Learning as a Process and as a Product Essay Example for Free

Learning as a Process and as a Product Essay When you ask people what do they think about learning? They only think in the final result. Isn’t to important to comprehend what that really means, and how big and important is the process. It is to simple to analyze what we have been learned before just making us the question If we really remember what we learned? But no everyone think in learning as a process. How do we learned that? If it was difficult? It’s the same learning as a process and as a product? Learning is the end product of some process. But when is learning a product? Learning as a product is when a person knows completely and totally that he/she dominates the knowledge, but also he/she have been qualify to do that â€Å"knowledge† what it means that he/she not just know the theory but also have the experience. The final product of the learning may show the capacity or level of each student and let the teacher know who needs more practice in a specific area. It depends on what they were working on, but it doesn’t mean that they are going to tell you or notice that the student really acquires the knowledge or the skill or if they need a more advanced or lower level to do the activities. Wich it means that learning as a product is the goal that the â€Å"learning process† must have. Learning as a process will be the behavior changes of certain experiences that people have had. Learning as a process goes further than learning as a product, because in one what it matters is the final result, and in another one what it matters is how was it? It’s not the same if I learned something just memorizing without practice. Besides If a learn something with theory and practice my final result it’s going to be better. It’s to important the process in which each person learned, because that will ensure you that you really understand and dominate what people taught you. That’s why everyone should recognize the difference between learning as a product and as a process.

