Monday, September 30, 2019

Analyze Globalization’s Impact on Singapore’s Development Essay

A group of industrialized nations including Australia, Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the I-JK, and the United States are called developed country. Kofi Annan, former Secretary General of the United Nations, defined a developed country as follows: â€Å"A developed country is one that allows all its citizens to enjoy a free and healthy life in a safe environment. â€Å"Developing country’ is a term generally used to describe a nation with a low level of material well-being. Countries with more advanced conomies than other developing nations, but which have not yet fully demonstrated the signs of a developed country, are categorized as developing country. Developing countries are in general countries which have not achieved a significant degree of industrialization relative to their populations, and which have, in most cases a medium to low standard of living. There is a strong correlation between low income and high population growth. A developing country can be a result of many characteristics: resources, historical background, population, economic structure and ystem. They are basically under developed country that reflects a failure to gain levels ot living throughout most ot their population. Yet there nas been a signitlcant improvement by these countries general level of living as growth. â€Å"Under-developed country’ is a term generally used to describe a nation with lack of access to Job opportunities, health care, drinkable water, food, education and housing. Underdevelopment takes place when resources are not used to their fullsocio-economic potential, with the result that local or egional development is slower in most cases than it should be. Furthermore, it results from the complex interplay of internal and external factors that allow less developed countries only a lop-sided development progression. Underdeveloped nations are characterized by a wide disparity between their rich and poor populations, and an unhealthy balance of trade STATISTICS It is considered that the countries with more than $735 per capita income per year is termed as developed country. In 2002 PCI was $480. So, Technically India is a Developing country not a Developed Country.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Crime Causation and Diversion Paper Essay

Reading this paper it will discuss a few reasons to why juvenile delinquents behave the way that they do. This leads to the two diversion programs that are used in the state of Louisiana. This paper will discuss each program’s major goals, objectives, and core beliefs. A discussion about each program’s key participants as well as the different types of services each program offers. The paper will explain each program’s effective way at reducing juvenile crime. Lastly, the paper will end with a discussion about which program out of the two programs that work the best to reduce crimes committed by juveniles. There are many reasons to why juvenile becomes delinquents and then there are some that do not have a reason. Usually it starts in the home. Parents are the first people that can teach their children right from wrong. However, if a child comes from a single parent home may cause them to misbehave. If the child is in a two parent home but there is no discipline or if the parents are ex-criminal can cause the child to misbehave as well. The area where a child lives can play a big role to why a child can become a delinquent as well. For example if there is a lot of killing, low income living, and gang groups. Next it is the community, if there is nothing to offer a child they will most certainly turn into juvenile delinquents due to the fact that a child like activities and without the positive activities they see the negative activities as fun. Basically there is no single cause for all delinquents and not all delinquents carry out crimes thought-out there life. However, with major of Delinquents there are risk such as birth trauma, child abuse and neglect, ineffective parental discipline, family disruptions, conduct disorder and hyperactivity in children, school failure, learning disabilities, negative peer influences, limited employment opportunities, inadequate housing, and residence in high-crime neighborhoods. These examples can cause a juvenile to act out negatively (Juvenile Justice Bulletin, 1998). In the State of Louisiana there are different juvenile programs. There are two programs  that are very nice to use. The First program is the Model Programs Guide which is one of the first programs Louisiana juvenile justice had used. From the time MPG started up to 2013 it has been modified and updated. According to OJJDP (2013), â€Å"The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention’s (OJJDP’s) Model Programs Guide (MPG) contains information about evidence-based juvenile justice and youth prevention, intervention, and reentry programs. It is a resource for practitioners and communities about what works, what is promising, and what does not work in juvenile justice, delinquency prevention, and child protection and safety†. Vision Statement â€Å"The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) envision a nation where our children are healthy, educated, and free from violence. If they come into contact with the juvenile justice system, the contact should be rare, fair, and beneficial to them (OJJDP, 1)†. Mission Statement â€Å"The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) provide national leadership, coordination, and resources to prevent and respond to juvenile delinquency and victimization. OJJDP supports states and communities in their efforts to develop and implement effective and coordinated prevention and intervention programs and to improve the juvenile justice system so that it protects public safety, holds offenders accountable, and provides treatment and rehabilitative services tailored to the needs of juveniles and their families (OJJDP, 1)†. MPG is an easy-to-use, central, reliable, and credible resource program that helps support communities and policymakers in identifying programs that can make a difference in families and children’s lives. The purpose of MPG is to support in practical decision making and program implementation by gathering information on specific juvenile justice-related programs and reviewing the existing evaluation research against standard criteria. The Programs that MPG provides are as followed: Child Protect; Health and Welfare; Children Exposed to Violence and Victimization; Delinquency Prevention; Detention; Confinement and Supervision, Juvenile Justice System and JJDPA; Juvenile and Family Courts; Law Enforcement; Populations; School; and Youth Offenders. Each Program has several individual programs that are related for each issue that a juvenile may have. The program address issues such as child  victimization, substance abuse, youth violence, mental health and trauma, and gang activity. In addition to the information provided by MPS there are additional resources that practitioners, policymakers, and communities can use to improve the effectiveness of interventions, enhance accountability, ensure public safety, and reduce recidivism (OJJDP, 2013). The next program that the state of Louisiana uses is the Blue Print program. This program specializes in the study and prevention of youth violence. Blueprint list is recommended by 72% of educational agencies. The program is very successful in preventing negative behavior and healthy youth development. Most school districts use â€Å"The Blueprints standard for certifying programs as â€Å"model† or â€Å"promising† is one of the highest in the field (CSPV, 1)†. Mission Statement â€Å"The Blueprints mission is to identify evidence-based prevention and intervention programs that are effective in reducing antisocial behavior and promoting a healthy course of youth development (CSPV, 1)†. The Blueprint programs focus the reconstruction of youth violent behavior. A few programs that blue print provides: Adolescent Coping with Depression, Athletes Training and Learning to Avoid Steroids (ATLAS), Behavioral Monitoring and Reinforcement Program, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, Communities That Care, Functional Family Therapy (FFT), Guiding Good Choices, and New Beginnings (Intervention for children of divorce)(CSPV, 2013). There are more programs and they all deal with the reason to why juvenile would turn delinquent. Each program listed above touches the core issues of youths. The staff at blueprint does continuous research on their youth programs. â€Å"Blueprints’ standards for certifying model and promising prevention programs are widely rec ognized as the most rigorous in use. Program effectiveness is based upon an initial review by Blueprints staff and a final review and recommendation from a distinguished advisory board, comprised of experts in the field of youth development† (CSPV, 1). Other researchers certifies these programs as rigorous and effectiveness through evaluation. Both programs are good and they both provide services that are intended to help juvenile behavior and reduce juvenile crime. However, the Model Program Guide really does not stick out like the Blueprint Program does. Blueprint touches more on the core of the problem. MPG provides  services that would help prevent juvenile crimes and it has been somewhat effective, Blueprint focus on behavior. What causes a juvenile to act out? Blueprint provides caring and reinforcement to a juveniles issue. In conclusion, crimes are committed by juveniles on day-to-day basis and each juvenile has a different attitude towards the crime that was committed. Life situations occur for juveniles which can cause a short or long term effect. The juvenile diversion programs like the Model Programs Guide and the Blueprint provides different types of prevention programs which targets to prevent future crimes. Programs vary from state to state and they are not all the same, nor do they have the same effect on all juveniles. In, conclusive what is known is that all prevention programs invoice a certain time period of powerful control over offenders to prevent the offender from any future offenses. Source CSPV-Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence- (2013). Blueprint for Violence Prevention Program. Retrieved from http://www.colorado.edu/cspv/blueprints/. November 15, 2013. Juvenile Justice Bulletin (October 1998). Program of Research on the Causes and Correlates of Delinquency. Retrieved from http://www.ojjdp.gov/jjbulletin/9810_2/program.html. November 15, 2013. OJJDP-Officer of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (2013). Model Programs Guide. Retrieved from http://www.ojjdp.gov/mpg. November 16, 2013.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Pythia (the Oracle of Delphi)

Portrait of a Priestess By: Joan Breton Connelly The historical figure referred to as the â€Å"Oracle of Delphi,† in ancient writings by Aeschylus, Aristotle, Diogenes, Euripides, Herodotus, Plato, Plutarch, and Sophocles, was the â€Å"Pythia,† or â€Å"Priestess† of the temple of Apollo at Delphi; located in a cave on mount Parnassus, beneath the caspian Spring. The Pythia was a respectable position for a women among the ancient greeks. Several women were selected to succeed the position of Pythia over the span of the temples practice from 1,400 BC-393 A.D. I will be focussing on one in particular, whose experience changes the requirements of the position. The Pythia was known for her prophetic visions, said to to be inspired by the God Apollo. Ancient from all around Greece would travel to Delphi in hopes to hear a prophecy from the Pythia that be would be reflect favorable on their future. The myth was that the fumes from the Caspian Spring inspired her visi ons. Three male priests would accompany her, and interpret her hysterical, unintelligible babble to the visitors.Modern historians and scientists theorize that a hallucinogenic gas from a seismic crack in the mountain intoxicated her, and was the cause of her erratic behavior. However, scientist extensive scientific research has been performed on the location and been found contradictory and inconclusive on both sides. There is no documented procedure on how they selected the Pythia, but it is assumed that she was selected upon the death of her predecessor and chosen from a guild of priestesses. She was always a young, respectable virgin, native to the area.Once she was selected she had to leave her family, forfeit her personal identity, and sever all communication with those she’d previously known. The benefits were that she would receive monetary compensation, position, attend public events, and own her property. They also appeared to select women upon aptitude rather than position in society. One Pythia could be well education and aristocratic, and another could be from the working class. At the Height of the Temples popularity there were up to three Pythias in residents.They would alternate between sessions, because the activity left them exhausted and delirious. It was said that the Pythias life was shortened from the strenuous occupation. After an incident where a Pythias was been attacked and killed for giving unfavorable prophecies, they increased the number. The Pythia I’m choosing served in 300AD, she was attacked and raped in the temple. Upon this incident the priests were forced to make a decision on the policy of the requirements of a priestess, because she was no longer a virgin. They changed the policy which opened the opportunity up to married women as well.I would like to write about this incident, because she was not only violated, but in jeopardy of losing her job, being exiled, and possibly killed. Once a year the Pythia would undergo a cleansing ritual, where she would bathe in the Caspian Stream. The procedure was extremely detailed and strict. I think this would be an awesome incident to write my monologue about. The importance and specificity of the ritual makes it an important event in her life. Also bathing in the toxic spring could also present an interesting opportunity to intoxication, and visions.The Pythias personal life, (I can only imagine) was one of deep sadness and extortion. She may have had high hopes for the position, she may not have wanted to serve at all, but it was not a position that would be socially acceptable to refuse. Not only did she have to lose her family and her identity, but she had to forfeit any chance of getting married and having children. She was in a temple, that was essentially a converted cave, and constantly hyped up on hallucinogens. It was basically an ancient form of prostitution. The temple made money off of her â€Å"prophecies† while her mind and bo dy was slowly destroyed from abuse.The danger of attack, rape and death were very real to her in everyday life. I can only imagine the state of her mind, and her misery. She was dealt a hand that appeared glamorous from the outside, but was misleading. The source of the Pythias visions remain a mystery, which I find both exciting and troubling. If it were true that the woman selected to be Pythia received divine visions from the God Apollo my conjecture about her personal life would differ greatly than if she were a drugged, captive woman who was forced to live a desolate life. I think the mystery of the Pythia, is what makes it so intriguing even to this day.

