Intel Corporation: 1968-1997 Essay

Question: Apply the tetra threat framework in analyzing Intel’s strategy to sustain competitive advantage in microprocessors Threat of Imitation: * Intel used economies of scale to counter imitation. Project Crush helped it to gain IBM’s contract for the 8088 microprocessor. * By entering into a long term relationship with Microsoft, which was its complementor. * R&D also resulted in Intel coming up with upgrades and new generation of chips at a rapid rate. * Intel like many other microprocessors didn’t believe in patents and copyrights as the life cycle of the microprocessor was very low and the patents would become obsolete In the late 1980s Intel moved towards IPR protection for its technology and products. * Relationships with suppliers were also strong as its procurement strategy was best in breed technology. It also allowed dual-sourcing of critical pieces of production equipment. * Intel always overcame threats of retaliation by producing the next generation microprocessor of equivalent or better quality. This also comes true when it has entered the RISC market also. * Decision not to license the 386 to any manufacturer other than IBM helped Intel to position itself as the leading horizontal niche player in the computer chip segment. Threat of Substitution: * When companies and technologies evolved with CISC technology, Intel after little of straddling decide to stick over RISC technology and not respond to its competitors. * Intel has produced x386 processor before Microsoft came out with MS Dos 5.0 version, thus Intel always leapfrogged before the competitors could and making it difficult for the competitors to achieve similar high degrees of compatibility features. * Intel defended itself through Project Checkmate to win contracts. * The ‘Intel inside’ campaign, created a brand for the previously unknown and ambiguous interior of a PC. This created a first mover advantage for Intel as they were the first to brand it. Branding thus proved a recombining technique as everything was getting branded in the consumer market. * It also competed rigorously with Motorola in RISC keeping its CISC microprocessors. * It has also made itself compatible for better usage for Internet also thus building its competitive advantage continuously. * Intel also lessened its substitution problem by reducing the licensing companies to produce its chips and thus its revenue increased from 30% to 75%. Threat of hold-up: * Intel outsourced its 8086 chip manufacturing to 12 other companies in order to meet the high demands * Intel during its x386 launch had a major problem as IBM disagreed to buy the new microprocessors. Intel entered into a relationship with Compaq launched it in Deskpro 386 which became a huge hit. This built mutually dependence. The introduction of x386 transformed the industry which became more horizontal in nature which was more cost effective. * Intel also forward integrated and developed its own products through its systems business. It had been in the business of designing, manufacturing and selling electronic subsystems and even complete system products. * Also Intel tried to maintain a trust and build a relationship with all complementors and suppliers. * Intel increased its bargaining power by developing complementary products e.g. Microsoft OS is only compatible with Intel processors.

