Prototype Development
|COVER SHEET FOR PROPOSAL TO THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION |
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|Team Platinum/May 3, 2005 |NSF PROPOSAL NUMBER |
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|FOR CONSIDERATION BY NSF ORGANIZATIONAL UNIT(S) (Indicate the most specific unit known, i.e., program, division, etc.) | |
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|DATE RECEIVED |NUMBER OF COPIES |DIVISION ASSIGNED |FUND CODE |DUNS # (Data Universal Numbering |FILE LOCATION |
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|EMPLOYER IDENTIFICATION NUMBER (EIN) OR |SHOW PREVIOUS AWARD NO. IF THIS IS |IS THIS PROPOSAL BEING SUBMITTED TO ANOTHER FEDERAL |
|TAXPAYER IDENTIFICATION NUMBER (TIN) | A RENEWAL |AGENCY? YES NO IF YES, LIST ACRONYM(S) |
|xxx-xx-xxxx | AN ACCOMPLISHMENT-BASED RENEWAL | |
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|NAME OF ORGANIZATION TO WHICH AWARD SHOULD BE MADE |ADDRESS OF AWARDEE ORGANIZATION, INCLUDING 9 DIGIT ZIP CODE |
| Old Dominion University | P.O. Box 6369 |
|AWARDEE ORGANIZATION CODE (IF KNOWN) | 800 West 46th Street |
| | Norfolk, VA 23508 |
|NAME OF PERFORMING ORGANIZATION, IF DIFFERENT FROM ABOVE |ADDRESS OF PERFORMING ORGANIZATION, IF DIFFERENT, INCLUDING 9 DIGIT ZIP CODE |
|Computer Productivity Initiative |E & CS Building |
|PERFORMING ORGANIZATION CODE (IF KNOWN) |4700 Elkhorn Ave Suite 3300 |
| |Norfolk, VA 23529-0162 |
|IS AWARDEE ORGANIZATION (Check All That Apply) | |
|(See GPG II.D.1 For Definitions) FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATION SMALL BUSINESS MINORITY BUSINESS WOMAN-OWNED BUSINESS |
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|TITLE OF PROPOSED PROJECT iRespond |
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|REQUESTED AMOUNT |PROPOSED DURATION (1-60 MONTHS) |REQUESTED STARTING DATE |SHOW RELATED PREPROPOSAL NO., |
| | | |IF APPLICABLE |
|$97,642.81 |6 |August 29, 2005 | |
|$ |months | | |
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|CHECK APPROPRIATE BOX(ES) IF THIS PROPOSAL INCLUDES ANY OF THE ITEMS LISTED BELOW |
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|BEGINNING INVESTIGATOR (GPG I.A.3) | VERTEBRATE ANIMALS (GPG II.D.12) IACUC App. Date | |
| DISCLOSURE OF LOBBYING ACTIVITIES (GPG II.D.1) | HUMAN SUBJECTS (GPG II.D.12) |
| PROPRIETARY & PRIVILEGED INFORMATION (GPG I.B, II.D.7) | Exemption Subsection or IRB App. Date | |
| NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT (GPG II.D.10) | INTERNATIONAL COOPERATIVE ACTIVITIES: COUNTRY/COUNTRIES |
| HISTORIC PLACES (GPG II.D.10) | | |
| SMALL GRANT FOR EXPLOR. RESEARCH (SGER) (GPG II.D.12) | FACILITATION FOR SCIENTISTS/ENGINEERS WITH DISABILITIES (GPG V.G.) |
| | RESEARCH OPPORTUNITY AWARD (GPG V.H) |
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|PI/PD DEPARTMENT |PI/PD POSTAL ADDRESS |
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|Computer Science |E & CS Building |
|PI/PD FAX NUMBER |4700 Elkhorn Ave Suite 3300 |
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|757-555-5555 |Norfolk, VA 23529-0162 |
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|NAMES (TYPED) |High Degree |Yr of Degree |Telephone Number |Electronic Mail Address |
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|PI/PD NAME | | | | |
|Janet Brunelle |M.S. |1987 |757-683-4832 |brunelle@cs.odu.edu |
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|CO-PI/PD | | | | |
|Ian McKay |B.S. |2005 |757-683-3000 |alumni@odu.edu |
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|CO-PI/PD | | | | |
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|CO-PI/PD | | | | |
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|NSF Form 1207 (10/99) Page 1 of 2 |
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|CERTIFICATION PAGE |
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|Certification for Principal Investigators and Co-Principal Investigators |
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|I certify to the best of my knowledge that: |
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|(1) the statements herein (excluding scientific hypotheses and scientific opinions) are true and complete, and |
|(2) the text and graphics herein as well as any accompanying publications or other documents, unless otherwise indicated, are the original work of the |
|signatories or individuals working under their supervision. I agree to accept responsibility for the scientific conduct of the project and to provide the |
|required project reports if an award is made as a result of this proposal. |
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|I understand that the willful provision of false information or concealing a material fact in this proposal or any other communication submitted to NSF is a |
|criminal offense (U.S.Code, Title 18, Section 1001). |
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|Name (Typed) |Signature |Social Security No.* |Date |
|PI/PD | | | |
|Janet Brunelle |Janet Brunelle |xxx-xx-xxxx | |
|Co-PI/PD | | | |
|Ian McKay |Ian McKay |xxx-xx-xxxx | |
|Co-PI/PD | | | |
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|Co-PI/PD | | | |
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|Co-PI/PD | | | |
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|Certification for Authorized Organizational Representative or Individual Applicant |
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|By signing and submitting this proposal, the individual applicant or the authorized official of the applicant institution is: (1) certifying that statements made |
|herein |
|are true and complete to the best of his/her knowledge; and (2) agreeing to accept the obligation to comply with NSF award terms and conditions if an award is |
|made as a result of this application. Further, the applicant is hereby providing certifications regarding Federal debt status, debarment and suspension, drug-free|
|workplace, and lobbying activities (see below), as set forth in the Grant Proposal Guide (GPG), NSF 00-2. Willful provision of false information in this |
|application |
|and its supporting documents or in reports required under an ensuing award is a criminal offense (U.S. Code, Title 18, Section 1001). |
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|In addition, if the applicant institution employs more than fifty persons, the authorized official of the applicant institution is certifying that the institution |
|has |
|implemented a written and enforced conflict of interest policy that is consistent with the provisions of Grant Policy Manual Section 510; that to the best of |
|his/her |
|knowledge, all financial disclosures required by that conflict of interest policy have been made; and that all identified conflicts of interest will have been |
|satisfactorily managed, reduced or eliminated prior to the institution’s expenditure of any funds under the award, in accordance with the institution’s conflict of|
|interest policy. Conflicts that cannot be satisfactorily managed, reduced or eliminated must be disclosed to NSF. |
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|Debt and Debarment Certifications (If answer “yes” to either, please provide explanation.) |
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|Is the organization delinquent on any Federal debt? |Yes |No |
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|Is the organization or its principals presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, | |
|or voluntarily excluded from covered transactions by any Federal Department or agency? |Yes |No |
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|Certification Regarding Lobbying |
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|This certification is required for an award of a Federal contract, grant or cooperative agreement exceeding $100,000 and for an award of a Federal loan or |
|a commitment providing for the United States to insure or guarantee a loan exceeding $150,000. |
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|Certification for Contracts, Grants, Loans and Cooperative Agreements |
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| The undersigned certifies, to the best of his or her knowledge and belief, that: |
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|(1) No Federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid, by or on behalf of the undersigned, to any person for influencing or attempting to |
|influence an officer or employee of any agency, a Member of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a Member of Congress in |
|connection with the awarding of any federal contract, the making of any Federal grant, the making of any Federal loan, the entering into of any cooperative |
|agreement, and the extension, continuation, renewal, amendment, or modification of any Federal contract, grant, loan, or cooperative agreement. |
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|(2) If any funds other than Federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or |
|employee of any agency, a Member of Congress, and officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a Member of Congress in connection with this |
|Federal contract, grant, loan, or cooperative agreement, the undersigned shall complete and submit Standard Form LLL, “Disclosure of Lobbying |
|Activities,” in accordance with its instructions. |
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|(3) The undersigned shall require that the language of this certification be included in the award documents for all subawards at all tiers including |
|subcontracts, subgrants, and contracts under grants, loans, and cooperative agreements and that all subrecipients shall certify and disclose accordingly. |
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|This certification is a material representation of fact upon which reliance was placed when this transaction was made or entered into. Submission of this |
|certification is a prerequisite for making or entering into this transaction imposed by Section 1352, Title 31, U.S. Code. Any person who fails to file the |
|required certification shall be subject to a civil penalty of not less than $10,000 and not more than $100,000 for each such failure. |
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|AUTHORIZED ORGANIZATIONAL REPRESENTATIVE |SIGNATURE |DATE |
|NAME/TITLE (TYPED) | | |
|Janet Brunelle |Janet Brunelle |April 28, 2005 |
|TELEPHONE NUMBER |ELECTRONIC MAIL ADDRESS |FAX NUMBER |
|757-683-4832 |brunelle@cs.odu.edu | |
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|*SUBMISSION OF SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS IS VOLUNTARY AND WILL NOT AFFECT THE ORGANIZATION’S ELIGIBILITY FOR AN AWARD. HOWEVER, THEY ARE AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE NSF|
|INFORMATION SYSTEM AND ASSIST IN PROCESSING THE PROPOSAL. SSN SOLICITED UNDER NSF ACT OF 1950, AS AMENDED. |
Page 2 of 2
Project Summary
Security and safety are a necessity to a healthy lifestyle. Devices used to call for aid in emergency situations have thus far proven to be less than fifty percent effective in real world situations. Communicating the need for emergency assistance from any place at any time is not always possible, and the security of individuals and of the nation suffers as a result. The solution to this problem is the iRespond, an Emergency GPS/Triangulation locator device the size of a lighter that can determine your location and send for immediate emergency response using the E-911 infrastructure.
Designed to fit on a key chain, the iRespond is a simple to use device with a single button that sends for help in any situation. When the button is pressed, Global Positioning System satellites determine the user’s location and send the location data, as well as prerecorded data on the device, to emergency services through the cellular network. Cellular triangulation is simultaneously used, as is cellular transmission, to send the signal to the 911 call center using the E-911 infrastructure. From the 911 call center, the proper dispatch is contacted and sends emergency services to the location sent to them by the iRespond. The iRespond itself continues sending a signal via E-911 until the batteries fail or the emergency services arrive.
