Current and Future Market Trends Essay

When thinking of wireless phone or internet service, the first company that probably comes to mind is Verizon Wireless. Verizon officially became a force to be reckoned with in the wireless market in 2000 when Verizon communications and Vodafone merged. Verizon states, â€Å"Verizon Communications Inc., headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wire line communications services to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers.† Since entering the market in 2000, Verizon has made itself popular by offering service in more areas than any other wireless network. Market Structure Within economics, four types of market structures exist. The four types are: monopoly, monopolistic competition, perfect competition, and oligopoly. Colander (2008) describes market structure as, â€Å"the physical characteristics of the market within which firms interact.† Verizon Wireless’ market structure can be defined by a combination of monopolistic competition and oligopoly. Colander (2008) defines monopolistic competition and oligopoly as, â€Å"a market structure in which there are many firms selling differentiated products and few barriers to entry—and oligopoly — a market structure in which there are only a few firms and firms explicitly take other firms’ likely response into account. The wireless industry is smaller that people think and not much competiton exists. For example: Cingular and AT&T are both wireless carriers, but Cingular is a part of AT&T. Essentially, when a consumer spends money with Cingular, it still goes to AT&T. Using an oligopoly structure has worked well for Verizon in the past and currently. Current and future market trends should not have any affect on the market structure of Verizon. New Companies Competition in the wireless industry has always been tough. It seems as though every month or few weeks, a new phone or new service is being unveiled by a well-know company or a company trying to get started. Besides  Alltell, Verizon is usually the company the competition seeks to compete with. To compete with Verizon most companies offer a service similar to Verizon for a cheaper price, or they offer a similar phone for a cheaper price. Verizon would not be affected heavily by any new companies entering the market, because Verizon is already established and consumers are already familiar with the brand. Aside from that, Verizon offers a number of services and slogans to keep their consumers interested. Some of the slogans used are: America’s largest and most reliable network, #1 in customer loyalty, and the worry free guarantee. Verizon does not have to worry about the competition, the competition should worry about Verizon. Prices One of the downsides to having wireless services and phones is the price. Since the introduction of cell phones, the price of phones and the price of service have risen significantly. On average, a contract for cell phone service with two lines would cost anywhere from $160 – $250, depending on the services the customer chooses. That price does not include the price of the phone which could be anywhere from $50 – $900. The prices to maintain the convenience of a cell phone are ridiculous, but it is a necessity that most individuals find it hard to live without. The current and future trend of the wireless industry shows the price of services and phones increasing. With that being said, despite the prices of phones and service, consumers will continue to pay the prices set by Verizon and other wireless companies. Technology Cell phones and services have definitely evolved over the years. Technology is one of the leading factors when consumers consider purchasing a phone or selecting a company as their wireless provider. Most cell phone users use text messaging, check email, and log onto social networking sites like facebook and myspace from their mobile phones. Like any other invention cell phones have evolved and become an important part of our lives. Televisions went from just being in homes to our cars. Computers were usually found in places such as: homes, offices, and libraries. Now cell phones are the more modern version of computers. Verizon has always made note of the changing trends when it comes to technology and the company has always delivered excellent products the consumer wants or needs. Productivity To maintain the position as the largest and most reliable wireless carrier, Verizon Wireless must spend money. The costs range from building the network, to maintaining the network. Costs include employees, equipment and technology needed to keep the company on top. The company makes decisions based on what the benefit will be in the long run. These decisions are made by researching trends and technology in the wireless market and changing tastes of the consumer. The company knows the catalyst of success is a strong network. The law of diminishing marginal productivity states as more of a variable input is added to an existing fixed input, eventually the additional output one gets from that additional input is going to fall (Colander 2008). I was not able to get information specific from Verizon Wireless that would help me graph out this law. The company has over 86,000 employees and made 56.8 billion dollars in profit for 2008 (about us 2009). Each year bonuses are given to employees based on individual performance and company performance. Last year the bonuses were based on the fact that the company made 12% in profits. In today’s economic times, the e profit achieved was outstanding and was above any other profits made in the wireless industry for 2008. Cost Structure Wages and Benefits Employees of Verizon Wireless are compensated well. The employees salary along with the benefits provided are above others employed in the wireless industry, according to David Brown an analyst at Verizon Wireless human resources. At Verizon Wireless a broad-banded structure is used to organize jobs and manage pay. There are six bands that range from A to F. Depending on the skills of the individual, he or she is usually hired in on the F band, which is a customer service representative, or assistant. The duties are usually task oriented. The next band is E, which is a coordinator or analyst, who are proven to work independently, usually on projects and technical functions. D band consists of level one managers, supervisors etcetera. C through A bands are the higher levels of management and CEO. Jobs are assigned to bands based on similar roles and levels of responsibility. The jobs themselves can be quite different in terms of what people do. Jobs in the same band are similar