How ecommerce helped the freight forwarding business

How ecommerce helped the freight forwarding business Introduction The implementation of internet and electronic communication systems is changing the traditional face of freight forwarding and the shipping industry has to change with it. It is evident that e-commerce is no longer an emerging technology and it has already conquered a major place in the heart of freight forwarding business. Electronic communication system has become one of the main trump card in shipping industry to live up the higher expectations of a customer. This paper will review briefly the applications of e-commerce in general and in particular to the transport sector especially freight forwarding business. E-Commerce Electronic commerce is defined as the electronic exchange (delivery or transaction) of information, goods, services, and payments over telecommunications networks.It involves mainly distribution, buying, selling, marketing and servicing of products or services through the use of electronic means such as the Internet, and other computer networks. E-commerce has grown exponentially due to the convergence of technological developments, the merging of the telecommunications and computing industries, and globalised business models. The universal adoption of the Internet not only led to further rapid growth of the B2B sector, but also created a new business-to-consumer (B2C) market.The main factor that put e-commerce towards the top of the public is the popularisation and commercialisation of internet. E-commerce now touches virtually all aspects of economic and social life.(Swamidass,2000) Freight Forwarding Freight forwarders acts as an intermediary between exporters, importers or other companies organising efficient transportation of goods. They makes arrangement for transportation of goods by satisfying the customer requirements using various services like Shipping lines, Airlines Road and Rail freight operators. There are a lot of companies involved in freight forwarding business and these varies according to the size and type. In some cases the freight forwarders will only deal with particular goods only and they will be confined to certain geographical areas. Following are the functions carried out in freight forwarding business Cargo consolidation and multimodal transport Transhipment Packing, warehousing and distribution. Arranging cargo insurance Documentation and customs clearance Payment of freight and local taxes Saved fax, phone and courier costs Possibility to reuse information and create templates Transport distribution analysis and transportations arrangements (UNESCAP,2011) Greater speed in transactions In e-commerce, transactions are faster than traditional commercial transactions. Before the advent of e-commerce, freight forwarders prepared the documents with the help of a lawyer and lot of stamps were used. The main advantage of e-commerce is that it allows electronic exchange of cargo documents through internet like bill of lading instructions, freight invoices, container status messages, motor carrier shipment instructions, and other documents with increased accuracy and efficiency by eliminating the need to re-key or reformat documents. It also enables streamline document handling for shippers, freight forwarders and trucking firms without the monetary and time investment required by the traditional document delivery systems and thus paperwork is significantly reduced and the shipping department will therefore be more efficient.(ELC,2011).For example US Customs Service supports an EDI-based system for ocean cargo which can report, electronically, the cargo manifest, bill of la ding and other shipping-related information. This online data system has proved to be beneficial in permitting quicker cargo release and increased carrier productivity through reduced cargo-processing time. It has also helped some port authorities to become more competitive by reducing cargo customs clearance and processing times.(GXS,2011) Use of e-commerce in cargo handling documentation helps in: Reducing costs Improving data accuracy Simplifying business processes Accelerating business cycles Enhancing customer service.(ELC,2011) Shipment tracking Clients need connectivity with the Freight Forwarding systems to access their files for status, to extract reports from Freight Forwarding databases, and have their shipments processed in an error free and timely manner. Shipment tracking engages global positioning systems(GPS), which keep track of vehicles so that customers can find out exact location of the shipment at a given time. This gives instant shipping information access to anyone in the company, from any location. The greatest demands for shipment tracking has developed in express or parcel delivery services.(ELC,2011) DHL is an example of a company where tracking has always been a crucial component to operations, which began with customers making calls to customer service to trace their goods. Now a number of options are available (Smith, 2002) Business Asia). Customer orientation E-commerce helps in delivering better services to their customers like providing websites which helps the customer to gather information about the freight forwarders whom they wish to transit their goods. The customers can make right decision regarding their selection of the right freight forwarders. Some companies provide tariff information on the Internet sometimes along with calculators, enabling the shipper to input details such as cargo origin and destination, cargo characteristics, etc., providing the required freight rate instantly. These systems provide considerable benefit to shippers by simplifying and expediting numerous tasks involved in freight rating, which would otherwise involve considerable time, cost and human resources to complete .Another fact is that these website helps in boosting, branding and building up the goodwill of the freight forwarders for the purpose of marketing.