Technology

Boeing is the world leader in the manufacturing of aeronautical for domestic as well as defense purposes. Boeing has a wide customer base in many parts of the world and its operations spread across multiple countries. Boeing does not have its manufacturing presence in India and it is considering the expansion of its operations in to India. This gives the company easy access to a number of resources required for the manufacturing of its planes such as raw materials and highly skilled labor resource etc... However there could be several risks associated when a company ventures into a new country to establish its operations in that country. This paper aims to evaluate the risks involved in Boeings possible entry into India and the possible mitigation measures. The main objective here is to examine if it could still be favorable for Boeing to venture into India in spite of these risk factors.
   
Boeing  its prospective expansion into India
Boeing is the worlds leading aerospace company and the largest manufacturer of commercial jetliners and military aircraft combined. Additionally, Boeing designs and manufactures rotorcraft, electronic and defense systems, missiles, satellites, launch vehicles and advanced information and communication systems. As a major service provider to NASA, Boeing operates the Space Shuttle and International Space Station. The company also provides numerous military and commercial airline support services. Boeing has customers in more than 90 countries around the world and is one of the largest U.S. exporters in terms of sales. (Boeing, 2009)

Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, USA, it headed by W. James McNerney, Jr as its CEO, James A. Bell as its CFO and J. Michael Luttig as its General Counsel. Its revenue figure was US  60.91 Billion for the financial year of 2008. It then had a net income of  2.67 billion.
Boeings official website sources (Boeing) indicate that Boeing has manufacturing, technology and service partnerships with firms across the globe. It has around 22,000 contracts with partners and suppliers globally. It also has designing, research and technology development centers in many countries. Boeing currently has its operations in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Middle East, Russia, Spain and UK.

Currently does not have its manufacturing presence in India. It would be a good option for Boeing to venture into the Indian market to establish its manufacturing presence in that country. This would be a right time for Boeing to enter into India to set up its manufacturing presence because of the relatively cheaper human resources. India is also strategically located connecting various parts of Asia and Australia through land and sea on one side and the gulf countries and Europe on the other side. This is would be very convenient for Boeing to acquire raw materials easily for its manufacturing operations in India. India is also a hub for the manufacture and export of many auto components so Boeing will have an easy access to all the raw materials it requires for the manufacture of its products from the Indian market. Another import factor to be considered is that Indian government is very investor friendly and it encourages foreign investors by providing them various incentives such as land at cheap prices to construct their industries, tax concessions etc Therefore it would be a good idea for Boeing to venture into India to set up its manufacturing base.
However when a corporation is venturing into a new country to establish its operations there, there could be a number for factors that need to be considered before entering the country. These factors include the risk factors such as the political risks, legal risk, financial risk etc We also need to consider the nature of business risks associated with the new venture by taking into consideration various issues associated with the competitors and customers. Last but not the least the cross cultural differences between the employees of the home country (USA) as well as India need to be considered to understand the potential risks or opportunities that could arise out of such differences. All these risk factors will now be discussed in detail in the following pages.

Business Risks
Today, HAL has 19 Production Units and 9 Research and Design Centers in 7 locations in India. The Company has an impressive product track record - 12 types of aircraft manufactured with in-house R  D and 14 types produced under license. HAL has manufactured over 3550 aircraft, 3600 engines and overhauled over 8150 aircraft and 27300 engines. (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited)

There are certain business risks that are involved in Boeing expanding its operations into India. Boeing may encounter some of the aircraft manufacturers in the Indian market such as Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). Though HAL might not be a direct threat to Boeings global businesses in the short run, there might be some other significant problems that Boeing may face due to HALs presence in India. HAL may go for lateral recruitment of Boeings employees which might leak sensitive information or its higher end technology to HAL. Since these two will be the two major aircraft manufacturing companies they both may end up employee poaching from each other. This may result in higher employee attrition rate among both the companies.

On the international front, its major competitor Airbus might go a step further by establishing its manufacturing facilities in China which is even cheaper in terms of manpower thereby reducing its overall production costs of aircrafts. This may result in a price war between the major air craft manufacturers. 

Political and Legal Risk
India is the worlds largest democracy. The Indian democracy has been quite successfully running the economy right from the time of the Indian independence of 1947. However in the Indian parliamentary democracy there is a chance that no party might get a full majority at times and a coalition government may be formed. If such shall be the case as it had been for quite a number of times in the past, the developmental activities in the country and the economic progress will be slowed down. Who comes to power is highly unpredictable in Indian politics.

India has had coalition governments at the Centre as well as in individual states since the last two decades. Since India is a diverse country with different ethnic, linguistic and religious communities, it also has diverse ideologies. (The Viewspaper, 2008)

There might be a lot of differences between the central and the state governments. In such a scenario, the businesses may have to get the support from both the centre and the state. A lack of support from any one of the government bodies could result in a problem to the business establishment. This fact has been very clearly established when one of the US companies (Exon Mobil) had the support of the central government to conduct its operations in India, however it had failed to impress upon the state government of Maharashtra in which it had started its operations. As a result, the state government created problems to the company and made sure that its was not able to carry out its business operations in India.

In India, the web of corruption probably has a bureaucratic core. A vast bureaucracy that is instituted to control every aspect of economic life creates the incentives for individual and institutionalized corruption. Then the democratic political system uses that bureaucracy to extract rents that are used for fueling the vast political machinery. (Dey, 2003)

Another major problem running a business in India is the corrupt bureaucracy. The businesses could also turn this factor to their advantage because they could easily get things done by bribing the appropriate government officials. 

US President Barack Obama on Tuesday took note of the historic animosity between Pakistan and India and signaled the United States wanted to find ways to reduce tensions between the two countries. (httpwww.thenews.com.pktop_story_detail.aspId25767)

India is known to have had tensions with its neighbors such as Pakistan on the issue of Kashmir and with China on the issue of Tibet and Arunachal Pradesh. However these tensions seemed to have been reduced considerably these days as these countries are opting to resolve the issues with peace talks. 

