As a technology consultant and small enterprise coach, I am asked about new technology approximately daily. If you want to go out and start a small enterprise today, you can get approximately all of your software for free. Any decent laptop will run the OpenOffice software, which is probably abundance for most small enterprise owners. OpenOffice has a writing program, a spreadsheet program and the presentation program and all of this is free just for going to openoffice.org and downloading it.
One of the biggest challenges of any enterprise owner or self-employed person is scheduling. Some people call me directly and others call my office which is regularly a good way to make sure I show up. Some years ago we started out using Windows-based phones from Htc and At&T mobile. Since we have a Microsoft change server at our Internet hosting company, the principles worked reasonably well. My assistant could enter a calendar appointment, and within 15 minutes it would appear on my phone. Anyone can go out and have this type of e-mail client for about per person per month. This is significantly less costly than buying your own change server and trying to speak it. More importantly it is way economy than trying to get back a client you lost because you missed their appointment.
Due to Some other disappointing issues with Windows phones, we switched to Blackberry services and Blackberry cellular phones a consolidate of years ago. It turned out that our change servers were not compatible Blackberry services, so we had to buy that service through At&T. Another a month each. We have since found that Blackberry services can be somewhat difficult and unreliable.
Just as our disappointment level hit a peak, one of my employees, found the Google calendar for free. The facility is very simple, just sign up for iGoogle, and share your calendar with other people. Since we are a very small office, we decided to give it a try. Within four days we had thoroughly given up our Blackberry services. There is a Google sync client that needed to go on everybody's Blackberry or iPhone. This turned out to be the big bonus, you can use either Blackberries or iPhones with the iGoogle calender.
If you use Microsoft Outlook as your traditional e-mail instead of the free Google e-mail client there is a sync applet for that too. A total of 20 minutes per person was used and we had a mail client that did everything we needed, or so we thought. Within a day I noticed my desktop wasn't getting its updates from my phone, and my phone wasn't getting updates from my desktop. The Google applet doesn't work with 64bit Vista. We had just upgraded half of our Pc's for the 64 bit speed. Half of the office was working fine.
The solution appeared easy enough, let the phone sync to Google and leave the Blackberry desktop to sync with the Outlook e-mail and Calendar on computers to the phone. The phone then syncs with the public calendars on Google. This isn't 100% yet either. The flaw we have found at this point turned out to be linked to the Blackberry desktop manager. The Google sync client recognizes when Another sync client adds or changes your calendar. The Google thing client will then ignore those items. It only has an succeed when the appointment is entered on both Google and Outlook, then whoever the phone syncs with first becomes the master. If the appointment changes and it isn't made to the master, then the phone won't get the change. Minor but important none the less.
Overall, the Google calendar principles has been a major revising for our small business, and solved most of the problems we had with both the Microsoft change server and Blackberry services. The best part is since we have less than 5 people that need to share each other calendar in a group, it is all for free. I think the limit is 50 per office. If you don't need calendar sharing with more than your partner, assistant and home, this is a no brain-er.
Google calendar shows how far Google has come in its ability to deliver services "in the cloud". Once you put the privacy and security issues of person else hosting your data aside, my biggest concern about virtual services and "cloud computing", has been the availability of data when you're not able to connect the cloud.
Last month we purchased a netbook (net book?) to test it, we'll cover that whole thing later. The netbook didn't have an change e-mail client. It only uses cloud computing. What this means to you is simple: If you can't connect to the internet, you can't work or get e-mail. There has to be a way to make skinny software versions that sync with the services that are in the "cloud" or somewhere on the internet. What about documents? As long as every document and say the last 30 days of email text can be fast synced to the cloud every time you have a connection, you can keep working. In this fashion you are taking a portable backup of the cloud in any place you go. I don't want to be stuck in an airplane for 12 hours and not be able to work on something because I didn't "check it out" or the airplane doesn't have WiFi. Yes, (Are you listening Google, Apple, Microsoft and Cisco) there are places you still can't connect. The netbook is for big city people and semi frequent travelers in its current configuration.
In a small enterprise where is very unlikely for more than one person to be working on a document, "cloud computing" may be a very realistic alternative to costly servers, or rented server services. In our office, everyone owns their document, and changes are sent as a separate document to forestall sync errors when two people have made changes to the central document. The sass here is going to be a "change key" so that when you re-sync with the cloud, a window will show any changes posted by other people since your last sync. If you are the owner of the doc then you can approve them. Otherwise, each upload would have to be a version change and this could drive the document owner nuts.
There is a green benefit to the cloud as well, fewer computers, good managed means less waste. If we all store our data in the cloud at data farms, which can run at 75% efficiency or better, instead of three separate hard drives somewhere in our homes. There is a big savings on hard drives and energy use here if we use this right, never mind the wasted downtime of upgrades and moves.
Here is Another way to think about it, I started my first It enterprise in 1996 selling desktops, software, servers and phone systems. It is a pretty appropriate operation, and then had very high margins. Today, if you start, own or work for a small enterprise with less than 15 employees, you can buy laptops online for under 00, open the the box and download an office software container from OpenOffice.org for free. If you need Microsoft Office, you can still use the trial version of Ms office for 60 days for free. 60 days free Anyone these days is a nice help isn't it? finally everyone in the office can sign up for own Google Mail and Google calendar accounts on iGoogle which is also free. If person quits, everyone just removes the person from the shared calender and that person vanishes from your part of the cloud.
The enterprise right away has a way to communicate, and view each others schedules. To make it even more difficult for small enterprise It consultant to make any money, a small office can get their telephone services through Skype with a phone estimate and voicemail for under 0 a year, and .95 a month unlimited long distance. There are also "hosted VoIp" phones that you just plug in, and you have an instant extension. Instead of getting to sell workstations, software and telephone systems, all we get to do now is log in remotely and offer some basic training.
As a small enterprise owner, this is all precisely cool stuff. You can hire a dozen people to all work from home and your risk is a good laptop, Skype estimate or Hosted VoIp phone and maybe a headset. No more need for a desk, office space or any of that. Just dream building a large Real Estate office with 56 agents, and only needing three offices, a receptionist and a consolidate of argument rooms. After all why should all the agents come in? Houses aren't sold in offices, only the paperwork is in there. That is why you keep the argument rooms. By sharing the offices and argument rooms which can be booked over the Google calender, all of the agents work from home. Happier workers and lower rent sound a lot like a good business. I wonder if we could do this for Law Firms too? It is a good thing your small enterprise still needs help with your internet nearnessy plan otherwise I wouldn't have a job.
Are You Ready to Move Your business Into "The Cloud" and Save Some RentDespite new turmoil in the It sector for 2008, I avow that this is now where you want to be. Reasoning here follows that the financial sector is struggling to keep its bad news buried, the housing market is shambles and even retailers are struggling to preserve growth. A move toward tech seems fully logical due to typically strong international exposure, obvious equilibrium sheets and the fact that It stocks hold a historically low correlation to the broader markets. Lets pick some technology bulls.
Consumer Electronics - The Net Fool picks Apple (Nyse: Aapl) Hey Mr. Market, why so down on Apple? The iPod firm is fully matured. The iPhone is losing account to similar devices. MacWorld was missing its usual superstar prospect. I tell you what, take this news and know that Apple has historically done its best when sentiment is low. Steve Jobs & Co. Is my favorite It pick for 2008. The downside has opened up value in the stock, and I feel they have bottomed!
Looking supplementary into the about issues. The iPhone was selling less because of Apple's push into the new iPod Touch, the analysts at Needham noted that "Apple would have sold close to four million iPhones in its absence." Add this to the fact that an estimated 25%-30% of iPhones were "unlocked" from At&T, a whole that truly benefits Aapl straight through the carrier's headache. While iPod sales were slowed, I feel that the mp3 gadget is merely in a transitioning phase, and bright opportunities are now raised in mobile technology.
I feel that Aapl may be a stepping back resistor. Mac firm is healthier than ever, and single-handily offset losses in iPods. Investors are punishing high-end firms like Apple for any disappointments. The stock is 35% off its highs, trading at a prime 24-times-earnings compared to its peer's 32x and has a Peg of 0.7x. They've got the free cash flow we love (.78/share est. 2008) and its firm segments have never looked healthier. Citizen are hating on this firm for no reason. As Warren Buffet puts it: "Be fearful when others are greedy, and greedy only when others are fearful."
Comm. Equipment - The Net Fool picks Corning (Nyse: Glw) Corning is the firm you want for Lcd glass panels. This market is victorious with bigger and badder television sets arrival out on the daily. Fourth quarter results showed that administration feels the same due to prolonged speculation in facilities and solid relationships with market leaders. 2008 outlook was Very obvious and new earnings streams should be found in an estimated 60%+ growth in Lcd capital spending. Glw anticipates releasing a new flexible fiber glass material and should see appreciation from the arrival adoption of mandated diesel filtration. No major catalyst is driving growth, which is certainly odd, but an bright valuation recovers most of the risk.
