Student Exchange Program and Educational Tours free essay sample

Instructive the travel industry is a quickly growing zone in the movement and the travel industry. It is otherwise called vocation upgrade or self-advancement program which comes in different organizations to be specific outside understudy trade projects and business shows. Be that as it may, all types of instructive visits share one point practically speaking, which is to expand the travellers’ information. In this way, instructive the travel industry ought to unquestionably be utilized as a type of training as it successfully encourages learning and incredibly benefits the voyagers. One of the advantages of joining instructive the travel industry is that the remote understudies who engaged with the trade program will get back as a progressively autonomous and confident individual. This is on the grounds that the members will have the option to do their every day schedules without depending on others. Members will create more significant level of trust in settling on choices later on the grounds that they are committed to finish certain undertakings all alone. Also, by taking an interest in instructive visits, understudies can acquire experience, for example, the way of life and culture of different nations. We will compose a custom paper test on Understudy Exchange Program and Educational Tours or on the other hand any comparable subject explicitly for you Don't WasteYour Time Recruit WRITER Just 13.90/page Understudies will have the option to connect with the language of the outside nation and could learn in through pragmatic inundation. It is an a lot more secure path for understudies to pick up information since they will be joined by their companions and drove by their instructors. At the point when understudies are going in a gathering, they can trade data and improve each other’s learning. Understudies will have a pleasant encounter and guardians will feel eased as their kids are in a sheltered domain. It is contended that instructive the travel industry has been accomplishing more mischief than anything as it corrupts the ecological conditions. It has been shown that the air, water and wild life’s unique state have been upset because of the expanding number of instructive travelers. In any case, this contention is invalid in light of the fact that the characteristic assets are utilized by travelers as well as by local people. Besides, voyagers are the minority in the region. What's more, they remain there for an a lot shorter timeframe contrasted with local people. A decent instructive visit will teach members on turning out to be mindful visitors. Subsequently, members of the visit will know about the significance of safeguarding the earth. Instructive visits offer members a chance to procure experience that can't be gotten inside the study hall. It additionally empowers members to be presented to other social and social qualities. In this way, schools and organizations of advanced education ought to sort out and urge their understudies to take an interest in instructive visits as it proficiently helps the learning procedure and incredibly expanded students’ points of view. (421 words) Final altering Educational the travel industry is a quickly growing division in the movement and the travel industry. It is otherwise called vocation improvement or self-enhancement program where the instructive foundations offer understudy trade programs and instructive visits to their understudies. These instructive visits have one basic goal, which is to expand the travellers’ information. Thusly, instructive the travel industry ought to be consolidated in the educational program prospectus as it encourages free learning and gives more secure options in contrast to understudies to increase new encounters that could interface with the speculations they learned through the abroad visits. One advantage of joining instructive visits is that the understudies who are engaged with the trade projects will turn out to be increasingly autonomous in their own learning. As they are living abroad for a brief timeframe, they have to guarantee that they deal with their time well and complete their course takes a shot at time. Despite the fact that the host foundation may dole out a tutor to manage these understudies, they despite everything need to complete their day by day schedules without depending on their family and own companions who are not around to support them. This sort of experience will assist the understudies with developing more elevated level of trust in settling on choices since they are committed to finish certain assignments all alone. Having the option to settle on choice adequately will add to autonomous learning as the understudies figure out how to choose themselves without being recounted what they ought to do. What's more, instructive the travel industry can be considered as a more secure alternative for youthful understudies to increase new understanding and information through instructive visits and trade programs. It will be a lot more secure for understudies to go on instructive visits as they will be will be joined by their companions and drove by their educators. At the point when understudies are going in a gathering, they can trade data and check with one another. At the end of the day, they can find new thoughts through gathering conversation in another condition. Their educators or the aides at the host goals can give significant data to assist the understudies with adapting to the new condition. Along these lines, understudies can have a pleasant getting the hang of setting at abroad and try different things with various methods of learning. Through legitimate direction and controlled condition, guardians can be guaranteed of the wellbeing of their kids in another instructive condition. It is contended that instructive the travel industry is accomplishing more damage than anything else as it compounds the ecological conditions. It is discovered that the air, water and wild life’s unique state have been contrarily influenced because of the expanding number of instructive travelers. Be that as it may, this contention is invalid in light of the fact that the normal assets are utilized by travelers as well as by local people. Moreover, visitors are the minority bunch in the zone. Furthermore, they remain at the region for an a lot shorter timeframe contrasted with the nearby network. A decent instructive visit will for the most part teach visit members on turning out to be capable sightseers. In this way, members of the visit will know about the significance of safeguarding the earth and won't carry on untrustworthily. Taking everything into account, instructive visits permit understudies to assume responsibility for their own learning and empower them to learn new information in a more secure condition with appropriate arranging. Hence, schools and foundations of advanced education ought to consider sorting out instructive visits and urging their understudies to take an interest in this movement as it can help the learning procedure and incredibly expanded students’ points of view on world information. (565 words)

The Effect of the Monsoon on the Indian Society in Cochin, Kerala :: Monsoon India Society Culture Essays Papers

The Effect of the Monsoon on the Indian Society in Cochin, Kerala The rainstorm holds the ability to advance or crush India ’s economy. For sure, India can possibly be significantly increasingly prosperous were it not for the flightiness of the rainstorm. â€Å"Floods, dry spell, starvation, and neediness keep on hauling her down every time she appears to be prepared to spread wings of flourishing and fly towards a more promising time to come brimming with more extravagant harvests.† 1 At some point from the finish of May to about the second seven day stretch of June the southwest storm will show up, on the off chance that it shows up. Its season of appearance isn't truly unsurprising, nor is its span or power, all of which can impactsly affect an agronomically based society. At the point when the storm downpour mists arrive at the shore of south western India, they rise so rapidly over the Western Ghats, an unexpected 1,500 mile slope, that they lose a lot of their dampness in Kerala (our zone of study) before blowing over the remainder of the landmass and inland.2 Approximately 67% of the populace relies upon horticulture for an occupation (ranger service and angling included).3 Major harvests of Cochin and the encompassing territory incorporate coconuts, elastic, and rice. The rainstorm downpours are significant for yields to develop. The economy has been known as a â€Å"gamble in rains† in light of the fact that the downpour from the rainstorm fills rep ositories, tanks, waterways, and water system trenches with water that must go on until the storm returns in the following year.4 Approximately 90% of India ’s yearly water gracefully is brought by the monsoon.5 When the storm season is acceptable, the administration attempts to build up cradle stocks against the fiasco of rainstorm disappointment. On the off chance that the storm comes up short for a few progressive years in any case, no proactive measures can be sufficient.6 Another bet the ranchers make is with the planning of the rainstorm. Yields are planted in March and April during the dry, hot season, and are reaped in November during the withdrawing upper east storm. A few yields, for example, coconuts need a specific measure of downpour at a specific time. On the off chance that the storm is late they will evaporate and the collect is lost.7 As per Cochin local, Joerose Tharakan, the inconsistency of the appearance of the storm can have critical impacts on the assurance of the general public. At the point when the storm is late the ranchers tend to get vexed. Notwithstanding the way that it clearly will do nothing worth mentioning, they regularly protest.

The Benefits of Gratitude for Stress Relief

The Benefits of Gratitude for Stress Relief Happiness Print The Benefits of Cultivating Gratitude for Stress Relief By Elizabeth Scott, MS twitter Elizabeth Scott, MS, is a wellness coach specializing in stress management and quality of life, and the author of 8 Keys to Stress Management. Learn about our editorial policy Elizabeth Scott, MS Updated on July 08, 2019 Maria Teijeiro/ Getty Images More in Self-Improvement Happiness Meditation Stress Management Spirituality Holistic Health Inspiration Brain Health Technology Relationships View All Have you ever noticed that some people seem to be able to maintain a relatively positive attitude regardless of what’s happening around them? Like everyone, they can appreciate the good times, but they also seem to be able to focus on the positive in the face of some pretty negative events. They see the good in difficult people, they see the opportunity in a challenging situation, and they appreciate what they have, even in the face of loss. Would you like to increase your ability to maintain a positive attitude in your life, even in the face of significant stress? Fortunately, a positive attitude can be cultivated, with a little practice. Although we are born with specific temperamental tendencies, the brain is a muscle, and you can strengthen your mind’s natural tendency toward optimism if you work at it. And also, fortunately, working on building your gratitude muscle can be enjoyable in itself. But the benefits you gain would make it worth the effort even if it was a dull, difficult task. While several factors go into emotional resilience and optimism, studies show that cultivating a sense of gratitude can help you maintain a more positive mood in daily life and contribute to the greater emotional well-being and bring social benefits as well. Cultivating gratitude is one of the simpler routes to a greater sense of emotional well-being, higher overall life satisfaction, and a greater sense of happiness in life. People with a greater level of gratitude tend to have stronger relationships in that they appreciate their loved ones more, and their loved ones, feeling that appreciation, tend to do more to earn it. And because those who are happier, sleep better, and enjoy healthy relationships tend to be healthier, grateful people tend to be healthier people. Fortunately, gratitude can be cultivated, and this can be accomplished in several ways. For the next few weeks, try some of the following exercises, and you should notice a significant increase in your feelings of gratitude â€" you will likely find yourself noticing more positive things in your life, dwelling less on negative or stressful events and feelings of ‘lack,’ and having a greater sense of appreciation for the people and things in your life. Make Gentle Reminders When you notice yourself grumbling about a negative event or stressor in your life, try to think of 4 or 5 related things for which you are grateful. For example, when feeling stressed at work, try to think about several things that you like about your job. You can do the same with relationship stress, financial stress, or other daily hassles. The more you gently remind yourself of the positives, the more easily a shift toward gratitude can occur. Be Careful With Comparisons Many people cause themselves unnecessary stress by making comparisons. More specifically, they cause themselves stress by making the wrong comparisons. They compare themselves only to those who have more, do more, or are in some way closer to their ideals, and allow themselves to feel inferior instead of inspired. In cultivating gratitude, you have one of two options if you find yourself making such comparisons: You can either choose to compare yourself to people who have less than you (which reminds you how truly rich and lucky you are), or you can feel gratitude for having people in your life who can inspire you. Either road can lead away from stress and envy, and closer to feelings of gratitude.  Here are some more strategies for minimizing the stress of social comparison on social media. Keep a Gratitude Journal One of the best ways to cultivate gratitude is to keep a gratitude journal. Not only are you combining the benefits of journaling with the active adoption of a more positive mindset, but you are also left with a nice catalog of happy memories and a long list of things in your life for which you are grateful. (This can be wonderful to read during times when it’s more difficult to remember what these things are.) Because habits are usually formed within two or three weeks, you will have to actively focus on maintaining gratitude less and less as you go, and the habit of a more positive (and less stress-inducing) attitude will be more automatic. And greater feelings of emotional well-being can be yours.