Information Systems Management Pepsico Inc

Information Systems Management Pepsico Inc There are hardly a few people in the world who are unfamiliar with the word Pepsi. Words such as cola or soda have almost become synonymous with it. Pepsi is arguably the most famous soft-drink consumed by billions all over the world. And the company responsible behind this success is one of the world market giants; PEPSICO, Inc. According to Andreas Penzkofer (2007), the company came into existence in 1965, when the Pepsi-cola company acquired the snack food company called Frito-Lay. The company has started to expand itself overseas since the nineties. Pepsico Incorporated is a Fortune 500 American multinational corporation. Its headquarters are based in Purchase, New York. It is a company which has marketing and manufacturing interests in a wide variety of products ranging from carbonated and non-carbonated beverages, salty, sweet and cereal based snacks, juices etcetera. Some of the major brands owned by the company are   Quaker Oats,  Gatorade,  Frito-Lay,  Tropicana,  Copella,  Mountain Dew, and  7 Up. According to Lawrence Dietz (1973), the perspective of the company is to increase the value of the share-holders investment. The company plans to do this by achieving growth in sales, controlling the costs and intelligent investment of resources. The company believes that their commercial success is dependent upon offering good quality and value to their consumers and customers, making available products that are safe, wholesome, and economically efficient while providing fair returns on investments to their investors by maintaining high levels of integrity. ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE AND CULTURE Pepsico operates in all the six major continents of the world namely Asia, Africa, Australia, North America, South America and Europe. Their operations are further broken down amongst countries in these continents. The inter-organisation structure of the company has many sub-divisions. Their products are produced and bottled at the manufacturing plant, delivered to the suppliers by the distributors, the suppliers sell it to the retailers and finally to the consumers. These supply-chains in different countries are controlled by one main headquarter. According to Andreas Penzkofer (2007), the aim of the company is to manage supply ingredients and maintain purified water supply to ensure quality and availability to produce the products. Ensure availability of the best technology and quick storage and inventory processes to maintain freshness and quality. Determine the demand by past sales and future marketing. Also ensure proper packaging, maintain quick local distribution and meet any new demands or competition with products and consumer needs. Andreas Penzkofer (2007), also states that the companys mission is to become the worlds best consumer products company. Its aim is to improve on the financial returns to the investors as it provides opportunities of growth and development to its employees. It is also concerned about preserving the environment and has designed a separate set of goals especially in its favour. This can be observed from the replacement of can holders with plastic ring connectors which snap when the cans are removed; thereby reducing the risk of entanglement for wildlife. Pepsico also aims at diversifying its workforce so as to have a better understanding of different cultures. This has led the company to win many awards as well as being ranked at the 9th position by the fortune magazine as being the best company for minorities. MARKET SHARE According to Lawrence Dietz (1973), Pepsico, Inc. is one of the leading consumer product companies in the world having many of the worlds most important and valuable trademarks. It is the second largest soft-drink business having a 21 percent share of the carbonated soft-drink market in the world and 29 percent in the United States. Three of its major soft-drink brands Pepsi-cola, Mountain Dew and Diet Pepsi are amongst the top-ten soft-drinks in the U.S. market. The company has also spread itself substantially in the world snacks market by introducing a company division known as Frito-Lay. It has a 40 percent world market share in salty snacks and 56 percent in the United States. It is nine times the size of its closest competitor in the U.S. and sells nine of the top-ten snack chip brands in the supermarket channel some of which include lays, Doritos, ruffles and Chee-tos. Frito-Lay is responsible for generating more than 60 percent of Pepsicos net-sales and more than two-thirds of the parent companys operating profits. The company also has a third division called Tropicana Products, Inc., which is the world leader in juice sales and occupies a strong 41 percent of the U.S. chilled orange juice market. On a global scale, Pepsico owns 16 brands that generate more than 500 million dollars in sales each year, ten of which are responsible for generating more than 1 billion dollars annually. Pepsico acquires around 35 percent of its retail sales outside the United States, with Pepsi-cola brands marketed in about 160 countries, Frito-Lay brands marketed in more than 40 and Tropicana brands in around 50 countries. BUSINESS MODEL According to Richard Goodman (2009), Pepsico has managed to device a successful business model which stresses importance on three key factors. Structural and operational advantages, successfully pilot the company through uncertain times and making strategic investments for future growth. Pepsico aims at meeting challenges and investing for the future by providing value to customers and consumers, having an excellent market strategy, investing in research and development and innovation. By achieving these factors, the company will be able to retain customers. The company also aims at effectively managing price gaps, bringing in global advances in beverage pack sizes, activating the consumer by holding contests, working out capital benefits for the customers as well as the consumers, control prices of products around the world market, appealing to local tastes, adapting to local customs thereby achieving healthy and consistent performance. GLOBAL VISIBILITY The global visibility of Pepsico can be observed from the sheer number of countries its products are consumed in. From the market share section above, it can be seen that Pepsi-cola brands are marketed in 160 countries, Frito-Lay brands marketed in more than 40 and Tropicana brands in around 50 countries. Although Pepsico is an American Multinational corporation, India and Europe are of two of its biggest markets outside of the United States. BUSINESS ALLIANCES Pepsico has formed partnerships with many products it does not own but in order to distribute and market them with its own products. Some of these products include, Starbucks iced coffee, Lipton original iced tea, Ben and Jerrys milkshake etcetera. Also some of Pepsicos business alliances include Pepsico Quaker Chewy teaming up with Afterschool Alliance and Miranda Cosgrove to Call Attention to the Importance of Afterschool Programs, Pepsi-Cola North America Beverages and Ocean Spray Strategic Alliance to Include Additional Juice and Juice Drinks, Oxford Health  Alliance  and PepsiCo Foundation implemented Community Interventions etcetera. (Source: www.pepsico.com, date taken: 08/08/2010) COMPETITIOR ANALYSIS DIRECT COMPETITIORS The Coca-Cola Company As we all know, Coca-cola or Coke as it is popularly known, and Pepsi have been competing with each other since the longest possible times. Even as kids, we used to have advertisements on television showing us to choose one over the other. As the years pass by and as the companies seem to expand themselves more and more, their rivalry to attain market dominance seems to grow further more. According to Pat Watters (1978), the Coca-Cola Company is basically a non-alcoholic beverage producing company. It is also responsible for manufacturing, marketing and distributing concentrates and syrups which are used to produce these beverages. The Coca-Cola Company has their beverages sold in more than 200 countries worldwide. Their headquarters is in Atlanta, Georgia. The company owns more than 500 brands of non-alcoholic beverages which primarily include sparkling beverages. But they also manufacture still beverages like enhanced waters, juices and juice drinks, ready-to-drink teas and coffees, and