Vidding and Copyright Infringement

Many people have become semi famous from others vidding content that they uploaded or appeared in. A few semi famous people, extra ordinary personalities, that come to mind are the Double Rainbow Guy, aka Yosemitebear, Sweet Brown, and Antoine. Without â€Å"vidding† these people would not have had any fame or acknowledgement whatsoever. There is a fine line between copyright infringement and vidding. One factor that I think plays an important role in differentiating the two is if a video is modified from its original version and an artistic twist is added.Art is intellectual property, and by adding your own property to it, makes it your own. The Double Rainbow video is a great example. This video was up on the YouTube sight for quite some time before being discovered by talk show host Jimmy Kimmel who posted a tweet with the YouTube link on his Twitter account. From there the video spread like wildfire and people were interviewing the maker of the, Paul Vasquez a Yosemite Par k resident. Three days later, a well-known auto tuner made a remix video with a song out of the double rainbow video.The song was made available on ITunes and the profits are split 50/50 with Paul Vasquez, who made the original video and the remix auto tuner, known by user name schmoyoho. When the person vidding the original pays royalties or splits profits, then I think this is not copyright infringement because they are paying their dues. If a person profits from using the original version in their new formatted version, then they should have to pay the original owner a portion, it is only fair. I think this is the fine line between self-expression, freedom of speech, and copyright infringement.If you are looking to profit from the content without consent than that is unethical. However, if you are adding your own perception of a television show or video just to express your point of view then this falls under freedom of speech. With social media more popular than ever, there are millions of people copying and sharing original tweets of Facebook posts. We are absolutely unable to monitor every person’s tweets and posts. With such a broad spectrum of what falls under copyright infringement and what falls under self-expression, we as adults have to be able to use judgment based on ethical reasoning.Lawrence Kohlberg categorized different stages of moral development. People have to use their morals and ethical reasoning to draw a line under the copyright laws. You know when you are stealing someone else’s ideas. The bottom line is that credit should be given where credit is due. References: http://knowyourmeme. com/memes/double-rainbow Lawrence, A. T. & Weber, J. (2011). Business and Society: Stakeholders, Ethics, Public Policy (13th ed. ). New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. ISBN: 978-0-07-813715-0

Japan Culture Essay

Japan, officially Nippon, a country off the east coast of Asia. It consists of four large islands- Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku- and more than 3,300 smaller ones, including the Ryukyu chain (Gluck et. al, 1987). Japan lost some of its possessions as a result of World War II. These included the southern part of the island of Sakhalin, the Kurile Islands, Manchuria, Korea, and Taiwan. II. Discussions A. Culture Japanese culture is partly of Chinese origin and partly indigenous, for the Japanese adapted and did not merely imitate the culture of the mainland. Since the middle of the 19th century, Japan has been influenced more by the culture of Western countries than by that of its neighbors. Adoption of many Western ways produced sharp contrasts between the new and the old. Buildings and clothing, for example, are now seen in both traditional and Western styles. Among forces that have helped to mold the Japanese character are Buddhist, Shinto, and Confucian religious beliefs, the effects of a long feudal period, and the influences of Japanese industrial revolution. With industrialization came a change from rural to urban living. American influences have been particularly string since World War II (Hall et. al, 1987). B. The Arts Japanese arts have been strongly influenced by Chinese art. From the mainland came the technique of ink painting on silk and the Buddhist influences in sculpture and painting. A landscape school developed from Zen Buddhism after the 13th century. Japanese prints of the 17th and 18th century had a profound effect in Western art. Distinctive contributions have also been made in architecture. Traditional arts also include landscape gardening; bonsai; the cultivation of dwarf trees; ikebana, flower arranging; ceramics; and origami, paper folding (Beasley, 1987). Flourishing throughout Japan are no, classical plays in which the actors wear masks depicting their character; Bunraku, puppet plays; and kabuki, drama with stylized chanting and dancing. An important part of Japanese culture is the tea ceremony, a highly formal ritual, of which there are many variations (Morton, 1984). As a way of entertaining guests, it is regarded as the best expression of traditional etiquette. Some of the traditional arts- especially classical Japanese music and dance and the tea ceremony- are part of the repertoire of geisha, a female entertainers who perform for groups of men. C. Family and Home In Japan the family is a traditional and strong institution. It has a formal structure with authority vested in the male head of the family. The wife is expected to be subservient. Children learn discipline and their respective roles in the family at an early age. Sons are given preference over daughters, and the eldest son is superior to all others. However, many of the repressive aspects of the family, such as that of parents determining marriages, have weakened since World War II (Morton, 1984). Japanese homes are noted for their simplicity. Nearly all are built of wood. On many homes, paper- covered wooden frames, called shoji, are used for windows and doors. Being light and easily moved, they allow much of the house to be opened to the out-of- doors. Some homes are adjoined by landscaped gardens. Rooms are usually having thick straw mats, called tatami, on the floor and very little furniture. D. Language and Religion The Japanese language is unrelated to other Oriental tongues. However, it is written in characters that originally were adapted from Chinese writing. The Japanese constitution of 1946 provides freedom of religion and separation of church and state. The two major religions are Shinto and Buddhism. Many Japanese adhere, in varying degrees, to both. Confucianism, though not a religion in the Western sense, has had considerable influence on Japanese personal and social relationships. There are some 1,350,000 Christians, of whom about 30 percent are Roman Catholics and about 70 percent are Protestants (Morton, 1984). E. Food and Clothing The Japanese clothing includes the Uchikake, Kimono, Nagajugan, Yukata, Michiyuki, Hakama, Shiro-maku, Haori, and the Accessories like Obi, Shoes, Socks and the like. The Japanese foods includes the Wasabi or the Japanese Horseradish, Donburi which is a bowl of cooked rice, Yakitori or a grilled chicken, Gomaae which is a sesame dressing, Udon or thick Japanese noodles, Gyoza is like dumpling, Tempura which is a deep fry sea –food and vegetables, Korokke is made of potato, Sushi most famous dish outside Japan, Mushrooms or kinoko in Japanese, Soba a native Japanese noodle, Nikujaga composed of the meat and potatoes, Seaweed or kaiso, Ramen a noodle dish. Sashimi which is a raw seafood, Rice which is Japan’s important crop, Okonomiyaki is a combination of a pizza and a pancake; and Soya Bean with the soya sauce or shoyu (Christopher, 1983). F. Politics Japan’s form of government is Constitutional Monarchy. The emperor is the head of the state. Although it is Monarchy, still it is very limited because it is based on the Constitution. Prime minister serves as the President of the government of Japan. The Diet is their body of legislatives, where it is composed of the Representatives elected by the people. Their right of suffrage starts at 20 years old (Morton, 1984). G. Religious Beliefs There are three major religions in Japan and these are Shinto, Buddhism and Christianity. Japanese have these rituals that they are earnestly following. The kami which means a diety, is their god. The kami are of variety forms like those that lived in stobes, hills, and other parts of the environment; those that serves as a protector god; and the diety of the rice wagon (Christopher, 1983). Kami is worshipped at the fields of rice where in they also had their feasts. Shinto focus only on the kami. Buddhism also reached Japan which was then from India. Developments like the rising of commoners, zazen or the meditation, koan or the irrational riddles and the enlightenment which is the satori. The Japanese also believed in kamikaze which is the divine wind, the hara-kiri or the suicide where it is rarely practiced now in Japan, where the Japanese commits suicide whenever they fail from any business they establishes (Christopher, 1983). H. Economics Japan is one of the world’s leading industrial nations, ranking behind only the United States and the Soviet Union. During the 1960’s and early 1970’s, Japan’s gross national product or the GNP grew at the phenomenal average rate of about 11 percent a year- more than twice that of the United States (Packard, 1987). The worst postwar slump came in the mid- 1970’s, when worldwide recession brought high levels of unemployment and inflation and a sharp decline in economic growth. Most of Japan’s postwar economic growth has been due to keen corporate management, a well- educated, industrious labor force, high levels of savings and investment, intensive promotions of industrial development, and vigorous foreign trade. Government has also been a decisive factor. Its influence is powerful and widespread, though exercised mainly though informal, cooperative arrangements with business. Giant conglomerates, many of which are interlocked in manufacturing, finance, and trade, are of prime importance in the economy. Coexisting with them are many small and medium- sized firms. Government ownership of industry and business is negligible, limited mainly to transportation and communication services. There has been little foreign investment in Japan because of numerous governmental restrictions (Gluck et. al, 1987).

