Science Fiction Can Be an Influence to the Evolution of Technology Essay Example for Free

Science Fiction Can Be an Influence to the Evolution of Technology Essay Introduction Science fiction and technology have been working hand-in-hand for years. Authors like Gene Rodenberry have influenced many inventors to create technological devices such as touch screen computers, iPads and tablets. Even Star Trek’s transporter technology and transparent aluminum are becoming a reality. Scientists, physicists, and engineers are using science fiction to gain insight to new ideas. The science fiction entertainment genre has often influenced technological development through literature, radio, television, and film. Do Inventors create their products under the Influence of science fiction? Many people see technology pop into reality from the mind of the writers of science fiction, as did inventor Martin Cooper who created the mobile phone and gave credit to where he got his idea. People credit Gene Rodenberry for tablets and Transporter Technology, as well as transparent aluminum, and Apple QuickTime, while others have shown that learning computers came from the idea of Cylons from Battlestar Galactica and Terminator, even the world of Tron. Arthur C. Clarke’s science fiction foresaw the use of Geostationary Satellite (GPS), as well as the Internet, which the world uses today. Jules Verne’s science fiction stories brought people submarines and helicopters. H.G. Wells, who people call the father of science fiction, brought the world atomic energy and rockets through his stories. George Orwell’s book 1984, written in 1948, described a monitoring device, the government spying on the people, and coined the term â€Å"Big Brother.† The government is watching you. A former astronaut, Christopher J. Ferguson, gave credit to science fiction writers for the influence of the creation of the space station. According to How Does Science Fiction Influence Scientific Research? (2011), I look at the space station and vehicles docking in space. Who would have imagined 40 years ago, other than on the pages of Buck Rogers and in the mind of Wernher von Braun, that we would be doing these things? But here we are, doing them on a regular basis. (Christopher J. Ferguson Former United States Astronaut, NASA). These are just a few instances where science fiction technology has influenced the creation of the real thing. There has been a majority of technological advancements by Star Trek, as the tablets, communicators, Bluetooth devices, and even technology in the process of development such as the transporter technology created in the minds of the writers of science fiction. †Fiction† could change an individual’s comprehension with the â€Å"relationships within developments.† (Gordon, 2009). As science fiction authors have envisioned items, some never saw them fulfilled while others have. Strauss (2012), â€Å"Martin Cooper, the director of research and development at Motorola, credited the ‘Star Trek’ communicator as his inspiration for the design of the first mobile phone in the early 1970s.† (Cellphone). Cooper gave Gene Rodenberry the credit for the communicators from the original Star Trek. The writers of science fiction show an influence on people who later develop the work, in light of the fictional idea. Even I-Robot is now in the process of becoming a reality. Creators of the science fiction genre have ideas of what they want to see, although the technology is not available now. Geordi La Forge’s Visor in the Next Generation of Star Trek’s TV show is now becoming a reality. According to GeordiS Visor Becoming A Reality? (2012), Once again, a bit of Star Trek sci-fi is on the verge of becoming reality. This time it’s Geordi La Forge’s VISOR, which enabled the blind character to ‘see’ on Star Trek: The Next Generation, that’s close to becoming a practical device.† (para. 1). The author conceives the creative idea that he or she writes in science fiction genre, which then becomes the basis for scientific realities or possibilities. As the writer’s ideas enter the mind of the inventors, through the invention the ideas become a reality. Many inventors have given credit to Gene Rodenberry for his technological devices in Star Trek. Star Wars is even becoming a reality as well as the other science fiction movies. Many use science fiction genre in the classroom. Science fiction genre came into the classrooms from general science, physics, and even engineering to inspire students. (Segall, 2002) â€Å"Although scie nce fiction has appeared in science and physics education for many years, the genre has not been widely used to augment engineering education. Considering the potential for science fiction to help illustrate many common engineering concepts, while at the same time challenging the students to think about the many possibilities of design and technology, this exclusion represents a loss of a valuable resource.† (p. 419) Albert Segall’s paper showed that science fiction could advance technology and, by not using it, could hinder the inventor. Segall’s point was that science fiction is in the science and physics classroom. It is a needed resource for people in the engineering field. As this shows, science fiction is a big part in creating technology and its devices. A physicist, Dr. Michio Kaku, even gives science fiction credit for the influence of technology. According to Transparent Aluminium Is New State Of Matter' (2009), â€Å"(PhysOrg.com) Oxford scientists have created a transparent form of aluminium by bombarding the metal with the world’s most powerful soft X-ray laser. Transparent aluminium previously only existed in science fiction, featuring in the movie Star Trek IV, but the real material is an exotic new state of matter with implications for planetary science and nuclear fusion.† (para. 1). as well as the Associated Press’s article on the data scientists gave on the transporter technology, OCONNOR (2002), CANBERRA, Australia (AP) Australian scientists said Monday they had successfully teleported a laser beam encoded with data, breaking it up and reconstructing an exact replica a yard away.† (para. 1). As inventors continue to create new inventions, promising scientists, physicists and engineers can se e the importance of the use of science fiction in a classroom. As Segall showed that science fiction could inspire engineers and inventors of the past, he demonstrated how science fiction could be helpful to students in the future. Some devices which science fiction created are still not a reality Many could say that science fiction is fantasy because time travel, shrinking or enlarging devices, and computer digitalization, as from the movie Tron, are yet to appear. Some people do not look at science fiction as a resource because of its negative aspects. H.G. Wells, the author of the book, Time Machine which foreshadowed the movie called Back to the Future, The 50-Foot Woman, and Honey, I shrunk the Kids are but a few science fiction ideas that have not happened as far as we know. There are many examples that people use to say that science fiction does not influence technology, but there is more evidence to support that it does. Although Lightsabers of Star Wars are not in the same style as the movie, they have become reality in a similar prototype. What are the positive and negative sides of science fiction becoming a reality? As science fiction becomes reality, its use can be positive or negative: but does it help or hurt humankind? Many technological devices developed from science fiction were taken from the private sector, utilized by the Military, and were altered to be used in another manner than previously intended. For instance, George Orwell’s book, called 1984, was banned by many school administrators from being read in schools because of its political outlook of surveillance devices. Conclusion Through literature, radio, television, and film, the entertainment of science fiction has influenced technology and its devices. Arthur C. Clarke has seen the things he has written about come true. Science Fiction writers like Gene Rodenberry, H.G. Wells, Jules Verne, George Lucas, and other writers have given physicists, scientists, and engineers ideas of inspiration to create technological devices. Noticeably a few areas of science fiction have not become a reality yet, such as a human being digitized into an electronic form; a human being shrunk or enlarged in size; and time travel. Yet, many things in science fiction have come to reality: for example, mobile phones, tablets, and touch screen computers. Even the term â€Å"Big Brother is watching you,† given through the thoughts of George Orwell from his book 1984, written in 1948, has seen a counterpart in modern surveillance equipment. The relationship of science fiction and technology has been working hand-in-hand for generations. Reference Segall, A. E. (2002, October). Science fiction in the engineering classroom to help teach basic concepts and promote the profession. Journal of Engineering Education, 91(4), 419-423. How does science fiction influence scientific research?. (2011). Retrieved from http://curiosity.discovery.com/question/science-fiction-influence-scientific-research Gordon, R. (2009, December). Learning From Fiction: Applications in Emerging Technologies. Bulletin of Science, Technology Society, 29(6), 470 475. Retrieved from http://bst.sagepub.