Current Situation Essay Example for Free

Current Situation Essay Tien Tzuo was the chief strategy officer at Salesforce.com and K.V. Rao was head of strategic marketing and business development at WebEx. Both Tien Tzuo and K.V. Rao worked on building their respective billing solutions that was a big barrier to many SaaS companies. Once realized that this is a huge unaddressed problem for SaaS companies, they saw this an opportunity to exploit this new e-commerce niche in the SaaS Industry, thus creating Zuora. Cheng Zhou, the head of Bliss joined them and they were able to obtain . 5 million start-up investment from Benchmark, a venture capital company, and Benioff, Tien Tzuo’s former boss, the founder of Salesforce.com Analysis of Zuora Inc as a business Tien Tzuo and K.V. Rao founded Zuora to address the need for billing efficiency. They are aware that there’s an increase in products being offered as a subscription service (i.e. Netflix offering a monthly subscription for a library of shows and movies, Zipcar offering a pay as-you-go utility that eliminates the need to buy cars etc). Their vision is to provide an e-commerce platform that provides a low-cost, state-of-the-art and highly efficient billing systems. Before the launch of their billing module, they tested their program to 5 alpha customers. Their feedback caused Zuora to create a payment module that handles payments, and signed a partnership contract with PayPal. With their launch in October 2008, their Z-billing product sold to over 70 customers. In January 2010, Zuora released another product, Z-commerce, a billing platform aimed towards cloud developers What is wrong? Zuora currently faces the following threats: †¢The rise of Cloud Computing †¢Offline Subscription of Zuora’s current services offered by their competitors such as ATT or Zipcar †¢Given the constant change in the market dynamics of the technology industry, Zuora must be able to ‘quick think’ of opportunities in order to strengthen its current position as a major player in the SaaS Industry What is the impact? †¢The rise of Cloud Computing oZuora shouldn’t be thinking of Cloud Computing as a threat just because the IT industry had not yet clearly defined what role cloud computing will play. oCloud Computing is very advantageous to Zuora because all cloud services needed a billing and payment solutions and Zuora, with its state-of-the-art, highly efficient and low-cost billing platform, can differentiate itself with the rest in the Saas Industry by combining its platform with cloud computing †¢Offline Subscription offered by ATT or Zipcar oWith the offline subscription offered by ATT or Zipcar, they still present a disadvantage because pricing for services was more complicated than pricing for products especially when time dimension was introduced. Thus, with offline subscription of billing and payment, introducing a new pricing for subscription systems could take as long as 6 to 12 months and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars †¢The constant change in the market dynamics of technology industry

Perl Harbor :: essays papers

Perl Harbor In 1941, one of the largest American military defeats occurred. An entire naval fleet was destroyed, hundreds were killed, all before 09.00 on a Sunday. The US did not have any knowledge of this attack, partially because of ignorance, partially because of the military strategies of their Japanese opponents. The Japanese attack on the US naval base of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, was a classic case of "It will not happen to me!" Although the US suspected Japanese actions, they did not take a defensive stance as they believed an attack would never touch their soil. Through an examination of military history, tactics and eye witness descriptions, it will be proven that the US had no knowledge of the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. In the years before 1941, the war saw little American military action. After the collapse of France, American President Roosevelt promised his county that no American troops would be sent to Europe to aid in the battle against Hitler and his powerful army. These promises caused Roosevelt to be criticized by his closest advisors for his indecisiveness about declaring war . The President's defense to these accusations was he did not want to out step public opinion. As well, he believed American intervention would cause a 'mortal blow' to the Allies cause. In reality, the advisors, as well as Roosevelt, knew that Britain could not win the war without American armed intervention. Two oceans to the East, Japan was deep into a war or her own. Japanese forces were concentrated on the Chinese front to conquer and obtain. As a result of her unpopular declaration of war on China, Japan's fuel supply from the US was eliminated. Consequently, the Japanese turned to Indonesia to continue the supply of fuel for her war efforts. Fuel talks broke down as the Dutch, who were in control of the Indonesian fuel supply and, under heavy influence from the US, would not supply Japan with fuel. Desperately needing fuel to continue the war, Japan first thought of attacking Indonesia, but feared US intervention. After some thought, Japanese leaders decided that an attack directly on the US would be more appropriate to bring the US to the fuel supplies negotiating table . The first acknowledgment that Japan was a war threat came on November 27, 1941 when Washington ordered a 'War Warning'. The US feared a Japanese attack, not on America, but on the Philippines. American military leaders took little or no precautions upon the issue of warning.

