Innovation and Regulation of Information and Communication Coursework

Innovation and Regulation of Information and Communication Technologies - Coursework Example However, the existing participants into the marketplace who are planning to offer a telephony or telephony supported VoIP product have confirmed that the present regulatory arrangements could not be convinced under the provisioning measures they have been capable to put into practice (Australian Communications Authority, 2004). In addition, the Voice over Internet Protocol services was also largely reached in approximately 57 nations, even the nations where there was no clear regulatory structure or licensing procedures for VoIP. Additionally, till mid-2009, the number of nations where Voice over Internet Protocol services were accepted had increased to two-thirds, with 92 nations allowed VoIP and more than 39 nations standing it. In the meantime, the number of nations where VoIP was not allowed or banned minimized from 80 in year 2004 to 49 in year 2009, or in relation to a quarter of the entire nations for which data exist. From this discussion it is clear that the greatest regulat ory challenge is to encourage the expansion of a marketplace for less costly VoIP services, as compared to the immediately leaving VoIP to build up of its own accord. Moreover, in several nations like Australia, the size of the Voice over Internet Protocol services marketplace is a main fear for the regulators that regularly monitors as well as publish marketplace data estimates (Biggs, 2011). This paper discusses various regulatory problems that are raised due to the growth of Voice over Internet Protocol services. In this research I will outline some of the major areas to make regulatory decisions that can affect the economic prospects of different kinds of service provider in the communications area. This paper will also present a discussion of the regulatory aims and strategies that could form the basis of possible decisions in this area. Regulatory framework This section presents the basic analysis of the regulatory framework for the Voice over Internet Protocol services. The r egulation of carriage services holds a broad variety of services as well as an STS is an explicit kind of carriage service. In this scenario, the Telecommunications Act 1997 offers a detailed description of the carriage service according to which it is a type of services for carrying out communication services using unguided or/and guided electromagnetic energy. Additionally, if the communication carriage services are provided in Australia then these services will be covered by this Act. According to which an individual or a firm offering a carriage service to somebody ‘beyond the instant circle’ of the supplier is acknowledged as a carriage service source. In addition, there exist a vast variety of laws and regulations which apply on different classifications of services such as carriage services and their suppliers as carriage service providers. However, there are some regulations which are applied to all the types of carriage services, comprising VoIP services, inclu de: (Australian Communications Authority, 2004) Telecommunications Numbering Plan 1997 must be followed Offer number associated information to the IPND (Integrated Public Number database) manager intended for directory use as well as to forward calls to the emergency operator Safety of the privacy of communications Offer an interception potential as well as an interception facility plan to the related agencies. Moreover, the commitment of carriage servic

Vikane Gas Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Vikane Gas - Essay Example fectively destroys insects at all the active stages of life, whereas it has to be administered in higher doses or for longer periods of exposure to kill insect eggs. It is a highly toxic gas, which acts as a central nervous system depressant; and high concentrations can lead to respiratory failure. The odorless, colorless gas has no warning characteristics (Kamrin 1997) hence it contains the irritant chloropicrin as a warning indicator. Thesis Statement: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the properties, functions, uses, toxic effects, and various other dimensions of Vikane Gas or Sulfuryl Fluoride. The detection methods and treatment for nerve gases will also be examined. Significantly, sulfuryl fluoride is licensed for use in several countries, which is an important consideration in increasing the use of the fumigant in postharvest control technology. It is currently registered as a structural fumigant, â€Å"and may be effective as a general commodity disinfestation treatment and as a quarantine treatment† (Zettler and Arthur 2000, p.581). In food premises storing grains the fumigant is used carefully because of its toxicity. Further, it is used as a quarantine treatment for dried fruits and nuts where control of the tolerant egg stage need not be taken into consideration; as in destroying an infestation of C. pomonella on walnuts and A. transitella on almonds. Sulfuryl fluoride has the lowest boiling point of any fumigant, -55.20C, and hence is in the gaseous state under all practical fumigation conditions. The exposure routes are mainly through inhalation and through the skin. Vikane gas, a Restricted Use Pesticide is in a pressurized condition in a steel cylinder from which it is dispensed through a hose into the interior of the sealed structure. After the elapse of a period of time, when air levels of sulfuryl fluoride have lowered to 1 part per million (ppm) or less, the interior of the structure is aerated. The Hazard Evaluation Division (HED)

