Acute Diverticulitis Essay -- Diseases, Disorders

On my third day of clinical course I had an African America patient age 72, female, a retired high school teacher who was admitted for an Acute Diverticulitis with Perforation. She is diabetic and had a medical and surgical history of diverticulitis, High Cholesterol, Non-Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (NIDDM), Hysterectomy, and Scoliosis. She has been on clear liquid diet since she was admitted then she was Nothing by Mouth NPO for the CT scan for that day. When I got the assignment that I was going to be taking care of a patient with an acute diverticulitis, the first thing on my mind was that she will be in a severe abdominal pain, high fever due to infection because my aunty had same disease. To my surprise, she claimed a 0 /10 on a 0-10 pain scale. Her blood sugar and vital signs were normal except for respiratory that was 22. All her laboratory test results were normal including WBC. Patient concern was that she couldn’t have a bowel movement. She was me dicated on Colace- a stool softener, morphine for pain, sulfran for nausea, and azactam an antibiotics. Diverticulosis is a disease from the diverticulum. This is when the colon wall is been outpunched through the mucosa. These are small mucosal herniation bulging via smooth muscle and layers of the intestine along vasa recta formed opening in colon’s wall. Diverticulitis causes is still unknown but develop after a micro or macro perforation of diverticulum. Peritonitis is an end result from an intestinal rupture in the case of a large perforation. Clinically, diverticulosis could be asymptomatic or symptomatic, they are uncomplicated with no evidence of bleeding or inflammation. Signs and symptoms includes palpable mass and tenderness mostly i... ...an seven 6-ounce of glasses of fluid each day most especially for patients on pharmaceutical fiber supplements. Works Cited Ferzoco, K.H. (2010). Small bowel diverticulitis. The New England Journal of Medicine. 327: 302-7 Juchems, A.A. (2010). Long-term management of diverticulitis in young patients. Diseases of the Colon & Rectum. 58:627-629. Marinella, L.B. et al: (2010). Acute Diverticulitis. The New England Journal of Medicine. 327: 1521-1526 Painter, P.V. (2009). Diverticulitis. Gastroenterology Clinics of North America. 18:357-385. Spivak, W.K., & deSouza, J.M. (2008). Diverticulitis of the right colon. Digestive diseases and sciences. 49: 350-358 Wilcox, C.V. (2009). Limitation in the CT diagnosis of acute diverticulitis: Comparison of CT, contrast enema, pathologic findings in 16 patients. American Journal of Roentgenology. 201:381-385.

Mobile Banking

Introduction Many banks have established presence on the Internet and many others are in the process of doing so. Using telecommunication systems and networks, a bank can reach out to customers and provide them with not only general information about its services but also the opportunity of performing interactive banking transactions. In electronic banking, bank customers can request information and carry out most banking services (e. g. balance reporting, inter-account transfers, and bill payment) via a telecommunication network without the need to go at the bank’s branch offices.Electronic banking comprises all electronic channels customers use to access their accounts, including the Internet and recently mobile phones (WAP- Wireless Application protocol, SMS- Short Message Service, SIM Toolkit, PDAs-Personal Digital Assistants). The cell phone handset can be used as a terminal in much the same way as an ATM (Automatic Teller Machine). Currently, almost everyone in the devel oped countries carries a mobile phone.So, customers can access their bank accounts through the bank’s website using not only a computer but also mobile devices. M-banking is not only another channel for banking services, but there is the possibility for becoming the primary channel. What is Mobile Banking? Mobile banking is a Banking process without bank branch, which provides financial services to unbanked communities efficiently and at affordable cost. To provide banking and financial services through mobile technology device by mobile phone is called Mobile banking.Mobile banking (also known as M-Banking, mbanking, SMS Banking) is a term used for performing balance checks, account transactions, payments, credit applications and other banking transactions through a mobile device such as a mobile phone or Personal Digital Assistant (PDA). The earliest mobile banking services were offered over SMS. With the introduction of the first primitive smart phones with WAP support ena bling the use of the mobile web in 1999, the first European banks started to offer mobile banking on this platform to their customers. A mobile banking conceptual model Mobile Banking refers to provision and availment of banking- and financial services with the help of mobile telecommunication devices. The scope of offered services may include facilities to conduct bank and stock market transactions, to administer accounts and to access customized information†. According to this model Mobile Banking can be said to consist of three inter-related concepts: * Mobile Accounting * Mobile Brokerage * Mobile Financial Information Services Most services in the categories designated Accounting and Brokerage are transaction-based.The non-transaction-based services of an informational nature are however essential for conducting transactions – for instance, balance inquiries might be needed before committing a money remittance. The accounting and brokerage services are therefore of fered invariably in combination with information services. Information services, on the other hand, may be offered as an independent module. Trends in mobile banking The advent of the Internet has enabled new ways to conduct banking business, resulting in the creation of new institutions, such as online banks, online brokers and wealth managers.Such institutions still account for a tiny percentage of the industry. Over the last few years, the mobile and wireless market has been one of the fastest growing markets in the world and it is still growing at a rapid pace. According to the GSM Association and Ovum, the number of mobile subscribers exceeded 2 billion in September 2005, and now (2009) exceeds 2. 5 billion (of which more than 2 billion are GSM). According to a study by financial consultancy Celent, 35% of online banking households will be using mobile banking by 2010, up from less than 1% today.Upwards of 70% of bank center call volume is projected to come from mobile phones. Mobile banking will eventually allow users to make payments at the physical point of sale. â€Å"Mobile contactless payments† will make up 10% of the contactless market by 2010. Another study from 2010 by Berg Insight forecasts that the number of mobile banking users in the US will grow from 12 million in 2009 to 86 million in 2015. The same study also predicts that the European market will grow from 7 million mobile banking users in 2009 to 115 million users in 2015.Many believe that mobile users have just started to fully utilize the data capabilities in their mobile phones. In Asian countries like India, China, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Philippines, where mobile infrastructure is comparatively better than the fixed-line infrastructure, and in European countries, where mobile phone penetration is very high (at least 80% of consumers use a mobile phone), mobile banking is likely to appeal even more. Mobile banking business models A wide spectrum of Mobile/branchless banking models is evolving.However, no matter what business model, if mobile banking is being used to attract low-income populations in often rural locations, the business model will depend on banking agents, retail or postal outlets that process financial transactions on behalf telcos or banks. The banking agent is an important part of the mobile banking business model since customer care, service quality, and cash management will depend on them. Many telcos will work through their local airtime resellers. However, banks in Colombia, Brazil, Peru, and other markets use pharmacies, bakeries, etc.These models differ primarily on the question that who will establish the relationship (account opening, deposit taking, lending etc. ) to the end customer, the Bank or the Non-Bank/Telecommunication Company (Telco). Another difference lies in the nature of agency agreement between bank and the Non-Bank. Models of branchless banking can be classified into three broad categories – Bank Focused , Bank-Led and Nonbank-Led. Bank-focused model The bank-focused model emerges when a traditional bank uses non-traditional low-cost delivery channels to provide banking services to its existing customers.Examples range from use of Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs) to internet banking or mobile phone banking to provide certain limited banking services to banks’ customers. This model is additive in nature and may be seen as a modest extension of conventional branch-based banking. Bank-led model The bank-led model offers a distinct alternative to conventional branch-based banking in that customer conducts financial transactions at a whole range of retail agents (or through mobile phone) instead of at bank branches or through bank employees.This model promises the potential to substantially increase the financial services outreach by using a different delivery channel (retailers/ mobile phones), a different trade partner (telco/chain store) having experience and target market dist inct from traditional banks, and may be significantly cheaper than the bank-based alternatives. The bank-led model may be implemented by either using correspondent arrangements or by creating a JV between Bank and Telco/non-bank Non-bank-led model The non-bank-led model is where a bank has a limited role in the day-to-day account management.Typically its role in this model is limited to safe-keeping of funds. Account management functions are conducted by a non-bank (e. g. Telco) who has direct contact with individual customers. Mobile banking services Mobile banking can offer services such as the following: Account information * Mini-statements and checking of account history * Alerts on account activity or passing of set thresholds * Monitoring of term deposits * Access to loan statements * Access to card statements * Mutual funds / equity statements * Insurance policy management Pension plan management * Status on cheque, stop payment on cheque * Ordering cheque books * Balance ch ecking in the account * Recent transactions * Due date of payment (functionality for stop, change and deleting of payments) * PIN provision, Change of PIN and reminder over the Internet * Blocking of (lost, stolen) cards Payments, deposits, withdrawals, and transfers * Domestic and international fund transfers * Micro-payment handling * Mobile recharging * Commercial payment processing * Bill payment processing * Peer to Peer payments Withdrawal at banking agent * Deposit at banking agent A specific sequence of SMS messages will enable the system to verify if the client has sufficient funds in his or her wallet and authorize a deposit or withdrawal transaction at the agent. When depositing money, the merchant receives cash and the system credits the client's bank account or mobile wallet. In the same way the client can also withdraw money at the merchant: through exchanging SMS to provide authorization, the merchant hands the client cash and debits the merchant's account.Kenya's M-P ESA mobile banking service, for example, allows customers of the mobile phone operator Safaricom to hold cash balances which are recorded on their SIM cards. Cash may be deposited or withdrawn from M-PESA accounts at Safaricom retail outlets located throughout the country, and may be transferred electronically from person to person as well as used to pay bills to companies. One of the most innovative applications of mobile banking technology is Zidisha, a US-based nonprofit microlending platform that allows residents of developing countries to raise small business loans from web users worldwide.Zidisha uses mobile banking for loan disbursements and repayments, transferring funds from lenders in the United States to the borrowers in rural Africa using nothing but the internet and mobile phones. Investments * Portfolio management services * Real-time stock quotes * Personalized alerts and notifications on security prices Support * Status of requests for credit, including mortgage appr oval, and insurance coverage * Check (cheque) book and card requests * Exchange of data messages and email, including complaint submission and tracking * ATM location.Content services * General information such as weather updates, news * Loyalty-related offers * Location-based services Based on a survey conducted by Forrester, mobile banking will be attractive mainly to the younger, more â€Å"tech-savvy† customer segment. A third of mobile phone users say that they may consider performing some kind of financial transaction through their mobile phone. But most of the users are interested in performing basic transactions such as querying for account balance and making bill payment. Benefits of Mobile Banking * Real time on-line banking Available anytime, anywhere throughout the country * It is convenient, affordable and secure * It is much more effective in developing savings habits * It will make access to banking and advanced payment transactions at affordable cost * It is m uch safer, specify and safeguard against fraudulent transactions. Process of Mobile Banking: The concept is different from SMS Banking which was discussed previously. The architecture is based on the specific requirement that the facility is provided through GRPS, GSM, CDMA, EDGE, 3G and CSD enabled mobile phones.With Mobile banking, the following services can be availed of, but is not restricted to, * Viewing A/C statement * Viewing Cheque Status * Stopping Cheque Payment * Cheque Book Request * Fixed Deposit Enquiry * Bill Payment * Shopping/ Purchasing items The services can be provided to customers directly by the bank or through a 3rd party vendor; and explanations for both are followed. Architecture 1: When the bank provides the service directly to the customer The setup will have a web server, application server and the database at the ank’s premises. We shall call this the mobile banking server for ease of understanding. The application will ensure what services are t o be provided to the customer. Based on the banking services provided to the customer, the security of the infrastructure has to be built in. The database can be the same as the Core banking database, having another table for mobile banking users. The customer uses his/her mobile phones to transact through the mobile network.The Mobile banking server in turn talks to the Core banking systems of the bank for user authentication, processing transactions, authorization, etc. Architecture 2: When banks outsource this facility to 3rd party vendors This is the more popular architecture as Banks can quickly roll out their mobile banking solutions by connecting to a 3rd party. This is also the architecture with more security issues as interconnection with a 3rd party is involved. In this architecture, the mobile banking servers are located at the 3rd party vendor’s data centre.These servers will talk to the Core Banking servers of the bank through a secured channel (dedicated or shar ed link) for authentication, authorization and transaction processing. Pre requisites to using this facility The customer has to first register with the Bank for using Mobile banking facility by linking the user’s mobile number with the account number. Application functionality The mobile banking facility can be provided to mobile phone users through a client or a web based access. Using the client or web browser, the necessary security features are to be built.Customer performs banking transactions based the services like check account balance, fund transfer, bill payment, shopping, etc provided by the bank. User requesting a transaction * The user selects the service he wants to perform like check account balance, bill payment, etc. * The mobile banking server asks for re-authentication for critical transactions. a) Re-authentication with the mobile banking sever ensures that critical transactions are verified and mapped to the user. b) The re-authentication can be estricte d with the vendor only; the user need not authenticate with the bank every time a transaction is performed. Again this depends on the role played by the vendor. * User re-enters the credentials. * Server authenticates the mobile user and forwards the data to the bank on how to process the mobile user’s service request. For e. g. , checking the account balance service, the mobile banking server will contact the bank’s server on how to process the request. Bank processing the transaction * The bank server will ask for details required to service the user request. Taking the above example, the bank will ask for cheque number and this is forwarded by the mobile banking server to the end user. * The end user enters the details and sends it to the mobile banking server. * The server again asks for authentication. Once authenticated, the mobile banking server will forward the cheque number to the bank’s server. * This can be an optional check based on the criticality o f the service requested. For e. g. , if the bank provides fund transfer service, then it may be a good idea to again check for the user’s credentials.Again this is purely based on the criticality of the service provided * The bank’s server will check the status of the cheque and provide the details to the mobile user via the mobile banking server. Finally, this is just an example to show how the application should process requests from the mobile user. Based on the services provided by the bank, the security of the application can be built-in. For e. g. , if the application allows fund transfer or bill payment, then the required security threats should be identified and mitigated.Future functionalities in mobile banking Based on the ‘International Review of Business Research Papers' from World business Institute, Australia, following are the key functional trends possible in world of Mobile Banking. With the advent of technology and increasing use of smartphone a nd tablet based devices, the use of Mobile Banking functionality would enable customer connect across entire customer life cycle much comprehensively than before. With this scenario, current mobile banking objectives of say building relationships, reducing cost, chieving new revenue stream will transform to enable new objectives targeting higher level goals such as building brand of the banking organization. Emerging technology and functionalities would enable to create new ways of lead generation, prospecting as well as developing deep customer relationship and mobile banking world would achieve superior customer experience with bi-directional communications. Illustration of objective based functionality enrichment In Mobile Banking * Communication enrichment: – Video Interaction with agents, advisors. Pervasive Transactions capabilities: – Comprehensive â€Å"Mobile wallet† * Customer Education: – â€Å"Test drive† for demos of banking services * Connect with new customer segment: – Connect with Gen Y – Gen Z using games and social network ambushed to surrogate bank’s offerings * Content monetization: – Micro level revenue themes such as music, e-book download * Vertical positioning: – Positioning offerings over mobile banking specific industries * Horizontal positioning: – Positioning offerings over mobile banking across all the industries * Personalization of corporate banking services: – Personalization experience for multiple roles and hierarchies in corporate banking as against the vanilla based segment based enhancements in the current context. * Build Brand: – Built the bank’s brand while enhancing the â€Å"Mobile real estate†. Challenges for a mobile banking solution Key challenges in developing a sophisticated mobile banking application are: Handset operability There are a large number of different mobile phone devices and it is a big challenge for banks to offer mobile banking solution on any type of device. Some of these devices support Java ME and others support SIM Application Toolkit, a WAP