...Group Leader Abdul Raheem Mohammed Md Abdullah Al Mamun Roushan Chowdhury Nigat Rahinour Khan Mohammed Rahman Faculty: Sunil Samanta Table of Contents Contents Abstract 2 Company Background 3 Business Problem 4 High Level Solution 5 Benefits of Solution 6 Revenue from New Translation Department 7 Cost Reduction 7 Financial Benefit Analysis: 8 Business Process Changes 10 Technology Used 11 High-Level Implementation Plan 12 Summary, Conclusions & Recommendations 13 References 15 Abstract The main objective of this project is to propose a technological solution which will provide Rosetta Stone Inc. a platform where it can be not only a High Performance Organization but also an organization which can lead the industry of language learning to another level. The objective is to create a new bit of software based on VoIP and Video Conferencing for the tutors and students to interact in a live session. The project is focused on the Research and Development Department of Rosetta Stone Inc. where the new service will be developed. Implementation of this service will require the use of relational database management system (RDBMS) in a cloud. The intent is to use PostgreSQL, an open-source database which is employed by many large firms like Amazon and Skype. The project is being expected to fully implement in about 3 years of operation. During these 3 years, the service will go through conception, planning, execution, testing, performance & control...
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...Jean-François Champollion (Champollion le jeune; 23 December 1790 – 4 March 1832) was a French scholar, philologist and orientalist, known primarily as the decipherer of Egyptian hieroglyphs and a founding figure in the field of Egyptology. A child prodigy in philology, he gave his first public paper on the decipherment of Demotic in 1806, and already as a young man held many posts of honor in scientific circles, and spoke Coptic and Arabic fluently. During the early 19th-century French culture experienced a period of 'Egyptomania', brought on by Napoleon's discoveries in Egypt during his campaign there (1798–1801) which also brought to light the trilingual Rosetta Stone. Scholars debated the age of Egyptian civilization and the function and nature of hieroglyphic script, which language if any it recorded, and the degree to which the signs were phonetic (representing speech sounds) or ideographic (recording semantic concepts directly). Many thought that the script was only used for sacred and ritual functions, and that as such it was unlikely to be decipherable since it was tied to esoteric and philosophical ideas, and did not record historical information. The significance of Champollion's decipherment was that he showed these assumptions to be wrong, and made it possible to begin to retrieve many kinds of information recorded by the ancient Egyptians....
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...Today is a sad day for the world. Unidentified terrorists have bombed the Rosetta Stone which has been housed in the British Museum since 1802. Unidentified terrorists have significantly damaged the stone, which is most famously known as being the vital piece of information to decipher Egyptian hieroglyphics. While the damage to the Rosetta Stone is significant, it has not destroyed it completely; however, much of the original Greek, Demotic, and Ancient Greek text has become in comprehensible due to the explosion. In speaking with the recovery team that is currently working at the British Museum, it is evident that the terrorists were seeking to damage only the Rosetta Stone. No other pieces in the museum were damaged. While it remains unclear as to the exact intentions of the terrorists, it is believed that the act was in response to the current political situation in Egypt. The world has given the current Egyptian political scene much attention over the past few months, and in damaged the Rosetta Stone, terrorists believe that they have discouraged those around the world who wish to use objects of cultural value for national gain. People around the world have expressed much grief and anguish over the act of terrorism, and yet many organizations have begun to restore what is left of the Rosetta Stone. As of today, it has been established that much of the hieroglyphic text was destroyed in the explosion. The fact that the bomb targeted the ancient Egyptian text, again leads...
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...Rosetta Stone What are the advantages and disadvantages of Rosetta Stone going public? The main advantages of Rosetta Stone going public are that an IPO would allow them the capital to expand their business into new markets as well as build on the Rosetta Stone brand. The IPO would also help them establish business credibility as a public firm. As a public company, Rosetta could enhance their image and reputation with newfound capital. It may also be advantageous to proceed with an IPO as the market has shown encouraging signs after the crisis of 2008. Changyou.com, a video game developer recently went public at 6.5 times EBITDA. Likewise, Bridgeport Education has recently considered going public and estimates that they could do so at a range of 10-12 times EBITDA. This may indicate that an IPO would behoove Rosetta Stone as it would be a successful business decision. Furthermore, the language learning industry largely consists of self-study learning as it counts for $32 billion of the $82 billion industry. Going public would allow Rosetta to be a major market presence in a booming industry. Another advantage of taking Rosetta Stone public is Adams’ concern of a takeover. Adams is worried that the limited amount of capital and resources they could get from private sources leave them vulnerable to a takeover. An IPO would quell those fears. There are, however, a few disadvantages associated with going public. For one, the process is quite arduous and would take...
