A Paper on Apprenticeship in Chemical Industries Essay Example for Free

A Paper on Apprenticeship in Chemical Industries Essay I would like to acknowledge and extend my heartfelt gratitude to the following persons who have made the completion of this summer project: Our college, METAS ADVENTIST COLLEGE, for giving this opportunity. My college mentor Mr. D. Mukherjee Sir for his vital encouragement and support. Reliance industries ltd. , India’s world renowned corporate house for giving me a wonderful platform to undergo this summer project. Mr. Himanshu Bhatt (HOD), for his good leadership and leading me to the right places. Mr. Suresh Lachhwani, HR Manager for his understanding and assistance. Mr. Geyal Bhatt,HR manager for his constant reminders and much needed motivation. Mr. Vijay Shethna, HR Manager for his guidance. Mr. Naman Buch Mr. Giriraj Mistry for their valuable support and help throughout my project. Most especially to my family and friends. And to God who made all things possible COMPANY PROFILE The Reliance Group, founded by Dhirubhai H. Ambani (1932-2002), is Indias largest private sector enterprise, with businesses in the energy and materials value chain. Groups annual revenues are in excess of USD 27 billion. The flagship company, Reliance Industries Limited, is a Fortune Global 500 company and is the largest private sector company in India Backward vertical integration has been the cornerstone of the evolution and growth of Reliance. Starting with textiles in the late seventies, Reliance pursued a strategy of backward vertical integration in polyester, fibre intermediates, plastics, petrochemicals, petroleum refining and oil and gas exploration and production to be fully integrated along the materials and energy value chain. The Groups activities span exploration and production of oil and gas, petroleum refining and marketing, petrochemicals (polyester, fibre intermediates, plastics and chemicals), textiles and retail. Reliance enjoys global leadership in its businesses, being the largest polyester yarn and fibre producer in the world and among the top five to ten producers in the world in major petrochemical products. The Group exports products in excess of USD 15 billion to more than 100 countries in the world. There are more than 25,000 employees on the rolls of Group Companies. Major Group Companies are Reliance Industries Limited (including main subsidiaries Reliance Petroleum Limited and Reliance Retail Limited) and Reliance Industrial infrastructure Limited. RELIANCE AT A GLANCE This is the story of a company with a vision of how it grew from being a small trading unit to be ranked among the top 50 emerging market companies in the world. It is the story of how a company helped place India firmly on the world industrial scenario. Taking with a family, a growing family that includes collaborators, suppliers, customers, employees and the largest based in the country. It is the story of how company’s vision has extended to include newer challenges, new goals and most of all it is a story of a company where the â€Å"Growth is Life†. He (Mr. Dhirubhai Ambani) made a beginning by setting up a company viz. Reliance Commercial Corporation. â€Å"Reliance† means reliability, which is the main principle of any business and we believe that this success in business lies in the principle. He created an empire of Reliance in the various fields such as PETROCHEMICALS, POLYMERS, TEXTILES AND PETROLEUM. The expert team of the technocrats of the World Bank has come to conclusions that reliance textile unit is the top most quality conscious textile unit among the developed countries. Reliance Commercial Corporation went public in the year 1971. In the next few years the company made a massive investment exceeding 40,000 cores of rupees in the industrial areas of petroleum, Gas, Chemicals, Textile, Special Economic Zones and life sciences and established supremacy in diverse industrial areas which took the Reliance group to the peak of Industrial areas. History of Reliance – Hazira Reliance Industries Ltd, Hazira started in 1988. RIL, Hazira is one of the flagship companies of reliance group. It is largest integrated Petrochemicals and polyester complex of India. It dealt with various commodities including Nylon and Rayon. Eight years later it started the manufacturing of synthetic fabrics in February 1996. Eight years later it is started with the manufacturing of synthetic fabrics under the brand name of â€Å"Vimal† in textile mills at Naroda. In three years Reliance establish itself as the largest textile group in the country. The Reliance Industries Ltd, Hazira Manufacturing Division at Hazira near Surat in Gujarat is situated in 750 acres land on the banks of river Tapti. The land when procured was very low and marshy and required extensive site development including 7 million cubic meter of soil filling to raise the ground level upto 6ft. In order to protect the environment and avoid ecological disaster, conventional methods were employed to pump out the river sand for hydraulic filling. The marshy soil with load bearing capacity called for extensive pilling work to be carried out. In an unprecedented construction activity around 18,000 piles were driven for the first phase in about 6 months time. Reliance adopted the unique concept of implementing the Phase 1 down stream plants at Hazira with imported raw material (Ethylene) and intermediates (Ethylene Dichloride, EDC) to ensure completion and commissioning of the plants in 24 months time. Reliance is the first complex in the world to starts operations based on imported Ethylene, British Petroleum followed then. Ethylene unloading terminal is built in collaboration with LT and LGA of Germany. Ethylene storage is one of the largest in the world. It has 2 tanks with uble wall protection and concrete wall outside as an advance safety feature Contribution to the economy Reliance Group revenue is equivalent to about 3. 5% of India’s GDP. The Group contributes nearly 10% of the country’s indirect tax revenue and over 6% of India’s export. Reliance is trusted by an investor family of over 3. 1% million-India largest. Abbreviations and acronyms AITT All-India Trade Test AOCP attendant operator (chemical plant) API active pharmaceutical ingredient ATI advanced training institutes. ATS Apprenticeship Training Scheme BTC basic training centre cGMP current good manufacturing practices CTS Craftsmen Training Scheme DCS distributed control system DGET Directorate General of Employment and Training GDP gross domestic product HOCL Hindustan Organic Chemicals Limited HRD human resources development HRM human resources management ITC industrial training centre ITI industrial training institute MITI model industrial training institute NAC National Apprenticeship Certificate NSCI National Safety Council of India NCVT National Council of Vocational Training. PLC programmable logic controller RD research and development RIC related instruction centre RIL Reliance Industries Limited SCVT State Council for Vocational Training SHE safety, health and environment SOP standard operating procedures SSI mall-scale industry VET vocational education and training INTRODUCTION OF CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES The chemical industry is a base of modern society. It is huge, one of the largest industries in the world. As societies and economies grow, so does the chemical industry. It is of strategic importance to the sustainable development of national economies. The world chemical industry employs an estimated 14 million workers and accounts for about 10 percent of national GDP in developed countries. World trade in chemicals reached a record US$700 billion, and the industry is still growing. The chemical industry in Western Europe shows steady growth, with annual averaged growth of over 4 per cent. The Asian chemical industry shows an increase reaching almost two-digit growth every year. The chemical industry keeps improving our standard of living and provides many of the essentials that our society needs. The chemical industry produces more than 70,000 products. It is a highly capitalized industry. Much of the manual work has been replaced by automation, but significant parts of the operation still rely on human input. Workers’ skills are therefore crucial to the stable production and growth of the industry. The aim of this study is to explore in depth some practices of vocational education and training (VET) in the chemical industry in India, which is one of the leading chemical producers in Asia. Overview of the Chemical Industry in India The chemical industry is one of the oldest industries in India. It not only plays a crucial role in meeting people’s daily needs but also significantly contributes to the industrial and economic growth of the country. In 2004, the total sales of the Indian chemical industry were about US$28 billion, or about 2 per cent of global chemical sales, which stand at about US$1. 7 trillion. It is the third largest in Asia and ranks at 12th in world chemical production. Some statistics on the contribution of the Indian chemical industry to the national economy are given below: The Indian chemical industry at a glance in 2005 Total sales: US$32 billion. The chemical industry constitutes: – 7. 5 per cent of India’s total GDP; – 10 per cent of India’s total exports; and – 12 per cent of industrial production in India. Unionized chemical workers account for 17 per cent of the total unionized workforce (or about 1 million unionized workers in the chemical industry). 