Risk Consultant - 783 Words

ISSC 363 Risk Consultant 24 January 2016 Risk Consultant A risk assessment is a way to identify, evaluate, quantify, and prioritize risks (Gibson, 2011). They are primarily used to assess the overall security of a network from the eyes of an attacker in order to protect the network from intruders (Schmittling, n.d.). There are no regulations instructing organizations on how systems need to be controlled or secured, however there are regulations requiring systems be secure in one way or another (Schmittling, n.d.). The rationale for conducting an assessment include: cost justification, productivity, breaking barriers, self analysis, and communication (Schmittling, n.d.). Adding security adds an extra†¦show more content†¦When defining scope, goals and objectives, responsibilities, specific inclusions and exclusions, assessment time and location, and risk assessment methodology should be determined . Critical areas for an assessment include: web servers, database servers, and internal firewalls (Gibson, 2011). Ther e are two main types of risk management assessments. They are qualitative and quantitative methodologies. With the qualitative methodology, a relative values are used to determine the probability and impact of a risk (Gibson, 2011). This type of information can be collected quickly. A quantitative risk assessment is used to estimate how much money would be lost should a vulnerability be exploited (Vanderberg, n.d.). With the quantitative methodology, actual dollar values are used. It can take a time to gather this type of data. Once the data is gathered, however, a math formula is used to determine the priority of risks and in turn show the results of controls (Gibson, 2011). It is my opinion that a combination of both quantitative and qualitative methodologies would work best in a Fortune 500 company. Both quantitative and qualitative methodologies have advantages. Results from a quantitative methodology are more easily reproducible and make it possible to compare and contrast a p resent assessment with a past assessment. Because the data is not subjective, results are more consistent (Norchiston, 2011). Qualitative assessments seem to beShow MoreRelatedDiscuss Data Gathering and Presentation Skills of Consultants.1064 Words   |  5 PagesDiscuss Data Gathering and Presentation Skills of Consultants. Consultants must possess a variety of skills that help to enable them to provide the best advisory services to their clients. Two of the important skills that contribute to their profession and ability to perform the required work are data gathering and presentation skills. Exceptional presentation proficiency is especially necessary because it is essential throughout the engagement. 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Both the Directors are entitled as Management Consultants holding degree in Master of Administration in Innovative Management. Blue Sky will start business with initial investment of GBP 50,000 available to both the directors. And will gradually move to a furnished office, which will help generate theRead MoreSample Resume : Cvs Company2014 Words   |  9 PagesIsland location. Over the years the customer service at CVS has been lacking in some areas due to not enough employee scheduled in a work day, a dry shopping environment, and lack of sales promotion. Accord ing to Fortune.com In 2014 CVS took a huge risk when they stopped selling cigarettes in all their stores. However after our firm spoke with CVS CEO Larry Merlo, he seemed very optimistic, after the CVS pharmacies took control of 1,700 drugstores in Target. As of March 2016 CVS has a market value

Bring Instant Replay to Major League Baseball Essay

Major League Baseball (MLB) has been losing fans for several years. The average attendance for a MLB game has been decreasing for a number of years. If Major League Baseball would like to compete with popularity of professional sports such as Professional football (NFL) and Professional basketball (NBA), they need to embrace some of technologies that have made those sports so successful in recent years. Right now, MLB has a replay system used for determining home runs that are either fair or foul, whether the ball actually left the playing field or whether the ball was interfered with by a spectator. MLB should have an instant replay system that can be used for all judgment calls excluding ball and strike calls. MLB could adopt a†¦show more content†¦MLB owners are paying too much for players, stadiums, amenities, etc. to put fans in seats and I cannot imagine they appreciate going to that level of effort so that the outcome of a game may get decided on a blown call by an umpire. If speed of the game is the major sticking point against implementing a fully executable instant replay system, then why can’t other steps be taken to make sure the game doesn’t last too long? Why can’t MLB games last 8 innings, or extra inning rules be tweaked so that games don’t last too long. The NFL has taken steps to improve their product and some of those steps including shortening games and the NFL remain extremely successful. Admittedly, implementing instant replay for all levels of baseball would be economically challenging. However, at the very least, instant replay should be implemented on the professional level where the athletes are being paid and millions of fans are paying to watch a good game. A very recent and well known incident that occurred during the 2010 MLB season cost Armando Galarraga, a pitcher for the Detroit Tigers, a perfect game. The umpire, Jim Joyce who by all standards was considered a very good umpire, blew a call late in the game that he later admittedly blew. Had instant replay been a tool that would have been at his disposal, he could have gotten the call correct and sacrificed that incredible moment for Armando that has forever been lost.Show MoreRelatedBaseball By Ken Burns : Baseball Is The Constitution, Jazz Music, And Baseball1584 Words   |  7 Pagesis something magical in the crack of a baseball bat meeting a baseball. The hush of the crowd before the pitch allows the 1.4 kHz to echo through the stadium. This sound needs no onomatopoeia; we can all recall it from a memory at a baseball park or from any of the countless baseball movies ever produced. This classic sound has traveled through the years, from the beginnings of professional baseba ll to today. 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He contributes the 500 million dollar revenue from per season to specific athleteRead MoreAdvancements In Technology In Sports1860 Words   |  8 PagesWhat the swimmers wear has also changed because of advancements in technology. Some swimmers wear full-body suits to help them swim faster and break records. This is simply one way technological advancements have impacted todays athletes. Another major sport that has been affected by technology is basketball. Basketball is considered by some to not be an advanced sport, but without technology it would be completely different. Once the shot clock was added it caused the game to speed up. In todays

Professional Practice in IT ICT Professional

Question: Discuss about theProfessional Practice in ITfor ICT Professional. Answer: ICT professional may face various ethical dilemmas at their workplace on a daily. One of such situation can be imagined when the company merges with some other organization. This kind of situation may raise several issues, the most important being getting a promotion. After the merger the new boss may not grant a promotion which the ICT was expecting threatening his career in the long run. The professional may have to do some unethical work course for earning that reward of promotion which he was to get for his good work itself. This will surely affect his conscience and his career too in the long run. The situation addressed in the previous question may be analyzed by the framework provided by Thomas I. White which asks to analyze the consequences and then the actions ought to be taken and final landing on a correct decision. The analysis method suggested by Mr. White helps in focusing on the consequences whether the action taken though wrong will not affect anyone badly. Yet there are some consequences which cannot be justified at any cost. The framework allows to analyze the situation in every manner may it be good or bad so that any situation may be in a wrong way bringing some good can be taken forward. Taking the example of the same situation discussed earlier, an unethical situation can be highlighted where the professional was asked to theft some important file from his colleagues computer. The higher authority lures the professional to get it in return for a promotion and salary appraisal. The professional finds the situation highly tempting yet he analyzes the situation but finds it difficult to betray his own colleague and friend. His principles and morals do not allow him to work unprofessionally for the growth of his career. The situation not only makes him risk his friendship but also his character which will be destroyed if the news leaks out. The work place where I work does not have such identified sets of codes or values. Yet the set of code of ethics can be framed. The company being a manufacturing one always addresses in words of mouth that the companys interest should be promoted at any cost anytime and should not be valued less. The company clearly avoids any chances of conflict which may or may arise by setting the code of conduct. The company can form certain codes for employees avoiding giving or accepting of any kinds of gifts or favors which puts a person under obligation of returning it back. The code for damaging or spoiling any of the company assets should be avoided. These set of conduct should be applied and followed regularly. References Ferrell, O.C. and Fraedrich, J., 2015.Business ethics: Ethical decision making cases. Nelson Education Pollock, J.M., 2014. Ethical Issues in Policing.Controversies in Policing, p.119.. Schwartz, M.S., 2002. A code of ethics for corporatecode of ethics.Journal of Business Ethics,41(1-2), pp.27-43. White, T.I., 2005. Resolving an ethical dilemma.Loyola Marymount University.

Memories free essay sample

My most treasured memories are the ones I keep to myself. But for the sake of this, I will share. My greatest memory is the memory of my first day at Disney World. I was seven and I never thought I would experience anything like this! I saw Disney characters such as Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse. I was scared at first, but then I realized that they werent so bad. But the best thing was when I rode the Dumbo Flying Circus with my dad. We usually didnt do much, but that day my dad was all mine. I believe memories are important because without them, we wouldnt be able to remember our greatest achievements and the best times you spent with your family. Growing old with your spouse and thinking back to the past is an amazing experience. People need to experience pain. With pain comes acknowledgment on life itself. We will write a custom essay sample on Memories or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This is an example of what we all need in life. There comes a time when love is in your life, and you remember those memories. Pain should be included in those memories, physical or mental. Humans can cope with painful memories by remembering those happy and joyful memories instead. These can help people understand that pain instead always bad, its just life.

