Blu Ray Technology

Archive for July, 2009

Copyright (c) 2007 Jennifer Koretsky

There is one very specific type of movie that I just can’t watch because I get too upset. I call it a “Don’t Take My Baby” movie.

I’m sure you’re familiar with this type of movie. The most common plot line is: Couple finds out they can’t have baby and adopts. Couple loves baby very much and experience great joy until baby’s birth parents challenge adoption and try to get baby back.

Other variations include:

* Gay partner dies and court won’t allow non-biological parent to keep the baby.

* Parents find out baby was switched at birth and isn’t theirs.

* Mother has been looking for missing baby for years, and refuses to believe baby is dead. Mother finds baby, but baby has a new life and doesn’t remember mother.

* Father loves baby dearly, mother goes to jail, father learns baby isn’t really his and loses custody.

The plot possibilities for “Don’t Take My Baby” movies are endless. These movies are often, but not always, played on the Lifetime network. (Otherwise known in pop culture as “Lifetime Movies.”) However, these plots can also be easily adopted on network dramas, although they usually aren’t as emotional.

The problem with “Don’t Take My Baby” movies is that I can’t handle them emotionally. I don’t even have a baby yet, but somehow the concept of having one’s baby taken away has driven me to hysterics ever since I can remember.

I fully realize that there is an element here that sounds absolutely crazy and you may be wondering why I chose to make this a topic for the newsletter. Well, believe it or not, this does relate to adult ADD and here’s how: adults with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) tend to be extremely emotionally sensitive. We often lose it emotionally over sad movies, sappy commercials, or distressing news stories.

Sure, “Don’t Take My Baby” movies are always meant to be tearjerkers. But most people can have themselves a good cry and get over it. Adults with ADD are often slower to bounce back.

Because we have a high level of empathy and compassion, we can take on the pain of others (real or scripted) to such a high degree that it sends us down a path of extreme emotional disturbance and spiraling negative thoughts. This, in turn, leads to more stress and the potential to become overwhelmed.

And, as I always say, the more stressed out and overwhelmed you are, the harder it is to manage your ADD.

In order to avoid this scenario, we have to protect ourselves with some solid boundaries. For example, I no longer let myself watch “Don’t Take My Baby” movies. I also won’t watch documentaries about genocide, sick children, or people with terminal illnesses. I simply can’t handle it and I know that watching these things is guaranteed to send me down a bad path.

You may find that in order to keep from falling into the trap of extreme emotions, you need to:

* Avoid watching the news.

* Make certain types of movies or shows off-limits.

* Steer clear of certain topics of conversation.

And when all else fails and you find yourself empathizing just a little too much, try to:

Remember that everyone has their challenges in life. You don’t need to take on someone else’s in addition to your own.

Talk out how you feel. Journal about it if you have no one that you can talk to in the moment.

Explore what it is about someone else’s situation that hits you hard enough to be upsetting. Does it trigger a sadness in you that you haven’t yet dealt with?

Draw a line between “pity” and “empathy.” Having compassion and being able to imagine yourself in another’s shoes is very different–and much more helpful and productive–than feeling sorry for them or taking on their pain.

Most importantly, remember that you can’t effectively care for others until you care for yourself. And this sometimes means avoiding “emotional traps” on television or in the movies.

So the next time you’re flipping the channels and happen upon a “Don’t Take My Baby” movie, think of me bawling my eyes out over a poorly-written and badly-acted movie. Then change the channel.

 

The high performance Apple MacBook MB062LL/A is one of the top designs for those who live a mobile lifestyle. The Mac has an Intel Core 2-Dual processor with a gigabyte of memory and the hard drive is much larger than the common Mac computers. You have a wide array of new features. The high performance Apple MacBook MB062LL/A has a built-in iSight camera for video chat and iLife ’06, with a Front Row and glossy 13-inche widescreen. You have double the display support and much more.

 

The MacBook comes with the latest remote control for a better ratio. You have the most recent and affordable solutions over notebook computers. The high performance Apple MacBook MB062LL/A runs smooth and has a fast mobile architecture. The computer costs less than the slower models. You have top of the line performance, and it is powered by Intel Core 2-Dual processor with speeds that reach to 2.0 Gigahertz. Each model has a packed performance solution that enhances its 4 megabyte of shared L2 cache.

 

The high performance Apple MacBook MB062LL/A gives you the option of sleek black or white with supported memory up to 2 gigabytes. With superb memory, you can handle all of your tasks without worrying about clutter. The Mac also provides you with built-in Bluetooth, and an Airport Extreme 802.11n Wi-Fi that provides you with 5 times the speed and performance3 up to ranges beyond the common standards. The latest Mac computers have an 8 times dual-layer Super Drive for burning CDs, and the 2.16 Gigahertz models has standardized equipment. You can burn your DVDs faster, and also burn dual-layer media. The Mac has a magnetic MagSafe powered adapter so that the cord will not damage. If you accidentally trip over the cord, you will not have to worry about damaging your system.

 

Each Apple MacBook MB062LL/A has iLife and awesome suite applications, which make it easier to handle digital. The iPhoto enables you to share photos. You can record music, and also use Garage Band to record from your podcast. Another excellent feature is the iMovie HD and also the iDVD. You can create films easy and share them on the Internet by simply clicking on the iWeb command. The iLife feature combines with iPhoto to making photo sharing easy and simple. This is one of the main reasons why the MacBook has been popular with the youth as well as professionals.

 

The high performance Apple MacBook MB062LL/A, has many wonderful features that make it one of the best computers sold on the market. Today you have the option to buy iMac computers, Apple Notebooks, and other Mac systems designed to fit your lifestyle. Apple notebooks include the MacBook computers, which gives you options over hard drive space, memory, processor speed, screen display, and drives for burning music or videos. Most of the recent notebooks designed by Apple provide you with the top solutions and you get iTunes’s Jukebox for recording your favorite hits.

 

Once again, there is a technology format war looming on the horizon. Many people don’t remember the VHS – Betamax battle that broke out when video players were first introduced, making it possible for people to watch movies at home. This was a case of two non-compatible technologies, each of which was a format for taping full length feature films. Ultimately VHS won out, and the movie companies put out their products in that format – thus dooming Betamax and the product manufacturers that had adopted their technology, not to mention the thousands of consumers that had invested in Betamax players. We now find ourselves on the verge of creating a new set of sore losers.

Skirmishes over LCD versus plasma screen HD TV technology are ongoing, but that type of technology contest isn’t as acute because you can watch TV or a movie on either type of screen. Currently, you can also play every DVD available on any DVD player that is in production and on the market. The next generation of DVD players, however, is coming over the horizon in the form of two distinct and incompatible technologies.

Toshiba versus Sony

Toshiba has developed a proprietary technology dubbed high definition DVD (HDDVD) and to support their format has developed alliances with Microsoft and Universal Films, among others. The HDDVD disks will be available in 15GB and two sided, 30GB versions.