(Lai Wang,2008) FedEx uses their secure saver which helps the software to set up an online catalogue and the order-handling system hooks into a user interface which helps to register online customersà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ orders and make sure of confirmation numbers. With automatic inventory updating it is possible to pack the order.(Timmer 1999).. FedEx also has an E-Commerce Builder program, which offers Web design, hosting, order management, real-time financial settlement, and fulfillment to small and midsize companies, at no cost.(Business wire,2011) Shipping portals These have become a major strategic positioning exercise by liners, but internal strategies vary. The three major liner shipping portals online are GT Nexus, an e-logistics software company, using its portal to drive its strategy of becoming a global leader in e-logistics software and services; INTTRA, an industry portal rather than a software provider, aiming to facilitate the interaction between users and their carriers; CargoSmart, aiming to add value to core booking and tracking facilities and to provide a more complete solution to users.(Wn,2011) 3PL Logistics Increased adoption of logistic out-sourcing by manufacturing companies has led a steady growth of third party logistics (3PL) and in recent years, most of the traditional freight forwarders have transformed into 3PL.For the smooth operation of the organisation It is important to have successful information exchange between the parties involved in the business and to cooperate with remote warehouses and inland transport provider. Here e-commerce plays a vital role in helping the freight forwarders to sort out the problems with efficient communication systems and tools like EDI and ETF while they are emerging wholly as a 3PL. (Bumstead and Cannons,2002) ILG is a traditional freight forwarding company and now has emerged into a 3PL and provides services like shipping, e-commerce support, warehousing, fulfilment and the company believes that without the help of e-commerce they wouldnà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢t have emerged as a 3PL (ILG,2011) Crown logistics, a freight forwarding company in Hong Kong with the help of e-commerce have helped to improve the utilization of its resources, such as warehouse space transportation fleets, customs procedures, specialized packing and transports, on-time delivery and tracking technology. Company itself is in the process of expanding its operations across greater China, with the objective of becoming a full-pledged 3PL company (Crown logistics,2011). Port services Several maritime ports around the world, including those of New York, Rotterdam, Singapore and Hamburg have electronic systems which link up various parties engaged in the movement of freight through the port, including shippers, forwarders, customs, terminal operators, carriers and other port users. Singapore TradeNet, an EDI system that has dramatically reduced turnaround times for processing information about ship arrivals, loadings and unloadings and departures .(Applegate et al,1993) According to Lee and Whang in the near future, there will be an explosion of business-to-business applications of the Internet as visionary companies develop new paradigms of e-business for the future. This can be understood also to refer to new technologies that extend the ambit of e-business, such as mobile communications technology.(Lee Whang,2001) Conclusion: E-commerce is an essential requirement in modern business methodology that cuts costs and at the same time increases the quality of services and thus achieving greater efficiency in freight forwarding business. The scope and range of these benefits makes it clear that e-commerce in the form of e-business processes and systems can have an enormous impact in terms of benefits to the entire supply chain. Word Count: 1480

The power of love, peace, and family bonding are all similar in some :: English Literature

The power of love, peace, and family bonding are all similar in some type of way. Family Bonding The power of love, peace, and family bonding are all similar in some type of way. Sharing the love with someone gives you peace and allows you to bond together. The two poems "Earth and Rain, the Plants and Sun" and "Four poems for a Child Son" both elaborate on the love, peace and family bonding shared in these poems. "Earth and Rain, the Plants and Sun" was a well written poem with many meanings to it. On his way to Colorado, the narorator enlightens the day for not just his family, but also himself. As he grasps such a wonderful image of joy, he lets his son know, that this shall never end. He hears the sound of a meadowlark, rising high above, through the fresh cut smell of alfalfa. Describing the freshness and purity in the air on such a peaceful day. As the hawk sweeps high above, the sound of thunder brings darkness through this day. The sun is gone, but a sunlight beam breaks through a cloud, shining directly on the green plant. The thunder has stirred up a storm, sending rain to fall to the ground, fertilizing the green plants and alfalfa. The plants and alfalfa feed the meadowlark, mice, molls and other rodents. These essence of life provide the food for the hawk which represents the leader of the pack. Today the Katzina come. The dancing prayers. Many times, the katzina. It shall not end, on, it will not end, his love. The dancing prayers from the katzina truly show that there is a great amount of joy on this day. The mother, father and son hold hands as they enjoy every minute together on such a peaceful day