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Purpose: The purpose of this document is to give a partial list of the equipment needed to start the Gaming Project. Also, a few project standards and special considerations will be introduced which (if implemented NOW) will save time and money further down the line. This list is intended as a guide for selecting the appropriate computer, software, and network components. It is not the purpose of this document to outline ALL project considerations - but roughly sketch the initial technical issues. Introduction of the Gaming Project: Our purpose is to implement a working Gambling Web Site incorporating the following:
Project Schedule: Because this project uses the latest developments in Internet technology, the following schedule is recommended to move development from a research-project to the final product. Basically, a few machines will be set up with the minimal hardware and software to allow research and development of a small gambling site. This is for demonstration purposes. During this "development / research" phase we will get feedback from the developers, researchers, investors, and general Internet users on how to proceed with extra features to this gaming site. These include: methods of improving the speed, simplicity of use, and incorporation into a world-wide market. These few machines will then be used to build the final set of machines to be deployed. These computers WILL BE part of the FINAL project. This process allows for the fastest and most in-expensive method of proceeding between project development and final project deployment. I. Set-up research station: We ALL should research the present use of Gaming on the Internet. But in order to do so - we must have a central location where we can see "what is out there." Initially, these machines will only provide the core of the final project; BUT, knowledge will be gained from setting up this small site which will provide the investors and developers the insight into making sound decisions on future investments. In fact, we may find that "No, this is not a project that any more dollars should be put into." We do not know. This is the purpose of this initial set-up: simply, "do we proceed?" A few machines will be placed on the Internet to search the Web for information on existing gaming sites. We do not wish to "re-invent the wheel!" Our network will allow us to find out what works, what does not work, and what we can do to simplify our project. This allows us to showcase our progress and get user feedback from the Internet community. Six weeks will be needed to set-up the hardware and software on the Internet. Our aim is to AVOID AS MUCH IN-HOUSE DEVELOPMENT AS POSSIBLE! We plan on hiring a part-time computer student (perhaps two students) from a local college who can spend some time finding an EASY way to implement our own site. We believe this is the fastest and most cost-effective method of avoiding problems in the future. Simply: the less we have to develop the easier this project will be! II. On-going research and planning: Once we have a "tool" to research Gaming on the Internet, we will start building our site. This will entail five components:
We expect these issues to be ongoing through-out the entire project. Two to three months of research and design should give us a solid plan for finishing the project. Note: as far as we know, there does NOT exist an "off the shelf" Gambling server. This is such a new implementation that we can safely say: "... using cutting edge technology: this has never been done before." True, sites exist that do the same thing - and we intend to find out just how they so it. And since Internet technology advances so rapidly, keeping up the latest advancements is top priority. III. Final Deployment: After our initial research, product development, and then product test we will be ready to deploy our gaming site. This might require that the site be located outside the USA. We do not have those facts. In any case, the introduction of Internet financial transfer ("E-Cash", "Cyber-Money", etc.) will be implemented. Final deployment will also include: legal and cultural considerations (if outside the USA), security issues, travel and use of a "second-party" location. These considerations are outside the venue of our development. IV. Control / update / tracking of Deployed Site: After the thing is working - we must be able to monitor, control, and update the site. This will be possible via the Internet from any location because it will be designed (built-in) with this in mind. The primary Research network will function as a perfect location to take care of this type of monitoring. The Costs: Initial Requirements: Initial costs are projected for the first 6 weeks. These costs include projected hardware, software, set-up, and personnel costs. This network will form the foundation of the final developed Gambling Site. Fees such as VISA / Master Card and Cyber Cash set-up fees are included -- although they may not be needed until later on in the project. Never-the-less, they are included in this Start-up projection: Computer hardware and software: $ 16,500 To start researching this project the hardware and software listed in Table I is recommended. Table II lists the software requirements. Careful attention is given to only listing the software needed at the start of this project. Please note: all hardware components must listed on the Microsoft Hardware Compatibility list (HCL) for use with Windows NT 4.0 - NO exceptions - NONE. This is a requirement to ensure a solid hardware platform. (No one wants to chase down these kinds of bugs during development!) Network Equipment: $ 1,278
Set-up fees: $ 1,800
Bandwidth Requirements: $450 Initially a 128 KB ISDN is needed to connect the LAN to the Internet. This costs $450 for bandwidth charges. This will allow for initial research and testing. Feasibly the deployed bandwidth requirements will require more than a T1 (1.54 MB) connection. Monitoring the Internet connection will determine our extra bandwidth requirements. Personnel Requirements: $ 9,960 Initially, a part time graduate student at $8.00 per hour will be needed to perform initial research for approximately 20 hours per week; for several weeks. This comes to $160 per week before taxes. This may be increased to two research students during Site Development and Testing. For programming and development: $75.00 per hour will be charged. As estimated for two developers working both 20 hours per week this totals to $1,500 per week
Location (Site) of Network: $ 0.00 - not included. It is assumed that the location for this network will be provided. Therefore these costs will are not included in this proposal. The site should have 24 hour access and note: the closer it is to the center of town - the cheaper the Bell South data line. Conclusions: The projected technical costs for starting this research / development project for the first 6 weeks is $ 29,588. This is the beginning of the final site. A solid foundation will be in place to get the facts on the BEST method of development and deployment. Secondly, development can begin immediately. If a few weeks of research show that the development costs are outside of any investments that can be made -- the project can be stopped. Some return on the initial cost can be re-gained: the equipment, for example can be re-sold. In conclusion, the initial investment will bring two things: (a) the foundation to do solid development of the final gaming site. The same computers that are set-up at the start will be part of the final project., (b) a clear path to making investment decisions. Right now, all we really know is that "Internet Gaming" is a HOT investment. But how it best deployed? How does a site keep up with the latest technological changes in order to compete? And how are the people successful at it now -- doing it? These are the answers that will be gained within months of starting this project. |
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