More than 600 people have been killed and hundreds maimed and devastated in terror strikes in India in the last six years. (The Times of India, 2008)

India in the past has been subject to quite a number of terrorist attacks. There have been incidences of serial blasts in Mumbai, Delhi, and Bangalore etc which have been the work of terrorists.

India is a diverse country with a number of religions and languages coexisting together. Though there have been a few communal clashes in the past, India has been quite peaceful for most of the time in its history with the presence of relatively less communal violence on its soil.

Over three million cases are pending in just the 18 High Courts and more than 20,000 cases are pending in the Supreme Court for admission, interim relief or final hearing. This is not the full story since million more cases are pending at lower courts. The most protracted lawsuit ever recorded was in India (which has the dubious distinction of entering the Guinness Book of records). A Mahant, or a keeper of a temple, filed a suit in Pune in 1205 A.D., and the case was decided in 1966  a full 766 years later. However, we can take consolation that this is not the average time taken by the Indian courts for deciding cases. It is estimated that on average a case can take from seven to fifteen years. (Vaidyanathan, 2005)

The country has a good judicial system in place which was originally set up by the British. Justice will be served in this country but however there is a chance that it might be served very slow.

To overcome most of these political and legal risks, Boeing could find a suitable partner to enter into a joint venture in India. It could alternatively have a subsidiary company in India giving it sufficient freedom in India to run the business operations.

Financial Risk
There could be a minor degree of financial risk when Boeing is investing in India. Boeing being a manufacturer of sensitive defense equipment may be a terror target. Hence it would be ideal for Boeing to get insurance for its manufacturing plant as well as for its inventory.

The fact of the matter is that indirect tax is one area where very fewer reforms have been made over a couple of decades. Kelkar, chairman of the 13th Finance Commission has evolved an excellent and modern indirect tax regime known as GST (goods and service tax), which, if all goes well would be made operational from April 1, 2010. (Yadav, 2009)

Another form of financial risk that Boeing could encounter in India is the change in tax rates. There is a likely hood of this happening however the possibility is very less because India is moving towards the implementation of the GST which shall be in effect from the mid of the following year. Once the new tax law is implemented the chances of any further changes in the taxes will be very less.

Boeing could raise up to 50 of its finances for its expansion into India from the Indian market itself either through debt or equity. This significantly reduces the financial risk that Boeing will be carrying.
In spite of facing the financial risk, the Indian venture will still be very attractive to Boeing because of the significant reduction in the costs that Boeing could achieve on each plane that it manufactures in India.

Cross cultural differences
An Indian who hesitates to say No may actually be trying to convey that he is willing to try, but presuming the task to be unrealistic in nature, he may worry whethe he would get the job done. It is important to create a safe and comfortable work environment where it is okay to say No and also okay to make mistakes without the fear of repercussions. (Stulus Inc)

There are a lot of cross cultural differences between the United States and India that Boeing needs understand in order for it to be successful in its Indian venture.

Indias informal economy remains a large, important source of employment. The non-salary cost of employing a worker is moderate, but dismissing a redundant employee is costly. The difficulty of laying off a worker creates a disincentive for job creation. (The Heritage Foundation, 2009)

While in the United States, Boeing could afford to follow the classic hire and fire system, the Indian conditions make it difficult for Boeing to do so. Firing an employee in India is not as easy a job as hiring them.

In a group discussion, only the senior most person might speak, but that does not mean that the others agree with him. They may maintain silence, without contradicting him (or you) out of respect for seniority. Westernized Indians on the other hand can be quite assertive and direct and it is fine to treat them in the same manner. Politeness and honesty go a long way in establishing the fact that your intentions are genuine. (Stulus Inc)

However there are a lot of advantages in hiring the Indian employees. Indian workers are known for their inclination towards work. They would be easily willing to work in different shifts like in the night shift.
Women are treated with respect in the work place. They feel quite safe and secure in most organizations in India. Foreign women working here will find it easy to adapt to an Indian work environment. However, they need to plan their wardrobe carefully, keeping in mind the conservative dress codes in India. (Stulus Inc)
India is a land of diversity. There is a lot of diversity among people from different parts of India. So, for Boeing to establish its business in one state shall not be the same as establishing its presence in another state of India. Therefore Boeing will have to analyze the differences in cultures among the different states of India and at least understand the culture of that state in which Boeing will be establishing its manufacturing unit.

Summary
It is a good opportunity for Boeing to enter into the Indian market however we found many risks in the form of business, political, legal and financial risks to Boeings possible entry into India. It could have its potential business risk from its competitors. Boeing could possibly face political and legal risk in the form unstable democracy, differences between the centre and the state governments, corruption among the government officials, regional tensions with Pakistan and China, a slow judiciary system etc Boeing may also encounter financial risk in the form of a possible terrorist attack, or in the form of higher taxes. Last but not the least Boeing may have to understand the cross cultural differences between the working style in the United States and in India.

In spite of all these risks, the Boeings venturing into India could be strategic move to Boeing for it can get an enormous advantage in terms of access to a lot of resources in one place such as raw materials for its manufacturing operations, highly skilled and talented pool of human resources etc Boeing could have access to all these resources at a lesser price than what it is currently procuring now. With these dramatically reduced costs, Boeing could increase its profits to a large extent.
Therefore it is recommended that Boeing should expand its operations to India by establishing its manufacturing presence in the country.

The manufacturing or engineering of functional systems at molecular level or nanoscale can be termed as nanotechnology. The word nano has been coined to mean 10-9 or simply one billionth size. Special types of microscopes, scanning probe microscopes, are able to view particles the size of a nanometer.  In another definition, nanotechnology is the engineering of machines from molecules the size of a few nanometers.  These machines can be motors, robots and computers taking up the size smaller than a cell.  The field of nanotechnology cuts across several disciplines including medicine. Nanotechnologists often manipulate single atoms and molecules to create different microscopic systems. 