20 per cent of excise and import duty collection The Indian chemical industry is highly fragmented. The primary cause of the fragmentation is due to the Government’s corporate licensing policies, allowing various sizes of chemical firms in order to address the supply and demand gap of chemical products. The sectoral classification of the Indian chemical industry in 2004 is given in figure 1. The dyestuff sector is one of the important segments in the chemical industry in India, which is closely related with other chemical sectors. The textile industry is the largest consumer of dyestuffs, nearly 80 per cent of total dyestuff production. While in the 1950s, India imported dyestuff, the country’s dyestuff sector has grown into a very strong industry and has become a major foreign currency earner. India has emerged as a global supplier of dyestuff and dye intermediates, in particular reactive, acid, vat and direct dyes. Fertilizers and pesticides played an important role in the â€Å"Green Revolution† of the 1960s and 1970s. But the consumption of pesticides in India has been decreasing, and is now lower than any other developing country. India now turns to be an exporter of agrochemicals, showing an impressive growth in the last five years. In 2004, fertilizers accounted for about 18 per cent of India’s total chemical production. Indian chemical industry: Sectoral classification, 2005 Fertilizers; 18% Man-made fibres; 16% Pharmaceuticals; 15% Organic chemicals; 15% Soap toiletries; 11% Polymers; 6% Inorganic chemicals; 8% Paints dyes; 5%. Pesticides; 3% Other chemicals; 3% National framework of vocational education and training (VET) Introduction In 1947 India was independent. In the early 1950s, India launched a five-year plan with massive industrializing drives to stimulate workers to acquire high skills. To meet this end, the Directorate General of Employment and Training (DGET) in the Union Ministry of Labour initiated the Craftsmen Training Scheme (CTS) by establishing about 50 ITIs for imparting skills in various vocational trades to meet the increasing skilled workforce requirements for the advancement of technologies and the industrial growth of the country. VET is a concurrent subject of both central and state Governments in India. VET-related matters, such as the development of training schemes, training policies, training standards, training procedures, organization of trade tests and issuance of certifications, are the responsibility of the central Government, whereas the implementation of training schemes largely rests with state Governments. The central Government created the National Council of Vocational Training (NCVT), a tripartite body representing central Government, employers and trade unions. Similarly, the State Council for Vocational Training (SCVT) was established at the state level, with the same purposes as the NCVT. At the national level, at present there are two main vocational training initiatives, which are the CTS and the ATS. 1 The Government and chemical companies have dual responsibility for providing workers with training under the Apprentices Act, 1961. Craftsmen Training Scheme (CTS) Objectives The objectives of the CTS are: 1. To ensure steady flow of skilled workers in all industrial/service sectors; 2. To raise the quality and quantity of industrial production by systematic training of workers; and 3. To reduce unemployment among the youth by equipping them with suitable skills for industrial workers. Salient features of the CTS Training is imparted in 50 engineering and 48 non-engineering trades through the industrial training institutes (ITIs) and the industrial training centres (ITCs) located throughout the country. The period of training varies from one to three years. The entry qualification varies from 8th to 12th class completed students, depending on the requirements of trade. The training institutes have necessary infrastructural facilities. These institutes are required to conduct training courses as per the training curriculum decided by the NCVT. All-India Trade Tests (AITTs) are conducted in January and July every year by the DGET. After the completion of the training at the ITIs and ITCs, trainees must appear in the All India Trade Tests. National Trade Certificates will be awarded to those who pass the tests. The Certificates are recognized by the central Government for the purpose of recruitment at the central Government and the state-owned corporations. About 70 per cent of the training period is allotted to practical training and the rest to theoretical training relating to trade theory, calculation and science, engineering, social studies including environmental science and family welfare. Broad-based modular training is offered in four central model industrial training institutes (MITIs). This training offers an advantage of re-orienting the training modules as per the changing skill requirements in the industry. Trades related to the chemical plant operators. The trades related to chemical plant operators, the period of training and their entry qualifications under the CTS are summarized in table 1. Table 1. Trade, period of training and entry qualifications for chemical plant operators under the CTS Trade Period of training Entry qualifications Maintenance mechanic(chemical plant) 2 years Passed 10th class examination with physics, chemistry and mathematics under 10+2 system of education or its equivalent. Instrument mechanic (chemical plant) (a) 2 years (b) 6 months. Passed 10th class examination under 10+2 system of education with physics, chemistry and mathematics as one of the subjects or its equivalent. Passed B. Sc. with physics and chemistry. Attendant operator (chemical plant) (a) 2 years (b) 6 months Apprenticeship Training Scheme (ATS) With the growing tempo of planned economy giving rise to increased industrial activity both in the public and the private sectors. Systematic trained manpower is vital for Industrial development and productivity. Apprenticeship training is the most important programme for training skilled workers for these industries. India is one among the very few countries having a comprehensive and systematic Apprenticeship Training Scheme. In order to regulate and control of training the Apprenticeship Act of 1850 was enacted. Later on Parliament considered it necessary to enact a more comprehensive Act as the old Act if 1850 was found quite inadequate and so instead of just amending it, the new Act containing more detailed provision was enacted on the unanimous acceptance of recommendations of Shiva Rao Committee in 1961. Subsequently Apprenticeship Rules were framed for smooth implementation of the Act in 1962 and it was enforced with effect from 1963. Its scope was extended in 1973 to cover Engineering Graduates and Diploma holders. At present 254 specified groups of Industries are brought under the purview of Act 137 trades are designed under the apprenticeship Act. The ATS is operated under the Apprentices Act, 1961. The law requires all companies to provide apprentice training to entry-level workers. Firstly, we will briefly discuss the aims and the background of the Act, followed by the discussion concerning the ATS. BRIEF OBJECTIVES OF THE APPRENTICESHIP ACT 1961 ARE : (i)To regulate the programme of training of apprentices in the industry so as to confirm to the prescribed syllabi, period of training etc prescribed by the Central Apprenticeship Council, and (ii)To utilize fully the facilities available in the industry for imparting practical training with a view of meeting the requirements of skilled workers in the Industries. TRAINING OF TRADE APPRENTICES CONSISTS OF : 1. Basic Training 2. On the job training or Shop floor Training. 3. Related Instructions. INTRODUCTION. The Apprenticeship Act, 1961, come into force with effect from Ist March, Craftsman Training was proposed to be imparted under the Industrial Conditions on the shop floor. PURPOSE OF THE APPRENTICESHIP ACT, 1961. The Apprenticeship Act, 1961provides for the regulation and control of training for Apprentices in the country. This Act has been enacted in order to regularise the programme of their practical training and to ensure fully utilisation of the available training facilities. The Apprenticeship Training Scheme has two fold objectives namely :- ( a )Maximum utilisation of training potential to relieve unemployment and ( b )To give more intensive training to the Apprentices so as to bring their level of skill to entertain specified standards. Evolution of the Apprentices Act, 1961 The National Apprenticeship Scheme started in 1959 on a voluntary basis. The Apprentices Act was enacted in 1961 and promulgated on 1 March 1962. Initially, the Act envisaged training of trade apprentices. The Act was amended in 1973 to include training of graduates and diploma engineers as â€Å"graduate† and â€Å"technician† apprentices, respectively. The Act was further amended in 1986 to bring it within its purview the training of the 10 + 2 vocational training system as â€Å"technician (vocational)† apprentices. Administration of the Apprentices Act, 1961 The responsibility of administering the Apprentices Act, 1961, lies in the DGET. The DGET is also responsible for implementation of the Act with respect to trade apprentices in the central Government through the undertakings and departments. This is done through six regional directorates of apprenticeship training located at Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kanpur and Faridabad. State apprenticeship advisers are responsible for the implementation of the Act at the state level. In addition, the Department of Education in the Union Ministry of Human Resources Development (HRD) is responsible for the implementation of the Act with respect to graduate, technician and technician (vocational) apprentices. This is done through four boards of apprenticeship training located at Kanpur, Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai. Under the Act, the chemical industry is included in the categories of manufacture of basic chemicals and chemical products and manufacture of rubber, plastic, petroleum and coal products. APPRENTICESHIP TRAINING SCHEME (ATS) The Central Apprenticeship Council is a responsible organ to the ATS. The Council advises the central Government on designing the policies and prescribing the standards and principles in respect of the ATS. It is a tripartite organ. The Union Minister of Labour is the Chairperson of the Council and the Minister of State for Education is the Vice-Chairperson. COVERAGE The apprenticeship training is obligatory on the part of employers in public and private establishments; they must have the requisite training infrastructures, as laid down in the Act. In 2005 nearly 18,000 establishments engaged in the apprentice training, of which 254 companies or groups of companies in the chemical industry were covered by The Apprentices Act. For the attendant operators in the chemical plant, chemical companies must hire one apprentice trainee for every ten workers, excluding non-skilled workers. QUALIFICATIONS AND RECRUITMENT OF TRADE APPRENTICES. A person male or female not less than 14 years of age is qualified for being engaged as Apprentices. The entry educational qualifications for the Apprentice vary from 8th class or equivalent matric with mathematics and Ph/Chem/Biology/ English as prescribed by CAC. The apprentice before engagement should also satisfy such standards of physical fitness as prescribed. The recruitment of apprentices is the responsibility of the employers . Employers can seek the assistance of Employment exchanges, Industrial Training Institutes, Directorate of Technical Education and Industrial Training, Apprenticeship section, Placement section or advertisement through press can be recruited in the month of Feb/Mar or Aug/Sept of every year against the assessed vacant seats. The apprentices recruited during March/September shall complete their apprenticeship training during either of these two months and this subsequently helps them to appear in the All India Trade Tests of Apprentices held in the months of April and October every year without any idol period between the completion date of training and the dates of All India Trade Tests. The establishment can recruit trade apprentices from either of the following categories 1. Passed out trainees of Industrial Training Institutes. 