Debenhams Company Integrated Marketing Communications

Introduction Integrated marketing communications (IMC) is an approach that incorporates all the marketing communication strategies and launches them at the desired target audience. This approach allows the maximum impact on the target audience as all the marketing mix is strategically employed for the marketing campaign.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Debenhams Company Integrated Marketing Communications specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Although IMC has become a popular jargon among practitioners, its applicability is low among companies, even though, they technically are using IMC. This is because most companies end up utilizing one or two of the marketing mix and omitting the rest in launching their marketing strategy. This paper is a case study of the IMC employed by Debenhams in the UK. The paper takes a portfolio approach in understanding the degree of adoption of IMC by the company. This paper will first p rovide a brief background of the company. Then the paper provides an understanding of the marketing strategy employed by the company through portfolio approach. Company Background Debenhams is a leading retailer in the UK. Established in 1778 by William Clark it was listed on the London Stock Exchange on 2003 (Debenhams, 2011). The company has 147 across the UK and Ireland and has an e-commerce section that operates a completely transactional website (Debenhams, 2011). The company operates in the mid-market retail segment of the country. The retailer sells a total of 21 brands in its stores. In 2010 the company enjoyed a turnover of  £2119.90 million that has been constantly increasing through 2007 (Hemscott, 2011). The company mainly sells apparel for men, women, and children, cosmetics, and house wares. 70 percent of the overall sales of the company are accounted by the in-house brands such as Debut, Maine New England, and Red Herring (Yahoo Finance, 2011). Apart from the third party brands, Debenhams sells label brands, Designers at Debenhams. The company has embarked on a multi-channel business that allows it to consolidate its in-store and online selling strategy. The company manages its sales through three channels – company stores, franchising, and online stores. In order to expand its global presence, Debenhams entered into franchising with various international partners.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More According to the annual report of 2010, the company’s newly adopted multi-channel strategy helped in increase of sales by 88.4% (Debenhams, 2010). Apart from this the company has undertaken an aggressive expansion plan through acquisition of departmental stores in Denmark and expansion of retail space. Further, the company has launched newly owned brands and extended the Designers portfolio. From the annual report it is clear tha t Debenhams is less competitive in casual wear market, while it is a much larger market than formal wear. Therefore the company intends to expand in this market category. Further in shoe market, Debenhams lags behind in women’s shoes sale than competitors. Therefore, the company aims to exploit the opportunities available in this market. Given this background of the company, the paper will now demonstrate the integrated marketing strategy of the company through portfolio approach. Integrated Marketing Communication Integrated marketing approach aims to unify all the communication strategies of marketing and handle them in a unified manner. Traditionally, these communication strategies operated separately, with no interconnection between each other. However, recent marketing trend has shown that with integration of the marketing strategies results in better performance. Debenhams follows an integrated marketing strategy that takes into account all the different channels of mar keting. This section will first provide a detailed understanding of the communication schemes undertaken by the company using portfolio approach and then provide a detailed understanding of the company’s multi-channel model. For the portfolio analysis of the marketing communications of Debenhams, the marketing communication strategies that are considered are advertising, sales promotion, events, public relations, and direct marketing. Table 1 will provide the different campaigns that were undertaken by the company under these strategies. Table 1: Integrated marketing Communication PortfolioAdvertising We will write a custom essay sample on Debenhams Company Integrated Marketing Communications specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Communication Portfolio Campaign Portfolio Advertising Sales Promotion Events Public Relations Personal Selling Direct Marketing TV advertisements Retail stores Special Events Social media Sho pping experience to customers E-mail marketing Print advertisements Online store Competition Reporting – Financial and Social Audit Social media presence Online advertisements Loyalty Scheme Pop-up stores CSR activities Mobile advertisement campaign Seasonal Sales Sponsorships Online sales promotions In 2008 the company had spent  £1.7 million on promotional activities (Debenhams, 2010). The company adopted a multi-channel marketing strategy that is described in the company Annual Report as the process of producing â€Å"clear and consistent messaging across our stores and all customer communications† (Debenhams, 2010). Following this strategy, the company has adopted various strategies to integrate all of their communication channels. Figure 1: Multi-channel strategy (Debenhams, 2010) Advertisement The company has undertaken advertisement campaigns through all available media channels like television, print (i.e. newspaper and magazine), onlin e, and mobile advertisements. The multi-channel strategy of Debenhams demonstrates in figure 1. The company aimed to integrate the sales and promotional activities in its stores, websites, kiosks, international franchise stores, mobile campaigns, and promotional videos. In 2011, the company launched its latest Mother’s Day campaign on television (Debenhams, 2011). It also launched its campaign for targeting all possible customer groups of various shapes and sizes in an advertisement campaign that featured disabled, petite, tall, and black models (Debenhams, 2010). Debenhams also launched a print campaign targeting older customers (Debenhams, 2010). In 2010, the company launched its new iPhone application to launch its first effort into mobile marketing as shown in figure 2 (Debenhams, 2010). Apart from this, the company undertakes e-mail marketing directly to the customers. The company has enhanced its presence in Facebook and Twitter in order to increase their online presenc e. Figure 2: Mobile application (Debenhams, 2010)Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Other advertisements are done through sponsorships of TV shows like Neighbours in Channel Five and Sex and the City 2 (Debenhams, 2011). Other than this Debenhams actively participates in fundraising functions and social issues campaigns like Breast Cancer Campaign. The company also sponsors fashion events. Sales Promotion Sales promotion is a vital aspect for retailers. On the spot promotions in retail shops increases sales largely. Debenhams have integrated the sales campaigns for the online stores and retail shops. This can be seen through the campaign pictures presented in figure 3. Other store events that are provide Apart from this, the company provide customer loyalty schemes in form of Plus Card. Debenhams also started beginning of season sale that is unusual practice in retail as sale is usually given on end-of season or during festivities like Christmas. This start-of-season-sale campaign of the company was done through all media channels as like TV and print advertisemen ts and online in the company website and Facebook. Figure 3: Sales Campaign (Online campaign on left and in store sales campaign on right) (Debenhams, 2011) Events The company undertakes various events to support its marketing campaign. Debenhams presently undertakes three events – Half the Price sale in all of