The 3 Dimensions Of Health - 927 Words

The 3 Dimensions of Health: Friendship, Faith, Fitness One of the guiding principles of Fit for Soul is the interconnection of all things, including the mind, the body, and the social environment in which we live. From this holistic perspective, health isn’t merely the absence of disease or symptoms; it is a state of optimal wellbeing, vitality, and wholeness. We are healthy when we’re able to fully digest everything we take in, extracting what is nourishing and eliminating whatever doesn’t serve us. This includes our food, our relationships, our jobs, and all our life experiences. Illness, in contrast, develops when there is a disruption ― a blockage in the flow of balance in our body. Symptoms and sickness are the body’s signal that we need to restore balance, eliminate whatever is causing the blockages, and reestablish health. The Mind-Body-Faith Connection Since the body and mind are inextricably connected, every time we have a thought, we set off a cascade of cellular reactions in our nervous system that influence all the molecules in our body. Our cells are constantly observing our thoughts and being changed by them. Each day we reinforce our thoughts and choices and experiences influence our tendency to be healthy or become ill. A man in a toxic work environment has incapacitating headaches that don’t respond to multiple medications. A woman decides she will no longer accept her boyfriend’s demeaning behavior, and her debilitating panic attacksShow MoreRelatedA General Landscape Of The Human Development Context904 Words   |  4 PagesThis part navigates into both scale levels of the model: A general landscape is provided by the dimension network analysis, and the bridge detail is delivered by the local scale analysis among subnetworks. Besides education, the ACS included other human development dimensions in the thematic groups numbered in Figure 2. Wealth is represented by several thematic groups (2, 6, 5, 9, 8, 11, 18), but health is limited to insurance coverage (12). Culture is represented broadly (1); Affiliations and someRead MoreDimension Network Analysis : A General Landscape, While The Local Scale919 Words   |  4 PagesThis part navigates into both scale levels of the model: Dimension network analysis provides a general landscape, while the local scale analysis among subnetworks delivers the bridging detail. Besides education, the ACS included other human development dimensions in the thematic groups numbered in Figure 3. Wealth is represented by several thematic groups (2, 6, 5, 9, 8, 11, 18), but health is limited to only insurance coverage (12). Culture is represented broadly (1). Affiliations and various differentialsRead MoreImproving Quality of Health Care Services Essay1400 Words   |  6 PagesImproving Quality of Health Care Services The U.S. leads the way in many areas into the future of economy, wealth and civilization. America spends more on heath care than any other nation with quality and safety being a key focus. Nevertheless, evidence of improvement of decreased errors is limited. We lack answers to financial stability and providing quality health care to all (Becher amp; Chassin, 2001). Nationally, everyone is engaged in improving the quality and safety of healthcare.Read MoreHealth Is A Measurement Of Quality Of Life766 Words   |  4 PagesWhat is health? The word health is such a vast word. When it first comes to mind I simply think not being sick. However, after further contemplation I realize it also encompasses a state of being sick. There can be good health and bad health. Therefore, health is a measurement of quality of life. Everyone has a different definition of the word, a different perspective of how to measure quality of life. The World Health Organization, WHO, famously defines health as a state of complete physical, mentalRead MoreResearch Questions On Health Information Needs For Malaria Management1611 Words   |  7 Pages3.4. Study 1 Discussion Aim 1 of this dissertation was, â€Å"To investigate and prioritize the health information needs for malaria management in the Millennium Villages Project in Bonsaaso, Ghana†. Study 1 provided answers to research questions in Aim 1. Research questions were guided by Sittig and Singh’s 8-dimension STM framework and classified under the model’s dimensions. People dimension research questions helped understand who where the stakeholders that should be included in the studyRead MoreThe Four Important Dimensions Of Sustainability Models Essay1246 Words   |  5 Pagessustainability. The four important dimensions of sustainability models are: ïÆ'Ëœ Economic Dimension ïÆ'Ëœ Environmental Dimension ïÆ'Ëœ Social Dimension ïÆ'Ëœ Institutional Dimension Environmental dimension includes all natural capital which was subdivided into the stocks of renewable and non renewable resources. The economic dimension includes all manmade assets like land and buildings. Social dimension shows the awareness of individuals like knowledge and experience. Institutional dimension deals with the organizationRead MoreEssay on Johnson and Johnson626 Words   |  3 Pagesreviewing the Johnson amp; Johnson website I discovered that they had several of the 12 Dimensions of Business Innovation. Of the 12 dimensions, I will identify 6 that I found on the website. The first one that immediately stood out would be the Offerings dimension, which is defined as â€Å"developing innovative products and services† (Kotler amp; Keller, p. 46). One example of the offerings dimension would be Lubriderm’s 3-in-1 Men’s Lotion. This lotion is specialized with minerals and moisturizers thatRead MoreNotes On Quality Of Life1617 Words   |  7 Pagesbased on the concept of QoL in deferent levels of geographic scales and there are subjective and objective indicators for the quality of life, The concept of Quality of life has been researched rabidly and theoretically in the field of economics, health and social while other papers examined the correlations between quality of life and housing prices, housing quality, or productivity differences, living conditions, and quality of place. Many approaches are created to evaluate the quality of lifeRead MoreThe Principle Of Autonomy, Counseling, Supervision, And / Or Practice As A Counselor1378 W ords   |  6 PagesAutonomy Describe the principle. Detail the implication for any or all of these issues: Inclusion, Referral, Best Practice, Limitation as a Counselor, Supervision, and/or Practice as a Counselor Point out the Multicultural dimension of this principle. The principle of autonomy is considering to be the right of the clients on making their own decisions while resolving their own conflicts. The counselor cannot tell them what to do in order to resolve their problems. The counselor encourages the client’sRead MoreReflection On Self Reflection809 Words   |  4 PagesWellness has a broader definition, than health, which it’s definition is the absence of disease and wellness is defined as the optimal health and vitality to living a healthy and fulfilling life. Also, is a process in which we become aware and we make choices to a better lifestyle. Maintaining an excellent level of wellness is crucial to live longer, live a higher quality life and control risk factors. To achieve this, is important to consider some of the dimensions of wellness. Through the course

The AFL Canadian Labor, National Identity, and...

The AFL Canadian: Labor, National Identity, and Transnational Discourse 1936-1955 â€Å"The American Federation of Labor is an American organization,† declared William Green, president of the AFL, in his 1947 keynote speech, â€Å"It believe[d] in American, the fundamental law of the United States, the Constitution, freedom, liberty and democracy. We will have nothing to do with Communism in any shape, or form ... This sixty-sixth convention will redeclare its opposition to Communism and to Communist philosophy, and ... to [those who would] attempt to establish it among the organized labor of our country.† Though Green declared â€Å"Communism abhorrent to American labor† not all the members of the AFL were American. Indeed, Canadians and their†¦show more content†¦The AFL used anti-Communist ideology as method of furthering, their own, American economic interests. For all its supposed non-partisan domestic politics, the AFL leadership was invested in American economic supremacy. Economic and political spheres of power can not be so n eatly decomposed. The expansion of U.S. economic power in the post-war period necessarily had politics embedded within it. The AFL’s associations with the CIA and State Department in order to defend American corporations, with, naturally, associated windfalls for American labor. In Canada, as Gary Marcuse points out, â€Å"the rebellious dissidents in the unions often voiced the emergent demands for greater national autonomy, and the purge of the dissidents was intimately linked with the suppression of that nationalism.† The AFL’s choice of discourse furthered their economic ends. In order to appreciate the impact of these international developments, it is important to look at local causes and effects. It is the process of emergent nationalism and its relationship to economic action that interests me. I wish to examine, at a very local level, the relationship between economic sovereignty and cultural identity among the rank-and-file membership of the Toronto AFL locals in the W.W.II and post-war period. How do Canadians with a rising sense of nationalism understand themselves and their roles within a decidedly American institution? The relationship of the Canadian and the American is often

State of the Nation The Seven Years War Free Essays

A. Why might some scholars call the Seven Years War the â€Å"Great War for Empire†? B. Is it accurate to describe the Seven Years War as the â€Å"Great War for Empire† and as the â€Å"First Worldwide War†? C. We will write a custom essay sample on State of the Nation: The Seven Years War or any similar topic only for you Order Now What role did Indians play in the causes and consequences of the war? D. Did the war set the stage for the American Revolution? In 1756, Britain declared war on France, which is known as to today to be the beginning of the Seven Years’ War. Some Scholars might call the Seven Years’ War the â€Å"Great War for Empires† because France ceded its major North American holdings to Britain. Because of Frances’s losses, Britain gained control of the continent’s fir trade. Another reason in why some scholars may call the Seven Years’ War the â€Å"Great War for Empire† is because it chained into an expansion of British colonies. In 1763, Local Indians started feel the impact of the British’s win. Some Indians known as the Creeks and Cherokees were some of the most upset, because they were not able to turn to France or Spain in case of Britain not giving them any kind of concessions no more. In desperation, and retaliation for British atrocities, Cherokees attacked the Carolina and Virginia frontiers in 1760(Norton, 112). Even though the Indian were victorious, they were easily defeated the following year. Late in 1761, a treaty allowed the construction of British forts in the Cherokee territories and opened a large tract to European settlement. How to cite State of the Nation: The Seven Years War, Papers