The iRespond will not give away a person’s position without being turned on and all information sent through the device is optional. In this way, the iRespond upholds an individual’s security of privacy as well as security of safety. Able to be advanced over time to work with other systems, the iRespond should quickly become invaluable to any American who wishes to have an increased sense of security.
|TABLE OF CONTENTS |
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|For font-size and page-formatting specifications, see GPG Section II.C. |
| |Total No. of | |Page No.* |
|Section |Pages in Section | |(Optional)* |
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|Cover Sheet (NSF Form 1207) (Submit Page 2 with original proposal only) |
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|A |Project Summary (not to exceed 1 page) |1 | |3 |
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|B |Table of Contents (NSF Form 1359) |1 | |4 |
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|C |Project Description (including Results from Prior NSF Support) |11 | |5 |
| |(not to exceed 15 pages) (Exceed only if allowed by a specific | |
| |program announcement/solicitation or if approved in advance by the appropriate NSF| |
| |Assistant Director or designee) | |
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|D |References Cited |2 | |16 |
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|E |Biographical Sketches (Not to exceed 2 pages each) |2 | |18 |
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|F |Budget |4 | |20 |
| |(NSF Form 1030, plus up to 3 pages of budget justification) |
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|G |Current and Pending Support (NSF Form 1239) |.5 | |24 |
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|H |Facilities, Equipment and Other Resources (NSF Form 1363) |.5 | |24 |
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|I |Special Information/Supplementary Documentation |3 | |25 |
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|J |Appendix (List below) |51 | |28 |
| |Include only if allowed by a specific program announcement/ | |
| |solicitation or if approved in advance by the appropriate NSF | |
| |Assistant Director or designee) | |
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| |Appendix Items: |
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|K Management Plan |
|L Evaluation Plan |
|M Risk Management Plan |
|N Financial Plan |
|O Marketing Plan |
|P Prototype Development |
|Q WBS |
|R Glossary |
|S Authors |
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|*Proposers may select any numbering mechanism for the proposal. The entire proposal, however, must be paginated. Complete |
|both columns only if the proposal is numbered consecutively. |
|NSF Form 1359 (10/99) |
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Project Description
Identification and Significance of Innovation
Communicating the need for emergency assistance from any place at any time is not always possible. There are many situations in which an individual may have to communicate the need for help, but may be incapable of using two way communications to do so. Silent calls for help that can be sent as easily as the push of a button are the only way to cover all situational needs, and a large scale tracking infrastructure is the only way to assure rapid arrival of emergency services. The solution is the iRespond, an Emergency GPS/Triangulation locator device the size of a lighter that can determine your location and send for immediate emergency response using the E-911 infrastructure. With the touch of a button an individual can request emergency assistance and have his location transmitted and the need for help sent. There need be no vocal communication or device preparation, allowing for ease of use in intense situations. Improved security of the entire nation is assured, because emergency officials will gain distress calls from a large number of individuals in major situations, making it easy to see when a big problem has occurred and its general location. With iRespond, security of the individual and of the nation increase and the ability to communicate the need for emergency response is available everywhere in the United States.
The iRespond’s dimensions are approximately 3 inches by 1.5 inches by 0.5 inches, and the device is designed to be carried like a key fob (attached to a keychain). A single button marked with the signature iRespond “i” initiates the device and tells the internal hardware to send the signal for help as well as the user’s current location, identification, and any provided medical information. Because of the risk of falsely initializing the iRespond a plastic sliding shield has been added to the device which can cover up the button, but is easy to open.
The iRespond also has a rechargeable lithium battery designed to power all of its internal components. As a result it needs a charging station that can be plugged into any normal wall outlet. The charging station doubles as a modem which can be plugged into the telephone line to update the iRespond’s data through services provided by the iRespond Customer Service Center. This is also the method used to store customer
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information on the device which will be sent to emergency response teams when it is used.
Shown below are the iRespond’s battery, GPS receiver, and GPS antenna. The
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iRespond uses GPS trilateration to pinpoint the location of its user whenever it is activated. Trilateration is the term used to describe the calculation of distances between three or more objects needed to determine a location central to all of them. The GPS receiver calculates the distance between itself and three or more satellites, using radio waves, and uses the distances to pinpoint the exact location of the receiver on Earth.
The iRespond can also perform triangulation using cell towers, by measuring the angles between them and the receiver. Thus cellular triangulation can be used as a back up for GPS trilateration. The iRespond also needs to send its location information to emergency services, and the already existing infrastructure of E-911 allows cellular transceivers to do just that. Shown below is the inclusion of the cellular transceiver and flash memory unit to the iRespond.
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The Flash Memory unit is also a vital part of the iRespond’s components. It will hold prerecorded voice information describing the need for help, the user’s medical information (if provided), the unit number of the iRespond, and location information. This voice data is updated by use of the modem in the charging station, and is received from a database of information kept at the iRespond Customer Service Center.
Customers may update the data on their device, register the device, or update monthly billing information by calling the iRespond Customer Service Center, giving the necessary information, and then connecting the charging station into the phone line to retrieve necessary information from the Customer Service Center database. The Customer Service Center also exists as a physical entity which emergency services can contact in order to validate calls made by the iRespond device. Medical information does not need to be included on the iRespond, but for those who wish to send certain aspects of their medical history to the emergency services when initializing the iRespond, the option is available. This is also handled through the Customer Service Center and placed on the device via the database.
Covered in a durable plastic molding and connected internally by a complex circuit board, the iRespond reaches its final state. A device that is as simple to use as the push of a button. A pinhole reset button can be pushed with a slender object if activation is accidental and an LED light on the device confirms activation and battery charge. With a $9.99 monthly fee, the iRespond can sell for less than $50.
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With the iRespond, situations where verbal communication is not an option or where time is of the essence can be responded to as efficiently as a lengthy call to 911. Sending its own verbal message via the flash memory and cellular transceiver, all information is received by emergency services as if a call had been placed. Using a CDMA transceiver, nearly the entire United States is covered at all times, and utilizing the GPS tracking system location data is specific to within ten meters.
In addition to bringing security in the form of aid, iRespond keeps its user’s privacy secure as well. The device cannot be used to track individuals unless its button has been pushed and it is sending via the E-911 infrastructure. Once the button has been pushed it will continually send coordinate data so that an individual can be tracked and located, but if not initialized it is impossible to maintain any location data from the iRespond. Thus, no one is tracked until a situation occurs.
The information stored on the device is optional, and is kept in a secure database which is not shared with anyone outside of iRespond. The device itself transmits this data in audio form to emergency services when activated. Thus the power to send this information rests in the hands of the user.
Portability and inconspicuousness are also a large part of the iRespond’s design, as are ease of use and reliability. It is important that iRespond be so easy to use that it can help catch the incidents that other technologies miss. According to the Bureau of Justice, of the 5,341,410 violent crimes in the United States in 2002, only 48.5% of them were reported to the police. Similar statistics can be found for unreported accidents on hiking trips, time urgent accidents on the road, and simple medical emergencies outside of the home. iRespond can catch all of these and work toward saving lives and increasing the security of the United States and its citizens.
Background and Phase I Technical Objectives
The need to request emergency assistance has been existed for as long as man has walked the earth. As a result of the natural desire to know that one can call for help should the need arise has existed, there have many attempted solutions to the problem. However, the attempted solutions were not versatile and had many disadvantages. Compromises were made for practicality to allow for the feeling of safety.
That is, there has been no versatile, all-encompassing solution to the problem. The most common deficiencies have been the size of the device, a measure of invasion of privacy, and cost of the device. Never has a device addressed all three of the issues at once, it has simply been a "three options, pick the two you want" scenario.
iRespond's goal is to provide a simple yet reliable method to request assistance from emergency response teams regardless of the user’s location.
In order to achieve our goal, the device must allow for fast emergency response under varying circumstances. For this objective to be met, iRespond will need to cut out the middleman as much as possible while reliably getting a communications signal to the appropriate parties. Therefore, the device will connect directly to 911 call centers via the
Government mandated E-911 system.
Another objective is to have a user-friendly interface. People in emergency situations are often in a panic, so the device must be as simple as possible to use. If it is too complex to use when an individual is in a panicked state, then the device will be of no use to the individual. A user-friendly interface must also minimize accidental activations.
The device is only useful to its user if the user can carry it on his or her person. As such, another identified objective is that the device must be compact and lightweight so that the user can carry it as a key fob without it getting in the way.
In order to appeal to consumers, the device must be inexpensive to the end-user and retain personal privacy.
Phase I Research Plan
iRespond is a device that will provide an immediate response to a certain location where help and assistance is needed. To provide this type of service, communication is needed between distinct points. The patron, cell tower, 911 call center/dispatcher, and emergency vehicle are all the points that need to be contacted.
Initially, a device or beacon is activated by a patron. This sends a signal to the closest cellular tower in range. The transmission is sent to the closet appropriate 911 call center according to the location of the cell tower. The 911 dispatcher communicates with emergency vehicles and sends them to the location of the patron where the assistance can be given. Different protocols have to be followed in order for this transmission to be sent successfully.
It is important to remember that iRespond will not be providing voice-to-voice communication with the patron and the 911 dispatcher. All the iRespond device does is triangulate the device’s current location using GPS and nearby cell towers and transmits this location data along with a prerecorded message.
The infrastructure to communicate between cell towers and 911 call centers has been established and is maintained by existing companies. The technology is proven and works with success so iRespond takes advantage of that with our lone device.
To establish communication with cell towers, we use CDMA technology. Currently, cell technologies are very competitive in the United States and provide mainly two choices with communication protocols, CDMA and GSM. CDMA has the market in the Americas. Globally, GSM is the majority. It makes sense for iRespond to use CDMA because of the coverage area and the US is the primary market. We want to reach as many points as possible.
CDMA communication is a newer technology built from the bottom up. The origins come from AMPS or easily called the Analog signal. This is a lower 800MHz frequency that is used to establish communication. In order to establish communication, one specific radio frequency is used. Using this Analog signal does not provide a secure and reliable communication link. Close radio frequencies (other established calls) gave way to interference problems and “ghostly” voices that were from other calls that were very close in radio frequency. And another major con was very poor battery life.
One way of improving technology was CDMA. CDMA provides a more secure digital signal. A higher frequency is used and the signal to establish communication is spread across multiple frequencies. The signal is sent using about 1.5MHz of the radio spectrum which provides the security and reliability. The CDMA chip on the cell phone and the cell tower interpret the signals easily and can only be interpreted from source to target only. And also going digital gives about 3-4 times more battery use.
CDMA Digital would be the way to go, but not everyone has a CDMA chip. The competitor GSM is another technology. The problem with GSM is that the technology is not well established in the United States. Another problem with GSM is that the technology is based on old technology developed many years ago. The developers wanted to provide an easy upgrade for users by enhancing the existing means of communication which is proving now to be a critical mistake. And now Qualcomm is establishing a new chip that upgrades both CDMA and GSM so that one unique technology can be used. GSM does work but not as superior as CDMA.
iRespond will need to follow these changes and upgrade as needed. Right now Analog is being phased out. Analog is still ideal though because of the large signal area it provides. The signal being used by the device would use a CDMA signal and when not available use the Analog signal to establish communications. As newer and better emerges, iRespond will upgrade the communications chip that will provide the best means of communication.
Once communication is established a message is sent. The message consists of the location data and the prerecorded message.
The location data is gathered by triangulation. Two methods of triangulation that will be used: GPS and cell towers. GPS uses current satellite location to calculate the longitude and latitude of the location. The more satellites the iRespond device is able to connect with provides a precise location. At least two need to be established before any triangulation can be done. This calculation is done on a chip on the iRespond device. Storms, trees, buildings are among the things that can block a successful GPS lock with a satellite. Also, the total time to find the exact location can be cumbersome at times especially with fewer satellite locks. But because of how precise the triangulation is GPS is very ideal in providing location data.
Cell tower triangulation also provides location data. From the E911 mandates, triangulation must be possible using the cell towers. Triangulation is a lot quicker using cell towers since all towers are fixed. Three towers are required to establish a successful triangulation. The degree of preciseness is about 20 feet, but this will not be met until full E911 Phase 2 compliance has been met by all cell towers. The mandate required E911 to be completed by December 31, 2005. Currently, extensions have been provided to companies because of the difficulty and man hours required to meet the mandates.
Antennas for both GPS and cell are used for receiving the GPS satellite data. Cell towers communicate with the device to give the exact triangulation point of the signal. The size is conveniently compact to provide for a very small device. Going with a big antenna does improve reception, but doing so goes against our compact device idea. The device has to be able to sit inside your hand or pocket comfortably without give the feeling of weights. iRespond is not designed to be a hassle for the patron.
The second part of the message is the prerecorded message. The prerecorded message consists of the name, birthday, age, optional medical information, contact information, and anything that patron would like recorded. The message is created during the registration process of the device in which a separate dial-up connection is established that downloads the prerecorded message and account information. The prerecorded message is encoded using the same technology that is used by MP3 players today to encode music. The technology allows us to create a sound file that is very small and understandable to the 911 dispatcher. LAME MP3 encoding is free to use and can be easily used to create on-the-fly sound files. The prerecorded message is stored directly on the device on a flash memory device. The flash memory does not need to be plentiful in size since the audio file is very small to begin with. Once the iRespond device establishes the connection the prerecorded message plays. A decoder translates the mp3 sound file to audible audio that is directly connected to what is equivalent to a microphone (It is important to note that the iRespond device will have no audible feedback or input meaning no earpiece or microphone).
