Apple Inc And Its Impact On The Consumer Shopping Experience

Slide 2 Capitalization and reporting documents, such as a company’s financials, have come a long way with the advancement of technology. Apple, Inc. has been capitalizing on this advancement, starting in 1976. After nearly 30 years, Apple have become the leader in several industries, and are known for their iPhone line, as well as their iPad and iPod lines, apps, and iTunes; and their newest addition Apple Pay. Apple, Inc. has revenue that ranges in the $50 billion range. Kudler Fine Foods, known for its’ specialty food items, has also embraced technology in several way, including way to manage their financial investments and every day business of Kudler locations. Ordering and locating food items, that are specialty items sometimes requested by consumers, is done by using a wide array of technology, including how to get the items distributed without costing the consumer added money. Kudler also uses the advancement of technology to enhance the consumer shopping experience, by allowing them to place food orders online, and to help with the overall growth of the company, (University of Phoenix, 2013). Slide 3 Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak are the founders of Apple Computers Inc. To start their business, Jobs sold his Volkswagen Van and Wozniak sold his programmable calculator, which gave them $1,350 to begin production of the Apple I boards,† (The Start of Apple Computer, Inc., 2015). Arthur Rock, a venture capitalist, and Mike Markkula invested $92,000 and securedShow MoreRelatedBest Buy Co. Inc. Essay1205 Words   |  5 PagesBest Buy Co., Inc. is currently the world’s largest retailer for consumer electronics. The company has 1,400 brick and mortar stores and is a popular online retailer as well. The stores serve as display room for various online retailers. Best Buy consumers can purchase electronic products such as mobile, corded and cordless phones, televisions, cameras, personal computers, laptops, appliances and more (David F.R., 2015). Today’s society relies on convenience and technology, forcing companies toRead MoreMarket Analysis: Apple and iOS 7762 Word s   |  3 PagesThe Apple Company and iOS7 Product Being Analyzed: The Apple Company has been the leading innovator in the businesses of computing, mobile communication applications and digital media distribution for more than a decade. And from this position, many of its product releases signal the release of new and important technological developments in the marketplace. However, for several years and particularly underscored by the passing of founding visionary Steve Jobs, Apple has been accused of treadingRead MoreMarketing Strategies For Brand Designing1534 Words   |  7 Pages1.1 Background and Rationale Brand designing is the one of the effective marketing strategies used by the companies to bring their products or services and consumers together (Clifton, 2009). It is not only the name or logo of the brand, but it implies the overall feeling or image that a consumer has while consuming the product of the brand. Brand designing is considered vital mostly when the companies try to market their products or services into a new market or an existing market (Keller, ParameswaranRead MoreAmazon Go A Grocery Store1409 Words   |  6 Pagesthe grocery market. Strategic Analysis Mission Amazon Go’s mission is to create a shopping experience with no lines and no checkout, push the boundaries of computer vision and machine learning to create a store where customers can simply take what they want and go. Amazon’s mission is in line with what experiences and capabilities its customers demand and expect. Amazon enables them with speed and customer experience. Amazon is investing in new technology that allows it to track customer engagementRead MoreApple Leadership Style Essay1654 Words   |  7 PagesINTRODUCTION Apple is an American based multinational technology corporation headquartered In Cupertino, California. The company is best known for manufacturing, designing personal computers, consumer software products, and electronics. The company currently employs approximately 110,000 employees worldwide (Fiegerman,2016). The company was established by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne in 1976. In 2007, the name changed from Apple Computer Company to Apple Inc. co-founder, Steve JobsRead MoreAnalysis Of 2016 At T1724 Words   |  7 Pageschannels, including HBO and Showtime, from Sony Corp.’s PlayStation Vue service. But ATT is getting a jump on Apple Inc., Alphabet Inc. and other Silicon Valley giants that are reportedly lining up their own over-the-top services . The $35 price point is approximately $65 below the current average cable prices. While this may seem like a positive for ATT, it is actually a positive only for consumer as this new price point will put a signific ant dent into ATT’s profit margins. Monthly programming expensesRead MoreTo:Melody Dixon-Brown. Bus-3160 Colleagues. From: Jaaia1691 Words   |  7 Pagestwo warehouses (Terry-Armstrong, 2013). Jeff Benzo is the Chairman and CEO for Amazon.com. Tom Szkutak has been Amazon’s CFO since 2002 (Hottovy, 2011). Market Position/ Growth Potential Amazon sells more books, toys, and by next year, apparel and consumer electronics than any retailer online or off, and is investing heavily in its grocery business. Its market power now rivals or exceeds that of Walmart, and it stands only to grow. Within five years, one-fifth of the U.S. s $3.6 trillion retail marketRead MoreApple Ipad versus Microsoft Window 8 Tablet2689 Words   |  11 Pagesturn by turn navigation system to guide you to where you need to be. Computer companies such as Apple and Windows tablet have revolutionized the way we see and use technology, and have been able to understand and execute it to conform to our daily lives. In this paper, I will outline different promotional strategies through advertisement, public relations, sales promotion, and direct marketing that Apple Inc uses with I-pad and compare it with Microsoft Window 8 tablet use. Advertisement In today’sRead MoreBusiness Analysis : Omnichanneling Realty Advisors2058 Words   |  9 Pagesbeen critical to the growth of omni-channel retailing, allowing consumers instant access to retailers and their products. Also, retailers are also supporting this growth though capital investments in technology, logistics and store efficiency to improve their omnichannel offerings (GWL Realty Advisors). Figure 1 shows that most customers would like to check other store or online stock quickly in order to improve in-store experience. In addition, customers prefer self-service checkout and in-storeRead Moremarketing environment and buyer behaviour3320 Words   |  14 Pagessocio-cultural, economic, technological, natural, competitive and political and legal (500 words per environment) Provide a definition of each chosen environment and justify in relation to your product (4 marks) Explain how each chosen environment impacts your product, using evidence from your research (business sources) to justify (20 marks) Discuss the opportunities presented for your chosen product in each environment (8 marks) Discuss the threats presented for your chosen product in each environment

