Artificial Inteligence Essay Example For Students

Fake Inteligence Essay Computerized reasoning: Can Small Insect Like Robots Rule the AI World?The Question that I propose is: Can creepy crawly like robots perform undertakings better than that of some other style of robot? I will demonstrate to you that the appropriate response is truly, obviously they can! With their boss soundness and a lot less disadvantages that bigger wheeled robots the legged creepy crawlies can out perform even the most capably figuring machines in numerous undertakings. The uses of these robots are just restricted by our creative mind. Numerous individuals accept that man-made brainpower and robots should just be for careless and monotonous errands, or for hazardous however clear endeavors (Economist 83). Yet, as human comprehension and knowledge of PC frameworks and innovation advances the possibility of man-made brainpower turns out to be to a greater extent a reality rather than a dream. At this moment a PC can be an intermediary, a chess champion, and a helpful searcher of cli nical data. What's more, numerous individuals and projects are changing that with their a far cry by really giving the machine detects like a database of information and sight and sound in the types of a camera and an amplifier separately. In one case a robot can detect hunger by settling on a choice when it is coming up short on fuel to decide to refuel before it finishes its assignment that has been planned. It might need to refuel on various occasions before the assignment is finished. The choice can even be made producing into results the separation it is away from a refueling station (Economist 84). This is one motivation behind why a little creepy crawly like robot could be increasingly valuable, since it could be progressively effective and versatile to the main job. A great part of the mechanical technology network accepts that a robot should be immense in size and programming to be helpful in anything. However, a considerable lot of those kinds of robots could just mover across smooth surfaces like floors or streets for it to be steady and get no opportunity of it harming itself by spilling. The main way that robots could move where people could, was to create legs. In any case, legs could be insecure making the robot fall, which concerned numerous individuals. Be that as it may, it wouldnt be a worry if the robot was the size of a bug since creepy crawlies tumble down constantly and they appear to in any case get around alright (Waldrop 963). Huge numbers of these little robots have been produced for clinical treatment since some are imperceptible to the unaided eye. They can be anything from siphons to help work a counterfeit pancreas to help with diabetes; another could help with intracellular medical procedure and even decay after its under taking is finished. In science the microbots could be utilized to move singular cells around in a petri dish (Thro 81). As I said before the conceivable outcomes are just restricted by our minds. A portion of these extremely little robots are really adjusted PC chips that are minuscule to the point that the exploit the piezoelectric impact which straightforwardly changes over electrical vitality into mechanical vitality. This impact isn't valuable in typical size models however in the microbots it tends to be exceptionally helpful (Researcher 993). One microbot named Genghis has been a wonder of building. With just basic orders the robot demonstrations intuitively to walk, turn, and hop similarly as though it were loaded with life. As Genghis strolls over impediments it keeps its equalization by pulling legs in and out even as it strolls forward. In the event that the robot doesnt lift its leg sufficiently high to address a roadblock it naturally pulls it back and afterward lifts it a second time just higher than the first (Waldrop 963). .u8158cd3cf17b03b11acea2df356735a4 , .u8158cd3cf17b03b11acea2df356735a4 .postImageUrl , .u8158cd3cf17b03b11acea2df356735a4 .focused content territory { min-tallness: 80px; position: relative; } .u8158cd3cf17b03b11acea2df356735a4 , .u8158cd3cf17b03b11acea2df356735a4:hover , .u8158cd3cf17b03b11acea2df356735a4:visited , .u8158cd3cf17b03b11acea2df356735a4:active { border:0!important; } .u8158cd3cf17b03b11acea2df356735a4 .clearfix:after { content: ; show: table; clear: both; } .u8158cd3cf17b03b11acea2df356735a4 { show: square; change: foundation shading 250ms; webkit-progress: foundation shading 250ms; width: 100%; obscurity: 1; progress: darkness 250ms; webkit-change: haziness 250ms; foundation shading: #95A5A6; } .u8158cd3cf17b03b11acea2df356735a4:active , .u8158cd3cf17b03b11acea2df356735a4:hover { mistiness: 1; progress: murkiness 250ms; webkit-progress: haziness 250ms; foundation shading: #2C3E50; } .u8158cd3cf17b03b11acea2df356735a4 .focused content region { width: 100%; position: re lative; } .u8158cd3cf17b03b11acea2df356735a4 .ctaText { fringe base: 0 strong #fff; shading: #2980B9; text dimension: 16px; textual style weight: intense; edge: 0; cushioning: 0; text-design: underline; } .u8158cd3cf17b03b11acea2df356735a4 .postTitle { shading: #FFFFFF; text dimension: 16px; text style weight: 600; edge: 0; cushioning: 0; width: 100%; } .u8158cd3cf17b03b11acea2df356735a4 .ctaButton { foundation shading: #7F8C8D!important; shading: #2980B9; outskirt: none; outskirt range: 3px; box-shadow: none; text dimension: 14px; textual style weight: striking; line-stature: 26px; moz-outskirt span: 3px; text-adjust: focus; text-enrichment: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-stature: 80px; foundation: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/modules/intelly-related-posts/resources/pictures/straightforward arrow.png)no-rehash; position: supreme; right: 0; top: 0; } .u8158cd3cf17b03b11acea2df356735a4:hover .ctaButton { foundation shading: #34495E!important; } .u8158cd3cf17b03b 11acea2df356735a4 .focused content { show: table; stature: 80px; cushioning left: 18px; top: 0; } .u8158cd3cf17b03b11acea2df356735a4-content { show: table-cell; edge: 0; cushioning: 0; cushioning right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-adjust: center; width: 100%; } .u8158cd3cf17b03b11acea2df356735a4:after { content: ; show: square; clear: both; } READ: A Modern Macbeth EssayThe beneficiary to Genghis is being prototyped to be a blemishes wanderer that can stroll over the surface like a six-legged bug effectively gathering information with its instruments on its three-kilogram outline. In any case, the fundamental bit of leeway to the little robot is that at a similar cost as a strong portable robot you could put several bunches of the little robots; every one of them conveying various instruments so that on the off chance that one bombed you would at present have all the more left to take perceptions. Another bit of leeway of the six legged robot would be that on the off chance that it fell topsy turvy its legs and instruments could pivot 180 degrees to ceremony the robot with the goal that it could move along (Waldrop 966). The vision of robots with the looks, likenesses, and the mastery of the human body is a far cry away from the real world. Numerous new advancements despite everything must be created to accomplish this objective despite the fact that some are set up presently. Mechanical autonomy as a rule has far to move before it can have a radical grasp on the term man-made consciousness. The zone that is as yet demonstrating the most guarantee is the universe of microbots and bug like bots that can explore unpleasant territory with deftness, and even can act naturally. The zone that shows the most guarantee for these bots is in the clinical fields which could utilize a portion of these instruments as extremely exact devices. Works CitedArtificial Intelligence-Are researchers near making a machine that thinks? CQ Researcher 7 (1997) : 985-1008. Kanade, Takeo. New advances and applications in mechanical autonomy. Correspondences of the ACM 37.3 (1994) : 58-72. Not shrewd enough: will insightful humanoid robots ever exist? The Economist 339.79 (1996) : 81-87. Thro, Ellen., ed. Apply autonomy: the marriage of PCs and machines. Waldrop, M. Mitchell. Quick, modest, and crazy. Science 248.4958 (1990) : 959-68.