Once the 911 dispatcher gathers all the required data, the 911 dispatcher informs the emergency response vehicle of the precise location and of all data that is stated on the prerecorded message.
The iRespond device is going to be designed for durability using injection molding of hard plastics. The device is rechargeable using the base station provided with the device. The lithium battery provides many charges and is easily changeable at the end of the battery’s life time. Batteries are also being improved with technology that charges a battery full in under 10 minutes and provides almost a month of standby battery life.
iRespond has many means of improving. As stated earlier, cell chip technology is advancing everyday. Triangulation is getting more precise and closer to the exact location. Cell coverage is expanding as every month new towers go up.
These among others provide improvements that are ideal to development of the iRespond device.
Company Information
The Computer Productivity Initiative (CPI) was created by Old Dominion University in 1995 as a means to modify the Computer Science curriculum to “help students better understand how to apply their education to real world problems” (CPI: Computer Productivity Initiative, 2005). Two classes, CS410 and CS411, were created to simulate the SBIR Phase 0 and Phase 1 process. Through these classes students would learn technical research skills, realistic team cooperation skills, presentation and proposal skills, marketing and budget research skills, scheduling skills, design skills, and an understanding of prototype development. Projects would be evaluated from a real world point of view, and students would be forced to work in similar conditions to real world situations (CPI: Computer Productivity Initiative, 2005).
The iRespond, created by Team Platinum, was originally designed to meet the requirements of the CPI. Team Platinum is currently searching for SBIR funding to support the creation of the iRespond and a new corporation to manage it. Though formed in the CPI, iRespond will be managed by its own company, allowing expansion in ways not previously available to Team Platinum.
Team Platinum currently consists of six members (one administrative, one management, three technical, and one marketing) and shall expand to encompass full customer service and design team staff with the success of the iRespond. The company’s mission is to bring affordable and easy to use security solutions to its customers first by development of the iRespond key fob and then through more advanced security devices. Team Platinum expects to become the single best solution to all security needs in the United States.
Commercial Potential
1. Competition
Devices with similar services: There are several products available eg.
• Cell phones
• Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB)
• Personal Locator Beacon (PLB)
• Safeguardian
• Wherify’s GPS locator phone
• Wherify’s locator watch for children
• GPS mobile locator / tracker cell phone
• OnStar
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Cell phones cannot always be reached out and there are many people who do not own a cell phone, as mentioned earlier. OnStar is mainly used in conjunction with vehicles and cannot be utilized in all locations. Some of the other devices can only be used in the sea. The locator watch for children does not offer the luxury for on-demand tracking thus there is no privacy.
2. Keys to Success
Our main advantage over these products is that they are either too big or it is not always possible to reach to them instantaneously. We not only offer on-demand yet persistent tracking, but also additional medical information for our customers. All these features are offered at a price much cheaper than the above mentioned products.
3. Services
iRespond offers a monthly payment plan of $9.99 Per Month and an yearly payment plan for $99.99 per year. The Initial Setup for our unit is very simple. There is a user manual that will have instructions to enable the users to register. In order Register the unit there is a 1-800 number that will be used. The users will also be allowed to enter some optional medical information about themselves. The size of the unit would be about 3 and half centimeters. Once activated it will continue transmission of distress signal till help arrives.
4. Financial Objectives
Let us consider the following costs:
• Total cost for molding and assembly:
Rs.660, 000 = $16,500.00
• Cost for setting our business up:
$2,711,035.00
• Shipping + assembling @ 17% for 100,000 units:
$19,305.00 + $2,711,035.00 = $2,730,340.00
• We estimate our profit to be approx. $51,910,200.00
• With subscription plan :
– Yearly fee: $2,499,750 @ 25% of 100,000 units.
– Monthly fee: $749,250 @ 75% of 100,000 units per month.
• Sales of 100,000 units in 2006.
• Profit margin of Profit: $51,910,200.00.
• Increase profit margin by 10% every 5th year.
• Virginia CIT funding will be used to finance our product.
Consultants and Subawards/Subcontracts
A number of outside consultants will be required to ensure the success of the iRespond key fob. Our General Manager, Janet Brunelle, will assist in the process of Team Platinum’s creation, and engineers with an understanding of the GPS and cellular technologies will be needed to aid in the final design of the product. Dan Arvin, of Pioneer Plastics, has agreed to help with development of the shell of the product and procurement of necessary plastic molds, and an Emergency Services consultant from the FCC may also be necessary to ensure approval of the devices adherence to E-911 protocol.
Because all of the parts needed to create the iRespond can be purchased as Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) products, Team Platinum will not be using subawards or subcontracts during phase I. Production may be subcontracted after phase II to mass produce the device, but all design and original manufacturing will be performed by Team Platinum’s company.
Equivalent or Overlapping Proposals to other Federal Agencies
None
References Cited
Basic 911. (2005). Federal Communications Commission. Available:
Battery Charger/Cable
Bergman M. (2004). U.S. Cell Phone Use Up More Than 300 Percent,
Statistical Abstract Reports. U.S. Census Bureau News. Available:
Bonsor, K. (2005). How Location Tracking Will Work. Howstuffworks. Available:
CDMA Radio Chip
Cell Antenna
Cleveland-Office-. (2005). Cleveland Office Space Market Overview. Cleveland Office Space. Available:
Copper Wire
CPI: Computer Productivity Initiative. (2005). Old Dominion University. Available:
Dan Arvin, Pioneer Plastics
Enhanced 911 Wireless Services. (2005). Federal Communications Commission. Available:
Flash Memory Cards
GPS Mobile Locator / Tracker Cell Phone
Hot Jobs. (2005). Salary. . Available:
LED Lights
Lee M. (1997). Choosing cleaning service requires more than quick sweep. Savvy Business Shopper. Available:
Office Finder. (2005). Office Space Calculator. Office Finder. Available:
PCBpro Instant Quote Form. (2005). PCBpro. Available:
Qualcomm
Rechargeable Lithium Battery
SafeGuardian One Button GPS Cell Phone
SprintPCS Developer Site
SprintPCS Info
TFM-560U Trendware 56k fax/modem
Trimble Lassen IQ GPS Receiver
Trimble-Ultra Compact Embedded Antenna
US Department of Justice, “Criminal Victimization in the United States, 2002 Statistical Tables”
What is CDMA? (2005). . Available:
Wherify Wireless Location Services
Biographical Sketches
Ian McKay - Project Manager and Budget Manager
Ian McKay is a Computer Science Major at Old Dominion University originally from Alexandria, Va. In the summer of 2004, Ian McKay worked for Chenega Advanced Solutions and Engineering (CASE) as a Network Security Intern. Ian McKay intends to obtain a MBA once he has finished his computer science degree. Additionally, in the future Ian McKay would like to obtain a management position within a fortune 100 company.
Sean Alcos - Head of Scheduling and Web Designer
Sean Alcos is a student at Old Dominion University working towards his Degree in Computer Science and Information Technology. He has experience with web development, server software, network design, and computer maintenance. He currently is interested in software development for the web with databases and web interaction.
Andrew Cherry - Graphics Expert, Editing, and Statistics
Andrew Cherry is a senior at Old Dominion University and has an Associates' Degree in Computer Science from Tidewater Community College. His interests include computer graphics and multimedia applications, compression algorithms, and modeling & simulation. He is currently working on a weather prediction system and a crowd/flocking behavior simulation engine.
Joseph March - Lead Writer and Hardware/Technical Researcher
Joseph March is currently a senior at Old Dominion University, completing his B.S. in Computer Science. He has interned with the software corporation, Symantec, and worked for the government contracting agency, Raytheon, where he received a TS-SBI level security clearance. He has experience producing written text, including fictional stories, nonfictional reports, and technical documents, making him an excellent choice for lead writer and hardware researcher.
Robert Pilkington - Software Researcher and Web Developer
Rob is a senior at Old Dominion University and is majoring in Computer Science and minoring in Information Technology. He works for ODU's Computer Science Systems Group, which gives him additional computer resources for use in class projects while simultaneously keeping him very busy. He enjoys programming and is happy to work on just about any coding project.
Anjalee Sinha - Marketing and Records Manager and Lead Presenter
Anjalee Sinha is working as a programmer and business analyst at Successline Inc. She is a graduate student at Old Dominion University studying M.S. in computer Information Systems. Her interests include web designing, graphics, journalism and business development.
|[pic]SUMMARY PROPOSAL BUDGET |FOR NSF USE ONLY |
|ORGANIZATION |PROPOSAL NO. |DURATION (MONTHS) |
|Old Dominion University | | |
| | |Proposed |Granted |
|PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT DIRECTOR |AWARD NO. | | |
|Janet Brunelle | | | |
|A. SENIOR PERSONNEL: PI/PD, Co-PIs, Faculty and Other Senior Associates |NSF-Funded |Funds |Funds |
| List each separately with name and title. (A.7. Show number in brackets) |Person-months |Requested By |Granted by NSF |
| |CAL |ACAD |SUMR |Proposer |(If Different) |
| 1. Ian McKay - Project Manager |2.84 | | | $7,100.00 |$ |
| 2. Sean Alcos - Task/Doc Specialist |2.70 | | | $4,950.00 | |
| 3. Andrew Cherry - Database Specialist |2.60 | | | $5,200.00 | |
| 4. Joseph March - Technical Specialist |2.70 | | | $4,950.00 | |
| 5. Robert Pilkington - Webmaster |2.60 | | | $4,766.67 | |
| 6. Anjalee Sinha - Marketing Specialist |2.60 | | | $4,766.67 | |
| 7. (6) TOTAL SENIOR PERSONNEL (1-6) |16.04 | | | $31,733.34 | |
|B. OTHER PERSONNEL (SHOW NUMBERS IN BRACKETS) | |
| 1. ( ) POSTDOCTORAL ASSOCIATES | | | | | |
| 2. (1) OTHER PROFESSIONALS (TECHNICIAN, PROGRAMMER, ETC.) |2.7 | | | $13,500.00 | |
| 3. ( ) GRADUATE STUDENTS | | | | |
| 4. ( ) UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS | | | | |
| 5. (1) SECRETARIAL - CLERICAL (IF CHARGED DIRECTLY) |2.7 | | $5,400.00 | |
| 6. ( ) OTHER | | | | |
| TOTAL SALARIES AND WAGES (A + B) | | | $50,633.34 | |
|C. FRINGE BENEFITS (IF CHARGED AS DIRECT COSTS) | | | $20,253.33 | |
| TOTAL SALARIES, WAGES AND FRINGE BENEFITS (A + B + C) | | | $70,886.67 | |
|D. EQUIPMENT (LIST ITEM AND DOLLAR AMOUNT FOR EACH ITEM EXCEEDING $5,000.) | |
|FOB Case Prototype |$10,000.00 |
|2 Database Servers |$5,000.00 |
| | |
| TOTAL EQUIPMENT |$15,000.00 | |
|E. TRAVEL |1. DOMESTIC (INCL. CANADA, MEXICO AND U.S. POSSESSIONS) | | |
| |2. FOREIGN | | |
|F. PARTICIPANT SUPPORT | |
| 1. STIPENDS |$ | | | |
| 2. TRAVEL | |680.00 | | |
| 3. SUBSISTENCE | | | | |
| 4. OTHER | | | | |
| TOTAL NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS (1) TOTAL PARTICIPANT COSTS |680.00 | |
|G. OTHER DIRECT COSTS | | |
| 1. MATERIALS AND SUPPLIES |$534.48 | |
| 2. PUBLICATION/DOCUMENTATION/DISSEMINATION | | |
| 3. CONSULTANT SERVICES |$10,541.66 | |
| 4. COMPUTER SERVICES | | |
| 5. SUBAWARDS | | |
| 6. OTHER | | |
| TOTAL OTHER DIRECT COSTS |$11,076.15 | |
|H. TOTAL DIRECT COSTS (A THROUGH G) |$97,642.81 | |
|I. INDIRECT COSTS (F&A) (SPECIFY RATE AND BASE) | |
| | |
| | |
| TOTAL INDIRECT COSTS (F&A) | | |
|J. TOTAL DIRECT AND INDIRECT COSTS (H + I) |$97,642.81 | |
|K. RESIDUAL FUNDS (IF FOR FURTHER SUPPORT OF CURRENT PROJECT SEE GPG II.D.7.j.) | | |
|L. AMOUNT OF THIS REQUEST (J) OR (J MINUS K) |$97,642.81 |$ |
|M. COST SHARING: PROPOSED LEVEL $ |AGREED LEVEL IF DIFFERENT: $ |
|PI/PD TYPED NAME AND SIGNATURE* |DATE |FOR NSF USE ONLY |
| | |INDIRECT COST RATE VERIFICATION |
|ORG. REP. TYPED NAME & SIGNATURE* |DATE |Date Checked |Date of Rate Sheet |Initials-ORG |
| | | | | |
|NSF Form 1030 (10/99) Supersedes All Previous Editions |*SIGNATURES REQUIRED ONLY FOR REVISED BUDGET (GPG III.C) |
The months that each employs works are broken down by phases and are determined from the Ghantt chart of the WBS. The months worked for each employee have been determined based on the Work Breakdown Structure (Appendix P). The employee cost has been determined based on the annual salary given for each employee and the months each employee will be needed. The employee overhead is forty percent of the total employee salary. This figure is based on Old Dominion’s employee overhead.