It331 Documentation Free Essays

string(37) " better suit their budget and needs\." Infinet Infinet is a company that has been providing networking and data communications solutions for companies since 1994. Infinet has throughout the years stayed on top of current networking trends and technologies to ensure reliability and extensive network lifetimes for Infinet’s customers. Our clients range all across the southern and southwestern states of the U. We will write a custom essay sample on It331 Documentation or any similar topic only for you Order Now S. Infinet’s mission to its customers is to provide them a network resolution that suits their needs and budget with the highest reliability that current technology can offer. Infinet has many different teams working within the company to maintain positive relations and to provide the highest level of customer service. Technical Support – Infinet offers its clients technical support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Technical support is available to help troubleshoot with clients to attempt to reach a resolution as soon as possible. Sales Team – Infinet’s sales representatives work with our potential customers to determine the customer’s needs and forward the information they gather to Infinet’s design team. Design Team – The design team at Infinet is primarily responsible for the development of a project plan, diagrams, and the implementation of the project plan. The design team is then responsible for the presentation of their proposal to the client in a way that is easy for the client to understand. Networking Team – Once a deal has been made with a client the project is then handed to the networking team. The networking team at Infinet is responsible for the installation of all hardware, software, cabling, and any other type of device to be installed. The networking staff at Infinet is the most crucial part of Infinet. Training for client employees is also provided by the networking team. TTI’s Proposal The following is a list of TTI’s major needs as stated in our documentation that Infinet received. Network Design †¢TTI must stay within the regulations regarding network design to remain in compliance with various regulations. †¢The network must be separated into two networks, Curriculum and Administrator, and not allow access from the Curriculum Network to any computers or servers on the Administrator network. A maximum of 200 workstations will be deployed at each campus for the Curriculum network and a maximum of 50 computers for the Administration network. †¢The network must facilitate 100x growth in LAN throughput, 2x growth in WAN throughput, and a 10x growth in the main campus internet connection. It must also remain functional for a minimum of 5 years. †¢The four new schools must connect vi a the ISP’s internal network into a central device at headquarters and forward any internet requests through the headquarters’ internet connection. †¢Each campus will have a MDF room where data will be sent and forwarded as needed. The Houston West campus will include an MDF as well as an IDF on the second floor to forward data to the MDF. †¢Each school has four labs that require 31 connections. There needs to be 3 runs of cabling to the 30 computers on the Curriculum network and 1 run of cable to terminate at the instructor’s computer on the Administrator network. †¢All computers on the Administration network will have their ip addresses set statically and all computers on the Curriculum network will obtain their ip addresses automatically from a DHCP server. DHCP Server †¢Each campus will have a DHCP server to hand out ip addresses to nodes on the Curriculum network. DNS and E-Mail †¢DNS and e-mail servers will be implemented in a hierarchical manner with all services located on the master server at the main campus. †¢All DNS and e-mail servers will be capable to communicate with each other in the event that the master server becomes unavailable. Administrative Server †¢TTI will need to have an Administration server at each school site to interface with the DBMS at headquarters for student tracking, grades, attendance, and other functions †¢The Administration server must not be accessible by any students or the Curriculum network. Web Server TTI will need a web server to host its virtual library which will house an online library for curricular research and give students access to several online databases. Application Server †¢All computer applications will be housed on a server at each school location to provide the IT staff with an easy solution to upgrading applications. FTP Server †¢An FTP server will be setup to provide TTI staff with a quick way to recover missing or corrupt files. Executive Summary Infinet has recently received a request from TTI to implement a network plan to meet the addition of four new campuses within the state of Texas. We believe that we have come up with the most reliable and secure plan to meet your needs at a reasonably low price. In our plan we have included many options to provide TTI with our personal recommendations as well as options lower in cost to suit TTI’s financial obligations. Infinet will take on all responsibility of hardware and software installations as well as an effective training plan to give the IT staff at TTI the tools they need to monitor and maintain their network. Assumptions and Constraints The following list is a few assumptions that Infinet has made based the information TTI has presented. TTI has already laid down the cabling or has done so with the construction of the building. †¢TTI will remain responsible for any physical security of network components and servers. †¢Proper cooling will be available in the MDF and IDF rooms. †¢TTI is needs new workstations to be purchased and installed. If we are wrong with any of our assumptions we have made a few possible solutions. †¢Infinet has the staff and resources to lay down any cabling if need be. †¢Infinet has included the option to omit any costs for new workstations if TTI has no desire to upgrade their current workstations. Deliverables Based upon the previous information, Infinet has come up with what we plan to bring to the table. †¢Infinet will propose hardware and costs with several options for TTI to better suit their budget and needs. You read "It331 Documentation" in category "Papers" †¢Infinet will provide a project schedule and implementation timeline to clarify each phase of the project. †¢Infinet will identify the network topology and layout. Our main highlights will include the following. o4 T1 data lines for point-to-point connectivity and 1 T1-speed data frame relay to connect all sites to the Internet. Fiber optic-multi mode backbone. oSegment LAN at each site into two networks, administrator and curriculum. oSuccessful network connectivity with campuses to the main campus as well as Internet connectivity. oEstablishment of MDF’s at each location as well as an IDF at the Houston location on the second floor. oImplementation of an IP subnet capable to meet current nee ds and to facilitate growth. oDHCP configuration with student network and static IP addresses assigned to the administrator network. oInstallation of DHCP, DNS, and Application servers at each site. Each location will have a separate Administration server that will directly communicate with the DBMS at the main campus. oThe main campus will include the main DNS server, DNS, IIS, Active Directory, Exchange, Web, Application, and FTP servers. †¢Infinet will provide a comprehensive backup solution for data and power. †¢Infinet will ensure security to the Administration LAN as well as a firewall to deny access from any device outside the TTI network. †¢Infinet will present a training plan for the IT support staff for TTI to give them the necessary knowledge and tools to monitor and maintain the network. Infinet will have a prototype for display to demonstrate our ability to effectively separate the Curriculum and Administration networks. Project Plan Implementation and Timeline There are going to be 7 major steps to complete the project. 1. Inspect locations Verify the current setup and identify the requirements that TTI needs to accomplish before installation takes p lace. Also to identify the location of the new hardware and verify what is needed. Jason: Dallas, Scott: Houston, Troy: San Antonio, Tyson: Austin An estimated 4. 5 days will be needed to complete the inspection of all sites. 2. Purchasing and Delivery All hardware that has been deemed necessary will be ordered and delivered to each site. During this time, Technician’s will be coordinated at each site to prepare for hardware installation. An estimated 18. 5 days will be needed to complete purchasing and delivery of all sites. 3. Hardware Installation All hardware will be installed and setup at each location. This includes all Workstations, Servers, Networking Equipment and Cabling. An estimated 11. 5 days will be needed to complete hardware installation of all sites. 4. Software Installation All software and server services will be setup and implemented at all locations. Routers, switches and firewalls will be configured and optimized for network communication between sites. Workstations will be setup with their appropriate network configuration. An estimated 4. 5 days will be needed to complete software installation of all sites. 5. Finish Installation and Network Testing All hardware and software installation will be finished and network setup will be verified and tested for problems. Security policies and double firewall will be tested for weaknesses from outside Internet connectivity. Backup solution will be tested and verified with a complete disaster recovery plan. An estimated 11. 5 days will be needed to complete the finish Installation and network-testing phase of all sites. 6. Training Training for the TTI administration and IT staff, so that they will be fully capable of maintaining and monitoring the network using SNMP standards. An estimated 5 days training will be needed for training. 7. Support Period: 10 day on call support. Any problems detected during this 10 day period will be corrected by Infinet. Project Details Network Topology TTI Network Overview All campuses will be connected through the ISP’s internal network. Internet access from the campuses will be forwarded to the Houston Headquarters and then out to the internet through Houston’s T3 or Frame Relay connection. Houston Headquarters Campus The Houston Main Campus will house the main DBMS server and the master backup server. The application, main DNS, DHCP, and Active Directory servers will also be located in the MDF. Each of the other four campuses’ internet connections will be forwarded to the Houston campus’ router, Cisco 7204 VXR, which will then forward internet connectivity through the Houston campus’ T3 or ISDN connection. The T3 or ISDN connection will be guarded by a PIX515e firewall that will block all incoming requests except those for web and e-mail traffic. Houston West Campus The Houston West campus has the same setup as the other campuses, minus Houston Headquarters, except that cable runs will come from the MDF to a switch on the second floor that computers on that floor will connect to. It hosts local DNS, E-Mail, DHCP, and application servers as well. Dallas, San Antonio, and Austin Campuses These campuses will host local DNS, DHCP, application, E-Mail, and FTP servers and have T1 connections. Project Details IP Schema The IP addressing scheme we chose is designed to make administering the network easier. Each IP address will allow TTI’s IT staff to identify if it belongs on the student or administrator network and what its physical campus location is. The chart below provides the details. HoustonHouston WestAustinDallasSan Antonio Student Network10. 1. 5. 0/2410. 1. 15. 0/2410. 1. 25. 0/2410. 1. 35. 0/2410. 1. 45. 0/24 Admin Network10. 1. 10. 0/2510. 1. 20. 0/2510. 1. 30. 0/2510. 1. 40. 0/2510. 1. 50. 0/25 Student Range10. 1. 5. 2 – 10. 1. 5. 25410. 1. 5. 2 – 10. 1. 15. 25410. 1. 25. 2 – 10. 1. 25. 254 10. 1. 35. 2 – 10. 1. 35. 25410. 1. 45. 2 – 10. 1. 45. 254 Admin Range10. 1. 10. 2 – 10. 1. 10. 12610. 1. 20. 2 – 10. 1. 20. 12610. 1. 30. 2 – 10. 1. 30. 12610. 1. 40. 2 – 10. 1. 40. 12610. 1. 50. 2 – 10. 1. 50. 126 Student Gateway10. 1. 5. 110. 1. 15. 110. 1. 25. 110. 1. 35. 110. 1. 45. 1 Admin Ga teway10. 1. 10. 110. 1. 20. 110. 1. 30. 110. 1. 40. 110. 1. 50. 1 Student Broadcast10. 1. 5. 25510. 1. 15. 25510. 1. 25. 25510. 1. 35. 25510. 1. 45. 255 Admin Broadcast10. 1. 10. 12710. 1. 20. 12710. 1. 30. 12710. 1. 40. 2710. 1. 50. 