Marriage and family Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Marriage and family - Essay Example Indeed, the pain of a bereaved would not heal overnight. It takes a lot of time and courage; some may take months while others wait for years to cope up with their loss. But what is important is to try to look at life on a different perspective, and that means moving on. According to experts, the best way to cope up with grief is to connect with other people; knowing that there are people who understand and care for you may lessen the pain. Oftentimes, when the pain is taking time to heal, it is advisable to go to a therapist; they can help a bereaved surpass intense emotions. In the case of therapists, the challenge is not to â€Å"treat† patients but allow them to let loose of their burdens. For children who lost their parents, the goal is to inculcate in them that moving on does not mean detaching and forgetting rather accepting and starting a new life and commitment in two different worlds. It is also referred by Carol Crandall in her book, In a Time to Grieve: Mediations for Healing after the Death of a Loved One (1994) as "You don't heal from the loss of a loved one because time passes; you heal because of what you do with the time".

Strengths And Weaknesses Of Etisalat

Strengths And Weaknesses Of Etisalat Emirates Telecommunication Corporation Etisalat was founded in 1976 as a joint-stock company between International Aeradio Limited, a British Company, and local partners. In 1983 the ownership structure changed United Arab Emirates government held a 60% share in the company and the remaining 40% were publicly traded. In 1991 the UAE central government issued Federal Law No. 1, which gave the corporation the right to provide the telecommunications wired and wireless services in the country and between UAE and other countries. It also gave the firm the right to issue licenses for owning, importing, manufacturing, using or operating telecommunication equipment. This practically gave Etisalat both regulatory and control powers, which completed the monopoly of the telecom giant in the UAE. In order to safeguard the countrys economic development, the law made provisions for the development of the telecommunication sector in the country. The increase of exchange lines from 36,000 in 1976 to more than 737,000 in 1998 was one of the important indicators of Etisalat networks growth and development. An important milestone was Etisalats commencement of international operations in January 2001, when under the brand name of Ufone it started operating out of Islamabad. Today Etisalat stands 140th among the Financial Times Top 500 Corporations in the world in terms of market capitalization, and is ranked by The Middle East magazine as the 6th largest company in the Middle East in terms of capitalization and revenues. The Corporation is the largest contributor outside the oil sector to development programmes of the UAE Federal Etisalat has also won accolades from across the region for its nationalization programme Etisalat Building in Abu Dhabi, UAE In addition to its telecommunication services provider and carrier units, Etisalat incorporates a number of additional non-telecom business units under the umbrella of Etisalat Services Holding LLC. These units support the companys operations and even provide services to other operators and organizations, namely: training and consultancy services(Etisalat Academy, SIM/smart card manufacturing and payment solutions (Ebtikar), data clearing house services (EDCH), peering/voice and data transit (Emirates Internet Exchange EMIX), call center Etisalat is a major investor in Thuraya (34.5%), a satellite geo-mobile communication systems provider. In 2006 Etisalat started a major restructuring program that resulted in the de-merger of many of its non-core business units operating under the telecoms centralized and direct management; core services were consolidated and streamlined, reflecting the companys shift from a technology-driven telecom to a customer-focused services provider. As part of the program, Etisalat has launched a re-branding campaign, releasing a new corporate logo and identity in May 2006. The restructuring culminated in the incorporation of Etisalat Services Holding LLC, which as of 2008 oversees the operation of Etisalats non-telecom business units with huge success stories . Etisalat International Investments Etisalat International Investments is the business unit of Etisalat that operates outside the UAE and manages the corporations stakes in telecommunications carriers in Afghanistan, Benin, Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic, Gabon, India, Indonesia, Iran, the Ivory Coast, Egypt, Niger, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. The International Investments unit also manages Etisalats minor stakes in other telecommunications services providers, such as Sudatel (a mobile, fixed and Internet services provider in Sudan), and Qtel (Qatar-based telecommunications services provider). Mobily Saudi Arabia One of Etisalats first international investments was the bid to become the second mobile services operator in Saudi Arabia. Etihad Etisalat, a consortium led by Etisalat, won the 2G GSM license by offering USD $3.25 billion. Currently operating under the brand name Mobily, Etihad Etisalat offers Saudi Arabia subscribers conventional and 3.5G mobile telephony services, and has floated shares on the Saudi stock market. PTCL Pakistan Among the acquisitions of Etisalat in 2005 was a 26% management stake in Pakistan Telecommunications (PTCL) that was put on sale by the Government of Pakistan as part of a large privatization initiative. In order to outbid competitors (which included Singapore Telecommunications and China Mobile), Etisalat offered USD $2.56 billion for the stake. According to some analysts, the telecom has overpaid, as the bid went far beyond the estimated USD $2 billion value of the package. Etisalat Egypt In July 2006, a consortium led by Etisalat was granted the rights to develop Egypts third mobile network, with a winning bid of 16.7 billion Egyptian pounds (EUR à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬2.29 billion euro). The venture, Etisalat Egypt, competes with existing service providers Vodafone and Mobinil. On September 12, 2006, it was announced that the network would be built by Ericsson of Sweden, and Huawei of China, at a cost of approximately USD $1.2 billion. In 2007, at the Comms MEA Awards ceremony Etisalat was presented with the Best New Entrant award for its Egyptian operations. Award winners were selected by a panel of experts from KPMG, the Arab Advisors Group and Oliver Wyman, Dubai. Canar Sudan Etisalat is one of the founding partner companies of Canar Telecom, a fixed-line telecom services operator. In September 2007 Etisalat has