Mistrust vs. Distrust

Mistrust vs. Distrust Mistrust vs. Distrust Mistrust vs. Distrust By Maeve Maddox A reader wants to know if there is a difference between the words mistrust and distrust. The short answer is, â€Å"No.† As verbs, both distrust and mistrust mean, â€Å"to be without confidence.† As nouns, both distrust and mistrust mean, â€Å"lack of trust or confidence.† The Google Ngram Viewer graph shows distrust as the more common of the two words since 1800. When I entered various phrases, the ones that began with distrust were more common than the ones with mistrust–with one curious exception: â€Å"mistrust my wife† was more common than â€Å"distrust my wife.† And neither â€Å"mistrust my husband† nor â€Å"distrust my husband† brought up any results at all. I predict that mistrust will eventually drop out of general use. I base my prediction on the fact that a red squiggly line appears under mistrust when I type a phrase with it into the Google search box. Another clue is that the search results come up prefaced with the question, â€Å"Do you mean distrust?† The only possible distinction I can discern between mistrust and distrust is that mistrust is a slightly â€Å"softer† word that may imply some doubt that the lack of trust is justified. Here are some examples of current usage of these synonyms: Marilyns insecurity made  her mistrust  everyone. Gen Halvorson cant resist reaching out to the little boy, despite his fathers obvious mistrust of her talents and her motives.   Politics has become static in America, and Americans  have always distrusted politicians.      I  distrust those  people who know so well what God wants them to do, because I notice it always coincides with their own desires. –Susan B. Anthony   Research has found we  distrust those who  are mean with their money. Cynicism  is an  attitude  or state of mind characterized by a general distrust of others motives believing that humans are selfish by nature. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Direct and Indirect Objects60 Synonyms for â€Å"Trip†Empathic or Empathetic?

The History of Gillette and Schick Razors

The History of Gillette and Schick Razors Men have been slaves to their facial hair  pretty much since they first walked upright. A couple of inventors have made the process of trimming it or getting rid of it entirely  easier over the years and their razors and shavers are still widely used today. Gillette  Razors Enter the Market Patent No. 775,134 was granted to King C. Gillette for a â€Å"safety razor† on November 15, 1904. Gillette was born in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin in 1855 and became a traveling salesman to support himself after his family’s home was destroyed in the Chicago Fire of 1871. His work led him to William Painter, the inventor of the disposable Crown Cork bottle cap. Painter told Gillette that a successful invention was one that was purchased over and over again by satisfied customers. Gillette took this advice to heart. After several years of considering and rejecting a number of possible inventions, Gillette suddenly had a brilliant idea while shaving one morning. An entirely new razor flashed in his mind- one with a safe, inexpensive and disposable blade. American men would no longer have to regularly send their razors out for sharpening. They could toss out their old blades and reapply new ones. Gillette’s invention would also fit neatly in the hand, minimizing cuts and nicks. It was a stroke of genius, but it took another six years for Gillette’s idea to come to  fruition. Technical experts told Gillette that it was impossible to produce steel that was hard enough, thin enough and inexpensive enough for the commercial development of a disposable razor blade. That was until MIT graduate William Nickerson agreed to try his hand at it in 1901, and two years later, he had succeeded. Production of the Gillette safety razor and blade began when the Gillette Safety Razor Company started their operations in South Boston. Over time, sales grew steadily. The U.S. government issued Gillette safety razors to the entire armed forces during World War I and over three million razors and 32 million blades were put into military hands. By the end of the war, an entire nation was converted to the Gillette  safety razor. In the 1970s, Gillette began sponsoring international sporting events  such as the Gillette Cricket Cup, the FIFA World Cup, and Formula One racing. Schick  Razors   It was an inventive U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel named Jacob Schick who first conceived of the electric razor that initially bore his name. Colonel Schick patented the first such razor on November 1928 after deciding that a dry shave was the way to go. So the Magazine Repeating Razor Company was born. Schick subsequently sold his interest in the company to American Chain and Cable, which continued to sell the razor until 1945. In 1935, ACC introduced the Schick Injector Razor, an idea in which Schick held the patent.  The Eversharp Company ultimately bought the rights to the razor in 1946. The Magazine Repeating Razor Company would become the Schick Safety Razor Company and use the same razor concept to launch a similar product for women in 1947. Teflon-coated stainless steel blades were later introduced in 1963 for a smoother shave. As part of the arrangement, Eversharp slid its own name onto the product, sometimes in conjunction with the Schick logo.

Contribute to the care of mothers and babies interview Essay

Contribute to the care of mothers and babies interview - Essay Example I was particularly pleasantly surprised to learn that the father I have grown to imagine as tough and busy actually took his time to change my baby diapers in the middle of the nights. I also interviewed a 45 year old lady who has had three girls concerning the changes she has noticed in maternal care over the three different births and those of her sisters and friends. She reckons that each time she visits a maternity center she notices considerable improvements and more personalized health care. A third interview involved a 32 year old woman who shed more light on the various gadgets that she finds helpful in providing care for a new born and parenting. In the fourth interview with a 58 year old woman, we discussed the period of stay in hospital after child birth and some of the general positives and negatives one can contend with in a maternity. In my fifth and final interview, with a 68 year old woman, we looked at and debunked some common myths/ superstitions that are common regarding pregnancy. The roles of a father during and after pregnancy are ever changing with fathers becoming more engaged in the affairs of the expectant mother and the child (Koutoukidis, Stainton, and Hughson, 2013). This is unlike in the past when fathers would take a back seat or revel in the presence of a house help. Research indicates that the active involvement of fathers during and after pregnancy aids in the healthy all-round development of the child, increases bond and aids in the recovery of the mother, with activities such as changing nappies, bathing babies, organizing baby car seats, having contacts of who to call when necessary, preparing a baby area at home, ensuring healthy feeding of (expectant) mother, doing laundry, ensuring home safety, accompanying mother to clinical checkups before and after delivery (Koutoukidis, Stainton, and Hughson, 2013, 66), and so on, vital

