...I. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Introduction Over the years many organizations have invested in massive in-house computing capacities and specialized Information Technology (IT) staff around the world in order to support their primary business processes or to achieve a competitive advantage. According to Porter and Millar IT creates competitive advantage by giving companies new ways to outperform their rivals. To gain competitive advantage over its rivals, a company must either perform these activities at a lower cost or perform them in a way that leads to differentiation and premium price (Porter & Millar, 1999). These days, organizations are looking for IT to operate more efficiently and help to reduce the overall costs. The concept of outsourcing has contributed to this development by transferring entire business functions to an external service provider. A recent phenomenon in the domain of outsourcing is called Cloud Computing. “Clouds are a large pool of easily usable and accessible virtualized resources (such as hardware, development platforms and/or services). These resources can be dynamically re-configured to adjust to a variable load (scale), allowing also for an optimum resource utilization. This pool of resources is typically exploited by a pay-per-use model in which guarantees are offered by the Infrastructure Provider by means of customized SLAs” (Vaquero, 2009). The arrival of the Internet has accelerated the commoditization of IT by providing a perfect delivery...
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...EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Cloud computing is the latest evolution in computing. Computing resources are available when needed, and you pay for their use in much the same way as for household utilities. Just as water is piped to your home and you pay for as much or as little as you use, cloud computing resources are available whenever needed and charges are applied on how much you use them. With cloud services you can connect at home, work or on the go via a laptop, desktop, smartphone or other handheld devices. Widespread cloud computing is made possible by the Internet, and this is the most common way of accessing cloud resources. The basic cloud computing model is shown below. Servers, storage, applications, and services are accessed via a common network. They are shared between organizations, and accessed by users or applications. The users may be members of the organizations working on-premise, remote workers, customers, or members of the general public. Cloud computing has three service models. These are the basic kinds of service that cloud service providers provide. They are Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS). [1] Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) is a cloud model which allows organizations to outsource computing equipment and resources such as servers, storage, networking as well as services, such as load balancing and content delivery networks. The IaaS provider owns and maintains the equipment while the organization...
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...The strategy of the mobile phone industry: A comparative analysis of Apple, Sony, Xiaomi The strategy of the mobile phone industry - a comparative analysis of Apple, Sony, Xiaomi I Executive summary The paper sheds lights on the strategy of three mobile phone industry and that task is to perform comparative analysis on Apple, Sony and Xiaomi. The author has first started with the analysis of the macro-environment using strategic analytic tool called PESTLE. The author has used tools such as Porter’s Five Forces and SWOT to analyze the micro-environment of a mobile phone industry and define Key Success Factors that are essential to be included in company’s strategy. Moreover the paper characterizes the comparative analysis such as objectives, strengths, weakness, financial analysis (quantitative), Vario analysis (Qualitative), merger and acquisitions, market share and competitive advantage strategy, of Apple, Sony and Xiaomi. At the end, the author of this assignment has given his recommendation to these three industries and concludes with a set of challenges being faced by mobile phone industry to create and maintain customer values and profit margins for present and future business successes. The strategy of the mobile phone industry - a comparative analysis of Apple, Sony, Xiaomi II Table of Contents LIST OF ABBREVIATION ..................................................................................................................
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...|RESEARCH PROPOSAL | |On | |CLOUD COMPUTING AND SECUTITY | |Submitted | |for Ph.D. Approval | | | | | |By Mr. MBANZABUGABO Jean Baptiste(BE,MSSE,MCA) | TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT..................................................................................................3 1. INTRODUCTION........................................................................................4 1. GENERAL OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY.................................................................................................. 5 2. SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES .......................................................................5 2. LITERATURE REVIEW ...........................................................................6 3. METHODOLOGY...