Marketing Energy Drinks to Americas Youth Essay

As I began gathering data for this paper, I before long understood that the caffeinated drink industry is a little (18 percent) some portion of the refreshment business, yet an extremely prevailing part no doubt. Strangely, the significant players in the business, Monster Energy, Red Bull, and Rockstar, have deliberately veered away from the traditional mediums used to advance items. They rather have picked promoting mediums that intrigue more to their objective markets and the â€Å"live life on the edge† ways of life that they live. Beast for instance, avoids mass market promoting; rather they concentrate the entirety of their business endeavors and advertising muscle on supporting activity sports competitors, craftsmen and melodic, occasions and visits. The entirety of this connects to the company’s generally speaking way of thinking that Monster isn’t only a refreshment, yet a way of life brand (Landi). â€Å"The key is for us (Monster) to hold what we excel at, which is showcasing in a capricious way and save that vibe for the brand,† said Rodney Sacks, CEO of Hansen Natural Corp. â€Å"Monster is about activity sports, underground rock music, celebrating, young ladies, and living on the edge† (Landi). The organizations that produce caffeinated drinks are utilizing the present prominence of activity sports, for example, motocross, skateboarding, BMX, and so on , to feature their items and to additionally mark mindfulness. It’s not unintentional that the segment that takes part in these games and worships its expert competitors are additionally a similar segment that devours caffeinated drinks. You’ll see not very many TV plugs or print advertisements advancing caffeinated drinks yet when you turn on the ESPN delivered X-Games, pretty much every competitor partaking is supported by Red Bull, Monster, or Rockstar. John Lee, executive of sports advertising for Monster Energy Drink says, â€Å"We don’t do print advertisements or TV. We carefully have advanced our image through competitors and the occasions that the competitors contend in. † With our present age (Gen †Y) of youthful Americans being the first to truly grow up with the Web, it is significant for marketeers to grasp the utilization of the web as a crucial showcasing apparatus and correspondence medium (Ness). â€Å"This bunch has a ton of lifetime in front of them and that makes their Lifetime Value (LTV) high for marketers,† says Greg Ness, Chief Strategy Officer, Burst Media. Ness rushed to bring up that, â€Å"one-third of current understudies burn through at least 10 hours online every week and one-fifth go through 20 hours or increasingly on the web. † Ness finishes up, â€Å"Their time online surpasses the measure of time they are spending staring at the TV or tuning in to the radio. † Monster has as of late beginning utilizing the web as a selecting/showcasing device of sorts when they presented the â€Å"Monster Army. † The Army is a â€Å"grassroots advertising effort network that likewise situates best in class competitors looking for sponsorship opportunities† (Campanelli). In the previous barely any years, in excess of 50,000 competitors (initiates) have joined as individuals from the Monster Army where more than 1,000 of them are as of now supported through the program. â€Å"It’s been a fruitful program, our Army individuals are out there getting the message out about our items, telling ten of their companions who thus tell ten of their companions, it’s a snowball effect† (Lee). Likewise Monster has additionally as of late declared a selective relationship with the Loop’d Network, an internet based life stage only for online games networks. The Loop’d Network right now flaunts in excess of 200,000 individuals around the world (Campanelli). The historical backdrop of caffeinated drinks is a lot further than most would envision. Japan is credited for spearheading the caffeinated drink marvel, however the main mass created caffeinated drink was called Lucozade, and was propelled in 1929, in the UK (Research Wikis). It wasn’t until Red Bull, which was first propelled in 1987, and acquainted the United States with the universe of caffeinated drinks 10 years after the fact that the caffeinated drink industry truly took off (Reuters). Red Bull may have had the principal huge effect available in 1997, yet Monster, propelled in 2002, by Hansen Natural Corp. has obviously established a solid connection with the market. With its underlying piece of the overall industry of 12 percent in 2003, Monster presently has a 30 percent hang available while Red Bull keeps up 25 percent (Reuters). Past depictions of caffeinated drinks were generally all negative as caffeinated drinks are not managed by the FDA and most contain a lot of sugar, sodium, and caffeine, in addition to other things. A few brands and flavors have a caffeine content that can extend from an unobtrusive 50 mg. to a disturbing 505 mg. per can (Reissig). For instance, a 8. 3 oz. jar of Red Bull contains 76 mg. of caffeine which is about twice what a 12 oz.can of Coke contains (LeBlanc). A 16 oz. jar of Monster contains around 14 teaspoons of sugar and 200 calories (LeBlanc). So what are these â€Å"negative† vitality boosting drinks doing to our bodies? An ongoing report done by Wayne State University in Detroit demonstrated that utilization of caffeinated drinks expanded pulse and pulse levels in solid grown-ups that drank two jars every day (LeBlanc). With those negative viewpoints there must be something acceptable in caffeinated drinks. There is a not insignificant rundown of gainful fixings that can be found in a large portion of the caffeinated drinks available today. They incorporate; nutrient B-complex, cell reinforcement nutrients C and E, the amino corrosive taurine, honey bee dust, inositol, glucuronolactone, and home grown concentrates from ginseng, guarana, ginkgo biloba, horny goat weed, milk thorn, yerba mate, damiana, rosemary, skullcap, dark seed, illustrious jam, and white willow, among others (Berry). The general advantages that caffeinated drinks are said to deliver incorporate pressure help, calming impacts, an improved love life, expanded endurance, more honed reflexes, uplifted readiness, virility, and they’ll invigorate your digestion (Berry). The segment that caffeinated drink organizations are after is fairly wide. While their main buyer fits the depiction of a youthful white male between the ages of 16 to 25, caffeinated drink organizations are expanding their showcasing skylines and are presently taking a gander at men, ladies, and youngsters between the ages of 12 and 40 (LeBlanc). â€Å"Younger kids see drinking caffeinated drinks as something their folks would object of,† says Jim Karwowski of Power Brands. A market that still can't seem to be completely taken advantage of is the female buyer. While the quantity of female purchasers has grown 74 percent in the course of the most recent five years, ladies are as yet considered the minority populace with regards to vitality consumers. Just about 20 percent of men state they drink caffeinated drinks while just 10 percent of ladies state they do (Francella). I’ll be utilizing data assembled from various distinctive research papers just as reports delivered from drink industry insiders to prove my discoveries on the showcasing strategies being utilized to draw America’s youth into turning out to be steadfast buyers. Strategy: During this investigation I coded 60 magazines. I inspected issues of Racer X Illustrated and Motocross Action Magazine searching for advertisements from caffeinated drink organizations. My objective was to discover print advertisements legitimately from the caffeinated drink organizations themselves that advanced their item. When found (whenever discovered), I would assess what the advertisement was about and what segment the promotion was focusing on. I watched and coded 10 TV ads (by means of YouTube) trying to make sense of if the messages indicated were coordinated towards a specific market. The main â€Å"corporate made† TV plugs I had the option to discover were from Red Bull and Rockstar. I found an assortment of custom made Monster advertisements yet none that would have been embraced by the corporate office. With Red Bull, four of the advertisements were vivified and four were of Red Bull supported competitors. The two Rockstar plugs were based around music, one having a progressively hallucinogenic look while the other had a guitar player helping an abandoned lady. My objective here was to assess what the promotions were about and what segment the advertisements was expected for. I checked on and coded four sites, three from caffeinated drink organizations and one from an activity sports advancement organization. My target while assessing these locales was to perceive what gatherings of individuals, regardless of whether it was men or ladies, and what age extend was the data expected for. I found a huge measure of data to dismember and code from organizations that are inside the drink business. These are organizations that do item surveys, advertise investigation, and item presentations, in addition to other things. Two normal messages that I more than once found in these articles spun around school kids utilizing caffeinated beverages to blend in with liquor and the general maltreatment of caffeinated drinks. My target here was to get a thought of what number of school kids can be categorized as one of these two gatherings. In spite of the fact that my alternatives were constrained because of an absence of documentation from other scholarly analysts, I had the option to discover, assess, and code data from four other scholastic research papers. I had the option to discover these archives after a thorough pursuit utilizing Lexis Nexis, Psychinfo, and the Social Science Citation Index through the Joyner Library. I went over a tremendous stock of other scholarly research papers that depended on comparative subjects, however to access more than the primary section I would have needed to pursue memberships and pay charges. I’m trusting that my frugalness won't adversely sway my evaluation and expectation the data that I had the option to acquire and assess will fulfill the prerequisites of this paper. While assessing and coding the various mediums I took a gander at the general tone of the material. Was the tone brutal and intense, which would potentially be coordinated more towards school matured guys? Was the to

Inbox Minimalism

Inbox Minimalism There is a strange desire for more within our culture. More apps. More programs. More devices. More ways to pay. More places to subscribe. As a connected society, we are constantly being offered more and increasingly specialized products. Having a camera app isnt enough. We want a camera app specifically for taking pictures of documents. Having a PDF reader isnt enough. We want a special app that can scroll the PDF and read it out loud. Having a text editing app isnt enough. We want a minimalist distraction-free writing space that plays meditation chimes in the background and has customizable keyboard sounds. Okay, that last one might be an exaggeration, but you get the point: were faced with an ever-expanding field of digital things to have. While it can be highly valuable to find just the right tool for the job, we get distracted by the very process of looking. We spend hours reading websites dedicated to telling us about new great things. Yet after all this searching, Ive come away with a dramatically opposite conclusion: Use less technology to accomplish more things. If youre a regular reader at The Minimalists, you dont need me to tell you that less can often be more. Less possessions means less things to break and replace, less to buy, and more money saved. A smaller house or apartment means less time cleaning and maintaining, more time to pursue your passions. In everyday life, we hear the phrase less is more so often that its become cliche. But the number of people who actually live a less is more lifestyle are few and far between. Of course, when it comes to paring down, some areas of our lives are a lot easier to address than others. Getting rid of the majority of your possessions is difficult due to the emotional connections we have with our things. Theres one area that I think is relatively untapped, in which adopting a more minimalist mentality isnt too difficult, and offers huge gains in the form of time savings, and stress reduction. That area? Email. Think about it: For most of us, our email inboxes are the epicenter of our lives. Personal and professional communication all mixed up in a stew of disorganization. The newest things are on top. Older things are pushed to the bottom or onto the next page, with no regard for importance. Most are things that dont require immediate actionâ€"things we could read later, file for reference, or delete right off the bat. Before I addressed this problem in my own life, the volume of email I received created the perfect opportunity to procrastinate. I could avoid responding to the more important messages by cleaning up and moving around the unimportant ones. The task of maintaining my inbox took precedence over actually taking action, as critical items would get pushed down the page and I would deal with the junk that just kept flowing in on top. This task was complicated by the fact that I had both personal and professional emails all flowing into the same place with no system for determining which was which. The solution to my problem only came after I realized that I didnt need any other product, app, or gadget to solve it. The tools that I needed were already built into the mail program I use (Gmail), and I only needed to learn how to use them to create a better system. The basis of my system is what Gmail refers to as filters. A filter is a set of actions that you tell Gmail to enact when it finds a message that matches specific criteria. If you get a message like X, do Y to it. Simple, but powerful. Over the course of years of experimenting and trying things out, I developed a system that keeps my inbox automatically organized. The changes Ive experienced as a result have been what you might expect: Of the time I spend dealing with email, I spend the majority of it writing or responding to important messages. I spend a small fraction of it actually organizing or finding the important things. They are automatically called out and highlighted before I ever open my inbox. Gmail is by far the most popular mail service out there, but do you think that most people using it have created a system that organizes their email? Doubtful. Whats holding you back? Just like getting rid of your possessions, deciding what email is important and what email isnt forces you to choose. You do have to let go of certain things and decide they are less critical than others. Its this process of letting go that people often have trouble with. Some of the things I ultimately decided I could let go were all social media email notifications, nearly all email newsletters, all deal or coupon notifications, and all message board notification. This list may be a starting point for youâ€"the point is that every person must decide for themselves what they are willing to forgo seeing at the top of their inbox, in order to gain more clarity and focus on what they define as important. But where to begin? Focus on whats important. Create a folder or just use the star in Gmail to start collecting samples of messages that you find are important. Do this over the course of 1 or 2 weeks, and you will soon have a good sampling of what should be high priority in your inbox. Now you can look through them and determine how youll teach Gmail to treat the message. Is it from a specific person? Certain domain? Specific subject? Does it have an attachment? These are all criteria that can be used when you create your filters and teach your inbox to organize itself. Im sure you know someone who keeps every single message in their inbox. They never move things into folders, they never delete anything. They never organize. And they defend their systemâ€"they dont want to change because they see no need to. They are happy living with an overflowing email inbox, just like other people are happy living in a house stuffed to the gills with things they never use, or a smartphone overflowing with apps. In my own life, Ive found that my inbox minimalism rippled into my business and personal live. The time it took me to respond to important things decreased, and everybody was happier as a result. Less email, truly became more time. At the end of the day, the choice is yours on what, if anything, you decide to implement. I promise positive effects of your efforts will be felt in and outside your email inbox. If you find value in The Minimalists, consider donating a dollar.