Changes In Concepts Of Childhood 19th Century Sociology Essay

Changes In Concepts Of Childhood 19th Century Sociology Essay Discuss how childhood has changed since the 19th century. How do concepts from this period continue to influence current attitudes to childhood? Childhood, the early years of a person’s life, between birth to about 8 years, is also considered most beautiful, most meaningful and most important part of life for a human being. The importance of childhood can be understood by observing the fact that though many scientists have different theories to define the process of human development they all agree on the importance of childhood and experiences in that time having a profound affect on an individual’s life. Many researches have been made on the process of human development and tough there are many proposed theories the actual difference between them is about how complex the relation really is between the stages and not what the stages really are. The differences are intrinsic not extrinsic. They all agree that childhood is a time when a person is moving from concrete to abstract thought. Man did learn sciences such as astrology, numerology, mathematics etc but the concept of schooling was deficient. People only knew as much as was required to trade and earn a living. A study conducted on child development concluded that in the year 1750 about 33 percent of infants and new born babies were left on doorsteps or social care homes by parents.(Malcolm Watson) Poor children were also made to work in land mines and other industries by their parents to earn a living. Efforts to eradicate child labor have been made over centuries by the responsible government bodies in different countries and social welfare organizations in the world. But it seems that despite the changing perceptions towards childhood, statistical data proves otherwise. The commencement of specific child development theories and acknowledgment of these theories only date back to some 200 years ago, in the 17th and 18th century. An acclaimed name, in this regard is of Professor Malcolm W. Watson. He researched on Human Development and formed theories that are still studied and followed. Results of his findings emphasized on six major theories by different people in different times. These theories focus on different stages man goes through from infancy to adulthood. Details of how environment and other factors affect childhood are also underscored. The theories encompass effects and behavioral changes in man and what we opine about our own selves, be it scientists, researchers or a common man. Psychodynamic theory-Sigmund Freud(Mack Lemouse from healthguidance.org): This theory says that human psychology can be broken down in to three separate parts. These are namely â€Å"the id, the ego and the superego†. Id is the childish part of our personality and its driving force is food, warmth and appreciation and the sexual drive. This side of every being is then balanced by the other two parts i.e. ego and superego. The superego is contradictory to id. It is that pa rt of human personality which enables us to control one self. Through this one acts in a socially acceptable manner. The ego is some where in the middle of these two extremes. Most of our troubles arise from balancing between the id and the superego.