its stores in the UK and online, Edition pop-Up Store, and Free Coffee with Foursquare (Debenhams, 2011). The first is a sales promoting event that allows customers purchase products at half the price. The company held this event on both its physical and online stores. Pop-up stores are boutique like stores that are opened by the company as a promotional event to sell its designer brands. These are stand-alone stores with a small boutique feel and sell high fashion products at low prices. Other events held by the company are competition for its customers. One such competition currently held by Debenhams is â€Å"April Review†. This competition asks customers to provide a review of any product. The company chooses a winner every day and gets a gift card of  £25. In order to promotion Debenhams’s travel insurance, the company offered a prize of a trip to Berlin for those who bought travel insurance before 31st March (Debenhams, 2011). Further, in another attempt to increase its customer information and database, the company asks customers to sign in for company newsletters and win a television set (Debenhams, 2011). Such events not only increases sales, but also increase customer engagement and customer database. Other events are staged on specific occasions like Christmas Spectacular Competition, Valentine’s Day Competition, or competition during Easter (Debenhams, 2011). Public Relations Debenhams has increased its presence in social media websites like Facebook and Twitter in order to maintain its public image through social websites. Further, the company has been providing financial disclosure and governance disclosure s ince 2003. The company provides information and pledges to maintain an ethical supply chain, maintain environmental safety standards, and responsively act toward its workforce and community. The company also provides corporate social relations (CSR) report to demonstrate the social endeavours of the company. In order to maintain its public image Debenhams donates in fundraisers and participates in social awareness events (Debenhams, 2011). Personal Selling In all retail companies personal selling is important as salespeople become a company customer interface. Therefore, it is important for Debenhams to maintain a personal selling standard. However, this personal selling is experience is becoming less important with increase in online sale. Recognizing this, Debenhams has launched Debenhams Direct that allows customers to purchase products online from select UK department stores (Debenhams, 2011). This definitely enhances customer experience and convenience. Direct Marketing The dir ect marketing strategy of the company is through its online marketing strategy like e-mail marketing and online store www.debehams.com. The customers get direct purchasing opportunity and comes across marketing promotions online and can buy products from department stores online using Debenhams Direct. Further, the company’s email marketing allows it to directly reach to the customer. Further, the customer management program of the company gathers information regarding customers in a database allows direct marketing to the customer possible. Conclusion Debenhams has integrated its marketing channels through multi-channel marketing strategy employed by the company. This strategy has reaped financial success to the company (Debenhams, 2010). The online store of Debenhams gained sales by 88.4 percent in 2010 indicating the great success of the integrating program (Debenhams, 2010). In 2010, Debenhams.com has become the company’s largest store and they have made an online presence (Debenhams, 2010). Without an integrated marketing strategy that could combine the online and in-store marketing communication and deliver it simultaneously, this would not have been possible. Therefore, the integrated marketing strategy has been employed by Debenhams and it has enhanced its performance. References Debenhams, 2010. Annual Report. Web. Debenhams, 2011. Debenhams. Web. Hemscott, 2011. Debenhams PLC (LSE:DEB). Web. Yahoo Finance, 2011. Industry Centre – Department Stores. Web. This essay on Debenhams Company Integrated Marketing Communications was written and submitted by user Rylie A. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

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Pros and cons of Information technology Introduction: To get an answer to this question we need to formerly understand the pros and cons of information technology. The article published by Nicolas Carr â€Å"IT doesnt matter† does raise a couple of eyebrows, especially of those belonging to the IT sector. But I have had to really understand what his view point is in order to get an answer to this mind boggling question does IT matter? Despite my attempts to understand why according to him IT doesnt matter I can only jump to one conclusion i.e. computers, data storage facilities, data processing facilities, etc are easily available to all. Mr. Carrs point of view is that businesses across the globe are resorting to IT to give them a better edge over one another and thereby spend trillions of dollars over technology that is easily available to all. So there is hardly an â€Å"advantage† that companies have over one another. 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There are intelligence tools like business intelligence reporting tools that help not only to store and retrieve data ( that account for huge memory spaces that would be nearly impossible to keep track of using the age old technique of accounting manually) but also analyze data and generate reports thereby reducing the load of understanding and analyzing data to make strategic decisions (www.smallbusinessbible.com).Many companies have merged with IT companies to form a secured data system which would not only protect their data system but also enhances their capability to meet the customer needs. Today businesses race not to come up with intellectual schemes to achieve success but to do so before any body else does. Time is of the essence and that is where IT enters. IT has become a day to day necessity in our life. It has brought a major impact in business and society. It has driven a rising economy to a developed economy. In todays day to day activities personal computers, mobile phones, emails, fax machines and internet has not only become our support system but has also become an integral part of our life (www.smallbussinessbible.com). IT is present everywhere but its important aspects should be harnessed evenly and properly so that it is used to its core. They are present everywhere and become an indispensable commodity of any industry. It plays a key factor in evaluating many of the new technologies assisting new infrastructural projects. IT has not only brought the world closer together, but has permitted the worlds economy to boom. It means that we can share information at high speeds and at high efficient rate, without any linguistic and geographic barriers. All the information can now be shared in a well organized and resourceful manne r interesting jobs. IT plays a very important role in foreign exchange. It acts as a customer relationship manager who tries to solve the problems. FOREX capital markets have arisen due to the presence of IT industry. As the company boasts from 1999 till date it has 15000 clients in over 80 countries and has an average trading volume that exceeds $15billion (OBrien and James, (1936)). Due to continuous efforts and development in the IT field, the companies could easily handle their customers and also the various salespeople who work hard for the company. It tries to manage various aspects of the company even though the company is located in different countries, having linguistic barrier. IT has increased the probability of developing new and innovative jobs. The world has progressed into a global village with the help of information technology which has allowed countries like India and Russia who are separated by time, distance, language and geographic boundaries to disclose ideas, facts and data with each other. Information Technology has helped to communicate at cheaper, faster, and more