The Effects Of Video Games On Society - 2274 Words

Video Games often receive a lot of bad press; this is because they are so easy to blame for the wrong doings by many individuals; but do video games really negatively impact society? The rapid development of computer games is having a massive impact on society; the effects can be seen as both positive and negative; one thing is certain- that the impact is greatly increasing as gaming technology improves and games get more immersive/realistic. Parental Concerns: The realism of these games are starting to raise questions of whether it is safe for people to be playing them, parents are getting worried about his/her child playing excessive amounts of these games, as gaming brings a whole host of problems to family life. The first problem is gaming addiction- many people believe this is a joke, but gaming addiction is real (however it is yet to be classed as a medical problem) and it is estimated that over 1000 people living in the UK suffer from it(2). â€Å"Gaming addiction is the excessive or compulsive use of video games that interferes with a person’s everyday life†. Symptoms of gaming addiction are as follows: †¢ Most non- school/work hours are spent on video games †¢ Insomnia (inability to sleep) †¢ Lying about video game use †¢ Being irritable when not playing a video game. These aren’t just the only symptoms, there are also physical symptoms, and these are: †¢ Carpel Tunnel Syndrome †¢ Sleep Disturbances †¢ Backaches or neck aches †¢ Headaches †¢ Dry Eyes Gaming addiction is aShow MoreRelatedVideo Games And Its Effects On Society1463 Words   |  6 Pages Movies, video games, music and television shows come in different genres. However, depending on age in regards to youth not just anyone is allowed to: watch certain movies, buy just any video game, listen to any music or watch any tv show. Sometimes they can see certain movies with a parent or guardian. Seeing violence in excess causes violent acts to take place in society because it gives ideas to viewers or listeners especially those who are young. This the reason there are ratings for mediaRead MoreVideo Games And Its Effect On Society Essay1380 Words   |  6 Pagesthe 1970’s, video games in America have been controversial. Currently around 97% of America s children play video games in some form; from home consoles such as Xbox, to personal computers and mobile games on smartphones, even in an educational form, video games are nearly everywhere and bringing in big money. Around $21 billion is being funneled into a domestic video game industry. But what are these kids viewing when playing video games and how does that affect their role in society? A commonRead MoreThe Effects Of Video Games On Society1274 Words   |  6 PagesViolence in video games can affect ones mindset in so many different ways, where we don’t even realize it. For example playing â€Å"Grand Theft Auto† for a few hours will change your mindset. Even though it wouldn’t be in a tremendous way, but for a few minutes your mindset will think, â€Å"This game is so much fun, I want to steal cars, have police chase me, shoot at people, even steal helicopters†. According to Social scientists in the New York Times, Many studies have shown that this is becoming a majorRead MoreVideo Games And Its Effect On Society1525 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"The reason why people find it so enjoyable is that games are usually the right degree of challenging and the player takes an active role (unlike watching television) so there is an incentive to achieve† (Gee) . Ever since video games were invented there was an immediate attachment and an unwillingness to release them. They present chances to accomplish things one may not be able to do in their life, and provides an escape from reality. Video games also imprint and teach new skills to the gamers whoRead MoreVideo Games And Its Effect On Society980 Words   |  4 PagesAs a growing medium, video games are often associated with various negative connotations that have obfuscated its positive contributions made to society. As a result, the general public is unaware of how video games have shaped modern-day, some even consider it a meaningless teenager pastime, but this is distant from reality. Video games are important to society at large because they do not serve for entertainment purposes only, they are a major force in the economy, scientific research, and militaryRead MoreVideo Games And Its Effects On Society1588 Words   |  7 PagesSince the creation of Spacewar in spring of 1962, vi deo games have dramatically improved along with technology. It has become the most popular way of entertainment in modern civilization, but it also has become a subject of public concern regarding to its negative effects on peoples psychological and physical problems, especially in children and teens. Video games are now recognized by a study as an addiction according to the journal Psychological Science: â€Å"Researchers used data on 1,200 childrenRead MoreVideo Games And Its Effects On Society2285 Words   |  10 PagesFrom the inception of Pong to the latest chapter of the video game series Assassin’s Creed, virtual gaming has been scorned and shunned as a detriment to society. Older generations speculate that incessant gaming in young children insinuates violence, antipathy, lack of creative initiative, and develops an unhealthy isolation from the real world. However, in recent years, these postulates have been put to the test; a number of scientists have conducted ex perimentation in order to discover whetherRead MoreThe Effects Of Video Game On Society1466 Words   |  6 PagesFor generations games have been an important part of our culture. Many of these games center on war and strategic tactics. Boys and girls have played soldier, Cowboys and Indians, Monopoly, or Chess . Through games such as these the future men and women of society learned strategy and the consequences of controlling and restraining themselves because their actions had consequences. However with the invention of the computer high definition graphics, these games, and many others have been createdRead MoreThe Effects Of Video Games On The Society859 Words   |  4 PagesAccording to a U.S Study by Rideout Et Al (As Cited in Anderson Bushman 2001.a), the popularity of video games is rapidly increasing. In a U.S study by Butchman Funk (As Cited in Anderson Bushman 2001.b), Around 60 percent of 4th grade girls prefer violent games and about 3 out of every 4 boys with a similar age also prefer ferocious ones. This essay will argue that violence in video games should be censored. For the purpose of this essay, violence can be defined as the physical force intendedRead MoreVideo Games And Its Effect On Society1298 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction During the advent of video games, the world was taken by storm, as this new type of entertainment caught the attention and imagination of the populace; but as this attention grew, concern and scrutiny weren’t far behind. Controversy finally got its chance in the 1990s, when games finally upgraded to 16-bit, giving them the ability to depict realistic blood and gore in games like Moral Kombat; which was criticized for excessive violence, a reason Congress used to create the Entertainment

Hamlet, By William Shakespeare - 992 Words

In Williams Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, tells a story of Hamlet who seeks revenge against his father’s murderer, who ends up being his uncle, King Claudius. In order to avenge his father’s death Hamlet believes he would need to distract the kingdom from them knowing what he is up to. Hamlet says to Horatio: â€Å"To put an antic disposition on† (Act.1, SC.5, Ln.171). By this statement Hamlet is letting Horatio know that he will pretend to go mad. Nevertheless, his false madness leads to him killing Polonius, who is the father of his lover Ophelia. Ophelia ends up going crazy after knowing her father was killed by Hamlet. Hamlet’s and Ophelia’s madness are both caused by their father’s death. However, Hamlet only pretends to be mad, while Ophelia goes insane. What better distraction than to let the people of the kingdom believe that love is the reason for Hamlets madness. Hamlet creates a distraction by letting Polonius believe that his love for Ophelia had caused him to go mad. Ophelia tells her father Polonius about the incident with Hamlet. She mentions â€Å"Lord Hamlet with his doublet all unbraced/ To Speak of horrors- he comes before me† (Act 2, SC.1, Ln. 77-83). This demonstrated how Hamlet looked crazy when he showed up in Ophelia’s chamber. Hamlet had his jacket unlaced and had an insane look on his face. The reason for his crazy appearances is because he needed to convince Ophelia that he is not the same Hamlet she knows of. In order for his plan to work he needed the kingShow MoreRelatedHamlet, By William Shakespeare880 Words   |  4 PagesWilliam Shakespeare is praised as the pioneering English poet and playwright whose collection of theatrical works is regarded as the greatest artistic value throughout the history of English literature. Shakespeare delved into the spiritual and mental component of humanity and the consequences that arise from this human spirit when it is disputed. The most famous revenge tragedy play, Hamlet, is an excellent illustration of Shakespeare’s philosophical study of human nature. In Hamlet, the arguableRead MoreHamlet, By William Shakespeare899 Words   |  4 PagesWilliam Shakespeare, author of Hamlet, was a well-known author in the 1500s and is still popular today. He was born on April 24, 1564 in London, England. Although there were no birth records at that time, it shows he was baptized one year prior to that, which leads us to believe his birthday was in 1564 because children were normally baptized a year after their birth. Shakespeare’s writing style was very different than others at that time. He used many metaphors and rhetorical phrases, and most ofRead MoreHamlet, By William Shakespeare996 Words   |  4 PagesHamlet, written by William Shakespeare, with out a doubt holds the most famous soliloquy in English history spoken by Hamlet in Act III, scene i, lines 57-90. This soliloquy holds much importance to the play as a whole because it ties together the reoccurring themes of suicide and Hamlet’s inaction portrayed by Shakespeare. Hamlet poses a problem, which is the driving force of the play: â€Å"To be or not to be?†(III.i.57). Shakespeare uses this logical question asked by Hamlet to drive out his underlyingRead MoreHamlet, By William Shakespeare1178 Words   |  5 Pages In William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, the protagonist suffers from struggles with major characters, especially with the women in his life. While reading the play Hamlet, Hamlet appears to be a disillusioned man. Throughout the play, Shakespeare has only casted two females: Gertrude and Ophelia. Gertrude is defined to be incestuous, naà ¯ve and cold-hearted. On the other side, Ophelia is characterized to be ignorant, innocent and fearful. After the quick marriage of his mother and evil uncle, Hamlet’sRead MoreHamlet, By William Shakespeare1308 Words   |  6 PagesHamlet is arguably one of the greatest tragedies in all of literature and when most people think of tragic plays, they think of none other than the one who wrote it, William Shakespeare. This classic story of revenge excites it’s readers with its main character, Prince Hamlet, who goes through the unique human-like process of revenge that is often overlooked. Many other stories rely heavily on the logi c of good people doing good things and bad people doing bad things just for the sake of their natureRead MoreHamlet, By William Shakespeare Essay1453 Words   |  6 PagesHamlet by William Shakespeare explores many aspects of mankind--death, betrayal, love, and mourning. Out of these, the most prominent theme in this play is death in the form of suicide. The main character, Hamlet, finds himself questioning the quality of life and the uncertainty of the afterlife once he discovers news of his father s death and the corruption in the kingdom that follows. Ophelia, Hamlet’s lover, is found dead later in the plot and is presumed to have committed suicide. In Hamlet’sRead MoreHamlet, By William Shakespeare1146 Words   |  5 PagesA character so complex, enticing and fascinating, his name is Hamlet. We are all Hamlet, and that, is the argument. Hamlet is an enigmatic character with many flaws. These flaws are the ones that prove similarities between us and him. A play so popular and significant is due to its huge relevance to us as a society. In the play Hamlet, William Shakespeare uses Hamlet’s character and metaphor to demonstrate that when one is left alone to their thoughts, these thoughts overtake reason. ConsequentlyRead MoreHamlet by William Shakespeare1456 Words   |  6 PagesThe play Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, takes place in a time where the impossible was a part of the lives of everyday people. Occurrences that people in the modern time would believe unbelievable. Yet, with just a quill and parchment Shakespeare’s is able to connect the past and present by weaving a plot with skill that is still unparalleled to this day. The play Hamlet this exceeds this expectation by revealing depth of Hamlets, the protagonists, character personality through the useRead MoreHamlet, By William Shakespeare1920 Words   |  8 PagesIn the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare, the character Hamlet must deal with both external and internal conflict. Hamlet encounters many struggles and has trouble finding a way to deal with them. With so many corrupt people in his life, Hamlet feels as if there is no one that he can trust and begins to isolate himself from others. A result from this isolation leads Hamlet to become melancholy. Hamlet struggles with suicidal thoughts, wants to kill King Claudius, and is distraught over his mother’sRead MoreHamlet, By William Shakespeare846 Words   |  4 Pagesalways been a contemplative topic. In Hamlet, the main character Hamlet thinks to himself about suicide. Hamlet was written by William Shakespeare. Shakespeare wrote Hamlet between 1599 and 1602. William Shakespeare is one of the greatest playwrights in history. Hamlet is about Prince Hamlet of Denmark who is trying to find out about the death of his father after his father s ‘ghost’ comes to him telling him it was his uncle who had killed him. While Hamlet contemplates suicide he gives his famous