raised its stake in Canar from 37% to 82% at an estimated cost of AED 584.17 million (USD $159 million). Canar was launched on November 27, 2005. The operator is reported to use NGN and Wireless Local Loop (WLL) technologies for its voice, data, internet and multimedia services. Canar is one of the first operators in Africa to use an NGN network core. EMTS Nigeria Etisalat signed an agreement to acquire 40% of and manage Emerging Markets Telecommunications Services, Nigerias fifth GSM operator. It is now operating with about 5 million Subscribers, and recently signed an agreement with Main One cable company to launch one of the first major broadband service in Nigeria. Zantel Tanzania In January 1999, Etisalat acquired a stake in Zanzibar Telecom (a Tanzania-based mobile operator) for USD $2.4 million (AED 8.8 million) and has subsequently increased the stake by 17% in July 2007. Since then, Zantel has introduced telcom services that are typical for the African region, such as mobile banking services for customers without access to banking facilities (Zpesa Mobile Banking). Atlantique Telecom/Moov West Africa In Africa, Etisalat acquired 50% of Atlantique Telecoms shares in April 2005. Based in the Ivory Coast, AT owns mobile operators in Benin, Burkina Faso, Togo, Niger, Central African Republic, Gabon and Ivory Coast. In 2007, Etisalat increased its shares in AT to 70% and again in May 2008, to 82%. AT group subscribers totaled 2.9 million at the end of 2007, which is a 107% increase from the previous year. Ivory Coast: Moov, is currently Ivory Coasts third-largest cell-phone operator with a 1.5 million customer base. In 2008 Moov Ivory Coast introduced the first nationwide cell-phone coverage, based on Thuraya satellite access technology. It is the first time that such a service has been offered in sub-Saharan Africa, outside South Africa. It was expected that the expanded coverage introduced by the satellite service would help boost Moovs customer base and even overtake France Telecoms unit Orange as the top telecom services provider in the country. Benin: Etisalat operates in Benin under the Moov brand. On 24 October 2007 the government of Benin has reassigned Telecels operating license to Etisalat. In February 2008, His Excellency Dr. Boni Yayi, President of Benin, honoured Etisalat chairman, Mohammad Hassan Omran during a ceremony to celebrate Etisalats efforts in developing and promoting the telecommunications sector in Benin. XL Axiata Indonesia Indonesia-based mobile services operator PT XL Axiata (formerly PT Excelcomindo Pratama) is Etisalats first acquisition in the Far East. In December 2007 Etisalat took a 15.97% stake after paying USD $438 million (AED 1.6 billion). At the time of the acquisition XL had 15 million mobile subscribers. Etisalat Afghanistan Etisalat Afghanistan is a newly established GSM operator, 100% owned by Etisalat. It was established in May 2006 after the UAE telecom won the license to operate the fourth mobile services provider in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. Etisalats bid for the license was USD $1.2 billion (AED 4.4 billion) and services were launched in August 2007. Etisalat Afghanistan operates out of Kabul and as of March 3, 2010, the company has achieved 24 per cent market share in 27 provinces of Afghanistan. Etisalat Sri Lanka Etisalat acquired the Sri Lankan Operation of Millicom International Cellular (MIC), Tigo (Sri Lanka) on 16 October 2009. The acquisition was completed with a total enterprise value of 207 Million US$, out of which 155 Million US$ was in cash. Tigo (Sri Lanka) under the then brand name CELLTEL started operations in June 1989 on a Motorola TACS system and was the first cellular operator in Sri Lanka as well as South Asia. In January 2007, Millicom replaced the local CELLTEL brand with Tigo, their international brand. In February 2010, Tigo was rebranded as Etisalat. It competes with international operators like Dialog Telekom (Telekom Malaysia), Mobitel (Sri Lanka Telecom), Hutch (Hutchison) and Airtel (Bharti Airtel), using technologies GSM/EDGE and hopes to launch UMTS/HSDPA services over 900/1800 and 2100 MHz in 2011. Etisalat India In 2009 Etisalat has announced that its Indian unit, erstwhile Swan Telecom (owned by Dynamix Balwas Realty and Reliance Communications), headquartered in Mumbai, is renamed to Etisalat DB Telecom India Pvt. Ltd Telecom Renamed Etisalat Telecom India Pvt. Ltd. The business unit has been awarded Unified Services Access License in 15 circles Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Mumbai, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu (including Chennai), Uttar Pradesh (East), Uttar Pradesh (West), Madhya Pradesh and Bihar. In April 2010 Etisalat began signal testing in Chennai [IND 922], Delhi NCR [IND 913], Maharashtra Goa [IND 919], Mumbai [IND 916] and Gujarat[IND 914]. In May 2010, Etisalat was in talks to buy 25% stake in Reliance Communications, but the deal was not finalised. In 2010, following the $39 billion 2G spectrum scam, Etisalat DB, the Indian subsidiary of the company, was stopped from buying a stake in a Chennai-based company due to objections raised by the Indias home ministry(MHA). Etisalat DB was not allowed to buy back the 5.27 per cent stake held by Chennai-based Genex Exim Ventures since the home ministry raised objections based largely on security concerns. The MHA had pointed out four issues that needed to be resolved before allowing the company to come into Etisalat DB, a company that got scarce 2G spectrum at allegedly throwaway prices, First, vice-chairman Shahid Balwa should not be involved in the operations of the company in any capacity, because of his connections with underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, second, the MHA raised objections about the commercial relationship between the Dubai-based Etisalat Group and Chinas Huawei. The MHA suspects, Huawei has links with Chinas Peoples Liberation Army the countrys military organization of all land, sea, strategic missile and air forces and has the capacity to manipulate equipment supply, third, it raised objections about Etisalats presence in Pakistan and its connection with Pakistans intelligence agency ISI. Etisalat owns a 26% stake in Pakistan Telecommunications and has a subscriber base of 3 million in Afghanistan and fourth, the MHA has also expressed concerns about the telecom surveillance software Etisalat had used in a Blackberry service it had introduced in the UAE and recommended that the company should not be allowed to offer Blackberry services in India. b) Social; technological: Etisalat Etisalat UAE is headquartered in Abu Dhabi and includes three regional offices Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Northern Emirates. Etisalat Company is owned by the UAE government and it is stipulated law that