Outside of Lcd glass, Corning is still running the table. A new "Gorilla Glass" stock that enabled touch-screen entry has come to be readily sold to handset manufacturers. Corning seems to understand the shift to mobile technology, and is truly on the ball. With this in mind, accepted and Poors added: "sales acceleration to 17% growth in 2008, up from 13% in 2007, aided by currency benefits and more importantly due to higher ask for liquid crystal display (Lcd) glass substrates from Tv and computer manufacturers." all things is arrival together for Corning, even Verizon is on board, a new buyer of Glw's "ClearCurve" cable solutions. ClearCurve is the world's most bendable fiber, 100x more bendable than regular fiber... Which is apparently very important. This new technology could unlock huge possible with the preserve of an business leader in FiOs.
Corning should be a core technology keeping for every investor. They remain uncostly with a Peg at 0.83x and a transmit Pe at 13x versus an estimated trading value closer to 20x. There are some risks presented by overcapacity in the Lcd glass business and potentially slowed It spending. However, I feel as though retailers will continue to purchase the glass for bigger screens, and the fiber for faster internet. If they are overstocking and cannot sell, that is their problem... Not Cornings. These guys beat earnings by a penny, and their outlook only improved. They are bulls across the board, and deserve to trade at a prime in my opinion.
Solar Semiconductor - The Net Fool picks First Solar (Nyse: Fslr) After doubting the extreme-growth behind solar technology in January 2008, it seems high time we apologized to powerhouse gainers like First Solar. ThinkEquity Partners gave this great stock a one-word classification, "debottlenecking." After smashing earnings estimates of 53 cents a share with an astonishing 77 cent gain, they appreciated 30% on the day after expanding 2008 guidance. Don't let this buy-athon scare you away. We plan the solar business run-up was finished, and were clearly proven wrong. The year-over-year earnings growth of 280% and power in Eps suggests stronger time to come earnings power.
Operating efficiency is one of the traditional benefits I see from execution in 2008. Costs per watt (.12) averages were down 6% on the year, and a negative currency impact from the Euro was approximately entirely overshadowed by thrifty operations in First Solar's Malaysia plant. Spots for revising have been identified, and most analysts feel they can bring home the gold. Most notably, the first and second quarter 2008 should prove to show prolonged growth on track with 2007 appreciation. Solar clubs are all trading at bright premiums when inspecting growth. With oil on the move upward, it seems that momentum for green power will remain strong. Investors should return to the solar arena with strong earnings and ask in mind.
The Malaysian plant's revamp may have a negative impact on First Solar's first quarter earnings in 2008. On the other side of the coin, we expect an growth in production and see operating margins supporting at 30%+ levels. I wouldn't be surprised at all to see more good news in guidance. We expect their Pe and Peg ratios to come more in line with the industry, as the current prime they appear to be trading at is a supervene of explosive growth over the past year. execution was flawless in 2007, and with nothing but green lights thus far... First Solar makes for a great long-term growth play.
Infrastructure Tech. - The Net Fool picks Akamai (Nyse: Akam) Akamai is alive and well in 2008. After inspecting them earlier in 2007, they have prolonged to display power in their industry. In a recession-trending market, there is a bit of security surrounding an internet-based firm. There is Very strong entertainment and media ask across the internet, and Akamai is just the firm to deliver the goods. Akam posted a big jump in profits while the fourth quarter earnings call, which handily beat examiner estimates. After expanding advice into 2008 with prolonged streaming media ask on the net, it is becoming hard to spin this firm negatively.
Akamai Technologies has had an astonishing run up over the years. Frustrating the bears once again on their last earnings conference, Akam got a boost off of their 52-week lows. They've now extended their streak of sequential earnings and behalf growth to 20 consecutive quarters! What's more, their equilibrium sheet is as salutary as ever; they have once again increased free cash flow to 4m from 6m. With a important role in a victorious content-delivery market, analysts such as Canaccord Adams advise the possible earnings and earnings growth "in excess of 30% for the next some years."
The valuation of Akamai is contested often by analysts over whether they are cheap or in-line. I believe they are to the cheap side finding as how the are off about 45% from their 52-week high and are trading with a Peg of 0.7x. I might be tempted to test the waters if they fall under . They are trading at a exiguous prime in price-to-earnings terms, but I feel this is more than merited as they seem to be a obvious stepping back keeping in data technology. With price sensitivity imaginable to fade along with lowering bandwidth costs, it would appear to be Akamai's market to steer over the next few years.
That's it for data technology. There are truly some great stocks to be found in the sector, despite the plan that tech is always more vaporing and hazardous than financials, conglomerates and the like. While February is a historically poor season for It, I wouldn't mind getting my march shopping done a bit early with a lot of negative sentiment unfairly dragging down perfectly salutary companies.
-The Net Fool
Stock shop 2008 - facts Technology SectorJust last week, I wrote about At&T Ceo Randall Stephenson's contention that the telecommunications giant was having issue finding enough warm bodies with the right qualifications to fill U.S. Technical withhold positions, jobs At&T announced in late 2006 that it was shifting from India back to the States.
During a modern presentation at a firm event in Texas, Stephenson mentioned that At&T found that, in some areas, high schools had issue graduating even half of their students. I mentioned that the unabridged U.S. High school graduation was commonly approved to be about 70 percent - not that this is a number of which to be proud. Yet it turns out that, if anything, Stephenson's estimate may have been a bit optimistic. A study by America's Promise Alliance, which focuses on issues of children's education, protection and health, found graduation rates ranging from 25 percent to 77 percent in America's 50 largest cities.
The study, which is based on the instruction Department's graduation data from 2004, illustrates an alarming gap between graduation rates in cities and suburbs. In a dozen cities on the list, the gap exceeds 25 percentage points, reports Usa Today.
Maybe At&T needs to ensue the lead of some other clubs and look to areas exterior of large cities for its possible hires. Northrop Grumman and Dell are among U.S. clubs establishing some operations in small American cities as offshore alternatives.
The operation gap between cities and suburbs is "unacceptable, especially now that 90 percent of our fastest-growing jobs want instruction or training beyond high school," instruction Secretary Margaret Spellings tells Usa Today. Gee, you think? As I wrote in August, an increasing number of U.S. clubs want even assembly-line workers to have computer skills.
Much of the debate over immigration reform, together with the hot-button issue of either the issue should award more H-1B visas, revolves around either high-end positions that want an industrialized instruction or the kinds of menial jobs often filled by folks without a high school instruction (including illegal aliens). People often seem to forget that there are lots of jobs in the middle of the scale, such as the types of positions At&T is trying to fill. Many folks don't have the inclination or the financial resources to attend college. They need to know that if they apply themselves in high school, they can still get a decent entry-level job - albeit not one where they can expect to make six figures.
Writes an It firm Edge reader in response to my article about At&T's difficulties:
I know a lot of People don't like it, but mentally, in this country, we've become lazy. There is a higher dropout rate than what was the norm when I graduated 15 years ago. People are smart, but without even a high school diploma, how many clubs do you expect to call you back for an interview?