Friday, September 27, 2019

A Study of Traffic Noise Affecting Residential Properties along Dissertation

A Study of Traffic Noise Affecting Residential Properties along Expressways - Dissertation Example Ethical Considerations 34 3.8: Strengths of the Methodology 35 3.9: Limitations of the Methodology 35 3.10: Summary 35 Chapter 4.0 Results and Discussion 36 4.1 Introduction 36 4.2 Interview Analysis 36 4.3: Personal Interpretation of the Researcher of Interviews 44 4.4: Summary 45 Chapter 5.0 Conclusions and Recommendations 46 5.1 Introduction 46 5.2: Conclusion 46 5.3: Recommendations for Mitigating Traffic Noise 50 5.4: Recommendations for Future Research 50 5.5: Summary 51 BIBLIOGRAPHY 52 APPENDIX 55 A. Interview Letter 55 B. Consent Form 56 List of Figures and Photos Figure-1: Retrofitting Works along Fanling Highway for figure in Chapter-2†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.23 Figure-2: Retrofitting Works along Cheung Pai Shan Road for figure in Chapter-2†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦23 Figure-3: Use of Low Noise Material on Chiu Shun Road for figure in Chapter-2†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..24 Figure-4: Use of Low Noise Material on Deep Bay Link for figure in Chapter-2†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â ‚¬ ¦24 Figure-5: Banning Heavy Vehicles on Tsing Fung Street during Nights, Chapter-2†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦25 Figure-6: Pedestrianisation Scheme at Causeway Bay for figure in Chapter-2†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.....26 Figure-7: Awareness Initiative by EPD on Noise Issue for figure in Chapter-2†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦27 CHAPTER-1: INTRODUCTION 1.1: Introduction Road traffic has emerged as one of the most basic areas of concern for many residential properties across the world and Hong Kong is no more an exception when it comes to facing traffic noises and disturbance especially for residents residing along expressways. Road traffic has emerged as one of the prime reasons behind noise pollution affecting millions of people around the world. The situation is all the more worse for people residing along expressways as the traffic noise causes health concerns and frustration (Field, 1993). The level of traffic noises has been increasing at an alarming rate and householders are finding it difficult to maintain a healthy and noise free life. Moreover, traffic noises in wee hours affect the sleep and mood of householders leading to irritation and frustration (Espey and Lopez, 2000) The research aims to investigate traffic noise affecting residential buildings along expressways in Hong Kong. Hong Kong like any other city in the world faces its share of traffic noises affecting the life of millions of people. There is no doubt that the economy of Hong Kong has grown in last few decades mainly because of the expansion of business and commercial activities. This has also led to an increase in the level of traffic noises ad business and commercial activities are very much driven by transportation. The impact has been severe in densely populated areas of the city but even expressways have been the major concern for many householders considering the fact that large numbers of vehicles move at wee hours causing mental stress and hearing problems (Hughes and Sirmans , 1992) The Government of Hong Kong has been focusing on reducing the level of traffic noise by planning and policies implementation but the major issue of traffic noise for residents along expressways

Thursday, September 26, 2019

MRKT- Real-World Write-ups Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

MRKT- Real-World Write-ups - Article Example In a way the article highlighted that many companies are simply trying to find ways to join in the fun. What this strategy represents is a kind general marketing tie-in and many companies are using this event to both make the event relevant to Americans (It was previously believed that the event would be more of a regional issue rather than a global issue) as well as find creative ways to use the event as a catalyst for promoting products and services. It has been the case that many companies have drawn criticism for capitalizing on an extravagant wedding even whilst the world economy struggles yet for some broadcasters the wedding has provided a popular topic for ancillary royal themed programming. An additional example provided is the company allposters.com which began selling straightforward ARTWORK of the royal couple as well as parody ILLUSTRATIONS. A final example of how the royal wedding was used in a sort of REINFORCEMENT ADVERTISING is the case of New York Sports clubs which have started using an ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN that utilizes the slogan â€Å"Just in case you’re not marrying royalty. Join us now for royal savings.† In the end the wedding has become a useful tool in the marketing industry.

Humanities 425 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Humanities 425 - Essay Example Lennox, but still she is able to handle it by busying herself with her passion, that is for agriculture. In the fifth chapter, we notice the change in Mary's disposition as she wanders the moor (page 58). Mary has always known of her connection with nature. She amuses herself by tending to her gardens in India. But back in India, she was kept hidden and deprived of the outdoors. In Misselthwaite Manor however, she was left to roam as she pleased. Both the climate and the landscape presented a determining influence upon her health and well-being. Revelation: Finally knowing the truth that has always been told. Nature gives warnings before natural calamities occur. She also provides cure for diseases of both man and animal. But then, nature can reveal herself only when man is ready to heed her. Chapter eight tells of a gust of wind that brought about Mary's discovery of the door to the secret garden (page 95). It is in that garden that the real improvement in Mary starts to appear. She has changed for the better. She even selflessly shared to Dickon her secret. Renaissance: Starting Anew from an Epiphany. Nature is a part of us and we are a part of nature. Human life cannot be sustained, let alone achieve well-being, apart from the resources of nature. For this, nature must be man's object of moral concern. Colin Craven used to be very frail and ill-tempered. ... Renaissance: Starting Anew from an Epiphany. Nature is a part of us and we are a part of nature. Human life cannot be sustained, let alone achieve well-being, apart from the resources of nature. For this, nature must be man's object of moral concern. Colin Craven used to be very frail and ill-tempered. But when he was shown the garden, he felt very determined to live (page 267). He feels that the garden was especially made for him. He even decided to spend everyday there to aid in his recovery. The human race is made up of differing ideals. Righteous to some may be utterly unacceptable to others. Let us look at the least appropriate relationship man can have with nature. Superiority Complex: A Misconception The Patriarch and a Tiger, a 13th century painting , shows a rather dominating man leaning on a sleeping tiger. Man is not the master of all creation. He is just an overseer. He is allowed to take only what he needs. He is tasked to take care and not to exploit. The greedy beings of the human race use man's superiority in intellect as a lousy excuse to consume nature's resources in order to feed their lust for money and power. This misconception is yet again stated in the book Utopia by Thomas More, "a living according to Nature, and think that we are made by God for that end (Traveling,pg. 48)". To appoint oneself such power over nature is such a disgraceful and even arrogant act. Absolute Knowledge: A Fool's Belief The book Utopia by Thomas More has this certain passage, "They knewastronomy, and were perfectly acquainted with the motions of theheavenly bodies, and have many instruments, well contrived and divided, by which they very accurately compute the course and positions of the sun, moon, and stars (Traveling,pg. 46)". When man starts to think

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Effects of coffee Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Effects of coffee - Essay Example Coffee contains caffeine which is considered a Central Nervous System (CNS) stimulant (Lovett 2005). Accordingly, â€Å"caffeine is the worlds most widely consumed psychoactive substance†. Balentine, Harbowy & Graham (1998) stipulated that â€Å"many natural sources of caffeine also contain widely varying mixtures of other xanthine alkaloids, including the cardiac stimulants theophylline and theobromine and other substances such as polyphenols which can form insoluble complexes with caffeine†. In the Science of Cooking, the article on caffeine exhibited its following properties, to wit: â€Å"soluble in ethyl acetate, chloroform, pyrimidine, pyrrole, tetrahydrofuran solution; moderately soluble in alcohol, acetone; slightly soluble in petroleum ether, ether, benzene†. In another study made specifically on Caffeine, it is found that â€Å"caffeine is metabolized in the liver by the cytochrome P450 oxidase enzyme system (specifically, the 1A2 isozyme) into three metabolic dimethylxanthines, which each have their own effects on the body: Theophylline (4%) Relaxes smooth muscles of the bronchi, and is used to treat asthma. The therapeutic dose of theophylline, however, is many times greater than the levels attained from caffeine metabolism.† (The Pharmacogenetics and Pharmacogenomics Knowledge Base) According to Bolton & Null (1981), the â€Å"precise amount of caffeine necessary to produce effects varies from person to person depending on body size and degree of tolerance to caffeine. It takes less than an hour for caffeine to begin affecting the body and a mild dose wears off in three to four hours. Consumption of caffeine does not eliminate the need for sleep: it only temporarily reduces the sensation of being tired. The International Coffee Organization presented that â€Å"of all the physiological effects of coffee, the best known is that it is a stimulant to the nervous system. One or two cups of

