The Ontology-based Software Co-Evolution of Cloud and Mobile Computing Literature review

The Ontology-based Software Co-Evolution of Cloud and Mobile Computing - Literature review Example Lanois (2010, p. 29) explains cloud computing from a socio-technological perspective in the following words: â€Å"As consumers are spending an increasing amount of time online and demanding convenient, instant access to more content, cloud computing is becoming a rapidly growing technology and the industry’s new buzzword. In a nutshell, the idea behind cloud computing is that instead of having the software and data stored locally on a user’s own computer, they can all be stored on Internet servers, or â€Å"in the clouds,† and accessed as a service on the Internet.† According to the works of Shang et al (2010), the concept stack of cloud computing has four major components. These are the computing resources, the operating system & grid middleware, the cloud middleware and the application layers. Shang et al (2010) have taken a layered approach and the computing resources have been assigned as the baseline layer of this stack structure. Above this layer is the layer of grid middleware & operating system. Its role is to harness cluster computing facilities and virtualisation from the pool of computing resources. Next is the cloud middleware layer where the computing facilities are synchronically modified, organised and distributed. Finally, at the top of the stack model, there is the application layer where the real requirements of end users are addressed though a service oriented architecture or SOA. (Shang et al, 2010, pp. 150-151) Mobile computing, on the other hand, is a technology that has given rise to scalable networks with the help of different handheld and portable computing devices available to the end users. It emerged relatively earlier than cloud computing, and primarily used Internet based telephony and communication techniques. As early as the 1990s, experts defined adaptability to be the most critical feature of mobile computing, since it involves a diverse range of software and hardware platforms that must work togeth er and interact seamlessly (Satyanarayanan, 1995). The research team led by de Oliveira (2010) have presented a detailed cloud computing taxonomy which can be utilised in an ontological approach (please refer to Figure - 1). In taxonomical construct of cloud computing, mobile devices are categorized under the sub-taxonomy of access. Along with the thin clients, mobile is the type of access to clouds apart from the desktop with handheld devices or mobile phones. Mobile computing can facilitate access to the cloud computing resources with the help of phones instead of the static workstations and desktops. (de Oliveira et al, p. 56) With the lapse of time, end users are becoming increasingly mobile. On the go, they not only need portable devices but also demand powerful computing facilities. This has given rise to the concept of â€Å"mobile workforce† (Liu, 2010, p. 4). In order to support such a mobile workforce at the business model sub-taxonomical cohort of cloud computing t echniques (please see Figure - 1), organisations are looking forward to mobile cloud applications. These applications would be highly adaptable at the programming side, synchronising various kinds of hardware and software platforms ranging from similar to disparate configurations. Figure – 1: Taxonomy of cloud computing. Please note the position of mobile technology in the sub-taxonomy of â€Å"Access† located at the lower left-hand side corner of the illustration. Source: de Oliveira et al (2010, p. 52) 2. Migrating Existing Software to Mobile Cloud Application