2. Freshers possessing minimum educational qualifications. BENEFITS TO WEAKER SECTIONS While recruiting apprentice employer has to ensure that scheduled castes/ scheduled tribes, minorities, physically handicapped and other weaker sections of the society get fair deal and are engaged as prescribed. CONTRACT OF APPRENTICESHIP Every person or if he/she is a minor his Guardian shall have to execute a contract of apprenticeship with employer in the prescribed form, which has to be registered with the concerned Apprenticeship Advisor. The Apprenticeship training will be imparted in pursuance of this contract. The employer and the apprentices shall carry out their obligations under this contract. If where the contract of apprentice is terminated through failure on the part of the employer to carry out the term of contract and condition ( as notified under apprenticeship rules 6), he shall pay to apprentice compensation as prescribed. In the event of premature termination of contract of apprentice for failure on the part of apprentice to carry out the term and condition of contract ( as notified under Apprenticeship Rule 1991 ). The surety at the request of apprentices hereby guarantor to the employer the payment of such amount as determined by the State Apprenticeship Advisor and towards the cost of training. The liability of surety is limited to amount equal to the three month stipend last drawn and with interest at 12% per annum. BASIC TRAINING AND RELATED INSTRUCTION The period of basic training is most of the cases is either one year or two years. Apprentices who have undergone institutional training of one or two years in I. T. Is are not required to under go basic training. The time to be spent on related instructions during this period is 7 hours/ week i.e. one day per week. Where an employer employs in his establishment to 250 or more workers the entire responsibility for imparting basic training to apprentices is the responsibility of the employer himself. In case an employer in his establishment less than 250 workers, he shall have to bear only 50 percent of the cost of the basic training, the other 50 percent is borne by the Government. As regards Related Instructions, it is imparted at the cost of Government. Employer is re-imbrued related instruction charges at the rate of Rs. 50 per apprentices per month, when he arranges to impart related instructions. SHOP FLOOR OR ON THE JOB TRAINING RELATED INSTRUCTIONS. The remaining period of Apprenticeship which in most of cases is one year or two years is on the job/shop floor training and it will be the entire responsibility of the responsibility of the employer whether he employs less than 250 workers in his establishment. Several employers may join together to form training-co-operatives for the purposes of providing on the job (practical) Training related instructions. Related Instructions will be imparted during this period also at the cost of the Government. The training will be according o the standards prescribed by the Government in consultation with the Central Apprenticeship Council or as laid down in the prescribed syllabi. OBILIGATION OF EMPLOYERS. The employer shall provide the apprentice with the training in the trade in accordance with the provisions of the Apprentices Act and the Rules made thereunder and in terms of the contract of Apprenticeship. If he is not himself qualified in the trade, he shall ensure that a duly qualified is placed in charge of the training of Apprentices. He shall look after the health, safety and welfare of Apprentices. If personal injury is caused to an apprentice by an accident arising out of in course of his training as an apprentices, his employer shall be liable to pay compensation in accordance with the provisions of the workmens compensation Act. An employer shall pay stipend to every apprentice during the entire period of apprenticeship training. The minimum rates of stipend are as follows :- First Year Rs. 820/- per month Second Year Rs 940/- per month Third Year Rs 1090/- per month Fourth Year Rs 1230/- per month Employer can pay any higher rates of stipend to attract better candidates . Apprentices shall not receive any Bonus or incentive money. Hostel accommodation if available may be provided to the Apprentices but this not obligatory under the Act. OBLIGATION OF APPRENTICE Every apprentice shall learn his trade conscientiously and diligently. He shall attend practical and related instruction classes regularly and shall carry out all lawful orders of his employers and superiors in the establishment. In the matter of conduct and discipline the apprentice shall be governed by the rules and regulations applicable to workers in the trade in the establishment. He will be a trainee and not a worker and shall not take part in any strike etc. He shall also carry out his obligations under the contract of Apprenticeship. HOURS OF WORK,LEAVE ETC. The weekly and daily hours of work of an apprenticeship shall not exceed the following:- Daily: Not more than 8 hours (includes the time spent on related instructions). Weekly : Total number of hours per week shall be 42 to 48 (including the time spent on related instructions. ) Trade apprentices during the third subsequent years of apprenticeship shall work for the same number of hours per week as the workers in the trade in the establishment in which the trade apprentice is undergoing apprenticeship training. No apprentice shall be engaged on training between the hours of 10 P. M and 6 A. M. or required to work overtime except with the prior approval of the Apprenticeship Advisor. An apprentice shall be entitled to have casual,/medical and extra-ordinary leave as per leave rules of the establishment. If no proper leave rules exist in the establishment the apprentice shall be entitled to total 37 days leave of different types i. e. casual 12 days, medical 15 days extra-ordinary 10 days. Grant of such leave shall be subject to the following conditions:- a)That every apprentice engaged in an establishment which works for 5 days in a week(with a total of 45 hours per week) shall put in minimum attendance of 200 days in a year out of which one sixth namely 33 days shall be devoted to related instructions and 167 days to practical training. b) That every apprentice engaged in an establishment which works for 5 1/2 days or 6 days in a week shall put in minimum attendance of 240 days in a year out of which one sixth namely 40 days shall be devoted to related instructions and 200 days to practical training. In case an apprentice could not put in minimum period of attendance or could not complete his essential part of training for circumstances beyond his control, his period of training could be extended for a period of up to six months under Apprenticeship Act rule 5(2). Employer has to continue to pay the stipend for the extended period of training. FINAL TRADE TEST At the end of their training the apprentices are trade tested by the National Council Of Vocational Training . These All India Trade Tests under the Apprentices Act 1961are held twice a year some time in April and October. Every apprentice who passes this test is awarded National Apprenticeship Certificate which has been recognized by the Central and State Governments for the purposes of appointments in subordinate posts and services. EMPLOYMENT ON COMPLETION OF APPRENTICESHIP TRAINING. It shall not be obligatory on the part of the employer to offer any employment to an apprentice nor shall it be obligatory on the part of the apprentice to accept an employment under the employer on successful completion of training unless it is specifically provided in the contract of Apprenticeship. SEAT ASSESD/ SEAT UTILISED AS ON 31. 12 . 2005 |S. NO. |SEAT ASSESD |SEAT UTILISED | | |PUBLIC SECTOR |PRIVATE SECTOR |TOTAL |PUBLIC SECTOR |PRIVATE SECTOR |TOTAL | |1. |2541 |2821 |5362 |1779 |1330 |3109 | The role of the chemical industry in the national VET framework Chemical companies take the following roles and initiatives as their commitments to the national vocational education system: a) To deliver basic and practical training for apprentices in the industry by the enterprise, with the whole cost borne by the enterprise; b). To appoint  the experts from these training centres as members of the curriculum committee at the national level to draft the curricula for the Craftsmen and Apprenticeship Training Programme; c) To appoint the experts from these training centres as examiners and paper setters for the Craftsmen, Apprenticeship and Instructor Training Programmes; and d) To appoint the experts from the training centres as members of advisory committees, such as the Central Apprenticeship Council, the NCVT, the State Apprenticeship e) Council and the SCVT, as well as advisory committees of ITIs and ATIs. The companies on their own fund their in-house and external training programmes for their employees. Liberalization of the Indian chemical market and VET When liberalization hit the Indian chemical industry in the early 1990s, most of the chemical companies – regardless of the number of employees – were affected by a massive drive of cost reduction due to increased competition stemming from globalization. Before liberalization arrived in the chemical industry, the Government of India devised protective schemes to protect its industry and domestic market. In fact, the chemical industry was one of the major forces urging the Government to take protective measures. The rationale was that if the industry were not protected, it would have been wiped out, causing a loss to India’s exchequer. Under the protected market, chemical companies produced only enough to make minimum profits. The Government restricted the production capacity through corporate licensing. Hence, there was no incentive for chemical companies to improve the quality of product, reduce production cost or replace outdated machines and equipment with state-of the- art high-tech production systems. Improving workers’ skills in order to increase productivity had been barely considered. Once workers were employed by chemical companies, they received initial training but nothing further. Liberalization and the substantial reduction of customs tariffs in 1991 due to globalization shocked the manufacturing sector, in particular the chemical industry. Globalization resulted in the closing down of many small and medium-sized chemical firms in India. To cope with emerging globalization, chemical companies needed to change their business manners and business practices. Cost-cutting was the only way for them to survive in a keenly competitive globalized market. Chemical companies also took drastic measures to reduce workers as an inst.

