New Dell Sonicpoint Series Enhances Wireless Network...

In the sections below, I have discussed each of the parts that were required in this homework assignment and provided evidence to support my claims from the webpage. †¢ Name of page: Direct2Dell, The Official Dell Corporate Blog, The power to do more. The blog is entitled â€Å"New Dell SonicPoint Series Enhances Wireless Network Security Solution† †¢ Audience: Prospective Employers (Business Organizations) and their employees such as IT professionals, students, people working in schools, universities, hospitals etc. The paragraphs use facts to explain the benefits of SonicPoint Series: â€Å"Coupled with the increase in wireless devices is the use of bandwidth intensive applications including video and voice, HD multimedia and cloud and mobile apps.† This is a strong approach to the audience with an authoritative voice. The tone gives us an idea about the writer’s knowledge on Network Security Systems and Solutions. The section is very informative with specific words that clearly points out the features benefitted by their new product. Here’s a sections that explains the aspects of Wireless Devices in detail: o The Dell SonicWALL Wireless Network Security solution featuring the new Dell SonicPoint Series of wireless access points helps small and mid-sized organizations achieve all three. The Dell SonicPoint ACe and SonicPoint ACi are built on the 802.11ac wireless standard, enabling retail point-of-sale businesses, schools and healthcare organizations to provide their employees,

Critical path free essay sample

Two functional areas of Ritz-Carlton and evaluation of their interrelationship between the different processes and functions Structure of Ritz Carlton The Ritz-Carlton is an international luxury company. It is a complex system within 80 properties worldwide and using 17 languages. To take most advantages in coordination, communication and focus on the tasks, Ritz-Carlton applies geographic structure in their business. Figure 1: Ritz-Carlton’s geographic structure It is easy to manage and control business in different areas by geographic structure. Ritz Carlton divides their structure into areas: USA Canada; Europe; Asia-Pacific; Middle East Africa; and Mexico, Caribbean Latin America. Because of different religions, cultural, hobbies, needs and demands,†¦ the manager of each areas take responsible for controlling. All areas have offices such as Production, Human resources, Marketing and Finance Departments with special functions. Culture of Ritz-Carlton The Ritz-Carlton Hotel is luxurious, elegant and formal. With motto â€Å"We are Ladies and Gentlemen serving Ladies and Gentlemen†, Ritz-Carlton’s culture is person culture. We will write a custom essay sample on Critical path or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Ritz Carlton pursues their vision of making Marriott the #1 hospitality company in the world, they never lose sight of their founding principles and their proud heritage. Managers exist only with the consent of those managed. The culture main focus on luxury, comfort, style, hospitality and the cuisine, in order to meet the objective of company is to give its customers a service like kings and queens. Employees of this organization are trained in very precise standards and specification for treating customers. While service is declining in other industries, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L. L. C. has continued to increase its business and offer its guests unparalleled levels of customer service, said Ms. Oreck (n. d) Vice President of The Leadership Center for The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L. L. C. This can only be done through highly trained and motivated employees who act from a personal commitment to achieving the companys goals and values. All employees of The Ritz-Carlton are empowered to make a difference. It has nine-step quality improvement teams to guest surveys, The Ritz-Carlton employees examine every process in the hotel to ensure the most efficient, and customer-service driven practice is in place. Choosing an appropriate structure is really important because structure significant affect organization’s business. Two functional areas in Ritz Carlton Production Department plays an important role in Ritz Carlton’s business. Product of this organization includes Spa, Meetings Weddings, Shops, and Residences Clubs. With geographic structure and person culture, Ritz Carlton brings a luxury service for customers. The Ritz Carlton is a heritage brand. All services are luxury, high price, modern, comfortable, and special that only have in the line of Ritz Carlton’s products. Customer services Department which takes responsible for serving customers. In facts, there are three steps in customer service. The first step is A warm and sincere greeting which uses the guests name. The second step is Anticipation and fulfillment of each guests needs†. Finally, Fond farewell gives a warm good-bye and use the guests name. Relationship between Production Department and Customer Services Department As the figure above, there is a link between Production Department and