Acc1101 Assignment 1

Reflective Journal On Wednesday the 13th of March 2012 in room H102 at 12-1pm Catherine Chinnock from USQ Careers came to talk to the first semester ACC1101 student about career development (ACC1101 2012). I was never one to listen to career expositions or pay attention to any type of career development presentation, because most of the time they would just repeat the same thing over and over again. So when it came to listening to the career development presentation in my first semester (second semester for USQ) I wasn’t too enthused at what Catherine had to offer.Though after listening to the presentation I was actually surprised at what I had learnt and was able to understand why career development learning is beneficial, especially at Uni. I learnt about the skills and attributes involved, and what employers look for as well as how these skills enhance my graduate employability and ways to obtain these skills. Catherine had talked about the 8 skills of employability some of I had already heard of, such as ‘teamwork communication, problem solving, planning and organizing, and self-management’ (Chinnock 2012).However certain ones I hadn’t heard of, such as ‘long-life learning, initiate and enterprise and technology’, which came as a bit of a shock. I guess growing up in a generation where computer skills are almost a natural action I hadn’t put much thought about this skill I had obtained and how it could actually help me throughout my career. The Career development presentation also gave some key attributes to help me as a student prepare for graduating, and those were Aptitude, Attitude and Academic performance (Chinnock 2012).I found that in order to gain these skills; study, employment, volunteer/community work, work experience and extra-curricular activities could help (Chinnock 2012). To which I did some further research and found that USQ offered the Phoenix Award, which is an award given to those who had d one extra-curricular, work experience and community work by accumulating points (The phoenix award 2012). I also gained information on how to get employment and work experience and where to find it, which was online at the CareerHub (Chinnock 2012).USQ also had a career mentoring program which in which I am assigned a mentor for six months to help with any questions, give guidance and provide goal setting for life outside of university in my given field (Chinnock 2012). She had also explained what workshops were intended for in regards to setting up university and life skills (Chinnock 2012). I had also learnt that USQ held events throughout the year such as, speed networking, a careers fair and Industry Experience Program (Chinnock 2012).One main event that had interested me was an Industry Experience Program which is ‘designed to assist student to develop and enhance their skills and knowledge’ (Chinnock 2012) thus allowing me to broaden my understanding of what to ex pect work wise, and give me career opportunities (Chinnock 2012). From what Catherine had taught me I was able to learn the importance of balance between university and personal life. I learnt about what USQ careers has to offer to help me really get a head start in my career as an accountant, the opportunities that can arise and the importance of community both at and after university.I was able to see how different skills, help improve job employability and that it’s not just about the academic results but also the extra mile that I as an individual can do in order to enhance my career. This also helped me identify my own strength and weaknesses in each of the skills to improve, and how I am able to do so to ensure that when I graduate I am able to graduate with all the skills needed to help maximize my employability.Because of this presentation it means that the phoenix award I had enrolled myself in at the start of semester will help me improve my career development skill s as well as still enjoy participating in activities. Because of this presentation it now means I am able to improve my skills and still collect point for my phoenix award, to become a more effective employee and person. Word count: 698 References ACC1101, Study Desk S2 2012, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, viewed 24 August 2012, Chinnock, C 2012, Career Development Presentation, PowerPoint slides, ACC1101, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, viewed August 2012, < http://usqstudydesk. usq. edu. au/m2/pluginfile. php/57316/mod_folder/content/11/Career%20development%20presentation%20Toowoomba. mp4? forcedownload=1> The Phoenix award, 2012, USQ Student Guild, viewed 20 August 2012,

Bend Oregon

The name bend was derived from â€Å"Farewell Bend†. This designation was used by the early pioneer that refers to the Deschutes River, where the town is platted. Deschutes country, Oregon is the principal city of Bend Oregon, Metropolitan statistical area. The population was 52,029 at the 2000 census and has grown to over 75,290 as of 2006. It is located at the edge of Ponderosa pine Forrest as it transferred to high dessert plateau, characterized by junipers, sagebrush, bitter-brush and little water.Tourism is one of Bends largest sectors. The cascade lakes are large draw for tourists. Some of the recreational activities include downhill and cross country skiing, hiking, biking, rafting, golfing, camping, fishing and more. Bend also a home to the Deschutes Brewery; the largest in the city. It has also hosted the Bend film Festival bend film. Bend was previously the only metropolitan area west Mississippi without a public bus system. Funding was acquired and bus service began on a limited basis.In terms of their government, they appointed commissioners assigned to its respective duties. There are various board of commission which includes Code of professional conduct committee shall monitor new and revised AICPA Interpretations and rulings. Next is the State Board of Agriculture led by Chairman Bernie Faber. It has three-fold mission: food safety and consumer protection; protecting the natural resources base: and marketing agricultural products.There are also a commission in alcohol and Drug abuse, appraiser certification and training council, arts commission, architect examiners, Asian affairs, asset forfeiture oversight advisory committee, Board of athletic Trainers and lastly the aviation board. In the present year, infrastructures and top companies are growing and expanding, proving that Oregon has a well established economy.

How Movies Portray History

I’ve always watched movies for the sole purpose of entertainment. Thinking about the historical backgrounds they entail never really crossed my mind. The way Hollywood portrays historical events in films isn’t very accurate, which some people see as a problem. After listening to both James Wermers & Dr. Chiltons presentations and reading The Art of War article my train of thought has changed on how films portray history. First, let’s consider the three perspective on the issue of how movies portray history.James Wermers had many opinions on filmography and history. According to him, producers have full rights to using history in fims. He believes that even though history is fair game to the film industry, movies don’t always portray historical events as accurate as they occur. He spoke about film producers use of CGI in movies and how it adds to a movies over all look. Even though CGI is a very clever use of computerized effects, it is not always used as i t should be.He stated, â€Å" CGI is no longer used for a certain effect, it is no longer the question of should we use it but how. † The reality of historical events isn’t always as accurate as it could be says Wermer but it is a good basis to a movie. Dr. Chilton had a political opinion on the matter. She stated that â€Å"filmmakers frequently use films to make statements, whether political or economic, or social, therefore, movies and their makers are protected by the First Amendment. † Whether or not we like how filmmakers are or portraying a specific event. they are entitled to portray it as they please. As Dr. Chilton reminds us, freedom of speech does not only refer to actually speech, it involves writing, sculptures, murals, and of course movies. In the Art of War article we see the artistic aspect of using CGI in films . Even though it states that a lot of the effects in the movie were very unrealistic that is also what made the movie so beautiful. It created this gorgeous scenery that could only be imagined but CGI made it possible to see.Even though the process of filming with CGI is a bit strange and hard to picture until the final product is shown, once you see everything put together it is amazing. After watching 300 and taking in all three of these aspects on movies portrayal of historical events my train of thought has changed immensely. I will now be more cautious as to what I’m actually watching. Is it actually true, is this really how things happened, and is that a real back drop or is it just CGI. I also now question the message movies contain. Instead of just watching to be entertained, I will now watch films with a lot of questions in mind.

Why do Identity Theft Offenders target middle class women at shopping Research Paper

Why do Identity Theft Offenders target middle class women at shopping malls & how can we prevent this from happening - Research Paper Example The paper intends to state that IPv4/IPv6 provides assistance to frame solid and customize networking system in the area of IP addressing system, security communication and data transmission for the various users. United Nation Convention through the implementation of IPv4/IPv6 evaluates various protections, controlling and combating measures against trafficking of the middle class women and various criminal offenses and impulses. In the contemporary society, identity theft is becoming one of the emerging issues affecting people, especially women of middle class. The identity theft offender target women of middle class as they are not very tech savvy and are not aware of the aspect of confidentiality and privacy while operating technology or cards. In this context, it is worth mentioning that middle class women are getting more inclined towards shopping in the modern era. Owing to this increasing trend of shopping the identity theft offenders are targeting middle class women wherein the shopping mall acts as a medium. It is observed that women tend to spend much of their time in shopping on regular basis at shopping mall. The lack of tech awareness makes women a soft target as they are not very expert in using their plastic cards while shopping malls (Pratt et al., 2010). The chances of maintaining confidentiality and privacy are lacked amid the people of middle class. The identity theft offenders use shoppin g mall as a medium to target the middle class women in order to get data and misuse the same. Due to this lack of technical awareness women were getting targeted and affected in a negative manner. The information can be easily collected by the offenders through shopping malls as due to lack of knowledge women do not use the cards and their details in a confidential manner. In this regard, in order to mitigate such issues this research

Multicultural Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Multicultural Education - Essay Example As the paper discusses  multicultural education means different things to people and this has led to its complexity and since it has so many definitions teachers or instructors implement it in a variety of ways, based on their own understanding of this type of education. There are many reasons why teachers introduce multicultural education in their classrooms and these reasons are implemented to address the following issues: the development of ethnic and cultural literacy; the personal development of individual students especially those from underrepresented communities; the clarification of attitudes and values among students; and finally, the development of a multicultural social competence.  From this discussion it is clear that the main reason for the use of multicultural literature in class is to get the students to appreciate each other’s culture in order to have a positive understanding and respect for each other, no matter their background. This encourages the posi tive development of common relationships, honesty and interest in the others’ culture. Multicultural books should also be used to engender racial pride in students and not to only create an appreciation of the culture of others. Literature affects how students look upon themselves and if some of these students are from a minority background for example, and the literature taught in class does not have any minority character as a hero, then this would lead to a low opinion of their own people, hence a low esteem of themselves. There are many multicultural books that have come into the market and some of these are not the best type of literature to teach to a multicultural class. Teachers should therefore be very careful about the quality of multicultural literature that they introduce to their classes. Given the rising cost of books, teachers might be tempted to only get those books that are cheaper, not considering their quality, as long as it is a multicultural book. However , teachers should always do their best to ensure that their students get only the best quality of material for their classes, no matter their cost. According to Keengwe (2010), teachers should select books that do not display racism by modern standards and should avoid those classics, which openly display racism as well as cultural hatred. They should not only select those books that portray minorities in a positive light, but they should also look at the language quality of each of the books they get because language is an essential part of how students receive the message that the book is attempting to convey. Most teachers have very little understanding of the kind of multicultural literature they should introduce in their classes and because of this, it would be best for them to carefully do their research before making any

