Digital Technology (2235.YR.015079.1)

General information

Type:	OBL	Curs:	1	Period:	S semester
ECTS Credits:	4 ECTS

Teaching Staff:

Group	Teacher	Department	Language
Year 1	Oriol Rius Canals	Operaciones, Innovación y Data Sciences	ENG

No previous knowledge required but experience and knowledge in software and infrastructure will be helpful.

- 100% In-person classes
- Homework between sessions
- Workouts in class and as a homework

The more intuitive and easiest the software is for the user, the more complex are its build-up, development and evolution.

Whatever our specialization and work scope are, it's mandatory to get a more holistic knowledge about the architectures, components, used software and options to make the proper decisions and produce value, in the most business-aligned possible approach. You should consider other teams involved and the working technologies that are being used.
Using it we will reach the results that we want and others are expecting from us.

We will learn many concepts, market tendencies, trends and parts of different systems. We will combine them with real cases analysis, trying to understand why they are being used and some alternatives.

By the end of this course you will be able to understand and define the complete architecture at high level for a new digital product. You will be able to integrate whatever the system needs, using real Amazon components or products from other suppliers and analyzing why you are using it, benefits, risks, etc.

Through theoretical classes, hands-on exercises, reports, videos and class discussions. This course will explore how digital technologies leverage organizations effectively implementing business models.

The learning objectives are:
- Understand computation fundamentals and how Cloud computing disrupts about how nowadays companies consume computing resources.
- Know how to evaluate the economic impact of computation resources in our digital architectures.
- Know which are the telecommunication technologies available for interconnecting the computation resources. RFID, NFC, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, LPWAN, 5G, etc.
- Recognize the scope of Internet of Everything.
- Understanding different storage technologies available and their purpose.
- Know how and where different database technologies are used.
- SQL, no-SQL, Big Data, Blockchain.
- Comprehension of why software is as a booster of our businesses.
- Enumerate professional profiles.
- Recognize development environments.
- Comprehension of LowCode/NoCode solutions.
- Name the parts of an IoT solution and identify the challenges.
- Know how to find companies and solutions inside markets.
- Recognize the key players of cloud computing, IoT, and blockchain.
- Organize a digital architecture on a high level and distinguish the parts, recognizing their limitations and boosters.

The key concepts explored in this course include:
- Recognize the technologies in a digital architecture.
- Identify the benefits of a digital architecture.
- Figure out the boosters of digital technology.
- Software is the technology which makes the difference.
- The real world is a physical world empowered by cyberspace.

The skills learned in this course include:
- Recognize technology parts in digital architectures.
- Figure out the boosters and limitations of digital architectures.
- Design conceptual and high-level architectures for your business models.
- Identify the coherence in technical presentations.

To examine these issues, we will combine readings, case studies, and experiential exercises. Careful reading, thoughtful analysis, and enthusiastic participation will enhance your learning - as well as that of your peers.

1. From computation fundamentals to Cloud Computing What are the computer parts? Those parts are the key reference for understanding the computation capacity of any system. Basic ideas about where the computers come from and how they work. Nowadays, we convert physical hardware into services. This simple idea has a big impact on how to design an architecture, buy a computer and manage business costs. Demonstrate why Cloud Computing is necessary for ¿delta business models¿; so, how to convert fixed costs to variable costs depending on the business requirements. Principles of Cloud Computing services, talking about Virtual Machines as the base of the IaaS Cloud Computing services.

2. Networking, Internet and Internet of Everything Synopsis Synopsis Describe from the features and benefits perspective different communication technologies. OSI model as a reference model for understanding difference between communication technologies and protocols and other related information. What are the main solutions that we had before Internet. Why Internet becomes a rule changer and how it changed our lives. How we moved from Internet of People to Internet of Things, and why some people talk about Internet of everything. Also understand that IoT is not a solution by itself, just a set of technologies which are applied to many sectors, transforming them cities to Smart Cities, buildings to Smart Buildings, etc. Fast and easy way to understand key current communication technologies like RFID, NFC, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, LoraWAN and 5G.

3. Storage, databases and blockchain Once understood how computers work, how their power can be measured and how we have been able to convert the rigid world of hardware into something as malleable and flexible as software. It is time to understand how this computing capacity is fed, and consequently also how we can save the output of the data obtained. Modeling the physical world, training AI models, or rendering virtual worlds requires large amounts of storage. Thus, understanding how we organize all this pile of data will be key to being able to make our architectures scalable and, consequently, our businesses.