Customer Services Department. The luxury products (Spa, Meetings Weddings, Shops, and Residences Clubs) of The Ritz Carlton are reflected by serving customers. With the motto â€Å"Ladies and Gentlemen serve Ladies and Gentlemen†, it divided into three steps of Customer Services (includes a warm and sincere greeting Anticipation and fulfillment of each guests needs and Fond farewell. Ritz Carlton always focuses on customers such as their interests, hobbies or desires. For example, Mr. John come to Ritz Carlton Hotel and hires a luxury room in three days. At the first day, employees of this business have responsible for serving him as well as possible and learn for what he likes. If he likes folk songs, Ritz Carlton will bring some folk songs video for him as sooner. Mr. John will feel excited because of service attitude at The Ritz Carlton Hotel without saying anything. Overall, the geographic structure and person culture of The Ritz Carlton reflect the developing of their business. Based on local area, this organization chooses the right way to control their business in order to bring best quality and benefit. 1. 2 The methodology to be used to map processes to Ritz-Carlton’s goals and objectives Mission and objectives of an organization effected their structure and culture. The Ritz Carlton is specialization about their mission, goals and objectives because of their geographic structure and person culture. This organization applies Total Quality Management on their business to bring benefits. To win more customers, Ritz Carlton gives goals and objectives and tries to achieve them. For their structure, it is different between areas worldwide about needs and demands, tradition, interests, religions, hobbies or cultural so Ritz Carlton based on knowledge of each area to find out best suitable strategy to apply. About culture, Ritz Carlton always trusts their staffs so they empower for their staff to making decisions. Staffs at this organization feel encourage and working hard as well. Gold standards which is key product and service requirements of the travel consumer have been translated into Ritz-Carlton Gold Standards, which include a credo, motto, three steps of service. One component of Gold Standards is Three steps of Service. Figure 2: The basic empowerment process of customer services At The Ritz Carlton, beside the luxury customer services, trust is a concept that is not only published in the management objectives, but is lived out through each and everyone that walks through the doors of the hotel. The company and its employees are going to take care of the customers in any way possible. For example, due to the friendly nature of most Americans, they are quick to use first names. Although this may make those who are accustomed to a more formal social environment somewhat uncomfortable, it is the norm for American culture. Formal titles (Mr. , Ms. , Mrs. , Fr. , Sr. , Dr. , etc. ) are used together with the persons family name and should be used if you are speaking with the elderly or people in authority. They may later ask you to use their first name. In contrast, with Asians, they prefer a formal communication with whom is not acquaintance. To meet these differences, Ritz Carlton trains their staff the suitable way to behave with customers in different areas. All customers are happy with Ritz Carlton’s Services. The output of the process and the quality gateways The quality gateway is a quality control filter for all requirements. The basis the gateway is simple: no matter how or where a requirement originates, it has to get through the gate to become an accepted requirement. Today, people are spending a lot of money on services. And they do not care about how much to spend, as long as they receive value in exchange for the money. But in the business world, the value is not always commensurate with the price. Experience at the Ritz-Carlton is a real value for the customers as well as for travel partners. The Ritz-Carlton spends a lot of money and time for training their employees as perfect as their quality gateway. Part of the Ritz-Carlton mystique is the Fulfillment of Unexpressed Wishes and Needs and they are very specific in how to accomplish that objective with the goal of developing such strong emotional engagement between the hotels’ staff and their guests that â€Å"a guest will not consider staying anywhere else, if they have an option†. Every day, employees of every department in every Ritz-Carlton hotels around the world gather for a 15-minute staff meeting known as the lineup that includes the sharing of â€Å"wow stories. These are true stories of employee heroics that go above and beyond conventional customer service. Employees are â€Å"empowered to create unique, memorable and personal experiences by always being responsive to the expressed and unexpressed wishes and needs of our guests. † That gives employees the freedom to significantly contribute to the overall objective of â€Å"creating guests for life†. Mr. Robert E. Watson (2012) managing director of consulting firm Protravel International said that Ritz-Carlton experience was characterized by the value of the service.

