Promotion "Above the Line" and "Below the Line"

Promotion can be loosely classified as "above the line" and "below the line" promotion. The promotional activities carried out through mass media like television, radio, newspaper etc. is above the line promotion.

The terms 'below-the-line' promotion or communications, refers to forms of non-media communication, even non-media advertising. Below-the-line promotions are becoming increasingly important within the communications mix of many companies, not only those involved in fmcg products, but also for industrial goods.

Some of the ways by which companies do BTL (below the line) promotions are by exhibitions, sponsorship activities, public relations and sales promotions like giving freebies with goods, trade discounts given to dealers and customers, reduced price offers on products, giving coupons which can be redeemed later etc.

Promotion "Above the Line" and "Below the Line"

BELOW THE LINE SALES PROMOTION

Below the line sales promotions are short-term incentives, largely aimed at consumers. With the increasing pressure on the marketing team to achieve communication objectives more efficiently in a limited budget, there has been a need to find out more effective and cost efficient ways to communicate with the target markets. This has led to a shift from the regular media based advertising.

A definition of below-the-line sales promotion given by Hugh Davidson:

'An immediate or delayed incentive to purchase, expressed in cash or in kind, and having only a short term or temporary duration'.

Methods of below the line sales promotion

1. Price promotions

Price promotions are also commonly known as" price discounting". These can be done in two ways:

(1) A discount to the normal selling price of a product, or

(2) More of the product at the normal price.

Price promotions however can also have a negative effect by spoiling the brand reputation or just a temporary sales boost (during the discounts) followed by a lull when the discount would be called off.

2. Coupons

Coupons are another, very versatile, way of offering a discount. Consider the following examples of the use of coupons:

- On a pack to encourage repeat purchase

- In coupon books sent out in newspapers allowing customers to redeem the coupon at a retailer

- A cut-out coupon as part of an advert

- On the back of till receipts

The key objective with a coupon promotion is to maximize the redemption rate - this is the proportion of customers actually using the coupon.

It must be ensured when a company uses coupons that the retailers must hold sufficient stock to avoid customer disappointment.

Use of coupon promotions is often best for new products or perhaps to encourage sales of existing products that are slowing down.

3. Gift with purchase

The "gift with purchase" is a very common promotional technique. In this scheme, the customer gets something extra along with the normal good purchased. It works best for

- Subscription-based products (e.g. magazines)
- Consumer luxuries (e.g. perfumes)

4. Competitions and prizes

This is an important tool to increase brand awareness amongst the target consumer. It can be used to boost up sales for temporary period and ensure usage amongst first time users.

5. Money refunds

Here, a customer receives a money refund after submitting a proof of purchase to the manufacturer.
Customers often view these schemes with some suspicion - particularly if the method of obtaining a refund looks unusual or onerous.

6. Frequent user / loyalty incentives

Repeat purchases may be stimulated by frequent user incentives. Perhaps the best examples of this are the many frequent flyer or user schemes used by airlines, train companies, car hire companies etc.

7. Point-of-sale displays

Shopping habits are changing for the people living in metropolitan cities. People prefer big retail outlets like Big Bazaar to local kirana stores. Most of the decisions of buying are taken by the virtue of point-of-sale displays in these retail outlets.

SOME INTERSTING EXAMPLES OF BTL PROMOTION

Most of the big brands are following the suit of BTL promotion because of rising prices of media based promotion, advertising clutter and increased impulse purchasing.

Some of the interesting examples are:

Most of the educational institutes like career launcher, Time and PT are holding informative workshops and free tests for students which give a direct interaction of these institutes with the target customer and hence a suitable platform to sell themselves.

Ring tones and music videos on cell phones are helping the entertainment industry to promote for a music video or a movie for dirt-cheap rate as compared to media promotion.

Various companies sponsor sport events to promote their brand, but nowadays media companies like Hindustan Times are holding weekly events through out the country in which companies can put up their stalls, display banners and posters and arrange for some fun activities. These events give the companies a platform at very low price to promote their brand and increase visibility among target consumer. These companies also give discount coupons to winners in the games, which in turn boost the sales of the products and ensure that first time users try these products as well.

Pepsi organized an inter school cricket event for 425 schools across 14 cities which did wonders for the company by promoting the brand amongst the right target customer for almost no cost.

Most of the pharmacy companies do BTL promotion by getting shelf space through doctors to display their products or by giving away free calcium tablets again through doctors, knowing that for a patient a personal advise from a doctor would hold more value as compared to a commercial advertisement.

Another interesting BTL promotion was by NIKE, an athlete dressed up in Nike sportswear could be seen jogging on an elevated treadmill for the whole day on National Highway 8, Delhi.

