Henry Fords Key to Production and Efficiency Essay examples

Henry Ford created the Model T with the goal of producing a car that could be marketed to the middle class. Up until this point the average car produced cost around $2,000, which exceeded the price range of most Americans. Ford saw the middle class as an economic opportunity, a chance to create more costumers while still manufacturing the same product. His decision was not based exclusively on the lucrative market of the middle class though, but also on his humanitarian belief that citizens deserved the opportunity to purchase a car, as it would allow them to â€Å"enjoy with his family the blessing of hours of pleasure in Gods great open spaces. Not surprisingly, when Ford created the Model T the working class flooded factories with†¦show more content†¦In 1867 meat packers in Chicago set up slaughterhouses with steam driven trolley systems. These trolleys were used to carry carcasses past 125-150 stationary workers. This system was often referred to as a disassembly line as workers would cut meat of the deceased animals as they came around on the trolley. After the eventual installation of his first ever-moving assembly line, Ford claimed that in fact â€Å"the idea came in a general way from the overhead trolley that the Chicago packers use in dressing beef† . These trolley systems even incorporated what would later become known as ideas of Taylorism because they minimized the amount of skill each butcher needed and brought the work directly to workers. During a visit to one of these Chicago slaughterhouses, one of Ford’s employees, known as William Klann, saw potential in the disassembly line and believed it could be used in reverse. Klann believed that, when used in reverse, Ford could use this â€Å"disassembly line† in order to manufacture cars at a cheaper price and more efficiently . Klann was specifically intrigued by the efficiency of one worker removing the same strip of meat continuously. Consequently Klann returned home and brought this concept to his superiors only to be doubted, specifically by the future Head of Ford Production Peter Martin . Eventually Klann’s idea caught on and was accepted by Ford as he saw potential in it. Klann’s findings were the beginningShow MoreRelatedFord Motor Company Essay1149 Words   |  5 PagestorFord Motor Company Case Report Executive Summary Ford Motor Company is based in Dearborn Michigan and was incorporated in 1903 by Henry Ford. Its core business is the design and manufacturing of automobiles. As Teri Takai, the Director of Supply Chain Systems, I will recommend Environmental and Root Cause Analysis How should Ford progress with emerging technologies and other high tech ideas Virtual integration - Ford needs to radically change its supply chain to keep up with the changing technologiesRead More Ford Motor Company Supply Chain Strategy Essay1397 Words   |  6 PagesFord Motor Company Supply Chain Strategy Background In 1913, Henry Ford revolutionized product manufacturing by introducing the first assembly line to the automotive industry. Ford’s hallmark of achievement proved to be a key competence for the motor company as the low cost of the Model T attracted a broader, new range of prospective car-owners. However, after many decades of success, customers have become harder to find. Due to relatively new threats to the industry, increasing numbers ofRead MoreThe Product Of A Product1466 Words   |  6 Pagesrate. In selling a product, one must take multiple factors into consideration. Factors such as: if the product suits the target market, if this product is affordable by all classed-citizens, or if the profit of the product out-weighs the cost of production. Once all of these factors have been taken into consideration and have been respectively examined to the point that the product will have little to no chance of failure, only then can the marketing of a product become successful. Su ccessful marketingRead MoreAllocative Efficiency and Dynamic Efficiency1114 Words   |  4 PagesEfficiency is to fulfil the needs and wants of consumers by making optimal use of scarce limited resources. There are several meanings of efficiency and all are linked to how well a market shares scarce resources to satisfy consumers. The two of the terms within efficiency going to illustrate are allocative efficiency and dynamic efficiency. Allocative efficiency Allocative efficiency looks into the goods and services that match the changing consumers’ needs and preferences, reflecting on the priceRead MoreFord Case Analysis1706 Words   |  7 Pagesissues which must be addressed if the Dell model were ever to be feasible for Ford. Ford’s Supply Base The traditionalist group above was correct, Ford’s supply chain is very complex. Ford had â€Å"several thousand† suppliers, which was extremely difficult to manage. Ford tried to simplify its supply chain by reducing the number of suppliers, and create relationships with a group of capable Tier 1 suppliers. One key issue is the fact that Ford now has no actual connection to its Tier 2 suppliers andRead MoreThe Work Of The Textile Industry Of A Man By The Name Isaac Singer1445 Words   |  6 PagesAmerica was Eli Whitney’s model that involved the reduction of hard labour and this was demonstrated in his Machine, the Cotton Gin. This machine was used to save labours hours separating cotton, this concept of using mechanization to find ease in production was adopted into Singers sewing machine. At this time in history women were starting to have more of a voice and were taking on more household tasks and this ease of fabrication for textiles rather than hand sti tching was very appealing. HoweverRead MoreHenry Ford s Management Strategies2168 Words   |  9 Pages Henry Ford (1863-1947), the founder of Ford Motor Company was an innovator and a visionary businessman. He was born in a moderate household to a farmer, William Ford and always had a flare for machines. He built his first vehicle, the Ford Quadricycle in 1896 and then went on to establish his own company, Ford Motor Company in 1903. He revolutionized the automobile industry by introducing the automobile, the luxury of the rich then, to the masses. He pioneered the moving assembly line for the massRead MoreTaylorism or Scientific Management Principles at Ford Motors Company1835 Words   |  8 Pageson to discuss the production methods at Ford Motors prior and post the application of the management principles along with their benefits and criticisms. As the popularity of systematic management rose, there were many organizations that were implementing its main features such as employment of more unskilled workers and work standardization methods (Thompson and Mchugh, 2009, p.28 a). It had several features, a few of which included focusing on the manner in which production took place, being preciseRead MoreEssay on Ford and Flexible Manufacturing1093 Words   |  5 Pagesmarket where brand loyalty is only as strong as the latest gizmo and horsepower upgrade. The automotive assembly process, perfected by Henry Ford, was based on the simple principle that â€Å"customers can order a Model T in any color they wanted as long as it was black.† After the 1920’s the market witnessed new entrants with unheard of automobile features that ended Ford’s golden age. New automakers such as Buick, Chrysler, and Oldsmobile offered customers varying colors and styles that propelled salesRead MoreThe Theory Of Scientific Manag ement956 Words   |  4 PagesScientific Management It is necessary to understand where the organization of work is headed. Through specialization, subordinate can upgrade their abilities or professions and there was a concerted effort to identify key aspects of work and organization which could be used to achieve efficiency through immutable principles. Taylor thinks management should merge with science to enhance the effectiveness. 3.1 Taylorism by Fred W. Taylor (1856-1915) Taylor’s scientific management theory suggests the idea

The Case Of The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (...

Discrimination can come in many shapes, forms, and actions in the operation of business in today’s global marketplace. Many laws and regulations have been implemented in an attempt to protect workers from any type of intentional workplace discrimination. However, there are still companies which operate outside of these regulations and must face the repercussions for their actions. Presented is an analysis of one such organization in the case of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) vs. Alliant Techsystems, Inc. The Case In 2011, the EEOC filed a race discrimination law suit against a Minnesota-based aerospace and defense manufacturer; Alliant Techsystems, Inc (ATK). The specifics of the case are that a black female applied for a position to provide technical or IT support for ATK executives (Forster, 2015). The applicant had been interviewed on a number of occasions in May of 2007. However, after her first interview the recruiter advised her to remove her hair brands to appear more professional (Forster, 2015). The applicant did so for the remaining interviews, with the exception of her final interview with the IT Director. Even so, the recruiter told the female applicant that the company wanted to hire her and Human Resources would be in contact. Yet, when the company represented contacted the female, she was told â€Å"she did not fit the image of the IT position and would not be hired for the job† (Forster, 2015, para. 5). Then, in June of 2007 ATK hired