energy and sports drinks. Royal Crown Company, Inc The Royal-Crown Company, Inc is a 50 billion dollar company which manufactures and sells concentrates that are used in the production of soft-drinks. These soft-drinks are then sold locally and internationally to independent licensed bottlers. RC cola is the companys leading brand and is ranked as the third largest cola brands after Pepsi and Coke. Some of the other brands which the company owns are Diet RC Cola, Diet Rite Cola, Lockjaw, Upper 10 and kick. (Source: www.rccola.com, Date accessed: 09/08/2010) COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS GRID SWOT Analysis for PepsiCo: SWOT Analysis signifies the evaluation of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats possessed and faced by a particular company, organization or institution. According to Pahl, Richter (2009), SWOT Analysis is beneficial and a crucial tool for decision-making and figuring dependencies between a company and its environment since subjective opinions are replaced by proactive and constructive thinking. The SWOT Analysis for PepsiCo is as follows: 3.1. Strengths: PepsiCo has a strong brand reputation in the global market due to its presence of over 120 years. It has had a significantly increasing market share over the years due to the launch of new products like Pepsi Max and other ideas. (Bachmeier, 2009) Its place has been determined and positioned strongly with regard to profits, sales and customer loyalty due to its creativity and effectiveness. PepsiCo boasts of a strong product line with a variety and diverse range of products. It faces no cash deficit and hence has huge advertising budgets to strengthen its market position. 3.2. Weaknesses: PepsiCo depends largely on the US market for its revenues. According to Plunkett (2009), around 29% of PepsiCos total net revenue is derived only from PepsiCo Beverages North America and its total market revenue dependent on US alone exceeds 50%. This may prove to be detrimental in the constantly changing economic conditions. Some of the PepsiCo products lack uniformity in their brand names. Experts have cited health hazards in the consumption of PepsiCo products due to high fat and sugar contents. The image of PepsiCo has been at stake due to incidents like the exploding of Pepsi cans in 2007 followed by salmonella contamination in Pepsicos product Aunt Jemima pancake and waffle mix. (Clark, 2008) 3.3. Opportunities: PepsiCo has been working to broaden its product base substantially. In 2005, it bought General Mills stake of the largest European snack food firm Snack Ventures Europe. In addition, PepsiCo acquired the German juice maker Punica Getraenke. (Penzkofer, 2007) PepsiCo operates through its four subsidiaries PepsiCo Beverages North America (PBNA), PepsiCo International (PI), Quaker Foods North America (QFNA) and Frito-Lay North America (FLNA) in almost 200 countries. (Penzkofer, 2007) With 153,000 employees, the company had total net revenue of $ 29,261 million in 2005 and was ranked at place 62 of the Fortune 500 Ranking of the largest companies in the United States. (Norton, Porter, 2010) PepsiCo has gradually been developing noncarbonated drinks and healthy products, attracting more customers. 3.4. Threats: PepsiCo faces considerable threats due to strong competitors like The Coca-Cola Company, Nestle, Dr. Pepper Snapple Group etcetera. Incidents like those of contaminations and pesticide residues found in PepsiCo products have caused substantial brand damage to the company, especially in large emerging markets like India. PepsiCo has been in a vulnerable position in the recent past due to labour problems. To illustrate, there was a month long strike at Frito-Lay India, a part of PepsiCo India Holdings Limited, beginning in August 2008 due to a dispute between the workers union and the company management. (Source: http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/strike-at-pepsis-channo-plant-ends/363190/ , Date accessed: 12.08.2010) Stagnancy acts as a threat for the company since the food and beverages industry has reached its maturity and there are hardly any avenues that remain unexplored. PROPOSED BUSINESS, INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY STRATEGIES FOR THE FUTURE Business Strategy For future growth opportunities and profits, PepsiCo should try to carry out their business by introducing healthier products in the market. The company can achieve this by Reducing the calories in the food products so that the consumption can be a healthy one. The company can manipulate the market to control what people are eating and drinking. Healthy options should be made available to all The company should undergo a change from inside and transform their reputation as a manufacturer of healthy products which essentially gives nutritional value. In the years to come, the company should engage its business in providing fruits, vegetables and grains. The company as a whole should respond to the changing consumer needs. Using the latest science and encouraging positive nutrition is the need of the hour as the masses become health conscious day by day. The company needs to be reformulating itself and become innovative by making use of the next generation technology. The company can further merge itself with healthier brands of products. (Source: www.Pepsico.com, Date accessed: 10/08/2010) Information Systems and Information Technology Strategy Buckingham et al. (1987), defines an information system to be a system that can assemble, store, process and deliver information relevant to an organisation. This is done in a way that the information is available and useful to anyone who wants to use it, including managers, staff, clients and citizens. An information system is a human activity system which may or may not involve the use of computer systems. A good information system strategy according to Guy Fitzgerald (2002), for a huge consumer food products and beverages company like PepsiCo to carry out its business for future growth and profits would be: To precisely document the requirements necessary for a good information system: Here, the users should be able to specify their system requirements or the system developers should be able to investigate and analyse user requirements so that the information system will meet the needs of the users. Efficiently monitor the progress by providing an orderly method of development: For a huge company like PepsiCo, controlling its large-scale projects is not easy. If the projects fail to meet the deadline, they can have serious cost and other repercussions for the company. Providing check-points and specific stages should make sure that the project planning procedures are applied effectively. Provision for the companys information system should have a suitable time limit and an acceptable cost. The documentation of the system should be properly preserved and also the system should be easy to maintain: This is extremely important as in a company like Pepsico, modifications to the information systems is inevitable due to the amount of changes taking place in the company and its environment. The system should be able to make the best use of the techniques and tools that are already available. The system should be liked by the people who are affected with the system such as the company stakeholders. The stake holders of the company may include clients, managers, auditors and users. If the system is liked by them, it is most likely to be used and bring success to the company. A successful information system should also make effective use of information technology by using the available tools and techniques. An effective use of information technology would involve: All staff having standard desktop tools. They should have access to email, Internet and Intranet. IT infrastructure should be continuously upgraded as allowed by the companys resources and budget. Systems and networks at the companys head-quarters and in the field should be standardised and centrally managed. A centralised team should provide IT assistance to staff and a wide range of IT training. The company should make use ERP systems at the head-quarters. For information and knowledge management, the company should implement document management system. Making use of such business, information system and information technology strategies would help the company stay competitive in the market in the future. CONCLUSION