Energy Drinks Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Energy Drinks - Essay Example This paper deals with the adverse effects of energy drinks and what should be done about it. The body requires rests at intervals and if this is not available then fatigue emerge. Some people may however want to overcome fatigue without rest and they resort to energy drinks. Students who wish to study overnight because of extreme demand are examples of people who may use energy drinks in order to overcome fatigue. The drinks offer â€Å"extra energy, increased alertness, and improve mental and physical awareness† (Carroll County n.p.). What such individuals using energy drinks should ask themselves is the chemical composition of such drinks is that restores their energy without much struggle. The Food and Drug Administration that ensures safety of consumables do not regulate energy drinks and this exposes people to possible adverse effects. The drinks are different from those that athletes use and this raises concerns on safety of energy drinks. Consumption of energy drinks is further common among adolescents to suggest irresponsible use (Carroll County n.p.). Though most energy drinks lack much caffeine, they are heavily sweetened and are easy to drink making them favorable for the younger population. As a result, there is an increased number of under 18s who have such dangerous side effects of these energy drinks. This result from taking too much energy drinks at a go. In addition, if energy drinks advertises for no caffeine, the energy in them comes from guarana, which is an equivalent of caffeine. Some energy drinks advertises for no crash but this claim refers to no sugar clash since such drinks are often sweetened with various artificial sweeteners. It is advisable for individuals to take any vitamins by eating a variety of foods rather than finding them in energy drinks or mineral supplements. Energy drinks increases blood sugar concentration and blood pressure. This occurs when

Ricksha-Child - Is It Normal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Ricksha-Child - Is It Normal - Essay Example The people sitting on a cart in the picture are physically sound. This also indicates soundness in wealth. There is a difference between the people sitting on cart putting their pressure on a small child who is not physically sound. This indicates a difference in strength between the two. Normally, labor is weak as compared to the rich. Poor people work hard while rich people sit in air-conditioned offices performing executive tasks and ordering others. While, the poor people work day and night in mines, factories, etc and in difficult surviving conditions to earn bread. This leaves bad results on their body. Poor ones cannot really afford to live better lives and proper medication. Poverty pushes them more into health problems and diseases. Healthy food and drinks are far from poor people as they eat anything with which they can survive. Health shows soundness. In this painting, a couple sitting on cart looks financially sound. It seems they have been enjoying healthy food and drink s and can afford whatever they like. On the other hand, the poor child seems physically weak and depressed. He seems to be hardly striving to stand as he is physically weak but carrying a burden of two fat people.Facial Expression: Facial expressions can easily be noticed in the painting. Couple sitting on a cart looks happy and enjoying their lives. They are living lavish lives and can afford all luxuries of lives. They can pay well to remain happy and to acquire all happiness. Their smiles show wealth. It seems they do not regret anything. They look happy. On the other hand, a child carrying their weight seems to be in deep pain and problem. His face illustrates pain, hardships, and difficulties. It seems the poor kid has not been enjoying his life at all. He looks fed up and in pain. It looks; he laughed a long time back. He looks suffering a lot of problems and obstacles in his life.

Marketing Planning and Strategy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Marketing Planning and Strategy - Assignment Example Marketing as a process entails combination of the four, marketing strategies, which include;Marketing as a process entails combination of the four, marketing strategies, which include;   -Identification of the product, its selection, and development   -The process of determining the product’s value   -Identification of a mode of distributing the product to the consumer.   -The process of developing and implementing a strategy for promoting the product to the consumers   Marketing is, therefore, the process of acquiring the appropriate skills that improve the marketing process. The marketing professional entails the acquisition of skills that allow the individuals to associate effectively with the target market (Payne, 2002).Q2. Enrollment to a marketing program is a need since it an important course in that, after completion, will allow an individual to peruse a career efficiently by use of the skills acquired in the program. In addition, the course will assist in ac quiring basic skills that enhance effective communication and relation with various individuals (Danie, 2014).Q3. The consumers of a given product have the needs and want to satisfy through purchasing a particular product and the marketer is responsible for convincing the consumer on how the product will satisfy their needs and wants (Dierksmeier, 2013).Q4. No. this is because marketers evaluate the product and the needs, which it can satisfy before deciding on the target market.Q5. Apple serves as a perfect company that effectively focuses on its target market while Motorola electronics does not have a specific target market.

Health for community and people across lifespan Essay

Health for community and people across lifespan - Essay Example People are influenced by a variety of life issues and circumstances. It was highlighted that some are predictable or might be chosen at the same time some are unpredictable. In a situation where life became suddenly changed there will be consequences that might be out of control and an individual becomes stressed. Both ideas involve broad view, for an instance issues like redundancy or divorce may be predictable while other people are not expecting to lose their job or divorced. Nevertheless, life changing events frequently involves positive learning also risk of stress (Aldworth et. al2010). Page: 159, This assignment deals with health needs in the community in order to meet the provision across lifespan, the perspective of people regarding inclusion, access to choice, and disengagement of services. Also, factors affecting access to health care of an individual from the perspectives of social, health and behavioural science theory. Also the role of a nurse within the multi-disciplinary team will be explored in the delivery of holistic care. And it relates to an individual in decision making. In the scenario, it is very evident that social exclusion is present and it will reflect on this assignment. However, a recommendation and advice will be made for the individual on how to promote health, wellbeing and lifestyle (University of Bedford). The main focus of this essay is Gladys a 51 year old lady. She parted from her husband soon after the delivery of Joshua and presently divorced. At present, she lives with her two sons, her granddaughter and her father in-law in a 4 bed roomed house through the housing association. Presently, she is a full time carer for her granddaughter and her father in-law. She does smoke roll-ups, but unable to afford a car (University of Bedford). She was separated from her husband right after the birth of Joshua, which shows her tendency towards the postnatal depression. Postnatal depression

Oil in the middle east Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Oil in the middle east - Research Proposal Example What is a good measure of oil dependency? What will the Middle East in general do as oil begins to run out? In particular, what will Kuwaits response be? First, I want to identify the likely date of peak oil. Peak oil is defined as the point where oil production is maximized. Peak oil does not mean that oil has run out, but it does mean that all subsequent attempts to get it will be more and more expensive, raising the price of oil ever and ever higher. Second, I want to determine the economic mix of the Middle East in terms of imports and exports, as well as look at the history of the Middle East to determine what has historically made it so oil-dependent. Marcus Noland and Howard Pack. "The East Asian Industrial Policy Experience: Implications for the Middle East" Industrial Policy in the Middle East and North Africa. Ed. Ahmed Gala. Cairo: The American University in Cairo Press, 2008.

Conference Project Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Conference Project Plan - Essay Example and that is only possible when people are abreast to the current and emerging trends in the profession through themed conferences and induction workshops. The conference will also provide a platform for comparing notes and mentoring. Continued fruitful engagements and consultation will be made possible by exchanging contact cards. Being a milestone conference, a lot of activities will be executed in the planning process to ensure that the conference is a success. A team has been assembled to oversee the planning process, and duties have been assigned. The planning has activities such as publicity, correspondences, reservations, logistics and more. Division of roles will ensure that each planning activity is given the maximum concentration it requires, and, therefore, that each activity is a success. The risks listed above have been identified as the most serious and their occurrence may affect the success of the conference in the most negative of ways. Take for instance absentee guests. The planning team has identified five key speakers to grace the conference, two being foreigners from Kuwait and China. All these guests have different presentations to make, and should any one of them be absent for whatever reason, a gap will result that would be difficult to fill. The planning team has created communication channels with those the important guests of the day to ensure that they communicate their likely absence in good time to enable the conference planning team to get a replacement. Another option is for the speaker to send someone to stand in for them, and adequately make up for their absence. The latter option will be the most workable because it will ensure that not many adjustments are made to accommodate a different person. Over-attendance is another risk that is likely to occur, though a positive one. The conference planning team plans to send invites to about 100 persons, 80% of whom are projected to attend. There is, however, a risk associated with