According to Allhoff (2007), nanotechnology is a novel science.  Although nanoscale systems have been engineered, the future of nanotechnology promises great innovations which will change the face of the earth that we live (Allhoff, 23). The first physicist to explain the term nanotechnology in 1959 was Richard Feynman.  He explained the new possibilities of manipulating atoms in a talk presented at the California Institute of Technology. In the new technology, Feynman said that it is achievable to assemble the atoms in any manner. However, these possibilities were received with mixed reactions by some scientists and the public.  One publication, Engines of Creation, 1986 by K. Eric Drexler, an engineering graduate from MIT, drew much controversy.  In his work, Drexler explained the incredible nanotechnology applications despite the nanotechnology being widely applied in sunscreen, fabric and the engineering of other materials (Drexler, 16).  According to Drexler, nanotechnology has a potential to put together with molecules making up systems that will fully function as molecular machines.

With the possibilities of nanotechnology and its products of molecular machines, Drexler suggests that it would be promising to engineer nearly whatever thing imagined and allowable by Physics laws through arranging the molecules into whichever pattern preferred. Medical engineers, through nanotechnology will be capable to design drugs acting like living cells machines that are able to roam in the diseased cells and hence cure them.  The exciting possibilities, according to Drexler, include super tough materials and computers very small to be seen by human eye (Drexler, 21).  The technology also promises the manufacturing which is pollution free and self changing matter like a chair self changing into a table or something else. By understanding nanotechnology and biosystems, it would be easier to create machines that make their own copies and amass themselves to make complex structures. The possibilities are exciting which promises a low cost of living and a strain free environment.

Nanotechnology received a grant of USD400 million during the second term of President Clinton. The funds were provided through the National Nanotechnology Initiative purposely to steer potential research in nanotechnology. The U.S. House of Representatives Science Committee, in April, 2003, was called to talk about the dangers and possible benefits of nanotechnology.  This was as a result of the proposed bill to boost funding in nanotechnology.

Although the benefits of nanotechnology seem really promising, there are key dangers associated with nanotechnology. Bill Joy working with Sun Microsystems expressed his panic of a situation of the dreaded gray goo. In this scenario, the self replicating nanobots overtake the world and swallow it up. Another recent publication, Prey, a science and fiction book by Michael Crichton highlights this fear. The application of nanotechnology requires implementation of policies, security to avoid unnecessary complications (Atkinson, 33). 

The fears attributed to nanotechnology are common.  An introduction of a powerful technology is able to cause enormous social changes or disruptions. The required step is to further nanotechnology in responsible ways for the society to harvest the benefits of the technology and avoid its harms. It has always been a trend that the society has to express fear when new technology is introduced and in most times, there is fear of changes. For example, the introduction of personal computer was received with some controversy and speculations.  There were claims that computers would overtake the world and reduce the need for human teachers by 1985. To present, more than two decades, nothing like such has been experienced, meaning that the claims were flaws (Dingman, 679).  It is agreed that there are many issues connected with the use of computers like the hacking which threatens the security and privacy.  However, one technology solves another problem afflicting another technology. Computers are widely used in the modern world and systems are protected from intruders by firewalls, antispy and antivirus programs. The society is time to time challenged by several problems.  As a result, it is willing receive the changes promised by nanotechnology since its benefits are rewarding.  Some of the problems affecting the society include disease, hunger and a number of chemical pollution.  Nanotechnology promises to make the problems a past tense but it needs dissemination of information to the public and policy regulations (Lemley, 56).

The miniature machines created by nanotechnologists are sometimes referred to as Personal nano factories or PNs.  Usually, the building of a PN requires a working fabricator.  A fabricator is a nanoscale device capable of combining different individual molecules into functional shapes (Gulati, Allen, 35). Fabricators are capable of building a miniature nanofactory, which in turn builds another nanofactory twice the size and the process continues to get a resulting complex system after some short time.

Personal nanofactory products are assembled from nanoblocks and then fabricated within the nanofactory. With the aid of CAD (Computer Aided Design) programs, the creation of highly advanced products is made possible.  This is done by identifying a pattern of nanoblocks predesigned.

The applications of nanofactories are diverse.  From the life saving medical nanorobots to tools to be used in wars, nanofactories promise to produce useful tools that will make easier most operations.  In computer industry, the networking of computers for all people in the world will be made possible.  This will also include the networking of cameras so that it will be great easier to watch everyone.  There will be improved economies as procedures will be taking shorter time hence productivity will be enhanced (Lemley, 57).  The rate of discoveries or invention of new products will be high.  In the field of weapon production and medicine, there will be great benefits.

One most applied field of nanotechnology is mechanochemistry. Mechanochemistry involves fixing of one or two molecules then pushing, twisting or pulling in a desired manner until chemical reactions occur at exact points so desired.  The procedure takes place in a vacuum meaning that the condition is under maximum control and no water or any molecules are interfering. Addition of an atom to a surface will necessitate the binding of the atom into a tool tip molecule at the extremes of a mechanical manipulator. The atom is moved close to the surface and it is necessary to ascertain that it has weaker attraction to the tool tip molecule than the surface (Dingman, 680).  On bringing them together, the bond transfers, this is the same concept in chemistry.  The difference existing between mechanochemistry and the ordinary chemistry is that in mechanochemistry, the tool tip molecule is always directed using computer controls.  This possibility ensures the performance of one reaction at many sites on the surface and a few reactions can give a lot of flexibility in what to be designed.

The technology of molecular manufacturing and nanotechnology has been perceived as rather a fiction due to its complexity and unfamiliarity.  This is the reason why its applications are real staggering.  The concepts are only understood by a few scientists and engineers and those who dont understand it out rightly say it is close to impossibility.  The situation leading to little applications of the technology is partly contributed by the misconceptions created by the media and science fictional hype.  In fact the scientists dismissing molecular manufacturing do not have prior knowledge in the field (Gulati, Allen, 46). They are mostly experts in chemistry, biotechnology, or some other related nanoscale sciences and technologies.  They therefore fail to embrace the technology since they poorly understand it.

