Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Marketing Employability Portofolio Personal Statement

Marketing Employability Portofolio - Personal Statement Example As emphasized on one of the business courses I am currently taking, I need to think strategically in order to ensure the achievement my specific goals and objectives. Thus, I have already set my vision which is to pursue a rewarding career and maximize my full potential. In light with this, my specific objective is to gain a position in the insurance industry which is equally challenging and fulfilling. The employability assessment enabled me to craft the specific strategy required in the attainment of my objectives. I need to accept my ignorance and misconceptions about the UK and international job market. Undertaking the first and third tasks of the assessment revealed these to me. I have also learned that the situation of the UK economy which is slowly integrated with the international market through globalization has a direct impact on the attractiveness and prospects of the labor market. Thus, I need to be imbued with a thorough understanding of the current issues, trends, and development in order to equip myself with the challenges posted by the larger environment. Noting the changes in the business arena, I also enhanc... For example, my position in Laiki Insurance Office has instilled in me customer orientation skills, teamwork, and better communication. The employability tasks enable me to better know myself by revealing my current skills and the ones which I need to improve on. Currently, I am commercially aware, flexible, adept in numerical analysis, has established a professional image, able to listen, attuned to customer needs, and has basic IT skills. Though these skills are primary in gaining a good position in the job market, I also recognize that I also need to be imbued with more especially that the current labor market and employers require their employees not only to specialize in a field but build my strengths and to become multi-tasking. Thus, I am highly motivated to develop various skills including leadership, analysis, research, written communication, planning and organizing, and oral communication. I have committed myself in taking action as soon as possible and be able to acquire the aforementioned skills before the year ends. I also recognize that the best way for me to develop these capabilities is by exposing m yself to situations where these skills are needed. I also plan to write a daily journal where I keep track of my development each day. This way, I will not lose my passion in striving for excellence. One of the most exciting tasks in the employability assessment is the hands-on experience on finding job vacancies, making the appropriate resume, preparing an accompanying covering letter, and getting ready for the interview. I have learned that this is not as easy as it seems and needs a thorough planning ahead of time. These tasks teach me the importance of

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Findings on marketing for Maxis

Findings on marketing for Maxis The objectives of this report is to present the findings of the strategic analysis conducted for Maxis company and recommend the key strategies that the organisation should embark in order to remain competitive. This report is also to allow us, Management of Strategy students to apply the fundamental concepts and skills of strategic management to a real-life scenario in order to get a better understanding. This practical approach of learning would allow us to gain better understanding compared to theoretical way of learning. Other than that, this assignment gave us the opportunity to demonstrate competency in both written and oral communication skills in formal business settings. Lastly, it helps us to gain more knowledge in create and integrate business knowledge, decision making, interpersonal, leadership and entrepreneurial skills in proposing strategies and evaluating them. This assignment is a really great opportunity for us to know more about outside world which is not in books . Scope This report shall cover the operations of Maxis company in Malaysia. In this report, all the significant information required for business and competitor analysis are included. It also contains the study of analysing an organisation, its industry, its closest competitors (immediate, impending, invisible) before devising several strategies for it to pursue, selecting the most appropriate strategy and outlining recommendations for its implementation in a formal business report which will also involve a formal business presentation at completion of these tasks. Limitations The limitations of this report are the short duration for the assignment to be completed. The short duration of this assignment did not permit us the time to conduct an interview with Maxis for more accurate information. However, we find information based on valid sources through online. Some information may be outdated with the current company situation so our knowledge of the current situation would not be as accurate as first-hand information. 2.0 Background to the organization Maxis Berhad, with its consolidated subsidiaries is the leading mobile communications service provider in Malaysia with over 11.4 million subscribers starting from 30 June 2009.  [1]  It is established in year 1993 and has been publicly listed in year 2002. The company started its operation in the year 1995. 012, 017 and 0142 dialing prefix is normally identified as Maxis dialing prefix.  [2]  The company mobile services are provided over different Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) such as 900 1800 MHz GSM band. As of July 2005, the 2100 MHz Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) band was used by Maxis. Other than that, Maxis is also the pioneered in the Malaysian market in delivering innovative mobile products and services. In July 2005, Maxis was the first to launch 3G services in Malaysia. In September 2006, Maxis became one of the worlds first to use High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), a high-speed enhanced version of its 3G network, to provide wireless broadband services. The 3G services coverage is up to 740 sites across Malaysia and still expanding now. The 3G services of Maxis enable the users to enjoy the internet access throughout Malaysia. Maxis was also the first operator to bring in and sell the Blackberry and Apple iPhone smart phones to Malaysia. Maxis was also the first to unveiled near field communications (NFC) service in Malaysia. Maxis vision is to bring advanced communications services to enhance its customers lives and businesses, in a way that is simple and personalised, by efficiently and creatively harnessing leading edge technology, and delivering a brand of service experience that is reliable and enchanting.  [3]   3.0 Situation Analysis Situation analysis is a systematic collection and evaluation of past and present economical, political, social, and technological data. It is aimed at the identification of internal and external forces that may influence the organizations performance and choice of strategies, and the assessment of the organizations current and future strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.  [4]   3.1 General environment analysis General environment analysis includes factors such as demographic, economic, political/legal, sociocultural, technological, global and physical environment that generally affect everyone in an industry or market in a similar manner. 3.1.1 Demographic Maxis invested RM1.24 billion to upgrade and modernize their 3G network in year 2009 in order to increase the population coverage from 50% to 57%, which represents the single largest yearly deployment in Maxis history. In the first quater of 2010, Maxis mobile internet users grew from 1.2 million to 6.4 million which is a large increase in customers accessing the internet from their mobiles. The statistics showed that more than 50% of the Malaysias population is under the age of 25 years old, a sizeable number of whom enter the phone owning category each year. It is because the youth segments are now the largest and fastest growing segment. Maxis is a leading regional content player with 39.2% of non-voice revenue as part of mobile revenue and 7.1 million active mobile internet users, more than 50% of its customer base. As a result, Maxis became the most attractive in high-growth, low-penetration markets and diversifying the market base as well. http://i.pictr.com/rjw9vg6zsl.jpg http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRWQfeG7nn0fvz1I_YW6VQ53_r0iiRNNeY66EGgX0euoeEMUbQ-TA 3.1.2 Economic In year 2010, Malaysias economy was expected to grow. This improved outlook is expected to stimulate consumer and business spending for telecommunication services. Malaysias determine to achieve a broadband household penetration rate of 50% by 2010 for Maxis growth in the immediate future. The Malaysian telecommunications industry remains flexible even though the challenging global economic climate. In 2009, the overall growth of the mobile industry was satisfactory and the mobile subscriber penetration crossed 100%. The basic salary of the Maxis employees are fixed for the duration of contract. It can be reviewed into account the individual performance, the inflation price index, and information from independent sources on the rates of salary for similar positions in other comparable companies. Maxis is returning to list on Bursa Malaysia in November or December and its draft prospectus is posted on the Securities Commission website. Maxis was taken private in 2007 and de-listed from Bursa the same year. In a challenging global economic climate in year 2009, Maxis delivered another strong year. http://biz.thestar.com.my/archives/2009/11/20/business/p1-maxischt.JPG 3.1.3 Political/ Legal The government had chosen Telekom Malaysia Bhd (TM) and Maxis Broadband Shd Bhd (Maxis) at 14th December 2010 to sign a landmark of 10 years agreement for TM to undertake the High Speed Broadband (HSBB) services to Maxis. As we know that, this project was able to offer more quality broadband services. Malaysia government limits the level of playing field for foreign players in the industry. The countrys major telecom players, Maxis and Celcom won the bid together with subsidiary of Time Dot Com and MiTV Corp for the 3G license. However, DiGi was not awarded a 3G license as it has a high foreign ownership. The Maxis website contents are owned or controlled for the purposes by Maxis or its content suppliers and are protected by copyright, trademarks and other laws. The compilation of all content on the website and the service are the exclusive property of Maxis or its content supplier and protected by copyright. Maxis also has a strict condition to avoid broadband user abuse, that is why Maxis specify that every customer must be at least 18 years old to be a Maxis customer. Sub-users under this age must have authorization from the account owner to access the Maxis Broadband service. Before using the Maxis Broadband service, the person must obtain permission from the registered customer. Customers also must not attempt to gain unauthorized access to any computer system. 3.1.4 Sociocultural Maxis provides guidelines for the manner in which all employees should conduct themselves at the work place, while performing their daily duties for Maxis and as a Maxis employee in order to provide better services to customers. Key factors of this growth included the availability of more advanced smartphone models in Malaysia and the strong growth of social networking. Maxis was the first to offer the popular iPhone to Malaysians, achieving annual targets, and it continued to boost the sale of BlackBerry phones. Maxis has Business Value Plus Plans for business people. Business Value Plus Plans have many ways to help save money when calling. Data Plans exclusive to iPad for iPad users to enjoy online entertainment with a much lower price. Maxis prepaid Hotlink come out with a new plan which is much cheaper than other competitors. Maxis focused on minimizing carbon footprint to care for the environment. As such, Maxis partners with Malaysia Airline Systems to reduce the impact to the environment, as well as an in-house recycling campaign. At their work place, efforts are taken to reduce wastage and disposal, reuse existing resources and recycle fully exhausted materials. 