Management Decision and Control Systems Free Essays

CSC 546: MANAGEMENT DECISION CONTROL SYSTEMS SPRING 2007 METTLER TOLEDO INTERNATIONAL INC. PAPER 1: COMPANY PROSPECTUS Due March 2, 2007 Submitted by: SUDEEPTHI MOGALLA DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERISTY Email: smogall@ncsu. edu INTRODUCTION Mettler-Toledo International Inc. We will write a custom essay sample on Management Decision and Control Systems or any similar topic only for you Order Now , headquartered in Greifensee, Switzerland is the world’s largest manufacturer of weighing solutions for laboratory, industrial and retail applications. With manufacturing facilities in USA, Switzerland, Germany, United Kingdom, and China, and sales service operations in over 35 countries, it is also a leading global provider of precision instruments and services. It is a market leader in balances and pipettes, and a top provider of automated chemistry systems. It also holds leading market positions in several analytical instruments and process analytics applications. Its industrial product line includes weighing sensors for production and quality, and inspection systems for packaged goods. It also provides weighing solutions for transportation, and food retail industries. It supports its products through a comprehensive global service network assisting customers from calibration to compliance with regulations. It also provides retail software for fresh food management. Mettler-Toledo’s North American headquarters is located in Columbus, Ohio. In 2006, the company generated net sales of $1,595 million, a 7% annual growth with an operating income of $234 million, a 13% increase from 2005. The company is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker MTD. Mettler-Toledo International Inc. Page 2 of 23 COMPANY HISTORY The company Mettler Instrumente AG was started in 1945 by Dr. Erhard Mettler, a Swiss engineer, in Kusnacht, Switzerland. He developed weighing balances that used single pans for laboratory applications. By 1973, the company entered the electronic precision industry by producing the award winning electronic precision balance, the PT1200. With innovations applying microprocessor technology, new products like automated titrators, and thermal analyzers were added to the laboratory product lines. In 1980, the company was bought by Ciba-Geigy AG, which entered the retail scale market and produced weighing solutions to manufacturing companies. The company increased its sales and service network to various global locations. Toledo Scale Corporation founded in 1901 and headquartered in Columbus, Ohio was the largest scale manufacturer in US for industrial and retail markets. In 1989, it was acquired by Mettler to form Mettler-Toledo International Inc. In 1997, the company went public and started trading on the New York Stock Exchange. Over the years, the company undertook some major acquisitions thus adding some major brands to the Mettler-Toledo group of companies. Mettler-Toledo International Inc. Page 3 of 23 GROWTH BY ACQUISITIONS Mettler-Toledo started its Product Inspection Division by acquiring HI-SPEED Checkweigher Systems, a custom designer and manufacturer of checkweigher and product handling equipment in Ithaca, NY in 1981. In 1987, GARVENS based in Europe was purchased for its capabilities to produce checkweighing solutions for moving products. The Product Inspection Division was completed by the acquisition of SAFELINE, a leading metal detection manufacturer with facilities in UK and Tampa, Florida in 1997. The Process Analytics Division is started by the acquisition of INGOLD in 1986. INGOLD provides pH and conductivity solutions for process measurements in chemical processes and sterile applications. THORNTON, a provider of industrial water monitoring based in Bedford, Massachusetts was added to the group in 2000. Some of the markets leaders that operate under their own brands are BERGER Instruments that uses high performance technology to analyze and purify chemical compounds for drug discovery, CARGOSCAN that provides cargo space optimization solutions, LASENTEC that provides solutions for in-process particle size and population analysis and is part f the Automated Chemistry Division, and the California based manufacturer of pipetting solutions, RAININ Instruments. RAININ Mettler-Toledo International Inc. Page 4 of 23 holds a broad range of patents in the pipetting technologies and serves pharmaceutical, biotech, and research applications. Most recently, Mettler-Toledo acquired SOFTECHNICS INC. a provider of software solutions for food retailing applications in 2002. MANAGEMENT TEAM The management team at Mettler-Toledo is led by the President CEO, Robert F. Spoerry who is also the Chairman of Board of Directors. Mr. Spoerry has served in the positions of Head of Industrial Retail divisions for Mettler-Toledo in the past. He is supported by the CFO, William P. Donnelly who was the Head of Product Inspection, the CIO, Jean-Lucien Gloor, and the Head of Human Resources, Peter Burker. Table 1 lists the management team. Table 1: Mettler-Toledo Management Team Name Robert F. Spoerry Current Position President, Chief Executive Officer, and Chairman of Board of Directors William P. Donnelly Jean-Lucien Gloor Peter Burker Olivier A. Filliol Chief Financial Officer Chief Information Officer Head of Human Resources Head of Global Sales, Service Marketing, and Head of Process Analytics Mettler-Toledo International Inc. Page 5 of 23 Ken Peters Karl M. Lang Beat E. Luthi Urs Widmer Joakim Weidemanis Hans-Peter von Arb General Manager – North America Marketing General Manager – Asia/Pacific Marketing Head of Laboratory Division Head of Industrial Division Head of Product Inspection Division Head of Retail Division CORE COMPETENCIES Mettler-Toledo was able to maintain its market leadership in numerous product lines primarily due to its ability to constantly develop new products and embrace new technologies. It has gained a reputation as a global innovator by successfully launching new products in various product lines each year. Research Development has been its core competency from the beginning, and the company has increased its investment in RD each year over the last few years. In 2005, its RD spending was over $80 million, which is 5. 5% of its net sales. Mettler-Toledo holds more than 1700 patents and trademarks in USA, Switzerland, Germany, UK, France, Japan, and China. They developed strong knowledge base in automation, robotics, laser optical applications, and industrial software development. Over the years, RD at Mettler-Toledo has contributed through application of advanced technologies, feature-based enhancements on its products, increasing their products Mettler-Toledo International Inc. Page 6 of 23 reliability accuracy, and developing new software capabilities for its products. With an RD force of about 800 employees, the company was able to focus on multiple development efforts simultaneously. As more and more products from the company started including advancements in user-interface through touch screen and LCD technologies, a significant RD effort went into developing its products’ user-interfaces, the supporting software, and information systems for data management. The significance of software development as a key RD effort can be understood from the fact that almost half of Mettler-Toledo’s RD personnel are software engineers. Beyond RD efforts, Mettler-Toledo has also made deep inroads in managing its cost structure. The company has developed a strong base of cost reduction functions through its Global Supply Chain Group, which includes the Global Procurement, Global Electronics, and Global Logistics teams. These teams work closely with all the manufacturing facilities and marketing teams on regional and global initiatives to reduce manufacturing costs, internal process costs, total cost of procurement, and logistics costs. They also work with the Information Technology groups to implement new automation tools that enhance internal process efficiencies, and provide effective data analysis solutions. Key initiatives like supplier category management, corporate procurement card, and field Mettler-Toledo International Inc. Page 7 of 23 employee automation have enabled Mettler-Toledo to reduce their operating costs significantly. Members from Marketing, Purchasing, and Logistics work closely with RD and Engineering in product development re-engineering to ensure that efforts are being made to reduce manufacturing costs. Another aspect of Mettler-Toledo that makes it unique and reduces its risk is its ability to operate profitably in diverse markets. They have developed innovative products in most of the markets they serve and have maintained a strong cross-segment knowledge-sharing that enabled them to use a technology in different segments. Key business functions like Finance, Supply Chain, Service, Human Resources, and Legal are centralized. They assist the decentralized business units to coordinate their RD, marketing, and customer support functions in product development and customer service. PRODUCTS SERVICES The products and services of Mettler-Toledo can be broadly categorized into Laboratory Instruments, Industrial Instruments and Retail Solutions. Process Analytics and Product Inspection are sub-categories within Lab and Industrial groups. The make up of its 2005 net sales between these business segments is shown in Figure 1. Mettler-Toledo International Inc. Page 8 of 23 Figure 1: 2005 Sales ($ in millions) Retail Solutions, $193, 13% Laboratory Instruments, $667, 45% Industrial Instruments, $622, 42% Laboratory Instruments Laboratory balances are the primary product group in this business segment and are used in research development, drug discovery, and process quality control. They are capable of weighing from one ten-millionth of a gram to 32 kilograms. Other products offered in this segment include pipettes, analytical instruments, and automated chemistry solutions. Titrators, thermal analysis systems, and pH meters form the analytical instrument group. The data capture, analysis and management are facilitated by their Lab Software known as LabX. Within this segment, Process Analytics forms a major subgroup of products that are used in pharmaceutical, biotech, beverage, microelectronics and chemical applications. They offer Mettler-Toledo International Inc. Page 9 of 23 sensor technology for pH, dissolved oxygen, carbon dioxide, conductivity and turbidity. They also include calibration and cleaning systems. Industrial Instruments This segment primarily includes industrial scales and balances for varying weighing needs and ranges. They are used in measuring, counting, ingredient mixing, and mail sorting applications. Products in this segment also offer in-process and in-motion measurement, dimensioning and identification technologies. Weighing scales for trucks and railcars form the heavy equipment products. All these products are supported by proprietary software like FreeWeigh. Net for statistical quality control, and Formweigh. net for formulation batching. Product Inspection is a key product group in this segment that the company has invested increasingly in the past few years. The products are used in food processing packaging, pharmaceutical, and manufacturing industries. They are made up of metal detection systems, X-ray visioning equipment, and checkweigher systems. Retail Solutions Retail segment is the smallest of Mettler-Toledo businesses in terms of sales. These are scales used in supermarkets, and Mettler-Toledo International Inc. Page 10 of 23 food retail businesses for weighing and labelling applications. With Mettler-Toledo entering the various emerging markets like India, this business segment is expected to grow significantly. Mettler-Toledo also provides software solutions for its retail products through its Softechnics division. The software provides capabilities for retail inventory management for fresh foods, and integrated data management. The various products offered by Mettler-Toledo are listed in Table 2. Table 2: Products Service Offerings Product Categories Laboratory Weighing Products Solutions Micro and ultra-micro balances, analytical balances, precision high-capacity precision balances, mass comparators, weighing modules, halogen moisture analyzer, pipette calibration workstation, and support software. Analytical Instruments Thermal values, thermal analysis, titrators, pH-/cond-/ISE-meters, density meters, refractometers, and electrodes for laboratory and field. Pipettes Tips Single channel pipettes (manual electronic), multi channel pipettes, tips for Mettler-Toledo International Inc. Page 11 of 23 LTS traditional pipettes – bio clean, positive displacement pipettes tips, and repetitive pipettes. Automated Chemistry Solutions Lab automation, chemical synthesis, chromatography, particle system characterization, reaction calorimeters, automated lab reactors, and informatics workflow management. Process Analytics Transmitters Meters, pH Redox sensors, dissolved oxygen sensors, total organic carbon instruments, conductivity/resistivity sensors, dissolved ozone sensors, dissolved carbon dioxide sensors, flow sensors, and cleaning calibration systems. Industrial Weighing Automotive refinish scales, material transfer controllers, bench, compact and counting scales, overhead/monorail scales, postal solutions, weigh modules load cells, software, statistical process control, , and weighing terminals. Product Inspection Transportation Logistics Checkweighing, metal detection, and X-ray. Air cargo scales, dimensioners, forklift scales, post/mail solutions, rail scales, and Mettler-Toledo International Inc. Page 12 of 23 weighbridges truck scales. Food Retail Scales (basic, retail counter, self service, retail hanging, checking receiving), wrapping machines, auto labelling security tags, and retail software. CUSTOMERS The customer base of Mettler-Toledo is spread across numerous industries like chemical, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, food beverage, raw materials, pulp paper, jewellery, transportation logistics, OEM, machinery automotive, and retail. Most customers are serviced through their three business segment groups, Lab, Industrial and Retail. Certain key accounts with which the company has developed strategic relationships over the years are serviced and supported by their Strategic Accounts group. The customer base of Mettler-Toledo is also highly diversified with sales from each of their top customers accounting for less than 3% of total net sales. MANUFACTURING Mettler-Toledo’s manufacturing facilities known as Producing Organizations (POs) are located primarily in USA, UK, Switzerland, Germany, and China. Each PO dedicates its product Mettler-Toledo International Inc. Page 13 of 23 development and manufacturing efforts to a certain group of product lines and serves the global needs of those products. This enables Mettler-Toledo to reduce RD costs, maintain a customer focus, and to develop product leadership by a PO in its line of business. The POs work with each other in their product development, manufacturing, and procurement efforts, and with the marketing groups in understanding customer needs. Safeline, Garvens, and Hi-Speed, which serve the Product Inspection markets, work very closely in coordinating their efforts. Depending on the manufacturing capability and capacity constraints, certain POs act as internal suppliers to other POs who may use their manufacturing resources. MARKETING, SALES SERVICE Unlike the Producing Organizations, the Marketing Organizations (MOs) at Mettler-Toledo are segmented based on their geographic focus. The MOs are located all over the world, with the largest groups in USA and Europe. This enables them to understand the specific local needs of the customers, and develop close relationships with their entire customer base. The sales and service efforts parallel that of the marketing thus maintaining a close loop for the customer relationship. MettlerToledo maintains a large employee base of 5000 employees that is Mettler-Toledo International Inc. Page 14 of 23 spread over 35 countries in the form of marketing, service technicians and customer service professionals. Mettler-Toledo also offers numerous services in the form of repair service maintenance, and value-added services for regulatory compliance. These are offered across the globe based on local regulations. Their global service network has expanded over the years as they explore numerous emerging markets. In 2005, revenues from service agreements, repair, and spare parts constituted 23% of the company’s net sales. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY MIS The company’s IT operations are lead by their corporate team in Switzerland, which maintains the globally used operating systems, providing regular updates and support. Their global contracts with key hardware and software vendors ensure product standardization and concurrent upgrades. They have however decentralized most of the locally operated systems, like their MRP and ERP solutions at the manufacturing facilities and marketing organizations. Being a highly decentralized organization, except for some global software systems, most IT infrastructure is maintained regionally. The regional IT groups also handle the telecommunications, mobile phone, and data networks for their region. The company has continuously made significant investments to standardize the IT operations where Mettler-Toledo International Inc. Page 15 of 23 necessary, and provided the flexibility to local units when higher efficiencies could be gained through local optimization. The company uses ERP packages from well known providers like Baan and Oracle, and also from smaller companies like Fourth Shift, and MAPICS. The company uses numerous enterprise software for various sales and service operations, as well as hosted solutions for e-procurement and e-commerce applications. EMPLOYEES CULTURE Mettler-Toledo follows a highly decentralized organization structure providing high levels of autonomy to the business units, encouraging entrepreneurial responsibility and accountability for growth and success. The product development and manufacturing activities are performed by the producing organizations, where the marketing, sales and support functions are the responsibility of the marketing organizations. All POs and MOs are supported by corporate global functions. Mettler-Toledo employs more than 9000 fulltime employees across the globe with more than 4000 in Europe, over 3000 in the Americas, and about 1000 in Asia. About 50% of the workforce is part of their global sales and support network. RD with over 800 employees is also a key function in the company. The company provides various employee benefits including a pension post-retirement savings plan that cost them $1. 5 Mettler-Toledo International Inc. Page 16 of 23 million in 2005. Their health care benefits cost over $10 million each year. Employee Purchase Programs through corporate agreements are provided for products like personal computers, office supplies, consumer technology, mobile services, and home mortgage. Mettler-Toledo is an equal opportunity company and hires employees from diverse cultural backgrounds and geographic locations. Due to their line of business, they mostly hire engineering graduates from well known institutions in Switzerland, USA, and China. Most of their senior management has a strong analytical background with engineering, mathematics, or finance focus and many middle management and senior management employees hold advanced degrees in engineering or business. In USA, they recruit new graduates into their Initial Career Experience program (ICE) which is a rotational program for undergraduate degree holders. They also provide internship opportunities in IT, marketing, and supply chain management, and offer fulltime opportunities upon their graduation. Mettler-Toledo maintains a core set of cultural values it expects its employees to follow in their day to day operations. It includes maintaining a strong focus on quality in both its products services, and its internal processes. It stresses the importance of being aggressive in exploring new markets, and embracing new technologies. There is also a strong need to be Mettler-Toledo International Inc. Page 17 of 23 cost-conscious so that it can maintain its competitiveness against larger players and unsuitable market forces. It expects employees to show initiative and leadership qualities. Employees should also be innovative and be ready to face the hurdles in executing their ideas. With a global market in place, the company should be agile allowing it to quickly react to changes. A semi-formal work environment is maintained to develop closer employee relationships. The company restricts itself in the use of titles to its management and in fact doesn’t use â€Å"Vice President† as a title. Except for division heads, who are either known as a Head of division or General Manager, all the others are known as Managers, Engineers, or Analysts. A business casual dress code is maintained at all of its locations. COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE The markets Mettler-Toledo operates in are highly competitive, and fragmented by location and application. In most markets, they face stiff competition from companies that are focussed and specialized in their offerings. In many cases, the focussed competitors are smaller divisions of very large multinational companies with extensive resources. These factors further signify the necessity for Mettler-Toledo to develop efficient RD and manufacturing processes to maintain its cost structure. Mettler-Toledo International Inc. Page 18 of 23 The major competitors of Mettler-Toledo are Beckman Coulter Inc. with $2. 5 billion in annual revenues, Siemens AG with $117 billion in annual revenues, and finally Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. with $3. 8 billion in annual revenues. Among these Siemens AG operate in many other markets and businesses that MettlerToledo does not involve in. Due to its cost structure advantage, Mettler-Toledo was able to maintain operating margins of over 13%, when their competitors have recorded them at below 10%. RISK FACTORS Mettler-Toledo notes that since it operates in numerous countries, its operating income can be affected by currency fluctuations. Its international operations also face risks in the form of trade barriers, employee retention in growing markets, lack of protection for its intellectual property, nationalization, and economic and political stability in some countries. Some of the markets are highly competitive and hence may be difficult to continuously maintain market leadership in multiple product lines. As Mettler-Toledo grows via acquisitions, it has the risk of assimilation challenges, lack of focus on key initiatives, and loss of key employees. As Mettler-Toledo operate in many markets subject to regulations, they have the risk of not meeting some of the regulations in time. Exposure to additional income taxes and unanticipated tax Mettler-Toledo International Inc. Page 19 of 23 laws are also some of the perceived risks faced by MettlerToledo. FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE Mettler-Toledo International Inc. has been delivering strong financial results over the years. It generated net sales of $1,596 million in 2006, a 7. 6% increase from its 2005 sales revenue of $1,482 million. Figure 2 shows 2006 sales by geographic region. Figure 2: 2006 Sales ($ in millions) by region Asia Rest of the World, $287, 18% Europe, $670, 42% North South Americas, $638, 40% The chart in Figure 3 shows Mettler-Toledo’s financial performance since 2001. It shows that net sales have increased at an average of 7% year over year. The operating cash flow increased to $192 million in 2006, an 8. 5% increase from $177 Mettler-Toledo International Inc. Page 20 of 23 million in 2005. The adjusted operating income (gross profit less RD and SGA expenses) increased by 13% to $234 million in 2006 from $207 million in 2005. Figure 3: Financial Data (2001-2006) Net Sales $1,800 Operating Cash Flow Adjusted Operating Income $1,595 $1,600 $1,482 $1,404 $1,304 $1,214 $1,148 $1,400 $ in millions $1,200 $1,000 $800 $600 $165 $179 $167 $102 $115 $165 $200 $0 2001 2002 2003 Years $117 2004 $166 2005 $177 2006 The company reported Earnings per Share (EPS) of $3. 86 for 2006, which is a 29% growth from $2. 52 in 2005. Through these results the company has demonstrated a strong balance sheet and a substantial cash flow generation. POSITIONING FOR 2007 AND BEYOND The company exceeded expectations in 2006 with strong financial results, and is expected to perform well in 2007 and beyond. With rising cost pressures due to price increases for oil, steel, paper pulp, and other raw materials, the company Mettler-Toledo International Inc. Page 21 of 23 $192 $400 $207 $234 needs to continue to improve its cost structure through efficient and effective processes. Some of the key customercentric marketing initiatives undertaken by the company like â€Å"Spinnaker† have been successful in generating new customer leads and improving existing customer relationships. Its new product launches have been successful in 2006, and the company continues to develop new products in many of its business segments. In 2006, the company was very successful in increasing its market share in emerging markets like Russia and India. With the acquisition of distribution channels in these countries, its market share is expected to grow at significant rates in 2007 and beyond. The analysts estimate that revenues for Mettler-Toledo would grow to $1. 69 billion in 2007 and to $1. 78 billion for 2008. It represents an annual increase of 6. 3% for 2007 and 5. 3% for 2008. In the short term, the company aims to consolidate all its existing market positions in the various product lines it now holds the top positions, especially industrial and laboratory instruments. It aims to increase its market share in retail weighing market by focusing on emerging markets, which offer the greatest potential for untapped markets. In the long-term, the company will look to be the industry leader in all product segments ranging from laboratory Mettler-Toledo International Inc. Page 22 of 23 instruments, industrial instruments, process analytics, product inspection, and chemistry solutions. It also plans to consolidate its retail market share through partnerships with global retailers. The strong values developed by its employees, its continued investment in developing innovative products, diversified customer base, and global service network should ensure that Mettler-Toledo is in a strong position to fulfil both its short-term and long-term objectives. REFERENCES 1. Mettler-Toledo website (http://us. mt. com) 2. Yahoo Finance (http://finance. yahoo. com) 3. Hoovers (www. hoovers. com) 4. The Wall Street Journal Online (http://online. wsj. com) Mettler-Toledo International Inc. Page 23 of 23 How to cite Management Decision and Control Systems, Essays