Research Paper on Pearl Harbor

Research Paper on Pearl Harbor The road to war between the United States of America and Japan began on the surprise aerial attack on the United States Navy base in Pearl Harbor on December 7th 1941. This was the first step that brought the might United States into the Second World War Relations between the two countries started to detireate in the early 1930’s when Japan started to become aggressive in Asia, mainly in Manchuria in 1931 and tried to start conquering the rest of China into 1937. Japan in 1940 decided to allied it self with the â€Å"Axis† with countries like Germany. Japan, a vastly resource free country needed supplies such as oil from countries like the United States. With their aggression in Asia the United States decided to put an embargo on Japan and halt valuable resources such as oil which the Japanese empire need greatly to expand their mighty war machine . Japan had only enough oil reserves to fight a war for about six more months, something that they couldn’t stand to bear with and the only solution to counter this problem was to move further down south into the vast and oil rich areas of South East Asia. With their aggression already in China, Japan wasn’t a very favored country in the United States, already banning immigrations from Japan and angering them even further they drew out plans to counter this problem and the only solution left was to destroy the United States Pacific fleet that had recently been shifted to Pearl Harbor in Hawaii by the United States President Roosevelt. The United States of Americas Navy Pacific fleet was established way back in the late 1800’s but established their Head quarters on February 1st 1941 only 10 months before the attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese. Pearl Harbor was seen as â€Å"impregnable† by the United States. Having this massive United States Navy a stone throw away from Japan was of a large concern. If Japan was to take further aggressive action down south, the United States would be sure to come to the defense of their allies and stop the Japanese. The only option left was to eliminate the United States Pacific Fleet so they would have superiority over the entire Pacific waters and further their interest down south with little resistance if at all from the United States. For months the Japanese Navy has been practicing simulations on the attack of Pearl Harbor, if the diplomatic talks in Washington DC had failed they were prepared to go to war at all costs . On the 26th of November, the Japanese set sail of a Navy task force of six heavy aircraft carriers, the Shokaku, Zuikaku, Kaga, Akagi, Hiryu and Soryu and accompanying these aircraft carriers were two battle ships sailing to Pearl Harbor spearheaded this task force was Admiral Chuchi Nagumo . The plan to attack Pearl Harbor was devised by Admiral Yamamoto, he wanted the United States Pacific Fleet in Pearl Harbor to be neutralized so he could purse Japans goals in achieving domination. The task force set sail and was to avoid detection by the United States Navy at all costs. If detected they were to set sail back home to Japan immediately. Admiral Chuchi Nagumo later learned that the United States Navy most prized possessions, their aircraft carriers were not in port but some carriers were doing training excises while other carriers were stationed else where and others delivering planes to remote Pacific islands . This was certainly a major downfall in the usefulness of the attack in the Pacific fleet but the attack was to go ahead, December 8th Japanese time which is December 7th the local date in Hawaii. Chatter was created on the radios in Japan to make the United States think that the aircraft carriers were at bay but this didn’t work. The conditions were in favor of Japan, apart from the aircraft carriers belong to the United States navy not in port, the weather with the heavy fogged helped provide good coverage over the carriers from overheard reconossinace planes that were out looking for the missing Japanese carriers. All Japanese ships were to remain on radio blackout. Visibility over Pearl Harbor was clear, and this information was given over the local radio station in Oahu. In the early morning at 0600 hours the first launch of 183 aircraft, bombers laden with torpedoes and bombs, flanked by fighter aircraft escorting them they made their 1.5 hours journey to Pearl Harbor. The attack on Pearl Harbor came at a great cost to the US but then again this is very debatable. During the two waves of strikes by the Japanese, only lost a total of twenty nine aircraft . This is a very small price to pay for the huge losses the United States Navy occurred, on that day, December 7th, 2403 people were recorded as dead, a further 1178 were injured, four battle ships were sunk, the Oklahoma, West Virginia, California and the Nevada. The Tennessee, Pennsylvania and Maryland were damaged but the Maryland was put back into service in February 1942. Aircraft lost by the United States were massive as well, with aircraft parked tightly to avoid any sabotage; this made it easier for Japanese bombers. Out of the 394 planes based, 165 were damaged and only some still able to fly. This attack on Pearl Harbor seemed like a success on the day for the Japanese and my view is that it seemed like this from both sides. The United States suffers a huge loss compared to the minimal loss suffered on the Japanese side. Japan now has put a major dent into the United States Pacific fleet and is able to further their goals down south but my personal view is that the attack created more problems for Japan the solving. No aircraft carrier was in dock at all, the power of the Pacific fleet is with the might aircraft carriers. It did not sink, damaged or even find any of the aircraft carriers. All of the battle ships that were sunk in Pearl Harbor were raised except the Arizona were repaired and put back into service thus making the United States Navy rely more on their carriers. The air raid on Pearl Harbor didn’t even attempt to destroy any of the logistics, logistics such as the vast supply of oil that was in dock, without this oil the United States Navy would not have been able to repair and return to service the battle ships that were damaged at such a quick rate. From the Japanese point of view, it can only be seen as a success that they were able to sink many battle ships, destroy many aircraft and end the lives of many soldiers at such a small physical price. It is hard to determine whether this attack on this day was one of the biggest mistakes ever made by the Japanese empire, had they sent a third wave to destroy more of the logistics or if the aircraft carriers had been in port it may have changed the outcome of the war. You can order custom written essays, term papers or research papers on Pearl Harbor at our professional custom writing service. Here is the list of the most popular essay topics on Pearl Harbor: The Attack on Pearl Harbor The Bombing Of Pearl Harbor Did President Roosevelt Deliberately Withhold Information About the Attack on Pearl Harbor From the American Commanders? Critique of Pearl Harbor and the Coming of the Pacific War Causes of the Pearl Harbor Americans approval of Japanese internment following the events of Pearl Harbor The conspiracy of Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor and Retaliation Ambiguity: Duplicity at Pearl Harbor?

Biochemical Engineering2 essays

Biochemical Engineering2 essays How would you like to examine physical properties of a wide array of different animals? Not only that but also research the processes of many organisms? If this sounds exciting, then biochemical engineering is the best career choice for you! Biochemists find many amazing things. For example, a biochemist discovered that increased flexing of a certain pelvic muscle helps to stimulate the activity in your brain. If you wanted a great job like this college is not always required. You can get internships with companies. In these internships you help out fellow scientist in there everyday duties. That can lead to self employed jobs which you control the experiments and do what you please. But this doesnt happen often, most of the time you will need to go to college for at least two years for your bachelors degree. Studies at Rutgers University for Chemistry include general chemistry for engineers, introduction to computers for engineers, engineering lectures, calculus, and physics. After you finish college the money will be rollin in. Biochemical engineers in Wisconsin make anywhere between $38,873 and $47,403 per year. For example there is a job in Madison as a product evaluation specialist for a prominent biotechnology firm. They evaluate the operation of new products and their effects. Now you see that this is a very fun, exciting, and promising job. I would recommend seeing your guidance councilor to see what local colleges would best suit your biochemical interests. Biochemistry: Protein Arrays Step Out of DNAs Shadow!, Science Service, Robert F.; 9-8-2000 http://sol.rutgets.edu/Web2000/biochem.html ...

The Awakening by Kate Chopin Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Awakening by Kate Chopin - Research Paper Example The controversial ending of the novel shall also be looked into and problematized. Its implications and how it shapes the critic’s response to the character shall be analyzed in this paper. Critical responses drawn from famous essays on The Awakening shall shape the views put forth by this paper which shall be sought to be modified and incorporated. These views shall be used to support and further the arguments that shall be put forth in this paper. Kate Chopin’s The Awakening Kate Chopin’s work, at the time of its publication (the late nineteenth century), created quite a stir. It was one of the first novels that portrayed a woman, comfortably placed in life, who chooses to rebel against the lack of choice that life presents her with. Chopin’s protagonist, Edna Pontellier, is a woman who is married to a wealthy businessman, who according to a patriarchal society, would be considered to be a dutiful and loving husband. He provides Edna with every material comfort imaginable and is a very caring husband; still, Edna chooses to rebel. Conservative reviewers of the time could not digest such an action by the protagonist of a well-known author. Edna’s rebellion, however, is not against the comforts that her life provides her; it is against a system that refuses to accord her the kind of respect that she feels she deserves: that which is given by the society to an artist, a respect different in its nature from that which was provided to a woman merely for the fulfillment of maternal and wifely duties. Critics like Margo Culley have talked about how Edna is a â€Å"solitary soul† (Culley 247). She talks of how Edna’s solitude leads her to explore new areas of activity that eventually lead to her sexual awakening. This leads her to enter into relationships with other men, in what she initially believes to be steps that are liberating. However, she later realizes that she represented nothing but a conquest for men like A lcee Arobin. This, Culley remarks, forces her back to her solitude that follows a recognition of the failure of both forms of awakening, social and sexual, to free her from the oppressive social framework that she inhabits. Edna’s awakenings are thus always accompanied by a disillusionment with the mode of awakening that she adopts. This problem needs to be analyzed at length. Going over the main events of the novel might be helpful, in this regard. Edna Pontellier, disillusioned with her life as a married woman who seeks fulfillment only through her roles as a wife and mother, distances herself from her husband and from her motherly duties. She undergoes a sexual awakening that leads her to extra-marital affairs that fail to fulfill her needs. She moves into another house in order to lead what she considers an independent life. This attempt too, fails her. She eventually commits suicide, driven to desperation by her failed attempts to attain respectability in a society that refused to provide women with it. Edna’s problem can be seen as the problem of a woman who fails to break out of the life that she creates for herself. In as much as this is true, Edna is as much of a culprit as the society. Edna, throughout the novel, is unwilling to break free of the luxuries that life provide for her. Even when she chooses to move into a new apartment, she does so using her inheritance from her father, which is again, patriarchal wealth, part of a social system that Edna tries to break out, in the

