Mobile Phone Life Cycle

Samsung Electronics is a semiconductor mobile phone and mobile phone component manufacturer. It exists in the most dynamic end of the consumer product industry. It cannot succeed without continuous incremental improvement and without constantly updating its product portfolio. The product life cycle for its premium product the Samsung galaxy S3 is estimated to be only 9 months. This occurs because customers withhold purchasing a product for which they know is going to be updated and replaced imminently.Samsung is a conglomerate in multiple markets, with the main profit centres being mobile telecommunications and information technology manufacturing. Samsung has posted record profits in its most recent financial quarter. Samsung is a dynamic but reactionary company; it emulates innovations by other manufacturers such as Apple but it operates in a marketplace where such things are common. It manufactures components for most other manufacturers of mobiles tablets and PCs. Samsung has an adversarial relationship with Apple who is Samsung’s both Samsung’s main competitor in mobile telephony and one of its biggest customer’s.Samsung has an advantage over Apple at present in that it has the infrastructure and dynamic capability to manufacture the components required. This leaves its main rival Apple requiring Samsung’s co-operation. Samsung is seeking to increase the price which it charges Apple. Strategically this is a wise option as switching costs for Apple essentially having to retool its entire operating network and refresh its product’s. Samsung is a company that prefers to grow organically. It has been suggested that the firm engage in a purchase of Blackberry maker Research in Motion. This would be characterised as a defensive acquisition.It would be merely adding to its portfolio of assets and gaining ownership of a mobile operating system. Currently it licences the Android from Google. Samsung has a strong diverse product po rtfolio and is capable of competing in numerous markets from the low end smartphones to the Premium Galaxy range; Samsung has a product for every possible price point. Samsung partners with other providers and builds phones and other devices for them such as the Google Chrome book. In an industry where there are numerous rivals and whereby Product Life Cycles are becoming progressively shorter.Samsung has an advantage in that as a semiconductor manufacturer it can respond to changes in the market dynamic quicker. A disadvantage for Samsung is that is does not have the same prestige as Apple and therefore cannot charge such premiums for its products. Samsung has to offer more at a lower price point than Apple does for its competing products. Samsung’s flagship Galaxy Range has 2 rivals for Apples iPhone the Galaxy S3 and the Galaxy NOTE 2. These combined even though they are of similar quality and differentiated towards different market segments than the iPhone 5 sales are sti ll less than Apple.Could Samsung drop the Samsung nomenclature and market its high end models as Galaxy? This could enhance the appeal of the high end premium line. In the technology business Samsung is a rare beast in that it rarely makes acquisitions. Very few technology acquisitions are deliberately earnings generative. Facebook buying Instagram and Microsoft buying Skype are considered to be primarily defensive plays to enhance and protect certain advantages each of these companies had. Samsung could purchase a rival chip maker, though logistically and practically there would be little point in doing so.Another concept potentially to consider would be merging with Google to create an all in one hardware and software company. While logistically this would be the ultimate defensive move by both sides, it would be very difficult integrating the different business cultures it would probably mean that Samsung would have to move its headquarters to the U. S. A. A merger to companies t hat are on friendly terms as it is would certainly produce synergies in financing, but as they both maintain large cash piles that are increasing every quarter it doesn’t seem that the risk would be worth it.Another option for Samsung would be Nokia this would give Samsung 30 per cent of all the patents for 4G networks which would give the firm a significant royalty stream from every 4G enabled phone worldwide over the next 8 to 10 years which is the expected length that 4G will remain as the most modern network. Samsung will however be paying for a brand name and significantly weak company . It would also have to fend off rumoured interest from Microsoft. It would be a costly acquisition at 30 billion dollars given the Market Capitalisation of Nokia today and the required premium with which would be required to be successful.Samsung could use its partnership with Renault Nissan in the automotive industry to create a suite of products automatically synchronised with the car. This would be similar enough the Tesla Model S. While this is a left-field suggestion it is leveraging assets that Samsung already has and utilising it in order to serve its main Profitable arm. This allows the firm to gain a competitive advantage over its main rival Apple. The struggling Nippon-French automobile manufacturing partnership might also be receptive to an outright takeover by Samsung.Samsung has heretofore been a trend follower, albeit a very adept and nimble one. It hasn’t necessarily been the most innovative company, however with product life cycles getting consistently smaller and the competition which Samsung faces at all ends of the market from the low end to very top is also getting more innovative. Samsung is one of only a small number of companies that could redefine the market. It already produces Smart TVs in large quantities. It could start selling phones laptops and tablets TVs in large bulk quantities by already pre synchronising them for customers.I ts steps like this that will put it ahead of its main rival Apple which is rumoured to be introducing a television that is expected to permanently alter viewing experience. In order to successfully manage this transition Samsung would have to be ahead in the U. S. A first and foremost. Gaining access to material is what blocked Apples entry into this new market. Aggressively Samsung could purchase a cable company or Netflix and control this content for itself, gaining such an imperative competitive advantage.Samsung if it wanted to be aggressive could stop supplying Apple severely hampering its main rival’s operations while aggressively increasing market share elsewhere by undercutting Apple. Another strategy would be to introduce a phone that would have enhanced abilities i. e. a class above its premium Galaxy range and equivalent iPhone 5 and Google Nexus 5. This would entrap Apple in a Pincer movement that would allow Samsung to be effectively the supplier of the latest ac cessory mobile phone, which at present is the iPhone 5 rather than the equivalent S3 and Note 2.The other strategy is to remain second the mobile phone market and a distant competitor to Apple in the Tablet market, this is the most conservative option and requires the least capital outlay, however it risks being overtaken in the same way Nokia was. In the technology market an aggressive approach would be beneficial, but as the relationship between Google and Samsung is seen as quite good the optimal strategy would be to jointly design products that would create a short term monopoly , such things exist in a world where second best is very often a distant second.Utilising inherent dynamic capabilities it was Apple who was playing catch up to the S3 and Note 2 but the iPhone 5 is outselling both products collectively, this could be because of the inertia derived from being introduced to a particular eco-system, in this way Apple has a first mover advantage in that it has a lot of loya l clients. Samsung primarily operates on Google’s Android operating system which is compatible with other Android users such as HTC and LG. At present Android has 68% of the market but the high margin clients have primarily tended to purchase Apple products.This is an issue that is only further compounded by time. In order to overcome this Samsung would have to be overly aggressive on a pricing strategy for a phone that would be significantly more advanced than its predecessors and its rivals. Samsung Electronics as a whole is a diversified technology company that should continue to grow unless it commit’s the cardinal sin of failing to innovate. It is a buy but it will have to alter its practices if it wants to surpass Apple’s profitability. S. Decker, 2012 Samsung Gets Review of Loss to Apple in U.S. Patent Case http://www. businessweek. com/news/2012-11-19/samsung-gets-review-of-loss-to-apple-in-u-dot-s-dot-patent-case Last Accessed 20/11/12 11. 25 http://www . investopedia. com/terms/d/defensiveacquisition. asp#axzz2ClJTl2OX Last Accessed 20/11/12 11. 30 Sam Grobart, 2012 Samsung's Four (Easy) Steps to Mobile Dominance http://www. businessweek. com/articles/2012-11-19/samsungs-four-easy-steps-to-mobile-dominance Last Accessed 20/11/12 11. 30 Samsung Annual Report 2011