efficient rate. With the help of video conferencing work can now be completed at home without any wastage of time and money. Text messages have added extra wings to communication which facilitates quick responses. Video conferencing has added a midas touch to the world of communication which by opening up the face to face direct communication facility all round the world (www.smallbusinessbible.com). Information Technology has provided immense help to condense the cultural gap among people belonging to different to communicate with one another thus allowing exchange of thoughts and opinions which results increased awareness and reduced prejudice. Due to computerization, businesses have become lucrative money-spinning machines thus increasing the productivity which results into increase in profits (www.smallbusinessbible.com). This results in increased profitability, productivity, and overall development. This in turn results in pay, enhanced and much better working conditions. It is be because of Information Technology that business are now open 24 x7 all round the world. This means that a business can be open anytime anywhere, making purchases from different countries easier and more convenient. It also means that you can have your goods delivered right to your doorstep with only a click of a button. Amazon and eBay have established themselves as hubs of commerce when it comes to consumer online shopping. They are development activity where openness breeds innovation and innovation generates sales. Its chief technology officer Al Vermeulen says that they think web services feeds directly into making that flywheel spin. It has not only served different purposes of different fields of business but has increased the capability of the companies to be more productive and profitable in terms of market values. They have changed the market rules (OBrien and James (1936)). The best advantage of information technology is the formulation and development of new and interesting jobs. Huge development has been brought in diagnosing disease and damage to the body with the help of body scanners which use software to process the information produced to assist us with maps of body. Experienced doctors train their junior doctors with the aid of new IT technologies. Computers help surgeons to operate effectively and swiftly. Siemens Healthcare provides with efficient and integrated solutions for support processes, from building automation and security to data centres and communication. They are the specialist in the state of the art imaging, laboratory diagnostics and IT solution for an earlier prevention and more specific diagnosis thus enhancing patient care. It ensures security and access control (www.med.usa.siemens). Moreover IT plays a very important role in overall development of an economy. IT can change an undulated economy into improved one. According to me IT is not the standard package which has answers to every question you ask. Right amount of planning and forecast is key to success for IT applications. IT has given world the best of its results but it again depends on how you apply to a problem. So in case of IT we have to be double cautions and this is very well explained by Hilton Hotels. Hilton hotel via Texas based Hilton reservation worldwide have developed fastest reservation system. Hilton hotels have more than 2400 hotels located in 65 countries and Hilton worldwide reservation (HRW) handles around 31 million call and generate more than 9 million reservation annually. And the amazing fact about this system is despite of this incredible volume the average reservation time in just two minutes. Information Technology has given this level of efficiency and customer service. How this amazing system works, well when there is a call to HRW through dialled number identification services it is identified that customer is call ing. Immediately call is then transferred to reservation specialist who uses Hilton hotel room availability information. The information regarding the availability of room is displayed on the specialists desktop as the call is transferred. Then if customer is demanding some other place the specialist can click online screen button to start a search. Within seconds specialist can scan through entire database of Hilton property. Further innovative application is automated reservation system. In this there is interactive voice response system. Once the agent is finished with the reservation then call is transferred to IVR. In interactive voice response system customer hear back and confirms his reservation. Due to this outstanding customer service system Hilton hotel are among the top guns in the market (OBrien and James,(1936)). 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Different software packages rely on different formulae and theories as the basis for these calculations. Popular storm drainage simulation models include for example the Rational Method, ILLUDAS, SWMM and HYMO all of which have their own proponents and associated academic debates (www.wikipedia.com). Examples of how companies have used Information technology to develop competitive strategies. Strategy company Strategic use of IT Business Benefits. Cost Leadership Dell Computers Online Build to order lower cost producer Priceline. Com Online seller bidding buyer-set pricing eBay.com Online auction Auction -set prices. Innovation AVENT Marshall Customer/suppler Increase in market share Moen Inc. Online customer design Increase in market share Growth Citi Group Global Intranet. Increase in global market Toys ‘R Us Inc. POS inventory tracking Market leadership Alliance Cisco systems virtually manufacturing Agile market leadership Alliances While Information Technology has outshined the business process it has also created job cutting, downsizing and outsourcing. It has immensely affected the middle and lower level thus creating more unemployment. Wal-Mart introduced RFID technology, RFID means Radio Frequency Identification. It is a data carrying and automatic identification technology used throughout industry. Information about an item is stored in the RFID tag which is attached to that item. RFID tag is just like a data carrier, just as some as that of a bar code. Data carried by the barcode is scanner with the help of an optical or infrared wavelength. RFID reader emits radio waves which activates the tag. Wireless communication takes place with the tag known as air-interface. Importance feature of an RFID system is it does not require any tag or label to read its stored data. It enhances customer service, employer safety and enhances productivity of a company. It is very helpful in medical field too. Wrist tag ens ures complete accuracy to identify patience. But this technology has created a huge lot of unemployment. Many of the working lower class employees would have been affected in negative manner because of this technology. From mobile phone signal interceptions to email hacking, people are now worried about their once private information becoming public knowledge. Industry experts believe that the internet has made job security a big issue as since technology keeps on changing with each day. It means that one has to keep himself/herself updated with the latest technology in order to keep his or her job secured (www.wiki.answers.com). But over usage of IT management becomes tedious tiresome. Even though information is readily available, confidential matters can be assessed unless they are properly password protected. IT leads to unemployment due to downsizing outsourcing. IT leads to tampering of many private issues which has to be kept away from light. Privacy issues are of major concern due to rise in growth of technology. Hacking of email, breach of security are major issues due to advancement in information technology. IT leads to lack of job security. Due to hardware failure economies can be affected negatively. It may result in failure of stock markets (www.associatedcontent.com). Internet often results in breaching of copyright. Nowadays viruses are spread via internet. Pornographic issues are of serious concern. It only affects a person physically but mentally