The debate about the nanotechnology as a potential danger or savior takes a broad dimension.  It is true that nanotechnology can have great potential for benefit to humankind.  However, nanotechnology can also bring severe dangers. Great dangers arising form nanotechnology applications are as a result of malicious molecular manufacturing.  If the technology is properly administered and safely developed, dangers like toxic nanoparticle and other nanoscale technology products can be avoided greatly. It has therefore a threat to allow the applications of nanotechnology to continue through research. The limitation of the nanotechnology application can be said to be misleading because it will be close to reality to stop countries like china and Japan or Asia who have developed the nanotechnology because of the availability of scanning probe microscopy, biotechnology and other enabling technologies. The second reason why the stopping of nanotechnology isnt that easy is the promise the technology has for man in the future (Drexler, 29).  The great promises like environmental conservation and repair, manufacturing that is cheap, clean and efficient, medical discoveries and greatly advanced computer cannot let the technology to be stopped. 

The controversy created by the dangers of self-replicating nanobots has been the topic of discussion for a long time.  Molecular manufacturing is actually far from the grey goo stuff. The proposed production system restricts the free-floating assemblers sometimes referred as nanobots by fiction writers. It will not be easy to build extensive factories with all the machinery of nanoscale stuck down and entirely inert without any external control. Instead, self-replicating mechanochemical nanobots are governed by the laws of physics.  The fiction story, Prey, by Michael Crichton serves as a good entertainment and never based in good science (Dingman, 681).   Practically, molecular manufacturing has not been successfully

The development of nanotechnology and molecular manufacturing can greatly solve the problems that affect the world today. Example of these problems is the water shortage which is a severe and increasing problem. It is practical that much of the water in the planet earth is used for agriculture and industry.  Nanotechnology and molecular manufacturing promises to greatly reduce these requirements. In medicine nanotechnology is devising for mechanisms to manage infectious diseases.  This problem continues to scourge many parts of the world especially the developing world leading to poor quality of life.  Computers and other devises will be developed with ease meaning that there will be a reduction in cost.  The problem of electrical power still exists in many areas. Nanotechnology promises to make this efficient and cheap building of light emitting devices (Gulati, Allen, 50).  The electrical equipment and power storage devices will be available cheaply.  Nanotechnology will exploit the solar thermal power as a principal and copious source of energy. Through the use of advanced nanotech products, it is easier to address the problem of environmental degradation which is also a serious problem worldwide. The reduction in the need for space is one major addressing of nanotechnology.  Most countries cannot afford to the manufacturing infrastructure. Therefore, molecular manufacturing technology makes the manufacturing clean and self-contained taking less space.  Lastly, molecular manufacturing will provide cheap and highly advanced medical research and healthcare equipments rendering the availability of improved medicine. The cause of countless social unrest can be blamed on disease, material poverty and ignorance which molecular manufacturing is able to address.

There is no single known technology that is a solution to all problems.  Nanotechnology has promised exciting possibilities to solve a number of human problems. Technologies have been developed over years to address the problems of housing, plumbing and health. Proper practice of agriculture and industry can save the exploitation of water, land, materials, and labor resources.  This in the overall reduces pollution. The cheap and reliable power will mean that people will be able to access to information, education, and communication services.  These are sources of numerous opportunities for improving oneself to become efficient economically and have a participatory government (Allhoff, 28). The problem with modern industries is that the technology applied relies on dispersed manufacturing, which often requires a lot of particular materials and machines and extremely trained personnel. Molecular manufacturing can function without skilled labor once installed and no need for an extensive sustaining infrastructure.  It will be easier for a single personal nanofactory having a single chemical and power supply to produce a wide range of useful and reliable products. The PN can also make copies of itself doubling the infrastructure for manufacturing within a short time (Allhoff, 41).

The problem of wasting water is a concern to develop nanotechnology.  The recovery of tainted water by simple and reliable electrical and mechanochemical methods is possible with nanotechnology.  The water can again be used for domestic and agricultural use.  The physical filters having nanoscale pores remove almost 100 percent of bacteria, viruses and prions. Salts and heavy metals are also removed using an electrical separation technology which attracts the ions to the plates of a supercapacitor (Ratner, 11).

The solar energy is abundant but the harvesting is tricky.  Nanotechnology looks to harvest and make solar energy practicable and shift the tradition of using the fuels containing carbon. Carbon based fuels are non renewable, inefficient and emit carbon dioxide, radioactive particle and other waste products into the atmosphere. The generation of solar electricity depends on accumulating the direct sunlight or by photovoltaic conversion (Atkinson, 63). Nanotechnology can apply the sun-tracking designs using cheap computers and compact actuators to make energy available. The energy harvested can then be stored well for days in large flywheels made of thin diamond.

The face of the earth will change since computer will be much cheaper. It is possible for nanotechnology to develop computer logic gates just a few nanometers and still be adequate to be piled in three dimensions. A whole supercomputer can be the size of a cubic millimeter and be sold very cheap. It is also possible to build high computer display resolution with actuators the size less than a bacterium. With diamondoid technology, it is easier to compute, communicate and generate radio waves since the GHz mechanical frequencies senses and produces radio waves (Atkinson, 65).

In environmental protection, nanotechnology addresses the problem of environmental degradation caused by farming. The advanced technology will allow activities like green houses to dominate and pollute will be more contained.  The easily stored solar energy promised by nanotechnology will reduce sooth, ash, nitric oxide, carbondioxide and hydrocarbon emissions. Molecular manufacturing will result to the rapid deployment of environmental friendly technology that is self contained even in areas that currently do not have a technological infrastructure.

The medical field may take long to realize the fruits of molecular manufacturing although the technology will impact the practice of medicine. The diagnosis of diseases will be very easy and medical research will be intensified opening ways for quick response to emerging infections and those engineered. Continuous health monitoring will be possible through small numerous and cheap sensors, computers or other implantable devices (Dingman, 681).  These devices will allow semi-automated disease management.