BTL promotions are gaining popularity among all big companies nowadays considering their effectiveness because of the "individual customer promotion" at a price, which is much lesser than the normal media promotions.

Promotion "Above the Line" and "Below the Line"
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Mr. Amarendra B. Dhiraj is a frequent speaker at internationally renowned global events, CEO/CTO/CIO Roundtables, Technology Conferences and Symposiums. He hosted and organized the Executive Technology Leadership Forum. He specializes in strategy, innovation, and leadership for change. His strategic and practical insights have guided leaders of large and small organizations worldwide.

Amarendra Bhushan has been named to lists of the European Management Guru and is named as “Europe's youngest management Guru” and one of the “Top most influential business thinkers in the world”. http://www.theerce.com, http://www.indogreek.org The Economic Times, CNBC, moneycontrol

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History of the Camera

Early cameras of the 16th and 17th century were able to project images onto paper or glass but the study of capturing, processing and printing the images took many more years. Up until the 17th century, scientists believed that light was composed basically of the 'white' that is perceived by the human eye. It took the research done by famous physicist Isaac Newton to discover that light is actually composed of a spectrum of colors. While he made a big contribution to the study of optics (that is at the core of camera advances) with this discovery, Newton did not actually have anything to do with camera development per se.

The early camera that first became a phenomenon was a little more than a pinhole camera and can be traced back to 1558. It was called the Camera Obscura. The Camera Obscura was seen as a drawing tool for a clearer and realistic portrayal of objects. It was in the early 19th century that an invention named the Camera Lucida was introduced by Cambridge scientist William Hyde Wollaston that consisted of an optical device that could help an artist view a distant scene or person or object on a paper surface that he or she was using to draw. In other words the artist gets to view a superimposed image of a subject on paper and this image could be effectively used to attempt to draw, trace or paint it. Both the Camera Obscura and the Camera Lucida provided an image that was temporary, which could not be lastingly captured on to paper for later reference.

Studies however continued well into the 1800's on how to actually capture the image onto material. It was during this time, around 1822 that French researcher Joseph Nicephore Niepce, created the first photograph by using paper that was coated with a chemical. The image would not stay permanently on the paper and would disappear after a short while. Even so, despite the short-lived nature of the image, the concept of photography was born with this experiment and paved the way for further study and development in this field.

History of the Camera

Capturing images to retain them longer and permanently became the next big quest for researchers. Another Frenchman Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre partnered with Joseph Nicéphore Niépce in 1829, to develop the process of creating permanent photographs. Joseph Niépce died in 1833 but Daguerre continued with the work and succeeded in 1837 after many long years of experimentation. The process of capturing photographic images that would not fade away, introduced by Daguerre came to be known as the 'daguerreotype'.

The word 'photography' was coined by scientist Sir John F.W. Herschel in 1839 and it is actually is derived from two Greek words 'photos' meaning light and 'graphein' meaning draw.

A slightly more advanced version of the daguerreotype called the Calotype process that makes multiple copies possible using the negative and positive method became available very soon after. In fact, it was during the 1840's that the use of photographic images in advertisements first started and cameras made their mark on the power of visual communication. It was not much later, in the 1850's that photographers first started experimenting with underwater photography of seascapes.

Up until 1850, the process of capturing images was cumbersome requiring upto half an hour of light exposure. The discovery made in 1851 by Frederick Scott Archer was a blessing since the new method termed the Collodion process called for just 2-3 seconds of light exposure to capture an image.

Prior to 1871, photographers went through a development process where they had to coat the plate with wet chemical each and every time and process the image immediately. With the invention the gelatin dry plate silver bromide process by Richard Leach Maddox, negatives did not have to be developed immediately. This was an important discovery since up until then the captured image had to be processed instantly.

Kodak created in 1888 by George Eastman has been a modern day pioneer of sorts in cameras and photography for the masses. George Eastman and the scientists who worked with him at Kodak developed the photographic film in 1889 and made it available in rolls for the mass use of consumers. An important milestone in our entertainment and communication history was the development of transparent roll film by Eastman. This development led to another key invention - the motion picture camera by Thomas Edison's in 1891.

-->Modern Times

During the 20th century the pace of technology development in cameras and photography continued at an accelerated pace much like many other key technology developments. While several key inventions like car, telephone and the gramophone record happened in the later half of the 19th century, it is the last 100 years that saw major developmental work in many areas of communications technology and as well as in other fields - TV, aircrafts, PCs, digital technology, digital cameras, mobile phones, fax machines and the internet, to name a few.

