IIT Information Technology and Management students presented and demonstrated their Real-Time Communications projects to a crowd of communications professionals on May 1. Students were challenged to conduct research, and test and deploy solutions as part of the project-based learning approach at IIT School of Applied Technology. Unlike a final exam, these students had to provide a working system and defend it in front of a crowd of industry professionals—some with 30 years of experience.

Sponsors of the event included IIT School of Applied Technology, IEEE ComSoc and IEEE Fox Valley Subsection. Professor Carol Davids chaired the sessions and coordinated the student projects. The NG911 project was mentored by Joe Cusimano of Data-TelSystem Solutions. Several former IIT students also attended the event.

• Emergency Services IP Network (ESInet): As more and more people use the Internet and the Web to communicate, the way that emergency calls are delivered to Public Service Answering Points needs to change. The new architecture is called the ESInet, and IIT’s Real-Time Communications (RTC) Lab now contains two, interconnected test beds that replicate the functioning of this Internet backbone to the emergency services communications network. This semester, the RTC students studied backup methods to ensure that when a signaling element on that backbone fails, the failure will be detected and a backup element will swing seamlessly into place to prevent an interruption of emergency service. They reported on solutions at the Internet level and application level.
Students: Kameswari Mantravadi, Vinoth Moongalam Thiyagarajan, Pragadeeswar Viswanathan Sagunthala
Mentor: Joe Cusimano, Data-Tel System Solutions, Inc.

• SIP Performance Benchmarks: Today, many telecommunications systems are based on the Internet and in particular, on an Internet protocol called SIP (Session Initiation Protocol.) The vendors and service providers that deploy such systems need a way to measure the efficiency of the SIP servers on their networks. The RTC Lab has developed such a system and this semester was asked to use it to test the Acme Packet SBC 3800 commercial SIP server. Using the algorithm described in the Internet Engineering Task Force draft, draft-ietf-bmwg-sip-bench-meth-08, the students tested and reported the highest call rate that the system could support without errors as well as the maximum number of active calls that the system could support at that rate.
Students: Corentin Leman, Aitor Sanz Lopez, Michal Siuty and Tianjiao Sun

• The WebRTC-based Projects: WebRTC is the name of a new collaborative effort by the World Wide Web Consortium and the IETF to standardize Web Browsers and network protocols to allow people to make audio/video calls and more directly from browser to browser. The RTC Lab has already developed a Web-conferencing service based on these rapidly changing developments. This semester the WebRTC student team worked to develop two new WebRTC-based applications as well as a test bed on which to measure the network resources consumed by these applications. The applications which are being developed are a system to deliver closed caption text along with the audio/video conference, and a proto-type method for making calls to 911 directly from the browser. Annie Ross reported on the closed caption progress while Jorge Lopez Herguido described the 911 development effort. Frederic Adam provided the WebRTC overview and the current and future design of the Network Transport and Performance (NTAP) test bed.
Students: Frederic Adam, Jorge Lopez Herguido and Annie Ross

• Voice Over IIT: The RTC Lab is host to a SIP-based service called Voice over IIT (VoIIT.) It uses the open-source Kamailio SIP proxy for routing calls and registering users, and the Asterisk IP-PBX as an application server for things like voicemail and conference calls. This semester the student team added several new features to the basic SIP-based service that the VoIIT system provides, including video calling and a WebRTC interface. The team also studied two different ways to link end-users using different systems—routing based on the Domain Name System service vs. routing based on a configured peering relationship between the two domains.
Students: Peter Doherty, Robert Ersery and Frank Lajos

• Media Performance Metrics: When the quality of the streaming media you receive on your smartphone is not great, how does a network service provider determine if its network is at fault? The student team is developing a metric to represent the quality of the streaming media as it traverses a given network. Service providers can use such a metric to determine how well their network is handling media streams. The students reported on the test bed that they created and the methods they used for controlling their experiments. They described the data they collected, their analysis of the data and the next steps they will take as they develop of metric based on these data.
Students: A. Nafiu and Elias Yousef

IIT has two Real-Time Communications labs, one at the Rice Campus in Wheaton and the other at Main Campus. Learn more on the RTC lab website at http://rtc-lab.itm.iit.edu/.

IIT also host the Real-Time Communication Conference and Expo at http://www.rtc-conference.com/.

See pictures from the event on the IIT School of Applied Technology Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/IITSoAT.

Timing is everything, and students focusing on Information Technology and Management seem to be in exactly the right place at exactly the right time to take advantage of significant growth in cloud computing jobs.

7 Million New Cloud Computing Jobs by 2015

According to a Forbes review of an IDC report, sponsored by Microsoft, demand for “cloud-ready” IT workers will “grow by 26% annually through 2015.  IDC expects that as many as 7 million new cloud-related jobs will be available worldwide by that time”.  The author of the IDC report (Cushing Anderson) says that “Unlike IT skill shortages in the past, solving this skills gap is extremely challenging, given that cloud brings a new set of skills, which haven’t been needed in the past.”