browser, or only SMS.Initial interoperability issues however have been localized, with countries like India using portals like R-World to enable the limitations of low end java based phones, while focus on areas such as South Africa have defaulted to the USSD as a basis of communication achievable with any phone. The desire for interoperability is largely dependent on the banks themselves, where installed applications (Java based or native) provide better security, are easier to use and allow development of more complex capabilities similar to those of internet banking while SMS can provide the basics but becomes difficult to operate with more complex transactions. There is a myth that there is a challenge of interoperability between mobile banking applications due to perceived lack of common technology standards for mobile banking .In practice it is too early in the service lifecycle for interoperability to be addressed within an individual country, as very few countries have more than one mobile banking service provider. In practice, banking interfaces are well defined and money movements between banks follow the IS0-8583 standard. As mobile banking matures, money movements between service providers will naturally adopt the same standards as in the banking world. On January 2009, Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) Banking Sub-Committee, chaired by Cell Trust and VeriSign Inc. , published the Mobile Banking Overview for financial institutions in which it discussed the advantages and disadvantages of Mobile Channel Platforms such as Short Message Services (SMS), Mobile Web, Mobile Client Applications, SMS with Mobile Web and Secure SMS. SecuritySecurity of financial transactions, being executed from some remote location and transmission of financial information over the air, are the most complicated challenges that need to be addressed jointly by mobile application developers, wireless network service providers and the banks' IT departments. The following aspects need to be addressed to offer a secure infrastructure for financial transaction over wireless network: 1. Physical part of the hand-held device. If the bank is offering smart-card based security, the physical security of the device is more important. 2. Security of any thick-client application running on the device. In case the device is stolen, the hacker should require at least an ID/Password to access the application. 3. Authentication of the device with service provider before initiating a transaction. This would ensure that unauthorized devices are not connected to perform financial transactions. 4.User ID / Password authentication of bank’s customer. 5. Encryption of the data being transmitted over the air. 6. Encryption of the data that will be stored in device for later / off-line analysis by the customer. One-tim e password (OTPs) are the latest tool used by financial and banking service providers in the fight against cyber fraud. Instead of relying on traditional memorized passwords, OTPs are requested by consumers each time they want to perform transactions using the online or mobile banking interface. When the request is received the password is sent to the consumer’s phone via SMS. The password is expired once it has been used or once its scheduled life-cycle has expired.Because of the concerns made explicit above, it is extremely important that SMS gateway providers can provide a decent quality of service for banks and financial institutions in regards to SMS services. Therefore, the provision of service level agreements (SLAs) is a requirement for this industry; it is necessary to give the bank customer delivery guarantees of all messages, as well as measurements on the speed of delivery, throughput, etc. SLAs give the service parameters in which a messaging solution is guarante ed to perform. Scalability and reliability Another challenge for the CIOs and CTOs of the banks is to scale-up the mobile banking infrastructure to handle exponential growth of the customer base.With mobile banking, the customer may be sitting in any part of the world (true anytime, anywhere banking) and hence banks need to ensure that the systems are up and running in a true 24 x 7 fashion. As customers will find mobile banking more and more useful, their expectations from the solution will increase. Banks unable to meet the performance and reliability expectations may lose customer confidence. There are systems such as Mobile Transaction Platform which allow quick and secure mobile enabling of various banking services. Recently in India there has been a phenomenal growth in the use of Mobile Banking applications, with leading banks adopting Mobile Transaction Platform and the Central Bank publishing guidelines for mobile banking operations. Application distributionDue to the natur e of the connectivity between bank and its customers, it would be impractical to expect customers to regularly visit banks or connect to a web site for regular upgrade of their mobile banking application. It will be expected that the mobile application itself check the upgrades and updates and download necessary patches (so called â€Å"Over the Air† updates). However, there could be many issues to implement this approach such as upgrade / synchronization of other dependent components. Personalization It would be expected from the mobile application to support personalization such as: * Preferred Language * Date / Time format * Amount format Default transactions * Standard Beneficiary list * Alerts Mobile banking in the world Mobile banking is used in many parts of the world with little or no infrastructure, especially remote and rural areas. This aspect of mobile commerce is also popular in countries where most of their population is unbanked. In most of these places, banks can only be found in big cities, and customers have to travel hundreds of miles to the nearest bank. By 2012, it is estimated that there will be 1. 7 billion people with a mobile phone but not a bank account and as many as 364 million unbanked people could be reached by agent-networked banking through mobile phones.In Iran, banks such as Parsian, Tejarat, Mellat, Saderat, Sepah, Edbi, and Bankmelli offer the service. Banco Industrial provides the service in Guatemala. Citizens of Mexico can access mobile banking with Omnilife, Bancomer and MPower Venture. Kenya's Safaricom (part of the Vodafone Group) has the M-Pesa Service, which is mainly used to transfer limited amounts of money, but increasingly used to pay utility bills as well. In 2009, Zain launched their own mobile money transfer business, known as ZAP, in Kenya and other African countries. In Somalia, the many telecom companies provide mobile banking, the most prominent being Hormuud Telecom and its ZAAD service.Telenor Pak istan has also launched a mobile banking solution, in coordination with Taameer Bank, under the label Easy Paisa, which was begun in Q4 2009. Eko India Financial Services, the business correspondent of State Bank of India (SBI) and ICICI Bank, provides bank accounts, deposit, withdrawal and remittance services, micro-insurance, and micro-finance facilities to its customers (nearly 80% of whom are migrants or the unbanked section of the population) through mobile banking. In a year of 2010, mobile banking users soared over 100 percent in Kenya, China, Brazil and USA with 200 percent, 150 percent, 110 percent and 100 percent respectively. Mobile Banking in Bangladesh Starting: Mobile banking is a new technology in Bangladesh which started from 31st March 2011.Dutch Bangla Bank Limited pioneered in mobile banking services in Bangladesh. Most people heard about it but not have a clear idea. According to my survey almost 94% people heard about mobile banking and 6% haven’t heard a bout mobile banking. Interest to use: Many people heard about mobile banking. But they yet have not felt that they should use it as they are happy to use traditional banking system. Some people feel interest to use it. About 55% people feel they should use it and 45% people haven’t feel to use mobile banking according to the survey. Takes time by mobile banking than traditional banking: Mobile banking is real time on-line banking.As it is on-line banking it takes less time than traditional banking. It will make access to banking and advanced payment, transactions at affordable cost People have not to wait by standing in a long line which is happen in traditional banking system. But some people think it takes higher time and some people think it takes same time as traditional banking. According to the research only 5% people think it takes higher time, 34% people think it takes the same time and 61% people think it takes lower time than traditional banking system. Time saving: Mobile banking is available anytime, anywhere throughout the country. So it can save one’s time. But all people not think the same.About 70% respondents think that mobile banking can save their time, where as 30% think it cannot save time. Cost: It is convenient, affordable and it is much more effective in developing savings habits, it will make access to banking and advanced payment transactions at affordable cost. All people know that its cost is not higher than traditional banking. Around 56% respondents say its cost is lower, 20% say same and 24% say it is affordable than traditional banking. . A positive aspect of mobile phones is that mobile networks can reach remote areas at low cost. Trust worthy: It is much safer and safeguard against fraudulent transactions. One can trust mobile banking as traditional banking system.It has secured pin code which is known by the user, and also has a check digit without it no one can deposit money. But in Bangladesh traditional branc h-based banking remains the most widely adopted method of conducting banking transaction. The poor often have greater familiarity and trust with mobile phone companies than formal banking institutions. Furthermore a mobile handset can easily be adapted to handle banking transactions. But it is not commonly known by all. From the survey it is found that 63% respondents think mobile banking is trust worthy and 37% respondents feel it is not trust worthy. Use: It is much more effective in developing savings habits. Its using system is also easy. Anyone can use it.Poor people are often not considered viable customers by the formal financial sector as their transaction sizes are small, and many live in remote areas beyond the reach of banks branch networks. Informal banking services such as microfinance and village savings and loan associations remain limited in their reach. So, mobile banking system develops to bring poor people into banking system. 