IEEE Antennas and Wireless Propagation- Free-Samples for Students

Questions: 1.Different antenna, such as Yagi, Horn, and Cellular antennas, etc. has different merits. Research these technologies in details and pay specific attention to how they are used as well their strengths and weakness. Provide an opinion regarding which antenna types will become the dominant players in the future of medium- and long-distance wireless links. 2.Compare and contrast the multiplexing techniques CDMA and FDMA in the area of wireless networking. 3.A local engineering group ask you to present your finding of the most recent advanced wireless technologies. Research these technologies in details and pay specific attention to how they are used as well their strengths and weakness. Answers: 1.A Yagi antenna is a beam antenna that receives or radiates huge power in distinct directions. This type of antenna allows minimizing intrusion and expanding performance from undesired sources. Yagi antenna consists of several parallel components in a line. This antenna consists of a single driven component that is attached to the receiver or transmitter with a line of transmission (Sun et al., 2013). Yagi antenna is popularly used in High Frequency (HF) bands, Very High Frequency (VHF) bands and Ultra High Frequency (UHF) bands. The advantages of Yagi antenna are as follows: The main advantage of Yagi antenna is that it is a directional antenna. This makes it one of the best antennas for receiving lower strength signals. The high gain of Yagi antenna provides it a relatively better range. This is cheaper and thus it makes this antenna cost effective (Cai et al., 2012). The disadvantages of Yagi antenna are as follows: Bandwidth is less or limited. This type of antenna has a degradation in feed point impedance. A Horn antenna is an antenna, which is composed of a blazing metal waveguide and is shaped like a horn (Mallahzadeh Esfandiarpour, 2012). These are mainly used in Ultra High Frequency bands. The advantages of Horn antenna are as follows: Extensible bandwidth Simple construction (Bilotti et al., 2012). Can operate in a broad range of frequencies. The disadvantages of Horn Antenna are as follows: Low Standing Wave Ratio Average Gain Cellular antenna is widely used in cellular networks. The advantages of cellular antenna are as follows: Can be easily used Simple construction The disadvantages of Cellular antenna are as follows: Very expensive. Average gain. The antenna that will be the dominant player in the future of medium and long distance wireless links is the New Digital Antenna (Sun et al., 2013). This particular antenna is cost effective, as well as the bandwidth of the antenna is extensible. This can be easily used by all individuals. This antenna will surpass all the existing antenna through its advantages. 2.Compare and contrast the multiplexing techniques CDMA and FDMA in the area of wireless networking. Features Code Division Multiple Access Frequency Division Multiple Access Plan To disperse the spectrum using angular codes To divide the frequency bands into multiple smaller bands. Separation of signal Special receivers and coding. Frequency domain is filtered Terminals Every terminal can be active simultaneously at the same time and place without any kind of interruption (Glisic Leppnen, 2013). Every terminal has its own different frequency without any kind of interruption. Transmission scheme Continuous transmission Continuous transmission Capacity of cell No specific limit on capacity of channel but CDMA is a system of limited interference. Limited cell capacity Advantages Flexible, scalable, soft handover, less panning of frequency needed. Established, vigorous, strong, simple Disadvantages Receivers complicated, more complicated power control is needed for senders. Inflexible, frequencies are sparse resources Comments High complexity, faces some of the major problems, much less expectations, is further integrated with Frequency Division Multiple Access or Time Division Multiple Access. Usually integrated with Time Division Multiple Access and Space Division Multiple Access. The above table describes the comparison and contrast between Code Division Multiple Access and Frequency Division Multiple Access. Code-division multiple access or CDMA is amethod that is accessed by channel and is utilized by several communication technologies ofradio (Glisic Leppnen, 2013). This is an example ofmultiple accesses, from where information can be sent through various transmitters at a single time over a single channel of communication. This aspect enables various users to share a vast band of frequencies. CDMA allows a special coding scheme andspread spectrumtechnology to permit this feature. Each transmitter is assigned a single code in this special coding scheme. CDMA is utilized as the method of access in most of the mobile phone standards. Frequency division multiple accessorFDMAis amethod that is accessed by channel and is utilized as a channelization protocol in multiple-access protocols. FDMA provides users an individual allotment of one or morefrequency channels or bands. It is usually very common incommunication of satellite. FDMA collaborates access between several users. 3.Most recent advanced wireless technologies are Bluetooth technology, RFID, NFC and Wi-Fi (Liang Yu, 2015). The strengths and weaknesses of these technologies are as follows: Bluetooth technology Strengths: It is cheaper Very convenient for attachment of various devices. Bluetooth technology can be installed very easily (Heydon, 2013). It can be utilized easily when the device has already installed the technology. Weaknesses: Extremely virus prone when installed in mobile phones. It can be easily hacked. Connectivity is weak. The range in which Bluetooth can connect devices is less. RFID: Radio Frequency Identification has certain merits and demerits. Strengths: Security level is high RFID tags can store more data and information. RFID technology has a versatile nature. Tag has the write option along with read options. Weaknesses: The programming part of RFID technology requires more time. RFID is extremely expensive. NFC: Near Field Communication plays a major role in the mobile industry. It is another recent wireless technology. Strengths: It has high security with password protection (Coskun, Ozdenizci Ok, 2013). Convenience is the major benefit of this technology. It is extremely versatile and can be applied to various industries. It has high level of encryption that makes it suitable for academic areas. Weaknesses: It is extremely expensive and thus it becomes tough to install it. It becomes very difficult for smaller organizations to install this system. Wi-Fi: Wifi is another most recent advanced wireless technology (Bilotti et al., 2012). This technology helps to gain access to the internet. Strengths: It provides high convenience for users to access the resources online. Users can access internet anywhere with the presence of public wifi. It can be developed with ease. It is cheaper and cost effective. Weaknesses: Security is the major issue in wifi technology. It has a slower speed as compared to all other networks (Sun et al., 2013). Its coverage range is suitable for a home connection but not for a large area. It has huge interference leading to loss of connectivity. References Bilotti, F., Di Palma, L., Ramaccia, D., Toscano, A. (2012). Self-filtering low-noise horn antenna for satellite applications.IEEE Antennas and Wireless Propagation Letters,11, 354-357. Cai, Y., Guo, Y. J., Bird, T. S. (2012). A frequency reconfigurable printed Yagi-Uda dipole antenna for cognitive radio applications.IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation,60(6), 2905-2912. Coskun, V., Ozdenizci, B., Ok, K. (2013). A survey on near field communication (NFC) technology.Wireless personal communications,71(3), 2259-2294. Glisic, S. G., Leppnen, P. A. (2013).Wireless communications: TDMA versus CDMA. Springer Science Business Media. Heydon, R. (2013).Bluetooth low energy: the developer's handbook. Prentice Hall. Liang, C., Yu, F. R. (2015). Wireless network virtualization: A survey, some research issues and challenges.IEEE Communications Surveys Tutorials,17(1), 358-380. Mallahzadeh, A. R., Esfandiarpour, S. (2012). Wideband H-plane horn antenna based on ridge substrate integrated waveguide (RSIW).IEEE antennas and wireless propagation letters,11, 85-88. Sun, H., Guo, Y. X., He, M., Zhong, Z. (2013). A dual-band rectenna using broadband yagi antenna array for ambient RF power harvesting.IEEE Antennas and Wireless Propagation Letters,12, 918-921.

Stakeholder Relationships Student Copy Essay Example

Stakeholder Relationships Student Copy Paper Secondary stakeholders c. Primary stakeholders d. Investors e. Customers 4. A firm that makes use of a recognizes other stakeholders beyond investors, employees, and suppliers, and explicitly acknowledges the ;o-way dialog that exists between a firms internal and external environments. A. Stakeholder model of corporate governance b. Stakeholder bias c. Code of ethics d. Stakeholder interaction model e. Corporate interface model 5. The degree to which a firm understands and addresses stakeholder demands can be referred to as a. A stakeholder orientation. A shareholder orientation. C. The stakeholder interaction model. D. A two-way street. E. A continuum. 6. Which of the following is not a method typically employed by firms when researching relevant stakeholder groups? A. Surveys b. Focus groups . Internet searches d. Press reviews e. Guessing 7. A stakeholder orientation can be viewed as a(n) a. Necessity for business success. B. Continuum. C. Popularizing concept. D. Good marketing p loy. E. Expensive proposition. 8. Shareholders provide resources to an organization that are critical to long term success. Which of the following does the book suggest that suppliers offer? A. The promise of customer loyalty b. Material resources and/or intangible knowledge c. Infrastructure d. Revenue e. Leadership skills 9. Which of the following is not associated with the stakeholder interaction model? A. Involves a two-way relationship between firm and stakeholders b. Recognizes the input of investors, employees, and suppliers c. Explicitly acknowledges dialogue with a firms internal environment d. Explicitly acknowledges dialogue with a firms external environment e. Accountability, oversight, and control all fall under the definition and implementation of corporate a. Profit. B. Loyalty. C. Care. D. Governance. E. Diligence. 15. Major corporate governance issues normally involve the response that is most correct) a. Strategic-level b. Tactical-level c. Divisional-level d. Marketing-level e. Accounting-level decisions. (Choose 16. Which of the following is a major ethical concern among corporate boards of directors? A. Compensation b. The non-traditional directorship approach c. Dividend reporting d. Corporate social audits e. Debt swaps 17. We will write a custom essay sample on Stakeholder Relationships Student Copy specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Stakeholder Relationships Student Copy specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Stakeholder Relationships Student Copy specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer One policy to address the issue of executive pay was implemented by J. P. Morgan, it stated that a. There should be no limit on what top executives can earn. B. Managers should earn no more than twenty times the pay of other employees. C. Top managers should make the same amount as other employees. D. Employees can determine how much managers make. E. The government should determine the worth of each managers service. 18. The specific steps for implementing the stakeholder perspective do not include which of the following? A. Identifying stakeholder groups b. Identifying stakeholder issues c.

An American hero essays

An American hero essays In the novel by Stephen Crane, Crane expressed his feelings of war by using impressionism through a complex character named Henry during the Civil War. Crane used many different ways of expressing his thoughts on war. He used Henry as a teenager who looked past at the battlefield, and only saw himself as being a hero. Henry later would find out the cruelty of war as Crane emphasized. To be a hero I believe you have to be brave and noble, for your team or in this case army and not for yourself. In this case Henry was anything but brave and noble in the first half of the story. Henry was a coward who ran and left his team to die. Henry was imature in that he was always worried about what other people thought of him, instead of what he thought of himself. Throughout the essay Henry was always worried about what other peoples opinions were of him. A true hero wouldnt worry about what others thought of him. An example of this was when Henry was walking with the wounded soldiers and Henry ran off because he had no wounds to show from the fight when the injured soldier asked him what his injury was. Henry also deminstrated being imature and afraid when he saw other soldiers run from battle during the first fight; Henry runs with the other soldiers because he is afraid. Being afraid is not a characteristic of being a hero. Henry shows off his fear when he lies about running from the battle and tells other soldiers that he was sperated during the combat, and fought with another regiment that Henry say badly needed his help. Henry was always at battle with fear. Although Henry did win his battle against fear at the end of the book, he did nothing that would make him a hero. Henry was too much at battle with himself and fought because of his fear. Again back to what I believe a hero is, to be brave is the opposite of being afraid. I do feel though at the end of the story Henry unde...