Environmental and Resource Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Environmental and Resource Economics - Essay Example II. Command-and-Control Approach The Command-and-Control Approach to environmental protection has given rise to regulations that set limits on emissions and discharges from machineries, and on specific properties and makeup of equipment that may be manufactured, imported or utilized in the country. Under the same Approach, rules on audits and disclosure of information are also imposed. With the government giving due recognition to companies that abide by environmental protection laws, companies are driven to be compliant. Furthermore, companies are spared from the mandatory costs of non-compliance with the set standards and laws. For these reasons, the Command-and-Control Approach can work. (Khanna & Damon 1999) However, it has been pointed out that plain declaration of environmental laws is not enough. Non-compliance should be subject to strictly applied sanctions and penalties for such laws to be effective and for the Command-and-Control Approach to work. (Tietenberg & Lewis 2012) In the United States, the purpose for setting rules and regulations designed to protect the environment were initially declared by former President Richard Nixon on 1 January 1970 through the National Environment Policy Act (NEPA). As stated in the NEPA, the firm policy of the US Federal Government is to establish and maintain conditions that would allow man and nature to co-exist in harmony through the use of powers and resources that the Government has at hand. NEPA further states that this policy delivers the social, economic and other requirements of the American people, both present and future generations. (Wilson 2004) In the years that followed, more environmental standards and laws have been set and legislated. Thus, the Command-and Control Approach of the US Government has spawned the environmental protection system that stands to this day. Subsequently, the Congress instituted the Clean Air Act (CAA), the Clean Water Act (CWA), the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (R CRA), and the Comprehensive environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). (Wilson 2004) In spite of the many laws that have been made for environmental protection, critics have continually hounded the effectiveness and efficiency of such laws with endless questions. These laws contain the goals for which they have been set and critics have zeroed in on how the same goals have not been achieved through the implementation of the same laws. (Wilson 2004) Hence, the limitation of the Command-and-Control Approach is highlighted. Nationally promulgated and applied laws, no matter how good, can never successfully secure environmental protection. After all, the efforts of one specific country cannot combat the harm inflicted by the other countries across the globe. While we all attempt to save our planet, the Command-and-Control Approach used by governments can mostly cover only their specific territories. The bid of the United States to totally eliminate all production and use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and other chemicals harmful to the ozone layer can be cited as an example. Even with US exercising political will, the ozone layer will continually thin out for as long as there are other countries that get on with their generation and use of CFCs. Due to the extreme damage that CFCs can cause the

The U.S. Airline Industry Essay Example for Free

The U.S. Airline Industry Essay The U.S. airline industry provides a unique service to its customers. It transports people and goods with efficiency and convenience which is not achieved by any other service. The purpose of this article is to collect data on the U.S. airline industry and analyze the state of the industry today. Data came from sources such as the Federal Aviation Administration, scholarly articles, and websites such as dallas.culturemap.com and airwise.com. Tools used to analyze the data include P. E.S.T., and Porter’s five forces. The analysis also focuses on the industries’ drivers of change and its key survival factors. Key Survival Factors Include Locations that an airline services – The servicing of particular markets is essential in the nature of the airline industry. Airlines need to offer routes between markets that are desired by customers. Cost structure of an airline’s operations – The costs of operations for an airline are a limit to how low airfares can be. Costs include maintenance, fuel, labor, fees and lease payments for operating in airports. Those airlines that are able to control costs can attract customers with lower fares and can improve overall profitability. (Site this web article here http://dallas.culturemap.com/news/travel/05-19-14-southwest-airlines-virgin-america-new-low-fares/) An airlines’ workforce and its interaction with customers – A Pleasant workforce can encourage repeat business. An unhappy workforce can drive customers away to rivals. Reliability of Service – An airline with a reputation for reliable service has a positive image among customers, which can lead to repeat business. Issues with reliability include mishandled baggage, the on-time arrival of flights, overbooking flights, and passenger complaints. Those airlines that are able to control these elements provide better service to the customer. Drivers of Industry Change Consolidations and Alliances – Many airlines operating in the U.S. have recently consolidated due to high competition and improper cost structures. These newly consolidated firms are also establishing alliances with international carriers which enable them to expand their market participation strategies. Globalization – Growth potential in the global  travel market has led to a drive for globalization in the airline industry. U.S. airlines are lobbying for â€Å"open skies† treaties between the U.S. and other nations. The U.S has signed more than 60 open skies treaties with nations around the globe. Low-cost Competition – The rise of the low-cost carriers has forced a change in the competitive environment of the airline industry. Southwest, JetBlue, People Express and Airtran operate off of low-cost strategies that allow them to offer lower airfares. These low fares put pressure on the industry and force rivals to lower their costs to stay competitive. (http://www.nbcnews.com/business/travel/new-low-cost-airline-peoplexpress-tickets-go-sale-n122971) (P.E.S.T.) Political, Economic, Social, and Technological forces that impact the industry. Political Security Regulations from FAA War on Terrorism led to stricter guidelines Customer Protection Regulations – must show fees (http://www.npr.org/2014/05/31/317429334/regulators-and-airlines-fight-over-fares-fees-and-fairness) Economic High operating costs Airlines merging Fuel Costs are huge Less people traveling due to expense Very high fixed cost Impact of holiday travel Cancellation fees/checked bag cost Social Security – Is it safe to fly? Crashes/failure Customer service (friendliness, flight attendant/pilot being funny) Technological Business changes (using Skype instead of traveling) Buying tickets online/cancel online Porter’s Five Forces Model is one way to analyze the environment in which airline companies operate. This model shows the major forces that form the industry: threat of new entrants, bargaining power of buyers, threat of substitutes, bargaining power of suppliers, and competitors. Threat of new entrants is relatively high in the airline industry. It seems like it would be hard to enter the airline industry due to the large amount of fixed costs however lending has made it not only possible but fairly simple. New entrants will have to endure years of little or no profit until a strong customer base is established though. Meanwhile existing companies will be able to lower prices and take losses against their capital reserves just to drive a new competitor out of business. Further, consumers prefer well-known brands mainly due to safety concerns. Lastly, stringent licensing requirements and heavy regulations by organizations such as the Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Transportation require significant knowledge base and time investment on the part of the new entrant. Bargaining power of buyers is also relatively low in the airline industry. Two main groups of buyers exist: individual buyers purchasing tickets for personal or business travel, and travel agencies and/or online portals that work as a â€Å"middle man† between the airline companies and individual buyers. There is definitively a large amount of buyers compared to the number of airlines; therefore, loss of one customer does not strongly affect the bottom line of a given airline. Typically, each airline has a niche. Some airlines focus on cost, while others focus on having the best amenities, etc. Although switching costs are low for buyers, they tend to remain within a niche and purchase tickets based on their price vs. amenities preferences. Threat of substitutes is medium in the airline industry. Consumers can choose other forms of transportation such as a car, bus, train, or boat to get to their destination. However, there is a cost to this switch, mainly time. For long distance travel, airlines usually exceed all other forms of transportation when it comes to cost and convenience. Nevertheless, there is one important development that should be noted – technological advances are allowing business people to telecommute, this significantly cuts down on required business travel. Bargaining power of the suppliers presents a medium threat in the airline industry. Major suppliers include the airplane manufacturers, aircraft leasing companies,  fuel companies and labor unions. Although airline companies cannot easily switch suppliers, most firms have long term contracts with their suppliers. On the other hand, there are very few suppliers in the airline industry because of the amount of money and expertise required. Airlines represent the main source of income for these suppliers so airline’s business is extremely important to them. Rivalry among existing players is very strong in the airline industry. The first reason is the fact that the airline industry is currently stagnant; the number of competitors remains more or less the same and the industry does not have overcapacity. The fixed costs are extremely high and it is hard for an airline firm to leave the industry because of the long term debt obligations. The rivalry is reduced by the brand identities of different airlines. Some are known for exceptional amenities, others for low prices. The market seems to be equally divided as each company maintains its own niche in the market. Highly competitive industries such as the airline industry typically see low rates of return due to the fact that they competition drives down prices. Couple this with the high amount of government regulation in the airline industry and the investor may be weary of investing in the industry. However, the next five years look promising for the U.S. airline industry due to the fact that many of the participant firms will be newly consolidated and have influence in markets outside of the U.S. as well as those inside.

Phillip K. Dicks Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? and Movie The Ma

Phillip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? and Movie The Matrix What role will computers play in the future? What happens when artificial intelligence gets to the point of actually allowing machines to give birth to original thoughts, or suppose artificial intelligence became identical or superior to human intelligence? While attempting to answer these thought-provoking questions deeper questions arise that are more pertinent in our lives such as what defines being human, or as Morpheous says, â€Å"What is†¦real?† The Matrix as well as the novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, by Phillip K. Dick, attempt to answer these questions through different matrices. These matrices are implemented into stories to provoke thought and ask the question, what if? The actual â€Å"matrix† described in the movie The Matrix provides the best example of a matrix. The â€Å"matrix† in the movie is a virtual reality implemented and created by machines to use human beings as a power supply. Their minds are trapped and they are unaware of the reality that they are simply batteries for the machines. Matrices are situations or surrounding circumstances within which something else originates, develops, or is contained. For example, in the explanation of the matrix above, human beings are in the matrix and their minds are contained within that matrix. However, containment is not the only type of matrix. Many different matrices exist in our lives. The educational system at California State University, Northridge can be considered a matrix. When students attend the university they start as one person, and through education and social experiences a new person is developed. Dick’s novel and The Matrix contain in their stories m any mat... ...oids through his human-like experience with them; Deckard sleeps with Rachel Rosen who is an android, and then loses empathy for androids once again. Neo and Deckard may be a part of the social order they so strongly oppose. These matrices apparent in The Matrix and Dick’s novel are not much different then the matrices we encounter in our lives. Deckard and Neo represent you and me. Everyone is trapped in different matrices in their lives. By identifying those matrices and working through them we are able to grow as human beings. Every day we slowly recline into our chairs, the rods are jammed into the back of our skulls, and we plug into our reality. Within our own different matrices we struggle to define who we are or better yet, why we are here. Works Cited 1. Dick, Phillip K. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. New York: Balantine Books, 1968. Phillip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? and Movie The Ma Phillip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? and Movie The Matrix What role will computers play in the future? What happens when artificial intelligence gets to the point of actually allowing machines to give birth to original thoughts, or suppose artificial intelligence became identical or superior to human intelligence? While attempting to answer these thought-provoking questions deeper questions arise that are more pertinent in our lives such as what defines being human, or as Morpheous says, â€Å"What is†¦real?† The Matrix as well as the novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, by Phillip K. Dick, attempt to answer these questions through different matrices. These matrices are implemented into stories to provoke thought and ask the question, what if? The actual â€Å"matrix† described in the movie The Matrix provides the best example of a matrix. The â€Å"matrix† in the movie is a virtual reality implemented and created by machines to use human beings as a power supply. Their minds are trapped and they are unaware of the reality that they are simply batteries for the machines. Matrices are situations or surrounding circumstances within which something else originates, develops, or is contained. For example, in the explanation of the matrix above, human beings are in the matrix and their minds are contained within that matrix. However, containment is not the only type of matrix. Many different matrices exist in our lives. The educational system at California State University, Northridge can be considered a matrix. When students attend the university they start as one person, and through education and social experiences a new person is developed. Dick’s novel and The Matrix contain in their stories m any mat... ...oids through his human-like experience with them; Deckard sleeps with Rachel Rosen who is an android, and then loses empathy for androids once again. Neo and Deckard may be a part of the social order they so strongly oppose. These matrices apparent in The Matrix and Dick’s novel are not much different then the matrices we encounter in our lives. Deckard and Neo represent you and me. Everyone is trapped in different matrices in their lives. By identifying those matrices and working through them we are able to grow as human beings. Every day we slowly recline into our chairs, the rods are jammed into the back of our skulls, and we plug into our reality. Within our own different matrices we struggle to define who we are or better yet, why we are here. Works Cited 1. Dick, Phillip K. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. New York: Balantine Books, 1968.