filled with joy and excitement, that shall never end. "Four Poems for a Child Son" is divided into four parts. Part one "What's your Indian Name?" tells the significance of the name you are given when born. Together, deserts, sun, gods and songs complete the full meaning of who you are. Your name tells the stories of the past, who the heroes are and contributes to the strength and bravery that you grow to adapt to. Constructing the Indian headdress, painting it with the earth's most natural resources, talking to it and treating it the way you would treat another person. All of these things allow you to get to know it a lot better, and apply it to you own life all together. The headdress represents who you are and what your Indian name is. The power of love, peace, and family bonding are all similar in some :: English Literature The power of love, peace, and family bonding are all similar in some type of way. Family Bonding The power of love, peace, and family bonding are all similar in some type of way. Sharing the love with someone gives you peace and allows you to bond together. The two poems "Earth and Rain, the Plants and Sun" and "Four poems for a Child Son" both elaborate on the love, peace and family bonding shared in these poems. "Earth and Rain, the Plants and Sun" was a well written poem with many meanings to it. On his way to Colorado, the narorator enlightens the day for not just his family, but also himself. As he grasps such a wonderful image of joy, he lets his son know, that this shall never end. He hears the sound of a meadowlark, rising high above, through the fresh cut smell of alfalfa. Describing the freshness and purity in the air on such a peaceful day. As the hawk sweeps high above, the sound of thunder brings darkness through this day. The sun is gone, but a sunlight beam breaks through a cloud, shining directly on the green plant. The thunder has stirred up a storm, sending rain to fall to the ground, fertilizing the green plants and alfalfa. The plants and alfalfa feed the meadowlark, mice, molls and other rodents. These essence of life provide the food for the hawk which represents the leader of the pack. Today the Katzina come. The dancing prayers. Many times, the katzina. It shall not end, on, it will not end, his love. The dancing prayers from the katzina truly show that there is a great amount of joy on this day. The mother, father and son hold hands as they enjoy every minute together on such a peaceful day filled with joy and excitement, that shall never end. "Four Poems for a Child Son" is divided into four parts. Part one "What's your Indian Name?" tells the significance of the name you are given when born. Together, deserts, sun, gods and songs complete the full meaning of who you are. Your name tells the stories of the past, who the heroes are and contributes to the strength and bravery that you grow to adapt to. Constructing the Indian headdress, painting it with the earth's most natural resources, talking to it and treating it the way you would treat another person. All of these things allow you to get to know it a lot better, and apply it to you own life all together. The headdress represents who you are and what your Indian name is.

Analysis Of Relationships In Fijian Society :: essays research papers

Fijian relationships between men and women have undergone many changes since the introduction of Western influences. These changes are due to the desire to become more "Westernized" and therefore, incorporating the ideals that they perceive are important within Western society to their culture. This has caused relationships based upon an idealized version of "love". These Western influences, such as movies, magazines, and books make it seem as if many people have casual sex, and that they are all in "love" relationships. They portray love as this necessary aspect in a relationship and do not focus upon the amount of time that the majority of people feel is necessary in order to fall in love. Fijian society does not encourage relationships that are conducive to the Western view of "love" because they focus upon separation between men and women, and do not encourage cross sexes to spend time together before they are married. Even after marriage, separation between the sexes is promoted through division of labor and male dominance within the marriage. Since Fijian relationships have applied the idea of "love" to relationships which are based upon separation and male domination, idealized "love" relationships are occurring. This can be seen in premarital relationships in the fact that many of the couples do not have a friendship before they have a relationship, and often claim to be in love Premarital relationships are not based upon significant amounts of time spent together. Couples do not get to see each other often and when they do they often meet in crowded areas so that it is not suspected that they are together. It is not uncommon to have long distance relationships Many of the traditional means for choosing a spouse, such as parents influence and male domination, have remained as strong influences. This is because premarital relationships are based on this idealized view on "love" and therefore, are not strong enough to basis marriage choices upon. Marriage relationships have changed due to Western influences, they however are also retaining many of the traditional views. Traditionally marriages were arranged. However, due to Western influence Fijians are now having "love" marriages. These marriages are facing many of the same issues that premarital relationships are. Because of separation of the sexes, these marriages are not based upon significant amounts of time spent together. They are instead being based upon traditional views. These relationships are based on little contact.