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Crash 2005 Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Crash 2005 - Movie Review Example From this paper it is clear that  more than a being a picture, Crash is a social documentary of how racism or the tendency to discriminate and systematically oppress others is deeply rooted in our society as defined by Scupin. It is the perfect analogy of how we as a human race deal with life, people and our own experiences. Physical characteristics and racial differences may be interpreted as two distinguishing traits that separate us.  This reseach highlights that  another example of this occurred at the beginning of the film when the Persian family was attempting to purchase a gun. The clerk at the gun shop made a few blatantly racist comments about the perceptions of the customers. There were several references to the twin towers and planes. It didn’t matter that the two were Persian, not Arab. A reoccurring theme was that post 9/11, all Middle Eastern people became potential terrorists. It is amazing that people have the ability to interpret bad events and cast thei r own prejudices on different ethnic groups to mask their feeling of anger and frustration.  Certain stereotypes have stood the test of time, no matter how many strides for racial equality have been made.  Perhaps stereotypes like that have maintained their prevalence because there are so many people that perpetuate them. It is often believed that all young black men are destined to be thugs, criminals and drug dealers. Additionally it is a common statistic that the majority of incarcerated males are African American.... Another example of this occurred at the beginning of the film when the Persian family was attempting to purchase a gun. The clerk at the gun shop made a few blatantly racist comments about the perceptions of the customers. There were several references to the twin towers and planes. It didn't matter that the two were Persian, not Arab. A reoccurring theme was that post 9/11, all Middle Eastern people became potential terrorists. It is amazing that people have the ability to interpret bad events and cast their own prejudices on different ethnic groups to mask their feeling of anger and frustration. Certain stereotypes have stood the test of time, no matter how many strides for racial equality have been made. Sandra Bullock's character made the statement about the relationship between white and black people: "If a white woman sees two black men walking towards her and turns the other way, she's a racist. Well I got scared and didn't' say anything, and the next thing I knew, I had a gun shoved in my head!" Perhaps stereotypes like that have maintained their prevalence because there are so many people that perpetuate them. It is often believed that all young black men are destined to be thugs, criminals and drug dealers. Additionally it is a common statistic that the majority of incarcerated males are African American. As a young black man, it must be difficult to break free of that stereotype. "Things will never change." That attitude along with the perpetuation of existing stereotypes may be largely responsible for negative racial longevity. Ludacris' character was one of the most interesting to me. Here was this articulate young

Monday, September 23, 2019

Macroeconomic Stock Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Macroeconomic Stock Project - Essay Example he period of investment is just over a few months so for the portfolio to get a suitable yield, numerous purchases and selling of different stock are done on daily basis or within a short time period within a week. For example, the purchase of 1363 SouFun Holding (SFUN) share at $74.28 on 2/24/14 leads to a total sale of the same shares on 2/26/14 at $76.31. Essentially a capital gain of $2.03 per share is made in the process. Hence the strategy of buy low and sell when high works in this scenario. The various stocks mentioned above helps in portfolio diversification by reducing the specific risks of each stock invested. Investment in XUE stocks was stable at $5.79 hence no gain was realized on this particular stock. This can be accounted by very little business acquisition and activity by this company during this period during the trading period. Vipshops holdings (VIPS), however, is bullish, Goldman Sachs involvement in upgrading this company’s business activity has elevated the share price. Weibo Hu analysis has projected a market growth of 0.5% in VIPS apparel subsidiary in China and the credibility of the company signifies potential positive growth in the future. If the portfolio had stocks that had their prices rarely fluctuating within the two days of trading, the trading position is closed. The same was done for stocks that were making capital gains. Just like any real diversified investment portfolio, the well performing stocks like VIPS and SFUN offset the short term capital loses made by bearish stocks like XUE (Xuenda Education) and CCIH (China Cache International). Above is CCIH (China Cache International Holdings) share price being bearish over a three month period of trading. This led to slight losses in the portfolio considering the shares were never held longer than a week. ZEN (Zendek incorporation) stock price rose substantially after the initial public offering. The share traded above the $10 mark, but this portfolio however did not

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Security Management Essay Example for Free

Security Management Essay Instructions to candidates: 1. There is no time restriction set for this paper and you may refer to your course text. 2. Clearly print your name in the blank spaces provided on the answer sheet. 3. Read each question carefully, and circle the option letter of your selected answer on the question paper; then transfer your answer to the answer sheet by putting an X through the appropriate answer box or by writing in the answers (if the question requires it). 4. Please answer all the questions and check your answers carefully. 5. On completion submit the answer sheet to Perpetuity Training, 148 Upper New Walk, Leicester, LE1 7QA by the date required. 1. Very generally it is agreed that terrorism is defined by a group which: A. Wishes to kill its political enemies and influence potential allies B. Wishes to politically and ideologically influence others by the use or threat of use of, violence C. Wishes to promote religious ideologies through the use of force or the threat of force. D. Wishes to resist government oppression through the use of irregular warfare 2. It is argued that the term terrorism derives from the reign of terror after the French revolution. In what year was the French Revolution? A. B. C. D. 1564 1694 1794 1894 3. Historically, terrorist groups (although most organisations do not like being referred to as terrorists!) have tended to adhere to either a politically left or right wing ideology. But what do we mean by the term ‘ideology’? A. B. C. D. Right wing beliefs Left wing beliefs Religious beliefs Systems of belief 4. What is state terrorism? A. B. C. D. Terrorism directed against the state The state’s definition of terrorism Terrorism only directed at governments Terrorism committed by the state 5. Modern Terrorists differ from their historical predecessors mainly in: A.  B. C. D. The sophistication of their ideologies The sophistication of their targets and timing The sophistication of their attack and planning Their sophistication of their demands 6. What is an IED? A. B. C. D. An improvised explosive detonation An immediate explosive detonation An improvised explosive device An in-car explosive device 7. Which of the following is not normally part of an IED? A. B. C. D. The Timer The Donator The power supply The delivery platform 8. When conducting a terrorism risk assessment we need to consider: A. B. C. D. Assets, threats and vulnerabilities Origins, tactics and membership Aims, abilities and determination Specialty weapons and tactics 9. Who said ‘The war on terror resembles the great clashes of the last century between democracy and totalitarianism’? A. B. C. D. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher President George W Bush Prime Minister Tony Blair President Barack Obama 10. What is a hard target reconnaissance? A. B. C. D. An examination of the intended target by the terrorist prior to the attack The selection by the terrorist of a difficult target The final briefing to the terrorist attack group before the attack The terrorist debrief after a difficult operation 11. What is defence/security in depth? A. B. C. D. A form of maritime security Impenetrable security measures Environmental security measures Interlocking layers of security 12. The 1996 Manchester bombing was an attack carried out by the Provisional IRA in Manchester, England. The bomb targeted the citys infrastructure and economy and caused widespread damage, estimated by insurers at: A. B. C. D.  £7 million  £17 million  £70 million  £700 million 13. In which year was the UK Terrorism Act passed? A. B. C. D. 2005 2006 2007  2008 14. In what year did the Council of Europe Convention on the Prevention of Terrorism (CECPT) come into force? A. B. C. D. 2005 2006 2007 2008 15. One of the most powerful pieces of counter terrorist legislation enacted was in the US, where The Homeland Security Act (HSA). In which year did it come into force? A. B. C. D. 16. 2000 2001 2002 2003 What is the ISPS? A. B. C. D. The International Ship and Port Facility Security Code The Internal Ship and Port Facility Security Conditions The Internal Ship and Port Facility Security Code The International Safety and Port Facility Security conditions 17. The ISPS applies to all vessels over: A. B. C. D. 300 gross weight tonnes 400 gross weight tonnes 500 gross weight tonnes 600 gross weight tonnes 18. Port facilities serving ships where the ISPS applies require an ISC. What is the ISC? A. B. C. D. International Safety Charter International Security Certificate International Shipping Charter International Sailing Certificate 19. Which of the following is not a key document that should form part of an organisation’s security methods and techniques? A. B. C. D. Business Continuity Plans Major Incident Plans Security Procedures Terrorist Attack Plans 20. What is ISO 27001? A. The introduction of an information security management system B. The introduction of an intermodal supply chain security management system C. The introduction of a risk management system D. The introduction of a terrorist security system 21. What is ISO 3100? A. The introduction of an information security management system B. The introduction of an intermodal supply chain security management system C. The  introduction of a risk management system D. The introduction of a terrorist security system 22. What is ISO 28001? A. The introduction of an information security management system B. The introduction of an intermodal supply chain security management system C. The introduction of a risk management system D. The introduction of a terrorist security system 23. Every physical security system should have an OR what is an OR? A. B. C. D. Optional Requirement Operational Requirement Operating Regulation Operator’s Regulation 24. It is logical that in order for an organisation to be prepared for a terrorist attack there need to be adequate levels of: A. B. C. D. Fire extinguishers and smoke alarms Access control and swipe cards Training and awareness Profiling and reporting 25. Who said ‘Kill one, frighten ten thousand’? A. B. C. D. Lao Tao Sun Tzu Confucius Kuan Ti

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Carrying out a stroop effect experiment