Digestion

The food that is ingested needs to go through several processes in the body before it is assimilated into the body. These processes occur in the alimentary tract which is a long structure beginning from the mouth to the anus. There are also other important chemicals, hormones and digestive juices which are involved in this whole process. These are found in specific portions of the tract and each food is digested or broken down in specific region. Therefore, the breakdown of food is either mechanical or chemically carried out.The end result is the division of the food into very small components or sizes that can pass through into the cells (Insel, Turner and Ross, 2004). Everyone has at one time embarked on a journey in their lifetime. In addition to this, you hope to have a smooth trip and reach your destination safely. Herbert the hamburger has prepared to go through a very long and tortuous journey of his life. Everything is in place and he only hopes to have a safe trip. The main purpose of this trip is to deliver very vital documents that are needed to a company known as Body Builders.If these documents do not reach their destination, the company dies. These documents includes; Fats, Carbohydrates, Proteins and Minerals. The journey begins in the mouth where Herbert goes through some rough machines known as the teeth. This breaks it down into small forms through mastication. The document known as carbohydrate starts to be processed in the mouth and it involves a good friend known as saliva who is the boss in this department. Saliva does this with the help of amylase. This breaks it down into simple forms. From the mouth, permission is anted to move to the next level.To do this, Herbert is rolled into a bolus by the tongue and thrown at the back of the mouth. The epiglottis prevents Herbert from going through the trachea which is a wrong route. Herbert moves down in a smooth wave known as peristalsis into the esophagus until it reaches the gate of another de partment known as the stomach. This gate is known as the cardiac sphincter (Insel, Turner and Ross, 2004). In the stomach, enzymes are also involved in the digestion process. Protein digesting enzymes are known as proteases. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins.The bonds existing between them are broken down by hydrochloric acid from gastric wall. This is followed by breakdown of amino acids by the enzyme pepsin (Insel, Turner and Ross, 2004). The food enters the small intestines through the pyloric sphincter. In the small intestine, pancrease produces amylase which further breaks carbohydrates to lactose, sucrose and maltose. These are broken down by lactase, sucrase and maltase enzymes respectively. These three are converted to an important form known as glucose which is absorbed via the villi on the walls of the intestines and finally find its way into blood circulation.Glucose is necessary for cell metabolism and function. However, the amount of glucose is regulated b y the liver with the help of hormones. Too much glucose (hyperglycemia) is transformed into glycogen and stored in the liver through the help of insulin. In cases where glucose levels are low in the blood (hypoglycemia), the reverse happens i. e. conversion of glycogen to glucose with the help of the hormone glucagon. In cases where there is no glycogen, the hormone glucagons initiate formation of glucose from amino acids or fats.This process is known as gluconeogenesis (Insel, Turner and Ross, 2004). The digestion of fats is with the help of enzymes known as lipases. Fats are complex molecules and should be turned into small molecules. This happens with the help of lipase enzyme from the pancrease and the end result is glycerol and fatty acid molecules. In addition to this process, bile from liver enters through the bile duct and emulsifies the fat. This makes it easy for the enzyme (lipase) to break down the fats starting from the surface. Storage of the bile usually occurs in the gall bladder.The body absorbs fats through the villi that cover the small intestines. The structure of the villus is such that it has capillaries and lacteals (lymph vessels). Fatty acids and glycerol enter into the lacteals into lymphatic system and finally bloodstream. Fatty acids find its way into adipose cells for storage or as source of energy (Insel, Turner and Ross, 2004). Protein digestion also continues in the small intestines in duodenum. The pancrease produces protease enzyme namely trypsin. In addition, chymotrypsin is also secreted. It works in a similar manner as pepsin.The end result of breakdown of protein by trypsin is amino acids. This is done through hydrolysis with insertion of water molecule between the bonds of amino acids. This helps in separation of the bonds that hold the amino acids together. The amino acids can thus pass through the intestinal wall into bloodstream. Their importance is in the repair of structures of the body. The waste products and undige sted material move to the large intestines where water is re-absorbed. From there, it moves to the cecum and out through the anus (Insel, Turner and Ross, 2004).