No new technology develops smoothly, and video conferencing had more than its share of bumps along the way before becoming the widely used communications staple it is today. The history of video conferencing in its earliest form goes back to the 1960's, when At&T introduced the Picturephone at the World's Fair in New York. While viewed as a spirited curiosity, it never became popular and was too costly to be practical for most consumers when it was offered for 0 a month in 1970. commercial use of real video conferencing was first realized with Ericsson's demonstration of the first trans-Atlantic Lme video telephone call. Soon other clubs began refining video conferencing technologies, together with such advancements as network video protocol (Nvp) in 1976 and packet video protocol (Pvp) in 1981. None of these were put into commercial use, however, and stayed in the laboratory or underground enterprise use. In 1976, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone established video conferencing (Vc) between Tokyo and Osaka for enterprise use. Ibm Japan followed suit in 1982 by establishing Vc running at 48000bps to link up with already established internal Ibm video conferencing links in the United States so that they could have weekly meetings. The 1980's introduce commercial video conferencing In 1982, Compression Labs introduces their Vc ideas to the world for 0,000 with lines for ,000 an hour. The ideas was huge and used colossal resources capable of tripping 15 amp circuit breakers. It was, however, the only working Vc ideas available until PictureTel's Vc hit the store in 1986 with their substantially economy ,000 ideas with 0 per hour lines. In the time in between these two commercially offered systems, there were other video conferencing systems advanced that were never offered commercially. The history of video conferencing isn't complete without mentioning these systems that were either prototypes or systems advanced specifically for in-house use by a collection of corporations or organizations, together with the military. Around 1984, Datapoint was using the Datapoint Minx ideas on their Texas campus, and had in case,granted the ideas to the military. In the late 1980's, Mitsubishi began selling a still-picture phone that was basically a flop in the store place. They dropped the line two years after introducing it. In 1991, the first Pc based video conferencing ideas was introduced by Ibm - PicTel. It was a black and white ideas using what was at the time an incredibly reasonable per hour for the lines, while the ideas itself was ,000. In June of the same year, Dartnet had successfully related a transcontinental Ip network of over a dozen research sites in the United States and Great Britain using T1 trunks. Today, Dartnet has evolved into the Cairn system, which connects dozens of institutions. Cu-SeeMe revolutionizes video conferencing One of the most noted systems in the history of video conferencing was the Cu-SeeMe advanced for the MacIntosh ideas in 1992. Although the first version didn't have audio, it was the best video ideas advanced to that point. By 1993, the Mac program had multipoint capability, and in 1994, Cu-SeeMe Mac was true video conferencing with audio. Recognizing the limitations of Mac compatibility in a Windows world, developers worked diligently to roll out the April 1994 Cu-SeeMe for Windows (no audio), followed closely by the audio version, Cu-SeeMe v0.66b1 for Windows in August of 1995. In 1992, At&T rolled out their own ,500 video phone for the home market. It was a borderline success. That same year, the world's first Mbone audio/video broadcast took place and in July Inria's video conferencing ideas was introduced. This is the year that saw the first real explosion in video conferencing for businesses Around the globe and ultimately led to the standards advanced by the Itu. International Telecommunications Union develops coding standards The International Telecommunications Union (Itu) began developing standards for video conferencing coding in 1996, when they established suitable H.263 to reduce bandwidth for transmission for low bit rate communication. Other standards were developed, together with H.323 for packet-based multi-media communications. These are a collection of other telecommunications standards were revised and updated in 1998. In 1999, suitable Mpeg-4 was advanced by the spirited picture Experts Group as an Iso suitable for multimedia content. In 1993, VocalChat Novell Ipx networks introduced their video conferencing system, but it was doomed from the start and didn't last. Microsoft finally came on board the video conferencing bandwagon with NetMeeting, a descendent of PictureTel's Liveshare Plus, in August of 1996 (although it didn't have video in this release). By December of the same year, Microsoft NetMeeting v2.0b2 with video had been released. That same month, VocalTec's Internet Phone v4.0 for Windows was introduced. Vrvs links global research centers The Virtual Room Videoconferencing ideas (Vrvs) scheme at Caltech-Cern kicked off in July of 1997. They advanced the Vrvs specifically to furnish video conferencing to researchers on the Large Hadron Collider scheme and scientists in the High power and Nuclear Physics society in the U.S. And Europe. It has been so thriving that seed money has been allotted for phase two, CalRen-2, to improve and advance on the already in-place Vrvs ideas in order to advance it to encompass geneticists, doctors, and a host of other scientists in the video conferencing network Around the world. Cornell University's amelioration team released Cu-SeeMe v1.0 in 1998. This color video version was compatible with both Windows and MacIntosh, and huge step transmit in pc video conferencing. By May of that year, the team has moved on to other projects. In February of 1999, Session Initiation Protocol (Sip) was launched by Mmusic. The platform showed some advantages over H.323 that user appreciated and soon made it practically as popular. 1999 was a very busy year, with NetMeeting v3.0b advent out, followed swiftly by version three of the Itu suitable H.323. Then came the issue of iVisit v2.3b5 for both Windows and Mac, followed by Media Gateway control Protocol (Mgcp), version 1. In December, Microsoft released a assistance pack for NetMeeting v3.01 (4.4.3388) and an Iso suitable Mpeg-4 version two was released. Finally, Psinet was the first enterprise to get underway H.323 automatic multipoint services. Like we said, 1999 was a very busy year. Sip entered version 1.30 in November of 2000, the same year that suitable H.323 hit version 4, and Samsung released their Mpeg-4 streaming 3G video cell phone, the first of its kind. It was a hit, particularly in Japan. Rather predictably, Microsoft NetMeeting had to issue other assistance pack for version 3.01. In 2001, Windows Xp messenger announced that it would now preserve Session Initiation Protocol. This was the same year the world's first transatlantic tele-surgery took place utilizing video conferencing. In this instance, video conferencing was instrumental in allowing a surgeon in the U.S. To use a robot overseas to achieve gall bladder surgical operation on a patient. It was one of the most compelling non-business uses in the history of video conferencing, and brought the technology to the attention of the curative profession and the general public. In October of 2001, television reporters began using a transported satellite and a videophone to broadcast live from Afghanistan during the war. It was the first use of video conferencing technology to converse live with video with someone in a war zone, again bringing video conferencing to the forefront of people's imaginations. Founded in December of 2001, the Joint Video Team completed basic research prominent to Itu-T H.264 by December of 2002. This protocol standardized video compression technology for both Mpeg-4 and Itu-T over a broad range of application areas, making it more versatile than its predecessors. In March of 2003, the new technology was ready for get underway to the industry. New uses for video conferencing technologies 2003 also saw the rise in use of video conferencing for off-campus classrooms. Interactive classrooms became more popular as the potential of streaming video increased and the delay decreased. clubs such as Vbrick in case,granted assorted Mpeg-4 systems to colleges over the country. Desktop video conferencing is also on the rise and gaining popularity. clubs newer to the store are now refining the details of performance in expanding to the nuts and bolts of transmission. In April of 2004, Applied Global Technologies advanced a voice-activated camera for use in video conferencing that tracks the voice of assorted speakers in order to focus on whoever is speaking during a consulation call. In March 2004, Linux announced the issue of GnomeMeeting, an H.323 compliant, free video conferencing platform that is NetMeeting compatible. With the constant advances in video conferencing systems, it seems sure that the technology will continue to evolve and become an integral part of enterprise and personal life. As new advances are made and systems become more reasonably priced, keep in mind that choices are still considered by network type, ideas requirements and what your particular conferencing needs are. This record on the "The History of Video Conferencing" reprinted with permission.
Copyright © 2004 Evaluseek Publishing.
Alliances often follow in mergers and/or acquisitions. Partnering relationships, such as joint ventures or strategic alliances, can sometimes lead to a merger or acquisition situation. After associates work together for a period of time and get to know one another's strengths, weaknesses, and synergistic possibilities, new association opportunities come to be apparent. One could argue that a joint speculation or strategic alliance is simply the getting to know each other part of a courtship in the middle of associates and that the real marriage does not occur until the association has been consummated by a merger or acquisition.
To make the point, Dan McQueen, president, at Fluid Components International (Fci) built a Partnering association with Vortab, a small technology company. Vortab produced static mixers, a technology favorable for flow conditioning that complemented Fci's goods offering. While Vortab also had three other distribution partners in increasing to Fci, Fci's volume with Vortab prolonged to grow to the point that Vortab's technology became an important part of Fci's total sales volume. After about three years into the relationship, Fci acquired Vortab.
Because of the close association in the middle of Vortab and Fci, when the Vortab was put up for sale McQueen knew its true value. Resulting from his knowledge, Fci was able to buy Vortab at a much more realistic price than Vortab's request price. The Vortab technology integrated well with Fci's core competency technology and today Fci also distributes Vortab through some of its non-direct competitors.
The following list demonstrates some of the definite values created or developed from the various organizational blending methods:
· Operational reserved supply sharing
· Functional skill transfer
· Management skill transfer
· Leverage (economies of scale)
· Capability increases
Mergers
Mergers occur when two or more organizations come together to blend or link their strengths. Also in the deal is a blending of their weaknesses. The hopeful follow is a new more marvelous organization that can good produce goods and services, entrance markets, and deliver the top potential customer service. Mergers offer promise for synergistic possibilities. This is achieved by the blending of cultures and retaining the core strengths of each. In this scenario, a new and separate organization ordinarily emerges. The goal is a sharing of power, but commonly the strongest rise to the top leadership.
Exxon - Mobil
The Federal Trade Commission gave Exxon and Mobil the green light On November 30, 1999 for their billion merger. The next day the transaction was completed. The merged organization officially became Exxon Mobil Corp. The merger certainly brings "the associates back to their roots when they were part of John Rockefeller's thorough Oil empire. That business was the largest oil firm in the world before it was busted up by the government in 1911."
At the 1998 declaration of their intention to merge, Mobil chairman, Lucio Noto made a commentary about the need to merge. He said, "Today's declaration combination does not mean rhat we could not survive on our own. This is not a combination based on desperation, it's one based on opportunity. But we need to face some facts. The world has changed. The easy things are behind us. The easy oil, the easy cost savings, they're done. Both organizations have pursued internal efficiencies to the extent that they could."
While part of the deal was the selling of a Northern California refinery and practically 2,500 gas station locations, the divestiture represents only a fraction of their combined 8 billion in assets. Lee Raymond, Exxon chairman, now chairman and chief administrative of the merged business said, "The merger will allow Exxon Mobil to compete more effectively with recently combined multinational oil associates and the large state-owned oil associates that are rapidly increasing outside their home areas."