The Real Tragedy of Shakespeares Macbeth :: GCSE English Literature Coursework

Tragedy of   Macbeth In a tragedy the main character rises to greatness, then continues to fall down a shame spiral which leads to their down fall. An example of a tragedy is Macbeth. Macbeth is driven up the hill of greatness a rise, then his untamed ambition leads him to death. The process of a tragedy is slow to let the audience become comfortable with the power and happiness of the main character. Then all of the sudden signs appear that the end is coming and the main character heads toward downfall.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the beggining of the play a battle goes on between King Duncan of Scotland and Macdonwald of Norway. Macbeth fought bravely on Scotland's side and even killed Macdonwald himself. King Duncan hears of Macbeth's brave and noble qualities and crowns him the new Thane of Cawdor. The king states that the old Thane should not device, "... Our bosom interest: go pronounce his present death, And with his former title greet Macbeth." (1.2.63-65) Macbeth is hostile to except the rank because earlier three witches prophesied that Macbeth would become Thane of Cawdor even though there was one at that time. Since Macbeth was crowned Thane of Cawdor, Banquo and Macbeth think that the three withches adre able to correctly tell them their fate.   Macbeth now having higher-ranking authority begins to have his ambition act up on him and crave more power. Lady Macbeth organizes King Duncans murder, which increases Macbeth's ambition and enables Macbeth to rise up to the ultimate height. The murder is carried out but not as planned and Macbeth is driven to kill the king himself. Macbeth states after everyone found the dead king," Loyal and neutral, in a moment? no man. The expedition of my violent love..." (2.3.111-112) This was the only done to destroy and thoughts that may have targeted Macbeth that he could have killed the king.   The greediness for power and the witches prophesies have made Macbeth a very disturbed man. Believing in everthing that the witches say, Macbeth hires three murders to kill both Banquo and his son. By having them killed no one shall be in line to take the crown away from Macbeth. Macbeth then hears that Macduff is pondering on ways to seek revenge so Macbeth plans for death of Macduff's family. Macbeth went for his family hoping to hurt him on the inside to show Macduff not to mess with Macbeth.