state, with seven out of 11 of the Board of Directors being government representatives, including the Chairman. Abu Dhabi Region Key positions: Etisalat Chairman: Mohamed Hassan Omran Etisalat A/CEO: Nasser Bin Abood Senior Vice President Marketing: Khalifa Al Forah Al Shamsi Group Senior Vice President corporate Communications: Ahmed Bin Ali Corporate Governance The General Assembly The General Assembly is composed of all shareholders of the Corporation. The General Assembly is entrusted with approving the Boards Annual Report on the Corporations activities and financial position during the preceding financial year. The Assembly is also entrusted with approving the report of the external auditors, discussing and approving the balance sheet and the profit and loss account for the previous financial year, appointing external auditors and approving the Boards recommendations regarding the allocation of profit. The General Assembly exercises all powers of the Corporation within the limits of the law and the Articles of Association. The Board of Directors The Emirates Telecommunications Corporation (Etisalat) is managed by a Board of Directors presided over by the Chairman and consists of eleven members, including the Chairman, seven of whom are appointed by Presidential Decree to represent the Federal Government of the United Arab Emirates, and the remaining Four elected by the 40% non-government shareholders of the Corporation. The term of the Board of Directors is three years, as applicable to each group of members according to the date of their appointment or election. The Board of Directors carries out the Corporations business and for that purpose, exercises all powers of the Corporation, except those reserved by Law or the Articles of Association for the General Assembly of the Corporation. The Executive Committee The Executive Committee is appointed by the Board of Directors in accordance with Section 20 of the Articles of Association. It is empowered to take decisions on behalf of the Board and/ or to make certain recommendations to it concerning particular matters. The Executive Committees functions and powers include organizational matters of the Corporation (such as overseeing statutory, organizational and employment matters and Corporate performance), planning and development (overseeing development plans and projects, and approval of the budget prior to submission to the Board), operations (reviews efficiency of service and lays down policies concerning investments of surplus funds), projects (sets the terms for the project agreements, approves relevant tenders over AED 50 million, and approves project overruns and variations over AED 10 million), procurement (approves purchases over AED 50 million), and investments (including international Investments and expansion projects). The Audit Committee Communicate Entertain Inform c) Internet services The number of Etisalats Internet subscribers reportedly stands at 1.02 million.[42] Some of the Internet services for home users that Etisalat offers include: 3G Mobile Internet access Broadband Internet services (Al Shamil[43] and eLife[44]) Prepaid and post-paid dialup Internet access Etisalat also operates iZone, a system of Wi-FI hotspots in central locations, such as shopping malls, restaurants, and sheesha cafes. iZone can be accessed by either purchasing prepaid cards (AED 15/hour, USD $4.5/hour), or if using an existing account with the operator (AED 3/hour for dial-up account holders, or AED 10/hour for broadband users). Dial-up and ISDN Internet access services are billed by the hour, whereas the domestic and residential cable and DSL connections have a fixed monthly rate depending on speed. Other Internet links, aimed at business users, have traffic utilization plans and relatively high rates when exceeding the allocated bandwidth quota. This has caused bad publicity for Etisalat and is a major source of criticism. Internet censorship Page Blocked Notice Etisalat operates an Internet content filtering system that blocks access to web resources. The web resources are claimed to be controversial or offensive (i.e. sexually explicit content, certain political and religious websites, anonymizers and proxies) or harmful (i.e. numeric IP addresses, known phishing or malicious websites, botnet command servers). The use of content filtering is mandated by the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) of the United Arab Emirates. The type of content that is restricted by Etisalat includes: Pornography, nudity and sexually explicit content. The entire Israel country code top-level domain (.il) Certain media-sharing websites Anti-Islamic websites. Websites criticizing the United Arab Emirates (such as UAEprison and Arab Times) Anonymous proxy sites (such as vtunnel, pzeg, etc.), Gay and Lesbian Rights websites (such as Gaydar, Mogenic etc.) Numerical IP address links (for example, http://10.11.1.1/),Voice over IP services providers websites (such as Skype, Vonage) There are claims that Etisalat breaks the rules of net neutrality by throttling peer-to-peer, gaming and other types of network traffic in order to reduce the load on its oversubscribed international links. The effect of this interference is most noticeable during weekends or periods of high network use. The overall efficiency of the country-wide content filtering is unclear, as many of the technologically savvy users have discovered tools and methods to bypass the content filter, such as using Tor. BlackBerry In July 2009, Etisalat pushed an update to BlackBerry devices operating on the telecoms national network, citing performance improvements. However, it was later discovered that the update contained eavesdropping software, developed by the US-based software development company SS8, which specializes in electronic surveillance. It is reported that the software enabled the company to monitor and forward communications on BlackBerry devices to their servers.