Exxon Mobil is now like a small oil-rich nation. They have practically 21 billion barrels of oil and gas reserves on hand, enough to satisfy the world's whole vigor needs for more than a year. Yet, there is still the chance to cut costs. The associates expect their merger's economies of scale to cut about .8 billion in costs in the near term. They also plan to cut about 9,000 jobs out of the 123,000 worldwide.
Aol - Time Warner
On January 10, 2000, Steve Case, chairman and chief administrative of America Online (Aol), sent an e-letter to his 20 million members. He said, "Less than two weeks ago, population all over the world came together in a global celebration of the new century, and the new millennium. As I said in my first society modernize of the 21st Century, all of us at Aol are very excited by the challenges and prospects of this new era, a time we think of as the Internet Century.
I believe we have only just begun to see clearly how the interactive medium will transform our economy, our society, and our lives. And we are carefully to lead the way at Aol, as we have for 15 years--by bringing more population into the world of interactive services, and development the online perceive an even more valuable part of our members' lives.
That is why I am so pleased to tell you about an moving major amelioration at Aol. Today, America Online and Time Warner agreed to join forces, creating the world's first media and communications business for the Internet Century. The new company, to be created by the end of this year, will be called Aol Time Warner, and we believe that it will quite certainly change the scenery of media and communications in the new millennium."
The next day newspaper headlines read, "America Online, Time Warner recommend 3-Billion Merger." The Los Angeles Times said, "In an audacious deal bringing together former entertainment and the new world of the Internet, America Online and Time Warner Inc. On Monday announced they will merge in the largest business transaction in history."
The story later revealed the value comparisons of the companies. While Aol earns less than Time Warner, the stock shop thinks Aol's shares are worth more. "America Online is valued by the stock shop at nearly twice Time Warner--3 billion, compared with 1 billion as of Friday's [1/7/00] shop close--even though it has one-third Time Warner's yearly revenues." The record also stated "Aol earned 2 million on .8 billion in sales in the year ended Sept. 30 [1999]."
Aol chairman, Case wants to move fast. The Times record stated, "Case said the two chairman began discussing a combination this fall [1999], he has tried to impress upon Levin [Gerald Levin, chairman at Time Warner] the need to control the new business at Internet speeds." (We all know the rest of the story...nothing is forever.)
The prophets of gloom are all the time ready to point out the down side to deals. In Upside magazine, Loren Fox reported some of the challenges to the marriage. They are:
· "The holy grail of strategic synergy has been elusive in the media world."
· "In the offline world, it's famed that Time and Warner Brothers have prolonged to run fairly independently despite a decade as Time Warner."
· "'From any standpoint, this has not been a success to date,' says Yahoo President and Coo Jeff Mallett."
· "When you buy the company, you get things you don't need."
· "Warner might make these deals easier, but it might also bring new risks--even for Aol, a veteran of 25 acquisitions over the last six years. Employees might flee to pure dot-com companies, ego clashes could stymie plans or financial gains may never cover the large selected paid for Time Warner."
· "You don't need to own all things to do what Aol and Time Warner are doing."
Warner-Lambert
Merger mania can make strange bedfellows, let alone promises unfulfilled. Alliances can lead to mergers. Warner-Lambert is an example of all the above. This is corporate soap opera at its best.
· June 16, 1999, Warner-Lambert business announced that it has signed a letter of intent with Pfizer Inc. To continue and enlarge its very flourishing co-promotion of the cholesterol-lowering agent Lipitor (atorvastatin calcium). The companies, which began co-promoting Lipitor in 1997, will continue their collaboration for a total of ten years. Further, with a goal of increasing their goods collaborations, the associates plan to examine potential Lipitor line extensions and goods combinations and other areas of mutual interest.
· November 4, 1999, newspapers over America record on "one of the biggest mergers of any kind, ever." The Wall road Journal said, "Now, American Home is set to merge with Warner-Lambert Co. In a stock deal that is valued at about billion. It stands as the biggest deal in drug-industry history and one of on the biggest mergers of any kind, ever." Also reported, "Warner-Lambert held talks with Pfizer Inc. At the same time it was negotiating with American Home."
· November 4, 1999, The New York Times runs a story titled, "Can a Strong-Willed Chief Share Power in a Merger?" The record lead with, "The planned merger in the middle of American Home Products and Warner-Lambert once again raises the interrogate of either John R. Stafford, American Home's famously strong-willed chairman and chief executive, is capable of sharing and, perhaps more important, letting go of power."
· January 13, 2000, Warner-Lambert business indicated that, as a follow of changing events, it is exploring strategic alternatives, along with meeting with Pfizer, following Pfizer's up-to-date approach. In that regard, Warner-Lambert said that its Board of Directors has authorized supervision to enter into discussions with Pfizer to examine a potential business combination. The business stated that, in light of changing circumstances, its Board had ended that there is a cheap likelihood that Pfizer's previously announced conditional proposal could lead to a transaction, reasonably capable of being completed, that is good financially for Warner-Lambert shareholders than the proposed merger with American Home Products.
Lodewijk J.R. De Vink, chairman, president and chief administrative officer of Warner-Lambert, stated, "It has all the time been the Board's objective to gather the best potential transaction for Warner-Lambert shareholders and we will now pursue discussions with Pfizer to settle if a combination with them to perform that goal is possible." The business emphasized that there can be no insurance that any agreement on a transaction with Pfizer, or that any other transaction, will eventuate.
· January 24, 2000, in response to inquiries, Warner-Lambert business said that it would continue to examine strategic alternatives, along with discussions with Pfizer. The Company's unwavering goal is to provide the many value to Warner-Lambert shareholders. Warner-Lambert officials emphasized that there can be no insurance that any transaction will be completed and offered no additional comment.
Was American Home Products the bride left at the altar? The Wall road Journal didn't think so, in fact they called American Home the Runaway Bride in their November article. Additionally they listed some associates that American Home has them selves left at the altar.
· Early November 1997, American Home Products and SmithKline Beecham begin merger talks.
· January 30, 1999, Talks break off.
· June 1, 1998, American Home and Monsanto announce agreement to merge.
· October 13, 1998, American Home and Monsanto cancel plans to merge.
· November 3, 1999, American Home and Warner-Lambert Co. In talks to merge.
Acquisitions
An acquisition is basically the function of one business moving and digesting another. The follow is that the acquiring business shores up core weaknesses or adds a new potential without giving up control, as might occur in a merger. Added capabilities, rather than synergy is commonly the reasoning behind acquisitions. In this situation, the acquiring company's culture prevails. often one business will gather other for their intellectual property, their employees or to increase shop share. There are numerous strategies and reasons why one business acquires another, as you will soon discover.
Guardian security Services has been acquiring alarm associates within its northeast region of carrying out to supplement its internal growth. Russ Cersosimo, president says, "This is just other way for us to satisfy our appetite for growth. Our desire is to enlarge our opportunities in the other offices. That is other hypothesize why it is moving for us to look to gather companies, to get their industrial base and industrial sales force that is in place in those offices. We wanted to make sure that we can discharge the new accounts without putting strain on our paper flow and the systems we have in place."
Who does R&D acquisitions well? Electronics business recently answered, "Cisco Systems Inc., San Jose, the networking equipment company, which boasts many success stories among its 40 acquisitions of the past six years." None of their acquisitions were in mature markets, rather all were important edge, allowing Cisco to broaden its goods offering. Cisco hedges its acquisition bets through volume. Ammar Hanafi, director of the business amelioration group at Cisco says it counts on two out of three acquisitions succeeding and the remaining third doing just okay. Acquiring people, intellectual properties and specialized skills is important to associates like Cisco. They think that even if the acquired technology does not pan out, they have the engineers. Generally, any fast growing business like Cisco cannot hire population fast enough and the acquired personnel are a boon to the company's progress. Holding of acquired employees is at the heart of their acquisition strategy. "If we're going to lose the population who are important to the success of the target company, we're probably not going to have an interest," says Cisco controller Dennis Powell.
"Cisco doesn't do big acquisitions, the cultural issues are too huge," Hanafi says. Cisco buys early stage associates with microscopic or no revenues. While they often have paid very high prices for the acquisition, they seem to do good than most with their selection. in the middle of 1993 and 1996, Cisco bought cutting edge Lan switching technologies for a total of 6 million in stock. More than half was spent on Grand Junction Networks Inc., which developed fast Ethernet switchers. At the time of purchase, it is estimated that Grand Junction's yearly revenues were million. "Today, the four Lan switching acquisitions account for billion of Cisco's billion in yearly revenues." "We gather associates because we believe they will be successful. If we didn't believe in their success, we would not gather them," says Powell.
Little known West Coast Texas Pacific Group (Tpg) has been acquiring at a feverish pace. Their semiconductor and telecom buying spree includes, Gt Com in 1995, At&T Paradyne (from Lucent Technologies Inc.) in 1996, Zilog Inc. In 1997, Landis & Gyr Communications Sa in 1998, On Semiconductor (from Motorola Inc.), Zhone Technologies Inc., Mvx.Com and developed TelCom Group Inc. In 1999.