83% respondents face or heard no prob lem to use mobile banking. But 17% respondents heard or face problems to use it like-sometimes transaction do not reach at time, cannot operate it easily as traditional banking, not trust worthy. Prospect of mobile banking in Bangladesh:Mobile Banking is a Banking process without bank branch which provides financial services to unbaked communities efficiently and at affordable cost. The aim of the service is to bring more people under the umbrella of banking service. Bangladesh Bank governor Dr Atiur Rahman inaugurated the service through -Journal of Arts, Science ; Commerce  ¦ E-ISSN 2229-4686  ¦ ISSN 2231-4172 International Refereed Research Journal  ¦ www.. researchersworlld.. com  ¦ Vol. – III, Issue –1,Jan. 2012 [54] deposit and withdrawal of money from two banking outlets in the city. Government thinks it has a great prospect as it is a new technology in digital Bangladesh.But in Bangladesh many people think traditionally, because they cannot think it has any facility to use mobile banking. 69% people feel mobile banking has prospect in Bangladesh whereas 31% think it has no prospect in Bangladesh as many people will not feel interest or have belief on mobile banking. Suggestion to other to use the: 55% feel interest to use mobile banking but most people do not want to give suggestion to other to use it. As it is a new method of banking people haven’t 100% faith on it. So, people don’t want to take any risk by giving suggestion to use it. 68% respondents say they do not want to give suggestion and 32% respondents say they want to give suggestion to use mobile banking. Make life easier:Mobile banking is real time on-line banking, available anytime, anywhere throughout the country, it is convenient, affordable and secure, it is much more effective in developing savings habits, it will make access to banking and advanced payment transactions at affordable cost, it is much safer, speedy and safeguard against fraudulent tra nsactions. All of the characteristics of mobile banking make life easier. But 43% respondents feel it will not make life easier as it may not be trust worthy, but 57% respondents feel the facility which mobile banking give will make life easier. Security: In mobile banking a confidential pin code is used by the user. PIN ensures security of money and protects fraudulent transactions. So mobile banking is fully secured. It also believed by 70% respondents, but about 30% respondents say it is not secured as they cannot fully trust on online banking than traditional banking system.Speedy process: One benefit of mobile banking is a very speedy process. Transaction can be done anytime anywhere quickly in less time. So 100% people believe that it is a speedy process. Class of people: Mobile banking started with the idea to bring the poor under the umbrella of banking sector especially rural poor as there are not much bank facilities, also there savings is low so they feel shy to go to ban k. But according to my survey 38% respondents feel upper class, 21% respondents feel middle class people can use mobile banking. But 41% respondents say mobile banking can be used by all class of people. Problems encounted in collecting data:The researcher had to face the following problems in collecting data from the respondents: i. Generally most of the respondents have not enough idea about mobile banking. So it was very difficult to collect actual data. Because the information of the respondents was supplied from their idea. ii. Most of the respondents were not fully use mobile banking which caused another problem to data collection to the researcher. iii. Sometimes respondent could not answer to questions accurately and to the point. iv. The respondents were usually remaining busy with their work. So, the researcher had to visit some of them even at the work place and researcher sometimes had to pay more time to meet the respondents. v.Most of the respondents did not feel comfo rtable to answer questions. So researcher had to pay more time to gain their confidence. The banks that provides mobile banking, sms banking in Bangladesh: * Dutch-Bangla Bank Ltd. * BRAC Bank Ltd. * Premier Bank Ltd. * Bank Asia Ltd. * HSBC * Dhaka Bank Ltd. * Standard Chartered Bank Ltd. * Mutual Trust Bank Ltd. * Trust Bank Ltd. * One Bank Ltd. * EXIM Bank Ltd. * IFIC Bank Ltd. * First Security Bank Ltd. * City Bank Ltd. * Islami Bank Bangladesh Ltd. * Mercantile Bank Limited. Dutch-Bangla Bank Limited (DBBL) has for the first time introduced its mobile banking service, expanding the banking service from cities to remote areas.Bangladesh Bank Governor Atiur Rahman inaugurated the service in July, 2011 by depositing Tk 2,000 and withdrawing Tk 1,500 through Banglalink and Citycell mobile networks in Motijheel area. Bangladesh Bank has already allowed 10 banks to initiate mobile banking. Of them DBBL kicked off first. â€Å"Mobile banking is an alternative to the traditional banki ng through which banking service can be reached at the doorsteps of the deprived section of the society,† the central bank governor said at an inaugural press briefing at Hotel Purbani. Atiur Rahman said through mobile banking various banking services including depositing and withdrawing money, payment of utility bills and reaching remittance to the recipient would be possible.By going to the DBBL-approved Citycell and Banglalink agents throughout the country, the subscribers can open an account provided they show the necessary papers and pay a fee of Tk 10. To use the banking service, subscribers must own a cell phone from any provider. The bank gives subscribers a four-digit PIN. By using the PIN, subscribers can use a number of banking services, including depositing and withdrawing money, while maintaining account security. Customers may hand over cash to agents in the bank's network, and agents can coordinate the transaction from their mobile phones, helping account holder s securely complete banking tasks using their PINs.Customers can deposit or withdraw money up to five times per day, up to Tk 5,000 per day. One percent of the transaction account or Tk 5, whichever is greater, will be deducted as a cash-in charge. The charge for cash-out is 2 percent of the transaction amount or Tk 10, whichever is greater. There are no fees for registration, salary or remittance disbursement services. Mobile Banking at BRAC Bank The service will enable millions of banked and unbanked people to deposit, withdraw and transfer money through mobile phones. bKash, a joint venture between BRAC Bank and US-based Money in Motion, will provide mobile banking with a fully encrypted VISA technology platform for transactions through mobile phones.Any mobile user can register and open up a bKash account and then do transactions through their mobile phones in easy, convenient and reliable way. â€Å"bKash will fundamentally change the way people now do transactions, as all tra nsactions will be possible through mobile phones in future,† said Syed Mahbubur Rahman, managing director of the bank. â€Å"Customers will not need to come to the bank; rather the bank will go to them,† he said at a press conference in Dhaka on the occasion of its 10th founding anniversary. The bank said a bKash account will act as a digital mobile wallet and anybody can take the service. â€Å"Your mobile phone will become your wallet.Customers can get financial services through phones, even by the handset that costs the lowest,† Rahman said. Under a partnership with UNDP and Local Government Division, bKash is rolling out mobile banking in 4,501 union parishads in the country. It has already signed a deal with a leading mobile operator and is in talks with others to enable all mobile users — currently around 7. 5 crore — to have individual digital wallets, said Mamdudur Rashid, deputy managing director of the bank. Recently some Bangladeshi banki ng companies and mobile network provider companies have launched mobile banking in Bangladesh. A new door of technology is opening in Bangladesh.Now people of Bangladesh can use their mobile phone as a bank account with balance transfer, payment, money upload and many more facilities at a low cost . I will give you some useful info about these services: * BKash Limited is a joint venture between BRAC Bank Ltd. , Bangladesh, and Money in Motion LLC, USA. Ensuring access to a broader range of financial services for the people of Bangladesh is the ultimate objective of bKash. It has a special focus to serve the low income people of the country and promote sustainable micro-savings to achieve broader financial inclusion by providing financial services that are convenient, affordable and reliable. * bKash is working both as an extension of BRAC Bank and as a full-scale mobile phone-based payment switch.This will highly benefit the country as 83% of the population lives under $2 a day and access to finance can help in improving their economic situation. Less than 15% of Bangladeshis are connected to the formal financial system whereas 44% of total populations are having mobile phones. Providing financial services using this mean can make the service more accessible and cost effective for the vast population of Bangladesh. How to open an account: 01. Go to any of your nearby bKash agent along with- a. Your mobile phone with active Robi number b. A copy of your Photo ID (National ID/Passport/Driving License/Other valid Photo ID) c. 2 copies of Passport size photographs 02. Upon successful registration you need to activate your wallet in following manner- Kash authorized agent will help you throughout the process and confirm registration. You will also receive a confirmation SMS in your mobile. Conclusion: Some policy Implications, Mohammad Mizanur Raman,(www. ampublisher. com) Mobile Phone Banking