History Of The Body Area Networks

History Of The Body Area Networks Abstract In the recent few years there is tremendous advancement especially in the field of integration circuit, small sensors and in the wireless networks.in body area networks (BANs) these devices considerably suitable for integrating in any scenario like health monitoring , in sport, and even in military prospective due to its considerable light weight , low power, and sensing capability. BANs provide cheap, reliable, and scalable system for monitoring daily activities for short to long period of time. But still there are a number of challenges issues like integration of devices, system designing according to the user scenario, security and privacy of the data, modification and social issues must be resolved in order for BANs to become ubiquitous. In our report we discus BANs background, its applications, and relationship. Introduction BANs (Body Area Networks) is a combination of micro and advanced Nano technology components for to improve the speed and accuracy of data recording. Generally BANs consist of small but sensitive sensors and actuators for monitoring and log data, then data sent to base station for storage. Users can access to this data in base station via internet or by other mean. BANs are actually a modern invention and primarily design for health industry (doctor and other staff) to monitor the health status. By taking the benefit of this technology we can monitor much more closely patients with chronic diseases like, asthma and diabetes. Doctor update the patients record quickly and efficiently to store general information of patients health. In United States and other part of Europe, they made different pilot programs to monitoring patients health status. They introduced bracelet with chips and antennas that can used to follow the patient position. They attached antennas on patient cloths to track him in the hospital and it send alert when he begins to collapse. A company is currently working on a project Healthy Aims [1] which focused on body devices that helps millions of people. Body Area Networks take low power radio frequencies (RF) and transfer the data of patients in real time. Doctors are able to monitor and change the setting for specific deployed devices on the body to improve the performance devices as well patient health. Pacemaker devices was produce 1960s have to endure pain and stress of surgery because it setup as a part of the body and send the patient health situation to RF transceiver, where it send directly to the doctor. This time interval always up to date the doctor about patient. By BANs Doctor an d his staff can access to patient record at any time so they dont need to visit the patient or patient dont need to visit the clinic, it is a good method in prospective of save time and money by visiting the clinic many time during the month or weeks. BANs is extremely compact and may be complex by its design, but as the sensor devices are very unassertive and a patient will be able to live a normal life. All sensors have same controlable mechanism like same element, power supply, and wireless transceivers. But they are design in such method that they can self-govern for the entire life [2]. They are designed for the measurement of temperature, movement, and location. Sensor and actuator implanted inside the body and they interact wirelessly each others in BANs and process data is transmitted from implanted devices to external devices. Mechanism of a actuator is like environmental agent. In BANs the data passes through sensor to sensor then sent to it base station where it can be transmitted to recipient via internet. 2 Body Area Networks History History about the body area network is not so old to go back many years to find out some material about BANs, taking advantages of some tiny useful technology in this sense is a new and unique idea. A number of different groups was work on PAN(personal area network) in Massachusett Institute of technology and that later grew out of the work on 1990s. The group actually wanted to get the information by interconnect different appliance on the body and to measure the position of the body by using electric field sensor. The main head for developing Personal Area Networks was Thomas G. Zimmerman. He introduces the new technology that allows the body to act like conductor. There was another name Neil Gershenfeld in that field who was in the Massachusett Institute of technology, incharged of the Media and Physics group. He and his group applied a method near -field coupling to solve the problem of determine the accurate position and its relationship with other parts, by fixing pairs of ante nnas on body part for example elbow and hand, and then run an electric current through them. They learned that as one move the capacitance of the circuit was charged. So they determine the exact position of the antennas after measuring the capacitance. There was a problem in the measurement method that the measurement was no longer accurate if hand was placed between the antennas but it was solved by the Zimmerman. There was actually another group working in the Media lab asked them to develop a network such that all electric gadgets that a person can carry are connected together. Many people carried digital devices around thereself but no one communicate to other.For example a person who has a mobile phone, a pager, a PDA or a digital watch mean all about his person at the same time. They both Zimmerman and Gershenfeld learned that, they can represent 1 or 0s, if they modulated the electric field which flowing through a person body,and allowing the body to carry digital information. At the end they discovered that if they used frequency and power that kept very low then the signal will not propagate far beyond the body. It mean that if devices could detect the signal on the body. This used of current at very low or small amount was unnoticed by anyone before. 2.1 Body Area Network Applications There are many possible application for communication like in the hospital, in patients monitoring system at home (post-operative care), use in a large scale throughout the world. There is also a list of BANs usages in various field like in sport, military, mesh, and in sport fields. Body Area Network Sports Applications In the present sporting arena many different readings are possible to take without having an athlete on a treadmill in a laboratory. It provide the platform to measure various levels during different competition in real life, for example in race, where coaches, need his pi athletes strengths and weaknesses. Body Area Mesh Network Applications The body area network consist of low-power and very reliable sensor networking. The low power usage allows longer life Batteries of motes or Gateways. The mesh network provides high reliability and long range communication. Mesh Networking is much more reliable and much capable of data sending Body Area Network Medical Applications Body Area Networks (BANs) can be used to provide interfaces for diagnostics purposes, in the hospital they used for administration of drugs, aid rehabilitation, and for remotely monitoring human physiological data. And for future prospective in hospital or at home it is used for monitoring the patient continuously and give required medication. So by this way patient need no more in the hospital with connected machines for monitoring. Body Area Network Military Applications Body Area Network has done a tremendous job in the military. So many of the military applications that we can use includes, their locations, health monitoring, their temperature and hydration levels, also very useful to enhance the strength, and many more factors for military prospective. 2.2 Body Area Network Devices 2.2.1 Body Area Network Sensors With rapid improvements in medical research, more and more health sensors have been developed to assist caregivers in monitoring their patients conditions. These sensors have been getting smaller, making it possible for the sensors to be worn or to be implanted into the human body. 2.2.2 Body Area Network Actuators The most significant products by any company would be the actuators. we can express an actuator as a device that transforms or converts energy into motion. Also applied as a force, an actuator usually is a mechanical apparatus that takes energy, normally constructed by liquid, air, or electricity, and converts that into a specific kind of motion. This particular product that would help build effective engineering designs in a safe and efficient manner and easily implemented anywhere according to the requirement. [3] 2.2.3 Body Area Network Devices usages Two main non-computer devices (sensors and actuators) can be used in BANs network. The main function of sensors are to measure human body parameters like temperature, electrocardiogram, heart beats rates and the pressure on the joints, These can be taken insidly or outsidely of the human body. Whereas Actuators have some particular action like to get the information received by the sensors and do work on instruction given by web or PDA. They are as following For monitoring muscle activity we can use an EMG (electromyography) sensor . For monitoring brain electrical activity we can use An EEG (electroencephalography) sensor. For monitoring trunk position we can use tilt sensor (TS). For monitoring respiration we can use breathing sensors. For monitoring heart activity we can use ECG (electrocardiogram) sensor. A sensor for blood pressure. To estimate a users activity we used movement sensors (MS). Description: http://www.sintef.no/upload/BAN.jpg Fig 2: A BAN on an Athlete : http://www.sintef.no/home/Information-and-Communication-Technology-ICT/Instrumentation/Biomedical-Instrumentation/Body-Area-Networks/ . 2.3 Body Area Networking Before implementing the Body Area Network, a number of networking issues need to be solved. In this interferences when a node sends data (after processing) directly to central devices there is direct communication that might causes unnecessary rises of temperature in the tissues, there is another way data is sent through intermediate nodes to the destination by multihop communication. The data might pass to other nodes to the way to PDA if node attached to foot, that mean that at the same time the number of data pathways night exist in the same tissues. Node are like routers but it eliminate internal interference and more energy efficient. In PANs communication IEEE 802.15 standard used which basically sure that all group devices in the design of BANs should work with all togather. 