Professional Issues Essay Example for Free

Professional Issues Essay Information technology is defined as the development, installation an implementation of computer systems and applications. It can also be defined as (ITAA definition) the study, design, development, implementation, support or management of computer based systems particularly software applications and hardware. It deals with use of electronic computers and computer software to convert, store, protect, process, transmit and retrieve information securely. There are a number of IT professionals (information technology degree, 2008): database management, networking, engineering (software and hardware), computer specialist and software publisher to name just but a few. My career interest is in database management. This is because with database management you can work in any well established firm anywhere in the world. Any well established firm has databases ranging from finance records, contacts of business partners, employee or product details etc. Good management of such databases can lead to growth of the firm through efficient operations. To be a competent database manager you need to be privy in the following areas in IT: Networking (to allow authorized officers in various offices to access the database) computer specialist (Repair and maintenance of the computer hence maintenance of the database) and software design (To design security based software to permit/ restrict access to database, change of database etc as a way of ensuring constructive use of database). A database manager requires a number of skills in order to function competently. These skills are broadly divided into two groups: technical skills (e. g. Programming, networking etc) and personal skills (e. g. communication skills, interpersonal skills etc). The technical skills /required by a database manager include: Networking, Programming and ability to design and implement system security and other security measures. (Stein, 2007). Networking skills help in linking all the authorized users of the database to the main system to enable them access, update or delete sections of the database as appropriate. Programming language skills helps the database manager to design software some of which can enable the implementation of system security and other security measures. A close analysis of my technical skills reveal the fact that I am exceptionally good in networking but lacking in programming and consequently the implementation of system security and other security measures. On the other hand, some personal skills are mandatory for a competent database manager. These include (Steiln, 2007) organization skills, management skills and surveillance. Other skills include (job database, 2008): communication skills, strategy development skills, conflict management skills not forgetting (Career builders, 2008) strong analytical skills, excellent project management skills, documentation skills, consulting, partnership and critical thinking skills. Last but not least are the initiative and self starting abilities. Considering the above stated personal skills and on close analysis of my personal skills, I believe that I possess all the personal skills listed above except analytical and project management skills. These skills I possess have been internalized into my subconscious mind by constant application. These are the skills that I have learnt both formally and informally. Formally, I have attended training on a number of personal skills such as conflict management, organization, documentation, presentation, communication (both oral and written), and capacity building skills. The capacity building course enabled me to develop initiative and self starting abilities. Informally, I have learnt to be a team player thus acquiring partnership skills and communication styles that achieve results. On the technical arena, as indicated earlier, I am privy to networking but lacking in programming. I acquired my networking skills through a formal training. The skills have helped me a lot especially when I want information from another computer far from me but linked to the one I am presently using. Self appraisal and Personal Development Plan (PDP) are both aimed at establishing the strengths and weaknesses of an individual. The weaknesses can then be remedied and the strengths improved. According to my PDP, I aspire to correct the deficiencies in both technical and personal skills. The personal skills I lack include analytical and project management skills which I intend to correct by signing up courses in both to bridge the gap. The technical skills that I lack also need the same action (taking courses in them) Having remedied all my technical and personal skills’ shortcomings then I shall be contended as a competent database manager should be.

