Urban Regeneration Essay Example for Free

Urban Regeneration Essay The nature of urban policy in United Kingdom (or at least in England) in recent years seems to have set the agenda for the commentative literature to an unexpected degree. Writers on the subject (mainly urban specialists or geographers) appear to have become preoccupied with the same presentational and promotional matters to which the government devotes so much of its energies. Certainly, there is no want of critical discussion of competition as an allocative mechanism, but what is striking is the volume of wordage devoted to partnerships, synergy, community empowerment, sustainability, exit strategies and the like, with precious little reference to how they are to connect with the problems of poverty, unemployment, the never-to-be employed, the demoralisation of long-term or possibly permanent dependency, the intractability of the dependency ratio, the enormous social and economic divisions opening up between minority ethnic groups and between some of them and the white majority, the exclusion (both forced and voluntary) of some groups (definable on a number of dimensions) from civil society and effective citizenship and the denial of social rights that this entails. All these manifestations have spatial dimensions; all of them ought to be the subject of urban policy as well as social policy. And yet the urban policy literature is devoted (metaphorically speaking) to the synergistic qualities of multi-participant partnerships. (There are of course notable exceptions, but the literature that treats urban policy as social policy is very small; Dily Hills most recent work (1994) is one example. ) Any attempt to make sense of the direction that inner-city policy has taken in recent years and of the way the commentative literature has added its gloss, must therefore pay regard to the apparent gap between policy form and strategy on the one hand, and the substance of what needs to be done on the other. Does the seeming preoccupation with form in fact reflect, contrary to appearance, a considered interest in strategies and structures that are genuinely and strictly problems-directed? Is the gap between problems and policies, in other words, more apparent than real? The following paragraphs therefore will consider a number of key components (both organisational and conceptual) of urban policy in England to see how close they bring us to making at least some potential impact on those aspects of urban life that we consider undesirable (if not unacceptable). Community Empowerment There is a clutch of related concepts, each of which is difficult to discuss in isolation from the others. Besides community empowerment there are sustainability, capacity building and exit strategies These last three are more closely related to each other, however, and community empowerment has been around for much longeralthough under a number of different guises. For ease of discussion therefore we shall deal with community empowerment first. More rhetorical fluff attaches to community than to most other words in the social science lexicon (with the possible exception of empowerment). We still seem to have a romantic conception of community; all unitary values and communitarianism. It is far more likely that the first thing a family living on a ghastly peripheral estate would do were it to be empowered (like winning a million on the lottery orbetter stillfinding a permanent job) would be to get out. Does community empowerment really connect with peoples everyday lives? How do they feel when they have been empowered (or not)? Davoudi and Healey, commenting on the manner in which local issues had been discussed with residents in a City Challenge project, observe that Community participants often remarked on their sense of discursive marginalisation' (Davoudi and Healey, 1995, p. 173). Just picture it. There are so many possible interpretations of community empowerment that it would be pointless to enumerate them. Its rhetoric derives from the earlier rhetoric of powerlessness as being possibly the main functional disadvantage from which some of the urban deprived suffer (Cockburn, 1977; Sills et al. , 1988). However, since there was never any clear analysis of in relation to whom and in respect of what they were powerless, what is required of any subsequent process of empowerment remains unclear. Some of the uncertainties concerning empowerment in relation to the current debate about urban policy would include the following. What sort of communities are we mainly concerned with? Much of the literature, and most of the practice, assumes that it is spatial communities that need to be empowered and this must in part be driven by the fact that practically all regeneration policy requires the specification of a locus in which resources will be used. A number of consequential questions then arise. First is the point noted above about whether empowerment (whatever it means) would override commitment to the spatial community. Is it not more likely that given more power, and hence presumably more choice, people would exercise it by moving out? Secondly, it is at least debatable that peoples community attachments and allegiances are increasingly with interest rather than with spatial communities. The ties that bind for many religious, ethnic and racial groups are only incidentally spatial (proportional to the extent of their residential segregation). Thirdly, the argument for community empowerment, to the extent that it assumes . the acquisition of more power, influence or choice (or any combination of these) by the community vis-a-vis other agents and agencies outside the community, necessarily entails the existence of a community interest or value that is to be promoted in the face of external agencies. Now whilst there will be some interests around which all or most of the communitys members may unite, there will be many other interests over which members will be in opposition. The idea that a spatial community can be empowered in any significant way assumes the existence of a unitary set of values and interests. That simply is not plausible. Even in socially and ethnically homogeneous council estates, it would be naive to assume that everyones interests were common and it certainly would not be plausible in an ethnically and racially mixed area. In such a case, the empowerment of some may be at the expense of the influence of others. It follows thenand this is our fourth pointthat in heterogeneous communities or groupings, either someone has to exercise a bit of paternalistic influence over who gets empowered (with any luck, not self-styled community leaders) or you allow a hands-off, free market in internal power struggles and let the weakest go to the wall (again).

Marketing Plan for Tylenol

Marketing Plan for Tylenol Tylenol is a North American subsidiary brand of drugs under the parent company Johnson Johnson. Tylenol is advertised to help relieve pain, reduce fever, and relieve symptoms of cold, flu, sinus, arthritis, and allergies. It has become a trusted brand that parents turn to, to help relieve common ailments their children may suffer from. As a result, Johnson Johnson has gained immense respect from consumers everywhere due to the reliability and safety of their products. However, due to a series of ongoing recalls in the past couple of years, Tylenol has been suffering tremendously. Within the past year over five Tylenol product lines have been recalled: the cold liquid products, 8-hour caplets, extra strength Tylenol, Tylenol PM products, Childrens Tylenol, Childrens Meltaway Tylenol, and Infants Tylenol. There have been many more recalls by Johnson Johnson for their other brands-such as Benadryl and Mylanta-but so far, Tylenol has had to recall these aforementioned products, and they have stated there are more recalls yet to come. The loss of sales and more importantly, the loss of customer confidence in Tylenol is a serious cause of concern. Due to the enormity of the recalls, regaining goodwill seems difficult without creative marketing. Also, this is not like the 1982 recalls, where numerous deaths were caused by an unknown assailant who injected cyanide in the Tylenol bottles. Johnson Johnson was fortunately able to recover 92% of lost sales through the revolutionary creation of tamper proof bottles. And this helped them expand with 250 operating companies in 60 countries with annual revenues near $62.5 billion. By May 2010, however, Tylenol was forced to issue numerous recalls for their Arthritis Relief caplets and Childrens Tylenol products. The FDA confirmed the moldy odor coming from the bottles was due to a bacteria that was known to be resistant to common antibiotics. The high-quality, reliable family product has now been tainted due to a lack of quality