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/content/29/6/470 Strauss, M. (2012). Ten Inventions Inspired by Science Fiction. Retrieved from http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/Ten-Inventions-Inspired-by-ScienceFiction.html?c=ypage=7navigation=next#IMAGES Putt, S. (2011). Using science fiction to teach science facts. Minnesota State University, Mankato). ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, , 41. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/894263497?accountid=358 12. (894263497). Transparent aluminum is new state of matter. (2009). Retrieved from http://phys.org/news167925273.html OCONNOR, P. (2002). Scientists Report Teleported Data. Retrieved from http://www.timeenoughforlove.org/saved/YahooNewsScientistsReportTeleportedDat a.htm Geordis VISOR Becoming A Reality?. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.startrek.com/article/geordis-visor-becoming-a-reality

Development of Project Management Plan

Development of Project Management Plan LITERATURE REVIEW Having seen in the previous chapter about the Project management is a carefully planned and organized effort to accomplish a specific (and usually) one-time effort, for example, implementing a new computer system. Project management includes developing a project plan, which includes defining project goals and objectives, specifying tasks or how goals will be achieved, what resources are need, and associating budgets and timelines for completion. It also includes implementing the project plan, along with careful controls to stay on the critical path, that is, to ensure the plan is being managed according to plan. Project management usually follows major phases (with various titles for these phases), including feasibility study, project planning, implementation, evaluation and support/maintenance. Comninos and Frigenti (2002 p.72) defines Project management as â€Å" The application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements. Further Haynes (1995 pp. 623) defines project management as â€Å" Project management concentrates on the project . A project is an undertaking that has a beginning and an end and is carried out to meet established goals within cost , schedule and quality objectives . Project management brings together and optimizes the resources necessary to complete the project successfully . These resources include the skills , talents and co-operative effort of a team of people , facilities , tools and equipment ; information systems and techniques and moneyâ€Å" Duncan (1995 pp. 742) has a similar view â€Å"Project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to a broad range of activities in order to meet the requirements â€Å" Harrison ((1988 pp.62) states these definition as â€Å"The application of modern management techniques and systems to the execution of a project from start to finish, to achieve predetermined objectives of scope, quality, time and cost, to the equal satisfaction of those involved† Cleland and Gareis (1993 pp.58) states that â€Å"Project management is the ability to define, schedule and assign project activities; record project issues; monitor progress and report changes in activity accomplishment and issue resolution; and maintain and control changes to designs, plans and issue lists† Similarly Morris (1997 pp. 221) defines as â€Å"Planning, monitoring and control of all aspects of a project and the motivation of all those involved in it to achieve the project objectives on time and to the specified cost, quality and performance† Ciborra (2002 pp. 525) defines Information System (IS) as â€Å"†¦the system of persons, data records and activities that process the data and information in a given organization, including manual processes or automated processes. Usually the term is used erroneously as a synonym for computer-based information systems, which is only the Information technologies component of an Information System. The computer-based information systems are the field of study for Information technologies (IT)† Project management is concerned with managing the entity called ‘People. There is no single universal definition of a software project , although some definitions do have similar structure. â€Å" Projects consume a variety of resources , Projects have a specific start and end point (or life cycle), Projects have a owner (i.e. consumer ), Projects have a specific budget , Project have a clear method , Projects have finite objectives. â€Å"A unique undertaking with a concise life cycle , start and end dates , a finite budget , resource allocation and defined outcome or objective † (Gary 2001 p.25) 2.1 Preview of software industry in India The software industry is one of the fastest growing industries and highest earners of foreign exchange in the Indian economy. With help from the Indian Government including tax benefits and the development of infrastructure links, the software sector has grown over 56% annually since 1995. Software exports currently reach about 95 countries and account for 10.5% of Indias total exports.There is, therefore, significant interaction on the global level between IT companies and other countries and companies, which might account for the lead Infosys has taken amongst its peers in the field of CSR (Narayana Murthy CEO Infosys , 2006 15/02/07) The India Software Industry has brought about a tremendous success for the emerging economy. The software industry is the main component of the Information technology in India. Indias pool of young aged manpower is the key behind this success story. Presently there are more than 500 software firms in the country which shows the monumental advancement that the India Software Industry has experienced (IIT,2002 p.4) 2.2 Infosys and its relation to software project management Founded in 1981 in Bangalore by Narayana Murthy and six colleagues, Infosys is positioned to integrate the needs of vendors and service providers, using existing solutions or relying on new product development. The company does the necessary integration, software development, feature enhancements testing, release and third level support. It provides solutions to the financial sector the biggest chunk of its business- as well as to 460 other clients across a broad spectrum of other industries. (www.infosys.com 14/02/08) In terms of project management, software project work is split into two components: onsite and offshore, according to where it can be best done, at the lowest cost, and with the lowest level of acceptable risk, thereby de-coupling capability development and delivery. Although Infosys was not spared by the dotcom crash in 2001, thanks in part to the loyalty built up among employees the business bounced back, and by 2006 its market capitalization was US$18 billion. For Murthy, leading by example is what counts. This translates into three core values: respect for the individual, data-based decision making, and embracing constant change by forcing people to share their innovations. Infosys has established a systematic pattern of succession planning whereby board members remain in the vanguard but are underpinned by a three-tier leadership structure for high-potential managers. Younger employees are viewed as the eyes and the ears of the company, bringing to the forefront contemporary issues that might otherwise be overlooked (Manfred , Vries, Agrawal and Florent-Treacy 2006 p.121) Since incorporation, Infosys annual revenue has rapidly increased and it reached 1 trillion in 2006. Unlike many other Indian IT companies Infosys has concentrated on building software applications and this has contributed to its global success Infosys Technologies employs nearly 17,000 people worldwide, almost 10,000 of whom are software professionals. 