Tpg banks heavily on intellectual capital. Many believe that by being part of Tpg, their singular biggest advantage is entrance to broad pool of talented and well-connected people. Ceos can take advantage of Tpg's contacts in other industries colse to the world. "Tpg has this potential to build a virtual advisory board...that they don't even have to pay for," says Armando Geday, president and Ceo of GlobeSpan Inc.
Lucent Technologies, Inc. Has also been rampaging through the same shop as Cisco. Lucent's 1999 (January to August) acquisitions as listed in Cfo magazine include:
· Kenan Systems for billion
· Ascend Communications for billion
· Sybarus for million
· Enable Semiconductor for million
· Mosaix for 5 million
· Zetax Tecnologia, $ N/A
· Batik Equipamentos, $ N/A
· Nexabit Networks for 0 million
· Ccom, Edisin, $ N/A
· SpecTran for million
· International Network Services for .7 billion.
An advantage that Lucent has over its competitors is entrance to its 25,000-employee Bell Labs idea factory. As such, they are more likely to buy technology rather than R&D. Still, Lucent continually reviews the comparative advantages of technology and R&D in association to its own projects in reviewing acquisition possibilities. Lucent administrative vice president and Cfo Donald Peterson says, "In every space in which we have acquired, we have had simultaneous explore projects inside. It makes us knowledgeable, and lets us have a build-versus-buy option."
Lucent wants their units as a hole to do well and if acquisition helps that cause, they acquire. Peterson also says, "We view acquisition as a tool among many that our business units can use to enlarge their business plans. We evaluate acquisitions one by one, in the context of the business strategy of the unit."
Tyco International Ltd. Is a diversified global manufacturer and victualer of industrial products and systems with leadership positions in each of its four business segments: Disposable and Specialty Products, Fire and security Services, Flow Control, and Electrical and Electronic Components. through its corporate strategies of high-value production, decentralized operations, increase through synergistic and strategic acquisitions, and expansion through product/market globalization, Tyco has evolved. From Tyco's beginnings in 1960 as a conspiratorially held explore laboratory, it has transformed into today's multinational industrial corporation that is listed on the New York Stock Exchange. The business operates in more than 80 countries colse to the world and had fiscal 1999 revenues in excess of billion.
In the mid-1980s, Tyco returned its focus to sharply accelerating growth. While this period, it reorganized its subsidiaries into the current business segments listed above. The Company's name was changed from Tyco Laboratories, Inc. To Tyco International Ltd. In 1993, to reflect Tyco's global operations more accurately. Furthermore, it became, and remains, Tyco's policy to focus on adding high-quality, cost-competitive, low-tech industrial/commercial products to its goods lines that can be marketed globally.
In addition, the business adopted synergistic and strategic acquisition guidelines that established three base-line standards for potential acquisitions, including:
1. A business to be acquired must be in a business linked to one of Tyco's four business segments.
2. A business to be acquired must be able to enlarge the goods line and/or improve goods distribution in at least one of Tyco's business segments.
3. A business to be acquired that will introduce a new goods or goods line must be using a manufacturing and/or processing technology already well-known to one of Tyco's business segments.
Tyco also developed a very disciplined arrival to acquisitions based on three key criteria that the business continues to use today to gauge potential acquisitions:
1. Post-acquisition results will have an immediate obvious impact on earnings;
2. Opportunities to improve operating profits must be substantial;
3. All acquisitions must be non-dilutive to shareholders.
Fasb Accounting Rule Change
The rules of the game are changing. Some of the accounting benefits of acquisition will soon disappear. Spending some extra time with your accounting and legal departments could prove useful in the long-term.
George Donnelly, in his record in Cfo magazine writes, "The current state of accounting rules is clearly a factor in the frenetic acquisition operation at Cisco Systems and Lucent Technologies Inc. Like many high-tech companies, the two giants can gather with microscopic drag on their finances, because pooling-of-interest accounting enables them to avoid onerous goodwill charges that otherwise would ravage earnings.
But because of the death sentence the Financial Accounting Standards Board has levied on pooling, associates must use straight-purchase accounting after January 1, 2001. Then buyers will have to amortize goodwill for no more than 20 years."
Consolidations and Rollups
Bill Wade in industrial Distribution said: "The basic premise couldn't be any simpler. Take a very fragmented industry--like distribution--facing technological change, customer upheaval or chronic financing difficulties. Add in a few well-healed foreign firms or, worse, a couple of previously unknown competitors from outside the business. Since the business leaders are probably family-run businesses with microscopic succession strategies, the next step to safe profit and continue increase is clear: consolidate."
A consolidation or rollup, as it's often called, ordinarily occurs when an organization or individual with deep pockets sets out to buy some small associates in a fragmented business and rein them in under a new or public pennant. In 1997 the National association of Wholesale-Distributors reported that 42 of the 54 industries they studied had been significantly affected by consolidation. often a pro supervision and buying power generate economies of scale that allows the consolidator to pluck the low hanging fruit in the industry. They will spend significantly in systems to eliminate the duplication of effort and inefficiencies that exist within the business being consolidated.
While some call it smoke and mirrors, many consolidators are yielding excellent results. In 1997, at 39 years old, financial whiz Jonathan Ledecky pulled off a bold deal. As reported in Cfo magazine, He went to the public equity markets and raised half a billion dollars for his company, Consolidation Capital Corp., in a brazen first public offering. Without revenues, assets, operating history or identity (name or industry), he raised the capital in a blind pool on the power of his reputation alone.
U.S. Office Products (Usop) is the follow of 220 acquisitions. Sharp Pencil was one of six conspiratorially owned office-supply associates that Ledecky put together. But he didn't stop, after two years, and 220 acquisitions later, Usop was a member of the Fortune 500, with .8 in revenues. "It was crazy," says Donald Platt, senior vice president and Cfo at Usop. Platt did rely very on outside resources, along with a team of lawyers and accountants to get the job done (the 220 acquisitions). "We restricted then to well-managed, profitable companies. At worst, we would still be development money," says Platt.
H. Wayne Huizenga is the owner of the Florida Marlins baseball team. He is also the king of consolidators. He pioneered his technique by rolling-up trash-truck businesses to generate Waste supervision Inc., the nation's largest waste company. He went on to generate the largest video chain, Blockbuster Video. With AutoNation, Huizenga, now struggling, is attacking the sell automobile industry. In mid-December 1999 AutoNation had 409 sell franchises but announced the closing of 23 of their used-car superstores.
Michael Riley learned about consolidations while serving as personal attorney for Huizenga. In July 1999, Riley's company, Atlas Recreational Holdings Inc., paid million to buy controlling interest in the only publicly traded Rv dealership chain in the United States, Holiday Rv Superstores Inc., in Orlando, Florida. Riley's avowed intention is to grow the business from in yearly sales in 1998 to billion by 2003 by acquiring other dealerships.
Riley says, "Consolidations certainly will help. We can bring advantages to sales and service. We can make a distinction in warranty. There is a real value added when you put these associates together."
Same Industry, separate Strategies
In mid-1997, roll-ups, United Rentals and NationsRent were formed. They are in a race, but are using separate strategies to perform their results. After two years of ravenously gobbling up companies, United had 482 locations while NationsRent had accumulated only 138 stores. NationsRent has been developing a nationwide identity with market that look-alike and have the same signage and layout. United Rentals nearnessy is virtually unknown since the market withhold their former appearance.
Motivations for Consolidators
There are some good reasons why consolidators assault a singular industry. The following list provides some of the rational that assist them in their decision development process. As you look to profit from the trend, keep these elements in mind as you make your option on whom to acquire.
· Confidence by the players that they can capture valuable and very profitable additional shop share by implementing the cutting edge management, procurement, distribution and assistance practices that will give them a competing edge over smaller players.
· Gain national customers through increased capabilities in delivering the top levels of standardized assistance and national geographical coverage.
· Larger customers of independent distribution channels are seeking broader geographic coverage and networks of locations that allow for greater assistance capabilities, and the smaller customers want a high level of customer assistance and response.
· Customers' desire for more goods sophistication.
· Insurance and financing synergies.
Fragmented Industries Are Ripe for Consolidations and Rollups
Some industries that are ready for consolidations or rollup examples consist of heavy-duty truck repair, office products, recreational car dealerships, rental market (equipment, tools and party) and distribution. Consolidation does not just happen. It is triggered by shifts in victualer and customer expectations. Consolidation in a victualer base or customer pool often alters the economic rational for the buildings of an industry. Functional shifts are accompanied by serious margin shifts among channel participants.
Take notice of the speed in which an business can perceive consolidation. If you are a consolidator, pick the low hanging fruit before other beats you to it. If you are fighting consolidation, take notice of the state of your business and make adjustments (like strategic alliances) to your business plan if your business is very fragmented.
· TruckPro, the 0 million sales creation of Haywood and Stephens Investments, was sold in May 1998 to AutoZone, the billion distribution king of do-it-yourself auto parts.