control in various manufacturing plants. And the FDA investigations have only brought more attention to the internal quality errors. Since Johnson Johnson is losing millions of dollars each month due to lost sales and factory updates, it is imperative for Johnson Johnson to improve its brand image and regain consumer confidence. Through intense ad campaigning Tylenol can educate consumers about the quality improvements and portray Tylenols actions as highly responsible. Also, all internal quality control measures can be indicated on the bottles of all Tylenol products. Consumers have an increasing need to know where their medicines come from and Tylenol can provide that information and sense of security to their consumers. By providing a serial number on all products, Tylenol can allow consumers to go online and see where their products are made. Consumers can take part in the quality control aspect by providing pivotal information regarding the performance in each of their factories. This system will allow Tylenol to understand how well each factory performs and what, if any, changes need to be made. Although internal quality control changes need to be made within the company, Tylenol must simultaneously work on improving its brand image among consumers. By building strong consumer confidence, Tylenol can recover the sales it lost as a result of these recalls. 2.0 Situation Analysis McNeil Consumer Healthcare-the consumer drug division of Johnson Johnson and makers of Tylenol-has been caught up in a series of product recalls since late 2009. For a company that has been known for above average quality, this is a major setback to the companys image as their quality control and internal practices have been called into question by federal regulators as well as consumers and industry analysts. In an effort to counteract this issue, William C. Weldon, CEO, has made several public statements and appearances to quell consumers fears and describe the steps being taken to correct this issue. 2.1 Market Summary The McNeil line of consumer healthcare products are utilized by people of all ages from infants to senior citizens and includes various well known, over the counter names including Tylenol, Rolaids, Benadryl, and Motrin. Each is a top brand in its field and has had a nearly flawless quality record. The company allows its divisions a large degree of autonomy, which protects the others from being affected by any adverse situations within their sister companies. The current issue of quality concerns and recalls started with a 2009 incident concerning Motrin ibuprofen. McNeil held a phantom recall when they noticed the product had slightly defective dissolving properties and was bought back from stores by hired private companies. In this situation, no formal recall notice was distributed and the buy backs were handled quietly without bringing attention to the issue. It was stated by Johnson Johnson that there was no safety risk, which is why they handled the situation in this matter. In 2010 however, Johnson Johnson began to receive complaints that a musty, moldy smell was emanating from bottles of its over the counter medications which was making consumers sick with symptoms that included nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach pain. Furthermore, the company found that several of their pediatric medicines contained too much of an active ingredient or foreign material. This led to a voluntary recall of 136 million bottles. Due to this decrease in product quality, Colleen Goggins, the senior executive in charge of the McNeil line, tendered her resignation from Johnson Johnson in an effort to provide consumers with a visible solution to their woes about Johnson Johnsons quality control. In addition, a production facility in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania and another in Puerto Rico have been closed down due to poor quality standards and are currently being updated to meet FDA standards. 2.2 SWOT Analysis Strengths For decades, Johnson Johnson was the leader in quality control. Their products and customer service had always been top notch and consumers have always trusted them. In light of the McNeil recalls, Johnson Johnson can recognize the following as positives in their business: Customer Service To handle the influx of customer questions and concerns regarding recent recalls, Johnson Johnson has set up a comprehensive section on their website dedicated to explaining the details behind each recall as well providing a FAQ list, dedicated phone lines, and email addresses. Review of Manufacturing Operations Johnson Johnson is publicly admitting to performing an internal shake-up of their manufacturing operations to ensure that all production facilities maintain the quality standards they have been known for in years past. In addition, quality control has been moved from individual centers to a centralized office. This will help build conformity among all of their products by upholding a specific product standard. CEO William C. Weldon His public admission of internal error and promise to restructure the company to fix their quality issues indicates that he understands the public concern and loss of good will that will result from this. He admitted to letting his customers down and resolved to make sure Johnson Johnson does not face poor quality issues again in the future. Company History  ­Ã‚ ­- Johnson Johnsons handling of the 1982 cyanide crisis is still considered the ideal way to deal with a disaster. The media, industry analysts and consumers alike all lauded the company for its speed, efficiency and honesty for the recall and their high involvement in the criminal investigation. Johnson Johnsons comeback was made possible due to regaining consumer trust during the crisis. This history can serve as a support for Tylenols current crises and provide a platform for them to make another comeback. Weaknesses Several actions as well as the sudden decline in quality are a huge blow to the image of Johnson Johnson. These areas include: Slow Reaction time to Consumer Complaints FDA documents have shown that when the initial reports of moldy odors came to Johnson Johnson, no action was taken to rectify the problem. This indicates a lack of acknowledgement of a potentially serious issue and not grasping the gravity of the situation. Violation of Manufacturing Standards FDA inspectors have found that since 2001, several manufacturing issues have come into play including drug mix-ups, lack of training, incomplete investigations of complaints, and failure to determine the cause and solution to problems. Unsavory Recall Practices In their attempt to confront the quality issue with Motrin in 2009, Johnson Johnson simply sent a hired group to buy back available products in all retail establishments rather than conduct a formal recall. This has come under contention from the FDA as an unsound practice since it did not properly notify individuals of a potential issue. This completely counteracts Johnson Johnsons highly responsible and reliable brand image and makes consumers feel they will continue to hide important information from its consumers. Johnson Johnson has since admitted to making a poor decision in this situation. Resignation of Colleen Goggins With the tendering of Goggins resignation from the company, Johnson Johnson will be losing the long term institutional knowledge she possesses. Having been with the company since the 1980s, Goggins has overseen and controlled several strong product groups that will now be subject to new leadership and potentially a new method of management. This can cause problems down the road if the new division head isnt as strong as Goggins and could lead to excessive turnover in that position if they cannot do the job as well as Goggins had to this point. Opportunities Although currently under fire from the FDA, business analysts and consumers, Johnson Johnson can identify several areas in which they can regain their image of quality: Analysis of Facilities and Stability Testing As Johnson Johnson overhauls its quality process and revamps its manufacturing practices, they can once again position themselves as an industry leader in quality who cares for consumer well-being. If they publicize their actions to right these wrongs, their consumer base will see that their dedication to quality remains resolute. Customer Service Portals By creating a comprehensive website dedicated to recall information and quality concerns, Johnson Johnson shows that even after a misstep, they still recognize the importance of customer needs. By quickly reestablishing their presence on retail shelves with new batches of recalled medicines, Johnson Johnson shows their dedication to providing customers with the medicine they need to maintain their health. Creation of New