3.1.5 Technological Malaysia is set to get a HSBB internet support allowing fast internet access by utilizing fiber optic technology to transfer data. It will allow network operators to take part in and compete with each other in this new network. TM had already commissioned foreign major vendors to lead the project. RM11.3bil national HSBB project is a partnership between TM and our government to expand next-generation, high-speed broadband infrastructure and services for the country. As we know that, HSBB offers bandwidth at network speeds of 10Mbps and above, through fixed line only, as compared to regular broadband services which are delivered at network speeds ranging from 384Kbps to less than 10Mbps through fixed line which also known as DSL and wireless mode, such as 3G, HSDPA, WiMAX and WiFi. Maxis commercially launched the first-in-the-world contactless integrated mobile payment services that utilizes Near Field Communication technology, with partners Nokia, Visa, Maybank and Touch n Go to pay for purchases and transportation charges using mobile phones in year 9 April 2009. 3.1.6 Global Maxis brings excellent coverage in almost every corner of the country and their services are rapidly expanding. In addition to voice, GPRS and EDGE coverage, Maxis also offer Maxis 3G in Penang, Langkawi, Alor Setar, Kuantan, Genting, Klang Valley, Johor Bahru, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Kota Bahru, Ipoh, Malacca and Kuala Terengganu. In India, Global Communication Services Holdings (GCSHL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Malaysian telco, Maxis Communications Berhad, has applied to the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) to increase its direct and indirect shareholding in Aircel from 26 percent to 73.9 percent. In year 2009, Maxis and the Western Union Company announce to launch of mobile money transfer service In Malaysia. It allows 11 million Maxis subscribers and 1.9 million foreign workers in Malaysia to send cross-border remittances directly from their mobile phones. 3.1.7 Physical environment The issues that Maxis concern is effective and efficient services, operating hours, and user-friendly facilities in order to improve the values the company can provide to its customers. Maxiss main challenge today is adapting well to a fast changing and often hostile environment of telecommunication industry. Things change very fast until the company is unable to cope with the rapid pace. As a result Maxis shifts at the top management team in order to tackle the changing business environment and global competition. As we all know that, the changes in Maxis is because of trying to deal with shifting market environment and to shift to the updated telecommunication technology, 3G. With the increasing demand for IT to achieve and support corporate objectives, IT department of Maxis must manage with a continuous barrage of changes such as changes in product requirements, technology, development processes, and deployment environments. As a result Maxis deliver newer technology assets and applications to their current customers and attract new customer base through proactive management of change. 3.2 Industry conditions (Porters Five Forces Analysis) Five forces which would impact an organizations behaviour in the market. Understanding the nature of these forces provides organizations the required insights to enable them to formulate the appropriate strategies to be successful in their market (Thurlby, 1998). 3.2.1 Threat of new entrants (high entry barriers) High capital investment for competitor entry into telecommunication industry. Companies in this industry incurred high fixed costs and spend fairly large amount of capital on network equipment and maintain development. Besides, technologies are also considered as barriers for new companies to enter the market. Maxiss reputation has been built around their superior customer service and quality network. Due to high expectations and standards that come with the Maxis brand it is not without reason that customers are more demanding of Maxis. As a result, Maxis always think that their business on being the customers first choice. Capital requirement usually build up a firm which is the high capability to compete in the industry. However, telecommunication is a high competitive industry in order to gain large market share. Therefore, new entrants have to ensure that they have ample financial resource to sustain in this industry. 3.2.2 Bargaining power of suppliers (high bargaining power of suppliers) Telecommunications industry in Malaysia is dependent on imports for the majority of its network components as most of the network equipment cannot be sourced locally. Maxis networks utilize standard equipment which is available from a limited number of suppliers. Most of the GSM equipment for Maxis mobile network operations is purchased from Motorola, Siemens and Trisilco Folec, and Maxis maintains close working relationships with its key network equipment suppliers. Since the suppliers of Maxis are limited, hence Maxis suppliers are powerful when the product they provide are differentiated or it has built up by switching cost. When there is occasional requirement by the buyers such as high investment in submarine fiber optic cable, and replace the copper cable and old satellite dishes that may provide reliable broadband connectivity. Maxis have high competitive environment causes existing entrants need to invest in high modernization technologies to enable the company to support and compete in this industry. Therefore, it is important for service providers to make sure the quality of the technology equipment. This makes the supplier group become more powerful. 