too. It disturbs normal Most of the viruses get transferred via e-mails or when certain information is downloaded. These viruses damage many of the important documents which are of utmost importance. Collecting information from internet wastes a lot of time. Conclusion: In conclusion, I believe that Mr. Nicholas Carr to some extent does believe that the advantages I stated with regard to IT are noteworthy and something that are the most desired technologies. But what I seem to understand is that he is neither upset with the innovations in information technology nor with the fact that IT has helped make businesses go global but with the inability of these technologies to remain exclusive to companies that make use of them. Also I believe that today e-commerce has reached a point of no return. And as much as some companies believe that they need to stop spending extravagantly on software the fear of lagging behind or being out of the race to become the numero uno prevents them from doing so. It has become more like â€Å"if you cant beat `em join `em† Personally. I personal feel that there is lot of room for the development of IT in most of the developing country. In India still we have to struggle a lot with our daily chores. Forgive me for s ounding too dramatic when I say this, but the process for doing these chores meant standing and waiting in long queues in the hot sun for a minimum of 3 hours before I could reach the counter and there were one too many times when the counter would close for lunch the instant it would be my turn. But net banking has made this phase of my life disappear. Now my bills are paid, tickets are booked within minutes and I dont have to bother about what is happening at the back-end. As a student I could learn more about this institute and apply here which was also possible thanks to the internet. Gaming, entertainment, chatting, video conferencing with my family back home have helped me feel slightly less homesick. It could be that I cannot or probably do not want relate to Mr. Nicolas Carrs point of view for my own selfish reasons and so for me on a very personal level IT does matter†¦ Reference: OBrien and James (1936) Management Information systems -8th edition-Boston, London: McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2008. http://www.smallbusinessbible.org/advan_disadvan_informationtechnology.html [Accessed:16 November 2009] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/civil_engineering_software [Accessed:15 November 2009] Carr Nicolas G. (2003) ‘IT Doesnt Matter, Harvard Business Review, Vol. 81 Issue 5, May, Pages 41 49. Brown John Seely (2003) ‘Does IT Matter?, Harvard Business Review, Vol. 81 Issue7,July, Pages 109-112. http://www.nicholasgcarr.com/doesITmatter/reviews.shtml http://www.kosmix.com/topic/AllyCAD http://www.med.usa.siemens.com/oncolgyusa/ http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1211744/information_technology_in_the_world_pg6_pg6.html?cat=157

Clothing and Body Language in Literary Works and Art Essay -- Poe Baud

Clothing and Body Language in Literary Works and Art   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Throughout life, clothing and body language are often utilized as sources of emotional expression. These emotions can also be portrayed in literaray works and artisitic displays, such as those of Poe, Baudelaire, Manet, and Warhol. In Poe's â€Å"Man of the Crowd,† there are several descriptions of different types of people based on their appearances, but one particular man is focused on by the narrator due to his unique appearance. Baudelaire's â€Å"The Painter of Modern Life† emphasizes the emotional expressions of beauty and fashion expressed in art. Manet is an artist who paints scenes to his liking. All of his works were done in his studio and set up the way that he wanted them. He holds a particular focus on men and women and the relationship between them. The positions and clothing that the men and women are set up in hold strong emotional implications about their feelings towards one another and the emotions involved in the social setting.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The opening of â€Å"The Man of the Crowd,† describes the emotions involved in untold secrets and the deepest of crimes; there are internal conflicts, struggles, anxieties, and agonous results due to the horror of the unsolvable crimes. The possibility of these crimes is introduced through the man of the crowd through his unseemingly unidentifiable expression The narrator describes his thoughts of this man as: There arose confusedly and paradoxically within my mind, the ideas of vast mental power, of caution, of penuriousness, of avarice, of coolness, of malice, of blood-thirtstiness, of triumph, of merriment, of excessive terror, of intense - of supreme despair. I felt singularly aroused, startled, fascinated. â€Å"How wild a history,† I said to myself, â€Å"is written within that bosom!† Although the narrator had never spoken to this man of the crowd, he was compelled to follow him based on his expression that had never been viewed by the narrator. He continued to follow the man of the crowd, noticing his patterns of following people by the mass and his shambled cloting and he concluded that he â€Å"[was] the type and genious of deep crime. He refuses to be alone.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Prior to viewing the man of the crowd, the narrator observed several different types of people, all of which were able to be â€Å"read† through their outward appearances... ...p is not meant to be applied naturally and should be used as a method of exhibition of their beauty. Although Baudelaire does not describe the actions of women in the section of makeup, he clearly praises women who wear makeup because of their holy nature and uncriticalness.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Monet is able to express several emotions through his paintings, particularly through the arrangement and the depiction of the subjects in his work. In In The Conservatory, Manet focuses on the relationship between the man and the woman. The woman is properly dressed with buttons vertically lined up through her dress, thus constricting her presense. She has a fixed gaze and is not looking at the man. Although she is sitting comfortably, the woman has a rigid appearance. The man is leaning over towards her and is dressed like a dandy. The expressions on their faces and the way the man is leaning over the woman and looking at her appears as though he is pleading for forgiveness or attention. The rims of her eyes are red adding the possibility of her crying and an emphasis is placed upon their hands, which both contain wedding rings, suggesting that they are a married couple with problems.

The Da Vinci Code Chapter 13-17

CHAPTER 13 For several seconds, Langdon stared in wonder at the photograph of Sauniere's postscript. P. S. Find Robert Langdon.He felt as if the floor were tilting beneath his feet. Sauniere left a postscript with my name on it? In his wildest dreams, Langdon could not fathom why. â€Å"Now do you understand,† Sophie said, her eyes urgent,† why Fache ordered you here tonight, and why you are his primary suspect?† The only thing Langdon understood at the moment was why Fache had looked so smug when Langdon suggested Sauniere would have accused his killer by name. Find Robert Langdon. â€Å"Why would Sauniere write this?† Langdon demanded, his confusion now giving way to anger. â€Å"Why would I want to kill Jacques Sauniere?† â€Å"Fache has yet to uncover a motive, but he has been recording his entire conversation with you tonight in hopes you might reveal one.† Langdon opened his mouth, but still no words came. â€Å"He's fitted with a miniature microphone,† Sophie explained. â€Å"It's connected to a transmitter in his pocket that radios the signal back to the command post.† â€Å"This is impossible,† Langdon stammered. â€Å"I have an alibi. I went directly back to my hotel after my lecture. You can ask the hotel desk.† â€Å"Fache already did. His report shows you retrieving your room key from the concierge at about ten- thirty. Unfortunately, the time of the murder was closer to eleven. You easily could have left your hotel room unseen.