offers the potential to extend low cost virtual bank accounts to a larg e number of currently un-banked individuals worldwide. Change is being driven by falling costs of mobile phones including airtime, by competition and by the ability of electronic banking solutions to offer customers an enhanced range of services at a very low cost. Text-a-payment (TAP) builds upon the familiarity and comfort that people around the world have with sending text messages via their mobile phone.Instead of traveling to the bank to make their loan payment, clients can -Journal of Arts, Science & Commerce now text their loan payment directly to the bank; saving them both travel time and money. This is also beneficial for the bank, since they can increase their outreach to rural areas while reducing their costs. (Catching the Technology Wave: Mobile Phone Banking and Text-a-Payment in the Philippines, John Owens, Anna Bantug Herrera,www. bwtp. org) M-Banking technology has become one of the most familiar banking features throughout the world. Nowadays millions of inhabitant s of Bangladesh are within a network through mobile network coverage.But in the commercial sectors like banking, m-Commerce technology has not been adopted broadly yet. In context of Bangladesh where almost 95% of geographical areas including Chittagong Hill tract region is under cellular coverage and having sufficiency in Internet infrastructure in remote regions, m-Banking via mobile phones can be the right choice for the promising banking sector. Considering m-Commerce and m-Banking perspective in Bangladesh, a Push Pull services offering SMS (Short Messaging Service) based m-Banking system has been proposed which is able to provide several essential banking services only by sending SMS to bank server from any remote location. They are Broadcast, Scheduling, Event, and Enquiry and m- Commerce services.Fifteen push pull services underlying these categories are implemented in this proposed system which are most desired to customers. The proposed system not only brings banking trans action in hand’s grip but also makes it easier, robust and flexible with highest security. Moreover, modified data failover algorithm handles unexpected SMS server failure with any congestion or service request loss. At last, after evaluating each module of our proposed system a satisfactory accuracy rate 94. 95% has been obtained. Abstract The main objective of the study is to find out the problem and prospect of mobile banking in Bangladesh. For this research primary data were used. This study adopts with descriptive in nature.Total respondents were 120 within that 61 % respondents think it saves time than traditional banking, the highest number of respondents use mobile banking for ‘Air-time top-up’ service, that is 21%, out of 120 respondents 56% replied it is less costlier than traditional banking, 100% respondents did agree that it is speedy, and 38% respondents are upper class. Although this concept is new in Bangladesh but its potentiality is high. From t his research, other researchers and policy makers will get an insight about the problems and prospects of mobile banking in Bangladesh. Keywords: Problem, prospect, Mobile banking. References: * Dhaka Bank Ltd. , Banani branch. * Dutch Bangla Bank Ltd, Banani branch. * BRAC Bank Ltd, Banani branch. * www. thedailystar. net * Wikipedia * www. enterpriseinnovation. net * www. wikipedi www. marketresearch. com * www. bwtp. org * www. ampublisher. com * www. scribd. com/doc/54509127/28/MOBILE-BANKING-IN-BANGLADESH * www. researchersworld. com/vol3/Paper_05. pdf * bankinfobd. com/banks * www. dhakabankltd. com/ * www. bracbank. com/platinum_card. php * www. businessnewsbd. com/index. php? option=com_content&task=view&id=3619&Itemid=88 * www. dutchbanglabank. com/electronic_banking/PDF/MobileBankingBrochureEnglish. pdf Index: WAP – Wireless Application protocol SMS – Short Message Service PDA – Personal Digital Assistants ATM – Automatic Teller Machine M-bankin g – Mobile Banking Telco – Telecommunication Company Mobile Banking The Future of Mobile Banking by Rob Berger in Banking * Photo: BankSimple INTRODUCTION Communication is the exchange of information and feeling or ideas, which allow the majority of people to get the news of all sides. In addition, we are used the communication every day to let people know what we are doing or thinking even feeling which people are received that by voice, picture or chat. Moreover, communication technologies have made it simple to communicate to friends in the other side of the world by calling them using mobile phone, e-mailing them and writing in our web pages using social networks, such as Face book, Twitter or Messenger.Additionally, many other recourses are used by the majority of people to keep in touch with the world, which they can watch television or listen to the radio especially when they go to work. Therefore, communication technologies are considered one of the most important elements in our lives and that is why this essay is going to define the advanta ges and disadvantages of communications technology in terms of our health, education and relationships. This essay will elucidate firstly, the advantages and disadvantages of communications technology in health.Secondly, the advantages and disadvantages in education. Thirdly, the advantages and disadvantages in relationships. Finally, what scope should people be bothered about our grandchildren’s world if these technologies still run on to develops in the future? Mobile banking apps make banking and managing finances more convenient and less time consuming. They also reduce the need for working with loads upon loads of paper, like all those forms you need to fill out in brick-and-mortar banks.The most common activities performed by mobile banking app users include scanning and depositing checks, monitoring account balances and, for some, managing travel or hotel bookings. Many banks also offer online banking options for those who want an easier way to control their cash flow, pay their bills, and locate ATM stations. Some even allow person-to-person payments Mobile banking apps have actually been around for years. The first bank to ever offer their clients the convenience of doing banking-related activities on their mobile phones was Wells Fargo.Today, according to a research firm in Boston, more than 6,500 financial institutions in the US have developed mobile banking services for people who want to keep track of their finances on the go. Since more and more people rely on their smartphones (at least 70% of Americans who own smartphones use banking apps), app development is expected to increase even more. Developers will continue to come up with more innovative ideas for mobile banking. These apps will slowly change the course of regular banking. Just last January, a new kind of bank was introduced to the public.GoBank, created by prepaid reloader Green Dot, is a mobile banking app of a different kind. Unlike existing apps, GoBank is not connected to a ny brick-and-mortar bank. It is a â€Å"stand alone† app; a mobile bank in the real sense of the word. In other words, if you want to make a deposit or check your account balance, you will need to open the app on your phone. GoBank is the answer to the appeal of people who are practically glued to their mobile phones even when walking down busy streets. It can perform all basic bank functions, like paying bills and depositing checks.This development is not surprising. Developers often try to outdo each other in producing an app – or apps – that can easily catch the consumers’ fancy; especially consumers who use mobile banking every day of their lives. In the coming months and years, more apps like GoBank will be spotlighted in the market, and people will continue to want more. At this point, though, developers should also work on coming up with better security features for mobile banking. Security is the main reason why a good number of smartphone users d o not yet use mobile banking facilities on their device.So before anything else, this should be prioritized. Mobile Deposits Already available with many banks, users can deposit a check by taking a picture of it with their smartphone. I’ve used the feature now with Capital One 360 and absolutely love it. Called mobile remote deposit capture (RDC), my daughter uses this feature to deposit her paychecks into her Money account with Capital One 260. And I use it to deposit the occasional checks we receive. It’s a snap (pun intended). While not all banks offer this feature, yet, they will. Mobile Bill PayAs the person who pays all the bills in my family, this feature is really exciting. Imagine taking a paper bill you receive in the mail and paying it by taking a picture of it. Similar to RDC, Mobile Photo Bill Pay is on the way. U. S. Bank is already testing this functionality. There’s a hidden benefit to mobile bill pay–it will make switching banks easier. R ather than having to re-enter all your payee information and automatic payments, you can just snap a picture of each of your bills. Security The security risks of mobile banking are minimal.Mobile banking apps do not work with third party programs, as they deal directly with you and the bank they are linked to. Your banking privacy is not compromised or shared with anyone else. In addition, banks also require their mobile clients to provide the right username and password before performing any kind of transaction. Since apps are becoming more and more complicated and technologically advanced, however, security measures will need to keep pace. Leading the example is Wells Fargo, which is already working on using voice and speech recognition for carrying out banking transactions.This is an interesting development because it offers not only convenience, but also added security. Smartphone as Your Wallet Eventually, we’ll pull out our Smartphone to pay for things rather than our wallet. This is already a reality to a limited extent. Individual retailers like Starbucks offer apps that allow you to pay for products. And Google Wallet has made some progress. But overall we are still a long way from cutting up our cash and plastic. Rob Berger. The Future of Mobile Banking. March 10, 2013.