Red Rose Essays - A Red, Red Rose, Scotland, Scottish Literature

Red Rose Red Rose is a poem written by Robert Burns, during 1796, the year of his death. The poem consists of four stanzas; each one four lines long. The first stanza has an exact rhyme at the end of the second and fourth lines -- June and tune. The repetition of "O, my luve" in the first stanza conjures up the idea that his love is different from other men. His woman is so special to him that she reminds him of a red, red rose, not just a "plain" red rose. He uses two different similes for his love -- the rose and the melody, and "that's newly" and "that's sweetly" describing those similes. She is so young and fair that he compares her to the first rose of the season in its' purity and youth. His love is so sweet that she reminds him of a soothing melody played in tune. I immediately feel that he has known no other love like this. O, my luve is like a red, red rose, That's newly sprung in June. O, my luve is like the melodie, That's sweetly played in tune. The second stanza has a perfect rhyme at the end of the second and fourth lines -- "I" and "dry." In this stanza, the narrator reminds her and us that his love is undying no matter what happens around him. His reference to bonnie and seas makes me think of a childhood song's lyrics, "...my bonnie lies over the ocean, my bonnie lies over the sea..." As fair art thou, my bonnie lass, So deep in luve am I, And I will luve thee still, my dear, Till a' the seas gang dry. The third stanza has an exact rhyme at the end of the second and fourth lines -- "sun" and "run." He repeats the endearment "my dear" at the end of the first and third lines to emphasize his affection for her. He also rhymes within the stanza using till, will, and still, creating a pleasant sounding stanza. Included with these words is "shall" which doesn't rhyme but whose appearance is similar with the double consonant "L." He clearly states that he will be in love with her until certain occurrences happen in nature -- "seas go dry" and "rocks melt with the sun" which feasibly can never happen. In other words, his love for her will last forever. Even though time goes by like the sand in an hourglass, age will not hinder his undying love for her. Till a' the seas gang dry, my dear, And the rocks melt wi' the sun! And I will luve thee still, my dear, While the sands o' life shall run. The fourth and final stanza of the poem has an exact rhyme at the end of the second and fourth lines -- "awhile" and "mile." We also find Burns repeating "luve" on the first and third lines, as well as beginning the first, second, and third lines with "and" and continuing the first and third with "fare thee weel" as if his persistence will make all the difference in the outcome of their lives. He tells his love that he will come back to be with her again even if he finds himself as far away as ten thousand miles. He assures her that she is his only love no matter how long he is away from her side. He wishes her well-being and hopes that she remains healthy awhile for it seems he will be gone from her for some time. And fare thee weel, my only luve, And fare thee weel awhile! And I will come again, my luve, Though it were ten thousand mile! The narrator appears to be a sailor expressing his admiration of a woman to his reader during the first stanza. In the following three stanzas, he addresses his words of devotion directly to her. His dramatic monologue clearly states his love of this woman and everything about her. Burn's use of nature in his descriptions of this woman and his narrator's adoration for her bring vivid scenes or ideas to mind. His use of imagery is not always exactly what he wants us to observe, but rather the feeling it derives.

Introduction to Holography

Introduction to Holography If youre carrying money, a drivers license, or credit cards, youre carrying around holograms. The dove hologram on a Visa card may be the most familiar. The rainbow-colored bird changes colors and appears to move as you tilt the card. Unlike a bird in a traditional photograph, a holographic bird is a three-dimensional image. Holograms are formed by interference of light beams from a laser. How Lasers Make Holograms Holograms are made using lasers because laser light is coherent. What this means is that all of the photons of laser light have exactly the same frequency and phase difference. Splitting a laser beam produces two beams that are the same color as each other (monochromatic). In contrast, regular white light consists of many different frequencies of light. When white light is diffracted, the frequencies split to form a rainbow of colors. In conventional photography, the light reflected off an object strikes a strip of film that contains a chemical (i.e., silver bromide) that reacts to light. This produces a two-dimensional representation of the subject. A hologram forms a three-dimensional image because light interference patterns are recorded, not just reflected light. To make this happen, a laser beam is split into two beams that pass through lenses to expand them. One beam (the reference beam) is directed onto high-contrast film. The other beam is aimed at the object (the object beam). Light from the object beam gets scattered by the holograms subject. Some of this scattered light goes toward the photographic film. The scattered light from the object beam is out of phase with the reference beam, so when the two beams interact they form an interference pattern. The interference pattern recorded by the film encodes a three-dimensional pattern because the distance from any point on the object affects the phase of the scattered light. However, there is a limit to how three-dimensional a hologram can appear. This is because the object beam only hits its target from a single direction. In other words, the hologram only displays the perspective from the object beams point of view. So, while a hologram changes depending on the viewing angle, you cant see behind the object. Viewing a Hologram A hologram image is an interference pattern that looks like random noise unless viewed under the right lighting. The magic happens when a holographic plate is illuminated with the same laser beam light that was used to record it. If a different laser frequency or another type of light is used, the reconstructed image wont exactly match the original. Yet, the most common holograms are visible in white light. These are reflection-type volume holograms and rainbow holograms. Holograms that can be viewed in ordinary light require special processing. In the case of a rainbow hologram, a standard transmission hologram is copied using a horizontal slit. This preserves parallax in one direction (so the perspective can move), but produces a color shift in the other direction. Uses of Holograms The 1971 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to the Hungarian-British scientist Dennis Gabor for  his invention and development of the holographic method. Originally, holography was a technique used to improve electron microscopes. Optical holography didnt take off until the invention of the laser in 1960. Although holograms were immediately popular for art, practical applications of optical holography lagged until the 1980s. Today, holograms are used for data storage, optical communications, interferometry in engineering and microscopy, security, and holographic scanning. Interesting Hologram Facts If you cut a hologram in half, each piece still contains an image of the entire object. In contrast, if you cut a photograph in half, half of the information is lost.One way to copy a hologram is to illuminate it with a laser beam and place a new photographic plate such that it receives light from the hologram and from the original beam. Essentially, the hologram acts like the original object.Another way to copy a hologram is to emboss it using the original image. This works much the same way records are made from audio recordings. The embossing process is used for mass production.

William Blake - Visionary Pre-Romantic Poet, Printer and Artist

William Blake - Visionary Pre-Romantic Poet, Printer and Artist William Blake was born in London in 1757, one of six children of a hosiery merchant. He was an imaginative child, â€Å"different† from the beginning, so he was not sent to school, but educated at home. He talked of visionary experiences from a very early age: at 10, he saw a tree filled with angels when he was wandering the countryside just outside town. He later claimed to have read Milton as a child and he began writing â€Å"Poetical Sketches† at 13. He was also interested in painting and drawing in childhood, but his parents could not afford art school, so he was apprenticed to an engraver at the age of 14. Blakes Training as an Artist The engraver to whom Blake was apprenticed was James Basire, who had made engravings of the work of Reynolds and Hogarth and was official engraver to the Society of Antiquaries. He sent Blake to draw the tombs and monuments at Westminster Abbey, a task which brought him to his lifelong love of Gothic art. When his 7-year apprenticeship was complete, Blake entered the Royal Academy, but did not stay long, and continued to support himself making engraved book illustrations. His Academy teachers urged him to adopt a simpler, less extravagant style, but Blake was enamored of grand historical paintings and ancient ballads. Blakes Illuminated Printing In 1782, William Blake married Catherine Boucher, an illiterate farmer’s daughter. He taught her reading and writing and draftsmanship, and she later assisted him in creating his illuminated books. He also taught drawing, painting and engraving to his beloved younger brother Robert. William was present when Robert died in 1787; he said that he saw his soul rise through the ceiling at death, that Robert’s spirit continued to visit him afterwards, and that one of these night visits inspired his illuminated book printing, combining poem text and engraved illustration on a single copper plate and hand-coloring the prints. Blakes Early Poems The first collection of poems William Blake published was Poetical Sketches in 1783 - clearly the work of a young apprentice poet, with its odes to the four seasons, an imitation of Spenser, historical prologues and songs. His most loved collections were next, the paired Songs of Innocence (1789) and Songs of Experience (1794), both published as handmade illuminated books. After the upheaval of the French Revolution his work became more political and allegorical, protesting and satirizing war and tyranny in books like America, a Prophecy (1793), Visions of the Daughters of Albion (1793) and Europe, a Prophecy (1794). Blake as Outsider and Mythmaker Blake was definitely outside the mainstream of art and poetry in his day, and his prophetic illustrated works did not garner much public recognition. He was usually able to make his living illustrating the works of others, but his fortunes declined as he devoted himself to his own ideas and art rather than to what was fashionable in 18th century London. He had a few patrons, whose commissions enabled him to study the classics and develop his personal mythology for his great visionary epics: The First Book of Urizen (1794), Milton (1804-08), Vala, or The Four Zoas (1797; rewritten after 1800), and Jerusalem (1804-20). Blakes Later Life Blake lived the last years of his life in obscure poverty, relieved only a little by the admiration and patronage of a group of younger painters known as â€Å"The Ancients.† William Blake fell ill and died in 1827. His last drawing was a portrait of his wife Catherine, drawn on his deathbed. Books by William Blake Blake: Songs of Innocence and Experience (facsimile edition with introduction by Richard Holmes, Tate Publishing, 2007)Songs of Innocence and of Experience (CD-ROM edition, pages embellished with pop-up commentary and annotations, narrated by Stuart Curran, Octavo, 2003)William Blake: The Complete Illuminated Books (reproductions from the Blake Trust, with introduction by David Bindman, Thames Hudson, W.W. Norton Co., 2001)The Complete Poetry Prose of William Blake (ed. David Erdman, with commentary by Harold Bloom, revised edition, Anchor, 1997)Blake’s Illustrations for the Book of Job (Dover Publications, 1995)The Marriage of Heaven and Hell: A Facsimile in Full Color (Dover Publications reprint, 1994)

Specific Behaviour Problems Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Essay

