Architecture and Environment Paper Essay

Architecture and the environment help to shape one another so they must be describe together. To build architecture constructors take from the environment but both architecture and the environment serve the people of the world. To fully understand the interactions of architecture, the environment, and the effects of each on human behavior one must view as variables of one whole. The Impact Physical Structures have on Human Behavior It only takes visiting a beautiful place like a Maine coast light house, a Scottish castle, or a villa in Greece to feel the profound affects it has on ones mental condition. Worries are melted away and the soul is refreshed. Lighter or brighter spaces tend to increase alertness and even guard against depression. Rooms that are intended for relaxation should have dark colors with carpeting and few sharp edges. Low ceilings typically improve focus on detail-oriented tasks where conversely high ceilings increase creativity. Views of nature such as trees and open green spaces significantly inspire creativity, concentration, and memory. Clearly, it is significant to construct buildings that are sensitive to the needs of a user and should also compensate for ones inability to spend time outside. Certain human populations spend more time indoors than outdoors, which can have an unpropitious effect ones well being, health, and even comfort. This is why it is so important to create indoor en vironments that suit and meet ones basic needs (Pultar, 1997). Architecture Directing Human Behavior Architecture not only influences human action but can also help to direct that action. Research has proven that the way a person lives can affect their social interaction with others. One study showed those who live in apartments that were close to one another were less interested in social interaction surrounding them and had possession of limited space. The interest for knowing what was around them was not present nor the need to share who they are with others. Places of worship and places of work are perfect examples of how architecture can impact human behavior. Churches specifically use designs and furniture when building a church that will elicit the appropriate response when the congregation is attending. However, doing this the reverence of the God they want others to understand and know about is an exciting learning experience that the people want to continue to  come back and worship at that church. (Bro & Popow, 2000) Environmental Psychological Implications of Design Everyone is impacted to some degree by building design, so it is to no ones surprise that the involvement of environmental psychology in design is enormous. The way ones surroundings are arranged can provide either possibilities or limitations. Therefore, when creating any kind of space, it is very significant to know for what and who will use it. It is important to know where to build, how much space will be needed, and its purpose. The building needs to be matched with his or her user so that the best functionality can be established while meeting certain criteria such as quality, safety, and performance. Environmental psychological implications of commercial design are being designed these days very often depends on public demands. Without the involvement of the user, a designer will be unable to construct a building that will meet everyone’s needs and will pay attention to aspects such as safety and flexibility. For instance, there are several intentions of a hospital. A hospital must first provide the right kind of care to its patients but at the same time, it needs to consider the needs of its employees by providing a sufficient work environment. One of many concerns when designing a hospital is providing the most efficient care for patients without sacrificing effective care. Therefore, the layout of a hospital contributes greatly the care of a patient. It has been researched that the distance between a nurse’s station and a patient’s room plays a vital role in the kind of care the patient receives and the speed with which he or she receives it. Besides space, another concern existing in a work environment, such as a hospital, is privacy. Privacy is very difficult to be maintained in such an environment and is important for the well being of a patient and staff. It has been acknowledged that short periods of privacy improved the productivity of nurses. At the same time, allowing privacy for patients contributes to more interactions that are social. In addition, the amount of noise, the kind and quantity of light, facility indoor colors, more windows and nicer views, and availability of gardens are just few of the many features that can improve the well-being of a patient and contribute to better employee productivity (Kesan, 2000). Environmental Psychological Implications of Residential Design When constructing a  residential property, it is very important that the design will encourage and best performance to those using this living place. The user is vital in the process of creating a residential layout because he or she will be spending a lot of time in this property. Therefore, it is very important that a residential property meets ones needs, is well made, safe, functional, and cost efficient. Recent research concluded that it is important to create a unity between the built environment and a user because the design of a home can affect ones way of living (Tappendorf, 2002). When designing a residential area, one must be aware that he or she is not only creating a building for space but he or she is also producing a place, which must provide residential satisfaction and will help express identity. Space supplies the user with dimensions for living, the needed amount for privacy, and room for others. Place is personal individually influenced, and makes one feel at home. Creating a life space requires various implementations and considerations such as where, for whom, and for what purpose the house is built, how to organize the support spaces like the kitchen and bathrooms, and how many and where to place the support systems like lightning, windows, and others. In addition, when organizing a living space, one should decide between an open or closed plan. A closed plan means more divided rooms allowing for more privacy, whereas an open plan allows for more flexibility within a living space but less privacy. In the end, providing a home that is functional and meaningful at the same time will allow the owner to become attached to it (Tappendorf, 2002). Whatever the decision one makes in his or her residential area, this chance of doing so will most likely change over time. Importance of Architectural Development supporting Sustainable Development Various factors contribute to the importance of architectural development being necessary to support sustainable development. For far too long, this has been not a significant matter because the main focus was to create a higher standard of living, which caused enormous and irreversible damage to the environment. However, with the continuously rising numbers of people on this planet and the increasing shortage of natural supplies and resources, the paradigm shifted to make a change. Sustainable building is without question one of the most cost-efficient solutions to reduce the rapidly depleting natural resources and adverse impact on the environment. Clearly, when build anything; it is crucial to think about the future and  therefore, the environment. As seen in the past, humanities decisions have impaired the ability to sustain and in some cases done irreversible damage to the environment. Continuing on this path is impossible because it will destroy the ecosystem for future generations. The ecosystem will be unable to restore itself and make it impossible for future generations to survive on this planet. According to the U.S. Department of Energy constructing and maintaining manmade environment is responsible for half of all greenhouse gas emissions and more than half of annual energy consumption in North America (Moore, 2009). This news is shocking and definitely requires a major change in the way future architecture develops. Fortunately, research agrees and it is progressing to implement more environmentally sound aspects when designing architecture. Conclusion In conclusion architecture design plays a big role as to how humans respond to their surrounding as we know work, school, hospitals, and churches all has its effects on person whether it is the furniture, lighting, colors, or structure. The world buildings are being designed with the given understanding to promote and motivate people to want to remain where they are. Designs are always evolving to match what the environment is putting out.