· In June 1998, nine heavy-duty distribution associates with volumes of to million, simultaneously merged and raised million from the public for their brand new 0 million company, TransCom Usa.
· Brentwood Associates, a speculation capital company, While Spring and Summer1998, created Had Parts System, Inc. A 5 million operation, by acquiring three associates in the Southeast.
· In July 1998, Aurora Capital's Qdsp acquired majority interest in nine heavy-duty associates from FleetPride, a 0 million parts and assistance operation.
Stated in Truck Parts & Service, "Here the independent suffers a unbelievable disadvantage to roll-ups. Consolidators have entrance to large amounts of capital. The independent businessperson, however, must primarily finance his increase by revenue retains from current operations. New high efficiency assistance bays, valuable and growing training expenses, data processing and communications technology all clamor for increased working capital. The large players' acquisition cost advantage eventually will win him all the mega-fleet business and the vast majority of business from mid-sized fleets.
Supplementing his parts acquisition cost advantage, the consolidator will be able to lower many overhead costs through centralized supervision and volume discounts...Combined savings in parts acquisition cost and overhead allowance should certainly exceed 4% of sales."
Some of the indicators that an business (any industry) is poised for consolidation are listed below. If you notice your business has similar issues, it is just a matter of time. Plan now for what is coming. Where do you want to be when the train arrives?
· A high degree of fragmentation with numerous smaller associates and few, if any, dominating players.
· A large business that is garage and growing.
· Multiple benefits for economies of scale.
· Synergies that can be achieved by consolidating companies.
· Infrequent use of developed supervision data systems.
· Limited entrance to public capital markets and somewhat inefficient capital structures among companies.
· Lack of opportunities, historically, for owners to liquidate their businesses if they wish to leave the industry.
Reasons for business Owners Selling to Consolidators
The reasons for a business owner to sell his or her business are as various as there are people. commonly it is not one hypothesize but some combined reasons that work on a seller's decision. The following list provides you with the normal areas that might drive a selling decision:
· First generation owner, without heirs, nearing retirement.
· Lack of capital to make valuable technological and capital improvements to compete, within an industry, and with new competitors.
· Flat increase rate in industry.
· Better profitability as part of a larger organization.
· Centralized buying.
Mergers & Acquisitions Can effect from Strategic AlliancesT3 Internet lines are also called Ds3 lines. They are high speed as they are the developed version of T1 Internet line types. It is ultra high-speed connection that is thought about unmatched in its 45 Mbps capacity. At this speed, T3 Internet connection is capable of transmitting heavy loads such as real time video, movie, and exceptionally large data even if you run them all at the time during busy hours. Unlike T1 lines which are likewise used for both domestic and market purposes, It is used by large corporations, and universities that thrive on dedicated high speed connections and capable of managing extremely high bandwidth demands. It is surprising to know that T3 connection can cope traffic equal to 672 analogue telephone lines.
Comparable to non optic internet connections, T3 Internet connection is probably the next fastest internet connection you can avail. These connections are the developed types of former T1 Internet lines. Actually, T3 line is a set of T1 lines. Each T3 line is made up of 28 T1 lines. The speed of every T1 is colse to 1.5 Mbps, which makes T3 line at the range of 45 Mbps. You might be wondering what the distinction in the middle of T1 and T3 Internet lines is. Well, it is generally the cost and speed that distinguish these two connections. T1 connections are also cheaper than T3 lines. In numbers the running cost of a T1 line at least 00 per month while it cost as much as 000 a month.
But the speed of T3 Internet is what sets it apart from others and is also the reason why it is more costly than T1 Internet. They are exclusive when it comes to bandwidth and speed in the carrier's network backbone. All T3 lines have a aid Level agreement that ensures perfect doing and uptime. T3 Internet connection is gaining popularity since it is now the convenient explication for businesses and enterprises that require extremely high speed internet connection as well as for companies that host high traffic web sites and sustain sites for web hosting. Although it is tasteless that companies require larger than T1 lines bandwidth, but not necessarily a T3 line. Businesses don't always require constant T3 bandwidth level. Hence, they should reconsider an additional one connection that involves T3 way sharing with an additional one firm or firm straight through the T3 Internet provider. This offers way to particularly high transmission rates and at much less the cost of full T3.
However, there are fractional T3 lines that supply 3 Mbps to 45 Mbps of speed. This line is similar to T3 but the distinction lies in the incomplete channels being turned off. Not everybody can afford T3 lines because they are not cheap. Their very high capacity makes them desirable as the backbone for today's Internet. Moreover, T3 lines are much more involved than T1, as they technically run 28 T1 lines alongside. This takes an extra tool or software to make it work properly.
T3 Internet - The Backbone For Today's InternetA great many business habitancy presently are not able to make it to internet business, simply because they lack the reliable background on website marketing and lots of variables to basically promote their singular products via the company's internet site, and all other strategy for online marketing. This is normally the sad quantum for enterprising persons who just possess ample cash to invest, however they fall victims from what other individuals labeled ignorance in business.
If you'd like to originate a great internet business you have to be in a position to show the way a faultless investigation first prior to choosing to set up your internet business. You should look at your potential choices regardless of whether you can meet the criteria to come to be a business man online otherwise you have sufficient understanding to take your web business one stage further. Among the basic details you have to be happy to find out comprise the extreme complications of how to originate potential customers to your own website. This is where lots of the enterprising folks failed. You additionally genuinely need a fast internet connection and user-friendly site. The webpage should be quickly navigated and don't have too slow connection. Surfers in most cases get mad whenever the internet sites they open don't open within a few minutes. Yes, I disclose I'm even annoyed waiting for a website to open up.
Around year 2000, I had been even a victim of false hope. I opened my internet site even when I do not have a whole lot palpate on website marketing. I didn't contemplate that my own ignorance to web business could quite simply hit my personal business down. It was a terrific encounter for me, right until a thriving business man presented me to Ds3.
A Ds3 is furthermore regarded as T3, and it is an ultra high-speed connection which is capable of transmitting data nearly 45 Megabyte per second. Ds3 line is equivalent to 672 of usual voice-grade phone lines, fast sufficient to show full-motion and real-time video and even remarkably large info over a fast paced network. Ds3 line is commonly set up as main networking artery for needful fellowships and organizations having high-volume of network traffic. Among these are software development companies, Ip-Pbx systems, business wide VoIp, Internet assistance providers, major call centers, video conference centers not to mention research laboratories. Ds3 is a non optic connection and is one of the quickest connections obtainable in the gift day. This line is made of twenty eight T1 lines, each performing at 1.544 Mbps in total signal rate.
Ds3 accessibility is the acceptable solution for fellowships which genuinely need high-bandwidth accessibility in a low price. Hence whether or not you support Web hosting, host high-traffic Internet sites or simply necessitate high-capacity bandwidth on a per-needed basis, full or fractional Ds3 assistance levels will probably match your wants. Fractional to faultless Ds3 function from 3 Mbps to forty-five Megabyte per second in speed. Ds3 circuits furnish Internet assistance Providers and businesses with up to forty-five Megabyte per second of dedicated connection to the internet. This is the perfect connectivity solution for users who genuinely want much more than T1 connections and are enduringly hunting of limitless and high-capacity access.
Ds3 Lines Will Make remarkable Things To Your Internet firmOn January 17, 1961 in his farewell address to the nation President Eisenhower warned the country about the improvement of a soldiery market Complex. Thirty-five years after Mr. Eisenhower's prediction the soldiery market complex is well established and increasing rapidly. However, Mr. Eisenhower could not foresee into the time to come and warned the nation about the advent of the Prison market Complex.
2009 is the eleventh anniversary of both the prison abolitionist vital Resistance discussion held in Oakland, Ca that coined the phrase "prison market complex," and the National Jericho Movement's march on Washington Dc advocating the issue of all Us political prisoners and prisoners of war.
In the United States the prison system has become the first response to decree far too many of the group problems that overwhelmed individuals living in poverty-ridden urban cities across America. These group problems are often concealed and grouped together under the label of "crime" and automatically become criminal behavior of people of color. Homelessness, unemployment, drug addiction, thinking illness, and illiteracy are a few of the group problems that vanish from group view when the individuals struggling with these problems are relegated to the prison system (A. Davis, 1998). The so-called "war on drug" has made poor people, people of color, women, youth, and undocumented immigrants the customary targets of the prison market complex.
It is important to view the prison market complex in group and historical context. While exporting prison-made products to Asia, the United States has condemned China for exporting prison-made goods, stating that this institution is a violation of human rights. At the Nuremberg trials, for example, Alfred Krupp was condemned and convicted for one of the most hated crimes perpetrated by the Nazis; the use of concentration camp prisoners as slave laborers in the German plants and mines (Smith, 1992).
The United States spends more on prisons and incarcerates more individuals than any other industrialized country in the world. According to one study, between 1971 and 1994, group spending on prisons alone jumped from .3 billion to .2 billion. Prison spending is growing at faster rate than Medicaid, higher education, and Aid to Families with Dependent Children. In 1994, funds to build prisons increased by 6 million while funds for university construction declined by 4 million.