Creating an Academic Budgeting Scheme for Chris Essay Example for Free

Creating an Academic Budgeting Scheme for Chris Essay A student’s entry into a university could entail a lot of things. For instance, it means that a student, in this particular case Chris, would have to live away from his mom and move into a semi-independent environment. It could thereby be considered as a preparation for the new things to come. Chris needs a lot of changes to be able to adapt. He needs to more responsible in this new chapter in his life, bringing along all of the necessary values that he learned upon growing up. He will have needs, mostly academic in nature. Chris has to have a great deal of addressing these needs with little dependence from his mom because he now lives on his own. This entails additional responsibilities which maybe new to him. Chris is not an isolated case when it comes to budgeting in a university. Everybody went through those adaptations and the processes and means involved may vary from person to person. The difference is, Chris is not from an affluent family. He has to budget his resources well, if not, he will end up starving literally. The case gives us that Chris has a quarterly expenses that averages into $1500. The thought of managing his personal finances during his days in college can probably be the most crucial thing for Chris to fully appreciate the concepts that the subjects presents. It is in this time that he could say that he have learned things the hard way. Finding out solutions to his financial dilemmas may serve as a guide for his towards his future decisions. These same decisions will teach Chris to think quite a lot of times before he spend, keeping in mind the practical applications of what he will learn in his days in college. Life has a way of letting us know that things are not permanent and that can be learned in college the hard way. Say Chris has a $500 allowance left. If he spent half of that today, he will suffer for the rest of the quarter. Another concept of financial management which could aptly be applied here is the concept of savings. Saving or rather allocating finances for each day of the week is one thing Chris could effectively do in order to survive (Sebastian United States. Government Accountability Office. , 2006). Taking the bus for instance in going to campus instead of using his car could be a good start. He will then save gas costs. But in any case, those savings most of the times serve as a buffer or a fallback each time he may ran short. Probably one of the most effective ways of managing Chris’ finances is the painstaking task of listing his expenses on one of his notebooks which he could browse over at the end of the day so as to assess his spending patterns. It could really help him a lot in managing the money he has and thereby helps him in spending the next day or so. That don’t mean Chris has to do the debit and credit thing but at least he knows where the money goes. A lot of people can be quite dumb at times especially when it comes to spending allowances from our parents. We have them first day in the week and we live like rock stars spending it like we don’t care. Nothing’s really wrong if we do it, in any case the money is there to be spent but it won’t hurt if we would think twice before spending (Farr, Shatkin, JIST Works Inc. , United States. Dept. of Labor. , 2007). One concept in Financial Management that Chris could apply is the concept of alternatives. Well, some things can not really be avoided when it is in front of us. For example, his academic expenses, Chris could use the library and find it practical than being in an internet cafe. Maybe it is, but what if there is a cheaper one around just waiting for us to notice? For example, Chris may find a house to stay in at half the cost in university dormitories. He won’t find it unless he looks for it. Furthermore, Chris needs to identify opportunities as they arrive in order for him to be able to grasp control of his source of funding aside from the school loan board and his mom (Financial Management Association International. , 2000). As he moves on to his independence, Chris also has to secure a stable source of income. $750 a month of clearance of his accountabilities is a promising remark and that could entail a lot from this lad who is approaching financial maturity. Opportunities therefore are necessary. For instance, since he likes gaming, attending conventions and joining tournaments could be a source of income. If Chris is really good at it, he could well make a living out of it in college. The opportunity cost however should be taken well into consideration as he also has to attend to his academics. This is one thing that Chris must not be able to forget even if he has to work to support himself. As his teacher said, â€Å"Nothing ventured, nothing gained. †

Dental Caries and Streptococcus Mutans

Dental Caries and Streptococcus Mutans Casey Best Running Head: DENTAL CARIES 1 Streptococcus mutans Introductory/Background 2 Streptococcus mutans is a facultative anaerobic, gram-positive, non-motile bacteria belonging to the streptococcaceae family. S. mutans contains a thick cell wall composed of peptidoglycan which contains sugars and amino acids. There are many different conditions in the mouth, but carbohydrates are motivators for this bacterium that produces lactic acids, thereby lowering the pH in the mouth and creating an acidic environment. Due to the ability of S. mutans to survive in a low pH environment and up to 104 degrees Fahrenheit, eroding of tooth structure, known as tooth decay, can begin. Fuel for metabolism lacks because of the absence of oxygen; therefore, it is mostly found in the deep crevices of teeth or in the pit and fissures, also known as the biting surfaces. S. mutans was first described by James Kilian Clarke (1886-1950) after he isolated it from a carious lesion, but it was not until the 1960s that real interest in the microbe was generated when researchers began studying dental caries (Akhaven, 2014). S. mutans was re-identified in infection of animal rodents. All of Kochs postulates were tested in animal models, but it was difficult to establish that it was also a human dental pathogen until samples were taken from a decomposed tooth site showing a phenomenal connection between S. mutans and decay. Historically, cavities were characteristic to the general overgrowth of oral bacteria, termed the non-specific plaque hypothesis, meaning only certain bacteria are responsible for causing tooth decay. In 1960, however, Paul H. Keyes from the National Institute of Dental Research compared the bacteria makeup of caries active and caries in-active in hamsters and found a much higher percentage of a group of bacteria termed Streptococcus mutan s. This pathogen occurred during a time period in which people depended on foods that were enriched in carbohydrates, and this most likely contributed to the first appearance of dental caries. Tooth decay did not become an important health problem until sucrose became a major ingredient in the foods we eat today. In fact, studies show that as much as one-half of a pound of sucrose consumed daily at meals for two years was not associated with an increase in dental decay; however, when the same or lesser amounts of sucrose were ingested between meals, subjects developed new decay at the rate of about three to four tooth surfaces per year (Loesche, 1996). Although the need for certain bacteria to turn milk into yogurt and cheese was not known by early farmers, today we know that some species of bacteria keep our mouths healthy; however, S. mutans is not one of them. It is, in fact, one of the worst offenders against healthy teeth. The bacteria in the pots of yogurt werent the only thing de veloping so were the microbes in our mouth. Twisted berry is the term that may be used when referring to Streptococcus, because of the resemblance to a string of beads when looking through a microscope. Streptococcus mutans is a specialized microorganism equipped with receptors that allow it to adhere to the surface of the tooth creating a slimy environment. After adherence to the tooth, S. mutans begin to divide and produce micro-colonies within the slime layer to construct a biofilm (Microbe Wiki, 2016). When a biofilm is formed, S. mutans begin to make dextran, which is made up of many glucose molecules that allow it to bind to the enamel and enable S. mutans to attach sucrose and glucan-sucrose together. As a result, these products produce fructose, which allows energy for bacteria. Biofilms produce extracellular polymeric substances, which are mostly made up of polysaccharides and proteins that colonize a surface. Clinical Significance Bacteria are a large part of the human mouths ecosystem. The 6 billion bacteria that one mouth can hold are constantly in the process of multiplying, finding places to live, or dying. S. mutans is a heterotrophic organism, which means that it lives by getting its energy through consuming organic matter from other organisms, living or deceased, and making the human mouth the host. There are safe places in your mouth and unsafe places, and the unsafe places consist of pathogenic bacteria that can cause tooth decay, gum inflammation, and tooth loss. The mouth contains good bacteria and bad bacteria, which is known as Streptococcus mutans, and as much as 90% of the world is affected by this infamous microbe.Since its discovery by Clarke, S. mutans has become one of the most well-known organisms. As the world continues to consume more refined sugars, we fuel the production of acids for colony growth, which leads to the formation of dental plaque. If plaque develops on teeth, it can turn i nto tarter, and tarter is much more difficult to remove from the teeth than plaque. Plaque is a soft, sticky substance that contains bacteria, but it can easily be brushed off before it turns into tarter, which is a hard non-sticky substance. Tartar has to be removed by a dental hygienist or dentist, and because it is rough, it makes it easier for bacteria to attach to the teeth. The enamel is the hard outer layer of the tooth, and this hard layer protects the tooth against decay. Dental cavities are holes in the first two layers of the tooth, which are the enamel and the dentin, and once this disease has developed, it requires treatment almost immediately. A cavity will only grow larger and eat away at the tooth if left untreated, which can cause excruciating pain and may also cause bad breath. Dental caries has become one of the most widespread diseases in humans today and has negatively affected a multitude of people worldwide. Billions of dollars are spent each year on treating dental caries. The longer one waits to get a cavity filled, the more expensive and painful it will become. Not only will the teeth become extremely painful, the jaw will most likely be affected as well. Plaque buildup can also lead to gum disease called gingivitis, which causes tender and swollen gums that sometimes bleed. Gingivitis is a milder form of gum disease that can be treated with proper brushing and flossing; however, if it progresses untreated, severe periodontal disease can develop. Gum tissue will begin to pull away from the teeth and bacteria will start to destroy the underlying bone supporting the teeth, and this will most likely result in the loss of one or several teeth. S. mutans can also cause dangerous, life threatening infections. Tooth decay can spread in the mouth and completely destroy the teeth if not properly treated, and in the most extreme cases, can even lead to death. Cardiovascular problems, which are major contributors to early death in American men and women, can also develop as a result of this type of serious infection. Once this bacterium migrates into the bloodstream and arteries, it causes blood clots and restricts oxygen and blood flow. Although it has not yet been proven that gum disease causes cardiovascular issues, evidence exists that points to gum disease as a possible culprit. Healthy gums should be firm and a light pink color, but if gums are red or swollen, or if they bleed after flossing, it is time for a checkup with the dentist. This pathogen can travel from one person to the next via horizontal and vertical transmission. Some people are genetically more prone to periodontal and gum disease than others. So if it runs in your family, you should be especially vigilant (Griffin, 2005). A person that has dental caries may not even be aware that he or she has the disease because it cannot necessarily be seen with the naked eye and may not always be painful. The earliest sign of a cavity forming is a chalky white spot on the surface of the tooth that does not cause pain. If demineralization continues, the white spot may turn brown, which most likely represents a cavity. Once the nerves of the tooth are exposed, the tooth will become very sensitive to heat, cold, and sugary foods, and unbearable pain will ensue. Once the cavity has formed, the tooth structure cant regrow. Additionally, because of the pain, the ability to eat, sleep and function well is limited, and quality of life suffers. Preventative/Treatment Prosthetic devices are also a favorable environment for Streptococci, but the American Heart Association has reduced its recommendations on pre-medicating before a dental procedure, including those who only have pacemakers, prosthetic heart valves, a history of endocarditis, heart transplants or certain heart defects to pre-medicate, since they are at greater risk for infection (American Heart Association, 2016). When a tooth is weakened by internal decay, the tooth could fracture while chewing foods. If that happens, most of the time the tooth can be saved, but in some cases, an extraction of the tooth will be done if it is not salvageable. Although S. mutans does not have a vaccine, there are other preventable measures you can take to stop this bacterium before it causes damage. S. mutans is a natural bacterium in our body, so everyone has it, although not everyone is at the same risk. Learning how to control it will help prevent these bacteria from taking over. Brushing the teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste will help reduce the decay rate, especially after eating foods and drinks that are high in sugars. Additionally, fluoride is a mineral that helps prevent cavities from forming. It replaces mineral loss in the enamel and reduces the ability of the bacteria to make an acid. Many dentists also recommend using a mouth rinse with fluoride for those at higher risks of developing this disease. When brushing the teeth, only the front and back surfaces of the teeth can be reached, so flossing is extremely important and highly recommended to reduce accumulations of bacteria that thrive in the crevices between the teeth that a toothbrush cannot reach. Flossing will also help reduce the possibility of developing gum disease in the first place. More than 50 years ago, examinations of people entering the military showed that Americans teeth were in pretty bad shape. At that time, few people took good care of their teeth, and there were no guidelines for how often one should see a dentist. Many dentists focused on fixing problems rather than preventing them (Colgate-Palmolive Company, 2014). Even if one is taking good care of ones teeth at home, it is still recommended to regularly see a dentist twice a year. Some people may even need to be seen more often depending on their oral hygiene, habits and medical conditions. The dentist is able to check for problems that may not be painful or in sight; moreover, x-rays are used to help the dentist diagnose problems before they become a major concern as they allow the dentist to see inside the tooth and surrounding tissue. Dental sealants are an invisible plastic coating that bonds to the tops of the teeth, filling in the pits and fissures and making them a powerful weapon against decay. They are typically applied to childrens teeth because this gives them more protection throughout their cavity-prone years; however, adults who do not have decay present would also benefit from sealants on their back molars, which are difficult to reach in the mouth with a toothbrush. To fix a cavity caused by S. mutans, the most common procedure a dentist will use is to remove the decay and fill that area with  composite or amalgam filling. The difference between the two fillings is that amalgam is cheaper and also more durable; however, it is made with zinc, copper, mercury and tin, and it can easily cause discoloration of the tooth as well as cracks and fractures. Composite is a made with plastic and fine glass particles, and it comes in different shades to easily match ones tooth. Additionally, since it is chemica lly bonded to the tooth, it provides better support; however, it cannot withstand the chewing forces as long as amalgam can. In extreme cases, a root canal and crown may be placed after the decay is removed by simply removing the roots of the tooth and placing a cap over the coronal portion of the tooth, but if the decay exceeds a certain level, the dentist may have to remove the entire tooth. Fighting Streptococcus mutans is a constant battle, and the most important weapon we have in the fight against its progress is knowledge. By practicing healthy habits and eating a balanced diet, along with taking proper care of our teeth and visiting the dentist regularly, we can all win the battle against gum disease and keep our teeth for a lifetime. References   Ã‚   Akhaven, K. (2014, October 19). Streptococcus mutans. Retrieved from MicrobeWiki: https://microbewiki.kenyon.edu/index.php/Streptococcus_mutans. American Heart Association. (2016, October 10). Infective Endocarditis. Retrieved from American Heart Association: http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/CongenitalHeartDefects/TheImpactofCongenitalHeartDefects/Infective-Endocarditis_UCM_307108_Article.jsp#.WNPItU11qUk Colgate-Palmolive Company. (2014, May 7). How Often Should You Go to the Dentist? Retrieved from Colgate Oral Care Center: http://www.colgate.com/en/us/oc/oral-health/basics/dental-visits/article/how-often-should-you-go-to-the-dentist Griffin, M. R. (2005, April 6). Your Guide to Gum Disease Symptoms and Heart Disease. Retrieved from WedMD: http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/features/your-guide-gum-disease#2 Loesche, W. J. (1996). Microbioligy of Dental Decay and Periodontal Disease. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK8259/ Microbe Wiki. (2016, February 11). Streptococcus mutans- Tooth Decay. Retrieved from MicrobeWiki Website: https://microbewiki.kenyon.edu/index.php/Streptococcus_mutans-_Tooth_Decay Streptococcus mutans. (2014, October 19). Retrieved from MicrobeWiki: https://microbewiki.kenyon.edu/index.php/Streptoccus_mutans