Different Vocal Techniques

Vocal Technique is the method of using one’s voice in a specific manner in singing. IT can be rehearsed and adjusted in such a way that will attribute to better singing. By turning to vocal techniques, the voice can have a better sound and quality. These techniques require the singer to control the voice. The posture of the person while he is singing has an effect on the sound coming out. There are a lot of techniques in singing. These were developed over the years to help singers achieve the full potential of their voices.As time progressed, musical tastes have also changed so singers continue to learn the various techniques involved in different genres of music. As a number of genres emerge, so do the physical anatomy of the voice that is needed in order to strike the chord to suit the feeling of the genre of the song. There are ways to learn how to control the voice in order for the singer to produce the particular sound he is aiming for. Most vocal stysles are divided into classical and non-classical techniques. There are genres such as rock, pop, rnb and more. This paper will talk of the basic vocal techniques that apply in any category and genre.First and foremost, the singer must gain control of his voice. He must concentrate on the three distinct areas that are important in producing the voice. It depends on the style that the singer is attempting to achieve. These different areas respond on various ways but the principles are all the same. One, all singing starts with breathing. The vocal sounds are results of the vibrations in the individual’s larynx. This is created by the air that is formed in the lungs. Breathing is an activity in everyday life so this can be done subconsciously and naturally.For the singer, he must be able to control and regulate the intake as well as the exhalation of his breath in order for him to get the best results of his voice. Singers know the term â€Å"Sub-Glottic Pressure† and take this seriously. Th is is the regulation of the flow of the breathing in and out of the lungs. This allows the air to flow right throught he individual’s vocal tract. This is very simple in terms of theory but when put into effect, it is not as simple as it sounds. The singer realizes that the process is complicated and he must therefore consciously control his breathing.This means that the diaphragm, the muscles, the stomach, the waist and the back must be in proper positioning. Just like anything in life, practice makes perfect. The actual sound that is heard when a person sings is produced by the vocal tract or the throat. This is in conjunction of the cricoid and the thyroid cartilages. The proper anatomical term that singers are also aware of is the vocal folds. They do their best not to strain these cords or strings because once these have been stretched, their singing voice will be affected and the sound it produces will no longer have the same quality.The singer regulates the pitch and t he frequency of the voice by controlling the vocal folds. This is done by breathing and building up the vocal folds that creates the pressure amidst the sub-glottic pressure. The air coming from these folds create the sound. The wider the vocal folds, the more air coming through. The folds then fibrate slowly and creates a low and deep sound. In order to enhance their craft, singers continue to find our more vocal techniques that will allow them to expand their voice. As long as they want to increase the range of their vocal chords, they can soar the high notes.By practicing, they will be able to hit the â€Å"full† voice that they want to achieve with such power. It may seem impossible at first but as long as they know how to do so, then they will not have a hard time pulling this off. Some singers make the mistake of wishing to hit the soaring and the high notes in order to lift the audience up to their feet. Truth is, the proper singing is not really breaking into falsetto or yelling. It is keeping the notes into order and the tone in its place. By practicing the proper vocal techniques, singers will be able to hit the high notes.They can do this the minute they know that they are ready. The proper vocal techniques allow them to prepare for that moment when they have to register their voice in upper scales. There are vocal techniques to expand the individual’s voice. As long as he discovers the connection between the lower vocals and the higher vocals, the singer can practice the vocal techniques needed. In order to explain it properly in this paper, let us call these vocal registers as â€Å"mixed voice† and â€Å"head voice. † The mixed voice is similar to the chest voice because of its low tone. The difference is that it is more subtle.If the singer developed a strong mixed voice then he could hit the high notes with complete vindication. It would also appear to be powerful and in tune. Whereas the head voice is the classical tune. Those who perform in opera and symphonies often use their â€Å"head voice. † Notice that the pitch and tune they sing in is very different from what you hear on MTV and the concerts of your favorite singers. This is because the head voice appears to have a classical tune when it is registered. The most common vocal teachnique is the expansion of the diaphragm. The singer is taught to sing an octave higher than his usual pitch.This exercise forms the bridge between the lower ranges and the higher ranges. Once the singer practice these exercises, he will be able to effortlessly escalate the pitch from low to high. Once the singer is used to doing this vocal technique, he will not notice that he floats through the various registers because he does this naturally. A really good singer can bridge the gap between the lower register and the higher register and appear to be as stong as ever. When the singer does this with his vocal registers, he realizes that he is doing the p roper vocal technique of pacing his diaphragm as well as his posture.It also helps that he does not focus on just hitting the high notes. He must be aware of the vocal registry in order to get to that high pitch. He can do this by practicing his vocal folds over and over again. He can do this for ten minutes every day. (Russell) As soon as the singer figures out the basic vocal techniques, he can understand better the different vocal techniques in the various genres. You see, these various genres are like instruments and the singer is the player of the instrument. In order for the singer to play the instrument better, he must be an expert to begin with.Like in the various musical styles such as pop, country, rock, soul or classical, the singer must consistently serve a function in order to sing properly and hit the notes of the song better. There are more to singing than practicing the vocal chords. Like what have been mentioned in the earlier paragraphs, the singer must also be awa re of his posture and breathing. The most important vocal technique a singer must learn is breathing. The vocal chords need the proper airflow in order to make sound. By vibrating, the voice of the singer can participate in any style or genre of music.Note that the really good singers are those who know how to breathe. (Manning, 110) Take this for example. Whenever some acclaimed singers like Beyonce, Christina Aguilera and Nicole Scherzinger sing in front of a live audience, there are times they lose their breath. That is because they are too energetic that they ignore their breathing vocal technique. This results to their need to catch their breath. Their voices shake and it falters. When they are going to reach for the high notes, their voices shrill. Now compare these with Broadway actors such as Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth, popularly known as the leads in â€Å"Wicked.†Different Vocal TechniquesLike Beyonce, Christina Aguilera and Nicole Scherzinger, these two sta ge actresses also sing in front of the live audience but they rarely lose their breathe and miss a note. This is because theater actors are trained to breathe properly. The next vocal technique that must be really given attention to is the torso. This is the very focal point where the breathing procedure takes place. The torso has three chambers. The first chamber is the bottom. This is the area between the lowest rib and the pelvic bone. The second chamber is the middle area. The third chamber is the top, the one in the chest region. A good singer uses chambers 1 and 2.The air he reserves is located in chamber 3. This applies to any genre in singing. A secret technique some singers use is they leave the gateway open so that more air can enter the passage. By standing up straight, they are able to elongate the vibrations of the vocal chords that allow their voice to be executed better and with a finer sound and quality. Try this. Try singing with your shoulders slumped back and stan ding like a hunchback. Your voice will not be as powerful compared to the minute you straighten your back and belt out. Finally, another important vocal technique in singing is taking care of the resonance chambers.This is a very important component because this is where the sound of the voice is enhanced. It depends on the style of the music the singer wants to sing. If he wants to sing with the lowest note, then he can gather the air from chamber 1. These are mostly the rnb and jazz tunes. If he wants to sing pop and rock that shrieks at some parts, then it is best that he turns to chamber 2. Whichever chamber the singer chooses to use, he should feel his diaphragm. He will notice that his breathing repsonds to the pacing of his notes and the way he is singing. These factors are all interconnected.Some singers make the mistake of forcing the pitch to come out of their head. This is because the head is also a form of resonance chamber because of the nasal passages that are apparent . The sinus cavity, the hard palate and the soft palate contrinbue in the â€Å"head voice† that have been discussed before. But there are some music genres that are not appropriate for the head voice. This is when the overtone ring aims through the sound of the low and soft palate. (Mabry, 311) Classical singers resort to the resonance of their soft palate whenever they sing their songs.Examples are Sarah Brightman, who is popularly known for her role as Christine Dae in â€Å"The Phantom of the Opera. † If you want a better and more accessible example, buy Emmy Rossum’s new album â€Å"Inside and Out. † Rossum is Christine in the 2004 movie â€Å"The Phantom of the Opera. † She took a hiatus from making movies to concentrate on making an album. Her debut album â€Å"Inside and Out† features Classical-Pop-Techno songs. Rossum is an example of a singer who uses he soft palate. Now popular singers such as Britney Spears, Fall Out Boy, Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson, Rihanna and Sean Kingston also use their resonance chambers.Country singers such as Dolly Parton, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw and Rascal Flatts use both their hard and soft palates. Yodelers such as Shakira can do this by keeping their soft palate at a low key then they aim for the tune by using their head voice. In a nutshell, the important thing to remember from all these pointers on vocal technique is that the larynx affects the tone quality. By lowering the larynx, the pitch of the voice also goes down. When it is at its lowest, the register of the key is low as well. Therefore, whenever the larynx reaches its highest peak, the singer is prepared to reach the high notes as well.

Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Case Study - Essay Example The operations manager is therefore supposed to work towards these objectives. For a company in the business of customs gear business, it is very important to; i. Provide a cost effective solution to the customer, as the gears are required for a pre-defined task for fulfilling the customer’s needs. A custom made product of course costs more than a product available off the shelf. But it certainly doesn’t mean that Eastern Gears Inc starts charging rates high enough for customer to be dissuaded for their second and subsequent dealings with the company. ii. Flexibility in operations according to the market demand or customer preferences is a prerequisite for any business to survive. It is the market force which ultimately decides the demand of the company and its product. Flexibility in a Gear business is of particular importance as it calls for a range of adjustments in the molding, casting and finalizing the product. A T Kearney (2004), a company that formulates strategic plans, states that Flexibility in general calls for extra capacity and inventory, which appears to be unlikely at present in case of Eastern Gear. As the company has already experienced in the past, customers often come out with request for changes many times after placing the order, Eastern Gear Inc will therefore have to be ready for such an eventuality, with as high flexibility as possible, provided it doesn’t become pain in the neck for the company. This becomes all the more crucial for large order business, as they are the one’s who provide mo re business to the company. iii. Delivery schedules are meant for being adhered to. Customers prefer to have realistic deadlines from the company. Eastern Gear Inc. has been experiencing some difficulties in meeting the delivery schedules owing to some complex procedures. But the company has also been able to meet

Why did the Renaissance occur Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Why did the Renaissance occur - Essay Example About this era, historians hold two different opinions like it was either extension of Middle Ages or dawn of a new era. The Renaissance age is known for new thinking and creativity. Between 1350 and 1550, the classical period of Europe was revived to a large extent. The cultural activities that occurred during Renaissance were mostly motivated by the Greco-Roman civilization. The Italian Renaissance was not just limited to the accomplishment of Italians artists and intellectuals but rather was reflection of the upper classes that comprised only small proportion of the European population. However, the impact was equally strong on the common people especially in the cities where the cultural movement was most prominent (Spielvogel, 340-341). Birth of Renaissance As already mentioned, Renaissance is essentially a literary movement of the upper classes. Writers from that era especially Petrarch, had held an indomitable passion for ancient Rome including classical architecture, art and especially the Latin language. He attempted to emulate ancient Rome’s literary men like Cicero who was highly fluent in the language. His passion for the classical era was so engrossing that he even tried to dismiss the span of hundred years between the Ancient age and Renaissance era. According to Petrarch, that era that he belonged was more an awakening of new age than Renaissance which means rebirth. In order to study ancient Rome, Petrarch introduced curriculum termed as studia humanitates which included humanism as philosophy. Humanism is not just a philosophical or religious concept, but basically â€Å"an attitude toward learning and toward life† (Wiesner et al., 248). This new approach slowly spread from Italy to other parts of Europe like France, Germany and Spain, and this was the birth of the Renaissance era. Renaissance was not a singular event like the French revolution and occurred over a period of two centuries in various parts of Europe (Wiesner et al., 248-249). The impact of Renaissance is not only restricted to literature and art, but also equally on language with humanist schools adopting Classical languages like Latin, Greek and Hebrew in their curricula. In northern Europe, humanists focused on bringing back the faith and morality in the values of the Church which got lost mainly after the Black Death tragedy. For many historians, Renaissance era was continuation of the Middle Ages like family remained the most important social recognition of an individual. Moreover, in spite of people becoming more materialistic, religion remained an important aspect of lives of both elite class and the common people. For instance, although artists began to get their true recognition worthy of their skills, they were still expected to pay taxes like other common people of the community (Wiesner et al., 269-270). Slavery which was a common practice in the Early Middle Ages but ceased in the eleventh century was revived during the Renaissance era more because of lack of workers after Black Death. The import of foreign slaves was legalized in the Italian city Florence (Spielvogel, 345). Renaissance happened as a result of reverence for the classical era mainly ancient Rome, and in the fifteenth century the humanists began to focus on Greek philosophy, art, architecture and literature. Renaissance culture was essentially a result of product of emulation of the classical philosophy and literature (Wiesner et al., 249). The birth of Renaissance era also happened from a shift of social perspective. In the medieval age, family was considered the smallest unit of society, and it was the group efforts and accomplishments that emerged as popular rather than individual successes. Even objects of art were attributed to group

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Benjamins Character Essay

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Benjamins Character - Essay Example This paper stresses that Genre, Mise-en-scà ¨ne, lighting, camera angle, sound, and narrative are some of the film-making techniques used in this film. This paper is going to analyze these film-making techniques used in the film, and describe how Benjamin was able to face all the difficulties in his life. According to Campsall, a film’s genre hints what to expect in the film, and this film’s genre ranges between science fiction, romance and history. Science fiction is used because Benjamin’s condition at birth, and the way he lived from old to young cannot exist. From this paper it is clear that Romance is also a genre used in this film and it can be seen in the way Benjamin falls in love with Daisy. She developed a close friendship with him from an early age, and even though they were separated at some point, they still loved each other. The movie is set in the just after the end of the First World War, and history as a genre can be seen here. There is family who lost their child in war, and there is a time when Benjamin and a crew in a ship were in war for America. One can be able to see the livelihood of people during that time and learn a few things about history. The movie starts in a hospital, and the director only shows old Daisy lying on the bed, her daughter, and an attending nurse. Mise-en-scà ¨ne is used here because the hospital’s name is not shown, and other patients are also not shown.

