Computer Systems and Website Planning

Updated on May 16, 2011

THNC has taken a portion of its business plan, printed it as a half-page booklet, and reproduced it here. Our purpose is to share vital information with service provider companies as quickly and inexpensively as possible. The goal is to provide these companies with full information, to enable them to choose THNC as a client, and to provide us with initial startup and ongoing schedules of costs for services described here. Such information will be used in ongoing fund-raising campaigns to start and maintain THNC's programs.

Booklet text is outlined below. Updates will be posted regularly. Hyperlinks and the site legend bar at the end of each section are provided to help you find what you need.

1. Purpose of this Section/Booklet (below)


2. Overview
1. What will THNC offer to the public?
2. Where does the information come from?
3. How will THNC accomplish its work?
4. What else will THNC do?
5. THNC about five years from now


3. General Public's Access to Website
1. Home page
2. The Same Opportunities for Learning
3. History of THNC
4. Explanation of member services and benefits
5. Member application screens
6. Employee and volunteer application screens
7. Explanation of home networking
8. Retail store
9. IRS Form PF-990


4. Members' Access to Website
1. Member login
2. Retail store
3. Virtual exhibit hall
4. Product reviews
5. Product recommendations
6. Lookup (keyword, proximity) locator service
7. Professionals referral service
8. Test Equipment Rental Service (TERS)
9. Representative Directors (RDs)
10. THNC's member organization
11. Personal Help services
12. Member services


5. Employees' Access to Website
1. Versatile employees
2. Gather and evaluate information
3. Research for product preparation
4. Member support
5. Roles of Volunteers


6. Website Features and Design
1. HTML5 Programming Source Code
2. Strategic Planning and Development
3. Attributes of Website Use
4. Scalability
5. Purchasing and Specification of Features
6. Promotions and Advertising
7. Database Search Features
8. Applications for New Employees and Volunteers


7. Systems Architecture and Operating Environment
1. General Systems/Operating Features
2. Employee Activities
3. Member Activities
4. Electable Services in Member Service Area
5. Administrative Activities


8. Database Management System
1. How the database will be used
2. Needed / Anticipated Features of a DBMS
3. Security, Monitoring, Maintenance
4. Questions about DBMS Capabilities


9. Computer Systems Security
1. Definitions
2. Security Architecture
3. Restricted Access and Logins
4. Record Logs for Monitoring Activity
5. Questions and Ideas


10. Cloud Computing
1. Necessary Cloud Features
2. Questions about clouds


11. Software Applications
1. Office applications
2. Publishing applications
3. Business Management Tools


12. "THNC-station": a Computer Workstation
1. THNC-station support
2. THNC-station components


13. Public Service Opportunities
1. Specifications for Terminals
2. Sensible Limitations on Terminals


14. THNC's Business Philosophy

A. Purpose of the Planning Section

Updated on May 12, 2011

This is a reprint of Appendix 3 from the business plan of The Home Network Center (THNC). Rather than giving you the entire plan, it's easier to distribute this booklet and ask vendors and service providers, "Do you know of products or systems that can help us?"

Right now, this booklet is filled with lists of ideas. As we speak with people, we hope to replace our ideas (ignorance) with factual information. The goal is to produce a short list of ways to accomplish these ideas. When we ask grant makers for funding, we will have a real understanding of all that will be needed to make these ideas work.

We need legitimate, affordable, and versatile solutions to the ideas described here. As we find them, we will rewrite this booklet (website), moving closer to a briefer statement of what is needed, stages for implementation, and respective costs.

If the ultimate configuration is too expensive, there need to be provisions for beginning with simpler, more affordable systems. When THNC is well-funded enough to afford bigger and better systems, there needs to be a plan for migrating the database contents onto the larger platform.