Personal:
|Phase 1 Personnel |
| | | | |
|Employee |Months |Pay Rate |Cost |
| | | | |
|Project Manager |2.84 |$30,000.00 |$7,100.00 |
|Task/Doc Specialist |2.70 |$22,000.00 |$4,950.00 |
|Financial Specialist |2.70 |$24,000.00 |$5,400.00 |
|Technical Specialist |2.70 |$22,000.00 |$4,950.00 |
|Database Specialist |2.60 |$24,000.00 |$5,200.00 |
|Marketing Specialist |2.60 |$22,000.00 |$4,766.67 |
|Electrical Engineer |2.70 |$60,000.00 |$13,500.00 |
|Webmaster |2.60 |$22,000.00 |$4,766.67 |
|Total Salary | | |$50,633.33 |
|Employee Overhead (40%) | | |$20,253.33 |
|Total Employee Cost | | |$70,886.67 |
| |
|Consultants |
|Communications Consultant |0.80 |$50,000.00 |$3,333.33 |
|Hardware Consultant |0.80 |$55,000.00 |$3,666.67 |
|Network Consultant |0.30 |$60,000.00 |$1,500.00 |
|Injection Molding Consultant |0.70 |$35,000.00 |$2,041.67 |
|Total Consultant Cost | | |$10,541.67 |
| | | | |
|Total | | |$81,428.33 |
Hard Resources:
The number of workstations, software, and network cables are based on the number of employees that will be working at the same time. While the consultants are assisting the team members, they will share workstations with the team members if needed. Qualified personnel will assemble an iRespond prototype unit with the resources listed below to felicitate future testing of the unit.
|Phase 1 Hard Resources |
| | | | |
|Resource |Number of Units |Cost Per Unit |Total Cost |
|FOB Case Prototype |1 |$10,000.00 |$10,000.00 |
|GPS Receiver |2 |$59.95 |$119.90 |
|GPS Antenna |2 |$17.95 |$35.90 |
|CDMA Radio Chip |2 |$20.00 |$40.00 |
|Mobile Phone Antenna |2 |$3.00 |$6.00 |
|Rechargeable Battery |2 |$19.98 |$39.96 |
|Recharging Station |2 |$38.94 |$77.88 |
|Flash Memory |2 |$11.95 |$23.90 |
|Internal Circuits and Board |2 |$1.47 |$2.94 |
|Solder |4 |$2.00 |$8.00 |
|Soldering Iron |4 |$10.00 |$40.00 |
|Database Server |2 |$2,500.00 |$5,000.00 |
|Red hat Linux |2 |$0.00 |$0.00 |
|Ethernet Cables CAT 6 |4 |$35.00 |$140.00 |
| | | | |
|Total Hard Resources Cost | | |$15,534.48 |
Travel:
The iRespond team is all located in the same geographic location. This location is also the site of our proposed office space. For these reasons, the only budget item for travel is the trip to Project Manager will make to the agency granting funding to our project. The funding for this trip is based on information received from .
|Travel |
|Description |Days |Cost Per Day |Total Cost |
| | | | |
|Rental Car |4.00 |$35.00 |$140.00 |
|Hotel |3.00 |$100.00 |$300.00 |
|Meals |4.00 |$60.00 |$240.00 |
| | | | |
|Total Travel Cost | | |$680.00 |
Total Budget:
The total budget is determined based on the hard resource cost and personnel cost shown before.
|Total iRespond Phase 1 Budget |
| | |
|Description |Cost |
|Personnel Cost |$81,428.33 |
|Hard Resource Cost |$15,534.48 |
|Travel Cost |$680.00 |
| | |
|Total iRespond Phase 1 Cost |$97,642.81 |
Current and Pending Support
None
Facilities, Equipment, and Other Resources
Team Platinum has the expressed permission of Old Dominion University (ODU) to use their facilities for phase I of the SBIR process. ODU will provide all legal support and physical working space required by Team Platinum for the development of the iRespond prototype, and will provide internet connection and research materials to the team. Team Platinum will be located inside of the E & CS Building, 4700 Elkhorn Ave Suite 3300, Norfolk, VA 23529-0162.
This does not cover all of Team Platinum’s needs, however. Materials required to build the prototype are not provided and access to school computers is not guaranteed. Team Platinum will need to purchase a GPS receiver, mobile phone, and use of two computers with telephony modems. They will also need to rent computers for use in database design.
Special Information/Supplementary Documents
Trilateration in Simple Terms
*Images from
Trilateration can best be summarized by looking at it in 2D, the way Cell Towers use it.
Imagine being completely lost and needing some way to determine your location. Using a device you discover that you are exactly 625 miles from a tower in Boise.
This narrows down your possible location, but you could still be anywhere within a 625 mile radius around Boise. So you find another distance using your device, and discover you are 690 miles from a tower in Minneapolis.
This narrows down your possible location even more. Now you must be in one of the two intersecting points between the radius around Boise and Minneapolis. You’ve gone from a large circle of possibilities to two distinct points.
Now, using the device you discover a third distance and learn that you are 615 miles from Tucson. The three circles made from the radius knowledge unite in one single point, your location.
To visualize this for GPS, the circles must be replaced with spheres (GPS trilateration is three dimensional) and that means there must be four spheres to locate a single point. GPS uses the Earth as one of those spheres, and thus we need only three to use it as well.
Source: Brain, M. & Harris, T. (). How GPS Receivers Work. Howstuffworks. Available:
GPS Trilateration
GPS uses radio waves (electromagnetic energy) to calculate distance.
The satellite transmits a long digital pattern that the receiver picks up. The receiver begins running the same pattern at a given time stamp and then when the satellite's signal reaches the receiver, its transmission of the pattern will lag a bit behind the receiver's playing of the pattern. The length of the delay is equal to the signal's travel time. The receiver multiplies this time by the speed of light to determine how far the signal traveled. (A few adjustments must be made within the device to make up for the fact that its clock may not be in sink with the satellite’s atomic clock. To do this with a low level of inaccuracy four satellites must be utilized instead of three).
Source Location:
In short, the receiver can figure out how far the signal has traveled by timing how long it took the signal to arrive from the satellite.
Source Location:
Once the receiver makes this calculation, it can tell you the latitude, longitude and altitude (or some similar measurement) of its current position.
Source Location:
CELL Trilateration
The distance to the cell phone is determined by measuring the relative time delays in the signal from the phone set to three different base stations. This signal is a radio wave much like the GPS, but can be altered by buildings, steel structures, etc… It is less accurate because of this, and is more 2D instead of 3D, but basically the same principals as GPS.
Source Location:
Csid7_gci753924%2C00.html
CELL Triangulation (used for Cell location)
We can locate a point in a plane if we know the location of two points (our towers) and the angle to our target from each. If we simply extend a line from each tower at the appropriate angle, our target will be at the intersection. Since we know the location of our two points and the distance between them, simple trigonometry gives us the location of the target.
Source: Brain, M. & Harris, T. (). How GPS Receivers Work. Howstuffworks. Available:
E-911 Information
E-911 is an infrastructure developed to pinpoint locations of 911 calls. Currently 911 systems can report the telephone number and location for wireline phones, but soon wireless triangulation will allow tracking of mobile phones as well. This infrastructure relies on longitude and latitude coordinates the same way that a GPS works, and so it should be easy to implement the iRespond to coincide with the E-911 structure.
GPS Coverage can already reach the entire United States and the CDMA mobile communications chip Team Platinum will utilize in the iRespond can transmit to cell towers all over the United States. Thus, the iRespond will easily be able to send trilateration data and personal data stored in audio form using the already existing E-911 infrastructure. It will also send a call back number which leads to the iRespond Customer Service Center in order to allow verification of the emergency calls.
E-911 is government mandated and regulated by the FCC. By the end of phase I all 911 systems will be able to receive location data so that they can discover the location of a cell tower that delivers their center a 911 call. Once phase II is completed (set to be finished by December, 31 2005), all wireless carriers will be able to provide precise location information within 50-300 meters using longitude and latitude information.
[pic]
All information on E-911 found at
Management Plan
1. Program Identification:
The Program Management Plan* (PMP) outlined below describes structure for the project iRespond. The program will deliver the hardware, software, documentation and infrastructure of iRespond. Team Platinum of the Computer Productivity Initiative (CPI) is responsible for the development, testing, schedule, budget, marketing and management of the iRespond program.
1.1 Program Management Overview:
Implementation and execution of the management program will be performed in accordance with the processes outlined in set of planning documentation. The planning documentation includes the: Management Plan, Development Plan, Marketing Plan, Financial Plan, Risk Management Plan, Evaluation Plan, Scheduling Plan and Organizational Plan. (Figure 1) The responsibilities of the project team, capabilities of iRespond and project deliverables are described under:
[pic]
(Figure 1)
The Management Plan describes the team organization, management style, schedule, milestones and deliverables. The Project Management Plan is intended to serve as a guide for the execution of the program. This plan provides the following pertinent information:
• Corporate Organization
• Project Team Organization with Areas of Responsibility
• Work Breakdown Structure
• Program Planning
• Progress Reporting and Team Management
• Detailed Program Schedule and Milestones
The Program Management Plan provides guidance for the content and execution of the following plans:
• Risk Management
• Financial
• Evaluation
• Development
1.2 Corporate Organization
The entirety of the Computer Productivity Initiative supports the iRespond project. The Computer Productivity Initiative was started in 1995 by Old Dominion University under a grant by the National Science Foundation to give Computer Science students the opportunity to develop solutions to real world problems. Students would utilize the knowledge that they had gained from the undergraduate Computer Science program. The following is the Computer Productivity Initiative iRespond Corporate Organizational Structure:
• Old Dominion University.
• General Manager, Computer Productivity Initiative.
• iRespond Project Office. iRespond Project Office will execute the program and provide day-to-day senior management supervision, testing, development and administrative resources necessary to manage and develop the iRespond project.
1.3 Management Approach
The iRespond project team’s goal is to work closely with technical experts to produce a product which meets the problem solution characteristics. The management approach to executing iRespond contracts is based on the philosophy that successful Programs are delivered by goal-oriented teams. A Program Manager (PM) will lead the iRespond team. The PM is responsible for all planning, programmatic, technical and financial aspects of the Program. The PM is the primary Point of Contact (POC) for distributors. The primary duties of the PM include: supervision of all planning, scheduling, financial, and technical activities, and customer liaison. Additionally, the PM is responsible for all program-related decisions and commitments with approval, as required from the Corporate Management Team.