Carrying out a stroop effect experiment It has been proposed that it is difficult to control automatic processes as they were unconsciously carried out. This meant that they could intrude on other tasks. The Stroop Effect looked at how automatic processing would interfere with colour identification. It was discovered that identifying ink colour was made more difficult when looking at a list of colour related words than when looking at colour neutral words and so This experiment attempted to study automatic processing by using a variation of the Stroop Effect test. 22 Participants were given two lists of 30 words. On each list, six words were repeated five times in varying colours. The Condition 1 (appendix 2) list contained incongruent words, whilst the Condition 2 list (appendix 3) contained congruent words. Half of Participants were tested on Condition 1 first, followed by Condition 2. The other half began the test with Condition 2, followed by Condition 1. The time each Participant took to name the colour ink the words were printed in was recorded and measured (See appendix 1 for results). (158-100) Introduction A great deal of the way that people perceive things involves automatic processing. This occurs outside of the conscious mind and so requires no effort. It has been found, however, that some level of interference between the automatic and controlled processes can happen. Information from the senses and from that already stored in memory has to be processed from a cognitive system that has a limited capacity. Reading is an automatic process and recognising a colour is a controlled process. Putting both together should cause interference in the ability to both read and recognise the colour of the ink the words are printed in. The general idea of automatic processing interfering with other tasks has been researched by many psychologists. Shneider Shiffrin (1977) set up an experiment in which participants had to memorize a set of numbers or letters and then find those numbers or letters in a much larger set. It was found that it was much easier to recognise a number in a set of letters (Or the reverse), than it was to recognise a number in a set of numbers or a letter in a set of letters. ********************************** The rationale for this experiment was to test another variation on the stroop effect. The experimental hypothesis was that the time taken to name the ink colour on the condition 1 list of incongruent words would be longer than that of the time taken to name the colour ink on the condition 2 list of congruent words. The null hypothesis was that there would be no difference in time taken for the two conditions. (-500) Method (657) Design The experiment employed a within-subjects design. This design was chosen because the same participants were used in both conditions. The independent variable was the colour ink the words were printed in. Two lists of 30 words were provided (Appendix 2 3). The 30 words on each list consisted of 6 words repeated 5 times in varying colours. Each participant was asked to name the colour ink each word was printed in, in as fast a time as possible. On the condition 1 list of incongruent words, the words listed all had a relation to a colour. For example, the word sky has a relation to the colour blue. The words were printed in a colour removed from that with which they were normally associated. The condition 2 list contained congruent words and the words had no particular relation to a colour. The dependent variable was the length of time taken to name the colour ink each word was printed in. A measure was taken of the time participants took to name the colour ink of all the words printed on the list. Times were taken for condition 1 and for condition 2. The time was taken in seconds using a stopwatch and the length of time it took each participant to complete the entire list to the nearest second was noted. In order to reduce the possibility of any confounding variables, half of the participants began with condition 1 and half with condition 2. Individual times were then noted on the response sheet to later be compared with results from the other condition. Materials The materials that were used in this experiment were made up of 2 cards containing lists of 30 words. The 30 words were made up of 6 words repeated 5 times in varying colours. (Appendix 2 3) A stopwatch, consent forms and a response sheet were also used. Procedure Participants were fully informed about what the study would involve and were given the opportunity to withdraw if they wished. They were told that the study would involve a variation of the Stroop Effect and that they would be required to name the colour ink the words were printed in, in as quick a time as possible. They were made aware that the study was looking at the effects of interference between automatic and controlled processing. The possible effects of driving whilst using a mobile phone was used as an example in helping them understand the underlying reasons behind the study. They were informed that all resulting data would be anonymous and that no names would be given on the response sheet or to anybody else. All participants agreed to take part in the study and signed a consent form. Participants were placed in a well lit, quiet room and shown a set of instructions that told them****************** When they were ready to commence the test the participants turned over a sheet of card containing either Condition 1 or Condition 2 words. The sheet of card had been placed on a table, upside down in front of them. They began reading the list of words given and were timed to measure their individual performances. When the first test was complete, the participants were given a two minute break before the second test commenced. Half of the participants began with the Condition 1 list and half began with the Condition 2 list. Include how responses were recorded and mention the debriefing of participants. Redo data as have not put in time chart difference between starting condition 1 first or condition 2 first. Results As this was a within-subject design, a paired-samples t-test was used to analyse the data. The analysis showed a t value of 3.78 (To 2 sig figures). This positive result showed***************************** Mean SD= 4.945 T=3.774 df=21 p=.001 D= 0.65 (To 2 sig figures) This shows that the independent variable had a medium to high effect on the dependent variable. The data showed that the mean for condition 1 was higher than the mean for condition 2. The standard deviation of time that was taken to complete the two lists was compared and the difference calculated at 0.53. This showed********************* Discussion There was an increase in the time it took participants to read condition 1 over condition 2. This confirms previous research and is supportive of the experimental hypothesis. It was observed that participants appeared to show a much greater degree of concentration when completing condition 1 than in condition 2. Whilst when completing the condition 2 part of the study it appeared, even without considering the time taken, that participants found it much easier and it did indeed appear to be a much more automatic process than condition 1. Some errors were made, although very few. Those that were made, but not noticed by the participant showed that in the real world, the interference between automatic and controlled processing could have quite detrimental affects. An example of this would be in the case of***************** Reading appeared to be such a deeply rooted, automatic process that even when attempting to relay the ink colour the word was printed in, participants appeared to have to make an extra effort to stop themselves from reading the words themselves.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Effect of Globalization on IT Service Providers in Europe