Fast Food Should Not Be Sold in Schools

Byamba Mr. Cahill ENG 101 STLCC 11 October 2012 Fast food should not be sold in schools Fast food is a breakfast, lunch or dinner choice for many people on a daily basis. It is used as an option to save time, or to satisfy taste and portions. But, what about the health consequences? People know that fast food is not synonymous with healthy living, but many forget this thought process when they are at the counter. Unfortunately, eating fast food on a daily basis does have an adverse effect on children’s health, such as obesity and lack of nutrients.Therefore, fast food should not be sold in schools. Obesity surpasses smoking in healthcare costs and impact on chronic illness and is on the rise in every country in the world. It is spurred on by thousands of years of evolution that have crafted humans into beings that seek out sugar, fat and calories and is caused by a toxic food environment that offers up food as never before. The most startling victims are children. The food ind ustry is granted free and free access to children.Every day, one-third of American children and youth eat fast food, and it contributes to close to one-fifth of their entire diets, according to research reported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation website. An article in Rolling Stone magazine states that 96 % of U. S. schoolchildren can identify Ronald McDonald; topped only by Santa Claus who is more widely recognized. This familiarity represents just how ingrained fast food is in the U. S. psyche. Early concern about childhood obesity centered on its role in the predicting adult obesity and hence adult diseases.The author of a book â€Å"Food fight† said seventy percent of obese children become obese adult; obesity in children is related to risk for disease as much as fifty years later. He also mentions that clustering of risk factors for heart disease known as insulin resistance syndrome, now identified in children as young as five years old. Children may be at risk for h igh blood pressure when eating salty junk food such as potato chips, French fries, pretzels, pizza and burritos. Junk food can lead to nutritional deficiencies when children eat it.Fast-food menus are big on too much protein, fat, sodium and sugar, which displace many of the beneficial nutrients that children need for health every day, including fiber. Dietary fiber is found in fruits, vegetables and grains, with only small amounts retained in refined grains, or white rice and white flour. Burgers, sandwiches, and breading for fried food incorporate refined white flour buns, rolls and bread crumbs. French-fried potatoes provide adequate fiber but too much fat and sodium. Common vegetable ingredients such as tomatoes and onions represent the low end of the fiber scale.Low fiber intake is linked with greater incidence of cancer, heart disease and constipation. In one sentence, eating fast food meals regularly may mean that you fail to meet your body's requirement of eating 2 to 2 1/2 cups of fruits and vegetables and 3 cups of dairy. Vegetables and fruits give you vitamins and minerals, while dairy provides you with calcium and protein. Some people think that there is nothing wrong with selling fast food in schools. They say it is convenient, cheap and tasty.Convenience foods, or foods that require no preparation or traditional cooking by busy mothers trying to juggle a full time job with looking after a family are equally as unhealthy and unwholesome as the burgers and pizzas you get from fast food outlets. Foods that are processed and made into what can best be described as ready meals often contain few in any nutritional ingredients. They are bulked out with pasta, breadcrumbs, corn flour, processed potato, processed egg and milk products as well as hydrogenated vegetable oil, saturated fats, gums, sugar substitutes etc. and then made to taste good by the addition of herbs and spices, salt, monosodium glutamate and sugars. They also contain artificial colours and preservatives as well as some artificial flavorings just to complete the unhealthy package. Some people may think the dollar menu is cheap, but it isn’t cheaper to eat highly processed food: a typical order for a family of four, for example, two Big Macs, a cheeseburger, six chicken McNuggets, two medium and two small fries, and two medium and two small sodas — costs about $28 at the McDonald’s.People can serve a roasted chicken with vegetables along with a simple salad and milk for about $14, and feed four people. If that’s too much money, substitute a meal of rice and canned beans with bacon, green peppers and onions; it’s easily enough for four people and costs about $9. In addition, eating fast food causes to increase obesity which leads to cost lots of money. Overweight individuals have 36 percent higher inpatient and outpatient and 77 percent higher medication costs. Food Fight, p45) It increases risk for many serious diseases, can be di sabling, and has a very negative impact on the quality of person’s life. Also, fast food is a waste of money because you are buying a lot of calories, fat and sodium but getting very little nutrition in return. Apparently some people get addicted to the taste of popular fast food because it contains just the right mixture of fat, sugar and salt to set off the pleasure chemicals in the brain.Experiments carried out on lab rats showed that when they were fed a diet that consisted of 25% sugar and then the sugar is removed, the rats become anxious, their teeth start to chatter and they suffer with the shakes – not unlike people going through a nicotine or morphine withdrawal. (The New York Times, 2011)The researchers also noticed long lasting changes in brain chemistry of rats fed with foods that had a combination of sweet, salt and fat in, which led them to conclude that there was a possibility that people too could see brain changes and become physically addicted to eat ing fast food.Another article on The Washington Post states that: â€Å"Highly palatable† foods — those containing fat, sugar and salt — stimulate the brain to release dopamine, the neurotransmitter associated with the pleasure center, he found. In time, the brain gets wired so that dopamine pathways light up at the mere suggestion of the food, such as driving past a fast-food restaurant, and the urge to eat the food grows insistent.Once the food is eaten, the brain releases opioids, which bring emotional relief. Together, dopamine and opioids create a pathway that can activate every time a person is reminded about the particular food. This happens regardless of whether the person is hungry. (The Washington Post, April 27, 2009) Eating fast food once in a while, that is once or twice a month won’t matter at all, but having a habit of eating this kind of food can lead to serious consequences.The absence of healthy food alternatives is one of the factors le ading to an alarming increase in childhood obesity rates across the United States. Schools would like to protect children instead must sell soft drinks and snack foods to function. For example, the cafeterias in the schools should offer to school children less bacon and more broccoli, fewer hot dogs and more whole grains, less ice cream and more fruits, less sodas and more water. This does not imply that children should never touch bacon, hot dogs, sodas, or ice cream, ut rather that changing the balance of some foods relative to others is a means of improving America’s health. Today, nearly one-third of children and teens are overweight or obese. Growing evidence suggests that strong, far-reaching changes—those that make healthy foods available in schools are working to reduce childhood obesity rates. Asking children to avoid fast food is like asking them to save money for retirement. Instead, we can balance it by limiting fast food consumption in schools.