Old Art :: essays research papers

In the 17th century tens of thousands of still lifes were produced - works on canvas, copper and panel - all lovingly painted and eagerly purchased. This summer the celebrated Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam will host a remarkable exhibition featuring the finest examples of Dutch still lifes from 1550 to 1720. Some 70 major paintings will travel to Amsterdam from such museums as Te Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Musà ©e du Louvre in Paris, the Gemà ¤ldegalerie in Berlin, the Nationalmuseet in Copenhagen and the Fresno Metropolitan Museum. Together with loans from private collections (e.g. Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid, the Frits Lugt Collection in Paris and the Michal Hornstein Collection in Montreal) they will provide a splendid overview of this popular genre for the first time. Never before has there been an exhibition which featured all the different types of still life: the colourful flowers, the juicy fruits, the sumptous banquets, the evocative 'breakfast pieces' and breathtaking examples of the illusionistic trompe l'oeil. This unparalleled exhibition presents spectacular works from such artists as Brueghel, Coorte, Rembrandt, Saverij, and Van Huysum. The exhibition is organized by the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam and the Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio. The works of Dutch still-life artists continue to be internationally admired as unrivalled achievements in this genre because of the breath-taking rendering of materials, the subtlety of the compositions and the feats of perspective. Equally admired is the simplicity, though it is often only apparent and is rooted in subtlety. It is remarkable that these magnificent works were generally painted by artists who are not widely known. Who has heard these days of Floris van Dijck? Most people will associate the name Brueghel with Pieter, the 'Peasant Brueghel', rather than with his son Jan, whose flower paintings (cat. 3) make him one of the great masters of the still life. Who has heard of Pieter van Anraadt, the maker of the finest painted clay pipes from Gouda (cat. 46), or of Daniel Seghers, world famous in the 17th century for his matchless flower pieces? The Rijksmuseum highlights these great but little known artists in this special exhibition. The still life in the Netherlands The standard of Dutch still lifes of the 17th century is unparalleled. This special quality, the spell cast by the best still lifes, was achieved not just by a few but by quite a considerable number of artists. Old Art :: essays research papers In the 17th century tens of thousands of still lifes were produced - works on canvas, copper and panel - all lovingly painted and eagerly purchased. This summer the celebrated Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam will host a remarkable exhibition featuring the finest examples of Dutch still lifes from 1550 to 1720. Some 70 major paintings will travel to Amsterdam from such museums as Te Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Musà ©e du Louvre in Paris, the Gemà ¤ldegalerie in Berlin, the Nationalmuseet in Copenhagen and the Fresno Metropolitan Museum. Together with loans from private collections (e.g. Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid, the Frits Lugt Collection in Paris and the Michal Hornstein Collection in Montreal) they will provide a splendid overview of this popular genre for the first time. Never before has there been an exhibition which featured all the different types of still life: the colourful flowers, the juicy fruits, the sumptous banquets, the evocative 'breakfast pieces' and breathtaking examples of the illusionistic trompe l'oeil. This unparalleled exhibition presents spectacular works from such artists as Brueghel, Coorte, Rembrandt, Saverij, and Van Huysum. The exhibition is organized by the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam and the Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio. The works of Dutch still-life artists continue to be internationally admired as unrivalled achievements in this genre because of the breath-taking rendering of materials, the subtlety of the compositions and the feats of perspective. Equally admired is the simplicity, though it is often only apparent and is rooted in subtlety. It is remarkable that these magnificent works were generally painted by artists who are not widely known. Who has heard these days of Floris van Dijck? Most people will associate the name Brueghel with Pieter, the 'Peasant Brueghel', rather than with his son Jan, whose flower paintings (cat. 3) make him one of the great masters of the still life. Who has heard of Pieter van Anraadt, the maker of the finest painted clay pipes from Gouda (cat. 46), or of Daniel Seghers, world famous in the 17th century for his matchless flower pieces? The Rijksmuseum highlights these great but little known artists in this special exhibition. The still life in the Netherlands The standard of Dutch still lifes of the 17th century is unparalleled. This special quality, the spell cast by the best still lifes, was achieved not just by a few but by quite a considerable number of artists.