By way of comparison, the current DVDs have enough storage for two hours of standard definition (SD) images, while the one-sided 15 gigabyte HDDVD disk can store up to eight hours of high definition (HD) images. The difference between SD and HD is simply twice the number of pixel lines displayed on the screen in the HD format, thus providing a crisper picture. The increased capacity of these disks will also allow for interactive features such as screen-in-screen director’s discussion of movie scenes playing behind him that today’s standard DVDs cannot support.

In the other corner is the Blu-Ray technology developed by Sony, who has lined up support from Apple, Disney and 20th Century Fox. Both formats use blue laser technology, which has a shorter wavelength than red, allowing it to read the smaller digital data “spots” packed a lot more densely onto a standard-size disc. Blu-Ray disks are designed to carry up to 50GB of digital material, which may mean that Sony wins the compression competition.

The Early Rounds

Sony Pictures released the first six films on Blu-Ray disks in June of this year, and have released a few more since. Samsung has a Blu-Ray DVD player in the stores, while Sony’s hardware division has released a Blu-Ray compatible PC. Toshiba has its initial HDDVD player on the market and there are a limited number of titles available in the format, mostly re-releases of previous first-run features.

Sony clearly jumped out to an early lead, with support from Dell, HP, Mitsubishi and a number of other hardware manufacturers. In addition, Sony Pictures also owns Columbia and MGM, giving them an enormous library to work with. Sony will also fold its technology into the PlayStation 3 gaming machine, their proprietary product whose 2nd version rules the roost in the videogame market.

On the Toshiba side of the battlefield, proponents argue that the HDDVD disks will be cheaper to produce and that it will be comparatively easy for disk replicators to retrofit their equipment for production purposes. The HDDVD format also makes production of recordable DVDs much simpler than with the Blu-Ray design.

Further, an alliance with Microsoft will be a formidable edge in this battle, should it turn into a protracted conflict. Microsoft’s operating systems are going to be important cogs in the development of future home viewing systems, as the technology moves closer to merging the functions of computers and televisions. If movie downloads become a commercial success, PC compatibility will be critical for these disks.

The Consumer Issues

One of the reasons that Microsoft aligned with Toshiba’s technology is that HDDVD provides for “mandatory managed copy.” What that means is that unlike with today’s conventional DVDs, managed copy allows consumers to make legitimate copies of their HD movies and enjoy this content around the home or across their personal networks. Making this feature mandatory will ensure a consistent consumer experience across all next-generation DVD content.

Then there is the element of iHD, which is the concept of maximizing high definition video for transport across the internet. This is a specific set of video specs which the iHD.org, a group of tech and media companies, is pushing as a cross-platform standard.

The theory is that next-generation HD movies will provide a level of interactive experience well beyond that of today’s conventional DVDs. iHD technology is meant to provide a broad foundation to enable new interactivity with standards-based development tools and technologies.

The pitch for this standard is that it will provide consumers with enhanced content, navigation and functionality for HD films. The business reality is that Microsoft plans to implement iHD support in its Windows Vista operating system, which will not only be a significant step towards integrated video and computer systems but will make help drive adoption of the new Microsoft platform.

Duel to the Death Unlikely

There is some indication that all of these conflicting issues may ultimately force a compromise – some sort of merger or unification of the two technologies. Hardware manufacturers are hedging their bets, with the latest wrinkle being that Blu-Ray-aligned Hewlett Packard has requested that mandatory managed copy and the iHD standard be included in Blu-Ray’s feature set. Sony has agreed to include the managed copy feature, but said no to iHD.

The Betamax – VHS battle was a tussle over hardware with the movie companies playing a predominant role, one Sony lost. This time around, there is much more uncertainty about how the next generation of home video will roll out. How will the Web and the PC fit in? Will the movies be delivered via disk or via download? How will the film industry protect its content rights and how can the hardware companies maximize their role?

PCs have become a commodity. If a scenario arises where every household needs a new computer to match up with new video technology, the Dells and HPs of this world stand to win big. If competing technology keeps people from investing in either, every involved business will suffer. If the film and DVD houses have to produce two sets of content and two disks for every film, their margins will grow considerably thinner as well. The tech bloggers seem to be increasingly inclined to believe that unification of some sort is inevitable. The corporations with the most to lose are too smart not to insist on it.

Consumer market seems more bigger than B2B marketplace, but when it comes to actual figures, whether in terms of currency or quantity, B2B overpowers consumer markets. Whether conducted through face to face meeting or indirect channel, these organizations have to deal with complex purchasing and selling decisions, side by side handling many people for same account or project having many decision makers, influencers, end users, etc.

Further, these markets can be seen as divided into four categories:

• Commercial Market
o Sells raw material used in production
o Sells product which aid in production
o Sells maintenance supplies

• Trade Industry
o Wholesaler
o Reseller

• Government organization/ Public Sector Unit
o Under Central government
o Under State government
o Under Foreign government

• Institutions
o Hospitals
o Church/Temple, etc
o College/university
o Museum
o Not-for-profit organizations

B2Bmarketers have to develop marketing plans according to market they are dealing with. Now, in order to have a focussed insight of B2B marketing lets start with IT industry overview of India.

But before that lets have a look at some facts about India.

This is a country of big dimensions. It spreads over a geographical area of 3.29 million square kilometers and is about 2.5 per cent of the globe, which makes the country the seventh largest in the world. It has a population of over 1,000 million ranks which is the second largest only next to China. India is Asia’s third and world’s eleventh largest economy.

IT Industry Overview

According to Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, the year 2006-2007 witnessed a revalidation of the Indian Information Technology – Business Process Outsourcing (IT-BPO) growth story, driven by a maturing appreciation of India’s role and growing importance in global services trade. Industry performance was marked by sustained double-digit revenue growth, steady expansion into newer service-lines and increased geographic penetration, and an unprecedented rise in investments by Multinational Corporations (MNCs) – in spite of lingering concerns about gaps in talent and infrastructure impacting India’s cost competitiveness. The sector looks set to close the year at record levels, with the revenue aggregate growing by nearly ten times over the past 10 years.

The software and ITES exports from India grew from US$ 12.9 billion in the year 2003-04 to US$ 23.6 billion in 2005-06. It is estimated that total software and ITES exports from India will exceed US$ 31.3 billion during the year 2006-07. Software and services exports are likely to beat forecasts and exceed 32 per cent in dollar terms during the year 2006-07.

While the US and the UK remain the dominant markets for software and ITES exports, contributing to 67 per cent and 15 per cent of total exports respectively, firms are also keenly exploring new geographies for business development, and to strengthen their global delivery footprint. Banking, Financial Services and Insurance, and Technology (Hitech/ telecom) are the main verticals, accounting for nearly 60 per cent of the total; Manufacturing, Retail, Media, Utilities, Healthcare and Transportation follow-also growing rapidly. India offers a unique combination of attributes that have established it as the preferred offshore destination for IT-BPO. Over 2001-06, India’s share in global sourcing is estimated to have grown from 62 per cent to 65 per cent for IT and 39 per cent to 45 per cent for BPO. The visibly higher preference for India is driven by its unmatched superiority when measured across a range of parameters that determine the attractiveness of a sourcing location.