127 Project Details Security Security planning for the internal and external TTI network should be as follows. †¢A nominal amount of training with the staff will have to be done with regards to physical and logical security. †¢Logical security should be setup using the firewall for external use and ACL’s, managed switches, and password security for internal security. †¢Using monitoring programs to the benefit of the school and to see where problems may rise. †¢Monitoring tools for service availability and bandwidth management. oNagios oMRTG oEmail Notification Active Directory Structure TTI. EDU Training and Maintenance Plan Once the project has been completed, Infinet will begin the training of Network and System Administrator personnel at each TTI location. The training will be for the length of 5 days from 8 A. M to 12 P. M. and 1 P. M. to 5 P. M. for a total of 40 hours. Each site will be trained simultaneously from Infinet’s design team. TTI’s IT staff will be trained on the router and switch configurations, IP addressing schemes, all servers and their configurations, troubleshooting techniques, and client node configurations. TTI will also be provided with contact information regarding their WAN connections. Once training has been completed a support period will begin. This support period will last for 10 business days, Monday through Friday. During this period TTI will be responsible for â€Å"digging† into their network to find any bugs or potential problems. Upon the discovery of any problem TTI can contact Infinet’s customer support to work out a resolution. All warranty information on hardware will be held by Infinet until the expiration of the support period at which time TTI will be solely responsible. One item to keep in mind is that although we will discontinue responsibility after the support period, Infinet is always willing to listen to clients’ problems and give suggestions to help the client reach a solution. Risk Analysis The following table addresses particular events that may delay the completion of the project. RiskImpactProbabilityResponse Late arrival of connectivity equipmentLHPush all servers to a â€Å"plug-n-play† state to minimize schedule interference. Cable interferenceHMLocate the source of interference and terminate it or insulate the cabling. Damaged server or wrong server hardwareMMSend equipment back and obtain new equipment Late arrival of serversMMSend equipment back and obtain new equipment ISP problemsMMDepending on response time of ISP, possibly find a new ISP. VPN connectivity problemsMMDiagnose the source and implement solution. Natural disasterHLResolution depends on the effects of the disaster. Sudden increase in the pricing of resourcesMLConsult with TTI. Perhaps find an alternative solution in the case of drastic changes. Poor attendance during training phaseMLHold multiple sessions or commute to certain locations for additional training if necessary. Complications when migrating existing dataMLPerform any conversions or third party support. SQL connectivity problemsMLDiagnose the source and implement solution. Wrong equipment or damaged equipmentLMSend equipment back and obtain new equipment Backup Strategy Hardware: The Houston campus will house the main backup server. The type of device will be either Dell PowerVault 110T LTO-2-L, a tape drive solution, or Iomega StorCenter Pro 200d, a device that uses random access rather than sequential. The choice of device will be up to TTI. Each campus except for headquarters will use Bytecc 40GB 3. 5†³ LANDisk NAS for data backups. This networked attached storage device utilizes a 100-BaseTX networking interface and a Western Digital 40GB hard drive. Each campus will have a UPS system. The device we have selected, APC Back-UPS RS 1500VA, has an internal alarm, hot swappable batteries, connects via USB or serial, a 110 minute blackout run time, and a $150,000 lifetime equipment protection plan. Strategy: The main campus’ backup device will run a routine scheduled backup nightly that will pull the data from each individual NAS drive. Along with this data, it will backup Active Directory and the Microsoft Exchange email databases. These are items that we have deemed required for backup and any remaining items are to be discussed and implemented into the daily backup schedule. The latest copy of the data will be taken home by the administrator each day so that there is always an off-site duplicate of the backup. Cost Analysis Infinet has worked hard to make an effective solution for TTI. One difference that you will find with our company is that we prefer to provide our clients with options. In our costs proposal we have given TTI options such as the client workstations, backup solutions, and WAN connections. Each option has been analyzed and determined to fit TTI’s needs within the RFP we received. Infinet bids a range of $1,769,487. 96 to $2,425,751. 26 to give TTI the option to weigh their cost versus their needs. Infinet cannot determine what will be the best solution for TTI as it is TTI itself that knows what is best. If TTI has any suggestions regarding hardware, software, or WAN connections Infinet will be readily available to share ideas and work firmly to meet TTI’s demands as a customer. For exact details on the costs breakdown please refer to Appendix A and for hardware descriptions please see Appendix B. Appendix Appendix A: Cost Analysis Breakdown†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦23 Appendix B: Hardware†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦27 Appendix A – Cost Analysis Recommended Cost Sheet Hardware:Quantity:Unit Cost:Total Cost: Dimension 9150 Desktop1250$1,411. 30$1,764,125. 00 Cisco 7204 VXR1$3,958. 90$3,958. 90 PA-MC-8T1 (WIC)1$2,198. 90$2,198. 90 Cisco 2600 XM4$3,376. 99$13,507. 96 Dell PowerEdge 285011$3,291. 20$36,203. 20 Cisco Secure PIX 515E1$2,823. 70$2,823. 70 Cisco Catalyst 2948G Switch40$4,677. 19$187,087. 56 NAS Network Attached Storage4$153. 99$615. 96 APC APWBR15005$383. 90$1,919. 50 23†³ Equipment Racks 5$143. 0$715. 00 REVStorCenter Pro 200d Series (HQ Backup Server)1$1,978. 90$1,978. 90 Total: $2,015,134. 57 Software:Quantity:Unit Cost:Total Cost: Serv er 2003 Enterprise CALS (25)2$571. 95$1,143. 89 Microsoft Office Pro 2003 (Open License)1$492. 80$492. 80 Total: $1,636. 69 WAN:Total Months:Monthly Cost:Total 5 Year Cost: 5 Year on T1 (Per Site)60$852. 50$51,150. 00 5 Year on T1 (Per Site)60$852. 50$51,150. 00 5 Year on T1 (Per Site)60$852. 50$51,150. 00 5 Year on T1 (Per Site)60$852. 50$51,150. 00 5 Year on T3 (Headquarters)60$825. 00$49,500. 00 Total Internet Cost: $254,100. 00 Labor and Training:Hours:Rate:Total Cost: Team Member (5 Employees)1600$27. 50$44,000. 00 Hardware Technicians (24 Employees)3840$16. 50$63,360. 00 Software Technicians (24 Employees)2880$16. 50$47,520. 00 Total: $154,880. 00 Total Project Cost: $2,425,751. 26 Low Cost Sheet Hardware:Quantity:Unit Cost:Total Cost: Dimension 9150 Desktops1250$910. 80$1,138,500. 00 Cisco 7204 VXR1$3,958. 90$3,958. 90 PA-MC-8T1 (WIC)1$2,198. 90$2,198. 90 Dell PowerEdge 285011$3,291. 20$36,203. 20 Cisco Secure PIX 515E FireWall1$2,823. 70$2,823. 70 Cisco Catalyst 2948G Switch40$4,677. 19$187,087. 56 Cisco 2600XM4$3,376. 9$13,507. 96 NAS Network Attached Storage4$153. 99$615. 96 APC APWBR15005$383. 90$1,919. 50 23†³ Equipment Rack5$143. 00$715. 00 PowerVault 110T LTO-2-L(HQ Back-up Server)1$1,538. 90$1,538. 90 Total: $1,389,069. 57 Software:Quantity:Unit Cost:Total Cost: Server 2003 Enterprise CALS (25)2$571. 95$1,143. 89 Microsoft Office Pro 2003 (Open License)1$492. 80$492. 80 Total: $1,636. 69 WAN :Total Months:Monthly Cost:Total 5 Year Cost: 5 Year T160$852. 50$51,150. 00 5 Year T160$852. 50$51,150. 00 5 Year T160$852. 50$51,150. 00 ISDN60$852. 50$51,150. 00 Frame Relay (5PDC 5 Year)60$307. 40$18,443. 70 Frame Relay Installation (Per Site)1$858. 00$858. 00 Total Internet Cost: $223,901. 70 Labor and Training:Hours:Hourly Rate:Total Cost: Team Member (5 Employees)1600$27. 50$44,000. 00 Hardware Technicians (24 Employees)3840$16. 50$63,360. 00 Software Technicians (24 Employees)2880$16. 50$47,520. 00 Total: $154,880. 00 Total Project Cost: $1,769,487. 96 Cost Options Breakdown Hardware OptionsPrice Selected Price ?Dimension 9150 Desktop (Upgraded)$1,764,125. 00 —–+ oror ?Dimension 9150 Desktops$1,138,500. 00 —–+ ?REVStorCenter Pro 200d Series (HQ Backup Server)$1,978. 90 —–+ oror PowerVault 110T LTO-2-L (HQ Back-up Server)$1,538. 90 —–+ Total: Internet OptionsPrice Selected Price ?Houston West T1 Connection$51,150. 00 —–+ oror ?Houston West Frame Relay including Installation$19,301. 70 —–+ ?Houston Headquarters T1 Connection$51,150. 00 —–+ oror ?Houston Headquarters ISDN Connection$51,150. 00 —–+ Total: Set Costs Total Price Non-Optional Hardware—–$249,030. 67 Other Campus’ Internet Connections—–$153,450. 00 Software—–$1,636. 69 Labor—–$154,880. 00 Set Costs Subtotal:$558,997. 36 Total Project Cost: Appendix B – Hardware Cisco PIX ® 515E The Cisco PIX ® 515E Firewall is an enhanced version of the widely popular Cisco PIX 515 platform, providing industry-leading firewall and IP Security (IPSec) virtual private networking (VPN) services. Designed for small and medium businesses, as well as enterprise remote offices, the Cisco PIX 515E features increased processing power and integrated, hardware-based IPSec acceleration (certain models) delivering even more robust performance for high throughput security requirements. Performance Summary Cleartext throughput 188 Mbps 168-bit 3DES IPsec VPN throughput 63 Mbps Simultaneous VPN tunnels 2,000 Dimensions and Weight Height 1. 2 in. (4. 37 cm), 1 RU Width 16. 82 in. (42. 72 cm), Standard 19-in. rack mountable Depth 11. 8 in. (29. 97 cm) Weight (one power supply) ~ 11 lbs (4. 11 kg) Expansion PCI BUS Two 32-bit/33-MHz PCI Random Access Memory Two 168-pin DIMM slots (64 MB maximum supported by Cisco PIX OS) Dimension 9150 Processor: Pentium ® D Processor 940 with Dual Core T echnology (3. 20GHz, 800FSB) Operating System: Genuine Windows ® XP Home Edition Memory: 2GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz- 2DIMMs Hard Drives: 320GB Serial ATA 3Gb/s Hard Drive (7200RPM) w/ 16MB cache Optical Drive: Single Drive: 16x DVD+/-RW with double layer write capability Monitors: Free Upgrade from E196 Analog Flat Panel to 1907FP Digital Flat Panel Video Cards: 128MB PCI Expressâ„ ¢ x16 (DVI/VGA/TV-out) ATI Radeon X300 SE HyperMemory Keyboard: Dell USB Keyboard Mouse: Dell ® 2-button USB mouse Dimension 9150 Processor: Pentium ® D Processor 805 w/Dual Core Technology (2. 660GHz,533FSB) Operating System: Genuine Windows ® XP Pro Memory: 512MB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz – 2DIMMs Hard Drives: FREE UPGRADE! 250GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) Optical Drive: Single Drive: 48x CD-RW / DVD-ROM Combo Drive Monitors: Free Upgrade from E196 Analog Flat Panel to 1907FP Digital Flat Panel Video Cards: 28MB PCI Expressâ„ ¢ x16 (DVI/VGA/TV-out) ATI Radeon X300 SE HyperMemory Dell Service ; Support Plans: 1 Year On-site Economy Plan Adobe Software: Adobe ® Acrobat ® Reader 6. 0 CISCO 7200 VXR SERIES ROUTER †¢ WAN edge-Award-winning quality-of-service (QoS) feature performance †¢ Broadband aggregation-Up to 16,000 Point-to-Point Prot ocol (PPP) sessions per chassis †¢ Multiprotocol Label Switching provider edge (MPLS PE)-Number one choice for provider edge deployment today †¢ Voice/video/data integration-Time-division multiplexer (TDM)-enabled VXR chassis and voice port adapters †¢ IP-to-IP Gateway Support-Direct IP-interconnections IP Security virtual private networking (IPSec VPN)-Scalable to 5,000 tunnels per chassis †¢ High-End Customer Premises Equipment (CPE)-For managed WAN services saving equipment, transport and administrative cost The Cisco 7200 VXR addresses these solution requirements by integrating functions previously performed by separate devices into a single platform. Through this integration, the Cisco 7200 VXR provides a single, cost-effective platform that supports: †¢ High-density LAN and WAN interfaces Broadband subscriber services aggregation, including PPP, RFC 1483 termination, and Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol (L2TP) tunneling †¢ Digital T1/E1 TDM trunk termin ation for voice, video, and data †¢ High-density multichannel T3/E3 and T1/E1 with integrated channel service unit/data service unit (CSU/DSU) †¢ ATM, Packet over SONET (POS), and Dynamic Packet Transport (DPT) connectivity †¢ ATM IMA (Inverse Multiplexing over ATM) for voice, video, and data †¢ Direct IBM mainframe channel connectivity †¢ Light-density Layer 2 Ethernet switching PowerEdge 2850: Processor: Intel ® Xeonâ„ ¢ Processor at 2. 8GHz/2MB Cache, 800MHz FSB Additional Processor: Single Processor only Memory: 1GB DDR2 400MHz (2X512MB), Single Ranked DIMMs Chassis Configuration: No Rails Included Operating System: Windows Server ® 2003 R2, Standard Edition, Includes 5 CALs Hard Drive Configuration: Drives attached to embedded SCSI controller, No RAID Riser Card: Riser with PCI-X Support and Embedded Raid (ROMB) Support Hard Drive Backplane: 1Ãâ€"6 Hard Drive Backplane,PE2850 Bezel: Active ID Bezel Option Primary Hard Drive: 73GB 10K RPM Ultra 320 SCSI Hard Drive Network Adapter: Dual On-Board NICs CD/DVD Drive: 24X IDE CD-ROM Power Supply: Non-Redundant Power Supply Tape Backup Software: CommVault 1-Touch Recovery Client License Key Documentation: Electronic Documentation and OpenManage CD Kit Hardware Support Services: 3Yr BASIC NBD: L1 Hardware Queue, Next Business Day Onsite, M-F 8am-6pm Catalyst 2948G The Catalyst 2948G is a dedicated Ethernet switch featuring high-performance Layer 2 switching for the wiring closet, with low cost per port and advanced and proven software capable of supporting a wide variety of switching features. How to cite It331 Documentation, Papers