Bible as Literature Essay

One of the central arguments of the Old Testament book Genesis is its credibility as a historical account. Nobody may never really know if the events written in this book actually happened or not, especially parts (or chapters) where hints of culture and detailed places can be read. Except maybe chapters 1 and 2 which is the beginning of existence itself. Then again, details may have been passed through oral tradition, but considering the eternity of years between the time of creation and the time words were even put on to the most primitive of ways, details may be greatly distorted. After the creation story (Chapters 1 and 2) virtually all introductions of all chapters start out with the father siring a son, and that’s son’s son. A family tree in other words. An elaborate one at that, because the writer can trace back up to Adam. The Chapter starts out as, again, that familiar family tree starting from the children of Abraham and Keturah, Abraham’s other wife, up to the twins Esau and Jacob. By this, Genesis chapter 25 provides evidence that it should be taken as part of history and not as fiction. Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah. And she bare him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah. And Jokshan begat Sheba, and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshirim, and Letushim, and Leummim. And the sons of Midian; Ephah, and Epherm and Hanochm and Abidahm and Eldaah . All of these were the children of Keturah. (Genesis 25: 1- 4) It is not clear whether Abraham married Keturah when he was still with Sarah or after her death. At any rate, Keturah seemed to be more fruitful, which just helped Abraham seal his place as the Father of All Nations. Patriarchal Theme Indeed Abraham is the father of all nations, heck, we even have a nursery rhyme to prove it, but what about the mother of all nations? Or in this case the mothers of all nations? The patriarchs are always one of the great figures in history and literature, which what the Bible actually is, a piece of (very old) history and literature. Patriarchy is the accepted system in most societies since people evolved into social creatures. Social groups are based in this system, governments, religion, and the family alike. Perhaps the most controversial of all, would be in religion, God is branded as â€Å"He† even though no one can ever really tell. But if Jesus and God are one in the same, logic tells us that the Supreme Being is also male. There’s a popular saying that in order to be of worth in this world; one must either write a book, plant a tree, or sire a son. Sons were always cherished by families, especially fathers since they would be able to inherit the family’s wealth and continue the blood line. In fact, during biblical times, and in some countries, even today, people are addressed by their names following who their father is: I am (name) son of (name of father), or I am from the house of (name of father) They only recognize who the father is. The theme of Patriarchy is a sensitive topic today, especially when women now are becoming more and more involved in the society, and sometimes more successful than most men. It has long been argued what the role of women are in the world. If they are fit in every position the world has to offer. Tradition (and our patriarchal society) tells us that men are supposed to be the leaders, but things has changed since Abraham’s time. There’s no doubt that men should hold high positions in the church, that’s just the way it is. Feminists can’t argue with that, but with everything else, men and women should have fair chances in finding their place in society. Covenant Theme Now the Lord said to Abram, ‘Go forth from your country, and from your your relatives And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you; And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so, you shall be a blessing; And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. (Genesis 12:1-3) This is the covenant that God made with Abraham, it’s more like a promise of God to Abraham than a mutual agreement since Abraham benefited a lot from this covenant regardless of his future actions. As long as he leaves his country, his relatives, and his father’s house, all of God’s promises to him would be fulfilled This covenant making business isn’t new to God, e has done this in a couple of occasions. First was his covenant with Adam and Eve after they ate the forbidden fruit and was expelled from Paradise, God cut them some slack so they could still live and procreate. Another was during Noah’s time after God destroyed the rest of Mankind, except Noah’s family, He promised Noah that he would no longer destroy man by the use of flood. Then came Abraham. (Genesis 6-9) Abraham lived a comfortable life before God called upon him. What God was asking Abraham wasn’t easy. Nomads were considered inferior during that time plus the fact that God didn’t specify where exactly He wanted Abraham to be. Regardless of this uncertainty, he followed God’s will, and left the city, with all its comforts, to live the life of a nomad in the desert plains. (Genesis 12:1-3,7; 13: 14-18; 15: 4, 5, 13-18; 17-19; 22: 15-18) The covenant that God made Abraham is known as an Unconditional Covenant, for the promises that God made to Abraham would not be revoked even if he does not continue to comply on his side of the bargain. As long as Abraham