Marvel Comics Research Paper

In October 1939, the world required heroes. Hitler had recently attacked Poland. Britain, France, Australia and New Zealand had proclaimed war. The US remained unbiased – but it was already taking the first steps towards the Manhattan Project and the making of the nuclear bomb. As Nazi Germany's shadow fell over Europe, it appeared the planet was on the edge of demolition. Who might save us? The response hit the newsstands when Timely Publications gave us Marvel Comics #1. Emerging between the usual romance, western and crime magazines that lined the racks, Marvel Comics was an alternate breed.Its cover demonstrated a gigantic orange figure, The Human Torch, melting bullets on his blazing chest. Inside, The Torch was joined by Namor the Sub-Mariner, an oceanic superhero from the Antarctic. The cover price was just ten cents. Over the past 70-odd years, Marvel Entertainment has evolved from that first issue of Marvel Comics into one of the industry’s leaders. Marvel Comi cs weathered World War 2 (previous Editor-In-Chief Stan Lee took leave to do military service). It survived the opposition to comics in the '50s. It was restored throughout the '60s Silver Age.Troops in Vietnam carried X-Men comics in their rucksacks. Marvel watched the Berlin Wall fall, survived 9/11 and even commended Obama's electon by letting the president make an appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #583. So, is it an exaggeration to say that Marvel is an institution that’s impacted on American pop culture with a force heavier than Thor’s hammer? Probably not. Marvel’s creations are instantly recognisable icons. Without Marvel and their long-time rivals Detective Comics (DC) – the publishers of Superman and Batman – the superhero as we know it wouldn’t exist.And if superhero comics didn’t exist you could kiss goodbye to the last 10+ years of super-powered summer tentpole movies. â€Å"It’s been proven now in the world of mass media that Marvel characters mean money,† former Editor-In-Chief Joe Quesada commented. â€Å"People are attracted to these characters. They love these characters. They’re becoming more and more relevant every day. They are now basically modern myths. † Consistent with Marvel Comics legend, the story starts on a golf course in 1961. Timely Publications head Martin Goodman was playing nine holes with one of the executives from comic merchant Independent News.This person specified that opponent DC Comics was creating sales from its Justice League Of America superhero title. It was a surprising bit of information to Goodman. Last he'd realized, superhero comics were taking a loss, their introductory prominence throughout WW2 having dissipated in the '50s as romances, westerns and horror comics took over the market. Back in the workplace, Goodman requested his Editor-In-Chief Stan Lee to arrange an opponent comic. Working with craftsman Jack Kirby, Lee made The Fantastic Four. It was the beginning of an unfathomably fruitful couple of years.Between 1961 and 1963 Lee also made The X-Men, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, The Avengers, Iron Man and – maybe their most popular of all – Spider-Man. All of a sudden superheroes were back in vogue and Lee's remarkable brand of narrating revolutionised the comics business. The â€Å"Marvel Age of Comics† had begun. What separated Marvel’s superheroes from their peers was their humanity. Lee’s characters may have been able to turn invisible or set themselves on fire but they were real people first and foremost. They had foibles, they had weaknesses – and if they were Peter Parker they struggled to get a date.â€Å"I tried to give them authenticity by making them more realistic,† Lee says of his original spandex-clad heroes. â€Å"Who do you know who has a really perfect life? I mean, I don’t care how rich the guy is, how sexy his wife is. Thereâ€⠄¢s nobody who doesn’t have a hard time. I mean, when we were doing those books, Kennedy seemed to have a perfect life, and he got shot†¦ Everybody has problems and everybody has secret sorrows. † Since those early days, Marvel has gone from stength to strength – actually surviving filing for bankruptcy in the '90s.In any case there was, up to this point, one thing that evaded it: Hollywood success. The point when superhero movies first started to overwhelm the box office, from Superman (1978) to Batman (1989), they were all DC titles. Marvel never appeared to have the capacity to keep up, regardless of being purchased by film organization New World Pictures in 1986. Film rights were lashed to studios yet all we got was super-crap as The Punisher (1989) and direct-to-VHS Captain America (1990). At that point came sleeper hit Blade in 1998.