in terms of their impact on our business results, the decision-making authority of the employees who hold them, and the knowledge and skills required. VZW classifies a job as either salaried exempt or salaried non-exempt. Verizon Wireless provides medical, dental and vision benefits to employees at a reduced cost, but also provides at no cost an education benefit up to 8,000 per year, 401k contribution matching up to 6% and yearly performance bonuses as well as profit sharing if enrolled in 401k and a long term incentive program that is also based on company performance. Employees are a vital asset to Verizon Wireless and the salaries along with the benefits are designed to maximize performance. Cost Structure Fixed and Variable Costs Fixed costs are defined as costs that are spent and cannot be changed in the period under consideration (2008). Fixed costs for Verizon Wireless include buildings, warehouses used, and upkeep of cellular sites. Variable costs, or costs that change, include workers employed, contracts for equipment production, new technology etcetera. Verizon Wireless is a firm that sells produced goods to individuals, businesses and government (2008). The company’s main output is technology. The fixed costs dived by the variable costs equal the average costs of the company. As was stated earlier, last year Verizon Wireless made a 12% increase in profits from the year before. Most of the revenue occurred in the 4th quarter of the year with the release of the BlackBerry Storm touch screen device. The device was the answer to the I phone distributed by AT&T. Over 100,000 devices were sold on the first day of release alone. The cost of the device was 199.99, which is around 2 million dollars made in one day. The demand for the devices increased, and the company met the demand with more phones. According to the March 2009 newsletter given to the company for 4th quarter earnings, the CEO Lowell McAdam advised that Storm sales were the factor that  significantly raised the company’s profits and set the bar for future ventures. Price Elasticity of Demand The relation between the shift in quantity and shift in price of a product is known as price elasticity. â€Å"Price elasticity of demand is the calculation of the percentage change in quantity demanded divided by the percentage change in price† (Colander, 2008). Verizon Wireless has to make an effort to stay in synch with the pricing and offerings by their competition. Verizon Wireless must implement services and products that incorporate modern technology and are ground-breaking to compete in the wireless market and affordable in today’s economy. Impact of Government Regulations Verizon Wireless realizes the importance in ensuring that all regulations that are established by the Federal Communications Commission. Abiding by these regulations will guarantee that Verizon Wireless will keep providing long-standing benefits for the taxpayer and customers. Verizon Wireless trusts that the present structure â€Å"of auctioning spectrum licenses, with clearly defined, exclusive-use and flexible rights, is the right approach to spectrum policy† (Verizon Wireless, 2009). Although clear benefits towards allowing unlicensed use of spectrum is visible, that advance will not create the revenue for the United States Treasury or the best value for American economy. Broadband is one of the services provided by Verizon Wireless. Over the past ten years Broadband services have been used commercially. During that time the government has acknowledged the significance of implementing market-based motivations to persuade broadband usage and investment. â€Å"Rather than applying more-stringent regulations to telecommunications services and infrastructure, the FCC generally has applied an old wires, old rules; new wires, new rules philosophy towards broadband services and networks† (Verizon Wireless, 2009) By doing this, customers will reap in the benefits form the government’s decision to enhance incentives for broadband service providers to invest in better and superior broadband networks and services. â€Å"Investment and deployment in next-generation broadband networks – such as Verizon’s FiOS network – is happening at a remarkable pace, and consumers  now have more choices than ever before† (Verizon Wireless, 2009). Competitors Verizon Wireless has a substantial amount of competition in the wireless industry. Verizon competes with wireless companies such as T-Mobile, Sprint and AT&T. Verizon Wireless became the largest wireless service provider by beating out AT&T. Nonetheless, Verizon’s landline industry is affected by the large opposition of modern technology and tends to confront challenges from various other competitors with high speed internet and cable companies such as Time Warner Cable. Verizon Wireless has to make an effort to stay in synch with the pricing and offerings of its competitors. The Wireless industry is so competitive, equipment can outdate within a few months. Companies must develop wireless devices that are affordable as well as reliable. Supply and Demand Analysis Even with today’s economic challenges, many opportunities to create innovative new products to meet customer demand still abound. In a bold new step the company introduced its line of netbooks, mini lightweight laptop computers that consumers can take with them anywhere. The netbooks have all the functionality of a laptop, with the convenience of a smaller wireless device. The smaller size and the low price the netbooks are offered, is what today’s consumers are demanding. Tapping into this market gives Verizon Wireless a piece of the notebook and laptop market that was only accessible in the past by offering mobile broadband cards. The added revenue from this market keeps Verizon Wireless ahead of the competition. Verizon Wireless also has the opportunity to expand its coverage globally with the 3G UMTS, Quad Band GSM networks. This means that business travelers as well as consumers will now have access to roam on more networks in over 250 countries across the globe. Verizon Wireless strives to produce the best most reliable wireless voice and data coverage in the industry. In order to obtain that goal the company will have to gain customers faster than the competition, widen the revenue lead and lead in profitability. As long as Verizon stays on the right track, the company should not have any issues presently and in the future. Reference Page Colander, D (2008).Economics, Fifth Edition. McGraw-Hill/Irwin, New York, New York, 10020 Verizon Wireless. (2009). Corporate History/investor relations. Retrieved June 26th, 2009 from www.verizon.com.