Cloud-Related Positions Going Unfilled

According to the Forbes article, “lack of training, certification or experience” are the top three reasons cloud positions go un-filled.  Anderson says several skill sets are key to building and maintaining cloud capabilities within organizations. These are listed in the table below, along with projected openings for 2015:

Job Type	Openings by 2015
Management	794,945
IT systems and operations	630,414
Project and program managers	555,591
Help desk and end-user support	549,241
Application development and   maintenance	525,829
Business analysts	502,692
Network, telecom, security, and web development	481,411

From IDC Report as Reported in Forbes 12/21/2012

In an earlier article Forbes’ writer Joe McKendrick suggested what IT professionals (future and present) should be learning in order to succeed in cloud-related jobs. His list seems to be right in line with the IDC report:

• Business and financial skills: Know how to make a business case and calculate an ROI for cloud.
• Technical skills: Java, .NET framework skills and knowledge of virtualization are important, and familiarity with open-source tools and languages is also valuable.
• Enterprise architecture and business needs analysis:  Be able to build a “roadmap” for which services should be provided by IT and which by an outside provider. Learn to speak the language of business as well as the language of IT professionals
• Project management skills:  Managing scope “creep”, contracts, service agreements and risk exposure are just some of the project management skills critical to implementing cloud. Cloud computing can cause end users to “run wild” with feature and service requests, so scope has to be contained. Also, remembering that cloud is supposed to cost less than equivalent on-premises services, skills in negotiating cloud vendors’ contracts, service level agreements and availability are critical to success.
• Security and compliance: Understanding security protocols is important in all types of cloud deployment. Additionally, regulations such as Sarbanes-Oxley and HIPAA have made navigating data-handling laws more complex. IT professionals with an understanding of both can be very valuable.
• Data integration and analysis skills: Inside we have ERP systems, data warehouses, etc. Outside we have cloud-based services. Those who can analyze both sides and implement sound data integration between the two will be in high demand.
• Mobile app development and management: The rise of mobile devices of all kinds has been key driver for the expansion of cloud solutions. A sound understanding of the basics is a valuable skill in cloud-implementation.

So how does the future look for those with a solid grounding in Cloud, Information Technology, and Management? All in all, it looks anything but cloudy.

 

References:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/joemckendrick/2012/12/21/almost-1-7-million-cloud-related-jobs-went-unfilled-in-2012-estimate/

http://www.forbes.com/sites/joemckendrick/2012/08/27/the-8-most-important-skills-needed-for-cloud-computing-today/

IIT’s Ray Trygstad is becoming a ROCKSTAR—ok, not really,  just noted as an authority on information technology education. He was quoted in Network World in an article titled “Which tech degrees pay the most from day one?”  This is his 3rd article in the last 2 months! The article was on the front page at NetworkWorld.com, and was also the featured article in Network World’s afternoon email newsletter today.

The article contains good news for ITM graduates. Read it at Network World: http://www.networkworld.com/news/2013/030513-tech-degrees-267324.html

Students in IIT’s Business Innovation class (ITM 582) got an entrepreneurial experience in a recent “Pitch Contest” that was organized by Professor Praveen Gupta. His students presented their final projects to a panel of outside judges who ranked the ideas based on merit, effectiveness, clarity, and completeness of the student presentation. The students were very innovative with ideas that included a braille platform to help blind people use iPads, solar cell phones, a phone app to detect cavities, cloud-based television and others. See the video at http://youtu.be/sIm-rQS-MJM

Gamma Nu Eta invites you to a Halloween Party at The Bog on Friday, November 2 from 8 pm – 1 am.  It is free and and open to ALL IIT students.  It is a costume party and it includes free food and non-alcoholic beverages (there is a cash bar).  There are prizes for the best costumes.  Sponsored by Gamma Nu Eta, BOG Events Fund & SAF.  Questions - ubbogvp@gmail.com. (Photos are now on Facebook…)

The National Emergency Number Association (NENA) recently worked with IIT Professor Carol Davids and ITM students to test 911 emergency services at IIT’s Real-Time Communications Lab.

In the left picture, IIT students Michal Siuty and Kbrom Tewoldu work with IIT Mentor Joe Cusimano, NENA ICE-5 Participants and representatives as they test the 911 emergency service. The NENA event was held at IIT’s Real-Time Communications Lab at the Rice Campus in Wheaton Illinois. More than 50 vendors and NENA representatives gathered to test the interoperability of the vendors’ products which support an all-IP backbone for the delivery of Emergency 911 services, and in particular support their use by the hearing impaired community.

In the right picture, Professor Carol Davids looks on as NENA representatives and NENA ICE-5 participants demonstrate how the Emergency Services IP Network (ESInet) supports voice and video calls and text messages to Pubic Service Access Point (PSAP) call takers. In this photo, hearing-impaired callers and their American Sign Language interpreters use the video capabilities of the system as well as the text function to complete an emergency call.
Read more…

Bring your game: Three sessions, two days, one objective: Create the world’s first killer M2M app!