To what extent is Wordsworth a typical romantic Essay

To what extent is Wordsworth a typical romantic - Essay Example The Romantic Period’s exact origin could not be exactly identified by Lomard, but she averred that it ended in 1837, only 13 years before Wordsworth died. It can be clearly deduced that Wordsworth was a literary poet during the Romantic period: â€Å"a movement that championed imagination and emotions as more powerful than reason and systematic thinking† (Cummings, 2008).  The topics for his poetry were diverse, but the Poet Hunter site (n.d.) described the universal appeal of Wordsworth’s peoms through the poet’s own words of what the role of poetry was to him: â€Å"what he called "the most philosophical of all writing" whose object is "truth...carried alive into the heart by passion" (Poet Hunter, par. 5).  Through his own perception and the value by which he defined poetry, Wordsworth was a true romantic. Technically, a romantic is defined in the Merriam-Webster dictionary as â€Å"marked by the imaginative or emotional appeal of what is heroic, adventurous, remote, mysterious, or idealize† (par.   4). All the characteristics and traits depicted in the definition are manifested by Wordsworth.In the poem I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud, the poet expressed admiration for the beauty and radiant colors of daffodils, especially from afar. The simplicity and effective description of Wordsworth using imagination, metaphors and other figures of speech were eminent. There was also the element of alliteration when Wordsworth wrote: â€Å"Beside the lake, beneath the trees† (Literature Network: I Wandered, par. 1).... There was simile as the narrator compared his solitary stance to a cloud – far and distant but overseeing. There was personification as the narrator depicted the cloud’s similarity to a human being (through the title of the poem); and the daffodils were compared to a crowd: â€Å"When all at once I saw a crowd, A host, of golden daffodils† (Literature Network: I Wandered, par. 1). There was also the element of alliteration when Wordsworth wrote: â€Å"Beside the lake, beneath the trees† (Literature Network: I Wandered, par. 1). There was a formed pattern and structure: four stanzas of six lines each; and rhyme: the first line rhymes with the third and the second with the fourth. As interpreted by Cummings (2008), â€Å"Wordsworth unifies the content of the poem by focusing the first three stanzas on the experience at the lake and the last stanza on the memory of that experience† (par. 13). The profound themes focused on the beauty of nature through flowers that grow in multitude, radiant by the sea side. Further, in one’s solitude, one gets the chance to reflect on the beauty that abounds in the natural environment. Sometimes, it takes being alone to truly appreciate the beauty around us. This poem truly manifests Wordsworth as a romantic in expressing his imagination and emotions through the beauty of nature. There is the sense of romantic appeal in expressing delight and adoration for natural beauty in simple things that people could normally forget to truly appreciate. The poem Anecdote for Fathers, Wordsworth clearly manifested his being a romantic through the bonding shared between father and son. The poem shows a defined structure with 15 stanzas and four lines each. Syllabication

Marketing an Australian wine to Hong Kong wine market Essay

Marketing an Australian wine to Hong Kong wine market - Essay Example   The paper tells that Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated areas in the world where full-time education is mandatory between the ages of 6 and 15. More than 90% of the children complete upper secondary education and over 25.5% of the population have attended post-secondary education. This suggests that the Hong Kong population is well-educated. The Hong Kong economy is open and dynamic. Housing in Hong Kong is at a premium and hence even four generations at times live together under one roof. Moreover, Hong Kong is still a conservative society where paternalistic affiliation is given importance. Nevertheless, youth from higher income families are more likely to participate in higher cost activities outside the home, like going to theatres or listening to operas. Those from lower income families would prefer to enjoy their leisure activities at home. Thus the target segment for the marketing plan is the young adults from affluent families. As far as wine consumption is co ncerned Hong Kong is the most mature wine market in Asia. However, the older adults prefer to consume wine and not the young adults. Students in Hong Kong universities generally do not involve in alcohol against the European students where 88% of them tend to consume alcohol beverages. Only 1.4% of the Hong Kong students are regular alcohol consumers and they start consuming alcohol on an average at 15.6 years. The most popular alcoholic beverage was beer followed by table wine. Hong Kong students are influenced by their peers in consuming alcoholic beverages possibly because it is a collectivist society. Only those who have completed tertiary education consume wine, as found in a study by Dewald (2003). Higher the education level, the more likely they are to consume wine. Since the Hong Kong youth stays with their families, home consumption is minimal. Apart from the nationals, the expatriate population in Hong Kong is high. Hong Kong women so far have shown no preference for wine but that is because they do not have much idea about wines (Ong-Wood, 2011). Based on these characteristics of the Hong Kong youth, the marketing plan would be devised. Positioning strategy Lifestyle of the local population has changed due to which food retailing and catering market has also changed. There is an increased trend towards healthy, functional and organic food as the youth has become health-conscious (Austrade, 2010). Women are also turning to wine as a part of their health and beauty regime as they believe that it enhances their skin tone and digestion (HKTDC, 2010). Since Hong Kong is a collectivist society and since the youth stays with their families, wine has to be positioned as a wellness product. Wine in Hong Kong is generally consumed in social settings, in bars and restaurants (Parker, 2010). Health is now a global concern and Hong Kong consumers believe that consuming two glasses of wine is good for health. Australian wines have been receiving recognition among the traders and the consumers. So far French wines have been dominating the Hong Kong market and hence Australian company Brown Brothers has to bear this in mind. Competition prevails in the Hong

The arguments of Plato to Butler Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The arguments of Plato to Butler - Essay Example Plato’s prisoners represent the ordinary people comprising the society that is yet to attain the right knowledge and wisdom meant to free themselves from their enslaving appetitive desires (Plato 53). This is similar to the Butler’s society; where Martha holds a long dialogue with God though, in this account, the protagonist’s represents her society. However, Martha’s knowledge is much more elevated compared to the ordinary people whom God plans to enlighten through her. This is evident from the way she is able to brainstorm and come up with ideas (the idea of dreams) meant to redeem the ordinary people. Martha’s knowledge or wisdom level is similar to Plato’s freed prisoners, who have returned to the cave with a diverse perspective regarding how they view life besides other aspects. This is contrary to what they used to perceive things seemed like before they resurfaced in the cave. Besides, the bound prisoners deem their peers who had the chance to go out and learn the reality of things; possess corrupted form of insight where after arguing, they intend to terminate their lives. This is similar to Martha’s case where she is unwilling to return to the world once God assigns her the duty of educating His earthly beings. Since, she is afraid that they may kill her when she emerges with a different perspective regarding life’s predicaments and how to solve them (Butler 171). Both Plato’s prisoners and Martha’s inability to comprehend God’s nature unveil humanity’s mediocrity that is a need of knowledge. This is to liberate the entire society from its appetitive desires bounding it to unending ignorance; hence there is need to employ adequate measures (of imparting knowledge) to eliminate them. Therefore, both Plato’s â€Å"Allegory of the Cave† and Butler’s account â€Å"The Book of Martha† bear the same approach concerning how to impart their respective societies with the right knowledge meant to thrive or develop. What do these authors want us to know? The authors via these accounts imply that, we usually see things from the perspective which life’ s knowledge has prepared us. Hence, Butler’s argument, â€Å""You see what your life has prepared you to see," God said† (Butler 209). Therefore, people despite drowning in their society’s dubious mediocrity, will still persist to hold onto it, which is apparent from the cave prisoners’ stubbornness. These cave prisoners see their peers’ mind reformation as a corrupted way of thinking whereby they are ready to kill them, which is also similar in the Butler’s account (Butler 171). Hence, people despite their strong guest to advance their knowledge, normally lack internal liberty meant to accept it, whereby to some extent term any new idea as retarded mediocrity. Besides, the authors intend to imply the only few enlightened people in the society end up assuming the top posts or undertaking key responsibilities meant to develop the ignorant characters. This is regardless of peers’ resistance. For illustration, Plato contends that, philos ophers owing to their knowledge and wisdom ought to be kings, which is similar in the Butler’s account (Plato 166). Martha after getting enlightenment, God proposes to use her in redeeming the world, where he comes with an idea of resurrecting her. However, Martha wonders why God does not utilize other individuals, but he continues to