â€Å"The character was basically obscure, didn't even have his own particular comic book, and had been part of Tombs Of Dracula,† reviews Arad. However the establishment went ahead to make $1 billion in income and prepared for X-Men (2000). X-men was a massive hit that put the Marvel Cinematic Universe where it is today. Suddenly Marvel Comics were contendors at the movies and the organization even set up its own film division – Marvel Studios – in the in the '90s. With such a rich back list to work with, it was a No-Brainer.Its multi-billion dollar deal with The Walt Disney Company demonstrates exactly how lucrative its characters are to Hollywood. Mouse House CEO Bob Iger depicts Marvel as a â€Å"Treasure trove† that â€Å"transcends sex, age and geographical barriers†. Disney, an organization that based fortunes on making franchises around notable characters, was a great partner. Previous Marvel studios CEO Avi Arad said: â€Å"I think this will look like a smart deal,† he says, â€Å"because Disney is a company that knows how to exploit a brand. † Since being aquired by Disney, Marvel has grown to be the dominating factor in theaters.With it's release of Ironman is 2008, Marvel took a big risk. Ironman set Marvel on a path, a 6-movie, 4-year path that led them straight to one of the most ambitious movies ever: The Avengers. Combining 5 franchises, 8 characters, preserving original cast members, keeping continuity in tact, and servicing fans of each character has to be one of the greatest feats ever hurdeled in movie history. Marvel has been a major influence on pop culture for 74 years and continues to grow. I personally connot wait to see what the future holds for Marvel Comics and Marvel Studios.

Southwestern Airlines

Southwest Airlines Co. (â€Å"Southwest†) is a major U. S. airline that primarily provides short Haul high-frequency, point-to-point, and low-fare service. Southwest was incorporated in Texas and commenced operations on June 18, 1971 with three Boeing 737 aircraft Serving three Texas cities; Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio. Today Southwest operates nearly 400 Boeing 737 aircraft to 59 U. S. cities. Southwest has the lowest operating cost structure in the domestic airline industry and consistently offers the lowest and simplest Fares. Southwest also has one of the best overall customer service records. LUV is Southwest’s NYSE symbol, selected to represent the company’s home at Dallas Love Field, as well as the theme of Southwest’s employee and customer relationships Within 30 years, Southwest Airlines has become the fifth largest major airline company in America. It currently operates 520 Boeing 737s throughout the United States. The mission of Southwest Airlines is dedication to the highest quality of customer service delivered with a sense of warmth, friendliness, individual pride, and company spirit. It primarily provides short haul, high-frequency, point-to-point, low-fare air transportation service in the United States. The company essentially functions as a â€Å"point-to-point† operation rather than a â€Å"hub and spoke† service like its competitors. This provides for a unique competitive advantage, which has led this company to be a strong performer within the industry. The major success to their continued success is due to their low-cost model, as compared to their competitors, which allows Southwest airlines to differentiate itself from the competition and perpetuates its success and popularity among consumers. When we look at southwestern airlines competitive environment using porters five forces we find that the bargaining powers of Customers in the airlines industry have many options and are price sensitive. If driving is cheaper than flying southwest may lose customers. There are also over 100 carriers in the U. S. market therefore there are many options for customers. The bargaining power of suppliers: Southwest is at the mercy of the labor Unions and Gas suppliers. If these costs become too high then price raises will mandatory. The threat of new entrants: With so many major airlines going bankrupt there is a large supply of airplanes and personnel. This means that it is easier than ever to start up and airline and try and compete with Southwest. The threat of substitute products: Flying has very few substitutes in the U. S. market if you need to be somewhere in a hurry. However there are other forms of transportation including busses, trains, and cars. The intensity of competitive rivalry: There is intense industry competition. Every route is hotly contested with price wars and a grab for customers. Price margins are low, and airlines need to be able to trim costs any way they can. Southwestern airlines has got the following strengths; Southwest's commitment to customer service has led to an excellent track record. They held the unofficial Triple Crown in customer service for three consecutive years. The Triple Crown consists in being the best in on time performance, baggage handling, and customer satisfaction. This is an amazing feat considering no other airlines have held all three components for a single month. Southwest has a major advantage over other airlines because it operates a single type of plane, the Boeing 737. This means that all their pilots, facilities, and crews are trained on any plane that Southwest owns. Southwest also operates a fleet with