† â€Å"This is insanity! Fache has no evidence!† Sophie's eyes widened as if to say: No evidence?† Mr. Langdon, your name is written on the floor beside the body, and Sauniere's date book says you were with him at approximately the time of the murder.† She paused. â€Å"Fache has more than enough evidence to take you into custody for questioning.† Langdon suddenly sensed that he needed a lawyer. â€Å"I didn't do this.† Sophie sighed. â€Å"This is not American television, Mr. Langdon. In France, the laws protect the police, not criminals. Unfortunately, in this case, there is also the media consideration. Jacques Sauniere was a very prominent and well-loved figure in Paris, and his murder will be news in the morning. Fache will be under immediate pressure to make a statement, and he looks a lot better having a suspect in custody already. Whether or not you are guilty, you most certainly will be held by DCPJ until they can figure out what really happened.† Langdon felt like a caged animal. â€Å"Why are you telling me all this?† â€Å"Because, Mr. Langdon, I believe you are innocent.† Sophie looked away for a moment and then back into his eyes. â€Å"And also because it is partially my fault that you're in trouble.† â€Å"I'm sorry? It's your fault Sauniere is trying to frame me?† â€Å"Sauniere wasn't trying to frame you. It was a mistake. That message on the floor was meant for me.† Langdon needed a minute to process that one. â€Å"I beg your pardon?† â€Å"That message wasn't for the police. He wrote it for me.I think he was forced to do everything in such a hurry that he just didn't realize how it would look to the police.† She paused. â€Å"The numbered code is meaningless. Sauniere wrote it to make sure the investigation included cryptographers, ensuring that I would know as soon as possible what had happened to him.† Langdon felt himself losing touch fast. Whether or not Sophie Neveu had lost her mind was at this point up for grabs, but at least Langdon now understood why she was trying to help him. P. S.Find Robert Langdon.She apparently believed the curator had left her a cryptic postscript telling her to find Langdon. â€Å"But why do you think his message was for you?† â€Å"The Vitruvian Man,†she said flatly. â€Å"That particular sketch has always been my favorite Da Vinci work. Tonight he used it to catch my attention.† â€Å"Hold on. You're saying the curator knew your favorite piece of art?† She nodded. â€Å"I'm sorry. This is all coming out of order. Jacques Sauniere and I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Sophie's voice caught, and Langdon heard a sudden melancholy there, a painful past, simmering just below the surface. Sophie and Jacques Sauniere apparently had some kind of special relationship. Langdon studied the beautiful young woman before him, well aware that aging men in France often took young mistresses. Even so, Sophie Neveu as a† kept woman† somehow didn't seem to fit. â€Å"We had a falling-out ten years ago,† Sophie said, her voice a whisper now. â€Å"We've barely spoken since. Tonight, when Crypto got the call that he had been murdered, and I saw the images of his body and text on the floor, I realized he was trying to send me a message.† â€Å"Because of The Vitruvian Man?† â€Å"Yes. And the letters P. S.† â€Å"Post Script?† She shook her head. â€Å"P. S. are my initials.† â€Å"But your name is Sophie Neveu.† She looked away. â€Å"P. S. is the nickname he called me when I lived with him.† She blushed. â€Å"It stood for Princesse Sophie† Langdon had no response. â€Å"Silly, I know,† she said. â€Å"But it was years ago. When I was a little girl.† â€Å"You knew him when you were a little girl?† â€Å"Quite well,† she said, her eyes welling now with emotion. â€Å"Jacques Sauniere was my grandfather.† CHAPTER 14 â€Å"Where's Langdon?† Fache demanded, exhaling the last of a cigarette as he paced back into the command post. â€Å"Still in the men's room, sir.† Lieutenant Collet had been expecting the question. Fache grumbled,† Taking his time, I see.† The captain eyed the GPS dot over Collet's shoulder, and Collet could almost hear the wheels turning. Fache was fighting the urge to go check on Langdon. Ideally, the subject of an observation was allowed the most time and freedom possible, lulling him into a false sense of security. Langdon needed to return of his own volition. Still, it had been almost ten minutes. Too long. â€Å"Any chance Langdon is onto us?† Fache asked. Collet shook his head. â€Å"We're still seeing small movements inside the men's room, so the GPS dot is obviously still on him. Perhaps he feels ill? If he had found the dot, he would have removed it and tried to run.† Fache checked his watch. â€Å"Fine.† Still Fache seemed preoccupied. All evening, Collet had sensed an atypical intensity in his captain. Usually detached and cool under pressure, Fache tonight seemed emotionally engaged, as if this were somehow a personal matter for him. Not surprising, Collet thought. Fache needs this arrest desperately.Recently the Board of Ministers and the media had become more openly critical of Fache's aggressive tactics, his clashes with powerful foreign embassies, and his gross over budgeting on new technologies. Tonight, a high-tech, high-profile arrest of an American would go a long way to silence Fache's critics, helping him secure the job a few more years until he could retire with the lucrative pension. God knows he needs the pension, Collet thought. Fache's zeal for technology had hurt him both professionally and personally. Fache was rumored to have invested his entire savings in the technology craze a few years back and lost his shirt. And Fache is a man who wears only the finest shirts. Tonight, there was still plenty of time. Sophie Neveu's odd interruption, though unfortunate, had been only a minor wrinkle. She was gone now, and Fache still had cards to play. He had yet to inform Langdon that his name had been scrawled on the floor by the victim. P. S.Find Robert Langdon.The American's reaction to that little bit of evidence would be telling indeed. â€Å"Captain?† one of the DCPJ agents now called from across the office. â€Å"I think you better take this call.† He was holding out a telephone receiver, looking concerned. â€Å"Who is it?† Fache said. The agent frowned. â€Å"It's the director of our Cryptology Department.† â€Å"And?† â€Å"It's about Sophie Neveu, sir. Something is not quite right.† CHAPTER 15 It was time. Silas felt strong as he stepped from the black Audi, the nighttime breeze rustling his loose-fitting robe. The winds of change are in the air.He knew the task before him would require more finesse than force, and he left his handgun in the car. The thirteen-round Heckler Koch USP 40 had been provided by the Teacher. A weapon of death has no place in a house of God. The plaza before the great church was deserted at this hour, the only visible souls on the far side of Place Saint-Sulpice a couple of teenage hookers showing their wares to the late night tourist traffic. Their nubile bodies sent a familiar longing to Silas's loins. His thigh flexed instinctively, causing the barbed cilice belt to cut painfully into his flesh. The lust evaporated instantly. For ten years now, Silas had faithfully denied himself all sexual indulgence, even self-administered. It was The Way.He knew he had sacrificed much to follow Opus Dei, but he had received much more in return. A vow of celibacy and the relinquishment of all personal assets hardly seemed a sacrifice. Considering the poverty from which he had come and the sexual horrors he had endured in prison, celibacy was a welcome change. Now, having returned to France for the first time since being arrested and shipped to prison in Andorra, Silas could feel his homeland testing him, dragging violent memories from his redeemed soul. You have been reborn, he reminded himself. His service to God today had required the sin of murder, and it was a sacrifice Silas knew he would have to hold silently in his heart for all eternity. The measure of your faith is the measure of the pain you can endure, the Teacher had told him. Silas was no stranger to pain and