Entering an international market Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Entering an international market - Essay Example Porter contended that a lot depends upon the differences in the extent of geographical location and the degree to which the company is centralized for decision making. International marketing is different from home-country marketing and the success or failure of the decision basically depends astute analysis which is deployed in making and entry in the international market and positioning oneself in such a market keeping in mind all cultural dimensions of the international market. This paper examines an international market entry strategy of the chosen company i.e. Barclays Bank in China. Barclay's origins can be traced back to a modest business founded more than 300 years ago in the heart of London's financial district when goldsmith-bankers provided monarchs and merchants money for funding their business ventures. John Freame and his partner Thomas Gould established one such in Lombard Street in 1690. The name Barclay became associated with the company in 1736, when James Barclay also became a partner. The company amalgamated with the London, Provincial and South Western Bank in 1918 to become one of the UK's 'big five' banks. By 1926 the bank had 1,837 outlets. The modern banking business though started picking up in 1925, with the merger of three banks - the Colonial Bank, the Anglo Egyptian Bank and the National Bank of South Africa to form Barclays international operations. This helped the bank in adding more business in Africa, the Middle East and the West Indies. Besides the banking operations the Barclays' group has business interests in a range of fields li ke fund/ capital management, investment advisors, insurance, etc. This paper, however, limits its analysis to Barclay's banking operations.Barclays acquired Martins Bank in 1969, the largest UK bank to have its head office outside London. In 1981, it became the first foreign bank to file with the US Securities and Exchange Commission and raise long-term capital on the New York market. Taking giant strides towards global acceptance Barclays listed its shares on the Tokyo and New York stock exchanges in 1986, thus becoming the first British bank to do so. In 2000 it took over the Woolwich, a leading mortgage bank and former building society founded in 1847. In July 2003 Barclays acquired the Banco Zaragozano, one of Spain's largest private sector banking groups, which was founded in 1910. Keeping pace with technological advancements Barclays started the telephone banking service Barclaycall in 1994 and later on-line PC banking in 1997. Barclays has also introduced customised services with introduction of Barclays Private Bank and Premier Banking. In July 2005 Barclays Bank PLC also acquired a majority stake in Absa Group Limited, South Africa's largest retail bank with over seven million customers. With such international strides Barclays has now grown from a group of English partnerships to a global bank having its footprints in Europe, the USA, Latin America, Africa, the Caribbean, Asia, the Middle East and Australasia. On the domestic front Barclays has more than 11.3m current accounts and 10.9m savings accounts serving them through 2,014 branches in UK. Total number of UK Banking staff at present is about 41,500. On a wider horizon Barclays is operating with 25

Portfolio of work Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Portfolio of work - Article Example This medium will allow the company to benefit from direct sales of the publication. Unlike online sources which often rely on advertising revenue, a print magazine can take advantage of both direct sales of the product as well as advertising proceeds. Furthermore, it will be easier to estimate the readership and market share of the product when this format is adopted (Williams, 2009). The magazine will have giveaways and prizes attached, so a tangible medium is the best alternative. Mothers are the target audience for the monthly edition. These women are likely to be educated, working and social. Age may not be a relevant segment because stories will target mothers with teenagers, infants or children of school-going age. Nonetheless, the design of the magazine will be biased towards fun-loving and upbeat personalities. These women will not be one-track minded. They may be administrators at their places of work, members of the local rotary club or volunteers at their churches. A numbe r of them are likely to wear the proverbial ‘many hats’. This explains why the magazine will contain a rich mix of topics. Since the publication will be relatively cheap, it is probable that readers will not belong to one income status. It is meant to be all-encompassing and accessible, even to those who are struggling to make ends meet. This idea is ripe for the local print magazine market because women require an unpretentious and accessible reading item. The current magazines in the market do not cover a wide range of topics like the ones that this magazine will contain. Most of them have very narrow topic selections. ‘Real Mom’ will be different because it will address all manners of lifestyle issues. Furthermore, its emphasis on people’s real-life experiences will make it personal and relatable. The magazine will go for a $1.5, which is much lower than other magazines in the market. Low prices often guarantee a wide reach and thus high circulati on. Furthermore, this amount will lure infrequent magazine readers to try out this new brand. Part 2: Cover letter Dear ‘Real Mom’ Hiring Manager I would like to submit my application for the position of staff writer as described in your newspaper advertisement. Real Mom is a publication that is at the heart of my personal interests. I have been an advent reader of the magazine since its inception. Its engaging topics have always been delivered in a fun and heartwarming manner. As a former writer for ‘Fitness Fanatic’ magazine, I have submitted 150 articles and published 75% of them. I wrote about various lifestyle topics like â€Å"the unpalatable taste of artificial sweeteners†, â€Å"Cheat days," â€Å"Etiquette rules for weight watchers," â€Å"Halle Berry’s workout regimen† and â€Å"Unrealistic expectations at the gym." I relied on interviews, newspapers, books and online authorities for these articles. These topics were often original ideas that I pitched to my superiors. Therefore, I meet one of the requirements you described in the advertisement about conducting research and conceptualizing ideas. Prior to the submission of topics, members of my organization gave the senior editor suggestions on possible areas of publication. Sometimes the magazine leaned towards particular angles, which we needed to build on. I am thus familiar with group dynamics after collaborating with several staff members in such sessions (Conley and Stephen, 2006). This is