Food for Education Improves Girls’ Education the Pakistan Essay

In the last decade, access to primary education has improved significantly in many parts of the world (World Bank, 2006). Yet, 77 million children of primary school-age, are not in school and 57 percent of them are girls. Despite overall advances in primary enrolment, significant gender disparities remain particularly in certain regions, notably the Arab States, South and West Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Beyond the primary level, the gender inequalities in education are even more significant. In secondary education, only one-third of countries have reached gender parity and women account for 64 percent of the world’s illiterate adults – a figure, which has not progressed during the last decade (UNESCO, 2007). Girls’ education is affected by a variety of factors relating both to the demand and supply side of schooling: gender-stereotyped curricula and teaching practices, school infrastructure not adapted to the needs of girls (lack of separate toilets, school fencing, girls boarding facilities, etc. ) risks for girls’ safety on the way to and at school (girls being abducted, at risk of rape at school) or negative socio-cultural practices (early marriage, low value given to education of girls). One of the most significant obstacles to girls’ education is the direct and opportunity cost of schooling, which affects girls disproportionately. Girls from poor households register very low levels of school completion in many countries (Bruns, Mingat, and Rakotomalala 2003). In India, for example, a study found that, amongst poor girls, less than 10 percent had completed elementary education (grade 8), compared to 85 percent of rich boys (15-19 years age group). Educational attainment of girls was consistently lower than for boys across all income groups (Filmer 1999). Research from Guinea concluded that â€Å"Family income or wealth is a key variable that explains differences in educational opportunities and attainment between families. †¦ Poverty in a family will have a more detrimental effect upon the decision to enrol a girl in school than boys (Tembon and Al-Samarrai 1997). This is linked to the fact that girls spend a significant amount of their time on work, particularly domestic chores and agricultural labour. Their ‘child work benefit’ for parents, and thus the opportunity costs of their schooling, are thus greater than for boys. A survey in northern India found that girls’ responsibility for domestic labour and for sibling care was by far the most important reason for not sending them to school or for their dropping out (The PROBE team 1999). A study from Bangladesh came to the following conclusion: â€Å"Normally, a rural Bangladeshi woman works 10-14 hours a day, though most of this work is not visible or reflected in national statistics. †¦ The need to perform domestic chores to help their mothers impedes girls’ participation in formal education, forcing them into irregular attendance and/or to leave school† (UNESCO 1998). In addition, there is evidence that direct educational costs are higher for girls than for boys, for example because girls need safe transport to school or better school clothing to â€Å"look decent† (Herz and Sperling 2004). Where women and girls have low societal status, poor parents are often more reluctant to invest their meagre resources into the education of girls rather than that of their sons. Food for Education (FFE) programmes – school feeding (school meals or snacks) and, particularly, the provision of take-home food rations (THRs) – have proven to be an effective means of addressing these obstacles, enrolling more girls in school, keeping them enrolled, and enhancing their adulthood wellbeing and productivity as a result. In this paper we review the rationale behind FFE, particularly of THRs in supporting access to education  for girls and summarise the findings on the effectiveness of THR programmes available in the published literature. We then complement the evidence with a case study on a FFE programme in Pakistan designed to support girls’ education. Cost-effectiveness is central to policy-making on achieving gender equality in education; to date, however, there are very few studies that assess the costs and cost-effectiveness of FFE programmes. The Pakistan case study attempts to fill this gap by analysing the costs and benefits of the girls’ education programme. 2 Programme Description FFE programmes are widespread in developing and higher income countries. In 2005 the UN World Food Programme supported FFE programmes in 74 countries, benefiting almost 22 million students of whom 48 percent girls. Some 3 million girls received dry, take-home food rations in support of their education. Take-home food rations typically consist of food commodities that are of high value to families and part of their standard food basket, such as cereals or vegetable oil. They are distributed monthly or quarterly; sometimes, the distribution time is also targeted to the agricultural lean season, when family food supplies are lowest and little food available on the local markets. Receipt of the food ration is conditional upon the student’s regular attendance; in the case of WFP-supported FFE programmes, for example, a minimum of 80 percent monthly attendance rate is required. This helps to ensure that students don’t just enrol but actually attend school regularly. FFE interventions are generally designed to improve school participation amongst poor, vulnerable, food insecure populations and target areas where access to school and school completion are weak, particularly for girls. The risk of not accessing and/or completing primary school, a form of â€Å"educational vulnerability† anchored within a context of poverty and food insecurity, may be used to describe the common characteristic shared by the children targeted by FFE. This idea reflects the reality that household choices regarding education are often a result of complex decision processes, where poverty and hunger play an important role in determining the schooling outcomes (Dreze and Kingdon, 2001). As we have seen above, these factors are particularly significant in the case of girls’ education.. In a general model of FFE (WFP, 2007), the initial outcome that drives increased school participation is the incentive to the household to send children to school. Generally, the incentive is achieved by way of an income transfer to the family of the student and also through an enhancement of the services provided at school (Bergeron & Del Rosso, 2001). FFE also has an incentive effect on pupils actually wanting to go to school to receive some food, rather than staying at home and missing out. Both of these effects will contribute to shift, in the short-term, a households’ decision towards increased schooling. The effects are most significant amongst poorest populations and where education, including girls’ education, is not well established. Figure 1 summarises the main impact theory for THRs and traces the causal links between inputs and the desired educational outcome of increased access, promotion and completion for primary school children, particularly girls. Food for Education (FFE) programmes providing take-home rations are more suitable to target individual students such as girls and less complex to implement than conventional school meal programmes that require substantial investments both in terms of infrastructure and community inputs. For instance, THRs in the form of 4 litre vegetable oil cans are fairly easy to store and distribute, and THR distributions take place only once per month or less. More important, however, take-home food rations provide a more direct, higher value income transfer to families than school meals, which in turn provide the incentive for increased school participation. From this perspective, THRs provide an immediate, income based benefit, and another long-term benefit stemming from the returns to increased education, serving as both protective and promotive social protection (Devereux and Sabates-Wheeler, 2004). On the other hand, THR are not suitable to address nutritional and health issues affecting school children and their education, particularly cognitive capacity, which is a well established outcome of school meals (Kristjansson et al. , 2007). 3 MDG 2&3 Improved attendance Food Take-home rations distributed on condition of pupils’ regular attendance Targeted HHs received THRs on condition of their children’s regular attendance Incentive for HHs reduced drop-out Increased enrolment Better academic performance Changing parents’ attitude regarding schooling. Figure 1: Food for Education impact theory for take-home rations Impact of FFE programmes on girls’ education Evaluations of FFE programmes (see Adelman et al. , 2006) have shown that FFE programmes lead to increased enrolment and attendance, of girls in particular, reduced dropout particularly in the lower primary school grades, and for on-site meals or snacks programmes improved student learning capacity. Literature databases were searched to identify relevant studies on the physical and social benefits of FFE programmes to girls. The educational outcomes considered included school participation (including enrolment, attendance and drop-out). Primary school age children were the primary subjects of all the studies considered. Only one study was found on the impact of THR programmes highlighting the gap in evidence on this topic. Another paper was found on the comparative effects of the different modalities of FFE including THRs. One field-oriented evaluation of a WFP FFE programme was also identified in Pakistan and this is included in the main body of this paper as a case study. In Bangladesh, IFPRI and the World Bank evaluated the impact of a Government FFE programme (Ahmed and Del Ninno, 2002) that covered over 2 million children in 2000. The enrolment in FFE programme schools was found to have increased by 35 percent over the two year period between the programme start and after its first year. This increase was driven by a remarkable 44 percent increase in girl’s enrolment and by a 28 percent increase for boys. In non-programme schools enrolment increased by 2. 5 percent (5. 4 for girls and 0. 1 for boys) during the same period. Attendance in FFE assisted schools was found to be 12 points higher than in non-assisted schools (70 percent compared to 58 percent respectively). Drop-out rates were also found to be 9 points lower in FFE assisted schools than in non-assisted schools (6 percent compared to 15 percent respectively). The overall programme costs were reported to be US$0. 10 per child per day, though no analysis of the costs was provided. Another study analysed the comparative effects of the different modalities of FFE, including onsite meals combined with THRs (Gelli, Meir and Espejo, 2007). The results of this study of WFP monitoring and evaluation data showed that the provision of the FFE programme contributed to increasing absolute enrollment in WFP-assisted schools by 28 percent for girls and 22 percent for boys in the first year. Enrollment patterns after the first year varied according to the type of FFE program. Where provision of take-home rations for girls was combined with on-site feeding for all pupils, the increase in girls’ absolute enrollment was Increased access, promotion & completion, particularly for girls 4 sustained at 30 percent after the first year. However, in schools providing on-site feeding alone, the rate of increase in absolute enrollment after the first year reverted to the rates of increase found in the year prior to FFE implementation. The provision of take-home rations also appeared to reduce the dropout rate of female students, particularly in the higher grades. In addition, an analysis of WFP project expenditures in 2005 (Gelli, Al-Shaiba and Espejo, 2007) showed that the average cost of WFP THR programmes was US$29. 94 per child per year, the most expensive of FFE modalities. However, the cost driver for THR was mostly the large volume of food provided (72 percent of total programme costs, compared to 58 percent for school meal programmes). A study by Dreze and Kingdon from 2001 examined the effects of a wide range of determinants of school participation in rural northern India, focusing on school participation as a household decision. Amongst the school quality determinants, it was found that female school participation was about 15 percentage points higher when the local school provided a mid-day meal (MDM). Mid-day meals also were found to have a major positive effect on girls’ grade attainment; chances of completing primary education were 30 percentage points higher for girls living in a village with MDM. However, the MDM did not affect the enrolment of boys. The study confirmed that female schooling is far more influenced by household economic status than boys’ schooling: â€Å"parents are not generally opposed to female education but they are reluctant to pay for it. School meals could make a big difference here by reducing the private costs of schooling. † An earlier study found that the noon meal programme in Tamil Nadu in India attracted more girls to attend school and improved the attendance of those already in school (Devadas, 1983). The Pakistan Girls’ Education Programme Data on women’s participation in education in Pakistan shows low girls’ primary school net enrolment (59 percent) and female adult literacy rates (35 percent). Although female enrolment is increasing rapidly in all regions, girls’ participation rates at all levels are lower than that of boys and gender gaps persist, particularly in rural areas (WFP Pakistan, 2005). Since 1995, WFP has been providing food assistance to support the efforts of the Government of Pakistan (GoP) to improve access, retention and completion of girls’ primary education in 28 selected food-insecure districts of Pakistan, including seven districts of the North West Frontier Province (NWFP). The seven districts within the NWFP of Pakistan were identified by a WFP vulnerability analysis and mapping (VAM) study as being amongst the most food insecure areas in the country. Women and girls in these areas face huge barriers in terms of access to education. At the time when the project started, female literacy in rural areas was only around 10 percent and the primary participation rate of girls less than 30 percent. As a result, a take-home rations programme was introduced within these seven districts with the objective of increasing enrolment, retention and completion at girls’ primary schools. In 2005, THRs were provided monthly to 326,784 girls in 2,697 schools in vulnerable areas within 28 districts in the 5 provinces of Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and NWFP. Ration distribution was condition to regular school attendance. The monthly THRs consisted of a 4 litre tin of vegetable oil fortified with vitamin-A, and had an estimated value on the local market of US$5. Implementation Process Under the Country Programme agreement signed by the GoP and WFP, WFP is responsible for providing the commodities for the FFE programme to the port of Karachi. The GoP is responsible for the food distribution to the 28 districts, as well as the management of the timely delivery of the food in good condition from all the district warehouses to the assisted schools. Project Implementation Units (PIUs) were set up by the GoP in each assisted province to run the FFE programme. WFP provided a small truck for each district at the beginning of the project to facilitate the logistics and implementation. However, because of the very difficult terrain in the targeted low profile districts of NWFP, ensuring a timely 5 supply of the THRS to the schools has been challenging. As a result, many schools received the oil supply every second month or even later. Only two oil tins at the most, are distributed to a student to cover