felt eager to prove himself to the Teacher, the one who had assured him his actions were ordained by a higher power. â€Å"Hago la obra de Dios,†Silas whispered, moving now toward the church entrance. Pausing in the shadow of the massive doorway, he took a deep breath. It was not until this instant that he truly realized what he was about to do, and what awaited him inside. The keystone. It will lead us to our final goal. He raised his ghost-white fist and banged three times on the door. Moments later, the bolts of the enormous wooden portal began to move. CHAPTER 16 Sophie wondered how long it would take Fache to figure out she had not left the building. Seeing that Langdon was clearly overwhelmed, Sophie questioned whether she had done the right thing by cornering him here in the men's room. What else was I supposed to do? She pictured her grandfather's body, naked and spread-eagle on the floor. There was a time when he had meant the world to her, yet tonight, Sophie was surprised to feel almost no sadness for the man. Jacques Sauniere was a stranger to her now. Their relationship had evaporated in a single instant one March night when she was twenty-two. Ten years ago.Sophie had come home a few days early from graduate university in England and mistakenly witnessed her grandfather engaged in something Sophie was obviously not supposed to see. It was an image she barely could believe to this day. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes†¦ Too ashamed and stunned to endure her grandfather's pained attempts to explain, Sophie immediately moved out on her own, taking money she had saved, and getting a small flat with some roommates. She vowed never to speak to anyone about what she had seen. Her grandfather tried desperately to reach her, sending cards and letters, begging Sophie to meet him so he could explain. Explain how!? Sophie never responded except once – to forbid him ever to call her or try to meet her in public. She was afraid his explanation would be more terrifying than the incident itself. Incredibly, Sauniere had never given up on her, and Sophie now possessed a decade's worth of correspondence unopened in a dresser drawer. To her grandfather's credit, he had never once disobeyed her request and phoned her. Until this afternoon. â€Å"Sophie?† His voice had sounded startlingly old on her answering machine. â€Å"I have abided by your wishes for so long†¦ and it pains me to call, but I must speak to you. Something terrible has happened.† Standing in the kitchen of her Paris flat, Sophie felt a chill to hear him again after all these years. His gentle voice brought back a flood of fond childhood memories. â€Å"Sophie, please listen.† He was speaking English to her, as he always did when she was a little girl. Practice French at school.Practice English at home. â€Å"You cannot be mad forever. Have you not read the letters that I've sent all these years? Do you not yet understand?† He paused. â€Å"We must speak at once. Please grant your grandfather this one wish. Call me at the Louvre. Right away. I believe you and I are in grave danger.† Sophie stared at the answering machine. Danger? What was he talking about? â€Å"Princess†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Her grandfather's voice cracked with an emotion Sophie could not place. â€Å"I know I've kept things from you, and I know it has cost me your love. But it was for your own safety. Now you must know the truth. Please, I must tell you the truth about your family.† Sophie suddenly could hear her own heart. My family? Sophie's parents had died when she was only four. Their car went off a bridge into fast-moving water. Her grandmother and younger brother had also been in the car, and Sophie's entire family had been erased in an instant. She had a box of newspaper clippings to confirm it. His words had sent an unexpected surge of longing through her bones. My family! In that fleeting instant, Sophie saw images from the dream that had awoken her countless times when she was a little girl: My family is alive! They are coming home! But, as in her dream, the pictures evaporated into oblivion. Your family is dead, Sophie. They are not coming home. â€Å"Sophie†¦Ã¢â‚¬  her grandfather said on the machine. â€Å"I have been waiting for years to tell you. Waiting for the right moment, but now time has run out. Call me at the Louvre. As soon as you get this. I'll wait here all night. I fear we both may be in danger. There's so much you need to know.† The message ended. In the silence, Sophie stood trembling for what felt like minutes. As she considered her grandfather's message, only one possibility made sense, and his true intent dawned. It was bait. Obviously, her grandfather wanted desperately to see her. He was trying anything. Her disgust for the man deepened. Sophie wondered if maybe he had fallen terminally ill and had decided to attempt any ploy he could think of to get Sophie to visit him one last time. If so, he had chosen wisely. My family. Now, standing in the darkness of the Louvre men's room, Sophie could hear the echoes of this afternoon's phone message. Sophie, we both may be in danger.Call me. She had not called him. Nor had she planned to. Now, however, her skepticism had been deeply challenged. Her grandfather lay murdered inside his own museum. And he had written a code on the floor. A code for her.Of this, she was certain. Despite not understanding the meaning of his message, Sophie was certain its cryptic nature was additional proof that the words were intended for her. Sophie's passion and aptitude for cryptography were a product of growing up with Jacques Sauniere – a fanatic himself for codes, word games, and puzzles. How many Sundays did we spend doing the cryptograms and crosswords in the newspaper? At the age of twelve, Sophie could finish the Le Monde crossword without any help, and her grandfather graduated her to crosswords in English, mathematical puzzles, and substitution ciphers. Sophie devoured them all. Eventually she turned her passion into a profession by becoming a code breaker for the Judicial Police. Tonight, the cryptographer in Sophie was forced to respect the efficiency with which her grandfather had used a simple code to unite two total strangers – Sophie Neveu and Robert Langdon. The question was why? Unfortunately, from the bewildered look in Langdon's eyes, Sophie sensed the American had no more idea than she did why her grandfather had thrown them together. She pressed again. â€Å"You and my grandfather had planned to meet tonight. What about?† Langdon looked truly perplexed. â€Å"His secretary set the meeting and didn't offer any specific reason, and I didn't ask. I assumed he'd heard I would be lecturing on the pagan iconography of French cathedrals, was interested in the topic, and thought it would be fun to meet for drinks after the talk.† Sophie didn't buy it. The connection was flimsy. Her grandfather knew more about pagan iconography than anyone else on earth. Moreover, he an exceptionally private man, not someone prone to chatting with random American professors unless there were an important reason. Sophie took a deep breath and probed further. â€Å"My grandfather called me this afternoon and told me he and I were in grave danger. Does that mean anything to you?† Langdon's blue eyes now clouded with concern. â€Å"No, but considering what just happened†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Sophie nodded. Considering tonight's events, she would be a fool not to be frightened. Feeling drained, she walked to the small plate-glass window at the far end of the bathroom and gazed out in silence through the mesh of alarm tape embedded in the glass. They were high up – forty feet at least. Sighing, she raised her eyes and gazed out at Paris's dazzling landscape. On her left, across the Seine, the illuminated Eiffel Tower. Straight ahead, the Arc de Triomphe. And to the right, high atop the sloping rise of Montmartre, the graceful arabesque dome of Sacre-Coeur, its polished stone glowing white like a resplendent sanctuary. Here at the westernmost tip of the Denon Wing, the north-south thoroughfare of Place du Carrousel ran almost flush with the building with only a narrow sidewalk separating it from the Louvre's outer wall. Far below, the usual caravan of the city's nighttime delivery trucks sat idling, waiting for the signals to change, their running lights seeming to twinkle mockingly up at Sophie. â€Å"I don't know what to say,† Langdon said, coming up behind her. â€Å"Your grandfather is obviously trying to tell us something. I'm sorry I'm so little help.