Hans Memling Example For Students

Hans Memling Biography Outline1 Biography2 Key Ideas in painting.3 Arts made by Hans Memling.3.1 Hell3.2 The Annunciation3.3 The Last Judgment, triptych, left wing3.4 Portrait of Tommaso Portinari Biography The Dutch painter Memling was born in Germany  but spent most of his life in Bruges, where he became the leading artist of his time. Hans Memling experienced a strong influence of Hugo van der Huss, but the versions of Memling, however, are devoid of the dramatic tension of the works of the senior master. Hans Memling marks the transition from Gothic to Renaissance with his work. He studied in a workshop in the Middle Rhine or in Cologne, and after that at Rogier van der Weyden in Brussels. Based on the experience of van der Weyden and Dirk Bouts, painter creates his own style. It’s expressed in rich color, gracefulness of figures, and also in detailed transfer of different staff. Memling composes for many times changed and added details in a calm, unified composition. In his later works, Hans Memling departs from the traditions of the early Renaissance. Key Ideas in painting. Arts made by Memling combine in his paintings the features of late Gothic and Renaissance art, lyrical interpretation of religious subjects, soft contemplation, harmonious composition is combined with the desire to idealize images, canonization of the techniques of Old-Dutch painting and portinari triptych. Memling doesn’t write more of his characters as anonymous figures in his famous paintings, he gives them individual, portrait traits. Of course, it’s impossible to determine whether all the figures have a portrait resemblance to real contemporaries, but the soul on the left side of the scales of the archangel is very similar to Tommaso Portinari, the partner of the customer. The altar, whose composition is modeled after Roger van der Weydens â€Å"The Last Judgment†, was commissioned by Angelo di Jacopo Thani (1415-1492), a sales representative in Bruges, for his native city of Florence. When the product was transported by sea, it was captured by pirates and fell into Gdansk. Arts made by Hans Memling. Hell The painting â€Å"Hell† describes a closed spatial area, a separate place for the presence of demons, the afterlife and torture of the souls of unrepentant sinners. After the general resurrection of the dead, the Last Judgment Hell will become the place of anguish of the devil, all wicked people, who are not awarded the paradise villages. The Annunciation â€Å"The Annunciation† is about the day, when Mary was 12, God announced that she would give birth to the Son of God. And after Mary was betrothed to Joseph, Archangel Gabriel appeared to her and foretold the virgin Mary, that she will blamelessly start from the Holy Ghost and will give birth the Son of God Jesus Christ. The Last Judgment, triptych, left wing â€Å"The Last Judgment, triptych, left wing. The Blessed at the gate to heaven† is the work of art, in the center of which, there is the scene of the Last Judgment. God Almighty (Maiestas Domini) sits on the rainbow. Under his feet is the globe. Lily and sword are the symbols of purity and justice. Christ is surrounded by apostles, intercessors and supplicants the Virgin Mary and John the Baptist, as well as angels. Below, there is the figure of Archangel Michael. He weighs the souls of the righteous and sinners. The devils drive the damned to hell, and the blessed ones enter paradise. Saint-Peter greets them on the glass stairs. A golden light comes out of the heavenly gates with an arch, richly decorated with images of music-making angels, and one of the angel holding dress. In the background, you can see a landscape executed in sufficient detail. This drawing can be called as triptych of earthly vanity and divine salvation. .u0a93bd96a84abdc1f6c4e42e0999d1d8 , .u0a93bd96a84abdc1f6c4e42e0999d1d8 .postImageUrl , .u0a93bd96a84abdc1f6c4e42e0999d1d8 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u0a93bd96a84abdc1f6c4e42e0999d1d8 , .u0a93bd96a84abdc1f6c4e42e0999d1d8:hover , .u0a93bd96a84abdc1f6c4e42e0999d1d8:visited , .u0a93bd96a84abdc1f6c4e42e0999d1d8:active { border:0!important; } .u0a93bd96a84abdc1f6c4e42e0999d1d8 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u0a93bd96a84abdc1f6c4e42e0999d1d8 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u0a93bd96a84abdc1f6c4e42e0999d1d8:active , .u0a93bd96a84abdc1f6c4e42e0999d1d8:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u0a93bd96a84abdc1f6c4e42e0999d1d8 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u0a93bd96a84abdc1f6c4e42e0999d1d8 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u0a93bd96a84abdc1f6c4e42e0999d1d8 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u0a93bd96a84abdc1f6c4e42e0999d1d8 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u0a93bd96a84abdc1f6c4e42e0999d1d8:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u0a93bd96a84abdc1f6c4e42e0999d1d8 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u0a93bd96a84abdc1f6c4e42e0999d1d8 .u0a93bd96a84abdc1f6c4e42e0999d1d8-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u0a93bd96a84abdc1f6c4e42e0999d1d8:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: MichelangeloPortrait of Tommaso Portinari â€Å"Portrait of Tommaso Portinari† is one of the most famous drawings of the artist. On the heartfelt, subtly painted portrait, we can see a 21-year-old nephew and business partner Tommaso Portinari, a former representative of the Medici family in Bruges. The painted marble columns of the landscape point on the masters position of young men. The portrait is the right half of the diptych, the opposite side represents his eponymous patron, to whom the young man draws his mental prayer.

The relationship that Heaney writes about between himself and his father Essay Example