Specific Behaviour Problems Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) - Essay Example An explanation given for this kind of disparity is the psychological view that female gender is able to learn how to direct the behaviour issues they experience and have more control over them as is opposed to males. However, the likelihood that females will still exhibit criminal behaviours after having developed ADHD is still as possible as that of the male gender. One of the most important points to note is the fact that not all people who have been diagnosed with this disorder have to develop criminal behaviours. The only thing is that the rate of this criminality occurring is higher than it is for normal children (Siegel & Senna, 2004). ADHD has been widely covered in terms of research due to the interest it has elicited in many behavioural outcomes in society. The fact that criminal practice is of greater interest to society has made this disorder receive much attention as forming the basis of explanation given to future criminal practices by these individuals that exhibited th e behaviour in their growth stages. This could be attributed to the aspect of co-morbidity that has been established with this disorder as having a link to other external behaviours (Johansson, et al., 2005). This paper takes a critical look at ADHD, its implications for schools and schooling environment, intervention measures, and how this behaviour is likely to be applied in the current and future educational practices (Ghodsian-Carpey & Baker, 1987). Review on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Some form of dysfunctions in the brain or abnormalities on the cerebral structures does affect people leading to them experiencing explosive rage which could be in form of violence episodes. Such explosive rage is thought to cause antisocial behaviour. The ADHD levels in children who pose antisocial behaviours in class have been established to be higher. In addition to that, ADHD has been linked to some conditions known to be risk factors in carrying out offenses, and they cou ld be exhibited as neuropsychological deficits, poor cognitive and academic skills, defiance, aggression, psychological problems, and truancy (Moffitt, 1993). Indeed a real cause of ADHD has not been fully established and all the explanations available are merely based on some intuitions derived from known biological and psychological developments (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). Many think it is as a result of chemical imbalance within the central nervous system which is caused by exposure to certain environmental factors such as exposure to toxin at pregnancy, additives taken in food and allergies, including reactions to sugar, caffeine and other foods and colourings, or genetic factors. For those in favour of biochemical imbalance explanation, they pose that this results from a neurotransmitter deficiency and where this imbalance is not treated, such a child develops and shows maladaptive behaviours and these could be followed by long periods of emotional and physical pr oblems (Reiss, 1997). The most common way of identifying ADHD is observing a student in the way he or she behaves. This student will have difficulties in being attentive in class, could be very active and thus hyperactivity, or may carry out an action before thinking, a condition known as impulsivity (Babinski, et

Film Westworld Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Film Westworld - Essay Example One of the most striking characters is the android called as the Gunslinger (Yul Brynner) who portrays a robotic Old West sheriff that kills humans. As Benjamin dies with the bite of the android snake, Brolin faces the out of controlled Gunslinger. Benjamin is lucky since the gun slinging android shuts down at the end as some of its circuit splits. It is remarkable that with the heights of the technology human has; he might have the idea of bringing real life interaction between humans and machine. This is very evident in the movie the West World (1973). We can see that technological enhancement really works to pursue better living and at the same time for recreation sake. The highlight is that technology is really promising in different aspects of life. Many inventions and discoveries of man produced positive impact, however it does not give the guarantee that technology itself will be without flaw. Part of the expectation with respect to technology is that it has the possibility to be out of control. This is what exactly happened to the movie West World. As the operators of the resort admires their wonderful work about robots providing services to human, they were just shocked seeing that everything is turning into a catastrophe. That is putting too much faith in the technology, without realizing that the same things people enjoyed out of it could be in the future the same things that put one’s life in a danger. Interaction between human and machines is an extremely exciting idea, but the film West World suggest how men can be drunk with the heights of human technology to do something that will totally violate his human morale. You can just imagine how the place suggest that anyone who chooses to stay in that place for a vacation might have experience the fantasy of their own as having sex and killings. Technology in some means is good, however the movie West World created a role playing world wherein people can do whatever they want (killings