College Admission Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

College Admission - Essay Example One of the assets that benefits a new college student is cultural capital. Students who come from a family that has a tradition of college education have an advantage in knowing what to expect when they arrive at the college gate. In addition, they have been aware of how to prepare for college, which high school courses to take, and how to write an admissions essay. Leibowitz defines cultural capital as "an attitude of certainty and entitlement, which is close to 'recognition' or the sense of being recognized as a learner" (265). This additionally adds to the motivation of the student as "social and cultural capital have a positive effect on student persistence in postsecondary education" (Wells). This advantage can mean the difference between persevering in the face of adversity, or dropping out after struggling for one semester. Failing to prepare for college is the number one cause of failure in the academic setting. Students not only need to learn what to study, they need to be instructed on how to study. High schools with low numbers of students who plan on college usually don't spend their time instructing the senior class on how to write a college essay. For the few that do get accepted and enter college, the rigors of the courses can be overwhelming. According to Contreras, "When they are presented with college-level work, they think they have landed on Mars without a dictionary. The world of learning is a foreign land to them". New students will need to be skilled at writing, reading, research, and critical thinking. Many of these activities are considered non-essential activities in many of our poorer schools. Take a look at the high school that the student attended for a good predictor of the potential for success at college. In addition to the social capital and preparation that helps guide a student in their selection of an appropriate school and a major, there is the pragmatic challenge of getting accepted. Limited numbers of openings often mean some people are eliminated. People who have had less of an advantage in preparing for the SAT or honors courses, may be rejected and repeat the family's history of failing to attend college. This has often been a disadvantage of people that are challenged by their racial or ethnic, minority, or socio-economic status. Affirmative action policies have attempted to compensate for this inequality in the educational system. However, it has been the subject of decades of debate. Ill-prepared students will naturally do poorly on the SAT, while more affluent students will have access to individual instruction on taking this critical test. However, "When a task force in 1977 recommended discontinuing the SAT, many professors were suspicious of what they perceived to be an "anti-testing" bias; they thought that affirmative action was undermining standards and that criticisms of the SAT were just a part of racial politics" (Snares). Many universities have attempted to incorporate both test scores and diversity as measures of the contribution to the institution as well as markers for probable success. In conclusion, the most important tool that a student can have when they arrive at their first year of academic exposure