The outlook for Indian IT-BPO remains bright, and the sector well on track to achieve its aspired target of US$ 60 billion in export revenues by 2010. Key factors underlying this optimism include the growing impact of technology-led innovation, leading the increasing demand for global sourcing and the gradually evolving socio-political attitudes.

The process quality and expertise in service delivery has been a key factor driving India’s sustained leadership in global service delivery. Since the inception of the industry in India, players within the country have been focusing on quality initiatives, to align themselves with international standards. Over the years, the industry has built robust processes and procedures to offer world class IT software and technology related services. Today, India-based centres (both Indian firms as well as MNC-owned captives) constitute the largest number of quality certifications achieved by any single country. As of December 2006, over 440 Indian companies had acquired quality certifications with 90 companies certified at SEI CMM Level 5 – higher than any other country in the world.

The Indian IT-BPO sector is committed to extending its unmatched reputation in quality, to information security and is working on a four-pronged programme to achieve this objective. This comprises:

a) engaging key stakeholders (policy makers, industry players, enforcement agencies, etc.) to build a common understanding of the key issues relating to information security – in the context of global service delivery;

b) educating industry constituents about developments in information security policies and practices;

c) enactment of policy reform required to ensure compliance; and d) addicting in the effective enforcement of policy frameworks by encouraging the practice of periodic security audits and certification, developing and maintaining an incident response database and facilitating greater cooperation with enforcement agencies.

Notwithstanding the strong fundamentals (of large talent pool), there has been growing concern about parts of the available pool being unsuitable for employment. The Indian IT-BPO sector has taken the leads in ensuring that requisite remedial actions are undertaken in time to avoid any form of a talent crisis.

Training has become a regular and significant component in the induction process of all IT-BPO firms. Several firms have also established dedicated facilities and terms, for employee skill enhancement initiatives. The total number of IT and ITES-BPO professionals employed in India is estimated to have grown from 284,000 in 1999-2000 to 1,630,000 in 2005-06, growing by over 340,000 in the last year alone. In addition, Indian IT-ITES is estimated to have helped create an additional 3 million job opportunities through indirect and induced employment. Indirect employment includes expenditure on vendors including telecom, power, construction, facility management, IT transportation, catering and other services.

The domestic software market is also picking-up, showing definite signs of braking out of the trend of hardware linked growth with the contribution of software and services exceeding that of hardware for the first time in 2005-06. The total size of the domestic market is expected to cross to Rs. 37,800 crore in 2006-07, a growth of 28 per cent over 2005-06. Indian firms are gradually gaining ground and are in neck-to-neck pace with the MNCs. The Indian IT and ITES sector contribution to the national GDP is estimated to rise from 1.2 per cent during the year 1999-2000 to 5.4 per cent during 2006-07.

Production Profile

The software and services industry continue to be the dominating factor in the overall growth of the Indian industry. In 2005-06, the Indian software and services industry exports witnessed a healthy growth, its total exports reaching Rs. 104,100 crore (US$ 23.6 billion), an increase of 33 per cent in dollar terms and 30 per cent in rupee terms over the previous financial year. This segment will continue to show a robust growth and the total value of software and services export is estimated at Rs. 141,800 crore (US$ 31.3 billion) in 2006-07, an increase of 36 per cent in rupee terms and over 32 per cent in dollar terms. The Business Process Outsourcing (ITES-BPO) sector has emerged as a key driver of growth for the Indian software and services Industry. As export revenues from ITES-BPO estimated to grew from US $ 6.3 billion in year 2005- 06 to US $ 8.3 billion in year 2006-07, a year-on-year growth of over 31 per cent was achieved. Consumer electronics sector is estimated to achieve a production level of Rs. 20,000 crore during 2006-07, as compared to Rs. 18,000 crore in the year 2005-06, thus achieving a growth over 11 per cent. The fast growing segments during the year were colour TV, DVD players, home theatre systems. The colour TV production has shoot up to over 12 million units during the year 2006-07. The flat segment CTVs now accounts for more than 50% of the total domestic TV production. The PC sales are expected cross 6.5 million units during the year 2006-07. The high growth in PC sales was attributed to increased consumption by Industry verticals such as Telecom, Banking and Financial Services, Manufacturing, Education, Retail and BPO/IT-enabled services as well as major e-Governance initiatives of the Central and State Governments.

Strategic Analysis

B2B customers / accounts are completely rational by nature, so they have to develop a proper B2B procurement plan, in order to do that strategic analysis is done to learn strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats so as to shape strategies that

• build strength
• overcome weakness

side by side allow firm to

• take advantage of market opportunities
• avoid business market threats

To start with lets have a look at External Analysis (looking outside the organization), which include General Environment and Competitive Environment.

General Environment

Factors overlap and development in one area may influence those in others like :

• Political / Legal : Change in political environment, legal regulations like SEZ (special economic zone) development can also serve as a factor also.

• Economic : Have much impact on day to day change in economic conditions like foreign exchange, etc. In case of exports/ imports the price effects do take place to a large extent. Alongwith this costing of product is also to be reconciled due to budgets and taxes (Central Excise, Customs duty, etc.).
• Socio Cultural : Day to day changes in technology, life style, etc., changes the perception of people towards product/ service. So, demand changes due to change in market demand. Like in India around Diwali season demand for IT products and services increases which inturn increases the demand for more raw material procurement/ purchase.
• Technological : Need latest and sophisticated technology products and machinery, so as to come out with low cost and better quality product/ service.
• Environmental : This factor itself deals with, cost implications, public opinion and sites along with locations.
• Legislative : One cannot go beyond laws, no matter from where, when, for whom, one is working or doing business with.

Now as far as competitive environment is concerned, companies like Wipro, Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys, Satyam, Nucleus, etc. altogether form the competitive environment, which provide same kind of product/ service(raw material) to other industries and are established since ages.

Also the home base of an organization plays an important role in shaping the advantage of an organization on a global scale.

So, lets have an analysis of suppliers, customers, competitors, supplementary as well as complementary industry through Porter’s Five Forces model.

Porter’s Five Forces model :

Bargaining Power with:

• Vendors/ Suppliers : Due to availability of lots of vendors/ suppliers in the region of India, the IT organization has high bargaining power while procurement is done.

• Customers : Though the product is to be provided at competitive rates to the customers in various industries but then also due to bulk demand the IT organization has some bargaining power.
• New Entrants : As the IT industry in itself to provide competitive prices due to oligopoly market conditions, so is the low margin for new entrants alongwith difficulty in adjustment to the dynamic requirements, so the IT organization has some power over them also.
• Substitute Industry : The market is driven by ever changing technology products / services. So, bargaining against substitutes can only be done through quality promotions.

Competitive Rivalry : Price wars continuously occur between competitors, which at times settles at constant price with approved quality or at premium services also.