3.2.3 Bargaining power of buyers (low bargaining power of buyers) In the era of globalization, advance of technology could increase the bargaining power of buyer, high available of information make it easier for buyer to evaluate sources of materials about telecommunication. There are many alternatives product such as fax, email, and internet which enhance the bargaining power of buyer to the mobile service provider. For the moment, high level of competition between the major telecommunication companies that exists in current market leads to low switching cost for the buyer to change their mobile service provider. Customers are highly price sensitive and easy to switch brand. It also means that customer will not be faithful to Maxis if they find out other brand provides better services than Maxis so they will change brand. As a result, this contributes to concentration of the buyers industry. Besides this, the buyers have high switching cost in this industry. As a result, the industry is more profitable when the buyers have low bargaining power which means the buyers are unable to affect the setting of prices in the industry. Maxis has came out with many Business Value Plus Plans for business people. It has so many methods to help save money when talking on the phone. Maxis wants to make sure that their customers can enjoy using Maxis services with a much lower price than other competitors. 3.2.4 Threat of substitute product (high threats of substitute) Maxis have many substitutes in the mobile industry. For instance, from traditional way which are using the letter, fixed home line telephone, fax and email to communication with other people till currently mostly everyone using broadband Internet services, which enable faster and always-on connection to the worldwide web, offer more promising growth potential. Furthermore, the pressure on the very low cost to use the phone calling via internet or communicate via online messenger had threatened the mobile industry. For example, nowadays many people use MSN, Facebook, and Skype to communicate rather than use their mobile. Threat of substitute product also will directly affect the profitability of Maxis. Substitute product is the product or services in other industries that is different from the existing product or services but serves the similar needs. Hence, threat of substitutes exists when a products demand is affected by the price change of a substitute product. This threat is supposed to be a strong point for Maxis because these substitute products such as letter or e-mail are unable to fulfill or completely replace the mobile services. 3.2.5 Intensity of rivalry among competitors (low intensity of rivalry) Telecommunication industry consists of only several mobile operators such as TM, Maxis, Digi, Celcom, Umobile and so on due to the entry restriction that imposed by the government. Profitability of the industry also affected greatly by the intensity of competition among existing competitors in the industry. Therefore, rivalry among competitors telecommunication industry in Malaysia is oligopoly structure nowadays and the level of competition in this particular industry is believed that to be low one. Maxis have two main competitors, they are Digi and Celcom. Cannot be denied that, Maxis lead the telecommunication industry. They largely compete on differentiate product and services on how to improve their features and implementing innovation to the customers. In addition, Maxis will definitely compete on the call rates, package price and so on with other two main competitors. Hence, Maxis try to gain competitive advantage through low call rate and price such as Youth Club. As we all know that Maxis, Digi and Celcom invested a lump sum of the money on advertising to promote their products and to attract more customers choose them. Summary of environmental scanning Basically, environmental scanning is about the careful examining of a firms internal and external environment for spotting early signs of opportunities and threats that may influence an organisations decision making process and its current and future plans. In the case of Maxis, they can spread and even penetrate into new market or other countries. Too much dependence on Malaysia as their main market is not enough in order to compete with its close competitors. Thus, Maxis can somehow implement its weakness into opportunities that might bring them into a new future plan. Plans such as adjustments to interconnect rates and ways to overcome the threats from its competitors are soon to be implemented. In the sense of customer care, lots of threats such as worms, Trojans, spyware and so forth would harm the special rights of customers as a Maxis user. Thus, Maxis requires certain software and devices so as to protect their customers from being tracked or harmed by unnecessary parties. Experts who can trace hackers or protect customers from being hacked are encouraged to stay in the management team in order to help overcome this threat. Although Maxis is the first telecommunication company to launch iPhone, the recent launch of Digis iPhone had posed further pressure on Maxis. In order to retain and attract more customers, Maxis would have to execute a better package with affordable rates for its users. Customer services must be improved to cater most of its customers needs. Also, they must keep upgrading their features or functions of its technological devices so as to lure more people in purchasing their products. It is normal to see some aggressive broadband promotions by wireless competitors. Therefore, Maxis must stand out as being more important than the rest to win over this challenging game. In addition to promotions, some other marketing strategies like collaboration with big companies in organizing an event, sponsorship from government agencies and what not can be carried out in order to gain good image from the public as a whole. 3.3 Description of key stakeholders Key Stakeholders are a subset of Stakeholders who, if their support were to be withdrawn, would cause the project to fail.  [5]   3.3.1 Capital Market Stakeholders Major suppliers of capital (e.g: banks) Shareholders Individuals, Bank/Finance Companies, Investment Trusts/Foundations/Charities, Other types of companies, Government Agencies/Institutions/Nominees In the company (Directors Interest in Shares) (Maxis Berhad Annual Report 2009, 2009) -Raja Tan Sri Dato Seri Arshad bin Raja Tun Uda -Robert William Boyle -Dato Mokhzani bin Mahathir -Asgari bin Mohd Fuad Stephens -Eng. Saud Majed A. AlDaweesh -Dr. Fahad Hussain S. Mushayt -Ghassan Hasbani -Augustus Ralph Marshall -Chan Chee Beng -Sandip Das 30 Largest Shareholders (Maxis Berhad Annual Report 2009, 2009) 1. Maxis Communications Berhad 2. Kumpulan Wang Persaraan (Diperbadankan) 3. Employees Provident Fund Board 4. Amanahraya Trustees Berhad Skim Amanah Saham Bumiputera 5. HSBC Nominees (Asing) Sdn Bhd Exempt AN For JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association (U.S.A) 6. Amanahraya Trustees Berhad Amanah Saham Wawasan 2020 7. Amanahraya Trustees Berhad Amanah Saham Malaysia 8. Citigroup Nominees (Tempatan) Sdn Bhd Exempt AN For Prudential Fund Management Berhad 9. Amanahraya Trustees Berhad Amanah Saham Didik 10. HSBC Nominees (Asing) Sdn Bhd Exempt AN For J.P. Morgan Bank Luxembourg S.A 11. HSBC Nominees (Asing) Sdn Bhd Exempt AN For The Bank Of New York Mellon (Mellon Acct) 12. Malaysia Nominees (Tempatan) Sendirian Berhad Great Eastern Life Assurance (Malaysia) Berhad (Par 1) 13. Permodalan Nasional Berhad 14. HSBC Nominees (Asing) Sdn Bhd BBH And Co Boston For Vanguard Emerging Markets Stock Index Fund 15. Valuecap Sdn Bhd 16. Amanahraya Trustees Berhad A s 1Malaysia 17. HSBC Nominees (Asing) Sdn Bhd Exempt AN For JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association (U.A.E) 18. Amanahraya Trustees Berhad Public Islamic Dividend Fund 19. HSBC Nominees (Asing) Sdn Bhd TNTC For Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency 20. Citigroup Nominees (Tempatan) Sdn Bhd Exempt AN For American International Assurance Berhad 21. DB (Malaysia) Nominee (Tempatan) Sendirian Berhad Exempt AN For Deutsche Trustees Malaysia Berhad (MYET F-DJIM25) 22. HSBC Nominees (Tempatan) Sdn Bhd Nomura Asset Mgmt Malaysia For Malaysia For Employees Provident Fund 23. HSBC Nominees (Asing) Sdn Bhd TNTC For Mondrian Emerging Markets Equity Fund L.P 24. Cartaban Nominees (Asing) Sdn Bhd State Street For IS hares, Inc. 25. Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera 26. SBB Nominees (Tempatan) Sdn Bhd Kumpulan Wang Persaraan (Diperbadankan) 27. CIMSEC Nominees (Tempatan) Sdn Bhd CIMB For Gegas Cekap Sdn Bhd (PB) 28. CIMSEC Nominees (Tempatan) Sdn Bhd CIMB For Tiara Gateway Sdn. Bhd. (PB) 29. Amanahraya Trustees Berhad Public Islamic Equity Fund 30. Citigroup Nominees (Tempatan) Sdn Bhd ING Insurance Berhad (INV -IL PAR ) 3.3.2 Product Market Stakeholders Primary customers All users which subscribe Maxis line (either prepaid, postpaid or 3G) or buy the products such as Mobile Internet, Iphone, Blackberry, Android, Wireless and Wired broadband from Maxis. Primary customers for Maxis IP VPN (IP VPN, 2010) Customers Name Van Wijnen Groep N.V. Solvay Group Industry Construction Pharmaceuticals, chemicals, plastics Business Challenge Develop employee and customer satisfaction by establishing an ERP system and enhancing information flows through an improved private network. Facilitate business restructuring and support innovation. Network Solution Versatels IP VPN service is based on a Cisco MPLS network to provide a data solution that is managed end to end and gives excellent capabilities for supporting ERP. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ BT Infonets IP VPN service is brought over an MPLS network built end to end with Cisco equipment and possesses a Cisco Powered Network designation. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The service sustains Solvays global ERP and intranet developments. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The managed network offers a flexible and protected foundation for new services, such as voice and video over IP. Suppliers (Authorised Distributors, 2010) ZyXEL Communications Corporation (M) Sdn Bhd ZyXEL, founded in 1989 in Hsinchu, Taiwan, is a pioneer manufacturer and supplier of DSL Customer Premise Equipment. ZyXEL is now worlds largest DSL router vendor and Europes second largest router supplier. In addition to its innovative products and solutions, ZyXEL has strong relationships with worldwide COE vendors such as Alcatel, Lucent and Nokia; ILECs such as Verizon and Chunghwa Telecom; international carriers such as France Telecom, Deutsche Telekom, and Telefonica; ISPs such as EarthLink, Worldonline, Hinet, Seednet, Maxis and many others. Working closely with these and other partners, ZyXEL is committed to helping businesses succeed in the booming broadband market by providing them with value-added service and outstanding performance solutions at the most competitive price. Advanced Broadband Communications Sdn Bhd Advanced Broadband Communications Sdn Bhd is a newly formed company incorporated in April 2001. The company is a private joint venture, high-tech based company between Advanced Broadband Communication Sdn Bhd and Prestige Sierra Sdn Bhd. The company is 100% locally owned to provide total telecommunication solutions and services for both conventional IP Systems. The new technology that bridges conventional Circuit Switch communication to Internet Protocol (IP) communication. All IP-based solutions and services that will be developed and deployed by the company are targeted at business and personal users at all levels. Host communions Unions 3.3.3 Organizational Stakeholders Employees All employees who work under Maxis Managers (Malaysia Equity Research PP, 2010) Name Positions Sandip Das Chief Executive Officer Jean Pascal Emmanuel Dominique Van Overbeke Chief Operating Office Rossana Annizah binti Ahmad Rashid Chief Financial Officer Mark Guy Dioguardi Head of Network and Technology Stephen John Mead General Counsel Mohamed Fitri