Bottles Johnson Johnsons creation of the tamper- resistant bottles became an industry standard after the 1982 crisis. Sales were able to bounce back as more consumers started to trust Tylenol again, and Tylenol gained a competitive advantage through this innovation. By creating new bottles with the Q.C. Passed label and the plant serial number on them, Tylenol can do gain that product differentiation it needs from its competitors and generic brands alike. Threats Recalls and FDA investigation will seriously impact Johnson Johnsons image. In addition, their structure and quality control have become an area that has suddenly turned sour. Loss of Goodwill ­ Since Johnson Johnson had been a quality leader for so long; recalls of their medication will lead to a loss of consumer trust in their products. As a result, they will lose profits on these products as customers may turn to generic brands, which cost less and provide the same benefits as the name brand. Also, customers will be hesitant to go back to a product that they feel they can no longer trust. Representative Darrell Issa As a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, he is an outspoken critic of the FDA and Johnson Johnsons recent actions and promises to watch this issue closely to ensure both groups correct and maintain higher standards in their practices. This can result in harsher terms against Johnson Johnson if their quality does not improve as Issa may push for the FDA to enforce stricter penalties. Competitors and Bad Publicity Competitor brands such as Advil are now exploiting Tylenols current quality issues through their ad campaigns and many loyal Tylenol users are turning to other brands. Advils recent ad campaigns urge customers to trash the recalled products and try Advil free of charge. The ads are directly aimed at converting Tylenol users to Advil. Triaminic-which competes with Childrens Tylenol-is also offering their Fever Reducer Pain Relief medicine for free as part of its launch of their new line extension. This negative campaigning will surely deter Tylenols ability to maintain consumer loyalty, and will hinder further progress if consumers start preferring competitor brands over Tylenol. 2.3 Competition With many of their products no longer being protected by government patents, Johnson Johnson faces increased competition from generic producers. Charging lower prices and providing the same benefits as name brand medicines, if customers of Johnson Johnson brands no longer trust them, theyre likely to go to an option that they can trust. In addition, other established brands like Pfizer or Bayer could take this as an opportunity to create, release, or push their competitive products which would be seen in a more favorable light if their quality is regarded to be higher than Johnson Johnsons current standards. 2.4 Product Offering Distribution As mentioned in the Market Summary, Johnson Johnsons over the counter medicines include Tylenol, Motrin, Benadryl, and Rolaids. Their other branches include consumer products in the Baby Care, Skin and Hair Care, Wound Care, Oral Health, Womens Health, Nutritionals and Vision Care. Since they own nearly 250 companies with so many other various products including medical devices, and prescription products, any impact from the McNeil group of products will have a small impact on their overall revenue. Due to this, Johnson Johnson as a whole enjoys wide spread distribution across the United States and the world. However, since the recalls affect so many of their products, Tylenol needs to introduce a new innovation that can help with their product differentiation. Since the current problems lie in the quality control of their products, Tylenol can offer bottles with the Q.C. Passed stamp on it with a serial number indicating which manufacturing plant the bottle came from. This will provide consumers with the information they desire and it will separate Tylenol from all other brands, because they will do something highly innovative. This will also help Tylenols brand image as a responsible and honest company, and can potentially win back lost sales and consumer loyalty. 3.0 Marketing Strategy 3.1 Objectives The first and most crucial step needs to be a complete overhaul of the quality control process within the entire company. Fortunately, Johnson Johnson is already working on updating each of its factories and these internal changes will continue until every factory meets FDA standards. However, as that continues Johnson Johnson needs to take this opportunity to build confidence in the market. By creating a new system that will help consumers track their medicines, Johnson Johnson can aim to recover 70% of lost sales within the next fiscal year. And in order for Johnson Johnson to stimulate these sales, they need to do an intense ad campaign showing that they are taking full responsibility for their actions. By targeting these ads to mothers and reconnecting to their family-oriented consumers, Tylenol can see an upswing in sales. However, it is imperative that the changes in the packaging be done in conjunction with the marketing campaign to ensure a quick recovery. 3.2 Target Market Tylenol is a product that is used by everyone and is available everywhere, so its marketing campaign has to address each of these market segments. This marketing plan focuses on three segments that were affected the most by the recalls: Families with Children: Tylenol has an entire line of products geared towards treating colds and flu symptoms specifically for children. Even though the children are the users of this product, the consumer purchasing decision lies solely in the hands of the parents or guardians in that household. Parents are generally willing to spend extra for their childs well-being, so they are not swayed by small increases in price if they find the brand reliable. However, parents will also stop purchasing a product immediately if they see it as being unreliable, unsafe or in any way hazardous to their child. Working Class: The working class is the biggest consumer of Tylenols Rapid Release pills because these consumers need fast pain relief caused by daily stresses at their jobs. Since this market segment consists of hard working, middle-class members, their purchase decisions are based more on pricing. The Elderly: Tylenols arthritis medicines are aimed to help relieve pain symptoms felt by the elderly. They are generally late adopters and once they find a dependable product are highly likely to stay loyal to it. Although these recalls may not affect sales for the arthritis medications too much, it is important to portray Johnson Johnsons sense of responsibility so any new products can be easily adopted by them. 3.3 Positioning Tylenol can position itself as a responsible company that has to perform these recalls in order to protect its consumers. This positioning can be achieved by enforcing its history as a reliable company and its constant passion to help its customers. Tylenol can use its past experience with the 1982 cyanide case to remind consumers that they replied effectively to the disaster then, and are simply doing the same thing now. Even though Tylenols quality control issues are in question, it can still position itself as a company that is honest and willing to take the actions necessary to fix any internal issues it may face. 3.4 Marketing Strategies The main marketing objective is to remind consumers of Tylenols responsibility and honesty. So, the marketing strategy will focus on raising consumer awareness of the recalls and use it as an opportunity to re-penetrate the shrinking consumer market. The message Tylenol will convey is that its recalls were necessary to protect and safeguard the public from any potential hazards. By stressing the fact that the recalls are just a precaution-and no deaths or illnesses were linked to the use of these products-Tylenol can garner more consumer support. Primarily this message will be conveyed through intense ad campaigns, in magazines, newspapers, billboards, and on the Internet. It will also be the means through which the public will be alerted of when the recalled products will be back on the shelves, and it will also provide Tylenol with a way to inform the public about the new Q.C. Passed stamp on it. However, Tylenol needs to first stabilize the recall issues so they can regain consumer confidence. Once there is more stability within the company, Tylenol can start telling the public about the new bottles in order to recover lost sales. Since the Tylenol brand is ubiquitous, it is important for the ad campaigns to be seen by consumers everywhere. The use of the Internet will be especially helpful because the costs associated with it will be relatively cheap. Print media, although costly, will allow the advertisements to be read everywhere, from homes to doctor offices to grocery stores. Along with these ads, Tylenol will employ its website to inform the public of its recalls-which it already does-and it will also create a forum for customer feedback. This is another cost-effective method for Tylenol to talk honestly about the recalls and prove their responsibility. Plus, this can generate future ideas the company can use to satisfy its loyal customers. 