Grey Marketing Activities Within the Software Industry

Grey Marketing Activities Within the Software Industry Future ABSTRACT The research work has presented an enlarged view of the operation within the grey markets, their functioning, pricing structure, the customer base lastly the arguments in favour, thereby evaluating -‘Can grey be good? It has also focussed on grey markets- as a subject of annoyance for the IT players OEMs. Counter-arguments hostile measures adopted to combat grey goods have also been the point of discussion. Overall, this piece of research is being successful in presenting a balanced view of the goods the bads of the grey industry from the perspective of industry players, grey entrepreneurs as well as consumers. INTRODUCTION 1.1 AIMS To obtain information insights about grey marketing activities within the software industry. With the help of Journals, case studies secondary research activities shed light on the present scenario of the grey markets (consumer targeting inclination, pricing etc). The pros cons of grey marketing shall also be presented to have an equalised view. To know what are the hostile measures adopted by firms to prevent grey activities. Present cases to depict the preventive measures adopted by firms like HP Microsoft to combat grey market products. The paper also focuses on the initiatives adopted by independent agencies such as AGMA BSA towards grey market activities. Market Penetration Grey Markets Can grey market ever be an alternative to market penetration? If yes, to which extent can it be possible? In addition, understanding the concept of ‘free riding as a way for market penetration, as mentioned in the Journal of Business Venturing (Vol 4). To evaluate: Can grey ever be good? Based on the research undertaken, evaluating thereby concluding the positives negatives of grey markets. Should they be encouraged? Can they boost an economic scenario of a country? lastly how effective can they be in increasing sales of a product? 1.2 OBJECTIVES The methodology that is to be adopted for fulfilment of the above aims is as under: Journals, Newsweekly, Internet (secondary research) along with white papers provided by firms shall be the main sources of information for this research. Primary data obtained through interviewing shall be the most vital aspect (it shall be considering not only the consumer perspective towards grey markets its products, but also of dealers operating within this arena). finally, the crux of the research (insights, analysis evaluation) will be presented to obtain a concluding perspective. 1.3 GREY MARKET: AN NTRODUCTION Majority of distribution companies are flourishing thanks to distribution channels that shepherd product from a manufacturer eventually direct them to the consumers through a chain of legitimate distributors across the world. But a mounting quite detrimental market subsists that can cause ignorant customers to buy technology products with untrue warranties, several designed for use in other countries or worse products consisting counterfeit parts. These practices can erode customer satisfaction harm brand integrity, causing major profit attrition for manufacturers. Welcome to the global ‘Grey Market where branded products have been sidetracked from the authorised supply channel within a country or are imported into a country without the approval or awareness of the manufacturer. Grey market goods are usually sold at lesser prices than those proposed by the legitimate distributors. And the pricing disparity amongst various legitimate markets customers generates an opportunity for the brokers to procure labelled products at discounted prices move them to markets where they can fetch high income. A research study by KMPG demonstrates that grey market goods pose a grave challenge to information technology manufacturers their authorised dealers. The study reveals that IT manufacturers are communally losing up to US$5 billion in profits on yearly basis, a figure that is mounting. While the grey market affects many businesses, including automobiles, consumer products, pharmaceuticals, fashion accessories others, this study shall validate that computers related products are the industry segments most affected by grey market actions. 1.4 INTRODUCTION TO THE PROBLEM (a) Software Counterfeiting Counterfeiting is amongst the most exigent problem facing the information technology (IT) industry today. Illegal replicas of brand-name high tech products are flooding the marketplace, causing harm to legitimate companies profits and dropping their aptitude to invest in research and development (RD). Multiplication of technology employed to make computers, servers, and a host of high tech products—as well as a lack of regulatory enforcement in developing countries—is speeding up counterfeiting. It is now estimated that as much as 10 percent of all high tech products sold globally are counterfeit. (b) Free Riding: A Way To Penetrate Markets? ‘Free Riding is a term which comes into picture when software products have been counterfeited. Free-riding was first introduced by Tan et al. (1995, 1997) as an alternative explanation for the incidence of grey marketing, whereby grey entrepreneurs are provided with the opportunity to enter money-making markets that are presently supplied by big firms. However, hostile measures have been taken to prevent grey market activities by agencies like AGMA BSA as well as biggies like Microsoft, HP etc. HP is administrating reseller spot checks and distie reviews to stamp out the grey market in a variety of regions without being hesitant to exercise the law courts against resellers who â€Å"breach contractual requisites†. The firm, at the moment, is taking legal action in opposition to one UK reseller for violation of agreement and cautions it has other cases under review. While, Microsoft has collared another plagiarist in the UK for flogging grey software on eBay. The software giant has scored  £35,000 in compensation against an internet trader for copyright violations and illegitimately bringing in cheap American software to Europe. Meanwhile, an agency like Business Software Alliance (BSA) is outing bandits by setting a bounty on their heads. The group announced its Blow the Whistle operation which presents $1m to workers who squeal on their companies. Certain firms are trying to launch software which might allow manufacturers detect sales through unofficial mediums. 1.5 SCOPE FOR THE REASERCH The main reason behind the proposed research subject is to obtain information on the grey markets the practices that are being carried out. The scope for undertaking the research work is as under: Understanding the global phenomenon of ‘grey marketing. Understanding the logistics within grey markets. The precautionary measures adopted by the firms agencies to prevent grey activities. The concept of free riding to penetrate markets within the software arena. lastly analysing evaluating the research produced to gather provide insights. 1.6 LIMITATIONS TOWARDS THE REASERCH The possible shortcomings for the proposed research topic are as under: Being an unconventional subject for research, obtaining information can be tough. Tracking the right sources of information is a major challenge. Information gathered through ground research cant be entirely relied upon, as it can be manipulative. Information obtained from grey suppliers may not be fruitful, as they might not give out precise information about the present scenario Interviewing people from companies or firms who are being targeted by grey marketers may prefer to remain low profile on the preventive measures they plan to adopt in future. 1.7 REASEARCH STRUCTURE The research has five focus groups (in order to understand the information.) The first chapter offers an inside view of the topic with its backdrop. It also contains the customary objectives which form the foundation for a focused research study. Meanwhile, it also describes how the established purpose will be achieved and the manner they would provide help. This section gives rationale and importance of conducting this research. The second chapter comprises the prior literature on grey markets, constructed by a range of authors and researchers in earlier years. This would aid to shed light on the pros cons in grey marketing. In addition; this chapter provides live cases published in reputed newsweekly. The third chapter talks about the type of methodology the researcher has employed to achieve the study. It gives out the arguments in favour against of each method in order to gain understanding. Furthermore, it exemplifies of some important sources which have been accessed to complete the study. Thus, this chapter explains the different techniques to achieve the objectives. The fourth chapter forms the body of the thesis as it entails the detailed analysis of the various aspects to establish the objectives. This chapter generates convincing points to support the study. The fifth and the last chapter of the paper summarises all the information gathered, finally, concluding the thesis. 1.8 SUMMARY HYPOTHESIS To summarise the above literature in few words, I shall be basically focusing weather grey markets can influence the sales of a product, thereby helping towards market penetration. Concepts, rather strategies, such as free riding shall be looked researched upon to present realistic as well as optimistic view towards grey markets, thereby analysing -‘Can grey ever be good? ‘Can grey goods help in market penetration? LITREATURE REVIEW Almost exclusively, the existing literature on grey marketing regards the occurrence as a pricing problem but falls short to identify it as a market entry opportunity for start-up entrepreneurs. The grey marketing strategy forms apt for start-up entrepreneurs in view of their resource limitations and the risk of being a first-mover in market development. Within this paper, the researcher shall be focusing on how an entrepreneur can effectively penetrate an established market by adopting suitable approaches. This is most favorable for an incumbent trader to accommodate the entrepreneur/grey marketer even if the former could compel the latter out of the market through hostile counter actions. Moorthy (1985) demonstrated the game theoretic methodology is most appropriate to investigating the behavior of market participants in such a state. This game theory is being pursued by Lim G.H., Lee K.S., Tan S.J. (Journal of Business Venturing, Jul 2001, Vol 16) to depict the strategic communications between parties concerned in grey markets and to recognise the circumstances under which entrepreneurs can effectively enter these markets. 2.1 THE POSITIVES OF GREY MARKETING A study offered by USC Marshall Research in fall 2004 by Mark Bergen (Carlson School of Management, Kersi D. Antia (University of West Ontario, London) Shantanu Dutta (Marshall School of Business, University of California) portrays the optimism towards grey markets. According to the paper, grey markets are often an helpful way to react to competitive demands, control distribution channels, fragment markets, reach unexploited markets alter the changes in market conditions. Some of the positive aspects of grey markets are being highlighted below: Incremental Sales: Grey markets are favourable if they reach formerly untapped markets. Grey markets also disclose the existence of new markets. Cell phone manufacturers competing in Malaysia, for instance, discovered a buying segment keen to pay premium prices for the newest phone gadgetry. Supply restrictions: Grey markets are advantageous if they permit dealers to overcome supply constraints scarcities. For example, IBM relied on the illegal outlets in China to get around government policies requiring the participation of local companies. Rather than make huge investments to fake partnerships with local distributors, IBM turned a blind eye to a flood of grey market imports from Hong Kong. Competitive need of opportunity: Competitors will frequently exploit grey markets if they are lucrative companies which do not follow trail shall lose significant market share, position power. This is precisely what happened to Indian-branded manufacturers of PCs. With the evident competition and sales went on at high-end retailers, the actual sales volume that led to economies of scale market penetration took place in the unorganised sector, accounting nearly 60% of total market. Several branded PC maker in India, uncared for this market, failing to reach a large unexploited segment of customers whose wants were not being met by the existing channel. Competitors that did sell to this sector have since grown to be key players. Market Segmentation: It is at times complicated to segment market within an existing distribution channel structure. Grey markets permit firms to segment their customer base more profitably than they could if they employ only a constricted base of distributors, customer uncertainty branded dilution that arrives from selling through a multi-channel network of legitimate dealers. IBM used a twofold channel approach to sell profitably in high end markets while still attaining more price responsive consumers with grey market goods; this strategy helped the company meet sales targets, spawn profits produce sales economies in manufacturing. Channel Management: Occasionally it is less expensive to abide grey market activity than to close it entirely. Shutting down grey market can be very pricey in terms of management time other resources required sensing breach, filing them, communicating them internally with distributors, and punishing the lawbreakers. Grey markets may also be a less expensive means to serve small customer sections that do not have access to authorised outlets or customers who do not value the services offered by authorised dealers. Varying market environment: In many situations, distribution channels cannot modify adequately to meet new market realities. For example, auto dealers have supply networks in places that are hard to switch. But in an epoch of soft sales, sustained incentives continually growing competition, they are struggling for numbers, even if it means forgone revenues. With effect, dealers have been more tolerant to grey markets as long as these markets let them to get in touch with a broader set of customers at improved prices. Market Aptitude: Companies that reveal grey market activities the causes following them discover about their customers their markets. Since grey markets materialise on their own, outside existing supply channels structures, they are frequently driven by influential market forces (such as short supply to a particular segment that wants the product) therefore put forward some of the purest forms of market intelligence accessible. 2.2 CONS OF GREY MARKETING 1. Dilution of exclusivity: Perhaps the most instant outcome of grey market is the draining down of exclusive rights to distribute a product. Instead of being the solitary distributor or one of a select few enterprises for delivering a product, the authorised distributor becomes merely one of several sources. The consequence is a radical drop in margins as multiple outlets struggle for the same customer. What follows promptly thereafter is only to be expected: loud complaints from the legitimate distributors and calls to the company to â€Å"do something concerning it!