2.4 Body Area Network Software UC Berkley in California is developed Tiny OS (Operating System) which is an open sourse operating system in used wireless embedded sensor network.OS is extremely small in sense of memory and code writing which make it suitable for sensor network where they use minimum memory. The search is going on by using this tiny OS in sensor networks to measure some extra ordinary work . For examples sensor networks that are used to monitor volcanic eruptions and tracking/tracing (for help purposes) of fire fighters in buildings. There is a another option available that is toolkit of MSR network embedded sensors that allow user to perform different actions like process the data, collect data, and also visualise data from sensor network. The search is still going on so let us see which development OS or MSR come fist but till yet both available for free download. 3. Challenges of Body Area Networks (BANs) Body Area Networks (BANs) consists of tiny sensor that actually placed around the body (attached on the skin or on the cloths), which take power from attached battery or from body. In BANs all the nodes communicate collectively to the central node (PDA) or other devices which are connected to the internet so data pass through to a particular person or to a particular application. There are a numbers of challenges still in BANs networks which must be overcome by engineer, they are as following: Power sources of life timer needs to be increased in the sensors networks (SN), or adopt different methods to get energy from other sources like body heat so it also should be perfected. The interaction of the different sensors or nodes and the main node like PDA, that should be designed in such a way that it allow some specialist applications to be written to perform particular functions for example disease management. The device needs to be intelligence in sense of memory and processing capabilities for processing, storing and transferring the data. To give a full and clear picture of human physiology, Sensor need to be integrated Physically, Chemically, and Biologically and the BAN components integrated for reliable and cost effective way. 3. Body Area Network User Cases . Body Area Networks (BANs) technology actually develop biomedical engineering according to the natural byproduct of existing sensors. Actually this technology is suitable for any scenario by its low bound of power and bandwidthHowever,there are many potential to use BAN technology due to its flexibility that is as following, Body Sensor Networks (BSNs) Integration of different mobile devices Different personal video devices (VD) Audio system of wireless (WS). Monitoring system for sport and fitness. Each case have unique requirement in term of bandwidth, power usage, signal distance and for latency. These cases use IEEE 802.15 standard which is use for different working group in wireless personal area networks (WPANs). So they think to use this standard within different devices for inside and around the body.And later they develop the standard for BANs and introduces a long range of possible devices to support this standard. For power balance and data rate the task group gave applications and appropriate devices for development. The figure below describe the comparison between power load and data rate in BANs. Fig (1) comparison between data rate and power.[1] In the above picture as we can see the range of different devices which can be used in BANs in comparison of power consumption and data rate. The table below also give us a full picture of devices that conform to work in a similar set of requirement, according to the demand of user case, yet still encompass a wide range and variety of devices Network setup time (Per device setup time excludes network initialization) Network Density 2 4 nets / m2 Startup Time Power Consumption ~1 mW / Mbps Network Size Max: 100 devices / network Latency (end to end) 10 ms Distance 2 m standard 5 m special use Effective sleep modes Operation in global, license-exempt band Effective sleep modes Peer to Peer, and Point to Multi-point communication Future proof Upgradeable, scaleable, backwards compatible Quality of Service Guaranteed Bandwidth Latency (end to end) [1] http://www1.cse.wustl.edu/~jain/cse574-08/ftp/ban/index.html 6. Zigbee wireless sensor technology ZigBee is the specification of a low-cost, low-power wireless communications solution design to fulfil the needs and requirement of our architecture. ZigBee is of high level Communication protocols using small, low power digital radios bases on the IEEE 802.15.4 standard for wireless personal area Networks (WPANs). The Zigbee protocol standard contains the specifications of the network layer (NWK) and application layer (APL). Inside the application layer, functions are defined separately as the application support sub-layer (APS), the Zigbee device objects (ZDO), the Zigbee device profile (ZDP), the application framework (AF), and Zigbee security services. The comparisons of ISO OSI, TCP/IP, and ZigBee/802.15.4 are shown in the fig below: Fig 6.1.1 Zigbee with OSI Layers. Zigbee builds upon the physical layer and medium access control defined in IEEE standard 802.15.4 (2003 version) for low-rate WPANs. The specification goes on to complete the standard by adding four main components: network layer, application layer, Zigbee device objects (ZDOs) and manufacturer-defined application objects which allow for customization and favor total integration. Besides adding two high-level network layers to the underlying structure, the most significant improvement is the introduction of Zigbee device objects (ZDOs). These are responsible for a number of tasks, which include keeping of device roles, management of requests to join the architecture network, device discovery and security. Fig 6.1.2 Zigbee stack. 4. System Capability Requirements The characteristics of sensor networks and requirements of different applications have a vital role on the network design objectives in terms of network capabilities and network performance. The main design objectives for sensor networks include the following several aspects. Small Node Size:- Reducing node size is one of the primary design objectives of sensor networks. Reducing node size can facilitate node deployment, and also reduce the cost and power consumption of sensor nodes. Low Node Cost:- Reducing node cost is another primary design objective of sensor networks. It is important to reduce the cost of sensor nodes so that the cost of the whole network is reduced. Low Power Consumption:-Power is a major role in any System prospective. Reducing power consumption is the most important objective in the design of a sensor network. Since sensor nodes are powered by battery and it is often very difficult to change their batteries, it is crucial to reduce the power consumption of sensor nodes so that the lifetime of the sensor nodes, as well as the whole network is prolonged. Self Healing:-In sensor networks, sensor nodes are usually deployed in a region of interest without careful planning and engineering. Once deployed, sensor nodes should be able to autonomously organize themselves into a communication network and reconfigure their connectivity in the event of topology changes and node failures. Scalability:-In sensor networks, the number of sensor nodes may be on the order of tens, hundreds, or thousands. Thus, network protocols designed for sensor networks should be scalable to different network sizes. Adaptability:-In sensor networks, a node may fail, join, or move. This result changes in node density and network topology. Thus, network protocols designed for sensor networks should be adaptive to such density and topology changes. Reliability:-For many sensor network applications, it is required that data be reliably delivered over wireless channels. To meet this requirement, network protocols designed for sensor networks must provide error control and correction mechanisms to ensure reliable data delivery. Fault Tolerance:-Sensor nodes should be fault tolerant and have the abilities of self testing, self calibrating, self -repairing, and self recovering. Security:- Sensor nodes are deployed in a hostile environment and thus are vulnerable to adversaries. In such situations, a sensor network should introduce effective security mechanisms to prevent the data information in the network or a sensor node from unauthorized access or malicious attacks. 5. Research Pappers. A number of major operations on Mobilehealth are being conducting all over the world especially in European countries like Sweden, Germany, Spain, and Netherland. It is used to monitor a limited range of condition in patient outside the hospital by the medical personnel. Germany: Telemonitoring of patients with cardiac arrhythmia. The Netherlands: Integrated homecare for women with high-risk pregnancies, Tele trauma team. Spain: Support of home based healthcare services, Outdoor patient rehabilitation. Sweden: Lighthouse alarm and locator trial, Physical activity and impediments to activity for women with RA, Monitoring the vital parameters in patients with respiratory insuffiency, Homecare and remote consultation for recently released patients in a rural area. [3] http://www.mobihealth.org/ But a number of different issues arose as a result of these trials like handover, operator errors, data rate fluctuation, and the most common issue of power supplies insufficient. There are also some other issues like privacy and security (For instance, will the data that is being transferred remain private or is it secure), control and legal issues (may someone send false information to the network ) regarding BANs. If someone tell it to perform some dangerous function like make a patient warm or overdose, or is this legal to inform someone like companies that are interesting about its work weather he/she has weak heart or having any kind of disease in advanced BANs. Lastly some imported functions are operated and controlled by the computer that can be damage or stop working at any stage and the actuators that regulated the flow of certain chemical in the body stop then who is responsible, so these issues need to be address before BANs applied in the daily life routine.