Consumer Buying Behaviour Essay

INTRODUCTION This paper is based on a group purchase from the popular coffee house Starbucks. All members were to meet and purchase a beverage and analyse the purchase and reflect on emotions and feelings prior to the purchase and also post purchase. Each group member bought something different so we were therefore able to compare each individuals experience. CONSUMER A Problem Recognition Consumer A and the other consumers recognised the need for a place to meet in order to enjoy some food/a drink that was in the centre of town, within a budget and would not require a reservation. Consumer A wanted a drink but also something more filling and exciting than a regular coffee or tea. This would take the consumer from their actual state to their ideal state (Solomon et al 2010). Information Search Due to the high recognition and availability of the brand, when feeling the need of a drink, hot or cold, Consumer A believe that the Starbucks brand recall is one of the strongest out there. Thus meaning that it is the first one the consumer will think of and additionally the brand is widely available. Particularly in Glasgow central, there is a Starbucks on almost every corner, stimulating both her internal and external information state (Solomon et al 2010). Consumer A and the rest of the group decided upon Starbucks, dismissing other rival retailers such as Costa and Caffe Nero The  consumer thought about what drinks she had seen people get and say was nice, this is known as an internal search, Consumer A also saw another female consumer drinking one of the ‘strawberries and cream frappaccino and thought it looked delicious and the pink and white colour combination is very appealing. Evaluation of alternatives Starbucks was chosen from the consumers evoked set (Solomon et al 2010), due to good marketing. Consumer A showed rational behaviour by opting for a drink that is quite filling so that it was less expensive than buying a drink and a separate snack. Consumer A used her prior knowledge of the drinks she had tried from Starbucks and opted for a drink she knew she liked the taste of rather than variety seeking Consumer A finds that the wide range of options in Starbucks means it can be difficult to make a decision, however they allow you to customise your drink which Consumer A likes as you can get exactly as you want. Purchase Consumer A decided on purchasing the strawberries and cream frappaccino. Consumer A enjoyed her experience overall, service was relatively efficient and her drink did not take long. There was low risk and involvement in the purchase, due to its low price (?3.29) and the nature of the product. Consumer A, did however, feel a little panicked when she went to order as you need to stand in the queue to read the menu boards rather than being able to read and decide before joining the queue. This left Consumer A feeling a bit rushed into the decision. Consumer A was offered cream on top, this left them feeling like it was an added extra, leaving them pleased with their purchase. Post-Purchase Consumer A was very pleased with the purchase as it tasted delicious and was very filling. Whilst Starbucks can be perceived to have some overpriced  products, consumer A did not feel like the frappaciano is one of them, so was satisfied, finding it good value for money. However having seen the high calorie content did make it somewhat less enjoyable as it inspires a little bit of post-purchase guilt. Consumer A decided to push aside any feelings of guilt, a manifestation of cognitive dissonance (Arnould et al 2004). Consumer A felt full and no longer thirsty, it had satisfied her sweet craving and so was now in her ideal state. Consumer A will continue to be a regular customer. Consumer A considers what the drink would be if it were a car, animal and person. If the drink were a car it would probably be a convertible, something fun, quite flash and expensive. If the drink were an animal it would be something relatively exotic and colourful, like a bird of paradise. If the drink was a person, they would be very sweet, probably relatively young, vivacious and excitable, possibly flirty. CONSUMER B The group recognise a problem when they decide they want to meet up but need the convenience of somewhere that does not require a reservation. There are several stores offering similar products in the surrounding area, Costa, Starbucks, Pret a Manger and other less branded coffee shops; constructive processing means the decision to go to Starbucks is made rather quickly; the decision was almost automated due to the knowledge of Starbucks’ product range (Solomon et al, 2010). The group perform an internal search to locate a Starbucks within walking distance from their current position. Whilst in line to order consumer B browses the many drinks on the menu considers the possible flavours and quickly decides to purchase a large cup of tea. The tea is chosen as it is consumer B’s favourite hot drink. As the decision to buy tea was made easily by consumer B there was time left to survey the cakes and biscuits on offer while in the queue; consumer B decided to make a hotspot purchase of a cookie to accompany the tea. Consumer B enjoys the purchase of tea and a cookie which cost ?3.70 which  consumer B believes to be competitively priced with rival stores but overpriced in relation to the cost of manufacture however this has not ruined the experience. Overall the experience was a positive one; service was quick, the store was laid out efficiently, staff were friendly, consumer B enjoyed the social aspect that was made possible due to the homely store and the purchase was satisfactory too. Consumer B considers what tea would be if it was a type of car, animal and person and determines, if a car it would be a Volkswagen Golf as it is without significant changes; if an animal it would be a dog or cat as is a lifelong companion; and if a person someone who was comforting, friendly and dependable. Tea has all of these characteristics to consumer B. (Solomon et al, 2010, pg314) CONSUMER C The group recognise a problem as to what time to meet up, as some group members are not nearby the selected Starbucks, and others only have a small amount of time due to work commitments. They decide to meet as soon as possible at a set point (Starbucks Buchanan Galleries) and to purchase their products as soon as they can so that all members can be involved, and the members that need to leave will just order take-away cups. Consumer C knew that they would need to leave for work soon after she had met the group at Starbucks, so their first thought was that it would be ideal to pick up a take-away cup. This is problem recognition (Solomon et al, 2010) in the customer realising they were currently purchasing a product, but would soon need to leave the location where the product is generally consumed. Pre-purchase research had taught them that Starbucks offer a take-away service. Having made this decision, consumer C now considered her options for a drink. Not particularly liking tea or coffee consumer C decides to buy a hot chocolate, and makes it a small as they are not that hungry. As consumer 2 is paying the cashier offers them cream and marshmallows for a small extra price, and so makes a hotspot decision to purchase cream for on top of the hot chocolate. Consumer C enjoyed the purchase of hot chocolate with cream. It was ideal that they could sit and enjoy the drink with the rest of the group, but leave slightly earlier without having to stop drinking their purchase due to the take-away cup. Compared to home-made products was a lot more enjoyable due to extra touches such as cream and the ability to sit with friends in a comfortable and relaxed environment. Consumer C reflects on their experience of the purchase of a hot chocolate for ?3.40. It was more satisfying than home-made products due to the services it comes with, and was an enjoyable experience with friends. If this product was a car Consumer C thinks it would be a Volkswagen Beetle as it is sweet and almost a bit childish. If it was an animal it would be a sloth because it is relaxed and happy. If it was a person it would be a grandmother type figure, as it is used to cheer people up and as an almost comfort-blanket type product. CONSUMER D The consumers decided to meet to discuss group work issues. Upon deciding a meeting place, there were a few options considered by the consumers: a restaurant or a cafe, as they would provide the perfect space and atmosphere in order to carry out the meeting without any major interruptions and would allow them their own space. Most of the group had already eaten lunch as this was around 2pm, so it was then decided that a cafe would be the most suitable place to meet, allowing them to also enjoy a relaxing hot drink and possibly a cake/pastry. Consumer D already had an idea of a place which would offer the group what they required, due to â€Å"Internal information search†. Consumer D regularly visited Starbucks and had never been let down by their services, they had a very positive image of the brand. They also remembered reading â€Å"Find your local Starbucks and visit us in store for your perfect latte!