Cisco Case Study Essay

Cisco Systems is an industry leader in network technology. Their primary business is technology that is used to enable communication with people all over the world with multiple functions. Whether it be email, voice video or general applications these service are transported over Cisco Networks. The current CEO is John Chambers who has held the position since 1995. This case study focuses on his vision and strategy over the past 17 years. Cisco is a market leader in networking technology. Financial Information: www. Bloomberg.com (1) Sales 2012 Sales/Revenue/Turnover: Total Operating Revenues. $46,681,000,000 Gross Profit $28,558,000,00 Net income $ 8,356,000,000 Key Milestones in Cisco’s History (2) 1997 All in One: Data/Voice/Video 2000 Network of Networks 2006 Network as Platform 2008-Current Collaboration/ Web 2.0 SWOT ANALYSIS Cisco’s’ internal strengths are its people. They have a built a corporation with over 70,000 employees. 1/3 of those are Engineering people who develop Cisco’s solutions. (2). These solutions come from internal design or from acquisitions. There weakness is the size of the corporation compared to when they were in there early days. They challenges adapting to customer demands at the rapid pace the technology industry changes. The opportunities have come with the use of acquisitions. When they want to add a piece of technology to their portfolio they at times bypass the development process and acquire a company with the needed expertise. The major threats to the business are the number of employees who leave and go to competitors. Many of Cisco’s competitors are run by former Cisco employees. See Juniper.com(7) ANALYSIS VIA PORTER’S FIVE FORCES MODEL Analyze the competitive environment by listing the threat of new entrants, the bargaining power of buyers, the bargaining power of suppliers, the threat of substitute products and services, and the intensity of rivalry among competitors in the industry (Chapter 2). Summarize your key points in a Figure. (25 points) Cisco’s’ threat of new entrants is limited due to Cisco’s market cap on network Switching: Modular/Fixed (2) . They currently hold a 69% market cap sue to their design and build of these devices. Their competitors have copied and duplicated these products and there are only handful that compete. The bargaining power as a buyer based on thre volume allows them to keep manufacturing costs low. There suppliers in turn have strong bargaining power with their silicon and chip manufactures. New Chipsets are developed rapidly and suppliers can gain a competitive advantage over the manufacturers. The threat of substitute products is a common theme with Cisco. An example was a Chinese company stole Cisco’s design and started producing replica hardware. Years of litigation was later settled however the cost to do so was a major impact. (3)This caused an intense rivalry with its competitor 3Com who partnered with the Chinese company (4). The other issue with its competitors is its talent pool. Many of Cisco’s engineers leave for competitor with hopes of creating the next generation of technology. STRATEGY USED Cisco’s competitive advantage in the switching market has led them into being market leaders in other sectors. Having the market share of the core network as the base layer of Infrastructure allows them to see the need of its customers. These sectors have all been supplicants that utilize the Cisco core networking products that today has brought them an industry market share in the following area. The core strategy used is there overall cost leadership to create this competitive advantage Performance Market share per sector Security 31% Digital Video: IPTV-64% Switching: Modular/Fixed- 69% Voice-37% Wireless: LAN-54% Storage: Area Networks-44% Routing: Edge/Core/Access-53% Networked Home-23% Web Conferencing-38% (2) One core strategy they used in the area of differentiation was the introduction of Voice over the network. Voice is a legacy technology created over 100 years ago and up until recently was run with the same original design concepts. Cisco changed that system buy running voice over the IP network. Today VOIP phone systems are a standard and the original POTS (plain old pots lines) are now considered legacy. They used acquisitions to buy phone providers and break down there core fundamental and produce them on IP networks., allowing today the use of voice over your PC Email Text. They were very successful in this space however not all companies can use this strategy for this particular technology. There install base is so strong the market is saturated and would not be cost effective. This strategy however is now in the maturity stage of the industry life cycle. They contain 69% of the voice market and they are continued to grow. The core installations will eventually decline however the service to maintain the phones systems will continue to remain in the maturity stage. Cisco’s strategy is based on catching market transitions—the market transitions that affect our customers. With the proliferation of video and collaborative Web 2.0 technologies, the network continues to evolve from the plumbing of the Internet—providing connectivity—to the platform that will change the way we work, live, play and learn.â€â€" John Chambers, Chairman and CEO, Cisco THE ISSUES AND CHALLENGES FACING THIS COMPANY Cisco’s’ competitive advantage in some sectors can be maintained. The overall progress should continue however weaker sectors where they have lost focus on have declined. In the example of the home Networked sector they maintain a low 23% market share. This has not been inline what the projections were when they entered these markets. Recently they have announced they are moving away from the home based market with a sale of their Linksys lien to Belkin (5) I believe the companies’ competitive advantage can be maintained if they focus on areas where they have control on market share. Shedding unprofitable business such as Linksys is a step in the right direction. This product is clearly on the decline side and Cisco should focus on growth areas such as storage area networks. The companies’ culture is changing from when they were a smaller enterprise they were able to maneuver with market needs more quickly. The fierce competition in the home market was one of the company problems. I believe that they are an enterprises corporation provider of services and do not understand the needs of home based users. COURSE OF ACTION RECOMMENDED I would advise Cisco to focus on server storage sectors. They are not a market leader in servers such as HP but have new products that are changing the way we companies utilize servers. This is a differentiation strategy that will change the industry if done correctly. They created a virtual server solution called UCS that if markets correctly could achieve future growth in the server storage sector. (6) I would use my market power and customer to base to provide these solutions at a low cost and this will expose a broad customer base to the product OPINION What do you think of this case study? Describe what you believe are the lessons learned from this case. (10 points) I think this case study showed me new concepts in strategic management. By studying Cisco’s market dominance based on 46 billion in revenues I now understand that having a competitive advantage must be maintained. Seeing Cisco now leaving markets is a new direction for them and these concepts have brought me to understand that. REFERENCES When you have completed the paper using the above sections, insert a page break and have a separate references page. The references should be listed in accordance with the APA guidelines as shown in the tutorial. (5 points) http://www.bloomberg.com/quote/CSCO:AR (1) http://newsroom.cisco.com/documents/10157/0/Corporate+Overview+-+Q2FY12.pdf (2) http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/07/29/cisco_huawei_case_ends/ (3) http://www.theregister.co.uk/2003/07/09/3com_welcome_to_join_ciscohuawei/(4) http://www.dailytech.com/Belkin+Plans+to+Purchase+Ciscos+Linksys+Home+Networking+Business+Unit/article29747.htm(5) http://www.cisco.com/assets/global/europe/powerofu/ucs_vs_hp_deployment.pdf(6) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juniper_Networks(7)