Impact of ICT on the community Essay Example for Free

Impact of ICT on the community Essay Southall is located in a town of London borough of Ealing it is close to Heathrow airport which is one of the busiest airports in the world, which creates lots of jobs and large number of Southall residents are employed in Heathrow. Southall is quiet a small area but holds a large amount of population. Southall is one of the busiest places in England. In this area the route of communication such as, railways and roads need real improvement because at the moment they are not good enough and doesnt meet the needs of the community really well. There is also project going about trams but our community is not happy with the decision made by the Ealing Council. In Southall it is very difficult to settle down for a person who has just been to this town because there are no enough jobs for people to do and those with jobs are paid very less wages compared to national average wage. Southall also has a very low reputation is attracting the visitors to the town, thats because of the low employment rate. Basically this means that the people with business should give others a chance to work and pay them the same amount of wages like other employees are being paid in other towns and countries. This town is one of the towns in England which has most problems with public transport because there are very few buses to go around and the population is bigger if a bus comes early the person still cant reach his destination in time because of the traffic. This means that the local governors of Ealing must improve the services to keep the people in the community happy and to attract more people in the town. In Southall there is also quiet a lot of traffic but mostly its controlled by CCTV, there is also speed limit but the residents in our community dont follow the rules. Southall is primarily an Asian residential district, and is informally known as little India. Over 55% of Southalls population of 70,000 is Indian/Pakistani. One of the Sikh Gurdwaras in Southall won the Ealing Civic Society Architectural Award in 2003. There are a few Christian churches and there are few mosques as well. The main street in Southall is called The Broadway. Southall contains the largest Asian shopping centre in the London area. Southall was the main location for the film Bend It Like Beckham. Southall is also the location of the Glassy Junction, which serves several Indian draught beers and was the first pub in the UK to accept payment in Indian rupees. Recently Southall has become notorious for the amount of violence caused by Tamil gangs and the consequences on the community. South India and Sri Lanka have been brought to the United Kingdom. There have been many shootings and other incidents that have been connected to Tamil gangs. In origin this rivalry was caused by rival politcal groups vying for power. However many of these groups have now formed street gangs abroad and resort to violence to gain power. Percentages of group per authentic group Indian: 50.3% White: 29.8% Black: 7.5% Pakistani/Bangladeshi: 7.2% Chinese: 0.2% Others: 4.9% Needs of my local Community Banks Sports and Leisure Public Transport Schools and Colleges Medical Centre Hospitals GPS Internet Cafà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Information Point Security CCTV Southall community Website Fire Department Every Community have needs and they have to meet Banks My community needs banks and ATM machine as people needs to keep their money secure people can also withdraw money from the ATM machines they need ATM because they can skip queues. The people can withdraw money from the ATM any time; it also provides us with a mini statement and gives you many more options. People in our community need to skip queues so they can have a service thats give you all the detail about your bank online. Sports and Leisure Centre People in my community need to stay healthy and eat balance diet so the Leisure centre provides them with pre-booking and computer readable cards. It also gives help about eating healthily and gives information about other sports for e.g. Cricket, Karate, and Football etc. My community also need to know what activities are taking place and how to book it. My Community need to know where is the nearest leisure Centre and about the costs. Public Transport People in my community need Transport for moving and travelling around the city. My community provide use of Oyster card which is machine readable so they dont have to wait in the queue for waiting to get inside and Oyster pre-pay. In addition we need to have ICT technologies in our transport for e.g. CCTV cameras so the passengers are safe and every moment is recorded. People need countdown timer which will tell them what time will the next bus come and which bus will come. My community also need a replacement service if one bus has a mechanical fault they need to have another bus at that time which will take the passenger. Schools and Colleges My Community needs to have schools which would provide basic education to younger generation. Students in schools need computer and internet access. Schools in our community need computers so they can keep record of every students and staffs to keep the school on track. Schools also need CCTV cameras to record students behaviour and dont cause trouble. So the community will need computer and ICT to stop the students causing trouble. Health Centre People in MY community also need health centre to be provided with quick efficient service. Health centre will need to provide people with easy services and making registration. Health centre in Southall should have better ICT facility they should be given a choice to book on the phone. An also they shouldnt take time to give an appointment. Internet Cafà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Every person in my community doesnt have access to the internet. Some might not even have computer. People in my community are multicultural and came from other countries so they will need to communicate with their relatives in a cheaper way so internet cafes will meet their need. They need ICT that provides them with cheaper internet and let them have access to internet with cheaper offers as well. Southall Community Website Most of the people in my community will need to know widely about their community events and businesses in the community so the Southall website also provide information about the leisure and sport, religion, culture and businesses in the community. My community need ICT facilities to provide people with better services and keep people up to date about the events in our community. Police Station My community need to be safe and secure and police also need to try protecting people from theft, robbery and murder. My community needs good technology to keep record of crime and CCTV, so it needs ICT technology to keep records and solve peoples problem. In the above the need of my community some are more important than others. For my report I will need to look in detail of five of them. I will also need to describe the way it is used in my community. I have to define each technology and the use of the technology. I will look at the technologies that are used the most and have effect on my community. I will look at technologies that affect the whole of my community not a single person. I will also need to include how people benefit from using the service. And finally I will then evaluate how the technology will meet the need of my community. In my coursework I will write about those technologies which are in the most need and has impact on my community. Financial Transaction- Banking Definition of ATM: ATM stands for Automated teller machine is computerized telecommunications device that provides an agents customer a secure method of performing financial transactions is a public space without the need for a human teller. Using an ATM, customers can access their bank accounts in order to make cash withdrawals or credit card cash advances and check their account balances. Many ATMs also allow people to deposit cash or cheques, transfer money between their bank accounts, pay bills, or purchase goods and services. Explanation of the technology Banking is the biggest place in the world that uses ICT. ICT is used in ATM Machines (electronic funds transfer at point of sale). ATM is used to withdraw money there are also other facilities that ATM machines provide other facilities for example: you can print or view balance on the screen, change pin, order statement. EFTPOS helps customers to withdraw money through Debit Card it is mostly used in shopping. The customers card is swiped through a card reader and the merchant usually enters the amount of the transaction before the customer enters their account and PIN number. Before the customers didnt needed to enter their PIN number now the customers has to enter it for security reasons. How does the technology meet the needs of the community? Every bank has its own ATMs machines however the bank card works in every ATM machine. These machines meet the needs of the community as people are able to withdraw money at any time. It is also quick to withdraw money as if there werent any ATM machines it would have taken much time queuing in a lane and getting cash from the bank. It is quicker and reliable as the customer doesnt need to show ID when withdrawing money from your own account. ATM machines are safe as no one can get the data from the ATM. How ATM works? ATM is simply a data terminal. Like any other data terminal, the ATM has to connect to, and communicate through, a host computer. The host computer is analogous to an Internet Service in that it is the gateway through which all the various ATM networks become available to the cardholder the person wanting the cash. The host computer may be owned by a bank or financial institution, or it may be owned by an independent service provider. Bank-owned processors normally support only bank-owned machines, whereas the independent processors support merchant-owned machines. Use of ICT in the banks CCTV Database Security Alarm Evaluate on the use of ICT good/ and bad features and also advantages and disadvantages of the technology ICT that is used in the banks is a big advantage to people working in the bank and to the public as well. ATMs and EFTPOS services are open 24 hours 365 days in an year, this means the people in the community can withdraw money at any time so they dont have to wait for the bank to open. Another advantage is that there are a lots of ATM machines in Southall so there arent big queues which is then quicker to withdraw money from the bank. People also need to skip queues in the banks so they can do banking online which helps the sort transaction quickly and efficiently. Online banking also has disadvantages as there is danger from hacker. You will need to provide your bank details so there is risk of you details transferred. In addition the people in my community can also check their bank detail by internet it can be done 24 hours a day using a computer and internet connection. It can help my community in various ways: * People in my community can pay bills from the comfort of their home or the workplace. * People in my community can also transfer money immediately to high interest accounts. * People in my community can check balances and daily transactions on line. * People in my community can set up direct debits and order stationery on line. * People in my community can get higher interest rates and are available to Internet bankers. * It is easy to shop around on line for the best interest rates and switch funds automatically. * And also in some banks the counter can speak more than one language it benefit my community as some people in my community can speak English. There are also many concerns about ATM and the Banks: * Small banks in my community closes or having opening hours reduced * Reductions in staffing at the major banks. * Some customers have worries about security because of possible credit card fraud. How ever there are two new banks which will be opening in the next few months one of the Bank has already opened ICIC. And the other banks is Panjab national it will help my community and the people in my community will benefit a lot because they can send or transfer money to their country quick and reliable. And also some people in my community wont be able to read English so it will help the Punjabi and Indian people a lot but it will also help other people. How does the technology benefit my community? Modern ATMs provide customers with their bank account balance; they can issue money, print statements and even take cash deposits. Customers are able to use almost any ATM in any bank, supermarket or garage. And in this country it is normally a free service. Customers could get hold of their money without having to queue. This saved the customers time; it also saved the bank a huge amount of money since fewer staff was needed. The people in my community can benefit in many different ways as there are many more banks been opened in Southall for e.g. Panjab national it will benefit my community as well as the Panjabi and Indian people benefiting other people from different culture can benefit. Panjab national provide their service to my community in many different language for e.g. Hindi, Panjabi and English The people in Southall can also call the Centres where the Customers could now telephone the centre using either a free number or local cost number and find out information on their accounts without even leaving home. They can also change their bank detail. The people in my community can also access the their bank detail and information by internet they can open their account, check their balance online, move money pay bills and print statements from the comfort for their own homes. Lastly the ATM machines are free to use and most of the ATM machine are free of charge. To what extent does the technology meet my community need Without ATM people in my community will face various problems they wont be able to send money abroad. People will also need to keep their money in their houses where they might face robbery. Buying house will be hard as people wouldnt be able to get loan where they will need to pay all the money. ATMs machine also play a very big role in my community banking as people doesnt keep all the money in their pockets due to risk of theft so they need the ATM to withdraw money whenever they need. There are various ATM machines in Southall nearly every bank has an ATM in Southall Broadway e.g. HSBC, Abbey National, Barclays, Nat West etc. To some extent it doesnt meet the needs of my community as some of the people in my community are not educated so they arent able to withdraw money they has to go inside the bank and withdraw money which takes time. Another disadvantage is that ATMs and EFTAPOS provide money and cant provide advice. Last disadvantage of ATMs Machines and EFTAPOS is that whoever doesnt have a bank account that person wont be able to use these facilities. Possible development of the technology in the future They can improve the ATM machine by storing more cash so it doesnt run out. In the past years there were frauds where the ATM machine takes your card and doesnt give it back. They can also improve the ATM machine by having a secure place where people cant see your Pin number or your bank details. In some places for e.g. Tesco or Sainsbury the can charge you for taking money so it could be free of charge. And the big improvement of ATM machine could be that they can have other language on the screen for e.g. Urdu, Pashto, Farsi, Punjabi, Somalian and Gujarati. They can make the ATM machine safe in the future where the ATM machine wont need your pin number but it will need scanning of a customers fingerprint. Control and Monitoring- CCTV Explanation of the Technology CCTV stands for Close Circuit Television camera it is used for video surveillance. In my community CCTV is used in banks, casinos, shopping centres, streets, airports and now days it is even in the shops etc. Now it isnt expensive people uses it at home for security. CCTV in Southall is used for security and to decrease crime it is also used as evidence. It is also used in schools which help the school to control behaviour of the students. CCTV is used by police and council to decrease crime and used it as evidence against the criminals. There are different types of CCTV cameras as some of the can turn at the bearing of 3600 and some of them are straight. There are also some cameras that have black glass cover and the people around can see which direction is the camera recording. How CCTV camera works? CCTV cameras in my area are continuously monitored at the Councils Communications Centre. The Police are informed of suspicious incidents as they arise and can be directed to the exact location by CCTV operators. Since CCTV has been introduce in our community and in the borough, Southall crimes have been decreased for e.g. shoplifting, Pick Pocketing, Possessions of Drugs and unauthorised taking of motor vehicles. The control room for CCTV is in Ealing Town hall they are responsible for round the clock monitoring of over 337 CCTV cameras are fixed and 20 mobile cameras. The cameras can pan, tilt and zoom to record the action, and radio link with police make sure that the cameras are capturing the right footage. How does the technology meet the needs of the community? CCTV is used in various and different places in Southall, some CCTV cameras in my community are located in Southall Broadway and in High Street it control Anti Social Behaviour and some people drive over the speed of the limit it meets my community needs as it makes it easier to stop crime and record what has been happening it is also helps in controlling crime on the streets and shopping centres. It is used in streets to help the police catch crime and use evidence against trouble makers. It is also used in traffic lights which helps the police catch people who passes red lights and charge penalties those against who breaks the law it meets community needs as it decreases crime. CCTV cameras in Southall are able to zoom in and zoom out as it makes it easier and clearer for police and staff in the community to see what is happening. They are also computerised this means that it can record for some days and it can be used as an evidence. CCTV is also meets the needs of the community w hen it comes to use against criminals it helps my community as it produce a clear picture of the place where it is placed. It meets my community needs in a better way because every community needs to be as secured as it can be, in Southall CCTV is used in several places which meet the needs of the people and community as it provide security and records every thing is happening around. It also helps police in the as one of the CCTV cameras are able to rotate at 360 degrees which helps the police check around direct through the camera. Evaluate on the use of ICT good/bad features (advantages/disadvantage of the technology The introduction of CCTV cameras in my community has been one of the best weapons against crime in the Borough and in this community. It has been proved effective in both cutting and detecting crime and because of this people now feel safer when theyre out and about. CCTV cameras are a big advantage for my community. If my community didnt have CCTV the crime rate would be high and people will be free to cause trouble in my community. It will be hard for the police to find evidence and use it against the criminals in the court. People also wouldnt feel safe in shopping centres and also when traveling. CCTV cameras can deal with everything from murder to suicides, rapes and paedophiles, although they are very rare. CCTV cameras in my community are also used in shops and supermarkets which help the customer buy stuff safely and securely and it also helps the shop owner and use CCTV evidence against thieves. The crimes that have been tackled in my community by using CCTV cameras are: * Shoplifting * Pick Pocketing * Possessions of drugs * Assault * Unauthorised taking of motor vehicle * Public order offence CCTV is a tool that saves a lot of time. Aside from the disadvantage of not attending