† 2. Free riding: But what if a manufacturer turns blind eye or, worse yet, writes off its authorized distributors complaints? While it is improbable that a distributor would split relations with the supplier in protest, there are several indirect but possibly more insidious ways of reaching the manufacturer. One of these is free riding. Free-riding was initially offered by Tan et al. (1995, 1997) as an alternative justification for the event of grey markets. In such situations, authorised traders, dispirited by anemic margins and manufacturers ineffectiveness, begin skimping on the imperative services they generally offer—such as presale service, consumer awareness education on product features, salesperson training and so on—in an attempt to lessen their expenses and match grey marketers price. This approach can weaken the value-added services and activities that often lay at the heart of several enterprises sources of differentiation and competitive plan in the market place. As one automobile dealer put it, â€Å"We invest millions in sales and service facilities. Its hard to compete with someone whose only investments are a briefcase and a cell phone.† The under provision of services is the death knell of high-end brands, as customers who value service will discard the brand in droves. 3. Damage to channel relations: Perhaps the prime cost of grey marketing is its impact on the relations and trust amid members of the distribution system. When a manufacturer has made major investments in official channel members or is dependent on one or a few associates (or both), grey markets that rip off these relationships can be particularly pricey. Visualise an official supplier that has recently coughed up $2 million to set up a new outlet and its related trappings—all to accomplish its contractual obligations. The manufacturer has guaranteed the dealer that ownership of an exclusive region will more than add up for his venture. Just as the distributor begins to foresee the promised sales, he receives word that the cash cow of the product line is offered down the street at a markdown of 15% to 20% off its own posted price. Frenzied phone calls to the manufacturer are met with empty reassurances or even stony silence. What should the enterprise do? Should it (a) match the price of its grey market opponent, doing whatsoever necessary to cut costs, (b) complain robustly to the manufacturer or (c) seek assistance from the courts, suing whoever appears liable for his current remorseful situation? 4. Undermining segmented pricing schemes: The spill over from this distribution headache expands with equivalent viciousness to most essential elements of a marketing strategy, including pricing. A basic characteristic of multinational operational strategy is the facility to price goods at levels that every local market can bear. As long as a company can fragment each market, it has a winning hand. But globalisation tosses a twist in the works. Tumbling trade barriers, easy accessibility of information and improved logistical potentials have collectively made the watertight local market a quaint belief; these factors also make it easier for grey market operators to flourish. 5. Repute and legal liability: A manufacturers ability to support its product is taken for granted. In the case of grey market goods, however, the manufacturer loses control of the product. FOR AN EXAMPLE OF how these five fundamentals can work together, consider the troubles faced by manufacturers of new, high-end IT products. High levels of services are often required to instruct customers on the features and benefits of these products. To really understand quality new product features and their functioning with other technologies, it is obligatory for the customers to learn from a salesperson at the retail outlet. To make such services available, the manufacturer time and again needs to develop a relatively elite set of distributors, fostering strong contacts and supporting the distributors actions with subsidies and an opportunity to achieve high margins. Authorised suppliers are chiefly vulnerable to grey markets in this condition. Illegitimate dealers can free ride, allowing other dealers invest in the service and offering the similar products at lower prices. Budding customers can take what they discover from authorised dealers and hunt for low-service, lower-price grey markets. The authorised sellers thus face high costs, shrinking margins and low sales. Often, the clarification they opt is to provide less service and to be more price competitive. As their margins contract, channel clashes grow, and the dealers start routing customers to competitors products which offer higher margins. The difficulty, then, eventually budges from the authorised distributors and comes to rest on the shoulders of the manufacturer. Below presented are two different cases providing two different perspectives towards grey practices. The first consist of a comparative study amongst countries the pricing structure of the grey goods that are being sold. The second case depicts the current scenario of grey activities in China. The case focuses mainly on the problem of counterfeiting of IT products the preventive measures that can be taken to minimise this nuisance. CASE 1: BUYING FROM THE GREY MARKET Are you tempted to buy cheap and cheerful goods from the grey market or should you take the authorised route? asks Sean Fleming. Anyone who has visited the US or the Far East will have found themselves going misty-eyed and waxing lyrical on the subject of how cheap things are over there. But you dont have to cross an ocean to see bargains. The difference in the price of new cars in Britain and mainland Europe they are often as much as 20% cheaper on the continent has many people hopping mad. The UKs Director General of Fair Trading has concluded the market isnt working, and has now ordered the Monopolies and Mergers Commission to investigate whether or not cartels exist in the car industry. Whatever the cause, people are realising that we must be paying over the odds in the UK for a whole range of goods and services. But do we complain? No, thats not the British way, is it? So that decision to investigate high prices in the UK will come as music to many peoples ears. Trade and industry minister Stephen Byers says he has identified this as a key obstacle to the concept of a harmonised Europe. If you want proof that things cost more here in the UK, there is plenty of it around. Bureau European des Unions de Consommateurs (BEUC), the European consumers organisation, carried out a survey last year in 52 cities across Europe in which it compared the prices of 400 different products. From this it produced an index of the cheapest and most expensive countries. The UK turned out to be the dearest of the 10 countries sampled, with a rating of 124 overall. By comparison, France scored 107, Luxembourg 102 and Germany a rating of 100. Report after report, survey after survey, they all come back with the same result when you compare like-for-like goods, we in the UK are paying more than just about everyone else in the developed world. Sure enough, its the same story with IT equipment both hardware and software. Feel like paying through the nose? No? Thats unfortunate, because the chances are youre going to. There is a painfully simple solution to all of this, of course. If stuff is cheaper somewhere else, then go somewhere else to buy it. Plenty of people import cars from Holland and Germany, and even from the Far East, so why not do it with IT? The practice of buying from non-standard, unauthorised outlets is often referred to as buying from the grey market. The grey market is a bit like the black market, except in this case no ones actually breaking the law just risking the annoyance of original manufacturers. There are big savings to be had from going grey. For example, an IBM PC 300GL, with PII 400MHz chip, 32Mb memory and a 4.2Gb hard drive running Windows 98 would set you back about #814 in the UK, but bought on the European mainland, the same PC will cost you #689. Thats a 15% saving. How about a Cisco 1601CH router? Itll cost you about #779 here and only #649 on the other side of the channel. Mike Almond is business development manager at ProSource, a company which specialises in finding this sort of deal for its customers. Using a combination of overseas contacts and the Net, ProSource keep tracks of international prices on a daily basis. When asked by a customer for a particular product, it can go out and find the best price. Were not saying were better than established channels or that our approach is the right one for organisations to adopt, but our results speak for themselves. More importantly, we offer an alternative option to our customers. Thats what a free market should deliver, Almond says. Its not difficult to find this stuff. Some manufacturers will discount heavily in particular countries to make in-roads into that market. We can use those markets to buy products back cheaper. There is, of course, a catch buy your kit from another country and the manufacturers warranty is invalid when you get home. No warranty means no technical support, no helpline advice and certainly no upgrades. Some manufacturers are so inflamed at the thought of people saving money like this that they will not just refuse support; they will also claim the law is being broken. This is despite the fact that Europe is now a single market. Phil Humphries is head of IT services at Surrey Police and it is no surprise that hes extremely cautious about ending up on the wrong side of the law, whether statutory or a manufacturers warranty rule. As part of his forces year 2000 project, a lot of equipment has been replaced, at the same time as migrating to Windows NT. He may have seen lots of expensive equipment being bought, but Humphries is not tempted by the lure of the grey market. I am aware that some of the things we use could be bought cheaper overseas by using the grey market, but I dont think the differences are as great as they used to be, he says. Apart from which, the hassle factor would be enough to put me off. This is an important factor for many people. All too often you dont know exactly what youre buying and who you are buying it from. In the event of a problem, can you be sure youll be able to get hold of them? Humphries said. But theres more to it than that. Saving money on initial capital outlay may have its attractions, but Humphries feels this is a short-term gain had at the expense of longer term success. We are moving away from a situation where we are buying boxes. Now we want to deal with a partner which can offer the right support we need from start to finish. Most of the bargain-basement IT offers that crop up in the small ads will be for software. Adverts purporting to have US versions of Microsoft Office at less than half price are fairly commonplace. David Gregory, Microsoft UKs customer legal licensing manager, warns there is more to these offers than meets the eye. He explains: Our biggest problem with people using unauthorised sources is that the overwhelming majority of this software is counterfeit. It will be passed off as being from the US, but in about 90% of cases it is pirated. The individual serial number on the product tells us where that product was bought or if it is a copy. Finding anyone with IT purchasing responsibility who will admit to using the grey market is difficult, although one IT manager confided anonymously: Most of our procurement has to go through a centralised process. However, some stand-alone projects are bought on an ad-hoc basis and thats when buying on the cheap becomes a viable option. But why is any of this stuff priced so much higher in the UK in the first place? Almost all the major manufacturers operate different pricing policies in different countries, but few can explain why the UK gets clobbered quite so comprehensively. As far as Microsoft is concerned, Gregory says: The majority of software originates from the US and there are certain unavoidable costs incurred when taking that software into other territories local support services, language support, translating documentation and so on. Not to mention currency fluctuations. But with the worlds foremost software vendor moving toward shipping single every-language versions of its products, this position is set to become obsolete. On the hardware front, the worlds number one in PCs, Compaq, also varies prices between the countries that it sells to. David Petts, Compaq UK commercial unit business manager, explains: Local pricing exists because different markets have different patterns of economic behaviour. In Europe, Compaq prices are set by the companys European HQ in Munich, and individual countries are then able to fix their own prices within a given range. So, if one were to charge at the top end of the range and another charged at the lower end, you could, in theory, see material price differences, he says. Why the UK is hit hardest by these price differentials is obviously a difficult subject for manufacturers to discuss candidly. One source within a major hardware company begrudgingly admits: Lots of things are cheaper in the US and Japan. Its the way of the world people just need to face up to it. So, there you have it put up and shut up. If you dont put up, and instead succumb to the grey market, your warranties wont work. However, there are ways to get around the warranty issue. In the case of Compaq, any warranty in operation in the UK will also cover the rest of Europe and vice-versa. You can buy Compaq kit in Holland, for example, and not have to worry about your warranty. ProSources Almond explains that it is important to keep geography in mind when venturing into the grey market. Manufacturers will claim warranties are not valid, but under EC law there is nothing to stop you buying things from any other EC country. If we have a customer that is very sensitive about maintaining the warranties, well be careful to only buy from within the right region, he says. In the case of IBM, things are even more straightforward: good old Big Blue offers global support on all its products, so it doesnt matter if you bought your ThinkPad in Durban but you live in Doncaster. A long-standing champion of the grey market is Cirencester-based RBR Networks, Ciscos largest European distribution partner. Before getting its Cisco accreditation in October 1997, RBR was something of a thorn in Ciscos side. It was doing so much business in grey-market Cisco product that in the end the company had to be brought into the fold. RBR marketing director, Jos White, takes a fairly pragmatic view of the subject. He does, however, prefer the term second sourcing to grey market he believes it doesnt sound so grubby. Using second sourcing, we could make a healthy margin and still sell cheaper than most of the competition, says White. It has to be up to the manufacturer to make it worth everyones while to use the authorised channels, he adds. Manufacturers cannot simply try and ban this sort of thing and it is definitely not on for them to throw their weight around, threatening everyone by saying that their licences are invalid and they may be breaking the law. It comes as no surprise that a manufacturer such as Compaq is against the use of the grey market. It has nothing to Grey Marketing Activities Within the Software Industry Grey Marketing Activities Within the Software Industry Future ABSTRACT The research work has presented an enlarged view of the operation within the grey markets, their functioning, pricing structure, the customer base lastly the arguments in favour, thereby evaluating -‘Can grey be good? It has also focussed on grey markets- as a subject of annoyance for the IT players OEMs. Counter-arguments hostile measures adopted to combat grey goods have also been the point of discussion. Overall, this piece of research is being successful in presenting a balanced view of the goods the bads of the grey industry from the perspective of industry players, grey entrepreneurs as well as consumers. INTRODUCTION 1.1 AIMS To obtain information insights about grey marketing activities within the software industry. With the help of Journals, case studies secondary research activities shed light on the present scenario of the grey markets (consumer targeting inclination, pricing etc). The pros cons of grey marketing shall also be presented to have an equalised view. To know what are the hostile measures adopted by firms to prevent grey activities. Present cases to depict the preventive measures adopted by firms like HP Microsoft to combat grey market products. The paper also focuses on the initiatives adopted by independent agencies such as AGMA BSA towards grey market activities. Market Penetration Grey Markets Can grey market ever be an alternative to market penetration? If yes, to which extent can it be possible? In addition, understanding the concept of ‘free riding as a way for market penetration, as mentioned in the Journal of Business Venturing (Vol 4). To evaluate: Can grey ever be good? Based on the research undertaken, evaluating thereby concluding the positives negatives of grey markets. Should they be encouraged? Can they boost an economic scenario of a country? lastly how effective can they be in increasing sales of a product? 