the back-log of non-supply during the previous period. At the school level, the head teacher generally receives the oil rations and supervises the distribution to the pupils, conditional to monthly attendance rates of at least 80 percent. The entitlement of each student is checked against the school monthly attendance registers before the THR is distributed. The District Officers Education & Deputy or Assistant District Officers also pay monitoring visits to the schools and verify this aspect. Programme costs Project expenditure data was reviewed in order to estimate the costs of the FFE programme. WFP reports annually on project expenditures, alongside other project statistics, in its standard project reports (SPRs). Expenditures are broken down into commodity, transport, landside transport shipping and handling (LTSH), other direct operational costs (ODOC), direct support costs (DSC) – which added together form the direct project costs (DPC). A percentage of the DPC is then factored in as indirect support costs (ISC) to support WFP Headquarters. Table 1 presents a breakdown of total WFP expenditures in the country in 2005 alongside an estimate of the expenditure on the FFE programme, broken down by WFP cost category. Table 1: 2005 WFP total and estimated FFE expenditures in Pakistan Country Programme Total WFP Country Programme expenditures (USD) 11,667,043 970,358 0 90,856 621,934 874,879 14,225,070 Estimated school feeding expenditure (USD) 6,133,819 510,155 0 47,767 326,975 459,958 7,478,673 % FFE over total expenditures 82% 7% 0% 1% 4% 6% 100%. Commodities Transport LTSH ODOC DSC ISC Total Regarding the government contributions to the programme, the 2005 expenditures for each of the PIUs, divided into direct and indirect expenditures, are shown in Table 2Table 1. Direct expenditures have been divided into two parts i. e. (i) PIUs expenses which include staff salaries, renting of stores/warehouses, and other running expenses and (ii) the Transportation Cost incurred on the transportation of oil from Karachi to respective districts/tehsils/schools. Indirect expenditures include the expenditures (adjusted by proportion of time spent on programme activities) of other staff members of government who manage the FFE programme i. e. distribute oil, monitor its distribution and send reports to PIUs from Districts / tehsils / schools level whose salaries are not charged to PIUs. These staff members include the Executive District Officers, District Education Officers (Female), Deputy District Education Officers, Assistant Education Officers, Store keepers, School Teachers and Peons etc. These expenditures have been calculated by WFP Pakistan based on estimates following discussions with each respective PIU. As the entire FFE programme is managed by the provincial governments, PIU expenditures include all cost items required to deliver and manage the FFE programme. In 2005, school feeding activities accounted for 53 percent of food distributed in the whole WFP Country Programme. There were no further expenses incurred by the community in the running of the FFE programme. 6. Table 2: A breakdown of GoP budgeted expenses in 2004/2005 for FFE (THR) activities PIU Provinces Punjab Sindh Balochistan AJK* NWFP Total PKR 328,568 6,444,556 7,612,000 1,162,000 3,306,300 18,853,424 Direct Expenditures Transportation US$ PKR US$ 5,569 109,230 129,017 19,695 56,039 319,550 9,004,158 2,490,927 1,778,225 6,678,000 3,495,000 23,446,310 152,613 42,219 30,139 113,186 59,237 397,395 Indirect Expenditures PKR 22,984,227 23,795,400 20,183,829 25,194,939 92,158,395 US$ 389,563 403,312 342,099 427,033 1,562,007 PKR 32,316,953 32,730,883 29,574,054 7,840,000 31,996,239 134,458,129 Total US$ 547,745 554,761 501,255 132,881 542,309 2,278,951. Having collected estimates for the different costs that are associated with the FFE programme, from the procurement of food down to the distribution of the THRs to the school girls, we estimated the total cost of FFE in Pakistan for 2005. WFP and GoP contributions for 2005 total $9,757,624 USD, and dividing this by the number of beneficiaries resulted in $29. 85 USD per school-girl per year. In 2005 in Pakistan, food costs accounted for approximately 63 percent of the total cost. The share of WFP expenses over the total cost was 77 percent, with the remaining share covered by the GoP. The cost per beneficiary increases to $63 USD per child per year if we adjust for full food distribution to all the planned beneficiaries, and assume perfect attendance. Key outcomes and Impact. In 2004-2005, a set of surveys were carried out to assess educational and other socioeconomic programme outcomes (WFP Pakistan, 2005). The evaluation included the collection and analysis of detailed school-level records from all the 826 WFP-assisted schools and a set of 79 randomly selected non-assisted schools (control) in the region. A secondary study of the available literature (GoP, WFP, and other partners) and data was also undertaken, including an analysis of data from the Education Management Information System (EMIS) and in-depth interviews with various partners involved such as government, WFP officials, community members, parents, teachers and students. The evaluation showed that the programme had multiple benefits for girls’ education: †¢ The overall enrolment at sampled schools increased by 135 percent between 1998/99 and 2003/04, whereas during the same period enrolment at control school increased by only 29 percent. There was a particularly strong increase in enrolment in the first grade of primary school (Kachi class): 211 percent at programme schools, compared to 5 percent in control school. This indicates that the programme was particularly successful in stimulating enrolment of girls who, until then, had never entered a school. On average, 88 percent of students attended school for twenty or more days per month (and were thus eligible for the take-home ration). Despite the positive effects on enrolment and attendance, completion of primary school remains a problem. Out of every 100 female students enrolling in 1998/99, only 44 percent reached grade 5. Although the primary school completion rate improved to 47 percent for the cohort starting school in 1999/2000, this only reflected a national trend, and programme schools actually showed worse results than control schools. This shows that the effect of the food incentive is not sufficiently strong to ensure that girls stay in school as they get older, and older girls of the family might be replaced by their younger siblings. †¢ †¢ †¢ 7 †¢ †¢ The programme also broke new ground and increased awareness of girls’ education. Before the programme started, 48 percent of households did not send any of their daughters to school; now all parents educate at least one daughter. While 38 percent of respondents said that the food incentive was the only reason for sending their daughter to school, 29 percent they would continue educating their daughters even if the programme stopped. 27 percent said that general hostility to girls’ education in the community was no longer an issue. The food incentive was much appreciated by the families and provided them with tangible benefits. 32 percent of community members interviewed said that their income had increased, generating savings in the family budget and that they had more free time for agricultural activities or business. Costs and benefits of the FFE programme A basic framework was developed by WFP in order to evaluate the cost and benefits of the FFE intervention designed to support girls’ education (Espejo et al. , 2006). In this model, the benefits from FFE are assumed to consist of two components; the first is the monetary value of expected lifetime additional earnings after successful completion of primary school, whilst the second is the market value of a monthly take-home ration, provided on condition to a girls’ school attendance throughout the programme duration. If we apply this cost-benefit framework to the FFE programme in Pakistan the results show that every USD spent on the FFE yields approximately 1. 68 USD in benefits. An alternative to estimating the benefits of education through the monetary value of expected lifetime additional earnings after successful completion of primary school is to estimate the extra school days gained through the effect of a particular intervention aimed at increasing school participation. Comparisons of actual pupil attendance days to the perfect attendance day total can provide a single measure of school participation that encompasses enrolment, drop-out and absenteeism, the three main educational outcomes linked to FFE. A simple model developed to estimate the gain in pupil attendance days in FFE schools using averages for attendance, drop-out and enrolment resulted in an estimated 25 extra school days per child per year (WFP, 2007). This translates into approximately $240 USD per additional year of schooling for girls in Pakistan. The cost and effects of the THR programme are summarised in Table 3. Table 3: Estimated measures of cost-effectiveness of THRs in Pakistan (Source WFP Pakistan 2005, WFP SSFS 2003). Enrolment Effect (per year) Cost 22% increase Education Attendance 10% increase Drop-out 5% decrease 25 extra school days per year per pupil 30-60 USD per child per year Lessons learnt â€Å"Of all the programmes initiated in NWFP, this one has made the most visible impact. It has contributed a lot in this province† Fazle Manan, Director of Schools and Literacy from the Ministry of Education, when asked of WFP’s assistance to girls’ primary education. The FFE programme triggered a marked increase in enrolment of girls in assisted schools in Pakistan. The enrolment more than doubled during the first three years of intervention. These types of incentives and awareness campaigns are imperative to boost girls’ education, to improve female literacy and reduce the gender gap, especially in remote rural areas. However, the retention of girl students in the school system and further improvement of the participation rate is essential to achieve universal primary education. 8 As a result of the increased enrolment, the nearly empty school buildings have become more used, providing a better return of investment to the community and the government. However, the quality of education, itself a major incentive for sending children to school, has been constrained by the lack of teachers. Moreover, many of the assisted schools suffer from a want of adequate facilities, including furniture, water, sanitation, and boundary walls. This issue highlights the need to ensure that once children are in school, efforts are made to enhance the learning environment, as well as to support pupil attendance and retention. The involvement of the community and the local government has been essential to mobilise the resources necessary for improving the school infrastructure. The FFE project has raised the awareness among the assisted communities about the importance of educating girls. Even the most reluctant parents are now sending their daughters to school. This change in attitude is a remarkable achievement against the backdrop of the social and cultural taboos that had prohibited the education of girls in the past. The mothers of the girl students now get out of their homes and visit schools to enquire about the progress of their daughters. Most of the females in far-flung rural areas were previously not allowed to step outside their homes; now girls are going to schools and their elderly female relatives visit schools to enquire about the attendance, progress in studies and probable dates of supply of oil. This change in social attitude and behaviour is an important achievement of the programme. Future plans The impact of the THR programme in supporting access to education for girls in rural, food insecure areas of Pakistan has been remarkable. Though WFP was involved in the design, management and implementation the FFE intervention, the ownership of the overall programme was, through the course of the programme, handed over to the Government of Pakistan. As of 2005, project implementation units staffed with senior level Government officials took-over the full responsibility of the programme in terms of food delivery to schools, programme monitoring and reporting. Financial contributions from the Government of Pakistan have also been essential to the success of the programme to date. The successful hand-over of the programme management will be critical to ensure the sustainability of the FFE programme in the future. 9 References Adelman S, Gilligan DO, Lehrer K. (2006). A review of the economics of Food for Education programs. International Food Policy Research Institute. Ahmed AU, Del Ninno C. (2002) Food for Education program in Bangladesh: an evaluation of its impact on educational attainment and food security. Food Consumption and Nutrition Division, Discussion Paper 138. International Food Policy Research Institute Bruns B, Mingat A, Rakotomalala R. (2003) Achieving Universal Primary Education by 2015: A Chance for Every Child. Washington, D. C, World Bank. Del Rosso J. (1999) School Feeding Programmes: Improving Effectiveness and Increasing the Benefit to Education. A Guide for Programme Managers. Devadas RP. (1983). The Honorable Chief Minister’s Nutritious Meal Programme for Children of Tamil Nadu. Coimbatore, India: Sri Arinashilingam Home Service College Devereux S, Sabates-Wheeler R. (2004) Transformative Social Protection’, Working Paper 232, Brighton: Institute of Development Studies. Dreze J, Kingdon G. (2001) School Participation in Rural India. Review of Development Economics. 2001; 5 (1), 1-24. Espejo F, Gabriele A, Gelli A. and Knips V. (2006) Submitted. Evaluating Food for Education Programmes: A Pragmatic Approach. International Journal of Educational Development. Gelli A, Al-Shaiba N, Espejo F. Estimating the cost of Food for Education Interventions. 2007. Filmer D. (1999) Educational attainment and enrolment profiles: A resource book based on analysis of demographic and health survey data; Development Research Group; Washington DC, World Bank Herz B, Sperling G. (2004) What works in girls’ education: Evidence and policies from the developing world. New York, Council on Foreign Relations Kristjansson EA, Robinson M, Petticrew B, MacDonald J, Krasevec L, Janzen T, Greenhalgh G, Wells J, MacGowan A, Farmer A, Shea BJ, Mayhew A and Tugwell P (2007) School feeding for improving the physical and psychosocial health of disadvantaged elementary school children. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews Issue 1. Tembon M, Al-Samarrai S. (1997) Who gets primary schooling and why? Evidence of gender inequalities within families in Guinea; IDS Working Paper 85; Brighton, Institute of Development Studies The PROBE Team (1999) Public Report on Basic Education in India; New Delhi, Oxford University Press United Nations Children’s Fund, World Food Programme. The Essential Package. Twelve interventions to improve the health and nutrition of school-age children. WFP, 2005. United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation. Education For All Global Monitoring Report. Strong Foundations. UNESCO, 2007. United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation. Education for All Global Monitoring Report. The Leap to Equality. UNESCO, 2004. United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation Bridging the gap between intention and action: Girls’ and women’s education in South-Asia. Bangkok, UNESCO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, 1998. World Bank. From Schooling Access to Learning Outcomes: An Unfinished Agenda: World Bank, 2006 World Food Programme Pakistan. Situation Analysis: WFP’s Assistance to Girl’s Primary Education in selected districts of NWFP. WFP Pakistan, 2005. World Food Programme. Food for Education works: a review of WFP FFE monitoring and evaluation 2002-2006. WFP 2007. 10.