Open Source vs Closed Source Systems

Open Source vs Closed Source Systems INTRODUCTION For many years, proprietary software has been the dominating business approach used by the commercial software firms. Industry giants like Microsoft proved this strategy to be successful, building their multibillion dollar empires based on the proprietary software platform. Over the past decade, a new business approach called open source model which involves contributors from around the globe to create, share and distribute software code for free had come into practice (Pal, N Madanmohan, TR., 2002). Although the roots to this practice of sharing code evolved since early 60s, the widespread usage of internet and the technology developments in past two decades opened new opportunities for open source projects (CNET news, 1998). A number of Open Source Software (OSS) products such as Apache web server, BIND and SendMail have dominated their product categories ever since then (Pal, N Madanmohan, TR., 2002). In the past decade, several researchers (Wheeler, DA., 2007; Mockus, et al., 2000) have taken interest in studying how open source can be applied to modern business strategies. However, a concern exists that in this area of study that there is no substantial evidence that the practices followed are effective in the business environment (Bitzer Schrà ¶der, 2004). For economists like Lerner Tirole (2000), the altruism shown by commercial companies and programmers involved in an open source software project is surprising. They stated altruism hasnt played a major role in any other industry than software. Several others like Freeman Rogers (2008) and Goetz (2003) contradict this statement by illustrating altruism exist in any industry provided there is proper exposure of the problem towards the contributing community. But most of the researches surrounding open source model considered software industry as the base for their studies. 1.0 SCOPE OF THE PROJECT 1.1 Objective This project work focuses on the study of the Open Source ecosystem (Android) how it differs from Closed source sustems such as those surrounding the iPhone. This project includes the study of the Android Market, (online mobile application store for Android users) application developers, and which factors developers consider for selecting a platform for application development. To understand business strategy development trends across Android and iPhone platforms, we compared the Android market with the iPhone App Store, the leading application store in current mobile market. Apple launched an online application marketplace called the â€Å"iPhone App Store† before launching iPhone 3G. Currently, this store has more than 195,000 applications. To match or surpass the success of iPhone App Store, Apple rivals such as Google and Blackberry introduced their own application downloading stores called â€Å"Android Market† and â€Å"Blackberry App World† respectively. T he Android Market is similar to the iPhone App Store or to any other application store; it boasts a catalog of applications,  services and tools available for the user to purchase download and use. Today, the Android Market also has around 49,000 applications. Thus, the comparison between iPhone and Android application stores will help explain the new challenges faced by these two application stores, and also the demand for these stores in the near future. This study will help understand why Android choose Open Source System and why Apple doesnt, what determines their success, which large companies are directly involved in developing applications for Android, and which factors they consider for developing an application. 1.2 Experimental Procedures This project is based on a semi-automatically collected application database and   surveys to obtain necessary information for proving the hypothesis. (A) Website Data Firstly, application data were collected semi-automatically from the Android Market and iPhone App Store (iTunes store) and other mobile applications related websites, for e.g., Androlib.com, iPhoneapplicationlist.com. This gathered application database includes a list of the application categories on both platforms, number of applications in each category, and application information for the selected categories. (B) Interview Data Next, we interviewed mobile application developers to understand and know their views about Android/iPhone platforms and the ecosystem. To get in touch with mobile application developers, we attended the mobile conferences where they gather to share their views. (C) Survey Data Lastly, all the relevant facts about application developers from the interview data helped us prepare a survey. This web-based survey was prepared and conducted using Survey Monkey. 1.3 Resources Utilized The main resources used during this project were our industrial advisor, our academic reader, Android and iPhone application database, interviews and surveys from mobile application developers. 2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Introduction of Literature Review In order to achieve success in project implementation, the first step is to research and find information already available. During research, we found many articles related to our topic. This paper is based on the content from these articles. We have divided this section in four main areas: Overview of the Open Source Operating Systems (Android). Overview of the Closed Source Operating Systems (Apple IOS). Fundamentals behind the Open Source Platform. Introduction to the Smartphone. 2.2 Overview of the Open Source Operating Systems (Android). Google has achieved something remarkable with its open-source Android operating system. SinceApples iPhonerevolutionised thesmartphonein June 2007, bringing touchscreens and a beautiful user experience to the masses, its been without a rival. Sure, theres a small legion of BlackBerry fans, and a few Nokia die-hards, but the critical consensus up until about a year ago was that the iPhones achievements were peerless. EnterAndroid. The free, open-source mobile operating system was introduced to consumers with theHTC Dream(also known as theT-Mobile G1) in late 2008, but didnt start gaining steam until the release of theHTC Heroin July 2009. The Hero, armed with a custom user interface called Sense that HTC built in-house, gained rave reviews for its high-end specs and faultless user experience, and appeared on many critics lists of the best gadgets of 2009. The whispers began: Had Google managed to create a platform that genuinely rivalled the iPhone for the best smartphone experience around? This success is starting to show in the numbers. In February 2010, Google announced that more than 60,000 phones with Android on were shipping each day. The Android App Market is also booming, housing more than 30,000 downloadable applications in March 2010, although thats still comparably small when set beside the 185,000 or so Apple has in its App Store. But where once companies had to have an iPhone app, its now understood that they need to offer both an iPhone and an Android variant. Manufacturers havent let the opportunity pass them by, either. At the time of writing, there are around 35 mobile phones, five tablet PCs, three e-book readers and a netbook available that come with Android installed a total of about 43 devices. But thats nothing compared to the amount of gadgets that are purportedly in the works. If you tot up the rumours, statements of intent, leaked documents and roadmapped products from manufacturers, you can add at least another 15 smartphones, 19 tablet PCs, two e-book readers and three more netbooks to the pile. When you combine the totals, you arrive at a figure of at least 82 Android devices either released or in development. The platform has received four major updates since the HTC Dream launched with Android 1.0. Version 1.5 brought camcorder functionality and the ability to use homescreen widgets. Version 1.6 added voice search and a better Android App Market. Then version 2.0 revamped the user interface, added new, larger screen sizes, as well as navigation support in Google Maps. The latest update is version 2.1, which debuted on theNexus One a handset built by HTC but to specifications dictated by Google itself. Android 2.1 brings additional homescreens, animated wallpapers and the ability to use voice recognition to type in all text fields very useful if youre in a situation where you cant use an on-screen keypad, such as when driving. Other devices are starting to appear with version 2.1 as well the Motorola Droid, known as theMilestone in Europe, recently received an update to 2.1, and HTCs forthcoming Legend and Desire handsets come with it installed. Oldhardware=nonewtricks However, the new features available in 2.1 come with increased demand on the relatively weak processors found in most smartphones, particularly in the earlier Android devices. As a result, some handsets cant run later versions of Android at satisfactory speed. Even in those that can, manufacturers have been exceptionally slow at rolling out updates to their device owners, with HTC still not having delivered any update above 1.5 for its Hero at the time of writing. Its difficult to fault Google for wanting to update its core platform as fast as it can. The problem is that its going so fast that manufacturers cant roll out updates to their own software at a speed to match. The upshot for users is that early Android adopters are stuck on two-year contracts looking mournfully at all the fun that new device owners can get, with no knowledge as to whether theyll eventually have access to the new features themselves. This isnt anything new in most cases other manufacturers dont grant older gadget owners access to new features but its tough on Android users in particular because the pace of the updates is so fast. A phone can be out-of-date within months of its release, and in some cases handsets are still arriving with Android version 1.6 installed. App developers suffer, too. Many of Googles home-grown applications Maps, Earth, Goggles and Gesture Search were initially only released for the 2.0 and 2.1 platforms. Some have since gained backwards compatibility to 1.6, but HTC Hero owners, running 1.5, still cant use them. App developers have a tough choice to make: support as wide a range of phones as possible, or offer an app with superior features, but only to those running the latest Android builds. Situationnormal: Allforkedup So what can Google do about the problem? The company is stuck with four slightly different variants of its platform in the wild, and its got a splintered marketplace where one Android user cant necessarily access the same apps that another can, and its confusing and frustrating for end users. The obvious way ahead is to try and force manufacturers to update the software on their devices. Any device running 1.5 should be able to cope with 1.6, and a 2.0 device will manage 2.1. While that still leaves the problem of devices that cant quite cope with the most recent updates, Google should be able to merge its four shards into two a set of 1.6 devices and a set of 2.1 devices simplifying the situation somewhat. However, that relies on the goodwill and resources of a diverse set of companies, and some of those will only have dipped a toe into the waters of Android, meaning that they might be less keen to start devoting significant staff time to mucking around with operating system updates. So Googles got another trick up its sleeve. Recent rumours suggest that the company, in the upcoming version 2.2 update, is planning to de-couple the various applications that run on the device from the operating system itself. The browser, email apps, contacts, input methods and various other components will be downloadable and, crucially, updatable through the Android market rather than needing to wait for a full OS update to be upgraded. When Google wants to update the Gmail app, it can just push a market update, rather than forcing customers to wait for HTC, Dell, Samsung or other manufacturers to approve it. If Google fails to unify the Android platform, a future looms where Android is stuck in a series of ghettoes, with no guarantee that one Android user will be able to run the same apps as another unless they buy a new device every six months. Thats good news for manufacturers, but very bad news for Google and for consumers. If Google manages the transition successfully however, then a unified (or at least consolidated) platform could be easily updated by both Google and phone-makers, depending on whether the update is a critical security issue or a new feature in an application. Time is pressing. The fate of Android rests on what Google does over the summer of 2010. Will the platform fall by the wayside, or will it instead grow to be the Windows of smartphones, carefully balancing openness to app developers with a superior user experience and mass-market appeal? On past form, it seems foolish to bet against Google. Let us also look at the SORT analysis for android: Being a self declared Google and Android fanboy, Im constantly reading and studying about cloud computing and the mobile marketplace whenever I have the opportunity. Ive even begun the very first steps of beginning to learn programming Java for the Android platform, although this is a ‘free time endeavor which is going to take quite some time for me to get even the basic level of proficiency achieved. 