The prison market complex generates an estimated billion each year. Improvement Corporation of America (Cca) is the largest private prison corporation in the world. American Express and general electric invested in private prisons in the states of Oklahoma and Tennessee. At&T, Sprint, Mci charge inmates and their families 6 times the general cost of a long-distance call with in the Unites States. And the list goes on, Chevron, airline industry, and Victoria's private use prison labor to unblemished data entry, book telephone reservations, and make lingerie at 23 cents an hour. The federal prison industry corporation uses inmates to make recycled furniture at a month working 40 hours per week (P.M. Rojas, 1998).
If you lost your job and or concluded the doors to your small business, it could be that the federal prison system may be the reason. The United States Bureau of prisons is one of the world's largest "slave labor" market manufacturers who have control the market in all vehicle parts to music speaker and missile wiring harness systems. Unicor, also known as the "Federal Prison Industries" employs over 23,000 inmates and reported profits of over 0 million last year.
Thirty years ago, the prison people was roughly one-eight its current size. To contribute the human bodies vital for profitable-punishment, the political cheaper of prisons relies on racial zed assumptions of criminality and the racist practices in arrest, conviction, and sentencing patterns. 'The prison market system materially and morally impoverishes its inhabitants and devours the group wealth needed to address the very problems that have led to spiraling numbers of prisoners."
Contrary to what many may believe, slavery was not outlawed or abolished in the United States by the duct of the 13th Amendment.
The 13th Amendment reads: "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as punishment for crimes whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place branch to their jurisdiction."
The 13th Amendment was not designed to abolish slavery completely, but to specify more clearly the circumstances under which slavery could continue. Therefore, a large amount of African-Americans found themselves "duly convicted" and once again engaged in slave labor. In 1986, old United States supreme Court Chief Justice Warren Burger called for transforming prisons into "factories with fences" (Davis, 1998; Rojas, 1998). More to the reality, what we now have are plantations with razor wire, prison market complex, generating huge profits for many local and international corporations.
As the prison market complex proliferate in the United States, private capital will become a major partner in the punishment industry. And because of their profit inherent prisons are steadily becoming an important part of the United States economy. If the understanding of punishment as a major source of potentially huge profits is bothersome in itself, than the planned-dependence on racist structures and ideologist to render mass punishment as standard and profitable is even more distasteful (Davis, 1998).
In a nation where the driving ideology is the attainment and dominance of wealth and capital, the entry of the unbridled soldiery of domestic and international corporations into the prison system is profoundly disturbing. What can be the time to come of incarceration, when the basal motive is profit? Under a regime where more bodies equal more profits, prisons takes one big step closer to their historical ancestor, the slave pen (Davis, 1998; Rojas, 1998).
Davis. A. (1998). Masked Racism: Reflections on the Prison market Complex. ColorLines: The National Newsmagazine on Race and Politics, Fall 1998.
Rojas, P.M., complex Facts; ColorLines: The National Newsmagazine on Race and Politics. Issue #2, fall 1998.
Smith, W. (1992). Slavery and Racism: The Conspiracy to institution Psychological Genocide. Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation. Kensington University.
Prison industrial complicated in America - Full EmploymentDespite modern turmoil in the It sector for 2008, I voice that this is now where you want to be. Reasoning here follows that the financial sector is struggling to keep its bad news buried, the housing shop is shambles and even retailers are struggling to maintain growth. A move toward tech seems fully logical due to typically strong international exposure, clear balance sheets and the fact that It stocks hold a historically low correlation to the broader markets. Lets pick some technology bulls.
Consumer Electronics - The Net Fool picks Apple (Nyse: Aapl) Hey Mr. Market, why so down on Apple? The iPod firm is fully matured. The iPhone is losing list to similar devices. MacWorld was missing its usual superstar prospect. I tell you what, take this news and know that Apple has historically done its best when sentiment is low. Steve Jobs & Co. Is my popular It pick for 2008. The downside has opened up value in the stock, and I feel they have bottomed!
Looking additional into the concerning issues. The iPhone was selling less because of Apple's push into the new iPod Touch, the analysts at Needham noted that "Apple would have sold close to four million iPhones in its absence." Add this to the fact that an estimated 25%-30% of iPhones were "unlocked" from At&T, a amount that de facto benefits Aapl straight through the carrier's headache. While iPod sales were slowed, I feel that the mp3 gadget is merely in a transitioning phase, and lively opportunities are now raised in mobile technology.
I feel that Aapl may be a recession resistor. Mac firm is healthier than ever, and single-handily offset losses in iPods. Investors are punishing high-end firms like Apple for any disappointments. The stock is 35% off its highs, trading at a premium 24-times-earnings compared to its peer's 32x and has a Peg of 0.7x. They've got the free cash flow we love (.78/share est. 2008) and its firm segments have never looked healthier. Citizen are hating on this firm for no reason. As Warren Buffet puts it: "Be fearful when others are greedy, and greedy only when others are fearful."
Comm. Equipment - The Net Fool picks Corning (Nyse: Glw) Corning is the firm you want for Lcd glass panels. This shop is successful with bigger and badder television sets advent out on the daily. Fourth quarter results showed that management feels the same due to continued speculation in facilities and solid relationships with shop leaders. 2008 outlook was Very clear and new wage streams should be found in an estimated 60%+ growth in Lcd capital spending. Glw anticipates releasing a new flexible fiber glass material and should see appreciation from the advent adoption of mandated diesel filtration. No major catalyst is driving growth, which is definitely odd, but an lively valuation recovers most of the risk.
Outside of Lcd glass, Corning is still running the table. A new "Gorilla Glass" product that enabled touch-screen entry has come to be effortlessly sold to handset manufacturers. Corning seems to understand the shift to mobile technology, and is de facto on the ball. With this in mind, acceptable and Poors added: "sales acceleration to 17% growth in 2008, up from 13% in 2007, aided by currency benefits and more importantly due to higher inquire for liquid crystal display (Lcd) glass substrates from Tv and computer manufacturers." all things is advent together for Corning, even Verizon is on board, a new buyer of Glw's "ClearCurve" cable solutions. ClearCurve is the world's most bendable fiber, 100x more bendable than regular fiber... Which is apparently very important. This new technology could unlock huge possible with the maintain of an manufactures leader in FiOs.
Corning should be a core technology retention for every investor. They remain reasonable with a Peg at 0.83x and a send Pe at 13x versus an estimated trading value closer to 20x. There are some risks presented by overcapacity in the Lcd glass manufactures and potentially slowed It spending. However, I feel as though retailers will continue to buy the glass for bigger screens, and the fiber for faster internet. If they are overstocking and cannot sell, that is their problem... Not Cornings. These guys beat wage by a penny, and their outlook only improved. They are bulls across the board, and deserve to trade at a premium in my opinion.
Solar Semiconductor - The Net Fool picks First Solar (Nyse: Fslr) After doubting the extreme-growth behind solar technology in January 2008, it seems high time we apologized to powerhouse gainers like First Solar. ThinkEquity Partners gave this great stock a one-word classification, "debottlenecking." After smashing wage estimates of 53 cents a share with an amazing 77 cent gain, they appreciated 30% on the day after expanding 2008 guidance. Don't let this buy-athon scare you away. We thought the solar manufactures run-up was finished, and were clearly proven wrong. The year-over-year wage growth of 280% and vigor in Eps suggests stronger time to come wage power.
Operating efficiency is one of the original benefits I see from operation in 2008. Costs per watt (.12) averages were down 6% on the year, and a negative currency impact from the Euro was almost entirely overshadowed by thrifty operations in First Solar's Malaysia plant. Spots for revising have been identified, and most analysts feel they can bring home the gold. Most notably, the first and second quarter 2008 should prove to show continued growth on track with 2007 appreciation. Solar fellowships are all trading at lively premiums when considering growth. With oil on the move upward, it seems that momentum for green vigor will remain strong. Investors should return to the solar arena with strong wage and inquire in mind.
The Malaysian plant's revamp may have a negative impact on First Solar's first quarter wage in 2008. On the other side of the coin, we expect an growth in production and see operating margins supporting at 30%+ levels. I wouldn't be surprised at all to see more good news in guidance. We expect their Pe and Peg ratios to come more in line with the industry, as the current premium they appear to be trading at is a effect of explosive growth over the past year. operation was flawless in 2007, and with nothing but green lights thus far... First Solar makes for a great long-term growth play.
Infrastructure Tech. - The Net Fool picks Akamai (Nyse: Akam) Akamai is alive and well in 2008. After considering them earlier in 2007, they have continued to display vigor in their industry. In a recession-trending market, there is a bit of safety surrounding an internet-based firm. There is Very strong entertainment and media inquire across the internet, and Akamai is just the firm to deliver the goods. Akam posted a big jump in profits while the fourth quarter wage call, which handily beat analyst estimates. After expanding advice into 2008 with continued streaming media inquire on the net, it is becoming hard to spin this firm negatively.