Benefits and Drawbacks of Divesting Fossil Fuel Company

Benefits and Drawbacks of Divesting Fossil Fuel Company The environmental issues is the main trend that is concerned by most of the organization worldwide. Those concerns spread through the activist group and are affecting financial sector as well. By pressurizing universities endowment fund to divest the fossil fuel companies, the activists urge for the funds to invest responsibly by moving their money out of the non-environmental friendly companies. They aim to indirectly create the new market norms and change the way people perceive those companies which will stigmatized them if they do not adapt to the more innovative and more sustainable ways of doing business. However, the fiduciary duty of the financial professionals is a big issue to be discussed if the fund manager will consider divesting fossil fuel companies on whether there is a conflict on investing responsibly and maximizing profit or not. By the definition of the fiduciary duty, Boatright (2008) explained that A fiduciary duty may be defined as the duty of a person in a position of trust to act solely in the interest of the beneficiary, without gaining any material benefit except with the knowledge and consent of this person. We may need to reinterpret its definition in accordance to the ongoing situation in order to see if we can add the environmental and sustainable elements to this duty without compromising the sole existing definition of the fiduciary duty itself. I have done research on the topics about this, and here are the advantages, disadvantages, and some discussion on the fiduciary duty on divesting from fossil fuel firms. Divesting from fossil fuel companies is likely to yield three main advantages. Firstly, it may encourage the change toward more innovative and sustainable form of fuel. There was a proverb stated that The stone age did not end when we ran out of stones this is to say that when we discover a better form of fossil fuel substitution, it will be no longer the main form of fuel for our world. For example, the development of alternative energy source. By divesting from those companies, we can stimulate them to intensify their research and development in order to move on to more sustainable fuel. After their successful adaptation, those stocks may become attractive for investing responsibly again and we may reinvest in their stocks. Secondly, according to Smith Schools Stranded Assets (2013), we can indirectly influence the market by changing their norms, which is the last stage the activists hope to archive, affecting their ability to finance themselves in both debt and equity. By doing this, all fossil fuel company in the sector will be affected by the wave created by norm changing. This will result in the same way as the first advantage, but on a lot bigger scale, because the market itself is the main force that can directly affect the stock price. Thirdly, the research by Hoepner and Schopohl (2016) shows that there are no difference in terms of risk and return between the portfolio that excluding some sectors of stocks and the traditional portfolio that does not has any constrains. However, the exclusion portfolio in this research only excludes the securities after they are accused of violating the code of ethics. This findings is a very solid reason for divesting fossil fuel companies, as many people believe that these firms can generate higher return for their portfolio. By getting indifferent return, people will be motivated to seek for abnormal return opportunities by moving their money to more innovative firms with higher growth potential. These advantages can benefit the university and the students by signaling to the whole nation that our university would like to take the leading role in tackling with global warming and other environmental issues. This can also potentially use for a marketing purpose of the university, as it may ranked the university up for being seriously concerned about environment and may attract more scholars and academics in this particular area to joining the university. The university may also benefit from the new investment perspective of its endowment fund, as it can gives higher profit if invest properly. This will enhance the ability to fund any new project which will definitely benefit both university and students, the university can provide better facility for learning and the students will be get a more competitive edge from learning in such environment. There are also three disadvantages for divesting from fossil fuel companies. Firstly, the universitys endowment fund cannot heavily affect the shares price of those firms due to the low proportion of the funds holding in this sector. The Stranded Assets by Smith School (2013) shows that the average university endowment fund in the USA hold the fossil fuel companies stocks for about 2% of their fund, and about 4% in the UKs. This proportion cannot significantly affect the stock price even though the funds liquidate all of their portion. Moreover, there may be some players that are willing to immediately buy these stocks after the fund sold their shares, as the price will be attractive for that period of time. Therefore, the university cannot hope to directly impact the market trend solely on this activity. Secondly, such activity may incur additional transaction cost generated by this activity to the fund itself, which may decrease its profit for some period, especially for the University of Reading, which 12.7% of the endowment fund is invested in fossil fuel related companies. If the trustee of the fund could not find any attractive investment opportunity, this movement will do more harm than good, at least in short term, to the fund and the university. Thirdly, to see the significant effect of this divestment, we will have to be patience. The impact on the sector would not be observable within one or two years, the university is likely to suffer from the