bin Abdullah Head of Enterprise Carrier Business Matthew Charles Willsher Chief Marketing Officer Azmi bin Ujang Head of Human Resources Chow Chee Yan Head of Internal Audit Chua Seok Theng Chief Information Officer Non-managers 3.4 SWOT analysis based on stakeholder groups 3.4.1 Capital Market Stakeholders Strengths Strong and competitive regional player. Association with MEASAT Satellite System. Weaknesses Depends too much on Malaysia as their main market. Opportunities Potential for triple play if tie-up with content provider/broadcaster, e.g. Astro. Association with Microsoft. Broadband market in Malaysia is growing. Wireless market in Asia Pacific has experienced a rapid growth. Threats Modifications to interconnect rates may pressure Maxis earnings as the company is a net receiver of calls. Regulatory framework. Mobile number portability in Malaysia. Intense competition from other telecommunication companies. 3.4.2 Product Market Stakeholders Strengths Premium branding and customer care persist to attract and retain subscribers. This is further followed by long term iPhone plans. Much broader 3G/3.5G coverage than Digi and similar coverage as Celcom. Largest subscriber base in Malaysia with c. 39% share. Largest postpaid subscriber base of c. 43% is vital to future market trend towards more postpaid subscribers. Its transparency and ability to deliver performance. Good loyalty programmes and perhaps the best family plan in Malaysia in our view. Weaknesses Maxis does not offer triple play of mobile, broadband and pay TV. Opportunities 32% of the Malaysian population is under 15 years old, which is a main target for broadband services over the next 15 years. New mobile devices, e.g. iPhone (4G) and recently launched iPad drive demand for broadband services. Under-served broadband population provides great growth opportunities. Selective enterprise opportunities as Maxis build backhaul capacity mainly for wireless broadband, thus it can target some lucrative enterprise businesses by using the same backhaul network. Threa

Friday, October 25, 2019

World War One and The Middle East Essay -- International Conflict

Introduction Over the course of human history, wars have always created, destroyed or enveloped nations, states or empires. Examples of these include the Final War of the Roman Republic, which culminated with the Battle of Actium in 31 BCE, to the Franco-Prussian War of 1871 which created a unified German state. However, World War One is known to have had the greatest impact on human civilization. It dragged in almost every continent into the conflict, halted global trade, led to the demolition of four empires, and gave nationalism everywhere a boost. One interesting factor about the First World War is the extent to which it had a tremendous impact on the Middle East. Many westerners today would only remember it by reading Erich Maria Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front or attending an Armistice Day parade in Central London. Most would not even contemplate the fact that World War One had everything to do with the current events in the Middle East today such as the so-called Arab Spring, the Palestinian conflict, et cetera. With all being said, the argument presented is that even though the First World War was important in shaping the destiny of the modern Middle East, the long term unintended results were definitely more important. In addition, the war was mainly a catalyst for the continuation of defensive developmentalism in the Middle East. Now emphasis must be laid why World War One affected the Middle East. Narrative On the 28th of June 1914, a Serbian nationalist assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo. An interesting question must be asked about why the assassination of the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne has anything to do with the future of the Middle East. Ansary notes that the war seemed ... ... to wield an iron fist ranging from Mustafa Kemal to Hosni Mubarak to various monarchs that rule the numerous kingdoms around the in and around the Arabian Peninsula in order to exact development. The defensive developmentalists of the nineteenth century were secular leaders just as the various Middle Eastern leaders are today. In acknowledging its significance, there is no doubt that the First World War did have a tremendous impact on the Middle East but it must be said that the string of problems that exists there today started prior to the war and the war itself served as a catalyst for stronger nationalism and defensive developmentalism. Works Cited Ansary, Tamim. Destiny Disrupted: A History of the World through Islamic Eyes. New York: PublicAffairs, 2009. Gelvin, James L. The Modern Middle East: A History. New York: Oxford University Press, 2011.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Advantages and Disadvantages of Moving Files

Although you can store files on off-site servers or use local file transfer protocol to send files, there are several advantages to using email attachments to share files with contacts. Email attachments do not work In every situation, but If you are sending small files (Like pictures,documents or short audio files), there are several reasons why sending email attachments Is advantageous. Ease of use Attaching a file to an email message is a very simple process. All you need to do is enter the recipient's email address, compose a short message, and then press the â€Å"attach† button.Then select the file from your computer and press â€Å"K. † If the file is large, you may have to wait a few seconds for the file to finish uploading. Then press the â€Å"send† button, and the file will be on its way to its recipient. This process is much simpler than using a complex FTP or off-site server, as it does not require you (or the recipient) to sign up for any services o r share links to sites that may or may not be compatible with the recipient's browser or operating system. However, email attachments are compatible with any system, as long as the recipient has the program necessary to