June 11-13, 2012 during the Connected World Conference at the Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles, IL

Hackers nationwide are invited to participate in the first ever M2M app Hackathon-with fame and fortune as the reward for your creativity and skills! We provide the energy drinks, snacks, developer kits, and the room to code-all day and all night. The winners will receive not only cash, but a secure place in the history of hacking-guaranteed by a cover story in the nationally distributed Connected World magazine.

Drop your mouse and check out these incentives:
1st place: $3,000 plus be featured on the cover of Connected World magazine and mentioned in the cover story
2nd place: $1,500
3rd place: an iPad
4th place: a cellular signal booster

About the Hackathons:
Join us June 11 from 4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m., and grab some free food and drink, as well as your developer kit to get started. You may participate in one or all three Hackathon sessions-either as an individual or as a team. Space is limited so sign up to participate today.

Additional details at http://connectedworldmag.com/conference/index.php?q=hackathon

Facebook and Twitter accounts have been created to celebrate the 2012 IIT graduates. If you would like to post pictures or video, send a message, share stories, or celebrate the graduating class, please visit:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/IITGrads2012
Twitter: use the hashtag #IITGrads2012

Illinois Institute of Technology Announces Master’s Degree in Cyber Forensics and Security
New Program Combines Technical, Legal, Policy and Compliance
In 2011, the average organizational cost of a data security breach in the U.S. was $5.5 million according to a report from Symantec and the Ponemon Institute. Cyber forensics continues to be used to recover evidence from security breaches. Cyber security and forensics issues have become increasingly complicated with technical, legal, policy, and compliance issues, and with such astronomical costs, there is a critical need in both the government and private sectors for professionals equipped to prevent, counteract and investigate cyber terrorism, cybercrimes and information security breaches.

To address these issues, Illinois Institute of Technology’s School of Applied Technology is offering a Master of Cyber Forensics and Security degree and graduate certificate programs in cyber security management and cyber security technologies, starting in fall of 2012. The program integrates legal courses from IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law curriculum and technical and managerial courses from IIT School of Applied Technology’s information technology and management curriculum. The program provides cyber security and forensics practitioners a thorough grounding in technology, legal issues, policy and compliance, providing an outstanding curriculum for those interested in cyber forensics and security and is a substantive follow-up degree for undergraduates majoring in information technology and management, computer science, computer information systems, or computer engineering.

The mission of the cyber forensics and security programs is to prepare students to assume technical and managerial leadership in information technology and cyber security. With a hands-on, reality-based approach to education, the cyber forensics and security program allows students to apply what they learn in class to solve real-life problems. Additional courses may be taken from the IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law curriculum to give cyber security and forensics practitioners a thorough grounding in legal issues and compliance.

“The program provides an innovative experience where cyber forensics and security students work on cutting-edge, industry-sponsored projects that deal with technical, legal, policy and compliance,” said IIT School of Applied Technology Dean Robert Carlson. “This teaching philosophy prepares students to become innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders of the future.”

Recognized by industry professionals as a premier curriculum, IIT’s Cyber Forensics and Security (ForSec) programs are project-based and students are immersed in solving real problems, using current technologies and industry practices, while being guided by experienced faculty.

“In the IIT ForSec Lab, students use real computer viruses to learn and experience how they work, and also devise methods for protection of computers and mobile devices,” explains Professor Bill Lidinsky, director of security and forensics. “In cyber forensics, students learn how to accurately and legally access and analyze computers and cell phones, searching for evidence such as hidden and deleted files, email sent and received and web pages visited.” Students also do cutting edge research and present findings to their peers and leading professionals in their fields. This approach provides students with relevant experience — publishing and presenting at conferences, in some cases for government organizations such as the FBI.

For additional information regarding the Cyber Forensics and Security programs please visit www.itm.iit.edu/cybersecurity.

To help launch the program, Illinois Institute of Technology is hosted ForenSecure: the IIT Cyber Forensics and Security Conference on April 19 and 20. The conference had speakers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Chief Cyber Security Advisor from the Illinois Terrorism Task Force. For additional information about the conference please visit www.cpd.iit.edu/forensecure.

About IIT
Founded in 1890, IIT is a Ph.D.-granting university with more than 7,700 students in engineering, sciences, architecture, psychology, design, humanities, business and law. IIT’s interprofessional, technology-focused curriculum is designed to advance knowledge through research and scholarship, to cultivate invention improving the human condition, and to prepare students from throughout the world for a life of professional achievement, service to society, and individual fulfillment. Visit www.iit.edu.

Critiquing Your Rewritten Resume
Tues, Feb 7 from 6:30 – 8:30 pm @ Perlstein 131

Resume Review – Have your resume reviewed by IIT staff
Fri, Feb 10 from 10:00-2:00 @ Perlstin 131

IIT Career Fair
Thur, Feb 23 from 11:00-4:00 @ Herman Hall

Questions? Contact Madeleine England at mengland@iit.edu