The appropriate application of the technology needs the address of ethical issues.  The question on inheriting the future generation a world better than we found it seem to be in the minds of the people when a new technology is being introduced.  The increased population has led to degradation of environment the extinction of species, the social injustice, poverty, starvation, chronic warfare and incurable diseases. Technology hold the fate of humankind, it can spoil the fate or build it. Debates on applications of genetic engineering, nuclear physics and now nanotechnology fill the air. Particularly nanotechnology that cuts across diverse spheres needs ethical issues to be sufficiently addressed (Ratner, 17).  The ethical guidelines make the application of technology to be within the limit, only benefiting the humankind.

Nanotechnology is designed to create a world of wealth where all people access the basic requirements. The needs include sufficient safe water, food, housing, medical care, security, clean environment among others. The ethical aspect of nanotechnology is that it should give high priority to economic and efficient global products and services distribution.  In the defense sector, the military research and use of nanotechnology must only be restricted to security systems and defense but not for aggression or political agendas.  If there is any research funded by the governments that produces technological advances not related to military, the research must be publicized.

 It is a recommendation that all scientists working with nanotechnology to have a strong background on ecology and public safety or at least one of them in a team should have the knowledge.  This will ensure that the scientists are held responsible for any abuse of science.  Another ethical issue is that every publication and discussions on the topic of nanotechnology need to be accurate sticking to scientific methods to avoid any hazard that may arise due to improper practice (Ratner, 38). 

With proper use of nanotechnology, the world will make a positive step of sustaining the people with basic requirements at affordable costs.  The governments and organizations should donate to the development of this technology which has exciting promises of changing the face of the world.

A firewall is a certain part or component of a computer network or system that is devised to prevent unauthorized access whilst authorized communications is allowed or permitted. Firewall systems are set of devices constructed to allow, block, encrypt, decrypt or substitute all, in and out, computer traffic among distinct security domains rooted upon a series of regulations or rules and further criteria.

Firewalls can be implemented in a computers software or hardware, or can be both. It more often than not used to block unauthorized Internet consumers from retrieving private networks linked to the Internet specially those intranets. Messages that go and leave through internet go by the firewall, which inspects each message and prevents those that are not qualified to the certain security criteria.Firewalls protect data networks. However, these data networks maybe vulnerable. Firewall systems can be efficient in ensuring confidentiality, integrity and availability of a particular network by allowing or blocking access to the specific network sources. Security and confidentially are amongst the uppermost main concerns of firewall systems.

Some can argue that these firewall systems do not fully assure confidentiality and data integrity hence are by no means a perfect security for computers. For firewall systems to provide confidentiality, they must at all times be correct. Firewall systems may be quite simple but structuring a properly verified firewall thats free from bugs can be quite a work. Nonetheless, bug-free firewall systems definitely provide great security for Internet users. Firewall systems can contribute in making certain the integrity, confidentiality and availability of a network and by evaluating the traffic current or stream via looking for unauthorized accesses through the allowed or permitted traffic.

Since the turn of the century, the use of PCs has continued to grow. Today, it is estimated that most consumers prefer PCs over desktops.  Market research shows that in 2007, the total sales for PCs outstripped Desktop sales, attracting more players to the market. Consumers have been looking for more mobility and flexibility in the PCs market, and the competition in the industry is currently pegged on innovation to satisfy changing consumer expectations (Hickins, 2009).  In 2007, notebooks accounted for a higher share of revenues for PC makers like Hewlett-Packard, Dell, Lenovo, and others who have since then engaged in innovation to come up with products that suits the market demand.  In the same year, the total industrial revenue from notebooks was 45.6 percent compared to 43.1 percent from desktop PCs (Ferguson, 2006).
The global notebook market is also on the rise.  Most consumers in the large markets like India are also showing preference for notebooks compared to Desktops.  In 2008, it was estimated that more than 221 million notebooks were sold up from 204 million notebooks which were sold in 2007 (Shah and Dalal, 2009, p. 7).  This represents an 8 growth in 2008. The market experienced the highest growth rate of 12.1 in 2007 which means since 2007, there more consumers using notebooks compared to previous years.
Shah and Dalal (2009, p. 6) asserts that the global PC industry generated more than 183.5 billion which was a 9.30 growth from 2006.  In 2008, the total revenue increased to 196.1 billions representing a 6.90. It is estimated that in 2009, the total revenues will increase to 206.7 billion, a 5.40 growth rate (p. 6). By 2012, Datamonitor estimates that notebooks will record a market share of 30 in the industry (Shah and Dalal, 2009, p. 6). However, due to erosion of prices, it is estimated that a 10 growth in notebooks will correlate to a 4 growth in dollar value. This means that increased production will result to erosion in prices as price walls grows. It is estimated that most companies are adjusting their business model in order to maintain profitability.
The increased sale of notebooks compared to Desktops has rekindled a bitter war in the market.  More and more players are entering the market owing to the perceived high revenues in the industry.  This has resulted to erosion of prices. For example in 2005, an average notebook PC was retailed at 1,289.60. However, this has dropped significantly to 1,007.20 (Research and Markets, 2009). This shows a 21.9 percent decline in the prices in a period of three years only.  Erosion in price has forced most manufacturers to focus on economies of scale but most important factor has been innovation to bring in more features.
The increased competition has turned into a price war between major players.  Analysts point out that the drive to produce low cost computers has become a competitive edge for most manufactures.  For example the recent OLPC project was aimed at encouraging consumers to purchase low cost computers and at the same time engage in promotion dabbed GOGO (Get One, Give One).  On the other hand, the major players in the industry are also facing competition from companies like Zonbu and Everest who have preparing a notebook that will retail at 299 (Hruska, 2008). It is aimed at providing mobility at an affordable price than what is currently offered in the market. As a result major player are also coming up with strategies to fight the rising competition. For example, recently Dell which holds sizable share of the market entered into an alliance with Best Buy in an initiative that is aimed at putting notebooks in front of consumers.
The major players in the industry are competing on their ability to satisfy consumer needs.  It is estimated that the top five firms had a market share of 2007 and in 2008 they increased this share to 60 owing to their increased investment in innovation to satisfy consumer demands (Shah and Dalal, 2009, P. 4). The main top five competitors include Hewlett-Packard, Dell, Acer, Lenovo, and Toshiba in their descending order.  These are the main players who constitute share about 60 of the global market (Shah and Dalal, 2009, 2009, p. 4). In the global market, Hewlett-Packard leads with 18.9, followed by Dell with 16.4, Acer with 9.5, Lenovo with 7.9, and Toshiba with 4.5, while others share the remaining 42 of the market share (Shah and Dalal, 200, p. 9). Notable in the notebook industry has been Apple which has gained substantial market share especially in U.S as compared to Windows notebooks mainly based on Apples brand reputation (Martin, 2009). In terms of profitability, Apple leads other companies. Apple has been able to retain its consumers for along period compared to the rest of the company.  Consider a four year period Apple has retained 71 of users, Dell 55, HP 47, Toshiba 51, Compaq 42, Gateway 41, Acer 43, and Sony 49 (Shah and Dalal, 2009, p. 7). This indicates that Apple notebooks are preferred by consumers due to their strong brand. However, research also shows that Apple consumers have a higher level of income compared to other users which means Apply could be the brand of choice for upper income consumers.
PCs industry is becoming one of the most competitive industries in the global market. There are more and more new entrants in the market which is growing at an unprecedented rate.  The growth has been fueled by increased demand for high quality PCs that can perform different functions with mobility.  The PC notebook industry is dominated by five major players including Hewlett-Packard, Dell, Acer, Lenovo, and Toshiba who share about 60 of the market.  The increased demand of PCs has rekindled a price war that has seen erosion in the average price of a PC notebook. Future forecast shows that there will be more growth in this sector in line with changing consumer demand but competitive advantage will be based on the ability of the notebook to satisfy consumer needs especially in regard to mobility and efficiency.