In the case of the camera, the developments simplified the whole process of photography, making it accessible to one and all at affordable prices and the camera industry denizens of our times made it into a mass phenomenon. The first mass use camera became available at the turn of the 20th century and can be traced back to the year 1900. There are hundreds of models of cameras available today both for the amateur as well as the professional and the camera is an important part of any family's repertoire of must have gadgets.

-->20th century chronology in the history of the camera:

1913: 35 mm still-camera created

1927: The flash bulb introduced by General Electric Co. (The concept of camera flash existed much before but was based on the use of a flash light powder that was invented by German researchers)

1935- 1941: Kodak starts marketing Kodachrome film and subsequently launches Kodacolor negative film. Canon released the Hansa Canon in 1936, the first 35mm focal-plane shutter camera.

1948: The concept of the Polaroid camera is introduced in the market. American scientist Edwin Land developed the process for instant photography. Later Polaroid Corporation developed the 'instant color' film around 1963.

1957: Frenchman Jaques Yves Cousteau invented the first waterproof 35mm camera for underwater photography named the Calypso Phot. The actual camera was developed by the Belgian airplane technical designer Jean de Wouters based on the blueprint and suggestions given to him by Cousteau.

1972: The electronic camera that does not require film was created and patented by Texas Instruments. This is however not the same as a digital camera though you don't require film in digital cameras as well. The launch of the digital camera is still many years away.

1975: Kodak's experiments with digital imaging kicked off around the mid seventies but it will take another 20 years before a digital camera for the home consumer market is launched.

1978 - 1980: Asian players like Konica and Sony begin to make their mark. The 'point and shoot' automatic focus camera is launched by Konica while Sony starts talking about the camcorder and demonstrates a prototype.

1981: Sony launches a commercially available electronic still camera. Similar to the 1972 invention by Texas Instruments, the Sony electronic camera came with a mini disc on which images were recorded and stored. The recorded images could be later printed or viewed on a monitor using a reader device.

1985: Digital processing technology makes its entry. Digital imaging and processing is introduced by Pixar.

1986: The camera industry becomes even more consumer focused and taps the fun and travel connotations behind camera usage, with the launch of the concept of the disposable single use cameras. Fuji is credited with the development of this concept.

Also in 1986 - 1987, Kodak started taking giant strides in digital development. Digital means, the photographic image is divided into tiny units of dots or squares known as pixels. Pixels are the programmable units of an image that can be processed by computers. Each image could be made up of millions of pixels. The use of pixels in digital technology allows storing large volumes of pixels to deliver high definition print quality.

1990: Kodak introduces Photo CD's. It is a system of storing photographic images on CD and then viewing them on a computer. With this development the user-friendly approach of the camera industry began to take concrete shape.

1991: Kodak introduces a digital camera targeted at professionals and journalists. Kodak is credited with the invention of a pixel based camera technology known to us as the digital camera. Digital cameras don't use film similar to their predecessor electronic cameras but the storage method is entirely different and the final photograph is of much higher resolution. In a digital camera photos are recorded and stored in digital form. This digital data can be transferred to a computer and processed for printing. Kodak and Canon are well known digital camera manufacturers and there are also several other key brands as well.

1994: The Apple QuickTake camera, a home use digital camera is launched. This is followed by the launch of a clutch of home use digital cameras by Casio, Kodak and others in quick succession during 1995 -'96.

-->The digital era:

The development of digital camera technology is considered to be linked to the development of TV and Video technology. The principles of transmission and recording of audio-visual images using digital electrical impulses finds use in camera imaging as well.

Through the 1990's the developments continued in camera technology, the focus now shifting to the field of digital imaging which is where the future lies. Use-friendly features like software that can download digital images directly from camera onto home computers for storing and sharing on the internet is the new norm in the market place.

The camera, the computer, the software industry and the worldwide web are today irrevocably interlinked to empower the user in experiencing the benefits of camera usage to full potential. The innovation that sparked many an invention in the camera industry found its way into the digital world as well and continued among digital camera manufacturers. During 2001, the Kodak and Microsoft partnership ensured that digital camera manufacturers could use the power of Picture Transfer Protocol (PTP) standard through Windows. The digital photo experience is a key visual driver in the Internet era. Many of Kodak digital camera models with EasyShare capabilities are compatible with Windows XP. The Kodak EasyShare software enables users to transfer digital camera pictures directly from camera to their computers and then print the pictures or even email them.

Manufacturers in a related industry like the printing industry have adapted their products to be in sync with the images created by digital cameras. Cell phone manufacturers have tied up with digital camera manufacturers to develop new age camera phones in recent years. These camera phones can capture images and share the images through the cell phone.