116 new clients in the financial year (FY) 2002 added to the already prestigious list that includes Airbus, Cisco, Nordstrom and Boeing. Retail banking services account for around 4% of total revenue. The company vision is to be the best globally, commercially and ethically. As such, Infosys has developed a C-Life principle of core values that it aims to honour in all aspects of its business conduct . C LIFE represents Customer delight , Lead by example , Integrity and transparency , Fairness and Excellence (www.infy.com 15/06/07) 2.3 Project Management Processes (Infosys based approach) Turner J and Rodney (2005 p..43) states that ‘ A project management process is the management process of planning and controlling the performance or execution of a project ‘ Although all projects are different and have unique features m there are elements which are common to most . A process model needs a set of features which Are adaptable to a wide range of applications Provide a complete and adequate definition of any project to which they are applied Are easy to assimilate , with the key tasks and points of interest highlighted Are suitable to act as a memorandum and checklist to ensure that everything is covered Do not impose any unnecessary constraints on the use of tools , techniques and methods during the projects A process model can be helpful to a project manager in planning the project but obviously cannot be followed blindly and must be tailored to meet the requirements of the project . Not all the elements of the process model will be appropriate , but the model can be used as a checklist to ensure that nothing important is missed from the project . The process model is also used to help define what is required of the project manager at each stage in the project and to define the inputs and outputs of each stage . (Van Vliet , 2004 p.52) Infosys executes hundreds of projects each year. Full responsibility for executing a project rests with the project manager, who must make sure that the project team delivers high-quality software to the customer on time and within cost. To help the project manager fulfill this responsibility, support from the organization is necessary. (Mahajan and Ives , 2006 p.231) This section provides a brief background Infosys support for managing software projects. For a project team to successfully execute a project, it must perform hundreds of tasks, many of them interdependent. Effectively managing this process is extremely important for success. (Harvey 2003 p.52)At Infosys, the set of activities executed by a project manager is specified in the project management process. It is fairly standard, having three main stages: Software project planning Software project execution Software project closure 2.3.1 Software Project Planning The key to a successful software project is in the planning. Creating a project plan is the first thing one should do when undertaking any kind of project. Often project planning is ignored in favor of getting on with the work. However, many people fail to realize the value of a project plan in saving time, money and many problems. A project is successful when the needs of the stakeholders have been met. A stakeholder is anybody directly or indirectly impacted by the project. (Lackman 1987 p.57) As a first step it is important to identify the stakeholders of software project. It is not always easy to identify the stakeholders of a project, particularly those impacted indirectly. (Lewis J 1995) Examples of stakeholders are: The project sponsor The customer who receives the deliverables The users of the project outputs The project manager and project team Once understanding who the stakeholders are, the next step is to establish their needs. The best way to do this is by conducting stakeholder interviews. Considerable time can be utilized during the interviews to draw out the true needs that create real benefits. Often stakeholders will talk about needs that arent relevant and dont deliver benefits. These can be recorded and set as a low priority. ( Berlick 1992 p.72) The next step once after all the interviews done and have a comprehensive list of needs it is now to prioritize them. From the prioritized list its important to create a set of goals that can be easily measured. A technique for doing this is to review them against the SMART (specific, measurable, agreed upon, realistic and time-based ) principle. This way it will be easy to know when a goal has been achieved. Once having established a clear set of goals they should be recorded in the project plan. It can be useful to also include the needs and expectations of the end users- stakeholders. (Thomsett 1989 p.51) At Infosys , in the project planning stage, as revealed by Marsh (1998 p.17) , the project manager reviews contractual commitments and creates a plan to meet them. Creating a project plan involves defining a life-cycle process to be followed, estimating the effort and schedule, preparing a detailed schedule of tasks, and so on. It also includes planning for quality and configuration management as well as risk management. In this phase, the major activities of the project manager are as follows: According to McManus (1997 p.69) , the project manager performs startup and administrative tasks and creates the project plan and schedule. He is also responsible for defining the objectives of the project . The suitable standard process for the project execution is identified . Also the standard process to meet project requirements are tailer . Also a process for managing changes in requirements is designed . The estimation of effort involved is undertaken . Also the plan for human resources and team organization is determined . The project milestones are defined and schedules created accordingly. Also the quality of objectives and a quality plan to achieve them are determined . A defect prevention plan in designed. The risks are identified and plans are made to mitigate them. A measurement plan for the project is defined .A training plan for the project is designed . The project-tracking procedures are analyzed for effective execution . Also a review of the project plan and schedul e are performed . Authorization from senior management is obtained . The configuration management plan and defined and reviewed . Also orientation of the project team to the project management plan is executed In addition to the project manager, this phase involves the customer, an SEPG representative, and the business manager for the project. The entry criterion is that the contract or project authorization is available. The exit criterion is that the project plan has been documented and group reviewed (Morgon 1986 p.19) 2.3.2 Software Project Execution According to ,Harvey ( 2003 p.167) ,the purpose of Project Execution and Control is to develop the product or service that the project was commissioned to deliver. Typically, this is the longest phase of the project management lifecycle, where most resources are applied. Project Execution and Control utilizes all the plans, schedules, procedures and templates that were prepared and anticipated during prior phases. Unanticipated events and situations will inevitably be encountered, and the Project Manager and Project Team will be taxed to capacity to deal with them while minimizing impact on the projects CSSQ. Project Execution and Control Kick-off is where the project manager conducts a meeting to formally begin the project execution and control phase, orient new project team members, and review the documentation and current status of the project. The purpose of Project Execution and Control Kickoff is to formally acknowledge the beginning of project execution and control and facilitate the transition from project planning. Similar to project planning kick-off, project execution and control kickoff ensures that the project is still on track and focused on the original business need. Many new team members will be introduced to the project at this point, and must be thoroughly oriented and prepared to begin work. Most importantly, current project status is reviewed and all prior deliverables are re-examined, giving all new team members a common reference point. (Rodney 1999 p.123) Manage CSSQ is where the project manager must manage changes to the project scope and project schedule, implement quality assurance and quality control processes according to the quality standards, and control and manage costs as established in the project budget. (SEI 1996 p.4)The purpose of Manage CSSQ is to manage changes to project scope , control the project schedule and manage schedule changes , implement quality assurance and quality control , processes according to the quality standards revised during project planning control and manage costs established in the project Monitor and Control Risks, where the project manager and project team utilize the risk management plan prepared in previous phases, and develop and apply new response and resolution strategies to unexpected eventualities.Risks are potential future events that can adversely affect a projects Cost, Schedule, Scope or Quality (CSSQ). In prior phases, the project manager defined these events as accurately as possible, determined when they would impact the project, and