The Irregular French Verb Apprendre

The Irregular French Verb Apprendre Apprendre,  which commonly means to learn,  is a frequently used  irregular French  -re  verb. Irregular verbs do not follow regular conjugation patterns, but some verbs within an irregular verb group can share a conjugation pattern with at least one other verb. There are patterns for irregular French -re verbs, and the irregular verb  apprendre  is in one of those groups. All verbs like apprendre that end in  -prendre  are conjugated the same way. The verbs in this group drop the d in all three plural forms and take a double n in the third person plural form.   Verbs Ending in -prendre All French verbs that end in  -prendre  are conjugated the same way as apprendre  and  prendre: apprendre  Ã‚  to learncomprendre  Ã‚  to understandentreprendre  Ã‚  to undertakemà ©prendre  Ã‚  to mistakeprendre  Ã‚  to takereprendre  Ã‚  to retake, take againsurprendre  Ã‚  to surprise Apprendre: Meanings and Uses In use,  apprendre  means to learn. The pronominal sapprendre, means to be learned, as in:  Le style, à §a ne sapprend pas. Style cant be learned. Apprendre can also mean to tell, as in:Apprendre quelque chose quelquun to teach something to somebody And to hear, as in:Quest-ce que japprends, vous dà ©missionnez  ? Whats this I hear about you resigning? Apprendre:  Idiomatic Expressions On en apprend tous les jours  !   You can learn something new every day.Tiens, tiens, on en apprend des choses  ! Whod have thought such a thing!Napprend pas un vieux singe faire la grimace. ( proverb)   Dont teach an old dog new tricks.Ça lui apprendra  !   Thatll teach him!Apprendre quelque chose par cÅ“ur   learn something by heart/ by roteApprendre à ªtre patient to learn patienceOn apprend tout à ¢ge. Its never too late to learn.Apprendre lentement/vite to be a slow / fast learner Simple Conjugations of the Irregular French Verb Apprendre Present Future Imperfect Present participle j apprends apprendrai apprenais apprenant tu apprends apprendras apprenais il apprend apprendra apprenait nous apprenons apprendrons apprenions vous apprenez apprendrez appreniez ils apprennent apprendront apprenaient Pass compos Auxiliary verb avoir Past participle appris Subjunctive Conditional Pass simple Imperfect subjunctive j apprenne apprendrais appris apprisse tu apprennes apprendrais appris apprisses il apprenne apprendrait apprit apprit nous apprenions apprendrions apprimes apprissions vous appreniez apprendriez apprites apprissiez ils apprennent apprendraient apprissent Imperative tu apprends nous apprenons vous apprenez

Term paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Term Paper Example It is thus a subjective psychological conditioning that ties goods and services as symbols of status. Status consumption, as originally defined by Thorstein Veblen in his â€Å"Theory of the Leisure Class,† refers to purchasing and the subsequent displays of unnecessary, expensive items in a manner that suggest or rather attract attention to an individual's wealth (39). Veblen though did use the term â€Å"conspicuous consumption,† and since then, the idea of inspirational consumption as a means of outward demonstration of wealth has been a hot topic examined not only in the field of Economics but also in a range of other discipline including marketing, psychology, sociology, to name but a few. Indeed, status consumption has permeated the modern setting, especially in the western world, where spending is not only away of determined by the amount of wealth owned but a unique way of trying to fit within a given social class. According to the theory of consumption, consume r buying behavior is conditioned partly by the intrinsic utility value placed on them, which in effect exceeds the attached price on a given product (Pepall, Richards and Norman 24-25). This description, however, was but a narrow perspective that fell short of accounting for the status that the product may hitherto confer to the bearer. Instinctively, behavioral consumption is a much more complex concept influenced by a myriad of factors far beyond utility maximization. This paper critically examines Status Consumption as an important factor in the theory of market demand. Background For a good or service to qualify as a status brand, two preconditions must hold: a sense of belonging [the â€Å"degree of commonality† concerning relative desirability of association with certain products or brands] and an open, social display of consumption of such products (Duensberry 11). Consumers have the incentives to amplify their consumption with the intention of gaining a position in so cial settings. For those that engage in some kind of self-reporting, a personal concern with status is but a factor that has been identified to motivate such actions. Indeed, the everyday observation of consumption patterns suggests a strong affinity to a direction of superior association with a given product; a fact that finds evidence in the concentration of households spending into furnishing living and dining rooms compared to private rooms such bedrooms. Such self-reporting intentions purposefully aimed at gaining social standing more often results from observed consumption patterns. Individuals often require alibis (reasons) that validate their purchases. Quite a huge chunk of college students’ product buying, for instance, is influenced by the advertising kind of contacts with colleagues. While needs play a fundamental role in the behavioral buying tendencies of consumers, the reality is that majority of products acquired are actually non-necessities in terms of surviv al. In the words of social anthropologist Edmund Leach, individual actions are shaped one way or another by learned behaviors from others within the immediate or observable surroundings (Jones 74). Clearly, if a person do not have adequate information, or simply does not value what being in possession of a Mercedes Benz signals to others in the

Diversity in the Workforce Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Diversity in the Workforce - Case Study Example Ideally, work force diversity encompasses the different attributes that a work team may have in order to achieve complementary and harmonized work forces for all. Employees learn the value of treating one another with respect and dignity to appreciate of diversities in a learning process. On the contrary, the use of these attributes to gain favoritism in workforce selection is a highly discouraged trait. In essence, an employee should attain work because they are competent for the job and not based on their gender, age, race, or religious inclination. It also applies in other forms of the work force related practices like training, demotion, payment of salaries, promotion, and accreditation. Abstract With these in mind, this essay will zone in on the indicators of the work force diversity that include race, ethnicity, national identity, age, gender, marital status, disabilities, and religion. This diversity to workforce has different impacts on an organization’s operations. In essence, this essay will explore these indicators with their impact on global organization and the overall success or failures in the maintenance of a diverse work force. Further, it will reflect on the policies safeguarding employees against any form of discrimination either because of the above mention factors also including medical conditions of the employees. Race and ethnicity Ideally, as businesses seek to expand across international markets, the aspect of race and cultural borders are narrowing down to minimal levels (Nittle, 2012). This stride draws celebration of the work force diversity since companies train their staff to appreciate cultural diversities within their work force. This training cultivates a tolerant environment for all those involved in the realization of the organization’s goals and future objectives (Hewitt, 2009). In essence, race and ethnicity bring about stereotyping and racial attributes that tend to lower the morale of the employees. For insta nce, racial prejudice becomes an inevitable factor especially when employees down play its effects on the work force. This issue may draw origin from the fact that individuals may feel that a certain race is superior to others, which will effect hatred and animosity. In essence, people have different upbringings hence making their reflections on certain issues different. Essentially, every employee should feel valued because of the contribution added to the company because of their competency. The solution to this problem is to ensure that all; the staff receive training in order to exercise the teaching of the importance of mutual respect. In addition, although expensive, this training helps the employees to understand the ways that they similar in terms of race rather than on their differences. In end, employees tend to appreciate one another ensuring that the company attains development. National origin and immigration Sequentially, a company may consist of individuals from diffe rent nationalities in order to compliment the company towards intended results. The effect s of an individual’s country of origin is similar to those of race and ethnicity (Oyler & Pryor, 2009). However, individuals within a company’s structure may view another employee from a different country as in capable because of their native origin. Ideally, work performance should not base on the citizenship of individuals, but instead should base on an individual’s merit and accreditation. In this regard, potential

The IT infrastructure Essay Example for Free

The IT infrastructure Essay Integrated Distributors Incorporated is facing a lot of challenges. The IT infrastructure has a lot of outdated hardware and software in multiple locations. This greatly increases security risks and exposes confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Some network compromises have ensued due to the outdated hardware and software. Sensitive and strategic information has been leaked to the public and it is time we put an end to this. End users are the number one security risk and must be dealt with first. In order to accomplish this goal, the company will need to replace the old, outdated systems with new, up-to-date systems. Dell is the optimal company to pursue these systems as they have a full support system that comes with the workstations. All networking components will need to be upgraded next as the current system is not very secure or reliable. I suggest going with a full cisco infrastructure and maintaining physical security by putting all of the switches in racks. Upgrading the infrastructure to a unified cisco presence will also scale into phone systems as well with VOIP options. This will also allow a unified presence with instant messenger and meetings online as well. A Cisco VPN will also be installed for remote access controls. The entirety of the network will have to be protected with Barracuda Firewalls as the threat to intrusion is rather high judging the frequency of the preceding attacks. The company will need to do a cost management analysis to this, however from my understanding, with the increased efficiency; we will be looking to come out on top after a three year return of investment on this purchase. I fully recommend we look at putting a honeypot somewhere in the DMZ so we can monitor how hackers attempt to gain access and thwart their efforts in the future. The Warsaw, Poland location, we must find a new proxy server to replace the IBM Infinity hardened server. The decentralization of all file servers and application servers will need to halt. Virtualization will need to be implemented over the first year to gain stability over the market with our products. I nominate we rent space from RackSpace in two separate locations to gain redundancy and minimize our latency in the event that  customers attempt to connect from a different location. RackSpace has extremely tight security and without authorization, access is not granted. The locations for RackSpace will be Dallas and Chicago as they are far apart and both locations are not as susceptible to the elements as other locations. Virtual hosting solutions will be set up in both locations and a full 100mbps MPLS circuit will be needed for replication purposes. A bulk of the hosting will be done from Dallas and most of the backup servers and replication hosts will be in Chicago just in case of a power outage within Dallas. An intrusion detection system will need to be set up to find intruders and alert IT staff to lock down the network. In order to prevent them from getting in, we will need to have an intrusion prevention system as well. The intrusion detection system will be set up to send e-mail messages to each network engineer. I also nominate removing Mareck from the Information Technology department and finding him a more suitable position as he is not fit for the position he is currently holding. All software that is currently being used will need to be researched and replacements will need to be found. We must find another software vendor to replace Oracle financials for accounting and financial systems, Logisuite 4.2.2, and RouteSim. All patching for computers and servers will need to be done manually and never automatically. All automatic updates will need to be turned off as they can potentially cause an outage. The information technology team will determine when patching will take place and send an e-mail stating when it needs to be done. In conclusion, IDI has a lot to do in order to secure their data. The cost effective and efficient manner is a very difficult solution, however the payoff is way better.

Truth of the Myths of Nature :: Philosophy Nature Papers

Truth of the Myths of Nature The term "nature myths" designates narratives presenting what-is as intelligible in terms of value and meaning. Such narratives function to motivate ecological activism by articulating such presuppositions as the conviction that what we do matters, destruction of nature is intrinsically wrong, and the possibility of nondestructive human beings. However, such narratives motivate only if they are regarded in some sense as true. The question is, in what sense? Not in an objectivist sense (e.g. von Ranke), since value-even if intrinsic-is a subject related reality. Not in an idealist sense (e.g. Cassirer), since they respect the autonomy of reality. Nor in a "depth" sense of expressing an alleged "essential condition of guilt" (e.g. Heidegger and Patocka), since this would remain a positivist description, albeit one level removed. Instead, I propose treating nature myths as orienting the world (e.g. Jaspers) and guiding human components therein. As such, nature myths can be said to be tr ue (as in Ricoeur’s "adamic" myth) or false (as in the myth of "Man the Master") inasmuch as they provide or fail to provide adequate guidance for sustainable coexistence with all of the Earth. The purpose of this paper is to ask in what sense, if any, ecological nature myths can be said to be not only ennobling and moving, but also in some significant sense true, able to claim a validity independent of the assent of those who tell and hear them. I wish to use the term myth rather broadly to indicate not only the alleged spontaneous outpourings from the depth of our psyche, dear to romantically inclined philosophers and psychologists, but rather all narratives which describe the cosmos and the place of humans therein in terms of relations of value and meaning rather than in terms of mathematico-causal relations in spacetime. (1) In the quaint terminology of Husserl's Ideen II, they are personalistic narratives, rendering reality intelligible in terms of personal — that is, intrinsically subject-related — categories. (2) Such narratives in fact play a crucial role in the effort to forge a sustainable mode of coexistence between humans and the rest of the creation. Humans may select the means for dealing with ecological damage in the light of natural scientific analysis but they are moved to deal with it at all by mythico-poetic articulation rather than by theoretical reconstruction of their lived experience. Thus Rachel Carson, rigorous analytical chemist, moved her fellow humans by evoking their empathy through value laden poetic imagery.