Business Cycle or Economic Growth in the UK Essay

Business Cycle or Economic Growth in the UK - Essay Example In the United Kingdom, economic growth has been driven by investment in infrastructure, investment in science and technology, increased access to business finance, increased exports and support for inward investment, reduction of corporation tax, simplification in business regulations, educating the workforce, tackling long term housing market issues and government support for local growth. This paper discusses economic growth in the United Kingdom with particular focus on the causes of economic growth, longstanding policies and their effect on balanced economic growth and gives recommendations on how the United Kingdom can promote further economic growth. For nations to succeed in the competitive global economy, the respective governments must take action. The government of the United Kingdom has not been left behind. It has taken initiatives to encourage economic growth and at the same time, it continues to support hardworking citizens who want to succeed in life. For stable and continuous economic growth, the initiatives taken by the United Kingdom government include: A nation cannot run effectively without economic infrastructure. For this reason, the government of the United Kingdom has placed economic infrastructure development at the heart of its economic growth policies. Economic infrastructure not only promotes economic growth but also creates employment. Examples of economic infrastructure include construction of power plants, airports, railways and roads, and provision of support services such as security systems and street lighting. Over the years, the United Kingdom has developed its infrastructure networks. According to a finding by OECD, â€Å"between 1970 and 2005, investment in UK roads, rail and electricity generating capacity had a stronger positive effect on the level of GDP per capita, and on short term growth, than other types of capital investment† (HM Treasury and Infrastructure UK, 2010). In 2009, the United Kingdom government created

Operation Management Essay Example for Free

Operation Management Essay Purpose: The purpose of this assignment is to provide students with an understanding of the role and importance of operations management in the efficient and effective production of goods and services. It will enable students to realise that the ‘proper’ organisation of productive systems, and their interfaces with internal as well as external customers and suppliers, is essential if goods/services are to be produced on time, to cost and within the laws and regulations. Scenario. Impressive Burgers was established 10 years ago with the goal of providing fast take away food to their customers quickly and of a higher quality to that of their rivals. Each restaurant offered a simple menu structure with a choice of four set meal options. 1. Burger, Chips Soft Drink 2. Cheeseburger, Chips Soft Drink 3. Chicken Burger, Chips Soft Drink 4. Vegetarian Burger, Chips Soft Drink Customers were offered a choice of size of each meal: Regular, Medium or Large. The size of the chips and drinks portions varied but the burger size remained the same. Using this format they were able to serve each customer their order within 4 minutes from a ordering at the till to receiving their complete order to take away. Each restaurant places their orders with the suppliers directly based on the manager’s prediction for demand based on the reports generated by the restaurants own till system. These orders arrive in one shipment once every other week. The company has grown to a chain of restaurant operations and the management introduced a number of changes to the format 12 months ago in an effort to increase each business at each restaurants. The number of set meal options available on the menu was increased to offer more options to the customer and to attract customers seeking healthier options. The menu options were increased by a further three options: 5. Chicken Nuggets, Chips Soft Drink 6. Chicken Salad, Garlic Bread, Soft Drink 7. Hot Dog, Chips Soft Drink In addition to these set menu additions the company also offered the option of changing the chips option on the set meals for either a Side Salad or for Potato Wedges. The restaurants themselves have not changed and the number of staff and machinery has remained at the same levels before the menu changes. Since these changes were implemented there has been a dramatic increase in turnover and the number of customers that are visiting each of their restaurants. However, overall profit has declined dramatically over the last 12 months and the company predicts that if it continues the company will report its first loss in its history within the next 6 months. The company is considering expanding its operations by opening a number of new outlets but want to identify the problems to the issues they are currently facing. The company has begun to investigate why the mixed fortunes have arisen and has identified a number of issues. Serving times have increased dramatically and it now takes an average of 9 minutes for a customer to be served and the number of customer complaints has increased. The main complaints include rude and agitated staff and incorrect or incomplete orders. The total value of stock held at each restaurant has increased by an average of 20% and waste has dramatically increased. The CEO of Impressive Burgers is worried about the current development and has recruited you as Operations Manager with the responsibility of rectifying the situation that the company is currently facing. Your first assignment as Operations Manager is to produce a formal report to the management which includes the following tasks: |Outcome |Assessment Criteria | |No(s) | | |1. Understand the nature and |explain the importance of operational management |1. 1 | |importance of operational | | | |management |explain the need to produce safely; on time; to cost; to | | | |quality and within the law | | | | |1. 2 | | | | | | | | | | |explain the link between operations management and | | | |strategic planning | | | | |1. 3 | | | | | | |produce a systems diagram to illustrate a typical | | | |business | | | | | | | | | | | | |1. 4 | |2 Understand the link between |explain the ‘Three Es’ (economy, efficiency and effectiveness) | | |operations management and | |2. 1 | |strategic planning |explain the tension between cost minimisation and quality | | | |maximisation |2. 2 | | | | | | |evaluate the significance of the five performance objectives | | | |that underpin operations management | | | | | | | | |2. 3 | | | | | | |explain linear programming | | | | |3. 1 | |3 Understand how to organise a typical production process | | | | |evaluate critical path analysis and network planning | | | | |3. 2 | | | | | | |explain the need for operational planning and control | | | | |3. 3 | | | | | | | | | | |produce a set of clearly defined operational outcomes | 4. 1 | |4 Be able to apply relevant | | | |techniques to the production |produce a network plan and indicate the resultant critical path| | |of an operational plan for a | |4. 2 | |typical business | | | | |explain how quality could be defined and maintained |4. 3 | |Assignment Tasks: | | | | | | |Assessment | | |Criteria | |You are required to produce a formal and written report to cover the underlisted tasks. | | | | | |Task 1 | | |Explain the importance of operational management in an organization such as Impressive Burgers and explain ‘Three Es’ (economy, | | |efficiency and effectiveness and its relevance in the industry in which Impressive Burgers operates. |1. 1,2. 1 | | | | |Task 2 | | |Critically evaluate Impressive Burgers’ approach to expanding their operation. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |1. 2,1. 3,1. 4 | | | | |Task 3 | | |Discuss the reasons behind the problems the company is facing and make suggestions for rectifying the situation. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |3. 1,3. 2,3. 3 | | | | |Task 4 | | |Considering the effects on the operations, identify ways in which the overall operation could be improved and expanded further. | | | | | | | | | |4. 1,4. 2 | | | | Grading Criteria The assignment will be graded into Pass, Merit and Distinction against the following criteria: Pass: A pass grade is achieved by meeting all the requirements defined in the unit outcomes. Grading Criteria The assignment will be graded into Pass, Merit and Distinction against the following criteria: Pass: A pass grade is achieved by meeting all the requirements defined in the unit outcomes. |Merit Distinction | |M1 |Identify and apply strategies to find appropriate solutions | | |Identify areas relevant for each task in the assignment and respond accordingly and professionally | |M2 |Select and apply appropriate techniques | | |Evidence of processing and synthesised complex information/data. | | |Appropriate learning methods/techniques have been applied | | |Report should have proper citations and reference list to all sources including your field-visit observations, books, magazines and other | | |material used for research | | | | |M3 |Present and communicate appropriate findings | | |Present your views coherently and logically | | |Demonstrate real situations in your assignment | | | | |D1 |Use critical reflection to evaluate own work and justify valid conclusions | | |Justify your ideas in a professional manner. | | |Propose realistic ideas for the future based on the current status | | |Learner presented CONCLUSIONS for all tasks/areas | |D2 |Take responsibility for managing and organizing activities | | |Show that you did the assignment alone and in accordance with the time. | | |Assignments referred will automatically achieve the minimum grade too for improper handling of task | |D3 |Demonstrate creative thinking | | |Demonstrate that you followed all the guidelines while doing the assignment and have utilised adequate and relevant words for the specific. | | |business environment | | |Apply innovation and creative thought in your work. | |Required Evidence | |†¢ Report (Your report should be approximately 1800 words and you are likely to be penalized if it exceeds 2000 words. If you feel it is essential to | |include detailed information, put it in an appendix and refer to this appendix in the text. Your sources of information should be clearly identified) | | | |Reading Research Resources | |Lecture slides | |F Rowbotham et el (2007) Operations Management in Context | |S Brown et al (2000), Strategic Operations Management, Butterworth Heinemann. | |L Galloway L et al (2000), Operations Management in Context, Butterworth-Heinemann. | |J Heizer and B Render (2003), Operations Management, Prentice Hall. | |N Slack et al (2000), Operations Management, Pitman. | |D L Waller D L (1999), Operations Management — A Supply Chain Approach, Thompson | |Newspapers, trade journals, magazines | | | |Guidelines for Presentation | |All assignments must be word-processed using Times New Roman (12 point) and stapled in the top left hand corner. | |Page numbers must be included at the bottom of each page. | |Secondary sources should be acknowledged using the Harvard Referencing | |Students are requested to attach the ‘assessment activity front sheet’ on the top of each report with all personal information (name, and student number | |etc. ) accurately presented. | |Every report must have a front page showing the title, class and name | |The length of writing will be limited to about 1800-2000 words. | |Note: Assignment that did not follow this ‘Guidelines for presentation’ will not be accepted. | | | |Plagiarism Policy The college has strict penalty for plagiarism and the assignment will be cancelled if the assignment is observed for this. The definition| |and scope of plagiarism are presented below: Plagiarism occurs when a student misrepresents, as his/her own work, the work, written or otherwise, of any | |other person (including another student) or of any institution. Examples of forms of plagiarism include: | |†¢ The verbatim (word for word) copying of another’s work without appropriate and correctly presented acknowledgement; | |†¢ The close paraphrasing of another’s work by simply changing a few words or altering the order of presentation, without appropriate and correctly | |presented acknowledgement; | |†¢ Unacknowledged quotation of phrases from another’s work; | |†¢ The deliberate and detailed presentation of another’s concept as one’s own. | | | |All types of work submitted by students are covered by this definition, including, written work, diagrams, designs, engineering drawings and pictures. |