an average age of 7 years. This means that they have less maintenance problems, and this leads to fewer delays, and higher customer service. Sensible expansion policy. Southwest has developed a very sensible strategy for expansion, paying particular attention not to strain the balance sheet. It has also achieved a national presence through flights to 59 airports in 58 cities. Southwest has been able to become a national airline by strategic expansion to airports where there is less competition. For example, it opened a major operation at Baltimore-Washington International and therefore avoided the presence of other major airlines at Reagan National and Dulles. The continued growth of the Company is testament to the strategic direction taken by management, particularly considering the difficult business environment. Southwest relies on direct ticket booking and does not heavily utilize travel agents this is a cost saver. They also do not have full food service on their flights, leading to a faster turnaround. Southwest also has a unique open seating system, with no assigned seats the planes load faster. Due to a change in passenger profile, business class and first class seats have suffered declining demand. Many companies have been forced to introduce low-cost fare options. Since southwest has been an industry leader and â€Å"ahead of the curve† in providing low cost, standardized travel options, it has no need to change strategy, thus saving on restructuring costs. The Company also benefits from its long establishment in the low-cost airline market, allowing the Company to capitalize on significant customer awareness of the brand. Southwest has a highly efficient operation. The Company was first to introduce to the Airline industry the ten-minute turnaround (between arrival at the gate and departure). This has subsequently increased demand for short flight routes. Strong financials. Southwest has the strongest market capitalization and balance sheet of all rivals in the sector. A market capitalization of $14,022 million accounts for twice the market capitalization of the five largest rivals put together. In the current volatile market, it should allow southwest to overcome short-term downturns in demand more Successfully than the other main carriers. The continued ability of Southwest to produce positive results highlights it among rivals. 2003 saw quarter-over-quarter increases in income, representing 51 consecutive quarterly profit rises. Revenues for the full year 2003, which were $5,937 million, increased 7. 5% against 2002 revenues. Southwest does not fly into major hub airports in most cities, this leads to lower gate costs, less congestion, and quicker turnaround times. Southwest has been marketed as the low price leader, and their planes have been painted in funky colors. Southwest views its major competition as the automobile and not other airlines. Southwest airlines operate a single type of plane B737 in an all coach configuration. They do not offer meals, and do no transfer bags to other airlines leading to lower operating costs. The airline has won the Triple Crown and is setting the industry standard in customer service. Southwest has come under intense competition from United. They are not a full service airline and do not offer the amenities and services for international travelers. They also do not have a higher cost first class option on their planes. Marketing. Southwest is a low-cost carrier. They provide themselves on cost efficiencies, which enable them to offer good service at lower prices to the customer than their competitors. Their marketing strategy was to convey the message that what Southwest had to offer was of value. Southwest markets itself as the only major short-hop, low-fare, and point-to-point carrier in the U. S. airline industry. Their marketing style is known for being unconventional, unique, unpredictable, and attention-getting in order to create and reinforce the Company’s maverick and fun-loving, combative image. They continually look for ways to make their distinctive image come alive and strike a spark in the minds of the consumer. Finance. In the year 2000, Southwest reported its 28th consecutive year of profitability as well as its ninth consecutive year of increased profits. In many years, Southwest was reporting profits while many other airline companies were reporting losses. Southwest is able to maintain and increase their profit margin by keeping costs low, being highly efficient, and creatively cutting costs. One of Southwest’s most important strategies is keeping its costs low and moving customers in above-average times. In an effort to move customers along quickly, Southwest tries to avoid congested airports. Southwest also encourages passengers to make reservations and ticket purchases through their website. By serving smaller airports near major metropolitan areas and in medium-sized cities, Southwest is able to produce better-than-average on-time performance, as well as reducing fuel costs of idle planes waiting for clearance to