[48][49] Research in Motion, BlackBerrys developer, acknowledged[50] that the patch was a form of spyware, and issued a removal patch on July 20. On December 27, 2009, both Etisalat and Du (telco) have been mandated by the UAE telecom regulator to start filtering BlackBerry users web access and block illegal content. Due to concerns with the security and the provisioning of legal interception for Blackberry non-voice services, on 1 Aug 2010, the Telecommunication Regularity Authority of the UAE instructed Etisalat that all Blackberry e-mail, internet and messenger functions must be suspended on 1 Oct 2010 d) The Operating Structure of the Corporation In 2009 Etisalat implemented a group structure to manage its international expansion strategy, protect value from the Corporations United Arab Emirates operations, secure value creation from its seventeen international operations, and to gain the trust of its stakeholders by putting in place a solid structure and governance and adherence to best practices. At the level of the United Arab Emirates, the Group organization structure features two autonomous Operating Units: Etisalat UAE Unit (which is entrusted with provisioning Licensed Telecom Services in the United Arab Emirates);and the Etisalat Services Unit (a wholly owned holding company entrusted with providing certain non-core, non-telecom services to the Corporation, as well as to third parties). The Group exercises and sets its various activities and responsibilities and sets its key corporate policies, prepares plans, and monitors the operational and financial performance of its operating companies, and reports the same to the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee on a regular basis. e) Consolidated income statement before the year ended 31 December 2009 Consolidated statement of comprehensive income a) DU History The Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (EITC) is a telecommunications company in the United Arab Emirates. Although Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company is its legal name, it was commercially rebranded as du in February 2006. The company has invested AED 2.4 billion in 2009 and added 1 million active mobile subscribers in 2009, bringing its subscriber base to 3.48 million. du offers fixed and mobile telephony, broadband connectivity and IPTV services to individuals, homes and businesses, and carrier services for businesses. On February 11, 2007, du launched its own mobile service with call tariffs almost identical to those of Etisalat, thus eliminating any possibility of price competition between the two providers. Subscribers to du mobile services can be identified by the dialing prefix 055 b) Social; technological: DU Chief Executive Officer Osman Sultan Chief Financial Officer Mark Shuttleworth Chief Commercial Officer Farid Faraidooni Chief Technology Officer Yatinder Mahajan Chief Human Resources and Corporate Services Officer Fahad Al Hassawi Chief Strategy and Investments Officer Raghu Venkataraman Chief Corporate Affairs Officer Ananda Bose du is committed to operating according to global best-practice throughout all aspects of its business. While the company has continued to achieve exceptional results, the world has witnessed significant challenges against a backdrop of the financial crisis. The need for commitment to good governance has never been greater. du has operated under a strong corporate governance culture, since the company was founded. The board of directors Leading our corporate governance efforts is a Board of nine Directors, chaired by Ahmad Bin Byat, which meets on a quarterly basis. Meetings are structured to allow open discussion. All directors participate in discussing the strategy, trading and financial performance and risk management of the Company. In line with ESCA and international guidelines, the roles of Chairman and Chief Executive du board and committees In addition, the company has a number of Board Committees, including the Audit Compliance Committee, Remuneration and Nomination Committee, and an Investment Committee, which are responsible for monitoring, reviewing and making recommendations for their respective areas. audit compliance committee The Audit Compliance Committee consists of three directors and meets quarterly. The internal audit function of du has a direct reporting line into the Audit Compliance Committee. This committee is responsible for reviewing dus results and financial statements, reviewing the activities of internal auditors and monitoring compliance with statutory requirements. Audit compliance committee members: Ziad Galadari (Chairman) Younis Al Khoori Fadel Al Ali Remuneration and nomination committee The Remuneration and Nomination Committee meets as required and consists of three directors and is responsible for the assessment and recommendation of policy on executive remuneration and packages for individual executive directors. Remuneration and nomination committee members: Waleed Al Muhairi (Chairman) Abdulhamid Saeed Abdulla Al Shamsi Investment committee The investment committee, which is not an ESCA requirement, consists of four directors. Its main function is to evaluate the companys investment plans to ensure that shareholders will see an appropriate return on investment. It meets a minimum of four times per year. Investment committee members: Eissa Al Suwaidi (Chairman) Ahmad Bin Byat Jassem Al Zaabi Fadel Al Ali c) Key management decisions -DU Censorship: Unlawful websites Users who tried to access a blocked web page were initially redirected to dus first block page. As rendered in the Opera web browser In March 2008, Du began selectively blocking VOIP traffic, preventing customers from using the computer-to-phone functionality of VOIP systems. The blocking is justified on the grounds that computer-to-phone VOIP services are illegal under UAE telecom law. Both of the telecoms providers in the UAE derive a large proportion of their income from expatriates making expensive international calls to their home countries. However, a specific exemption in the telecom law permits the use of VOIP for computer-to-computer calls, and so it is still possible to access VOIP websites, download VOIP software, set up accounts and use the software to make computer-to-computer calls, both audio and video. If a computer-to-phone call is attempted, it will typically fail to connect unless a VPN is used (see below). On April 14, 2008, du started instituting the same widespread censorship of the web that has been practiced by Etisalat for some years. Any attempt to access content deemed inappropriate by the UAE censor results in a blocked page. As well as pornography, blocking includes blogs, forums and news articles that are critical of the UAE, as well as a proportion of sites that seem to be accidentally blocked as they have no obviously In March 2008, Du began selectively blocking VOIP traffic, preventing customers from using the computer-to-phone functionality of VOIP systems. The blocking is justified on the grounds that computer-to-phone VOIP services are illegal under UAE telecom law. Both of the telecoms providers in the UAE derive a large proportion of their income from expatriates making expensive international calls to their home countries. However, a specific exemption in the telecom law permits the use of VOIP for computer-to-computer calls, and so it is still possible to access VOIP websites, download VOIP software, set up accounts and use the software to make computer-to-computer calls, both audio and video. If a computer-to-phone call is attempted, it will typically fail to connect unless a VPN is used (see below). On April 14, 2008, du started instituting the same widespread censorship of the web