Mass Extinctions On The Earth Essays - Climate History,

Mass Extinctions On The Earth Mass Extinctions on the Earth Intro: Sixty-five million years ago, some phenomenon triggered mass extinctions on the lands and in the oceans so profound that they define the geological boundary between the older Mesozoic Era, often called the Age of Reptiles, and the modern Cenozoic Era, the Age of Mammals. On a finer scale, the extinctions define the boundary between the Cretaceous (geological symbol, K), and Tertiary (T) periods. This mass extinction is usually referred to as the K-T extinctions. The dinosaurs became extinct during the K-T mass extinction. To examine how the K-T extinctions fit into a broader perspective, please see the The cause of the K-T extinctions is one of the great mysteries in science, and many scientists have proposed theories to account for it. Theories span a vast spectrum of causes including: sea level change, supernova explosions, climate change, and on and on. Beginning in the 1980s, two new theories became the topic of an intense scientific debate. They are the K-T impact extinction theory originated by the Nobelist physicist, Luis Alvarez, and his team, and the K-T Deccan Traps extinction theory, which, for short, is called volcano-greenhouse theory. Details of the Impact Theory In the mid-late 1970s, Luis Alvarez and his impact team began searching for the cause of the K-T extinctions. His evidence of impact was enrichment of the chemical, iridium, in a thin layer of clay a few centimenters thick at the K-T boundary. His original theory held that a giant asteroid struck earth 65 million years ago, blasting so much dust into the atmosphere that it blocked out sunlight, and plunged earth into the blackness and cold of a sudden, short-duration, impact winter. According to Alvarez theory, the global blackout triggered extinctions among the plant kingdom, and then among herbivores that depended upon plants for food, and then among the carnivores that ate the herbivores. Those smaller animals that could hide and hibernate until the sun came out again must have sruvived and formed the animals that there are today. There is other evidence for this theory : there is a layer of iridium found on top of the fossils which can be found all over the world. this is important becouse there is a lot of iridium on asteroids while on earth it is only deep down inside the crater. Details of the Volcano Theory: Another less popular theory to explain the disappearance of the dinosaurs suggests that a drop in the oxygen levels in the lower atmosphere led to the gradual death of all kinds of species. Robert Barner and Gary Landis of the U.S. Geological survey determined that the air that the dinosaurs consumed contained 50% more oxygen than the air today. This can be the same for us as trying to breathe to the same air found at the sea level as compared to air at 3500 m. There was a lot of volcanoe eruptions at the same time (and since they took up soo much air it was hard for the dinosaurs to breathe , so they fianlly died. The evidence is that the fossils found in the ground contain traces of lager traces of Oxygen. How can humans stop this? Since mankind is much smarter than the reptiles it is obvious that we can stop these asteroids from colliding with the earth. The only question is how. Now we have nuclear devices which can be put on these asteroids so that they can explode just in time before it's course is doomed towards earth. Science

Thereapeutic Ways To Move a Child †Health Paper

Thereapeutic Ways To Move a Child – Health Paper Free Online Research Papers Thereapeutic Ways To Move a Child Health Paper Handling techniques refer to therapeutic ways of moving children from one position or place to another during regular activities throughout the day. When used correctly and consistently, proper handling techniques can reinforce the goals of direct treatment and help the child learn new movement patterns. Together with the family and caregivers, the PT/OT will make specific recommendations for each child. The goal of handling is to give the child the most opportunities throughout their day to move with normal tone and with as normal patterns of stability and mobility as possible. It is important to remember that the child must actively participate in an experience in order to learn effectively from it. This means that the child must experience what it is like to actively produce a normal or normalized movement pattern. Then, through repetition of these patterns during active movement, the child will internalize them and be able to use these patterns independently. The more opportunities the child has to experience â€Å"normal†, the more likely it will be that the child will learn to repeat them independently or with less facilitation. This requires instructing family, teachers and caregivers. Components of Treatment: Preparation: Preparation techniques prepare the body for movement. Before movement is possible, the body must have a stable base of support. *Stability is necessary for mobility.