2.2.1 SWOT Analyses for GOOGLE ANDROID But one area where I feel comfortable in discussion and analysis is in the business realm, which is why I decided to do a basic SWOT analysis for Google Android. It is a tool used in strategic planning to evaluateStrengths,Weaknesses,Opportunities, andThreats involved in a project or business. A companys Strengths and Weaknesses are generally internal, while the Opportunities and Threats are external factors. To spare most of the readers of this analysis, this SWOT is going to be a little less in depth than a typical SWOT analysis. However, it will be detailed enough to outline and discuss what I feel are the key items in each area of the analysis. STRENGTHS The Google Brand-Google is one of the most well known and respected technology companies on the planet. The fact that they are behind the Android platform gives it credibility and viability in the eyes of potential partners, vendors, and developers. Device Selection-Unlike the Apple iPhone where you dont have any options of hardware suppliers other than Apple itself, the Android OS is open-source and any hardware manufacturer who chooses to do so can use it on their handset. This gives consumers a great deal of selection from which to choose from while also decreasing the lead time to the use of the latest hardware and technological advances in mobile electronics. Competitive Pricing-The Android OS is very cost effective to develop for since it is open source and the licensing arrangements are very vendor friendly. Thus, handsets utilizing the Android OS tend to be prices very aggressively. Google application and services integration-The fact that the Android platform integrates so many of the Google services and applications into its base only strengthens its core capabilities and usefulness. Google items such as GMAIL, Calendar, Reader, Listen, and of course GPS and Maps to name a few integrate seamlessly with the Android OS and make it very simple for users to synchronize their data across platforms from the desktop to the cloud and mobile platforms. Open Source-The Android OS is built from a Linux base using the JAVA Programming language. You can go directly to the http://source.android.com website and find the information and source code you need to build a compatible device for Android. Additionally, Android is a core part of the OHA (Open Handset Alliance) which is a group of companies working together to develop Android as an open and free mobile platform. Google Assets-The Android team(s) has all the intellectual, economic, and influential resources of Google at its disposal to make it a dominant player in the mobile marketplace. WEAKNESSES Multimedia Support-Unlike the Apple iPhone which has the enormously popular iTunes application and marketplace, Android does not have a central or cohesive source of multimedia material nor a centralized player. Although there have been some improvements in applications on the Android platform in this area, at this time there is no â€Å"the† place to go that comes even slightly close to what Apple can offer on this front. However, there are numerous rumors to what exactly Google has in store for a music service of its own to be released sometime in late 2010. Whatever it is, it needs to be extremely well executed to come close to what iTunes offers Apple iPhone users. The one large asset Google has going for it is YouTube, and their recent announcement ofWebM(VP8) could become a lever for multimedia influence in video delivery for Google and the Android OS. Reliance on hardware makers to upgrade-Apple controls the when and how iPhone users will get not only new hardware, but upgrades to the OS and core functionality. With Android, even when Google releases a new version of its OS, it has to wait for the manufacturers to thoroughly test and modify code to make sure it works properly on their specific hardware configuration. Google is addressing this issue as it has announced that it plans to implement more of the core features of its services into the Android OS itself instead of as applications, and to slow down the upgrade releases as the OS matures in the marketplace. Less Mature-Android is not as mature or as polished as the iPhone at this point. It improves with every release, but it hasnt reached the same level of overall user friendliness in its interface that Apple has achieved. Lack of Enterprise Support-Blackberry and even Microsoft still get most of the support when it comes to Enterprise usage. Although both Apple and Google have made some inroads in this marketplace, Android has a very small market share here. It needs to continue to develop Google Apps and its integration abilities with Microsoft Exchange. OPPORTUNITIES The Android OS has a â€Å"HUGE† opportunity to get into the Tablet and e-book reader platform market right now. It cannot afford to sit back and watch Apple dominate the tablet market and eat up the market share as it had done when it released the iPhone. To date, that is exactly what is happening as no major hardware ‘mover and shaker has released an Android based tablet which is a fantastic opportunity if it is executed properly. I want one NOW! There have been several minor releases of Android tablets over the last few months, but none of them are what I would consider a significant product. Either Google itself or someone such as HP, Dell, ASUS, or ACER need to release a killer Android tablet in order for it to gather any traction. These waters only became murkier when HP acquired PALM. Developing Countries-Google has a huge opportunity to develop inexpensive devices using the Android platform in developing countries. The licensing is extremely developer friendly and the upfront cost investments are significantly less than other platforms. The integration with so many of Googles other free services is a natural fit in this marketplace. Developer Friendly-Unlike the recent activities of Apple which has alienated and ticked off much of the developer community, developing for Android is very open and developer friendly. Google needs to take this opportunity to help developers continue to monetize their efforts through improved advertising revenue models and app sales. Growth of smartphone market-The smartphone market is still very immature and there is still a huge amount of growth to take place over the next several years to decade. Google needs to continue to work hard to position itself with its cloud computing applications and services in support of the Android OS. The marriage of these two areas is key to the maintained growth rate and increased market share potential of the Android platform. Embedded electronic devices-The Android OS has huge potential to be a major player in the embedded electronic market as a dominate embedded operating system. With so many devices becoming embedded with smart technologies and connectivity to the cloud, the Android OS is primed to be a major winner there. THREATS iPhone unleashed-If the iPhone is unleashed from the beaten down ATT network and appears on other networks such as Sprint and in particular, Verizon, it could be a real threat to the sustained rate of future market share growth for the Android OS. A significant amount of potential smartphone customers said they would buy an iPhone if it werent on the ATT network. (I was once in this camp, until I discovered the world of Android.) Apple dominance-Apples market share gives it a great influence over developers and old media companies who are dying for a revenue model that will work for them. The ever growing walled garden that Apple is building is a false panacea that the old media companies are holding onto with both hands-the ability to charge users for access to premium content. Apples recent changes in policy and functional restrictions make it the ideal platform to launch such a strategy and recruit the power brokers from this old model. Additionally, the â€Å"theres an app for that† and Im willing to pay for it behavior of Apple iPhone users is of great appeal to developers who see the dollar signs in this market. (Ive yet to pay for an application on Android) This gives Apple influence over developers and makes their huge market share very difficult to walk away from, even when they adopt very unfriendly developer policies. Increased Competition-Obviously, companies like RIM and Microsoft are going to fight for their share of the market and arent going to just give up. In particular, the Blackberry platform which still has huge support in the enterprise market. Platform Fragmentation-This is a huge threat to the Android platform. Although I listed the numerous devices as a strength above, the risk of fragmentation is a real and significant one. This is why Google has recently put a lot of effort into developing ways to minimize this problem. Google does not want numerous custom version of Android to emerge or fork off from their core platform, which is something you see in the Linux distribution network. Google is developing a set of baseline standards for compatibility for its platform. Since Google controls the Android Market, it can maintain significant influence over device vendors to meet the compatibility requirements. If you do a little research on this topic, you will see that Googles standards are fairly rigid, maybe more so than one would expect. Google also plans to adopt aonce-per-yearrelease schedule as well. None the less, managing this risk is a major and real threat to the Android platform. So there you have it, my basic SWOT analysis for Google Android. One underlying issue I feel is worth noting is that Google does not have to dominate, and as much as so many of us would love to see it, it does not have to â€Å"beat† Apple in market share or any other core metric. The only thing Google needs to do is to make sure there is an open platform large enough in the mobile market for its advertising business. Lets face it; Google is not about selling Android devices. Google is about search and advertising, and Apples closed system was a threat to that model which has become even more self-evident over the last six to nine months of Apple policies and maneuverings. Apple recently announced their own Ad network for the iPhone and iPad which could be viewed as a shot across the bow of Google which puts even more necessity on the Android platforms success. The clear advantage that Google has going for itself right now is that Apple (Steve Jobs) is either being indignant o ver what cloud computing actually does and means, or he truly doesnt understand or hasnt figured out how its suppose to work. Considering how intelligent Steve Jobs is, I find it highly unlikely that the second option is the reason, and that his stubbornness and willingness to maintain personal grudges as the likely culprit. 