Harvard Business Review Case- Revere Street Essay

After analysis of Mr. Alexander’s proposal, it is obvious why he should take advantage of a real estate investment opportunity. The experience he would gain coupled with the added income would establish a solid foundation for making more investments in the future. To this end, however, I find Alexander’s plan for the Revere Street property falls short. A major deficiency is that his projections are almost entirely predicated on estimates and assumptions that are neither conservative nor reliable. In a similar vein, Alexander’s â€Å"DIY† approach is not only exemplar of naivetà ©, but also suggestive of many implications that were overlooked in his proposal. And, even more discouraging, a best-case scenario analysis reveals that even without complication, there is little room for error afforded by the plan. Therefore, I would not advise Alexander to move forward with his investment strategy, as its potential for reward is far outweighed by its risk. In a vacuum, Alexander’s proposal would be very feasible and attractive, but in reality the real estate and rental industries are incredibly volatile and hard to predict even for specialists in those fields. The success of Alexander’s proposal is not just contingent upon a host of variables, but variables forecasted by an amateur lacking a sense of conservatism. To begin, the projected costs of the project include no allowance for incidentals. This is a giant red flag. Even if Alexander outsourced certain responsibilities to experts, the likelihood of error and unforeseen costs in bidding for a property, closing the sale, major construction and renovation, and managing a rental property is almost certain. So, without a contingency reserve, the problems are obvious. But even worse, Alexander, a nonspecialist in any of these pursuits, is the one handling a majority of these functions- this means it is no longer a question of will there be unforeseen costs, but actually how much should be anticipated? On this front alone I am incredibly skeptical of the proposal. To bring this project to fruition and realize the gains projected, the following processes need to occur without incident: Alexander’s bid must be accepted by the seller, which requires that he obtain an appropriate mortgage, and avoid forfeiting his deposit, which could be something to the tune of $17,500 or more. For the closing sale of the property to go smoothly, there mustn’t be any lien issues from the existing bank withholding loan proceeds to the architect, since the construction was not finished. After this, the construction needs to be essentially error free and at an expedited pace to be complete by the four month timeframe set- and this is without a professional general contractor. Additionally, the job must not exceed the $165,000 figure that was given by a non-independent contractor, who very likely may have given a low-ball estimate to seem like an attractive candidate. The last architect was off by $115,0001, indicating that the scope of the work necessary to complete the job may be deceptive and much greater than anticipated, however there is no reserve beyond budgeted amount, making this possibly the hardest mission to accomplish. If, however, the project is completed within the four allotted months, and without going over budget, the next phase is filling vacancies, which Alexander is also planning to have accomplished by the end of the fourth month. This means that during the construction process, Alexander must also be actively marketing vacancies, searching for, interviewing, and selecting tenants, and securing leases. These tenants must also be willing to accept the rental rates to achieve Alexander’s target level of rental income, which are almost $10,000 higher than the current owner’s figures. If this is not accomplished, he could be losing $2,000 per month on each unoccupied unit. Beyond these start-up efforts, Alexander’s plan will only be successful if the operating costs do not exceed what is specifically budgeted for in his cash flow assumptions- these do not include costs of fixing up the units between tenants, updates, reserves for evictions, bad tenants, or law suits, and any other unforeseeable expenses. Though possible, it is incredibly hard to imagine that the stars would align so perfectly that all the aforementioned conditions are met as forecasted and result in triumph. It seems much more likely that some unforeseen incident will paralyze the process, creating a rippling effect that throws off virtually all of Alexander’s predictions. For example, a delay in the closing process would delay construction, delaying when tenants can move in and therefore when income can start being generated, and so on. The plan is contingent upon virtually incident-free operation that is somehow achieved under the direction of an amateur- this is fundamentally flawed. As such, I believe Alexander’s proposal is far too deficient in and of itself to be used as a viable plan. Beyond the limitations of the actual plan, another shortcoming of