All parents should attend government parenting classes Essay

All parents should attend government parenting classes - Essay Example Nevertheless, a lot of queries might be brought up as to whether it is logical for parents to be left to raise their children without any interference given that there has been an increase in vices such as substance abuse, bulling and sometimes fatal fights. For new parents and those who have trouble when it comes to raising their children, parenting classes are a potential solution to helping them. Although some fear that parenting classes increase the socio-economic gap between citizens, government parenting classes will be beneficial in; mitigating the ripple effects of poor parenting on the society, upholding children’s rights to getting quality parenting and standardizing parenting information for reliability and consistency. All parents should go to government sponsored parenting classes because they will help reduce the negative impacts that bad parenting has on the society as a whole. According to Casey and Kirby (2006), in matters regarding the bringing up of its futu re citizens, the government has a firm financial, practical and moral concern. This is the reason why most democracies that are liberalist in nature extend pricey and broad child support systems in order to assist parents in the upbringing of young individuals who will turn out to be respectful, responsible, active and upright members of the society. These support systems include; arrangements for parental leave, nursery care that is free and payments for child support. Casey and Kirby (2006) also raise the contention that preventive and proactive action brings about the best outcomes as opposed waiting to deal with the problems after they arise. The successfulness and cohesiveness of the next generations could be ensured by the implementation of mandatory parenting classes hence raising parenting standards for the benefit of current and future generations. If all parents attended government parenting classes, children’s rights to getting quality parenting will be upheld. Dow ard (2006) argues that making parenting classes mandatory would in a great way aid in the prioritization of the children’s best interests without putting a restriction on the educational choices of these parents. This is because it might not be possible to put into place supervisory or legal systems that would provide encouragement to parents to take better care of their children. While merely having an effect on parents at a minimal degree, parenting classes would certainly aid parents in determining and acquiring knowledge as to what is considered to be good for their children; this would in turn enforce the right of a child to an upbringing that is decent. Bortolotti and Cutas (2009, p.17) give the argument that dealing with bad parenting will in effect cub child social exclusion. For instance, 90% of juvenile wrongdoers have been known to have a history of behavioural issues as children. Moreover, according to LaFollette (1980, p. 24), there are some instances in which a child’s failings are clearly as a result of poor parenting. For example, a fourteen year old boy or girl with poor health, a record of crime and no educational qualifications has almost surely been failed by his/her parents. It is therefore better if these classes are made mandatory for all parents since the government has no means of determining in advance which parents will specifically struggle in raising his/her child. For the betterment of the society at large, a

Abortion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 16

Abortion - Essay Example The focus in the essay "Abortion" is on this operation that allows a woman to put an end to a human life. Abortion gives a woman the right to terminate a pregnancy if she feels that she is not in a position to give birth to a child owing to emotional, psychological, social, medical or financial reasons. There are people who say that abortion is immoral and should be made illegal because it violates the rights of a fetus (Maguire 155). These people believe that actually speaking human life does not begin at birth, but it begins right from the time when two people conceive a fetus. Hence, a fetus is as much a human as any other individual. Thereby, by the virtue of being a human, a fetus does have the right to life and aborting a fetus deprives it of the right to life (Maguire 155). So women should not be allowed to have an abortion and if possible, abortion should be made illegal. However, on a closer analysis, one finds that this line of argument is also utterly wrong and faulty. Even if one assumes that a fetus is a human and has the right to life, the rights of an unborn fetus could not be given precedence over the rights of a woman who carries that fetus. No individual can be given a right over another individual’s body. Hence, it would be logical to say that a fetus does not have the right to occupy a woman’s body and to draw sustenance from her body, against her wishes and desires. Therefore, the right to life of a fetus is subject to the will and intentions of the woman that carries that fetus.

Homeland Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Homeland Security - Essay Example While larger agencies are more likely to utilize computers for data retrieval as well as communications, the smaller agencies lag behind (p.25). Third, data sharing among agencies at all levels has become a critical component of an effective and efficient system. Again, there needs to be a focus on funding and "substantial federal assistance for technology enhancement" aimed at the smaller local agencies that may lag behind in this area (p.26). Fourth, advances in technology have made the recognition of individuals increasingly possible and important. Biometrics such as face recognition or iris scans can serve to discourage false identities and uncover deceptive practices. 2.) The ability and need to share information between the various agencies, from the federal level to the local, is a key factor in maximizing the efficiency of the system. Information sharing serves to insure that the information available is comprehensive, current, and complete. Information sharing serves a number of vital functions such as eliminating redundant processes and procedures, and identifying patterns in criminal or terrorist activity. These functions make law enforcement more efficient and the elimination of redundant activities can be a cost saving process. A key consideration for information sharing is the cost of system, which includes installation and maintenance. In addition, as with all technology based products, it may have a relatively short life span. In the past, systems such as the Wide Area Network (WAN) and Regional Information Sharing Systems (RISS) have been used with success in numerous locations (Russo and Labriola, 2003, p.31). The major drawback to t hese systems has traditionally been their reliance on large amounts of computer and networking hardware that incurred a significant cost (Russo and Labriola, 2003, p.31). Russo and Labriola (2003) suggest the use of a Virtual Private Network (VPN) as a means to emulate a Local Area Network (LAN), Intranet, or WAN at a fraction of the cost. Because the VPN utilizes the existing Internet structure, it is easy install and operate. In essence, the VPN is a highly secure Internet connection, and most facilities already have the equipment required to establish a VPN. In addition, modern encryption techniques can assure the safety of the data and can "shift many aspects of community policing from a reactive to a proactive mode" (Russo and Labriola, 2003, p.31). 3.) A community must continually evaluate the threats that they are exposed to, and constantly update their relationship to these threats. Flynt and Olin (2003) have developed a threat assessment model that can provide a cursory assessment for use by communities and organizations. The Flynt and Olin (2003) model uses a Venn diagram to illustrate whether the relevant threats are being adequately addressed. Plotting the threats, and the policy response, will reveal if all threats are being adequately addressed, as well as if threats are being addressed that do not exist (Flynt and Olin, 2003, p. 35). The model uses three colors, red, blue, and gray to indicate the threats, the self, and the environment. The threats would include known threats and threat actors. These threats need to be analyzed in regards to their "motive, means, methods, and mission" (Flynt and Olin, 2003, p.36). This will help managers develop a greater understanding of the threat and how the self will address the threat. The