* The focus during the preparation phase of treatment is on normalizing tone and providing the child with a stable base of support from which movement will be possible. Normalizing tone: For children whose tone is usually high, slow, rhythmic movements may help to reduce tone. Joint approximation and traction and slow, shaking movements away from the joint are also techniques that may help reduce tone. Weight shifting using patterns of dissociation may also help to reduce tone, as may weight bearing. Environmental and sensory influences may also affect tone. Music with a 60-beat-per-minute tempo (many baroque classical pieces) have been found to have a calming, centering effect that can help to normalize high muscle tone and increase the effectiveness of a treatment session. Brisk movements such as quick bouncing or tapping can help to increase tone in children who are generally hypotonic. Resistance, as in activities that require a child to push or pull a heavy object, can also help increase tone. Vestibular stimulation can help increase tone in the child whose tone is usually low. As with hypertonic children, other environmental and sensory influences may also have an effect. Folk music with a brisk, clear, rhythmic beat has also been found to increase muscle tone and facilitate therapeutic activities. Deep/light pressure: Your fingertip control can represent more or less difficulty for the child. Deep pressure through the whole hand is more reassuring for the child as he has the sensation of another in control and supporting their movements. But controlled movement must be initiated by the child, so it is necessary to slowly release the pressure of your hands until the pressure is so light it is only being applied through your fingertips. The progression from deep to light will depend solely on the response of the child. Hopefully the child will show less tension through decreased compensations in movements as you decrease your control and then show an enjoyment in taking over the movements themselves. Placement: Proximal to distal is another important method of using your hands on the child to assist normalizing tone and allowing the child to take more control of their own movements. The more proximal your hand placement is, the more support and control you offer the child. The most supportive hand placement is on the trunk, which then moves to support the shoulder and hips, before supporting the distal joints of elbows or hands, knees or ankles. For example, holding the child’s hips to facilitate walking gives the therapist more control than holding the child’s hands. Likewise, supporting the child high up on the trunk gives the therapist more control than holding the child lower down on the body. Supporting a child at the waist positioned in sitting on a therapy ball gives the therapist more control over the movement than supporting the child at the hips. The hips and shoulders are often key points of control in facilitating more normalized movement patterns . In rolling, the therapist will facilitate the movement from the child’s hip (and shoulder if necessary) rather than from the knee or waist. As the child gains better control over a movement pattern, the therapist may facilitate from a position of less control or may reduce the amount of facilitation in other ways. Facilitation/inhibition: Facilitation involves helping the child produce a response. Inhibition involves helping the child not produce a response. These two are used together and complement each other in treatment. Facilitating Movement: A stable base of support is necessary for movement. The person must be well balanced in the position. The base should be wide enough to provide stability but not so wide as to inhibit free movements. Once the base of support is established, a person must shift weight before movement is possible. For example, a baby lying on its stomach must shift its weight to the left side, and especially onto the left forearm, in order to reach for a toy with its right hand. A child must shift all its weight onto the right foot to take a step with the left foot. During treatment, the therapist can often facilitate new movement patterns by helping the child shift weight appropriately. This requires hands on guidance but not force. The therapist’s hands very gently guide the child’s body rather than pushing or pulling. The therapist does as little as possible, letting the child experience as much control over the movement as possible. Inhibiting Movement: Inhibition techniques involve the use of positions and movements that help to prevent certain responses or movements. These are used in combination with facilitation techniques when facilitation techniques alone are not effective. For example, the ATNR is triggered when a child turns its head to one side. Keeping the head in midline inhibits the ATNR. Keeping the neck flexed inhibits the total extensor pattern seen in children with very high tone. Positioning: Positioning involves providing the child with external postural supports to help compensate for the child’s internal lack of postural stability. This may involve the use of adaptive equipment however, in many situations with young children, an adult’s body is used in place of adaptive equipment to provide additional support. Positioning is static rather than dynamic. Although in itself not an active form of treatment, positioning can greatly influence the child’s ability to perform in every developmental area. Some important things to remember in regards to positioning: 1. The human body is designed for movement. A child cannot remain in any given position for long periods of time without becoming uncomfortable. The therapeutic benefits of a position begin to decrease as soon as the child begins to struggle to move into a different position, often using compensatory postures to change its position. Ideally, a child should remain inone position for no more than 20 minutes before shifting to a different position or movement activity. 2. Positions selected need to be age appropriate. Young children often play while sitting or even lying on the floor, whereas older children do so much less often. Also, the position should enable the child to participate in activities with the rest of his/her class. A child might fit well in a group activity at the water table when placed in a stander but would not be able to interact as well in the stander during a circle activity when the other children were seated on the floor. 