Cause and effect of divorce Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cause and effect of divorce - Essay Example ons in life, which affect the longevity of marriage unions especially because different individuals have different capacities to withstand such challenges. This paper is a critical evaluation of the causes and effects of divorce. There are various reasons as to why a couple may decide to get a divorce. For example, it is true to say that once a person has decided to get married, he will have made an important choice to be loyal and faithful to the person he or she is going to marry. However, infidelity and adultery have continued to be a major threat to the institution of marriage especially in the contemporary society (Stewart 28). Cheating on a person is absurd and disrespectful and not many people can withstand the pain and agony associated with this shameful act. If proven, infidelity is a justifiable reason for any person to want to terminate a marriage especially in this era of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. Domestic violence is an evil, which has continued to ruin marriages throughout the world. 2004 statistics indicate that 17% of divorce cases in the UK were because of one partner abusing the other either physically or emotionally (Lewis 44). Couples are supposed to love and protect each other. However, if a partner becomes a threat then divorce becomes a necessity to avoid complications, which may include disability or death. Every person has weaknesses and it is usually important for a couple to study each other in order to discover them before entering into a lifetime commitment. However, some couples get married without putting this into much thought or thinking that they would eventually help their partners to overcome their shortcomings only to end up being frustrated. Alcoholism and drug abuse are examples of such weaknesses, which have contributed to numerous cases of divorce around the world. Money is important but current trends have proved that it is a major source of conflicts between married couples (Stewart 47). The lack

Farther and son Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Farther and son - Essay Example His choice of theme was brave simply because in the decade of the 50's homosexuality was still an issue not spoken of or discussed openly. America was waking up to the call of the civil rights movement and it would still take her people a few more years to accept issues of such controversy. The caging effect that conventions can have on a person is also highlighted effectively by Baldwin as he depicts David's struggle with the decision of marrying Hella, simply because it was expected of him. Baldwin, however, was not intimidated by the frowns of disapproval directed his way and with great determination highlighted the plight of those forced to live in the closet simply because they are terrified of breaking conventions and not being able to measure up to the definition of "respectable" formulated by those around them. In today's world, however, when gay literature is quite common and the issue of coming out of the closet is not as burning as it was half a century ago, the greatest appeal of the novel lies in the manner in which Baldwin has sheathed his central character under layers and layers of a complex psychology. Baldwin has portrayed David not simply as a two-dimensional gay character but has breathed a life into him by depicting in great detail the inner struggles and dilemmas that he faces and how his personality is shaped and molded by his childhood experiences and the constraints that he feels because of the social conventions. At this point it cannot be denied that the most important force in David's life as a child had undoubtedly been that of his father. Even after David has grown up, one could feel the palpable presence of his father looming somewhere in the background. It is, without a doubt, the forceful personality of his father that indirectly affected David's vital decisions an d choices. The importance of David's father in David's life can be linked directly to Baldwin's relationship with his own preacher father (Allen, p.29). Baldwin believed that the influence a father exercised over his children could not be denied - his own abusive father leaving imprints of his personality permanently on young Baldwin. It is this same influence that Baldwin desired to create by depicting David's relation with his father. His main aim was to show how vital the support of a family is for a homosexual and how much influence our near and dear ones exert when it comes to the decision a homosexual makes about his lifestyle choices. David's father, although in no way bearing any resemblance to the insane, ranting and abusive father of Baldwin, was a handsome man who had a particular and active fondness for women and alcohol. Baldwin depicted him in such a way that he naturally stood out, not only as attractive but someone who possessed a great deal of easy charm, with his ruddy face, sandy hair and his readiness to laugh. Baldwin has taken care not to introduce him as a clean-cut, out-of-the-factory villain of the story. This would have robbed the novel of its unique complexity and while giving the novel an easy to understand plot, would have deprived it of psychologically complex characters. His sister, Ellen, who believed him to be negatively influencing his son, always met his promiscuousness with disapproval. Once, as David recounts, a fierce argument took place between Aunt Ellen and his father, when he returned one night drunk, as was his custom. Upon being