Two Fighting Nations essays

Two Fighting Nations essays You live in Israel or the West bank. You wake up in the morning and the first thing you hear on the radio or television is that there was an attack. An attack in the Middle East can be an explosion, a suicidal bomber, shooting and such. Each side of the war has lost over 400 people, only in the last year. Those people are senior citizens, middle age citizens, teenagers, you children, and babies. People being killed are very tragic. But one thing no one is considering is that people are being killed physically and emotionally. What do I mean by being killed emotionally? You and some friends are celebrating your graduation day. You need to get a present to one another and go shopping for the afterwards party. Its a busy hour and it will be hard to find a parking spot, so you decided to take the bus. The bus is full of people. It keeps on stopping in different stations. At one station 2 people left the bus and 5 came on. In another station 1 came off and 7 came on. There is almost no space on the bus and many people are standing. You are sitting down and already been on the bus for about 20 minutes. You now have only about 10 minutes to go. Suddenly you hear an explosion. You being thrown on the street, you have pains all over your body, you have no idea where your friends are. You are being rushed to the hospital. The next day you find out that one of your fr iends has been killed by the explosion, which now you know was a suicidal bomber. From this day you are emotionally dead. Since having peace talks between the two leaders does not work, Ive come up with a different solution to this problem. The solution I am offering is very simple. Basically the two nations should keep on fighting until one gives up or until the two nations will be gone. To be able to achieve this solution, there are couple of things you need to do. The first step is to ...

10 Varieties of Syntax to Improve Your Writing

10 Varieties of Syntax to Improve Your Writing 10 Varieties of Syntax to Improve Your Writing 10 Varieties of Syntax to Improve Your Writing By Mark Nichol English is a remarkably flexible language in terms of syntax, because a simple statement can be rendered in so many ways. Take, for example, the statement â€Å"I went for a walk,† and consider all the ways you can attach the additional information included in the statement, â€Å"I saw a dinosaur.† Here are just some of the most basic of many variations in syntactical organization: 1. Write the statements as consecutive sentences: â€Å"I went for a walk. I saw a dinosaur.† 2. Add the second statement to the first as a dependent clause: â€Å"I went for a walk and saw a dinosaur.† (The second statement does not stand on its own.) 3. Add the second statement to the first as an independent clause: â€Å"I went for a walk, and I saw a dinosaur.† (The second statement stands on its own, which means it can be separated into two sentences, as in the first example.) 4. Begin the sentence with a dependent marker that turns the initial statement into a modifying phrase that expands on the second statement: â€Å"While I was walking, I saw a dinosaur.† 5. Begin with the second statement and reword the first statement as a modifying phrase that follows it: â€Å"I saw a dinosaur on my walk this morning.† 6. Insert a nonessential phrase, which must be bracketed by commas, one of two ways: Locate the phrase between a pair of independent clauses (but after the coordinating conjunction), each consisting of one of the two statements: â€Å"I went for a walk and, to my surprise, I saw a dinosaur.† (Notice that â€Å"to my surprise,† which can be omitted without altering the sentence’s meaning, modifies the second statement and so must follow and; note, too, that the comma preceding the coordinating conjunction can be omitted.) Or, separate two statements with a nonessential phrase inserted before the coordinating conjunction: â€Å"I went for a walk, following my usual route, and I saw a dinosaur.† (Notice that â€Å"following my usual route,† which also does not alter the sentence’s meaning if it is omitted, modifies the first statement and so must precede and.) 7. Emphasize a nonessential phrase by bracketing it with em dashes to indicate an interruption of thought: â€Å"I went for a walk and no, I was not hallucinating I saw a dinosaur.† (Alternatively, to deemphasize the phrase, or for humorous effect, enclose it in parentheses.) 8. Insert an essential clause one whose absence would alter the meaning the sentence between two statements: â€Å"I went for a walk that followed my usual route and saw a dinosaur.† 9. Attach a variation of the second statement to the first, preceded by a semicolon when the second statement is an independent clause that is nevertheless closely associated with the first one: â€Å"I went for a walk; a dinosaur was grazing along my route.† 10. Separate two statements with a semicolon when the second statement is preceded by an adverb or an adverbial phrase, which requires a subsequent comma: â€Å"I went for a walk; unexpectedly, I saw a dinosaur along the way.† It is this rich variety of word and phrase order and variation in punctuation that makes prose fiction or nonfiction readable. As you review your writing, make sure that you vary sentence structure among these and other constructions to create a pleasant reading experience devoid of lockstep syntax questionable enough for a Dick-and-Jane reading level, and deadly for more sophisticated readers. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Definitely use "the" or "a"Latin Plural Endings48 Writing Prompts for Middle School Kids

Statement of Intent for a Councel Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Statement of Intent for a Councel - Essay Example I am sure with these qualities that I possess I will be able to cope up with the external pressures and will be able to come out with flying colors. I consider the global exposure that I have got as one of the big assets of mine. The important aspect of such an asset is that, it allows me to identify the concepts and ideas that could go well in accordance with each country in which they are implemented. As a result, I am confident enough to say that I have the ability to determine the success and impact of an idea in a particular region. My experiences with several regions come from the fact that I have been part of several governmental projects spanning across all parts of the world. With my team, we have expanded over 75 countries implementing developmental projects in different fields varying from judicial transparency, telemedicine to educational centers. I have a strong knowledge about partnering with government through these projects and the results of all those projects have a lways exceeded the expectations of the clients, providing them with the comfort of completing a profitable business. My team consists of 125 members and they are spread out, working across several countries. An important aspect of my team is that they are culturally diverse and hence there practices and customs differ accordingly. As the lead of the team, I have successfully overcome this challenge and instilled within each one of them a sense of unity and sameness. I have made sure to keep the team priorities first before attending to any individual favors. I am very proud that I have built a work environment that fosters growth and understands the differences between country specific challenges and works according to the specific cultural values. My knowledge about the diversities of the cultures, business and government transition processes in different regions and countries will assist me in the discussions and work groups that analyze global issues. My current position is perfo rmance driven. Hence, I have always worked as an indubitable worker, whose primary purpose has always been to give results that exceed expectations. I am sure I would continue with the same intent in this program too. My ability to take complex data and make it measurable and understandable is one of my greatest strengths. My focus is to ensure all outcomes are measurable in such a way that it allows me to analyze current and historical information in a rigorous manner. My working involves dissecting the process on which the data was produced to ensure that the information is not an anomaly but can be used by the team to understand or theorize a highly successful and a measurable outcome. Another aspect of my abilities that I would like to put forth here is my leadership skills. Obviously, one could understand that managing a 125 member team is no small thing. The fact that I have successfully managed such a team speaks in itself for my leadership skills. I am sure that such skills, exercised within this group, will be benefitting mutually. I have sharp inquisitive skills that allow me to identify, strategize and execute on an objective or problem. My daily involvement with the group will ensure a seamless communication between all group members, mentoring and developing skills and hence, gives an opportunity for an

Marketing Report Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Marketing Report - Assignment Example McDonalds is one of the leading fast food producing organizations across the globe. The organization is quite popular in Bahrain due to its products of high quality and introduction of differentiated fast food products. Beef Burger has been produced by McDonalds in Bahrain. The organization has gained huge popularity among the people of Bahrain due to the high quality aspect of Beef burger. This assignment will discuss about several marketing and branding aspects of McDonalds regarding its mentioned Beef burger. McDonald’s is one of the largest and leading fast food producing organizations across the globe. The organization has effectively implemented global business expansion strategy in business operation process. Bahrain is another country in which McDonalds has successfully adopted and implemented global expansion strategy. McDonalds has implemented the combination of cost leadership and product differentiation strategy in business operation process. It is true that, each and every leading multinational organization has implemented unique business level strategies in business operation process in order to gain potential competitive advantages. Similarly, the management of McDonalds has adopted and implemented the combination of product differentiation and cost leadership strategy in Bahrain in order to gain potential competitive advantages over its competitors in Bahrain fast food market. Implementation of cost leadership business level strategy has helped McDonalds in Bahrain to reduce the business operation cost in order to offer products in economic price level. It is true that recent financial crisis and economic slowdown has affected the purchasing power of people. Therefore, the cost leadership strategy has helped the organization to support the purchasing power of people in Bahrain (Parameswaram , 2006, p.95). On the other hand, demand for differentiated fast food products among the people of Bahrain is increasing significantly. Introduction of Beef

Information system Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Information system - Essay Example (BBC 2008) Technology implies something scientific in a broader definition of the word. But for the commercial and industrial world, technology means information technology – an all embracing term that cover all aspects of information systems, technological or not, within a business. The initial funding of 300 million euros for the European Institute of Technology in Budapest is a testament to such fact and the institution prioritizes IT project along with renewable energy. (BBC) The BBC report highlighted that in pooling the expertise of universities, research bodies and businesses, the institute will play a prominent role in the European Union’s strategy of promoting jobs, growth and competitiveness. Because of what it does, technology is crucial to business. There are two main reasons: First, without effective use of technology, an organization cannot sustain any competitive position and, secondly, technology-driven innovation becomes the only viable route to long term growth. In integrating information technology, for instance, to the overall business strategy, the ability to lower cost and make profits are enhanced. It plays a vital role in corporate success because it enhances business strategies by making their execution faster, more efficient and effective, and more responsive to customer needs and market conditions. Just as the BBC report cited in this paper highlighted for us, technology is no longer solely an opportunity for companies; it has become a requirement and standard in order for them to