Abortion: I Am Pro-Choice Essay -- Freedom of Choice, Pro-Choice Essays

The foundation of the American Government is built on two ideologies; first, that the majority of the people govern through democratic election and second, that the power of the majority is limited to ensure individual rights. As defined by the American Heritage Online Dictionary a mother is a woman who conceives, gives birth to, or raises and nurtures a child. This paper will discuss the right of privacy of the mother versus the governments’ right to protect the unborn fetus in regard to Abortion. Every woman has the right to make any decision that involves her body. Our government has always respected the individual’s right to privacy. A woman’s reproductive system should not be regulated by the government. In the Supreme Court case, Roe v. Wade in 1973, the decision to make abortion legal came in effect (Frohock 1983). Before Roe, many women were pregnant were forced to weigh their respect for the law against their positivism that they were not ready to be mothers. Many women chose to break the law, putting their lives and futures at risk, and decided to get unsafe and expensive procedures. Many people who choose to get an abortion for several reasons. Some of these reasons are because they want to postpone childbearing, cannot afford a baby, had relationship problems, their partner does not want pregnancy, too young, risk to fetal health, risk to maternal health, incest, and or the person was raped. In a research done, the percentage of these reasons why people seek to get an abortion ranges from 2.1% because of rape and incest to 25.5% because these people want to postpone childbearing. Laws against abortion kill woman. Even though abortion may be illegal, that does not mean woman will not go thr... ...liberty, or property without due process of the law. The law already provides the right to privacy, liberties, and the freedom to choose unfortunately, the definition of privacy, and individual rights in this county are still in question. In conclusion having the right to choose to me is the best way to go. No one should have the right to tell another person what she should do with her own body. I am pro-choice. References Frohock, F.M (1983) Abortion: A Case Study in Law and Morals. United States of America: Greenwood Press. Retrieved on June 9, 2008. Messerli, J (2005, November). Should Abortion Be Banned (Except in Special Circumstances Like Saving the Mother's Life)? Retrieved June 8, 2008, from http://www.balancedpolitics.org/index.htm Pros and Cons of Abortion. Retrieved from http://tiger.towson.edu/users/bpahll/pros%20and%20cons%20page.html