developed a risk management plan. As the impact dates draw closer, it is important to continue re-evaluating probability, impact, and timing of risks, as well as to identify additional risk factors and events. When the risk event actually occurs, the risk (which is by definition a future, potential event) becomes an issue (which is by definition a current, definite condition) and issue monitoring and control takes over. The purpose of monitor and control risks is to deploy the risk management plans prepared in prior phases to anticipate project challenges, and to develop and apply new response and resolution strategies to unexpected eventualities. (Humphrey 1989 p.92) Manage Project Execution, where the Project Manager must manage every aspect of the Project Plan to ensure that all the work of the project is being performed correctly and on time.Project Execution is typically the part of the lifecycle of a project when the majority of the actual work to produce the product is performed and the majority of the project budget is expended. The purpose of manage project execution is to manage every aspect of the project plan as work is being done to make certain the project is a success. This process is performed concurrently with the manage CSSQ and monitor and control risks processes. The tasks in this process are performed concurrently and repeatedly as various aspects of the product of the project are constructed, tested, and accepted. (Dion 1994 p.172) Gain Project Acceptance, where the Project Manager, customer decision-makers and project sponsor acknowledge that all deliverables produced during project execution and control have been completed, tested, accepted and approved, and that the product or service of the project has been successfully transitioned to the performing organization.The purpose of Gain Project Acceptance is to formally acknowledge that all deliverables produced during project execution and control have been completed, tested, accepted, and approved by the projects Customers and the Project Sponsor, and that the product or service the project developed was successfully transitioned from the Project Team to the Performing Organization. Formal acceptance and approval also signify that the project is essentially over, and is ready for Project Closeout. (Duran 1988 p.49) At Infosys , the second phase, as in the words of Finney ( 1999 p.193) , project execution, involves executing the project plan, tracking the status of the project, and making corrections whenever project performance strays from the path laid down in the project plan. In other words, it involves tracking and controlling the implementation of the project process. This phase is the longest in the project management process, incorporating periodic tasks such as monitoring project status and quality and taking any needed corrective steps. In this phase, as said by ( Harvey 2003 p.62) , the project manager executes the project as per the project plan. , tracks the project status., reviews the project status with senior management. , monitor compliance with the defined project process. , analyze defects and perform defect prevention activities, monitor performance at the program level and conduct milestone reviews and replan if necessary. Other members of the team also participate in this stage. The entry criterion is that the project plan is complete and approved, and the exit criterion is that all work products delivered are accepted by the customer 2.3.3 Software Project Closure The Project closure report is produced at the end of the Project, and provides the Project Board with a review of the overall Project and an assessment of how successfully the Project has met its objectives. This report will be presented at the final Project Board meeting, and must be signed off by the Project Board as part of the process of formally closing the Project. (Watts 1987 p.122) As said by Sanders and Curran (1994 p.623) , a carefully structured project closure phase should ensure that the project is brought to a controlled end. The project manager should prepare the end project report, which details the main findings and outcome of the project and represents a formal review of the projects degree of success. The project manager should organize the project closure meeting and draw up a list of who should attend. This meeting is concerned with reviewing the project and ensuring the completeness of all of the major project deliverables. It is the final formal control point apart from the post implementation review; and should be attended by the project owner and the overall project manager. The basic question facing the attendees is: Did the project deliver its intended end-product within the time and budgetary limits set? According to Thomsett (1989 p.62) , The last stage of the project management process, project closure, involves a systematic wind-up of the project after customer acceptance. The main goal here is to learn from the experience so that the process can be improved. Post-project data analysis constitutes the main activity; metrics are analyzed, process assets (materials, such as templates and guidelines, used to aid in managing the process itself) are collected for future use, and lessons are recorded. Because learning from the project is the main goal, this is a group activity that involves the project manager, the SEPG, and other members of the team. The entry criterion is that the customer has accepted the work products. The exit criterion is that a post project meeting has been conducted. The main outputs of this phase are the project closure report and the collected process assets. 2.4 Capability Maturity Model CMM is a development methodology thats designed to help projects make use of reusable processes . There are some pain involved in making the switch , but the benefits to development staff and the organization make it worthwhile The CMM describes a continuum of characteristics based on how well your company or organization follows common and repeatable processes to get your work done. CMMs have been developed for software acquisition, people, and software (Paulk 1993 p.342) Although the SEI continues to enhance and expand the scope and breadth of various CMM models, the primary focus for most companies continues to be software development. Perhaps the biggest reason for looking at software development is that the process uses a fair amount of creativity, which can lead to unpredictable results. However, much (but not all) of the software development process can be standardized using a common set of processes. Common processes can be set up for the project management side Moving up the CMM levels allows an organization to standardize its software development processes in areas that can be successfully repeated from project to project Organizations that use the CMM for software development describe their level of standardization against CMM benchmarks using a scale of 1 to 5. The low end of the scale describes companies that arent using repeatable processes; much of their work is chaotic and ad hoc. The high end describes companies that use defined and re peatable processes, collect metrics to help them continuously improve their processes, and look for creative ways to do things better on an ongoing basis.(Watts 1987 p.79) Many companies are seeing that they can drive business value by implementing good, reusable processes throughout their organizations. The CMM provides a framework that companies can use to measure themselves on a standard 1 to 5 scale. Most companies today are at level 1 and would love to get as high as level 2. Most managers and organizations realise that they should have common and repeatable processes. However, pain will definitely be involved (Gilb 1998 p.122) Infosys has been assessed at level 5 (the highest level) of the Capability Maturity Model (CMM). By extracting project management processes from the set of processes at Infosys, this book also illustrates how projects are managed in a high-maturity organization. Through this illustration, I hope to bring the benefits of the CMM to project managers who have not studied it because of lack of time, because they regard it as being for process folks or because they have found it difficult to relate the CMM to project management practices. (www.infosys.com 02.07.07) 2.5 KPAs and its importance in Project Management Each KPA specifies goals that the processes of the organization must meet to satisfy that KPA. In addition, each KPA specifies a group of activities, called key practices, that collectively satisfy the goals of that KPA. In many senses, the goals for each KPA capture its essence. They specify the objectives that the CMM has set for the processes relating to the KPA. To illustrate the KPAs associated with project