pursuing this opportunity on Revere Street are the serious implications associated with Alexander’s â€Å"do-it-yourself† approach. By not outsourcing responsibilities to experts, he may be avoiding the explicit employment costs, but he is likely to pay more for doing the job himself later. For example, hiring a general contractor would ensure that the building is constructed to code, would be more efficient because the GC would know how to best handle subcontractors and manage the overall project, both of which would help expedite the process and give Alexander time to do other value-added functions. If not, Alexander risks serious code-violation liabilities, will probably manage less effectively, and the project could therefore take much longer than anticipated, which has the same rippling effect as in the aforementioned. Additionally, Alexander may have seriously underestimated how demanding the project will be, and did not consider anywhere in his proposal how this may compromise his current full time job. Even with a general contractor hired, he will still be tasked to find tenants to fill the vacancies, while juggling the rest of the logistics, and it seems like a tall order. Since it is already included in the budget, I would hire outside management at least for the duration of construction to help find tenants. One of the major issues being an amateur in this field is determining good tenants from bad, and the costs associated with bad tenants could be significant, and again are something that Alexander did not include in his projected costs. Management would be instrumental in mitigating this risk, as they are usually well versed in landlord-tenant laws that Alexander may not be aware of, and also add more time for Alexander to focus on other important responsibilities. In general, I disagree with Alexander’s plan to save costs by doing work himself, because this generates a greater risk for both explicit and implicit costs- i.e. bad landlord-tenant relationships could taint Alexander’s reputation and dissuade other potential tenants from renting. He also risks compromise to performance at his current job, general welfare, and all of his time. By outsourcing some of the responsibilities, many of these issues could be avoided. But, if problems do arise, is it worth the consequences? Though the risks are significant and abundant, the potential for profit is always worth considering before dismissing an opportunity. To assess the profitability of Alexander’s plan, I ran a best-case scenario analysis. By exclusively using the figures as set forth in the proposal, and excluding the additional costs I outlined above but were overlooked by Alexander, I determined the ceiling for profit potential. Exhibit 1 shows the cash flow assumptions, including costs and cash not included in Alexander’s cash flow statement, but included in his proposal. Holding all other factors constant, year 1 of operations would realize only $2,113 in NOI and year 2, and all subsequent years, would see $15,610. On a $99,000 cash investment, his pretax return in year 1 would only be 2.13%, and then 15.8% in subsequent years. However, this is a best-case scenario, and given the major caveats discussed in the aforementioned, I believe that Alexander will actually not break even in the first year, and be looking at a significantly lower rate of return in years to come. So, even if everything were entirely feasible and it didn’t come at such an immense risk, I would not say that the effort put into this project would even be worth it. One of the biggest risks concerning insolvency is that should Alexander not be able to cover his debts, under the bank’s law, he is personally responsible, which means that this investment could end up in devastation for him and his family. With so much uncertainty, and not a big return, the risk is just too great to justify pursuit of the reward. In sum, because of faults with the plan itself, the major implications of Alexander’s DIY approach, and a return greatly exceeded by the associated risks, Alexander should not invest in the Revere Street property. However, I do agree that pursuing a real estate investment opportunity is wise, but under certain conditions. One of the biggest conditions that must be met is that he base his projections and make his plans off of expert opinions- he should invest in help and recognize that as an amateur, he is neither qualified nor capable of making the best decisions, and would benefit from seeking expert advice. Similarly, he should place more emphasis on the value of outsourcing to professionals, and less on blind trust in his own capabilities. This will also help to see the inherent value in outsourcing as the opportunity cost of not doing so might eventually end up being greater. Lastly, Alexander should invest in a property where the reward   is worth the risk, and make more conservative estimates to determine profitability. By following these steps, I believe he will be able to successfully gain the experience and equity base in real estate that he was seeking.