divestment, again if the fund managers could not find attractive investment alternatives. Moreover, there are no distinct lists of the targeted company that is not environmental responsible to divest, which means that this will increase the marginal cost for the fund to do the research on those fossil fuel companies to divest. I also believe that divestment is not a solution for climate change, as stated in the article Why Fossil Fuel Divestment is a Misguiding Tactic by The Guardian (2015) as this is can be only served as a mean for increasing peoples awareness about the issue and it can be considered only a symbolic act while the real threats to the climate such as deforestation, short-lived greenhouse gas, halocarbon are still exist. These disadvantages will affect the university in terms of the opportunity cost, which comes in the form of less financial supports, as the fund may not yield as what it used to provide. This may result in lower scholarship for students and lower capacity to fund the researches. I also believe that by divesting its holding in fossil fuel companies, the university also give up its right as the owner of the companies which means that the university cannot influence the companies to move into a more sustainable way that may eventually increase the benefits to the shareholders. For the issues about the fiduciary duty of the trustee, as I stated before, the trustee should aim to provide their beneficiary with highest benefit. Therefore, it should hope to maximize the profit of this endowment fund. I completely agree with Drew Fausts Fossil Fuel Divestment Statement to the members of the Harvard Community (2013) on the topic that the universitys endowment fund has a single purpose, to support the academic mission, and it should not be used for any other purposes. To put the fund in any political position is to put the university in a risky position, as the money in the fund are from philanthropists with different view in politics. However, they share the same perspective in funding academic advancement, taking side in this political activity may result in fund withdrawal from the disagreed benefactors. I insist that fossil fuel divestment will breach the fiduciary duty of the endowment funds trustee, the fund must remain politically neutral to secure the risk position of the university and to serve the funds only single purpose. If the fund is going to divest, it should be a strategic adjustment of the portfolio in order to maximizing profit for the university, not for expressing the view on the particular topic in the society. On the other hand, I agree with the activists view about thinking long-term, not through the channel of divesting. Divestment is, in my opinion, meaningless as we still use the fossil fuel in our everyday life, such as our car petrol, our electricity which is produced by fossil fuel or even our home heating system powered by gas. We can act with long-term attitude by implementing a more productive ways such as influencing the current fossil fuel firms as a shareholder to move them to the good direction, fueling the breakthrough research about alternative energy and fuel, funding for innovative architecture and engineering. All of these ways can be originated from a good academic institution, their research, and proper funding is crucial for the growth of the academics. Hence, the trustee should put their best effort in the fund to keep advancing the academic goals. The campaigns should not about the fossil fuel alone, it should aim to tackle all of the problem stated above to be trul y archive the solution to the environmental problems. I believe the conflict in fiduciary duty can be solved by the fund manager try to take part in the fossil fuel company that the fund invested in through voting rights and keep monitor their use of fund through the companys report. The endowment fund should also keep looking for the new investment strategy which involve alternative energies and other responsible firm in a case that those companies could give higher yield than the current fossil fuel firm, then that would create a win-win situation for the fund, the university, and the students. The other good way is forming the new committee to keep reviewing if the fund invest sustainably and responsible, This committee may consist of students from the university and specialized fund manager. This method is already implemented by some leading American university such as Harvard. Finally, I recommend the University of Readings endowment fund not to divest for the stated reasons. I would suggest the fund to keep monitor the company, keep being aware of the situation in the market and use the recommendations stated above. While the environment issues are the important concerns for everyone, one should not focus only on the companies, but should focus also the people. People are the one responsible for the climate change and should be educated about the problem properly, in order to change their mind set to make it become more responsible for their selfish actions that caused climate change. I insist that the interest of the beneficiary is still remains an undisputed duty of the trustee and the fund managers must put their full effort to see it happen. References   Ã‚   Andreas G. F. Hoepner, L. S. (2016). On the Price of Morals in Markets: An Empirical Study of the Swedish AP-funds and the Norwegian Government Pension Fund. http://ssrn.com/abstract=2828040. Atif Ansar, B. C. (2013). Stranded assets. Oxford: Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, University of Oxford. Faust, D. (2013, October 3). Fossil Fuel Divestment Statement. Retrieved from Harvard University: http://www.harvard.edu/president/news/2013/fossil-fuel-divestment-statement Hulme, M. (2015, April 17). Why fossil fuel divestment is a misguided tactic. Retrieved from The Guardian: www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/apr/17/why-fossil-fuel-divestment-is-a-misguided-tactic