1.2 OBJECTIVES The methodology that is to be adopted for fulfilment of the above aims is as under: Journals, Newsweekly, Internet (secondary research) along with white papers provided by firms shall be the main sources of information for this research. Primary data obtained through interviewing shall be the most vital aspect (it shall be considering not only the consumer perspective towards grey markets its products, but also of dealers operating within this arena). finally, the crux of the research (insights, analysis evaluation) will be presented to obtain a concluding perspective. 1.3 GREY MARKET: AN NTRODUCTION Majority of distribution companies are flourishing thanks to distribution channels that shepherd product from a manufacturer eventually direct them to the consumers through a chain of legitimate distributors across the world. But a mounting quite detrimental market subsists that can cause ignorant customers to buy technology products with untrue warranties, several designed for use in other countries or worse products consisting counterfeit parts. These practices can erode customer satisfaction harm brand integrity, causing major profit attrition for manufacturers. Welcome to the global ‘Grey Market where branded products have been sidetracked from the authorised supply channel within a country or are imported into a country without the approval or awareness of the manufacturer. Grey market goods are usually sold at lesser prices than those proposed by the legitimate distributors. And the pricing disparity amongst various legitimate markets customers generates an opportunity for the brokers to procure labelled products at discounted prices move them to markets where they can fetch high income. A research study by KMPG demonstrates that grey market goods pose a grave challenge to information technology manufacturers their authorised dealers. The study reveals that IT manufacturers are communally losing up to US$5 billion in profits on yearly basis, a figure that is mounting. While the grey market affects many businesses, including automobiles, consumer products, pharmaceuticals, fashion accessories others, this study shall validate that computers related products are the industry segments most affected by grey market actions. 1.4 INTRODUCTION TO THE PROBLEM (a) Software Counterfeiting Counterfeiting is amongst the most exigent problem facing the information technology (IT) industry today. Illegal replicas of brand-name high tech products are flooding the marketplace, causing harm to legitimate companies profits and dropping their aptitude to invest in research and development (RD). Multiplication of technology employed to make computers, servers, and a host of high tech products—as well as a lack of regulatory enforcement in developing countries—is speeding up counterfeiting. It is now estimated that as much as 10 percent of all high tech products sold globally are counterfeit. (b) Free Riding: A Way To Penetrate Markets? ‘Free Riding is a term which comes into picture when software products have been counterfeited. Free-riding was first introduced by Tan et al. (1995, 1997) as an alternative explanation for the incidence of grey marketing, whereby grey entrepreneurs are provided with the opportunity to enter money-making markets that are presently supplied by big firms. However, hostile measures have been taken to prevent grey market activities by agencies like AGMA BSA as well as biggies like Microsoft, HP etc. HP is administrating reseller spot checks and distie reviews to stamp out the grey market in a variety of regions without being hesitant to exercise the law courts against resellers who â€Å"breach contractual requisites†. The firm, at the moment, is taking legal action in opposition to one UK reseller for violation of agreement and cautions it has other cases under review. While, Microsoft has collared another plagiarist in the UK for flogging grey software on eBay. The software giant has scored  £35,000 in compensation against an internet trader for copyright violations and illegitimately bringing in cheap American software to Europe. Meanwhile, an agency like Business Software Alliance (BSA) is outing bandits by setting a bounty on their heads. The group announced its Blow the Whistle operation which presents $1m to workers who squeal on their companies. Certain firms are trying to launch software which might allow manufacturers detect sales through unofficial mediums. 1.5 SCOPE FOR THE REASERCH The main reason behind the proposed research subject is to obtain information on the grey markets the practices that are being carried out. The scope for undertaking the research work is as under: Understanding the global phenomenon of ‘grey marketing. Understanding the logistics within grey markets. The precautionary measures adopted by the firms agencies to prevent grey activities. The concept of free riding to penetrate markets within the software arena. lastly analysing evaluating the research produced to gather provide insights. 1.6 LIMITATIONS TOWARDS THE REASERCH The possible shortcomings for the proposed research topic are as under: Being an unconventional subject for research, obtaining information can be tough. Tracking the right sources of information is a major challenge. Information gathered through ground research cant be entirely relied upon, as it can be manipulative. Information obtained from grey suppliers may not be fruitful, as they might not give out precise information about the present scenario Interviewing people from companies or firms who are being targeted by grey marketers may prefer to remain low profile on the preventive measures they plan to adopt in future. 1.7 REASEARCH STRUCTURE The research has five focus groups (in order to understand the information.) The first chapter offers an inside view of the topic with its backdrop. It also contains the customary objectives which form the foundation for a focused research study. Meanwhile, it also describes how the established purpose will be achieved and the manner they would provide help. This section gives rationale and importance of conducting this research. The second chapter comprises the prior literature on grey markets, constructed by a range of authors and researchers in earlier years. This would aid to shed light on the pros cons in grey marketing. In addition; this chapter provides live cases published in reputed newsweekly. The third chapter talks about the type of methodology the researcher has employed to achieve the study. It gives out the arguments in favour against of each method in order to gain understanding. Furthermore, it exemplifies of some important sources which have been accessed to complete the study. Thus, this chapter explains the different techniques to achieve the objectives. The fourth chapter forms the body of the thesis as it entails the detailed analysis of the various aspects to establish the objectives. This chapter generates convincing points to support the study. The fifth and the last chapter of the paper summarises all the information gathered, finally, concluding the thesis. 1.8 SUMMARY HYPOTHESIS To summarise the above literature in few words, I shall be basically focusing weather grey markets can influence the sales of a product, thereby helping towards market penetration. Concepts, rather strategies, such as free riding shall be looked researched upon to present realistic as well as optimistic view towards grey markets, thereby analysing -‘Can grey ever be good? ‘Can grey goods help in market penetration? LITREATURE REVIEW Almost exclusively, the existing literature on grey marketing regards the occurrence as a pricing problem but falls short to identify it as a market entry opportunity for start-up entrepreneurs. The grey marketing strategy forms apt for start-up entrepreneurs in view of their resource limitations and the risk of being a first-mover in market development. Within this paper, the researcher shall be focusing on how an entrepreneur can effectively penetrate an established market by adopting suitable approaches. This is most favorable for an incumbent trader to accommodate the entrepreneur/grey marketer even if the former could compel the latter out of the market through hostile counter actions. Moorthy (1985) demonstrated the game theoretic methodology is most appropriate to investigating the behavior of market participants in such a state. This game theory is being pursued by Lim G.H., Lee K.S., Tan S.J. (Journal of Business Venturing, Jul 2001, Vol 16) to depict the strategic communications between parties concerned in grey markets and to recognise the circumstances under which entrepreneurs can effectively enter these markets. 2.1 THE POSITIVES OF GREY MARKETING A study offered by USC Marshall Research in fall 2004 by Mark Bergen (Carlson School of Management, Kersi D. Antia (University of West Ontario, London) Shantanu Dutta (Marshall School of Business, University of California) portrays the optimism towards grey markets. According to the paper, grey markets are often an helpful way to react to competitive demands, control distribution channels, fragment markets, reach unexploited markets alter the changes in market conditions. Some of the positive aspects of grey markets are being highlighted below: Incremental Sales: Grey markets are favourable if they reach formerly untapped markets. Grey markets also disclose the existence of new markets. Cell phone manufacturers competing in Malaysia, for instance, discovered a buying segment keen to pay premium prices for the newest phone gadgetry. Supply restrictions: Grey markets are advantageous if they permit dealers to overcome supply constraints scarcities. For example, IBM relied on the illegal outlets in China to get around government policies requiring the participation of local companies. Rather than make huge investments to fake partnerships with local distributors, IBM turned a blind eye to a flood of grey market imports from Hong Kong. Competitive need of opportunity: Competitors will frequently exploit grey markets if they are lucrative companies which do not follow trail shall lose significant market share, position power. This is precisely what happened to Indian-branded manufacturers of PCs. With the evident competition and sales went on at high-end retailers, the actual sales volume that led to economies of scale market penetration took place in the unorganised sector, accounting nearly 60% of total market. Several branded PC maker in India, uncared for this market, failing to reach a large unexploited segment of customers whose wants were not being met by the existing channel. Competitors that did sell to this sector have since grown to be key players. Market Segmentation: It is at times complicated to segment market within an existing distribution channel structure. Grey markets permit firms to segment their customer base more profitably than they could if they employ only a constricted base of distributors, customer uncertainty branded dilution that arrives from selling through a multi-channel network of legitimate dealers. IBM used a twofold channel approach to sell profitably in high end markets while still attaining more price responsive consumers with grey market goods; this strategy helped the company meet sales targets, spawn profits produce sales economies in manufacturing. Channel Management: Occasionally it is less expensive to abide grey market activity than to close it entirely. Shutting down grey market can be very pricey in terms of management time other resources required sensing breach, filing them, communicating them internally with distributors, and punishing the lawbreakers. Grey markets may also be a less expensive means to serve small customer sections that do not have access to authorised outlets or customers who do not value the services offered by authorised dealers. Varying market environment: In many situations, distribution channels cannot modify adequately to meet new market realities. For example, auto dealers have supply networks in places that are hard to switch. But in an epoch of soft sales, sustained incentives continually growing competition, they are struggling for numbers, even if it means forgone revenues. With effect, dealers have been more tolerant to grey markets as long as these markets let them to get in touch with a broader set of customers at improved prices. Market Aptitude: Companies that reveal grey market activities the causes following them discover about their customers their markets. Since grey markets materialise on their own, outside existing supply channels structures, they are frequently driven by influential market forces (such as short supply to a particular segment that wants the product) therefore put forward some of the purest forms of market intelligence accessible. 2.2 CONS OF GREY MARKETING 1. Dilution of exclusivity: Perhaps the most instant outcome of grey market is the draining down of exclusive rights to distribute a product. Instead of being the solitary distributor or one of a select few enterprises for delivering a product, the authorised distributor becomes merely one of several sources. The consequence is a radical drop in margins as multiple outlets struggle for the same customer. What follows promptly thereafter is only to be expected: loud complaints from the legitimate distributors and calls to the company to â€Å"do something concerning it!