management, we briefly discuss here the goals of these KPAs. These goals are taken from the CMM,with some minor changes in the wording of some goals. ( Cooper and Woolgar , 1994 p.589) 2.5.1 Goals of KPAs at Level 2 2.5.1.1 Requirement Management RM Requirements management is all about balance, communication, and adjustment along the way. To prevent one class of requirements from over-riding another, constant communication among members of the development team is critical. For example, in software development for internal applications, the business has such strong needs that it may ignore user requirements, or believe that in creating use cases, the user requirements are being taken care of. (Bevan 1992 p.165) 2.5.1.2 Software Project Planning SPP The purpose of Software Project Planning is to establish reasonable plans for performing the software engineering and for managing the software project. Software Project Planning involves developing estimates for the work to be performed, establishing the necessary commitments, and defining the plan to perform the work (Barker 1992 p.522) 2.5.1.3 Software Project Tracking and Oversight SPTO The purpose of Software Project Tracking and Oversight is to provide adequate visibility into actual progress so that management can take effective actions when the software projects performance deviates significantly from the software plans. Software Project Tracking and Oversight involves tracking and reviewing the software accomplishments and results against documented estimates, commitments, and plans, and adjusting these plans based on the actual accomplishments and results (Budlong and Peterson 1996 p.523) 2.5.1.4 Software Subcontract Management SSM The purpose of Software Subcontract Management is to select qualified software subcontractors and manage them effectively. Software Subcontract Management involves selecting a software subcontractor, establishing commitments with the subcontractor, and tracking and reviewing the subcontractors performance and results. These practices cover the management of a software (only) subcontract, as well as the management of the software component of a subcontract that includes software, hardware, and possibly other system components (ISO 9000-3 p.5) 2.5.1.5 Software Quality Assurance SQA Software Quality Assurance (SQA) is defined as a planned and systematic approach to the evaluation of the quality of and adherence to software product standards, processes, and procedures. SQA includes the process of assuring that standards and procedures are established and are followed throughout the software acquisition life cycle. Compliance with agreed-upon standards and procedures is evaluated through process monitoring, product evaluation, and audits. Software development and control processes should include quality assurance approval points, where an SQA evaluation of the product may be done in relation to the applicable standards. (Kontonya and Sommerville , 1998 p.212) 2.5.1.6 Software Configuration Management SCM In software engineering, software configuration management (SCM) is the task of tracking and controlling changes in the software. Configuration management practices include revision control and the establishment of baselines (Keller et al 1990 p.521 ) 2.5.2 Goals of KPAs at Level 3 2.5.2.1 Integrated Software Management ISM The purpose of Integrated Software Management is to integrate the software engineering and management activities into a coherent, defined software process that is tailored from the organizations standard software process and related process assets, which are described in Organization Process Definition. Integrated Software Management involves developing the projects defined software process and managing the software project using this defined software process. The projects defined software process is tailored from the organizations standard software process to address the specific characteristics of the project (Saiedian Hossein and Kuzara 1995 p.321) 2.5.2.2 Intergroup Coordination IC Intergroup Coordination involves the software engineering groups participation with other project engineering groups to address system-level requirements, objectives, and issues. Representatives of the projects engineering groups participate in establishing the system-level requirements, objectives, and plans by working with the customer and end users, as appropriate. These requirements, objectives, and plans become the basis for all engineering activities (TickIT Guide p.21) 2.5.2.3 Peer Reviews PR In software development, peer review refers to a type of software review in which a work product (normally some form of document) is examined by its author and one or more colleagues, in order to evaluate its technical content and quality When performed as part of each Software development process activity, peer reviews identify problems and fix them early in the lifecycle. That is to say, a peer review that identifies a requirements problem during the Requirements analysis activity is cheaper and easier to fix than during the Software architecture or Software testing activities ( Gentleman 1996 p.92) 2.5.3 Goals for KPAs at Level 4 2.5.3.1 Quantitative Process Management QPM Quantitative Process Management involves establishing goals for the performance of the projects defined software process, which is described in the Integrated Software Management key process area, taking measurements of the process performance, analyzing these measurements, and making adjustments to maintain process performance within acceptable limits. When the process performance is stabilized within acceptable limits, the projects defined software process, the associated measurements, and the acceptable limits for the measurements are established as a baseline and used to control process performance quantitatively (Daly-jones and Thomas 1997 p.142) 2.5.3.2 Software Quality Management SQM Its here were the projects software quality management activities are planned . Measurable goals for software product quality and their priorities are defined . Actual progress toward achieving the quality goals for the software products is quantified and managed (Broad

What are Emotions? Essay -- Psychology Emotional Essays

What are Emotions? What are emotions and do they affect those we relate to in our daily lives. Webster’s Dictionary describes emotions as an affective state of consciousness in which joy, sorrow, fear, or the like is experienced. One can easily see emotions are a strong surge of feelings. These feelings could be happy, sorrowful, joyful, and anxious. You know these feelings and have probably experienced them all from time to time. Different situations will affect our emotions and cause them to change, but can our emotions affect the people that surround us? Do people adjust their attitudes and emotions according to those they are around? In Alice Walker’s, â€Å"Am I Blue,† she is deeply affected by the horse and the different emotions it displays. Blue’s emotions affected the way she was feeling. If she felt that he was happy, then she too felt happy. In Walker’s essay, she speaks about Blue’s reaction to loosing his companion and how he grieved. Alth ough he was in a beautiful place, with thousands of acres to run, he had no one to share this with; therefore he became devastated and sad. After reading this article, a pre-school/kindergarten teacher decided to see how her moods and emotions would affect her students. Would their actions and behavior depend solely on the emotions she was experiencing? After watching and observing them over a period of time and experiencing both good moods and bad moods, this is what she found. Emotions or one’s emotional state definitely affects how we function and interact with others, especially children. When a teacher is in a good mood, he/ she will exercise more energy and will display more patience with his/her students. This will have a positive affect on the clas... ...y will ask someone else. If the teacher continues to be in a state of emotional stress, his/ her students will begin to have fear. Also, they may not have the eagerness to learn; they won’t ask questions because they’re afraid to ask. Whether the teacher is in a good mood or a bad mood, their emotions will affect those they are teaching. In conclusion, one can tell emotions affect everyone in both positive and negative ways. On order to be a good teacher, one must exude energy, patience, knowledge, and creativity at all times. Therefore, it is very important for a teacher to try to leave any negative emotions; he/she may be feeling at home. If a teacher displays negative emotions, it will not only affect his/her students, but it will also take away from one or all the qualities he/she should posses in order to be a good and affective teacher.