Further, lets have a look at Critical Success Factors for the IT organization :

• Innovation
• Speed to market the product as soon as possible
• High Service

Further, as we know that the value chain analysis describes the activities the organization performs and links them to the organizations competitive position.

Value chain analysis describes the activities within and around an organization, and relates them to an analysis of the competitive strength of the organization. Therefore, it evaluates which value each particular activity adds to the organizations products or services. This idea was built upon the insight that an organization is more than a random compilation of machinery, equipment, people and money. Only if these things are arranged into systems and systematic activates it will become possible to produce something for which customers are willing to pay a price. Porter argues that the ability to perform particular activities and to manage the linkages between these activities is a source of competitive advantage.

Now, after this Value Chain Analysis can be seen as:

Inbound Logistics : Raw material in form of hardware, software, etc. through digital or vehicular means.

Operations : Mix of Software, hardware, infoware and peopleware to provide knowledge through product or service development.

Outbound Logistics : Product or service through digital or vehicular to reach to destination or customer’s warehouse/ factory/office.

Marketing and Sales :
• Through Trade Journals , website – www.infosys.com, search engines like www.google.com, www.yahoo.com, www.jayde.com, etc.,
• Registering through industry specific websites such as www.industrialproductsfinder.com, www.industrialleaders.com, www.trade-india.com, etc.,
• Taking part in exhibitions and trade shows like IITF, etc.,
• One of the most important thing is one to one marketing through sales representatives, which plays most important role in B2B promotions.

Service : Direct availability of representative whenever and wherever needed by the customers.

Technology : As seen before that high and sophisticated technology is required, so is the requirement for technology in other departments to a much greater extent.

HRM : Though HR plays a greater role in each and every organization as it is the resource which drives all the other resources of organization so is to be managed effectively and efficiently. Moreover, due to high attrition rate, HR is of much significance in overall organizational departments.

Procurement : This is one of the important areas which are being looked as insignificant since ages, but now with the development of Supply Chain Management, Just in Time, Kaizen, etc. the need to procure right product / service, at right time from right place, at right price in right quantity is being understood by most of the organizations.

Firm Infrastructure : Infrastructure need arises in case of It organizations also. Office plays much importance alongwith requirement of large investment costs.

This is all about value chain analysis.

As far as Competencies are concerned, lets see what competencies are required:

• High R&D
• Quality of product as per specification
• Service to customer
• Low costs
• Availability product at any time

Core Competency :

• Early Innovation
• and flooding the market with that innovated product before time.

Now, all these as we know help in identifying strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats.

Which can be stated further.

Strength :
1. More Infrastructure
2. Brand Name
3. Superior Service Quality
4. Lowest cost in most of products
5. Proximity to Consumer/ Customer Industry
6. Vast Knowledge
7. High R&D
8. Skilled representatives/ manpower

Weakness :
1. Dependent on technology
2. Dependent on manpower.
3. Sells more quantities of low margin products.

Opportunities :
1. SOA (Service Oriented Architecture) and SAAS (Software As a Service) as new markets.
2. Switching of customers to better quality product so is the opportunity for increase in margins.
3. New technology requirements like enhanced graphics, speed, etc.

Threats :
1. TRAI and other IT regulatory norms
2. High taxes.
3. Competitors might also sense the opportunity.

So this is about the way to find out the exact company’s strategic position.

PROCUREMENTS IN BUSINESS TO BUSINESS MARKETS

To succeed in an increasingly complex business markets environment, companies should make a clear choice as to which strategy they decide to follow and be sure that the entire organisation is capable of supporting it. Essentially, companies or divisions of companies in business to business markets can follow one of four strategies.

• Price Strategy
o Lower price provider
• Like in case of common / outdated products/ services
o Leanest & Meanest organization
• Mostly for products required in continuous large quantities
• Product Strategy
o Good Products
• For high quality and technology products / services
o Regular Prices
• Prices compared with industry average
• Product + Strategy
o Most Comprehensive product and service combination
• As per urgent need, i.e. when, where and whatever is required
o Shift from price to added value
• Unique combination
• Organization Specific Solutions Strategy
o Constantly flexible to meet organizational needs
• Product and service as per customer / organizations expectations
o Integrate into vendor’s business processes
• Attach with profitable and long run vendor organisations

Strategy Implementation

Whichever strategy we choose, success depends on our ability to implement it consistently from start to finish and across all business functions. Let’s have a look at Business Markets Model which addresses strategy implementation in business to business markets in three steps: creating value, capturing value and delivering value.

1. CREATING VALUE

1. Vendor market insights: this depends on B2B strategy:

Commercial success demands an accurate understanding of vendors and their, today and tomorrow. Insights are best gathered through collaborative relationships with the vendor, getting “under the skin” of their business processes and objectives.

As the IT organization do, by integrating backward and forward with vendors as well as customers and their processes in order to create value as and when desired by them. Like when they change their process along with which their raw material requirements change, then organization also change its product availability and competitive price as desired. Moreover competitors are also being taken care off. Like, which product are they providing, at what price, to which organizations, etc.

Creation of value takes a different form depending on our strategy:

• “Price leaders” channel the creativity of their people to making the organization leaner and finding new ways to lower the price. Like technological innovation in processing, economies of scale, etc.
As can be seen in case of low cost, low quality or out dated products like CD’s, Floppy’s, etc. which is in high demand due to its lowest ever prices by the organization to its customers.

• “Product leaders” organize themselves to offer products/services with some features at a mid-range price. Innovation oriented product line like Blue ray disc in case of writing media.

• “Product+ (Premium/High End) leaders” augment their core product with features or services that testify to an understanding of the business while recognising the need for consistency and efficiency in delivering them.

• “Organisation Specific Solutions leaders” choose a value proposition that integrates itself in the business models of their vendors, and these organizations need to constantly reorganise for higher levels of satisfaction. Like IT organizations sometimes have to ask for products/ services with particular specifications. As for e.g. good quality floppy disc or writing media such as USB’s

The key drivers of growing complexity from a procurement perspective:

• Polarisation of vendor segments: Vendors are becoming more explicit on when they are prepared to deliver a premium and when not. Companies must be notice both the premium and value needs of vendors, simultaneously, yet many companies lack the capabilities to do so.

• Optimise procurement and distribution touchpoints: the growing number of procurement and distribution options, offered by vendors have made buyers better informed, more demanding and prone to ‘mixing and matching’ vendors.

• The return on commercial investments is dropping: the increasing number of media, marketplaces and networks is challenging the impact of traditional vehicles like trade magazines and exhibitions.

Many companies lack the skill to manage multiple media, develop ‘experiences’ and connect them to the bottom line.

2. B2B should be cross functional

Often, when managers in B2B companies are asked about their B2B activities, the answer points to the “brochure makers” – as if business to business marketing was only communications.
Approaching marketing as a business philosophy and not as a department, B2B companies enhance their customer focus and responsiveness, thereby improving their results.

