Electronic Textbooks
Presentation 3 – Preliminary Project
Plan
Presented by Michael Dmuchowski
For the Ebook Group
Team Members and
Responsibilities
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Joel Carter : Project Manager, Web Integration.
Divyesh Vallabh: Web Design, Assistant Project
Manager.
Vadim Dolt: Database Design, Internet
Integration, MS Project Schedule.
John Griffith: Marketing, Web Design.
Ronak Patel: Marketing, Bookstore Liaison,
Alternate Presenter.
Michael Dmuchowski: Presenter, Technical
Research.
Project Goal:
A quick review

Provide at least one CS class with an
electronic textbook for use within the next
academic year.
Project Concepts

Small Ebook Reader
used by Students and
faculty.
 Server Based
Distribution of book
content and lecture
materials.
 Web Based interface
for ordering
/downloading books.

Access points in
Bookstore and CS labs
to distribute faculty
generated materials.
Market Considerations:

Ebook is lowest cost
electronic book on
market.
 Other electronic books
targeted more towards
business and
government.
 $6.8 Billion Dollar
Market for educational
books.

Time to market in less
than 1 year once
content agreements
reached.
 1st Phase – School
supplied resources
minimize startup costs.
 Technically oriented
target group should
facilitate deployment.
Project Organization:

Three teams working simultaneously:
 Marketing: Surveys and advertising evaluations
currently underway. Negotiations with Bookstore,
publishers and technology providers in
preliminary phase.
 Web Page Design: 60% complete. Waiting on web
integration tool specifications to finish design.
 Web Integration: Oracle and other back end
support mechanisms in evaluation phase.
Contractual Aspects

Secured evaluation
unit from NuvoMedia.
 Working on publishers
to secure content for
test class.
 Evaluating CS courses
for possible publicdomain or faculty
generated content as
an alternative.

Waiting on Barnes and
Noble representative
from ODU bookstore
for access
requirements.
 Researching possible
funding for test class
to offset reader costs.
Schedule 1 – Web Design

Approximately 60% Done.
 Mailto function, Links pages, contact
information in place.
 Front End design for accessing book server
underway.
 Adding online survey to poll CS students.
Schedule 2 – Web Integration

Oracle SQL evaluation underway.
 Integration with Web Page estimated to be
complete before end of Spring Semester.
 Waiting on NuvoMedia development tools
for secure access to book content (currently
in beta testing at NuvoMedia).
Schedule 3 – Market Survey

Surveys conducted in selected CS classes
show 68% acceptance rate for project
concept.
 Web based survey will be conducted once
web page scripting done.
 Possible demonstration of Ebook in CS
classes once evaluation unit in hand.
Milestones
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Web Page Complete: 1st
Week December.
Test Database Complete:
March 2000.
Web/Database Integration
Complete: Spring 2000.
Publisher Agreements:
Spring or Summer 2000.
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First Evaluation Class:
Fall 2000.
Possible Early Test with
evaluation units if
arrangements with
NuvoMedia can be
reached.
Resource Overview
1st Phase –
Current
2nd Phase Evaluation
3rd Phase Deployment
Severs: School
Provided.
Severs: School
Provided.
Severs:
Commercial
Contracted.
Internet Access:
School
Provided.
Tech Support:
Students.
Internet Access:
School
Provided.
Tech Support:
Students.
Internet Access:
Commercial
Contracted.
Tech Support:
Sub-contracted.
MS Project Schedule

Most Current Version on the Web Site.
Hardware Resources – Long
Term
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NT Web Server - $10,000
Database Server - $10,000
Firewall Machine - $1,000
Router - $3,000
Hardware Hub - $300
2 Printers - $1,500 (LaserJet & Inkjet)
4 Developer Systems - $6,000 ($1,500 each)
3 UPS (Servers) - $1,500 ($500 each)
4 UPS (Developers) - $1,000 ($250 each)
1 Scanner - $150
Total: $34,450
Software Resources- Long
Term

MicroSoft SQL - $8,000 (25 Clients)
 NT Enterprise Edition - $3,200 (25 Clients)
 Web/Application Development Tools$1,500
 Encryption Software - $1,500
 Firewall Software - $10,000
 Total - $24,200
Personnel Resources
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1 Database Admin. - $12,000 ($50/hr)(6 weeks)
1 Web Developer - $12,000 ($50/hr) (6 weeks)
1 Network Engineer -$12,000 ($50/hr) (6 weeks)
1 Trainer - $800 ($20/hr) (1 week)
1 Technical Writer – $6,000 ($50/hr) (3 weeks)
Total: $42,800
Facility Requirements

Office Space ($12/sq. ft) - $20,000
($5,000/month)
 Telephone Service- $200 ($50/month)
 Electrical – TBD
 Internet Service – ISP Contracted Service
Contract Support Services

Rocket Ebook - $270
 SoftBook - $1,000
 Everybook - $1,600
 Total: $2,870
Resource Considerations

ODU may share costs when system is
online.
 NuvoMedia may partially fund/discount
hardware (readers).
 Possible funding from other parties that
have expressed interest in the project.
Evaluation Methods
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Survey pilot class after semester to gauge
success/failure.
Online / Bookstore sales can be measured directly.
Web Hits on homepage can be used to monitor
interest in project.
Downloads of faculty generated documents can be
tracked to gauge use.
Sales of Ebook readers / downloads can be tracked
directly.
Potential Problems
ODU Bookstore won’t want to participate.
 Publishers won’t want to participate –
possible solution with locally developed
content.
 NuvoMedia may suffer financial losses.
 Development delays / integration problems
may force deployment deadline back.
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Positive Indicators
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Our project has been documented in
NuvoMedia online newsletter.
 We have been contacted by two other
businesses (one start-up) interested in
working with us.
 Ebook format adopted by Microsoft for use
in future Windows products.
Conclusions
Technical Problems don’t seem
impossible, most of our problems are
legal and/or administrative. Interest in
project will grow considerably, we
believe, if our pilot project is
successful.