that has been practised by Etisalat for some years. Any attempt to access content deemed inappropriate by the UAE censor results in a blocked page. As well as pornography, blocking includes blogs, forums and news articles that are critical of the UAE, as well as a proportion of sites that seem to be accidentally blocked as they have no obviously controversial content. d) Operational changes-DU Achieved record revenues of AED5.3 billion and profits of AED528 million in 2009 Added over 1 million active mobile subscribers, bringing total to 3.5 million at year end Exceeded mobile market share target, reaching 32% in third year of operation Invested AED2.4 billion on network and infrastructure development in 2009 to enhance capacity and coverage Continued to provide innovation, value for money and performance to all our customers Well positioned to achieve long term growth and sustainable profitability Listed on the Dubai Financial Market (DFM) under the ticker code: du Date of listing: 22nd April 2006 Net profit at 31st December 2009: AED528mln Earnings per share: 0.066 du is an integrated telecom service provider, offering customers throughout the UAE the best in quality, innovation, and competitive pricing. During 2009 it added more than 1 million active mobile subscribers, proving that we have established ourselves as the operator of choice for the majority of new subscribers in the UAE market. DU offered fixed and mobile telephony, broadband connectivity and IPTV services to individuals, homes and businesses, and carrier services for businesses. du is a rapidly-growing enterprise, with close to 2,000 staff, from over 60 countries, working to enhance and expand our range of service offerings. This wide variety of personnel allows us to mirror the rich cultural diversity of our nation, while being able to serve our customers in a number of different languages. Over 50% of senior management team and customer-facing staff are UAE nationals. Du is committed to provide opportunities for quality talent in a cosmopolitan working environment. e) Financial -DU Full Year 2010 results analysis Revenue Growth (AED Millions) Mobile Fixed Subscriber Growth (Thousands) Press Release du Announces Full Year 2010 Results Revenues exceed AED 7 billion with a 32% increase for the full year 2010 Net profit before royalty exceeds AED 1.2 billion with a 132% increase Dubai, 3 March 2011 Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company PJSC (du) today announced its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year 2010, showing record revenues, and continued healthy customer additions. Highlights for the full year 2010: 856,000 net active1 mobile customers added during the year, taking the total at yearend to 4.3 million. Revenues reached AED 7,074 million, a 32% increase versus 2009 (AED 5,339 million). Gross margin grew by 31% year on year to AED 4,601 million versus 2009 (AED 3,507million). EBITDA2 grew 90% to AED 2,018 million versus 2009 (AED 1,064 million). Net profit before royalty increased by 132% year on year to AED 1,226 million versus2009 (AED 528 million). Net profit after royalty increased to AED 1,310 million from AED 264 million in 2009,following the announcement by UAE Federal Government that the royalty rate for the Company commences from 1 January 2010 and that royalty rate for the year ended 31December 2010 is 15%.3million). Task 3 Etisalat STRENGTHS Etisalat is a monopoly shared by DU in telecommunications which allows no competition whereby maximizing profits Emirates Telecommunications Corporation (Etisalat) is majority-owned by the Ministry of Communications (60%), with the remaining shares publicly-traded on the national stock exchange and held by UAE nationals. This report outlines the companys recent activities and corporate strategy Etisalat is a company established worldwide Etisalat is well developed company with wider penetration in UAE Etisalat weakness Etisalat investments globally is not direct hence they dont have direct control over these investments; hence they only get dividends which means they are a passive player not an active player. This will limit etisalats growth to advance in terms of commercials Etisalat is a monopoly

Case Analysis Essay examples -- Business, IBM

Introduction IBM provides services, software, and systems to clients across throughout the world. During the transformation to a global corporate enterprise, IBM maintained its core values and principles. As a leader in the industries in which it serves, IBM entered its second century in business dedicated to its culture of fairness and corporate citizenship. IBM utilizes a consistent approach to technology and innovation, and has a positive impact on the communities in which it operates. IBM is passionate about social responsibility, interested in making a positive change in society, and is making a profound difference throughout the world on global issues such as AIDS, cancer, education, and hunger (Kanter, 2011). Why is IBM interested in creating â€Å"even bigger change† in society? Organizations of today are experiencing increased pressure from government, employees, and competitors to take an active role in environmental, social, and government issues on topics from climate change and many more, in their supply chain. To address these concerns organizations have developed corporate social responsibility and sustainability initiatives. These efforts are necessary to sustain a long-term ability to create shareholder value, while providing critical benefits to society (Bonini, Koller, & Mirvis, 2009). Effective organizations fully understand the global communities in which they exist and do business. Acquiring this knowledge requires a deeper level of engagement and comprehensive interaction with public, private, and voluntary institutions within community. As a progressive organization, IBM realizes there is a close link between its core values and sustainability and its strategy and purpose. Its corporate... ... IBM understands that community and business must be one for mutual benefit and long-term success. Effective corporate citizenship is a by-product of engaging corporate values to that of its people, which will be more meaningful and longer lasting in the end. References Bonini, S., Koller, T. M., & Mirvis, P. H. (2009). Valuing social responsibility programs. Mckinsey Quarterly, (4), 65-73. Kanter, R. M. (2009). IBM in the 21st Century: The coming of the globally integrated enterprise, Harvard Business School Kanter, R. M. (2011). IBM’s Values and corporate citizenship. Harvard Business School. Retrieved from http://hbr.org/product/ibm-values-and-corporate-citizenship/an/308106-PDF-ENG Ofori, D. F., & Sokro, E. (2010). Examining the Impact of Organisational Values on Corporate Performance in Selected Ghanaian. Global Management Journal, 2(1), 52-65.