1.4 Project Team Organization
The iRespond Project Team is committed to providing the best value by delivering a real world solution utilizing advanced easy-to-use, low risk solutions at the lowest possible cost. This commitment to excellence is obtainable as it is based on the re-use of existing technology that is field proven. Through strategic team cooperation and an extensive personnel selection process, the Computer Productivity Initiative has assembled a cohesive Program team that is experienced with the implementation of each component.
Project Manager. Overall management responsibility for iRespond is assigned to a Project Manager who is responsible for planning and coordination of the day-to-day aspects of the program. The Project Manager is responsible for making sure the tasks are evenly distributed and that each of the team members is playing a vital role in the main project goal. The Project Managers principal assistants are:
• Task/Documentation Specialist. The TDS provides overall direction for the documentation that is required for the iRespond project. The TDS will ensure that all members of the team have met the required documentation specifications, and that each person is aware of the tasks he/she has been assigned.
• Financial Specialist. The FS works in coordination with the rest of the team to devise a specific and schedule based budget plan, that will be reviewed by each of the team members and approved by both the PM and the CPI General manager.
• Technical Specialist. The TS is responsible for making sure the team has full and complete knowledge of all the technical aspects of the problem’s solution. The TS researches the available technology and what feasible technologies exist to incorporate into the iRespond project solution. The TS will also work in parallel as a liaison to outside sources that will offer insight into those areas that team members do not have relevant knowledge.
• Database Specialist. The DS is responsible for managing the creation of the major functional software components in the iRespond project. The DS will ensure that each component meets the specification requirements. The DS is responsible for the development of system specifications, system design documents, interface documents, test plans, and procedures.
• Marketing Specialist. The MS is responsible for developing a marketing plan which includes the specification of an initial target market. The MS is responsible for the development of an in-depth plan on how to advertise and sell the iRespond project solution to a specific target market.
• Web Master. The WD is responsible for the creation and maintenance of a product website which will include the display of all relevant documents and presentations. The WD will update the website on a weekly basis as new documents and milestones are reached.
1.5 Program Duration
The iRespond program is a three year project that is planned to span exactly 425 (fix) business days. The program is divided into four phases. Phase 0 is conception of the project and will last 81 business days. Phase 1 is Proof of Concept where a lab prototype will be built along with the creation of several documents including a user’s manual. Phase 1 will last for 85 working days. Phase 2 is the Critical Design phase, where the program will develop and prepare iRespond for the final phase. Phase 2 will last 99 working days. Phase 3 is considered to consist of producing a final product for sell to the target market. While Phase 3 will last 160 working days, it is understood that Phase 3 is production and out years which means the program will review its current state and plan for the future implementations and support.
1.6 Work Breakdown Structure
The program Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) reflects the budgeted cost versus resources required to complete each task. The WBS phase numbers are integrated as part of the master program schedule. Assuming the funding of SBIR, the budget is carefully planned out against the set deadlines set by SBIR proposal guidelines. The budgets are created by the Financial Planner, reviewed by the iRespond program and set by the Project Manager. The WBS will be used to mark the different milestones throughout the phases and to make sure the team is on time and under budget at every possible mark. The WBS management tool that iRespond will use is Microsoft Project.
1.7 Project Planning
The iRespond Program Team office will maintain the program master schedule. The master schedule contains a line item for each WBS element and will be used to track the progress of each element. All deviations from the master schedule must be coordinated with the Project Office. It is the responsibility of each team member to call attention to possible schedule deviations at the earliest opportunity. The program office will coordinate the program schedule with Computer Productivity Initiative. The program will be developed in phases. Within each phase, formal reviews will be announced in advance of the starting date
iRespond program will take a “top-down approach” to the Project Schedule, meaning that we will pace our workload to fit the overall Program requirements. Particular attention will be given to timely milestone completions. It is recognized that the schedule is particularly tight, containing critical program milestones throughout all four phases, and adequate personnel will be available in order to keep the program moving forward.
1.8 Progress Performance Assessment
All iRespond Team members will participate in progress reporting and team management. The Project Manager will track technical and financial progress of the program. Reviews will be conducted as mutually agreeable by the Proximity iRespond Team and Computer Productivity Initiative.
• Report on progress to date
• Present work to be performed during the next period before review
• Present status of all deliverables and review planned delivery dates
• Plan and coordinate activities, including date of next review
• Discuss technical or programmatic issues as necessary
In preparation for the meetings the iRespond Project Manager will collect the status data on all relevant ongoing activities, progress against schedule and budget, and planned activity for the next reporting period. Quality reviews of all program documentation and procedures will be held periodically. Continual quality reviews will be held by peer editing groups set by the Project Manager. In particular, the quality program will be involved with program deliveries and milestones and will work off of the master program schedule to plan program audits. Technical, financial and quality progress and status reporting will be conducted according to the following general guidelines.
1.9 Technical Progress and Reporting
The schedule for the program is established during the planning phase and monitored throughout the performance period. The schedule contains an entry for each WBS element. The percentage of completion for each WBS element is determine as necessary to manage program progress and is reviewed before and after each milestone is completed.
2.0 Financial Management and Reporting
The financial profile for the Program is established during the planning phase and monitored throughout the performance period. This profile is generated by assigning a specific budget to accompany each WBS element. A master budget is prepared in accordance with the proposed funds and the WBS.
The Project Manager is provided with an information package that identifies the spending budgets in relation to the WBS, in addition to the overall budget for the program, and a synopsis of all major deliverables and milestones. The Project Manager uses this information to track the overall financial progress of the program on a weekly basis. An updated budget is automatically provided by the Financial Planner on a monthly basis, or upon the request from the Project Manager. The Project Manager uses the financial summary in conjunction with his assessments of technical progress to track the overall status of the efforts.
3.0 Profit and Cost
Profit will be viewed as all funds which exceed the cost of the program and its continued operation. Profit will be reviewed in future project phases to determine the net or annual profit over time.
Cost is calculated by the following formula:
Cost = Labor Costs * Time + Direct Costs + Indirect Costs
Profit = Revenue – Costs/Expenses
3.1 Monthly Progress Report
The iRespond project team will submit a monthly progress reports. The report shall cover, at a minimum, the following:
• Progress Summary
• Milestone Deliverables, planned actual and forecast
• Cost and Profit report
• Dependencies: a ‘critical items list’ of all items which could jeopardize timely completion of the work or any significant parts of the program
• Risk Status
• Look Ahead (Future action and Forecast)
• Work Package/Activities planned, actual & forecast status
• Milestone/Deliverables planned, actual & forecast status
• Quality Actions (Reviews, audits)
3.2 Reviews
Reviews will play an integral part in the management and monitoring of all phases of the iRespond Project. Informal reviews with the Program team members will be held at all levels on a weekly basis to ensure that the program stays on track. Formal technical reviews will be held to ensure that the program is proceeding as planned. The Project Manager will meet with each team section and ensure that they are on task with the course of the project. In turn, the team members will timely report all successes and difficulties they have encountered that have had any effect on the course of the project. Formal reviews will be completed at least every three months. The formal reviews will deal with those issues that can be fixed in the future, and will also use the evaluation plan as a way of gauging the success of the program through the current time.
Evaluation Plan
In order to maintain the desired level of quality and productivity, the success of each of the four phases of the project will need to be evaluated at its conclusion. In addition to these end-of-phase evaluations, there should be checks at regular intervals during each phase. For phases zero and one, the majority of these checks come in the form of class assignments, and are mostly out of the team’s control. The same applies to regular evaluation intervals, since class time is allocated for the project. The phase two and phase three mid-phase evaluations will be derived from entries in the Work Breakdown Structure, and evaluation meetings will be scheduled at a regular interval depending on the phase. Finally, before entering a given phase, the evaluation plan itself should be examined and possibly updated to reflect any changes in specifications, deadlines, and/or requirements.
[pic]
The following tables show the initial evaluation items for each phase of development. Phase zero is the conception phase, where the problem is defined, the suggested solution is researched, initial plans are made, and feasibility is demonstrated. There are several CS410 specific deliverables that are listed in the evaluation section rather than the deliverables section because they are designed merely to facilitate preparation of the SBIR document and to serve as evaluation guides before the evaluation plan has been formalized.
|Phase 0 |Deliverables |Mid-Phase Evaluation |End-of-Phase Evaluation |
|Conception | | | |
| |SBIR document |Feasibility presentation |Feasibility proven |
| | | | |
| | |Milestones presentation |WBS completed |
| | | | |
| | |Website published |SBIR document prepared |
Phase one is the first SBIR funded phase. It centers around developing a working prototype to further demonstrate feasibility and proof of concept. This phase is partially covered by CS411, so there will likely be additional mid-phase and end-of-phase evaluation items that are not covered in this initial evaluation plan.
|Phase 1 |Deliverables |Mid-Phase Evaluation |End-of-Phase Evaluation |
|Proof of | | | |
|Concept | | | |
| |Lab prototype |Lab prototype |Lab prototype demonstrated |
| | |plan completed | |
| |Business plan | |Documentation completed |
| | |Prototype developed | |
| |Preliminary production | |SBIR document prepared |
| |specifications | | |
Phase two involves actual product development. With the system demonstrated by the phase one lab prototype, development will begin on a functional prototype and beta test units. The software and hardware designs must be finalized during this phase. A more detailed evaluation plan will have to be created at this point, to address the specific requirements of the various components, particularly the software.
|Phase 2 |Deliverables |Mid-Phase Evaluation |End-of-Phase Evaluation |
|Functional | | | |
|Prototype | | | |
|and Development| | | |
| |Final production specifications |Budget finalized |Software completed |
| | | | |
| |Proposed contracts |Test plan developed |Hardware designed |
| | | | |
| |Test, personnel, management and | |Service center established |
| |marketing plans | | |
| | | |Beta testing underway |
Phase three represents a fully functional operation. Employees will be hired, units will be produced and maintained, and marketing and production plans will be in full swing. Once again, a more detailed evaluation plan will need to be developed in order to reflect any changes in the evolution of the project. Nevertheless, several initial evaluation criteria can be established.
|Phase 3 |Deliverables |Mid-Phase Evaluation |End-of-Phase Evaluation |
|Production and | | | |
|Out Years | | | |
| |Commercially available product|Positive customer feedback |Return on investment |
| | | | |
| |Continued service | | |
Risk Management Plan
Any project runs the risk of failure if certain events occur. We have identified the following events could conceivably prevent us from producing iRespond. The probability of the event occurring and the impact that its occurrence would have are both rated on a 5 point system, with 1 being lowest risk/impact and 5 being the highest.
1. The biggest risk is that the device is rejected for use with the E-911 system. This risk's probability is rated at 3 as we can reference documents outlining requirements for a device to work with the E-911 system. The impact, though, is a 5, making this our biggest risk. If the device is not approved, then the project cannot go forward as alternative solutions to reaching emergency services will be prohibitively expensive. Our plan to mitigate this risk is to research the requirements to ensure that we will meet them and thus get approved.
2. Our next biggest risk is that mobile phone companies may release phones with similar capabilities to our device. The probability of this occurring is rated at 4, as there isn't much reason for them to avoid adding some functionality similar to ours. The impact, though, is only rated at 3 because we plan to undercut the costs of mobile phone service plans and we still have our own niche that mobile phones don't fall into. Our mitigation plan is to use marketing techniques to raise public awareness of our product as a cheaper alternative to mobile phones for emergency contact.
3. If the prices to mobile phone service plans drop, then our product may appear less attractive to consumers because now-similarly priced products will have more functionality while still meeting a number of features our product supports. The probability is 3 and the impact is 4. Should this occur, our mitigation plan is to look into selling the device at a loss with a plan to recoup the costs through subscription and maintenance charges as well as dropping hardware features to make the device cheaper if necessary.
