Satnac 2005, the Southern African Telecommunications Network and Applications Conference recently held at Champagne Sports Resort in KwaZulu-Natal, featured several parallel technical sessions at which current and ongoing research carried out at the 16 Telkom 'Centres of Excellence' at tertiary institutions was discussed.
The conference started with plenary sessions featuring discussions on convergence and examined the question: can technology deliver? In panel sessions, local and overseas experts discussed three of the most important aspects of convergence: digital users and their converged services; broadband-connectivity lifeline in a converged environment; and network convergence - the key enabler in achieving convergence transparency. The overall consensus was that the technology is ready to deliver, but that it should not be rolled out for the sake of technology, but be driven by user requirements.
Technical sessions were presented in four streams dealing with complex technology issues that are currently receiving focus from post-graduate students and staff at the Centres of Excellence. Work carried out in speech recognition, network engineering, various telecommunication protocols, network planning and mobile telecommunications, including WiFi and WiMax, was reviewed and subjected to peer scrutiny.
"This process is very valuable as it not only provides opportunities for sharing of ideas but also serves as a platform for input from other centres and industry", commented Thami Msimango, Telkom's new chief technical officer. "I am often asked which project is of the greatest significance for South Africa. I find it difficult to answer this as many projects support other projects, and ultimately create the true research climate. This not only keeps students from straying to overseas universities but ensures a sustained technological and innovative base for our country."
One of the interesting projects is extending the reach of Bluetooth. A paper from Rhodes University presented ideas on how to extend the reach of Bluetooth by introducing the concept of Bluetooth hotspots. Currently, Bluetooth devices cannot communicate with each other unless they are within a radio range. Investigation was undertaken into the feasibility of creating Bluetooth hotspots via an alternative network infrastructure such as the Internet protocol.
Another interesting project is being undertaken at the Usability Laboratory at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in Port Elizabeth. The study is about the contribution of 'Eye-tracking' to the Usability of Network Management tools. Usability evaluation of network management tools is usually carried out with questionnaires. Eye movement data can supplement the data obtained through user testing by providing more specific information about the user's cognitive process. The use of usability testing can have far reaching benefits in business, as it is possible to test the ability of users to read manuals, use new instruments or even software packages.
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