Effect of Globalization on IT Service Providers in Europe Opportunities and challenges presented by Globalization: IT Service providers in Continental Europe EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Enterprises within Europe are increasingly trying to seek the advantages of global sourcing. Unlike enterprises in U.S. or U.K., continental European countries have historically been reluctant to engage with offshore providers. The reasons were far stretched, ranging from political sensitivity, labor laws, cultural compatibility and language requirements. Globalization, however, is creating new avenues that European companies can not ignore. A recent report by Gartner shows the potential IT Offshoring market to be in the range of about $ 200 to 240 Billion. The market is expected to register double digit growth for years to come. The current offshore spending by firms amounts to just $17 Billion worldwide. This clearly shows a big gap, a huge market potential which is yet to be exploited. The huge demand has also led to emergence and growth of several new players in the field of IT Outsourcing/ Offshoring services, this is leading to ever increasing competition in the marketplace. In order to cope up with this increased competition and to provide better services, these service providers are increasingly adopting Global delivery models. By selecting an advantageous and cost effective proportion of resources worldwide, Global Delivery Model boosts business performance while also lowering costs. It also helps the supplier deliver requirements that are met on-time, within budget, and with high quality; greater efficiency and responsiveness to their clients. In Europe, nearshore models still dominate the market. But these models are continuously being updated, with more and more providers setting up Offshore Development Centers in locations like India. A framework for building an optimal combination of onsite, nearshore, and offshore delivery capabilities is provided by Capgeminis Rightshore ® model. A recent Gartner report has suggested that, the current US economic slowdown is expected to lead buyers of IT services to consider increasing the percentage of their labor in offshore locations. India will remain the dominant location for IT offshore services for North American and European buyers as a result of its scale, quality of resources and strong presence of local and traditional service providers. INTRODUCTION: EUROPEAN IT MARKET The European market remains a highly complex and competitive market with a large number of providers. Mergers and acquisitions will continue but will be balanced by new market entrants Outsourcing adoption in Europe is increasing for both infrastructure and applications; the widespread lack of well defined sourcing strategies among buyers and the realities of ever-changing business requirements will generate frequent deal negotiations and renegotiations Global delivery and utility services are irreversible trends evolving at different speeds among various European countries. The European multi country, multi language/culture composition increases the evolutionary complexity of these trends Selective outsourcing with multiple providers will remain the preferred model of engagement for European buyers. Governance and end-to-end integration/management of different providers/solutions are the most challenging aspects of it ITO market maturity varies: UK is the most matured IT market in Europe. The other European markets are maturing at different speeds. An acceleration in ITO adoption is now apparent in countries such as France and Germany A focus on achieving service delivery excellence and the best value/quality balance is increasingly driving European organizations (especially those beyond the first generation deal) to consider selecting multiple providers for an outsourcing contract. For example, in the IT Telecom sector, the most common division is by service tower, with customers opting to choose different providers for their network, desktop, data center and application competencies. At the moment, however, providers tend to join forces in an opportunistic manner, as a response to customer demands. This is the cause behind the ever-changing composition of the providers teams; as a consequence, consolidating best practices to manage IT service spin offs between different providers in an effort to guarantee end-to-end service delivery excellence remains challenging. As the number of providers engaged is set to increase, this challenge is likely to intensify. It will also be driven by other market characteristics, which include a persistent tactical use of outsourcing by European customers, insufficient process maturity, and lack of clarity in the definition of roles and responsibilities. As we look at global delivery, it is fair to say that there are two major misconceptions that still exist among the European market: 1) Global delivery is often considered as a synonym of offshore, and 2) IT services delivered through global delivery capabilities are application services. In reality, in the past few years, the European market has witnessed a considerable expansion in terms of both geographical location options (in areas such as Eastern Europe or North Africa, for example) and portfolio of services offered (now including, for example, help desk and remote infrastructure management services). Global delivery and offshore, however, remain the key deal characteristics that need to be treated with extra care in many European geographies, and as a consequence, many deals remain confidential. Traditional providers investment will be directed toward enhancing existing capabilities (especially near shore in Eastern Europe) and ensuring process solidity. Offshore providers inv estment on the other side will be centered on creating front-end capabilities with a focus on specific country and vertical-oriented competencies. While these global delivery models mature and are refined/ optimized, customers satisfaction will remain a challenge. KEY TRENDS SHAPING IT OUTSOURCING MARKET IN EUROPE TRENDS CHARACTERISTICS Selective Outsourcing With Multiple Providers * Embraced by majority of European companies * Objectives: IT excellence and cost optimization * Integration and governance challenges Global Sourcing and Global Delivery Models * Near shore proximity key for European market * Expanding portfolio of outsourcing services * Key area of investment for providers and buyers IT Utility * Industrialization is accelerating * Convergence of IT utility and global delivery * Key drivers: flexibility, efficiency, optimized cost, speed Aggressive ESP Competitive Landscape * National, global and offshore ESPs converging * Mergers, acquisitions and divestitures to continue * Providers are implementing new business models * New offshore market entrants Application Outsourcing to Grow * Drivers: portfolio rationalization, legacy modernization * Global delivery will gain acceptance * Multitude of providers competing Source: Gartner The U.K., Netherlands, Sweden and Finland are examples of countries more attracted by the global delivery model. However, in the meantime, the impact of global competition has started to drive countries such as Germany and France to consider global delivery as a viable option to be considered strategically, rather than when all other options have been exhausted. Despite a slower gestation and the fact that a complete infrastructure utility (IU) offering has not yet been developed, the IU model is continuing to attract new offerings and/or new providers. In the meantime, European customers, attracted by the idea of being able to access IT services in a flexible way, remain cautious as they expect further clarity on issues such as unit definition, pricing mechanisms, integration to existing systems, and security portability In the near future, we expect that the IU for ERP platforms will remain the most common battleground for providers; other providers are expected to instead mask their IU offering behind a package that includes product and support services. The concept of software as a service (SaaS) or ready-to-use applications will continue to generate lot of interest. Expectations for a solid delivery and specific functionalities will drive providers to specialize their offerings. Finally, gains in terms of process efficiency will be seen as crucial to deliver enhanced competitiveness, flexibility, agility and cost optimization. GLOBAL TRENDS: IT OUTSOURCING and OFFSHORING MARKET IT Outsourcing market is showing an average growth of 9% p.a. IT Outsourcing Worldwide forecast (Million $) Source : Gartner Dataquest In terms of volume, North America continues to be the leader in IT outsourcing. Latin America and APAC have shown good growth Europe has fast emerged as a big IT outsourcer Global offshore spending is continuing to register double digit growth. Worldwide Offshore IT Services Spending by Importing Region (million $) Source: Gartner Dataquest, 2004 and Worldwide and U.S. Offshore IT Services 2006-2010 Forecast In terms of volume, the North America continues to be the leader in IT offshoring. Once averse to the idea of outsourcing, Europe is now steadily adopting an IT offshore model to boost the economy Global offshore spending is projected to increase to 29400 $ Million in 2010 The graph on the next page shows the potential market for various types of sourcing options. This clearly depicts that he IT and Business Process offshoring market has grown at a tremendous rate over the past 7 year and the market provides a huge potential which is yet to be exploited. IT and BPO market Source Gartner, Dataquest, Aberdeen Group, McKinsey, Evalueserve, Infosys, IDC and Nasscom strategic review 2008 Currently we are not even exploiting 10% of the potential market size ( IT services off shoring just at $17 Billion, whereas market potential is about $200-240 Billion *) According to a new research by Gartner, the market is likely to grow further after the financial slowdown, as firms will try aggressively to reduce costs and improve efficiency Different Sourcing Models In-sourcing / Shared Services: Sourcing from internal sources or from an affiliated firm in the home economy Onshore Outsourcing: Sourcing from a non-affiliated firm in the home economy Captive Offshoring: Sourcing from an affiliated firm located abroad Offshore Outsourcing: Sourcing from a non-affiliated firm located abroad REGIONAL DYNAMICS ACROSS EUROPE The following section will describe the regional ITO trends and local dynamics across different European locations. UK and IRELAND 2005: â‚ ¬17.2B 2010: â‚ ¬25.7B 2005-2010 CAGR: 8.3% ITO drivers: Improve IT quality for end users, speed/flexibility, access to technical skills, cost reduction Inhibitors: Loss of control, lack of trust, security/privacy, IP Key trends: †¢ Most mature market in Europe with wider number of mega deals (public sector) †¢ Deal sophistication, including government. Increasing interest in new pricing schemes, business enhancement and shared services †¢ More selective sourcing and global delivery †¢ Areas such as Scotland and Ireland feeling pressure of Indian and Eastern European operations †¢ Wide potential for application engagements to mature from project engagements into outsourcing based engagements Despite being the largest and most mature market in Europe, the U.K. remains also one of the fast-growing ones. Here organizations seem to have moved away from the equation of outsourcing = cost reduction. While cost remains a key component, other objectives seem more important, such as improving IT service delivery, gaining specific skills, especially for application outsourcing deals, and becoming a more flexible organization. (See Appendix F) Inhibitions remain related to a general lack of trust in the ability to join forces with the providers to manage security, control over IT operations and IP. The U.K. market is characterized by a large number of mega deals, especially in the public sector. These outsourcing deals often include initiatives that have classically been carried out through project engagements and now are increasingly being performed in the initial phases of an IT outsourcing or BPO deal. This change reflects the growing desire of customers for a tighter link between investment and results (for which the outsourcer is responsible during the duration of the contract) and the important shift in role for the internal IT department. Rather than focusing on assembling and managing all of the necessary skills and capabilities to meet a certain objective, IT organizations, in this scenario, are responsible for coordinating the objectives of the Business Unit and the internal and external providers engaged to support them. Often infrastructure outsourcing is at the core of these complex relationships. At the same time, the U.K. is also the largest market in terms of adoption of IT services delivered through a network of global delivery capabilities (which include nearshore and offshore locations). From this point of view, areas that used to be considered as low cost for outsourcing operations (Scotland and Ireland) continue to feel the pressure of Indian and Eastern European capabilities. Finally, organizations that have engaged for a long period of time in project-based application deals are planning to elevate them into more-strategic, long-term application management engagements. This will allow them to gain a longer-term commitment from the service provider and the relevant support to re-evaluate their application portfolio. NORDIC COUNTRIES 2005: â‚ ¬5.2B 2010: â‚ ¬7.6B 2005-2010 CAGR: 8.2% Drivers: Cost reduction, access to technical skills (especially in application outsourcing engagements), support in global operations, focus on core business Inhibitors: Loss of control, security/privacy, lack of trust Key trends: †¢ Nordic market generally mature. Many large deals are in second or third generation. Some likely to evolve toward multi sourcing †¢ Large corporations see global delivery as a viable option. SMBs see nearshore option more favorably †¢ Consolidation drives specialization by geography, vertical market or horizontal service †¢ Increased competition between regional and global ESPs †¢ Cultural affinity seen as crucial to guarantee deal success/longevity Each of the four country markets that compose the Nordic region has its own distinct characteristics and buying behaviors in IT services. However, if we look at the forecast growth between 2005 and 2010, we expect the region to grow at a similar speed (despite size differences) of about 8%. Denmark: Sometimes seen as the entry point for the global service providers to the Nordics. Expected growth is from â‚ ¬856 million in 2005 to â‚ ¬1.2 billion in 2010 (CAGR of 7.8%). Finland: Unique in the Nordic region as buyers focus much more on business value of an outsourcing deal rather than just cost. Expected growth is from â‚ ¬1 billion in 2005 to â‚ ¬1.45 billion in 2010 (CAGR of 7.5%) Norway: Remains the smallest outsourcing market in the region. Expected growth is from â‚ ¬1.2 billion in 2005 to â‚ ¬1.8 billion in 2010 (CAGR of 8.1%) Sweden: Largest market and very cost-competitive. Probably the Nordic country targeted most by offshore providers currently. Expected