4. A low-probability but high-impact risk is that the device turns out to be more expensive to build than we had anticipated. Our research indicates that we should be able to build the device and sell it for a profit, so the probability is only rated at 2. However, the impact is a 4 because of the damage it does to our marketing strategy. Should this occur, our mitigation plan is to look into selling the device at a loss with a plan to recoup the costs through subscription and maintenance charges as well as dropping hardware features to make the device cheaper if necessary.
5. Testing this product will be complex and expensive. If we run into testing complications, the money thrown into testing could use up available funds and prevent us from releasing a properly functioning product. The risk is a 2 and impact is a 4. To mitigate the risk, we can employ a strong project management and development methodology that emphasizes checks throughout the development process to reduce the chance of complications during prototype testing.
6. If our competitors release a product with an identical feature set, then we will have to go up against an already-established company. We rate the probability as 3 because while it can happen, our competition does not seem to have the same respect for privacy that we do. The impact is rated at a 3 because competition will be more of a challenge than something that will cause the project to fail. Our mitigation is to improve marketing in response to the competition.
7. If the company that supplies the plastic molding for the case fails to deliver prototype cases on time, our testing schedule will be set back. The probability of this occurring is a 1, and the impact is a 2. Our mitigation in the event this occurs is to have default clauses in our contract with our suppliers and to look at several suppliers to ensure that we pick a reliable company to do business with.
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Financial Plan
During the first week of each phase the project manager will assemble the remaining required members for the project. The team members required are listed in the staffing requirements section of this proposal. The salary for each respective team member has been calculated based on a range obtained from . The budget for each phase will be divided into three sections: Staffing Requirements, Hard Resources and Total Budget.
Phase 1
The months that each employs works are broken down by phases and are determined from the Ghantt chart of the WBS. The months worked for each employee have been determined based on the Work Breakdown Structure (Appendix P). The employee cost has been determined based on the annual salary given for each employee and the months each employee will be needed. The employee overhead is forty percent of the total employee salary. This figure is based on Old Dominion’s employee overhead.
Personal:
|Phase 1 Personnel |
| | | | |
|Employee |Months |Pay Rate |Cost |
| | | | |
|Project Manager |2.84 |$30,000.00 |$7,100.00 |
|Task/Doc Specialist |2.70 |$22,000.00 |$4,950.00 |
|Financial Specialist |2.70 |$24,000.00 |$5,400.00 |
|Technical Specialist |2.70 |$22,000.00 |$4,950.00 |
|Database Specialist |2.60 |$24,000.00 |$5,200.00 |
|Marketing Specialist |2.60 |$22,000.00 |$4,766.67 |
|Electrical Engineer |2.70 |$60,000.00 |$13,500.00 |
|Webmaster |2.60 |$22,000.00 |$4,766.67 |
|Total Salary | | |$50,633.33 |
|Employee Overhead (40%) | | |$20,253.33 |
|Total Employee Cost | | |$70,886.67 |
| |
|Consultants |
|Communications Consultant |0.80 |$50,000.00 |$3,333.33 |
|Hardware Consultant |0.80 |$55,000.00 |$3,666.67 |
|Network Consultant |0.30 |$60,000.00 |$1,500.00 |
|Injection Molding Consultant |0.70 |$35,000.00 |$2,041.67 |
|Total Consultant Cost | | |$10,541.67 |
| | | | |
|Total | | |$81,428.33 |
Hard Resources:
The number of workstations, software, and network cables are based on the number of employees that will be working at the same time. While the consultants are assisting the team members, they will share workstations with the team members if needed. Qualified personnel will assemble an iRespond prototype unit with the resources listed below to felicitate future testing of the unit.
|Phase 1 Hard Resources |
| | | | |
|Resource |Number of Units |Cost Per Unit |Total Cost |
|FOB Case Prototype |1 |$10,000.00 |$10,000.00 |
|GPS Receiver |2 |$59.95 |$119.90 |
|GPS Antenna |2 |$17.95 |$35.90 |
|CDMA Radio Chip |2 |$20.00 |$40.00 |
|Mobile Phone Antenna |2 |$3.00 |$6.00 |
|Rechargeable Battery |2 |$19.98 |$39.96 |
|Recharging Station |2 |$38.94 |$77.88 |
|Flash Memory |2 |$11.95 |$23.90 |
|Internal Circuits and Board |2 |$1.47 |$2.94 |
|Solder |4 |$2.00 |$8.00 |
|Soldering Iron |4 |$10.00 |$40.00 |
|Database Server |2 |$2,500.00 |$5,000.00 |
|Red hat Linux |2 |$0.00 |$0.00 |
|Ethernet Cables CAT 6 |4 |$35.00 |$140.00 |
| | | | |
|Total Hard Resources Cost | | |$15,534.48 |
Travel:
The iRespond team is all located in the same geographic location. This location is also the site of our proposed office space. For these reasons, the only budget item for travel is the trip to Project Manager will make to the agency granting funding to our project. The funding for this trip is based on information received from .
|Travel |
|Description |Days |Cost Per Day |Total Cost |
| | | | |
|Rental Car |4.00 |$35.00 |$140.00 |
|Hotel |3.00 |$100.00 |$300.00 |
|Meals |4.00 |$60.00 |$240.00 |
| | | | |
|Total Travel Cost | | |$680.00 |
Total Budget:
The total budget is determined based on the hard resource cost and personnel cost shown before.
|Total iRespond Phase 1 Budget |
| | |
|Description |Cost |
|Personnel Cost |$81,428.33 |
|Hard Resource Cost |$15,534.48 |
|Travel Cost |$680.00 |
| | |
|Total iRespond Phase 1 Cost |$97,642.81 |
Phase 2
All personnel required for Phase II are shown below along with their respective salaries and duration of contract. During this phase, all employees will hold at a minimum, a bachelor’s degree in their perspective field. The iRespond team has allocated funds for legal counsel if needed.
Personnel:
|Phase 2 Personnel |
| | | | |
|Employee |Months |Pay Rate |Cost |
|Project Manager |8.25 |$80,000.00 |$55,000.00 |
|Task/Document Specialist |4.00 |$22,000.00 |$7,333.33 |
|Financial/Accounting Director |4.00 |$65,000.00 |$21,666.67 |
|Technical Specialist |4.00 |$45,000.00 |$15,000.00 |
|Marketing Director |4.00 |$60,000.00 |$20,000.00 |
|Networking Engineer |3.00 |$62,000.00 |$15,500.00 |
|Electrical Engineer |8.00 |$60,000.00 |$40,000.00 |
|Webmaster |2.00 |$28,000.00 |$4,666.67 |
|Call Center Supervisor |3.00 |$33,000.00 |$8,250.00 |
|Customer Service Manager |3.00 |$55,000.00 |$13,750.00 |
|HR Manager |3.00 |$70,000.00 |$17,500.00 |
|Traffic/Scheduling Analyst |4.00 |$35,000.00 |$11,666.67 |
|Sales Director |5.00 |$60,000.00 |$25,000.00 |
|Tester |3.00 |$32,404.00 |$8,101.00 |
|Design Engineer 1 |8.00 |$59,478.00 |$39,652.00 |
|Database Admin/Designer |6.00 |$60,000.00 |$30,000.00 |
|Database Engineer |6.00 |$80,000.00 |$40,000.00 |
|Total Personnel Cost | | |$373,086.33 |
|Employee Overhead (40%) | | |$149,234.53 |
|Total Phase 2 Personnel Cost | | |$522,320.87 |
| | | | |
| |
|Consultants |
|Legal Consultant |1.00 |$80,000.00 |$6,666.67 |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|Total | | |$528,987.53 |
Hard Resources:
During the first year of the Phase II, there will be nine additional employees than in Phase I. For this reason, additionally workstations, office equipment, office space, software, and network cables will be needed. Additionally testing equipment will be required for this phase as well. FOB Case production will also occur at this time.
|Phase 2 Hard Resources |
| | | | |
|Resource |Number of Units |Cost Per Unit |Total Cost |
|Call Center |1 |$42,000.00 |$28,875.00 |
|Work Stations |20 |$1,800.00 |$36,000.00 |
|Office Equipment |20 |$230.00 |$4,600.00 |
|Phones |20 |$140.00 |$2,800.00 |
|Network Equipment |1 |$80,000.00 |$80,000.00 |
|Testing Equipment |1 |$40,000.00 |$40,000.00 |
|Molds + Case Production + Assembly |100,000 |$0.17 |$16,500.00 |
|Call Center Phone Number |2 |$24.95 |$49.90 |
|Total Phase 2 HD Cost | | |$208,824.90 |
Total Budget:
|Total iRespond Phase 2 Budget |
| | |
|Description |Cost |
|Personnel Cost |$528,987.53 |
|Hard Resource Cost |$208,824.90 |
|Total iRespond Phase 2 Cost |$737,812.43 |
Phase 3, Budget Projection
The budget for Phase III is based on 1 year of production. The status of the production will be reevaluated at this time and the budget adjusted accordingly for the remaining years.
Personnel:
|Phase 3 Personnel |
| | | | | |
|Employee |# Employees |Months |Pay Rate |Cost |
|Project Manager |1 |12.00 |$95,000.00 |$95,000.00 |
|Task/Document Specialist |1 |12.00 |$30,000.00 |$30,000.00 |
|Financial/Accounting Director |1 |12.00 |$65,000.00 |$65,000.00 |
|Technical Specialist |1 |12.00 |$45,000.00 |$45,000.00 |
|Marketing Director |1 |12.00 |$60,000.00 |$60,000.00 |
|Webmaster |1 |6.00 |$28,000.00 |$14,000.00 |
|Call Center Supervisor |3 |12.00 |$33,000.00 |$99,000.00 |
|Customer Service Manager |1 |12.00 |$55,000.00 |$55,000.00 |
|Training Specialist 1 |2 |6.00 |$38,000.00 |$38,000.00 |
|Database Maintenance Staff |1 |12.00 |$81,791.00 |$81,791.00 |
|Customer Service Rep 1 |20 |12.00 |$18,720.00 |$374,400.00 |
|Technical Support Rep |10 |12.00 |$24,960.00 |$249,600.00 |
|Help Desk Support |1 |12.00 |$37,662.00 |$37,662.00 |
|Network Systems Admin |1 |12.00 |$50,000.00 |$50,000.00 |
|HR Manager |1 |12.00 |$70,000.00 |$70,000.00 |
|HR Staff |2 |12.00 |$45,000.00 |$90,000.00 |
|Traffic/Scheduling Analyst |2 |12.00 |$35,000.00 |$70,000.00 |
|Sales Director |1 |12.00 |$60,000.00 |$60,000.00 |
|Tester |2 |12.00 |$32,404.00 |$64,808.00 |
|Database Admin |1 |12.00 |$60,000.00 |$60,000.00 |
|Total Personnel Cost | | | |$1,709,261.00 |
|Employee Overhead (40%) | | | |$683,704.40 |
| | | | | |
|Total Phase 2 Personnel Cost | | | |$2,392,965.40 |
| | | | | |
| |
|Consultants |
|Legal Consultant |1 |6.00 |$80,000.00 |$40,000.00 |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
|Total | | | |$2,432,965.40 |
Hard Resources:
|Phase 3 Hard Resources |
| | | | |
|Resource |Number of Units |Cost Per Unit |Total Cost |
|Call Center |1 |$42,000.00 |$42,000.00 |
|Work Stations |10 |$1,800.00 |$18,000.00 |
|Office Equipment |10 |$230.00 |$2,300.00 |
|Phones |10 |$140.00 |$1,400.00 |
|Testing Equipment |1 |$40,000.00 |$40,000.00 |
|Shipping 10000 units |100,000 |$0.19 |$19,305.00 |
|Shipping |500,000 |$0.13 |$65,000.00 |
|Call Center Phone Number |2 |$24.95 |$49.90 |
|Server UPC |2 |$1,000.00 |$2,000.00 |
|Call Center Phone Number |2 |$24.95 |$49.90 |
|Bulk Component Cost |100,000 |$22.66 |$2,266,000.00 |
|Bulk Component Cost |500,000 |34.65 |$17,325,000.00 |
|Marketing Costs |1 |$800,000.00 |$800,000.00 |
|Total Phase 3 HD Cost | | |$19,781,104.80 |
| | | | |
Total Budget:
|Total iRespond Phase 3 Budget |
| | |
|Description |Cost |
|Personnel Cost |$2,432,965.40 |
|Hard Resource Cost |$19,781,104.80 |
|Total iRespond Phase 3 Cost |$22,214,070.20 |
Total Budget (Phase I through III):
The total budget for Phase I through Phase III is based on the total budget for the Phase I, Phase 2 and the initial yearly budget for Phase III.
