Can we describe the situation illustrated by this ad using the terms and concepts we cover in this course?
The application
This man is a reservation agent working at home rather than in an office or at an airport. He is a telecommuter. Fully describe the application -- the task he is performing, the application software he is using (client and server), the possible locations for his home and the server he is using, etc. Use your imagination to flesh out the picture, to tell his story. If there are several possibilities, spell them out and state your assumptions.
Networking technology
Tell me about the technology he is using to carry out his work. What technology is used for his personal and local area networks, what is the architecture of his local area network, how is he connected to the Internet, what protocols is he using, is he using a virtual private network, what sort of server hardware and software is he using, etc.?
Implications for the employee
Tell me about the impact of this application on the individual employee. Are there additional costs for the telecommuting employee, are there cost savings, are there social and life-style costs for the employee, are there social and life-style benefits, etc.?
Implications for the organization
Tell me about the impact of this application on the organization, JetBlue Airways. About how many telecommuting reservation agents do they have, do they incur additional costs for telecommuting, are there cost savings, how are telecommuters supervised and evaluated, how are technical problems and repairs handled, etc.?
Implications for the society
Tell me about the impact of this application for society. Are there societal costs for telecommuting, are there societal savings, how does this employee's pay compare to that of a worker in an office, will this job exist in ten years, etc.?