2.3 Overview of the Closed Source Operating Systems (Apple IOS). If theres one company that is the envy of the high-tech community these days, its Apple. Steve Jobs is hailed as a genius CEO and lauded for a string of hit products. Apples market capitalization is over $200 BILLION dollars currently, easily ranking it in the top 10 companies in the world by market cap, and just shy of Microsoft for biggest technology company. Everyone wants to understand the secrets of Apples success and hopefully emulate them. The reasons given by people for Apples success are many. The following are a few of the arguments made: Vertical integration- Apple owns most of, if not the entire, technology stack for its key products, and thus gives it advantages over other less vertically integrated products. NOTE: â€Å"Vertical integration† used to be called â€Å"being proprietary† and was given as the reason for Apples relative lack of success against Microsoft in the OS/PC battles of the 80s and 9os. But phenomenal success has a way of changing peoples minds. Making markets vs. addressing markets- Some claim that Apple doesnt ask people what they need but gives them products they decide theywant. Does anyone NEED an iPhone or iPad? Not really, but a lot of people seem to want them. The Cool Factor- Lets face it, Apple does make â€Å"cool† products. Attention to design and detail-fit and finish as they say-really distinguishes Apples products from competitors. Entering markets after theyve developed— Contrary to #2 above, some people claim that Apple doesnt make markets but enters existing markets once theyre growing and takes advantage of latent demand. The iPod was not the first digital music player and the iPhone was not the first smart phone, and the iPad is not the first portable computing device. In the case of the iPad, products like the Kindle and Netbooks actually paved the way for the market to accept small computing devices, and Apples iPad is riding that wave. Differentiated business models- whether it was iPod+iTunes or the iPhone+App Store, Apple innovates not just on technology, but on the business model. This makes it difficult for competitors to play catch up, let alone overtake Apple once it establishes itself in a dominant position. People care about the experience not technology— Apple has always been about the user experience, but for a long time, the majority of the market didnt care about that. The majority of desktop computer users cared about â€Å"techs and specs†. Now the tables have turned, and the majority dont care about the specs, they care about the experience. The iPod, with its â€Å"1000 songs in your pocket† motto and iTunes which radically simplified purchasing music latched onto the experience wave, and Apple has been riding it ever since. Simple product offerings- Apple has a very clear and simple set of products. Its easy to understand the differences between their products, product families and the various configurations. This makes it easy to buy an Apple product if you want to. A lot of companies complicate things unnecessarily. How many iPhone models are there? How many Blackberry models are there? How many Nokia smart phone models are there? See the difference between Apple, RIM and Nokia? The same is true for the iMAc, the iPod and the iPad. Granted, there are actually a number of iPod models (Nano, Shuffle, Touch etc.) but they are very distinct amongst themselves. This cant be said for digital music players from other companies. 2.3.1 Apple Competitive Analysis: Future Goals Apple has been and continues to focus on what its competitors are doing in order to keep a competitive strategy. Steve Jobs wanted to create a brand loyal name and to also produce a personalized computer with many features that would allow your life to be easier. Apple needed to keep up with rapid price cuts of its competitors personalized computers that were based on other operating systems. They wanted to focus on the rapid technological advances in both hardware and software that would boost their computers performance and provide its own operating systems. By doing so, the iMac-personalized computer was introduced in 1997 and they were able to create the brand loyalty they were looking for. They want to continue to build the brand loyal name and keep giving the consumer what they want to make their lives easier. Current Strategy Steve Jobs has recognized that many of its competitors have been providing computers that rely heavily on other operating systems to run their computers. For example, Dell computers rely on windows XP, and many of their software products rely on other partys. What Steve Jobs has managed to do is to incorporate its own operating systems, hardware, and software programs for its entire product line. The software that they have created would allow the user to edit videos, download and play music, edit pictures, etc. with all of their own products and applications. While other competition relied on outside companies introducing their own digital and distribution music product services, subscription services, and free peer-to-peer music services; Apple has created a way to counter the constant changing competitive market. They have done so by effectively integrating all three services that its competitors have to choose from by creating the iPod for hardware, iTunes for software, and iTune s Music Store for the third party distribution services. Apple has been able to eliminate its reliance on outside companies and to keep on creating specialized programs for consumers. Another factor that has helped keep Apples future thriving is by introducing the Apple Store. Customers are now able to take their products into the store and have an apple specialist examine/work on the products that they are heavily invested in. Most competitors would have the consumer take computer/product to a tech department of a store or would have to send to a third party. Assumptions and Capabilities Apple has done a tremendous job of knowing and anticipating what his competitors are doing. Apple was able to develop its iPhone and music player technology into a mobile phone. The Rokr was the mobile phone device that was developed by Motorola. The device contained quality sound and included an advanced camera system. A version of Apples iTunes music store has been developed for the iPhone so users can manage music and can download other applications that Apple has to offer. An Apple consumer can browse the web faster than its competitors. These capabilities make the iPhone ideal for both business and travel. By knowing the competitors moves and capabilities Apple was able to perfect a phone that could offer more programs and applications than any other phone. The company was then able to then focus on the strengths and weakness of its competition and compare it to the products they provide. The company believes in the highest quality of products. Thes e products will continue to provide what every customer wants and needs, a computer company that continuously makes life easi Open Source vs Closed Source Systems Open Source vs Closed Source Systems INTRODUCTION For many years, proprietary software has been the dominating business approach used by the commercial software firms. Industry giants like Microsoft proved this strategy to be successful, building their multibillion dollar empires based on the proprietary software platform. Over the past decade, a new business approach called open source model which involves contributors from around the globe to create, share and distribute software code for free had come into practice (Pal, N Madanmohan, TR., 2002). Although the roots to this practice of sharing code evolved since early 60s, the widespread usage of internet and the technology developments in past two decades opened new opportunities for open source projects (CNET news, 1998). A number of Open Source Software (OSS) products such as Apache web server, BIND and SendMail have dominated their product categories ever since then (Pal, N Madanmohan, TR., 2002). In the past decade, several researchers (Wheeler, DA., 2007; Mockus, et al., 2000) have taken interest in studying how open source can be applied to modern business strategies. However, a concern exists that in this area of study that there is no substantial evidence that the practices followed are effective in the business environment (Bitzer Schrà ¶der, 2004). For economists like Lerner Tirole (2000), the altruism shown by commercial companies and programmers involved in an open source software project is surprising. They stated altruism hasnt played a major role in any other industry than software. Several others like Freeman Rogers (2008) and Goetz (2003) contradict this statement by illustrating altruism exist in any industry provided there is proper exposure of the problem towards the contributing community. But most of the researches surrounding open source model considered software industry as the base for their studies. 1.0 SCOPE OF THE PROJECT 1.1 Objective This project work focuses on the study of the Open Source ecosystem (Android) how it differs from Closed source sustems such as those surrounding the iPhone. This project includes the study of the Android Market, (online mobile application store for Android users) application developers, and which factors developers consider for selecting a platform for application development. To understand business strategy development trends across Android and iPhone platforms, we compared the Android market with the iPhone App Store, the leading application store in current mobile market. Apple launched an online application marketplace called the â€Å"iPhone App Store† before launching iPhone 3G. Currently, this store has more than 195,000 applications. To match or surpass the success of iPhone App Store, Apple rivals such as Google and Blackberry introduced their own application downloading stores called â€Å"Android Market† and â€Å"Blackberry App World† respectively. T he Android Market is similar to the iPhone App Store or to any other application store; it boasts a catalog of applications,  services and tools available for the user to purchase download and use. Today, the Android Market also has around 49,000 applications. Thus, the comparison between iPhone and Android application stores will help explain the new challenges faced by these two application stores, and also the demand for these stores in the near future. This study will help understand why Android choose Open Source System and why Apple doesnt, what determines their success, which large companies are directly involved in developing applications for Android, and which factors they consider for developing an application. 1.2 Experimental Procedures This project is based on a semi-automatically collected application database and   surveys to obtain necessary information for proving the hypothesis. (A) Website Data Firstly, application data were collected semi-automatically from the Android Market and iPhone App Store (iTunes store) and other mobile applications related websites, for e.g., Androlib.com, iPhoneapplicationlist.com. This gathered application database includes a list of the application categories on both platforms, number of applications in each category, and application information for the selected categories. (B) Interview Data Next, we interviewed mobile application developers to understand and know their views about Android/iPhone platforms and the ecosystem. To get in touch with mobile application developers, we attended the mobile conferences where they gather to share their views. (C) Survey Data Lastly, all the relevant facts about application developers from the interview data helped us prepare a survey. This web-based survey was prepared and conducted using Survey Monkey. 1.3 Resources Utilized The main resources used during this project were our industrial advisor, our academic reader, Android and iPhone application database, interviews and surveys from mobile application developers. 2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Introduction of Literature Review In order to achieve success in project implementation, the first step is to research and find information already available. During research, we found many articles related to our topic. This paper is based on the content from these articles. We have divided this section in four main areas: Overview of the Open Source Operating Systems (Android). Overview of the Closed Source Operating Systems (Apple IOS). Fundamentals behind the Open Source Platform. Introduction to the Smartphone. 