4. Software development and LowCode/NoCode Obviously, software needs hardware to work. But the difference is usually made with the software. The current trend is to turn everything that can be software into software. Many of the internal processes of computers, systems, products, etc. that in the past were solved with custom circuits or mechanics. Nowadays, they are solved with code and with mechanisms of multifunctional purpose. For example, robotic arms to replace parts of the production line or additive printing to replace entire production lines. Once the importance of software in today's world is understood, the next step is to understand that this is not just the job of software engineers. Rather, it is up to all workers with heuristic jobs to autonomously optimize their tasks with code. This should not sound like something far away. It is something that has been done for decades with tools like MS Excel. This leads us to discuss high-level programming languages, languages ¿¿increasingly removed from code and more like toolboxes like those used by a craftsman to build a unique piece of furniture.

5. IoT LAB, session 1 - digitalizing physical world Sessions until now, everything that we described was virtual, anything which is part of a digital world without direct impact on the physical world. The purpose of this and the next session is present cyberphysical worlds and why IoT is so important on the fourth industrial revolution. Learning by doing, this is the background of these sessions. Using electronic parts, students guided by the teacher are going to create their own IoT solutions end-to-end.

6. IoT LAB, session 2 - connecting physical world with Internet Once the physical world is digitalized. It is time to send the data to the cloud. Where data will be transformed, injected to a time series database and monitored in a dashboard.

7. Diving into the business case of Helium, the network of networks (former People¿s network) Helium is a business use case which involves a worldwide IoT network using LoraWAN, a 5G network, Wi-Fi and VPN solutions. International coverages is given by people around the world, and they are rewarded with a cryptocurrency. Network coverage is demonstrated using proof-of-coverage stored in a blockchain. It¿s a traversal use case, a useful use case of how blockchain databases can change how we innovate in business. But students will understand how technical blocks described in previous chapters play together for enabling a successful business model for everyone.

8. Cloud Computing, IoT and Blockchain marketplace Give an overview of the market, showing and explaining the current offer and how the products and services are offered in the marketplace. Distinguish between PoC and successful business use cases. The teacher will show how to check if a project is a consolidated proposal or just an emergent idea.

9. Designing an architecture for a BM

We pursue these goals and learning objectives through cases, classroom discussion and dialogues, lectures, and group presentations where you will need to use design principles that reflect your learning.

Firstly, your active participation in class is important for productive discussions. Be prepared for a "cold-call? or "warm-call? (after giving you a heads-up) when we hold case discussions. The case format mirrors real company meetings where executives debate the advantages and disadvantages of different courses of action. Those who arrive prepared are likely to advance in their careers. Case discussions also provide immediate feedback about your learning process. In other words, lecturers provide frameworks, pick cases and examples, but you are responsible for your learning.

Learning in this way is an interactive process between the lecturer and the class - but also between students. You will be an active participant by:

Analyzing key issues and underlying assumptions

Reframing what is the right question to ask

Drawing on your experience

Listening to and constructively building on (or opposing) the contributions of others, and

Being willing to take divergent points of view, supported by reasoning and evidence

Secondly, participative means that we operate in a safe and respectful environment: you should not hesitate to share because you are concerned that you are wrong or unsure of your opinion. Participation means that you listen when others speak.

Thirdly, learning by doing. We assume maybe you don't have technical background knowledge, but the teacher will do his best to help you on following the steps for getting successful in an exercise. Anyway, your concentration and persistence will be mandatory.

If, for whatever reason, your laptop is not working with materials, or any other limitation. We encourage you to be creative in finding solutions. For instance, borrowing a computer from a friend or maybe renting a device during a short period of time. In the real world, others don't care about your equipment limitations.

Finally, there is an electronic device policy: NO devices may be present that may distract you in your learning. Research has shown that people's cognitive ability is lower when they just see their smartphone or laptops while working on other tasks. Use them for learning purposes.

A class website is available where you will find links to readings and materials, as well as additional instructions for assignments. Slides from sessions will be posted after class.

Oriol (https://oriolrius.me) is an experienced technologist and IoT expert with a strong track record of co-founding successful companies. Over the course of his career, he has played a key role as a co-founder and CTO in the establishment of multiple technology ventures. Notably, one of his latest ventures is Nexiona, a leading company in private Industrial IoT platforms.

With more than 20 years of experience in Industry 4.0, Oriol has been instrumental in driving technological innovation and business transformation for manufacturing and IT organizations. He has a proven ability to guide these organizations in adopting agile methodologies to reinvent themselves and thrive in a rapidly evolving landscape.

In addition to his entrepreneurial endeavors, Oriol has a deep understanding of digital product architectures and has spent a significant amount of time as a programmer, systems administrator, and DevOps specialist. His expertise spans various domains, including M2M (Machine to Machine) and the Internet of Things.

Oriol's commitment to sharing knowledge extends to his co-ownership of the YouTube channel "Industry 4.0" (https://industry40.systems). Through this platform, he and his team provide valuable technical content on IoT Gateways and remote access solutions tailored for manufacturing environments.

Group	Teacher	Department
Year 1	Oriol Rius Canals	Operaciones, Innovación y Data Sciences