growth is from â‚ ¬2 billion in 2005 to â‚ ¬3.1 billion in 2010 (CGR of 8.7%) From a client perspective, the Nordic region market is generally mature, with many large corporations in second- or third-generation outsourcing deals. Global delivery is widely accepted as an option. Competition between regional providers and global providers is increasing; this was initiated by the inability of local providers to support the operations of key Nordic organizations around the globe. However, recent acquisitions and divestitures by both local and international providers prove that the market has still got room for further maturation and consolidation. NETHERLANDS 2005: â‚ ¬3.4B 2010:â‚ ¬5B 2005-2010 CAGR: 8% Drivers: Cost reduction above all, agility/flexibility, improving service to end users Inhibitors: Loss of IP and control, security/privacy, high cost Key trends: Market shows mixed signs of maturity (organizations accept global delivery) and immaturity (sourcing strategy is often neglected) Market split between large global corporations and wide portion of SMBs Increased competition for local/national champions Application under scrutiny for externalization The market in the Netherlands is one of the more modern IT outsourcing environments in Europe, closely following the U.K. in many trends. A focus on global delivery and the expansion of many deals into the application or business process layer points to more market maturity. This maturity is driven primarily by the relatively high proportion of large (and often multinational) enterprises headquartered in the Netherlands and competing in major markets such as financial services. But there are some contradictory characteristics that point to an immature market (cost cutting is by far the major driver, and sourcing strategy is often neglected); this, as a consequence, often inhibits the potential success of outsourcing initiatives. The market remains very challenging and competitive. This is due to the high presence of small and midsize businesses (SMBs), which traditionally tend to consider outsourcing as a threat more than an opportunity and require a higher level of customization, which tests the profitability model of service providers. Competition remains strong for national champions as global and offshore providers continue to target opportunities in the country. Increasingly, application outsourcing opportunities are emerging as organizations look at portfolio rationalization, legacy system transformation, and custom application software development initiatives and accessing application utility solutions. FRANCE 2005: â‚ ¬6.6B 2010: â‚ ¬10B CAGR: 8.4 % Drivers: Cost reduction, refocus internal IT, speed/flexibility Inhibitors: Loss of control, lack of trust, security/privacy Key trends: Beyond its reliance on staff augmentation, Frances outsourcing market shows opportunities in all facets of outsourcing: infrastructure, applications and BPO Selective outsourcing has gained acceptance, and organizations show cautious interest in global service delivery National champions remain under competitive pressure from the global and multinational providers France has long been considered behind in the outsourcing trend. Now, however, the French outsourcing market is consolidating and growing, while the long-standing reliance on staff augmentation is losing strength. The major driver that will support a CAGR of over 8% between 2005 and 2010 is the need for French organizations to reduce cost and enhance their level of competitiveness in the market by refocusing their internal IT skills on more-strategic tasks while gaining flexibility. On the other side, it is interesting to see that challenges related to HR management have lost strength, compared with the traditional fears related to loss of control and security and lack of trust. Large organizations have recently moved toward the adoption of selective outsourcing with multiple providers. This model has gained acceptance as organizations look at maximizing the balance between cost and service delivery excellence. There is also a new focus on application outsourcing. This trend is important not only because it signals an acceleration in the growth of outsourcing in France overall, but because it signals a major change in the way French organizations use different kinds of IT services. Increase in application outsourcing deals also touches on one of the major taboos of IT services in France: offshore outsourcing. As such, although offshore remains a word to be used with extra care in the French market, many organizations would consider that access to global delivery models is an appealing part of outsourcing, especially when delivered by traditional players. In this case, North Africa (Morocco, for example) is emerging as a viable near shore location. National champions, the providers that focus on a specific region or country, remain under competitive pressure from the global and multinational providers. GERMANY 2005: â‚ ¬10.6B 2010: â‚ ¬16B 2005-2010 CAGR: 8.6% Drivers: Cost reduction above all, focus on core business, refocus internal IT Inhibitors: Security/privacy, lack of trust, loss of control Key trends: Global economic pressures have forced many organizations to look at outsourcing as a viable option In the short term, objectives such as flexibility and agility are secondary Pressure to divest internal IT departments or internal shared service organizations remains strong Global delivery gaining ground especially toward Eastern Europe Intensifying competition between strong German players and global ones Legacy system modernization will remain a key objective The German market is â€Å"federated† in several ways: government responsibilities, industrial centers, buying centers within enterprises, and management structures in place. All of this makes doing business in Germany (and negotiating significant IT service deals) unique. Decision processes tend to be longer, require more consensus building and often entail more travel than in other parts of Europe. For a long time, the majority of German organizations have considered IT operations as a key component to maintain or enhance their level of competitiveness in the market. This has, as a consequence, slowed the outsourcing growth. In the past two years, however, economic pressures have forced many organizations to look at outsourcing tactically to cut cost. While in the short term, achieving flexibility is a secondary objective, organizations look at outsourcing as a way to refocus their internal capabilities while focusing on their core business. The traditional inhibitors around security, trust and loss of control apply. While non-German external service providers (ESPs) still find it difficult to position themselves in Germany (exceptions are IBM Germany, which established itself early on as a â€Å"German† ESP, and HP, based on its early SAP hosting business and penetration as a technology provider), German providers maintain strong domestic positions and are starting to focus on expanding their international presence (through T-Systems). In the short term, German organizations will still consider selling their own IT capabilities, while global providers will see these as viable targets to build capabilities as long as they provide financial support through a long-term outsourcing deal. Finally, beyond potential healthy growth for ERP application outsourcing initiatives (especially SAP), as many organizations look at legacy system modernization, it is likely that many projects will evolve and deploy model to include the long-term management of applications. EASTERN EUROPE 2005: â‚ ¬1.1B 2010: â‚ ¬1.6B 2005-2010 CAGR: 7.9% Drivers: Acquisitions made by large Western European organizations, increased competition, need to revamp obsolete IT environments (leap-frog) Inhibitors: Low expertise to manage OS deals, high cost of OS, loss of control Key trends: Slow internal consumption of outsourcing Key nearshore delivery hub for providers supporting operations of European organizations Local Eastern European service providers will remain target for acquisitions Long-term growth will be supported by increasing competition, acquisitions made by Western companies and the penetration of Western ESPs in the region The region has become a strong global delivery hub Recent admission to the European Union has transformed countries such as Poland, Romania and the Czech Republic into attractive locations to establish global delivery capabilities designed to deliver IT services to European or global customers. Eastern Europe has been identified as an ideal region to establish a service delivery hub by U.S.-based providers (IBM, Accenture and EDS), European ones (Atos Origin, Capgemini, T-Systems, SIS and ST) and offshore ones (Ness, TCS, Satyam, Infosys and Wipro). When necessary, providers are openly seeking acquisitions to gain scale; it is the case for SIS, which acquired ELAS, HT Computers in Slovakia, and Ibis-Sys in Serbia (February 2005). Others, like Austrian-based ST, are pursuing a strategy of becoming the provider of choice in Eastern Europe through a combination of organic development and local acquisitions. ST acquired Computacenter Austria to strengthen its product resale capabilities. Although internal consumption of outsourcing has been slow, it is expected to grow rapidly, thanks to increasing competition driven by the fact that private-sector companies and public-sector organizations are now focusing on bringing their systems into line with market standards. This is leading to some â€Å"leapfrogging† effects — the IT utility approach, for example, holds significant appeal without posing the same transition challenges as elsewhere — but because these markets are fairly immature, there is still a strong focus on products and product support services rather than more-sophisticated IT service engagements. Italy and Spain are two other major countries with an expected ITO market size of about 5 Billion $ each by the year 2010. GLOBAL DELIVERY MODEL GDM is a unique approach to outsourcing and off shoring, which offers the best of both worlds by blending onsite, onshore and offshore resources and locations. By using a far-reaching network of onsite, onshore, and offshore resources, GDM aims to cuts across geographies to access the right resources, in the right place, at the right cost. By selecting the most advantageous and cost effective proportion of resources worldwide, Global Delivery Model boosts business performance while also lowering costs. It also helps the supplier deliver requirements that are met on-time, within budget, and with high quality; greater efficiency and responsiveness to their clients. In this section we would discuss in detail, the key drivers to a successful GDM. Source: Capgemini, 2008 KEY DRIVERS OF A SUCCESSFUL GDM STRONG PROCESSES Strong processes are the backbone of a successful Global Delivery Model. There is a strong need for detailed, documented and time-tested processes for all the activities and interfaces. Strong quality and project management processes ensure delivery excellence. World class processes for knowledge management and sharing resources encourage improved learning among teams. Processes for managing talent ensure that the projects get the best and most motivated people. Strong processes for interaction and communication within team make it possible for globally distributed groups to interface and collaborate in an effective manner while delivering excellence on a continuous basis. On the other hand, processes, while strong, should leave ample space for creativity and flexibility. It is only then that the Global Delivery Model (GDM) can create far more value than the traditional sourcing models. Here is what it will translate into: Quicker, seamless transitions, and early project ownership Optimum onsite/ offshore mixes through intelligent allocation of the available resources High degree of predictability through processes, sharing and reuse A strong relationship approach to ensure continuity and business focus Sharing of best practices and tools across the enterprise Depth and quality of resources, continuously trained and retrained to suit project needs Adherence to SLA based pricing models to ensure good Return on Investment (ROI) and drive customer satisfaction PROCESS ARCHITECTURE Companies rely on processes to consistently deliver high quality solutions while executing a number of engagements from multiple locations. According to the policies adopted by a leading IT services provider: values, vision and policies should form the first level of the three-tiered process architecture. These are then implemented through process execution at the next level. These processes are defined with clear ownership and clearly defined roles and responsibilities. Quality System Documentation Quality System Documentation defines clearly all the processes that should be put into place. These documents provide the engineers and consultations with a vast repository of detailed procedures, templates, standards, guidelines and checklists. The comprehensiveness of these documents supports all tasks from higher-level information abstraction and definition to tasks such as coding and documentation. This is crucial to assure clients with the delivery of high quality and predictable IT solutions that meet their business needs. These documents should also be monitored and updated regularly. Knowledge Sharing Employees are given a forum like a website portal, to share knowledge gained from their experience at the organization. It is meant to be a central repository of the knowledge that can be tapped by peers and as sometimes external clients as well. The collection of documents on this portal is reviewed and classified into different areas: Software development life-cycle activities such as requirements specification, design, build and testing documentation. Software-related topics such as tools and quality documentation. Topics of general or operational interest such as travel or HR policies, etc. Process Assets This is a repository to facilitate sharing and giving out of engagement learning across the organization. The user has the facility to submit to the repository, retrieve from the repository and obtain information on the status of the repository. A process asset can be any information ranging from an engagement, which can be re-used by future engagements. Typically these include project plans, configuration management plans, requirements documents, standards, checklists, design documents, test plans, causal analysis reports and utilities used in the engagement, etc. Process Database The Process Database is a software engineering database to study the processes at the organization with respect to productivity and quality. More specifically, its purpose areas are as follows: To aid estimation of effort and project defects To get the productivity and quality data on different types of projects To aid in creating of a process capability baseline Process Capability Baseline (PCB) Process Capability baseline is used to specify, what the performance of the process is, i.e. what a project can expect when following the process. This estimation is done based on the past data. The performance factors of the process are Effect of Globalization on