Scientists Take An Organic Approach To Improving Machines

Naturally occurring chemicals are being used to develop state-of-the-art microprocessors capable of replacing much bigger computers, for dimes on the dollar! Researchers headed by a team of scientists from the Netherlands’ University of Groningen, Netherlands have developed a way to alter the chemical composition of silicon dioxide, which could mean a revolution in the manufacturing industry. The discovery is the latest in the budding field of organic electronics that are gaining acceptance due to their multifold superiority over electronics made from artificial substances. These electronics are being seen as the biggest developments in the field of electronics since the invention of micro chips. Researchers from the Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials at the University enlisted a team of industry-insiders from the Philips Research Laboratories, The Dutch Polymer Institute of the Netherlands as well as the Enikolopov Institute of Synthetic Polymer Materials in Moscow Russia. Their combined efforts have materialized in the form of ‘self-assembled-monolayer field-effect transistor’ or SAMFET. SAMFET is the newest innovation in organic electronics, a newly emerging kind of electronic circuits which are constructed using only chemicals that occur naturally, such as silicon. Bottom-up organic electronics is a hot topic nowadays among electronic engineers and industrialists alike because, this technology allows the building of highly complicated circuits at a fraction of the cost of conventional circuits. Besides the economy, such circuits are also proving to be much more energy efficient than their predecessors. So the hype around the invention of this kind of ‘self-assembled-monolayer field-effect transistor’ or SAMFET is well-earned! Although the technique used to create SAMFET’s is complex, thankfully it is much more easily comprehendible. Researchers have basically developed a way to control the shape and proximity of atoms within a given sample of silicon dioxide. This allows them to mold molecules of the substance into a very compact and tightly packed formation. The molecular arrangements are organized in tiny layers sandwiched between another substance such as titanium. The ability to regularize the size and form of the molecules, together with the capability of cramming together millions of molecules more closely is the key element in this technology. This is so because the arrangement of the layers within a microprocessor is what allows complicated processes to be controlled by a microprocessor smaller than a matchbox! Electric pulses that pass through these layers are controlled with the circuits that are made of these SAMFET’s. Since the new innovation has allowed the packing of many more molecules into every layer of electronic circuits; many more commands to control and direct the currents can be programmed into an organic circuit as compared to a conventional electronic circuit made of synthetic materials. The developers explain that this innovation has been developed from the same liquid crystal technology that is used in television screens. LCD televisions are able to display better contrast and detail because of the fine crystals and their uniform distribution. In other words, they use the same technology as SAMFET’s albeit at a less complex scale. The newly developed silicon compound is sandwiched in layers of titanium for durability and strength. The titanium would normally restrict the flow of current but the inventors have come up with another ingenuity to overcome that problem. Contact points that link the different layers of silicon dioxide inside each microprocessor, are made of gold. Gold, one of the best conductors of electricity; allows small electric signals to pass between layers without much resistance against the current. Additionally due to the proximity and evenness of the molecules of silicon and other compounds within the layers, the smallest pulses of electricity can pass through it without any significant loss of energy. Experiments have been conducted to compare the performance of conventional microprocessors to those built using this newly developed technology. Inventors Simon Mathjiseen and Edsger Smits They say results indicate that their components can not only transfer electric currents through more elaborate formations; they can achieve this task with smaller currents because very little energy is wasted in the process. This allows them to build ever more complicated circuits. SAMFETS are structured to minimize resistance against electric currents, and since there are no moving parts, power is not wasted in transportation or heating. In turn, one microprocessor can perform much more elaborate tasks to help build multi-purpose machines that can carry out operations that would previously require many different machines. Simply put; a smaller, more efficient machine can now perform tasks that would have required an entire sequence of machines and robots. For manufacturers this means a ton of savings in their processes. This is so because at the moment even the most technologically advanced assembly lines contain many different machines, and materials have to be shifted between them many times before the final product is made. By combining many processes into a fewer number of machines, manufacturers can save money on the purchase and maintenance of equipment, and on the cost of human resource that is used to monitor and control these assembly lines. The developers of this strategy are confident they have discovered the building blocks to a new era of technology, one where the size†¦ of the circuit, does not matter! Instead, by increasing the density of molecules inside the layers that make up micro chips, more complex programs such as those used to control robots or entire assembly lines can be programmed into the same sized chip. Coupled with the energy efficiency, which means a lower cost of operating such electronics; these compact processors are being hailed as a much needed boost to the manufacturing and electronics industries. Under the current economic recession, many factories across the globe are looking to cut costs of production. SAMFET technology seems very promising in this regard because it allows manufacturers to use smaller, smarter electronic components. Not only can they save on human resource costs, but also on the cost of running these processors which act like the brains of the assembly line. All that remains to be seen now is how soon this technology can go into mass production.