† Sophie turned from the window, sensing a sincere regret in Langdon's deep voice. Even with all the trouble around him, he obviously wanted to help her. The teacher in him, she thought, having read DCPJ's workup on their suspect. This was an academic who clearly despised not understanding. We have that in common, she thought. As a code breaker, Sophie made her living extracting meaning from seemingly senseless data. Tonight, her best guess was that Robert Langdon, whether he knew it or not, possessed information that she desperately needed. Princesse Sophie, Find Robert Langdon.How much clearer could her grandfather's message be? Sophie needed more time with Langdon. Time to think. Time to sort out this mystery together. Unfortunately, time was running out. Gazing up at Langdon, Sophie made the only play she could think of. â€Å"Bezu Fache will be taking you into custody at any minute. I can get you out of this museum. But we need to act now.† Langdon's eyes went wide. â€Å"You want me to run?† â€Å"It's the smartest thing you could do. If you let Fache take you into custody now, you'll spend weeks in a French jail while DCPJ and the U. S. Embassy fight over which courts try your case. But if we get you out of here, and make it to your embassy, then your government will protect your rights while you and I prove you had nothing to do with this murder.† Langdon looked not even vaguely convinced. â€Å"Forget it! Fache has armed guards on every single exit! Even if we escape without being shot, running away only makes me look guilty. You need to tell Fache that the message on the floor was for you, and that my name is not there as an accusation.† â€Å"I will do that,† Sophie said, speaking hurriedly,† but after you're safely inside the U. S. Embassy. It's only about a mile from here, and my car is parked just outside the museum. Dealing with Fache from here is too much of a gamble. Don't you see? Fache has made it his mission tonight to prove you are guilty. The only reason he postponed your arrest was to run this observance in hopes you did something that made his case stronger.† â€Å"Exactly. Like running!† The cell phone in Sophie's sweater pocket suddenly began ringing. Fache probably.She reached in her sweater and turned off the phone. â€Å"Mr. Langdon,† she said hurriedly,† I need to ask you one last question.† And your entire future may depend on it. â€Å"The writing on the floor is obviously not proof of your guilt, and yet Fache told our team he is certain you are his man. Can you think of any other reason he might be convinced you're guilty?† Langdon was silent for several seconds. â€Å"None whatsoever.† Sophie sighed. Which means Fache is lying.Why, Sophie could not begin to imagine, but that was hardly the issue at this point. The fact remained that Bezu Fache was determined to put Robert Langdon behind bars tonight, at any cost. Sophie needed Langdon for herself, and it was this dilemma that left Sophie only one logical conclusion. I need to get Langdon to the U. S. Embassy. Turning toward the window, Sophie gazed through the alarm mesh embedded in the plate glass, down the dizzying forty feet to the pavement below. A leap from this height would leave Langdon with a couple of broken legs. At best. Nonetheless, Sophie made her decision. Robert Langdon was about to escape the Louvre, whether he wanted to or not. CHAPTER 17 â€Å"What do you mean she's not answering?† Fache looked incredulous. â€Å"You're calling her cell phone, right? I know she's carrying it.† Collet had been trying to reach Sophie now for several minutes. â€Å"Maybe her batteries are dead. Or her ringer's off.† Fache had looked distressed ever since talking to the director of Cryptology on the phone. After hanging up, he had marched over to Collet and demanded he get Agent Neveu on the line. Now Collet had failed, and Fache was pacing like a caged lion. â€Å"Why did Crypto call?† Collet now ventured. Fache turned. â€Å"To tell us they found no references to Draconian devils and lame saints.† â€Å"That's all?† â€Å"No, also to tell us that they had just identified the numerics as Fibonacci numbers, but they suspected the series was meaningless.† Collet was confused. â€Å"But they already sent Agent Neveu to tell us that.† Fache shook his head. â€Å"They didn't send Neveu.† â€Å"What?† â€Å"According to the director, at my orders he paged his entire team to look at the images I'd wired him. When Agent Neveu arrived, she took one look at the photos of Sauniere and the code and left the office without a word. The director said he didn't question her behavior because she was understandably upset by the photos.† â€Å"Upset? She's never seen a picture of a dead body?† Fache was silent a moment. â€Å"I was not aware of this, and it seems neither was the director until a coworker informed him, but apparently Sophie Neveu is Jacques Sauniere's granddaughter.† Collet was speechless. â€Å"The director said she never once mentioned Sauniere to him, and he assumed it was because she probably didn't want preferential treatment for having a famous grandfather.† No wonder she was upset by the pictures.Collet could barely conceive of the unfortunate coincidence that called in a young woman to decipher a code written by a dead family member. Still, her actions made no sense. â€Å"But she obviously recognized the numbers as Fibonacci numbers because she came here and told us. I don't understand why she would leave the office without telling anyone she had figured it out.† Collet could think of only one scenario to explain the troubling developments: Sauniere had written a numeric code on the floor in hopes Fache would involve cryptographers in the investigation, and therefore involve his own granddaughter. As for the rest of the message, was Saunie recommunicating in some way with his granddaughter? If so, what did the message tell her? And how did Langdon fit in? Before Collet could ponder it any further, the silence of the deserted museum was shattered by an alarm. The bell sounded like it was coming from inside the Grand Gallery. â€Å"Alarme!† one of the agents yelled, eyeing his feed from the Louvre security center. â€Å"GrandeGalerie! Toilettes Messieurs!† Fache wheeled to Collet. â€Å"Where's Langdon?† â€Å"Still in the men's room!† Collet pointed to the blinking red dot on his laptop schematic. â€Å"He must have broken the window!† Collet knew Langdon wouldn't get far. Although Paris fire codes required windows above fifteen meters in public buildings be breakable in case of fire, exiting a Louvre second-story window without the help of a hook and ladder would be suicide. Furthermore, there were no trees or grass on the western end of the Denon Wing to cushion a fall. Directly beneath that rest room window, the two-lane Place du Carrousel ran within a few feet of the outer wall. â€Å"My God,† Collet exclaimed, eyeing the screen. â€Å"Langdon's moving to the window ledge!† But Fache was already in motion. Yanking his Manurhin MR-93 revolver from his shoulder holster, the captain dashed out of the office. Collet watched the screen in bewilderment as the blinking dot arrived at the window ledge and then did something utterly unexpected. The dot moved outside the perimeter of the building. What's going on? he wondered. Is Langdon out on a ledge or – â€Å"Jesu!† Collet jumped to his feet as the dot shot farther outside the wall. The signal seemed to shudder for a moment, and then the blinking dot came to an abrupt stop about ten yards outside the perimeter of the building. Fumbling with the controls, Collet called up a Paris street map and recalibrated the GPS. Zooming in, he could now see the exact location of the signal. It was no longer moving. It lay at a dead stop in the middle of Place du Carrousel. Langdon had jumped.