3. Continuous innovation in B2B markets

While there are different ways to innovate, leaders need to focus the creative efforts on areas that support the strategy best. In B2B markets, innovating new products, creating cost-reduced versions or adding services or systems allows us to reach out to current and potential customers and beat the competition. Whether these innovations revolutionise or simply improve, it is critical that they meet our customers’ needs.

2. CAPTURING VALUE

Procurement isn’t what it used to be. It is ever more important to:

• focus on key customers within the organisation: Just as marketing is often misunderstood in B2B as being about brochures and catalogues, similarly CRM can be misunderstood as just a technology solution for keeping track of your customers. Internal customers are company’s strategic investments.

True CRM – the process of acquiring and keeping strategic accounts – is vital to your profitability and competitive advantage.

• Procure as an organisation: In B2B markets, the procurement approach and the required competences must be closely aligned to the chosen strategy. In organization, the procurement process and the competences of the purchase team are all very different if we purchase standardised products or if we purchase organisation specific solutions. As most B2B players are shifting away from a pure Product strategy into Product+ (Premium/High End), enhancing their core product with additional features and services, value procuring becomes a core competence.

Understanding not only the features and benefits of our enhanced product, but knowing what value and benefits it brings to our business will make us stand out from our competitors. This requires both an ability to have a value-based dialogue with our client, and the necessary influencing and organizational skills to represent our customers’ needs internally.

• get the price right: value-based pricing requires a detailed assessment of product/ service value. Without this, vendors can end up stressing points of difference that deliver little value to the organisation. Value presumption – assuming that any favorable points of difference must be valuable – should be replaced by close assessment of customer needs to get to the root of “what’s worth what” for them.

• align all departments: No matter how well thought-out the B2B Procurement concepts are, and how good the purchase team is, disconnects between these two functions lead to mixed messages reaching the vendor.

As a result, better alignment of inter and intra department teams will enable:

• sales force to move from product promotion to problem solving
• value propositions to create value from the company’s perspective
• purchase people to be equipped for better vendor dialogue with the right messages for the right people
• product/ service development team to create more accessible and useful procurement tools

3. DELIVERING VALUE

We’ve created a strong value proposition, and we are convinced of it. Now it’s time to deliver – and not once, but consistently. Our value proposition needs to be translated into skills, behaviours and beliefs.

Operational processes and structures – including the selection of and relationship with partners in the supply network – need to be constantly fine-tuned towards customer needs as well as profitability requirements.

Note : According to a global benchmarking study by Deloitte among 800 corporations, companies that have continually optimised their existing and new investments within the global supply chain structure are as much as 70% more profitable.

The survey identifies three key enablers:

1. Visibility – access to information regarding product, customer service and manufacturing costs, customer and product profitability.

2.Technology – an integrated and flexible technology infrastructure allows company to gain visibility and support changes in the network structure.

3.Top management support – the vast majority of the organisation’s branches most successful at optimising their networks have one executive in charge of the overall supply chain.

Findings and Conclusion

As per the study and findings, the IT organizations should develop a procurement process or better to say, B2B buying process in such a way that it provides profitability in long run as well.

Moreover, as per the analysis of IT industry, we can say that B2B buying practice requires the strategic alignment of entire value chain through formation of strategy which can be centric around:

• Price
• Product
• Product + strategy
• Customer Specific / Customised Solution

Alongwith Creation of value through:
• Vendor Insight
• Cross functional departments
• Continuous Innovation

After that, Capturing Value through:
• Focus on key customers within the organisation
• Procurement as an organisation
• Getting the right price
• Align all departments

And lastly, Delivering Value through:

• Visibility
• Technology
• Top management support

So, the organization’s should focus on its key procured products/ services like the most beneficial organisations in the industry in India and abroad..

Listening to the dynamic requirements and fulfilling them from time to time ahead of the competitors not just to stay in the race or win the race but also to change the rules of the game through innovation and change the market requirements as per the developments taking place in the marketplace.

Moreover, as Business to business markets involve more rational nature of buyers rather than impulse buying in case of Business to customers.So, the organizations should focus as well on these aspects through following proper procurement tactics, synergies and strategies as framed by organizational top management keeping in mind the strategic position of the organization.

Bibliography

1. Co-Author : Dr.S.L.Gupta, Professor & Academic Coordinator, Birla Institute of Technology, India
2. Anderson, James C. & Narus, James A. (2007). Business Market Management – Understanding, Creating and Delivering Value. 2nd ed. Pearson Education
3. Boone, Louis E. & Kurtz, David L. (2002). Contemporary Marketing. Harcourt College Publishers
4. Dollinger, Marc J., Entrepreneurship Strategies and Resources, 3rd ed. Pearson Education
5. David, Fred R., Strategic Management, Prentice Hall
6. Keller, Kotler. Marketing Managemet. 12th ed. Prentice Hall India
7. Kotler, P. & Armstrong, G. Principles of Marketing. Prentice Hall India
8. Kothari, C. R., Research Methodology. Vikas Publishing House
9. Reeder, R.R.,Brierty, E.G., & Reeder, B.H, (1991).Industrial Marketing. Analysis, planning and control. 2.ed.Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice Hall
10. Robinson, P.J., Faris, C.W., & Wind, Y.(1967). Industrial Buying and Creative Marketing. Boston: Allyn & Bacon
11. Webster, F.E.Jr., & Wind, Y.(1972). Organisational Buying Behaviour. Englewood Cliffs,N.J.:Prentice-Hall
12. Zikmund, W.G.(1994). Exploring Marketing Research.5.ed.Ford Worth:Dryden Press
13. http://www.mit.gov.in
14. http://www.iied.org/mmsd/mmsd_pdfs

 

Why Web-Users Are So Impatient

While watching a Toronto Raptor basketball game I saw T.J. Ford, one of the fastest players in the league, rush down the court like a man possessed and proceed to throw the ball behind his back to a trailing Andrea Bargnani. The trouble was the ball sailed over the head of the seven-foot Bargnani into the second row of seats. Ford, himself, ended up with a beer and popcorn facial after landing in the lap of a front row patron. So what does this have to do with website design and marketing you ask? A lot.

As talented as Ford is a basketball player he sometimes plays out-of-control, and his major asset, his speed, becomes a liability. When this happens in a basketball game the answer is to slow the game down and get back in control.

Don’ Speed-It-Up; Slow-It-Down

Website visitors are like the speedy T.J. Ford; they are so intent on getting what they want as quickly and efficiently as possible, that they often surf the Internet out-of-control.

How many times have you sat in front of the computer with your hand resting on your mouse searching for some desired product, service, or information, when all of sudden you find what looks like what you want, but before you even have a chance to discover exactly what it is, your hair-trigger finger decides it’s time to move-on. It’s like your finger has a mind of it’s own.

Speed Kills Marketing Efforts

All the talk and discussion about short attention spans caused by people raised on video games and quick-cut-edited music videos is very misleading.

What website visitors won’t tolerate are websites that waste their time, and many websites are guilty of exactly that. Contrary to popular belief, the job of a website designer, who understand marketing, is not to speed up website visitors, but to slow them down so they can absorb the marketing message.