My Dropout Boyfriend Kept Dropping in Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

My Dropout Boyfriend Kept Dropping in - Essay Example going through the stages of a Goth, an anarchist, and a Marxist. The author maybe does not fully understand what her boyfriend, Terry, believes is the reason why he has to do this. After Conell details Terry’s reasoning behind this choice, she responds by diverting the subject. Instead of asking why he feels the need to live out in the woods, Conell replies that she likes his apartment. Terry’s decision to live like a homeless person has nothing to do with his apartment so the author is take the attention away from living in the woods and focusing more on what he is giving up. Maybe he might have changed his mind if she had provided some valid reasons why he should not live like that. Because the author did not deal with the problem in the beginning stages, this wacky idea was allowed to run and flourish to its natural conclusion. Furthermore, Conell seems to once again contradict herself when she mentions a discussion with a girl from her dorm. She begins the conversat ion by showing her concern for his immediate safety, but after her outspoken friend emphatically dismisses the idea, Conell tries to stand up for her boyfriend. Her reasoning is that he will save a lot of money and that he will feel close to nature. This seems to suggest that Conell has insecurity problems because she is not too fond of the idea herself, but when someone else joins in attacking Terry, she immediately gets her back up and defends him like there’s no tomorrow. Confirming her earlier shock at Terry’s decision to choose to live like this, Conell mentions a book that he gave her on Valentine’s Day, Into the Wild. In this book, a young man starves to death in the Alaskan wilderness. Her warning bells should have been flashing when this happened because it is not a regular occurrence to give someone a book like this on Valentine’s Day, which is a day all about love and happiness. In her defense, she admits that this should have been a clue and t hat she did not prepare for this decision as well as she could have. Conell gives us great insight into Terry’s habits and personality when she describes the time she first met him. She admits that he was a rebellious person, although she concedes that she was attracted to this. The reason for this was that she felt the same way as he did about many things and this allowed her to express her own feelings. She gives the example of Terry wearing eyeliner and attaching a safety pin through his eyebrow; these are classic warning signs of someone who is prone to bucking the trend. The one difference between these two is that they both act their feelings out in different ways. Conell states how Terry is more outgoing, while she is more of the shy type. This seems to suggest that maybe these two are not suited for each other. Conell fails to mention how this contrast in their behavior affected their relationship. Later on, Conell mentions that Terry dropped out of school only months into his freshman year. The only reason that she gives for this decision is that he was unhappy with school, but perhaps it was something deeper; something that Conell seems to brush off so easily. She uses the word â€Å"defended† when asked about this strange decision by her friends. This shows that Conell is not necessarily in full agreement with his choice because otherwise she would have said that she