Reflective Portfolio: Self-Evaluation Report

Reflective Portfolio: Self-Evaluation Report Executive summarize In this self evaluating report the main task is to evaluate the progress achieved during this term and to determinate in which skills I need to work the most to make an improvement. It is mainly base on my personal skills development and theories learned during the seminars and lectures, I will do an analysis of my strengths and weaknesses, for that I am doing a SWOT analysis, a future skills development program and how I am going to achieved it, As supporting evidence I am going to attach in-class works and exercises done through out the semester. Introduction During the term I have had the opportunity to improve and learned interpersonal skills that are essential for what managers are looking now days in graduate students. For this self analysis report I have chosen the skills that I think are the ones I have improve the most and the ones in which I need to work more, these are: Strengths; Good communication and writing skills and good group working skills Weaknesses; Bad time management and poor knowledge in the use of IT Opportunities; Improve my leadership skills in group works, my time management, career management and my IT knowledge Threats: Having difficulties with my communication or writing skills because English is my second language, have disagreements with group members Learning reflection throughout the term and skills performance Throughout the term and especially at this module I have been encouraged by my seminars leaders to improve my interpersonal skills by doing many different activities. I feel that the skills that I have improved the most are my communication, writing skills and my group working skills. Communication skills I believe this skill is one of the most important skills that a person need to have in todays employability market because this is the principal method we use to communicate with each other, Talking and Listening are consider as essential interpersonal skills that graduates should have according to QAA key skill list [2009]. I have improve this skill through out the term by doing presentations at the different course modules, for example the ICT presentation, where me and my partner were asked to advised a small company if it was convenient for them to put their business online and we had to give a formal presentation in front of the class, in other modules such as Theory and practice of business we are going to have a group presentation about our result on our fancy share portfolio and at Interpersonal skills for business module we had to do a group presentation about an activity that was called ISLAND ESCAPE: ISLAND SURVEY were we were asked to convinced the audience or ISLAND SURVIVERS that our island was the best choice for coming to live at. Writing skills This is another point in which I have improved since I started the term. The main reasons for my personal improvement I think are; the reports and course works I have had to write for the different modules, for example the Electronic portfolio, for interpersonal skills and innocent report for theory and practice for business, I have being able to achieve this with the recommendation given throughout the lectures and also with the information that is in the module book [Second edition, Chapter 9] where I could find: The four distinct stages for writing any type of report Types of report Terms of reference Researching and organizing the source material In this skill the main improvements I have made are; learning the difference types of data which are: Source material and Diagramming, according to Saunders et al. (2003), Source material is the data that you will use to support your key points and provide evidence to support your recommendations. And according to Buzan (1995), Diagramming is a useful technique for abstract the main themes from the detailed background information, and also how to do a correct reference and bibliography. Group working Throughout the term I have had the chance to improved my group-work skill at all the modules, this skill is now is being considered as one of the most important factors for business development, as ACAS, [April, 2003] has point out To remain competitive organizations need to make and optimum use of equipment and people if they are to thrive or even surviveIn general sense people talk of team work when they want to emphasize the virtues of co-operation and the need to make use of the various strengths of employees. This skill was mainly develop at this module throughout different activities for example, the ISLAND ESCAPE, and the BOARD GAME and the NASA exercise. At other modules we also had the opportunity to improve our group-work skills for example the theory and practice SHARE PORTFOLIO was done in groups of 5 to 6 people and all the group members had to decide how we were going to invest the money, in this activity many people had disagreements and some times it delay the entire group performance, one analysis we learned in the lecture and that is used to analyze the group behavior according to their results is the Interaction analysis it was develop from the work of Bales, [1950] and the principle of this analysis is to describe the group process and indications of factors influencing the process of it. The main thing that make all of us improved in our group work skill at this module was that we did not have the chance to choose our groups so for every different activity we had to work with different people and that make us have to take different roles at each group-activity, according to Belbin, [1981], Groups that are composed by entirely of cleaver people, or of people with similar personalities, display a number of negatives results and lack of creativity, in general group working make us improve our communication skill with other people because we had to expressed our ideas and also listen to others peoples ideas, some studies have demonstrate that there are five main types of communication networks between group members which are; Wheel, Circle, All-channel, Y and Chain, this researches was done by Bavelas, [1951] and studied by Leavitt. [1958]. Time management This skill is not one of the strongest skill that I have but I have being working on to improved it for example I did the time management action plan, were I was able to find were I loss most of my time and what unnecessary activities I did during the day, and since then I have being able to organize better my time and give it a better used, one positive thing I have manage to do is that throughout the semester I have not miss any death. IT skills For me this is one of the skills in which I need to work the most because in this century everybody needs to know how to used and work with IT, also a large amount of work places this days requires you have IT knowledge for qualifying for the job, also as Belbin, [1951] said in her theory about Team roles there are some roles that are different from the nine-roles key roles she that where needed in a team she called them Functional Roles because for these roles members are chosen for their experience and specialize knowledge, one example is IT knowledge. For improving