Role of Examination in Education Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Role of Examination in Education - Assignment Example Whether physically, mentally, emotionally, and even in the spiritual and financial, it plays a big part on the success of the examination. As Physical education's primary goals include: the development of motor skills and physical fitness; and with the inclusion of growth in the cognitive and affective domains; social interaction and the encouragement to appreciate the successes and achievements of others. It is therefore, worthy to try to understand one's self and the pressures and forces which makes one respond or react, and be able to prepare for it. Mental preparation or the kind of mind setting is important in taking an exam. A mind that is already defeated beforehand would of course produce a negative result. Worrying on whether to pass or not tends the body to get tensed and muscles tighten. The state of being of an individual before taking an exam matters for it stabilizes one's focus and concentration, and be able to filter information needed to answer most especially essay questions. An examiner is able to organise insights and ideas needed to explain or support his propositions thus, making a desirable or excellent result. With the very nature of time that it cannot be recycled, time management is very significant to an examination result. ... Though some are wise in time management, constraints happen when less time is left to complete the answers. Reading Comprehension/Understanding instructions/Vocabulary Instructions direct the orderliness of an examiner's answers, and poorly constructed instructions would lead to failing examination result - both on the teacher's and the examiner. However, part of the instruction is the ability to understand the requirement of the question. Wherein in most cases, and as a result of the examination, uninformed candidates made little analysis or careful reading on questions and attempted to use whatever knowledge they had regardless of the question. As it is considered to be one of the common hindrances in producing good examination results, students suffering from it are the ones that fail. Reading may be a skill, but common problems during examinations, many students fail to achieve marks because of the inability to understand terminology with specific words or phrases highlighted in the question. It is often misunderstood especially those relating to work covered in the AS course. With the exception of the few, there were candidates who found it difficult to describe terms and consequently gave rather vague and rambling responses. The use of technical language, particularly in the synoptic questions, remains weak for many candidates. Using non-technical language will often result in candidates giving vague and generalised responses that normally fail to answer the question. As questions should be clear resulting to 'clear' answers, there was a fairly even spread between candidates who were able to identify particular body types and those

Define the term culturally competent organisation and elaborate what Essay

Define the term culturally competent organisation and elaborate what actions could be taken by the organisation to increase its cultural competency - Essay Example This is more relevant in service sectors, especially the health care industry. One must appreciate the uniqueness of health care industry before proceeding further. A healthcare professional needs to strike an equation with the patient before any meaningful healthcare can take place since, matching of frequency in thought, feelings and culture is essential for the patient to really start trusting a professional nurse. Unless this trust is developed and nurtured, any hope of speedy recovery can be safely forgotten. The only way such trust can take roots is through cultural compatibility. The patient must feel completely â€Å"at home† for medicines to start taking effect. (Sue, D.W. & Sue, D, 1990) A culturally competent healthcare institution accepts the difference that exists among different cultures and races and not only respects that difference but also adapts itself to serve all those who come from diverse cultures. The first step towards becoming a culturally competent healthcare organisation is to engage in deep research about different cultures and taking professional assistance from persons who are experts in the nuances of these cultures and ethnic groups. The results and findings of these researches need to be circulated in an easily intelligible format among all the healthcare professionals in the organisation so that each one of them gets the opportunity of equipping themselves to face challenges of cultural diversity. But a culturally competent organisation not only tries to adapt itself to diverse cultures of those whom they serve. They also induct such cultural diversity within their ranks by employing people from diverse cultures so that it becomes almost natural for the organisation to automatically adapt to practices prevalent in far off countries. (Cross, T.L., B.J. Bazron, K.W. Dennis, and M.R. Isaccs, 1983) Such a constructive approach towards overcoming the barrier

Gaining Confessions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Gaining Confessions - Essay Example Gaining confessions from suspects are both challenging and rewarding in terms of the investigators’ ability to extract the accurate information to make a just conviction. O’Connor & Maher (2009) indicated that there are â€Å"four major areas of concern to address to reduce future wrongful convictions incidents: false confessions, inadequate investigations, mistaken eyewitness identification, and delayed, absent, mistaken, or improper forensic analysis† (par. 5). In this regard, the essay aims to proffer issues pertaining to gaining confessions in the criminal justice system. The discourse would identify the different types of confessions; delve into the relevant aspects of interrogation, and present some recommendations to prevent or minimize the possibilities of generating false confessions. Wicremasinghe (2002) define a confession as â€Å"an admission the words of which expressly or substantially admit guilt or when they are taken together in the context inferentially admit guilt† (Wicremasinghe, 2002, par. 15). In the article written by O’Connor & Maher (2009), the authors cited Kissin (2008) as identifying three types of confessions, to wit: â€Å"(1) voluntary confessions – those in which people claim responsibility for crimes they did not commit without prompting from police; (2) compliant confessions – cases in which the suspect acquiesces in order to escape from a stressful situation, avoid punishment, or gain a promised or implied reward; and (3) internalized false confessions – those in which innocent but vulnerable suspects, exposed to highly suggestive interrogation techniques, come to not only confess but come to believe they committed the crime in question† (Kissin, 249 as cited by O’Connor & Maher, par. 22). Due to the controversial nature of confessions, per se, the authenticity of the information gathered during the confession