The relationship that Heaney writes about between himself and his father Paper I am going to compare two different poems written by Seamus Heaney. The names of these two poems are Digging and Follower. Both of these poems were written when Seamus Heaney had started his career in poetry. Heaney was the eldest of nine children and grew up in poor conditions, as his father was a potato farmer, just as his forefathers. The poems are basically Heaneys autobiography, where he is explaining what happened in his past. Heaney was born when there were Catholic and Protestant riots were occurring and it was a troubled time for him and his family. The two poems are similar because they both describe Heaney at a young age, when he used to be tripping, falling, yapping always. This was meant to prove that Heaney was always behind his father, but the second poem has a real twist to it at the end, which I will describe to you further in to this essay. Heaney is probably writing this poem in his room, and looking out into his old farm which is bringing back his memories of being a child. His room would be dimly lit to show the bluntness in his vocabulary. This also depicts that fact that his language is not flowery, or there is no glorification of any part of his fathers job, but just going straight to the point. He does not in any way denigrate the job either, but just keeps it simply and straight to the point. I think that Heaney wouldve been in his dimly lit room (as explained above) and is picturing his father in a hat, with a grey coat on and his coarse boot nestled on the lug, against the inside knee was levered firmly. Heaneys language here conveys to us the point that he used language that reflects the traditional down-to-earth nature of his ancestors. We will write a custom essay sample on The relationship that Heaney writes about between himself and his father specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The relationship that Heaney writes about between himself and his father specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The relationship that Heaney writes about between himself and his father specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer What I mean here, is that most other writers would glorify these sentences and add extra vocabulary to add to the effect, but Heaneys draws in the readers interest by keeping it simple and concise. The relationship between Heaney and his father is exposed in the second line, The squat pen rests; snug as a gun, and it can be compared to line 4, Then the spade sinks Here, Heaney is trying to force through the point that his fathers profession was a farmer, and his weapon was a spade, whereas, Heaneys profession is a writer and his dangerous weapon is the pen. The pen also had enormous power and when the pen is used incorrectly, it can too cause damage. Heaneys pen gives him the eccentricity and power which he felt he lacked as a child due to the restricted conditions. The pen freed him from his restrictions that he had a child and the pen if offering him dangerous new possibilities. This emphasises the point that Heaney lacked attention and had wished to get it with the power of his pen. Heaney believes that the pen can be as powerful as the spade. This is proven in line 2 The squat pen rests; snug as a gun. This means that when the pen is not in use, it is just a potential threat, but when it is used incorrectly, it can be as dangerous as a gun, and a gun is surely more powerful than a spade. The relationship between him and his father is flowing at times, for example, when enjambment is used between lines five and six. My father digging. I look down Till his straining rump among the flowerbeds. The second stanza ends at the word down and the third stanza begins at the word Till. Enjambment is used to keep the rhythm of the poem continuously flowing and to keep the readers in the frame of the poem. Enjambment is also used to show that the poem is digging further into his memories. Heaney liked harsh and blunt sounds such as lug, coarse, nestled and heaving sods. These words dont have a squeaky sound to them, whereas, the words like nicking and slicing do. What I mean by blunt is that the words arent sharp or high, but easy to say, and uses less effort, meaning that more effort can be used in the work being done. The poem is basically about Heaneys admiration for his father. By god, the old man could handle a spade, Just like his old man My grandfather cut more turf in a day, than any other man in Toners Bog. In these quotes, he is portraying to us how much he admires his forefathers. He is exaggerating the fact that his grandfather cut more turf in a day than any other man in Toners Bog. He is exaggerating it because is substantiates that fact that his grandfather was the greatest potato farmer of all time, and that his speed and skill together was indestructible. He states that his grandfather is not any old potato farmer, but a very unique one indeed. The speed, I have verified above, but the skill of his grandfather-Nicking and slicing neatly. This is also Heaneys use of onomatopoeia nicking, sounds like its meaning; as does slicing. They are both quite gruesome words, but this depicts to us that the job of Heaneys forefather was gruesome and it also portrays the conditions that he wouldve lived in, being the eldest of nine children and being the son of a potato farmer. This exposes to us about Heaneys straight to the point thoughts, no matter how grisly his history may be, he will state it. Once I carried him milk in a bottle Corked sloppily with water. He straightened up to drink it, then fell to it straight away. This illustrates how devoted his forefathers were in their work. No other work could show that dedication, it was unparalleled. This is an example of Heaneys pride for his forefathers, not everyone would write in a poem how inspired they are by their forefathers. I think that Heaney is a bit ashamed of not being able to follow in their footsteps, But Ive no spade to follow like them. What Heaney means here is not that he has no spade, but he has no spade within him to carry on his fathers work, that he was not enough bottle to follow in their footsteps. Between my finger and my thumb, The squat pen rests. Ill dig with it Heaney is trying to convey the message that as his fathers profession was a farmer, he used the spade to dig for potatoes, but Heaney will use a pen to dig with it, meaning that he will continue his profession as a writer. Heaney believes the pen will give him that extra power but never that hardness and toughness that his forefathers had from their profession. I think that Heaney loves and respects his forefathers due to the amount of respect that he has given them in this poem. By God the old man could handle a spade, Just like his old man. This tells us that he admires his forefathers unbelievably, and that he is proud of them. I think that Heaney is not a bit monotonous, because each time he marvels at his forefathers, he is giving us something original, something new and interesting. He does say that he wanted to grow up and follow in his fathers footsteps, I wanted to grow up and plough All I ever did was follow. This shows us that he did want to be a farmer just like his forefathers, but he felt he lacked the physical strength, but he had the mental strength of being a writer. This explains that Heaney always wanted to be a farmer, but he felt he lacked the individuality that he needed and the confidence when he was a child, and he now feels a bit guilty not carrying on the family tradition. I think that Heaney felt inadequate and lost as a child and felt he lacked the attention that a child needed. That is why he felt he lacked the power of being a potato farmer, and that he would rather have had a stronger childhood to be a farmer, not a feeble and astray one as he has experienced. Heaney saw himself as a nuisance in both poems, but more so in the second poem. I stumbled in his hob nailed wake, Fell sometimes on the polished sod. This is a quote from the second poem elucidating the fact that he used to stumble on his fathers hard work. Heaneys language is blunt and matter of fact. Corked sloppily with water. He is just stating the obvious here, meaning that he is down to earth and likes to state what is there, and not exaggerate to give effect, but the structure and the way he has delivered this poem to us speaks for itself. Heaney also uses language that reflects the down-to-earth nature of his ancestors. The cold small of potato mould, the squelch and slap. Here is another example of onomatopoeia. Onomatopoeia is used to emphasise the meaning of the words to the reader, these words are one syllable words. One syllable words are easy to say and they get the meaning of the words of the reader straight away. One syllable words can also be used so that it takes less time to read, and it reflects the level of knowledge and education that his forefathers have in speaking. Another reason why one syllable words are used is because it shows us how little time these farmers have, and that they believe in a little less conversation, a little more action. His shoulders globed like a full sail strung. This is a simile which is used to compare his fathers shoulders with a sail. What he means here is that his shoulders were so muscular that they were comparable with a full sail strung. This also shows his admiration for his forefathers. How wonderful he thought they were; a pity that he was not as capable of doing physical activities as they were. Nar rowed and angled at the ground, Mapping the furrow exactly, this exemplifies to us the Heaneys father worked exactly and that he would calculate all of the angles and get the lifting of the turf exactly right. Heaney felt he was a nuisance following his father around all day, but then also felt proud to have a father whom he could follow around like that, All I ever did was follow, in his broad shadow round the farm. This is when Heaney would be looking up to his father. Heaney is looking up in not only the literal way, but also in character. He may also look up to his father in an idol like way. Comparing this to the last line of follower, it is like the falling of a god, as if the admiration empire for his father is crumbling. But today it is my father who keeps stumbling behind me, and will not go away. I dont think that Heaney is being spiteful, but there is a role reversal here. As, we have seen, in the first poem, Digging, he had great admiration for his forefathers. Towards the end of the second poem, the roles are reversed to show the change in Heaneys mind, Heaney now thinks that he is more powerful than his father due to the age difference. The last line can also be a metaphor. The meaning of this metaphor is that his father may be dead and the metaphorical part of this is that he may be dead, and his thoughts may keep lingering behind him, not his physical body itself. On the other hand, his father may be old and requires care. His father may loiter behind him and question everything he does asking whether he is doing it right or not, getting on his nerves. If he does get on his nerves, then I believe that he was being a bit spiteful, but I think that this is a metaphor and his father is dead, and his memories are lurking behind him. Now I am going to comment on other linguistic features, and the structure of this poem. Rhyme is used to bring out the points further. It helps the reader to enjoy the poem as well as understand the poem. Heaney also used rhythm in this poem. He uses a different rhythm for both Heaney and his father. I was a nuisance, tripping, falling, yapping always. That is the kind of rhythm used for Heaney. This is the rhythm which is used for Heaney because it is a bit rocky, just as his feelings, whereas the rhythm used for Heaneys father is Of reins, the sweating team turned around. The rhythm is much smoother for Heaneys father because his work is smooth and neat, whereas Heaney become s a bit spiteful at the end. Alliteration is also used in both poems. Alliteration is used because it makes the reader work just a bit harder, and it also draws in the readers attention better than other devices. Spade sinks, the alliteration is used here to show the smoothness when the spade sinks into to ground by his father, to depict how good of a farmer he is. Overall, I find Digging more effective than Follower. This is because the first poem is more emotional and he is comparing himself to his father more, and this reflects how he felt as a child. The second poem, Follower, is more technical, and readers prefer poems that are more emotional and describing, not technical and too straight to the point. I think that Heaney is very fond of his past and would like to re-live it; we can extrapolate this from the poems we have read. Both poems reveal that Heaney can remember his past very vividly and that he is a very good writer. He also considered himself as a lesser being most of the tie, I was a nuisance etc. He considered himself to not be as complex of a character of a being but a very simple person indeed. He was very humble in the way he wrote, not bragging on about himself, but showing the great admiration for his forefathers. I think that Heaney did not have a very simple relationship with his father. That was because there was not a lot of conversation between the two characters. Heaney was mainly seen and not heard in the poem, and his thoughts were mainly kept to himself as his father was too busy. The only part which I took into consideration was the change of roles at the end of Follower. That really showed that Heaney had a bit of a relationship with his father. Dead or not, he still remembers him and his memories will remain with Heaney forever.

Econ essays

Econ essays The United States Department of Commerce has issued a statement proclaiming that personal income grew faster in September than in any other month since August 1999. This growth is largely due to the increase in federal farm subsidies which boosted personal income by $61 billion. Private wage and salary disbursements also increased by over $25 billion in September, adding to the total personal income bump up. The Department of Commerce said that the net personal income increased by 1.1% in September while the disposable personal income (adjusted for taxes and inflation) increased by 0.7%. The advance gross domestic product also indicates that consumer spending is still on the rise. It is growing at an annual rate of 4.5%. In recent years, consumer spending has been boosted by the initial increase in personal income, better quality of products, and higher expectations for future wealth. In the last quarter, there has been a dramatic increase in the purchases of durable goods, especially automobiles. The automobile market experiences alternating on and off periods of demand depending on the durability of new cars and the attraction of new technological advances. Investment has also increased in the past quarter. Business investments in equipment and software increased at an annual rate of 8.5 percent. This increase is partially due to the high expectations for future returns in the technology markets. The increase in investment has produced a greater economic capacity, higher productivity and weaker inflationary pressures in the national markets. However, the drastically increasing consumer spending has in the past year out grown the personal income. This means that personal savings has become negative. If placed on an aggregate expenditures vs. aggregate output chart, the consumer spending + investments curve will fall underneath the 45-degree line. The public is spending more than it is earning, effectively dipping into sav...