open It.Convenience * Email attachments are also a very convenient solution for transferring small files. While FTP services often require two users to be on the same time, email attachments can be opened anytime, since they are independently stored in the email inbox. Email attachments can also be stored indefinitely and do not have an â€Å"expiration† date, like files stored on an off-site server file uploading service. Security * Most web-based email accounts as well as well as email handling programs have anti-virus software that will scan your attachment for viruses both before it is sent ND after it is received.This will ensure that the files you send are safe and not contaminated with viruses or other malicious software. The security aspect of sending email attachments will also give your recipient(s) piece of mind about downloading your files. DISADVANTAGES: I nerve are many reasons to Aviva Senegal or rearing many Kolas AT attachments sent via email. Lets start with the disadvantages of one particular type of attachment: a Microsoft Word document. It is usually preferable to send plain text in the body of the message or HTML rather than a Word file.See below for how to do that. The sender may be unwittingly revealing confidential information. Many versions of Word have a habit of revealing details about your computer and saving deleted text in a way that the recipient can uncover (e. G. Law firms have ended up revealing damaging information). * Word files can transmit viruses, so they should only be opened if you are expecting the message. * Many people do not have any software they can use to read Word files, and it is often more of a hassle to read a Word file for those that do have such software.Many people avoid the use of Word and other Microsoft rodents because Microsoft has been convicted of illegal anti-competitive behavior and has a bad record on security. * Word files are slow to send and waste space. A typical one page document can be ten times bigger and slower in Word than in web format (HTML) or plain text. Many people have a limited amount of space in their mailboxes. There are some â€Å"free† programs which allow people using some operating systems under many circumstances with many modern computers to read many Word documents.But some other people cannot use these programs even if they wanted to, and it is the clear goal and practice of Microsoft to continue to modify Word and its other programs so that all attempt to be compatible with them will fail. Remember – Microsoft has been convicted in court of Just this sort of monopolistic behavior, and it was sustained upon appeal. Sharing Files Attaching a file to email is a common and familiar way of sharing a file with others , but email was never designed as a way to transfer files. In fact today's large files can overwhelm a mail server.Fortunately there are many other ways to share files, most of them Just as easy as sending an attachment. Most of them offer other advantages over email as well. Different Ways to Share Files The â€Å"right† way to share a file will depend on the situation, so it is a good idea to know your options. A few relevant questions are: * Are all the people who need to see the file SC members? * Is it important that other people not see the file? * How often will you be sharing files with these people? * Do they need to make changes and then share them with you? * What kind of Internet connection, software, etc. O your intended recipients have? Public Network Space All files on the Y: drive are accessible to any SC member, so one quick way to share files is to put them on the Y: drive. Just make yourself a folder (give it your name so it's easy to tell who it belongs to ), put the files in it, and tell the others where they can get it. Advantages of this method: * It's very quick and easy. * Winston allows SC members to log in remotely and access the Y: drive. Disadvantages of this method: * Any SC member can view files on the Y: drive, and in theory they could delete or modify them. Files on Y: are automatically deleted after 30 days. Only s c memoirs can access ten Y: Arleen. * Remote users must be able to log in to the SC network to view the file. Shared Network Space Linux and Windows have the ability to define groups which can share files on the network. A group can have a central location where shared files are stored–here at the SC we call these project directories. Windows project directories are stored on the X: drive, while Linux project directories are stored under [project, available from Windows as the V: drive.If you need to repeatedly share files with the same people, setting up a group is a very easy way to do it. If you need to have a group created or would like a shared directory for your group, please contact the Help Desk. Advantages of this method: You control who can view the file (by specifying who is in your group). * They can change the file and easily make the changes available to you. * The file is backed up regularly. * Winston allows SC members to log in remotely so they can access shared files. * Only SC members can be part off group on our network. Remote users must be able to log in to the SC network to view the file. * You will need to contact the Help Desk to have people added to or removed from your group. The Web You can make any file available on the Sac's web server. All SC users can set up a web site, and it's not as difficult as it may sound. Take a look at Publishing a Web Site on the Sac's Web Server. If the file should not be available to the general public it is possible to password-protect a web page so that only people with a user name and password you provide can view it.P lease see Limiting Access to a Web Page for instruction on setting it up. You can put the file on the web server as is, or in some cases (a Word document for example) you can convert it to an actual web page so no software is needed to view it other than a web browser. Advantages of this method: * The file is available to anyone with Internet access, regardless of location or SC affiliation. * If you password protect the file, you control who can view it by giving them the user name and password. * If you convert the file too web page, the recipient does not need to have the same software you do in order to view it. Unless you password protect the file anyone can access it. * Web passwords are sent in plain text and there is a small chance someone could intercept it–this method is not secure enough for sensitive data. * Users cannot change the file and make the changes available to you. CD The SC has CD burners available in 2470, 3218, and 4218 Social Science. If you deed to share a large file or a large number of files, you can burn them onto a CD and then distribute the files by distributing the CD, by mail if necessary. This is also an excellent way to take files with you when you change locations.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