Microsoft Environment Analysis Essay Example for Free

Microsoft Environment Analysis Essay 1. The five vulnerabilities that exist for this LAN based workgroup are 2755801, 2501696, 2588513 2639658, 2659883. 2. Yes, the vulnerability that involves privilege elevation is 2639658 (Vulnerability in TrueType Font Parsing), but it is not a high priority. 3. 2719662 Solution: Workarounds refer to a setting or configuration change that does not correct the underlying issue but would help block known attack vectors before a security update is available. Apply the Microsoft Fix it solution that blocks the attack vector for this vulnerability. Disable Sidebar in Group Policy. Disable the Sidebar in the system registry. 2737111 Solution: Workarounds refer to a setting or configuration change that does not correct the underlying issue but would help block known attack vectors before a security update is available. Disable WebReady document view for Exchange. 2755801 Solution: Workaround refers to a setting or configuration change that would help block known attack vectors before you apply the update. Prevent Adobe Flash Player from running. Prevent Adobe Flash Player from running on Internet Explorer 10 through Group Policy on Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012. Prevent Adobe Flash Player from running in Office 2010 on Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012. Prevent ActiveX controls from running in Office 2007 and Office 2010. Set Internet and Local intranet security zone settings to High to block ActiveX Controls and Active Scripting in these zones. Configure Internet Explorer to prompt before running Active Scripting or to disable Active Scripting in the Internet and Local intranet security zone.