land. Serving smaller airports also lowers landing fees and terminal gate costs. Southwest’s operative principal is â€Å"employees come first and customers come second. † Southwest employees are â€Å"hired for attitude and trained for skill. † The Company’s strategy is that it can train people to do the tasks and hold the skills that are required, but a person’s attitude is not something that can be changed. The hiring process involves an interviewing approach called â€Å"Target Selection,† which aims at matching people’s traits (or target dimensions) for performing a specific job successfully. New hires are trained at Southwest University for People. Managers trained in this program take leadership courses that emphasize a management style based on coaching and encouraging rather than supervising or enforcing rules. The Company has the lowest turnover rate in the industry, which may be partly due to the fact that 80% to 90% of supervisory positions are filled internally. However just like any organization, despite the fact that they have strengths, south west also has weaknesses which include: Little room for strategic development. The main weakness of the Company results from operating in a highly competitive market, one that is increasingly susceptible to a volatile political environment. The airline industry is highly competitive as to fares, frequent flier benefits, routes, and service. Some carriers competing with Southwest have larger fleets and a more established brand name. Many carry passengers from the major hubs in the U. S. , holding long-standing relationships with key airports. To enter these markets, the corporate strategy of Southwest will have to be adjusted. No established alliances. Certain major U. S. irlines have established marketing alliances with each other, including Northwest Airlines/Continental Airlines, American Airlines/Alaska Airlines and Continental Airlines/America West Airlines. In 2001, AMR Corp. , parent of American Airlines, completed its acquisition of the assets of Trans World Airlines. This puts enormous strain on the Company to maintain its position in the industry while running a smaller fleet. Fully valued share price. Despite Southwest holding the strongest financial position in the airline industry, the stock of the Company is considered fully valued, particularly in the short term. This will disconcert the investor searching for quick gains resulting in the potential loss of capital to its competitors. The strong financial position will apply pressure to the strategic direction of the Company, forcing the directors of Southwest to consciously pursue the same level of growth if they are to maintain investor confidence. South west airlines have got the following opportunities; Southwest’s greatest opportunity is directly related to its greatest strength: to continue to develop its low-cost position in the airline industry. Southwest must maintain an emphasis on low-cost flying, and brand association that has served it well so far. After September 11, customer numbers dwindled due to consumer fears over flying. One way the Company hopes to regain the trust of the public is through lower airfare. In 2002, no fare was more than $399. However, in August 2002, the company reduced fares even further, lowering last-minute fares while maintaining the full schedule of frequent flights in order to further stimulate travel. As of 2003 Southwest was offering fares as low as $39. The company must keep prices as low as possible in order to stimulate demands, and look to edistribute expenses through other areas. Continual streamlining and automation is necessary in order to both aid in cost-cutting and maintain the competitive advantage on which the company brand is based. Southwest has expanded ticket counters and security checkpoints and has increased its airport workforce. The boarding process has been streamlined through replacing the traditional plastic boarding card system with an automated one, and the carrier is in the process of rolling out new self check-in technology. This should result in a reduction of boarding times, and contrast sharply with those carriers that still have extensive queuing. Expand geographically. The market share Southwest holds has grown substantially, particularly since 9/11. Fifty percent of the core market is under control of Southwest and this is expanding. With the increase in the number of cities and networks to which it is linked, southwest could begin to target large city markets and with such a strong brand name, both marketing and PR costs will reduce. Furthermore, the timing appears perfect, if it wishes to capitalize on the pressure currently endured by many of the established carriers. Southwest could strengthen its position through an alliance. Many competitors have reduced share price due to poor financials. Southwest could exploit this through a merger or a favorable acquisition. This could provide an easier route into the major hubs and remove many of the challenges associated with entering new markets. A major threat