A Critical Response Essay on Walt Whitman’s A Noiseless Patient Spider

Walt Whitman’s poem is obviously comparing the web spun by the spider and the soul of one’s self. The use of words pertaining to space is in abundance in the whole poem and this is both the case when the persona was describing the noiseless and patient spider (â€Å"explore the vacant, vast surrounding†, line 3) and when describing his own soul (â€Å"Surrounded, surrounded, in measureless oceans of space†, line 7).The most fascinating aspect of the poem is that Whitman uses a free-verse style and yet a rhythm is formed with the tempo and a beat of how a spider would have been doing and feeling while spinning the silver web and trying to latch it to open spaces around it or how the soul of the persona itself is trying to seek â€Å"spheres† and â€Å"to connect them† (line 8) to the open space present around the soul.When a reader imagines the imagery presented in the poem, it is not the spider or the soul which is visualized. Instead, the re ader sees the imagery of a spider being noiseless and patient with spaces around it and the soul being noiseless and patient as well. Thus, the spider and the soul are both the same with their need to cling to something outside the space and to venture forth outside that space.Moreover, there is a sense of purpose and existence of both the soul and the spider since they both have to latch on to something. The spider has to in fact, launch â€Å"filament, filament, filament, out of itself† (line 4) and the soul has to fling its â€Å"gossamer thread† (line 10) until it â€Å"catch somewhere† (line 10).Therefore, the spider and the soul is one and the same. The link or the parallelism of both the spider and the soul is their place in space. Other than that, the spider and the soul would be enormously different from each other.  

Oedipus and Othello

Both Oedipus and Othello were virtuous and brave men that became the victims of two tragic downfalls. Oedipus and Othello are both tragic character. In the play Oedipus the king, Oedipus killed his father and married his mother and have children. However Othello ends up distrusting his wife, so he killed his wife. These two persons have similarities and differences in several characteristics that they are round characters, the vengeance that they experience upon themselves and upon their individual wives whether straight or circuitously, and their tragic. Both Oedipus and Othello are round characters. A round character is completely developed so that the person who read will have a good picture of their appearances and behavior. Oedipus is a character whose fortune cannot be escaped because whatever path he took, seems to take him to get more trouble than what he can deal with anyone before. Therefore, even if his character is well-rounded, he is not realistic. Unlike Oedipus, he would marry a woman who is his mother so he does not need to ask some question about her past marriages or her children. However, there could be some kind of conflict vision in their characters, and there may be question could have risen about the first child that was executed. On the other hand, Othello is a well-rounded character and is a realistic. Othello is a person who is jealous and mistrust that he thinks his wife is cheating on him and sleeping with another man. Othello was in love and he had this feeling that once in a while he thinks that his feeling is fed by the person whom that most trust can lied to them. Until Othello finally kills his wife, Iago constantly know about Othello’s thought that is wounded and distrust grows for his wife. Oedipus is a round character, but cannot be understood due to the ridiculous conditions of his marriage. Othello’s round character can be more understandable, because jealousy occupies all of us at one time. Othello chose to act upon it abundant like those who act in our community today. So far, both Oedipus and Othello worry themselves and their wives. When Oedipus knows the truth about himself that he married his mother and also killing his father. Oedipus’s wife Jocasta kills herself because of embarrassment that she married her son. Oedipus blinds himself in order to impose punishment for him. On the other hand, Othello wrongly blames his wife Desdemona of disloyalty with Cassio and henceforth throttles her to death. Later, Othello realizes that his allegation was wrongly founded; he is overwhelmed with guilt, and stabs himself to death. Therefore, Oedipus does moral obliteration of himself while Othello abolishes himself by death. Lastly, Othello and Oedipus are both tragic hero and their disaster comes from their marriages. Othello is a slave who achieved many goods through the military. Oedipus was born into the upper class and is also a prince and a king. Othello and Oedipus both suffered great loss and shame because of pride. Oedipus’s pride is gone after he killed his father and married his mother. After doing such bad things, Oedipus began to lose all his pride and dignity, such as losing his wife and his kingdom. For Othello, his pride’s also turned to shame because he listens to others more than his wife. So Othello killed his innocent wife and loosed his pride and precious things that belong to him. Othello also loosed his life and he stabs himself to death and said, â€Å"I took by the throat the circumcised dog. And smote him thus. † (V ii 351-352. ) In conclusion, Oedipus and Othello are the two tragic downfalls that can be compared and contrasted. Othello and Oedipus are both a heroic characters in the plays and went through a lot of suffering in their life. Both of them are round characters, the vengeance that they experience upon themselves and upon their individual wives whether straight or circuitously, and their tragic. It was too late for them to turn back n have their pride back because they had lost everything what they got. They deserved to lose everything because of what they did. Othello shouldn’t listen to others and should of listen to his lovely life more, but he decided to listen to others and killed his innocent wife. For Oedipus, killing his father just to married his mother is a very disgusting and disgraceful things that can ever happened. These two characters learned their lesson that pride is something that can destroy their life.