The South Africa Overview Economics Essay

The authorities of South Africa is a Republic and the overall population is 50 million. The service sector is the major sector in South Africa with 65 part in the state ‘s GDP. The major import beginnings associated with South Africa are China, Germany, USA and Japan and the major export market are China, USA, Japan and Germany.Main beginnings of foreign exchange of South AfricaPlatinum ( 14 % ) , gold ( 8 % ) , coal ( 5.5 % ) , autos ( 3.5 % )Main disbursals of foreign exchangePetrochemicals ( 12 % ) , auto constituents ( 10 % ) , crude oil ( 4 % )Energy state of affairsSouth Africa has a big coal and mineral ( Pt, manganese, chrome, gold, U ) militias. Despite a well-developed man-made fuel production, 90 % of oil has to be imported.South Africa and the WorldSouth Africa is ranked 31st harmonizing to GDP and 129th harmonizing to Human Development Index and the major sectors are Agriculture, Technology, Textiles and Chemicals harmonizing to diary by Thomas White- Global Invest ing Co.POLITICS AND GOVERNANCEPolitical state of affairs: Reasonably stableHead of state/government: President Jacob Zuma ( since May 2009 ) South Africa runs by a democratically elected parliament and the major resistance portion there is Democratic Alliance. National Assembly and National Council of Provinces are the two chief parliaments with National Assembly being the more powerful and responsible.BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT South Africa was ranked 34 harmonizing to World Bank in 2010 and 2nd on the African continent. Restrictions to make concern in South Africa are really limited and the market is besides really crystalline. South Africa ‘s concern substructure is good established with good rail, route and airdrome substructure, advanced IT systems and good communicating web. The state is unfastened to foreign direct investing with both corporate concern and private persons.PROPERTY OWNERSHIP AND TAXATIONThe statute law which mentioned that foreign companies may non be able to borrow more than tierce of the purchase monetary value of any belongings if the company ‘s major stockholders are registered outside of South Africa, is no longer applicable. The new statute law effected from 1st January 2011. There are no limitations on ownership of commercial belongingss. However, the statute law for private persons purchasing belongings in South Africa remains the same and non-residents can merely measure up for a place loan of up to 50 % of the value of the belongingsTrade GROUP MEMBERWorld Trade Organization ( WTO ) : South Africa is a member of the World Trade Organization. Southern African Customs Union ( SACU ) : South Africa has been a member of the Southern African Customs Union and the members of SACU include Namibia, Botswana, Swaziland, Lesotho. The understanding footings of SACU province that members use the South African duty as the common external duty and goods are traded free of responsibilities and quotas between member provinces Southern African Development Community ( SADC ) : -South Africa has besides been a member of the Southern African Development Community and the members include Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe. SADC has committed itself to the creative activity of a free trade country ( FTA ) by subscribing a protocol on trade at SADC Summit in 1996.BILATERAL Trade Agreements:South Africa has bilateral trade understandings with the undermentioned states or groups of states: Nyasaland: A bilateral understanding between South Africa and Malawi, provided the discriminatory rates of responsibility, discounts and ordinances on certain goods traded between the two states. Due to the understanding signed between them, goods that belonged to Malawian beginning can easy come in South Africa duty-free. The goods of South Africa that enters Malawi, receive the most-favored-nation rate of responsibility. Rhodesia: A bilateral understanding between South Africa and Zimbabwe provided for discriminatory rates of responsibility, discounts and quotas on certain goods traded between them and some new footings were added to it in the twelvemonth 1996. The footings included decreased duties and quota degrees on fabric imports into South Africa. The farther possibility of the understanding is that, the extension would be to other sectors such as agricultural. Mocambique: The bilateral understanding between the two of them have been chiefly for modulating mine labour, railroad and port affairs, and trade. The understanding has non been a really utile one and hence a really few figure of Mozambian goods receive duty penchant from South Africa. Citations: South Africa provides for protection for points that are listed on the endangered species list. It ‘s a party to Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora ( CITES ) . European Union: -The European Union and South Africa signed a Free Trade Agreement ( FTA ) in 1999. The understanding will be phased in over a 10 to twelve twelvemonth period and will basically liberalise 86 % of South Africa ‘s imports from the EU and approximately 95 % of EU imports from South Africa. The overall understanding meets WTO demands of 90 % coverage.Document RequirementThe paperss required in importing are a commercial bill, measure of cargo, insurance paperss and packing list.IMPORT DUTIESThe import responsibility rates rangeA from zero to 30 % with a few exclusions, vesture industry, fabrics industry and motor industry merchandises. Import TAXESValue added revenue enhancement ( VAT )The ratings of imported goods for VAT is based on the f.o.b value plus 14 % of the value already considered with extra imposts responsibility.South Africa Import ProhibitionsThe merchandises which are prohibited for import in South Africa are drugs and narcotics, adult or obnoxious stuffs, workss, seeds, bulbs, natural cotton, uncooked meat/poultry, beeswax, honey, bees and their larvae or eggs, used beehive contraptions, , ammo, dry ice, furniture, unwrought gold, untrimmed diamonds, pelts.INDIA AND SOUTH AFRICADue to the bilateral dealingss between theA Republic of IndiaA and theA Republic of South Africa strong strategic, cultural and economic ties have been there since the terminal ofA apartheidA in South Africa in 1994. India and South Africa besides portion an extended energy partnership. In 2010, India imported 1.4 million metric tons of South African coal in February, doing it the largest buyer of coal from the state.BackgroundThere is a major residentA IndianA community in South Africa.A Mohandas Karamchand GandhiA had commenced his political-legal calling in South Africa in the 1890s and 1900s, experimenting withA civil noncompliance, to better the quality of life of the Indians life at that place. During theA 2003 Cricket World CupA a statue of him was unveiled inA PietermaritzburgA byA Sourav Ganguly, the captain of theA Indian national cricket squad.Development of bilateral dealingssIn 1994 both states established diplomatic dealingss after the terminal of apartheid. Indian authorities awarded South African leaderA Nelson MandelaA theA Mahatma Gandhi Peace Prize. Both states have besides promoted featuring ties, with theA Indian national cricket teamA and theA South Africa national cricket teamA often interchanging visits and take parting in cricket tourneies hosted by either state.Economic tiesIn 2005-06 the Bilateral tradeA grew exponentially fromA USDA 3 million in 1992-93 to USD 4 billion, and the two authoritiess have targeted increasing bilateral trade to USD 12 billion by 2010.A Gold bullionA constitute tierce of India ‘s imports from South Africa, while India glosss and processesA diamondsA from South African mines.A South Africa has promoted subscribing aA free trade agreementA with India and theA Southern Africa Customs UnionA ( SACU ) , which includesA Botswana, A Lesotho, A NamibiaA andA SwazilandA along with South Africa. Bharti AirtelA was scheduled to acquireA MTNA to do one of the universe ‘s largest telecommunications companies, and besides touted as measure inA South-South cooperation. The South African authorities ofA Jacob Zuma, nevertheless rejected trade on the evidences that MTN would non be as South African any longer amid concerns of dual-listing on the Indian and South African stock exchanges.Military tiesMilitary cooperation, trading weaponries and joint exercisings and plans to develop forces have been developed by India and South Africa.IBSA ( India, Brazil, South Africa )India and South Africa signed an understanding withA Brazil, known as the Brasilia Declaration On June 6, 2003. The declaration called for extended three-party cooperation on strategic, cultural and commercial affairs.A A The three states have besides expanded military cooperation and conducted joint naval exercisings in 2008.India and South Africa Exploring Trade AgreementThe trade between two states continues to see strong growing as on Aug. 31 – India and South Africa are looking into subscribing a comprehensive bilateral trade understanding. India ‘s Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma said â€Å" We are traveling to analyze a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between India and South Africa, as the state is a strategic spouse, † while at the â€Å" India Show † in Johannesburg. Bilateral trade between the two has been increasing steadily over the last few old ages, with trade figures lifting from US $ 7.5 billion in the 2008-2009 financial twelvemonth to US $ 7.9 billion over 2009-2010. Both states agreed to seek and hit the US $ 10 billion milepost by 2011-2012 While South African President Jacob Zuma was in New Delhi this past June, but that may hold underestimated the trade potency between the two states as bilateral trade has already reached US $ 2.7 billion through the first one-fourth. Sharma said â€Å" It ( the US $ 10 billion trade mark ) is good below possible. I think it is accomplishable by 2011. Then we can look at higher rates † . â€Å" The chances are illimitable. South African corporations are coming to India with optimism. † Sharma besides said that he hopes to wrap up a limited free trade understanding between India and the Southern African Customs Union ( SACU ) every bit shortly as possible. The SACU is made up of Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland. The 5th unit of ammunition of negotiations over duty decreases and other barriers to merchandise Union representatives will go to New Delhi following month.India-SACU ( Southern African Customs Union ) Framework AgreementSouth Africa is the largest, most diverse and most sophisticated state in Africa with a Gross Domestic Product ( GDP ) three times that of Nigeria or Egypt. South Africa ‘s economic substructure dominates Africa though it covers less than 4 % of the continent and accommodates less than 6 % of its population. South Africa provides more than half of the electricity end product of Africa, moves more tunnage through its ports, has more air conveyance installations than all the other states of Southern, Central and Eas t Africa together. The figure of motor vehicles at about 5 million in that state is more than half of those in the remainder of Africa. South Africa has besides the advantage of a developed and systematic banking system. With a common usage duty policy, South Africa along with Lesotho, Swaziland, Botswana and Namibia has formed the Southern African Customs Union ( SACU ) . Since most of the imported goods enter the sub-region through South African ports, a system of usage gross sharing is in topographic point. South Africa and India are members of the Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation. South Africa is a member of the World Trade Organisation and has besides finalised a free trade and development understanding with European that provides for gradual liberalization of the two manner trade between South Africa and European Union. The degree of bilateral trade between India and South Africa is rather low at nowadays. South Africa is non a major export finish for India ; neither is the latter calculation in the list of chief merchandising spouses of South Africa. Less than one per cent of India ‘s exports go to South Africa. However, in the last few old ages bilateral trade has recorded a double-digit growing rate between the states. Following this meeting, Indian Institute of Foreign Trade ( IIFT ) was assigned to carry on a desktop survey for determining the feasibleness of come ining into a Discriminatory Trade Agreement ( PTA ) /Free Trade Agreement ( FTA ) between India and South Africa. The survey concluded that more than 50 % of India ‘s exports are subjected to a duty of less than 10 % in South Africa and merely 33 % are confronting a duty rate of more than 20 % . On the other manus, 55 % of imports from South Africa face high duties of more than 20 % in India. Merely 34 % of imports from South Africa are subjected to moo duty of 10 % and below. The leaden mean duties in India and South Africa are 22.89 % and 16.35 % severally. The survey concluded that even though the duty rates are more in India, the gross loss that would ensue from bilateral riddance of duty is greater in South Africa. The gross loss in South Africa is projected to be 1.4 times the gross loss in India. The survey besides suggested that as South Africa has a reasonably big import market, an Agreement with South Africa Prima facie is of importance because of its geographical location and rank of sub-regional trade understandings. Subsequently on, South Africa sought verification whether they can include other spouses of SACU for negociating a Comprehensive Trade Agreement. This suggestion was examined by Ministry of External Affairs in audience and the authorization was given to negociate with SACU as a group and non South Africa separately.FDI Scenario in South AfricaHarmonizing to the 2012 World Investment Report by the UN Conference on Trade and Development ( UNCTAD ) , South Africa led the sub-region as foreign direct investing ( FDI ) inflows into sub-Saharan Africa jumped by 25 % in 2011. The study, released in Geneva, Switzerland on Thursday, shows that FDI inflows to sub-Saharan Africa soared