3.5 Marketing Mix The marketing mix for Johnson Johnson will mainly consist of the relaunch of recalled products, pricing and intense advertising. The distribution portion of the marketing mix will remain the same because Johnson Johnson has a strong network of distributors and stores to reach the target markets. Products: The main change that needs to be made for the Tylenol products is the quality of them. Johnson Johnson is focusing on the quality control systems at each of its plants already, and as the products are reintroduced to the public, their quality needs to be tested thoroughly to confirm there will not be any issues again. The Q.C. Passed stamps also need to be added to the new bottles to show the public that each bottle stands up to the high quality standards set by Johnson Johnson. Pricing: The prices of each product will remain the same but as Johnson Johnson is doing already, it has to continue providing coupons for its customers. However, the main issue with these coupons is that they are available online, which is not the most practical way to distribute coupons because most people do not remember to print these coupons when they are using the Internet. Also, this is extremely problematic for the older consumers who use Tylenol Arthritis Pain Relief because they are not active Internet users. So, it is important to provide coupons in stores so consumers can use them right away. Advertising: The advertising campaigns will focus on the target markets and will remind the consumers of Johnson Johnsons responsibility. They will work to provide consumers with the peace of mind that Johnson Johnson is doing everything in its power to fix these problems. The ads are directed towards, mothers, the elderly and the working class. It is imperative to advertise anywhere and everywhere possible so Tylenol can have more control over how the recalls are portrayed in the eyes of the consumer. 3.6 Marketing Research The website will provide a way for Tylenol to have a dialogue with its consumers, so new ideas can be suggested by the users of the products. This will also provide a way for Tylenol to better communicate with its consumers and alert them of any changes in their products. Also, by providing the serial number on the bottles, Tylenol will be better able to track any issues in the quality processes based on which plant any complaints are linked to. This will shorten the time it takes Tylenol to make changes because they will be able to pinpoint issues much sooner. Lastly, it is very important to understand the full effect of these recalls in the minds of the consumers. With each of the bottles of medicine Tylenol sells, it can provide a questionnaire for the customer to fill out and send back to Johnson Johnson for a 50% coupon. Even though the coupon provides a huge discount, the information the questionnaires will provide, will estimate how much damage control Tylenol really needs to do for its brand equity. 4.0 Financials Johnson Johnsons recall of several McNeil Healthcare products will have several negative financial impacts on the companys bottom line. The most direct impact is loss of income from lost sales of recalled products. With these products being off store shelves for various periods of time, consumers will not be able to buy these products and the company will lose money. Furthermore, future sales will be lost when customers turn to competitor products and decide not to go back to Johnson Johnson products because of loss of goodwill resulting from the recalls. The estimated loss is expected to be close to $200 million. Additionally, the company will lose sales from decreased production as a result of plant closings to reevaluate quality controls in an effort to deter this situation from happening again in the future. This loss is expected to amount to almost $600 million over the course of a year. Other yet unrealized losses will come from the reconfiguring and reconstruction of the plants, retraining employees to new systems and controls, and advertising dollars that will be needed to assure the public that Johnson Johnson products are safe again and still maintain quality standard they have. 5.0 Controls In order for Johnson Johnson to regain their status in the market, they will need to ensure that they do not have a quality mishap like this again. Several steps have already been taken to rectify the situation including closing two plants found to have severe issues, creating a dedicated website to inform customers of their rights and to provide general information under the recall, and exiting Collen Goggins from her position of overseeing McNeil health products. These actions show customers and the general public that Johnson Johnson is taking responsibility for their actions and doing what they can in the short run to make an immediate fix. CEO William Weldons numerous public statements about the companys dedication to quality and admission of making a mistake, should assist with gaining back some customer good will. 5.1 Implementation With all that is being done, Johnson Johnson needs to put other controls in place to guarantee increased quality among their line of products. First of all they need to innovate a new method for quality control. This can be something like indicating which plant products are produced to clarify where mistakes are being made if something were to go wrong again. This would also show customers that Johnson Johnson has a company-wide quality standard that each plant must follow. This will also make each plant function better because the tracking system will hold specific plants solely responsible for any problems in the future. Another factor in retaining or winning back customers will be strong marketing. The company needs to push their new quality regiment with a full press marketing plan. This should include print, TV, radio, internet, and billboard advertising. This campaign should show how Johnson Johnson values the health and well being of their customers and should also include an apology letting the public know how sorry they are for the inconvenience caused by not maintaining the quality they have been known for. By implementing these controls, Johnson Johnson should be able to regain potential lost customers and perhaps some new ones by showing their recommitment to quality after this mishap. After being a quality leader for years, the company needs to do whatever it takes to repeat history and make yet another comeback, or risk being defeated by its own negligence.

Understanding The Chemistry Of Nickel

Understanding The Chemistry Of Nickel Nickel is silvery white [1] and lustrous metal. It is the 7th most abundant transition metal and 24th most abundant element in the crust of earth. It has an atomic number of 28, atomic mass of 58.71 gmol-1 and atomic volume of 6.59 cm3mol-1 [2]. It belongs to group 10 (8B) and 4th period of modern periodic table. Nickel has electronic configuration [Ar] 4s2 3d8 [3]. It has property of malleability and ductility. 300 kilometers long wire can be drawn from a single kilogram of nickel. It has high electrical and thermal conductivities of 0.146 x 106 Scm-1 and 90.9 Wm-1K-1. It is hard, odorless and corrosion resistant metal that takes a high polish. Nickel crystallizes with face centered cubic structure. The unit cell has lattice parameter of 0.352 nm with atomic radius of 0.124 nm. Nickel is naturally occuring ferro magnetic and magnetostrictive material [4] at or near room temperature. Its curie temperature is 355  °C [5]. Nickel is mined from two types of ore deposits. These include laterites and sulphides. Laterites are silicate or oxide ores. It occurs most usually in combination with sulfur and iron in pentlandite (NiS.2FeS) which contains 1.5% nickel, with sulfur in millerite (NiS), with arsenic in mineral nickeline (NiAs) as a red nickel ore, containing 43.9% nickel and 56.1% arsenic, and with arsenic and sulfur in nickel glance [6]. 1.2 Chemical Properties of Nickel Nickel is relatively unreactive element. Under ambient conditions, it does not react with water, oxygen or dissolve in most acids. 