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...The Rosetta Stone was found on July 19, 1799 by French soldiers. The Rosetta Stone was broken, long before it was found in 1799. The Egyptian name it has now, it was found in Rashid. This block of stone lay a clue to breaking a code that baffled scholars for centuries, the Egyptian hieroglyphs. The stone features a decree issued in 196 B.C. by a group of Egyptian clergy and Egypt’s ruler, Ptolemy V, attesting to his generosity and devoutness. It was originally displayed in a temple, possibly near the ancient town of Sais, the centuries later, it had moved to Rosetta and used in the construction of Fort Julien, where it was eventually uncovered by the French. The use of hieroglyphics died out after the 4th century and the writing system became an enigma to scholars. British scientist Thomas Young, who began studying the Rosetta Stone’s texts in 1814, made some initial progress in analyzing its hieroglyphic inscription. Young surmised that the cartouches------ hieroglyphs enclosed in ovals----- contained the phonetic spellings of royal names, including Ptolemy, who was...
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...ROSETTA STONE: PRICING THE 2009 IPO A Brief History Mission statement: Our mission is to deliver the best technology-based solutions for learning languages. Every day, our innovation help people improve their lives and make the world a better place. Stoltzfus and Fairfield founded Fairfield Language Technologies in Harrisonburg, Virginia, in 1992. The emergence of CD-ROM technology in the 1990s made the project feasible. The company released its first retail language training software product in 1999 under the name Rosetta Stone. After focusing initially on school and government sales, the company began aggressively pursuing the retail market in 2001. Following the death of Stoltzfus in 2002, the company hired an outsider, 31-year-old Tom Adams, as chief executive. Adams got right to work by entering new markets and scaling up the current busi- ness; from 2004 to 2005, the revenues of the company nearly doubled, from $25 million to $48 million. Economic Conditions The previous year had been a dramatic one for the world economy. Prices on global credit and equity markets had been in free fall. The U.S. equity market was down over 50% from its peak in October 2007 In February and March of 2009, there had been some evidence of improvement in financial and economic conditions. Wholesale inventories were in decline. New- home sales were beginning to rise. The equity market had experienced a rally of over 20% in recent weeks. Going public Despite the uncertainty of taking...
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...The opening 'estion is designed to allo) stdents to pt p the rele(ant!ac"grond of the important managerial decisions facing Rosetta Stonemanagement% In particlar the discssion shold focs on the decision togo p!lic and the price at )hich Rosetta Stone shares shold !e sold%2% Tell me a!ot the economics of the Rosetta Stone !siness% Is this a!siness that $o expect )ill generate interest among in(estorsThis 'estion in(ites stdents to explore the Rosetta Stone !sinessmodel its competiti(e strengths and its potential to sstain a strong gro)thand profita!ilit$ tra4ector$% ase Exhi!it K can !e a sefl exhi!it inhighlighting the financial performance of the !siness% T$picall$ stdentsagree that Rosetta Stone is a (er$ interesting !siness )ith strong potentialfor in(estors to participate in attracti(e financial pside potential%;% 1hat do $o thin" the crrent mar"et price is for Rosetta Stone sharesPoll the class for their !est#gess estimates of the mar"et price of RosettaStone shares% As" for an explanation for the (ariation in estimates% 6ra)ot the o!ser(ation that there is a s!stantial amont of ncertaint$ )ith(aling start#p !sinesses% The (ariation in class estimates is li"el$ de todifferences in 4dgment across thefd class as )ell as some possi!letechnical errors in the (alations% EmphasiJe that althogh there are nodo!t man$ sond estimates there are also s!stantial opportnities for error% An important o!4ecti(e of the discssion is to identif$...