Cloud Computing Essay Example for Free

Cloud Computing Essay ABSTRACT: This white paper is an introduction to the terms, characteristics, and services associated with internet-based computing, commonly referred to as cloud computing. Also introduced are the benefits and challenges associated with cloud computing, and for those seeking to use communications services in the cloud, briefly presented are different ways of determining the interfaces needed to use these communications services. Cloud computing is where software applications, processing power, data and potentially even artificial intelligence are accessed over the Internet. Many private individuals now regularly use an online email application such as Gmail, Yahoo! Mail or Hotmail. The location of physical resources and devices being accessed are typically not known to the end user. It also provides facilities for users to develop, deploy and manage their applications ‘on the cloud’, which entails virtualization of resources that maintains and manages itself. 1. What is Cloud Computing? Cloud computing provides the facility to access shared resources and common infrastructure, offering services n demand over the network to perform operations that meet changing business needs. Definitions: â€Å"Cloud computing is a general term for anything that involves delivering hosted services over the internet.† – Wikipedia â€Å"Cloud computing is Internet-based computing, whereby shared resources, software, and information are provided to computers and other devices on demand, like the electricity grid.†- Wikipedia Basically a cloud is a virtualization of Resources that manages and maintains itself. CCSIT, Junagadh [emailprotected] Page 1 2. Types of cloud Public Cloud: the services are delivered to the client via the Internet from a third party service provider. Example: Amazon, Yahoo, Google Example of Clouds 3. Architecture Cloud architecture,[15] the systems architecture of the software systems involved in the delivery of cloud computing, typically involves multiple cloud components communicating with each other over application programming interfaces, usually web services and 3-tier architecture. This resembles the Unix philosophy of having multiple programs each doing one thing well and working together over universal interfaces. Complexity is controlled and the resulting systems are more manageable than their monolithic counterparts. Private Cloud: these services are managed and provided within the organization. There are less restriction on network bandwidth, fewer security exposures and other legal requirements compared to the public Cloud. Example: HP Data Centers Hybrid cloud: There is some confusion over the term Hybrid when applied to the cloud a standard definition of the term Hybrid Cloud has not yet emerged. The term Hybrid Cloud has been used to mean either two separate clouds joined together (public, private, internal or external), or a combination of virtualized cloud server instances used together with real physical hardware. The most correct definition of the term Hybrid Cloud is probably the use of physical hardware and virtualized cloud server instances together to provide a single common service Architecture The two most significant components of cloud computing architecture are known as the front end and the back end. The front end is the part seen by the client, i.e. the computer user. Hybrid cloud CCSIT, Junagadh [emailprotected] Page 2 This includes the client’s network (or computer) and the applications used to access the cloud via a user interface such as a web browser. The back end of the cloud computing architecture is the ‘cloud’ itself, comprising various computers, servers and data storage devices collaboration. For more information on collaborative working using Google Docs, you can watch the now classic video Google Docs in Plain English. Taking collaboration further still, the outputs of some SaaS applications can be embedded in other web pages as web service gadgets. For example, a Google Docs or Zoho Sheet chart can be mashed into another website. There it will automatically update when the data in the online spreadsheet that is generating it is changed. SaaS applications are also constantly updated, which can free users of the upgrade hell of a major traditional software package revision. The disadvantage of SaaS is that it is basically a takeit-or-leave-it form of cloud computing. This means that businesses and individuals who require direct access to cloud computing hardware on which they can run their own applications cannot use SaaS. Rather, they need to cloud compute at the platform or infrastructure level using either platform as a service (PaaS) or infrastructure as a service (IaaS). 4. Services of Cloud Computing SaaS(Software as a Service) PaaS(Platform as a Service) IaaS(Infrastructure as a Service) Services Of Cloud computing PaaS(Platform as a Service) A platform is a software environment used to develop and run applications. For example, Microsoft Word is an application that runs on the Microsoft Windows platform. When people choose to cloud compute using platform as a service or PaaS, they obtain access to an online platform provided by a cloud computing vendor. They can then use this platform to develop and deliver their own online (SaaS) applications. Applications developed using PaaS may be used privately by just one or a few users within a particular company. However, they can also be offered free or for-a-fee to anybody on the web. This means that if you have a great idea for a new online application then you can use PaaS to turn it into a reality! Several cloud suppliers now offer PaaS tools. Most notably these include Google App Engine, Microsoft Windows Azure, and Force.com. All such offerings effectively provide their customers with a box of cloud computing Lego. New applications are then constructed from the plastic bricks on offer. With Force.com, some applications can even be built using a simple drag-and-drop interface. Relatively nontechnical people can therefore create new online applications very quickly. SaaS (Software as a Service) Software as a service is where computer applications are accessed over the Internet rather than being installed on a local computing device or in a local data centre. So, for example, people may use an online word processor like Google Docs, an online database application like Zoho Creator, an online photo editor like Pixar, or an online invoicing application such as Zoho Invoice. Many SaaS applications are free to use, at least initially. You can find links to a great many in the Cloud Computing Directory. SaaS can provide its users with many benefits. These include the general cloud computing advantages of dynamic scalability and any device independence, as well as the benefit of being able to use an application without incurring fixed costs. Many SaaS applications are also collaborative. This allows multiple users to share documents and even to work on them at the same time.  For example, in the Google Docs spreadsheet different users can work on different cells simultaneously. The cells different users are working on are locked-off and highlighted in different colours. A real-time chat window can also be opened up alongside the spreadsheet to further enhance Indeed, Force.com claim that their simplified programming model and cloud-based environment mean [customers] can build and run applications five times faster, at about half the cost of traditional software platforms. Google App Engine and Force.com also allow an initial application to be created for free! Whilst PaaS is great in many situations, its users do need to be mindful of the involved flexibility verses power trade-off. What this means is that whilst PaaS makes it relatively easy to create new online applications, users are nevertheless constrained by the particular programming languages and tools provided by their PaaS supplier. In other words, PaaS vendors have total control over which Lego bricks they allow their customers to build with. Whilst this ensures that applications built using the tools on offer will always function correctly, it is nevertheless restrictive. It is for this reason that many companies and some individuals choose to cloud compute at the infrastruct ure level. Dedicated physical servers and virtual server instances can perform exactly the same functions. However, there are some differences between them. For a start, virtual server instances are cheaper to supply as each does not require its own piece of physical hardware in a cloud data centre. On the other hand, virtual server instances are sometimes seen as less secure by those who do not want to share server hardware with other customers. For this reason, four categories of IaaS are available. These are most commonly known as private clouds, dedicated hosting, hybrid hosting and cloud hosting. 5. How cloud computing works? In traditional enterprise computing, IT departments forecast demand for applications and capacity and invest time and money to develop those resources inhouse or purchase them from others and operate them in-house. IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service) Infrastructure as a service or IaaS is where a cloud supplier provides online infrastructure on which their customers can store data and develop and run whatever applications they please. IaaS therefore allows companies to move their existing programs and data into the cloud and to close down their own local servers and data centres. Whilst computing applications run on platforms, platforms in turn run on computing infrastructure. So, for example, whilst the Microsoft Word application runs on the Microsoft Windows platform, in turn the Microsoft Windows platform runs on the infrastructure of an IBM-compatible PC. How it works The fundamental building block of cloud computing infrastructure is the server. Cloud computing servers are basically computers on which online applications can be run and data can be stored. When provided by an IaaS vendor, cloud servers can also be real or virtual. Real or dedicated servers are individual circuit boards – known as blades – mounted within equipment racks in a data centre. In contrast virtual servers – also known as virtual server instances – are software-controlled slices of real, physical servers. Virtual servers are created by a process called virtualization that allows many users to share the processing power of one physical server. With cloud computing, institutions procure IT services from remote providers, and campus constituents access these resources over the Internet. E-mail, for example, long considered a staple of an institution’s IT operations, can be obtained from a range of sources, and a growing number of campuses contract with outside suppliers for this function. Software is hosted by the provider and does not need to be installed—or maintained—on individual computers around campus. In some cases, a large university or a consortium might become a provider of cloud services. Storage and processing needs can also be met by the cloud. Institutions pay only for the resources used, and users can access the applications and files they need from virtually any Internet- connected computer. In a mature cloud computing environment, institutions would be able to add new IT services or respond to changes in capacity on the fly, saving capital costs that can be redirected to programs of strategic value to the institution. Advantages †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Reduced Hardware equipment for end users Improved Performance Lower Hardware and Software Maintenance Instant Software Updates Accessibility Less Expensive (Amazon example) Better Collaboration Pay for what you use Flexible 6. CHARACTERISTICS †¢ High scalability Cloud environments enable servicing of business requirements for larger audiences, through high scalability Disadvantages †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Security Issues (#1 concern) Internet connection Too many platforms Location of Servers Time for Transition Speed †¢ Agility The cloud works in the ‘distributed mode’ environment. It shares resources among users and tasks, while improving efficiency and agility (responsiveness) †¢ High availability and reliability Availability of servers is high and more reliable as the chances of infrastructure failure are minimal †¢ Multi-sharing With the cloud working in a distributed and shared mode, multiple users and applications can work more efficiently with cost Reductions by sharing common infrastructure †¢ Services in pay-per-use mode SLAs between the provider and the user must be defined when offering services in pay per use mode. This may be based on the complexity of services offered Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) may be offered to the users so they can access services on the cloud by using these APIs 7. CONCLUSION After so many years, Cloud Computing today is the beginning of â€Å"network based computing† over Internet in force. It is the technology of the decade and is the enabling element of two totally new computing models, the Client-Cloud computing and the Terminal-Cloud computing. These new models would create whole generations of applications and business. Our prediction is that it is the beginning to the end of the dominance of desktop computing such as that with the Windows. It is also the beginning of a new Internet based service economy: the Internet centric, Web based, on demand, Cloud applications and computing economy