comes from the unstable airline industry as the result of the 9/11 attacks. Immediately after the terrorist attacks, and in the face of falling demand for air service, most major carriers announced significant service reduction, grounded aircraft, and reduced employee levels. These events negatively impacted industry profits. Despite the absence of subsequent attacks, the political environment remains unstable, throwing into question the airlines’ ability to make long-range strategic plans. Following 9/11, Southwest was able to offset losses through lower jet fuel prices and internal cost reduction initiatives. However, there can be no assurance that Southwest will be able to continue to offset future cost increases resulting from the changing commercial airline environment. Another threat derives from the Company being subject to varying degrees of competition from surface transportation in its short-haul markets, particularly the private automobile. The short-haul air services that compete with surface transportation regard price as a competitive factor for customers. Similarly, frequency and convenience of scheduling, facilities, transportation safety and security procedures, and customer service may be of equal or greater importance to many passengers. These can limit the number of customers who choose southwest. However, southwest airlines need to put up the following strategies; it needs to launch a new promotional campaign. They need to remind customers in the California market that they are the winner of the Triple Crown, and that low cost means high service and customer satisfaction when it comes to Southwest. With lower turnaround times, and fewer delayed flights southwest has great unique selling points. They just need to remind the public about how great an Airline they are. This can be done with more TV ads, and more sponsorship of major sporting events. Southwest also needs to continue to be southwest. They have a winning business model, and have made money every year of their existence. They cannot abandon what their core competencies are. They need to keep prices where they are, or even lower prices, and they advertise that fact to the public. Southwest airlines have been able to successfully implement its fuel hedging strategy to save on fuel expenses in a big way and have the largest hedging position among other carriers. In the second quarter of 2005, Southwest’s unit costs fell by 3. 5% despite a 25% increase in jet fuel costs. During Fiscal year 2003, southwest had much lower fuel expense (0. 12 per ASM) compared to the other airlines with the exception of JetBlue as illustrated in exhibit 1 below. In 2005, 85 per cent of the airline’s fuel needs has been hedged at $26 per barrel. World oil prices in August 2005 reached $68 per barrel. In the second quarter of 2005 alone, Southwest achieved fuel savings of $196 million. The state of the industry also suggests t hat airlines that are hedged have a competitive advantage over the non-hedging airlines. Southwest announced in 2003 that it would add performance-enhancing Blended Winglets to its current and future fleet of Boeing 737-700’s. The visually distinctive Winglets will improve performance by extending the airplane’s range, saving fuel, lowering engine maintenance costs, and reducing takeoff noise. In an overall effort to improve customer’s in-flight experience, in-flight entertainment is something that Southwest is currently evaluating and which JetBlue has been very successful at already because of its introduction in its long-haul flights. In comparison, Southwest has 415 airplanes to consider and that represents an investment decision at a whole new dimension. Additionally, Southwest has to consider how things may fit into their environment. At this point, 60% of its service is still very short haul. Southwest needs to be mindful of the fact that a certain approach that has been successful for its competitor may not be necessarily work to its advantage. In summary, Southwest has long been regarded as a benchmark in its industry for operational excellence. Southwest Airlines is a fine example of a company that is committed to its core competencies – efficient operations to drive its low cost structure, outstanding delivery of customer service and innovative HR management practices. We hope this paper provided a good insight into Southwest operations, as part of its overall strategy, to achieve success and gain competitive advantage. References www. southwest. com] (Southwest airlines official web site www. mba-tutorials/marketing/southwesternairlines. html www. answers. com/topic/southwesternairlines. html Allen, Margaret. â€Å"Ground Controller. † Dallas Business Journal. August 3, 2001 Southwest Airlines: High Tech, Low Costs† – Eweek. com, April 2005

How to Back up a Microsoft Access Database