The Black Friday Takeover Essay -- Hollydays, Thanksgiving

â€Å"Mommy, why didn’t I get what I wanted for Thanksgiving this year?† This question seems absurd in a modern-day context, but in the future, it could be a question that is asked much too often. With holiday-themed advertisements in the media and holiday discount deals already visible on the shelves, it is no wonder that Black Friday and the holiday shopping season are creeping up closer and closer to Thanksgiving. Black Friday is a popular phrase used to describe the chaotic shopping frenzy that takes place every year on the Friday after Thanksgiving. In recent years, the chaos of this so-called â€Å"holiday† has only escalated; consumers are trampling one another to get the best deals, and retailers are scrambling to keep up with their competitors. However, this year, many large department stores in the United States are opening their doors on Thanksgiving day in preparation for Black Friday (Zilman). This unprecedented event brings light to a star tling change in American society. Black Friday’s inevitable takeover of Thanksgiving will ruin the holiday itself and negatively impact traditional familial values because it will force Americans to embrace materialism in place of graciousness. Thanksgiving is a traditional American holiday dating back to colonial times. The commonly-known First Thanksgiving is a story that all American children learn. The Native Americans teach the Pilgrims to grow food to last the winter. At the end of the harvest, the Pilgrims and Native Americans come together to celebrate and give thanks for the friendship they have and for all of the blessings they have received. Modern Thanksgiving, although based off of the First Thanksgiving, has evolved considerably. It is traditionally celebrated by fam... ...Jennifer. â€Å"With Thanksgiving-Night Openings, Do Retailers Risk More Than Busting Doors?† Forbes.com. n.p., 14 Nov 2012. Web. 15 Nov 2013. Stein, Joel. â€Å"Millennials: The Me Me Me Generation.† Time.com. n.p., 20 May 2013. Web. 15 Nov 2013. Tozzi, John. â€Å"The Branding of Black Friday.† BusinessWeek.com. n.p., 20 Nov 2012. Web. 11 Nov 2013. Tuttle, Brad. â€Å"What’s on Tap for Black Friday.† TIMEBusiness.com. n.p., 20 Nov 2012. Web. 16 Nov 2013 Zilman, Claire. â€Å"Why Macy’s relented to an early Thanksgiving opening.† Fortune.com. n.p. 17 Oct 2013. Web. 7 November 2013. â€Å"Black Friday Ads Leaking Earlier Than Ever Before on FatWallet.† PRNewswire.com. n.p., 30 Oct 2013. Web. 13 Nov 2013. â€Å"Restaurant Chains Open Thanksgiving Day.† RestaurantNews.com. n.p., n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2013. â€Å"10 Things You Didn’t Know About Black Friday.† usnews.com. n.p., 2009. Web. 10 Nov 2013.

Socialism :: essays research papers

History: The Socialist Party of the United States of America was formally organized at a unity convention in Indianapolis in 1901. The two merging groups were the Social Democratic Party of Eugene Victor Debs and the "Kangaroo" wing of the older Socialist Labor Party. From the beginning the Socialist Party was the organization for American radicals. Its membership included Marxists of various kinds, Christian socialists, Zionist and anti-Zionist Jewish socialists, foreign-language speaking sections, and virtually every variety of American radical. The Socialist Party historically stressed cooperatives as much as labor unions, and included the concepts of revolution by education and of "building the new society within the shell of the old." The Socialist Party aimed to become a major party; in the years prior to World War I it elected two Members of Congress, over 70 mayors, innumerable state legislators and city councilors. Its membership topped 100,000, and its Presidenti al candidate, Eugene Debs, received close to a million votes in 1912 and again in 1920. The outbreak of the war against Fascism and the wartime prosperity weakened all parties on the left. While the Communist Party suffered the most from the McCarthy period, all the left was seriously impaired, and by the mid-fifties little remained of organized radical politics. The Socialist Party was down to about 2,000 members, and had more or less withdrawn from electoral action in the face of the increasingly restrictive ballot-access laws passed by state legislatures around the country. In 1956 the Socialist Party and the Social Democratic Federation reunited, under pressure from the Socialist International (with which both groups were affiliated). By 1970, the Socialist Party was showing a growing tendency toward democratic centralism in practice. At the end of 1972 the Socialist Party, changed its name to Social Democrats USA. Since 1973 the Socialist Party USA has focused its attention more on grassroots and local politics, and has dealt with the controversial issue of Presidential politics on a case-by-case basis. Due to America's restrictive and often undemocratic ballot access laws (which have made it almost impossible to break the two-party monopoly on national politics), the party views the races primarily as opportunities for educating the public about socialism and the need for electoral democracy in the US. Socialist Party’s Philosophy: The Socialist Party stands for the abolition of every form of domination and exploitation, whether based on social class, gender, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, or other characteristics.