Week 3-Sheila Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Week 3-Sheila - Coursework Example They make this move with an aim of increasing the knowledge base the organization is going to rely on when making decisions. However, this technological move comes with the challenge of team members lacking trust in one another. Therefore, the management has to consider some factors in order to create trust in team players (Allison, 2013). The first factor is employing of proper communication tools to be used by the globally distributed worker teams. Such tools should be those which can be used to make long distance communications effectively. They should also be appealing enough so that the team can at least trust the channel used to pass the information. For example the use of videoconferencing is appropriate in instilling trust in team members (Boundless.com, 2014). Commitment among the members is another key factor that determines the trust that globally distributed worker teams will have on each other. Committed team members will ensure they are always ready to participate, and the work they do is perfect. In such a case the team players in different parts of the world will trust the knowledge and work done with their fellows as far as they may be situated (Carmody, 2012). Having common goals as a team is another factor that builds trust in the globally distributed team. The common goals are going to bring the team players together and this is a way of building trust among them. For example, with common goals, members will trust the information brought in by another member since they all believe in satisfying same goals (Chesebro, 2012). Organizational portal is one of the new technologies that improve communication among members of an organization or a team who are far away from each other. The tool is based on the idea of creating many platforms that every member will use to communicate to the rest of the team. the technology behind creating a portal for a team or organization is supported with a

International Finance Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

International Finance - Term Paper Example Such as a skewed change rate can create a business's exports inexpensive as compared to their foreign counterparts, although for a nation to attain this artificially, they have to trade their own currency by borrowing against the country's assets to pay for another country's currency. If exports or all investment is in high demand, a nation's currency will increase in value due to the demand for that currency to fund exported commodities, services, as well as investment. Companies that depend on exports can find their goods unexpectedly competitive - or excessively costly - in a foreign country’s markets as exchange rates rise and fall. In the same way, businesses that depend on imports can see the charges of these imports fluctuate with the exchange rate. â€Å"Exchange rates directly affect the realized return on an investment portfolio with overseas holdings. If you own stock in a foreign company and the local currency goes up 10 percent, the value of your investment goes up 12 percent even if the stock price does not change at all† (Levi, p. 201, 2009). The study of international finance usually refers to trade and foreign investment as alternative policies. This replacement can however be called into uncertainty as the need to struggle on several foreign markets taken into account. With reference to the theory of international trade, classical conclusion of Mundell has been challenged because of inadequate competition. In addition, macroeconomic series of foreign investment and trade emphasize that these two approaches of internationalisation are complements evidently. â€Å"If foreign investment displaces trade, exports will be at least replaced by local sales on foreign markets, detrimental to the domestic industry of the investor. On the contrary, if trade and foreign investment are confirmed as complements, investing abroad might lead to greater competitiveness in foreign markets, which is beneficial to exports from the investing country and thus to its industry. In order to clarify these relationships, a bilateral and sectoral empirical approach is proposed based on a matching of trade and foreign investment data authorising a break down by industry and partner country. It permits to control for joint determinants of trade and foreign investment such as market size, per capita income or regional integration, or conversely for economies of scale having an opposite impact on both forms of internationalisation† (Sercu, p. 184, 2009). With the most disaggregated data, the finding of complementarities involving trade and foreign investment flows is legalized for many industries. Outward foreign investment is linked further exports and imports, within the industry considered, in comparison with the state of investment. However, in view of the fact that the previous rise more as compared to the latter, investment in a foreign country is linked with a trade excess. On the other hand, inward foreign investment is lin ked with a trade deficit of the host nation. Overflows between industries are substantial. The impact of foreign investment on trade is much higher as these overflows are accounted for, even if the international trade surplus stays comparable with the one approximated on the industry of investment level. A huge share of the complementarities between trade and foreign investment at the macroeconomic level can be clarified by huge overflows between i