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...Advantages of Cloud Computing in Business MIS 535 Keller Graduate School of Management Contents Abstract 2 Brief Company background 3 Discussion of business problem 3 High level solution 4 Benefits of solving the problem 6 Business/technical approach 7 Business process changes 9 Technology or business practices used to augment the solution 10 Conclusions and overall recommendations 10 High-level implementation plan 11 Summary of project 11 References 12 Abstract EasyJet, a Luton-based low cost airline in the UK has managed to create differentiation from other low cost airlines through the introduction of a new system of seat booking. The move brought in a new era in the otherwise traditional synonymous seat allotment problems due to the free seating arrangements on the flights of the airline. The airline used a cloud based computing service system called Windows Azure to Power its new seat booking system. The system has cloud services and a SQL Database. The company chose to use Azure which cloud application platform developed by Microsoft. The could computing services introduced in the airline helped the low cost carrier to engage in cost-effective, scalable and agile seat booking and seat allotment function that made use of the Microsoft’s global network of datacenters. The problem was solved by the cloud computing services by the tracking of the tens of millions of seats with EasyJet that were available at any given point in time...
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...vinyl records, eight tracks, cassette tapes, CD’s, and currently MP3/MP4 digital media. With the quickened rise of technology, the current and an older generation of music lovers are not restricted to CD’s players and MP3 players to listen to music. With the increase of Smartphone and tablet use in many countries around the world, music can be purchased, uploaded, and played through these devices. The Mo Music company has created a product that fits right in to this progressive wireless advancement, the Swap application with cloud storage. Based on our market research, music sharing is very popular; however, there is not a current way to share music/media through wireless devices, which was the means of creating the Swap application and cloud. This application has the potential to create a new distribution method for music as well as lead to a great technical advancement for wireless technology as well as produce an abundant amount in sales. Introduction Mo Music was created and founded in 2011 by owner and Director Monique Mason in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. Monique has been a lover of music from a very young age. With a Bachelor’s of Science in Mechanical Engineering and a Master’s in Marketing and Business Administration, she has worked with various businesses to include, Amazon.com and Best Buy; with responsibilities in music sales marketing and cloud music technical development. She has also worked with...
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...Privacy and Culture: Comparative study of privacy issues with respect to mobile technology in India and America Sreeranjani K Pattabiraman Abstract The past decade has witnessed a huge shift in the development of mobile technology which has led to privacy issues, murmurings of which started surfacing only in recent years. A lot of research has been carried out by academicians on mobile technology and its impact on society. There have also been comparative studies on how privacy has changed for people over the years with the boom of social networking sites and smart phones. But, there has not been a substantial study or analysis conducted on how people's privacy has been directly affected by the ever-increasing population boom of mobile-phone users. This comparative study analyzes the concept of privacy with respect to mobile surveillance and draws upon prior work in the field of mobile surveillance, ranging from popular press on government surveillance in India and USA and case studies in these two countries related to people’s view on privacy, to the works of ACLU (American Civil Liberty Union) in USA and Stop CMS (Central Monitoring System) in India. The study is built around the analysis and comparison of the issue of mobile surveillance in both the countries, how people dealt with this, and the role of culture in determining people’s view on privacy. It also proposes suggestions for how future research can be carried out in the field of mobile surveillance. Keywords ...
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... Question 1 Houston …got the idea for Dropbox while waiting for a bus at Boston’s South Station in December 2006.” (P1 of case study – final paragraph). a) Do you think Dropbox was a creative idea? Please state your reasons. Creativity is not inventing or discovering something completely new. It is the ability to generate new concepts and ideas by combining, reapplying and regenerating existing ideas. There may be some creative ideas that surpass the imagination of a normal individual but there are some that are just simple and practical but haven’t been accomplished by other people (Arrington, 2010). Although the concept for cloud storage had been around for a decade no company was successful in creating a technology that was simple and efficient. Drew Houston, applied creativity and ingenuity to existing ideas and technologies to create a practical product, Dropbox, which is now used worldwide. b) Is creativity a necessary criterion for entrepreneurial success? At the heart of any enterprise there is creativity and innovation. Astute entrepreneurship rises from finding unique opportunities or turning existing concepts into extraordinary successes. No entrepreneur or enterprise, however successful can retain their status without recognizing the need to change and create new opportunities and products to retain customers and eliminate competition. For instance Christopher Lewis realized that when people didn’t show up for work, managers faced a major shortage...