Consumer Segment Analysis of Mobile Phone Market

Consumer Segment Analysis of Mobile Phone Market Anthony Nolan Size of current Market According to the Commission for Communications Regulation (COMREG) (Q4, 2015), household broadband penetration rate for both fixed and mobile services was at 83% which is higher than the EU average by 3%. Mobile device minutes in communications stood at a massive 73.8% of the market, leaving on 26.2% for fixed line communications. Mobile minutes showed an increase of 1.4% from the previous quarter. There was an annual increase of 56.6% of mobile users actively using the 4G standard on the same period in 2014. Subscriptions to mobile networks increased by 0.36% on the previous quarter however broadband subscriptions saw a decrease of 4.5% on quarter three. This is probably due to many providers now bundling a broadband allowance in with subscription offers. Finally in the last quarter of 2015, average revenue per user was on a downward trend compared to the same quarter in 2014. Mobile users spent an average of  £24.62 per month in the final quarter compared to  £25.00 per month a year previously. Again, this is believed to be a result of package bundling affecting revenue intake according to ComReg (2015) Structure and Nature of the Current Market The four main mobile phone operators in Ireland are Vodafone, O2 (owned by the 3 network), Meteor and the 3 network stand-alone operator (separate from O2) (ComReg 2015). The five smaller providers available are PostPhone (An Post), Tesco Mobile, Dixons/Carphone Warehouse ID Mobile, LycaMobile Ireland and Blueface Mobile. All four (Vodafone, O2, Meteor and 3 Network) of the main providers purport to supply the following to consumers according to ComReg (2015): Prepay and post-pay services to both personal and business customer segments. Voice, SMS and data services to a stated 99% of the public, meaning they claim to have the whole of Ireland and outlying islands covered with their network signal. Each of the four main networks supply second generation (2G), third generation (3G) and fourth generation (4G) technology to their users. All five of the smaller mobile providers in Ireland (PostPhone, Tesco Mobile, Dixons/Carphone Warehouse ID Mobile, LycaMobile Ireland and Blueface Mobile) do not have their own infrastructure networks. Instead they utilise the current main network providers and rent a mobile virtual network operation (MVNO) which gives them the ability to offer their own branded retail service to consumers. Tesco Mobile Ireland has entered into an MVNO commercial arrangement with O2 (Hutchison 3 Ireland) to allow its traffic to be carried on the O2 network. Tesco Mobile Ireland is available to personal customers only. (ComReg 2015) An Post PostPhone has entered into an MVNO commercial arrangement with Vodafone to allow its traffic to be carried. Unlike other providers PostPhone does not have a unique prefix and instead effectively resells minutes carried from Vodafone and then differentiates (Re Brands) those minutes at the retail level. PostPhone is available to personal customers only. (ComReg 2015) Like Tesco Mobile Ireland, LycaMobile has an arrangement with O2 Ireland. LycaMobile offers by the minute rates and bundle packages for subscribers. They do not offer traditional pre-pay or bill pay options. (ComReg 2015) Blueface Mobile has entered into an MVNE (Mobile Virtual Network Enabler) with X-Mobility Limited, which is a sub-division of Hutchison 3 Ireland. Blueface sells both prepay and post-pay subscriptions to Business Only consumers. Like PostPhone, Blueface is reselling 3 Network minutes under its own brand. (ComReg 2015) Dixons/Carphone Warehouse ID Mobile is an MVNO of Hutchison 3 Ireland. ID offers a pay-monthly option which comes with a handset (Billpay) over a fixed term and also offers a sim-only thirty day rolling subscription. (Siliconrepublic, 2015) Expected Technological Trends for the next Decade (2016-2025) Looking to the future, there are some expected and some predicted advances that will be made. The list is not endless and some of the most useful advances are listed here: Cloud Storage: Right now cloud storage is available but Chris Nickson of atechnologysociety.co.uk predicts that ALL mobile phone storage in the future will be off-device. Everything from storing photographs and video to uploading video and audio from ones computer will go to the cloud. A potential fall off of people buying peripherals like SD Cards. Smaller hard drives on phones More space within the phone case leading to potentially smaller devices Software (Apps) installed and stored on the cloud Greater phone security through central servers (Cloud) Contacts stored on the cloud Access anywhere in the world Possible cost issues for finance required to upgrade cloud servers and security Cost savings on handset manufacture as a result of less hardware required within the handset. (Nickson, C. 2013) Solar powered handsets: In developing countries, solar power could conceivably actually charge the handset with the use of just a small solar panel. (Nick T, 2015) Augmented Reality (AR) One will be able to open the camera app and point it anywhere in the street to be shown a list of businesses and establishments on-screen overlaid on the display. (Poe, M. 2015) Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED) technology. Wafer thin screens that can be folded and which can show different output media on either side. One could show a video to a friend on the back of the phone while inputting data on the front. Due to physical flexibility, this technology could also be worn as a wristwatch and taken off, and unfolded to become a mobile device. (Poe, M. 2015) In-Built Projector Mobile phones that can project images and/or video directly onto a wall or screen (Poe, M. 2015) 3D Screens and Holograms Making an image or video projection appear to be separate from the device actually emitting it. (Poe, M. 2015) 5G and beyond. Using less bandwidth than 4G Using less power than 4G Enabling a broader spectrum of frequency for connection Faster connection speeds to Internet (Gregory, M.A., 2015) Kinetic Thermal Power Using bodily movement and heat to recharge mobile devices (Levars, N. 2016) Discarded Mobile Phone Technology a problem: Developing countries like those in Africa are currently a dumping ground for the Worlds discarded mobile detritus. As we progress in the first world, these dumps will get larger and larger. A solution may be needed in the more distant future (Nickson, C. 2013) Demographic and Psychographic Description of the Younger Sub-Segment of the Consumer Market Currently, smartphone ownership is biased towards the younger age groups but with the increasing penetration in the market, this could very well change in the near future. (Red C, 2012) That survey by RED C was taken in 2012 and what was true then is doubly true today in 2016. Back in 2012 some 32% of Irish people owned a smart phone (Red C, 2012). Today that number has increased to 96% and that is just in one segment, the 15 to 35 year old bracket. (Thinkhouse Mobile, 2015) SO, what do people in the 18 to 25 year old segment use their smartphone for? According to the latest survey from Thinkhouse (2015), the Youth Communications Agency, the following statistics ring true: In 2015, the following uses were made of mobile phones from 18 to 25 year olds: Type of Mobile Phone Subscription: 56% of 18-25 Year Olds opted for Bill Pay subscriptions. 44% of 18-25 Year Olds opted for the Pay As You Go option General Use: 66% used for email 23% used on traditional SMS messaging (*Down from a peak of 66% in late 2011) 59% used for YouTube 30% used for online television from paid subscription sites such as Netflix or Love Film. Social Media Use: 92% of mobile phone users in the 18-25 year old demographic used their phones for Facebook 36% used for Twitter Commercial Use: 4% of people in this segment pay for online purchases on their mobile. The other 83% opted to pay on their computer. 13% did not conduct online purchases. 