Flush with cash, credit, and the ambition to become global players, leading Chinese firms are taking advantage of the fear stock markets in America and Europe to increase their international presence. In the last few months, the China Market Research Group, has conducted more than 500 interviews with senior executives from 100 leading Chinese companies in 10 industries, from consumer products to clothing to food and beverage. We found that more than 70% of large industry leaders have already made meaningful steps toward global expansion, as have more than a third of smaller industry leaders. Most companies said they expected to increase their plans for international expansion in global market.

Accordingly, direct investment by Chinese companies abroad is growing at rapid speed, up 353%, to $19.34 billion, in the first quarter of 2008 compared with the first quarter of 2007. Many companies such as home appliance maker Haier have had enormous success. While most Chinese firms have focused on expanding first into emerging markets in the Middle East and Africa, they are now also looking to North America and Europe and new opportunities in those regions.

Most Chinese companies have focused on selling at the cheapest possible price rather than by creating a long-term brand image. In the U.S. brand loyalty is higher and consumers buy for emotional reasons, so it is critical that Chinese companies find their niche and develop a sustainable brand strategy. If they do not, they will lose when a lower-cost brand from a Vietnam or India emerges.

www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/dec2008/gb2008121_644935.htm

Some of the world’s top retailers, including UK’s Tesco and American speciality retailer Home Depot, have been outsourcing projects to Indian third party service providers, including TCS and Infosys, apart from their own captive centers to support their existing IT systems and also develop newer applications. For example, Tesco saves over $60 million every year by outsourcing its IT projects to India.
So far, Wal-Mart which has been depending on its large in-house IT team is now seeking to globalize its IT operations. Especially India is now actively planning to grow its business from emerging markets. With almost $400 billion in annual revenues, the retailer also continues to look at establishing a captive technology center in India.
Wal-Mart already has a sourcing operation in the country. It’s natural for the retailer to explore various ways of leveraging its Indian presence. Meanwhile, Wal-Mart’s outsourcing of IT and back office projects is not expected to impact local US jobs, as the retailer is very sensitive about rising unemployment in the country. In fact, Wal-Mart said earlier this month that it will add around 22,000 new jobs in the US by adding over 150 new stores to its existing network of around 7,900 retail outlets.

http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/jun2009/gb2009068_435509.htm

As travel budgets are squeezed and slashed in the recession, companies are increasingly seeking innovative ways of bringing employees together for conferences and meetings remotely. Virtual community Second Life is seeking market by creating a new tool that realize businesses to have virtual meetings on their own computer networks. The company’s Enterprise tool will let employees’ avatars meet in virtual worlds from the privacy of a company’s own network, rather than the public networks used in standard Second Life. That extra security could encourage more companies to take up the technology. The ability to collaborate effectively using virtual tools may now become an increasingly important skill as technology offers more options than, say, video conferencing. According to Linden Lab, creators of Second Life, more than 1,400 organizations — including large companies, educational institutions, government agencies and even the U.S. military — use Second Life to hold meetings, conduct training and prototype new technologies more efficiently. Rashik Parmar, IBM’s chief technology officer for Europe, told CNN that last year about 350 of its technical leaders from around the world met for 72 hours via Second Life to brainstorm about new technologies.
That is kind of groupware system in collaboration system. With Second life program we can use videoconferencing and web conferencing. Furthermore It will encourage to develop other software related to videoconferencing.

Hertz announce layoffs of some 4,000 people on Jan. 16. As the economy into recession, many companies are facing the same brutal choices Hertz faced. While businesses may feel forced to trim costs, cutting too deeply can drive away customers. Hertz spokesman Richard Broome says the company has reduced “instant return” hours at some smaller airports but is making adjustments to restore that service in locations where it “might have gone too far.”
The best performers are actually doing more to safeguard service in this recession. About half of the 90 large companies he recently surveyed are trying to avoid cuts to their customer service budgets. Many of the winners of our third annual ranking of Customer Service Champs. Top performers are treating their best customers better than ever, even if that means doing less to wow new ones. While cutting back-office expenses, they’re trying to preserve front-line jobs and investing in cheap technology to improve service. the tough economy has made starker the difference between companies that put customers first and those that sacrifice loyalty for short-term gain. In this year’s ranking, based on data from J.D. Power & Associates, which, like BusinessWeek, is owned by The McGraw-Hill Companies (hmp),more than half of the top 25 brands showed improved customer service scores over last year. Among the bottom 25 of the more than 200 brands surveyed, scores mostly fell.
Customers want more attention, better quality, and greater value for their money. Those same customers are also acutely aware that their patronage is of growing importance to companies as others decrease their spending. anyone who is in the market with money to spend is going to get treated like a king.

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/09_09/b4121026559235.htm

On Tuesday Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer announced Windows Phone brand are ready to hit the market. AT&T has already announced two Windows Mobile 6.5-based phones — the Pure and the HTC Tilt 2. In all, Microsoft has said to expect more than 30 phones running the OS by year’s end.