Microsoft Windows XP resource kit is a set of software resources and documentation that is intended to help advanced users to fine tune their operating system. The resource kit provides users with support and deployment tools to ensure that power users can tune up their software according to their specific needs.

Windows XP Professional Applications Support, Working with the XP Registry
Aresource kitis defined as a set of software resources and documentation released for Microsofts products such Windows and Office. The resource kit is produced to support the existing software by providing technical support, catering to compatibility issues and providing troubleshooting information. It also helps a user in software management, support, maintenance and deployment issues. Such resource kits are released after every major Microsoft product such as the Windows XP and the Microsoft Office.

The Windows XP Resource Kit includes are a set of software tools for administrators, developers, and power users to manage Active Directory, group policies, TCPIP Networks, registry, security, scalability and many other areas of the Windows XP operating system (Windows XP Reskit Tools). The XP resource kit includes only support and deployment tools and the documentation required for these tools.

The Windows XP Support Tools are made to assist the support personnel and power users in diagnosing and resolving computer problems (Windows XP SP2 Support Tools for Advanced Users). The support tools can be installed on any computer that is running on a valid copy of Microsoft Windows XP. Some of the support tools that are included in the resource kit for Windows XP are grouped by the functions that they perform. Some of the different categories of support tools are active directory management, disk and data management, file and folder management, hardware management, internet services management, network services management and security management. Each category has different executable files that perform intended functions related to the category. The deployment tools are used for installing Windows XP on multiple computers. Tools in this category are used to manage RIS and the terminal services of the Windows platform (Software and System Deployment Tools).

There are other third party tools available on the Internet for performing similar tasks but they are not as effective as the Microsofts support tools. Examples of such tools include, Pc Diag Windows Ultra Lite (a tool that is used diagnostic and benchmarking 32 or 64 bit windows), Systerac (a utility that provides 18 tools to tweak windows for optimal performance) and the Alchemy Remote Executor (a tool that enables network administrators to execute programs on remote network computers). Therefore, it can be said that the Windows support tools work better than most of the third party products.