How to Back up a Microsoft Access Database You store critical data in Access databases every day. Have you ever stopped to consider whether youre taking appropriate actions to protect your database in the event of a hardware failure, disaster, or other data loss? Microsoft Access provides built-in functionality to help you back up your databases and protect your organization. You can store the backup file anywhere, be it on an online storage account or just a flash drive or external hard drive. Make an Access Database Backup These steps are relevant to MS Access 2007 and newer, but make sure to follow the instructions that pertain to your version of Access, be it 2010, 2013, or 2016. See how to back up a 2013 Access database if you need help there. Start by opening the database you want to have a backup for, and then follow these steps: MS Access 2016 or 2013 Go into the File menu.Choose Save As and then click Back Up Database from the Save Database As section.Click the Save As button.Choose a name and pick where to save the backup file, and then click Save. MS Access 2010 Click on the File menu option.Choose Save Publish.Under Advanced, select Back Up Database.Name the file something memorable, place it somewhere easy to access, and then choose Save to make the backup. ​MS Access 2007 Click the Microsoft Office button.Choose Manage from the menu.Select Back Up Database under the Manage this database area.Microsoft Access will ask you where to save the file. Choose an appropriate location and name and then click Save to make the backup. Tips: After backing up the Access database, open the backup file in MS Access to verify that it completed successfully.For optimal protection, store a copy of your database backups in an offsite location on a periodic basis. If its a personal database that rarely changes, you might want to put a CD copy in a safe deposit box quarterly. Critical business databases might be backed up to magnetic tape on a daily (or more frequent) basis.Make database backups part of your regular safe computing routine.You may wish to optionally encrypt your database backups if your database contains sensitive information. This is a great idea if you plan to store it remotely.

What is Foreshadowingâ€Definition and 10 Gripping Examples

What is Foreshadowings What is Foreshadowing? Plus 10 Gripping Ways to Foreshadow Foreshadowing is a literary device in which an author gives readers hints about what will happen later in the story. Foreshadowing is often used in the early stages of a novel or at the start of a chapter, as it can subtlety create tension and set readers' expectations regarding how the story will unfold. For instance, a mystery novel might use foreshadowing in an early chapter by mentioning something that seems inconsequential - but is actually a clue...By the end of this article, writers will know the secret to crafting gripping page-turners. See? You know something is about to happen, but you don’t yet know how it will come about - and it’s the â€Å"how† that matters. The â€Å"how† is what bridges the beginning to the end or, in this case, the introduction to the conclusion. The â€Å"how† is the information that readers want, and foreshadowing promises to eventually give it to them.Now that we’ve hopefully piqued your interest with ou r own dose of foreshadowing, let’s talk about why this literary device is such a key tool in an author’s arsenal. Types of foreshadowingThere are as many ways to foreshadow as there are stories to tell, so the possibilities are endless. But head to the library and you’ll likely find two broad categories of foretelling in novels: direct and indirect.Direct foreshadowing occurs when an outcome is directly hinted at or indicated. It gives readers a nugget of information, prompting them to want more.Indirect foreshadowing occurs when an outcome is indirectly hinted at or indicted. It subtly nods at a future event, but is typically only apparent to readers after that outcome or event has occurred.Pretty straightforward, right? Now let’s see a few examples of the former in action. What is foreshadowing? Plus 10 gripping ways to foreshadow Direct foreshadowing examples1) The NarratorWe witnessed this example in the introduction of this very post. In a nutshell: the person telling the story provides readers with key information, but leaves out context or other details.Take this opening line from Lauren Oliver’s Before I Fall:â€Å"They say that just before you die your whole life flashes before your eyes, but that’s not how it happened for me.†What we know: The narrator is dead. What we want to know:  How did they die?The key to this kind of foretelling is that it needs to include information that is, well, key to the story. What it must leave out is how it’s key to the story. Think of it as a personal invitation from the narrator to the reader to keep reading.2) The Pre-SceneA gift shared among people who have the uncanny ability to predict the endings of stories is an eye for the â€Å"pre-scene.†These scenes show something that will play an important role in the future - and they usually play out as a brief, toned-down version of the main event.For example, in the first half of Of Mice and Men, Carlson is convinced that an old dog should be put down so that it can have a quick death and end to its suffering. He complies, ensuring the process is as painless as possible, prompting Candy to confide in George:â€Å"I oughtta of shot that dog myself, George. I shouldn't oughtta of let no stranger shoot my dog.