Mobilink Jazz Essay Example

Mobilink Jazz Essay Example Mobilink Jazz Essay Mobilink Jazz Essay The project in your hands follows a marketing plan in which Mobilink Jazz is discussed. The plan is simple yet with changes to Mobilink Jazz’s marketing plan. The document holds the market segmentation for this telecom service provider. Along with that it discusses the main four P’s of Maketing and future plans for each of them. Before all the above mentioned, however, we’ve discussed the telecommunication industry in detil and have carried out an analysis of the sector. In the ending we have the budgeting of the marketing end of Jazz. Hope you like the effort we’ve put into it. Happy Reading! TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents Introduction5 Industry Analysis8 PEST, BCG, Porter’s 5 Forces, Positioning Map11 The 4 P’s16 Marketing Budgeting33 The New Package35 Introduction Mobilink GSM (PMCL), a subsidiary of Orascom Telecom is the market leader in providing state-of-the-art communications solutions in Pakistan. Orascom Telecom Holding S. A. E (OTH), the parent company based in Egypt was established in 1998, and has grown to become the largest and most diversified GSM network operator in the Middle East, Africa, and Pakistan. With over ten licenses covering the region, Orascom Telecom has positioned itself as a leading telecommunications conglomerate in emerging markets of this region. Orascom enter in the Pakistani market through the licensing where they have to pay the Royalty fee. Mobilink covers approximately 85 percent of Pakistans urban population and it can proudly boast of being the first cellular service provider in Pakistan to operate on a 100% digital GSM technology. It offers tariff plans that are exclusively designed to cater to the communication needs of a diverse group of people, taking into account occasional users to businessmen. To achieve this objective, Mobilink offers both postpaid (Indigo) and the prepaid (JAZZ) solutions to its customers. In addition to providing advanced voice communication services, Mobilink also offers a number of value added services to its valued subscribers. Keeping in mind its customers convenience, Mobilink has also bundled mobile handsets, sold either independently or bundled in Get Set Go Pack. Mobilink GSM started operations in the year 1994, as a third entrant in the market, while Paktel and Instaphone were already operating since 1991 and had acquired substantial market penetration. Despite the re-launch of Ufone, the main competitor, Mobilink has maintained its momentum of growth. All this has been possible due to inter-departmental synergy and strengthening of Mobilink’s brands. Till early 2001, they had a market share of 43%. OT took over management control of the company in April 2001 and changed the overall market dynamics through its aggressive marketing strategy and expertise. In less than two years time Mobilink grew by almost 400% with market leadership of 60% market share (year end 2003). At the time when it entered the market it was a small player in the cellular market of Pakistan it is now the market leader both in terms of growth as well as having the largest subscriber base in Pakistan. INDUSTRY ANALYSIS The Pakistani cellular industry comprises of 6 players: Mobilink, Ufone, Telenor, Warid Telecom, Zong (a brand of China Mobile Pakistan) and Instaphone, out of which, Instaphone has not maintained a prominent market position in the industry, and thus, has the lowest number of subscribers. As per the PTA findings as of June 2008, the number of subscribers for Mobilink is over 32 million customers (and has approximately 36. 39% of the market share). While Ufone and Telenor tie for second place with 21% market share, Warid Telecom has 17. 9% of the pie while Zong being the most recent has a share of 4. 4%. The price-sensitive industry faces tough competition from all players in the market, which is reflected by the marketing campaigns and by observing the past, thus making cellular services a highly elastic commodity. The market, however, is seen as very lucrative as there are only 6 operators who are providing services to just over half of Pakistan’s population – the tele density figures are a little below 60%. At the same time, companies are investing in infrastructure and technology in order to serve the untapped markets. The PTA acts as a governing body for all telecommunication-related providers in the country, and has set different regulations which operators are bound to follow, to the extent that operators are required to obtain an approval from the PTA before launching a new product or service, thus giving the authority powers to control the competitiveness of the industry. Technology is constantly changing in the telecom sector. Recently, two other players entered the market with BlackBerry support, in order to counter Mobilink’s domination. Moreover, as 3G licenses are expected to be awarded this year, it is expected that companies will invest in 3G and roll out services to users within one year. Moreover, as the telecom sector is witnessing rapid growth, represented by high revenues, companies are devising new tactics on attracting and targeting users and trying to increase the average revenue obtained per user. Firms compete on the basis of pricing, while quality of service is often overlooked. The telecom sector has faced a boom due to the continuous reduction in price, and the ability of network providers to continuously add customers to their user base. Due to this, companies gain momentum and size rapidly, and can are therefore able to provide more services. At the same time, these companies become cash-rich, and investment is an on-going process. Network coverage, subsidized SIM card rates, the ability to switch from one network to another while retaining the same number all have posed opportunities for different providers, but simultaneously, these are also challenges. The industry’s success is due to the large amounts of investment that takes place. The telecom sector takes a good chunk of the annual FDI, with investment running into millions of dollars. Evidently, these companies are making substantial amounts of profit, considering there is no bar on the amount of remittances companies are allowed to take to their home countries’. The amount of money telecom companies utilize for investment and expansion purposes is sizable, thus providing an opportunity for financial institutions to offer their credit. From July 1 2008, the government announced in the budget that the telecom services in Pakistan will have a sales tax of 21% in place of the 15% that was charged before. This is a significant development in the telecom sector’s story as the current telecom penetration rate is less than 60%, and this also poses a challenge to the growth rate as basic access to telecom services has been made more expensive for the consumers. It should be noted that there are other taxes such as the activation tax that is in place for each connection sold (amounting to Rs. 00 per connection or SIM card), which is already being sold at a subsidized rate by the operators. Moreover, the cellular companies and the main fixed-line operator in the country moved a petition to abolish the USF (Universal Service Fund) Access Promotion Charge in order to maximize their revenues. Currently, companies are already fulfilling the basic requirement of 1. 5% of total revenues, and consider the APC as detrimental to their revenues. Only recently has a proposal been sent to the Ministry of IT and Telecom to remove the APC. MARKET SHARE PEST ANALYSIS POLITICAL: Considering the current politically instable condition in Pakistan, the telecom sector of Pakistan is not doing too badly. The sector was by far the largest recipient of foreign direct investment in 2007-08. As per PTA, the industry continues to add more than 3 million new mobile subscribers every month even under the current conditions. Although the frequently changing government does bring very frequent changes in the laws and regulations, this does not however stop the number of users from increasing. ECONOMIC: Around the globe there’s a recessive economy prevailing. There is an increase in the interest rates and the slump in the economy world over doesn’t seem to be coming to an end. Pakistan is no exception to this recession. Due to inflation, price of every product/service is sky rocketing. Apart from that the increase in federal excise duty on telecommunication services from 15 percent to 21 percent has adversely impacted the usage of mobile phone and has resulted in reduction in service usage by 8 percent to 9 percent within few weeks of the previous fiscal year. Unfair taxation would lead to burdening the new potential rural consumers who do not have access to mobile phone facility