from US $ 29.5-billion in 2010 to $ 36.9-billion in 2011, a degree comparable to the extremum of $ 37.3-billion achieved in 2008, prior to the oncoming of the planetary fiscal crisis. FDI to South Africa rebounded from $ 1.23-billion in 2010 to $ 5.81-billion, doing South Africa the second-biggest FDI finish on the continent in 2011 after Nigeria, which procured $ 8.92-billion in FDI.Oil, gas manufacturers still dominantGhana ( $ 3.22-billion ) , Congo ( $ 2.93-billion ) , and Algeria ( $ 2.57-billion ) completed the top five African FDI finishs by Unctad ‘s calculation, underlining the laterality of oil- or gas-producing states – South Africa being the exclusive exclusion. Another important African oil manufacturer, Angola, besides received important investing influxs, harmonizing to Unctad, â€Å" but divestment and repatriated net incomes by multinational corporations rendered net influxs negative † . The one-year study found, Continuing addition in trade good monetary values and a comparatively positive economic mentality for sub-Saharan Africa were among the factors lending to the turnaround. For Africa as a whole, entire FDI influxs declined. However, this was due to a bead in FDI to North Africa, with influxs to traditional strong performing artists Egypt and Libya coming to a arrest as consequence of drawn-out political and societal instability in those states.Improved investor perceptual experiencesUnctad said, Overall the continent ‘s FDI chances for 2012 were promising, â€Å" as strong economic growing, current economic reforms and high trade good monetary values have improved investor perceptual experiences of the continent. † South Africa ‘s FDI inflows for 2011 accounted for 13.6 % of Africa ‘s entire as per Unctad ‘s figures, while amounting to 31.8 % of the state ‘s gross domestic merchandise ( GDP ) in 2011 – up from 9.9 % in 1995. Jorge Maia, research caput at South Africa ‘s Industrial Development Corporation, who presented Unctad ‘s study locally, said the state ‘s investing policy government was â€Å" rather broad compared to other states † â€Å" South Africa is non merely rich in natural resources, it besides has really good substructure comparative to its equals and really good proficient accomplishments, † Business Day reported Maia as stating. Leon Myburgh, sub-Saharan Africa strategian at Citigroup, told Business Day that Africa was executing good in most developed markets and some emerging markets besides. â€Å" Give its comparatively low rate of development, there are high chances for investing across the continent, either for new concern or substructure, † Myburgh told Business Day. â€Å" These are being exploited and will go on to be exploited in approaching old ages.ECONOMIC ENGINESAgribusinessAgribusiness is good organized though a really minor subscriber to the overall GDP. Large piece of lands of land, together with a long 1875 stat mi coastline, foster the production of a broad scope of Marine and agricultural merchandises. Africa has a double agricultural economic system catering to both commercial and subsistence based production. Maize, wheat, sugar cane, oats, and helianthuss are the state ‘s major agricultural merchandises. South Africa ‘s agricultural sector boasts some clear competitory advantages. First, the state ‘s turning season is reverse than that of Europe, offering complementary market chances. It besides has good developed cold concat enation installations and ports. A resource rich state, South Africa boasts an copiousness of mineral resources. In fact, the wealth of the state has been built on these resources. It holds about 90 % of the Pt metals on Earth, 80 % of the manganese, 73 % of the chrome, 45 % of the V and 41 % of the gold. The excavation industry is the biggest employer, with around 460,000 employees and another 400,000 employed by the providers of goods and services to the industry.Gold productionGold production, which one time formed the anchor of the economic system, has lost its lustre in recent old ages. In 2007, China displaced South Africa as the universe ‘s largest gold manufacturer. 95 % of South Africa ‘s gold mines are belowground operations, making deepnesss of over 3.8 kilometers. With worsening classs, increased deepness of excavation and excavation costs, and a slide in gilded monetary value in the 1990s, production fell. As one of the universe ‘s largest manufacturer s of gold, South Africa is more susceptible to slouch in monetary value because its deep degree mines are the highest cost manufacturers in the universe. However, the sector should see a resurgence in the current twelvemonth, on the dorsum of lifting gold monetary values. However, South Africa ‘s excavation sector continues to be the top FDI receiver for the state.Vehicle productionSouth Africa ‘s vehicle production is going a flourishing industry every bit good. It is the 2nd largest country in the fabrication sector and the fastest growth. Almost every planetary car major, has its operations based in South Africa.Other major industriesOther major industries in South Africa are chemicals fabricating, metals processing and pharmaceuticals. South Africa hosts a figure of superior quality infirmaries and well-trained medical staff which has helped enticement investings into the pharmaceutical sector. The fertiliser industry besides looks assuring due to the state ‘s large-scale diversified agricultural sector. Expansion in the Information and Communications Technology and electronics industry has besides been phenomenal, with the mean growing of the state exceling the universe norm. Yet, all is non cheery in Eden. The fabric industry has taken a hit due to increasing competition from Chinese goods. The South Africans have responded with new advanced fabric merchandises contending back. The production of improved parachute cloth, technically knitted cloth used in bomb disposal, fire deceleration kits and specialised medical fabrics are doing their grade in niche markets.Servicess sectorThe services sector is the major subscriber to the GDP. It comprises of fiscal services, touristry, retail gross revenues and telecommunications. South Africa possesses a robust and mature fiscal services sector, which is comparable to the best in the universe. The state ‘s banking sector has a good representation of foreign Bankss and offers modern services like a countrywide web of ATMs and Internet banking services. Mzansi, South Africa ‘s advanced new low-priced banking strategy provides banking services to more than 3.3-million low-income earners – a huge and turning market antecedently untapped by the fiscal sector.Johannesburg Stock ExchangeThe Johannesburg Stock Exchange is the lone stock exchange in the state and the 16th largest in the universe with 400 listed companies. Keeping the differentiation as the fourth-largest emerging market finish for investings, the exchange mopped up $ 9.4 billion in 2005, up from $ 1.5 billion a decennary before.SOUTH AFRICA: A Market FOR Clothing FROM AFRICAA domestic industry in problem has meant a booming import tradeaˆÂ ¦South Africa ‘s vesture sector has been in a province of convulsion and diminution for the last five old ages. The continued growing in imports ( peculiarly from lower-cost manufacturers such as China ) and the strengthening of the South African rand ( R ) against the United States dollar are the two factors blamed for the diminution in local production. However, if makers were honorable with themselves, they would see that the jobs run deeper than external issues. The industry is enduring from old ages of disregard in the countries of engineering and accomplishments. This has made the sector mostly uncompetitive. Whilst the Government is turn toing these issues through a Customised Sector Programme ( CSP ) and more late through the Textile and Clothing Industry Development Programme ( TCIDP ) , harmonizing to critics this steps are viewed as being excessively small excessively late and the sector is non expected to do any dramatic recovery in the short term. The inability of the local industry to fulfill demand for vesture from retail merchants offers an chance for developing state exporters to provide a broad scope of merchandises to the South African market. In 2009, vesture imports, excepting imports from Member States of the Southern African Customs Union ( SACU ) , amounted to US $ 966.6 million. If the figures from SACU are added to this, entire vesture imports in 2009 amounted to US $ 1.1 billion. Harmonizing to Comtrade informations, this would do South Africa the universe ‘s 25th largest importer of vesture. Over the period 2005 to 2009, vesture imports rose well by every bit much as 42 % . Whilst this addition reflects the diminution in the domestic fabrication sector, it besides indicates the perkiness of the market for consumer goods in South Africa. This perkiness is partially due to the go oning growing of a strong in-between category with entree to larger disposable incomes.The vesture points most in demandaˆÂ ¦In 2009, Women ‘s and miss ‘s jackets, frocks, skirts, pants, trunkss non knitted ( HS 6204 ) , work forces ‘s and male childs ‘ jackets, pants, trunkss non knitted ( HS 6203 ) , knitted jerseies ( HS 6109 ) , knitted New Jerseies and cardigans ( HS 6110 ) , and woven work forces ‘s or male childs ‘ shirts ( HS 6205 ) accounted for 50 % of vesture imports. These are the classs with the highest demand. The merchandise classs that showed the highest growing ( albeit sometimes off a low base ) from 2005 to 2009 are work forces ‘s and male child ‘s greatcoats, parkas, air current deceivers and similar articles, knitted ) ; adult females ‘s and misss ‘ greatcoats, parkas, air current deceivers and similar articles ; knitted work forces ‘s and male childs ‘ vests and other waistcoats, underpants, Jockey shortss, pajama, and similar articles ; adult females ‘s hose ( which rose by every bit much as 165 % ) ; and ties, bow ties and cravats. These offer possible niche markets for competitory manufacturers.China and the remainder of Asia are the largest providers of imports by faraˆÂ ¦At present, over 70 % of vesture imports in South Africa come from Asia, with China entirely lending 59 % of entire vesture imports in 2009. This reflects the nature of the South African market for dressing which is chiefly geared towards the price reduction termi nal ; for this market buying determinations are based on monetary value. Botswana performed highly good in South Africa over the five old ages to 2009, spread outing its supplies by a monolithic 261 % to their current degree. The state now provides 14 % of South Africa ‘s vesture imports. India remains in 3rd place despite a diminution of 2 % in imports over the five-year period. Mauritius is the 4th largest provider and imports from this state have performed highly good, registering a 476 % addition over the period. However, there have been positive signals to exporters in Africa by cardinal alterations in the form of sourcing. In 2005, China accounted for 70 % of all vesture imports ; Asia itself accounted for over 80 % of entire imports. Local retail merchants and importers were forced to diversity their provider base due to infliction of quotas on selected vesture imports from China for a period of two old ages from January 2007.There are niche markets for African exporters to exploreaˆÂ ¦South Africa has a market for large-size vesture that companies in Asia by and large do non hold the capacity to provide. A vesture company with the ability to serve this market section could happen good chances. It besides has a market for companies that are able to work with little minimal orders. Companies of Asia frequently work with minimal order sizes that are far larger than the volumes little and average sized operators in South Africa are able to put. The market for â€Å" green † cloths is turning strongly. Good chances are at that place for companies bring forthing garments from organic cotton or bamboo fiber in South Africa. In add-on, there are the markets for particular goods which the South African vesture industry does non hold the capacity to bring forth. These include points like cushioned jackets, insouciant woven tops and undersides with embellishment-generally anything that requires sophisticated lavation and coating. All these merchandises are imported. The market for babe wear and kids ‘s wear, for which there is limited local fabrication capacity, is besides mature for the picking.Targeting retail merchants straight is the best attack to the marketaˆÂ ¦Approaching the market of South African can sometimes be hard. Retailers, importers and agents tend to purchase from tested and sure beginnings, doing entry into the market a challenge for new providers. A direct attack to retail merchants is frequently the most effectual manner of capturing their attending. It would be wise for companies with strong design abilities to aim retail merchants in their selling runs as a manner of doing their companies known. South Africa offers a platform for making retail merchants through International Apparel, Textile, Footwear and Machinery Fair, held yearly in Cape Town. All the big purchasers and agents gather the carnival. A figure of states choose to put up state marquees at this just. Such marquees work good as they non merely market specific companies but the capablenesss of the single state as a whole.Fashionability is keyaˆÂ ¦The retail sector of South African follows the European market really closely and purchasers will look foremost and first at the fashionability of the merchandise lines proposed by new providers before inquiring inquiries on volumes, bringing and monetary value. Hence Samples or snap presented to retail merchants ever need to be in the latest manners.But attachment to labeling ordinances is besides importantaˆÂ ¦South Africa has stringent labeling demands. All imported vesture must transport labels with the undermentioned information: state of beginning, attent ion instructions, fiber content. Press has late criticized companies that do non use labeling demands strictly. As a consequence, the governments are now clamping down on vesture bearing labels that fail to run into demands.