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...individual organizations. While in production teams it is increasingly asked to “do more with less”, in relation to data we are asked to “do more with more” (Big Data, 2013). Judge how Volvo Car Corporation integrated the cloud infrastructure into its networks. The Volvo Car Corporation is one of the auto business' generally distinguished marks, with a long and glad history of planet heading improvements. At Volvo, travelers and drivers come in the first place, and the organization takes human-focused plan genuinely, continually striving to advance a percentage of the most secure autos out and about (Volvo cars , 2009). The organization offers give or take 400,000 autos every year over the world. The Volvo Company separated from Ford in 2010. They broke free from an IT infrastructure that they use to have. Before it contained of a tangle of dissimilar systems and licenses. They needed a new stand-alone IT infrastructure that could provide better boost communication capabilities, Commercial Intelligence and enrich partnerships (Volvo drives into the clouds, 2010). Cloud computing is an everyday articulation used to depict an assortment of diverse sorts of registering thoughts that include countless that are associated through a constant correspondence system. Cloud computing permits organizations to maintain a strategic distance from upfront framework costs, and concentrate on ventures that...
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...Information Technology is the methodology of utilizing computer hardware and software applications to store, manipulate, retrieve, and transmit data. IT is an essential part of any organization in today’s society, including entertainment, retail, manufacturing, healthcare, even law enforcement agencies. Information Technology is used to aid in storing, retrieving, analyzing raw data and transforming it into information in a timely and efficient manner. This paper focuses on law enforcement agencies and the implementation of Information Technology to optimize their ability to predict and reduce crime through predictive policing. Predictive policing is the usage of statistical information and analytical techniques used to identify potential offenders and crime hot spots and aid in crime prevention. Predictive policing allows law enforcement agencies to become less reactive and more proactive by predicting and preventing crime before it happens. Predictive policing is attracting increasing attention from law enforcement agencies around the country as departments struggle to fight crime at a time when budgets are being slashed (Goode, 2011). An innovation technology in predictive policing is a computer statistic or comparative statistic model known as COMPSTAT. COMPSTAT is a multifaceted dynamic approach to crime prevention, quality of life improvement, and personnel and resource management. COMPSTAT is an information system that identifies established and emerging crime trends...
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... that affect the way data is utilized within businesses. The technologies available with business intelligence focus on utilizing the data within a company the best possible way. The successfulness of business intelligence relies on the constant evolving of the solutions as well as the scalability of the program. Business intelligence solutions are available in self- service options as well mobile choices and use on the cloud. Business intelligence has and is making a big impact on companies all over the world in many different ways. Business Intelligence is a set or collection of concepts, procedures, styles, and technologies that change basic data into beneficial and valuable information for business related purposes. One main purpose of business intelligence is to take on large amounts of indistinct data in order to piece together and create new opportunities for a variety of business types. (Cooper & Schindler, 2014)The incorporation of business intelligence helps businesses process large amounts of data easily in order for the business to take on new prospects and put into place new and effective strategies for the business to gain market advantage and achieve long-term stability. (Jullens, 2013) The technologies utilized by business intelligence incorporate past, present and future possibilities for business procedures. Business intelligence utilizes presentations and technologies to collect, accumulate, examine and provide access to data to...