Privacy and Technology

She had lived a rather lonely life during her childhood and teenage. When she was nearing adulthood, the boys did not seem to notice her. All her girlfriends were barely mature when they started dating but for Amy, she never seemed to be the lucky type. All the boys she eyed in high school were too busy chasing other girls and they did not have time to even say hello to her. It was a frustrating life for her as she was always interested in being the outgoing girl.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Privacy and Technology specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Then as she approached twenties, her body started to shape up gracefully. She knew it would` be a good decade for her as she hoped to get married by the age of thirty. Then the boys in her neighborhood started to give her the attention she considered to be long overdue. One of them, Davies, was strikingly handsome and she could not resist him. She thus gave in to his demands and became his girlfriend. The relationship was like a treasure to her. She never wanted to lose Davies who they communicated virtually ten times a day. He made several calls and sent her at least a text message a day, which kept the love fire burning. They were also communicating through emails and through social networks, her favorite being facebook. From the look of things, she knew they were destined to be as they were always happy together and they loved each other. Then the misfortunes started to happen. She did not know what the synchrony of the misfortunes meant but she knew that the good old days when she used to be the unfortunate girl had come to haunt her. First it was her mother and her phone and then followed the facebook craze that almost made her lose her life. She had forgotten her phone in the sitting room as she chatted away one afternoon with her friend Hellen. As she cleaned the house, her mother came across the phone in the couch and started browsing h er text messages. Then suddenly she heard a furious voice calling her to the sitting room. At first it was difficult to figure out what had made her mother that angry but once she saw her phone with her mother she was convinced that the anger had something to do with Davies. â€Å"Who is this boy sending you such perverse messages †¦ and who told you to be in a relationship at nineteen?† By this, she knew she was busted. She could in no way explain her relationship with Davies to her mother who was hardly the understanding type. She just kept her silence as her mother gave her stern warning on how she had to stop the relationship and cease communicating with her boyfriend.Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More After the confrontation, she did not know what to do. She could stop communicating with Davies on the phone and be contacting him by email or on facebook but he was a neig hbor and thus her mother would definitely know if the relationship did not end. She was so frustrated that she decided to teach her mother a lesson. Her mother was not so familiar with the internet technology. She would find another boyfriend online and leave Davies. To achieve the aforementioned objective, she would be updating her profile with suggestive messages and see who among her friends was interested. Then she would come with a plan about how to get him. At first it was difficult as she could hardly craft a seductive message. Then they started flowing with most of them being obscene. It did not take long before she started getting exactly what she wanted. A lot of boys would take interest in her updates and they would post numerous comments in her updates. Now the task was how to take things to another level and develop a personal relationship with them. She had known most of them for years and since they never shared such jokes, she did not get the courage to approach them . As she seriously contemplated the way forward, a chance offered itself. A guy sent her a private message on facebook. From the pictures in his profile, the guy was reasonably attractive and he looked sufficiently sophisticated for her. Strange as it may sound, the guy was asking her out despite the fact that he was a stranger. He seemed to know her neighborhood well and so they planned to meet in town the following weekend. She was very anxious to meet him and on the d-day, she dressed well and headed to town with her phone. She was surprised to find no one familiar at the planned venue. He then called her saying he was in a hotel in town and gave her directions. He insisted that they would only talk and so she gave in to seeing him at the hotel. Whenever she remembers what happened at the hotel, she never believes that she was that gullible. The supposed young boy was a man in his forties. He raped her and disappeared. She later came to know that the rapist was using facebook as bait and uploading deceptive information to lure young girls. She closed her facebook account that same day and has never accessed facebook since then. The man has never been found. This story is a lesson to the young people who have uncontrolled zeal about the use of technology. It is of essence that the youth use the technology tools wisely to avoid exploitation (Griffey 1).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Privacy and Technology specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Works Cited Griffey, Jason. â€Å"Bridging Intellectual Freedom and Technology†. 2010 – January 15, 2011, https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2010/10/28/bridging-intellectual-freedom-and-technology/ This essay on Privacy and Technology was written and submitted by user Zoe York to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Free Essays on Persian Wars