2.2 Overview of the Open Source Operating Systems (Android). Google has achieved something remarkable with its open-source Android operating system. SinceApples iPhonerevolutionised thesmartphonein June 2007, bringing touchscreens and a beautiful user experience to the masses, its been without a rival. Sure, theres a small legion of BlackBerry fans, and a few Nokia die-hards, but the critical consensus up until about a year ago was that the iPhones achievements were peerless. EnterAndroid. The free, open-source mobile operating system was introduced to consumers with theHTC Dream(also known as theT-Mobile G1) in late 2008, but didnt start gaining steam until the release of theHTC Heroin July 2009. The Hero, armed with a custom user interface called Sense that HTC built in-house, gained rave reviews for its high-end specs and faultless user experience, and appeared on many critics lists of the best gadgets of 2009. The whispers began: Had Google managed to create a platform that genuinely rivalled the iPhone for the best smartphone experience around? This success is starting to show in the numbers. In February 2010, Google announced that more than 60,000 phones with Android on were shipping each day. The Android App Market is also booming, housing more than 30,000 downloadable applications in March 2010, although thats still comparably small when set beside the 185,000 or so Apple has in its App Store. But where once companies had to have an iPhone app, its now understood that they need to offer both an iPhone and an Android variant. Manufacturers havent let the opportunity pass them by, either. At the time of writing, there are around 35 mobile phones, five tablet PCs, three e-book readers and a netbook available that come with Android installed a total of about 43 devices. But thats nothing compared to the amount of gadgets that are purportedly in the works. If you tot up the rumours, statements of intent, leaked documents and roadmapped products from manufacturers, you can add at least another 15 smartphones, 19 tablet PCs, two e-book readers and three more netbooks to the pile. When you combine the totals, you arrive at a figure of at least 82 Android devices either released or in development. The platform has received four major updates since the HTC Dream launched with Android 1.0. Version 1.5 brought camcorder functionality and the ability to use homescreen widgets. Version 1.6 added voice search and a better Android App Market. Then version 2.0 revamped the user interface, added new, larger screen sizes, as well as navigation support in Google Maps. The latest update is version 2.1, which debuted on theNexus One a handset built by HTC but to specifications dictated by Google itself. Android 2.1 brings additional homescreens, animated wallpapers and the ability to use voice recognition to type in all text fields very useful if youre in a situation where you cant use an on-screen keypad, such as when driving. Other devices are starting to appear with version 2.1 as well the Motorola Droid, known as theMilestone in Europe, recently received an update to 2.1, and HTCs forthcoming Legend and Desire handsets come with it installed. Oldhardware=nonewtricks However, the new features available in 2.1 come with increased demand on the relatively weak processors found in most smartphones, particularly in the earlier Android devices. As a result, some handsets cant run later versions of Android at satisfactory speed. Even in those that can, manufacturers have been exceptionally slow at rolling out updates to their device owners, with HTC still not having delivered any update above 1.5 for its Hero at the time of writing. Its difficult to fault Google for wanting to update its core platform as fast as it can. The problem is that its going so fast that manufacturers cant roll out updates to their own software at a speed to match. The upshot for users is that early Android adopters are stuck on two-year contracts looking mournfully at all the fun that new device owners can get, with no knowledge as to whether theyll eventually have access to the new features themselves. This isnt anything new in most cases other manufacturers dont grant older gadget owners access to new features but its tough on Android users in particular because the pace of the updates is so fast. A phone can be out-of-date within months of its release, and in some cases handsets are still arriving with Android version 1.6 installed. App developers suffer, too. Many of Googles home-grown applications Maps, Earth, Goggles and Gesture Search were initially only released for the 2.0 and 2.1 platforms. Some have since gained backwards compatibility to 1.6, but HTC Hero owners, running 1.5, still cant use them. App developers have a tough choice to make: support as wide a range of phones as possible, or offer an app with superior features, but only to those running the latest Android builds. Situationnormal: Allforkedup So what can Google do about the problem? The company is stuck with four slightly different variants of its platform in the wild, and its got a splintered marketplace where one Android user cant necessarily access the same apps that another can, and its confusing and frustrating for end users. The obvious way ahead is to try and force manufacturers to update the software on their devices. Any device running 1.5 should be able to cope with 1.6, and a 2.0 device will manage 2.1. While that still leaves the problem of devices that cant quite cope with the most recent updates, Google should be able to merge its four shards into two a set of 1.6 devices and a set of 2.1 devices simplifying the situation somewhat. However, that relies on the goodwill and resources of a diverse set of companies, and some of those will only have dipped a toe into the waters of Android, meaning that they might be less keen to start devoting significant staff time to mucking around with operating system updates. So Googles got another trick up its sleeve. Recent rumours suggest that the company, in the upcoming version 2.2 update, is planning to de-couple the various applications that run on the device from the operating system itself. The browser, email apps, contacts, input methods and various other components will be downloadable and, crucially, updatable through the Android market rather than needing to wait for a full OS update to be upgraded. When Google wants to update the Gmail app, it can just push a market update, rather than forcing customers to wait for HTC, Dell, Samsung or other manufacturers to approve it. If Google fails to unify the Android platform, a future looms where Android is stuck in a series of ghettoes, with no guarantee that one Android user will be able to run the same apps as another unless they buy a new device every six months. Thats good news for manufacturers, but very bad news for Google and for consumers. If Google manages the transition successfully however, then a unified (or at least consolidated) platform could be easily updated by both Google and phone-makers, depending on whether the update is a critical security issue or a new feature in an application. Time is pressing. The fate of Android rests on what Google does over the summer of 2010. Will the platform fall by the wayside, or will it instead grow to be the Windows of smartphones, carefully balancing openness to app developers with a superior user experience and mass-market appeal? On past form, it seems foolish to bet against Google. Let us also look at the SORT analysis for android: Being a self declared Google and Android fanboy, Im constantly reading and studying about cloud computing and the mobile marketplace whenever I have the opportunity. Ive even begun the very first steps of beginning to learn programming Java for the Android platform, although this is a ‘free time endeavor which is going to take quite some time for me to get even the basic level of proficiency achieved. 2.2.1 SWOT Analyses for GOOGLE ANDROID But one area where I feel comfortable in discussion and analysis is in the business realm, which is why I decided to do a basic SWOT analysis for Google Android. It is a tool used in strategic planning to evaluateStrengths,Weaknesses,Opportunities, andThreats involved in a project or business. A companys Strengths and Weaknesses are generally internal, while the Opportunities and Threats are external factors. To spare most of the readers of this analysis, this SWOT is going to be a little less in depth than a typical SWOT analysis. However, it will be detailed enough to outline and discuss what I feel are the key items in each area of the analysis. STRENGTHS The Google Brand-Google is one of the most well known and respected technology companies on the planet. The fact that they are behind the Android platform gives it credibility and viability in the eyes of potential partners, vendors, and developers. Device Selection-Unlike the Apple iPhone where you dont have any options of hardware suppliers other than Apple itself, the Android OS is open-source and any hardware manufacturer who chooses to do so can use it on their handset. This gives consumers a great deal of selection from which to choose from while also decreasing the lead time to the use of the latest hardware and technological advances in mobile electronics. Competitive Pricing-The Android OS is very cost effective to develop for since it is open source and the licensing arrangements are very vendor friendly. Thus, handsets utilizing the Android OS tend to be prices very aggressively. Google application and services integration-The fact that the Android platform integrates so many of the Google services and applications into its base only strengthens its core capabilities and usefulness. Google items such as GMAIL, Calendar, Reader, Listen, and of course GPS and Maps to name a few integrate seamlessly with the Android OS and make it very simple for users to synchronize their data across platforms from the desktop to the cloud and mobile platforms. Open Source-The Android OS is built from a Linux base using the JAVA Programming language. You can go directly to the http://source.android.com website and find the information and source code you need to build a compatible device for Android. Additionally, Android is a core part of the OHA (Open Handset Alliance) which is a group of companies working together to develop Android as an open and free mobile platform. Google Assets-The Android team(s) has all the intellectual, economic, and influential resources of Google at its disposal to make it a dominant player in the mobile marketplace. WEAKNESSES Multimedia Support-Unlike the Apple iPhone which has the enormously popular iTunes application and marketplace, Android does not have a central or cohesive source of multimedia material nor a centralized player. Although there have been some improvements in applications on the Android platform in this area, at this time there is no â€Å"the† place to go that comes even slightly close to what Apple can offer on this front. However, there are numerous rumors to what exactly Google has in store for a music service of its own to be released sometime in late 2010. Whatever it is, it needs to be extremely well executed to come close to what iTunes offers Apple iPhone users. The one large asset Google has going for it is YouTube, and their recent announcement ofWebM(VP8) could become a lever for multimedia influence in video delivery for Google and the Android OS. Reliance on hardware makers to upgrade-Apple controls the when and how iPhone users will get not only new hardware, but upgrades to the OS and core functionality. With Android, even when Google releases a new version of its OS, it has to wait for the manufacturers to thoroughly test and modify code to make sure it works properly on their specific hardware configuration. Google is addressing this issue as it has announced that it plans to implement more of the core features of its services into the Android OS itself instead of as applications, and to slow down the upgrade releases as the OS matures in the marketplace. Less Mature-Android is not as mature or as polished as the iPhone at this point. It improves with every release, but it hasnt reached the same level of overall user friendliness in its interface that Apple has achieved. Lack of Enterprise Support-Blackberry and even Microsoft still get most of the support when it comes to Enterprise usage. Although both Apple and Google have made some inroads in this marketplace, Android has a very small market share here. It needs to continue to develop Google Apps and its integration abilities with Microsoft Exchange. OPPORTUNITIES The Android OS has a â€Å"HUGE† opportunity to get into the Tablet and e-book reader platform market right now. It cannot afford to sit back and watch Apple dominate the tablet market and eat up the market share as it had done when it released the iPhone. To date, that is exactly what is happening as no major hardware ‘mover and shaker has released an Android based tablet which is a fantastic opportunity if it is executed properly. I want one NOW! There have been several minor releases of Android tablets over the last few months, but none of them are what I would consider a significant product. Either