3. Positions need to be selected for function. For example, you might want a child to work on improving head control in sitting. Supportive seating adapted to allow for head movement while providing good trunk support might give the child an opportunity to work on head control during story time, when the child is expected primarily to sit and listen. During mealtime, working on head control and independent finger feeding might be too demanding for the child, and seating that provides additional head support might be needed. Standing might be an appropriate position for play at the sand table but not during mealtime, when it is generally considered inappropriate for people to stand and the position is too demanding to allow the child to fully concentrate on mealtime activities. 4. Young children can tire very easily and children with heart problems, respiratory problems or other health conditions may tire more quickly still. When children are placed in positions that are new to them and then asked to use movement patterns that are also new, they use a lot more effort than with familiar positions and patterns. Staff and parents must always be alert to signal from the child that the position is too demanding or that the child has simply had enough for the time being. Research Papers on Thereapeutic Ways To Move a Child - Health PaperThe Masque of the Red Death Room meaningsPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyStandardized TestingComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesHip-Hop is ArtGenetic EngineeringAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 Europe

Managing Transitions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Managing Transitions - Essay Example Therefore, if change is inevitable, the question the author brings up is how to manage the transition so that the change occurs smoothly. The change, according to the author, is an event, an inescapable event. Company CEO's eventually age and retire. Or an entire industry, such as the automotive industry in the US, is adversely affected by costs spiraling out of control over a long period of time, which results in a financial crisis for the entire industry. No longer is business a usual possible. The question addressed by the author is this - when these events confront the business, what is the process of change which will allow the business or organization to transition smoothly through the change, and become stronger as a result. The marketplace is littered with examples of companies which did not succeed in answering this question. They did not succeed, according to the author, because the change process is a cultural, and psychological - social process, and not simply an event. For example, when a new CEO takes the reigns of a company, he of she does so with new ideas, and the desire to expand the business to new markets and new customers. By definition, this means that the company must change; they must transition out of an existing psycho-social culture and take on a new one which is representative of the new leader. This is a process that often takes years. The company that understands this, and manages the transition well, remaining productive with existing business while creating new opportunities is the company which succeeds. The company which allows the transition to consume valuable resources which are needed to 'feed' the existing business often winds up 'starving' its current clients, or pushing its people past the point of effectively. The results are declining productivity, profits, and can result in the total implosion of a business. The author uses the three step model for managing change which has been identified since 1935. First called the "unfreeze, change, refreeze' model by Kurt Lewin. Lewin used the example of changing the shape of an ice cube as an illustration of changing the social culture of an organization. Simply chipping away at the ice cube does not change its shape; it reduces the ice cube to shavings. Energy must be put into the social system, held in a 'frozen' state by the existing market, cultural and social forces in order to bring the system to a pliable state where transition is possible. Next the entire process of transition must be managed. The process often requires new control systems, new training or existing staff as well as new staff. Managing the process often can require bringing in an outside consultant, a new player who is put in a position of non-biased authority to assist all stakeholders to make adjustments to a changing social order. When the process of change has transacted, and the new culture is emerging, a final surge of energy is required by the system in order to 'refreeze the system in its new state, and prevent old habits and old culture from reemerging in the newly transitioned organization. William Bridges described this three step process as follows. He calls the unfreeze process as the 'ending, loosing, or letting go' phase. One could call this a death phase, as old habits and methods must be terminated, and left behind. However, this death is the

Consumer Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Consumer Law - Essay Example Consumer protection law is a part of law that regulates personal law relationships between consumers and the firms that sell those products. Consumer protection policies are designed to guarantee fair competition and the free exchange of truthful information in the market arena. These laws are established to prevent businesses that take part in fraud or particular unfair practices from getting an advantage over their competitors and can too offer additional protection for the inferior and those incapable of taking care of themselves. Consumer Protection policies are a type of government directive that protects the welfare of consumers. For instance, a government might require businesses to unveil detailed information concerning products; mainly in areas where safety or health of the public is a concern, like food. Consumer safeguarding is associated to the thought of "consumer