on this skill I received lectures and seminars about the correct used of excel, power point and even word in the ICT module, also using blackboard and submitting works through it had make me feel more comfortable with the use of computer programs and electronic academic tools. Leadership skills During the activities that we did during the term we had the opportunity to developed our leadership skills when working in groups, as we learned at the lectures and seminars there are a lot of different types of leadership, according to the Managerial Grid Questionnaire that we did in at the seminar my leadership style is Team Leader, Black Mouton (1964). Being a leader for me is not only to make other people do what I said, is to earn their respect, in other words is that the people must accepted; the other persons ideas or what he is offering and voluntarily decided to follow him as his leader. According to the module book there are two different approaches for the study of leadership; one is the Descriptive approach and the second one Functional approach, [Module book, unknown author, page 251], the Descriptive approach focus on whether a leader is a special type of person or whether there is a most appropriate style for a leader to adopt and the Functional approach according to Bower and Seahores, (1966), Leadership is behavior that results in a difference in the behaviors of others. One theory that is being used for leadership training in the Industrial society, (Module book, page 252), is the Action-centred theory of leadership, John Adair [1984] It consists in three sets of interrelated needs, that increase the three functions a leader must have; The task related function The team related function The individually oriented function As a result it recognizes how these three areas affect each others in terms of group performance. In management most of the times leaders are not choose by the people it normally is someone that posses a higher rank in the organization, this is known as a Headship who is someone that has a formal authority over its subordinates, [Module book, page 254], according to Kotter, [1990], Is far more realistic to regard management and leadership as two complementary activities, each one having its own unique function. During the group activities we did during the term we were able to find that all of has different types of leaders each one with its own characteristic, positive and negative aspects, our leadership types are based on Lewin et al. [1939],study that divided them in three categories: Autocratic leader Democratic leader Laissez-faire leader Conclusion During my time at the University of Westminster I have had the chance to develop and improve my interpersonal skills, knowing that now days this skills are what employers are looking for when they are planning to hire someone makes me think about the importance of develop, learn and practice those skills more. Interpersonal skills are really useful not only for business practice bur also for every day activity. We do not realize how often we use these skills in our daily life and how helpful they can be if we applied them well, for example time management it would help us to improve it and decrease the amount of time we waste, another skill that is very necessary in any kind of situation is communication skill, because we are always needing to express our thought or ideas to other people and if we do not know how to expressed our self correctly, specially when you are giving a first impression to an audience or to a person you are not going to be able to delivered our message correctly and the receiver of our message will not be able to understand what we are trying to said. Other skills such as leadership and team working are essential when working as member of a group, because if you do not know how to manage different situation the final work result is going to be very poor, and also these skills are very important for employers because they want someone that is able to adapt in different groups and that is able to perform different roles in those groups. Specialized skills such as IT or essential skills such as writing skills are also very important, specialized skills gives you more opportunities when searching for a job and essential skills are important because those are the skills that managers are looking for in their future employees. Recommendations There are some skills that I have already mention before but I considered that I have the opportunity to work more on them and be able to improve these essential skills which are: Management As I already said time management and particularly punctuality is something I feel I need to improve because is one of the first impressions that you give to a person, as Goffman, [1959], said on in his self presentation theory, and particular on first impressions, The opening impression we give is not just and impression of what kind of person we are, it also conveys our definition of the situation Each individual entering a conversation projects by dress, manner, and opening remarks proposal for what the basis of the interaction shall be, for example arriving late for a business meeting will probably make you loose the job or at least loosing the appointment, for that I would have to focus more in the starting hour of the activity and planned better my time so in that way I will arrive on time, specially to my lectures and seminars. Planning my career path is another area in which I have to work because as I am not sure what I am going to do after I graduate, until now I have decided to do an internal transfer from business management to a combined degree of Economics and socio legal studies. I will manage to decide during the two years that I have left which path I am going to follow after getting my degree and where I will continue my studies. IT knowledge The best way to improved in this area is by taking modules that are related with it, for example next semester I am taking a module call essential data analysis and by doing home study and personal researches. For succeeding on my future plans development I not only have to improved the areas in which I have the opportunity to do it but also I need to pay attention to external factors that might delay my improvements, which could be: English as a second language As English is not my first language I think these might become a problem when writing reports or essays and when doing oral presentations it might not go along well because I might not know how to express some idea, but I think as I get more English practice this will not be a problem. Group disagreements When working on groups sometimes you might have the opportunity to work with people that you get along with but some other times you might find yourself in a group that does not work well together or everybody is trying to get individual recognition so at the end the result will be unsuccessful, I think the way to improve this is by focus on the work, and leave individual problems outside the group, also by to developing our own personal type of leadership according to the different theories we have learned is going to ne easier to everyone to adapt to different groups and become a member of it.