hampering the development of the rural economy. The growth in the telecommunication sector during last 4 years was recorded 100 percent due to its expanding consumer base(Daily Times, July 7, 2008). However, the burden of taxes and duties is going to reduce the usage by the consumers resulting in fewer revenues for the government and reduced operations by the companies. SOCIAL: Cellular revolution has taken Pakistan by storm. The mobile density in Pakistan is reaching 56% (Babar Bhatti, August 31, 2008). Mobile phones are increasingly being used as a social tool across the globe. Pakistani cellular companies are also trying to catch on with this growing ‘cellular activism’ frenzy. It’s true that cellular companies have limited scope of action as far as brining social change is concerned still almost all the mobile companies of Pakistan are doing some kind of social uplift projects. Telenor, for instance, has launched a farmers’ uplift scheme TeleKisan besides the apna PCO and other schemes. Similarly, other cellular companies are also conducting some activities in the avenues of social uplift. Corporate sector too has a major role to play. Instead of simply doling out a few millions in charity, local corporate giants, along with the multinational conglomerates, should come forward with new ideas of using cellular technology for poverty alleviation. TECHNOLOGICAL: Due to the current economic recession, the technology required to expand is difficult to gain. And therefore, Pakistan needs to increase telecom research and development work within the country. China and India are in the process of becoming world major Ramp;D centers for technology and telecommunication. Two top Chinese telecom equipment firms have announced their plans to collaborate with Pakistan: Huawei is working with UET Lahore and ZTE will setup Ramp;D center in Islamabad. The goal of the policy makers should be to increase the rate of transfer of technology from abroad, broaden the pool of local skilled workforce and accelerate the local production of telecom equipment and handset parts etc. PORTER’S FIVE FORCES 1. Threat of New Entrants is High. Since PTA has adopted liberal policies to create a foreign investment friendly environment the barriers to entry have significantly reduced. Deregulation has opened up a number of economic benefits in terms of huge foreign investment. Therefore threat of new entrants is considered high because it is easier for foreign giants to come and enter the market. 2. Power of Suppliers is Low. At first glance, it might look like telecom equipment suppliers have considerable bargaining power over telecom operators. Indeed, without the high fiber optic technology required, the companies can’t operate. But there are actually a number of large equipment makers around. There are enough vendors, arguably, to dilute bargaining power. Thus the power of suppliers is low. . Bargaining Power of Buyers  is High. With the increased choice of telecom products and services that are available to customers due to the numerous telecom service providers, the bargaining power of buyers is high. Also because the switching cost from one service provider to another is very low, the buyer can always switch. 4. Threat of Substitutes is Medium. Pro ducts and services from non-traditional telecom industries pose serious  substitution threats. PTCL’s scheme to make all national calls toll free attracted a lot of attention and was able to divert traffic from mobile usage to increased landline usage. . Competitive Rivalry is High. Competition is cut throat. The wave of industry deregulation paved the way for a rush of new entrants. New technology is prompting a wave of substitute services. All players in this competitive market are thus forced to offer new and exciting services at lower prices. This tends to drive industry profitability down. BCG MATRIX Mobilink Jazz has been through the cycle and now enjoys the position as a cash cow as compared to its competitors. It needs to bring down its rates to grow further in the market and back to its position as a star which it once ruled. POSITIONING MAP The above positioning map shows the relative positions of the major players of the telecom industry on a scale that measures price affordability on the x-axis and Value Added Services (VAS) attractiveness on the y-axis. It can be observed that Ufone is leading by a clear majority in the telecom sector with Telenor and Zong following price affordability. While Mobilink is better in VAS attractiveness compared to majority of its competitors, however it is considered comparatively more expensive. Warid lags behind in both price affordability in comparison to its competitors and VAS attractiveness. Product / Services Mobilink being the market leader enjoys major share of the overall market with both Indigo and Jazz dominating the postpaid and prepaid segments respectively Mobilink deals with postpaid Indigo and prepaid (Jazz) packages. JAZZ Addressing the press conference, Graham Burke, president Pakistan Mobilink Corporation Limited said that with the prepaid card a customer could control its cost with the freedom to use. This is when Jazz was first launched in Pakistan, and with the passage of time became very popular, especially among the young lot. Jazz, is based on an intelligent network which is the most advanced and expensive platform, presently available in cellular telephone technology. Scores of facilities available in the package will cater to the communication needs of thousands of people in the country who cannot afford a post paid mobile phone connection. Jazz is an amazing prepaid service that allows customer freedom from monthly bills and gives him/her complete control over his/her cellular expenditure. Customer decides in advance when and how much he/she wants to spend. Jazz is simple, easy and loads of fun. Jazz is extremely affordable, with features like: * No daily charges * Low outgoing rates * 180 days validity of Jazz Scratch Cards * Simply reactivate deactivated Jazz connection Jazz-Aur Sunao Jazz tariffs have been reduced from Rs. 4. 75 per minute to Rs. 3. 50 per minute on all calls from Jazz to any other Mobilink numbers. This tariff reduction will serve as an unparalleled advantage to the largest mobile community in Pakistan, who will now have to pay less to call within the Mobilink family, 24 hours a day. Jazz Member get Member The Jazz Member get Member promo is the first of its kind where Mobilink will be giving it’s customers an opportunity to become the brand’s ambassadors and at the same time earn some free airtime. The essence of the campaign is that an Existing Jazz customer can refer up to 4 new customers and earn Rs. 400 in airtime. The new Jazz customer will also get Rs. 100 free airtime. The list of the Jazz connections is described below: * Jazz Easy the most affordable package that provides access to the best rates to call across Pakistan. Jazz Easy customers can not only enjoy calling at amazingly low call rates from Mobilink numbers, but can call on other networks at comparatively lower rates. * Jazz Octane the hot new package from Mobilink Jazz is customized to meet the needs of the highly dynamic and energetic urban youth of Pakistan. The package entitles the customers to lowest SMS rates, lower late night rates, and the coolest rates for three favorite numbers. * Jazz budget Offers remarkable rates and package features, it is the best package to stay in touch with millions of Mobilink family members in Pakistan. Furthermore, a unique and innovative feature for Jazz Budget is Happy Hour, with exciting rates to all Mobilink numbers for 1 hour in the day. * For the first time ever, a package designed especially for ladies, Jazz Ladies First is the customer’s command on the very best. It provides sizzling recipes to tips on looking the best through SMS. Jazz Ladies First offers remarkably low calls rates amp; to top it all, gives discount card to shop well within your budget. SWOT ANALYSIS STRENGHTS: * Pioneer in GSM service in Pakistan * It is a sign of prestige Number of customers is more as compare to any other mobile service provider in Pakistan * Highest market share not only in terms of number of subscribers but also in terms of revenue * Mobilink has signed bilateral roaming agreements with 50 operators around the world to have true roaming service operational in over 42 countries of the world * Large number of corporate customers * Economy of scale * Strong Brand name WEAKNESSES: * Large organizational structure, makes it difficult to manage * VAS not that many or effective as compared to its competitors * Service quality not as good as claimed Many inactive customers, includes all those who own a Mobilink SIM but have now switched to another service provider * Highest call rates for a prepaid service, especially