† 2. Free riding: But what if a manufacturer turns blind eye or, worse yet, writes off its authorized distributors complaints? While it is improbable that a distributor would split relations with the supplier in protest, there are several indirect but possibly more insidious ways of reaching the manufacturer. One of these is free riding. Free-riding was initially offered by Tan et al. (1995, 1997) as an alternative justification for the event of grey markets. In such situations, authorised traders, dispirited by anemic margins and manufacturers ineffectiveness, begin skimping on the imperative services they generally offer—such as presale service, consumer awareness education on product features, salesperson training and so on—in an attempt to lessen their expenses and match grey marketers price. This approach can weaken the value-added services and activities that often lay at the heart of several enterprises sources of differentiation and competitive plan in the market place. As one automobile dealer put it, â€Å"We invest millions in sales and service facilities. Its hard to compete with someone whose only investments are a briefcase and a cell phone.† The under provision of services is the death knell of high-end brands, as customers who value service will discard the brand in droves. 3. Damage to channel relations: Perhaps the prime cost of grey marketing is its impact on the relations and trust amid members of the distribution system. When a manufacturer has made major investments in official channel members or is dependent on one or a few associates (or both), grey markets that rip off these relationships can be particularly pricey. Visualise an official supplier that has recently coughed up $2 million to set up a new outlet and its related trappings—all to accomplish its contractual obligations. The manufacturer has guaranteed the dealer that ownership of an exclusive region will more than add up for his venture. Just as the distributor begins to foresee the promised sales, he receives word that the cash cow of the product line is offered down the street at a markdown of 15% to 20% off its own posted price. Frenzied phone calls to the manufacturer are met with empty reassurances or even stony silence. What should the enterprise do? Should it (a) match the price of its grey market opponent, doing whatsoever necessary to cut costs, (b) complain robustly to the manufacturer or (c) seek assistance from the courts, suing whoever appears liable for his current remorseful situation? 4. Undermining segmented pricing schemes: The spill over from this distribution headache expands with equivalent viciousness to most essential elements of a marketing strategy, including pricing. A basic characteristic of multinational operational strategy is the facility to price goods at levels that every local market can bear. As long as a company can fragment each market, it has a winning hand. But globalisation tosses a twist in the works. Tumbling trade barriers, easy accessibility of information and improved logistical potentials have collectively made the watertight local market a quaint belief; these factors also make it easier for grey market operators to flourish. 5. Repute and legal liability: A manufacturers ability to support its product is taken for granted. In the case of grey market goods, however, the manufacturer loses control of the product. FOR AN EXAMPLE OF how these five fundamentals can work together, consider the troubles faced by manufacturers of new, high-end IT products. High levels of services are often required to instruct customers on the features and benefits of these products. To really understand quality new product features and their functioning with other technologies, it is obligatory for the customers to learn from a salesperson at the retail outlet. To make such services available, the manufacturer time and again needs to develop a relatively elite set of distributors, fostering strong contacts and supporting the distributors actions with subsidies and an opportunity to achieve high margins. Authorised suppliers are chiefly vulnerable to grey markets in this condition. Illegitimate dealers can free ride, allowing other dealers invest in the service and offering the similar products at lower prices. Budding customers can take what they discover from authorised dealers and hunt for low-service, lower-price grey markets. The authorised sellers thus face high costs, shrinking margins and low sales. Often, the clarification they opt is to provide less service and to be more price competitive. As their margins contract, channel clashes grow, and the dealers start routing customers to competitors products which offer higher margins. The difficulty, then, eventually budges from the authorised distributors and comes to rest on the shoulders of the manufacturer. Below presented are two different cases providing two different perspectives towards grey practices. The first consist of a comparative study amongst countries the pricing structure of the grey goods that are being sold. The second case depicts the current scenario of grey activities in China. The case focuses mainly on the problem of counterfeiting of IT products the preventive measures that can be taken to minimise this nuisance. CASE 1: BUYING FROM THE GREY MARKET Are you tempted to buy cheap and cheerful goods from the grey market or should you take the authorised route? asks Sean Fleming. Anyone who has visited the US or the Far East will have found themselves going misty-eyed and waxing lyrical on the subject of how cheap things are over there. But you dont have to cross an ocean to see bargains. The difference in the price of new cars in Britain and mainland Europe they are often as much as 20% cheaper on the continent has many people hopping mad. The UKs Director General of Fair Trading has concluded the market isnt working, and has now ordered the Monopolies and Mergers Commission to investigate whether or not cartels exist in the car industry. Whatever the cause, people are realising that we must be paying over the odds in the UK for a whole range of goods and services. But do we complain? No, thats not the British way, is it? So that decision to investigate high prices in the UK will come as music to many peoples ears. Trade and industry minister Stephen Byers says he has identified this as a key obstacle to the concept of a harmonised Europe. If you want proof that things cost more here in the UK, there is plenty of it around. Bureau European des Unions de Consommateurs (BEUC), the European consumers organisation, carried out a survey last year in 52 cities across Europe in which it compared the prices of 400 different products. From this it produced an index of the cheapest and most expensive countries. The UK turned out to be the dearest of the 10 countries sampled, with a rating of 124 overall. By comparison, France scored 107, Luxembourg 102 and Germany a rating of 100. Report after report, survey after survey, they all come back with the same result when you compare like-for-like goods, we in the UK are paying more than just about everyone else in the developed world. Sure enough, its the same story with IT equipment both hardware and software. Feel like paying through the nose? No? Thats unfortunate, because the chances are youre going to. There is a painfully simple solution to all of this, of course. If stuff is cheaper somewhere else, then go somewhere else to buy it. Plenty of people import cars from Holland and Germany, and even from the Far East, so why not do it with IT? The practice of buying from non-standard, unauthorised outlets is often referred to as buying from the grey market. The grey market is a bit like the black market, except in this case no ones actually breaking the law just risking the annoyance of original manufacturers. There are big savings to be had from going grey. For example, an IBM PC 300GL, with PII 400MHz chip, 32Mb memory and a 4.2Gb hard drive running Windows 98 would set you back about #814 in the UK, but bought on the European mainland, the same PC will cost you #689. Thats a 15% saving. How about a Cisco 1601CH router? Itll cost you about #779 here and only #649 on the other side of the channel. Mike Almond is business development manager at ProSource, a company which specialises in finding this sort of deal for its customers. Using a combination of overseas contacts and the Net, ProSource keep tracks of international prices on a daily basis. When asked by a customer for a particular product, it can go out and find the best price. Were not saying were better than established channels or that our approach is the right one for organisations to adopt, but our results speak for themselves. More importantly, we offer an alternative option to our customers. Thats what a free market should deliver, Almond says. Its not difficult to find this stuff. Some manufacturers will discount heavily in particular countries to make in-roads into that market. We can use those markets to buy products back cheaper. There is, of course, a catch buy your kit from another country and the manufacturers warranty is invalid when you get home. No warranty means no technical support, no helpline advice and certainly no upgrades. Some manufacturers are so inflamed at the thought of people saving money like this that they will not just refuse support; they will also claim the law is being broken. This is despite the fact that Europe is now a single market. Phil Humphries is head of IT services at Surrey Police and it is no surprise that hes extremely cautious about ending up on the wrong side of the law, whether statutory or a manufacturers warranty rule. As part of his forces year 2000 project, a lot of equipment has been replaced, at the same time as migrating to Windows NT. He may have seen lots of expensive equipment being bought, but Humphries is not tempted by the lure of the grey market. I am aware that some of the things we use could be bought cheaper overseas by using the grey market, but I dont think the differences are as great as they used to be, he says. Apart from which, the hassle factor would be enough to put me off. This is an important factor for many people. All too often you dont know exactly what youre buying and who you are buying it from. In the event of a problem, can you be sure youll be able to get hold of them? Humphries said. But theres more to it than that. Saving money on initial capital outlay may have its attractions, but Humphries feels this is a short-term gain had at the expense of longer term success. We are moving away from a situation where we are buying boxes. Now we want to deal with a partner which can offer the right support we need from start to finish. Most of the bargain-basement IT offers that crop up in the small ads will be for software. Adverts purporting to have US versions of Microsoft Office at less than half price are fairly commonplace. David Gregory, Microsoft UKs customer legal licensing manager, warns there is more to these offers than meets the eye. He explains: Our biggest problem with people using unauthorised sources is that the overwhelming majority of this software is counterfeit. It will be passed off as being from the US, but in about 90% of cases it is pirated. The individual serial number on the product tells us where that product was bought or if it is a copy. Finding anyone with IT purchasing responsibility who will admit to using the grey market is difficult, although one IT manager confided anonymously: Most of our procurement has to go through a centralised process. However, some stand-alone projects are bought on an ad-hoc basis and thats when buying on the cheap becomes a viable option. But why is any of this stuff priced so much higher in the UK in the first place? Almost all the major manufacturers operate different pricing policies in different countries, but few can explain why the UK gets clobbered quite so comprehensively. As far as Microsoft is concerned, Gregory says: The majority of software originates from the US and there are certain unavoidable costs incurred when taking that software into other territories local support services, language support, translating documentation and so on. Not to mention currency fluctuations. But with the worlds foremost software vendor moving toward shipping single every-language versions of its products, this position is set to become obsolete. On the hardware front, the worlds number one in PCs, Compaq, also varies prices between the countries that it sells to. David Petts, Compaq UK commercial unit business manager, explains: Local pricing exists because different markets have different patterns of economic behaviour. In Europe, Compaq prices are set by the companys European HQ in Munich, and individual countries are then able to fix their own prices within a given range. So, if one were to charge at the top end of the range and another charged at the lower end, you could, in theory, see material price differences, he says. Why the UK is hit hardest by these price differentials is obviously a difficult subject for manufacturers to discuss candidly. One source within a major hardware company begrudgingly admits: Lots of things are cheaper in the US and Japan. Its the way of the world people just need to face up to it. So, there you have it put up and shut up. If you dont put up, and instead succumb to the grey market, your warranties wont work. However, there are ways to get around the warranty issue. In the case of Compaq, any warranty in operation in the UK will also cover the rest of Europe and vice-versa. You can buy Compaq kit in Holland, for example, and not have to worry about your warranty. ProSources Almond explains that it is important to keep geography in mind when venturing into the grey market. Manufacturers will claim warranties are not valid, but under EC law there is nothing to stop you buying things from any other EC country. If we have a customer that is very sensitive about maintaining the warranties, well be careful to only buy from within the right region, he says. In the case of IBM, things are even more straightforward: good old Big Blue offers global support on all its products, so it doesnt matter if you bought your ThinkPad in Durban but you live in Doncaster. A long-standing champion of the grey market is Cirencester-based RBR Networks, Ciscos largest European distribution partner. Before getting its Cisco accreditation in October 1997, RBR was something of a thorn in Ciscos side. It was doing so much business in grey-market Cisco product that in the end the company had to be brought into the fold. RBR marketing director, Jos White, takes a fairly pragmatic view of the subject. He does, however, prefer the term second sourcing to grey market he believes it doesnt sound so grubby. Using second sourcing, we could make a healthy margin and still sell cheaper than most of the competition, says White. It has to be up to the manufacturer to make it worth everyones while to use the authorised channels, he adds. Manufacturers cannot simply try and ban this sort of thing and it is definitely not on for them to throw their weight around, threatening everyone by saying that their licences are invalid and they may be breaking the law. It comes as no surprise that a manufacturer such as Compaq is against the use of the grey market. It has nothing to