History of the Theater Industry :: essays research papers

The theater industry has been around since the beginning of time, when "one or more human beings, isolated in time and/or space, presented themselves to another or others." And when people started to realize that they could make a profit from doing this, they decided that, that was the best thing to do. The earliest recorded plays that still survive to this day are those of Ancient Greece. Between c. 550 and c. 220 BC, in Athens, the theater industry began to grow into an entertainment business that people would pay to see its happenings. It was more than just amusement for friends and family. It had become and art, and sometimes a competition to win a wreath and respect. Amphitheaters were being made just for performance venues, and they were usually always full for every show. Because of the shape of the amphitheaters the acoustics were far better and even people in the 100th row could hear what was happening on the stage. People loved the idea of being able to watch actors act out a story right in front of them. The Greek way of theater influenced the Romans, and of course like they had been doing all through history, they stole the idea of theater and made it their own. They made it less religious and because the audiences were usually rude and loud during performances, they made up a code by wearing certain outfits to show who they were in the story. When the fall of the Roman Empire happened, the idea of true theater sort of got lost among the rubble. Most plays didn?t survive, and smaller professions such jesters and mimes, began to take the scene, by providing entertainment solely to royalty. Then religious plays began to come back. This was the beginning of the era of Medieval European Theater. Only men were allowed to act on stage. Even girl parts were played by men. Some boys were castrated to prevent their voices from becoming lower just to make sure that they could play a female role. It seemed like it would?ve been easier to just have woman in shows, but women still didn?t have a lot of rights, and many people thought that it was unladylike to act and have a woman in a man?s occupation. Finally, in the late 1500?s, a man named Shakespeare came into popularity with his famous plays, the very plays that are still being performed to this very day.