Outbreak of the Marburg Virus :: History Journal Medical Essays

Report from Uige Province I have now been working in Angola as a medical relief agent for three months. It is only recently that people have started talking about a possible outbreak of the Marburg virus here in the Uige Province in Northern Angola. We fear the worst as this disease, a deadly but rare hemorrhagic fever related to the Ebola virus, has many similar symptoms to other infectious diseases such as Malaria or typhoid fever making it difficult to diagnose. After incubating for five to twenty-one days, the disease comes on swiftly with symptoms such as fever, chills, muscular tenderness and headache.1 The fifth day of infection is marked by the appearance of discolored spots and raised bumps around the chest, stomach and back area. Other symptoms at this stage include vomiting, chest pains, nausea, and diarrhea.2 These symptoms quickly become more severe resulting in jaundice, severe weight loss, inflammation of the pancreas, shock, liver failure, and multi-organ dysfunction3. Typically lasting 3-9 days, if a person does survive this period, the recovery process is prolonged, oftentimes marked with recurrent hepatitis, inflammation of the spinal cord, eyes, and parotid gland, transverse myelitis, and orchitis.4 This is worrisome, as in the region where I am currently working there is little room in the local hospital and very limited funds. If the outbreak grows it can only cause more fatalities due to our lack of resources. As of now, only sporadic cases have been reported since the last Marburg virus outbreak in Druba, in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 19985. We can only hope for limited spread of infection, as there is no cure or vaccine for this deadly virus. December 17th, 2004 As of now, there have been 34 reported cases of what might be the Marburg virus and 34 deaths thus resulting in a 100% fatality rating. Currently the outbreak here in Angola is the worst epidemic of any kind of hemorrhagic fever and is continuing to infect as the number of cases increases around 3% each day.6 Fortunately WHO, the World Health Organization, has sent operatives to investigate if, in fact, the virus that is spreading is the Marburg virus and not another hemorrhagic virus. The whole staff at the hospital is becoming nervous, as we are particularly vulnerable to infection.

Korean Comfort Women Essays -- History Korea Japan War Essays

Comfort women, or ianfu as they are called in Korean, are females who were forced sex slaves for the Japanese Imperial Army (Chunghee). Some of the women were dragged off with physical force as their families wept, while others were actually sold to the army by their destitute families (Watanabe). Still other were officially drafted by the Japanese Imperial Army and believed they would be factory workers or nurses (Hwang in Schellstede 4). Some Korean village leaders were ordered to send young women to participate in "important business for the Imperial Army" (Watanabe). Many Japanese soldiers referred to comfort women as teishintai, which means â€Å"volunteer corps,† so those women who thought they would be working in a factory would not understand what the army really intended to do with them (Kim in Schallstede 25). Jungshindae was the women’s labor corps in which the women would work at a military factory and receive wages. Many women believed this was what th ey would be doing when they were recruited by the army (anonymous in Schellstede 103). The horrific practice of using comfort women for the army carried over from World War II to the Korean War. Many feel that the practice of comfort women lies in discrimination on the part of the Japanese in terms of gender, ethnicity, and race. â€Å"Created through legalized prostitution based on patriarchy, colonialism, and imperialism, the system of comfort women clearly demonstrates that capitalism, sexism, and racism are linked and perpetuated both in the colonial and postcolonial eras† (Watanabe). Estimates as to how many comfort women there were range anywhere from 80,000 to 200,000, and it is believed that approximately 80% of them were Korean. Others came from the Philippi... ...on and a decent apology. As for whether they will receive what they seek, only time and the Japanese government will tell. Works Cited â€Å"Album: Comfort Women History.† 2003. Brown University Korean American Students Association. 1 Dec. 2002. Horn, Dottie. â€Å"Comfort Women.† 1997. Endeavors. Jan. 1997. Schellstede, Sangmie Choi, ed. Comfort Women Speak: Testimony of Sex Slaves of the Japanese Military. New York: Holmes & Meier, 2000. Soh, Chunghee Sarah. â€Å"The Comfort Women Project.† 1997. San Francisco State University. 3 Mar. 2002. Watanabe, Kazuko. "Militarism, Colonialism, and the Trafficking of Women: ‘Comfort Women’ Forced into Sexual Labor for Japanese Soldiers". 1994. Bulletin of Concerned Asian Scholars. Oct. 1994. Kim, Huun Jin. â€Å"Comfort Women.† 2003. Voices. Hicks, George. The Comfort Women. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1994

Effects Of Video Gaming :: essays research papers

My heart hammered in my chest as I raced out of the doorway just ahead of another explosion. Fragments from the blast sent pinpricks of searing pain shooting through my nervous system and gave me a new spurt of energy. Screaming like a madman, I sped across the courtyard and then scrambled over a low wall, falling into what I hoped was some sort of temporary refuge. The constant string of explosions abated, so I attempted to collect myself and take stock of my situation. My injuries weren't all that serious, so I hastily popped a pain pill into my parched mouth and washed it with a refreshing swig of water from my flask. Noting an angle in the wall to my left, I scurried around a small shrub towards the safety of two solid walls at my back and the protective screen of the bush. And I found my salvation there, nestled in the shadows of a recess at the bottom of the wall. Like a jackal to carrion I pounced and scooped my prize up, then crouched in my obscure hiding spot. I tensely scanned through the leaves of the bush in front of me, alert for any hint of movement. My search was almost instantly rewarded, as my pursuer, howling like a banshee, burst through a pair of large wooden gates about twenty yards in front of me. I popped up out of my hiding spot, centered the crosshairs of my newly acquired rocket launcher, and squeezed off a shot just as he turned in my direction. I was close enough to see the look of bloodlust on his face turn to mortal fear in his microsecond recognition of this sudden turn of the tables. The rocket caught him square in the chest, exploded with a satisfying boom, and scattered shards of flesh and gore in all directions. I was safe at last... Right now you might be thinking that I am a covert agent for the CIA, or a bodyguard for a central American drug lord, but with either of those assumptions you would be far off of the correct track. I'm merely a member of the already large and still rapidly growing number of people who regularly play computer video games. Our group is often criticized because of the violent nature and graphic content of many of the games which are currently popular, however I feel that these criticisms are largely unwarranted.