IT Service Providers in Europe Effect of Globalization on IT Service Providers in Europe Opportunities and challenges presented by Globalization: IT Service providers in Continental Europe EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Enterprises within Europe are increasingly trying to seek the advantages of global sourcing. Unlike enterprises in U.S. or U.K., continental European countries have historically been reluctant to engage with offshore providers. The reasons were far stretched, ranging from political sensitivity, labor laws, cultural compatibility and language requirements. Globalization, however, is creating new avenues that European companies can not ignore. A recent report by Gartner shows the potential IT Offshoring market to be in the range of about $ 200 to 240 Billion. The market is expected to register double digit growth for years to come. The current offshore spending by firms amounts to just $17 Billion worldwide. This clearly shows a big gap, a huge market potential which is yet to be exploited. The huge demand has also led to emergence and growth of several new players in the field of IT Outsourcing/ Offshoring services, this is leading to ever increasing competition in the marketplace. In order to cope up with this increased competition and to provide better services, these service providers are increasingly adopting Global delivery models. By selecting an advantageous and cost effective proportion of resources worldwide, Global Delivery Model boosts business performance while also lowering costs. It also helps the supplier deliver requirements that are met on-time, within budget, and with high quality; greater efficiency and responsiveness to their clients. In Europe, nearshore models still dominate the market. But these models are continuously being updated, with more and more providers setting up Offshore Development Centers in locations like India. A framework for building an optimal combination of onsite, nearshore, and offshore delivery capabilities is provided by Capgeminis Rightshore ® model. A recent Gartner report has suggested that, the current US economic slowdown is expected to lead buyers of IT services to consider increasing the percentage of their labor in offshore locations. India will remain the dominant location for IT offshore services for North American and European buyers as a result of its scale, quality of resources and strong presence of local and traditional service providers. INTRODUCTION: EUROPEAN IT MARKET The European market remains a highly complex and competitive market with a large number of providers. Mergers and acquisitions will continue but will be balanced by new market entrants Outsourcing adoption in Europe is increasing for both infrastructure and applications; the widespread lack of well defined sourcing strategies among buyers and the realities of ever-changing business requirements will generate frequent deal negotiations and renegotiations Global delivery and utility services are irreversible trends evolving at different speeds among various European countries. The European multi country, multi language/culture composition increases the evolutionary complexity of these trends Selective outsourcing with multiple providers will remain the preferred model of engagement for European buyers. Governance and end-to-end integration/management of different providers/solutions are the most challenging aspects of it ITO market maturity varies: UK is the most matured IT market in Europe. The other European markets are maturing at different speeds. An acceleration in ITO adoption is now apparent in countries such as France and Germany A focus on achieving service delivery excellence and the best value/quality balance is increasingly driving European organizations (especially those beyond the first generation deal) to consider selecting multiple providers for an outsourcing contract. For example, in the IT Telecom sector, the most common division is by service tower, with customers opting to choose different providers for their network, desktop, data center and application competencies. At the moment, however, providers tend to join forces in an opportunistic manner, as a response to customer demands. This is the cause behind the ever-changing composition of the providers teams; as a consequence, consolidating best practices to manage IT service spin offs between different providers in an effort to guarantee end-to-end service delivery excellence remains challenging. As the number of providers engaged is set to increase, this challenge is likely to intensify. It will also be driven by other market characteristics, which include a persistent tactical use of outsourcing by European customers, insufficient process maturity, and lack of clarity in the definition of roles and responsibilities. As we look at global delivery, it is fair to say that there are two major misconceptions that still exist among the European market: 1) Global delivery is often considered as a synonym of offshore, and 2) IT services delivered through global delivery capabilities are application services. In reality, in the past few years, the European market has witnessed a considerable expansion in terms of both geographical location options (in areas such as Eastern Europe or North Africa, for example) and portfolio of services offered (now including, for example, help desk and remote infrastructure management services). Global delivery and offshore, however, remain the key deal characteristics that need to be treated with extra care in many European geographies, and as a consequence, many deals remain confidential. Traditional providers investment will be directed toward enhancing existing capabilities (especially near shore in Eastern Europe) and ensuring process solidity. Offshore providers inv estment on the other side will be centered on creating front-end capabilities with a focus on specific country and vertical-oriented competencies. While these global delivery models mature and are refined/ optimized, customers satisfaction will remain a challenge. KEY TRENDS SHAPING IT OUTSOURCING MARKET IN EUROPE TRENDS CHARACTERISTICS Selective Outsourcing With Multiple Providers * Embraced by majority of European companies * Objectives: IT excellence and cost optimization * Integration and governance challenges Global Sourcing and Global Delivery Models * Near shore proximity key for European market * Expanding portfolio of outsourcing services * Key area of investment for providers and buyers IT Utility * Industrialization is accelerating * Convergence of IT utility and global delivery * Key drivers: flexibility, efficiency, optimized cost, speed Aggressive ESP Competitive Landscape * National, global and offshore ESPs converging * Mergers, acquisitions and divestitures to continue * Providers are implementing new business models * New offshore market entrants Application Outsourcing to Grow * Drivers: portfolio rationalization, legacy modernization * Global delivery will gain acceptance * Multitude of providers competing Source: Gartner The U.K., Netherlands, Sweden and Finland are examples of countries more attracted by the global delivery model. However, in the meantime, the impact of global competition has started to drive countries such as Germany and France to consider global delivery as a viable option to be considered strategically, rather than when all other options have been exhausted. Despite a slower gestation and the fact that a complete infrastructure utility (IU) offering has not yet been developed, the IU model is continuing to attract new offerings and/or new providers. In the meantime, European customers, attracted by the idea of being able to access IT services in a flexible way, remain cautious as they expect further clarity on issues such as unit definition, pricing mechanisms, integration to existing systems, and security portability In the near future, we expect that the IU for ERP platforms will remain the most common battleground for providers; other providers are expected to instead mask their IU offering behind a package that includes product and support services. The concept of software as a service (SaaS) or ready-to-use applications will continue to generate lot of interest. Expectations for a solid delivery and specific functionalities will drive providers to specialize their offerings. Finally, gains in terms of process efficiency will be seen as crucial to deliver enhanced competitiveness, flexibility, agility and cost optimization. GLOBAL TRENDS: IT OUTSOURCING and OFFSHORING MARKET IT Outsourcing market is showing an average growth of 9% p.a. IT Outsourcing Worldwide forecast (Million $) Source : Gartner Dataquest In terms of volume, North America continues to be the leader in IT outsourcing. Latin America and APAC have shown good growth Europe has fast emerged as a big IT outsourcer Global offshore spending is continuing to register double digit growth. Worldwide Offshore IT Services Spending by Importing Region (million $) Source: Gartner Dataquest, 2004 and Worldwide and U.S. Offshore IT Services 2006-2010 Forecast In terms of volume, the North America continues to be the leader in IT offshoring. Once averse to the idea of outsourcing, Europe is now steadily adopting an IT offshore model to boost the economy Global offshore spending is projected to increase to 29400 $ Million in 2010 The graph on the next page shows the potential market for various types of sourcing options. This clearly depicts that he IT and Business Process offshoring market has grown at a tremendous rate over the past 7 year and the market provides a huge potential which is yet to be exploited. IT and BPO market Source Gartner, Dataquest, Aberdeen Group, McKinsey, Evalueserve, Infosys, IDC and Nasscom strategic review 2008 Currently we are not even exploiting 10% of the potential market size ( IT services off shoring just at $17 Billion, whereas market potential is about $200-240 Billion *) According to a new research by Gartner, the market is likely to grow further after the financial slowdown, as firms will try aggressively to reduce costs and improve efficiency Different Sourcing Models In-sourcing / Shared Services: Sourcing from internal sources or from an affiliated firm in the home economy Onshore Outsourcing: Sourcing from a non-affiliated firm in the home economy Captive Offshoring: Sourcing from an affiliated firm located abroad Offshore Outsourcing: Sourcing from a non-affiliated firm located abroad REGIONAL DYNAMICS ACROSS EUROPE The following section will describe the regional ITO trends and local dynamics across different European locations. UK and IRELAND 2005: â‚ ¬17.2B 2010: â‚ ¬25.7B 2005-2010 CAGR: 8.3% ITO drivers: Improve IT quality for end users, speed/flexibility, access to technical skills, cost reduction Inhibitors: Loss of control, lack of trust, security/privacy, IP Key trends: †¢ Most mature market in Europe with wider number of mega deals (public sector) †¢ Deal sophistication, including government. Increasing interest in new pricing schemes, business enhancement and shared services †¢ More selective sourcing and global delivery †¢ Areas such as Scotland and Ireland feeling pressure of Indian and Eastern European operations †¢ Wide potential for application engagements to mature from project engagements into outsourcing based engagements Despite being the largest and most mature market in Europe, the U.K. remains also one of the fast-growing ones. Here organizations seem to have moved away from the equation of outsourcing = cost reduction. While cost remains a key component, other objectives seem more important, such as improving IT service delivery, gaining specific skills, especially for application outsourcing deals, and becoming a more flexible organization. (See Appendix F) Inhibitions remain related to a general lack of trust in the ability to join forces with the providers to manage security, control over IT operations and IP. The U.K. market is characterized by a large number of mega deals, especially in the public sector. These outsourcing deals often include initiatives that have classically been carried out through project engagements and now are increasingly being performed in the initial phases of an IT outsourcing or BPO deal. This change reflects the growing desire of customers for a tighter link between investment and results (for which the outsourcer is responsible during the duration of the contract) and the important shift in role for the internal IT department. Rather than focusing on assembling and managing all of the necessary skills and capabilities to meet a certain objective, IT organizations, in this scenario, are responsible for coordinating the objectives of the Business Unit and the internal and external providers engaged to support them. Often infrastructure outsourcing is at the core of these complex relationships. At the same time, the U.K. is also the largest market in terms of adoption of IT services delivered through a network of global delivery capabilities (which include nearshore and offshore locations). From this point of view, areas that used to be considered as low cost for outsourcing operations (Scotland and Ireland) continue to feel the pressure of Indian and Eastern European capabilities. Finally, organizations that have engaged for a long period of time in project-based application deals are planning to elevate them into more-strategic, long-term application management engagements. This will allow them to gain a longer-term commitment from the service provider and the relevant support to re-evaluate their application portfolio. NORDIC COUNTRIES 2005: â‚ ¬5.2B 2010: â‚ ¬7.6B 2005-2010 CAGR: 8.2% Drivers: Cost reduction, access to technical skills (especially in application outsourcing engagements), support in global operations, focus on core business Inhibitors: Loss of control, security/privacy, lack of trust Key trends: †¢ Nordic market generally mature. Many large deals are in second or third generation. Some likely to evolve toward multi sourcing †¢ Large corporations see global delivery as a viable option. SMBs see nearshore option more favorably †¢ Consolidation drives specialization by geography, vertical market or horizontal service †¢ Increased competition between regional and global ESPs †¢ Cultural affinity seen as crucial to guarantee deal success/longevity Each of the four country markets that compose the Nordic region has its own distinct characteristics and buying behaviors in IT services. However, if we look at the forecast growth between 2005 and 2010, we expect the region to grow at a similar speed (despite size differences) of about 8%. Denmark: Sometimes seen as the entry point for the global service providers to the Nordics. Expected growth is from â‚ ¬856 million in 2005 to â‚ ¬1.2 billion in 2010 (CAGR of 7.8%). Finland: Unique in the Nordic region as buyers focus much more on business value of an outsourcing deal rather than just cost. Expected growth is from â‚ ¬1 billion in 2005 to â‚ ¬1.45 billion in 2010 (CAGR of 7.5%) Norway: Remains the smallest outsourcing market in the region. Expected growth is from â‚ ¬1.2 billion in 2005 to â‚ ¬1.8 billion in 2010 (CAGR of 8.1%) Sweden: Largest market and very cost-competitive. Probably the Nordic country targeted most by offshore