Resource and Competitive Position Analysis

The restaurant industry is a competitive industry. From low cost meals to specialty food items, restaurants have become save. â€Å"y' in their efforts to attract customers. Pander Bread has developed a strategy to attract customers that are looking for a change from fast food. Consumers are looking for new ideas for meals. They are looking for quality foods over cheap fast food. Pander has been able to attract and draw customers away from the fast food market with their unique food ideas by drawing upon the many strengths of the company.The company has been hindered y the weaknesses in its strategy and now needs to develop ideas to turn those weaknesses into opportunities to increase customers and revenue. A SOOT analysis of the company will highlight areas where the company is performing well and areas that need improved. Strengths Quality ingredients – Pander offers the highest quality of products to its customers. From fresh vegetables to gluten free items. The company of fers a menu to suit a variety of customers. Niche Market – Pancreas menu items have evolved to meet the taste and demands of customers.Brand – The company has a strong and distinctive rand Reward card – This allows Pander to build a relationship with customers. Customers are rewarded with free food items for being loyal customers. Weakness Pricing – While Pander offers higher quality foods, many people are turned off by the high cost of the food. Pancreas food is priced considerable higher than that of their competitors. Many of the fast-food chains offer and entire meal for less than the cost of a sandwich at Pander Brand name – The Company is not as well-known as some of its competitors and often gets overlooked.Menu Selection – Pancreas menu is limited o soups, salad, sandwiches and bread. Customers wanting more variety will look for other food ideas. Market share – The company is a national brand sold exclusively in the United Sta tes Opportunities Expansion – The Company can expand business to the international market. This opens the company up to a new market with similar taste. This allows the company to increase market share and revenue. Catering – Pander offers catering services which is a feature that many fast food companies do not offer.Catering services allows the company to increase revenue and introduces menu items to a new range of customers. Trends – Consumer taste can change and evolve over time. This gives Pander the opportunity to adjust and adapt its menu to meet those needs. Threats Chipolata – Chipolata has a similar strategy to that of Pander. It offers fresh ingredients and healthier food items that consumers are seeking. Chipolata stores have cropped up across the country and offer consumers quality meal over standard fast food items. Struck – Struck has been a leader in the coffee business for years.They have a larger beverage menu than that offered by Chipolata. Coffee drinkers prefer the various options offered by Struck to the limited drink menu of Pander. McDonald's – McDonald's competes with Pander on a different level. They offer customers cheap and quick food selections. They have introduced healthier food items to their menu to meet the needs of more health conscious individuals. Pander has distinctive competencies that set is apart from competitors. Its artisan breads are made fresh daily and gives customers a variety of options to choose from. Customers frequent the restaurant exclusively to purchase the breads.For Pander to continue to grow, the company needs to look at making an entrance into the global markets. Pander has achieved a great deal of success domestically, but has not managed to penetrate international markets. Pander needs to conduct research on trends in foreign countries and develop products to fit the needs of those consumers. Once research has been completed, market testing needs to occur to s ee how consumers respond to the menu items. Next, the company needs to stay abreast of current trends in the market and make adjustments to its menu items.Consumer taste changes often and companies that onto adapt to change will not be successful. Additionally, the company needs to look at ways to drive up traffic during evening hours. Pander has been very success with the lunch crowd, but traffic drops off after that. Pander needs on incorporate menu items that will attract people out for dinner or that will be appeasing to families with children. Pander has enjoyed great success over the years. Customers are pleased with the variety of items offered by the restaurant. Pander has been very successful with the fast-casual market, quality dishes and the esthetics look of the stores.Pancreas strength lies in attracting and retaining customers and evidenced by the company's increased revenue. Pander is a leader in the market and set the standard for which many companies are imitating.

What is Censorship?

I will discuss whether or not censorship is a good or bad thing and what affect it has on the people and whether this influence is helpful to society. The media needs censorship because discretion in viewers or censorship is necessary; it reduces the risk of exposing children of easily influenced ages to adult content as well as inappropriate content that should not be exposed to all. Media exposure is a powerful factor in influencing the values and opinions of children; for this reason, the need to control all that they see and hear from the media. An example of this are rap songs, which usually contain swear words, say if a young child was in the room and heard this and then began to repeat the word, this is why some word in songs are censored. On the other hand there are cons to censorship. It compromises freedom of speech. Also not censoring can be a good thing as shock tactics are the best way to help children/teenagers to stay safe, for instance if a teenager saw a picture of a girl dead from a drug overdose it would help them to see that it is dangerous making sure that they stay away from it. Everyone should be able to choose whether censoring is better or not, seeing things like the example above will help children to think twice leading them to make the right choices rather than being reckless and irresponsible with their decisions. In conclusion I believe that censorship is good because it protects the privacy of the people. We should all have a choice, some may rather prefer content be censored like if they live in a family environment with children around. Whereas others would choose not censoring for example if they live on their own and are an adult, listening to swear words would not cause any harm or have any impact as most likely they already know these certain words.