Memo 1

From: Anita Lotta-Help

Date: Module 2

Re: The medium is the message

Viola Fuss, the Chicago Technology Director, is hinting that she is going to hit me up for major

dollars to upgrade the cabling infrastructure* (horizontal and backbone) at our corporate office

from 10-base-T (twisted pair) LAN cables (shared media – with hubs, not switches and 100Mbps

with core switches in the backbone ) to a more modern structure. It seems folks are

complaining that the network “runs like molasses.” She also wants to be able to transition from

dedicated voice lines to VOIP (at HQ to start with a plan to expand in the future). I’d like to

have my “ducks in a row” to be ready for her.

Could you draft me a memo that lays out the two or three cabling options she is likely to raise

and give me your best recommendation? What is state of the art? Where is this likely to head

the next couple of years? Stick with the LAN issues for the time being (we’ll cover the WAN in a

later memo) and focus on the distribution and access layers. Tell me what you think is the best

solution (don’t worry too much about the cost, however, remember that money is ALWAYS an

issue), but give me the best solution given the options, along with the downsides. Remember

you should justify your recommendations; just spending the company’s money on the top of

the line won’t cut it unless there is good reason for it. No need to specify equipment by brand

or model, but certainly let me know what type should be used where.

Could you get something to me by the end of the workday in two weeks? I am looking for

about two pages. (Remember, we’ll be talking about this in our “meeting” next week, be

prepared) Thanks.

*Your recommendation must cover both backbone and horizontal cable infrastructure components. No

need to worry about the VOIP expansion beyond HQ at this time.