Htc Company Analysis

Running head: HTC CORPORATION 1 HTC CORPORATION INSHA SHAH UNIVERSITY OF AKRON Running head: HTC CORPORATION 2 HTC AT A GLANCE HTC Corporation (originally High Tech Computer Corporation) is a smart phone manufacturer founded in 1997 and based in Taiwan, as an outsourcing company. HTC Corporation prides itself on offering open source mobile phones which are easy for both developers and users, and has quickly established its reputation as a leading company behind many of the markets most popular operated branded-devices. According to the HTC profile on the Wikipedia Online Encyclopedia HTC retains approximately 13,000 employees.They follow the typical tall organizational structure with many layers between workers and the CEO. It is highly centralized: top decisions are made by the CEO of the company. HTC Corporation has launched several major HTC- Branded products on the international market with the intention of becoming the leading innovative supplier of mobile information and commun ication devices. In fact, HTC Corporation was the first on the international market to offer the Android mobile device platform through its HTC Dream hardware, marketed as the T-Mobile G1 model.In support of this, HTC Corporation has expanded its technological and marketplace strength through partnership with major player Microsoft and leading mobile phone operators of Orange, O2, T-Mobile, Vodafone, Cingular, Verizon, Sprint and NTT DoCoMo (â€Å"HTC. Com†). Most recently in Australia, HTC Corporation launched its three latest handsets- HTC Snap, HTC Touch Diamond2 and HTC Touch Pro2 to add to its 11 devices currently in the Australian market. The new technology founded in these highly popular products is designed to be finger-touch friendly, with improved mobile integration technology, and dual microphone and speakers.The HTC Corporation’s newest feature is the â€Å"inner circle† which allows the users to bring emails from a preselected group to a top of thei r inbox, making business on the go even easier (â€Å"mobile. com†). HTC Corporation Product Innovation includes: ? ? ? ? ? ? Open Handset Alliance Smartphone S Series ( Smartphone) T Series (Touch Phone) P series (PDA Phone) X Series ( Mobile Computer) A Series ( Android Phone) According to the source of mobile. com, HTC now specializes in providing its own and other operator branded products in addition to its original equipment manufacturer partners.HTC has a subsidiary company, Dopod, a Taiwan-based manufacturer of Windows Mobile Smartphones. As a company, HTC Corporation has gone from strength to strength, with HTC receiving recognition as the second-best performing technology company in Asia in 2007 by BusinessWeek, and the number three spot in its Global Listing in 2006. Running head: HTC CORPORATION 3 The size of the corporation can be classified in two ways: (I) by revenue and (II) by market capitalization. According to the report from Taiwan Economic News, HTCâ€⠄¢s Market Capitalization has recently climbed to $438 billion.Also the corporation shipment and revenue continues to grow to $9. 449 billion. COMPANY PERSPECTIVE Their mission is to become the leading supplier of the mobile information and communication devices by providing value added designs, world-class manufacturing and logistics and service capabilities. HTC continues to establish a high volume manufacturing facility and its focus on high wireless capability. They intend to develop a software team capable of creating a world class consumer and business application that will enhance the value of their hardware.HTC is dedicated to the belief that each mobile device needs to fit its owner. Their goal is to make a product of observing, honoring how individuals choose to interact with a technology. Their mission is to strengthen the relationship through innovative design strategies and sophisticated branding initiatives (â€Å"HTC. com†) HTC’s vision is to address the communications and administration needs of a professional organization of all sizes with intuitive platforms and sophisticated branding initiatives. Their focus is to make people’s ives easier through mobility and convenience. They want users to be able to talk to friends and relatives, read books and access the internet on one device. With their smartphone they have started to see this vision come true (â€Å"HTC. Com†). HTC’s values: ? ? ? Excellence in everything they do Commitment to clients, brands, projects and industry. Honor in dealing with clients, suppliers, employees (â€Å"fastcompany. com†) CULTURE AT HTC HTC prides itself on its cutting-edge technology and innovative spirit. From studying its own website, HTC’s culture is competitive and diverse.Under the â€Å"Careers† tab, nine different employees’ pictures are featured with a video advertising HTC’s appeal as an employer. Five of the nine employees pictured ar e women; three are women of color, and all nine employees appear to be under the age of 40. HTC’s culture is hip, diverse, and fastpaced. The video stressed that technology is constantly improving and the â€Å"best idea† rather than the â€Å"biggest title† moves forward. This shows that the culture at HTC values creativity and competition (â€Å"HTC. Com†).HTC makes annual donations to the Social Welfare and Charity Foundation or Educational Foundation. This foundation funds leadership and character training for elementary, junior high and senior high students, cosponsors local community development and urban cultural revitalization efforts, targets the special needs of disadvantaged groups, and provides disadvantaged children opportunities to further their academic careers. Running head: HTC CORPORATION 4 The HTC Foundation established the nation's first institute dedicated to character-building and English training in the Hualien's Meilun District.The institute provides character-building and English enhancement curricula free of charge to fourth grade elementary school students from around Hualien County. In addition, the Foundation offers scholarships for children with special financial needs and financial aid to low-income families and sponsors after-school tutoring programs. Each year, Foundation disbursements benefit over 2,000 youth from disadvantaged families both in Taiwan and overseas (â€Å"HTC. Com†). HTC STRATEGY HTC Corporation uses a differentiation strategy to attract customers looking for more choices.HTC expects differentiation product in terms of innovation and execution. They focus on innovation and execution to enhance product proposition and offer consumers a variety of products. When they think of increasing the quality and the variety of the product, they first consider what the customer will value. They are offering a wide range of product lines to outperform their competitors like Apple and Nokia. HTC has produced an amazing number of phones, all of which have an impressive array of applications and features.They do have the cutting edge when it comes to hardware, but if a consumer can't afford these more expensive versions HTC’s older models (like the Hero) are still well built and functional. In addition, HTC offers a variety of body forms and builds, including some devices with physical keyboards (â€Å"htc. com†). FINANCIAL POSITION To shadow on the financial stability of the HTC CORP I used liquidity ratio and leverage ratio. The liquidity ratios measure the company’s ability to cover its expenses. The two main liquidity ratios I used to analyze the company’s financial health are current ratio and quick ratio (â€Å"investing. businessweek. om†). 1) The Current Ratio is a reflection of financial health. It is the number of times company’s current assets exceeds the current liabilities, which is the indication of the solvency of that business. The formula to compute the current ratio is Using the earlier Balance Sheet data of the HTC CORP, we can compute the company’s current ratio as: = = 1. 3 times This tells us that the current liabilities are covered by current assets by 1. 3 times. The HTC CORP is able to cover their short term expenses which are meant to be covered with in a period of one year. 2) The Quick Ratio is also called the acid test ratio.This is because it looks at the company’s most liquid assets and compares them to current liabilities. The quick ratio tests whether a business can meet its obligation even if adverse conditions occur. The formula to compute the quick ratio is: Assets considered being quick assets include cash, bonds, stock, and accounts receivable. Using the Balance Sheet data of the HTC CORP, we can compute the quick ratio of the company as: Running head: HTC CORPORATION = = = 1. 1 times 5 This indicates that the ratio is considered satisfactory, as long as t he collection of the receivables is not expected to slow.So the HTC CORP seems to have adequate resources to cover its debts. In order to identify the long term coverage of the company, we are focusing on one of the main leverage ratios. Leverage ratio measures the stability of a company and its ability to repay its debts. These ratios are of particular interest to banks. They should be of interest to shareholders as well since it gives the strong indication of the financial health and the viability of the business. 3) The Debt-to Equity Ratio is a measure of how dependent a company is on a debt financing as compares to owners equity it shows us how much of a business is owned and how much is owed.The Debt-to-Equity ratio is computed as follows: Using the Balance Sheet data of the HTC CORP we can compute the debt-to equity ratio: Times Since the Debt-to-equity ratio is greater than 1, i. e. , (1. 8 times), the capital provided by the lenders exceeded the capital provided by the owne rs. But because of the greater ratio it has high risk defaults too. It varies with the type of business and the risk attitude of management. Year over year HTC has been able to grow over their bottom line from $29 billion to $59 billion primarily through revenue growth ($142. 9 billion to $277. 