The most destructive war for Greek history was the Peloponnesian war. This war was fought between Athens and Sparta. Sparta’s goal was to attack Attica by land, burn its houses, and lay waste to the countryside. The Spartans hoped that by doing this they would disrupt agriculture and spread fear and chaos throughout the region. After realizing that trying to defeat the Spartan army would be stupid, the adopted a plan that relied on their fleet. Pericles ordered refuge behind the long walls. Pericles hoped the Spartans would grow tired and frustrated and give up the fight. At first the plan was working. In the summer of 431, the Spartans marched into Attica and burned Athenian homes and farms. After Pericles died in 429, some Athenians joined the Spartan-led alliance. After months and years of fighting the Spartans destroyed the Athenian fleet. Finally in 404 B.C. the Athenians surrendered. After the Peloponnesian war Greek city-states were weak and financially destroyed.... Free Essays on Persian Wars Free Essays on Persian Wars The most destructive war for Greek history was the Peloponnesian war. This war was fought between Athens and Sparta. Sparta’s goal was to attack Attica by land, burn its houses, and lay waste to the countryside. The Spartans hoped that by doing this they would disrupt agriculture and spread fear and chaos throughout the region. After realizing that trying to defeat the Spartan army would be stupid, the adopted a plan that relied on their fleet. Pericles ordered refuge behind the long walls. Pericles hoped the Spartans would grow tired and frustrated and give up the fight. At first the plan was working. In the summer of 431, the Spartans marched into Attica and burned Athenian homes and farms. After Pericles died in 429, some Athenians joined the Spartan-led alliance. After months and years of fighting the Spartans destroyed the Athenian fleet. Finally in 404 B.C. the Athenians surrendered. After the Peloponnesian war Greek city-states were weak and financially destroyed....

How to Use the French Expression Pas de Problème

How to Use the French Expression Pas de Problà ¨me The French expression  pas de problà ¨me  (pronounced pa-deu-pruh-blem) is one that youll hear in any laid-back conversation. Literally translated, the phrase means not any problem, but any English speaker will recognize it as no problem or no worries. Its a handy phrase to know and considered  acceptable etiquette in informal speech as a means of apologizing or acknowledging an apology, as well as putting someone at ease after a gaffe. The formal version of this phrase,  il ny a pas de problà ¨me, is also acceptable in any situation. Examples Excuse-moi pour mon impatience.   Im sorry for my impatience.Pas de problà ¨me.   No problem, dont worry about it. Cest pas vrai ! Jai oublià © mon portefeuille. Oh no, I forget my wallet.Pas de problà ¨me, je tinvite.   No problem, its my treat. You can also use pas de problà ¨me to ask whether theres an issue regarding something specific: Question argent / travail, tu nas pas de problà ¨me?   Are you OK for money/work? Question temps, on na pas de problà ¨me  ?  Are we OK for time? Related Expressions Cela ne me / nous / lui pose pas de problà ¨me.   Thats no problem for me / us / him.Il / Elle na pas de problà ¨me de compte en banque  !   He / She is laughing all the way to the bank!Pas de problà ¨me, cest sur mon chemin.  Ã‚   No problem, its on my way.Pas de problà ¨me! No trouble at all!Les assurances vont tout rembourser,  pas de probleme.   The policy will cover it. Thats  not a problem.  Tu sais, si je dois partir demain, je pense que ca ne poserait  pas de probleme.   You know, if it all ended tomorrow, I think Id  be okay.Si à §a ne vous fait rien. -  Pas de problà ¨me.  Ã‚  If you dont mind. -  Fine. Synonymous Expressions Ça va. Its okCe nest pas grave. No problem. (literally, its not serious)Cela ne fait / prà ©sente aucune difficultà © Its ok.Il ny a aucun mal.  Ã‚  No harm done.Tout va bien. Its ok. (literally, everything is going well)(informal)   laise!   No prob! (literally, easily)(informal) Pas de souci.  Ã‚  No worries.(informal) Y a pas de là ©zard!  Ã‚  No prob! (literally, theres no lizard)(formal) Qu cela ne tienne. That is not a problem. (literally, upon that may it not depend)

Compare and contrast the key features of public and private sector Essay

Compare and contrast the key features of public and private sector organisations and explain how these might impact on the role - Essay Example Public sector involve organisations owned and operated by government or their agents and are mostly set up not for profit, but to offer essential services to the public, though profit still reminds one of the objectives of such organisations. Public sectors will major in owning, producing, providing, allocating and delivering goods and services for the government or the public, on either local or international levels, with service provision being more important than making profits. The managers are government appointees, making public companies political institutions. Private organisations. These ere organisations set up, owned, financed, and operated by business people with the single aims of harnessing opportunities to make a profit. The government in private companies only plays a regulatory role through its legal framework, but does not involve in any decision making in such organisations. Their main aim is to invest and harness resources as much as possible to make the maximum p rofit possible from the community. Similarities between private and public companies Service to the public. Both the public and private companies are set up to serve a particular public need, though a private company is responsible to its shareholders and investors to offer such services at a profit. Competition. There are many private companies providing services similar to the public sector services; they all compete for customers and resources, as well as market for their products and services. Examples are schools or healthcare faculties. Organisational hierarchy. Both public and private organisations have different staff occupying differently levels of decision making process, though in the private sector such hierarchies may have different tag names. In the two sectors, hierarchy structure is set to delegate work to the appropriate sections or levels (Kearney, Hisrich, & Roche 2009, 28). Differences between Private and Public Companies Organisation level One factor that charac terizes the public sector is the many formal processes that must be in place to make such an organisation function appropriately (ESADE, 2011). Decision process in public companies involves more degrees of consultations to formalize, leading to increased bureaucracy. Bureaucracy is defined and the regulations, procedures, and rules that have to be adhered to, but have little or no efficacy to the functional object of the rules themselves (ESADE, 2011). Bureaucracy in public sector is mostly due to the divisions of authority between the executive, legislature, and judiciary arms of the government, which have to be involved in the decision making process. On the other hand, private firms are more efficient and have no elaborate formalisation to put in place. Once they have complied with the legal procedures, they can be as small as the owners prefer and as large as possible, with decision making being retained at the senior management level. This makes private sector more efficient in decision making. Market Economy Another difference between private and public sectors is the market economy and economic systems. The public sector has to provide

PV Mounting System Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

PV Mounting System - Dissertation Example PV panels are installed at permanent angles. The angle is usually predetermined so that there is an optimum solar radiation being received, by the panel, throughout the year. Efficiency can be increased by mounting the PV panels on a double axis, where two panels are mounted in such a way that they face away from each other, at an angle, as shown in figure 1 (Sampson 2009). This is opposed to a single axis mounting where the panel (or panels) is mounted on one side of the mounting structure as shown in figure Double fixed tilt mounting system is usually more expensive than single fixed tilt mounting system because double fixed tilt mounting structures require more materials than their single mounting counterparts do. However, double fixed tilt mounting system results to higher PV performance since the panels’ exposure to solar radiation is higher than in single fixed tilt mounting systems. Azimuth (Sun Tracking) PV Mounting System This mounting system aims at maximizing panel’s exposure to the sun, which results into an increase in power output. It is essentially a combination of the single and doubles axis fixed tilt mounting systems whereby an automatic adjustment system makes a single axis fixed tilt mounting system operate like a double axis mounted fixed tilt mounting system. The automatic adjustment system changes the panel’s angle with respect to the sun’s position, in the sky, and the PV array as shown in figure 3. There are two mounting arrangements under the azimuth mounting system: single axis and double axis tracking system. In the single axis sun tracking system, the panel is adjusted with respect to the sun’s East-West movement only (single axis). On the other hand, in double axis tracking system, the panel is usually adjusted along two axes, the east-west sun’s movement and the seasonal shifts in sun’s position. In other words, the double axis tracking s ystem adjusts the panels with respect to sun’s position in the sky throughout the year (Sampson 2009). Figure 3: Azimuth PV mounting system (Sampson 2009) The azimuth PV mounting system offers power advantages compared to the fixed tilt mounting system although it is much more expensive than the fixed tilt mounting system due to its complexity. Due to their low initial and operation costs, single axis fixed tilt PV mounting systems are often used for home application (Glasnovic and Margeta 2009: 1144). In addition, single axis fixed tilt mounting systems are easy to install because they only require a mounting frame that is tilted at an angle and a PV securing system. However, power output is usually minimal, which may require people to use panels that are of a higher capacity than their domestic needs to ensure that enough power is collected during the exposure time, which is often a fraction of the daylight (Glasnovic and Margeta 2009: 1144). Otherwise, power collected duri ng