|Personnel Cost |
|Description |Cost |
|Phase 1 |$81,428.33 |
|Phase 2 |$528,987.53 |
|Phase 3 |$2,432,965.40 |
| | |
|Total |$3,043,381.27 |
| | |
| | |
|Resource Cost |
|Description |Cost |
|Phase 1 |$15,534.48 |
|Phase 2 |$208,824.90 |
|Phase 3 |$19,781,104.80 |
| | |
|Total |$20,005,464.18 |
| | |
| | |
|Travel Cost |
|Description |Cost |
|Phase 1 |$680.00 |
|Phase 2 |$0.00 |
|Phase 3 |$0.00 |
| | |
|Total |$680.00 |
| | |
| | |
|Total iRespond Budget |
|Description |Cost |
|Personnel Cost |$3,043,381.27 |
|Resource Cost |$20,005,464.18 |
|Travel Cost |$680.00 |
| | |
|Total |$23,049,525.45 |
Product Cost:
The iRespond product will come packaged with instructions, user manual, telephone cord, AC Adaptor and update/recharging unit. The total cost for this package, including packaging and shipping fees is $34.80. Retail costs will vary.
|Unit Cost Per Bulk Unit |
|Description |Cost |
|Cost Per Bulk Unit |$34.65 |
|Shipping Per Unit |$0.15 |
| | |
|Total |$34.80 |
Profit:
|Yearly Profit |
|Description |Cost |
|Unit Profit @ $40.00 Each |$24,000,000.00 |
|Subscription Profit |$55,308,015.00 |
|Less Overhead Cost |$22,214,070.20 |
| | |
|Total Profit |$57,093,944.80 |
| | |
|Yearly Subscription Profit 600,000 Units |
|Description |Income |
|Yearly Fee @ 25% of Subscriptions |$14,998,500.00 |
|Less 1% Inactive Units |$14,848,515.00 |
|Monthly Fee @ 75% of Subscriptions |$53,946,000.00 |
|Less 25% Inactive Units |$40,459,500.00 |
| | |
|Total Without Inactive Units |$68,944,500.00 |
|Total |$55,308,015.00 |
| | |
|Unrealized Profit |$13,636,485.00 |
|Initial Expected Profit |
|Profit Per Unit |$5.20 |
|Production Cost |$22,214,070.20 |
|Break Even Point |555352 units |
|Units Sold Per Day |1543 |
|Percentage of the Market |0.26% |
|Out years Expected Profit |
|Profit Per Unit |$5.20 |
|Subscription Profit Per Year |$55,308,015.00 |
|Production Cost |$22,214,070.20 |
|Units Sold Per Day |500 |
|Profit Per Year From Units |$949,000.00 |
|Profit Per Year from Subscription |$55,308,015.00 |
The iRespond team will profit from sales of the actual iRespond unit. The largest profits will be generated from the subscription fees. The revenue generated from the units alone is estimated at: twenty-four-million dollars. The subscription fees will yield an annual profit in excess of fifty-five-million dollars with unrealized profit included.
Total development cost from phase I, phase II and the initial production of Phase III is $23,049,525.45. This includes all aspects of the project. The team would like to turn a profit within the first year of production. The iRespond will break if 55,5352 iRespond units were sold within the first year. These figures do not include the subscription fee for each respective unit. If 600,000.00 units were sold the iRespond project would generate revenue in excess of $24,000,000.00. In terms of units alone, on average 1543 units will have to be sold each day for a year, (based on a 7 day work week). This figure would drop dramatically if subscription fees are included. Additionally this figure only accounts for .26% of our market.
After the development costs have been returned, the production cost per year is estimated to be $3,495,000.00 per 100,000 units produced. The call center will incur estimated costs of $20,000,000.00. This amount will need to be made up each year in order for the team to realize a profit each year. Further estimation of profit and cost beyond the first year cannot be determined without actual sales data. This
Marketing Plan
1. Executive Summary
Platinum’ is a ‘start-up’ comprising of a small group of Computer Science Students at the Old Dominion University. Its attempt is to develop a product that will address a societal concern and one that will eventually improve and serve society in a meaningful way. The product designed and developed is called ‘iRespond’. This product will not only safeguard the lives of individuals but also ensure their privacy.
2. Mission Statement
Platinum’s ‘iRespond’ is a new product which provides a unique combination of security and privacy in emergency situations, anywhere in the United States with just the touch of a button.
3. Situation Analysis
In an emergency situation, if we happen to be isolated, it is not always possible to communicate the need for assistance. According to the beaureau of justice statistics () Many crimes (>50%) go unreported and people are victimized because of their inability to call for assistance. Presently there are many devices like a cell phone, Pepper Spray etc. available in the market that do provide security to a great extent. But these devices can be ineffective in situations when an individual is unable to reach to it. Therefore, we decided to come up with a product that will assist an individual not only, in getting aid in an emergency situation within minutes but also help in keeping their privacy.
3.1Product
• iRespond: This is a compact and lightweight product with a user-friendly – interface. There is a button for calling the E-911 services.
• It makes use of the GPS and cell tower triangulation technology in order to determine the exact location of the victim in possession of the device.
• These are the major components of the product:
1. The iRespond key fob device
2. iRespond button
3. Internal GPS location device
4. Internal transmitter
5. Included registration software
6. Reset key
7. LED - battery level indication
8. LED – distress signal sent
9. Update & recharging unit
10. User manual
11. Registration instructions.
4. Market Summary
According to the surveys that have been conducted we came to the conclusion that our most important customers are people who are 18 years and above, specifically Elderly, cell-phone luddites, families and women. To be specific our customer will be anyone wanting a cost-effective security during an emergency situation, yet is desirous of privacy.
4.1 Market Demographics
• 18 years and above: Our most important customers are individuals who are 18 years and above. According to the US census report of 2003, more than 40 million people are above the age of 18 in the US.
• We aim to target the non cell phone owners which comprise of 46% of the entire US population, according to the US census report of 2005.
• Women population is also included as our target audience they comprise 51% of the entire US population according to the US census report.
• Elderly, over 35 million of the US population according to the 2003 US census report.
• Urban population which is 222,361,000(79%) of the entire US population. According to the US census of2000.
()
4.2 Market Needs
According to the Harris Interactive Study, 76 percent of non-cell-phone-owners would want a mobile phone in emergency situations. From the point of view of those people who are our future customers, security is of utmost importance. Anything that promises to provide them that sense of security at the touch of a button can really interest them. Most of the devices that are trying to address such needs do not offer instant accessibility when every second is a decisive factor between life and death.
Our Customers are anyone aged 18 years and above, we are specifically including Women. According to a survey conducted by Road and Travel Magazine “ Marketing directly to women has strong reciprocal value as women are more brand loyal and tend to support those companies that support them and issues that concern them.”
In addition to a quick response, our customers value their privacy. We give them that assurance, because iRespond cannot be activated unless it is an emergency situation.
Cost is always an issue with the customer. Anything that is cheap and affordable by a commoner and guarantees the service that is expected is sure to be a hit. We are that kind-of a low-cost option to these customers.
4.3 Market Trends
Communications technology is a new industry explosion:
According to the wireless World Forum ()
Strategy Analytics predicts that by the end of 2010 there will be 12.2 million navigation systems and 6.8 million emergency and roadside assistance telematics units shipped annually across North America.
• Analysis of Carrier Spending, Subscribers, Devices and Applications for Handset-based and Telematics Services: Location based technology (LBS) had initially not done very well but recently it has started to gain prominence and it is resurging due to three factors. 1) The success of vehicle-centric telematic services. 2) The success of hand-set-centric telematic services 3) Legislation, which has been led by E-911.
• The market for GPS equipment continues to expand and evolve: The GPS chipsets are smaller and much cheaper. As a result the market for GPS is continuously expanding and companies are using it for new applications.
()
• “Wireless applications must woo youth” (Oyster Bay, NY - August 4, 2004): Wireless operators are targeting the youth by coming up with different kinds of wireless applications that are data –driven to attract the youth. The forecast market conducted by market study by ABI research predicts a wide range of market for this kind of product till 2009. ().
5. SWOT Analysis
Strengths:
• One of the major strengths is the assurance of privacy to our customers. The feature of on-demand tracking makes it possible for the users to secure their privacy.
• The accuracy of GPS technology with the backup triangulation helps in precise tracking of the victim’s position. It has the ability to get a response for the victim within a span of a few minutes.
Weaknesses:
• This product does not offer a two-way voice communication.
• The question of the security of the database can be an issue because the database holds all the sensitive information about the customers.
• As iRespond is based on a wireless technology, the signals may get interrupted due bad weather or any other environmental factor.
Opportunities:
• As the market trends indicate that devices for Location based technologies (LBS) have begun to gain prominence. This can prove to be a very beneficial for our future market.
• It is also possible for us to make an alliance with some multimedia companies to incorporate some features like a video record button.
• Once our product is a hit in the United States we may like to introduce our product to the International markets.
Threats:
• Our major threat is from the rise in increasing competition. Some of our competitors like Onstar are always looking towards adding new features to it which may make our product look unfashionable.
6. Commercial Potential
6.1 Competition
Devices with similar services: There are several products available eg.
• Cell phones
• Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB)
• Personal Locator Beacon (PLB)
• Safeguardian
• Wherify’s GPS locator phone
• Wherify’s locator watch for children
• GPS mobile locator / tracker cell phone
• OnStar
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Cell phones cannot always be reached out and there are many people who do not own a cell phone, as mentioned earlier. OnStar is mainly used in conjunction with vehicles and cannot be utilized in all locations. Some of the other devices can only be used in the sea. The locator watch for children does not offer the luxury for on-demand tracking thus there is no privacy.
6.2 Keys to Success
Our main advantage over these products is that they are either too big or it is not always possible to reach to them instantaneously. We not only offer on-demand but persistent tracking but also additional medical information for our customers. All these features are offered at a price much cheaper than the above mentioned products.
6.3 Services
iRespond offers a monthly payment plan of $9.99 Per Month and an yearly payment plan for $99.99 per year. The Initial Setup for our unit is very simple. There is a user manual that will have instructions to enable the users to register. In order Register the unit there is a 1-800 number that will be used. The users will also be allowed to enter some optional medical information about themselves. The size of the unit would be about 3 and half centimeters. Once activated it will continue transmission of distress signal till help arrives.
6.4 Financial Objectives
Let us consider the following costs:
• Total cost for molding and assembly:
Rs.660, 000 = $16,500.00
• Cost for setting our business up:
$2,711,035.00
• Shipping + assembling @ 17% for 100,000 units:
$19,305.00 + $2,711,035.00 = $2,730,340.00
• We estimate our profit to be approx. $51,910,200.00
• With subscription plan :
– Yearly fee: $2,499,750 @ 25% of 100,000 units.
– Monthly fee: $749,250 @ 75% of 100,000 units per month.
• Sales of 100,000 units in 2006.
• Profit margin of Profit: $51,910,200.00.
• Increase profit margin by 10% every 5th year.
• Virginia CIT funding will be used to finance our product.