Luxury Good and Gucci Essay

Gucci‘s overall strategy was to vertically integrate to strengthen its overall brand image. After vertically integrating they acquired other luxury retailers to continue to grow horizontally and to increase economies of scope. The economics of the luxury goods industry changed forcing Gucci to modify its strategy. Consumers demand shifted from classic style buyers to style conscious buyers. Gucci not only had to change due to the economics of the industry but they also had several problems with their existing structure. Hence Gucci made the following moves to reposition it to compete in the new economics of the luxury goods industry. Gucci The partnership between DeSole and Ford addresses the company’s inability to have streamlined decision making and consistent branding throughout the company. By partnering product design and strategy, Gucci can now make product and business decisions that deliver a consistent message externally. All products and communications will support the brand image of a luxury goods retailer that Gucci wants to deliver to the marketplace. The cost cutting and targeted layoffs address Gucci’s poor cost structure. While profit margins were healthy, the extravagant spending by the former CEO was reducing profitability. The company had excess headcount in some areas and less in others. The layoffs improved Gucci’s cost structure and streamline the organization. Secondly, Gucci lacked the management talent to run a high end luxury company. By laying off underperforming managers and hiring experienced business executives, Gucci significantly improved the quality of its management team. The cash investment by PPR protects Gucci from hostile takeovers by competitors. The improvement in Gucci’s capital structure enables Gucci to move from an acquisition target to a potential acquirer of substitutes and new entrants. This is critical because in the fashion industry, new brands are always emerging in the market. The $3 billion dollar cash investment enables Gucci to protect its core market better. Additionally, the acquisition of YSL through the merger diversifies Gucci’s product portfolio and creates high barriers to entry. Buyers Due to changing consumer demands, Gucci started to focus on fashion in particular the â€Å"glamorous edge. † Since switching cost for consumers are low and consumers are now demanding new fashions every season focusing on seasonal trends competitively positioned Gucci against its rivals and impeded consumers from finding substitutes. Gucci changed its target consumer from an older more conservative buyer to a modern, youthful, fashion conscious one. Since all of Gucci’s competitors had the same target (30-50 year affluent women) going after a modern, youthful spirited consumer allows Gucci to focus on a different segment of the luxury market, capturing a different slice of the pie. To create loyalty, give consumers options, and to prevent consumers from switching and buying a substitute product Gucci decided to revolutionize their product assortments to correspond with the seasonal trends. In addition they increased the quality of their products comparable to Hermes and offered these products at a value to meet the consumer’s needs. Furthermore, Gucci tailored their product assortment in each DOS to local customers to attract more consumers in the local markets. To better forecast product demand for seasonal goods and to keep inventory costs down Gucci added customer intelligence to the decision making process to better understanding consumers buying behavior. In order to obtain higher profit margins and offer a comprehensive line of products it was necessary for Gucci to diversify its portfolio. Hence Gucci introduced items from scarves to fur coats. To remain focused and maintain its â€Å"luxury status†, Gucci did not introduce diffusion product lines. Gucci had initially set its prices too high hence reducing their retail prices by 30% was necessary to attract and maintain customer loyalty. In order to generate demand for the product Gucci doubled their advertising and turned Tom Ford into a celebrity hoping to attract media and attention from around the world. To restore Gucci’s image as a high end luxury goods retailer they renovated all of their stores to support this new image. In addition all internal and external communications had the same look and feel to convey a consistent brand identity. Furthermore, they reduced distribution through retail stores that didn’t support the new brand image regardless of sales. Gucci launched an official web site to create awareness and exhibit new product lines and to position themselves against their competitors. Suppliers Suppliers are a key driver of profitability—a key competitive force. Suppliers are responsible for delivering a premium product that satisfies the company’s standards in quality and that reflects Tom Ford’s creative vision. Without fast turnover to meet fashion forward trend demands and a quality product, the repositioning of the Gucci brand could not have taken place. To fulfill this vision Gucci created an incentive program to keep suppliers loyal to ensure a quality product was manufactured, on time delivery, and it would prevent the suppliers from forging relationships with Gucci’s competitors. In addition, Gucci made suppliers more efficient through technology and logistics investments, provided training for suppliers and built an EDI network allowing Gucci to efficiently communicate with partner suppliers through the production process. As more fashion products will be produced every season along with the classic products, delivery and meeting demand could become an issue if production processes are not efficient. Investing in suppliers ensures that supplier threat, which is high, is controlled and suppliers have incentives to stay with Gucci. Supplier threat is high because of there is an absence of substitutes suppliers. Switching costs are high for Gucci – other suppliers may be producing for their rivals. Other suppliers may not deliver the quality and craftsmanship Gucci is expecting. In addition, other suppliers do not have experience in producing Gucci products (current suppliers have been with Gucci for long time). Hence they will have a longer learning curve slowing down the production process. There are few suppliers in specific regions: Gucci suppliers had production capacity to meet Gucci’s growth (20-30% a year). However, finding new suppliers would be going into Prada’s territory. With more growth, suppliers gained bargaining power with sub-suppliers and with Gucci. Initially, Gucci had power because suppliers worried that Gucci would go overseas for suppliers. Complementors Complementors are a not a high threat to Gucci because there only a few of them, media and advertising. Competition There are many firms in this industry because profit margins are high. However with the number and volume of M&A activity on the rise, consolidation is imminent with a few big players left in the market. Consolidation among competition has given competitors lower cost structure resulting in a competitive advantage such as ad purchasing discounts and supplier negotiating power. The competitors have a diversified product portfolio to target multiple segments of the market. They dominate in particular segments, for example Hermes and leather bags. Since there is slow industry growth precipitating fights for market share is certain to occur. This may result in a high threat from competitors such as LVMH and Prada. Threat of Entry The threat of entry is low because brand identity and product differentiation has been well established in this industry. In addition, access to distribution channels is limited and the new entrant would be competing with already established channels of distribution for Gucci and others firms. Gucci and other competitors have substantial resources to fight back because they of their monetary resources and could obstruct the new entrant or buy them out.