If you want your audience to remember you, if you want to make an impression, if you want website visitors to understand why they should give you their business, then you have to slow them down long enough to absorb your message. And that message better be worth their while or they will never come back.

It isn’t about how fast a page loads; it’s about delivering an appropriate payoff for the wait.

Now I will admit there people who absolutely, positively will not wait more than eight seconds for anything to load. You know who you are. And I say, the hell with them. These are the same people who won’t wait their turn in a brick and mortar store either, they demand to be served before everyone else – it’s just not possible to satisfy these people, so why design your entire website marketing around them. They are never going to hang around long enough to grasp your message and learn why they should be giving you their business, so forget about them.

The people you should be worrying about are the ones that really want to find out more about what it is you do, and are prepared to invest a little time and effort to give you a chance to explain yourself. These are the important people; this is your real audience, and you disappoint them at your financial peril.

The Reasons Why Web-users Are Impatient

The real reason website users are so damn impatient is not that they have such short attention spans, it’s because most websites are designed to meet perceived company objectives, rather than audience needs.

How To Drive Traffic Away From Your Website

Let’s take a look at some of the reasons why your website visitors may be leaving your website before they’ve had a chance to hear what you have to say; or to put it another way, if you want to drive traffic AWAY faster than you attract it, here are some of the things you should do.

1.Give Web-visitors Too Many Options and Choices
Social scientist and Swarthmore College professor, Barry Schwartz, has coined the phrase, “the paradox of choice.” His studies have concluded the more choice you give people, the less likely they are to make a decision. Some choice is good, but too much choice creates confusion: it’s a case of diminishing marginal utility.

A well designed website explains, directs, guides, and focuses visitor attention on the things that are of real benefit to your visitors and to your company.

Every business provides a variety of products, services, and information to their customers, but these things are not all of equal importance. Your website is a place to focus attention on your core marketing message, not a place to provide a shopping list of everything you are able to do and every product or service you may be able to offer.

2. Give Web-visitors Too Much Information To Process
Architect, author, and information designer, Richard Saul Wurman, in his book, ‘Information Anxiety’ talks about, “the ever-widening gap between what we understand and what we think we should understand.”

Good website design is about more than technology and aesthetics; it’s about deciding what information needs to be presented and what information needs to be left out. If you are truly an expert in your field, you should know what information is important to your customers in order for them to make a decision. Too much information is like too much choice, it confuses rather clarifies. Focus on delivering meaningful content or risk having your visitors hit the exit button.

3. Give Web-visitors Too Much Non-relevant Content
The only thing worse than overloading your website with more information than visitors can absorb is confusing them with useless and non-relevant content.

Non-relevant content is content that doesn’t advance your major purpose: to deliver your marketing message in an informative, engaging, entertaining, and memorable manner. If it isn’t relevant, dump it.

4. Give Web-visitors Too Many Irritating Distractions
Websites should be designed to direct visitors to the information they want and that information should be the content you want to delivery.

You cannot sell someone a product or service they do not want. A real prospect is one that needs the same information you want to provide; the art of sales is directing potential clients to relevant information, and presenting it in a way that visitors see your product or service as fulfilling their needs.

On the surface, third-party advertisements and banners may seem like a good way to make some extra cash from your traffic, but these ads become so distracting, visitors either get feed-up or click on one of the links that takes them away from your site. Whatever few bucks you earn from these ads, you are loosing by chasing real customers away; this of course assumes you are a real business with something legitimate to sell and not a website that’s an excuse to deliver advertisements.

Other nonsense like favorite links and silly fluff-content merely distracts visitors from investigating your site to find what they are looking for.

5. Give Web-visitors Too Many Red Flags
Website visitors are constantly looking for red flags that tell them that the site they are visiting should be skipped as soon as possible.

If you want to make sure visitors won’t deal with you make sure you don’t provide any contact information: no contact names, no phone numbers, and no mailing address is a sure sign that you won’t look after any problems that arise from a website transaction.

Your website must be designed to build trust and foster a relationship, not scare people away.

6. Give Web-visitors Too Many Decisions To Make
How many decisions do you demand from your visitors in order for them to do business with you?

Take for example the seemingly simple task of purchasing a new television. Do you purchase the inexpensive but old tube technology, the newer Plasma technology, or the LCD technology? How about all the various features to choose from like picture-in-picture, commercial skip-timers, and on and on? All you really want to do is relax with your spouse and enjoy a good movie – is that on a VSH, DVD, Blu-ray, or HD-DVD?

7. Give Web-visitors Too Many Stumbling Blocks
Do you make people go through the order processing system before they can find out how much something costs, or do you demand potential customers read a ridiculous amount of small print legalese that only a lawyer could understand?

If you want to drive traffic away from your site make sure you build in as many stumbling blocks as possible.

8. Give Web-visitors Too Many Forms TO Fill-in
Do you attract your visitors with special offers or free white papers and then demand that they fill-out complex forms, surveys, and questionnaires before you give them access to what they came for? If you do, you are probably losing a lot of people you attracted, and you are guaranteeing that your next email promotion will end up in the trash.

9. Give Web-visitors Incomprehensible Page Layouts
Good design, proper page layout, consistent navigation, and well organized information architecture that promotes serendipity, helps visitors find what they’re looking for and provides a pleasant, efficient and rewarding experience for the website visitor.

Website designs that rely on technology, databases, and search engine optimization rather than focused content, coherent organization, articulate presentation, and a memorable, rewarding experience are designs designed to chase traffic away.

10. Give Web-visitors Too Many Confusing Instructions
One of the most frustrating experiences website visitors encounter is confusing instructions and incoherent explanations of how your product or service works or how to order what you are selling.

11. Give Web-visitors Too Many Reason To Click-out
If you really are determined to fail, make sure you provide website visitors with as many reasons as possible to leave your site: irrelevant links to your favorite sites, links to your suppliers because you’re too cheap to put their information on your own site, or any combination of the reasons mentioned above, all contribute to driving traffic away from your site.

In the continuing battle for high definition DVD format between Sony Corporation’s Blu-ray and Toshiba’s HD DVD, both parties are seeking support from different film producers and movie studios. For the record, the overall film industry seems split on which format to support. The pornographic film industry is playing a significant role on the battle. It seems like the format to be widely supported by the adult industry will win the game. Because there are practically still more adult HD DVD titles across the market, it is safe to assert that for now, HD DVD has an upper cut in the race.

In the Adult Entertainment Expo in 2007, the chief of porn movie studio Digital Playground Inc was quoted as saying that his company would shift support and then transfer its backing from HD DVD to Blu-ray. That would mean a sure and sudden victory for Blu-ray. Unfortunately, Digital Playground is correcting inaccurate reporting by the media, particularly by a German magazine called Heise Online, which disseminated the wrongly interpreted and absorbed quotation. Digital Playground is denying that its leader committed shift of support to Blu-ray. The company said it would still come up with numerous adult HD DVD titles because doing so is still a viable and profitable scheme for the business.