Management of change (personal experience) Essay

Management of change (personal experience) - Essay Example Since it is nearly impossible to move from smoking twelve cigarettes a day to zero, the plan entailed a gradual reduction in the number of cigarettes from twelve to zero over time rather than a complete stop at once. I projected that stopping at once would not help as the temptation to smoke would be overwhelming (Schein, 2002). It was better to reduce the amount by two to three cigarettes in phases till I quit completely. The first phase involved the reduction from twelve to ten by October 21st 2014. This was successful though it was challenging. I kept reasoning that there was no big difference between ten and twelve. However, by sticking to the plan and focusing on the final goal, I succeeded to limit the number to ten. After achieving the objective of the first phase, I managed to reduce the number from ten to seven. However, this has been met with resistance and the body feeling deprived. It has been a challenge to move from this stage to the next. The strategy to keep the smoking sessions as far as possible has the effect of generating stress in the body (Schein, 2002). Fortunately, I have managed to plant the desire in the body system to get rid of smoking. The body is able to keep up with the chronology of change since the desired change is acceptable to the body system to maintain health. Thirdly, I have reduced the number of convenient places for smoking. For instance, I have kept cigarettes away from my car. It has helped to reduce smoking time as most of the smoking occurs when I am driving alone. I have also increased the time I spend at home with the family because the children prevent my smoking. By 18th November, it is my hope and desire that I revive serious participation in a sport of my choice. I have identified soccer as the sport as I am skilled at it and enjoy playing it a lot. By starting to play soccer again, I hope to reduce and

Analyze how globalization has impacted political and economic systems Essay

Analyze how globalization has impacted political and economic systems and appreciate America's role within global, political, - Essay Example North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA), Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) etc are some of the regional trade blocs formed to exploit the opportunities of globalization. This paper focuses more on the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) to analyze the impacts of these trade blocs on globalization. Impacts of globalization on political and economic systems The history and formation of the trade bloc Since the mid-1980s there has been a profound change in the structure of the international economy due to the widespread growth and internal enhancement of regional trading blocs in all parts of the globe. The World Trade Organization (WTO), for example, notes that almost all of its 134 members are signatories to regional trade agreements with other countries. As of February 1999 the GATT/WTO has been notified of 184 regional trade agreements of which 109 are currently in effect. These re gional trade groups, according to Fred Bergsten of the Institute for International Economics, account for approximately 60 percent of world trade. The United States, Mexico, and Canada created a free-trade area (NAFTA) that became effective in January 1994 (Reardon et al, 2002) NAFTA has proposals to expand the size of this trade bloc to the entire American continent. Same way, Agreement on South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) was formed on January 6, 2004 at Islamabad, Pakistan during the 12th SAARC summit. The members of this trade bloc are Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The role that the countries involved in the trade bloc play in the global economy â€Å"Regional trade blocs have the effect of lessening trade restrictions between members, while increasing or standardizing trade restrictions for non-members. In terms of worldwide trade, the net effect is arguable† (Reardon et al, 2002). One of the major barriers in increasing trade acti vities between different countries before the entry of globalization was the governmental trade restrictions imposed by countries. Globalization has brought the concept of free trade between countries and many of the countries which implemented globalization started liberalize the governmental restrictions on trade activities between countries. American economy has the ability to affect the entire global economy. Any fluctuations taking place in American economy is watched with lot of concerns by other countries because of the increasing interdependence of global economy and the trade activities many of the global countries have with America. However, most of these liberalizations of trade rules between countries were taken place between countries which have warm relationships. Countries in the same region with political and economic problems between them have failed to liberalize trade rules. Such problems created more problems to other countries also in doing free trade activities . For example, India and Pakistan are enemy countries and their enmity created problems in signing an agreement between Iran and India in establishing a gas pipe line from Iran to India through Pakistan. However, the formation of SAFTA helped these enemy countries to assemble under one umbrella and currently the problems in establishing the gas line is going to be solved amicably. In short, countries started to realize that the

