<< Back 5/1/02 Internet Technologies program sees the future, and it is wireless SMN Imagine standing anywhere in the world and being able to check your e-mail, see how your stocks are doing or find out whether the Braves won last night. For more practical purposes, imagine being able to get your work done when there are no electrical outlets or phone jacks around. Thanks to wireless technology, all of this is possible today. According to Southwestern Community College instructor Scott Cline, it will very likely be the norm everywhere within five years. Cline oversees the Internet Technologies program at SCC, and he has already worked with David Kochersberger, SCC’s network administrator, to set up a wireless Local Area Network (LAN) for his students to use. “This is the direction that all the big companies like Oracle and Compaq are going,” said Cline. “We want our students to be prepared for what’s coming in the next five years after they graduate. They are already learning how to design web pages by going through hand-held units.” The units Cline referred to are “iPAQs” — Compaq’s version of a wireless computer that fits in the palm of your hand. At the center of SCC’s Jackson Campus is an access point, which was donated by Enterasys and configured by Kochersberger to communicate wirelessly. With the Wireless LAN, students can access the Internet and do their work from just about anywhere on Southwestern’s Jackson Campus. Cline’s students said they believe it is critical that they become acquainted with this emerging technology. “I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to experiment with PDAs in a classroom setting,” said Sara Brown, a Clyde resident who is enrolled in the Internet Technologies program. “We have learned how to design for the smaller screen size, as well as how to adapt to the new challenges inherent to the wireless protocol. I commend SCC for bringing the latest in Internet technologies to its students.” Potential employers of Cline’s students say that now is the time to prepare for this emerging technology. “While wireless networking and communications certainly has issues regarding security, available bandwidth, range and more, it is essential to be involved with this technology as it progresses through its development,” said Shawn Remacle, the Director of Information Services for WestCare Health System. “In the healthcare field, there is considerable discussion about the long-range impact of secure wireless systems delivering large amounts of real-time information to caregivers throughout the health delivery system. Exploring the advantages and drawbacks of this technology is essential.” For more information about the Internet Technologies program at SCC, visit www.southwesterncc.edu on the Internet or call Cline at 586.4091 or 800.447.4091, ext. 494. You can also reach him by writing scline@southwest.cc.nc.us via e-mail.