Large corporations Essay

Intranets are private websites, connections, or channels, usually owned by large corporations. The look and the environment of Intranets are relatively the same as Internets – the only difference between them is the fact that Intranets built to be accessible only to a group of authorized individuals that belongs to a certain company. For an Intranet connection to work, the presence of at least two servers is required, and one of which is going to act as a web or a file server. The one, on the other hand, is supposed to work as an email server. The faster and more efficient the microprocessor these individual server has, the better will the Intranet performance is going to be. Of course, aside from the servers, individual computers that connect to the Intranet are also part of the whole setup. These client computers can be connected either physically to the server through the use of a network cable or wirelessly courtesy of wireless network cards (Koehler, 1998). The two servers involved are tasked to transmit files, folders, and web pages to all the computers connected to it through it. The whole setup is also made possible through the use of the server software installed in it. Depending on what is required, each of the two servers needs an operating system, such as Windows, Unix, or Linux, and a combination of different programming software like ASP, PHP, XML, Perl, and other similar applications. Client computers however, would just require a functional operating system and a compatible browser (Dasgupta, 2001). It is the software that basically allows Intranet to function. A regular Windows operating system such as Windows 2000 and Windows XP are capable of working as web and email servers after performing the necessary configuration. However, a lot of administrators prefer to use Windows 2000 Server or Novell instead of the ones stated above. Both Windows 2000 Server and Novell have the necessary software embedded in them so that the Intranet connection can perfectly pass through. Intranet data are transmitted through the use of protocols, sockets, ports, and IP addresses. Once the required sets of software are configured and the necessary hardware in place, then the Intranet connection successfully works. It does not stop there, however. In an inner office intranet setup, security is of utmost importance. Without security parameters, data becomes accessible to the public. The regular username-password dialogue box manifests a commonly practiced Intranet security method. But aside from that, firewalls can also serve as a good security measure because of its ability to block access from an unauthorized IP addresses and similar connection points. Encryption software can also be used, especially if sensitive data are involved, such as bank account numbers, credit cards, and similar financial information (Ashley, 1999). II. Hardware Any regular computer with a network card physically or remotely connected to the intranet can access the server. The more important hardware requirements in an inner office intranet setup therefore, are the web, file, and email servers. These servers should adequately provide high-speed access to the whole network, as they are the backbone of the Intranet system. An office system with more than a thousand employees need a file server with 4 Megahertz processor speed having at least 1 Gigabytes of memory installed. On the other hand, the hard disk it contains should be 10 gigabytes or above and ideally, should follow a redundant array configuration. Still considered as part of the hardware requirement is the server’s operating system and it is the platform from which the Intranet system will work. As stated previously, Microsoft Windows 2000 Server is an example of a functional operating system as it has Microsoft Internet Information Server pre-installed in it. Macintosh, Linux and Unix are also popular choices, although which platform to choose depends entirely on the developer’s expertise and the company’s resources. Intranet follows the basic idea of local area networking. As such, the use of physical network connections is required, either directly or wirelessly. Most companies use network cards, cables, hubs, switches and wireless routers to transmit data requests from the computer to the server and then back again. And for the server to understand which remote computer requested a particular data, the concept of IP addressing comes into play. IP address means Internet Protocol address and each computer in the network is assigned a unique number that falls within the server’s subnet. Computers don’t necessarily understand human language. Consequently, the data received from the remote computer has to be translated into a code that the main servers can understand. This is the main task of a protocol stack, which is another program built-in into a computer’s operating system. Protocol stacks are more commonly called as the TCP/IP protocol, and this is what most companies, large and small alike prefer to use. These data pass through ports. Ports are a special set of numbers present in the header of every data packet sent by the client and the server. Ports are used so that the data being transmitted are mapped properly and directly to the correct process or application as designated. Different applications use different ports. Files, web pages, and emails each pass through a unique port in a computer. This is main reason why it is possible to accept these three different type so data packets all at the same time (Dasgupta, 2001). Routers, on the other hand, are the devices that are tasked to know the exact location of the computer that the data is intended for. Routers can either be a software functioning inside the server, like in the case of proxies. But in many cases, a router is a hardware that contains a firmware that has the capacity to direct traffic within the network or sub-network. While routers know all the computers below them, they do not necessarily know the ones above them. The moment that a packet, or a piece of information, is received by the router from the server, it checks the IP address the data is for. When it finds its location, it will then send the data accordingly. Else, it would transfer the data to the next router in the network, which will do the exact same process until the computer with the matching IP address is found. After which, the computer receives the data and is translated in a human-understandable form so that it can be used by the employee who requested it (Dasgupta, 2001). III. Software After the physical layer is in place and is running, the next thing that the administrator has to do is to setup the server-side functions of inner office