78% of people compared the price of products online before proceeding to buy the product in-store Content: 63% of this demographic prefer non-gaming apps. They prefer apps that serve a purpose for them. 37% of this demographic prefer to have fun while using apps, either playing games or watching entertainment (All data supplied by Thinkhouse Mobile Youth Survey 2015.pdf, except *, by ComReg, 2015) It is also stated in this review by Thinkhouse media that the primary use of a mobile phone for this segment is to send text messages. However this is contradictory to the research submitted by ComReg (above). ComReg state that SMS sending is down some 43% from 2011. The difference can be explained by the arrival of apps that send messages for free such as Facebook Messenger and Viber, among many others. (Inner-Active, 2011) Market Research Suggestion for the Next Five Years Tel-Eir should look to glean as much information as possible before deciding on phone tariffs, prices, bundles and pay as you go or bill pay options. As this company is starting out the first thing that needs to be known is, primarily what the publics appetite is for a new provider and secondarily what the public want from a new phone network provider. Whether Tel-Eir can deliver upon the publics desires will be a case of understanding the research results. Initial Research Method Having thought about the best types of research and studied many methods, it has been decided to advise Tel-Eir to carry out Personal Interviewing (Kotler et al, 2012) initially in order to get an understanding of what the public: Like about the currently available providers Dont like about the currently available providers Like to do on their handsets Are not bothered with doing on their handsets Think about the hardware and limitations of their handsets Would desire if they had the chance to choose option plans for a provider Think about the costs involved with owning a mobile phone Feel is the main reason for owning a mobile phone Would need to switch to a different network This information is required so that Tel-Eirs marketing staff can use the information on Buyer Decision Making processes to form an educated opinion of what angle to enter the market at. According to Donald S. Tull and Del I. Hawkins in their book, Marketing Research: Measurement and Method (1993), Personal Interviewing, while being expensive is the best way to glean a lot of information quickly. They state that Personal Interviewing: Is Excellent for Flexibility Is Excellent for Quantity of data received Good for control of sample Good for speed of data collection Good for response rate More expensive than other methods of collecting information By sending personal interviewers out into the busy thoroughfares of the five main Cities in Ireland, it is expected that a lot of accurate opinions can be acquired and from that information Tel-Eir will be better placed to formulate a strategy for market entry. Ongoing Research Going forward, it is believed that Tel-Eir should continuously keep an eye on both competitors movements and new offers in the market and also on the changing demographic that are purchasing its product. It is advised that every year, Tel-Eir should partake in: Sales Forecasting, to know what the future holds for people continuing to purchase new handsets and plans Ongoing Segmentation Research, to determine the demographic, psychographic, cultural, and behavioural characteristics of potential buyers. (Wikipedia, 2016) Brand Equity, in order to get a feel for what the public think of our brand Customer Satisfaction, in order to understand our current users feelings about our product Demand Estimation, so that Tel-Eir can plan ahead and possibly tweak the offers and bundles being made to the public Main Product Offering Having already completed some market research on current mobile phone network operators it is felt that Tel-Eir should not use a Mobile Virtual Network Operation (MVNO) in which Tel-Eir piggybacks upon a network that is currently owned by a larger company like Vodafone for example. Purchasing statistics for such network providers is not good and it is felt that only by gaining its own licence can Tel-Eir truly become competitive in the market. (Irish Independent, March 2016) According to research, Tel-Eirs targeting of the youth segment (18-25 Year olds) should include the following attributes: Both Bill Pay and Pay as you Go should be offered High End and Low End handsets should be offered Free Internet minutes should be a major section of any bundles offered Traditional Text Messaging (SMS) is not as important as it once was and should not be paramount to offers. 1. Offering Both Bill Pay and Pay as you Go Bundles This should take the form of long term Bill Pay contracts with an offer of a free handset (slightly outdated) or a cheaper handset (a little more recent) or an expensive handset (latest on the market). It is also advisable that the price of the handset while signing up for a long term bill pay contract should be connected to the monthly contract price. As an example, if one wants a handset from the latest range but with a cheap monthly contract, then one pays more initially for the handset. However, if one wants an expensive phone with an expensive monthly contract, then the phone could be offered free of charge, depending upon the length of contract signed up to. It is advised that for the latter, a two year contract be set as the minimum. In this way the cost of the handset can be recovered over the duration of the contract. It is advised that Tel-Eir offer a month by month rolling contract. This new style of attracting customers has proven popular amongst the low waged and unwaged. Tel-Eir should offer an internet allowance and perhaps a text message (SMS) allowance with this. As SMS is decreasing in popularity, offering unlimited SMS messages will appear to be a good offer but in reality will not be used as much as it may have been previously. Tel-Eir, in order to be competitive should offer Pay As You go top up options in the following amounts:  £5 top ups for the unwaged and those in education  £10 top ups for the unwaged and low waged but slightly better off, such as single parents on social welfare, those in college receiving a grant, and those who are on schemes and low paid jobs who may not be able to afford larger top ups.  £15 top ups for convenience and as a bridge between the low waged and unwaged segment and those in gainful employment  £20 top ups with added data and SMS allowances for those that use this option.  £25 and  £50 top ups for the business customer who is too busy to top up very often and does not like to use bill pay. This is expected to be rare, but having it available will be a new option for the public. All of the above tariffs are guides only. It is of course understood that an unwaged person will on occasion top up by  £50 and that a business user will on occasion top up by  £5 or  £10. The points made are specifically aimed at those segments that will predominantly spend in the stated behaviours. It should be allowed that all top ups and bill pay options can be paid by Credit/Debit Card and that a facility exists for both online payment and direct debit. (All above information gained from ComReg, 2015) 2. Handset Choice The variety of handset offered is paramount in importance for the sale of Tel-Eirs network product. The profit is in the sale of the different tariffs and bundles. However that sale will not happen unless Tel-Eir sells the hardware that the public have come to expect and associate with popular and successful network brands. Therefore, it is advised that Tel-Eir sell all of the latest handsets from all of the most popular manufacturers. It is also advised that Tel-Eir try to get exclusive rights to an upcoming handset from a major supplier. Even short term exclusivity would be beneficial. 