leaves the city, all the conditions would be fulfilled by God. There’s more to it than God blessing Abraham’s descendants and making them more numerous than the stars. Let’s see what are some of the things that Abraham got from this deal: 1. Abraham will become the father of all nations (technically just Israel) 2. Abraham would inherit Canaan 3. He would be blessed 4. His name would be great 5. He would be a blessing to others 6. He and Sarah would have a son despite their old age Brewer, David, God’s Covenant with Abraham These promises however aren’t instantaneous, some are in the distant future ranging from Isaac’s birth, about 20 years later, and the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt, which is a good 400 years later after the covenant. Critical Analysis of the literary, cultural, and religious issues The first issue that may be noticed in this chapter is from the first verse. Abraham taking a new wife, Keturah. The author does not say if Keturah was concubine of Abraham or if she was â€Å"taken† by Abraham after his wife’s death. One thing’s for sure, God is fulfilling His promise that Abraham would have descendants more numerous than the stars. It might sound a bit odd for a Christian to read about a Christian figure having concubines, but apparently, Abraham have had lots of concubines, and have had many sons with them. Another issue is Abraham’s death. Genesis tells us that he died one hundred and seventy five years old probably three times, on average, of today’s life expectancy. Sure, people back then lived a lot longer than today, but 175 is way too old. The calendar year then may have been different from today. Abraham gave gifts to his sons and sent them away towards the country to the east, while everything else he gave to Isaac. There’s Hebrew story that Abraham sent the other sons away fearing that they might begin conflicts. He might be right, because Islam can be traced back from the other sons of Abraham. On the family level, favouritisms were already a part of the family during that time. Isaac preferred Esau while Rebecca likes Jacob. Isaac probably liked Esau more, because he was a hunter, he provided the family with his game. Esau would make any typical dad proud. Esau liked the outdoors and was very masculine . Jacob on the other hand stayed at home, tending to the tents or in modern day terms, doing household chores. Of course mothers would have loved this. (Genesis 25: 27-28) Divine election is the power of God to choose whoever He desires, to do something or receive his blessing. God had already chosen Isaac and Jacob to be the recipients of Abraham’s blessings way before they were born. However this doesn’t mean that God chose them because he already knew that they would be more pious than the others. In Jacob’s case, Esau might have been more worthy of God’s blessing since Jacob took advantage of his brother’s weakness. Esau sold his birth right to Jacob for food, saying that he doesn’t need it since he is dying. God had chosen them simply because it is his will. He is God after all. (Deffinbaugh, Th. M, Divine Election) Arguably the most controversial issue is Jacob, as mentioned, Jacob schemed to buy his brother’s birth right so he can have most out of the inheritance he would get from his father. He need not do this because he was already chosen by God. Which Rebecca probably revealed to him already since he is her favorite. (Genesis 25: 31-33) Genesis’ Author The author of Genesis was probably a nomad just like Abraham, who raised livestock like cattle, and sheep on the plains of their land. The author may have written the book out of the urge to tell a story to trace their roots, or if it’s true, really trace his family tree up to Abraham. The author must have felt that he had to write into account his family’s heritage. What Genesis is, is really just an extensive family tree from Adam, to his last descendant in the book. The author might have written the chapters of the book, sitting under a shade of tree after tending to his flock. To pass time, he might have decided that he might as well do something productive during his break. It’s possible that these stories were later told at his household and soon became popular that it was told to every tent in the community. There’s also a chance that the author was a scholar, born several hundreds of maybe a thousand years after the estimated date of its last chapter. He (assuming he was a man) maybe the very first ethnographer of the world. If in deed, he was, he was very successful. He gathered a large number of information; from traditions/cultures: what the ancient people actually do during those times and how they lived, what they wore†¦etc. , history; detailed accounts of what happened, including probable conversations that might have happened between the people and God, and among themselves. What the author has done is simply astonishing, generations upon generations of ancient history, written in just one book, and its not even as thick as today’s novels. which may hypothesize that the book wasn’t just made by a single author but by the family historian in each generation. Works Cited Deffinbaugh, Th. M. â€Å"The Principle of Divine Election† bible. org. September 1, 2008 http://www. bible. org/page. php? page_id=104 New American Bible. United States Conference of Catholic Bishops 3211 4th Street, N. E. , Washington, DC 20017-1194 (202) 541-3000