Intranet. Depending upon the requirements of the company, a web page-like interface can be installed, which usually come in the form of simple HTML software. But that can be enhanced if utilized along with different script builder programs such as Cold Fusion, CGI, and database applications like Oracle. AT this point, the concepts applied here are generally the same as that an Internet connection. Only in this case, the data is not made accessible to the public, but only to the authorized people belonging to the office network. Aside from hard-core coding software, there is also that need for a design or the so-called perfect interface. Design and interface falls under the wet ware requirement of an Intranet network, although this category is still considered part of the software requirements. The most common reason why companies choose to setup an Intranet connection is because they have that need to gather all their employees at a common point. For this reason alone, an Intranet’s design and presentation becomes important. Consequently, they should always go well within what the employees wants to see and hear every time they access the portal and what the management and the shareholders want to impart. And aside from a good web designer, a talented writer may also be required to create announcements, ads, slogans, and content for the inner office’s intranet site (Koehler, 1998). IV. Security The most important aspect of Intranet connection would be its security, for it is that which primarily makes the Intranet different from the Internet. In an Internet setup, people from across the globe can access the data provided they have a telephone line, a modem, and a decent connection speed. Whereas in an Intranet, only authorized people are allowed. Only those who have desks and computers provided by the company can possibly have access to Intranet. Furthermore, in an Intranet setup, employees are given a username and password and from there, they can be categorized according to their respective department. As a result, only people belonging to a particular department can access the resources allotted to them. For example, the finance department can only go through files related to accounting while the marketing department can only download, modify, and create files that relates to sales. Most of the time, those people who belong to the upper echelon are given total access across departments (Koehler, 1998). Aside from categorization, it is also important for an inner office intranet to use firewalls to further protect their network from unauthorized outside access. Some intranets allow external access from their employees, meaning these people have the ability to connect from outside the office by passing through a virtual private network. For such applications, intensive firewalls are needed to keep other people away from the company’s database and server. Most companies use Cisco router firewalls, which can be considered as hardware, while there are companies that settle for purely software-based firewalls similar but not totally alike, to what Norton, Symantec, and AVG creates. But most firewalls that large corporations use are highly customized – meaning a pool of expert programmers are commissioned to create them from scratch. Open ended and individualized firewalls like these are harder to penetrate unlike the pre-built ones. Basically, what firewalls do is to block the ports from which data passes through, especially if the request comes from an unauthorized source (Ashley, 1999). References Ashley, Paul. (1999). Practical Intranet Security: Overview of the State of the Art and Available Technologies. Massachusetts: Kulwer Academic Publishers. Dasgupta, Subhasish. (2001). Managing Internet and Intranet Technologies in Organizations: Challenges and Opportunities. Pennsylvania: Idea Group Publishing. Koehler, Jerry W. (1998). The Human Side of Intranets: Content, Style, & Politics. Florida: CRC Press LLC.

Important Dates in American History Essay

Mayflower Compact When the pilgrims first arrived to America, the Mayflower Compact, as it is known now, was created. This was the foundation for the Plymouth colonies. To establish colonies, they would first need to obtain a patent from the King of England. However, the need to maintain a society was of great importance, therefore, the Mayflower Compact was established as a social contract. It was signed by all 41 men on the Mayflower. Revolutionary war The revolutionary war is a story that surrounds America’s founding concept; freedom. America, from 1775 – 1783, fought a vicious battle against England. The English sought to control America; they did everything they could to weaken America, such as placing soldiers in their homes and expecting them to provide for him. Eventually, the war broke out. However, after a fierce battle, we were granted our freedom, and our forefathers tale and sacrifice is one that we acknowledge with pride. WWI World War I started as a spark and ended as an explosion like no other. After the assassination of Arch-duke Franz Ferdinand, Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria declared a strike against Serbia. However, sticking with the theme of American History, America did not enter the war until later when Germany began sinking American submarines. the U.S. Congress declared war on the sixth of April, 1917. The Great Depression On October of 1929, the stock market crashed, devastating 40% of the value of common stock. The stock market continued to fall until people lost their jobs and life-savings. During this period, Franklin Roosevelt took the lead as president and introduce the policy known as the ‘New Deal’. This policy created intuitive legislative ideas and helped production of goods and prices, however, this was not enough to end the depression. The WPA was created in order to provide jobs; 9 million people gained positions from this program, and later, the Social Security Act of 1935. Both the New Deal and WWII are ideas of how the Great Depression came to a halt. McCarthyism McCarthyism is a shameful period of American History. A fear of the spread of communism led to blackmail. During the 1940’s, McCarthy, a senator, claimed to know the names of over 200 card-carrying communist in the U.S.. This began a hunt for infiltrators. Writers were often named communist sympathizers and were often unable to continue working. However, in more serious cases, some were jailed for refusing to give the names of communists. The media could not stand-up to McCarthy in fear that they, like three-hundred others, would be blacklisted. Resources: Plymouth.org – Mayflower Compact CIA.gov – Revolutionary War PBS.org – WWI Historylearningsite.co.uk – America and WWI