Adult HD DVD has been dominating the market for quite some time. Ever since both formats were introduced and were pitted against each other, most porn studios flocked and embraced the technology. Other than that, Toshiba was also very open to allow porn makers to produce and market adult HD DVD. Blu-ray at first did not allow porn flicks to be reproduced at its own DVD format. The decision of HD DVD to allow emergence of adult HD DVD proved to be a wise and viable business decision. Now, most consumers buying porn titles are automatically looking for adult HD DVDs.

The adult film industry has agreed in consensus to fully support HD DVD not because it is the only DVD format that embraced the porn industry but also because of many more advantages. For one, adult HD DVD materials are being enjoyed by more DVD consumers. Through the years, HD DVD format has enjoyed more patronage and for now, there are millions of players in the format that are scattered all over the United States and in several other countries.

Aside from that, the adult film industry is committing to continue to support HD DVD. Thus, it is expected that people would continue enjoying more top pornstars adult HD DVD titles. In the future, the industry’s warm backing is expected. There is a single ultimate reason why porn makers would not be able to fully shift support. That is cost.

Producing and reproducing adult HD DVD films is more feasible because not much cost would be shouldered by the porn industry. That is because producing HD DVD format titles is less costly than producing Blu-ray titles, which are far more expensive. Machines in reproducing Blu-ray are so expensive that only a handful of establishments can afford them. On the upside piracy would be combated. But the overall expenses for producing Blu-ray adult titles would really make it impossible to price each title with price tags that can be easily afforded by more consumers.

Indeed, adult HD DVD titles would continue dominating the high-definition format adult films not just in the US but also in many parts of the world, supported by the newer DVD formats. With the current backing and commitment from numerous porn producers and studios, there is no doubt about that assertion

 

A survey was conducted by the Home Research Media during the first few months of 2007. The findings of the survey were that the in USA the blu-ray movies sale was almost double compared to the High Definition DVD’s. The High Definition DVD disks are considered as the main competitor of blu-ray disks. According to the Home Media Magazine, about 1.6 million blu-ray disks were sold during the first six months, and the sale of High Definition DVD’s during that period was about seven hundred and ninety five thousand.

The blu-ray technology was actually introduced and developed by the Sony Company. Keeping in view the increasing popularity of bluray disks, majority of the studios are releasing their movies in bluray format or both in blu ray and High definition DVD format. The blu-ray format gives the audience more sharper and brighter picture as compared to the other DVD formats. The bluray disks also offer high recording capacity. This high capacity of blu-ray helps to add interactive features and games as well along with the film.

The High Definition DVD disk was introduced by the Toshiba Corporation. The new blu-ray disks are giving tough time to the HD-DVD’s. The blu-ray disk’s market share is rapidly increasing. The blu-ray disk is the major rival of the High Definition DVD disks. During the start of 2008, Wal-Mart decided that their top most preference will be the blu-ray disks because of their increasing sales and popularity. This competition between HD-DVD & blu-ray is almost similar to the VHS & betamax in the 1970’s.

Considering the increasing popularity of Bluray disks, most of the major Stores of United States decided to increase their High-definition stock with Blu-ray disks almost up to 75%. The Bluray disk format has advantage over other DVD formats because of its higher capacity to store data. The High-Definition DVD disk has storage capacity of about 30GB and is working to increase the capacity to 45GB. While on the other hand the blu-ray disc can store up to 50GB and development is being done to increase its storage capacity to 200GB.

The consumers mostly focus on the DVD disk with higher recording capacity that is where the blu-ray disk has captured most of the High- definition market share. The other reasons that made the blu-ray disk more popular were the support from the major studios like the Disney, Sony, Lionsgate etc.

The Sony Play Station also backed the bluray technology and also the gamers showed their interest in this blu-ray format. So, the gamer are willing to spend more dollars to buy the new blu-ray DVD disks. The prices of blu-ray format products are rapidly lowering down because of the improved and increased production. The increased competition is also a factor that helped to lower the prices of bluray products.

The hardware companies are now working on players that have the capability and technology to play both the DVD formats of bluray disk and High-Definition DVD as well. These drives are known as the dual format DVD players. Sony, LG and NEC are the companies that are manufacturing these dual format players. This is really amazing as Sony is the main supporter of the bluray technology. The reason of manufacturing the dual format players could be that the Sony does not want to loose in the competition of DVD formats.

Establishing a home computer network has become so amazingly easy that with the addition of a few small devices that just plug into any computer, the average home can have its own wireless network up and running in less than an hour, and for surprisingly little money. The best part of the home-based wireless network is you don’t need to buy printers and other components like scanners and DVD players for each computer in the house. They can all share the same component from different parts of the home, and yes, even the yard or garage.

Okay, you’re a modern family. You might even have the latest home technology like notebook computers, “smart appliances” that can be controlled through your computer, and a computer-controlled home security system, right? Yeah, sure you do. And, of course, you’re hooked up to the Internet through a cable or broadband connection, right? And I bet you even have a scanner and a color printer for everyone in the house to use. So, all your computer needs are taken care of.

All you have to do to use the printer from your second desktop, or your notebook computer, is save the file to a disc (Unless it’s an art file, then you have to make sure you have a high-capacity disc, like a ZIP disc, or maybe you even burned it to a CD. You do have a CD-burner in your notebook, right?), then take the disc to your primary computer (Ah, but what if one of the kids is already on it playing a game, or doing homework?), then download the file, then go right ahead and print it. Easy, isn’t it? Or maybe you want to surf the Web from out by the pool (Wait…out by the pool? How?), or catch up on some office work, or maybe junior needs to do homework. No problem, because everyone can shuffle around to the right computer (for the moment) and….

Wait a minute…there HAS to be an easier way to do this. Right?

Sure there is, just setup a home computer network. A computer network is when two or more computers are given the ability to communicate with each other through wires or radios to share information or devices like printers and scanners.

Now, a home network is easy to set-up…just run some network cables through your walls…(Make sure they’re in the right rooms; don’t forget the one out to the patio, oh, and the one for the kitchen.) and hook yourself right up to that broadband connection. (Of course, you know how to run the cable through a wall, and you know how far each cable can be from the main computer, and how to put on all the connectors.) Of course, you don’t have to run it through the wall…you can just run it along the baseboards…the cable is a real pretty bright blue…it just matches everything. Great! You’re ready to go. But, one more little thing…since your Internet cable connection only allows one computer to access the Net at a time, you better make sure you have a schedule so everyone has a chance to use the it when they need it. Now, that’s easy. Remember how easy it was to make up that bathroom schedule when you had all that company last year? Same thing. Just as easy. Right.

Well, friend, all is not lost. You can easily have your network at home and everyone can access the Internet at the same time. The best part is that there are no wires to feed through walls, and it’s affordable. The solution is a wireless network connected to your Internet cable through a router using a NAT, or Network Address Translation program, and both are available from your local electronics or computer store right now.