A Study On Globacom Limited Marketing Essay

A Study On Globacom Limited Marketing Essay Nigeria’s mobile telecommunication industry started in 2001, with the launch of Global System of Mobile Communication (GSM). Since then, Nigeria has emerged as the fasting growing Telecommunications economies in the Africa, and third in the world, after China and Brazil (Aneke, 2009). Globacom is one of the biggest telecommunication companies in Nigeria, It is the only Telecommunication company amongst the top 4 GSM providers, to be have originated from Nigeria. Not only is Globacom a proudly Nigerian company, it has successfully been targeted as the pace setter (based on innovations) of the telecommunications industry in Nigeria (Ochai, 2009 ). Since its launched in 2002, and started its operations in August 2003, it was the first mobile phone service provider to offer per second billing in Nigeria. This gave Globacom a great competitive advantage, has other mobile operators were only offering per minute billing (Ochai, 2009). The next paragraph looks at the background of Gl obacom, to understand how it started, and see how far it has gone since its inception. Background of Globacom Globacom was launched in 2002 by Nigerian business tycoon / billionaire Dr Mike Adenuga, who is already successfully in the oil industry, with Conoil plc and the banking industry with Equatorial Trust bank (ETB). It started operations in August 2003 by offering both per second and per minute billing. Being the first in Nigeria to offer per second billings, people gradually started swapping their SIMS to Globacom SIMS as the per second billing was seen as a cheaper option. Globacom started to grow and gain market share, just one year after it started operations, it has gained 25% market share in the telecommunications industry. The next paragraph is the Globacom Vision, now that its background has been analysis, it is necessary to see where it plans to go. (check for definition of vision and adjust this part and the beginning of the next) Globacom’s Vision Globacomâ₠¬â„¢s vision is building Africa’s biggest and best Telecommunications network (www.gloworld.com ). This is a big dream for a company that started just six years ago. So far they are aiming towards achieving their goal by being continuously innovative and being one of the best telecommunication services providers in Nigeria. Globacom is now present in Nigeria, Cà ´te d’Ivoire, Benin republic and Ghana (www.gloworld.com). Now that the vision is known, the subsequent chapter analysises the Globacom strategies so far in the bid to realise its vision. Key strategies: creating a competitive positioning Market target Globacom Limited’s market target is the generation X and Generation Y of the Nigerian and African population, based on the type of products and services they offer. They have continued to offer services that would appeal to this target Audience. The products and services includes free Globacom to Globacom midnight, free MMS, and lots more. Globacom Limit ed has also targeted the average and below average citizen they constitute majority of the Africa population and they have done this by reducing their pricing, which makes their products and services more appealing to them. Cost leadership

Military Suicides Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Military Suicides - Essay Example As the report declares soldiers often have to perform ‘details’ or additional duties like military base landscaping. If any of those daily duties are not completed to military standard, the soldier is subject to corrective physical training, evening additional labor, partial forfeiture of monthly pay, or reduction in a soldiers rank. Those stressors are not only difficult for the soldier, but for any dependents a soldier may have as well. â€Å"The U.S. military cannot avoid the stark reality of suicide entirely. Service members and veterans reflect the broader American public, which not only suffers from suicide, but also stigmatizes mental health care. Further, some service members enter military service with mental health challenges and we should not conclude that serving in the military caused these suicides. According to the research finidngs while serving in the military, a soldier is provided a chain of command or hierarchy of leadership to provide the soldier with duties and assist in any of the soldier’s needs. These leaders have taken training on how to complete a mission, take care of given soldiers and uphold an ethical standard. Unfortunately, there are too many stories what the Army classifies as ‘toxic leadership’. The military hierarchy in charge also thought that by the end of the wars, the number of military suicide cases will reduce. The military leadership fails to understand that the mental health and overall welfare are separate, unique and individual.

Rhetorical Devices Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Rhetorical Devices - Essay Example Soliloquy is used as the best way to give insight into the character of the narrator because he or she would not lie to himself when he talks to himself. In Act I, scene 3 lines 149-197, Othello basically portrayed himself as a great heroic figure beginning from his childhood to his later exploits evident with this line â€Å"the story of my life  From year to year--the battles, sieges, fortunes  That I have passed. I ran it through, even from my boyish daysâ€Å". This narration of Othello’s heroic exploits was necessary to convince the Venetians that he is not a threat to them, particularly the Duke who was about to send him against the Ottoman soldiers. Othello needs to convince the Venetians as well as the Duke because he is considered as an outsider in Venetian society as he looked different from them and to some extent, he was perceived as a sort of witch doctor. So he has to convince them that he will act in their best interest even if he is an outsider. Othello a lso needs to convince the Duke that he did not bewitched Desdemona (daughter of the Duke) and that the only thing he did was charm her with his stories. These stories were then told to the Duke that these are harmless personal exploits of bravery to convince him and the Venetians that he is not a threat. During the process of Othello’s soliloquy, he claimed that Desdemona fell in love with him because of this background as told by his soliloquy. These adventures of his, was a sort of an aphrodisiac that Desdemona loved him because of this. For his part, Othello fell in love with her because of her fascination to his story indicating that Desdemona’s patronage and faithfulness to his self-image is very important to him and probably one of the pre-requisite for him to fall in love with her. Through this rhetorical device of soliloquy also, it is hinted to us the nature of Othello’s character to be somewhat narcissistic or that he loves himself too much but at