Voice production begins with the phonatory activity of the larynx when air from the lungs causing subglottal air pressure pushes against the closing vocal cords and forces them open (Cummings, 2008). This pushed column of air causes vibrations in the folds of the vocal cords (What is voice, NIDCD). When the subglottal pressure decreases, the cords will close. The extent to which the folds vibrate determines whether a whisper or normal speech or a shout will be produced. The vibratory quality of the voice is attributed to the passage of air through the oral, nasal and pharyngeal chambers. A deep voice becomes evident when the vocal cords are shortened and relaxed. A high pitched voice occurs when the cords are lengthened and tensed up. Defects in any part of the resonator can affect the voice production (Cummings, 2008). The brain pulls the trigger for the series of events which result in the production of voice just as in any body function. The vocal cords which lie in the larynx are two opposing bands of smooth muscle. The larynx is between the base of the tongue and top of the windpipe or trachea.
Voice is strictly personal and unique like the fingerprint. Ones personality or mood or health may be defined by voice. Statistics tell us that 7.5 million people in the United States have voice problems. Pre-school children between 2 years and 6 years have voice disorders in 3.9.  Dysphonia is seen in 6  of children (Cummings, 2008). Chronic voice disorders are found in 29.9. The current prevalence rate of voice disorder is 6.6. They could be those of pitch or loudness or quality. Pitch indicates how high or low a sound is and is based on the frequency of the sound waves. The loudness is the heard volume or amplitude of the sound. The quality of the voice constitutes the distinctive attributes (What is voice, NIDCD). The voice apparatus itself may not work this may occur when the nerves supplying the cords are injured due to viral infection, accident, surgery or cancer. The head, neck, chest and abdomen all participate in the speech production. Coordinated muscular actions in these areas produce speech. Years of practice alters the speech. A child learns how to produce sounds. Stuttering is one speech disorder which is found all over the world (What is voice, NIDCD). More than 15 million people stutter. Language is the communication through signs, sounds, gestures or marks as in some populations. More than 6 million people have language impairment in the United States causing effective communication to become a barrier.
Description of the disorder
Aetiology
    The commonest cause of hoarseness in an eight year old girl is inflammation and the two primary causes of inflammation are a viral infection or a laryngeopharyngeal reflux (Disorders of vocal use and misuse, NIDCD). Upper respiratory infections can also result in hoarseness due to any reflux of gastric contents. Hoarseness in children lasts a long time because nobody would have noticed it. 
    Vocal abuse is any behavior or occurrence that strains or injures the  HYPERLINK javascriptopenglossarywindow(160) o Link to definition vocal folds or  HYPERLINK javascriptopenglossarywindow(159) o Link to definition vocal cords (What is voice, NIDCD). Excessive talking or coughing or clearing the throat could cause a voice disorder. Inhalation of irritants or smoking or screaming could also lead to a voice problem. Vocal misuse is when improper usage occurs caused by speaking loudly or at an abnormal high or low pitch. The commonest and most preventable of hoarseness is due to vocal abuse and misuse. Anyone who uses their voice loudly like teachers, cheerleaders and singers can have vocal abuse.
    Risk factors are higher in females, age between  40 and 59 years, voice use patterns and demands, oesophageal reflux, chemical exposures and sinus infections (Cummings, 2008). Alcohol and tobacco were not risk factors. The incidence in teachers was slightly increased. Structural abnormalities of the larynx, neurological disorders, traumatic injuries to the larynx, infections, endocrine disorders, surgical and medical interventions, vocal abuse and misuse and gastro-oesophageal reflux. Benign lesions of larynx are a common cause of dysphonia. Viral
papillomas, laryngeal mucous gland retention cysts,  epidermoid cysts and vocal process granulomas.
Vocal nodules that occur because of vocal misuse and abuse can cause dysphonia (Williams and Carding, 2005 cited in Cummings, 2008). These are the commonest causes of voice disorders in schoolchildren. The nodules are very small swellings found at the margins of the vocal cords usually at the junction of the anterior and middle third of the vocal fold.  This is the area of maximal mechanical stress in voice abuse. Oedema or haemorrhage occurs from the mucosal layer due to persistent trauma (Sapienza, 2004 cited in Cummings, 2008). Malignant growths are less common. 
Nature of disorder
    The disorders of vocal abuse and misuse are usually laryngitis, vocal nodules, vocal polyps and contact ulcers (Disorders of vocal use and misuse, NIDCD). They are termed hyperfunctional voice disorders by health professionals. An inflammation of the vocal cords can be caused for many reasons and it is called laryngitis. Excessive use of the voice, bacterial and viral infections are the commoner reasons. Inhaled chemicals or gastro-oesophageal reflux can produce similar features. The voice will sound hoarse or raspy or breathy
.     Benign growths can be found on the vocal cords causing a common voice disorder associated with vocal abuse. Professional singers have this problem. Callous in nature, they
occur bilaterally, one on each cord. The nodules are at a specific region which has maximum stress with the closing of the cords with each stroke of voice production (Disorders of vocal use and misuse, NIDCD). Repeated pressure on the same area causes the nodules to form just like the callous formation on the feet. A hoarse, low-pitched and breathy voice will be produced.
    Vocal polyps which resemble blisters and are softer than nodules can be formed on any one fold. They are also termed Reinkes  oedema or degeneration of the polypoid type. Cigarette smoking of long term duration or thyroid deficiency can cause this (Disorders of vocal use and misuse, NIDCD). Gastro-oesophageal reflux or vocal misuse also can lead to this. The voice change is similar to that produced by the nodules.
    Contact ulcers can form on the fold when speakers forcibly bring their vocal cords together. Sores or wearing away of tissue near the cartilage causes these ulcers (Disorders of vocal use and misuse, NIDCD). The speakers feel tired easily and have pain in the throat.
Clinical Evaluation
    Intervention must follow an evaluation by a multidisciplinary team consisting of the otolaryngologist, speech and language therapist, gastroenterologist, psychologist, psychiatrist,
radiologist and occupational health worker in ideal circumstances (Cummings, 2008).
    a)    ENT- A hoarseness lasting more than two weeks needs a consultation with the ENT surgeon (otolaryngologist). Hoarseness is the feature which identifies all the problems of voice disorder. Physical symptoms could be bleeding, pain, dysphagia and coughing. Acoustic features are variable they include a habitual pitch, pitch range, loudness, vocal note quality, vocal flexibility and vocal stamina. A voice disorder can be too loud, too soft, too rough, having a high pitch or low. Secondary phonatory features may appear to compensate for the primary features adduction of the false vocal cords or an enhancement of the speaking fundamental frequency.
(Mathieson, 2001 cited in Cummings, 2008). Accompanying features that could be diagnostic of laryngeal cancer are dysphagia, earache, weight loss, blood stained saliva or neck swellings (Ng, 2000 cited in Cummings, 2008). Gastro-oesophageal reflux could be presenting as dyspepsia and heartburn. 56  of the participants had this reflux in a study by Ollivere et al (2006 cited in Cummimgs, 2008). Laryngel papillomatosis may be seen as cough , pneumonia, dysphagia or stridor or hoarseness in children.
    Taking the eight year old girl to the doctor may be a harrowing experience. However her crying will not disturb the doctors examination as he can see the movement of the vocal cords.
Physical examination of an eight year old girl may be a little difficult if she has breathiness. In that case, a radiograph of the chest and neck shows the area below the vocal folds,
the subglottis and the trachea. The specialist is able to visualize the vocal cords or folds. He can actually see the nodules or swellings or growths using a laryngoscope (Disorders of vocal use and misuse, NIDCD). He is able to make a provisional diagnosis with the laryngoscopy.  Fibreoptic laryngoscopy also can be done. Direct laryngoscopy may require an anaesthetic. Viewing of the cords during speech is possible. Microlaryngeal instruments may be used to decide the cause of the hoarseness. He may give his opinion and refer the patient to a speech language pathologist.
    b) Speech language pathologist- This health professional treats people with voice disorders. The pitch, loudness and quality of voice will be examined. Breathing techniques and
voicing style are assessed. A voice recording completes the examination. Techniques of therapy
are tested to see if improvement is possible (Disorders of vocal use and misuse, NIDCD). The GIRBAS score can be used for degree of voice abnormality, breathiness and roughness (Cummings, 2008). The GRB scale can be used to perform perceptual voice assessment in reflux laryngitis (Pribuisiene et al , 2006 cited in Cummings, 2008). Videostroboscopy can confirm diagnosis. A sound spectrogram can be taken to analyze the periodic wave form of the vocal signal  into sine waves with a differing frequency and amplitude (Mathieson, 2001 cited in Cummings, 2008). The Voice Range Profile gives a display of vocal intensity range against fundamental frequency. Acoustic analysis can also be done in computerised systems like the Speed lab Multidimensional Voice Program  or VisiSpeech or Kay Visipitch (Cummings, 2008).
Treatment