rights" as well as to the creation of consumer organizations that assist consumers put together healthier choices in the marketplace. Misleading and deceptive practices are the world over. And the plan is to make the consumers to pay more than they ought to for goods and services, or make them pay for items they don't need. Irrespective of if its misleading advertising, erroneous assumptions, or absolute lies, the outcome is alike: they may pay over what they ought to for what they should get. The interests of consumer can also be protected through enhancing competition in the marketplace that directly and indirectly offer good and services to consumers, steady with economic competence. Consumer protection may too be asserted through non-government organizations and persons as consumer activism. Consumer protection deals with a wide variety of issues, such as privacy rights, product liability, unjust business practices, deception, misrepresentation, and some other consumer/business interactions. These laws handle credit repair, debt repair, goods safety, service and sales deals, bill collector ruling, turnoffs, pricing, utility consolidation, personal loans which may guide to bankruptcy and much more. In Europe, some particular restrictions have been positioned on the standard of party autonomy. Such restrictions naturally apply in circumstances where there occurs a qualified extend of disparity between the parties in regards of their individual negotiating powers. A significant example of such a state of affairs occurs when a business sells products to a consumer and the consumer is deemed as being in an inferior position than the business. Therefore, the jurisdictional regulations in Europe require that the vendor can only take legal action against the consumer in the state where the consumer is dwelling; whereas the consumer can at all times sue the seller in the consumer's state of residence. The EU is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life of its residents. Additionally to direct action to defend their rights, the Union guarantees that consumer interests are put into the EU legislation in every relevant policy field. Because of the sole market and the sole currency open operation borders, as utilization of the internet and electronic commerce develops and as the service division grows, it is significant that the almost 500 million people

Direct and Interactive Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Direct and Interactive Marketing - Essay Example The following is a discussion of strategic approaches in relation to the strengths and opportunities that the management seeks to accrue from the business environment. The details further establish the salient use of the variables in rebuilding the supermarkets’ strategic framework. Analyses for Morrisons’ supermarkets Situation analysis in Morrisons Morrisons has competently claimed its position in the U.Ks retail market through the lead in the delivery of quality food and groceries. The supermarket chain has grown tremendously after merging with Safeways Company. Morrisons invested in a total of 32 million pounds for online marketing to ensure prompt approaches to the clientele groups. This investment approach targeted to acquire the stipulated clientele given that the consumer groups were deviating from point-of-sale purchases to placing orders and expecting home deliveries (Vickers, 2013:3). The threat of competition is overwhelming in the UK’s retail market, factors articulated to Morrisons dwindling rate of profitability despite the struggle to retaliate accordingly by offering the best retail services in the UK market ahead of their fellow competitors. In 2011, the month of November, the company’s management evaluated that profitability rates were dwindling along various quarters, and their market leadership was falling under a continued rate of threat. The current forecasts implement that Morrisons’ supermarkets have competitively engaged in a recovery program to recuperate and yield profitability (British grocery market, 2012:4). The company shall possibly achieve the desired market edge through the expected success of the M-Local initiative. Direct marketing in determining market size and trends The strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats determine the rate of profitability in the market segments. Through the analytical approach, Morrisons’ management must determine of the approaches that seem most appropriate to reaching the desired market share. As the company currently holds 10% of the total market share, perceptions are that the management may ensure precise research and development study to ensure that all factors of the product mix favor the outlined specifications of prompt delivery of value and satisfaction at a profitable rate to the clientele community of the UK. As Morrisons competes with Tesco, Marks and Spencer, Asda, Sainbury, and Waitrose among others (Vickers, 2013:4). Morrisons held a worrying 10% market share as at November 2012 and situation reflected to the company’s diversification of investments through big stalls and shopping centers while competitors gradually adjusted to direct marketing approaches. The retail stores accrued importance through the purchase of online channels of communication (Dahle?n, and Lange, 2008:144). As rival competitors such as Tesco and Asda lose their market share -43% and due to the discovery that the beef sold in the market contained horsemeat up to 50%, the companies lost accordingly while Morrisons acquired over 20 small-sized stalls. SWOT analysis As the company evaluates of the probabilities of success to prosper and compete with others effectively, the management realized that the reinvestment rate of Asda and Tesco posed considerable threats to competition and success. The competing firms remained threatened by the rate of