compared to the competitors OPPURTUNITIES: * Can lower prices to make business difficult for new companies * Mobilink can target to a market that delivers Internet Protocol packet services to over 650 million GSM subscribers THREATS: * New market players are coming in near future * High tax rates * Increase in imported equipment costs New companies can offer packages for corporate customers in better way * Wireless local loop service providers too targeting areas which are less developed * Current price war may reach at a position where only brand names survive * Due to expensive quality of service now-a-days customers can shift to other companies * Saturating telecom market PRODUCT LIFECYCLE Telecom industry has just started to touch the maturity stage of the product lifecycle; where as the brand, Mobilink jazz having to be the first mover in the market, has now reached maturity stage. The brand due to its high prices and lower VAS services may be progressing a decline because the economy is running in inflation and the purchasing power parity is also making it difficult for one to keep up with high prices when cheaper and better ones are offered in the market. RGI MATRIX PUBLIC NECESSITY| PRIVATE NECESSITY(TELECOM SERVICE)| PUBLIC LUXURY(MOBILINK JAZZ)| PRIVATE LUXURY| On the reference group index matrix, telecom service is a private necessity because it helps you keep in touch with your loved ones. It also helps you contact someone in case of emergency, or could be any reason why you may need to contact someone. However, Mobilink jazz is a public luxury since it’s a brand name in telecom sector. One could always use the les prestigious services to fulfill the need, but using Mobilink jazz is a status symbol. AIOD Framework Activities| Interests| Opinions| Demographics| SchoolingPlaying video gamesOutdoor games(cricket)Hanging out with friendsSchool events participationHolidays spent with familyWatching movies of multiple genre(action, romantic, comedy, horror and cartoons)| Story books (romantic for females; comics)dSchool sports and playsFashion onscienceLike fast food(burgers, pizzas etc)Watch TV cartoons and sitcomsCollecting video games| Soft drinks are cool and a must have with foodPolitics is boringEducation is tiring and boringThey are the new generation with new ideasCulture is holding them down, they’re more westernizedThey are right in what they say, mom and dad are ‘old school’ | No income apart from pocket moneyAged 11-18 yrsIslamabad’s habitatSt udentsMale and femaleSingle| Activities| Interests| Opinions| Demographics| UniversityHanging out with friendsAttending concerts/gigsSpending time with friends during school hrs and outsideGetting together with friends to go out of station to other cities especially up northWatching movies out in the cinemaKeeping up with sports especially cricketListening to loud music(heavy metal, rock, RnB, hip hop)| Opposite Gender attractionFemales develop interest in houseworkPart-time workersMain friends’ circle comes from reference group in the university/collegeDriving around to different hangout spotsCollecting music and listening to itStaying up late at nightFashion conscience and brand conscienceFast food (burgers; pizzas etc) along with formal cuisines from time to time Watching TV series, seasons of all the hit TV shows| They know how the world works nowadaysStaying at home is boring and constrictingPolitics in our country is messed up anyone comes up for the post wants to make money for themselvesOur social values are messed up and worsened by governmen t’s negligenceInflation is rising to increase disparityEducation standards are deteriorating, they haven’t changed much since our parents’ timeMust use branded products as it is a sign of pride and elitesCulture is too conventional and is a hurdle in economic and national prosperity| Majority-no incomeFew part-time jobs (income range 5,000-20,000)Aged 19-25Islamabad’s habitatStudents and professionalsMale and femaleSingle and married| Activities| Interests | Opinions | Demographics| Extensive talking with their friends and relativesBeing very choosy and selective in shoppingRarely having any interest in sportsAttending social events like weddings etc| Part-time or full-time job if working womenLooking after childrenLooking after householdSpending time with amilyFriends and relatives form the reference groupsWatching TV, especially cooking programsFashion dies down as they grow older | We have quite an experience in life so we are quite matureSome are high ly involved in politics, siding with one political figure, while others abstain from even discussing politicsEducation is getting expensive with the passage of timeCulture is a great asset to us and is an important part of our livesThis new generation poses a great that to our social values and cultureThey become brand loyal when it comes to purchasing products | Majority-no income (relying on husband’s income)Few part-time/full-time jobsAged 26 and aboveIslamabad habitatProfessionals and housewivesFemaleMarriedFamily size, 4 (on avg. )| Activities| Interests| Opinions| Demographics| Full-time jobs/working men 9-5Attend social gatherings like weddings, and other official gatheringsMostly smoke regularlySome even play sports, while others have lost interest by now due to aging factorThey listen to soft melodious musicThey spend much lesser time in shopping, but usually don’t shop alone | They want to give remaining time to their familyThey occasionally take family out for dinnerThey read news-paper regularlyThey follow their jobs religiously as it is the mostly the only source of income for the familyFashion is not much a part of their life and it dies down as they grow older| We have an experience of professional life as well as life as a wholeThere should be a balance between our perception of social and moral values and the new generation’sThey support one political figure enthusiastically while literally detest the opposing oneThey want their children to get good education, nonetheless, limited resources hinder itTend to go for branded products b ut it depends on their affordabilityInflation is a grave concern to them| Middle class income rangeFull-time jobs/professionalsAged 26 and aboveIsla mabad’s habitatMaleMarriedFamily size, 4(on avg. )| PRICING Major stakeholders affect pricing decisions are: * Consumers * Government * Distributors * Competitors Sometimes an organization wills assure a forward integration strategy primarily to gain better control over price charged to consumers. Government can impose restriction on price fixing, price advertising and price controls an organization must be careful in adopting its pricing strategy. MOBILINK now a days going on decreasing its pricing strategies (e. g. call rates rs3. 50/min and sms Rs 1) to compete with its competitors i. e. UFONE, PAKTEL GSM, and recent competitors TELENOR amp; WARID). Strategist of MOBILINK is viewing prices from both a shorts –run and long run perspective, because competitor can copy rice changes with relative ease. JAZZ AIRTIME CHARGES: Mobilink strikes back with lowest outgoing rates for on and off-network calls, at 68 Paisas per 30 seconds for all calls. This offer is for sure not going to please Telenor who is running 75 paisa offer these days. 8 Paisa per 30 second offer by Mobilink is available for Jazz Budget users only. (for package conversion dial 123) MOBILINK,since the time of its very entry in the cellular industry,has targeted the less price sensitive strata of the societ y. Mobilink has always maintained its up scale market positioning, backed by its slightly higher service rates. Mobilink intends competing on features and quality of service instead of competing on price. However after witnessing the recent industry trends,where there is an intense price war going on between the cellular industry players,Mobilink had to slighlty deviate from its earlier stratergy in order to maintain its market share. As a result,today,Mobilink is lowering its call rates,offering economical packages (e. g. call rates rs3. 50/min and sms Rs 1. Its latest offering of â€Å"Jazz Budget† is an evidence of this strategic shift in the pricing policy). Future Pricing Plan Later in the report we will introduce a package which will cash on Mobilink’s strength to attract lost consumers and get them to use the brand with prestige and pride once again. PLACEMENT â€Å"Distribution channels, distribution coverage Sales territories, levels and locations† Distribution becomes especially important when a firm is striving to implement a market development or forward integration strategy. MOBILINK is operating through franchises in Pakistan.MMS Outgoing per 50 KB (Rs. )| 6| MMS Receiving (Rs. )| Free| | | GPRS Rate per MB (Rs. )| REFERENCES http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Jazz