†(Starbucks official website 2012) on their official website, which coincidently happened to be their favourite hot beverage. A short conversation was  undertaken which involved assessing the nearby coffee shops such as Costa coffee and Pret a Manger, (mainly those who were branded, as the knowledge of their products and services were the highest) it was decided that Starbucks was the preferred option by all consumers. Upon arriving at the nearest Starbucks, consumer D already had decided what drink they were going to purchase (a latte) as they had previously enjoyed the same drink many times before and it was their favourite. As consumer D waited in the queue (queues are present nine times out of ten in most Starbucks although that never hindered the experience) they were faced with all of the cakes and sandwiches that the cafe had to offer. Although consumer D had just eaten lunch, they were almost at eye level with their favourite cake and made a rash decision to purchase it as they usually enjoyed it alongside their favourite drink. After ordering, the assistant then asked for consumer D’s name, to place on the order, to give it a personal touch, to make experience somewhat more pleasant. Taking into consideration all the qualities of the drink, the consumer decided that if it was to be compared to a car, it would most resemble an Audi as it was a safe option, it was reliable and not just a regular coffee, it was an upgraded sophisticated version. If the drink was to be compared to a person, it would most resemble a woman/mother in a well-paid occupation as it gives vibes of confidence and sophistication, due to the sharp coffee taste but also an understanding and warming vibe due to milk being the basis of the drink. It was then considered that if the latte was an animal it would be a Persian Cat, mostly due to the similarity of the colours and the cuddly yet classy image that they project. Consumer D was just as impressed as they always were with their Starbucks purchase; they believe that the brand is very consistent with the quality of their products which draws them in as they never have the risk of being disappointed. Although it cost them ?5.25 for a coffee and a cake, it was not grudged as it is now accepted as the norm for all branded coffee shops. Consumer D had also enjoyed the free Wi-fi, as it assisted the group whilst they were enjoying their beverages so they could socialise, discuss and  research all at the same time. Consumer D identified that the purchase was one of low involvement as during the information search, it was limited and not many options were considered; when it came to the purchase, they knew what they wanted to buy, they didn’t have look into any other product – the behaviour was habitual and post purchase, there was little evaluation on the purchase and no research was undertaken. CONSUMER E Prior to the visit to Starbucks, Consumer E was thrilled at the chosen place of purchase. Consumer E is familiar with the American Coffee House and visits regularly. Although Consumer E has been countless times before, this experience was to be different and the trip was to be made with a group of friends who had not spent time with each other before. Consumer E felt wary and anxious about how the group would all get along and how the experience would be. Consumer E was more concerned about the people attending the meeting than actually making the purchase. Consumers E was considering whether to stick with the regular order or try something new to add to the whole ‘new’ experience. Consumer E gathered information from the Starbucks website on what other beverages and snacks they serve to be prepared for meeting. Consumer E had decided on the purchase going to be made, however, before doing so, compared alternatives on the menu by analysing nutrition information. Consumer E then confirmed her choice before the day of the meeting. Friday 15th February was the day the group planned to meet at the Coffee House. Consumer E was running late so felt rushed when arriving. The remainder of the group were already sitting down, chatting, and seemed delighted that Consumer E had finally arrived. After around 5 minutes of brief chat, the group were ready to make their purchase. As everyone made their way to order, Consumer E realised that the firmed choice of hazelnut hot chocolate was not desired any longer. Consumer E had been in such a great rush to get to the meeting that the needs had changed and now craved something cold and refreshing. The queue was terribly long, so Consumer E had plenty of time to evaluate alternatives. When the caramel Frappuccino had been ordered, Consumer E felt no warmth and friendliness from the staff, which is normally the atmosphere created in Starbucks. The staff did ask the  name of the consumer to write on the cup, which is a nice, personal touch. The member of staff questioned whether the consumer would enjoy cream on their beverage or would prefer without. Consumer E agreed to the cream and made the purchase of ?3.29. After making the purchase, Consumer E realised there was no up sell of snacks or biscuits which the felt was disappointing and thought effort was lacking from the staff members. When the drink was ready, it was made aware that it was served in a plastic cup even though the consumer had stated they were sitting in. When arriving back at the table to join the remaining group members, Consumer E felt slightly out of place as the other members were sipping from large, Starbucks stamped mugs. Their experience seemed more homely, warm and comforting whereas Consumer E felt their Frappuccino was over-priced to be served in a plastic cup, with a straw. The consumer understood that the type of drink is slightly different; however, the purchase made should not affect the overall experience of consuming in such a place where expectations are so high. Consumer E felt as though they had been given a take away, and although the beverage was lovely, it would have been more enjoyable if it had been consumed the same way as the other group members; from a mug like you’re sitting at home! Overall, the experience of the purchase was slightly disappointing; however, Consumer E loves the social aspect of Starbucks. If the consumer had the chance to indulge in the atmosphere predicted before the purchase was made, then the outcome may have been different. CONSUMER COMPARISON Problem Recognition The consumers recognised a variety of reasons as to why they made their purchase. Consumer A was thirsty and wanted something quite filling, Consumer B wanted a drink and a snack, Consumer C wanted the convenience of a takeaway cup, Consumer D wanted a drink and was also hungry for a cake, and Consumer E also wanted a drink. All the consumers identified the need  for somewhere convenient and not too expensive to meet. Information Search The consumers used different methods of collecting information. The choice of Starbucks was largely based on all the consumers’ previous experiences and awareness of the brand, showing successful marketing, as all of the consumers noted that they had previously been and it was thought of as an easy and convenient choice. Consumer E, D and A admit to being regular customers, thus illustrating not only their brand loyalty but also how integrated the ‘Starbucks’ brand is within consumers internal search, strong brand recall (Solomon et al 2010). Consumer E also used an external search by looking at the product options prior to their trip, comparing prices and calories. Additionally Consumer D recalled knowledge of one of the brands advertisements on their website. Evaluation of Alternatives The evaluation of alternatives was somewhat unique for each consumer. Consumer E had decided upon their purchase beforehand, Consumer D stuck to her favourite drink, whilst Consumers C, B and A perused the menu and made more impulsive decisions from the extensive menu. Consumer A was relatively price conscious. All the consumers evaluated whether they would enjoy the purchase beforehand and stuck to drinks they had tried before to avoid disappointment. Purchase Consumers had different experiences when making their purchases, despite it being the same staff. Whilst Consumer E was disappointed by the lack of up-sell, Consumer A thought this was a positive aspect of the experience as she felt that being pressured into purchasing more is a turn-off. Whilst Consumers A, C and D were okay with the price, Consumer B thought it slightly overpriced especially in relation to the manufacture cost of her tea; however all the consumers agreed on the enjoying the social aspects of  the Starbucks experience. Post-Purchase Evaluation The consumers post purchase evaluations also differed despite being together in the same Starbucks at the same time. Personal preference would be best identified as the driving force behind why some Consumers were more pleased with their purchases than others. Due to the nature of the products purchased the consumers were able to test the product immediately. Consumer A was pleased with her purchase despite a little post-purchase guilt and experiencing a little post purchase dissonance, Consumer E was left slightly disappointed with their purchase, whilst consumers B, C and D were all satisfied, describing it as a positive experience and purchase. Whilst Consumer E was left unhappy with the fact their frappacciano came in a take away cup, this was seen as a positive for Consumer C, for whom the ease of the plastic cup allowed them not to rush before heading to work commitments. CONCLUSION In conclusion, consumers A, B, C, D, and E, all used the ‘Individual Decision Making Process’ when going about their purchase from Starbucks. Consumers A and purchased their drink through need as well as want, they were thirsty. Consumers C and were more driven by want as they weren’t particularly hungry or thirsty. In the Information search stage, all the consumers followed a relatively similar pattern, due to the high brand awareness of Starbucks and its easy availability. None of the consumers set an exact budget, but all the purchases retailed under ?7. On the whole all the Consumers, except consumer E who expressed a little disappointment, had a positive experience and Consumers E and D are already loyal customers. Therefore they are likely to go back and continue to purchase from Starbucks. The consumers’ decision making processes are somewhat unique and are more complex due to the extensive menu and options available. REFERENCES James R. Bettman, ‘The Decision Maker Who Came in from the Cold’ (presidential address), in Leigh McAllister and Michael Rothschild (eds), Advances in Consumer Research 20 (Provo, U.T.: Association for Consumer Research, 1993): 7-11; John W. Payne, James R. Bettman and Eric J. Johnson, ‘Behavioural decision research: A constructive processing perspective’, Annul Review of psychology 4 (1992): 87-131; J.R. Bettman, M.F Luce and J.W. Payne ‘Constructive consumer choice processes’, Journal of Consumer Research 25(3) (December 1998): 187-217; for an overview of recent developments in individual choice models, see Robert J. Meyer and Barbara E. Kahn, ‘Probabilistic Models of Consumer Choice Behaviour’, in Thomas S. Robertson and Harold H. Kassarjian (eds), Handbook of Consumer Behaviour (Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 1991): 85-123. Cited in Consumer Behaviour a European Perspective, 2010, fourth edition: Prentice Hall Michael R. Solomon, Gary Damossy, Soren Askegaard, Margaret K. Hogg, 2010, Consumer Behaviour A European Perspective, Fourth Edition: Prentice Hall http://starbucks.co.uk/promo/mondays-can-be-great Solomon, Bamossy, Askegarrd and Hogg, (2006), Consumer Behaviour: A European Perspective, 3rd Edition, Prentice Hall. Arnould. E, Price. L, Zinkhan. G, (2004). Consumers, (2nd ed), McGraw-Hill.