History of Music Essay

I. Introduction Music—sounds arranged into meaningful— expressive patterns. The composing and playing of music is both a science and an art. Musicology is the study of music as a field of knowledge, with emphasis on history and theory. The raw materials of any kind of music are certain characteristics of sound—pitch (highness or lowness), timbre (tone color), intensity (loudness), and duration. These raw materials are organized by means of the basic elements of rhythm (the pulse, or beat), melody (the tune), and harmony (the blending of tones). Music is often called the universal language because its meaning and appeal are largely the same for people everywhere. It has almost limitless variety. Music can express the widest range of human experience and feeling—joy, and grief, love and hate, amusement and reverence. It may be vocal or instrumental, and may be performed by soloist or by orchestra, band, or chorus. Moreover, Jazz is a form of music that developed in the United States between 1900 and 1915. The origin of the word is uncertain. The music was created originally by the American Negro, but within 40 years it was being performed and created by people of every national and racial background. By the 1940’s no phase of contemporary American music, serious as well as popular, remained untouched by jazz. Jazz bands, magazines, and festivals are found in Japan, in South America, in North Africa, and throughout Europe (O’Meally, 2002). Jazz is difficult to define, and not even jazz musicians and critics agree on a definition. It is a performer’s art, a way of playing. Jazz cannot be written down to show the precise manner in which it is played. It is most accurately preserved not in published scores but on phonograph records. This paper discusses a brief history of the development of some â€Å"mechanical† aspects of music such as musical styles, particular instruments, the recording industry, growth of jazz, etc. II. Discussion A. The Nature of jazz Rhythm. The infectious, compelling rhythms of jazz are based mainly on the 4/4 march tempo. In conventional music, the first and third beats of a four-beat measure are accented. In jazz, however, the second and fourth are accented, producing a syncopated rhythm.   Additional complex contrasting rhythms are built upon the simultaneous use of another form of syncopation in which a tone is held through a beat stringer than the one in which it began. Underlying these multiple rhythms is a regularly accented basic rhythm called â€Å"the beat,† or â€Å"swing†Ã¢â‚¬â€a pulsating, rhythmic feeling that is hard to define and cannot be represented in writing by notes (Lopes, 2002). Improvisation is the composing of music while in actual performance without previous rehearsal. It is a basic element of jazz. The improvising musician may compose a new theme, or melody, or may create new variations and patterns on an existing melody. While one member of a band develops a theme another will expand it. Each musician in the band adds something of his own and several musicians improvise on the same theme at the same time. Jazz is not entirely improvisational, however. Although jazz cannot be notated exactly, much of it is written down, or arranged.   Some passages are left unwritten for solo improvisation. This improvisation and the overall rhythmic interpretation of the music make an arranged piece into jazz (Jones, 2000). Instruments. Another characteristic of jazz is the way musical instruments are played. Brass instruments, such as the trumpet, often take on the tone colors of a singing or speaking voice. Mutes are used to give different sounds to the trumpet, trombone, and other instruments. The rhythm section of a jazz band is not limited to drums. The piano, guitar, and string bass are also used as percussive instruments (Jones, 2000). B. History of Jazz A blending of African and European musical traditions, jazz goes back many years. Revival hymns of the Western frontier, Negro work songs, and minstrel shows are among its many sources. From them came the blues and ragtime. The blues, a vocal music, developed in rural areas; ragtime, a piano music, developed in the cities. After the Civil War many blacks began playing brass-band instruments, and brass marching bands developed. Blues, ragtime, and brass-band music, by the end of the 19th century, blended into a music that today would be classified as jazz. While no one city can be called the birth-place of jazz, New Orleans was one of the most colorful centers of early jazz (Jones, 2000). New Orleans. Around 1898 a brass band led by the cornetist Buddy Bolden played what would probably be recognized as jazz. Bolden’s band, Kid Ory’s Creole Band, and others marched in parades, played for funerals, weddings, and dances, and performed while riding in advertising wagons. These early bands consisted of one or two cornets, a clarinet, a banjo, and drums. About 1910 the bands began playing in the brothels and gambling houses of the notorious Storyville section in New Orleans (Jones, 2000). Dixieland. Many white musicians, influenced by the Negro bands, organized their own bands. Jack â€Å"Papa† Laine, with his Ragtime Band and his Reliance Brass Band, was one of the first white jazzmen. The musicians in these bands read music, and all their pieces were written out. Although they could not capture the bittersweet mood of the blues, they played an orchestral type of ragtime that was later called Dixieland (Benford, 2004). The Jazz Age. In 1917, the federal government closed down Storyville. King Oliver, Jelly Roll Morton, Louis Armstrong, Sidney Bechet, and other New Orleans-born musicians went North and helped spread jazz across the country. By the early 1920’s, the center of jazz had shifted to Chicago, where it flourished in dance halls and speakeasies. Eddie Condon, Gene Krupa, and other Chicago musicians played an intense, driving variation of Dixieland that became known as â€Å"Chicago style† (Benford, 2004). During the Jazz Age, jazz bands became larger, the saxophone was added, and new jazz styles evolved. Virtuoso soloists and new jazz styles evolved. Virtuoso soloists, such as Louis Armstrong and Bix Beiderbecke, became more important as the improvised breaks grew longer. Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith, and other blues singers performed and recorded with jazz bands (Lopes, 2002). III. Conclusion Jazz, however, was not yet considered respectable, mainly because of the places in which it was played. The general public heard, instead of true jazz, carefully rehearsed arrangements of jazz-like pieces. Paul Whiteman, called the â€Å"King of Jazz,† was a pioneer in such music. Furthermore, modern jazz is not a single movement or school. Various schools with distinctive styles have developed (Lopes, 2002). Jazz continued undergoing many changes in the 1970’s. Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea helped popularize jazz-fusion (or jazz-rock), a style that uses electronic synthesizers and electronically amplified instruments.