Akamai Technologies has had an amazing run up over the years. Frustrating the bears once again on their last wage conference, Akam got a boost off of their 52-week lows. They've now extended their streak of sequential wage and profit growth to 20 consecutive quarters! What's more, their balance sheet is as wholesome as ever; they have once again increased free cash flow to 4m from 6m. With a leading role in a successful content-delivery market, analysts such as Canaccord Adams propose the possible wage and wage growth "in excess of 30% for the next several years."
The valuation of Akamai is contested often by analysts over whether they are cheap or in-line. I believe they are to the cheap side seeing as how the are off about 45% from their 52-week high and are trading with a Peg of 0.7x. I might be tempted to test the waters if they fall under . They are trading at a tiny premium in price-to-earnings terms, but I feel this is more than merited as they seem to be a clear recession retention in facts technology. With price sensitivity imaginable to fade along with lowering bandwidth costs, it would appear to be Akamai's shop to steer over the next few years.
That's it for facts technology. There are de facto some great stocks to be found in the sector, despite the thought that tech is all the time more vaporing and dangerous than financials, conglomerates and the like. While February is a historically poor season for It, I wouldn't mind getting my march shopping done a bit early with a lot of negative sentiment unfairly dragging down perfectly wholesome companies.
-The Net Fool
Stock store 2008 - information Technology SectorWe all have a molecule of ease of about 21 inches nearby our body from head to toe. The best way to be able to step out of that zone and feel comfortable in doing so is to prepare for the surprises you will encounter. Mind management is something everyone can do! You just have to train your mind to plan your steps.
Over the past 19 years I have been training people of all walks of life to learn how to heighten their lifestyles by just planning their steps through mind management. The traditional tools used are the attention/focusing of their memory. Usa today published an description in the mid nineties that reported that most individuals spend 1 faultless year finding for lost misplaced or underground items. I say underground meaning they didn't plan to hide it they just did. Now that's one year of 24 hour days, a 365 day year of finding for lost misplaced or underground items.
If I could save you half of that unproductive time and if you are already through half of your life wouldn't you want to know how? Of course you would, unless you are mentally challenged and can't understand what I am referring to that is. Now when they conducted that study it was considered a longitudinal long term study. Meaning it was conducted over an 18+ year term and represented a mortality rate of nearby 78 years of age. So let's see if you are half of that age or 39 years or older and you could change your habits to cut that lost time for the next 39 years you would want to know how wouldn't you?
Ok here it is plain and simple. Mind management is just exactly what it says or sounds like, managing your mind or being more focused or attentive to your ways of doing things. Now if you are a someone who walks through life blaming everyone else for your screw ups you may not be able to adjust your habits the way I am going to illustrate to you. Not that you can't it's just that you probably won't. Now If I have offended you I am truly sorry, not. Let me say a new habit is formed by doing something for 21 days then the old habit is replaced with the new one. So for the interested party here we go.
I believe we all possess the capability to change ourselves, short of some form of dementia or debilitating problem.
That being said mind management is simply controlling your capability to be in the moment. That is a statement that is so profound that many people walk through life without ever knowing exactly how to do it. Impulsivity and just plain being arrogant or rude is another matter, so when I talk about mind management I am speaking to the someone that assuredly cares to be self managed.
The way we wake up every day or the option of our daily menu for life is something we all can decree right out of the gate. I strongly believe that all things in life is what you make it; it's not what is that counts but simply how you take it. Certain views of situations will go a long way in helping to conduct your mind. Short of unbridled Add or Adhd you can be attentive, controlled and Certain everyday. It's a concentrated endeavor that makes you a Certain someone in your outlook of things.
Stress is something that can be controlled in your life to a great extent. Some stress is Certain and you can learn how to harness your periods of stress to a great degree. That being said let me say that some stress is Certain and only you can decree what that level is. Some people work best under stress others don't.
Here are some techniques on how to lower your stress levels when it comes to remembering what, when, where and why. The description I mentioned above centered on finding for lost misplaced or underground items. You know like when you come into your office in the morning and you lay your keys down on the table, desk, bookshelf or hopefully not some final resting place. You work a while slaying those dragons that raise their ugly head and got your concentration when you walked in. Then, it turns out to be a concentrate of hours of dragon slaying and now its 11:30 and you have to rush out to your lunch appointment. Uh oh now you are late for that appointment you made because not only do you stress out finding for your car keys over the next ten minutes, but you have the whole office stressed out helping you look as well.
Well here is the straightforward way to avoid that happening to you ever again. I call it the F.P.G. System. F=File. A mental location or somewhere to store information, P - Stands for picture, because your mind works in pictures and G- stands for glue it's the bonding agent to keep the photo in the file long sufficient to replacement from your short term memory to the long term memory. Just to clear up that statement let me say your mind works in pictures, for instance, do not think of an elephant. What just happened, when you read that last sentence did you see a big grey body, big ears, long trunk, fat legs huge body. Sure it did you didn't spell e-l-e-p-h-a-n-t out you can do that if I ask you to but no your mind threw up a large animal photo into your mind of an elephant. You see your mind works in pictures! Your remember when you were in kindergarten, 1st grade etc and above the walls on a border you saw the alphabet and under A was a photo of an apple B a boy or a bat, C a cat or a cow, D a dog or a deer and pretty soon you learned sufficient pictures and alphabet to come up with words, then sentences, and paragraphs and on and on.
So see your mind works in pictures. So if that's how it works let's give it pictures or learn to photo our way through life not memorize our way through life. You see memorization causes stress. Rote, recapitulation stresses us out believe me.
Now let's get back to the scene where you and your company are scrambling nearby the office stressed out finding for your keys. In that scenario our recipe of Fpg the keys are the pictures, the Desk etc is the file and all you have to add to the recipe is the glue or the bonding agent to keep the photo in the file long sufficient to move it from the short term memory to the long term memory. Now operation active operation drives the glue, and the larger than life more appealing photo the best it will bond.
Let's go back over when you came into the office and laid your keys down and reconstruct how to not lose, misplace, hide them or forget where you put them ever again. Here's how I would do it. When I come into the office and lay the keys down on the desk in my mind I fly the keys through the air 90 miles and hour and make them stick into the top of the desk. That way when I start finding for my keys at 11:30 in establishment to go to my appointment I just reconstruct the scenario in my mind, let's see where are my keys oh when I came in this morning they were flying through the air at 90 miles and hour and they stuck up into the top of that desk. Then when I walk over to the desk and no matter how many papers, file folders, books etc that are laying on top of my keys I simply just move them aside grab my keys and off I go to my lunch date.
Simple mind management is what I use to remember where I put things. Some people might make the desk blow up or melt down or grow puny appealing feet and run off with your keys. No matter what operation you use the operation of File photo Glue will bond the process so that you can recall where your keys are every time. Well unless you have a daughter like mine that when she found out when dad grabbed his keys an went to work yesterday she remembered that and so today she hides your keys, you see then no theory will work for that.
Stress can be controlled if you discipline your life positively. You can step out of the molecule of ease every time and know that you are prepared. This is just one straightforward way to help your recall, there are many more techniques to use for your steps in life to lower and many times eliminate the stressors you commonly encounter.
Another one I use is a set of body files. These body files are predetermined files on my body that I file facts on to recall where, what, when and why. Let's say I get up to go into the kitchen leaving my easy chair at a commercial break to get a snack and come back with it. Oh you know the scenario you are hungry you go into the kitchen to get a snack. On the way to the kitchen after leaving the security of your easy chair, a phone call comes in or one of your family members yell something at you. Now that requires you to go into mental mode about what the inquire is that they asked. You talk after logically reconstructing what they needed in your mind and you offer the solution. They go on about their way leaving you standing in the kitchen wondering what you came into the kitchen for. All of a sudden the show comes back on and you scamper back into the den to see what is happening on your show. A puny while later that hunger pain hits again and you think well heck you didn't get what you wanted in the kitchen and when the next commercial comes on you will get up and go back in there to get something to snack on.
I know I used to do the same thing, but not anymore, I simply put the Fpg theory to work. I simply file whatever I am going to get up and get in the kitchen on my toes with a lot of visualization imagery and action, before I do get up to go to the kitchen. Then, no matter how many interruptions I have on the way to the kitchen I look down on my toes after the question or the interruption is solved and see the snack on my toes. I visualized it and I put on my toes before I came in to the kitchen to get it and am on about my firm before the show starts again. straightforward mind management goes a long way in life believe me.
I use my body files to store my things to do list for daily events for work and play, believe me when I say I am not going to use the last six months of my year finding for lost misplaced or underground items in my lifetime! I am going to live in the moment as much as inherent and by using the Fpg recipe lower my stress levels every chance I get. Remember mind management is attainable by everyone if you just learn how to plan your steps and step through your plan. establishment is the name of the game, just do it!
Training Your Mind to Avoid Stress