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...CASE #2 – “Rosetta Stone: Pricing the 2009 IPO” Group 2 will have to make a presentation before the entire class during the synchronous session on Monday, November 23, 2015. In April 2009, the Rosetta Stone management had to price the initial public offering of Rosetta Stone stock during one of the most difficult periods in capital-raising history. The case outlines Rosetta Stone’s unique language-learning strategy and its associated strong financial performance. Students are invited to value the stock and take a position on whether the current filing range is appropriate. The case is designed to showcase corporate valuation using discounted cash flow and peer-company market multiples. Answer the following questions in your report: 1. What is going on at Rosetta Stone? 2. Describe the economics of the Rosetta Stone business. Is this a business that you expect will generate interest among investors? What do you think the current market price is for Rosetta Stone shares? Justify your valuation on a discounted-cash-flow basis and a market multiples basis. • What are the pros and cons of using a market-multiples approach in valuation? • Consider a discounted-cash-flow model for valuing Rosetta Stone. Are you comfortable with the financial forecast in case Exhibit 8? What are the key assumptions? Is the length of the forecast period reasonable? • What discount rate is appropriate for the cash-flow forecast? • What was your approach for terminal value? How do your...
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...The Rosetta Stone was found july 19, 1799. The stone was found by a french soldier. He discovered a black basalt slab with ancient writing on it close to the town of Rosetta. The stone contained three different scripts on it, Egyptian hieroglyphics, Greek, and Egyptian demotic. The ancient writing on it told archaeologists that it was made by priests, meant for honoring the king of Egypt. Many archeologists believe that stone holds the key to figuring out a language that has been extinct for nearly 2,000 years. When Napoleon found out about this he invaded Egypt in 1798, and took a group of scholars with him and told them to take all important cultural artifacts with them. When the British defeated Napoleon in 1801, he took the stone. Many...
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...ROSETTA STONE: pricing the 2009 IPO Teaching Note This case examines the April 2009 decision of Rosetta Stone management to price the initial public offering of Rosetta Stone stock during one of the most difficult periods in capital-raising history. The case outlines Rosetta Stone’s unique language-learning strategy and its associated strong financial performance. Students are invited to value the stock and take a position on whether the current $15 to $17 per share filing range is appropriate. The case is designed to showcase corporate valuation using discounted cash flow and peer-company market multiples. The epilogue details the 40% first-day rise in Rosetta Stone stock from the $18 offer price. With this backdrop, students are exposed to a well-known finance anomaly—the IPO underpricing phenomenon—and are invited to critically discuss various proposed explanations. The case provides opportunities for the instructor to develop any of the following teaching objectives: * Review the institutional aspects of the equity issuance transaction. * Explore the costs and benefits associated with public share offerings. * Develop an appreciation for the challenges of valuing unseasoned firms. * Hone corporate valuation skills, particularly using market multiples. * Evaluate the received explanations of various finance anomalies, such as the IPO underpricing phenomenon. Study Questions 1. What are the advantages and disadvantages...
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...UNIVERSITY OF OREGON INVESTMENT GROUP 4-30-2010 Consumer Goods Rosetta Stone Inc. RECOMMENDATION: BUY Stock Data Price (52 weeks) Symbol/Exchange Beta Shares Outstanding Average daily volume (3 month average) Current market cap(M) Current Price Valuation (per share) DCF Analysis Comparables Analysis Current Price Target Price $16.06- 32.97 RST / NYSE .65 19.9 287,505 $569 $26.25 $31.88 (50% weight) $37.10 (50%) $26.25 $34.49 Summary Financials 2009A ($M) Revenue Net Income Operating Cash Flow $252 $13.4 $41.1 CORPORATE SUMMARY Rosetta Stone Inc. (RST) joined the public markets in the spring of 2009. As of the end of their fiscal year 2009 they reported $252 million in sales, while also growing profits at 54 percent year over year. The company’s goal is to create a program that surrounds their customers directly with the language, without translation. Their proprietary teaching method called Dynamic Immersion has been the key driver for the company’s recent growth. They offer courses in 31 languages to a large customer base, ranging from government officials to armed forces. RST has offices in Virginia, London, Tokyo, Colorado and other various locations around the world. The focus point going forward is to keep up with growing international demand whiling continuing to enhance their proprietary curriculum. Covering Analyst: Matthew Hollands Email: Mhollan1@uoegon.edu The University of Oregon Investment Group (UOIG) is a student run organization whose purpose is strictly...