†What we know: The dog’s death is important. What we want to know:  Why is this significant and when will we find out?At the end of the novel, when a murderous lynch mob are on the hunt for Lennie, George begins talking to Lennie about the farm they will one day own, painting a peaceful picture. Then, in a scene that echoes Carlson’s putting an end to the dog’s suffering, George kills Lennie - believing it’s much more merciful to go at the hands of a friend.3) The Name DropIf someone told you, â€Å"Tomorrow I’m going to my friend’s house,† you likely wouldn’t think much of it. But if someone told you, â€Å"Tomorrow I’m going to Reedsy Mansion,† you’d probably want to know more.Similarly, by casually name dropping a place, thing, or person in your story, you signify to readers that this entity is important.See this example in action in the first installment of The Hunger Games:â€Å"When I wake up, the other side of the bed is cold. My fingers stretch out, seeking Prim’s warmth but finding only the rough canvas cover of the mattress. She must have had bad dreams and climbed in with our mother. Of course, she did. This is the day of the reaping.†What we know: Something called the reaping is about to happen, and it’s nightmare-inducing. What we want to know:  Well, what is the reaping? What are some of your favorite examples of direct foreshadowing? Which instances of indirect foreshadowing went over your head but made resounding sense at the end? Leave us your thoughts or questions in the comments below!

George At Asda Brand Image and Positioning Essay

George At Asda Brand Image and Positioning - Essay Example To begin with, Asda is a chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom that began as a subsidiary to Wal Mart 1999. In recent times, it has come to occupy the position of the second largest chain in UK after TESCO. Asda is owned by Wal Mart and it consists of 37 supermarkets, 5 Asda Living stores, 10 George Clothing Stores, and 24 depots. To this effect, it makes use of 150,000 employees in all of its 340 units. (www.wikipedia.com) With the Asda Public Campaings becoming huge successes, the chain retains a 16.8% market share as of February 2007. This is second only to TESCO which has a 31.4% share. Its closest competitor is Sainsbury which follows at 16.5%. (www.wikipedia.com) Besides promoting itself as the lowest price supermarket by remaining loyal to the Advertising Standards Agency, Asda has paid special attention to its clothing line that goes by name of George. The marketing and branding features that have been related with this brand in the last two years are as follows: The aim of this paper is to study the changes made by George clothing as far as branding and brand image are concerned, in the past two years, with a focus on measuring the success of the same. This will be studied from various aspects like conception of brand image, and others, so as to measure the same on various counts. The methodology used in this case is that of the Elaboration Likelihood... In order to become a more global brand, it has marketed its clothes in Mexico, UK, Canada, Argentina, Japan, and the US. It has launched various new categories of clothing in the past two years including lingerie, kids wear, baby wear and many others. It has retained an image of being easy to maintain besides being affordable due to its association with Asda, yet it has created a niche market of its own. It has raced ahead of Marks and Spencer's in the last two years as far as market share is concerned. (Official Website: George; http://www.george.com/company/) Methodology and Purpose Statement The aim of this paper is to study the changes made by George clothing as far as branding and brand image are concerned, in the past two years, with a focus on measuring the success of the same. This will be studied from various aspects like conception of brand image, and others, so as to measure the same on various counts. The methodology used in this case is that of the Elaboration Likelihood Model. The choice of the Elaboration likelihood Model was one that came directly from the consumer oriented characteristics of brand equity and brand knowledge. Elaboration Likelihood Model (Petty & Cacioppo 1983), for instance, identified message relevance as one of these factors. According to this model, when message relevance is high, individuals will actively process and evaluate the information in the advertisement when forming or changing attitudes. When message relevance is low, individuals will not actively process the information in the advertisement, but will instead rely on peripheral message cues to form or change attitudes. This dissertation will therefore draw on the elements of the Elaboration Likelihood Model in order to study the elements that define the nuances of