The operating system provide Adobe Flash support and menus that are easier to navigate with a finger. Amazing thing is that Windows Mobile has more programs than the iPhone. Users can buy and download applications directly from developers. However ms want to mimic the apple’s app store. By the way, Windows phone provide “Find My Phone” service only $5 per use. (Comparatively Apple’s iPhone-finding service requires a $99-per-year).The service can be used to locate a missing phone, make it ring (even if it is set to vibrate) or even remotely lock or wipe the device.

 
I think this trial is the challenge to all of the smart phone market such as blackberry, i-phone. When I use my friend’s i-phone, It was very comfortable but It’s kind of similar as normal phone. I don’t have experience about using windows phone, but we really need new generation phone. I think using adobe through the phone is cool. And finding my phone fuction also exactly what i want. We can use smart phone only in private purpose. Because, there are three monopoly telecom company occupied mobile market in korea. I really pray that as soon as possible the day will come that all korean can use windows phone.

Microsoft’s Windows phones hit the market

http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/10/06/cnet.microsoft.windows.phone/index.html?iref=newssearch

Microsoft continued efforts to spread its own secure software development program with today’s release of a free fuzzer and tool for analyzing binary code. BinScope Binary Analyzer is an in-house Microsoft tool that analyzes binary source code to ensure the code has flags set for detecting buffer overflows, data execution, and other potential vulnerabilities. The Mini-Fuzz File Fuzzer automatically runs various tests at the code to spot unexpected behaviors that could make it vulnerable. MS open the security department lifecycle(SDL) last year. As part of its SDL-sharing strategy, Microsoft has released several free tools for developers, including the SDL Treat Modeling Tool, the !exploitable (pronounced “band exploitable”) Crash analyzer, an add-on to Microsoft’s Windows debugger fuzzing tool; and the SDL Process Template, which integrates Microsoft’s SDL directly into third-party and enterprise development environments.

MS eared money from computer and anything concerned with computer. So I think developing anti-virus program and other security programs are also kind of their responsibility. Every successful corporation has a responsibility to use its resources and influence to make a positive impact on the world and its people. And in the event, that kind of effort will make much more profit in their field. Like good a/s(after service) can bring another new purchase.

http://www.darkreading.com/security/app-security/showArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=1R1ZZZ3BVMMRLQE1GHPSKHWATMY32JVN?articleID=220000750

Doing e-business means a greater number of customers, partners and suppliers, and even government regulators need unparalleled access to corporations’ computer systems.
it’s a very different security situation these days, where many of your insiders are not actually employees.virus and spam protection are only part of the picture. According to the State of Information Security Survey 2003, a complex integration of technology, education, risk analysis, as well as corporate and government regulation are needed. “In many parts of the world governments and many industry sectors are rolling out legislature and regulations that are imposing greater obligations on IT departments,” says Simon Harriss of Accenture Consulting.
Microsoft is also making security a top priority. The latest version of Office has new information management features for businesses.
Senders can specify who opens e-mails, make changes, forwards, or prints them. There is also an expiry function, after which no one can open them — same for documents.
Company policy and the law is only just beginning to play its part in order to minimize cyber risk.
I think this kind of problem is inevitable as e business is being. Customer information is usually useful when we bought some product, but when it use wrong way, it will be disaster. We should always care about that. I saw the American movie. The hacker hacked government system. And then paralysis government system. At that time I thought It is enough to realize. now we live in digital world. So we need to have ethical mind for all of us.

http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/asiapcf/east/12/10/globaloffice.cyber.security/index.html?iref=newssearch

Toyota focuses on the Just-in-Time manufacturing system. ‘Kanban’ concept, which was one of the principles on which Toyota’s JIT was based. The Kanban philosophy is Developed by the Japanese, the JIT production system was one of the most significant production management approaches of the post World War II era. The system comprised a set of activities aimed at increasing production volume through the optimum use of inventories of raw materials, work-in-process, and finished goods. In a JIT production system, a workstation gets a part just in time, completes its work and the part is moved through the system quickly. JIT was based on the principle of producing only what is needed and nothing more than needed. That lead Toyota to first prize in America market.
Although many automobile companies around the world adopted JIT, the system was far from perfect and difficult to implement. It was based on the key assumption that sources and channels of supply were reliable and dependable at all times. Moreover, JIT involved high set up costs and Special training and reorganization of policies and procedures in the company were necessary to implement JIT. The supplier relations of the company also needed to be improved to ensure timely delivery. In the absence of good supplier relations, JIT increased the risk of inventory shortage.
This is very famous manufacturing system. And I actually saw many Toyota cars near my home. I think JIT also based from estimate demands and supplies. And after consider about environmental datas they can decide how many car they will make or how many inventory they need.

Toyota’s JIT Revolution
http://www.icmrindia.org/casestudies/catalogue/Operations/OPER006.htm