Discrimination in Housing in 1950’s Essay

â€Å"Minorities experienced racism in suburbia in the 1950’s. †(Kruse) Through the postwar, government started developing on highways, housing, and others so on. FHA (Federal Housing Administration) started to build big, nice houses in outside of the city area. Which is now called â€Å"Suburbia†. The main idea of suburbia was having bigger house without lots of money, better social community and nice neighborhood. â€Å"Better housing and jobs, cheap consumer credit, safe and healthy neighborhoods, and good public services and schools. †(Kruse) This idea boomed and Suburbia became popular and got rushed by people. For selling more houses and to make profits their business with big companies, FHA made loaning program. Thru people could be able to buy a house without having money. But meanwhile, FHA had discrimination. They only loan the money to the white. â€Å"Federal government denied most racial minorities access not only to suburbia but also to the many benefits of homeownership. Their goal was to make exclusivity for white. Almost exclusively for white people. †(Kruse) They did not sell the houses to any other minorities even some of them had enough money to buy. To build highways, and houses, in somewhere had to be destroyed for developments. Of course the targets were places where minorities were living in. While suburbia and outside of city were getting developed, the urban area was quickly getting decayed. All minorities were stuck and living in dirty poverty in city. Since that was the government’s act, minorities did not have really anything to do. All they did was protesting, but nothing really influenced changing. But somehow, federal governments felt guilty and removed the discrimination act officially, but there was still segregation going on in individual person’s inside. By the fact, federal governments decided to rebuild urban area. And minorities were able to live in much better conditions. Suburbia mostly started to develop in 1950’s. After world war2, a lot of immigrants kept coming to America and cities were getting packed. People wanted to have better life, better society, and better community. People were sick and tired of city living. A lot of dirty areas in everywhere, small living condition, high taxes crowded by cars, people and danger living. â€Å"People were seeking to remove themselves from the heavy concentration of new immigrant population in the central cities. (Palen) People wanted to get out of the city but not too far away, not to the farms, countryside. Therefore government started to consider and develop some places for them. Suburbia was created to solve this problem, and to satisfy people with their Living. â€Å"It processes something both of the countryside and of the city† (Edwards). For an example, Levitt town was created by Abraham Levitt. Federal government and big businesses cooperated each other to built this big project. Federal government spend a lot of efforts and money as you see â€Å"The modern American suburb is heavily indebted to the federal government. For decades writers have chronicled this debt, documenting how state policy fueled the rapid suburban growth that has so decisively shaped U. S. politics and culture since world war2. Federal Spending priorities, mortgage programs, tax incentives, urban renewal, and a host of other public initiatives fundamentally reshaped the metropolis. †(Kruse) The first new suburbia in United State was Levittown . It is located in Long island, New York. â€Å"Levittown gets its name from its builder, the firm of Levitt & Sons, Inc. , which built it as a planned community between 1947 and 1951. Levittown was the first truly mass-produced suburb and is widely regarded as the archetype for postwar suburbs throughout the country. Levitt and Sons built the community with an eye towards speed, efficiency and cost-effective construction, which methods led to a production rate of 30 houses a day by July of 1948. The planned 2,000 home rental community was quickly successful, with New York Herald Tribune reporting that half of the properties had been rented within two days of the community being announced on May 7, 1947. As demand continued, exceeding availability, the Levitts expanded their project with 4,000 more homes as well as community services, including schools and postal delivery. After thousands of thousands houses built up, federal housing association (FHA) created mortgage program for sell houses. And FHA started loan the money to people. It decisively helped sell all the houses. FHA standardized the long-term, low-interest home mortgage and facilitated its use nationwide. †(Kruse) Thru people who do not have enough money to buy a house, they were still able to buy a house. Also most houses in suburb was not expensive and was worth it comparing to small, dirty, dangerous condition houses in the city. After built houses, and sold houses, government and big businesses started build highways which connect from city to suburbia. And started build public convenient such as high schools, libraries, YMCA for better society and community. With valuable price, bigger house condition, better community, and loaning mortgage program by FHA, suburbia houses got boomed. When people got out of the city and moved to suburbia, most of them were white. The reason why they moved out to suburbia was that not only they wanted have bigger house, fresh areas but also they wanted to have better society and community. Which represents that they wanted have their own ethnic society. Indeed, most of people who moved out to suburbia were white. They have felt dangerous in the city because there was a lot mixed ethnic groups in the city. Therefore they loathed city life. Since they moved out to suburbia, they did not want any other ethnic groups or people come and live in suburbia. They only wanted white neighborhood. Thru suburbia became exclusive living area only for white. By becoming exclusive area, FHA helped a lot to make this happening. Thru it accentuated the nations racial and class inequalities. For example, FHA denied most racial minorities’ access to suburbia and also to the many benefits of homeownership, loaning money to minorities, and even did not sell the house to minorities who had enough money to buy a house in suburbia. FHA operation systematically discriminated by race. FHA agency endorsed the use of race-restrictive covenants until 1950. And they followed the appraisal guideline outlined in the FHA’s underwriting Manual, which prohibited realtors(and by extension, lenders, and builders) from introducing â€Å"incompatible† racial groups into white residential enslaves. If a neighborhood is to retain stability. †(Kruse). Therefore meanwhile suburbia was growing up and up, city was going to downhill. Because all city polices also moved out to suburbia followed to white people. Federal government neglected urban area. After world war 2, federal, state, and local governments abandoned flexible and sensible urban planning and replaced it with restrictive, isolating, community-destructive zoning. † (Morris). Finally urban areas became ghetto; some parts of neighborhoods became very dangerous. People lose their job since the city is getting decayed. By not making money, people gets poorer and moved to compact place such as public housing. People start dealing drug in small area, it causes crimes, and the government neglected it. As an example of apartment residents by high percentage of black people is â€Å"Robert Taylor Homes†. It is located in Bronzeville, south side of Chicago. â€Å"It is largest public housing in Chicago and the nation with 4,415 apartments. † (Lindstrom). Over 96% of residents are African American, and at one point 95% of residents were unemployed. â€Å"Bronzeville’s public housing is extremely dilapidated and controlled by gangs. Entering public housing means stepping into the middle of the drug trade. Gang members monitor the outside of the buildings and sell illicit substances, calling out drug code phrases like â€Å"ghost face† and â€Å"dog face† from first-floor hallways. The unlawful activity makes public housing