1.2.1 Standard Reduction Potentials In aqueous solution, the standard reduction potentials for various oxidation states of nickel are shown in Scheme 1.1 [7, 8]. Scheme 1.1 Standard Electrode Potentials of Various Nickel Species 1.2.2 Reaction of Nickel with Halogens Nickel dichloride, NiCl2, nickel dibromide, NiBr2, and nickel diiodide, NiI2, are formed by the reactions of nickel with chlorine, Cl2, bromine, Br2, and iodine, I2. Ni(s) + Cl2(g) à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ NiCl2(s) (yellow) Ni(s) + Br2(g) à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ NiBr2(s) (yellow) Ni(s) + I2(g) à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ NiI2(s) (black) 1.2.3 Reaction of Nickel with Acids Nickel metal dissolves slowly in dilute sulphuric acid to form solution containing the aquated Ni(II) ion together with hydrogen gas, H2. Ni(s) + H2SO4(aq) à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Ni2+(aq) + SO42-(aq) + H2(g) Ni(s) + HCl(aq) à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Ni2+(aq) + Cl- (aq) + H2(g) It does not dissolve in concentrated nitric acid, HNO3, because it is rendered passive by this reagent [9]. 1.2.4 Reaction of Nickel with Air Nickel in finely divided form reacts readily with air. At higher temperatures, it burns in oxygen to form nickel oxide. 2Ni(s) + O2(g) à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ 2NiO(s) 1.3 Oxidation States The oxidation states of nickel include -1, 0, +1, +2, +3 or +4. The most prevalent oxidation state is +2, but compounds of Ni0, Ni+1, and Ni3+ are well known. Ni4+ has also been demonstrated [10]. 1.4 Nickel(II) Compounds Nickel is known primarily for its divalent compounds with all common anions, i.e. halides, hydroxide, sulfate, carbonate, carboxylates, sulfide and hydroxide. Green and blue are the characteristic colors of its compounds. Important nickel(II) compounds include: 1.4.1 Oxides Nickel oxide, NiO is a powdery green solid that becomes yellow on heating [11]. It can be prepared easily by heating nickel carbonate, nitrate or hydroxide. 1.4.2 Sulfides Nickel sulfides occur in different forms such as NiS, nickel sulphide, NiS2, nickel persulphide and Ni3S2, trinickel disulphide. 1.4.3 Halides NiCl2 is yellow but NiCl2.6H2O is of green colour. NiCl2 is prepared by NiCl2.6H2O + 6SOCl2 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ NiCl2 + 6SO2 + 12HCl NiF2 is prepared by treatment of anhydrous nickel(II) chlHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nickel(II)_chlorideoride with fluorine at 350  °C [12]. NiClHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nickel(II)_chloride2 + FHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluorine2 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ NiF2 + ClHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorine2 1.4.4 Nitrates Nickel(II) nitrate hexahydrate, Ni(NO3)2.6H2O is highly soluble in water, giving emerald green solutions. 1.4.5 Carbonates Nickel(II) carbonate is a pale green polymeric solid consisting of Ni2+ cations and [COHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbonate3HYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbonate]HYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbonate2- anions. It is readily decomposed by aqueous acids to give solutions containing the ion [Ni(H2O)6]2+, liberating water and carbon dioxide. 1.4.6 Sulfates The anhydrous form has a yellow to green color while NiSO4.7H2O and NiSO4.6H2O appears green and blue to pale green, respectively. 1.4.7 Hydroxides Ni(OH)2 occurs as green crystals that can be precipitated when aqueous alkali is added to a solution of nickel (II) salt. Its decomposition on heating above 230  °C produces toxic gases. 1.5 Nickel (III), Nickel (IV) Nickel (VI) Compounds The +3 oxidation state is found in dinickel trioxide, Ni2O3. NiO4-2 is an example of +6 oxidation state while NiO2 and NiF6-2 correspond to +4 oxidation states. Nickel(IV) also occurs in BaNiO3 and in the periodate salts, MNiIO6 (M = alkali cation, NH4). 1.6 Water Soluble, Poorly Soluble Insoluble Nickel Compounds In contrast to water soluble nickel salts (chloride, nitrate, acetate and sulfate), metallic nickel, nickel sulfides, and nickel oxides are poorly soluble in water [13]. NiCO3 is partly water soluble. 1.7 Nickel(II) Complexes Nickel in its most common +2 oxidation state displays a wider range of geometries in its complexes than any other metal ion with coordination numbers 3 to 6. Nickel(II) forms many complexes with octahedral [14, 15], square planar [16, 17, 18] and tetrahedral [19, 20] geometries and a smaller number of five coordinate compounds [21, 22] with square pyramidal and trigonal bipyramidal arrangements. Nickel(II) octahedral, trigonal bipyramidal, square pyramidal and tetrahedral complexes are paramagnetic and have in the majority of cases a green or blue colour. The square planar nickel complexes are diamagnetic and mostly have a yellow, red or brown colour. The ligand exchange processes for nickel(II) tend to be associative, while with palladium(II) and platinum(II), dissociative pathways predominate which tends to adopt only square planar complexes. 1.7.1 Six Coordinate Octahedral Nickel(II) Complexes Nickel(II) forms octahedral complexes with neutral ligands such as H2O and NH3. Amines displace some or all of water molecules in the octahedral [Ni(H2O)6]2+ ion to form complexes such as trans [Ni(H2O)2(NH3)4]2+, [Ni(NH3)6]2+ and [Ni(en)3]2+. These complexes are characteristically purple or blue in contrast to the bright green hexaaquanickel(II) ion, [Ni(H2O)6]2+ [23]. These octahedral complexes have two unpaired electrons and are paramagnetic with magnetic moments 2.9 to 3.4 BM. Other examples include dichlorobis(ethylenediamine)nickel(II), a blue solid, soluble in water and polar organic solvents [24] and Ni(acac)2.2H2O [25]. 2+ 2+ [Ni(H2O)6]2+ [Ni(NH3)6]2+ Ni(en)2Cl2 Ni(acac)2.2H2O 1.7.2 Five Coordinate Square Pyramidal Trigonal Bipyramidal Nickel(II) Complexes Several phosphine and arsine ligands form five coordinate trigonal bipyramidal complexes because tetradentate tripod ligands such as N[C2H4N(CH3)2]3 and N[C2H4PPh2]3 cannot span the apices of a regular tetrahedron. One face is left open for 5th ligand, e.g halide ion to form trigonal bipyramidal complex. Though hydride, thiolate, alkyl and other anionic ligands are also known; the complexes are therefore +1 cations. Tris(1,3-diaminopropane) chromium(III) pentacyanonickelate(II), [Cr(tn)3][Ni(CN)5] has square pyramidal [Ni(CN)5]3- anions. In contrast, crystalline tris(ethylenediamine) chromium(III) pentacyanonickelate(II) sesquihydrate, [Cr(en)3][Ni(CN)5].1.5H2O contains both square pyramidal anions and slightly distorted trigonal bipyramidal anions [26]. The trigonal bipyramidal structure is favored on the basis of ligand repulsion alone. For this reason, almost every five coordinate compound having non metallic central element such as PF5 has trigonal bipyramidal structure unless there are lone pairs. 1.7.3 Four Coordinate Nickel(II) Complexes Nickel(II) in its four coordination mode exhibits either tetrahedral or square planar geometry. 1.7.3.1 Tetrahedral Nickel(II) Complexes Nickel(II) tetrahedral complexes of stoichiometric types; NiX42-, NiX3L-, NiL2X2 and Ni(L-L)2 are known where X represents halogen, L is neutral ligand such as phosphine, phosphine oxide or arsine, and L-L is bidentate ligand such as ethylenediamine. Tetrahedral arrangement for Ni2+ will be preferred if the ligands are large and weak field. Ni(PPh3)3Cl NiCl42- [Ni(acac)2] 1.7.3.2 Square Planar Nickel(II) Complexes For the vast majority of four coordinate nickel(II) complexes, planar geometry is preferred for small and strong field ligands. Tetracyanonickelate(II) will probably be orange red colored square planar complex. Almost all planar complexes of nickel(II) with d8 configuration are diamagnetic. Important examples of square planar complexes are red bis(dimethylglyoximato) nickel(II) [27] and dichloro[1,3-bis(diphenylphosphino)propane]nickel, NiCl2(dppp). Ni(dmgH)2 NiCl2(dppp) [Ni(C2O4)2]2- [Ni(CN)4]2- 1.7.4 Three Coordinate Nickel(II) Complexes There are many examples of trigonal complexes for nickel(0), however, they are rare for Ni(II). The examples include dialkylamides [Ni(NR2)3]1- and Ni2(  µ-NR2)2(NR2)2 as well as blue mesityl complex [Ni(mes)3]1- which has approximately T shaped geometry [28, 29]. 1.8 Nickel(III) Complexes [Ni(tdt)2]- is nickel(III) square planar complex anion having coordination number four where tdt = 3,4-toluenedithiole. Other examples include [Ni(tacn)2]3+ with 1,4,7-triazacyclononane [30] and dark green air stable Ni(III) complex having donor NO2S2 chromophore [31]. Ni[(NO2S)2(C6H4)4] [Me(tdt)2]-, Me = Ni [Ni(tacn)2]3+ 1.9 Nickel(IV) Complexes A well established bis chelated complex of nickel(IV) is the diacetylpyridine dioximato complex [32]. Other examples include dicarbollide complex, Ni(closo-1,2-C2B9H11)2 [33] and the polyselenide anion [Ni4Se4(Se3)(Se4)]4- with a cubic Ni4Se4 core [34]. The hexadentate ligand 3,14-dimethyl-4,7,10,13-tetraazahexadeca-3,13-diene 2,15-dione dioxime forms pseudooctahedral NiN6 complex with nickel(IV) [35]. 