Among the 21st century digital developments are the advanced product offerings from digital cameras manufacturers and these are sure to occupy an important place in the ensuing history of camera development. For instance, the Kodak Professional DCS Pro SLR/c is a high-end digital camera and the Kodak website calls the DCS Pro SLR models the most feature-rich digital cameras on the market. It has an image sensor that can handle 13.89 million pixels and this makes it the highest resolution digital camera available. High resolution determines the sharpness or level of detail in photographic images. This is just a glimpse of the capabilities that digital technology places in a user's hands. Digital camera sales figures for 2003 show that the two key players Kodak and Canon have recorded impressive growth.

-->What does the future holds for camera users?

The features offered by digital cameras can be quite mind-boggling for the average user and pretty exciting for most pros. Four key ongoing camera developments that are likely to further improve the process of photography:

1. Greater resolution from even the simplest, low cost camera models

2. Usage in any type of lighting conditions,

3. Compatibility across a range of software, hardware and image types

4. Rich colors and tone

While the higher-end digital evolution continues, the prices of the simple camera have crashed to such an extent that even children and teens are proud owners of uncomplicated cameras. The camera and photography interest starts young and this creates a truly large audience base for the camera industry.

And throughout history, it is evident that the endeavor of researchers and developers has been to make the camera available to a wide section of society. Without camera technology and photography, the other key developments of cinema and TV would have been delayed and what a boring place the world would have been without TV and films!!

History of the Camera
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Innovation, Idea Selection, Valuation

There is no sure fire route to commercial success, but one can maximize the chances of selecting those ideas that are most likely to succeed. Organizations short of R & D resources must implement such processes. The Economist (2003) states that 3000 bright ideas result in 100 worthwhile projects, which are winnowed down to four development programmes. And four such development programmes are required to stand any chance of getting one winner.

So how do we value ideas? There are quite a few categories of evaluation. Some include:

a) Those types of ideas that have been most successful in the past. Franklin (2003) notes at least six types, including need spotting, solution spotting, market research resultants, random event, mental invention, trend following. Each type has it's own percentage of success.

Innovation, Idea Selection, Valuation

b) Fit with the firm. Katz (2003) argues that ideas are more likely to succeed if the firm has i) the strategic fit, ii) the technical expertise and iii) the business competencies to make it work.

c) Utterbeck (1994) notes that practical impediments can make or break a valuable idea. For instance, the cultural resistance to condoms in Africa have contributed to the spread of HIV. He has devised the S-curve, which allows relative measurement of ideas against practical impediments.

d) The timing of GO and KILL decisions have an impact. When an idea is in the pipeline, a premature KILL decision may not allow the potential of an idea to be fully realised. However, keeping it in the GO state may use up valuable resources that hinder other valuable ideas.

e) Success is more likely if the benefits to the consumer have been established. These can be measured in various ways, for example, rating on productivity, simplicity, convenience, risk, fun, image, environmental, purchase, delivery, use, supplements, maintenance, disposal etc.

These and other topics are covered in depth in the MBA dissertation on Managing Creativity & Innovation, which can be purchased (along with a Creativity and Innovation DIY Audit, Good Idea Generator Software and Power Point Presentation) from http://www.managing-creativity.com

Kal Bishop, MBA

**********************************

You are free to reproduce this article as long as no changes are made and the author's name and site URL are retained.

Innovation, Idea Selection, Valuation
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Kal Bishop is a management consultant based in London, UK. He has consulted in the visual media and software industries and for clients such as Toshiba and Transport for London. He has led Improv, creativity and innovation workshops, exhibited artwork in San Francisco, Los Angeles and London and written a number of screenplays. He is a passionate traveller. He can be reached on http://www.managing-creativity.com.

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What is SAP? An in Depth Definition of SAP ERP System

As mentioned before SAP is an acronym for "System Application & Products" which creates a common centralised database for all the applications running in an organization. The application has been assembled in such a versatile way that it handles all the functional department within an organisation. Today major companies including Microsoft and IBM are using SAP's Products to run their own businesses.

R/2, which ran on a Mainframe architecture, was the first SAP version. Sap's products are generally focused on Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). Sap's applications are built around R/3 system which provide the functionality to manage product operations, cost accounting, assets, materials and personnel. The R/3 system of SAP runs on majority of platforms including windows 2000 and it uses the client/sever model.

