International University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphBarry University: ProfileFlagler College: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT Graph