1.10 Nickel(-I, 0, +I) Complexes The low valent oxides, K3[NiO2] and KNa2[NiO2] contain linear [O-Ni(I)-O]3- units [36]. The majority of nickel(I) complexes contain phosphine ligands and have tetrahedral or trigonal bipyramidal structure. They are paramagnetic as expected for d9 configurations. In Ni(CO)4, nickel is in zero oxidation state [37]. Bis(cyclooctadiene)nickel(0), Ni(C8H12)2 is a diamagnetic featuring tetrahedral nickel(0) [38]. Ni(cod)2 Ni(CO)4 1.11 Biological Role Nickel is a part of urease. [NiFe]-hydrogenases selectively oxidise H2. Carbon monoxide dehydrogenase enzymes consists of Fe-Ni-S cluster [39]. Other nickel containing enzymes include class of superoxide dismutase and glyoxalase [40]. Enzymatic reactions depend on redox activity of nickel atoms in enzymes active site. In fact, proposed mechanisms of NiFe hydrogenase [41], methyl-CoM reductase [42, 43] and NiSOD [44, 45] involves reduced (Nio, Ni+) and or oxidized (Ni3+) forms of nickel. Nickel along with iron plays vital role in transport of oxygen in blood. Nickel also acts as co-factor in absorption of iron from intestine. 1.12 Sources and Potential Exposure of Nickel Nickel is a ubiquitous natural trace element and it occurs in air, water and soil of the biosphere [46]. 1.12.1 Diet Food and drinking water [47, 48] are the major sources of nickel exposure [49]. Fats, chocolates [50], nuts, candies [51], tomatoes, bananas, onions, spinach, legumes, tea [52], white flour and all canned foods [53] are rich in nickel content. 1.12.2 Ambient Air Nickel oxide, nickel chloride, nickel carbonyl and nickel subsulphide are inhaled pollutants. Nickel levels in ambient air are in range 1 10 ng/m3 in urban areas, although much higher levels 110 180 ng/m3 have been recorded in heavily industrialized areas and larger cities [54]. 1.12.3 Tobacco Smoking It is major source of nickel in indoor air. A cigarette contains 1 3  µg of nickel. Nickel in a burning cigarette form nickel tetracarbonyl that is volatile and gaseous compound and badly affects respiratory tract [55]. 1.12.4 Occupational Exposure of Nickel Pulmonary absorption is major route of nickel exposure in industries [56]. The general population is also exposed to nickel in nickel alloys and nickel plated materials such as coins [57], jewellery [58], electric guitar strings [59], stainless steel cutlery, soaps and detergents. 1.13 Exposure Limits of Nickel The American Conference of Governmental and Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) has assigned threshold limit value time weighted average for exposure to nickel compounds is 1.5 mg/m3 for elemental nickel, 0.1 mg/m3 for soluble inorganic nickel compounds and nickel subsulfide, 0.2 mg/m3 for insoluble inorganic compounds and 0.05 ppm for nickel carbonyl [60]. 1.14 Toxicity of Nickel Nickel is known as haemato, immunoto, neuro, geno, reproductive, pulmonary toxic and carcinogenic agent. 1.14.1 Acute Toxicity (01 day) The accidental inhalation of nickel carbonyl causes acute toxic effects in two stages, immediate and delayed. The immediate symptoms include headache, vertigo, irritability, which usually last a few hours, followed by an asymptomatic interval of 12 h to 5 days. The delayed symptoms are: 1.14.1.1 Nickel Itch Soluble nickel compounds on skin contact may result in nickel itch [61], most frequently when skin is moist. 1.14.1.2 Gastrointestinal Distress Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea were reported in workers who drank water, contaminated with nickel sulfate and nickel chloride. 1.14.1.3 Neurological Effects Giddiness and weariness were reported in individuals accidentally exposed to nickel sulphate and nickel chloride (1.63 g Ni/liter) with boric acid in drinking water [62]. 1.14.1.4 Pulmonary Fibrosis In humans and animals, nickel carbonyl causes pulmonary fibrosis. Nickel fumes are respiratory irritants and may also cause pneumonitis. 1.14.1.5 Kidney Damage Kidney damage and frank haematuria were observed [63]. 1.14.2 Subchronic Toxicity (10 100 day) A 6 weeks exposure of nickel fumes (0.07 1.1 mg nickel/m3) in humans caused an increase in air way and eye irritations, headaches and tiredness [64]. 1.14.3 Chronic Toxicity (> 100 days) 1.14.3.1 Dermatitis In sensitized individuals, it is most common effect due to nickel use in jewellery intended for pierced body parts and is often marked by itchy and red skin followed by skin ulceration [65]. 1.14.3.2 Respiratory Disorders Inhalation of nickel dusts and aerosols contributes to respiratory disorders such as asthma [66], pneumoconiosis and can also interfere with kreb ´s cycle. 1.14.3.3 Heart Failure Exposure of nickel tetracarbonyl to levels 50,000 100,000 times greater than levels normally encountered in food or drinking water can cause heart failure and variable degrees of cardiovascular system poisoning [67]. 1.14.3.4 Tumors Nickel powder can induce both epithelial and connective tissue tumors e.g. pelvic, renal cortical and liver tumors when given by subcutaneous, intramuscular or intraperitoneal injection [68]. 1.14.3.5 Kidney Poisoning Nickel in blood is mostly protein bound and accumulates primarily in kidneys resulting in kidney poisoning [69]. 1.14.3.6 Birth Defects Low birth weight infants with sensory abnormalities, such as hearing or sight loss and cardiac malformations are born with nickel exposed mothers [70, 71]. 1.14.3.7 Oxidative Stress Nickel(II) induces oxidative stress in humans [72, 73] by producing either reactive oxygen species, ROS or reactive nitrogen species, RNS. NiCl2 induces lipid peroxidation while ROS generated damage DNA. Nickel binds to DNA repair enzymes and generates oxygen free radicals causing protein degradation [74]. 1.14.3.8 Genotoxicity Ni(CO)4 inhibts DNA dependent RNA synthesis activity by binding to chromatin or DNA and thereby preventing action of RNA polymerase, causing suppresion of messenger RNA dependent induction of enzyme synthesis [75]. 1.14.3.9 Carcinogenicity Nickel subsulphide, nickel oxide, nickel sulphate as well as nickel sulfide fume and dust is believed to be carcinogenic [76, 77]. Independent international scientific bodies have classified mixed sulphidic and oxidic nickel compounds [78] as carcinogens to humans, inclusive of water soluble nickel compounds. There are higher chances of development of lung cancer, nasal cancer, and Prostate cancer in nickel exposed workers [79]. 1.15 Uses of Nickel 1.15.1 Nickel Alloys Nickel in alloyed form has made significant contributions to our present day society. German silver containing 10 30 % nickel is used for ornamental and domestic objects. Monel contains 68% nickel ands is used in apparatus for handling corrosive materials. Invar is important due to very small coefficient of expansion [80]. Nickel is principle alloying element in stainless steel that enhances its heat, corrosion, and stress rupture resistance [81]. Majority of stainless steels contain 8 10 % nickel. Its limitless uses include home and industrial products. 1.15.2 Nickel Electroplating Nickel electroplating is used for both protective and decorative finishes. Nickel chloride, NiCl2, nickel acetate Ni(OCOCH3)2, nickel nitrate, Ni(NO3)2.6H2O and nickel sulphate, NiSO4.7H2O are employed chiefly in nickel electroplating baths [82] while nickel oxide is used as electrolyte. Nickel electroplating changes the chemical, physical and mechanical properties of the workpiece [83]. 1.15.3 Catalytic Hydrogenation Raney nickel is used in a large number of industrial processes because of its stability and high catalytic activity at room temperature. It catalyses hydrogenation of vegetable oils. Soybean oil has been hydrogenated electrocatalytically on raney nickel with 90 100 % efficiencies [84]. Benzene is commonly reduced to cyclohexane using raney nickel for production of nylon. Reduction of Benzene to Cyclohexane Using Raney Nickel Raney nickel is used in reduction of compounds that have multiple bonds. Reduction of Thiophene by Raney Nickel De-Sulfurization of Thioacetals using Raney Nickel 1.15.4 Industrial Applications of Nickel 1.15.4.1 Heavy Industries Nickel based super alloys have high temperature applications in jet engines, gas turbines and rocket engines [85]. Monel can resist corrosion by sea water and is ideal for propeller shaft in boats and desalination plants. 1.15.4.2 Food Chemical processing Industries Monel and stainless steel are used in chemical and food processing industries due to better corrosion resistance at high temperature steam [86]. 