SAP provides majority of enterprise applications that includes:

What is SAP? An in Depth Definition of SAP ERP System

1. SAP Knowledge Warehouse (KW)

2. Product Lifecycle Management (PLM)

3. Human Resource Management Systems (HRMS)

4. Supplier Relationship Management (SRM)

5. Supply Chain Management (SCM)

6. Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

7. Advanced Planner and Optimizer (APO)

8. Business Information Warehouse (BW)

SAP NetWeaver is the latest technology introduced by SAP. SAP's products are mainly focussed on large organizations which mainly comprises of Fortune 500 companies and its a number one choice for ERP system worldwide. SAP has software solutions called SAP Business One (SAP B1) and SAP all in one which are mainly created for small and mid sized organizations. SAP products are used by millions people worldwide and in more than 120 countries and is constantly increasing. SAP had over 38, 4000 employees in over 50 countries, and more than 36,200 customers around the world as on Jan 2007.

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Top Picks For the Best Driving Directions Sites

Whether we're driving off somewhere we are not very familiar with in the country or we're off to explore new sights in a totally foreign land; we can now easily find our way around thanks to online directions that we can readily access wherever we are.

There are actually several online sites that can be categorized as the best driving directions site, depending on our location and how much information we need. Nevertheless, these sites can take us to wherever we are going and back in the easiest possible way.

3 BEST DRIVING DIRECTIONS SITES

Top Picks For the Best Driving Directions Sites

The following have been tagged by people who have actually used them as the best driving directions site available today. We can take our pick of the perfect one for us - whichever works best for us.

1. MapQuest - For most people, this is their top pick for the best driving site. Having provided accurate directions in specific details since the late 1990s; this is likewise the most popular site for drivers all across the globe.

By simply inputting the exact location that we want to go or even just the main streets; we can readily navigate our way around in the fastest route possible so we can get to our destination in no time at all.

2. Google Maps - This Google site may be a fairly new driving directions site but it has already proven its importance and accuracy to a lot of drivers trying to find their way around. It has every right to be deemed as the best site today.

With the help of Google Maps, we can take the easier route - instead of the more traffic-congested roads. This will prove to be very useful when traveling to foreign countries for a vacation and we want to take the more picturesque route around the place.

3. Yahoo! Maps - Another innovation by Yahoo, this site provides alternative routes to our destination if we find that other sites have not given us the best routes possible.

This is likewise particularly helpful for navigating around foreign territory during our travels abroad.

HOW TO USE DRIVING DIRECTIONS SITES

Using any one of these sites is relatively easy. We only need to know the address and location of the place we want to go to; key in the information on these sites and in a matter of seconds; we can already view the best possible roads to take for our driving directions.

The driving directions are really as accurate as they come which means that we can easily locate the address we are going to without fear of getting lost in transit. The best part is that these sites are free for use to the public.

If we find that the directions are not as clear as we want them to be, we can simply go to our choice of the best driving directions site and compare the maps we have viewed online.

Depending on our needs; we can readily access the best driving directions site no matter where we are and find our way around any strange place with comfort and ease.

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Please click these links if you want to know more about best driving directions site or how to buy a new car in general.

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Cloud Computing - The Advantages & Disadvantages

Cloud Computing is the use of common software, functionality add-ins, or business applications from a remote server that is accessed via the Internet. Basically, the Internet is the "cloud" of applications and services that are available for access by subscribers utilising a modem from their computer. With Cloud Computing, one simply logs into desired computer applications - such as sales force or office automation programs, web services, data storage services, spam filtering, or even blog sites. Generally, access to such programs is by monthly or annual paid subscription. Through Cloud Computing, businesses may prevent financial waste, better track employee activities, and avert technological headaches such as computer viruses, system crashes, and loss of data.

Without Cloud Computing, a business must generally house one or more computer servers, from which all employees access the company's licensed programs. Through Cloud Computing, the servers which house the software are entirely off-site, with program usage licensed on an as-needed basis through subscription. This may bring down the cost per employee, in that access through a Cloud will generally be more cost effective than purchase of in-house licenses and hardware, and subscriptions are scalable per actual need. Thus, with software pay-per-use, savings are realised from the avoidance of extraneous software licenses and more immediate access to additional programs is possible almost at a whim, without having to go through the upload process on the IT side, as required for in-house servers.

Cloud Computing programs offer great manageability and oversight, from the employee supervision standpoint. Particularly in sales force automation, wherein tracking the activities of a sales team and resulting data can be critical to the success and continuance of a company, being able to obtain a quick view of an employee's work is both time saving (in reporting) and financially beneficial. Whilst also enabling the sharing of information company-wide, allowing the entire organisation awareness of company objectives and individual and team progress.

Cloud Computing - The Advantages & Disadvantages

As is apparent in any company of one or more employees, modern organisations are at the mercy of their information servers. What once occupied tens to thousands of square feet of company real estate in file cabinets and storage boxes - all of the intellectual property of a company or brand - is now held within the confines of our most critical piece of the company: our servers. These servers are prone to technological failure, crashes, and viral vulnerabilities. Not only can we suffer damages at the mercy of a virus, but we may also spread that damage to organisations with whom we do business.