7. Market Strategy
Targeting:
• Specific market segments that we can win and dominate are:
• 18+ yrs Old
• Elderly
• Families
• Cell-Phone luddites
• Women
Positioning: We should position ourselves in the hearts and minds of people by using value propositions like:
• Privacy
• Security
• Cost-effectiveness
Communicating: We should try to reach out to the most influential participants of iRespond like, Businesses, Grocery stores, Gas stations, and 711s.
Branding: We need to make use of a shorthand way in which people would think of us.
E.g. in commercials, Newspapers and Magazines
8. Risks and Critical Issues
After assessment of the various risks factors and the market trends it becomes quite evident that several wireless products are waiting to be launched by businesses. A number of products are already available in the market that provides similar kind of services. Some of these products have been mentioned earlier.
Most of these products have a popular brand name tagged to it. For example, OnStar also makes use of a panic button in order to assure the customers of their safety and security on road. OnStar now controls 70% of the market. According to a telematics statistics (world wireless forum) OnStar is partnering with a leading cell-phone company to offer hands-free cell phones. With all these developments taking place OnStar can easily use another creative strategy to add an additional feature to ensure safety and security in other places with a better subscription plan.
These uncertainties can greatly impact the project. The marketing strategies will have to be reviewed time and again in order to keep up with the competition. This can result in changes in the project schedule and cause delays. More delays have an impact on the budget as resources like contractors and experts would be extended beyond their specified timelines. On a scale of 1 to 5 the impact of market competition can extend up to 4.5, therefore, quick execution is the most critical element of our plan.
The probability of the occurrence of this risk can be estimated by investigating these factors such as, Competitive rivalry, Buyer power, the threat of substitution and the threat of new entry. By identifying the strength and direction of each of these forces we can say that the competitive rivalry can lead to the threat of substitution and the threat of new entry. The probability of substitution by a similar product and by a new entry is very high. The buyer power is driven by the competitive rivalry hence the probability of the customers driving down the prices for iRespond is also very high.
There is an in-depth research required to understand the risks involved. Examining the current market trends, analyzing the Competitors, keeping abreast with the latest wireless technological developments is vital.
It is necessary to Identify the Competitor’s strategies in terms of geographical locations and the manufacturing methods used. The competitor’s history and expansion plans should be known as well. Research needs to be conducted to assess the Competitor’s Strengths and weaknesses and their progress monitored in the market and the positioning of their brands in the hearts and minds of people. An estimation of the reaction pattern of the customer should be done as well. It takes us back to market research and asking the customer simply which products they like better and why and looking at demographics, etc.
8.1 Plans to mitigate risks
In order to mitigate this risk there are several steps that can be taken. First and foremost it is important to design a competitive and intelligent marketing strategy.
• One of the strategies applied is “Barriers to entry”; According to the definition “barrier to entry is some intellectual or physical barrier that makes it difficult or impossible for a person or company to sell a product or enter a market.”
Almost anything could serve as a barrier.
For example if we develop a strategy to position ourselves in the minds and hearts of people, we can have a strong place in the market by creating an intellectual barrier, with value propositions of Security and Privacy. “iRespond” can be activated only when desired, customers need not be concerned about who is aware of their whereabouts. Therefore, it gives an immense sense of security and privacy which might be difficult for other similar products to match with. Through advertisements and commercials we can make it possible to communicate this idea to the customers.
This is advantageous to us in getting a large share of the “pie” because we are getting an early start in the market because of this new package of “Security which comes along with privacy”. The key is figuring out where we add value in this business and then take advantage of it. Using this we can try to capture the market and lock it in.
• The Ideal market niche should be identified. The growth potential of the product and the customers and competitor’s interest should be evaluated. Our research showed that 70% of the non-cell phone owners would like to own some gadget that will make them feel more secure. This will prove to be an ideal market for us.
• Experienced persons should be made part of “a risk-reduction plan”. The risk reduction plan can involve a parallel program, like adding multi – media features, to market the product. This may shoot up the cost. In that scenario we could try to join up with competitors like, OnStar – to have a strategic alliance.
• We could ask the competitors to sell our product and we could just be the manufacturer. We could take an alternate approach which does not involve the risk or we could directly attack by incorporating several additional features in our product. For instance a two-in-one strategy could be used where an additional product or service could be added.
• Subcontracting to more experienced people can also prove to be beneficial in reducing the risk.
• We can also develop an exit strategy in case the product tanks.
9. Marketing Research
In our marketing research we have to cover these areas:
1) Competitors: We need to know the target market of our competitors, the market trends, the developments in this type of technology and product.
2) Channel Marketing: Market research needs to be done in the knowing the trends in channel competition, emergence of new channels, major competitors, new technologies, and major players in the production of this kind of product.
At this stage, our research is mainly secondary research. We are trying to get information by keeping ourselves abreast with the media and internet, IT magazines.
Very soon we should be able to file our information by using a strong filing system from secondary sources.
------------------------------------------
References specific to this document:
1)
2) ().
3)
4)
5) “Wireless applications must woo youth” (Oyster Bay, NY - August 4, 2004).
6)
7)
8)
9)
Prototype Development
An iRespond lab prototype will be developed during Phase 1 of the project. The major functional components will be tested thoroughly in order to show proof of concept. The relevant components of the iRespond Unit include the GPS receiver and cellular transceiver. For demonstration purposes, data will be read from a handheld GPS unit and sent over a cellular telephone to a teammate.
The prototype of the iRespond base station will be run on a computer with a modem called computer #1. A second computer (computer #2) will simulate our service center, and dial computer #1. The two computers will then exchange some information, simulating the updated subscription and medical information, the initial set up of the iRespond key fob, and an audio file with a pre-recorded help message. Computer #2 will have a demo version of our database available to generate the information that will be sent to #1, while computer #1 will be running software specifically developed to represent the iRespond fob.
Prototype hardware:
• PC with modem and telephone access (2)
• Handheld GPS
• Cellular telephone
Prototype software:
• Database prototype
• Modem communication software
o Encryption scheme
o Data format
• iRespond fob simulator
Goals of the hardware components:
• GPS reception meets requirements
• Cellular reception meets requirements
• Wireline communications demonstrated
Goals of the software components:
• Computers will successfully exchange data
• Optional health information is transferred to Computer #1 if available
• Pre-recorded audio message is send to Computer #1
• Computer #1 will accurately represent the state of the iRespond fob
Goals of the Prototype:
• Verify connectivity of Cellular network
• Verify GPS reception
• Demonstrate that iRespond is feasible, easy to use, and an important addition to the market
In order to ensure that the goals of the hardware, software, and overall prototype are achieved, it will be necessary to complete a broad range of tests with the lab prototype. Using the GPS receiver, cellular telephone (transceiver), two PCs, and the associated software, the prototype will allow for testing, evaluation and validation of the iRespond system.
Lab Prototype hardware tests:
• Test availability of GPS satellite signals
• Test availability of Cellular network
Lab Prototype software tests:
• Test updating payment information on the fob
• Test audio message transfer
• Test optional health information transfer
Lab Prototype general test cases:
• Case 1:
o Simulate initial registration. iRespond simulation software will run in “clean” state, where the device is not active, and must be set up before use.
• Case 2:
o Simulate changing existing information on the device, as per monthly activation or change in medical status.
• Case 3:
o Simulate an emergency activation, display data that will be sent to emergency personnel. (May require additional hardware and software, such as an MP3 player and speakers)
• Case 4:
o Simulate service period timeout, and/or termination of service plan.
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Glossary
Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA): a cellular technology used to send and receive data that is used throughout most of the United States.
Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS): Using technologies that are available commercially instead of custom made.
Communication: the exchange of thoughts, messages, or information, as by speech, signals, writing, or behavior.
Emergency Assistance: aide in the form of 911 services.
Enhanced 911 (E-911): A government mandated program designed to increase the effectiveness of wireless 911 calls. Its primary goal is to provide the ability to track call location.
Global Positioning System (GPS): an infrastructure of over twenty-seven satellites, funded and controlled by the U.S. Department of Defense, which is commercially used for tracking and trilateration purposes.
Key Fob: an object with a loop designed to be attached to a key chain.
Light-Emitting Diode (LED): a semiconductor diode that produces light when an electric current is passed through it. They are more efficient than incandescent bulbs (twice as many lumens per watt) and give off less heat. They are also more durable than fluorescent tubes. Instead of "burning out," LEDs fail by dimming slowly. The typical working lifetime of an LED is 10 years.
MP3: an audio compression format. MP3 is a lossy format, meaning that some data is lost in the compression, but it can reach compression ratios of 10:1 while still remaining very faithful to the original data. Since iRespond uses MP3 compression exclusively for voice data, the bitrate (amount of sound information per second) can be lower than usual, granting an even higher compression ratio and reducing the storage space required on the device.
Triangulation: the calculation of angles between three or more objects needed to determine a location central to all of them in two dimensions.
Trilateration: the calculation of distances between three or more objects needed to determine a location central to all of them in three dimensions.
|Authors |
| |
| |
| |Author of | |Page No.* |
|Section |Section | |(Optional)* |
| |
|A |Project Summary (not to exceed 1 page) |Joseph March | | |
| |
|B |Table of Contents (NSF Form 1359) |Joseph March | | |
| |
|C |Project Description (including Results from Prior NSF Support) | | | |
| | Identification and Significance of Innovation |Joseph March with | | |
| | |illustrations by Andrew | | |
| | |Cherry | | |
| | Background and Phase I Technical Objectives |Robert Pilkington | | |
| | Phase I Research Plan |Sean Alcos | | |
| | Company Information |Joseph March | | |
| | Commercial Potential |Anjalee Sinha | | |
| | Consultants and Subawards/Subcontracts |Joseph March | | |
| | Equivalent or Overlapping Proposals to other Federal Agencies |Joseph March | | |
| |
|D |References Cited |Team Platinum | | |
| |
|E |Biographical Sketches (Not to exceed 2 pages each) |Team Platinum | | |
| |
|F |Budget |Ian McKay and Anjalee | | |
| | |Sinha | | |
| | |
|G |Current and Pending Support (NSF Form 1239) |Joseph March | | |
| |
|H |Facilities, Equipment and Other Resources (NSF Form 1363) |Joseph March | | |
| |
|I |Special Information/Supplementary Documentation |Team Platinum | | |
| |
|J |Appendix (List below) |Team Platinum | | |
| |Include only if allowed by a specific program announcement/ | |
| |solicitation or if approved in advance by the appropriate NSF | |
| |Assistant Director or designee) | |
| |
| |Appendix Items: |
| |
|K Management Plan Ian McKay |
|L Evaluation Plan Andrew Cherry |
|M Risk Management Plan Robert Pilkington |
|N Financial Plan Ian McKay |
|O Marketing Plan Anjalee Sinha |
|P Prototype Development Andrew Cherry |
|Q WBS Sean Alcos |
|R Glossary Team Platinum |
|S Authors Joseph March |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
|Team Platinum |
-----------------------
E911 Program: Phase II
Requires all wireless carriers to provide precise location information within 50-300 meters u蓓蓠蓡蓢蓣蓨蓽蕐蕝蕞蕟藣藤藥藪藲蘽虩虪虫虬虸헪쏑햲誝퇕硼뉦哕핂曑Õᘣ魨鼐䈀Ī䩃䩏[?]䩑[?]䩞[?]䩡桰ᘣ쩨娥䈀Ī䩃䩏[?]䩑[?]䩞[?]䩡桰ᘣ鉨崲䈀Ī䩃䩏[?]䩑[?]䩞[?]䩡桰ᘆ鉨崲ᘚ鉨崲䌀ᑊ伀Ɋ儀Ɋ帀Ɋ愀ᑊᔤﭨsing longitude and latitude information
E911 Program: Phase I
Requires all 911 systems to receive the telephone number of a wireless 911 caller and the location of the antenna that received the call
Currently
911 systems can report the telephone number and location for wireline phones
Cell Tower
911 Call Center
911 Dispatcher
Patron
Emergency Response Vehicle
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