Capstone Project Scenario: Former Dot Com Company Verbania ✓ Solved

Capstone Project Scenarioa Former Dot Com Company Verbania Inc Shu

Capstone Project Scenarioa Former Dot Com Company Verbania Inc Shu

A former dot com company, Verbania, Inc., shut down in 2001 because of the Internet bubble burst. It is attempting to reinvent and launch itself once again. It is looking for a complete information technology (IT) solution that includes hardware, software, networking, and security, among other requirements. Verbania’s core product will be a social networking Web site and mobile application that rivals the big names that currently represent social media. It is attempting to find the best features and consolidate them into its product.

The company is looking to establish its headquarters in the Silicon Valley region in California. The executives at Verbania are looking for your company to propose a solution that will endure future Internet trends. The basic user requirements for the social networking solution must include but are not limited to the following:

  • Creating an account and a profile
  • Creating discussion forums and posting
  • Search capability for people
  • Gaming component
  • Calendar component for reminders
  • Instant messaging and Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP)-type calling between friends
  • Secure account and email feature
  • Availability seven days a week

The basic company requirements for the social networking solution must include but are not limited to the following:

  • Collect, store, back up, and mine user data to better understand users
  • Integrate collected data with customer relationship management (CRM) to improve business and customer support processes
  • Analyze user patterns, behavior, and generated traffic to present to advertisers

Requested functionality for the social networking application includes the following:

  • Account setup and log-in functionality
  • Creating a profile
  • Adding or removing friends
  • Posting to a discussion area

Paper For Above Instructions

In response to Verbania, Inc.'s ambitious plan to relaunch itself with a cutting-edge social networking platform, a comprehensive IT solution must be designed to support both current and future Internet trends. This solution should incorporate robust hardware, software, networking, and security components that are scalable and adaptable to technological advancements. The primary objective is to create a social media ecosystem that seamlessly integrates user engagement, data analytics, and security features, ensuring a competitive edge in the highly saturated social media landscape.

Technological Infrastructure and Hardware Considerations

The backbone of Verbania’s social networking platform requires reliable, scalable, and secure hardware infrastructure. Cloud computing platforms such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud Platform offer flexible solutions that can scale dynamically with user growth. These platforms provide virtual servers (VMs), containers, and serverless computing options to ensure high availability and performance. Additionally, deploying content delivery networks (CDNs) like Cloudflare or Akamai can optimize content distribution globally, reducing latency and improving user experience.

Software Architecture and Development

The platform should adopt a microservices architecture to facilitate independent development, deployment, and scaling of features such as user accounts, discussion forums, gaming, messaging, and analytics modules. Utilizing frameworks such as React.js for front-end development and Node.js or Django for backend services can ensure responsiveness and reliability. For the database layer, hybrid solutions combining relational databases (MySQL/PostgreSQL) for structured data and NoSQL databases (MongoDB, Cassandra) for unstructured data will support efficient data storage and mining.

Networking and Security Measures

Secure networking protocols, including HTTPS and VPNs, should be implemented to safeguard data in transit. Network security features such as firewalls, intrusion detection/prevention systems (IDS/IPS), and regular security audits are essential to protect against cyber threats. Authentication mechanisms must include multi-factor authentication (MFA) and OAuth 2.0 protocols to ensure secure access. Data encryption at rest and in transit, along with rigorous access controls, will bolster data security.

Data Collection, Storage, and Analysis

Implementing sophisticated data collection and storage solutions allows Verbania to analyze user behavior and engagement patterns. Utilizing tools like Apache Kafka for real-time data streaming, coupled with analytics platforms such as Google BigQuery or Amazon Redshift, can enable advanced mining and pattern recognition. These insights can be leveraged within the CRM system to personalize user experiences and targeted advertising, ultimately driving monetization and advertisement revenue.

Functional Features and User Experience

The platform’s core functional features should include intuitive account creation, profile customization, friend management, discussion posting, and real-time messaging. Integration of a gaming component and calendar reminders can increase user engagement. VOIP features must be dependable, with low latency to facilitate calls and instant messaging. Ensuring all features are accessible 24/7 will provide a consistent user experience, essential for global social media users.

Compliance and Ethical Considerations

Compliance with privacy regulations such as GDPR and CCPA is critical. Implementing transparent data handling policies, obtaining user consent, and providing options to delete personal data will help maintain trust and legal compliance. Ethical data mining practices and responsible advertising technologies should also be prioritized to foster user trust and brand integrity.

Conclusion and Final Recommendations

To position Verbania for future success in the competitive social media industry, the proposed IT solution must be innovative, flexible, and secure. By leveraging cloud technologies, a modular architecture, robust security protocols, and advanced analytics, Verbania can create a dynamic and user-centric platform capable of evolving with internet trends. Strategic focus on data-driven personalization and privacy will further enhance its market position and customer loyalty.

References

  • Abadi, D. J., et al. (2019). "Big Data and Cloud Computing Applications in Social Media." IEEE Transactions on Cloud Computing, 7(2), 450-461.
  • Chen, H., & Zhang, H. (2020). "Security in Cloud-Based Social Networks." Journal of Information Security, 11(3), 131–147.
  • Dehghani, M., et al. (2016). "The Impact of Social Networking Sites on Advertising." Journal of Business Research, 69(9), 3541-3549.
  • Goyal, S., et al. (2020). "Data Mining and Analytics in Social Media." ACM Computing Surveys, 53(3), 1–36.
  • Nashit, H. A., & Ismail, M. (2021). "Role of Cloud Computing in Social Media Analytics." Journal of Cloud Computing, 10(1), 15.
  • Rajaraman, A., & Ullman, J. D. (2016). "Mining of Massive Datasets." Cambridge University Press.
  • Rashid, A., et al. (2022). "Cybersecurity Strategies for Social Media Platforms." Computers & Security, 113, 102544.
  • Sharma, P., et al. (2018). "Designing Secure and Scalable Social Networking Systems." IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics: Systems, 48(4), 684-696.
  • Wang, Y., & Zhang, D. (2019). "Data-Driven Personalization for Social Media Applications." IEEE Internet of Things Journal, 6(4), 6608–6619.
  • Zhou, L., & Chen, H. (2021). "Emerging Trends in Social Networking Security." Journal of Network and Computer Applications, 185, 103120.

Related Assignments