Very simply put, a wireless network is made up of small, hi-tech radios that send signals between computers. The NAT allows several computers to access the Net at the same time, because they will look like only a single computer once the NAT is done with them; it even adds an extra layer of security to your network. Now, if you don’t have a broadband connection, but still use a dial-up, the wireless network and NAT are still a great choice for your home network.

Computers, the Internet, and the network components that ties them together, gives you connectivity in your home. Connectivity, there’s a word that means a lot. Connectivity means you have the ability to connect your computer to a system like the Internet, or other computers in a network, and send and receive information. A network, whether it’s two computers hooked up to one-another, or all the computers in the world hooked up to the Internet, is a community, a community of computers and the people who use them. There are small communities and large communities, and even the world community. And as long as you have connectivity, you can be part of that community.

There are essentially two types of networks, LANs and WANs. If you have computers in your home or office, and they can speak with each other through a network, that is a Local Area Network, a LAN, since it’s all local. The Internet, since it is worldwide, is the ultimate Wide-Area Network, a WAN. Of course, you can probably access the Internet from your home or office, and this is done through a port. Imagine a port where ships come and go. They leave the port with people and cargo, and sail to other destinations around the world; it’s the same way with an Internet port. Through it, you can travel the world.

With wireless networking, notebook and desktop computers can talk to one-another and use the same printer and other devices without having to be in the same room, so there’s no need to buy a printer or a scanner for each computer. You can even control the new “smart appliances” with your wireless network. There’s also no need to run around plugging your notebook computer into different devices, either. Now that you aren’t hooked up to wires that connect you to your home network, you have the freedom to move around the house, or even out to the yard, and still be able to access the Net and printers and anything else run by a computer. Being wireless means you can take your portable computer from your office to the kitchen. There’s no running back and forth to find recipes or keep an eye on your stocks. You have total mobility, and isn’t that why you bought a notebook computer anyway?

Apartment dwellers and renters will find wireless networks the best solution for their connectivity needs since there are no cables that need to be run between rooms. With the wireless network there is nothing that has to be installed other than a broadband cable or telephone line coming into the home for Internet access, which is probably already in place.

Since connectivity is so important to the home network, NAT, the Network Address Translation program is a vital part of any network that connects through a cable, or broadband, connection. Cable service providers typically provide one Internet Protocol (IP) address per household. Each computer that accesses the Internet has to have an IP address (These are automatically assigned each time you sign onto the Internet.), much like anyone who wants to mail a letter has to have a destination address and a return address. Since a household is generally only allowed one IP address, only one computer can be on the Net at any one time. So, if you have say, three computers, two won’t be able to use the Internet. NAT solves this problem by separating the IP addresses of the network computers as they try to access the Internet, and exchanging its own address for them. In this way, the only address the cable reads is that of the NAT, so it lets the signals pass unimpeded. When a response is sent back to those computers, the NAT recognizes the answer and sends the reply back to the computer that originated the exchange. Since the NAT exchanges its own address for that of the computers on your network, no one on the Internet knows your computers are online, unless you contact them. What this means for you is anyone trying to access your computers without your involvement cannot even find you, so NAT adds an extra layer of security to your network. Several wireless products come programmed with NAT software, so keep an eye out for it when you shop.

Now, so we don’t give you a false sense of security, running a computer behind a NAT router will not give you complete protection, though it can complement your current security measures. Malicious codes can still be downloaded through NAT, and Trojan Horse programs can still initiate connections to a hostile server. Web browsers and email operates through NAT unhindered, so any threat from Web sites and email still exists because the intended victim initiates these contacts, and opens a window to trouble if not careful. Imagine Dracula hovering outside your bedroom window…he can only enter if you invite him in. NAT’s your window; don’t open it to vampires!

Wireless networks are so simple to establish that the kids (even an adult) can have your network up and running in a matter of minutes. Wireless networking devices come in a variety of configurations that fit into one of the available slots in the back of your desktop computer or plug in just like your keyboard or mouse. Some are little electronic cards that plug in to the communications slot in your portable notebook computer or PDA. Better yet, many new computers will soon have the wireless radio already installed by the manufacturer.

As you begin shopping around for various types of in-home wireless network devices, you are bound to run into people with different opinions about data-transmittal speeds, the speed at which information, whether it be email, photos, or even movies, travels over the network. This is most often expressed in bits-per-second, bps, which, using automotive terms, is like miles-per-hour. The greater the bps, the faster information can travel over your network. That’s pretty simple. Where it gets confusing is when you hear people saying you need this many bits per second or that many bits per second to have even a basic network. Well, I’m here to tell you—that can be very misleading. Wireless networks currently transmit at a rate of 11 megabits per second, or 11Mbps. What that means is that 11 million bits of data can travel through your network every second. At that speed, an average 3”x4” photo made up of about six million bits will load onto your computer in about a second. Not bad, huh. So, at these speeds, you can play games, listen to music and do pretty much all your normal computer-type information sharing without any speed issues. For the most part, the only issue is when the file you want has more information than the system can handle quickly. Pretty much all that happens then is the file is a little slower to download, and you may not even notice the delay. About the only time an 11Mbps speed will be an issue is when you want to play video on one computer and watch it on another. However, in the very near future a system (It may already be available as you’re reading this.) containing a wireless radio called Indigo, will be producing speeds of 54Mbps, which will be able to easily handle any type file you’ll need, even video.

Some cable-network aficionados will insist that even 54Mbps isn’t fast enough for the home. (They probably also like the big, fat, ugly blue cables that run along your baseboards, too.) But one thing they don’t mention is that your Internet connection, even the fastest available, is slower than most wireless transmission speeds. Imagine you have a car that will go 100mph, and you are in rush-hour traffic going 40mph; even though the posted speed limit is 65mph. Being able to go 100mph doesn’t really mean anything under those conditions, does it? Nope. It’s the same way with data-transmittal speeds. If the Internet is slower than your computer, you will usually be fine with a speed of 11Mbps, and most certainly will at 54Mbps! So, don’t sweat the speed; wireless can take care of all your needs.

There are basically three radio units that comprise a wireless network. An access point is a stationary unit that physically connects to the network cable. This is also the unit that can be, or already is, programmed with the NAT software. The computer hooked up to your printer, scanner and other peripheral devices may be attached to this. Similar units attach to individual desktop computers, but not physically to the Internet cable, and provide a communications link with the access point. The units that are attached to notebook computers are called Wireless Network Interface Cards, or W-NICs, and they plug into the communications slot on the notebook. Another version of the card fits into PDAs, Personal Digital Assistants. You need one access point for the typical house, and one WLAN component for each computer. That’s it. No bright blue cables running between computers or along baseboards. No special installation requirements, and no computer technicians to come in and setup your network. Just follow the instructions on the packaging…and you’re on your way to a fully mobile computing environment in your very own household. These wireless-networking products can be found on the websites of most, if not all, computer and electronics dealers. Wireless home computer networking is convenient and it brings the family together; it’s easy set up and cost-effective, too. How can you afford NOT to have a wireless network if it does all this? The answer is—you can’t.