Interventions include surgery, drugs, radiotherapy and voice therapy. Surgery is recommended for vocal cord paralysis, benign tumors and malignant tumors. Treatment for the little girl would depend on the diagnosis.
Hoarseness of voice
    This is usually caused by irritation and swelling of the folds. The aim of treatment would be to remove the oedema. If the oedema is caused by the laryngopharyngeal reflux, this must be corrected. If the reason is vocal abuse, tips must be provided to prevent the abuse. If a post nasal drip in sinusitis has caused the problem, treatment must be given for it. Small growths like papilloma  or cyst may be surgically removed. Sometimes the cause of irritation may not be found. The treatment must then progress on the combined plan of the team.
Speech therapy is the main part of the therapy. It is especially useful for children who are aggressive about their voice. The initiation of the voice is taught to be comfortable. Comfortable yelling also is encouraged.
Gastro-oesophageal reflux
    This is treated medically or through behavior modification. Sleeping on a full stomach,
eating just before sleep, eating spicy foods are discouraged and the correct methods advised.
Carbonated beverages are to be avoided. Medications may be necessary at times.

Surgery
Structural problems like cysts, papillomas and nodules can be surgically treated.
Success of treatment
    Most of the children improve with treatment. The therapy selected should ensure a recovered good quality of the voice. The right combination of interventions must be administered after careful planning by the team.

Getting a look at what was the need of bringing rechargeable battery in  use was its
versatility. Money of course but there are other important considerations, reliabilty,
charging and maintenance .
Rechargeable batteries have been in the market for a while and we might probably not be
known how to use them at once. When we drive car, we use rechargeable battery which have
been around for a long time with the development of technology, these rechargeable batteries
have better performance than they used to be earlier.
As I got the option for a rechargeable battery it was a boon for me to get rid of recharging it
again and again ,changing battery every now and then and most worst is that you may  not
get the enough power and performance of each type you own .so as soon I got it was a
relaxing and very reliable offer me to eagrly choose it.
I could easily remember the time when running out of battery in short time was a regular
and the worst part of it was that I used to run out of power in some meetings or
conferences.
 But now its a changed technology to use is a rechargeable battery and we can even rely
upon it several times better than the older one.It has better durability and much economical
when sensed in long term usage and much much easy to adopt it in all sort of purposes.
There are numbers of manufacturers which make rechargeable batteries and the price of
these batteries varies according to the brand and quality of  product. Generally
rechargeable are rated by amperage unit in milliwatts per hour or mAh. There are many
improvements in the technology due to which we get batteries which can even withstand a
quick charge that  recharge it in several minutes. It can be used in the toys, music players
and cameras which need repeated quick and frequent recharging.

They come in various styles for the use in different types of combination of batteries. We
can even possess a car charger which is very handy to use and if you want to recharge your
batteries while on the move or travel. A good quality battery always has a safer life cycle
and will have higher performance for longer period of time.we must  not  compromise the
quality for a cheaper price. A battery must be purchased from a recognized banner or
brand.There are many gadgets or devices which we use daily which have some or the
 other type of rechargeable batteries in them these batteries are very different than the
regular batteries because of the chemicals used in it. We cannot recharge a regular battery
as the battery might burst and  all may ruin the charger too moreover it may result as
potentially dangerous to human being sometime leading to sudden explosion during
charging.

Every year and at least two billion used batteries are disposed into solid waste facilities in
the United States and other surrounding states. This is an increasing problem,
fundamentally due to the extensive use  in the field of new technologies that made possible
that almost everyone owns at least a wireless electronic device which uses diverse types of
batteries for the power supply. Think of the millions of laptops, digital camcorders, cell
phones, wireless hand tools, flash lights, toys, gadgets etc. sold in the market just within
the recent  years and we can  see the real environmental challenge of safe disposal and
recycling it is ahead to  all of us.
Most  of the chemicals  ingredients used for making these rechargeable batteries are highly
toxic and require a consistent treatment for handling and usage in which we, as users who
care about the environment, can do our part avoiding that used batteries are thrown away
openly in garbage or dustbins with other household waste.
When improperly disposed, heavy metals have very high potential to leach slowly into
soil,air or groundwater. Batteries contribute over 85 percent of the total mercury and over
57 percent of the cadmium in solid waste streams dumped today as waste without any
concern. When burned, heavy metals like mercury  may vaporize and escape into the air
which further become more serious problem causing various diseases.
We too can contribute to reduce hazardous these waste, starting with prevention  for
instance, must check if we have on hand used batteries before buying more of it.
Batteries are constantly being formulated and improved technologically, so we can check
the labels and look for manuals of batteries that have less mercury and lesser heavy metals
 used in it.
We must consider using rechargeable batteries in more power intensive devices, depending
on the specific use, which may be result in a better option than using disposable batteries, it
will certainly bring environmental and financial benefits.