Google itself or someone such as HP, Dell, ASUS, or ACER need to release a killer Android tablet in order for it to gather any traction. These waters only became murkier when HP acquired PALM. Developing Countries-Google has a huge opportunity to develop inexpensive devices using the Android platform in developing countries. The licensing is extremely developer friendly and the upfront cost investments are significantly less than other platforms. The integration with so many of Googles other free services is a natural fit in this marketplace. Developer Friendly-Unlike the recent activities of Apple which has alienated and ticked off much of the developer community, developing for Android is very open and developer friendly. Google needs to take this opportunity to help developers continue to monetize their efforts through improved advertising revenue models and app sales. Growth of smartphone market-The smartphone market is still very immature and there is still a huge amount of growth to take place over the next several years to decade. Google needs to continue to work hard to position itself with its cloud computing applications and services in support of the Android OS. The marriage of these two areas is key to the maintained growth rate and increased market share potential of the Android platform. Embedded electronic devices-The Android OS has huge potential to be a major player in the embedded electronic market as a dominate embedded operating system. With so many devices becoming embedded with smart technologies and connectivity to the cloud, the Android OS is primed to be a major winner there. THREATS iPhone unleashed-If the iPhone is unleashed from the beaten down ATT network and appears on other networks such as Sprint and in particular, Verizon, it could be a real threat to the sustained rate of future market share growth for the Android OS. A significant amount of potential smartphone customers said they would buy an iPhone if it werent on the ATT network. (I was once in this camp, until I discovered the world of Android.) Apple dominance-Apples market share gives it a great influence over developers and old media companies who are dying for a revenue model that will work for them. The ever growing walled garden that Apple is building is a false panacea that the old media companies are holding onto with both hands-the ability to charge users for access to premium content. Apples recent changes in policy and functional restrictions make it the ideal platform to launch such a strategy and recruit the power brokers from this old model. Additionally, the â€Å"theres an app for that† and Im willing to pay for it behavior of Apple iPhone users is of great appeal to developers who see the dollar signs in this market. (Ive yet to pay for an application on Android) This gives Apple influence over developers and makes their huge market share very difficult to walk away from, even when they adopt very unfriendly developer policies. Increased Competition-Obviously, companies like RIM and Microsoft are going to fight for their share of the market and arent going to just give up. In particular, the Blackberry platform which still has huge support in the enterprise market. Platform Fragmentation-This is a huge threat to the Android platform. Although I listed the numerous devices as a strength above, the risk of fragmentation is a real and significant one. This is why Google has recently put a lot of effort into developing ways to minimize this problem. Google does not want numerous custom version of Android to emerge or fork off from their core platform, which is something you see in the Linux distribution network. Google is developing a set of baseline standards for compatibility for its platform. Since Google controls the Android Market, it can maintain significant influence over device vendors to meet the compatibility requirements. If you do a little research on this topic, you will see that Googles standards are fairly rigid, maybe more so than one would expect. Google also plans to adopt aonce-per-yearrelease schedule as well. None the less, managing this risk is a major and real threat to the Android platform. So there you have it, my basic SWOT analysis for Google Android. One underlying issue I feel is worth noting is that Google does not have to dominate, and as much as so many of us would love to see it, it does not have to â€Å"beat† Apple in market share or any other core metric. The only thing Google needs to do is to make sure there is an open platform large enough in the mobile market for its advertising business. Lets face it; Google is not about selling Android devices. Google is about search and advertising, and Apples closed system was a threat to that model which has become even more self-evident over the last six to nine months of Apple policies and maneuverings. Apple recently announced their own Ad network for the iPhone and iPad which could be viewed as a shot across the bow of Google which puts even more necessity on the Android platforms success. The clear advantage that Google has going for itself right now is that Apple (Steve Jobs) is either being indignant o ver what cloud computing actually does and means, or he truly doesnt understand or hasnt figured out how its suppose to work. Considering how intelligent Steve Jobs is, I find it highly unlikely that the second option is the reason, and that his stubbornness and willingness to maintain personal grudges as the likely culprit. 2.3 Overview of the Closed Source Operating Systems (Apple IOS). If theres one company that is the envy of the high-tech community these days, its Apple. Steve Jobs is hailed as a genius CEO and lauded for a string of hit products. Apples market capitalization is over $200 BILLION dollars currently, easily ranking it in the top 10 companies in the world by market cap, and just shy of Microsoft for biggest technology company. Everyone wants to understand the secrets of Apples success and hopefully emulate them. The reasons given by people for Apples success are many. The following are a few of the arguments made: Vertical integration- Apple owns most of, if not the entire, technology stack for its key products, and thus gives it advantages over other less vertically integrated products. NOTE: â€Å"Vertical integration† used to be called â€Å"being proprietary† and was given as the reason for Apples relative lack of success against Microsoft in the OS/PC battles of the 80s and 9os. But phenomenal success has a way of changing peoples minds. Making markets vs. addressing markets- Some claim that Apple doesnt ask people what they need but gives them products they decide theywant. Does anyone NEED an iPhone or iPad? Not really, but a lot of people seem to want them. The Cool Factor- Lets face it, Apple does make â€Å"cool† products. Attention to design and detail-fit and finish as they say-really distinguishes Apples products from competitors. Entering markets after theyve developed— Contrary to #2 above, some people claim that Apple doesnt make markets but enters existing markets once theyre growing and takes advantage of latent demand. The iPod was not the first digital music player and the iPhone was not the first smart phone, and the iPad is not the first portable computing device. In the case of the iPad, products like the Kindle and Netbooks actually paved the way for the market to accept small computing devices, and Apples iPad is riding that wave. Differentiated business models- whether it was iPod+iTunes or the iPhone+App Store, Apple innovates not just on technology, but on the business model. This makes it difficult for competitors to play catch up, let alone overtake Apple once it establishes itself in a dominant position. People care about the experience not technology— Apple has always been about the user experience, but for a long time, the majority of the market didnt care about that. The majority of desktop computer users cared about â€Å"techs and specs†. Now the tables have turned, and the majority dont care about the specs, they care about the experience. The iPod, with its â€Å"1000 songs in your pocket† motto and iTunes which radically simplified purchasing music latched onto the experience wave, and Apple has been riding it ever since. Simple product offerings- Apple has a very clear and simple set of products. Its easy to understand the differences between their products, product families and the various configurations. This makes it easy to buy an Apple product if you want to. A lot of companies complicate things unnecessarily. How many iPhone models are there? How many Blackberry models are there? How many Nokia smart phone models are there? See the difference between Apple, RIM and Nokia? The same is true for the iMAc, the iPod and the iPad. Granted, there are actually a number of iPod models (Nano, Shuffle, Touch etc.) but they are very distinct amongst themselves. This cant be said for digital music players from other companies. 2.3.1 Apple Competitive Analysis: Future Goals Apple has been and continues to focus on what its competitors are doing in order to keep a competitive strategy. Steve Jobs wanted to create a brand loyal name and to also produce a personalized computer with many features that would allow your life to be easier. Apple needed to keep up with rapid price cuts of its competitors personalized computers that were based on other operating systems. They wanted to focus on the rapid technological advances in both hardware and software that would boost their computers performance and provide its own operating systems. By doing so, the iMac-personalized computer was introduced in 1997 and they were able to create the brand loyalty they were looking for. They want to continue to build the brand loyal name and keep giving the consumer what they want to make their lives easier. Current Strategy Steve Jobs has recognized that many of its competitors have been providing computers that rely heavily on other operating systems to run their computers. For example, Dell computers rely on windows XP, and many of their software products rely on other partys. What Steve Jobs has managed to do is to incorporate its own operating systems, hardware, and software programs for its entire product line. The software that they have created would allow the user to edit videos, download and play music, edit pictures, etc. with all of their own products and applications. While other competition relied on outside companies introducing their own digital and distribution music product services, subscription services, and free peer-to-peer music services; Apple has created a way to counter the constant changing competitive market. They have done so by effectively integrating all three services that its competitors have to choose from by creating the iPod for hardware, iTunes for software, and iTune s Music Store for the third party distribution services. Apple has been able to eliminate its reliance on outside companies and to keep on creating specialized programs for consumers. Another factor that has helped keep Apples future thriving is by introducing the Apple Store. Customers are now able to take their products into the store and have an apple specialist examine/work on the products that they are heavily invested in. Most competitors would have the consumer take computer/product to a tech department of a store or would have to send to a third party. Assumptions and Capabilities Apple has done a tremendous job of knowing and anticipating what his competitors are doing. Apple was able to develop its iPhone and music player technology into a mobile phone. The Rokr was the mobile phone device that was developed by Motorola. The device contained quality sound and included an advanced camera system. A version of Apples iTunes music store has been developed for the iPhone so users can manage music and can download other applications that Apple has to offer. An Apple consumer can browse the web faster than its competitors. These capabilities make the iPhone ideal for both business and travel. By knowing the competitors moves and capabilities Apple was able to perfect a phone that could offer more programs and applications than any other phone. The company was then able to then focus on the strengths and weakness of its competition and compare it to the products they provide. The company believes in the highest quality of products. Thes e products will continue to provide what every customer wants and needs, a computer company that continuously makes life easi