Biography of Henry Ford, Industrialist and Inventor

Biography of Henry Ford, Industrialist and Inventor Henry Ford was an American  industrialist, the founder of the  Ford Motor Company, and the sponsor of the development of the  assembly line  technique of  mass production. Fast Facts: Henry Ford Known For: American industrialist, founder of the Ford Motor Company.Born: July 30, 1863, Dearborn, Michigan.Parents: Mary Litogot Ahern Ford (1839–1876) and William Ford (1826- 1905) (m. April 21, 1861).Died: April 7, 1947, Dearborn, Michigan.Education: Scotch Settlement School in Dearborn to the 6th grade, apprentice in a machine shop, and general business studies at Bryant Stratton Business University in Detroit.  Published Works: My Life and Work.  Spouse: Clara Jane Bryant (m. 1888–1947).Children: Edsel (November 6, 1893–May 26, 1943). Early Life Henry Ford was born on July 30, 1863, one of eight and the oldest of five that survived to adulthood, of Mary Litogot Ahern and William Ford. William (1826–1905) was an Irish immigrant, born in Clonakilty in County Cork, who fled the Irish potato famine with two borrowed pounds and  a set of carpentry tools. He settled in Detroit where a number of his uncles lived, and quickly accrued land. At three years of age, Mary Litogot Ahern (1839–1876) and her three brothers were orphaned; Mary was adopted by a couple named Margaret and Patrick Ahern. She and William married on April 21, 1861: Marys dowry included 90 acres and after they were married, their sizable farm totaled 250 acres. By the time Henry was born, they were among the most important and wealthy families in Dearborn.   Education Henry was educated in two one-room schoolhouses, the Scottish Settlement School and the Miller School, finishing six grades. The building was eventually moved to Fords Greenfield village and opened to tourists. From his graduation in 1876 Henry worked on his fathers farm but after harvest 1878, he abruptly left, walking off without permission to Detroit where he stayed with his fathers sister Rebecca. He took a job at the streetcar manufacturer Michigan Car Company Works, but was fired after six days and had to return home. In 1879, William got Henry an apprenticeship at the James Flower and Brothers Machine shop in Detroit where he lasted 9 months, leaving for the Detroit Dry Dock Company, pioneers in iron ships and Bessemer steel. Neither job paid him enough to cover his rent, so he took a night job with a jeweler, cleaning and repairing watches.   Henry Ford returned to the farm in 1882, where he operated a small portable steam threshing machine, the Westinghouse Agricultural Engine, for a neighbor. He was very good at it, and over the summers of 1883–1884, he was hired by the company to operate and repair engines made and sold in Michigan and northern Ohio.   Marriage and Future Plans In December of 1885, Ford met Clara Jane Bryant (1866–1950) at a New Years Eve party and they married on April 11, 1888. Ford continued to work the farm- his father gave him an acreage- but his heart was in tinkering and and he clearly had business in mind. Over the winters of 1888-1890, Henry Ford enrolled in Goldsmith, Bryant Stratton Business University in Detroit, where he likely took penmanship, bookkeeping, mechanical drawing, and general business practices. By the early 1890s, Ford was convinced that he could construct a horseless carriage: but he didnt know enough about electricity, so in September 1891, he took a job with the Edison Illuminating Company in Detroit. After his first and only son Edsel was born on November 6, 1893, Ford was promoted to Chief Engineer. By 1896, Edison had built his first working horseless carriage, which he named a quadricyle. He sold it in order to finance work on an improved model- a delivery wagon. On April 17, 1897, Ford applied for a patent for a carburetor, and on August 5, 1899, the Detroit Automobile Company was formed. Ten days later, Ford quit the Edison Illuminating Company.  And on January 12, 1900, the Detroit Automobile Company released the delivery wagon as its first commercial automobile, designed by Henry Ford. Ford Motors Ford incorporated the Ford Motor Company in 1903, proclaiming, I will build a car for the great multitude. In October 1908, he did so, the Model T- Ford numbered his models by the letters of the alphabet, although not all of them made it to manufacture. First priced at $950, over the Model Ts nineteen years of production, its price dipped as low as $280. Nearly 15,000,000 were sold in the United States alone. The Model T heralds the beginning of the Motor Age; Fords innovation was a car evolved from luxury item for the well-to-do to an essential form of transportation for the ordinary man, that that ordinary man could repair and maintain by himself Although contrary to some reports he didnt invent the assembly line, Ford did use it to revolutionize manufacturing processes in the United States. By 1914, his Highland Park, Michigan plant used innovative production techniques to turn out a complete chassis every 93 minutes. This was a stunning improvement over the earlier production time of 728 minutes. Using a constantly-moving assembly line, subdivision of labor, and careful coordination of operations, Ford realized huge gains in productivity, and personal wealth. In 1914, Ford began paying his employees five dollars a day, nearly doubling the wages offered by other manufacturers. He cut the workday from nine to eight hours in order to convert the factory to a three-shift workday. Fords mass-production techniques would eventually allow for the manufacture of a Model T every 24 seconds. His innovations made him an international celebrity. On May 27, 1927, production ended for the Ford Model T. Legacy and Death Ford was a shrewd businessman and very much of a showman, with a fairly thin skin. In 1919 he sued the Chicago Tribune for libel for writing an editorial in which the  Tribune  called him an anarchist and ignorant idealist.  He wrote and rewrote his biography multiple times beginning in 1922, and he sponsored the restoration of an idyllic rural town called Greenfield Village which was built in part to act as a tourist destination celebrating his life and work. Yet, Ford continued to innovate. In 1932, Henry Ford introduced his last engineering triumph: his en block, or one piece, V-8 engine; and on January 13, 1942, he patented a plastic-bodied automobile- a car 30 percent lighter than metal cars. Fords affordable Model T irrevocably altered American society. As more Americans owned cars, urbanization patterns changed. The United States saw the growth of suburbia, the creation of a national highway system, and a population entranced with the possibility of going anywhere anytime. Ford witnessed many of these changes during his lifetime, all the while personally longing for the agrarian lifestyle of his youth. The last few years, Henry Ford visibly slowed down, and on April 7, 1947, he died in his home in Dearborn. Controversy There is unfortunately ample evidence that Ford was a bigot, whose writings include several statements referring to white supremacy. According to a recent article in Quartz, even though he hired black employees and paid them the same as white ones, he was concerned that they and his other workers would be infected by the evil of jazz music, so he suggested that square dancing could be put forward as an alternative place where white people could hang out.   Sources Bryan, Ford R. Clara: Mrs. Henry Ford. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 2013.Ford, Henry. My Life and Work. Fords memoir was published several times and with numerous editions, the book was first written, in association with Samuel Crowther, in 1922.Lewis, David L. The Public Image of Henry Ford: An American Folk Hero and His Company. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1976.Pennacchia, Robyn. America’s wholesome square dancing tradition is a tool of white supremacy. Quartz, December 12, 2017.Swigger, Jessica. History Is Bunk: Historical Memories at Henry Fords Greenfield Village. University of Texas, 2008.Wik, Reynold M. Henry Ford and Grass-roots America. Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press, 1973.Wood, John Cunningham and Michael C. Wood (eds). Henry Ford: Critical Evaluations in Business and Management, Volume 1. London: Routledge, 2003.

Illustration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Illustration - Essay Example It is in this role, that graphic designing has gained importance. What once began as the artist's job with hand painting, went over to screen printing and has today reached the desktops of millions of visualizers. Amongst the various elements of graphic design, the art of illustration is interesting and rather challenging. Thus while words need to be read, illustrations can capture a million words in a single expression. This is because they capture and combine photography and art in an appealing and attractive manner. As we pointed out before, illustrations have been with us since the advent of mankind where they took the shape of cave paintings. Woodcut illustrations became popular in the 15th century, followed by lithography in the 18th century. In the early 19th century, journals became popular for mass circulation and illustration gained new meaning. Soon wood engraving was preferred over steel engraving to incorporate illustrations in the pages. However what was a mere painter's mindscape, evolved to touch more people with the advent of advertising. During the 20th century, many graphic designers were also illustrators of high repute and the art was viewed with great reverence, some considering it greater than graphic design. Many illustrators would even sign their work and many enjoyed great fame. Gustavo Dore was a renowned figure in those times. Today the modern illustrator has with him various new software to assist the design process. Most training institutes also encourage that the ill ustrator uses both traditional and modern techniques to recreate the image in his mind on paper. Today there are many associations that bring together illustrators. These include the Association of Illustrators (AOI), Society of Illustrators and Society of Children's book writers and illustrators. Various awards are also handed out every year to support the efforts of these artists. New media Today illustrations benefit from a range of media. From print media like newspapers, greeting cards, books and magazines where these were commonly used, today the scope is much wider. Technologies allow for these to be used in movies, television shows and video games. With the advent of computers and the Internet, illustrations are also highly popular on web sites. Finally advertising has allowed for illustrations to be used on all its media spanning billboards, print advertising, television advertising and the Internet. Great works of great minds Illustration has been a popular form of art and communication with many great works being produced by great names like Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Santiago Martinez Delgado etc. However in the current day scenario, works of two reputed illustrators are illustrated here. 28 year old Vladimir Dubko is one great name to reckon with in this scenario. At a time when many find the world of illustration distressing in the least, he created a niche for himself in fashion illustration, doing what every illustrator could only dream of in Italy. He experimented with diverse disciplines, obtained a grant at Fabrica (Benetton research center for communication) and worked with various young artists from across the world. While most of his work is

Changing the Nature of Higher Education Research Paper

Changing the Nature of Higher Education - Research Paper Example n example, there was an authorized provision for â€Å"College Senate† in one of the institutions, but the bylaws stated that the membership could be drawn wholly from the board of administers and college governors, and not from the faculty. From these, one can assess that the creation and refinement of the structure is a legacy of the colonial colleges which in turn defined and shaped the higher education system in the United States to the present day. However, Thelin (2004) suggests that we do learn many straightforward incidents from Adams about Harvard in 1858. The classes were small and had about one hundred students per class with a total enrollment of about five hundred. Its faculty could enjoy a high local prestige in the society but were not well paid (p.63). This practice in the Harvard was implemented with intent to encourage them for developing the habit of self-criticism and even self-doubt. By the end of the 19th century, various systems in the German higher educ ation such as ideal of advanced scholarship and doctoral programs with graduate students had influences over the United States’ higher education system. The American university in the 1890s typically was the historic college that was internally renovated and enhanced by new programs. It seemed like a smorgasbord for students and a few of them opted for a bachelor’s degree from there. It was the Morril Act of 1862 contributed to the expansion of the state college into the university model of federated units (Thelin, p. 104). However, the faculty’s teaching overload remained the same even with the expansion into new system. Only token allowances were granted for graduate courses and seminars while curricular offerings were for undergraduates. The implementation of new academic systems resulted... From the disc ussion it is clear that  the higher education in the colonial era had been under the administration of queens, kings, and bishops for centuries. The faculty at these institutions faced daily scrutiny from the administrative board and received immoderate approach from the directors who appointed them. In fact, as Thelin states, the academic freedom and the rights of the teacher in respect to the â€Å"hiring and firing† received little consideration from the authorities. At this period, a class president usually reported to the board of administrators rather than the faculty.  This essay stresses that a major factor that influenced the changes in faculty system was the contributions made by Charles Eliot. He gained fame though often referred as notoriety by implementing bold modernizations at Harvard College. He introduced an elective system from which some colleges formulated provisions for electives in student curriculum, while others sustained the same cour se of study. There have been evidences about implementing more provisions for specialized departments. The faculty identification was the factor highly impacted by the provision to conglomerate the colleges.   The states’ silence on issues of higher education campus enhancement in the 1880s was not a result of the governments’ disinterest towards research, applied science or technology. It did not imply that colleges or universities were systems for large-scale government projects.