The Waiting Girl

The image that I have chosen to research is The waiting Girl by Loretta Lux. The image was published in 2006 in Germany. The image is about time and timelessness, the girl and the cat are frozen in time waiting for eternity. The little girl is simply waiting for nothing it is like what ever gets thrown at her next will be her opportunity. The waiting girl is one of Loretta’s best works; it is also one of her most famous work. Stated by Loretta â€Å"I started with the idea of a girl sitting on the sofa waiting for nothing in particular and the cat came into the idea later. I love cats and I had to try and incorporate cats into my images for a long time but never worked but this time worked extremely well†. The image shows a little girl sitting on a chair and a cat laying next to her. This image shows the innocence of the little girl with her legs crossed, her hair in two buns, and her clothing so pail and vintage. You will not see many young girls dressed like this today. The chair is the first thing that is noticed in the image it is the colour red being bright and red the meaning of love, waiting for something to happen and for her life to carry on and a child’s life should. The colour’s used in this photograph are pail and as known now vintage colour’s. The girl, cat, wall and floor are all mostly in the same tones and blend in with each other this which then makes the chair center of attention and is the most appealing aspect to the eye. Above the lounge there is a bow, which also shows the innocence of the little girl and her childhood. The meaning of each colour relates back to this image: Red the colour of fire and blood, energy, danger, strength, power, passion, desire, and love. Beige the colour of warmth. Brown the colour of stability, reliability, approachability, natural and organic. White is the colour of purity. The texture of this image looks smooth but the lounge is rough and so is the floor, this gives the image an effect of time, meaning that the chair and floor have now changed over time we now have smooth floors e. g- carpet and tiles, and the lounges today are now soft and made out of soft fabrics and leather. The image does not represent a historical time although we could say it does, the vintage colours, the innocence of the little girl, the lounge which we do not see often at all these days. Though the look if the image is of a very heritage era. Size is a factor in the image the by the size of the lounge compared to the girl and the cat. The girl is of a very small proportion of the image where space overrides the image. The reason I chose this image is because it caught my eye and it had a impact on me, this image caught my emotions. I thought it would be a good image to talk about although there is not much detail on this image. The image is very simple and plain and shows the innocence of young girls growing up. It reminded me of when I was growing up and how different things were. It was all about playing and getting out hands dirty, but when compared to this image it is the complete opposite. It’s all about the sweet innocence of the young girl. The image that I chose I think is a good one, it can relate to many things in a childhood. Nearly every girl who sees this will feel the connection with the image some may feel exactly the same and others like my self may feel opposite. There were two ways of being brought up the classy/ elegant way or the casual way. Many of us girls today can relate to the casual way is it is now the 21st century. My overall response to this image is that I think that it was portrayed very well, without even reading about the image many people would understand the image and have a connection with it. I really like this photo and I find it very detailed once you look into the image and find out more about it and find out that there is more behind this image than we can see. I believe that every image has a story and has its own message behind it and to me I find that this message being sent out about this image is that time s the main factor in our daily lives. It’s what ever gets thrown at us many of us will take. I find this image a very appealing image and believe that behind every image there is a story, and this image does have a story and that is that life is based on time. Every artist looks at things completely different and have there own thoughts on there images but in most cases it is something that has related to their lives and in this case it is Loretta related this image to her upbringing and her love for cats. In conclusion, this image is fantastic I find it very appealing although it is very simple it does have a detailed background and is an eye catching image. I find that the colour’s work very well with the theme of innocence and time the natural colours and show the purity of the girl. Though when we compare these colour’s to todays colour’s they are very different we now use very bright colours and show the excitement in the child’s life. The image is worth all the attention that it receives and has more and more comments about it every day, each person has a different opinion but I find this very appealing and attractive.