Richard M. Nixon Biography and Presidency

Richard M. Nixon Biography and Presidency Richard Nixons Childhood and Education: Nixon was born on January 9, 1913 in Yorba Linda, California. He grew up in California in poverty, helping out at his fathers grocery store. He was raised a Quaker. He had two brothers die of tuberculosis. He went to local public schools. He graduated first in his high school class in 1930. he attended Whittier College from 1930-34 and graduated with a history degree. He then went to Duke University Law School and graduated in 1937. He was then admitted to the bar. Family Ties: Nixon was the of  Francis Frank Anthony Nixon, a gas station owner and grocer and  Hannah Milhous, a devout Quaker. He had four brothers.  On June 21, 1940, Nixon married  Thelma Catherine Pat Ryan, a Business Teacher. Together they had two  daughters, Patricia and Julie. Richard Nixons Career Before the Presidency: Nixon began practicing law in 1937. He tried his hand at owning a business which failed before joining the navy to serve in World War II. He rose to become a lieutenant commander and resigned in March, 1946. In 1947, he was elected a U.S. Representative. Then, in 1950 he became a U.S. Senator. He served in that capacity until being elected Vice President under Dwight Eisenhower in 1953. He ran for President in 1960 but lost to John F. Kennedy. He also lost the Governorship of California in 1962. Becoming the President: In 1968, Richard Nixon became the Republican candidate for President with Spiro Agnew as his Vice President. He defeated Democrat Hubert Humphrey and American Independent George Wallace. Nixon received 43% of the popular vote and 301 electoral votes.In 1972, he was the obvious choice for renomination with Agnew as his running mate again. He was opposed by Democrat George McGovern. He won with 61% of the vote and 520 electoral votes. Events and Accomplishments of Richard Nixon’s Presidency: Nixon inherited  the war with Vietnam  and during his time in office, he cut the number of soldiers down from over 540,000 troops to 25,000. By 1972, all U.S. ground combat troops were withdrawn.On April 30, 1970, U.S. and South Vietnamese troops raided Cambodia to try and capture the Communist headquarters. Protests erupted around the nation. The most visible was at Kent State University. Students protesting at the campus were fired on by the Ohio National Guard killing four and wounding nine.In January 1973, a peace treaty was signed whereby all U.S. forces left withdrew from Vietnam, and all prisoners of war were released. Soon after the agreement, however, fighting resumed, and the Communists eventually won.In February 1972,  President Nixon  traveled to China to try and encourage peace and more contact between the two nations. He was the first to visit the country.Acts to protect the environment were huge during Nixons time in office. The  Environmental Protection Agen cy  was created in 1970. On July 20, 1969,  Apollo 11  landed on the moon and man took his first step outside of earth. This fulfilled Kennedys goal to land a man on the moon before the end of the decade.When Nixon ran for reelection, it was discovered that five individuals from the  Committee to Reelect the President  (CREEP) had broken into the Democratic National Headquarters at the  Watergate  business complex. Two reporters for the  Washington Post, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein,  uncovered a massive cover-up  of the break-in. Nixon had installed a taping system and when the Senate asked for tapes recorded during his time in office he refused to hand them over due to  executive privilege. The  Supreme Court  did not agree with him, and he was forced to give them up. The tapes showed that while Nixon was not involved in the break-in he was involved in its cover-up. In the end, Nixon resigned when he was faced with impeachment. He left office on August 9, 1974. Post-Presidential Period: After Richard Nixon resigned on August 9, 1974, he retired to San Clemente, California. In 1974, Nixon was pardoned by President Gerald Ford. In 1985, Nixon mediated a dispute between major league baseball and the umpire association. He traveled extensively. He also provided advice to various politicians including the Reagan administration. He wrote about his experiences and foreign policy. Nixon died on April 22, 1994. Historical Significance: While many important events occurred during Nixons administration including the end of the Vietnam War, his visit to China, and putting a man on the moon, his time was marred by the Watergate Scandal. Faith in the office of the presidency declined with the revelations of this event, and the way that the press dealt with the office changed forever from this time on.

The Most Famous Wildfire Photograph Ever Taken

The Most Famous Wildfire Photograph Ever Taken Some consider the image shown, taken by an observant wildland firefighter, to be one of the most beautiful photographs of both wildfire  and wildlife taking refuge. The photo  was taken on August 6,  2000, by John McColgan who was a fire behavior expert working under a  cooperative agreement with the  Bureau of Land Management (BLM)  and attached to an Alaskan Type I Incident Management Team on a Montana wildfire.​ McColgan says he was at the perfect spot with his Kodak DC280 digital camera when fire conditions and wildlife activity combined to create his image. The pic was saved as just another image file in the new type of digital camera.   McColgan finished his work for the BLM and returned to his home in Fairbanks, Alaska. He could not be found for days after one of those pictures turned viral and spread quickly over the Internet.   One of his elk and fire snapshots has fast become one of the most downloaded environmental photos of wildlife and wildfire on the Internet. Rob Chaney, a  reporter for the  Montana Missoulian  suggested that there were multiple reasons this photo was so great. Here are some of the comments reported:   Best darned elk photo Ive ever seen.Best darned fire photo Ive ever seen.Best darned photo, period, Ive ever seen. From the Official Record The famous photo was taken on a Sunday, in the late evening where several fires burned together near Sula, Montana (population 37) and turned into one large 100,000-acre wildfire. McColgan just happened to be standing on a bridge crossing the East Fork of the  Bitterroot River  in the  Sula  Complex of the  Bitterroot National Forest  in the state of  Montana where he took what is now called his elk bath digital Image. McColgan was employed by the Alaska Fire service and was on loan to Montana and acting as an expert on wildfire behavior. McColgan just happened to be a contract fire analyst with a new camera and took digital pictures of two elk who escaped the fire by wading in the Bitterroot River. No big deal. As a natural resource professional, McColgan understood both wildfire and wildlife.  When asked about the elk, he assured that they know where to go, where their safe zones are...a lot of wildlife did get driven down there to the river. There were some bighorn sheep there. A small deer was standing right underneath me, under the bridge. McColgan completed his assignment and left for home. The Search for McColgan The digital image he took was sent from one person to another person and according to the Montana Missoulian within about 24 hours the elk photo had world-wide-webbed its way across the West. For about a week now, theres been a medium-size manhunt underway across the West. The man everyones been hunting for is John McColgan of Fairbanks. The Nation and the World were sending emails and making phone calls for weeks to find out just who took the images of the wildfire and wildlife. It was the newspaper  Missoulian in Montana who finally solved the mystery and tracked McColgan down. He had indeed been in Montana and was now in Fairbanks attending the birth of his son, where the paper finally found him and where he told reporter Rob Chaney that he had taken the picture. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time.  McColgan confirmed that he had been in fire protection for  years  and that this particular fire ranked in the top three  extreme fire behavior  events he had ever seen.   Rob Chaney in response to the photo wrote that many people have never even seen an elk. Most of those who have, even those whove seen thousands of them, never get to see an image like this. Most people dont get to see a fire like this, either. Thanks to McColgan and Rob Chaney, millions of people have seen this stunning image. McColgans image went viral and eventually was picked as a Time Magazine favorite.

The Term Quality of Goods Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Term Quality of Goods - Case Study Example The major implied terms in contracts of sale are that goods must be in conformity with their description; appropriate for the purpose made known to the seller; should be of satisfactory quality, and the seller should have the right to sell these goods. Under section 13 of the Sale of Goods Act 1979, goods that have not been correctly described can be rejected only in the event of the buyer relying on such description. In contracts specifying the sale of goods by description a condition that these goods have to correspond to the description is inherent by implication. In Beale v Taylor2 the buyer purchased a vehicle after inspection, which had been described by the seller. The court held that this was a sale by description. In Harlingdon & Leinster Enterprises Ltd v Christopher Hull Fine Art Ltd3 a transaction between two art dealers was not considered to be a sale by description as the buyer was competent to rely on his own expertise to assess the value of the painting. In goods sold to a buyer, an implied term exists, which requires that these goods should be appropriate for any purpose that has been made known to the seller.4 Applicability extends to instances where the purpose is express or implied; only when the sale is in the course of business. It does not apply if the buyer decides on his own without relying on the sellers' skill or judgment. Sometimes the goods received, though free of defects, nevertheless, do not serve the purpose for which they had been bought and the seller knew about this fact. In Slater v Finning Ltd5 it was held that if an abnormal feature had not been revealed to the seller a claim under section 14(3) of the SGA would fail.

GAP Inc Strategic Design Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

GAP Inc Strategic Design - Research Paper Example Corporate level strategies are the decision that is being taken by the top executives at the highest level. They are essentially the Managing Director of the board of directors. Once the decisions have been taken, it is then circulated to the various departments of the organization. Organization administrators have certainty about the long haul development capability of the brands and will reaffirm their aim to stretch through topographies and channels including the claim to fame, on the web, outlet, and franchise. The organization is affirming it hopes to begin to franchise Old Navy in 2014 in key worldwide markets. Furthermore, it will consider expanding upon its prosperity with Gap in China by investigating, including organization worked Old Navy and Banana Republic stores in this critical market. Murphy and organization pioneers are examining the chances to proceed with the development of its rising brands – Athleta, Piperlime, and Intermix – in North America. GAP e ssentially plans to build on their product value and hence increase the sales so that they can generate the required revenues. They have a long-term corporate strategy on expanding in the North American Regions. Since there has been a recent drop in the sales of apparel in physical stores, they have shifted their focus to building up an effective digital strategy and have started selling their products online. They have the additional advantage of being a multi-brand outlet with the acquisition of the Banana Republic and Old Navy.