school, youngsters can also get into serious trouble if they hang around unsupervised on the streets. So CCTV is the best technology to catch them. Some teenagers in South all are not scared of CCTV cameras as when they are doing graffiti in bus stop and damaging the environment they dont stop, they carry on causing more damage. And when someone inform the police the operator attend the call then he tell the police about the incident and then they will deal about the incident so its a long process for the police to come and deal with the incident and it also cost a lot of money repairing the damage. How ever if there are more CCTV cameras placed in Southall there will be less police on patrol so it wont cost the council a lot of money. CCTV cameras can also help my community to catch domestic and trade litterers in the act as the Council tries to get the message of Project Street clean across and those who refuse to pay their fines will end up in court. CCTV cameras are also use in Southall Railway station and its safer for the community to travel at night time. If people cause trouble they can call in back-up from officers to stop antisocial behaviour immediately and arrest offenders on the spot. They can also stop people intent on harming themselves. There are suicides on railways Southall station so they can stop people committing suicide. There are many advantages of CCTV cameras but there are also disadvantages CCTV increased the workload of officers. Most of the CCTV cameras in Southall are black and white colour so it doesnt have a good quality picture. How does the technology benefit my community? CCTV benefit my community if my community doesnt have CCTV the crime rate would be high and people will be free to cause trouble in the community. People also wouldnt feel safe in shopping centres and also when travelling. CCTV cameras are also used in shops and supermarkets which help the customer buy stuff safely and securely and it also helps the shop owner and use CCTV evidence against thieves. CCTV cameras are place in various places in Southall most of them are placed in Schools, shopping centres, supermarkets and busy roads. It would benefit the community if they use CCTV on busy roads because some drivers drive over the limit of speed. So its easy for the police to catch them. To what extent does the technology meet my community need To some extent CCTV cameras meet my community needs as they can control anti social behaviour and also if they wouldnt had CCTV cameras so people would be free to cause trouble. To some extent it doesnt meet my community needs as most of the cameras arent very clear and they are placed in one place so it cant move round as it makes it hard for the police to see around and they will need to place more cameras. Most of the advance cameras are expensive so overall it cost lots of money to install it in the community. And some time it wont sort out some people who are causing trouble and damaging the environment. As I explained in Page 10 its a long period for the police to arrive and deal with the problem. The police wont be able to catch the people but they can use the evidence of CCTV in the court. Possible development of the technology in the future They can improve the CCTV for the future as in Southall most of the CCTV cameras are black and white colour and have a poor quality so they can replace the old cameras with the latest CCTV cameras. They can have more CCTV cameras in the railways so people dont commit suicide and already in the past the number of suicide has decreased. Internet Learn Direct Explanation of the Technology Learn direct is a program run by a company for the people aged over 16. It a service for people who wants to learn online and doesnt has time to go physically and study. It is also for people who has less education and want to have more education. It also helps people to get educated and have a good future. Learn direct tells people the easier way to achieve what the want in life and help them achieve it. These courses are available for all kinds of people whether they are educated or not. Learn direct have various centres in out community where they provide computer and internet access. Learn direct also covers a range of inter-related services for online learning, advice and guidance. These include: * Learn direct advice service: a government-funded telephone helpline and website providing impartial information, advice and guidance relating to learning opportunities and career development. * Learn direct is online learning service aimed at small to medium-sized enterprises. * A higher education offer aimed at people in work. Deciding whats best for you depends on factors such as your personal circumstances and what you enjoy doing. If youre unsure about what you want to do next, we can learn direct can help you. How Learn Direct works? Learn direct can help you in lots of different ways they can help you find a suitable course or you can search their database on Learn Direct website. Learn Direct have database of nearly one million courses from right across the UK, from short courses lasting one day to longer courses lasting a few years. Learn direct courses are a brilliant way to learn. You learn either online through the Internet or by using workbooks and/or CD-ROMs, so youre free to learn where and when you want, at a pace you choose. You can contact learn Direct on this number 0800 100 900 or email an advisor. How does the technology meet the needs of my community? Learn direct and the courses available meet the needs of the people in my community extremely well because there are courses available for nearly every one. Learn direct meets the needs of my community really well because Learn direct have many branches so there would be no shortage of space for people choosing to do the courses. Another big advantage for the people in my community can be that they can choose their courses online before actually talking to learn direct. There are 900, 000 different courses so there is a course for everyone. Evaluate on the use of ICT good/bad features (advantages/disadvantage of the technology Learn direct is a great advantage to the whole Southall community because most people in my community and in Southall are unemployed and uneducated. The other advantage people who came to this country new they can get a lot of help from Learn Direct. But since this online system is been introduced the unemployment rate have decreased and the amount of people with futures have been increased. Learn direct is a great advantage because it offers great advantages like: there are many courses available for all people whether employed/ educated or not. Also learn direct is available to everyone and people can use it online. Learn direct courses are broken down into bite-sized chunks, so you can do as little or as much as you like at any time, picking up where you left off. And if you get stuck, help is always at hand. The Advantages of Learn Direct are: * Equips people with the skills they need for employability * Is delivered innovatively through the use of new technologies; * Reaches those people with few or no skills and qualifications who are unlikely to participate in traditional forms of learning. There are some disadvantage of Learn direct in my community as some people in my community doesnt have computers and dont have access to the internet so they will need to use the cafà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ so it will cost them quite a lot. Without Learn Direct my community will would have lack of education and uneducated people will still be having problems in the community. Most of the people in my community work and study both, it would be hard for people to go physically to go study centre and it would take more time. How does the technology benefit the community? My community benefits learn direct because there are more uneducated people in my community Learn Direct give advice on phone they give advice on courses and impartial information training, apprenticeships, careers, returning to work, and childcare. They can also advise you on paying for your learning. Any one in my community can get help and advice from Learn Direct its also free. Some people can benefit from learn direct a lot as for women they cant go to college physically because they have kids in the house to look after and in some culture women are not allowed to go to study and college so it will benefit women in my community as they can sit at home and learn. To what extent does the technology meet my community need To some extent it doesnt meet my community needs as some people who come to this country and they are in this community they really need help and advice and most of them dont know about Learn direct. Some people in my community dont know how to use computer so they will need another person to show them. Most of the people in my community also dont have access to computer so they will have to use library and library is not open all the time. Possible development of the technology in the future They can help my community in the future in different ways. All the staffs in Learn direct speak English so some people in my community might need help and they cant speak English and read English so the staff should be able to speak more than one or two languages as in our community some people cant speak English. And also there should be more advertising of Learn direct and in different languages so people can find about it easily. Communication Information Point Explanation of the Technology Information point are screens based in various places it provide a direct link to the council, free email, BBC news and sport, transport information and job search facility. It is free and every one in my community can use it. Information points provide users with local, national and international news. It also allows the user to use free email facility. It helps the people my community to communicate with other people and it lets them access to internet and search for jobs. How Information Point works? Information points are easy to use the best thing about information point is that its touch screen. As you go to the Information Point just follow the instruction on screen. It will tell you all the information about Traffic, News, and your local community it can also help you to look for jobs to the nearest location. How does the technology meet the needs of my community? Information points are located in various places in my community and in Southall Information point in Southall is located in South road opposite the bank. It meets the needs of the community as it makes it easier for people to access to free internet, provide them with latest information and also has link to council. This meets the needs of my community as it makes it easier for the council to contact people and it meets the needs of the people in my community as they can use it at any time and anywhere. If anyone is searching for a job they dont have to go around and ask they can easily search at an information point. It also meets the need of my community as in council there wont be too many people having problem so the council wont need to have a lot of staff and it is also quicker for the staff to solve problems easily. Evaluate on the use of ICT good/bad features (advantages/disadvantage of the technology Information points also attract more tourists in my community as the tourists are able to find information, events and businesses in my community. Information Points are located in various places in Southall for e.g. its located in Southall Broadway Information points are widely used by the people in my community. The content on Information Points can be tailored to suit each client, and ranges from local council, transport and community information to free email and job finding services. Users benefit from the opportunity to access what they need, where and when they need it. The Information Multipoint broadcast screen provides an effective communication tool for councils as they can be used to promote local services to citizens, such as Real-Time Passenger Information for local transport. In addition an Information Point network ensures the most appropriate services to suit the needs of citizens are available, e.g. council, government, transport and local news services. One of the biggest advantages of using Information Point there is not need of IT skills to use Information Point, the information provided is accessible to all. And also some people might dont know about the Councillor of Ealing they can get information about them and also when they have to elect a new councillor they can vote by using the Information Point. The disadvantage is that some of the information Points in my community not weather-proof and resistant to vandalism. How does the technology benefit my community? It also meet makes it easier for people in Southall to search for a job at anytime as there is more unemployment. It also meets the needs of the community as the council wont have to employ more staff. In order to provide Outdoor broadband service for everyone in our Community Information point provides network of interactive touch screen internet-based services on-street. They are free and easy to use. As I said above that unemployment rate in Southall is high and it would be hard for people to find jobs and read news and reviews. To what extent does the technology meet my community need To some extents it doesnt meet the need as there arent many around my community so people need to use their nearest information time. Also most of the people dont know how to use Information points. It is also some time slow and takes time to download the page. And some teenagers do graffiti on information point and damage the point so it gives a bad image to my community. Possible development of the technology in the future Information Point is really useful for my community and it attract tourist. They can improve for the future by keeping clean and in a safe place because people in our community do graffiti and break the glasses. People in my community dont look after the information point so the grand council may not introduce any more information point in Southall and other places. Data Capture Bar Code Scanner Explanation of the Technology Bar Code scanner is specialized for reading bar codes. Bar Code readers are used in various places in my community for example, supermarkets, leisure centres, community centres and local shops. It allows people to buy stuff from supermarkets easily and also they get receipt. How Bar Code scanner works? A barcode reader is a computer peripheral for reading barcodes printed on various surfaces. Bar code scanner is like a flatbed scanner, it generally consists of a light source, a lens and a photo. Additionally, nearly all barcode readers currently produced contain decoder bar code scanner send the information to the computer and it prints the receipt. As I have show a picture of a Bar code scanner on the left they cashier scans the product and the scanner send all the information to the computer. How does the technology meet the needs of my community? Bar code Scanner meets the needs of my community as it convenient for the people of my community. It also helps as cashier cant cheat with their customers as they cant charge people higher price which all computerised and all the cashier has to do is to scan it and the customer will receive the receipt which say the price. Evaluate on the use of ICT good/bad features (advantages/disadvantage of the technology Bar Code scanner is used in various places in my community it is mostly used in Supermarkets, leisure centres and the big stores like Tesco, Sainsbury and Asda. It is used for various purposes e.g. in leisure centres they have provided their customers a membership card which has bar code scanner and when it is scanned all the information comes up on the screen with the picture of the person which helps them to identify the person, in supermarkets it used for products as every product has bar code which is brought to the cashier and it calculates the total price and it also prints out a receipt. Bar code Scanner is also used in the local library in my community it helps the librarian to find all the details about the students and the information about the books. It is used by every single person in my community. It meets the needs of the community as it makes it easier for people to buy stuff efficiently and quick it also gives them a prove (receipt) which is then used to refund stuff which damaged. There are also some disadvantages of Bar code scanner Bar code scanner is when its scan a bar code, the cursor has to be in the correct input data field, and in the correct application otherwise the bar code data will end up in whatever application that is active. This can cause all sorts of problems. Bar code scanner is also more complicated to use as it is hard for new cashier to use and it give the wrong detail to the person who purchase the product and it can cause a lot of problem to the cashier and also to the buyer. So in my community all the people employees have to be familiar with using the bar code scanner. How does the technology benefit my community Bar code scanner benefit my community in many different ways it benefit my community as it makes it easier for people to buy stuff efficiently and quick it gives them a prove which is then used to exchange or refund the stuff which is damage. To what extent does the technology meet my community need To some extents it doesnt meet the needs of my community as it is not available in all the shops and the shops can also charge people high prices. Possible development of the technology in the future They can improve the Barcode in different ways some shops in Southall and in my community doesnt have Bar code scanner, some of do but its not the latest technology. There are many different type of Bar code scanner for e.g. Laser Barcode Scanners This is the most popular bar code scanner. A laser bar code scanner need not be close to or touch the bar code to do its job. A standard range laser bar code scanner can read a bar code from about 6 to 24 inches away, and a long range scanner can read bar code from about 2 to 8 feet away. An extra long-range scanner can read a bar code 30 feet away. Laser barcode scanners vary in price from $200 to $2,000 and come in a variety of models. Future Developments ICT needs to be improved for the new generation. It is hard to cope with the old technology for the new generation. For example community will need more telephone boxes on the streets they will also need to improve the facility for example some of them has the e-mail and news facility. Learn Direct will also need to improve as in the past the population of the community was less now it increased so they need to provide more centres and also more courses to give a wide choice. Community will also need to put more CCTV cameras on the streets as the crime rate increased and to put better quality cameras. My community also need to improve the transport it takes normally about 15 to 30 minutes for a bus to come. To meet the needs of the community in the future the technologies needs to be updated and improved so it will meet the community needs in a better way. Overall Evaluation ICT is a big help to Southall and my community ICT made several changes as in the past most of the organisation had problems dealing with task now with the help of ICT everything is done in less time and with less loss of energy. ICT meets the needs of my community as unemployment rate is high with the help of ICT it provided jobs and decreased the unemployment rate. It also helps uneducated they can learn on learn direct. ICT also provide security for my community as now the crime rate is low as more criminals are caught on CCTV and charged, people can report crimes online which saves time by going to the police station and getting a report written. Lastly with the help of ICT a person who cant afford to buy computer or use internet cafà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ they are provided with information points which lets them send free emails and has information. Overall without ICT people in our community would have problems and small tasks would take them long time.