Netflix Business Model Analysis and SWOT

Netflix Business Model Analysis and SWOT 1 Introduction Netflix is the worlds largest online movie rental service with over 6.3 million members and a collection of more than 75,000 titles. They are known for both their excellent customer service and their convenient and user-friendly interface on their award-winning website. Though Netflix has received many criticisms, it has continually grown and thrived in the movie rental market. New technology has enabled Netflix to provide high quality streaming videos directly to their subscribers PCs. This service is being rolled out over the first six months of 2007, free of charge, to Netflixs current subscribers. In order to maintain its superior position in the in home filmed-entertainment, Netflix must enter the Video On Demand (VOD) market immediately. By entering the VOD market through offering streaming videos, Netflix will be able to differentiate itself from its competitors, and reduce the likelihood of price competition. Offering a movie streaming service as opposed to a movie downloading service will further aid it in differentiating itself. For the short run, Netflix needs to incorporate the service of streaming movies to complement its DVD rental service. In the long run, after the popularity of streaming movies has grown and the technicalities of this service are fixed, Netflix can separate the DVD rental and streaming movies services, offering two different sets of plans. Pursuing this strategy is vital to Netflixs future, because as new innovations in technology become popular, the DVD-rental subset of the home movie market will shrink, while the downloading and streaming of movies will eventually come to dominate the majority of this market. Therefore, the correct implementation of Netflixs entry into the VOD market, wi ll serve as a bridge strategy, aiding Netflix in its evolution from a DVD rental service to a distributor of digital entertainment. 2 A Closer Look at Netflixs History Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph founded Netflix in 1997. DVDs were a relatively new technology, with less than a thousand titles available at the time, but Hastings and Randolph believed it had potential to replace the VHS format. The company began operating in April 1998, offering 7-day rentals for about $6. Netflix, along with Magic Disc, DVD Express, and Reel.com, were the first few companies to rent DVDs by mail. Netflix differentiated itself by spending heavily in promotions. It created partnerships with companies selling the most vital complementary good, a DVD player. It offered free rentals with the purchase of DVD players from Toshiba and Pioneer and computers with DVD drives from HP and Apple. However, Netflix was in direct competition with Amazon.com in selling DVDs so they came to a compromise in December 1998: Netflix would stop selling DVDs in exchange for being heavily promoted on Amazons website[2]. Netflix began to partner with online movie information providers and promoted more features on its website to attract more customers. In September 1999, it began the Marquee Program, offering 4 DVDs rentals per month with no late fees or due dates for a monthly subscription fee[2]. In February 2000, it introduced CineMatch, a program that evaluates the rental patterns of customers, identifying which movies customers of similar tastes would enjoy[3]. Both programs were highly popular and soon Netflix did not rent out individual DVDs, relying fully on the Marquee Program. Continuing its aggressive marketing and networking campaign, Netflix signed a deal with major DVD produc- ers, such as Warner Home Video and Columbia Tri-Star. In exchange for cheaper prices on large quantities of DVDs, the movie studios received a portion of the rental receipts[2]. As the success of Netflix grabbed the attention of the media, competitors began to respond. In the summer of 2002, Blockbuster started its own unlimited rentals and no late fee subscription plan and bought out an online DVD rental company. Wal-Mart and Columbia House also tried to amass large volumes of DVD titles to compete with Netflix. However, Netflix already had a solid foothold in the market, fending off these major competitors. In re- sponse, it announced the opening of more distribution facilities. Five years after its debut, Netflix finally began to produce profits[2]. On January 16, 2007 Netflix issued a press release regarding a New Feature Will Be Included in Subscribers Monthly Membership at no Extra Charge. For every dollar a user pays for their subscription, they will be able to view one hour of streaming video from a selection of about 1,000 movies and TV series on their PCs. Netflix also announced that they plan to expand the technology to reach every Internet-connected screen, from cell phones to PCs to plasma screens[10]. 3 SWOT Analysis 3.1 Strengths Entry timing Netflix entered the market for DVD rentals at a time when there were few other competitors in the market, allowing them to establish their brand name and image for providing a unique service. They were the first to offer DVD rental by mail and this allowed them to offer a greater variety of DVDs to consumers as compared to their competitors at the time, as DVDs were relatively new to the market. Combined with its successful business model, Netflixs early entry has allowed it to maintain a high relative market share in the online DVD rental industry. Understands weaknesses of competitors: Customer Satisfaction From the start, Netflix understood what irritated many video rental store customers: late fees. Usually after renting and watching a movie from a store such as Blockbuster, the customer has to rush to return the movie on the subsequent day (before midnight) or pay a late fee comparable to the price of the rental. Although Blockbuster does get an estimated 18% of its total revenue from late fees, it leaves the customer annoyed, frustrated, and unsatisfied. On the other hand, Netflix lets the customer keep the DVD until the customer wants to see the next one in their queue, allowing the fredom to return the movie at ones convenience[1]. Networked connections with many partners and even potential competitors From the very beginning of its entry into the market, Netflix understood the importance of making partner- ships with the movie industry, the electronics industry, and retailers[1]. Netflixs name was spread widely through promotions with complementary products, such as DVD players and movie websites. When it saw Amazon.com as a competitor, it stopped selling DVDs to cease all tensions in exchange for being promoted on their website. Additionally, quality leadership has enabled Netflix to stay afloat despite the advent of powerful competitors like Wal-Mart. Not only was Reed Hastings able to fend off Wal-Marts attempt to bankrupt Netflix, he was able to convince Wal-Mart to encourage customers to switch to Netflix after the Wal-Mart service fell through[3]. By staying strong but cooperative, Netflix ended up profiting from many threats. Award-winning website Netflixs website boasts many features. Netflixs CineMatch implements an award-winning algorithm that can predict with surprisingly consistent accuracy what movies someone would prefer given their previous rental history, planned future rentals, and ratings of movies theyve seen in the past[4]. Furthermore, theyre constantly trying to improve the CineMatch program: Netflix is offering a prize of $1 million for a better algorithm[18]. Netflixs large subscription base has allowed a small type of network externality to take shape. More Netflix subscribers means more people rate movies, write reviews for movies, and recommend movies to one another. This also helps fine-tune the accuracy of the CineMatch program. Unique and very large selection of DVDs Netflix has the largest and most diverse collection of DVDs out of any competitor. They have more than 75,000 titles, including foreign films and independent films that are usually not carried by other distributors such as Blockbuster Video and Wal-Mart[7]. Foreign films such as those from Indias Bollywood are particularly successful at attracting customer attention[2]. This selection of movies taps into the underserved population of consumers who are solely with Netflix because the unique titles Netflix has to offer cannot be found for rent elsewhere in the United States. 3.2 Weaknesses Like most brick-and-mortar rental businesses, Netflix often has trouble providing enough copies of new, popular movies. As a result, a main cause of customer dissatisfaction is Netflixs inability to completely satisfy the initial rush for a new movie. However, the company knows it would be unprofitable in the long run to buy more copies just to serve the rush when a movie first becomes available, because the copies will not be rented with nearly as much frequency soon after the rush. Customers have caught on to the fact that Netflix only purchases a limited quantity of new releases right away, opting to wait a few weeks to buy the bulk of its supply at lower costs. While this might save Netflix money, it also has the tendency to drive away current and potential customers. Finally, Netflix does not have a direct connection to any movie studios so it must purchase its entire media through the consumer market[5]. One disadvantage of Netflixs rent-by-mail business model is that customers have to wait (often for several days) for the next movie on their queue to arrive in their mailbox. In many cases, by the time the subscriber receives the DVD, he or she may no longer be in the mood to see that particular movie. Likewise, a Netflix subscriber may feel like watching a movie on a night where all of the DVDs that are part of their plan are currently on route to or from a Netflix distribution center. In such a case, the customer will likely leave the home and rent a movie from a brick-and-mortar retailer, or perhaps order a movie from a service such as Pay-Per-View or iN DEMAND. 3.3 Opportunities Netflix is in a position to expand right now. Previously, sending movies to customers through the mail was a novelty in the rental industry. Now, delivering movies straight to computers of customers is likely to be the next revolution in how consumers view movies in their homes[6]. Luckily for Netflix, this service is only available as a per-viewing basis. Netflix can seize this opportunity if it is successful in efficiently providing streaming content to a customer on a time usage basis rather than a per-viewing basis. In addition, active management could possibly enable Netflix to absorb current providers of this service, such as Movielink, in a way similar to how it absorbed Wal-Marts DVD division. 3.4 Threats The clearest threat to Netflix is Blockbuster and other established rental businesses. Beyond this, customer satisfaction is the only aspect of this business that can make or break a company. If Netflix were to lose its wholesome, reliable image, it might not be able to retain enough of the market to survive. Also, companies like Apple can potentially harm Netflix if they are able to provide services through ones computer that can be easily ported to ones TV[6]. Netflix is less suited to compete with hardware innovations such as Apple TV because it has little to no experience in this area, though such innovations may eventually be complementary rather than competitive. Moreover, there is always the threat of entry by another firm, especially into the VOD industry, a closely related industry, which Netflix is about to enter. 4 Six Forces Analysis of the Video on Demand Industry By offering streaming movies through its website, Netflix is entering the Video on Demand (VOD) industry. This industry, along with DVD rentals (both from online providers such as Netflix, and cable services such as On Demand and Pay-Per-View), is part of the larger industry of watching movies in the home. However, since Netflix is already positioned in this market, with its online DVD rentals, we will examine the smaller portion of the market that is streaming online movies. This business is too closely related to the movie downloading service to be considered as a separate market. 4.1 Entry The Video on Demand industry requires a significant level of capital, so potential entrants face the large sunk costs of acquiring licenses to the movies they want to provide. Moreover, it is too expensive for a firm considering this market to merely test the waters. An established video rental retailer already has experience in marketing movies to people, giving them an experience advantage over potential entrants. Netflix, for example, invested over $40 million to launch its Watch Now streaming video service, shocking many shareholders[6]. These shareholders reactions only highlight the risk involved with such sunk costs. Netflixs Watch Now feature will be fully integrated with its normal online DVD rental website. A firm without the technological advantage of a website with movie-recommendation algorithms like Netflixs CineMatch program is at a significant disadvantage. Moreover, Netflixs website alreay has reams of user reviews and input, that a new firm would be unable to match for years. The technology to offer high-quality downloads is also a barrier to entry, but this barrier is small because such technology is available for licensing from third parties. In this market, product differentiation takes the form of varying quality in the downloaded movies, yet it should be noted that all firms will at least have to offer quality that is very close to DVD quality in order to ensure that discerning customers continue to use their service. Besides quality, differentiation exists in the type of service offered by a company: streaming movies, permanent downloads, or limited time downloads. In sum, this is an industry where entry is difficult for all but the most experienced firms with already established online movie rental/sale experience. These firms are more likely to thrive in this market due to their experience, reputation, and recognizable brand names. 4.2 Rivalry The movie download industry, like the online DVD industry, is not very concentrated[20], and so the few market leaders that share the market may engage in rivalrous price competition. A key example of this is Netflixs and Blockbusters recent price war[8], which lasted until both resolved to settle on a higher price through tacit collusion. A variety of services are being offered in the online movie industry. Amazon Unbox sells movies that one can download and keep on ones harddrive for one to two days[9]. Netflixs Watch Now feature ties in its streaming movie service with its online DVD rental service. Current Netflix customers will get this service for free, which will cost significantly less than Amazon Unbox. Because the product is not easy to differentiate, the competition focuses more on the services provided with the product than the price. An existing variety of movies is essential in this market because consumers will frown upon not finding a movie they want to see. The entry barriers mentioned in the previous section will prevent small and undifferentiated firms from entering the market, practically ensuring that the prices will not be competitive. With a low concentration of firms and emerging differentiation, this industry will not likely be especially rivalrous. 