7 billion).For a while the costs associated with cost of goods sold, and income tax all increased as a percentage of sales, the growth in top lines revenues contributed enough to still see net income. HTC Corporation uses little or no debt in its capital structure and may have less financial risk than the industry aggregate. Accounts Receivable is typical for the industry, with 58. 31 days worth of sales outstanding. Lastly, HTC Corporation is among the least efficient in its industry at managing inventories, with 30. 39 days of its Cost of Goods Sold tied up in Inventories (â€Å"investing. businessweek. com†). Therefore the overall financial tability of the corporation is stable and healthy. They have adequate resources to cover their debts and unforeseen uncertainties. MY CAREER at HTC Yes, HTC could be good place to obtain my first career oriented-position. HTC is the part of the global market that breeds flexibility, new technologies and innovation. It will create a platform for the new opportunities to explore and do creative things. I fit the HTC profile of being young, educated and a global citizen: while growing up in Kashmir and going to college in America, I’ve relied on technology and most recently, my own smartphone, to navigate my day.I would bring creativity and a fresh perspective to HTC’s worktable. Running head: HTC CORPORATION REFERENCES Bloomberg Businessweek. (2012, April 10). Retrieved from http://investing. businessweek. com/research/stocks/financials/financials. asp? ticker=2498:TT 6 HTC Corporation. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://www. htc. com/us/about/careers/industrial-designer-corporate-strategy-office/422 HTC Corporatio n. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://www. htc. com/us/about/social-responsibility HTC. (n. d. ). In Wikipedia Online Encyclopedia. Retrieved from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/HTC

Oil Drilling and Gas Extraction Industry in the US Analysis

DATE: September 16, 2012 TO: Patricia Bennett, Supervising Principal FROM: Connor Sims, Associate SUBJECT: Oil Drilling & Gas Extraction Industry in the US Analysis (21111) This report presents information regarding the industry, the primary operator of oil and gas field properties. The industry fuels its key buyers, the Natural Gas Distribution (22121) and the Petroleum Refining (32411) industries, with crude oil and natural gas. The industry continuously battles a shortage of available oil. In addition, many major oil fields have been in use for decades, slowly waning.Currently, the industry grosses among the most profitable in the US despite these and similar obstacles. The benefits of investing here potentially outweigh concerning risks. Because of the esteemed value of the industry’s products, consistent demand for its products, and its positive near-future outlook, diversification into this industry may produce rewarding profitability in the short-term. High Product Valu e Crude Oil Prices The key economic driver for the Oil Drilling & Gas Extraction Industry, crude oil prices, determines much of its profitability according to supply and demand.Price trends in West Texas Intermediate, a grade of crude oil used as a benchmark in oil pricing, display the growth of its value in the past 3 years and past decade. An average barrel of crude oil grew from $26. 18 in 2002 to $61. 95 in 2009, $79. 48 in 2010, and $94. 87 in 2011 (Airlines, 2012). JP Morgan analysts project average annual prices above $99 in upcoming years (Sethuraman, 2012). Such upward growth points to lucrative profits. Natural Gas Outlook Natural gas production accounts for 41. 6% of industry revenue in 2012. Prices n natural gas reached a 10-year low in April this year, but have erupted by more than 70% since (Hargreaves, 2012). Natural gas has seen an abundantly large output due to recent discoveries of natural gas in the Appalachian Basin; this large supply has kept prices relatively l ow recently, leaving opportunity for even higher profitability in future years. Consistent Demand Fueling US Industries The Oil Drilling & Gas Extraction Industry is the sole supply industry for its two demand industries, Petroleum Refining and Natural Gas Distribution (Hersch).The US internally consumes 19,150,000 barrels of oil per day, doubling the world’s second largest consumer, China (Index, 2012). IBIS World describes the industry’s demand industries as â€Å"mature,† assuring the stable demand for our industry’s products (Hersch). Rising Exports, Foreign Buyers Current international relations appear conducive to this industry’s profitability. In 2011, for the first time since 1949, the US exported more refined oil than it imported (Winters, 2012); this evidences the success between the supply industry and its demand industries detailed above.Additionally, oil exports to China will surge as it industrializes quickly. China’s exponenti ally growing demand leads to worldwide price increases (Hersch). Any increases, particularly increase this substantial, raise the WTI average price per barrel, increasing profitability. Positive Current Standing Favorable Market Concentration The four largest firms in the industry comprise of approximately 30. 0% of total revenue (Hersch, 2012). Market share concentration is low, allowing firms of any size to portion the industry’s $345. 9 billion revenue this year.The competitive aspect of entering this industry would not be a difficult obstacle to overcome. Profit Margin The Oil Drilling and Gas Extraction Industry reels in a significantly larger margin in comparison to related industries. 46% of all industry revenue goes to profit, higher than the average for the entire mining sector, 39. 2% (Hersch, 2012). In 2008, the industry returned the 7th highest profit margin among US industries (Hargreaves). Profit margins have increased in the past 5 years as result of rising cru de oil prices. Risks and Concerns Barriers of EntryMost major oil and gas producers integrate services beyond drilling and extracting; many dualize as refining or distribution firms, circumventing demand industries en route to more direct profitability. New firms lacking this versatility may find an obstacle upon entry to the industry (Hersch, 2012). Additionally, firms in this industry must specialize in exploration and discovery for oil and gas resources. Firms may struggle finding initial success in this role due to the limited nature of resources. Long-term Resource Depletion ‘Peak oil’ refers to the prime of any field’s production, after which goes into terminal decline.Most major US oil fields are beyond peak oil. The largest US oil field, Prudhoe Bay, has been depleting since 1979 (Prudhoe, 2012). The US Energy Information Administration indicates much production, particularly in the Alaskan North Slope, depends on world oil prices (Energy, 2012). Geophysi cists and politicians debate over specifications regarding overall US peak oil, arguing the year in which US peak oil occurred. International Comparison In addition to the US peak oil situation, the US Oil Drilling and Gas Extraction Industry faces heavy foreign market competition.In 2011, the US ranked 3rd in oil production, behind Saudi Arabia and Russia (Energy, 2012). Saudi Arabia’s OPEC governor expects Saudi output to rise steadily beyond 2030 with a 1. 5 million barrel per day spare production capacity then (Energy, 2012). Russia holds the world’s largest natural gas reserves, and its fuel exports have steadily increased since each year since 1999 (Energy, 2012). Conclusion Despite entry risks and threats of limited resources, evidence supports the likelihood of success for us to diversify into the industry under certain stipulations.A new firm will implicitly face the challenge of exploring for land not already claimed by another firm. Additionally, alternative methods of energy will irrefutably have to replace oil drilling and gas extraction within an uncertain future; the remaining supply simply cannot match the demand forever. Two central obstacles hesitate immediate diversification: a barrier of entry and a negative long-term outlook. However, we must decide whether the benefits outweigh the concerns. World prices of oil and gas and China’s growing demand directly affect profitability.Because evidence above shows substantial progress in both of these drivers with a very positive short-term outlook, diversification must be considered. If presence in the industry can be established quickly and will remain only until profitability falls, I recommend diversification. References Airlines For America (2012). Annual Crude Oil and Jet Fuel Prices. http://www. airlines. org/Pages/Annual-Crude-Oil-and- Jet-Fuel-Prices. aspx.. Retrieved September 16, 2012. Energy Information Administration (2012). Project Alaska North Slope oil production at risk beyond 2025 if oil prices drop sharply. Today In Energy. http://www. ia. gov/todayinenergy/detail. cfm? id=7970 Retrieved September 16, 2012. Prudhoe Bay Fact Sheet (2012). British Petroleum. www. bp. com/assets/bp†¦ us†¦ /A03_prudhoe_bay_fact_sheet. pdf Retrieved September 16, 2012. Hargreaves, Steve (2012). Natural gas prices surge 70%. CNN Money. http://money. cnn. com/2012/07/24/investing/natural-gas- – prices/index. htm. Retrieved September 16, 2012. Hersch, Laura. (2012). IBIS World Industry Report 21111. Oil Drilling & Extraction In the US. Retrieved September 16, 2012 from IBIS World Database. How the US Uses Oil (2012). Alternative Energy. Retrieved September 16, 2012. ttp://alternativeenergy. procon. org/view. resource. php? resourceID=001797 Index Mundi (2012). http://www. indexmundi. com/g/r. aspx? c=us&v=91. Retrieved September 16, 2012. Sethuraman, Nathan (2012). Poll: Increasing numbers see oil below $100 in 2013, 2014. Reuters. http://www. r euters. com/article/2012/06/27/us-oil-poll- idUSBRE85Q14720120627. Retrieved September 16, 2012. Winter, Michael (2012). U. S. Exported more gasoline than imported last year. USA Today. http://content. usatoday. com/communities/ondeadline/post/2012/0 2/us-exported-more-gasoline-than-imported-last-year/1#. UFav7BhGhgI