The major factors of business expansion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The major factors of business expansion - Essay Example Total float for the entire project is the sum of all floats of the activities. . Critical path. (American Society for Quality, 2008). Critical path = path A-B-D-E-G-H-L-M-N-O-Q-R Project Time Project time equals adding the durations for the activities in the critical path. = 4 + 6 + 2 + 2 + 6 + 12 + 4 + 4 + 2 + 6 + 1 = 49 days. If the project begins on July 6, 2009, Activity A would take 4 days to end on July 9 2009, activity B starts on 10 July up to July 17 2009, activity D starts on July20 2009 and ends on July 21 2009. Activity E would start on July 22 2009 and end on July 23 2009 while on July 24 2009, activity G runs up to July 31 2009. This would pave the way for activity H that would begin on August 3 2009 and run up to August 18 2009. Activity L starts on August 19 2009 and take 4 days up to August 24 2009. Activity M starts on August 25 2009 up to August 28 2009 and activity N goes on till September 1. Activity O starts on September 2 2009, till September 9 2009 and activity Q ends on September 10 2009. Activity R ends on September 11 2009. A 1 day delay on activity J would not affect the duration of the whole project since activity L can wait for 12 days for activity H to end. Completing activity O one day before schedule would reduce project days by one day. Activity C can not affect the duration for he whole project. A network diagram is a logical approach of representing several activities which indicate the flow or sequence of a certain project. It is used to indicate the path of the project and all its activities and the starting and finishing time for every activity. It also shows the names and events for every operation Case 2: Feasibility Report for...Activity O starts on September 2 2009, till September 9 2009 and activity Q ends on September 10 2009. Activity R ends on September 11 2009. A 1 day delay on activity J would not affect the duration of the whole project since activity L can wait for 12 days for activity H to end. Completing activity O one day before schedule would reduce project days by one day. Activity C can not affect the duration for he whole project. A network diagram is a logical approach of representing several activities which indicate the flow or sequence of a certain project. It is used to indicate the path of the project and all its activities and the starting and finishing time for every activity. It also shows the names and events for every operation I examined the feasibility of establishing a new base for William CO. Ltd for expanding its current base that has a medium sized head office of about 2,600 square meters and employs nine administration staff members in addition to the operational workers who total to 48 in number. The company is an SME company which is involved in supply of mechanical services including heating, air conditioning, ventilation systems and plants.

History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 45

History - Essay Example Hence, implying its recognition usually ceases when one abandons the position since the power’s basis is merely from delegation meant to oversee execution of certain responsibilities. Shihuangdis reign besides his power, which was inherent in him, he managed to unite China from diverse seven warring regions to a single state prior subdividing it again (ONeill 27). Besides, utilizing dictatorship like other rulers, for illustration, Egyptian pharaohs and Persian rulers, he was exceedingly wise and diligent in all his undertakings. This was evident especially in the way he managed to homogenize the then seven regions into one state by advocating the use of a common currency, writing and devising similar measures of scale (ONeill 35). Additionally, while still alive, he came with a plan to prepare his magnificent tomb for 36 years by compelling approximately 1,000 builders, which was not comparable with any other ruler of his time (ONeill 28). Shihuangdi’s reign, its basis was not on reverent power like other rulers who according to their subjects represented gods in their lands (ONeill 34). Hence, being the recipient of all the admiration coupled with divine obedience from the natives who used to see them as close to gods. Shihuangdi’s power was charismatic, which he earned by exemplary wisdom and diligence in the manner he executed numerous roles as a king. Shihuangdi’s autocratic rule especially on his enemies whom he wanted to bring under his power was similar to other early rulers (ONeill 35). Mainly, this technique was to conquer weak territories, which proved rebellious and could augment their military power in the future thus become a threat. Besides, Shihuangdi ensuring funeral arrangement ready for his end time, he was also eager to seek immortality, though deeply aware that was impossible (ONeill 35). This is evident especially in the way he sends trusted people to seek immortality for him in other states but fails to return

Read two articles relateting to one aspect of early childhood Assignment

Read two articles relateting to one aspect of early childhood curriculum.write a brief synthesis of the articles - Assignment Example Along with the right teaching in Science are different assessment instruments that would help the teacher gain success in classroom. Some of the assessments are: Learning and Knowledge Assessments, Performance-based Assessments for Individualized Instruction, Progress Monitoring, and Curricular Evaluation, and Direct Assessments of Science Learning. Educators are well aware that children learn easily and more effectively if they are enjoying while learning. Since the nature of children in the early childhood education better known as the â€Å"preschool years† are more of â€Å"playing†, educators must capitalize on playing as an effective medium of teaching. Teacher may opt to incorporate the three-play types in their classroom strategies. These play types are the modelled play, open-ended play and finally purposefully framed