4.3 Supplier Power Netflix and its competitors buy their movies from the movie studios that create the films. The major studios have marginal supplier power in the online movie download market because they are the exclusive source of big name movies that customers desire. These highly popular movies have practically no substitutes in the rental market. However, buyer concentration in this new market is relatively high[20], so suppliers tend to want to sell their product to all of the companies in the market to maximize their revenue. This reduces competition for supply and therefore prevents supplier power from being very high. In this particular market, studios may be concerned with cannibalizing their own product[6]. By making inexpensive movie downloading available to customers, they may lose sales on the more profitable hard case DVD sales. Therefore, large studios may be more willing to withhold licensing agreements to movie download providers such as Netflix, thus strengthening their own supplier power. Overall, the suppliers to this market have only enough power to slightly control prices, but not enough power to influence the evolution of the market as a whole because they must sell their product to survive. 4.4 Substitutes The main substitutes to streaming movies are brick-and-mortar rental stores, online rentals, pay per view TV and theatres. Brick-and-mortar rental stores provide the same service with possibly a better selection of movies as compared to movies available for download by Netflix, but they do not provide the instant gratification of downloading or streaming them whenever a customer desires[3]. Furthermore, the streaming movies service provided by Netflix is more cost effective than these other substitutes because Netflix plans to allot its users a total amount of stream time. For instance, if a customer decides after 20 minutes of watching a movie that he does not want to watch it anymore, switching to another movie incurs no extra cost. Substitutes such as buying per download or traditional renting do not offer this convenience. For this reason, these are weak substitutes to streaming videos. 4.5 Buyer Power Buyer power is very low in this market because one customers decision to buy the service or not will not affect the overall market at all. Similarly, one customers dissatisfaction will not influence a significant amount of other customers. The source of dissatisfaction would have to be concerning an inferior product or service to incite such a widespread response. Clearly, this is not something an independent customer can control. There are substitutes for movie rentals, but these are weak substitutes. Buyers can rent movies from local brick-and-mortar businesses, but this is not nearly as convenient as the instant-gratification downloading of movies. In a broader aspect, a customer always has the option to not spend their free time watching movies, no matter what the source, so the price of rental services cannot climb much higher than they currently are. Overall, individual customers do not hold bargaining power over the price of products in this market; however, the prices themsel ves are regulated by the substitutes and preferences of customers as a whole. 4.6 Complements Technology is the main complement to streaming videos offered by Netflix. The basic complement required is high bandwidth. According to Netflix, a consistent bandwidth of 3 megabits per second is required[10] to watch streaming videos online at DVD quality. This bandwidth is already present in over 47% of US households, which means over 50 million households have broadband service available[14]. Because the required infrastructure is already well developed, Netflix has access to a large customer base. This figure is projected to grow to 55% by the end of 2007, making it a dependable complement. Apart from bandwidth, another possible complement is a product similar to AppleTV that allows users to watch streaming videos directly on their big-screen televisions[15]. Currently, users with S-Video capability can connect their desktops to their televisions but this does not provide the simple and elegant solution the average Netflix customer is looking for. With easy methods to view stream ing videos on the television, physical media (CDs, DVDs, etc.) would be much less functional in the movie rental industry. 5 Netflixs Entry into the VOD Industry via Streaming Movies In our analysis below we will examine Netflixs current business model to find that their business can suc- cessfully incorporate such VOD offering. Netflixs choice of providing streaming content as opposed to downloadable movies allows it to differentiate its service from others in the market, thus aiding Netflix in its strategic positioning. There are both advantages and disadvantages in tying in this new service with Netflixs current subscription plans as opposed to offering the services separately, but the two can complement one another at this early stage in Netflixs entry. These proposed strategies will place Netflix in a strong position in the newly developing market of VOD, and can act as a bridge to allow Netflix to leave the DVD rental industry as physical media becomes obsolete. 5.1 Business Definition The question arises, however, as to how streaming videos and DVD rentals can both fit within Netflixs business definition. There exist scale economies associated with the offering or bundling both of the services, as Netflixs good relations with the movie studios will help enable it to negotiate better prices for its streaming movies. Much of Netflixs existing infrastructure, including its award-winning website cited to be one of Netflixs keys to success, will also apply to streaming movies. The same page that allows one to add a movie to their queue will have a Watch Now button allowing the user to begin streaming the movie immediately. Moreover, a substantial proportion of customers who rent movies online will be open to watching streaming movies, as both are ways of watching movies at home. Streaming videos may be used as a way to sift through movies they are considering to watch on DVD. Since these two somewhat different services have a similar consumer base and share benefits in cost structure, they can both be successfully integrated into the same business model. On the downside, however, it should be noted that many of the elements that allowed Netflix to succeed in renting out DVDs via mail, will not carry over to the digital distribution market. For example, superior logistics in mailing out DVDs and processing receieved DVDs will not aid Netflix in addressing bandwidth problems. The business model will have to undergo some changes if Netflix decides to offer a stand-alone streaming plan in the future (see Tying-in DVD Rentals and Streaming Movies below). 5.2 Netflixs Choice of Streaming Video over Movie Downloads The Online Video on Demand industry has consisted of services such as Amazon Unbox and Movielink which allow users to download a movie for a fixed cost of about $3 and have 24 to 48 hours to view it. Recently, Starz launched Vongo, which allows users to download and watch movies for an unlimited amount per month, but are only allowed to choose from a catalog that is mostly representative of movies currently airing on one or more of Starzs cable television channels[11]. Therefore, Netflixs immediate entry into the VOD market will mark the arrival of one of the first monthly payment-based content providers that will allow viewers to watch their movies via streaming video files, similar to the format that has been popularized on websites such as YouTube and Google Video with higher quality. Perhaps the greatest advantage to streaming video is that it offers an even greater instant gratification incentive than downloadable VOD movies, as one can get the former up and running within a couple minutes with a modest connection speed, whereas a full movie download will often take about a half hour or more. A disadvantage of Netflixs business model has been the waiting times associated with the turn-around between DVDs. Netflixs competitors have been quick to make use of their infrastructure to exploit this disadvantage. Blockbuster frequently gives monthly in-store movie rental benefits to its online subscribers such as a speedier gratification bonus, where the customer can drive to the store and rent a DVD for free to watch for the night while the DVDs previously requested online are still in transit[12]. Now, Netflix can take the lead again in offering the fastest way to watch a movie in ones home. 5.3 One Subscription: Tying-in DVD Rentals and Streaming Movies Netflixs Watch Now will be available at no additional cost to all subscribes within the first half of 2007; there is no plan offering only the streaming download service without DVD rentals. The bundling of these two services is a necessary component of Netflixs strategy. By doing so, Netflix will differentiate its service from the services offered by its competitors and use these complementary goods to reinforce one another (as mentioned above in Business Definition). Netflix simply needs to consider this new bundled feature as just another method of delivering their product. Movie studios who supply films to Netflix are afraid that this Watch Now feature will contribute to cannibalization of their own DVD sales market. They are also concerned with the potential piracy of streaming and downloaded videos[6]. Due to the studios unusual supplier power in this particular matter, the catalog of movies that can be streamed with Netflix is much smaller than the size of their total DVD catalog. If Netflix offered a separate streaming plan, it would have a library of only about 1,000 films and television series to offer to its subscribers, making it difficult to satisfy a wide range of consumers. Variety of selection has always been one of Netflixs keys to success, so spinning off a half-hearted stand alone service could potentially harm its brand name. Tying the two services together allows consumers to see that Netflix is expanding its features since it offers it at no increase in price. It is providing existing subscribers a greater value and giving potential subscribers more incentive to try Netflixs services. By offering the new product as a tie-in, consumers are presented with a unique service that they can only get from Netflix. Consumers are given the opportunity to see a movie precisely when they want to, but can still order a DVD they feel like watching later. This gives consumers the opportunity to see more movies for a relatively lower cost than using only rental services or only temporary download services. The threat of price competition is reduced because the bundle of services makes Netflix appear to be less of a direct threat to download-only VOD services. The only firms able to replicate Netflixs bundling structure are those with an established DVD rental infrastructure. However, Blockbuster is such a firm capable of imitating Netflixs bundling model, especially as it has recently entered negotiations to acquire Movielink, a movie downloading service that offers both downloadable purchases and temporary downloads[13][20]. Blockbusters interest in Movielink suggests that it will more specifically attempt to integrate movie download rentals and sales into its online subscription plans[13], as opposed to streaming content. Should Blockbuster acquire Movielink, it will be able to offer a similar subscription plan to that being offered by Netflix. This apparently small difference reduces the threat of price competition because it will present consumers with a dilemma of preference, rather than an obvious choice of choosing the cheaper of two seemingly identical services. At this early stage in Netflixs attempts in the VOD industry, it is important that Netflix ties in its VOD offerings with its existing, time-tested DVD rental service. This ensures Netflix offers a unique and differen- tiated good, while not risking Netflixs brand name due to the lack of selection in the movies being offered, potential problems that may arise due to Netflixs lack of experience in the industry, and the relatively new and untested technologies being put to use to offer these services. 5.4 Positioning for the Future Over time, Netflixs bundling of DVD rentals with streaming movies will enable them to work out any kinks they have with their ability to distribute movies digitally, while continuing to build a large customer base of subscribers. Traditionally, Netflix has relied on a combination of word-of-mouth suggestions from their existing subscribers and an aggressive marketing campaign[1]. Should they continue to market their services effectively, their subscriber base will grow steadily, and Netflix will be able to collect more personalized user data and become even more proficient at being able to personalize [their] library to each subscriber by leveraging [their] database of user preferences[17]. Netflixs compilation of this data and their subsequent understanding of their customer base will serve a vital part in aiding their positioning in the coming future. However, the future of the DVD rental industry is very unclear as newer forms of media are developed. There are several factors that could hurt the industry that Netflix and other DVD rental outlets have been paying attention to. It is predicted that DVD and its successor formats (Blu-Ray and HD-DVD) will be more prevalent than digitally distributed movies in the short term[6][19]. Yet as complementary technologies grow that will allow for streaming of high definition movies directly to HDTV, VOD will continue to gain popularity and will eventually unseat DVD and other physical forms of media as the dominant format for watching rented movies at home[17]. Technology, however, is not the only barrier to the inevitable prevalence of VOD. As previously mentioned, the studios are wary of allowing the legal digital distribution of films to take place on a major scale, as they rely on DVD sales for a large portion of their revenues. Moreover, if the studios start reducing the window of time in which a movie is exclusively available on DVD after its major theatrical run or allow movies to be distributed in the home in other formats before they can be distributed on DVD, Netflix and other DVD rental firms will be adversely affected[17]. They will no longer have a significant advantage in allowing consumers to view new releases first through their services and more substitutes emerge for viewing those new releases (Pay-Per View, iN DEMAND, etc.). The fate of the DVD rental industry largely depends on factors outside of the hands of Netflix and its competitors. In order to prepare for the demise of the DVD industry, Netflix must make its streaming services available under a separate subscription plan of its own. This point will likely come at a time when the penetration of technology allowing for viewing streaming content on high-end TVs is substantially high. The technology already exists in some ways; the Apple TV is used to wirelessly connect to ones computer and retrieve movies downloaded from the iTunes store onto the computer, then play those movies on ones television[16]. However, it will be some time before this expensive technology is adopted by the mainstream population to such an extent that the digital distribution of movies onto those TVs will return large profits. It is also at this time that Netflixs experience with streaming under the previous tie-in structure will aid it in completely changing its business model toward eventually becoming a digital distributor of filmed entertainment as opposed to a DVD rental outlet. The o ne important factor it will maintain from its rent-DVDs-by-mail days will be the aforementioned personalized library available to its subscriber. Netflix will continue to benefit from the advantages associated with its superior understanding of its customer base through their databases, which they have acquired over the years and will continue to develop. Clearly, Netflixs competitors will be trying to do the same. As mentioned before, Blockbusters acquisition of Movielink only serves to signal that it is also pursuing a similar strategy in trying to survive beyond the death of physical media[20]. Yet, Netflix has historically been more adept at understanding its consumers and delivering easier to use cont