Through Cloud Computing, programs are contained, troubleshooted, and maintained entirely off-site from the company subscriber. Thus, businesses lose less time from system outages, maintenance, and data loss. Much less frequently does a business need to concern itself with viruses, Trojans, or other threats.

Noted disadvantages to Cloud Computing are: reliance upon network connectivity, peripheral communication (or lack thereof), legal issues (ownership of data), and absence of a hard drive. The most obvious of the negative concerns is the network connectivity. If the network goes down for any reason, the company loses access to Cloud Computing applications, data and services. Of course, there can be temporary use of off-site or wireless connections, but for a company focused on forward momentum, a technical issue such as this can be a daunting risk. Generally such issues are very short-lived and can be immediately addressed through the company's network provider.

The second concern today is communication of peripheral and connected devices. Before plunging into Cloud Computing full force, one must ensure that the organisation's devices will all communicate and work well with Cloud applications. This is primarily just an issue with lesser known or older technologies, printers, and devices. Most mainstream devices communicate with Cloud Computing programs and applications, as ensuring wide usability is the number one goal for those offering Cloud Computing.

When initiating sign-up or agreement for services with a Cloud Computing provider, ensuring fine print is thoroughly understood is key. A company must know its data loss variables, prior to utilising the service at full force. One major question to ask is, "Will our data be regularly backed up, and how often?" Also query whether immediate denial of service may be enacted at any time, for how long, and if so, what causes such denial. It is highly important to know what sort of "offenses" may bar you from potentially accessing your own data, as well as whether your data is truly protected in the event of system failure.

Absence of a hard drive - while very attractive at face value - can lead to some issues and concerns with Cloud Computing. Some applications (particularly in design and a more technological realm) require hardware attached to the hard drive for use. Ensure the company's necessary applications and uses for Cloud Computing do not require hardware attached to a hard drive, prior to forgoing the individual workstation hardware, altogether.

There is no denying the present and future of Cloud Computing. One of the most beneficial realms of use is telecommuting. Cloud Computing has averted the need for constant updating of work performed outside of the office, and enabled workers to log onto their everyday applications wherever they are: in the office, in the airport, at home, or even in the back seat of a car. No longer are days "out of the office" days of lost progress.

Cloud Computing will not only remain a staple in modern business, but will likely streamline organisational operations in many new ways, as well as expanding upon its current uses. Cloud Computing offers a solid answer to the ongoing question all computer users have had since the onset of the computer age, "Will our data communicate with yours?" Most major technology organisations see the bright future of this technology, and are thus throwing hundreds of millions of pounds into development and implementation of new pathways into the Cloud.

Cloud Computing - The Advantages & Disadvantages
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The http://www.daywatcher.com blog by Imran Zaman aims to make available free unique articles covering Business, Technology, Innovation and Digital Media.

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Self Describing Skills - Key Strengths

You need to be the best you can at describing your best qualities; particularly your key strengths. In my coaching practice I generally, at some point, ask my client: "What are you good at?" purely as a means to establish if they have already thought through this most important question.

Some have, but more often they haven't and the answer usually involves lots of head-scratching, umms and arrhs and then quite often a monologue on what they're NOT good at!!

Your answer to this should be your key strengths statement which we talked about in personal marketing on my website - let me remind you.

Self Describing Skills - Key Strengths

A "Key Strengths" statement is a summary of your most powerful skills and attributes.

The Key Strengths statement
Highlights your most important skills and abilities Differentiates you from others Avoids generalisations Provides examples of your achievements Spoken naturally should take no more than two minutes

Of course at interview, the question may take many different forms:

"What are your main strengths?"

"why should we hire you?"

"what do you think makes you the best candidate?"

"convince me you're the right person for us"

"how do your skills match our particular needs?"

As with all your Presentation Statements it should be so well rehearsed that it sounds completely spontaneous.

This example I've given you here should get you thinking so give your Key Strengths statement some thought now.

"I have very good communication skills; I work well either leading or being part of a team and I am self-motivated and capable of working on several tasks at once.

As a leader of small teams I involve people in the decisions so that they feel involved and ensure they have the opportunity to contribute to tasks facing the team. I manage the information, plan and organise and make the decisions as required.

With my strong communication skills, I have been able to motivate the staff to higher standards of performance meaning we have also helped our profits figures through increased sales and tighter cost-control.

Alongside this I have encouraged innovation and my team has produced several very good ideas for new products, services and markets. As an example the new widget has taken off in Eastern Europe and is contributing 7% of profits in less than 18 months.