An Explanation of Acid Mine Drainage

An Explanation of Acid Mine Drainage In a nutshell, acid mine drainage is a form of water pollution that happens when rain, runoff, or streams come in contact with rock that is rich in sulfur. As a result, the water becomes very acidic and damages downstream aquatic ecosystems. In some regions, it is the most common form of stream and river pollution. Sulfur-bearing rock, especially one type of mineral called pyrite, is routinely fractured or crushed during coal or metal mining operations, and accumulated in piles of mine tailings. Pyrite contains iron sulfide which, when in contact with water, dissociates into sulfuric acid and iron. The sulfuric acid dramatically lowers the pH, and the iron can precipitate and form an orange or red deposit of iron oxide that smothers the bottom of the stream. Other harmful elements like lead, copper, arsenic, or mercury may also be stripped from the rocks by the acidic water, further contaminating the stream. Where Does Acid Mine Drainage Happen? It mostly occurs where mining is done to extract coal or metals from sulfur-bearing rocks. Silver, gold, copper, zinc, and lead are commonly found in association with metal sulfates, so their extraction can cause acid mine drainage. Rainwater or streams become acidified after they run through the mine’s tailings. In hilly terrain, older coal mines were sometimes built so that gravity would drain out water from inside the mine. Long after those mines are closed, acid mine drainage continues to come out and contaminate waters downstream. In the coal mining regions of the eastern United States, over 4,000 miles of stream have been impacted by acid mine drainage. These streams are mostly located in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio. In the western U.S., on Forest Service land alone there are over 5,000 miles of affected streams.   In some circumstances, sulfur-bearing rock can be exposed to water in non-mining operations. For example, when construction equipment cuts a path through bedrock to build a road, pyrite can be broken up and exposed to air and water. Many geologists thus prefer the term acid rock drainage, since mining is not always involved. Environmental Effects Drinking water becomes contaminated. Groundwater can be affected, impacting local water wells.Waters with a very low pH can support only severely reduced animal and plant diversity. Fish species are some of the first to disappear. In the most acidic streams, only some specialized bacteria survive.Because of how corrosive it is, acidic stream water damages infrastructure such as culverts, bridges, and stormwater pipes.Any recreational potential (e.g., fishing, swimming) and scenic value for streams or rivers affected by acid mine drainage are greatly reduced.   Solutions Passive treatment of acidic streams can be conducted by routing the water into a purpose-built wetland designed to buffer the low pH. Yet, these systems require complex engineering, regular maintenance, and are applicable only when certain conditions are present.Active treatment options include isolating or treating the waste rock to avoid contact of water with sulfates. Once water has been contaminated, options include pushing it through a permeable reactive barrier that neutralizes the acid or routing it through a specialized wastewater treatment plant. Sources Reclamation Research Group. 2008. Acid Mine Drainage and Effects on Fish Health and Ecology: A Review.U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 1994. Acid Mine Drainage Prediction.

How to Cite a Website in Harvard Referencing

How to Cite a Website in Harvard Referencing How to Cite a Website in Harvard Referencing With so much information now available online, you may need to cite a website in a piece of academic writing at some point. But since most referencing systems focus on books and journals, knowing how this works can be tricky. Thus, to help out, we’ve prepared this quick guide to citing a website using Harvard referencing. In-Text Citations (Named Author) To cite a website in Harvard referencing, you will need to give the author’s surname and a year of publication. For instance: Rousseau converted to Catholicism in 1728 (Bertram, 2010). If you have already named the author in the main text, though, you don’t need to duplicate this information in the citation. Instead, you can just give a year of publication in brackets after the author’s name. In addition, since websites don’t have page numbers, you will not usually need to give a pinpoint citation when quoting an online source. However, for long or complicated texts, you could include a paragraph or section number (use â€Å"para.† to signal a paragraph number or the â€Å" §Ã¢â‚¬ Ã‚  symbol to denote a section). So to cite a website like this, we would write: According to Bertram (2010,  § 2.1), Rousseau thought morality had been displaced by â€Å"the impulse to dominate, oppress and exploit.† Make sure to check your style guide for information on citing sources with no page numbers, though, as different places will have different rules. In-Text Citations (No Named Author/Date of Publication) To cite a website that does not name its author, the best approach is usually to reference an organizational author instead. This will be the company or organization that runs the website: Tax avoidance often involves using contrived transactions that serve no purpose other than exploiting legal loopholes (HMRC, 2016). If no date of publication is available, you can use â€Å"n.d.† in its place: Moths are â€Å"an essential part of food chains† (RSPB, n.d.). It can be hard to spot the author and publication date for websites, though, so make sure to check carefully before omitting this information from citations. How to Cite a Website in the Reference List As with any source in your work, you should add all cited websites to a reference list at the end of your document. The information you need here is: Author Surname, Initial(s). (Year or Publication/Last Update) Title of Web Page [Online]. Available at: URL [Accessed date]. In practice, then, the reference list entry for a website would look like this: Bertram, C. (2010) Jean Jacques Rousseau [Online]. Available at: plato.stanford.edu/entries/rousseau/ [Accessed 24 October 2016]. Of course, if a webpage is missing a named author or date of publication, this should also be indicated in the reference list: RSPB (n.d.) Grow Food for Moths [Online]. Available at: https://ww2.rspb.org.uk/makeahomeforwildlife/givenatureahomeinyourgarden/gardenactivities/growfoodformoths/ [Accessed 19 September 2016]. A Quick Note on Harvard Referencing Although Harvard referencing is a common citation style, it is not a single unified system. As such, the rules your school uses may differ, so you should always check your style guide if you are not sure how to cite sources.

BRAND LOYALTY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

BRAND LOYALTY - Essay Example lty has five advantages; 1-profit, 2-reduction of new customer aquistion costs, 3-word of mouth helps marketing, 4-customer willingness to pay higher prices, and 5-higher Brand Loyalty results in higher market shares. The importance of Brand Loyalty are the same as the advantages. Brand Loyalty reduces price sensitivity for the consumer. If a consumer trusts a Brand, they are willing to pay more for a product. Loyal consumers will also recommend Brands to other people saving marketing costs. Brand Loyalty increases profits, while providing competitive advantages toward successful brands. Brand Loyalty inspires trust in consumers, raises market shares, and increases profits for the company marketing the Brand. Brand Loyalty does not have a set measureablity. A few vairables to measure Brand Loyalty are brand preference and attitude toward the brand. Different Brand manufacturers use different measurements. The measurement of Brand Loyalty is important because managers must cope with the disloyalty among customers and predict Brand Loyalty. There are six strategic Branding decisions corporations must make; 1-Brand context, 2-Brand construction, 3-Brand confirmation, 4-Brand consistency, 5-Brand continuity, and 6-Brand conditioning. After establishing these six strategic Branding decisions, Long Term strategic advantages for building Brand Loyalty are 1-improvement on return of all investment made in the brand, 2-maximising Brand growth potential, and 3-protecting the brand against consumer â€Å"disloyalty† triggers. There are four â€Å"disloyalty† triggers; 1-peer recommendations to try different Brands, 2-new products, 3- perceived shift in price-value relationship of the Brand/competitive Brand, 4-strong competition advertising. Long term strategic disadvantages include a lack of understanding of what the Brand stands for, inadequate funding/research, and private label threats. Short Term Branding challenges are 1-senior managements short-term focus

The chunnel project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

The chunnel project - Essay Example The Chunnel Project case study has been structured in such a way that it is possible for one to carry out an evaluation of the project management methods as well as the various process that have been used in the project. This study actually makes an inclusive coverage of the various project management areas as catered for by the four project phases of inception, development, implementation and closeout (Anbari et al 12). So as to guarantee better management control- characterized by appropriate links to the performing organization’s ongoing operations, the institution (organization) or even the project managers can split the project into various phases. En masse, these phases are what are commonly referred to as the project life cycle (Anbari et al 15). Notably, it is the project lifecycle which is obliged with the definition of the phases connecting the commencement of a project to its completion. Nevertheless, it is worth noting that phases are ordinarily sequential and are at the same time defined by certain precise forms of technical information transfer. Alternatively, the phases may be so defined by technical component handoff. Despite the fact that majority of life cycles have shared phase names with like deliverables, only countable of the life cycles are identical. While some of them have four-if not five- phases, there are those having over nine phases (Anbari et al 19). As mentioned in an earlier paragraph, the Chunnel Project case study avails a discussion of the four project phases as will be discussed and evaluated in the preceding paragraphs. Inception phase The initial scope of the Chunnel, in the Inception phase, was constructing a fixed transportation link between the two countries; England and France. Through this transport link, it was expected that economic development will be spurred, European trade boosted as well as avail an alternative high-speed mode of transportation to the existing ones, including ferries, boats and planes. Th e Channel Tunnel Group/France Manche (which later re-branded to Eurotunnel) was the company that worn the 1986 project to create a 51.5 KM double-rail tunnel between England and France. This tunnel was to accommodate not only through-trains, but also special car-and-truck-carrying shuttle trains. The project had been cost at USD 5.5 billion (Anbari et al 3). Problems Viewed from a project management angle, both the high-level design and the corresponding rough-order-of-magnitude approximations may have been apposite. Nonetheless, there was no ample time provided for the completion of the detailed design studies that would have pinpointed the necessity of air conditioning within the tunnel thus bracketing in a USD 200 million increments not included in the very initial scope (Anbari et al 4).