1.15.4.3 Ceramics, Paints, Dyes Cosmetic Industries Nickel(II) phthalocyanine, C32H16N8Ni is used as bluish green pigment in the coloring industries [87]. The nickel titanium yellow pigments find great use in polymer and paint applications [88]. Nickel dimethylglyoxime (C8 H14 N4 NiO4) is routinely used as coloring agent in paints, cosmetics and certain kinds of plastics. NiO is used in making glass having ability to absorb visible light but transmits ultraviolet light [89]. In cosmetic products of many brands, the highest level of nickel in eye shadows is about 49 ppm [90]. 1.15.4.4 Textile Rubber Industry Nickel acetate is used as mordant in textile industry. Di-n-butyldithiocarbamate nickel(II) complex, Ni[CS2N(C4H4)2]2 is used as an antioxidant in tires. 1.15.5 Batteries Nickel batteries are dominant in the field of rechargeable electrochemical power sources due to their long cycle life, high power and a reliable performance. Ni(OH)2 is used as positive electrode to significantly boost energy densities in nickel alkaline batteries [91]. Nickel cadmium cells provide 1.2 V and are used in aeroplanes and emergency lighting systems. In industries, these batteries provide high voltage of 250 V with capacities about 5 Ah 100 Ah [92]. Nickel hydrogen (NiH2) battery cells with nickel oxide positive electrode are developed due to high power density and good thermal performance which make them attractive for use in electric vehicles, satellite and space power systems [93]. 1.16 Chemistry of Ligands 1.16.1 Thiourea (Tu) Thiourea, SHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CarbonC(NHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HydrogenH2)2 is lustrous white crystalline compound. It is useful sulfur donor thioamide and planar molecule, soluble in water and polar organic solvents but insoluble in non polar solvents. It has two tautomeric forms but in aqueous solution, thione form predominates. 1.16.2 N,N-Dimethylthiourea (Dmtu) N,N-Dimethylthiourea, C3H8N2S has appearance of colorless to white crystals. It shows coordination through sulfur. Fig. 1.10 Structure of N,N-Dimethylthiourea 1.16.3 1,1,3,3-Tetramethyl-2-thiourea (Tmtu) This substituted thiourea is white crystalline solid. It is sulfur donor ligand. 1.16.4 1,3-Diazinane-2-thione (Diaz) This six membered heterocyclic thione is sulfur donor ligand. 1.16.5 Imidazolidine-2-thione (Imt) It is a sulfur donor five membered heterocyclic thione [94] and has brown crystals. The peculiarity of Imidazolidine-2-thione is presence of a thiouredine fragment. It is planar with non-uniform distribution of à Ã¢â€š ¬ electron density and shows presence of maximum negative charge on exocyclic sulfur. Dipolar form B predominates in resonance hybrid. 1.17 Objective The primary objective of this study is to understand basic chemistry of nickel(II) and its complexes and gain an insight into metal ligand interactions in biological systems with following main objectives. To explore coordination chemistry of nickel(II) with various sulfur donor ligands and develop useful model for biologically active nickel complexes by determining structures of synthesized nickel complexes. Synthesis of nickel(II) complexes with thioamide and thione ligands. Crystallization of as many complexes as possible and determination of their structures by X-ray crystallography. Characterization of complexes by IR and UV-VIS spectroscopy. A comparative study of complexes based on spectroscopic and structural data.

Technology :: essays research papers

Cisco Systems, Inc. All contents are Copyright  © 1992–2001 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Important Notices and Privacy Statement. Page 1 of 5 B ROCHURE Cisco Mobile Office: On the Road Maximum Productivity for Business Professionals Overview: A Workplace in Motion It’s no secret that today’s professionals are spending more time than ever working away from the office. In the Internet economy, employees on the move depend on networking to communicate with their clients, partners, and coworkers. Yet these mobile professionals often have limited access to the people, information, and tools they need to be productive. Traditional remote networking is often too slow, unreliable, expensive, or inconvenient to meet the needs of business professionals on the move. Simply locating a working phone jack in an airport or hotel room can be an extraordinary task. And the firewalls that keep company information secure can pose additional obstacles for those who need network access. Network administrators face their own problems as they contend with managing a mobile workforce. Opening a corporate network to mobile access can make it vulnerable to unknown security risks. Dialup charges, equipment replacement, and cumbersome billing systems strain patience as well as budgets. Despite these pitfalls, the need for mobile connectivity is here to stay. According to IDC, 45 million of today’s mobile business professionals need to access the Internet or their corporate network. And as more low-priced, high-powered notebook PCs, hand-held devices, and cell phones emerge, their numbers will continue to grow. To meet the need for secure broadband access anytime, anywhere, Cisco Systems has partnered with other industry leaders to introduce Cisco Mobile Office: On the Road. A flexible, easy-to-use solution, Cisco Mobile Office On the Road enables secure wired and wireless connectivity for mobile professionals over the Internet. Combining state-of-the-art VPN security and broadband bandwidth with easy configuration, Cisco Mobile Office: On the Road delivers â€Å"on-the-move† access to broadband networking. It’s the most comprehensive solution on the market today, enabling mobile employees to stay productive with a manageable solution. Cisco Systems, Inc. All contents are Copyright  © 1992–2001 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Important Notices and Privacy Statement. Page 2 of 5 Access When You Need It, Where You Need It Designed specifically for the needs of professionals away from the corporate office, Cisco Mobile Office: On the Road delivers reliable, hassle-free Internet or secure enterprise LAN access, either with or without wires. While competing vendors might offer portions of a mobile system, only Cisco offers a complete, unified solution that delivers: †¢ A comprehensive set of advanced wired and wireless networking solutions †¢ Technologies that enable fast, convenient connectivity †¢ Continuous, end-to-end security †¢ Standards-based interoperability †¢ Expandable, upgradeable platforms to future-proof your organization †¢ Options for mobility settlement offering integrated billing and user interfaces Furthermore, Cisco Mobile Office: On the Road is the only solution backed by a team of industry-leading

The Club :: essays research papers

In The Club, friendship and loyalty are forgotten. The characters in this play sneak around behind each other’s backs, trying to achieve one thing; they are trying to hold onto their position. They want to replace some members of the Club so that they can start a new and better club, without the interference of â€Å"busy-body’s†. Although Laurie shows loyalty to his team, and Ted shows loyalty to the club, Jock and Gerry are continually stabbing Laurie and Ted in the back. Gerry, the career administrator, seems to be on everybody’s side but he is actually the one who makes the bullets for all the other bunnies to fire. Ted, the Club president, means well but can’t help sticking his nose into other people’s business. Geoff is the new recruit and could not care less about the game of football. Laurie is the coach of the team and as they are not doing the best, he finds out that at the end of the play that he is going to be sacked. Danny is the captain and long-time club champion of the team. He too is about to get the axe after years of charitable service. And then there is Jock, who is an interfering ex-president. He is also the holder of the Club’s longest player record.  â€Å"Ted’s going to have to resign soon. He’s got himself into real trouble. I can guarantee that he won’t be around in a month or two.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  [Page 17]  â€Å"We’re not going to renew Laurie’s contract at the end of the year.†  â€Å"We’re going to try and not renew his contract at the end of the year.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  [Page 18] The above quotes show Gerry Cooper, the clever manipulator that he is, in action. First, Gerry talks to Laurie and tells him that Ted will have to resign soon. Laurie is unaware of the fact as to why he will have to resign but he knows that Ted is about to go bankrupt. Gerry leaves Laurie, leaving him thinking that he is safe and that Ted will go. The second quote shows Ted and Gerry talking. Ted tells Gerry that he does not want Laurie’s contract renewed at the end of the year. Gerry agrees with Ted by saying that he will try not to renew it, only after he told Laurie that Ted was going to have to resign. By now, Gerry has convinced Laurie that Ted will be quitting the club.

