My next project is helping a country convert their voice telephony
network to a "voice over IP" network.  One of the opportunities that
this changes allows is the delivery of information appliances and
specialized database lookups to large markets.

One issue I can not find a qualified analysis on is to what extent the
new "information appliances" will be local.  If specialized databases
and key "information appliance" system and aplication administration
tasks are centralized (and far from the customer) then the result will
be lower quality, and longer delays for the customer.  The advantage of
centralization is that the appliances could have have greater functionality
and reliability.  To summarize my question:  will information appliances
be deployed like a well run research lab (the exact information you need
does
not exist but all the tools to create it do) or like the internet (the
exact information
probably does exist but you can never find it, or get it in time to use
it).
If you have any pointers to an analysis on this topic please reply to
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And for those of you who have asked about it:  I have finished working
as one of two integration and test managers for Iridium.  The technology
and the problems we had to solve getting their system up and running
were a lot of fun.  I enjoyed myself a lot.

Rodney Fuller
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