Vaccination and Eradication of Smallpox Essay -- Biology Medical Biome

The Vaccination and Eradication of Smallpox Smallpox, a disease caused by the variola virus, has devastated humanity for many centuries. Because of its high mortality rate, civilizations around the world sought to protect themselves from this disease. Throughout the 1700's, these protective methods became more sophisticated, and led up to Edward Jenner’s vaccination method in 1796. Indeed, the World Health Organization, the Center for Disease Control and the Agency for International Development began a joint program to eradicate smallpox in 1967. It utilized methods of mass vaccination, surveillance, and containment. The endeavor was successful, and in 1980, WHO officially declared the eradication of smallpox. Since 1000 B.C., the world had been plagued by the variola virus, the causative agent of smallpox. The disease has a 30% mortality rate (Centers for Disease Control [CDC], 2004). Consequently, it was a great victory for humankind when the World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared the eradication of smallpox from the world. The smallpox vaccine was the first vaccine ever developed, and the eradication was the first successful eradication of a disease. Therefore, it is very important for society to study the processes that led to the vaccination and eradication of smallpox. Inoculation, a process that offered protection from smallpox, can be dated back to 1000 B.C. In China, the smallpox scabs were powdered and blown into noses, and in India, pus was rubbed into skin lesions to immunize the healthy individuals against future infections. Throughout Asia and Great Britain, inoculation was also frequently practiced (History and Eradication of Smallpox, n.d., p.2). Inoculation methods improved over time. Originally, ... ...enner's smallpox vaccine. Great Britain: Heinemann Educational Books. Centers for Disease and Control. (2004, December 30). Smallpox Overview. In Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved July 20, 2006, from http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/smallpox/overview/disease-facts.asp History and Eradication of Smallpox. (n.d.). Retrieved July 20, 2006, from http://www.portfolio.mvm.ed.ac.uk/studentwebs/session4/32/history.htm Ogden, H. G. (1987). CDC and the smallpox crusade. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Razzell, P. (1977). The conquest of smallpox. Sussex: Caliban Books. World Health Organization. (n.d.). The World Health Organization Smallpox Eradication Programme. In WHO smallpox eradication programme. Retrieved July 20, 2006, from University of Toronto Web site: http://choo.fis.utoronto.ca/fis/courses/lis2102/KO.WHO.case.html Vaccination and Eradication of Smallpox Essay -- Biology Medical Biome The Vaccination and Eradication of Smallpox Smallpox, a disease caused by the variola virus, has devastated humanity for many centuries. Because of its high mortality rate, civilizations around the world sought to protect themselves from this disease. Throughout the 1700's, these protective methods became more sophisticated, and led up to Edward Jenner’s vaccination method in 1796. Indeed, the World Health Organization, the Center for Disease Control and the Agency for International Development began a joint program to eradicate smallpox in 1967. It utilized methods of mass vaccination, surveillance, and containment. The endeavor was successful, and in 1980, WHO officially declared the eradication of smallpox. Since 1000 B.C., the world had been plagued by the variola virus, the causative agent of smallpox. The disease has a 30% mortality rate (Centers for Disease Control [CDC], 2004). Consequently, it was a great victory for humankind when the World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared the eradication of smallpox from the world. The smallpox vaccine was the first vaccine ever developed, and the eradication was the first successful eradication of a disease. Therefore, it is very important for society to study the processes that led to the vaccination and eradication of smallpox. Inoculation, a process that offered protection from smallpox, can be dated back to 1000 B.C. In China, the smallpox scabs were powdered and blown into noses, and in India, pus was rubbed into skin lesions to immunize the healthy individuals against future infections. Throughout Asia and Great Britain, inoculation was also frequently practiced (History and Eradication of Smallpox, n.d., p.2). Inoculation methods improved over time. Originally, ... ...enner's smallpox vaccine. Great Britain: Heinemann Educational Books. Centers for Disease and Control. (2004, December 30). Smallpox Overview. In Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved July 20, 2006, from http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/smallpox/overview/disease-facts.asp History and Eradication of Smallpox. (n.d.). Retrieved July 20, 2006, from http://www.portfolio.mvm.ed.ac.uk/studentwebs/session4/32/history.htm Ogden, H. G. (1987). CDC and the smallpox crusade. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Razzell, P. (1977). The conquest of smallpox. Sussex: Caliban Books. World Health Organization. (n.d.). The World Health Organization Smallpox Eradication Programme. In WHO smallpox eradication programme. Retrieved July 20, 2006, from University of Toronto Web site: http://choo.fis.utoronto.ca/fis/courses/lis2102/KO.WHO.case.html

The Human Foot and Ankle Essay -- Biology, Bones, Joints

Introduction The human foot and ankle are composed of 26 bones, 33 joints, and more than a hundred muscles, tendons and ligaments. These components work together to provide the body with support, balance and mobility. The foot acts as a â€Å"rigid lever and mobile adapter† (Amstrong [Prosthetic feet], 2010). The human foot must be capable of withstanding the body’s weight and functions as a shock absorber (Swierzewski, 2007; NYU, 1990). The prosthetic foot needs to be capable of mimicking the missing natural foot, to make for the most efficient gait pattern. When due to disease, accident or developmental malformation a natural foot is absent a prosthetic foot is used to mimic the missing limb in an attempt to create the most efficient gait pattern. The prosthetist must choose from numerous types of prosthetic feet, depending upon the patient’s physical condition and life-style needs (Swierzewski, 2007). Gait Cycle The human gait cycle is comprised of multiple sequential steps. It begins with the heel of the foot contacting the ground and ends when that same foot contacts the ground again (Perry, 1992). The period of the gait cycle that the foot is on the ground is called the stance phase. The period when the foot is in the air is called the swing phase. The phases of the gait cycle are initial contact (IC), loading response (LR), mid-stance (MSt), terminal stance (TSt), pre-swing (PSw), initial swing (ISw), mid-swing (MSw) and terminal swing (TSw). There are three primary functions of the gait cycle, which are weight acceptance, single limb support, and limb advancement. Weight acceptance occurs during initial contact and loading response. During these phases, the limb is stabilized to prevent falling and the foot fun... ...activities. The main disadvantage of this foot is that it costs more than other feet, and can only be used by patients at the K3 level or above (Lusardi & Nielsen, 2007). Manufactures There are several different manufactures of prosthetic feet such as Ossur, Ottobock, Ohio Willow Wood, and SPS. Most companies specialize in adult feet though there are some manufactures such as Ossur that have a special pediatric line. On the companies’ websites, feet are organized based on K level and further categorized based upon male or female. Prosthetic feet come in different lengths in centimeters and left or right. They also are grouped by weight of the patient that can safely use the foot. Some feet come in different skin colors and others have a space between the big toe and second toe to accommodate the user who wants to wear flip-flops or shoes with toe straps.