Most importantly I actively seek to develop members of my team for their own careers sake but also for the future of the business itself. This means I also look for personal development opportunities to ensure my skills are kept up to date."

If you refer to the sample CVs and resumes page on my website, sample resume #1 is for a Chief Engineer. The Key Strengths statement from him might go like this:

"I have very good communication skills and work across all departments to ensure that issues are identified and practical solutions are prepared. Coupled with my project management skills and my hands-on leadership style I am able to consistently deliver and commission projects on time and to budget.

I am focused on internal and external customer's needs, rather than purely functional needs and I apply specialist skills in continuous improvement and world class manufacturing to increase efficiency, reduce waste and losses due to downtime.

As Chief Engineer I have initiated and managed strategic change programmes and implemented effective quality improvement programs all the way through to successful local level implementation. This has led to savings of £750k per annum and helps to maintain the position and financial strength of my employer".

These key strengths statements naturally answer many of the interviewers questions whilst being reassuring in content. You will find though, that they will create new questions for the interviewer, so be aware that you must be able to substantiate everything you claim.

Try working on your own statement using your own words and skills, blending them together to create a strong "key strengths" statement to meet your needs.

You'll be surprised how often you use this one!!

Self Describing Skills - Key Strengths
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Peter Fisher is a Career Coach and author of the popular http://www.Your-Career-Change.com - a website borne out of his passion for helping people discover their true career potential. It offers tips on career change, resume writing, cover letters and interview skills. Perhaps you have a passion or hobby you'd like to write about. Discover how to turn it into a profitable website like Peter has. Visit http://passion.sitesell.com/Careers1.html to learn more.

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Managing Organizational Change - Using Innovation For Business Growth

The life cycle that is within any business consists of a variety of changes, growth spurts and the need to keep everything stable. As a business grows and changes, is also the need to ensure that the opportunities are taken care of effectively. Managing organizational change in the correct manner is one that allows for everyone who is working within the business to have the opportunity to grow with the business and to do so without resistance or difficulties with the changes.

A business can go through several effective organizational changes, all which are designed to enhance a business and to helps it grow. However, the need for change is sometimes stopped or moves into a yield because of employees, leaders and individuals that don't completely understand the change. Along these lines, the culture may not be as accepting of the alterations that are taking place within the organization, which can lead to discomfort and individuals who are no longer satisfied with the work place. Making sure that this is taken care of first ensures that the right change moves into any business.

The main component that any organization will want to look at when moving towards organizational change is to use innovation when building what is needed within a company. This provides specific needs to take place within the business without having as much resistance as would take place otherwise. Starting by seeing where individuals are in relation to the company provides the best insight into this. For example, taking surveys or filling out a questionnaire will help to see where an organization and it's employees are at.

Managing Organizational Change - Using Innovation For Business Growth

After there is a complete analysis of the employees, leaders and individuals that are within the work area, there can then be a plan of action to begin implementing the necessary changes to help with business growth. When doing this, the leaders will need to use a step by step process that will help everyone in the business to understand what is occurring. This includes training, knowledge, research and step by step plans to get everyone moving onto the same page. This is where the innovation comes in, so that everyone in the company is comfortable with the changes that occur.

If you are in a business that wants to see how the implementation for managing organizational change occurs, than you can begin by looking at concrete examples of companies who have effectively grown into a new image and internal environment. For example, McDonalds has used concepts with organizational change to ensure that employees benefit from the changes, combined with innovation of the procedures used to build substantial growth for the entire company, from customers to individuals that are affiliated with the restaurant.

Making sure that you are able to build your business through different time frames, as well as through resistance, is what will ensure business growth. Understanding the abilities needed for managing organizational change ensures that everyone within the work area will stay comfortable and will have the ability to continue to move forward with the organization. The result will be the ability for the business to reach it's full capacity within the market and to continue to grow as a company.

Managing Organizational Change - Using Innovation For Business Growth
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Read more information about successfully implementing Organizational Changes for businesses at => http://www.organizationalstructurechanges.com

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How to Fix Rundll32.exe?

What Is Rundll32.exe?

Rundll32.exe is an important process of your windows operating system. The process rundll32.exe executes dll files and puts their libraries into your system's memory. Without this process your computer would become instable and very slow.

The process runs from your system directory C:\windows\system32. If it executes or runs from a different location it is most likely a virus or trojan horse. You should scan your computer immediately with a virus scanner. Viruses using the name rundll32.exe are W32.Miroot.Worm. Backdoor.Lastdoor, and Trojan.StartPage (among others).

How to Fix Rundll32.exe?