Facts About the Solar System

Facts About the Solar System Welcome to the solar system! This is where youll find the Sun, the planets, and humanitys sole home in the Milky Way Galaxy. It contains planets, moons, comets, asteroids, one star, and worlds with ring systems. Although astronomers and skygazers have observed other solar system objects in the sky since the dawn of human history, it has only been in the past half-century that theyve been able to explore them more directly with spacecraft. Historical Views of the Solar System Long before astronomers could use telescopes to look at objects in the sky, people thought that the planets were simply wandering stars. They had no concept of an organized system of worlds orbiting the Sun. All they knew were that some objects followed regular paths against the backdrop of the stars. At first, they thought these things were gods or some other supernatural beings. Then, they decided that those motions had some effect on human lives. With the advent of scientific observations of the sky, those ideas vanished.   The first astronomer to look at another planet with a telescope was Galileo Galilei. His observations changed humanitys view of our place in space. Soon, many other men and women were studying the planets, their moons, asteroids, and comets with scientific interest. Today that continues, and there are currently spacecraft doing many solar system studies. So, what else have astronomers and planetary scientists learned about the solar system?   Solar System Insights A journey through the solar system introduces us to the Sun, which is our nearest star. It contains an amazing 99.8 percent of the mass of the solar system. The planet Jupiter is the next most-massive object and it comprises two and a half times the mass of all the other planets combined. The four inner planets- tiny, cratered Mercury, cloud-shrouded Venus (sometimes called Earths Twin), temperate and watery Earth (our home), and reddish Mars- are called the terrestrial or rocky planets. Jupiter, ringed Saturn, mysterious blue Uranus, and distant Neptune  are called gas giants. Uranus and Neptune are so cold and contain a great deal of icy material, and are often called the ice giants.   The solar system has five known dwarf planets. They are called Pluto, Ceres, Haumea, Makemake, and Eris. The New Horizons mission explored Pluto on July 14, 2015, and is on its way out to visit a small object called 2014 MU69. At least one and possibly two other dwarf planets exist in the outer reaches of the solar system, although we do not have detailed images of them. There are probably at least 200 more dwarf planets in a region of the solar system called the Kuiper Belt (Pronounced KYE-per Belt.) The Kuiper Belt extends out from the orbit of Neptune and is the realm of the most distant worlds known to exist in the solar system. It is very distant and its objects are likely icy and frozen. The outermost region of the solar system is called the Oort Cloud. It probably has no large worlds but does contain chunks of ice that become comets when they orbit very close to the Sun. The Asteroid Belt is a region of space that lies between Mars and Jupiter. It is populated with chunks of rocks ranging from small boulders up to the size of a big city. These asteroids are left over from the formation of the planets.   There are moons throughout the solar system. The only planets that do NOT have moons are Mercury and Venus. Earth has one, Mars has two, Jupiter has dozens, as do Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Some of the moons of the outer solar system are frozen worlds with watery oceans beneath the ice on their surfaces.   The only planets with rings that we know of are Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. However, at least one asteroid called Chariklo also has a ring and planetary scientists recently discovered a tenuous ring around the dwarf planet Haumea.   The Origin and Evolution of the Solar System Everything that astronomers learn about solar system bodies helps them understand the origin and evolution of the Sun and planets. We know they  formed about 4.5 billion years ago. Their birthplace was a cloud of gas and dust that slowly contracted to make the Sun, followed by the planets. The comets and asteroids are often considered the leftovers of the birth of the planets.   What astronomers know about the Sun tells us that it will not last forever. Some five billion years from now, it will expand and engulf some of the planets. Eventually, it will shrink down, leaving behind a very changed solar system from the one we know of today.

Russian Economic Framework essays

Russian Economic Framework essays A country framework for these medium-term considerations should yield results useful for investment planning, policy choice, and financial reimbursement where appropriate. This is the focus of the framework outlined in this paper. This framework does not explicitly cover longer term and global level assessments, although one could use an essentially similar framework for those as well. This paper outlines a framework, not a methodology. It is compatible with many different specific methods. The reason for preserving this flexibility is that there are many methods, reflecting somewhat different traditions in modeling and country expertise, and each of these may have its own field of appropriate use. These methods are also evolving rapidly. Yet it is useful to identify, in the midst of these varied circumstances and rapid evolution, which particular general features are essential, or at least highly desirable, and to state these explicitly. The Harvard Business Notes Framework is very comprehensive but not focused to specific line of industry. Comparisons using different alternative strategies 3 Desirable additions to the framework A World Bank report on the Russian Federation states that despite the promise and optimism with which the dissolution of the USSR was greeted, the economic transition has not always sustained that optimism. According to the report, Russia still lacks the enduring economic basis to sustain its growth, and the recent uncertainty in the Russian economy only underlines the fragility of this emerging economy. In the following paper, I will describe the state of the Russian economy, how it got there, prospects for the future and recommendations regarding impact on U.S. investors. With the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989, and the end of the Cold War, the West was eager to support Russia and all of the former Eastern Block countries in the transition to Capitalism and democracy. In the ar...

Quiz for modern europe class Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Quiz for modern europe class - Essay Example Apart from this, Italy had one of the world’s oldest universities in Modena, and had lost it to the Austrian control. With this seat of knowledge under Austrian auspices, the Italian rulers were aware that a university would be one of the most deadly weapons for Austria to remain a European superpower and maintain its control Italy on Italy. Hence, to restore its pride as the birth place of the renaissance, Sardinia believed engaging Austria in a war was a reasonable way to regain Modena and unify knowledge. In my opinion, to build a nation not every ‘justified’ means should be used. The concrete terms, the means I am against here is war. This is because it has repeatedly been proven that wars have actually created more problems than it actually intended to redress. One of the most recent of such happenings is the war in Iraq. On the contrary, using bilateral negotiations in nation building should be the best solution, as seen recently between the two African states of Cameroon and Nigeria over the oil-rich Bakassi peninsula. The allies placed moral responsibility on Germany for causing the war because under the directives of the William II, it engineered the first attack on Serbia in retaliation to the sudden assassination of Archduke Frank Ferdinand, heir to the Austria-Hungarian throne. This reaction was to crush the Black Hand, the secret organization that was believed to be behind the assassination. The decision to attack Serbia was deeply rooted in William II’s staunch support for a union between Austria and Hungary. As a personal friend to Frank Ferdinand, William II (fondly called the Kaiser), was sure that should Frank Ferdinand come to power, then the synergy created between Austria, Hungary and Germany would be a European and world superpower. So, in effect the allied placed moral responsibility on Germany for inciting the war because Germany lost the war, and the biggest blow to

Final Consulting Report Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Final Consulting Report - Assignment Example In this sense, we already live in the â€Å"future† of wireless. The current state of affairs with its ubiquitous LAN connections and 3G access would have been hard to imagine just fifteen to 20 years ago. It is possible to imagine that the next â€Å"future† of this critical technology could be just as difficult to imagine today as the current iteration might have been to a generation of dial-up using chat room denizens. On the other hand, two decades of trends in changes in the marketing and technology of wireless provide some clues to the expected future of the technology, along with the technological developments and directions provided by service providers. Additionally, developments in the global market for wireless communications suggest possible futures for internet and communications. This paper reviews the history of wireless communications and links to the future, along with developments in the technology of that makes wireless communication possible. Finally , it concludes with predictions as to the direction in global applications of wireless In its initial stages, wireless communication faced several hurdles that made it most appropriate for indoor, limited networking and required new conceptions of network and the internet. Initially, limits on signal processing meant that wireless communication had far less capacity than tradition, wired LANs. As a result, the technology was only appropriate for applications in which the communication area was strictly limited and mobility within that area was highly prized. Early adopters of the technology, then, included inventory warehouses, logistics operations, hospitals and universities (LaMaire 1996). Geographically, wireless technologies were first adapted in countries and industries which were already technically advanced, with military applications in