The Big Bang Theory Essay Example for Free

The Big Bang Theory Essay The beginning of the universe is explained in the big bang theory. It is proved beyond doubt that our universe had a beginning and that its origin was as a singularity about 13 billion years ago. This singularity was infinitely hot, small and dense. It had undergone a series of changes, which includes expansion and cooling to become the present form of universe. This theory is called the big bang theory. According to this theory the process of cooling and expansion is still continuing. There are several evidences as well as arguments supporting this theory as well as opposing it. The main intention of the present paper is to analyze these arguments in search of its validity. History of this theory, its religious interpretations as well as the features of the universe according to this theory also will be discussed in this paper. The big bang theory was proposed by scientist and Roman Catholic priest Georges Lemaitre and his called his theory as hypothesis of the primeval atom (Hubble, 1929). The framework for this model was based on the Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity. Most of the astronomers today believe in this theory mainly because of the red shift that was observed in the near by galaxies. Scientists believe that the universe is still expending because of the presence of dark energy (Big bang Theory, 2009). There are several features of the universe which support big bang theory. The abundance of light elements such as hydrogen and helium and less occurrence of the heavy elements or heavy metals in universe is actually in support of this theory. This is because it is proved beyond doubt that at such a high temperature that persisted at the time of origin of the universe, the elements of mass numbers more than 5 and their isotopes would have been unstable. This might have resulted in the formation of more light elements at that time. Presence of more matter than antimatter is another feature that supports the theory. Even now the scientists are not able to find a reason for this phenomenon. However, many scientists consider the asymmetry in the decay of some mesons as the reason for this phenomenon. Another feature of the universe is that it is composed of several galaxies and these are separated by cosmic voids. The presence of a radiation in all directions which is quite even or uniform throughout is another factor that supports the theory which explains the origin of universe from a fire ball ( Big bang theory, 2009) One of the argument against big bang theory is that universe had its origin as an explosion. However according to experts it is better to imagine universe as a balloon with an infinitely small size and continuously increasing its size so as to reach the current size. It would be difficult to imagine the universe as a balloon bursting and throwing off its contents. Another argument against this theory is that it universe e originated as a fireball in space. But according to the Einstein’s theory of relativity there could not be anything, space or time or matter or energy before the origin of universe. Thus this argument also has been proved to be baseless (Big Bang Theory An Overview, 2009). There are many arguments or evidences that support this theory. Most of the people believe that universe had an origin. Edwin Hubble discovered that galaxies are moving away from us at speeds, which are directly proportional to the distance from us. This provides evidence for the expansion of the universe, which was originally very small. The discovery of Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation (CMB) by Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson in 1965 provided evidence that universe was initially very very hot as it is explained according to the big bang theory. Another important evidence is the profusion of hydrogen and helium in the observable universe. This also supports the big bang origin of universe. According to the recent research by NASA and ESA, the universe had its origin from the remnants of a universe, which existed previously. This is called loop quantum gravity theory (Zyga, 2008). This theory also supports the origin of the present universe as a singularity as in big bang theory. Still the arguments regarding the models to explain the origin of universe is continuing between great scientists. But one thing that has to be remembered is that whatever might be the arguments, there would always be a philosophical criterion involved and therefore these arguments are never going to end (Gibbs, 1995). Therefore as long as no one is certain about anything that happened at that time, the arguments would continue. An important factor that has to be considered in the big bang theory is its religious interpretations. Origin of Universe is an area where science and theology places opposite views. According to Islam, Allah is the creator and Evolver of every thing in this universe. Of course the development of the universe to the present stage is something that is super natural and therefore there is nothing wrong in believing that there is a super natural force behind all these evolution and that supernatural force is God. The theologians as well as majority of people believe that it is not possible to evolve something from nothingness. Estes (2009) has put it in a different manner. According to him this explanation of origin of universe is as absurd as believing that when there was an explosion in a place all the metal pieces joined in the air to form a car. He further explains that it cannot be believed that the different parts of the oldest computer one day exploded and then joined to form the most advanced computer now. This development took place as a result of long years of research by human beings. In the same way the development of universe to the present form, required the intelligence of someone who is super natural and that is God himself. When we look at the stars, sun, moon and the galaxy as a whole, we see that they are all moving with accurate speed and timings in such a way that they do not collide each other. The earth is having the exact requirements for the life of man on it. All the requirements of the man are met through the other organisms as well as physical and chemical properties of the earth. It is very difficult to explain all these facts based on big bang theory (Estes, 2009). There is another school of thought in the Islam itself in support of the big bang theory (Huda, 2009). The idea of singularity is present in the Quran also, where it is said that heaven and earth existed as a single unit originally. According to the big bang theory, the elements, which constituted the universe, had come together, cooled down and finally formed into the present shape. This is what exactly said in Quran, the only difference is that it was Allah who gave commands to these elements to behave in the way it had behaved. Come together, willingly or unwillingly. They said: We come (together) in willing obedience' (41:11). The concept that Universe is expanding is also there in Quran. The heavens, We have built them with power. And verily, We are expanding it (51:47). The fact that the universe is continuing to get expanded has been discovered only recently and it was the answer to the long debates by Muslim scholars on the exact meaning of this verse in the Quran. An argument in Islam against the big bang theory is that in Quran it is written that the creation of the universe was completed in six days. But in Quran itself it is written that one day of Allah could be 50,000 years for man. In another place it is written as 1000 years. Thus the day could be regarded as an era with a fixed length of time. And six days could be six such eras, the length of which no body knows. Thus in this way also Quran is not contradicting the big band theory, which suggests that the origin was 13 billion years ago, and since then the formation of different organisms as well as the shape of the universe were gradual (Huda, 2009). Another aspect where Quran supports big band theory is that the process of evolution or the creation as Islam takes it, is never ending. It is clearly mentioned in Quran that Allah is continuing his creation. This is what we see everyday, as a new child or as a new plant which is quite different from both parents (Huda, 2009). Considering all these facts the Muslims of the modern world believe that big bang theory is genuine and that the universe is ever changing. The only difference is that they believe that all these are happening according to the command of Allah and that everything that happens in the universe reveals the super natural power and majesty of Allah. It is stated that the creations are to be viewed upon, as tremendous power of Allah and His name has to be glorified. Thus it could be seen that the Big Bang theory of the origin of Universe is the most widely accepted theory of cosmic origin. It is based on the Einstein’s theory of relativity. There are several features that the universe exhibits which supports this theory. Most of the arguments against this theory by different scientists have already proved to be baseless. More and more discoveries have been made in the last and present century, which supports this theory. Regarding the religious interpretation of this theory, in Islam, the origin of universe and earth and everything on it is explained in the same manner as the big bang theory. Only difference is that, in Quran it is explained to have happened as per the command of God. It is quite logical to believe that there is a super natural power that is regulating all these happenings in the way it is happening so that we could exist happily and peacefully on this earth. References Big Bang Theory An Overview (2009). [online] Available at: http://www. big-bang-theory. com/default. htm (accessed on 11th June 2009) Big Bang Theory (2009). [online] Available at: http://www. answers. com/topic/big-bang-theory (accessed on 11th June 2009) Estes, Y.. (2009). Big bang. [online] Available at: http://scienceislam. com/bigbang. php (accessed on 11th June 2009) Gibbs, W. W. (1995). Scientific American, October 1995, 273: 55. Hubble, E. (1929). A Relation Between Distance and Radial Velocity Among Extra-Galactic Nebulae. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 15: 168–173. Huda (2009). Creation of the Universe Six Days or Long Periods of Time [online] Available at: http://islam. about. com/od/creation/a/creation. htm (accessed on 11th June 2009) Zyga, L. (2008). Before the Big Bang: A Twin Universe? [online] Available at: http://www. physorg. com/news126955971. html (accessed on 11th June 2009)

Evolution of the Geeks Essay -- Essays Papers

Evolution of the Geeks In the past 20th century, the word geek has evolved into many different meanings. The term branched off to create a person with low social skills, often with high intelligence, a person highly interested in computer technology, and a person with a devotion to something that places him or her outside of the mainstream. Geek usually has negative connotations within popular culture, where being a geek tends to be an insult. The term can also be a badge of honor among subcultures, such as the know-it-all of Star Trek. Media dictates popular culture. The television sitcoms I’ve watched growing up all displayed who is the stereotype for a geek. Steve Urkel from Family Matters, Screech from Saved By The Bell, Ross from Friends are some examples. All are viewed as highly intelligent and with low social skills. Yet the word is still evolving and currently is accepted as an honor. Examples of cool geeks of the 21st century are hobbits from Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Seth Cohen from The O.C, and Napoleon Dynamite. The consensus of the word geek by the media shapes the society’s minds of what is perceived to be true. The term stereotype is usually referred to be a term of abuse. It gives society a short cut to identify and categorize people. The word also evokes a consensus among all of society. According to the Oxford English Dictionary Online, the word geek was introduced as the lowest of carnival performers, often displaying acts of swallowing live animals. It evolved in the 20th century to represent a person who is highly intelligent yet lacks the ability to socialize. This representation inflicts psychological and social behaviors that often consider geeks as outcasts and victim to abuse from the ... ... taped-up glasses, the 21st century is welcoming the geek to the mainstream. Geeks are adorable, relatable, and provide comic relief. With the following of Harry Potter fans and quirky geek icons such as Napoleon Dynamite, the geek of today is the ultimate cool. Now geeks put the pop in pop culture. Works Cited Lester, Paul M., ed. Images That Injure: Pictorial Stereotypes in the Media. Westport: Praeger Publishers, 1996. Long, Tom. â€Å"Great geek portrayals save â€Å"Dynamite† from its clichà ©s.† Rev. of Napoleon Dynamite, by Jared Hess. The Detroit News on the Web 2 July 2004. 20 October 2004 < http://www.detnews.com/2004/screens/0407/07/e01-201089.htm>. Oxford English Dictionary Online. . Soergel, Matt. â€Å"RETURN OF THE NERDS: Geeks are the coolest things in movies this summer.† Florida Times Union 28 Jul. 2004, city ed., c-1.

Session Long Affirmative Action

Gender discrimination has for long been the topic of hot ethical debate. Despite the growing awareness about the social implications and the consequences of discrimination, as well as financial and human costs of discriminative attitudes at workplace, numerous firms and businesses appear unable to change the traditional structure of their business relationships. Even the best and the most ethical organizations are not always willing to eliminate the barriers women face on their way to professional excellence. In case of KBR, diversity and female participation in labor seem to be the two critical elements of organizational culture.Yet, KBR, Inc. has not done everything possible to involve women into all areas of its organizational and business performance. In reality, even at KBR, Inc. – the company well known for its ethical practices – gender remains an issue. Moreover, the majority of the present day American companies are either unwilling or unprepared to tackle gend er discrimination challenges. â€Å"For instance, for every dollar earned by white men in 1998, white women earn 78 cents, African-American women earn 67 cents, and Hispanic women earn 56 cents, according to Catalyst.More than 85 percent of Fortune 500 companies lack even one woman among their five highest earning officers† (Social Funds, 2000). Objectively, KBR, Inc. is not an exception for even despite its growing commitment to diversity at workplace and its desire to eliminate the barriers which women face when trying to become a part of the company staff, the current Board of Directors at KBR does not have a single woman, comprising seven highly professional men (KBR, 2009).Moreover, given the nature and specificity of work at KBR, women find it even more difficult to prove that they possess sufficient engineering and construction skills and are able to successfully fulfill their workplace obligations and tasks. Finally, when it comes to working in hotspots, women face ev en more opposition on the side of their potential employers, who view it as unacceptable for a woman to work in conditions of wartime. From the deontological perspective, gender equality should become a rule KBR will follow at all levels of its organizational performance.Certainly, affirmative action can potentially become a good solution for the majority of gender discrimination problems, but affirmative action is just another form of discrimination aimed at establishing the new quality of gender relationships at workplace. Not gender discrimination, not affirmative action, but professionalism, education, and skills should serve the primary criteria the company will use when considering potential job candidates. Not gender, but individual preparedness to work in dangerous conditions and realization of the tasks and obligations should govern KBR in its job decisions.From the viewpoint of utilitarianism, providing women with equal access to jobs will help resolve several essential is sues. First, the company will improve its social corporate image. Second, it will bring in innovative looks and will substantially improve and speed up its decision-making processes. Third, it will provide women with a chance to realize themselves in professional fields, and finally, the company will avoid and secure itself from financial losses that result of continuous discrimination lawsuits.Discrimination is an increasingly negative social and workplace phenomenon. Moreover, the more â€Å"male† the nature of business seems to be, the less likely women are to become a part of such companies’ staff. That is why for the company to remain competitive, glass ceiling should be eliminated, to give women just another professional and individual try. Conclusion Even the most ethical companies face serious gender discrimination challenges and are not always able to eliminate the so-called â€Å"glass ceiling†.KBR, Inc. is not an exception. From deontological perspect ive, gender equality should become one of the primary company rules; from the utilitarian perspective, giving women a chance for professional self-realization will improve the quality of all decision-making processes and will protect the company from numerous discrimination lawsuits. Whether KBR, Inc. is able to preserve its positive corporate image depends on how well it copes with the challenges of gender discrimination at workplace. References KBR, Inc. (2009). Board of directors. KBR, Inc. Retrieved June 1, 2009 from http://www.kbr.com/corporate/corporate_governance/board_of_directors/index.aspx Social Funds. (2000). Glass ceiling still unshattered. Social Funds. Retrieved June 1, 2009 from http://www.socialfunds.com/news/article.cgi/345.html