Choose one for me Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Choose one for me - Essay Example From the current federal minimum wage rate of $7.25 an hour, various states have proposed different figures in order to raise the wage rate to a favorable amount (Shemkus 2). One of the bigger challenges in increasing the minimum wage rates is increasing the costs for the employers. Although the initiative ensures that the employees get reasonable payment for their services, it forces the employers to incur huge costs (Jacoby 3). Federal labor statistics reported that about 70% of the minimum wage rate employees work for less than 35 hours a week. This makes their earning to be less thus the increment will give such individuals the opportunities of living decent lives. Left-leaning Economic Policy Institute concluded that, â€Å"by increasing workers’ take-home pay, families gain both financial security and increased abilities to purchase goods and services, thus creating jobs for other Americans.† Nevertheless, the business-backed nonprofit Employment Policies Institute remarked that increasing the minimum wage rate does not lower poverty. Studies indicate that there is no relationship between high wage rates and the reduction of poverty therefore; this initiative might not be used as a way of reducing the poverty rates in various states. According to Shemkus (2-3), further studies have also found the relationship between unemployment and increasing the minimum wage rate. Opponents of increasing the minimum wage rate reiterate that by increasing the minimum wage rates, the employers would be overburdened that they may not hire more workers. This will make it more badly when many people will be unable to be employed. On the other hand, the rise in wage rate is seen as a special move that will enhance the consumer patterns of purchasing. Nonetheless, the consumer goods and services will increase in correspondence to increased minimum wage rates. Studies have indicated that by improving the minimum wage rates, individuals will live

Wide Area Network (WAN)

Wide Area Network (WAN) 1. Abstract WAN Wide Area Network is a communication network that make use of existing technology to connect local area network into a larger working network which may cover both national and international location. Wide Area Network allows a company to make use of common resources in order to operate, internal functions such as sales, production, development, marketing and accounting can be shared with authorized locations through this sort of network application. So thats why it is so important today. In this paper, I am going to demonstrates the techniques required for computer network from technology, architecture, media, protocol and routing algorithm based on the OSI seven layer model. 2. Introduction Bambi Co., Ltd. decided to implement a Wide Area Network between their two site in two different countries. As the network engineer of the company, is responsible to study, plan, design and implementation of a Wide Area Network for connecting two sites local area network. The requirement by the company that made the WAN a necessity are enumerated. The choice of WAN, hardware and the software is explained within the context of the needs of the company. Finally the benefits accruing to the company are identified and determined. 3. Company Background Bambi Co., Ltd. has two sites located in two different countries. Site A, the main office which located in Hong Kong and Site B, a factory which located in Shenzhen, the mainland China. In Site A, there are around 10 client workstations and Site B around 40 client workstations. There are three servers located in Site A, they are the domain server, email server and content management server. Another domain server also located in Site B, it mainly provide the services for Shenzhen users. 4. User requirement 4.1 Functionality On most of the users, their main concern is application available from the network. This including the following matters: 4.1.1 Fast response time Response time is the time between entering a command or keystroke and the execution of the command deliver a response. For users on Bambi Co., Ltd. environment, response time is the response running application or access from/to the servers, transmission of information as well as access to Internet. 4.1.2 High throughput The throughput environment on the company can be expected to be high. It can be expected that the throughput usage on the network will involve many users frequently access to the server and also to the Internet at same time. 4.2 Scalability The WAN implementation is expected to be function for a minimum of 5 years without the needs of upgrade the network equipments or rewiring the horizontal or vertical cable. 4.3 Adaptability The WAN implementation must be flexible enough to meet the demand of ever-growing needs of technologies when they become available. It might included with newer switching technology, more secure or faster router incorporating with new routing protocols and etc. Therefore, the WAN solution should be modular which allow added or swapped new network equipment with a minimum of network downtime. 4.4 Security The information transfer must be protected through the WAN environment. This is very important as to prevent the company data from stolen from their competitors. 4.5 Manageability The WAN implementation must be manageable and able to monitor by the network administrator. 4.6 Reliability Reliability of the WAN is important. The WAN must include fault-tolerance function and elements to give the stability of the network to reduce any unnecessary network downtime. 5. WAN solution 5.1 Regional Private Network Service Provider: Pacnet Type: MPLS VPN Bandwidth: 2Mbps Description: Connect between Bambi Co., Ltd. Site A and B 5.1.1 Introducing of MPLS and architecture MPLS stands for Multiprotocol Label Switching. It has been around for several years. It is standardized by IETF. (The Internet Engineering Task Force) Why multiprotocol? Since at the OSI 7 layer model, it operates between the layer 2 (Data Link Layer) and the layer 3 (Network Layer), so it often view as a 2.5 layer protocol. Conventional data packets are routed based on IP address and other information in the header. MPLS simplifies the forwarding function by taking a total different approach by introducing a connection oriented mechanism inside the connectionless IP network. Label switching indicates that the packets switched are no longer IPv4 or IPv6 packets and even Layer 2 frames when switched, but they are labeled. Below showing the MPLS header format. First 20-bits: Label value 20 22 bits: Three Experimental (EXP) bits, use for quality of service (QoS) 23 bit: Bottom of Stack (Bos) bit, 1 for bottom label, 0 otherwise 24 to 31 bits: Time To Live (TTL) 5.1.2 MPLS components and operation MPLS network comprise the following elements: Label Edge Router (LER): Router placed at the edge of the MPLS network Label Switching Router (LSR): MPLS capable router Label Switch Path (LSP): An ordered sequence of LSRs Label Distribution Protocol (LDP): Set of procedures by which LSRs establish LSPs In MPLS network, an optimal path is firstly determine and tag. When packets enter the MPLS network, the input router and switch uses the layer 3 header to assign the packets to one of this predetermine path. MPLS using a label stacking process to better handle the traffic. A label is attached to the end to end path information in the packet. The label together with the data packet as it cross the network. All other routers along the path use the label to determine the next hop address instead of the IP address. Since this device only operates on the information in the label, processor-intensive analysis and classification of the layer 3 header occur only at the entrance to the network. This remove much of the overhead used in the network and therefore, speed up the overall processing of data. 5.1.3 MPLS Protocols MPLS use 2 protocols to establish the LSP, they are: MPLS Routing protocol Distribute topology information only. Interior gateway protocol such as OSPF, IS-, BGP-4 is normally use. MPLS Signaling protocol Information for program the switching fabric. RSVP-TE and LDP is used. 5.1.4 MPLS VPN MPLS Virtual Private Networks (VPN) is the most popular and widespread implementation of MPLS technology. A VPN provide communication at OSI layer 2 or 3. VPN is protected by strong encryption. In general, the data travel across the VPN is not visible and encapsulated. MPLS is well suited for VPN because of its characteristics. 5.2 Internet Connection Service Provider: Pacnet Type: SHDSL Bandwidth: 4Mbps downstream/4Mbps upstream Description: Applied at Site A. By the way, the WAN connection will be allowed the Internet share with Site B office. In order to fulfill both sites demand, Single High Speed Digital Subscriber Line (SHDSL) has chosen. SHDSL is one of the DSL family technology. Similar with other SDSL service, the upstream and downstream data rates are equal. One of its advantage of SHDSL is its high symmetric data rates with guaranteed bandwidth and low interference. In Bambi Co., Ltd. a 4M/4M speed line is using for their Internet connection. 6. Ethernet Standard CAT 6 (Category 6) twisted-pair UTP is using under Bambi Co., Ltd. LAN environment. Its Gigabit Ethernet cable standard which bandwidth up to 400MHz and over a range of 100 m. It meet up the ANSI/TIA-568-B.2-1 performance specification. 7. Network Environment Overview 7.1 Entire Network Diagram 7.2 Hardware/Software description 7.3 Network configuration 7.3.1 Protocol and LAN segments With the popularity of the Internet, TCP/IP become the most popular protocol. In Bambi Co., Ltd. only TCP/IP protocol allowed to be implement on the network environment. All servers and desktop PCs located on Site A and B will have static addresses, while notebook PCs will obtain addresses by utilizing Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP). IPv4 will be chosen as the type. Compare with IPv6, IPv4 had been around for many years, there are much more hardware and software supports. 8. Security The following is the security arrangement for protect companys data: 8.1 Authentication Each staff sign an individual login id for access their workstation and server resource like the email. The password establishes complexity level with minimum length of 5 characters. The password will enforce change every 3 months. 8.2 Authorization Only some authorize staffs with Internet connection. This prevent the data disclose by FTP, web mail or any online storage. 8.3 Audit The email server is able to keep logging which allow the administrative staff trace whether any company important data disclose by email. 8.4 Monitor The firewall and switch are able to monitor the network for suspicious activity. For example, if the firewall detect heavy traffic or overload session, it will send email alert to the network administrator. 8.5 Virus Protection Some kind of computer virus will steal infected computers data. So every servers and client workstations has install a memory resident antivirus software for protection. The UMT firewall also provide gateway antivirus function which prevent virus from the layer 2 level. 8.6 Encryption The MPLS VPN deployed to be high security network tunnel. The data transmit between site A and B office with strong encryption. 9. Conclusion In the user requirement chapter, 6 requirements were outlined. We summarize the benefits from applying the MPLS as below: 9.1 Functionality No performance bottleneck of CPE VPN devices Reduced network latency Guaranteed SLA (Service level agreement) for time critical applications Supports the delivery of services with QoS (Quality of service) guarantees 9.2 Scalability Highly scalable since no site to site peering is required and reconfiguration of VPN devices. 9.3 Adaptability Multiple connection type and bandwidth selection (e.g. ATM, Metro Ethernet, Broadband, etc.) 9.4 Security Private network completely isolated from Internet. 9.5 Manageability Customer is able to complete control their own routing. 9.6 Reliability Enable fast restoration from failures The network design presented here meets all those objectives. Both for today and in the future. 10. Reference Rosen, E., Viswanathan, A. and Callon, R. (2001) Multiprotocol Label Switching Architecture, IETF Documents, [Online] Available from: http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc3031, [accessed on 07/03/10] PACNET 2010: Pacnet Domestic IP VPN Available on: http://hk.pacnet.com/network/domestic-ip-vpn/, [accessed on 13/03/10] Bates, R. (2002) Broadband Telecommunications Handbook. 2nd edition. McGraw-Hill Professional, Columbus. Guichard, B. PepeInjak, I. and Apcar, J. (2003) MPLS and VPN Architectures, Volume II. Cisco Press, Indiana. Ghein, L. (2007) MPLS Fundamentals. Cisco Press, Indiana. Jamison, S. Cardarelli, M. and Hanley, S. (2007) Essential SharePoint 2007. Pearson Education, Inc., Boston.