3. Free Internet Minutes From research already collated, it is clear that connection to the Internet is of paramount importance to the public. There are so many things that a mobile phone user can do from being connected to the Internet. This is also paramount in lessening the use of the network throughput from SMS messages. Using the Internet will allow people to send instant messages using apps through third party servers, lessening the load on Tel-Eirs hardware. Having a good Internet allowance package available to them, will give the public the freedom to use their phones as they have been used to with the current major brands on the market. Tel-Eir should look to compete very favourably in this area. (The Atlantic, 2014) Lessening Importance of SMS Messages As users turn to third party apps for sending instant messages over the Internet, they are turning away from the traditional paid for SMS messages. It appears as though this trend will continue into the future. As a result of this, Tel-Eir should offer generous SMS bundles with offers secure in the knowledge that these will sell a product to a potential subscriber but once sold, will not be used very much at all. It is all about the offer appearing to be good value for money. Positioning and Promotion Positioning is not what your company physically does to a product-it is what your company does to a target customers mind (marsdd.com, 2015). The above statement is the most important thing to keep in mind when presenting Tel-Eirs new product to the market. The fundamentals of positioning the product effectively in the market must be adhered to. These fundamentals are: A customer decides to buy a product based upon the positioning of that product All customers have an idea of what the market presents, by using a mental map Positioning is not something that exists in the product but in the mind of the customer Once a customers mind is made up about product positioning, it is not easily changed Positionings first task is to present the relevance of a product. If one makes the product easier to purchase, then the product will be easier to sell. (marsdd.com, 2015) With the above tenets in mind therefore, Tel-Eir should pay particular attention to the following: Why does this product solve the consumers problems? What product offering will appeal the most to the consumer? What do consumers want the most from this type of product? What do consumers not want from this type of product? (brainmates.com) From the above presented problems one must come to the conclusion that Communication is the key to positioning and promoting a product. How does a company get from positioning to communication? See Fig 1.1 (next page) Therefore using the image in Fig 1.1 the company must decide upon its best avenue for answering these questions. Fig 1.1 (marsdd.com) Known Variables It has been decided that Tel-Eir will target the 18-25 year old market segment initially. Questions and Answers What will be the compelling reason for Tel-Eirs customers to buy? From market research the compelling reason will be based upon a sound Internet usage (data allowance) strategy. This is will enable the youth market consumers to use our product exactly the way that the evidence points to them wanting to use it. What will be Tel-Eirs initial product placement strategy in order to get the product into the minds of the target segment? Firstly, Tel-Eir will come up with an excellent slogan and product package. The packaging will be of paramount importance. The logo of the brand and the words used are no less important. The statement used in promoting the product should include the primary appeal of the package offering. Taking into account the age group of the target segment, Tel-Eir will promote the product through the following channels: Creation of an interactive website Brochures in existing technology shops and phone shops that sell all network carriers Potential customer email campaigns Social Media advertisement campaign Star Actor television advertisement Billboard advertising for viewing by this segment as they travel in day to day pursuits Attempt to get product used in a broadcast venture such as a soap opera or a feature film Give away a limited amount of the product to various organisations such as Written and Broadcast media for use in competitions and to colleges and schools again as possible competition prizes Attend trade fairs and extol the virtues of the product Attend third level college events and provide brand stretching items such as key fobs and perhaps some academic motivators such as rulers, paper, calculators and the like. Perhaps also give away tee shirts at such events. Also include product literature. What will the products key benefit be as promoted to the customer? A key benefit will be a ground breaking offer on Internet data allowance. Tel-Eir will offer all customers an never before seen amount of data for all users regardless of top up amount or bill pay tariff. Naturally the amount will be incrementally more the more a consumer spends. However even at the lowest spend, consumers should see an unequalled (in the market) amount of data being supplied. A key benefit will be the offering of free text (SMS) bundles. The higher a consumer pays the more free SMS messages they receive up to a maximum of completely free SMS messages. A key benefit will be Tel-Eirs competitive offers of new and recent handsets at either free or very low priced amounts. Tel-Eir will also offer an insurance incentive for handsets sold Tel-Eir will also allow all consumers to top up or pay bills online, at various pay points, by direct debit or over the phone using customer service What competitor will be closest to Tel-Eirs offering in the market? Both Vodafone and Meteor will resemble Tel-Eirs offering however it is believed that Tel-Eir will be able to supply an even better product offering that both of those competitors. What is the key difference between Tel-Eirs offering and the chief competitors? The intended key differences will be: Tel-Eir will offer more data allowance for similar prices Tel-Eir will offer free SMS (varying) amounts at ALL top up or bill pay levels Tel-Eir will offer handsets at lower prices than the competition. Positioning Statement Finally, Tel-Eir will pay particular attention to its selling statement for consumers. The statement will include the most important variables: It will clearly and effectively identify the target segment It will make the product offering effective, convincing, compelling and will be backed up by credible evidence It will reflect the target segments needs and locale It will be explainable in a very few words The positioning statement will take the format of: For (target segment or customer) who (a compelling reason to buy) our product is a (products placement) that provides (key benefit that directly addresses the compelling reason to buy), unlike (primary competitor of the same benefit) our product (key difference). (marsdd.com) Bibliography Book References Principles of Marketing, Kotler And Armstrong (2012), Pearson Prentice Hall, P110. Marketing Research: Measurement and Method, 7th edition, Donald S. Tull and Del I. Hawkins, (New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1993) Marketing Plans (6th edition), McDonald, Malcolm (2007), Oxford, England: Butterworth-Heinemann Marketing Research: A Decision-Making Approach, Malhotra, Naresha K. (2002), Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall Publication References Irish Independent Newspaper, 1st July 2014 edition, Business Technology Section, Independent News and Media 2014 Online References http://www.comreg.ie/_fileupload/publications/PR10032016.pdf http://www.comreg.ie/_fileupload/publications/ComReg1246.pdf. P22 et al https://www.siliconrepublic.com/comms/2015/07/02/id-is-irelands-latest-mobile-operator-and-its-out-soon. P17 18 http://www.atechnologysociety.co.uk/cloud-computing-future.html. (Chris Nickson 2013) http://www.phonearena.com/news/Did-you-know-that-Samsung-launched-the-first-solar-powered-cell-phone_id67493 (Nick T, 2015) http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/future-smartphone-features/. (M.Poe 2015) http://phys.org/news/2015-04-5g-wireless-technology.html. (Mark A. Gregory, 2015) http://www.gizmag.com/energy-harvesting-shoes/41796/. (Nick Levars, 2016) http://inner-active.com/2011/08/10/5-reasons-the-new-facebook-messenger-app-will-kill-sms-and-5-reasons-it-wont/ (Hillel Fuld 2011) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marketing_research http://www.comreg.ie/_fileupload/publications/ComReg1617a.pdf http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2014/01/why-texting-is-dying-out/441507/ https://www.brainmates.com.au/how-to/%E2%80%9Chow-to%E2%80%A6-%E2%80%9D-position-a-product https://www.marsdd.com/mars-library/positioning-creating-an-image-of-your-product-inyour-target-customers-mind/