Kohler Company Essay

Kohler is one of the largest and oldest privately held companies in America. It started by manufacturing plumbing fixtures, famously inventing the first modern bathtub, and soon after began manufacturing small engines and generators. Today the company is also in the furniture and luxury resort business. Most of the company’s shares are held by members of the Kohler family, however 4% of the outstanding stock is owned by outsiders. Herbert Kohler Jr. , the CEO and Chairman of Kohler, would like to do what he can to keep Kohler stock within the Kohler family and its interests. This led to the 1998 recapitalization. In this restructuring of equity, family members and permitted transferees (Kohler Trusts, Kohler Foundations, ect. ) were given the option to exchange their stock for several different classes of stock, such as common stock, non voting stock, Series A and Series B. The shareholders not classified as a permitted transferee would either have to sell their shares for what an independent firm determines fair market value, or dissent and allow fair market value to be determined by a legal proceeding. The fair market price offered by Kohler in 1998 was $55,400. Kohler’s stock recently fetched between $100,000 to $135,000 and the two largest outside shareholders recently bought a combined 93 shares right around $100,000. So Gen, a mutual fund and largest outside shareholder, believed market value per share could be $400,000. Because of this discrepancy in price; outside shareholders decided to file suit against Kohler claiming the price of $55,400 undervalued the stock and was not fair market value. It is now April 2000 and Herbert Kohler Jr. must decide whether to settle with the plaintiffs or go to trail in 2 days. It was very possible that the court would determine fair market value to be much higher than price offered. Herbert also must consider that the IRS will use a court determined share price to determine the tax liability of Herbert’s deceased brother’s estate. The share price will also affect the way the Kohler Foundation could operate, since by law it must annually pledge %5 of its assets, which is mostly Kohler stock. Analysis: Much of the share price was driven by the speculation that Kohler might soon go public. Herbert thought this was the primary reason the shares were extremely overvalued. However, the assumption of a future IPO was inaccurate. One of the core values and strengths of Kohler is the private classification of equity. Kohler considers it a competitive advantage to not have to disclose its financial position to the public. Not only does it give away proprietary information to competitors, but public reporting also affects the way a company can make decisions. Kohler feels that many of the business decisions that made Kohler a success, such as investing in cast iron production at a time when the industry was moving away from it, would not have been possible if they were accountable to pubic shareholders. Without the possibility of an IPO a lower share price than what share prices recently traded for was could be justified. However, Herbert must also consider the effects of having the valuation be determined in court. The first drawback to this is how costly legal proceedings are. On top of lawyer fees and court costs, it could be very expensive to reconcile and audit all financial documents as well as pay for expert opinions concerning the valuation. Since there is no standard or correct metric to value a company, there is increased risk as to how the court will value the company. If Kohler decides to continue with the trial they are leaving themselves, the Kohler Foundation, and the Kohler estate open to a lot of uncontrollable risk. Recommendation: I recommend Kohler offer to settle with the plaintiffs at $140,000. Kohler should settle outside of court to mitigate the risk and cost associated with the trial. While the price is not ideal, settling outside of court allows Kohler to control the price at a manageable level. This will be the best way to hedge against risk and lookout for the interests of Kohler, the Family, and its charities. In order to settle Kohler must offer a price of $140,000 to give the mutual funds the return on investment they desire. Since the purpose of mutual fund is to create value for their investors, they are probably more than willing to take the matter to court if they feel they are not receiving a fair return. The per share price of $140,000 will give the mutual funds roughly a 20% return on investment which should be enough for them to consider the offer favorable.