Florida Department of Management Services

The network was up and running and it was secure and reliable, but the speed was slow and the interface clumsy. The applications around the database were old, out of date and were only in batch-mode with fixed-transaction access. The system were complex and when user tried to get something out of the ordinary, they had to wait for days or weeks for the mainframe programmers developing what was needed. The system is equipped with a firewall to prevent unauthorized access, by analyzing and controlling the incoming and outgoing data network traffic, it is a software or hardware-based network security but it â€Å"blocks† all network traffic, slowing and causing inconvenience. DMV is intended to start doing e-commerce and this will take an extra care involving security because this applications takes a lot of work, and by adding more security features on the fly would prove problematic once it takes an extended amount of time to close exploits, and it involves more than one department. The use of SSL certificates, HTTP and HTTPS must be utilized to protect and authenticate users and employees from packet sniffing hostiles and hacker’s attack. Transition process: The SNA network controller processors were connected to T-1 and T-3 lines in 10 cities. The controller for the communications was within the token ring local area network, computer are connected in a ring or star topology, to prevent collision from computers when they are trying to send messages at the same time. The token rings could also support the terminals of personal computers and other computer equipment. The controllers were designed to handle SNA traffic out of and into the mainframe computers. In order to transform the infrastructure of SNA router network, all the Department of Management Services had to connect the boxes, and link them to the central site router of the data center. Critiques: The DMS provides numerous serivices and support for its employee's and state agencies, allowing 6000 users to access the mainframe application in tallahassee. The shared services gave support for human resources, aloowing users to access information anytime available on the Web servers and on the Web servers at vendor sites, such as reviewing informations about contracts and suppliers. There are specialized services, such agency administration, job-posting service and numerous other services available. The virtual enviroment for providing services is being used by the DMS. They utilize the internet and intranet through their Web portals. To protect the DMS system from unauthorized access, the DMS employed several people on a full time basis to review information, format it, followed by entering them into the mainframe computers. Additional Services: The Florida Department of Management Service built a large information systems network, in the early 1990s, to connect 10 regional sites with the data center in Tallahassee serving the state government agencies. The network was developed to use the proprietary Systems Network Architecture from IBM. The DMS was happy with their current set up however they felt the need to expand applications and services. The idea was to incorporate TCP/IP capabilities and Internet access, exploiting the Internet was the primary goal. It did not take long to implement and the DMS created a state wide TCP/IP network where they began offering Internet services to local and state agencies. They also created a suite of applications that would assist in personnel, billing systems online and accounting. The DMS saved $4 million dollars for the state plus an increase in productivity. The DMS should add a feedback service box to its portfolio. The information gathered from its customers would provide users the oppruntunity to improve the service and the system what they may be lacking.

Introduction to Economics Essay

The variation in the price of the houses from various cities can be attributed to many different economic factors that could affect the price of the commodity or merchandise. There are sometimes other indirect factors that affect the price of a commodity or merchandise, like the rising of the price of crude oil. Crude oil serves as an input for most of the industries in our economy, and thus, if the price of the crude oil increases, commodities that use crude oil as a part of the production costs would also have to increase so as not to affect their revenue. Well of course in this paper; we are going to give more attention on the reason behind the differences in the prices of houses on every city as well as finding the root of the problem. Based from realtors. com, I observed that houses with the same number of bedrooms and bathrooms differ in terms of prices (realtor. com, 2007). As I analyze the given data on the site, I come up with the following possible answer to the problem. The reason behind the differences in the prices of houses from city to city is based on the type of living that the city has. The higher the standard of living would mean that the citizens there are more capable of buying expensive houses or appliances. Whereas, those cities that has lower standard of living denotes that the person living in those place has a lower â€Å"willingness to pay† than with the higher standard of living. Because of this, the firms in the city with lower standard of living would be forced to set their prices reasonable to maintain their market share. Another reason would be, those cities with lower standard of living has only a simple design for their houses as compared to those people living in the â€Å"rich† city and because of this, only those â€Å"rich† cities can afford to buy such beautiful house. With this, raw material in making the house become expensive to match the kind of living the citizen has. 2] The Effects of Supply and Demand If we are going to graph demand and supply, we could see that the demand is downward sloping and supply is upward sloping. Refer to appendix page, at first when there are no distortion in the economy happens, the supply and demand for houses are in the equilibrium [the intersection of Po and Qo. Now suppose that the demand for houses increased due to higher incomes of the citizen, then, the demand curve will shift to the right while maintaining the original supply curve. With this, we now arrived at a higher price level (Zilberman, 2002). It is logically for the house producers to increase their prices because people demand more of houses and they can afford to buy houses even if you raise your charge. Now let’s go back to the equilibrium position, as for the effect of supply on prices, suppose that the firms can now produce more houses because they become more competitive and efficient, with this, the supply curve will shift to the right while maintaining the original demand curve. As we can see in the graph, the prices now decreased due to the inverse relationship of demand to supply (Zilberman, 2002). According to the law of supply, if the supply of a certain commodity increased, its demand would go to fall. This is the reason why demand is downward sloping while supply is upward sloping (investopedia. com, 2007). Well, it is rational for the producers to lower down their prices to attract more customers to purchase their surplus in the production since they produce more than the needed number in the market. In short, the effect of demand to prices would be positive and negative for supply; this is based on the producer’s point of view most of the relationships here would be reversed if we would use the point of view of the consumers. REFERENCES investopedia.com. (2007). Economics Basics: Demand and Supply [Electronic Version]. Retrieved August 19, 2007 from http://www. investopedia. com/university/economics/economics3. asp. realtor. com. (2007). Home Plan HPG-1855 Details [Electronic Version], 1. Retrieved August 19, 2007 from http://www. homeplans. com/exec/action/plans/browsemode/details/filter/PlnID. 24346/hspos/hsnet/page/1/planid/24346/section/homeplans. Zilberman, D. (2002). Market Policies and Incentives [Electronic Version], 1. Retrieved August 19, 2007 from http://images. google. com. ph/imgres? imgurl=http://are. berkeley. edu/courses/PMB10/fall2005/Lecture19files/Lectur17. gif&imgrefurl=http://are. berkeley. edu/courses/PMB10/fall2005/Lecture-19. htm&h=487&w=576&sz=6&hl=en&start=18&tbnid=5Ht0lrADVcB2LM:&tbnh=113&tbnw=134&