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...UNIVERSITY OF OREGON INVESTMENT GROUP 4-30-2010 Consumer Goods Rosetta Stone Inc. RECOMMENDATION: BUY Stock Data Price (52 weeks) Symbol/Exchange Beta Shares Outstanding Average daily volume (3 month average) Current market cap(M) Current Price Valuation (per share) DCF Analysis Comparables Analysis Current Price Target Price Summary Financials 2009A ($M) Revenue Net Income Operating Cash Flow $252 $13.4 $41.1 $16.06- 32.97 RST / NYSE .65 19.9 287,505 $569 $26.25 $31.88 (50% weight) $37.10 (50%) $26.25 $34.49 CORPORATE SUMMARY Rosetta Stone Inc. (RST) joined the public markets in the spring of 2009. As of the end of their fiscal year 2009 they reported $252 million in sales, while also growing profits at 54 percent year over year. The company’s goal is to create a program that surrounds their customers directly with the language, without translation. Their proprietary teaching method called Dynamic Immersion has been the key driver for the company’s recent growth. They offer courses in 31 languages to a large customer base, ranging from government officials to armed forces. RST has offices in Virginia, London, Tokyo, Colorado and other various locations around the world. The focus point going forward is to keep up with growing international demand whiling continuing to enhance their proprietary curriculum. Covering Analyst: Matthew Hollands Email: Mhollan1@uoegon.edu The University of Oregon Investment Group (UOIG) is a student run organization whose purpose is...
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... Group 8 ~ Mayank Nick Raol Gautham Sahithi Sowmya. Table of Contents |Descriptions |Name Title | |Introduction of Samsung and Rosetta Stone |Nick Raol | |STalk - Communicate and We take it across |Nick Raol | | Market Positioning |Gautham | |Target Market |Sowmya and Sahithi | |Marketing Mix |Sowmya and Sahithi | |Design document |Mayank | |Company's Website |Mayank | Introduction of Samsung and Rosetta Stone Samsung electronics is one of the largest corporations in the world worth billions of dollars. Samsung beginnings were not involved distributing electronic but other products. Samsung's founder Chull Lee established a trade export organization in Korea, distributing fruits, vegetables and fish. Samsung slowly began to expand into other industries...
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...Leaders know that to successfully run their companies they need to have a clear strategy that meets the challenges facing their organization and capitalizes on the strengths that they possess. However, even the best strategy will ultimately fail without the right people in place to execute it. Thus, the true challenge for any leader is a human capital challenge. But what exactly is human capital and how does it relate to an organization’s chances for successfully executing its strategy? In short, human capital is the sum of knowledge, abilities, skills, values, personality, ideas, motivation, behaviors and experiences owned and offered by the people within an organization. All things being equal, the better the quality of an organization’s human capital the more successful it will be. The importance of human capital to an organization’s success is even more pronounced today due to a number of crucial trends. These include: * Demographic changes – an aging workforce along with increasing diversity is forcing organizations to fight a “war for talent” * Increased focus on growth – after cutting costs to improve the bottom line there is a renewed focus on growing the top line * Knowledge, innovation, adaptability and collaboration as key drivers of success – to grow the top line, leaders have recognized that the primary sources of success are things that reside within their people * Increased importance of intangible assets, such as brand, reputation, leadership...
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...Full Service Travel in Brazil Explore the World LLC Team C: MGMT 598 International Business Professor Wendy Finlay December 15, 2013 Table of Contents 1.0 Executive Summary3 2.0 Country Factors3 2.1 Political and Legal4 2.2 Economic4 2.3 Cultural5 3.0 Competition6 4.0 Market Opportunity9 5.0 SWOT Analysis: Implications12 5.1 Strengths12 5.2 Weaknesses14 5.3 Opportunities15 5.4 Threats16 6.0 Business Objectives16 7.0 Strategic Thrust17 8.0 Tactics19 8.1 Human Resources19 8.1.1 Recruiting and Staffing19 8.1.2 Training and Development20 8.1.3 Performance Management21 8.1.4 Compensation & Rewards21 8.2 Financial Risks22 8.3 Products and Services23 8.4 Pricing24 8.5 Promotion25 8.6 Distribution27 9.0 Measurement of Results28 Global Business Strategy: Full Service Travel in Brazil 1.0 Executive Summary Explore the World LLC desires to create a concierge, high-end travel agency/experience in Brazil. Our new office will be located in a place yet to be determined in Brazil and we are thinking of transportation, accommodations, private guided tours, cultural lessons, and language lessons. Essentially, the business plans to make the experience more than just seeing the sights, but experiencing the culture and lifestyle as a whole. This service can be used by both business and vacation travelers. In addition to direct personal service we will have a website to allow people to survey our offerings...
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