quite intimidating and dangerous, especially when turf wars, which often involve gunfire, break out. † (Hyra) All minorities’ communities converged into city. Some minorities got really racial attacked by a big business company’s project. As an example, when Walker O’ Malley constructed dodger stadium nearly by highway in Los Angeles, he bulldozed out all the houses, village which were at the ground before stadium constructed. And of course all residents who lived at there were Mexicans. The highway engineer did not hesitate to lay waste to woods, streams, parks, and human neighborhoods† (Morris) â€Å"-L. A. city council decided in 1949 that the area was â€Å"blighted† infected with poverty and dismal living condition three years old neighborhood could be called â€Å" ancient † Mexican villages. It is the side of Tonga Indian ruins and homes built on homes for thousands of years. Mostly Hispanic, cattle ranches gardens, farms that fed everyone who live in the area, hospital, school. It was a community in every sense of the word. Vet little U. S. /California involvement- people were left alone. Most American cities were attempting to glamorize their appearances such as large shining buildings, sports complex, and collect the poor into public housing. Federal housing and urban development gave L. A. money to buy the land and build Elysian Heights. Chavez gives up the land L. A. starts buying pieces for $10,000 at first, then offer less and less as time passes. 1952- 80% of 1100 homes have been bulldozed. In 1952, Maylor Poulson of L. A. declares public housing is communism committee against social housing C. A. S. H. + Maylor cancelled projects. â€Å"Imminent domain† public use, land can be taken by the government. Law used to remove residents of Chavez residents were paid with promise of placement in Elysion Heights. Manvel Arichega(1954)- last resident forcibly removed from his house in L. R. at gunpoint and bloodied family with home. L. A. times was present + reporting therefore no guns were fired. It would have been the final bad move by the L. A. city council paid $10,500. â€Å"Death of Baseball† in America. † (Blizzard) Fig. 2. Anonymous, photographer, Los Angeles Times, Chavez Ravine property owners examine bulldozed ruins (Los Angeles, May 1959). After all those things went through, there were minorities’ reactions against discrimination. But since it was against big government, not an individual personal problem, it was very hard to change it and fix the problem. However, minorities have been protesting, and screaming civil rights, and local state. But nothing was really seems to be changed and fixed until federal government felt guilty themselves. Eventually at some point, federal government felt guilty about segregation, discrimination. They officially removed the law that FHA can able to loan to only white, and changed law that any minorities also can buy a house in suburbia. Also tried to protect minorities from racism. For an example, â€Å"little rock nine† â€Å"When the federal court ordered Gov. Faubus to stop interfering with the court’s order, Faubus removed the guardsmen from in front of the school. On September 23, the Nine entered the school for the first time. Calling the mob’s actions â€Å"disgraceful,† Eisenhower called out 1,200 members of the U. S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division—the â€Å"Screaming Eagles† of Fort Campbell, Kentucky—and placed the Arkansas National Guard under federal orders. On September 25, 1957, under federal troop escort, the Nine were escorted back into Central for their first full day of classes. After the Nine suffered repeated harassment—such as kicking, shoving, and name calling—the military assigned guards to escort them to classes. Fig. 3. Photo by Will Counts ; courtesy of the Arkansas history Commission. National Guardsman prevents four black students from entering little rock central high school; September 4, 1957. (http://www. encyclopediaofarkansas. net/encyclopedia/media- detail. aspx? mediaID=7784). But however, federal government has changed the law and outlawed discrimination, still There was racism going on in suburbia in individual people’s inside through the cultural experiences. When black family tries to buy a house, after outlawed discrimination, the real happening was that the town improvement association representative comes to the family house, and mostly convince not moving into the town for keeping good neighborhood and community and they discouraged people(minority) who tries to buy a house. As it said â€Å"at the moment the overwhelming majority of our people out there feel that people get along better, take more of a common interest in the life of the community, when they share a common background. I want you to believe me when I tell you that race prejudice simply doesn’t enter into it†. (Littell) Or they just told them that they will not sell houses to them face to face. â€Å"Others were straightforward: â€Å"You’re colored, aren’t you? I can’t do anything for you,† said one. † (Kruse) Even federal government has been trying hard to not have discrimination, it did not work out well. Instead of keep trying on this side, they created a new project and went into it. The idea was rebuilding urban area. Black people also liked more the idea of rebuilding urban area. The black middle class wants to â€Å"restore† communities, and housing to safe, prosperous, and tranquil places. † (Hyra) While suburbia was developing very quickly, the urban area was decaying very quickly. A lot of areas in the city have broken houses and some factories for industry. So it can create jobs for minorities. To make better community, and society, federal government spent more money for school education, and condition than they used to spend before. So minorities could be satisfied even a little living in urban city. Governments tried hard to reduce the gap of living quality between city and suburbia since white majority people didn’t really want any minorities in their neighborhood. And also federal government ordered to build much more houses in between city area and suburb so there would be plenty of houses for everyone. Plenty of empty houses were owned by the federal government. Thru minorities could able to buy a house easily. This made much easier to buy a house than from owned by white people. After post war, people wanted have better society, community and get out of the city. Thru government and big businesses cooperated each other and started to build suburbia which is located in near outside of the city. FHA built tons of houses and highways. While building new houses and highways, the places where minorities were living in, got bulldozed up their houses by government’s power. They didn’t get a new house after all built up to new houses or highway and didn’t get anything back for compensation. And then FHA started loan to people whoever wants to move in suburbia for selling houses and making profits their business. But it was exclusive. Only white could able to buy and move to suburbia. Any of minorities could not able to buy houses because of FHA didn’t loan to any minorities. Even who has enough money to buy a house, they didn’t sell it to minorities. Eventually federal government felt guilty and outlawed discrimination. But it has been culture deeply on people’s mind. Therefore even government outlawed, people didn’t really turned around. They didn’t want any minorities in their neighborhood. They didn’t sell the house to minorities. Finally federal government created a new project instead of keep trying to work one way. Government started renewal dwelling area in urban city. They started rebuild the houses And factories in the city. They cleaned up the slums and ghetto areas first. Factories, industries created new jobs for minorities. Also government put more money for school, and public systems to make satisfy minorities with their living condition. Then government started builds more houses in between city and suburbia to have plenty of empty houses owned by governments. Therefore it would be easier to buy a house for minorities than buying a house from white person.