Preventive Priorities Survey 2014 Essay Example for Free

Preventive Priorities Survey 2014 Essay In this article the author has written about a survey conducted by The Center for Preventive Action which is Preventive Priorities Survey (PPS) that assess the current and all the possible conflicts which can occur in the coming years of US and how they can influence U.S. interests . The purpose of PPS is to help the U.S. policymaking community primarily to prevent conflicts and all the incentives that can erupt a conflict . In the conflict preventive survey there are many possible sources of instability and conflict around the world that the United States should try to avoid. Predicting which conflicts are more likely to occur and can pose a greater threat to U.S. interests than others helps to decide where to focus attention and resources. PPS is a qualitative evaluation that uses the informed judgement of the experts to check all the possible threats and risks that can destroy US interests by erupting a conflict. To help the experts with their estimations and cope up with the situation , the survey offered general guidelines to check the relative probability and impact of potential contingencies which a US could face. These contingencies were categorized in different levels as high , moderate and low based on their chance of occurring and their intensity of impact on US interests. The PPS did not include the potential economic or financial crises or any natural calamity or environmental problems , PPS is primarily concerned with the discrete geopolitical contingencies .Also the PPS represents the expert’s opinion at the time the survey was conducted. Risk assessments can change rapidly and oftenly. The results, therefore, could be quite different after several months. There is a certain methodology to carry out this survey which the center for preventive actions performs in different stages of which first stage is soliciting the PPS contingencies in which CPA used a variety of social media platforms as well as its blog on CFR.org to seek suggestions for contingencies to include in the 2014 survey. With the help of the Council on Foreign Relations’, CPA extracted hundreds of suggestions into thirty contingencies considering both ,possibility to occur over the next twelve months and potentially harmful to U.S. interests. The nest stage was polling of experts in which the survey was sent to more than 1200 government officials ,foreign policy experts and academics to evaluate the likelihood and poteintial impact of each contingency on US inetrest  according to the definite criteria. Ultimately the most popular suggestions were included in the survey. Then comes the final stage that is categorizing the contingencies in which the survey results were uniformly scored and contingencies were sorted into one of three preventive priority tiers in accordance to their placement in the risk assessmemnt matrix. There are three tiers in assessing the contingencies in PPS . In Tier 1 Contingencies judged high preventive priorities for U.S. policymakers because in tier 1 those contingencies were included which had a severe impact on US interests and their chance to occur was moderate like the Syrian civil war ,a highly disruptive cyberattack on U.S. critical infrastructure ,threat of military strikes against Iran , a mass casualty terrorist attack on the U.S. homeland ,a severe North Korean crisis caused by a military provocation, internal political instability, or threatening nuclear weapons/ ICBM-related activities. Then comes the contingencies which had moderate impact but high likelihood such as growing violence and instability in Afghanistan resulting from the drawdown of coalition forces and/or contested national elections ,increasing internal violence and political instability in Pakistan ,strengthening of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula resulting from continued political instability in Yemen and/or backlash from U.S. counterterrorism operations , civil war in Iraq ,growing political instability and civil violence in Jordan triggered by spillover from the Syrian civil war. In Tier 2 Contingencies judged mid-level preventive priorities for U.S. policymakers as those contingencies are includedin tier 2 which had moderate effects and moderate chance to occur such as deterioration of the political situation in Egypt, increased sectarian violence and political instability in Lebanon ,continuing conflict in Somalia, political instability and growing militancy in Libya ,drug-related violence in Mexico, a severe Indo-Pakistani military confrontation due to Kashmir. Also there were contingencies which had high impact and low likelihood which are an armed confrontation in the East China Sea between China and Japan ,an armed confrontation in the South China Sea between China and Southeast Asian plaintiff to disputed mari- time areas. It also includes contingencies with low effect on US and high likelihood of occurrence like increasing sectarian violence and political instability in Nigeria ,violence and risk of mass killing in the Central African Republic . In Tier 3 Contingencies judged low preventive priorities for U.S.  policymakers as it included those contingencies which had moderate effect on US interests and their chance of occurrence was low such as a Sino-Indian clash .it also included contingencies with low impact and moderate likelihood which were destabilization of Mali, growing popular unrest and political instability in Sudan , military conflict between Sudan and South Sudan due to border resource disputes ,conflict in the Kurdish- dominated regions of Turkey and the Middle East , growing violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo , internal violence in Bangladesh surrounding the general elections. Tier 3 also included contingencies with low impact and low likelihood such as political crisis in Venezuela leading to civil violence and potential regional instability , an outbreak of military conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan . So this survey played a vital role to find out and take preventive measures for all t he current and upcoming conflicts which could have any adverse effect on US interests. This survey helped the experts to assess the contingencies and suggest those to CPA which could adversely influence US so the policymakers then worked according to the intensity of the contingencies suggested . PPS is very helpful for the center of preventive action to check the impact and likelihood of the contingencies which could occur and they carried out all their activities according to the strength of the contingencies which they measured on the risk assessing matrix and placed them in different tiers and took precautionary measures to protect the US interests and security.