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...Verizon Communications, Inc. 2012 SEC 10-K Annual Reports Analysis Project November 30, 2013 Accounting for Non-accounting Managers Research -Draft- Full citations and credits pending… Source data sites provided Table of Contents Executive Summary 3 History of the Company 3 Industry Overview 4 Summary 4 Competitive Landscape 5 Financial Data Verizon Communications Inc. and Subsidiaries 5 Financial Analysis of Key ratios 6 Asset Productivity Ratios 6 Financial Strength Ratios (Liquidity) 6 Profitability Ratios 7 Challenges and Accomplishments 2011 - 2012 8 Conclusion 9 VZ Ownership Summary 9 Appendix 1 Asset Productivity Ratios 9 Inventory turnover ratio 9 Fixed asset turnover ratio 9 Total asset turnover ratio 9 Appendix 2 Financial Strength Ratios / Liquidity Ratios 10 Current Ratio 10 Acid-test Ratio 10 Appendix 3 Profitability Ratios 10 Net profit margin 10 Return on Equity (ROE) 10 Return on Assets (ROA) 10 Appendix 10 References 10 Executive Summary The company I selected to research is Verizon Communications Inc., an American telecommunications company. I chose Verizon because I am a current employee, share owner, and more importantly a witness, and contributor of the company’s transformation into a global brand name, and a Fortune 30 company. Verizon is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services to consumer, business, government, and wholesale customers...
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...Advanced External Auditing [AU2] Examination Blueprint 2013/2014 Purpose The Advanced External Auditing [AU2] examination has been constructed using an examination blueprint. The blueprint, also referred to as the test specifications, outlines the content areas covered on the examination and the weighting allotted to each content area. This document also lists the topics, the level of competence for each topic, and the related learning objectives and competencies. The learning objectives have been designed to ensure that the competencies are met. In addition, information is provided on the proportion of each question type presented in the examination (that is, multiple choice, quantitative problems, and so on). Use Candidates should use the examination blueprint to prepare for the course examination. The blueprint may not include all the topics listed in the course materials; however, candidates are still responsible for acquiring a broad-based knowledge of all topics not listed in the blueprint since these topics will be tested in assignment and review questions. The topics not listed in the blueprint will also provide candidates with a greater depth of understanding of auditing concepts. Examination Objectives The objective of the 4-hour comprehensive examination is to test CGA candidates on the prerequisite knowledge required for advancement into PA1 and PA2, so as to ensure that the candidates have the broad-based knowledge in assurance needed to function properly in the association’s...
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...Advanced External Auditing [AU2] Examination Blueprint 2013/2014 Purpose The Advanced External Auditing [AU2] examination has been constructed using an examination blueprint. The blueprint, also referred to as the test specifications, outlines the content areas covered on the examination and the weighting allotted to each content area. This document also lists the topics, the level of competence for each topic, and the related learning objectives and competencies. The learning objectives have been designed to ensure that the competencies are met. In addition, information is provided on the proportion of each question type presented in the examination (that is, multiple choice, quantitative problems, and so on). Use Candidates should use the examination blueprint to prepare for the course examination. The blueprint may not include all the topics listed in the course materials; however, candidates are still responsible for acquiring a broad-based knowledge of all topics not listed in the blueprint since these topics will be tested in assignment and review questions. The topics not listed in the blueprint will also provide candidates with a greater depth of understanding of auditing concepts. Examination Objectives The objective of the 4-hour comprehensive examination is to test CGA candidates on the prerequisite knowledge required for advancement into PA1 and PA2, so as to ensure that the candidates have the broad-based knowledge in assurance needed to function properly in the association’s...
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...ranked among the top 100 CPA firms in the United States and consistently ranks among the top five in the state of California. The Big-4 firm our group has chosen is KPMG. Founded in 1987 with the merger of KMG and Peat Marwick, KPMG also provides auditing, tax, and advisory services. This International network of CPA firms employees 138,000 professionals in over 150 countries, and with annual revenues exceeding $22.7 billion, has become one of the largest professional services networks in the world. From our examination of these sites we will provide a critical evaluation of each, as well as an accompanying comparative analysis. We will begin our assessment by evaluating what we collectively found to be positive characteristics of the Vavrinek, Trine, Day & Company website. The first thing we noticed is that the site has an appealing visual aesthetic. The various pages are organized, cohesive, and uncluttered, and the font size and page layout makes the information presented easily readable. We also appreciated the navigation functions and how easy it is for the user to find the information they are looking for very quickly. Another impressive characteristic is that the content provided in the site provides users with a clear representation of the services offered by the firm. When you click on one of the services links, for example the audit and accounting link, each of the different types of classifications of auditing and accounting services has...
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