About the Social Security Death Master File

About the Social Security Death Master File One of the federal governments most effective weapons against financial fraud, identity theft and now terrorism is a massive database of dead people grimly known as the Death Master File. Produced and maintained by the Social Security Administration (SSA) and distributed by the National Technical Information Service (NTIS), the Death Master File is a massive computer database containing more than 85 million records of deaths, reported to Social Security, from 1936 to present. How Crooks Use Dead People Assuming the identity of a dead person has long been a favorite ploy of criminals. Everyday, living bad people use the names of dead people to  apply for credit cards, file for income tax refunds, try to buy guns, and any number of other fraudulent criminal activities. Sometimes they get away with it. More often, however, they are foiled by the Social Security Death Master file. State and federal government agencies, financial institutions, law enforcement, credit reporting and monitoring organizations, medical researchers and other industries access the Social Security Death Master file in an effort to prevent fraud and since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks comply with the USA Patriot Act. By methodically comparing applications for bank accounts, credit cards, mortgage loans, gun purchases, and other applications against the Death Master File, the financial community, insurance companies, security firms and state and local governments are better able to identify and prevent all forms of  identity fraud. Fighting Terrorism Part of the USA Patriot Act requires government agencies, banks, schools, credit card companies, gun dealers, and many other businesses, to make an  effort to verify the identity of customers. They must also maintaining records of the information they used in verifying customers identity. Those businesses may now access an online search application or maintain a raw data version of the file. The online service is updated weekly and the weekly and monthly updates are offered electronically via web applications, thus reducing handling and production time. Other Uses for the Death Master File Medical researchers, hospitals, oncology programs all need to track former patients and study subjects. Investigative firms use the data to identify persons, or the death of persons, in the course of their investigations. Pension funds, insurance organizations, Federal, State and Local governments and others responsible for payments to recipients/retirees all need to know if they might be sending checks to deceased persons. Individuals may search for loved ones, or work toward growing their family trees. Professional and amateur genealogists can search for missing links. What Information is on the Death Master File? With records of over 85 million deaths reported to SSA, the Death Master file includes some or all of the following information on each decedent: social security number, name, date of birth, date of death, state or country of residence (2/88 and prior), ZIP code of last residence, and ZIP code of lump sum payment. Since Social Security does not have the death records of all persons, the absence of a particular person from the Death Master file is not absolute proof that the person is alive, notes the Social Security Administration.

Database Management in Cloud computing environment Research Paper

Database Management in Cloud computing environment - Research Paper Example Apart from this, the DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS in cloud computing environment also influence the preference of users for them by way of offering a cheap platform for carrying out development. This paper has been a review of the concept of DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS in cloud computing environment. In addition, it also enables the possibilities to be provided in the form of a service, which is also able to operate in a cloud computing environment. At the end of this report, an architectural presented of a Database Management System has been presented. A cloud database management system enables the organization to relocate databases as a service and not as a product. By using an internet connection or any other sharing system, employees working in an organization within different departments share files, software and important information with the help of cloud based database management systems (Gelogo & Lee, 2012). It is anticipated that the use of database management systems in cloud environment would increase in future, keeping in view the escalated demand of organizations for easy sharing of data. For this reason, a number of organizations like Nestle, Coca-Cola or Microsoft have installed database management systems in cloud environment (Gelogo & Lee, 2012). On the other hand, trend of outsourcing database management in cloud environment is also increasing, which is creating new businesses within the information technology industry (Gelogo & Lee, 2012). This paper would discuss and evaluate the use of cloud environment in dat abase management in the prevailing trends. Moreover, an efficient mechanism of incorporating database management in cloud environment would also be presented in this paper. To gather data and relevant information to be used in this paper, the researcher has used a number of online databases such as Ebscohost, Google Search and etc. DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

Respond to professor-parenting Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Respond to professor-parenting - Article Example Therefore, they are more dependent on their parents. This leads to limited personal growth. Therefore, overreliance on parental care and attention can render children incapable of growth (Aulette, 2010). Single parent-headed households are increasing rapidly. Children from single parent families are more independent compared to those from two-parent families. Single mothers for instance, are more likely to be poor. The children mature early and seek ways of earning income due to the many financial needs in their households (Aulette, 2010). Most single parents rarely spend time with their children. The parents worry more about work and other activities that bring in income. The children learn to be responsible in the absence of their parent. Therefore, the children will mature faster psychologically than children from two parent families. On the other hand, this could be a problem since some of them could engage themselves in drug addiction and crime (Aulette,