How Effectively an Organization Meets the Wants

Competitiveness How effectively an organization meets the wants and needs of customers relative to others that offer similar goods or services Business compete using MARKETING 1. Identifying consumer wants and/or needs is a basic input in an organization’s decision making process, and central to competitiveness. The idea is to achieve a perfect match between those wants and needs and the organization’s goods and/or services. 2. Price and quality are key factors in consumer buying decisions. It is important to understand the trade-off decision consumers make between price and quality. 3.Advertising and promotion are ways organizations can inform potential customers about features of their products or services, and attract buyers. Business compete using OPERATION 1. Product and service design should reflect joint efforts of many areas of the firm to achieve a match between financial resources, operations capabilities, supply chain capabilities,and consumer wants and needs . Special characteristics or features of a product or service can be a key factor in consumer buying decisions. Other key factors include innovation and the time-to-market for new products and services. 2.Cost of an organization’s output is a key variable that affects pricing decisions and profits. Cost-reduction efforts are generally ongoing in business organizations. Productivity(discussed later in the chapter) is an important determinant of cost. Organizations with higher productivity rates than their competitors have a competitive cost advantage. A company may outsource a portion of its operation to achieve lower costs, higher productivity, or better quality. 3. Location can be important in terms of cost and convenience for customers. Location near inputs can result in lower input costs.Location near markets can result in lower transportation costs and quicker delivery times. Convenient location is particularly important in the retail sector. 4. Quality refers to material s, workmanship, design, and service. Consumers judge quality in terms of how well they think a product or service will satisfy its intended purpose. Customers are generally willing to pay more for a product or service if they perceive the product or service has a higher quality than that of a competitor. 5. Quick response can be a competitive advantage. One way is quickly bringing new or improved products or services to the market.Another is being able to quickly deliver existing products and services to a customer after they are ordered, and still another is quickly handling customer complaints. 6. Flexibility is the ability to respond to changes. Changes might relate to alterations in design features of a product or service, or to the volume demanded by customers, or the mix of products or services offered by an organization. High flexibility can be a competitive advantage in a changeable environment. 7. Inventory management can be a competitive advantage by effectively matching s upplies of goods with demand. . Supply chain management involves coordinating internal and external operations (buyers and suppliers) to achieve timely and cost-effective delivery of goods throughout the system. 9. Service might involve after-sale activities customers perceive as value-added, such as delivery, setup, warranty work, and technical support. Or it might involve extra attention while work is in progress, such as courtesy, keeping the customer informed, and attention to details. Service quality can be a key differentiator; and it is one that is often sustainable.Moreover, businesses rated highly by their customers for service quality tend to be more profitable, and grow faster, than businesses that are not rated highly. 10. Managers and workers are the people at the heart and soul of an organization, and if they are competent and motivated, they can provide a distinct competitive edge by their skills and the ideas they create. One often overlooked skill is answering the t elephone. How complaint calls or requests for information are handled can be a positive or a negative. If a person answering is rude or not helpful, that can produce a negative image.Conversely, if calls are handled promptly and cheerfully, that can produce a positive image and, potentially, a competitive advantage. Key EXTERNAL factor 1. Economic conditions. These include the general health and direction of the economy, inflation and deflation, interest rates, tax laws, and tariffs. 2. Political conditions. These include favorable or unfavorable attitudes toward business, political stability or instability, and wars. 3. Legal environment. This includes antitrust laws, government regulations, trade restrictions, minimum wage laws, product liability laws and recent court experience, labor laws, and patents. . Technology. This can include the rate at which product innovations are occurring, current and future process technology (equipment, materials handling), and design technology. 5 . Competition. This includes the number and strength of competitors, the basis of competition (price, quality, special features), and the ease of market entry. 6. Markets. This includes size, location, brand loyalties, ease of entry, potential for growth, long-term stability, and demographics. Key INTERNAL factors 1. Human resources. These include the skills and abilities of managers and orkers; special talents (creativity, designing, problem solving); loyalty to the organization; expertise; dedication; and experience. 2. Facilities and equipment. Capacities, location, age, and cost to maintain or replace can have a significant impact on operations. 3. Financial resources. Cash flow, access to additional funding, existing debt burden, and cost of capital are important considerations. 4. Customers. Loyalty, existing relationships, and understanding of wants and needs are important. 5. Products and services. These include existing products and services, and the potential for new produ cts and services. . Technology. This includes existing technology, the ability to integrate new technology, and the probable impact of technology on current and future operations. 7. Suppliers. Supplier relationships, dependability of suppliers, quality, flexibility, and service are typical considerations. 8. Other. Other factors include patents, labor relations, company or product image, distribution channels, relationships with distributors, maintenance of facilities and equipment, access to resources, and access to markets. PRODUCTIVITY MEASURE Productivity measures are useful on a number of levels.For an individual department or organization, productivity measures can be used to track performance over time. * This allows managers to judge performance and to decide where improvements are needed. * For example, if productivity has slipped in a certain area, operations staff can examine the factors used to compute productivity to determine what has changed and then devise a means o f improving productivity in subsequent periods. Productivity measures also can be used to judge the performance of an entire industry or the productivity of a country as a whole.These productivity measures are aggregate measures. In essence, productivity measurements serve as scorecards of the effective use of resources. Business leaders are concerned with productivity as it relates to competitiveness: If two firms both have the same level of output but one requires less input because of higher productivity, that one will be able to charge a lower price and consequently increase its share of the market. Or that firm might elect to charge the same price, thereby reaping a greater profit.Government leaders are concerned with national productivity because of the close relationship between productivity and a nation’s standard of living. High levels of productivity are largely responsible for the relatively high standards of living enjoyed by people in industrial nations. Furtherm ore, wage and price increases not accompanied by productivity increases tend to create inflationary pressures on a nation’s economy. Improving Productivity A company or a department can take a number of key steps toward improving productivity: 1.Develop productivity measures for all operations. Measurement is the first step in managing and controlling an operation. 2. Look at the system as a whole in deciding which operations are most critical. It is overall productivity that is important. Managers need to reflect on the value of potential productivity improvements before Okaying improvement efforts. The issue is effectiveness. There are several aspects of this. * One is to make sure the result will be something customers want. * For example, if a company is able to increase its output through roductivity improvements, but then is unable to sell the increased output, the increase in productivity isn’t effective. * Second, it is important to adopt a systems viewpoint: A productivity increase in one part of an operation that doesn’t increase the productivity of the system would not be effective. * For example, suppose a system consists of a sequence of two operations, where the output of the first operation is the input to the second operation, and each operation can complete its part of the process at a rate of 20 units per hour.If the productivity of the first operation is increased, but the productivity of the second operation is not, the output of the system will still be 20 units per hour. 3. Develop methods for achieving productivity improvements, such as soliciting ideas from workers (perhaps organizing teams of workers, engineers, and managers), studying how other firms have increased productivity, and reexamining the way work is done. 4. Establish reasonable goals for improvement. 5. Make it clear that management supports and encourages productivity improvement. Consider incentives to reward workers for contributions. . Measure impr ovements and publicize them. Other factors that affect productivity include the following: * Standardizing processes and procedures wherever possible to reduce variability can have a significant benefit for both productivity and quality. * Quality differences may distort productivity measurements. One way this can happen is when comparisons are made over time, such as comparing the productivity of a factory now with one 30 years ago. Quality is now much higher than it was then, but there is no simple way to incorporate quality improvements into productivity measurements. Use of the Internet can lower costs of a wide range of transactions, thereby increasing, productivity. It is likely that this effect will continue to increase productivity in the foreseeable future. * Computer viruses can have an immense negative impact on productivity. * Searching for lost or misplaced items wastes time, hence negatively affecting productivity. * Scrap rates have an adverse effect on productivity, signaling inefficient use of resources. * New workers tend to have lower productivity than seasoned workers. Thus, growing companies may experience a productivity lag. Safety should be addressed. Accidents can take a toll on productivity. * A shortage of information technology workers and other technical workers hampers the ability of companies to update computing resources, generate and sustain growth, and take advantage of new opportunities. * Layoffs often affect productivity. The effect can be positive and negative. Initially, productivity may increase after a layoff, because the workload remains the same but fewer workers do the work—although they have to work harder and longer to do it.However, as time goes by, the remaining workers may experience an increased risk of burnout, and they may fear additional job cuts. The most capable workers may decide to leave. * Labor turnover has a negative effect on productivity; replacements need time to get up to speed. * Design of the workspace can impact productivity. For example, having tools and other work items within easy reach can positively impact productivity. * Incentive plans that reward productivity increases can boost productivity.