Analysis of Promotional Program Situation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Analysis of Promotional Program Situation - Essay Example This product is hopefully going to sail through the market given its peculiarity, simplicity and integrative capabilities. There are a number of competing products to the Tablet360. However, the main competition is from the Nokia and Samsung who have by far established a number of related products. Their products are well positioned across the world market. They have a broad market share, towering through a number of countries. Their marketing strategies are vibrant and they have their presence on all the local and international media, in addition to the internet. They are also well promoted through sponsorship of great football clubs that play in the English Premier League. At the moment, there are so many phones and related tablets from these companies with enhanced features such as the touch screen, radio, mobile banking options, TV and the internet among others. (Strauss). In addition, it might be difficult to persuade the huge population that has already embraced these gadgets given the extra expenditure that they may have to incur on Tablet360. However, the saleability of this gadget is almost gua ranteed since its features are luxurious, efficient and amazingly economic due to the miniaturized enhancements and the ease of workability. As such, the tablet is estimated to command a market share of about 75% percent in the electronic market if effective advertisement is carried out. Most of the competitors are marketing their products through the mass media and the internet. (Strauss). In addition they also use the mobile phone short messaging services to spread the awareness of their products. (Christensen and LÃ ¦greid). In order to counter this, a more personalized marketing strategy for Tablet360 will have to be adopted. For example, after closing a sale with a buyer of the tablet, he might be given an opportunity to seek for a customer of another tablet with a guaranteed commission. (Strauss). In case the new customer comes, then the same strategy can

In a culturally diverse word, the universality of human rights remains Assignment - 1

In a culturally diverse word, the universality of human rights remains unsettled. Discuss - Assignment Example All people should not be denied their rights unless in a situation that demands legal action against them. For example, the right to liberty can be withdrawn when a person becomes guilty and gets convicted of an offence. International human rights law in the form of treaties, international law, general principles, and other international law sources are factors that determine Human rights. International law seeks to achieve the universality of human rights; however, it faces challenges resulting from the current cultural diversity. Culture is the people’s way of life and contributes much to aspects of their lives. The different cultures that exist in the world are a challenge to trying to implement human rights law. Some cultures would not allow some actions as they differ with them. This work seeks to discuss how the diverse culture in the world contributes to the efforts put towards achieving or settling universality of human rights. It will discuss how the culture relates t o human rights and how it contributes either negatively or positively towards achieving the universality of human rights. It will also focus on different organizations formed to protect and educate the public on understanding their culture and human rights, and how their progress is at present. Background Information Although there have been developments in evolution of human rights, the process is under serious challenge. From 1945, more development of international human rights standards has occurred as compared to previous years (Forsythe, 2009: xviii). However, international issues like Chinese development as a world power, and the United States’ efforts to maintain national security after the September 2001 attack challenge these developments on human rights. As much as the international community talks of human rights and rights laws, there is a violation of the rights as a result of these developments. People did not know about human rights until 1945, but the United S tates and France practiced ‘rights of man’ although no human rights treaties existed until the period of United Nations. The treaties that existed were rights of foreigners. According to Forsythe, it is D. Roosevelt and others who pushed for inclusion of human rights in the United Nations charter. They believed that human rights contributed to international security and peace and that it was human rights’ violation that led to the origin of World War II (Forsythe, 2009: xviii). The quest to adoption of human rights to the UN charter became the origin of their development. Universality of Human Rights Universality is the quality of being dominant or available. Human rights universality is thus the ability to the existence of human rights to every human being. Universality is rather the ability of a society or state to allow its citizens to enjoy the availability of human rights. The diversity in culture, in the present world, affects the universality of human righ ts in various ways. Different cultures affect how their citizens enjoy the provision of human rights. According to Osiatyn?ski, the African take on human rights was not on an individual basis; it focused on the community. This is an indication that culture has a relative impact on human rights universality. In most tribes, in Africa, for example, the decision to marry does not come from a girl, but it is a decision made by the family and clan or the community, depending on the family status (Osiatyn?ski, 2009:128). This practice