History And Background Of Amazon Marketing Essay

History And Background Of Amazon Marketing Essay There are so many reasons for adopting mergers and acquisitions strategies in companies. However, in general, the main reason for takeovers is company is seeking improvement in its financial performance. Mergers and acquisition take place when company takeover its potential competitors to reduce its competition and try to increase or gain market shares in the market. Another reason could be because of the company want to branch out its brand name either into related or unrelated area to increase its size. To gain another companys resources, operation technology or its brand name so that it would be more secure when entering new markets or introduce new products, could be one of the reasons for adopting mergers and acquisitions in business (OHara, 2012). Kraft foods is the second largest food company after Nestle in the world and it produces chocolate, candy, biscuits, gum, coffee and powdered beverages. It is trying to become a world leader in snacking environment with good quality products. The significant acquisition and divestitures of this company are the purchase of Cadbury which is a British confectionary company on June 2010 and the sale of its frozen-pizza business to Nestle on March 2010 and the author will be going to present about why the company did acquisition and divestment. First of all, according to the CEO of Kraft, the reason for Kraft buying Cadbury Company is to make it big its brand name into the foreign markets such as India and Brazil as the Cadbury has already had its brand image in those markets (Namazi, 2010). Furthermore, the intention of the acquisition of Cadbury was to present Kraft a strong presence in confectionary and chocolates business and to develop their snack products power across the globe and to expand its company portfolio. Secondly, no doubt every business has to face competition in its respective area. Especially when it comes to foods company, there are so many rival companies either local companies or international companies that the company is going to face. Cadbury is a British iconic brand of confectionary and it probably would be rivals for Kraft foods too if Kraft wouldnt decide to acquire. But as Kraft foods acquired the Cadbury, not only Kraft foods gain the place in confectionary products but also they enter the Euro markets and it has less competition in confectionary products area. After Kraft and Cadbury joined together, according to Jones (2010), Nestle, which is the worlds largest food group as well as always holds the first or second places in all food categories, falls to the third place in chocolate world after Mars-Wrigley and Kraft-Cadbury. Last but not least, Ruddick (2010) states that another reason of acquiring Cadbury is Kraft foods is trying to grow its product broadly in market, expand its product range and to become world leading brands in sweets, chocolate and chewing gum. Cadbury itself has achieved a great product quality and brand image in chocolate world as well as Kraft foods itself has got its brand name in the snacking environment such as Ritz, Oreo cookies. With those products, Kraft foods has achieved fairly in peoples taste and already has a firm position in the biscuit market though it is still weak in chocolate field. However, with the Cadbury besides dominating the top positions in chocolate field is no longer a problem for Kraft and even this would make Kraft to become one of the leadership in chocolate brands. However, there had been a divestment of one of its own pizza business to its rival Nestle Company just before Kraft foods acquired Cadbury on early 2010. In the financial news release of Kraft on Jan 2010, the company announced it agreed to sell its frozen pizza business to Nestle. The reason for this divestment is the company want to focus on the products which can take international markets place swiftly and effectively. Unlike confectionery products, frozen foods are not easy to deliver across the globe efficiently and it would delay the goal of Kraft which is to become the largest food company worldwide. Andrejczak (2010) outlines that owing to a thought it could get a bit closer to purchasing Cadbury, the Kraft foods sold its frozen pizza business to its largest competitor, Nestle. Both in a sense to waste the Nestlà ©s competition power in bidding the Cadbury and also in one that it could get money to raise for the Cadbury bid. Birchall (2010) as well as in the Financial News release of Kraft mention that it is clear that Ms Rosenfeld, the CEO of Kraft, is keener to focus on confectionery products which have high profit margin and can be marketed globally rather than frozen pizza business which is limited global potential and Kraft is trying to boost its company profit and gain its brand name in everywhere. Thus, the company is prepared to get rid of its lower margin and low growth business to sharpen its products portfolio in emerging markets plus global markets. This is one of the reasons why Kraft sold its frozen pizza business to Nestle. Amazon.com Inc Amazon.com Inc is established on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and it is the largest electronic commerce company to date where customers can buy almost everything they can imagine online and the company is always trying to provide the lowest possible prices to its customers. On March 2012, Kiva Systems Inc agreed to be acquired by Amazon.com Inc for $775 million in cash and it is the second biggest takeover of Amazon. Kiva Systems Inc. is the manufacturer of robots that move around warehouses, grabbing and moving shelves and crates full of products. On the report of Barr (2012), it is cited that the reason of Amazon takeover Kiva is that the acquisition of Kiva took place when Amazon adds a lot of new distribution centres in recent years to service its rapidly growing business. Dave Clark, the vice president of Amazon of global customer fulfilment said in a statement that Amazon has long used automation in its fulfilment centres, and Kivas technology is another way to improve productivity by bringing the products directly to employees to pick, pack and stow. Therefore, Kiva warehousing technology is making retailers fulfil online orders quickly and with fewer workers. The author also believes that the competition within rival companies is one of the motives for Amazon to buy Kiva systems. Kiva is an innovative product and since Amazon acquired Kiva, the company is supporting Kiva systems to get the best methods to provide a better service in coming years. To cope with its rival companies such as eBay or Apple which are largest companies in e-commerce fields, the company has to be more innovative in technology operation and always has to find an efficient system to delivering the products to its customers in much better way than its rivals. Kiva technology is helping not only to simplify the tasks but also reduce cost while maximising flexibility of the warehouses tasks from receiving orders to picking the products to shipping to stay ahead of its rivals. Finally, another reason for buying Kiva is to reduce costs. According to Trefis Team (2012), Amazons earning with revenues was up 29% year after year, reaching to $12.83 billion in the second quarter of 2012 report of Amazon. Most of its revenue was coming from the increasing sales of general merchandise and electronics. It increased 34% in international markets and around 41% in the North American markets. On the other hand, the operating margins of Amazon were remarkably declined because of the margin pressures as it has been spending money on its expansion of fulfilment centres continuously in recent years to enable to carry on its rapid growth of business. Since the company is a retail business and furthermore it is growing rapidly, it needs a large amount of storing place to hold the different types of goods. It is not very easy task to do for labour in locating the goods in the warehouse and carry the correct goods swiftly and efficiently whereas the robots can easily identify the goods with bar codes. Thus, by using Kivas automated warehousing technology systems at the warehouses, things will get done faster than before and it will boost the speed of productivity which will lead to reduce the cost of company. Another acquisition of Amazon that the author is going to present is Zappos. Zappos is online shoes and apparel retailer which has become a leader in online market giving the best possible service to its customers. Zappos agreed to be acquired by Amazon on July 2009. All the reasons, that are going to present about why Amazon acquired Zappos by the author, are referred to YouTube video from (07272009july, 2009) Jeff Bezos about Amazon and Zappos. The reason why Amazon interested in Zappos is that Zappos is unique. Jeff Bezos said in the video that Zappos has a unique culture that no one has and it is a very significant asset. It has its own reputation, brand representation and its employees and it is the main reason for Zappos to maintain its brand since it has gained the customer trust and known as the customer based business. Amazon is customer based business and so does Zappos. As both businesses go to the same direction and focus on giving the best service to their customers, it is important for both companies to give customers a good representation of their products. Jeff Bezos also said that Zappos is under the great hands of great leadership. It can be one of the reasons why Amazon acquired Zappos because it is not easy to find good leaders though it is easy to find an achieved business. An Achieve business cannot secure a good future but good leaders can promise a bright future. In this case, the author would say it is a bonus for Amazon since it acquired Zappos which is under the great leadership with a good brand image in its market area at present and with a lot of potential growth ahead in the future. Another reason could be that not only Zappos has great leaders it is also connected to Amazon for being a customer obsessed company. In addition, there are even more amazing things. Because of the images of both Amazon and Zappos, it will affect greatly on Amazon which is also a customer based and at the same time Zappos image will also be greatly affected since Amazon is one of the most achieving online retailer businesses which means it has broad market. When Amazon merged with Zappos, they can approach customers from both sides which double the customer, make the companies to enter the market broadly and expand their existing business. As synergy which is two plus two equal five, both companies have good image and good service in their respective areas and thus, joining and participating companies together can enhance the value and brand of both companies in the market positions. Furthermore, both companies can share their strategies, technologies and operation experiences as the best as they could to achieve both brands reputation and services and even grow faster in the market. Part 2: Key Opportunity Kraft foods Kraft sold its own frozen pizza business and made a far wider move in confectionery area by acquiring Cadbury. Both Kraft and Cadbury already have their own brands, values and customers in snacking markets. In addition, early this year, Kraft- Cadbury has established a new research and development centre in Birmingham. It is an opportunity to explore new product technology and new product development and best practices for its brands. Besides, there are plenty of things they can do together. They can share the ways they operate, create new ideas for product design and explore new tastes for its customers to gain customers attraction. Together they can make more innovative products not only to expand its products range but also to compete with its rivals. Therefore, they both have opportunities to enter new emerging markets together bringing new products and dominate the confectionery market in the upcoming years. Amazon As Amazon acquired Kiva robotic warehousing systems, there will be a great impact on labour in the future. Manual workers will be being replaced by robots which means, this will lead reduction in labour cost in coming years and thus, the annual labour costs for the company will decline in the upcoming future. Instead of labour costs, the company will only have to pay for the maintaining cost of the system. However, the initial planting cost for folding the system into Amazon will probably be quite a big cost for the company, even so Amazon has bought Kiva which means it buy its own product to enhance the system so there will be not much cost compared to buying external supplier. According to Stynes (2011), $2.4 million was spent by Amazon in installing air conditioners in four of its warehouses due to the collapse of workers by high temperature in summer. In the warehouses that use Kiva system need only a few workers and Kiva robots dont need the same level of climate control, meaning that Amazon can reduce its overhead cost. As not like human workers, Kiva robots can work without light (Madrigal, 2012) and this is another lightning overheard that Amazon can reduce and boost its profit margin. Nevertheless, if Amazon planned to replace the Kiva system once and for all, Amazon could face a pinch. Not only it is going to cost a big amount of initial cost but also the labour turnover cost. The biggest problem may be concerned with redundancy. Firing labour might combine and bring the Amazon a protest since it holds a considerable amount of labour. So the government will not stay still and the governmental involvement must be considered too.