EA Games

Change is part of organizational growth and survival in our modern global economy. If an organization is going to grow and survive, it needs more than traditional strategic business plans. One of the principal drivers of competition is technological advancements. Company’s can develop a strong competitive advantage through the strategic use of information technology. This white paper will discuss information technology (IT) concepts that have successfully been utilized by other organizations. The purpose is to benchmark how other companies have successfully implemented information technology and how SaveWithUS can conceptualize these strategies. The focus of IT is not just on the internal applications or computer systems that reside on the network; rather the focus is the strategic approach that information systems can have to support the business plans, goals, and objectives of the organization. Ultimately, a strategic approach to information technology should improve a company’s competitive advantage, business intelligence, reduce costs, increase margin, streamline business processes speed, accuracy, and reliability, communication, data based decision making, and increase overall customer value (Mickler, 2008). Many start-up companies develop a business plan but rely heavily on their own experience when it comes to business decision making rather than facts that an existing company would use. As the company grows, mistakes become more costly, they will rely more and more in information to base sound decisions. SaveWithUS is at the juncture where business decisions need to be based on facts not guesses. To remain competitive and profitable, SaveWithUS needs to reduce costs of merchandise manufactured and products purchased for resale. Technology has changed the way information is captured, stored, processed, analyzed, distributed, communicated; and the organizational infrastructure which is used to reduce costs, increase profits, and gain a competitive advantage. The effective use of information technology requires an organization and cultural change. The most important component in the change equation is making the decision to change. If resistance to change permeates, this will lead to the breakdown and irrelevancy of what was once a strong organization (CTU Online, 2008). Change is forever part of business sustainability. Understanding the external business environment can improve the strategic approach that an organization should adopt in a competitive market. A highly competitive environment includes multiple firms targeting he same market to win the same business. The external environment has forces which business must contend with for survival. Michal Porter has devised a five forces model that focus on these external pressures. The five pressures are 1) rivalry among existing competition, 2) threats of substitute products, 3) bargaining power of suppliers, 4) bargaining power of channels and end users, 5) barriers to entry. This model can be very helpful to think of competition in its broadest sense which suggests areas for competitive posture. Porter’s five-force’s model provides the framework to judge an organizations position and analyze a business level strategy which will describe how an organization competes in the marketplace (Frenzel & Frenzel, 2004). These are just a few reasons why information technology is the critical infrastructure of any organization. The case study referenced herein is Electronic Arts (EA), the leading independent video game publishing company, producing popular titles such as The Sims, Madden NFL, and Medal of Honor. They also publish games based on Hollywood franchises such as the Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and The Godfather. Nestled in Silicon Valley, Electronic Arts is a very successful organization with more than 50 best-sellers that sold more than a million copies each. Many people would believe that Electronic Art’s is a video game development company which base its success from the rich talent pool of creative people, artists, animators, programmers, and technicians. This is a highly competitive industry and getting more competitive every year with a fickle customer base. EA has competitors such as Activision, Take-Two, and Vivendi Games which all sell strong in the marketplace. It would be reasonable to assume they also have a highly talented staff of developers and creative artists. EA is successful because they are the model of a stellar management company. According to EA president and COO John Riccitiello, â€Å"EA pulls it off by honing the way that it develops and markets games: by thinking of its products as emotional, cinematic experiences, not toys. † Electronic Arts is in the business of delivering a total entertainment experience. The company built its creativity on a foundation of management discipline (Salter, 2007). EA understands the completive landscape and performs extensive due diligence. Riccitiello has stated, â€Å"We often know more about the feature set of our competition's products than our competition does. † Electronic Arts recognizes that gaining a competitive advantage will not materialize because of slicker graphics, audio, or better storylines than the competition; consumers expect these features to improve over time and that is part of the gaming industry. EA knows that the high-tech imagery features they develop today will only be copied tomorrow which will not provide long-term advantage. EA has strong competitive intelligence, forecasting, budgeting, timing, and methodical project management disciplines. EA uses information technology to store financial data, sales data, important customer data, competitive data, and offer access to share this information across business units. EA has the discipline of sharing best practices and technologies using intranet libraries. This enables data to become more accurate and to be shared or broadcast faster through a more reliable means (Mickler, 2008). An e-business strategy can be defined as the electronic means of internal and external communications for an organization. Internally, employees can use a private intranet to share information, facilitate knowledge dissemination, management reporting, collaborate with business partners, sales promotions, and competitive intelligence, all of these features and more can be used with the development of an intranet. EA is diligent to understand their customers. They know that what is real to their consumers is what is on TV. Electronic Arts believes in gaining better understanding of their audience through the use of focus groups. These are non-EA groups of gamers and EA takes their recommendations seriously to the point they will do a complete rewrite. Traditionally, the gaming industry is male dominated. Industry demographics suggest the target audience is male between the ages of 16 and 24. EA wants to expand their market beyond the typical gaming demographics. However, EA proceeds with caution not to lose current customers that do not want to see dumbed down products. When making complex decisions on marketing strategies and tactics, it is important look at hard data to in decision making. Information technology can provide the means of using marketing intelligence, trends, economic data, competitive market data, technological, demographics, government sources, and cultural and social information to provide a solid foundation upon from which to draw (Salter, 2007). Using e-business strategies such as customer relationship management (CRM) tools can identify important customer data to develop products and service specific to their needs, wants, and desires. The result of their data was a game titled the SIMS which attracts customers of all ages, thus developing new markets with different set of wants, needs, and desires. In addition, e-business is a means to reduce customer and supplier expenses, meet customer and supplier needs in a defect-free manner, and improve the speed in which these functions can take place. Knowledge management tools are processes the organization will employ to collect, store, analyze, and distribute information. Information technology offers data mining technique which are the convergence of technologies that provide computations to make sense of all the information stored (Frenzel & Frenzel, 2004). The maturity of an information system in an organization can have a direct effect on the speed, accuracy, and reliability of its data processing. Information technology can eliminate the manual logging of paperwork, eradicate human error and increase speed, accuracy and reliability of the information stored (Mickler, 2008). Some of the mundane tasks can become completely automated through bar code scanners and other technology which will reduce labor costs, increase accuracy of data, and induce inventory cost controls (Mickler, 2008). I addition, information technology can improve the manufacturing process while meeting customer demands and reduce costs. In an effort to accurately control inventory costs, SaveWithUS should consider Just-In-Time (JIT) manufacturing and including technology to help reduce costs. JIT does not use the conventional ways of producing products with large batch sizes at high volumes. The JIT philosophy is where machine operators produce only the items needed, when it is requested, and on time. Information technology also plays a vital role in measuring the return on investment for these new processes (Frenzel & Frenzel, 2004). Computer inventory management systems can control and coordinate delivery of raw materials or components from suppliers with production schedule, thereby minimizing inventory carrying costs. It is absurd to realize management can not track the percentage of repeat business, the accuracy of the expense of manufacturing costs, and sales goods of sold (CTU Online, 2008). The objective of SaveWithUS needs to be the development of a realistic business strategy that has full support of top management, established clear goals, development of long-term customer relationships, and provides maximum value. Bringing quality value to the customer is vital in the competitive and global business world. A competitive advantage is achieved when an organization has integrated information technology in the business activities with the value chain more cost-effectively than the competition. The goal of a business is to sell their products and services and keep customers buying in the future by means of adding value. Customers exchange something