Battle of the Woods Nollywood Versus Hollywood - 980 Words

The Battle of the Woods: Hollywood and Nollywood Cinema of the United States has played an undeniable role in the transmission and interpretation of many values that we hold today. We perceive real life situations based on what Hollywood has taught us. Some ninety years after the first huge success of American cinema, â€Å"The Great Train robbery† was released, we were introduced to a new brand of films. The cult classic â€Å"Living in Bondage† was distributed. This low- budget film produced in Onitsha, Nigeria set the scene for what would become an explosion. So impressed were the filmmakers and actors by their work, they coined the term Nollywood- the Nigerian Hollywood. The different environments and practices have resulted in obvious†¦show more content†¦Hollywood movies employ creative and bold methods to market their movies. A good deal of promotion and advertising is targeted to getting people into theatres. Media blitzes are launched to tout the movie s weeks before its release. Posters on buses, billboards, designed T-shirts, websites are used to promote Hollywood films. These films are then distributed to a diverse audience. Unless they are extremely unsuccessful, Hollywood movies are always first shown in cinemas across the world, before they are released on DVD. Nollywood films, on the other hand, do not put in a lot of money and effort on the marketing of their films. Other than the movie posters which are usually seen at the selling point of the films, not much advertising is employed. As all Nollywood films go straight to DVD and VCD discs, the industry thrives on direct-to-video marketing. As many as thirty new titles are delivered to Nigerian stores and market stalls every week. Producers rely on the fact that with this outpour of releases, their movies would most certainly be picked up among the crowd; hence, employing further marketing practices is unnecessary. Currently, the available cinemas in Nigeria do not exhibit any Nollywood movies. The costs, methods of distribution, and themes of Hollywood and Nollywood films reflect strongly their target audiences; how the target audience affects the production of a film and how the production of a movie is designed to capture a specific

Impact Of Technology On The Music Industry - 1933 Words

Over the years, music has become portable, starting with the transistor to a set of headphones. Technology has allowed us to create a diverse musical culture. Music will always have an effect on one’s culture, and it has definitely mad a huge impact on the use of technology. Cultural diversity is about bringing people closer together though the World Wide Web. Many music publishers are the key to cultural diversity when it comes to publishing all genres. They will increasingly continue to play a part in promoting diversity by bringing music of all kinds and forms to the music market. The way we access and listen to music has changed a lot in the music industry. For some, it may seem easier to download your favorite song from your favorite artist, but there are rules to the file-sharing and downloading of music. Before there was file-sharing, people would gather in concert halls for impressive music from some of the best known composers of all time. Today, there has been an ab undance of ways to access and listen to music, in writing this paper, my goal is to discuss copyright laws, file-sharing, and the progression of how we access music. Before we reached the electronic musical era, there was good old fashion concert halls. People would gather together in the concert halls to see many different composers perform, all from which were in different eras; the Baroque, Classical, and Romantic era. By the year 1877, Thomas Edison had discovered how to record and reproduce soundShow MoreRelatedTechnology And Its Impact On The Music Industry Essay2573 Words   |  11 Pages Technology and Its Impact on the Music Industry Name College Technology and its Impact on the Music Industry Introduction The creation of musical works has always been culminated by several different processes and usually involves many people. The process takes a lot of time delaying the release of music. 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