Fix Rundll32.exe

If a virus, such as the Netsky, destroys your rundll32.exe or, if for some other reason, your rundll32.exe is corrupt or gets accidentally removed, you need to take the following action:

Locate a Copy of Rundll32.exe on Your System

Check if you find a copy of rundll32.exe in the folder C:\windows\system32\dllcache or in C:\windows\ServicePackFiles\i386. If this is the case, go ahead and copy rundll32.exe to the system folder C:\windows\system32

If you don't find a copy on your system, you can try to find the file on your windows installation disks. Lastly, you could simply re-install windows. However, this would be very time-consuming and you might lose all your data. So this would be the last resort.

First of All Run a System Repair Tool to Fix Rundll32.exe

There are various tools available on the Internet that scan, analyze, and fix your computer. Besides fixing your rundll32.exe, these tools will remove any registry errors, remove invalid shortcuts and duplicate files, repair DLL files, and remove startup and runtime errors.

How to Fix Rundll32.exe?
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A highly recommended tool is Errorsmart which is available for free at http://www.SpeedUpMyPc.Info. Before re-installing windows, give Errorsmart a try and check if it is able to fix your rundll32.exe. You will be surprised!

Webdesigner & IM Specialist

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What is Organizational Innovation?

Defining Innovation

Organizational innovation refers to new ways work can be organized, and accomplished within an organization to encourage and promote competitive advantage. It encompasses how organizations, and individuals specifically, manage work processes in such areas as customer relationships, employee performance and retention, and knowledge management.

At the core of organizational innovation is the need to improve or change a product, process or service. All innovation revolves around change - but not all change is innovative. Organizational innovation encourages individuals to think independently and creatively in applying personal knowledge to organizational challenges. Therefore, organizational innovation requires a culture of innovation that supports new ideas, processes and generally new ways of "doing business".

What is Organizational Innovation?

The Benefit of an Innovative Organization

In promoting a culture of innovation organizations should foster:

- Cross functional team building while discouraging silo building

- Independent, creative thinking to see things from a new perspective and putting oneself outside of the parameters of a job function

- Risk taking by employees while lessening the status quo

The value and importance of knowledge and learning within organizational innovation is crucial. If innovation is about change, new ideas, and looking outside of oneself to understand ones environment, then continuous learning is a requirement of organizational innovation success.

The value of learning and knowledge can only be realized once put into practice. If new organizational knowledge doesn't result in change, either in processes, business outcomes, or increased customers or revenues, then its value hasn't been translated into success.

The road to organizational innovation lies in the ability to impart new knowledge to company employees and in the application of that knowledge. Knowledge should be used for new ways of thinking, and as a stepping stone to creativity and toward change and innovation.

Steps to Innovation

To determine how supportive your current environment is in fostering innovation read the frequently asked questions and answers below, about how to build an organizational culture that encourages innovation.

1) Is a climate of innovation supported by senior management?

a. That means, that such activities as risk taking and small ad hoc work groups that brainstorm and talk through ideas need to be promoted, supported and encouraged in the organization.

2) Do managers routinely identify and bring together those individuals more oriented toward innovation those willing to think new ideas and act on them?

a. Identifying new thinkers and individuals oriented toward change helps to ensure an outlet for innovation by supporting these individuals and giving them and like-minded colleagues the time and opportunity to think creatively. This is tantamount to becoming an innovative organization.

3) Is there a process in place monitoring innovation teams and identifying what has and hasn't worked as a result of them?

a. Maintaining and monitoring innovation is important. This requires checks and balances that identifies how innovation is developed and managed and processes that capture what did or didn't work. In order to be able to continue to innovate in a changing environment, continually monitoring the internal and external environment to determine what supports or hinders innovation is key.

4) How can an organization be strategic and focused on it goals yet build and develop an innovative culture?

a. The value of a strategic focus remains important to a company's success. In fact, clear direction and understanding of a company's mission can help fuel innovation - by knowing where in the organization innovation and creativity would provide the most value. An innovative organizational culture creates a balance between strategic focus, and the value of new ideas and processes in reaching them.

5) Is there a single most important variable or ingredient that fuels an organization toward an innovative culture?

a. Similar to other successes of an organization, what drives innovation are the people of the organization. First, management must set the expectation of innovation and creativity and then "doing business" is about how to improve processes, products and customer relationships on a day-to-day basis. This mindset itself will create an ongoing culture of innovation.

What is Organizational Innovation?
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With 20 years experience as a business and learning needs analyst, Ruth offers a strategic business approach to learning. Ruth's knowledge of adult learning methodologies, and strong analytical skills, ensures she quickly understands the "big picture" of how business goals align to learning.

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