of value, such as money, for the products and services an organization produces. Strategic planning allows an organization to recognize how the customer sees the value of a company’s product or service and helps better position their goods in the market to make a profit (Frenzel & Frenzel, 2004). Strategic plans will use resources of people, money, facilities, and technical capabilities that are required in order to achieve the goals and objectives. The goal of information technology is to support these efforts and add value of speed, accuracy, and reliability (Mickler, 2008). In the games industry, success, novelty, and great innovative designs do not automatically mean that a company will enjoy long-term success. In fact, the annals of the gaming publishing industry is eroded with once triumphant companies that currently are no longer existence. It takes a distinct mixture of success and business savvy to stay afloat and competitive. This review is hypothetical, created solely to fulfill course task requirements. The review of and title of an article depicts Electronic Arts (from now EA) as â€Å"Playing to Win†, the fact is that they are indeed playing the business game to win. EA is one of the world's foremost reliant interactive software developing and publishing company. Since its inception, EA has garnered more than 700 awards for outstanding software in the U. S. and Europe. According to their own on-line career opportunity web site EA(2010) they say that EA markets its products worldwide under four brand logos and has over 33 product franchises that have reached more than a million unit sales worldwide. We will discuss more about their target market audiences in the next two sections. EA see themselves as a company that provides a product to it's target market that appeals in the sense of interactive cinematic gaming experience. According to Salter (2002) Computer and video games are a bigger business than the movies, and the biggest force in games is Electronic Arts a company whose blockbuster titles dazzle millions of customers and generate billions of dollars in sales. As the world leaders in interactive entertainment we can say that EA's most important competitive advantage is the fact they have lasted 20 years in the business and has gathered enough experience to leverage heritage into the entertainment gaming industry. Their other advantage is that they allow their 12 developing studios innovation freedom while impressing the discipline to meet deadlines. This means that it's not all about gaming but also about planning, and management having a good business plan in place and a good vision is certainly a good competitive advantage. This is corroborated by Rabin (2010) when he says that the business plan developed was visionary and had three key elements: first, that the creative talent at the company would be treated like artists, involved in the marketing, and generally revered more than at other companies in the industry; second, that they would develop proprietary tools and technology that would enable them to quickly develop their titles cross-platform; and third, that they would handle the distribution to stores. Their primary target market (audience) is the users of advanced entertainment systems. The customary gamers are males in between the ages 16-through 24 year of ages. EA has continue to expand and move their traditional demographics As the market expands, their enthusiasts is to figure out how to publish products for people who are not the within the traditional demographic model. The fact is that EA's present their content to a wide general audience appealing to all key demographic market segments by logically brainstorming their products as an emotional experience, How do they create an emotional experience? The emotional experience is created through offering their target markets a highly targeted campaign contributing the opportunity for the user to interact with the game. It's a simple but very radical idea in which the users is part of the cinematic experience, therefore the user does not see the game as a toy but as an appealing realistic experience. Currently, their specific target market audience comprises a wide general range of users utilizing advance game consoles, personal computer system, video game consoles such as Nintendo, Play Station, Play Stations, and numerous others. Let's clarify one thing about game publishing companies. They are exactly just that â€Å"Publishers† , they don't consider themselves to be developers. The game entertainment publishing arena is quite busy and extremely competitive. Beside having fun and playing games it takes discipline to be creativity and code award winning games. This is a fact that is corroborated by Salter (2010) when he writes that it takes a tough company to make entertaining games. Salter quotes the president and COO of â€Å"The forgotten aspect of creativity is discipline,† beside discipline it takes a good development team and a good project manager with a sense of scheduling, creating buzz about the product through a hard core marketing campaign. Everything centers around information technology especially the discipline of methodically managing their projects, their information technology systems play a large aspect of their success through regimented collaborative best practices across their an intranet library. In closing in my opinion what makes Electronic Arts a potential winner is their ability to take ingenious people who are highly motivated and talented and create excessive amounts of value. Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is the world’s leading interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, the Company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive software worldwide for video game systems, personal computers, cellular handsets and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names: EA SPORTSâ„ ¢, EAâ„ ¢, EA SPORTS Freestyle â„ ¢ and POGOâ„ ¢. In fiscal 2008, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $3. 67 billion and had 27 titles that sold more than one million copies. We were tasked to improve the functionality of the site, both technically and visually. The technical aspects of keeping up with ncreased user demands and features and facilities offered by the site were all dealt with to everyone’s satisfaction. It was felt that the site architecture and the user experience still left room for improvement, and we have lots to offer to fill this need. It was also important to ensure that the CRM and frontend complimented one another visually. Above all, we wanted the access site to offer an equivalent experience to the Flash site, rather than an alternative one. Our reputation as designers with flair for translating a company’s brand onto their website and for creating great user experiences got us this project. We were given the responsibility of revamping the entire site to reflect the brand of the company. Creating a site that was easily scalable and low on maintenance was also one of the primary requirements. We made the site made very light and the download speeds were reduced substantially. Only a few colors were used through most of the site, and two other colours were used where some differentiation was needed. Style sheets were created to keep the vast amount of content consistent visually. A clean, slightly serious and professional look was given to the entire site.

Reaction Paper to Chapter 6: Sedative-Hypnotics: the Other Depressants

Rachel Johnson Chemical Dependence: chapter reaction paper 10/24/12 (due 10/23) Chapter 6: Sedative-Hypnotics: The Other Depressants Brief Summary This chapter described sedative-hypnotics. They were said to be depressants to the central nervous system that produce a calming effect and cause sleep. This category of drug is abused because it produces pleasurable responses and because it gives a feeling of relief from stress and worry. The chapter goes into detail explaining barbiturates and how they work, and specific barbiturates that have been popularly abused in the past.This chapter also explains how some sedative-hypnotics have been found to be physically addictive while others have not. Different types of tranquilizers are described, along with others antianxiety medications and these are both explained as being drugs that people abuse and become dependent upon. Categories of inhalants including aerosols are also discussed and described as not being physically addictive, but cre ating of a drunken-like state such as is obtained from alcohol use when they are abused.What was learned In reading this chapter I learned which drugs are included in the category of those that produce sedative-hypnotic effects. I also learned about many products that are not intended for ingestion that are used as drugs such as aerosols and commercials solvents, which produce sedative-hypnotic effects. Because many sedative-hypnotic drugs are used and abused by people to produce sleep, this chapter taught me alternatives that are healthier for getting to sleep that do not involve any drug intake.Overall I also learned how these types of drugs are different from other types and what separates sedative-hypnotics into their own category. Personal insights This was another overwhelming chapter for me because I did not even really have a grasp that this was a category of drugs before reading the chapter. Now I have a better-rounded grasp of what substances are included in the world of a bused drugs.I feel frustration after reading this chapter because it added so many more types of drugs and substances that are abused to how many I have already found out about so far, and I don’t feel like I will ever be able to keep all the differences between categories and individual drugs straight. How this chapter helped me in learning to understand the disease of addiction The biggest thing I took away from this chapter that helps me to understand the disease of addiction is that not all abused substances are addictive in every way.Some drugs/substances are not physically addictive, but they can still be abused because of the good feelings obtained through their use. This is true for aerosols and commercial solvents; no physical dependence has been found to these substances when abused, but they are continuously abused by people because of the feelings of euphoria they can produce. So I understand better that some abused substances do not produce physical addiction, bu t are still abused and still have very dangerous effects.