Care of the older adult notes Essay Example for Free

Care of the older adult notes Essay Many older patients are prescribed multiple drugs, take over-the-counter medications, and are often prescribed additional drugs to treat the side effects of the medications that they are already taking. The increase in the number of medications often leads to polypharmacy, which is defined as the prescription, administration, or use of more medications than are clinically indicated in a given patient. One widely used ADL tool is the Barthel Index : measure functional levels of self-care and mobility, and it rates the ability to feed and groom oneself, bathe, go to the toilet, walk (or propel a wheelchair), climb stairs, and control bowel and bladder. The original ADL tool was developed by Katz Several interventions that may help the prescriber to prevent polypharmacy include knowing all medications, by both brand and generic name, being used by the patient; identifying indications for each medication; knowing the side effect profiles of the medications; eliminating drugs with no benefit or indication; and avoiding the urge to treat a drug reaction with another drug. Patient education on the risks of polypharmacy may help the patient as well. The Mini-Cog: The screening consists of a three-item recall and a clock-drawing test. This reliable tool can assist nurses with early detection of cognitive problems. Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE): measure change in cognitive impairment. It measures orientation, registration, attention and calculation, short-term recall, language, and visuospatial function. *Dementia is a permanent progressive decline in cognitive function Of the five senses—hearing, vision, smell, taste, and touch—it is the occurrence of diminishe d vision and hearing that seems to have the greatest impact on older adults. Problems with vision or hearing can have negative effects on social interaction and hence on social and psychological health. Presbyopia refers to an age-related change in vision. Presbycusis refers to age-related progressive hearing loss. Age-related macular degeneration, the deterioration of central vision, Assessing Older Adults  cognitive-testing tools such as the Mini–Mental State Exam or the Orientation–Memory–Concentration Test (OMCT).3 Both tools assess orientation  to time and place, short-term memory, and concentration. The CAM is a standardized instrument developed for clinicians to identifydelirium, an acute change in mental status from baseline, quickly and accurately. Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA © Version 7.1) was developed as a quick screening tool for MCI and early Alzheimer’s dementia. It assesses the domains of attention and concentration, executive functions, memory, language, visuoconstructional skills, conceptual thinking, calculations, and orientation End-of-Life Care The interdisciplinary group or team (IDG/IDT): Registered nurse—coordinates the plan of care for each patient Health Promotion Healthy people 2010- preventative measures for ages 50-64 Healthcare Policy and Reform Medicare is Title XVIII of the Social Security Act; it was passed in 1965, after years of trying to provide some kind of universal health insurance. It is an insurance program for those 65 or over who have paid into the Social Security system, the railroad fund, or are diagnosed with end stage renal disease. Activity: Healthcare Policy and Reform In general, you should apply for Medicaid if your income is low and you match one of the descriptions below. Medicare is a Federal health insurance program for people 65 years or older, certain people with disabilities, and people with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Medicare Medicare is an insurance program. Medical bills are paid from trust funds which those covered have paid into. It serves people over 65 primarily, whatever their income; and serves younger disabled people and dialysis patients. Patients pay part of costs through deductibles for hospital and other costs. Small monthly premiums are required for non-hospital coverage. Medicare is a federal program. It is basically the same everywhere in the United States and is run by the Centers for Medicare Medicaid Services, an agency of the federal government. Medicaid Medicaid is an assistance program. Medical bills are paid from federal, state and local tax funds. It serves low-income people of every age. Patients usually pay no part of costs for covered medical expenses. A small co-payment is sometimes required. Medicaid is a federal-state program. It varies from state to state. It is run by state and local governments within federal guidelines. To qualify for Medicaid, an individual must fit into a category of eligibility and meet certain financial and resource standards. Medicaid provides three types of health protection: 1) health insurance for low-income families and people with disabilities, 2) long-term care (LTC) for older Americans and persons with disabilities, and 3) supplemental coverage for low-income Medicare beneficiaries for services not covered by Medicare Living Environment Annual vaccination against influenza is recommended for all adults 65 years of age or older because more than 90% of the deaths from influenza occur in this population. Periodic boosters of tetanus vaccine, traditionally given every 10 years in the United States, are recommended for older adults by the USPSTF. The Beers List of medications to be avoided in the elderly has become a national guideline for prescribers and pharmacists in the United States (Fick etal., 2003). These medications include long-acting benzodiazepines, sedative or hypnotic agents, longacting oral hypoglycemics, analgesics, antiemetics, and gastrointestinal antispasmodics. Maintaining Functional Independence â€Å"Elderly patients with unintentional weight loss are at higher risk for infection, depression and death† U.S. Public Health Service published the report Promoting Health/Preventing Disease: Objectives for the Nation. This 1980 report outlined 226 objectives for the nation to achieve over the following 10 years. Healthy People 2000, was initiated by the U.S. Public Health Service in another effort to reduce preventable death and disability for Americans. Healthy People 2010 initiative; however, the number of objectives has increased to 467, and these are distributed over 28 priority areas. Frailty is perceived as a general decline in the physical function of older adults that can increase vulnerability to illness and decline. Defining characteristics include unintentional weight loss of more than 10%  in the prior year, feelings of exhaustion, grip strength in the weakest 20% for age, walking speed in the lowest 20% for age, and low caloric expenditure.