providers currently. Expected growth is from â‚ ¬2 billion in 2005 to â‚ ¬3.1 billion in 2010 (CGR of 8.7%) From a client perspective, the Nordic region market is generally mature, with many large corporations in second- or third-generation outsourcing deals. Global delivery is widely accepted as an option. Competition between regional providers and global providers is increasing; this was initiated by the inability of local providers to support the operations of key Nordic organizations around the globe. However, recent acquisitions and divestitures by both local and international providers prove that the market has still got room for further maturation and consolidation. NETHERLANDS 2005: â‚ ¬3.4B 2010:â‚ ¬5B 2005-2010 CAGR: 8% Drivers: Cost reduction above all, agility/flexibility, improving service to end users Inhibitors: Loss of IP and control, security/privacy, high cost Key trends: Market shows mixed signs of maturity (organizations accept global delivery) and immaturity (sourcing strategy is often neglected) Market split between large global corporations and wide portion of SMBs Increased competition for local/national champions Application under scrutiny for externalization The market in the Netherlands is one of the more modern IT outsourcing environments in Europe, closely following the U.K. in many trends. A focus on global delivery and the expansion of many deals into the application or business process layer points to more market maturity. This maturity is driven primarily by the relatively high proportion of large (and often multinational) enterprises headquartered in the Netherlands and competing in major markets such as financial services. But there are some contradictory characteristics that point to an immature market (cost cutting is by far the major driver, and sourcing strategy is often neglected); this, as a consequence, often inhibits the potential success of outsourcing initiatives. The market remains very challenging and competitive. This is due to the high presence of small and midsize businesses (SMBs), which traditionally tend to consider outsourcing as a threat more than an opportunity and require a higher level of customization, which tests the profitability model of service providers. Competition remains strong for national champions as global and offshore providers continue to target opportunities in the country. Increasingly, application outsourcing opportunities are emerging as organizations look at portfolio rationalization, legacy system transformation, and custom application software development initiatives and accessing application utility solutions. FRANCE 2005: â‚ ¬6.6B 2010: â‚ ¬10B CAGR: 8.4 % Drivers: Cost reduction, refocus internal IT, speed/flexibility Inhibitors: Loss of control, lack of trust, security/privacy Key trends: Beyond its reliance on staff augmentation, Frances outsourcing market shows opportunities in all facets of outsourcing: infrastructure, applications and BPO Selective outsourcing has gained acceptance, and organizations show cautious interest in global service delivery National champions remain under competitive pressure from the global and multinational providers France has long been considered behind in the outsourcing trend. Now, however, the French outsourcing market is consolidating and growing, while the long-standing reliance on staff augmentation is losing strength. The major driver that will support a CAGR of over 8% between 2005 and 2010 is the need for French organizations to reduce cost and enhance their level of competitiveness in the market by refocusing their internal IT skills on more-strategic tasks while gaining flexibility. On the other side, it is interesting to see that challenges related to HR management have lost strength, compared with the traditional fears related to loss of control and security and lack of trust. Large organizations have recently moved toward the adoption of selective outsourcing with multiple providers. This model has gained acceptance as organizations look at maximizing the balance between cost and service delivery excellence. There is also a new focus on application outsourcing. This trend is important not only because it signals an acceleration in the growth of outsourcing in France overall, but because it signals a major change in the way French organizations use different kinds of IT services. Increase in application outsourcing deals also touches on one of the major taboos of IT services in France: offshore outsourcing. As such, although offshore remains a word to be used with extra care in the French market, many organizations would consider that access to global delivery models is an appealing part of outsourcing, especially when delivered by traditional players. In this case, North Africa (Morocco, for example) is emerging as a viable near shore location. National champions, the providers that focus on a specific region or country, remain under competitive pressure from the global and multinational providers. GERMANY 2005: â‚ ¬10.6B 2010: â‚ ¬16B 2005-2010 CAGR: 8.6% Drivers: Cost reduction above all, focus on core business, refocus internal IT Inhibitors: Security/privacy, lack of trust, loss of control Key trends: Global economic pressures have forced many organizations to look at outsourcing as a viable option In the short term, objectives such as flexibility and agility are secondary Pressure to divest internal IT departments or internal shared service organizations remains strong Global delivery gaining ground especially toward Eastern Europe Intensifying competition between strong German players and global ones Legacy system modernization will remain a key objective The German market is â€Å"federated† in several ways: government responsibilities, industrial centers, buying centers within enterprises, and management structures in place. All of this makes doing business in Germany (and negotiating significant IT service deals) unique. Decision processes tend to be longer, require more consensus building and often entail more travel than in other parts of Europe. For a long time, the majority of German organizations have considered IT operations as a key component to maintain or enhance their level of competitiveness in the market. This has, as a consequence, slowed the outsourcing growth. In the past two years, however, economic pressures have forced many organizations to look at outsourcing tactically to cut cost. While in the short term, achieving flexibility is a secondary objective, organizations look at outsourcing as a way to refocus their internal capabilities while focusing on their core business. The traditional inhibitors around security, trust and loss of control apply. While non-German external service providers (ESPs) still find it difficult to position themselves in Germany (exceptions are IBM Germany, which established itself early on as a â€Å"German† ESP, and HP, based on its early SAP hosting business and penetration as a technology provider), German providers maintain strong domestic positions and are starting to focus on expanding their international presence (through T-Systems). In the short term, German organizations will still consider selling their own IT capabilities, while global providers will see these as viable targets to build capabilities as long as they provide financial support through a long-term outsourcing deal. Finally, beyond potential healthy growth for ERP application outsourcing initiatives (especially SAP), as many organizations look at legacy system modernization, it is likely that many projects will evolve and deploy model to include the long-term management of applications. EASTERN EUROPE 2005: â‚ ¬1.1B 2010: â‚ ¬1.6B 2005-2010 CAGR: 7.9% Drivers: Acquisitions made by large Western European organizations, increased competition, need to revamp obsolete IT environments (leap-frog) Inhibitors: Low expertise to manage OS deals, high cost of OS, loss of control Key trends: Slow internal consumption of outsourcing Key nearshore delivery hub for providers supporting operations of European organizations Local Eastern European service providers will remain target for acquisitions Long-term growth will be supported by increasing competition, acquisitions made by Western companies and the penetration of Western ESPs in the region The region has become a strong global delivery hub Recent admission to the European Union has transformed countries such as Poland, Romania and the Czech Republic into attractive locations to establish global delivery capabilities designed to deliver IT services to European or global customers. Eastern Europe has been identified as an ideal region to establish a service delivery hub by U.S.-based providers (IBM, Accenture and EDS), European ones (Atos Origin, Capgemini, T-Systems, SIS and ST) and offshore ones (Ness, TCS, Satyam, Infosys and Wipro). When necessary, providers are openly seeking acquisitions to gain scale; it is the case for SIS, which acquired ELAS, HT Computers in Slovakia, and Ibis-Sys in Serbia (February 2005). Others, like Austrian-based ST, are pursuing a strategy of becoming the provider of choice in Eastern Europe through a combination of organic development and local acquisitions. ST acquired Computacenter Austria to strengthen its product resale capabilities. Although internal consumption of outsourcing has been slow, it is expected to grow rapidly, thanks to increasing competition driven by the fact that private-sector companies and public-sector organizations are now focusing on bringing their systems into line with market standards. This is leading to some â€Å"leapfrogging† effects — the IT utility approach, for example, holds significant appeal without posing the same transition challenges as elsewhere — but because these markets are fairly immature, there is still a strong focus on products and product support services rather than more-sophisticated IT service engagements. Italy and Spain are two other major countries with an expected ITO market size of about 5 Billion $ each by the year 2010. GLOBAL DELIVERY MODEL GDM is a unique approach to outsourcing and off shoring, which offers the best of both worlds by blending onsite, onshore and offshore resources and locations. By using a far-reaching network of onsite, onshore, and offshore resources, GDM aims to cuts across geographies to access the right resources, in the right place, at the right cost. By selecting the most advantageous and cost effective proportion of resources worldwide, Global Delivery Model boosts business performance while also lowering costs. It also helps the supplier deliver requirements that are met on-time, within budget, and with high quality; greater efficiency and responsiveness to their clients. In this section we would discuss in detail, the key drivers to a successful GDM. Source: Capgemini, 2008 KEY DRIVERS OF A SUCCESSFUL GDM STRONG PROCESSES Strong processes are the backbone of a successful Global Delivery Model. There is a strong need for detailed, documented and time-tested processes for all the activities and interfaces. Strong quality and project management processes ensure delivery excellence. World class processes for knowledge management and sharing resources encourage improved learning among teams. Processes for managing talent ensure that the projects get the best and most motivated people. Strong processes for interaction and communication within team make it possible for globally distributed groups to interface and collaborate in an effective manner while delivering excellence on a continuous basis. On the other hand, processes, while strong, should leave ample space for creativity and flexibility. It is only then that the Global Delivery Model (GDM) can create far more value than the traditional sourcing models. Here is what it will translate into: Quicker, seamless transitions, and early project ownership Optimum onsite/ offshore mixes through intelligent allocation of the available resources High degree of predictability through processes, sharing and reuse A strong relationship approach to ensure continuity and business focus Sharing of best practices and tools across the enterprise Depth and quality of resources, continuously trained and retrained to suit project needs Adherence to SLA based pricing models to ensure good Return on Investment (ROI) and drive customer satisfaction PROCESS ARCHITECTURE Companies rely on processes to consistently deliver high quality solutions while executing a number of engagements from multiple locations. According to the policies adopted by a leading IT services provider: values, vision and policies should form the first level of the three-tiered process architecture. These are then implemented through process execution at the next level. These processes are defined with clear ownership and clearly defined roles and responsibilities. Quality System Documentation Quality System Documentation defines clearly all the processes that should be put into place. These documents provide the engineers and consultations with a vast repository of detailed procedures, templates, standards, guidelines and checklists. The comprehensiveness of these documents supports all tasks from higher-level information abstraction and definition to tasks such as coding and documentation. This is crucial to assure clients with the delivery of high quality and predictable IT solutions that meet their business needs. These documents should also be monitored and updated regularly. Knowledge Sharing Employees are given a forum like a website portal, to share knowledge gained from their experience at the organization. It is meant to be a central repository of the knowledge that can be tapped by peers and as sometimes external clients as well. The collection of documents on this portal is reviewed and classified into different areas: Software development life-cycle activities such as requirements specification, design, build and testing documentation. Software-related topics such as tools and quality documentation. Topics of general or operational interest such as travel or HR policies, etc. Process Assets This is a repository to facilitate sharing and giving out of engagement learning across the organization. The user has the facility to submit to the repository, retrieve from the repository and obtain information on the status of the repository. A process asset can be any information ranging from an engagement, which can be re-used by future engagements. Typically these include project plans, configuration management plans, requirements documents, standards, checklists, design documents, test plans, causal analysis reports and utilities used in the engagement, etc. Process Database The Process Database is a software engineering database to study the processes at the organization with respect to productivity and quality. More specifically, its purpose areas are as follows: To aid estimation of effort and project defects To get the productivity and quality data on different types of projects To aid in creating of a process capability baseline Process Capability Baseline (PCB) Process Capability baseline is used to specify, what the performance of the process is, i.e. what a project can expect when following the process. This estimation is done based on the past data. The performance factors of the process are