Renting, buying, or stealing software

Table of Contents Abstract Introduction Current and future status of software Software theft Stealing software and hardware Conclusion References Abstract The software industry is one of the most lucrative business ventures that make enormous contributions to the global economy. The process of software development involves several steps. Currently, the industry is growing at a very high rate. However, software piracy, risks slowing down the growth unless preventive measures are taken to stop the vice.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Renting, buying, or stealing software specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It affects both users and developers. Renting is one of the future prospects of the industry because of its cost effectiveness and high reliability for use by small businesses. In addition, buying and stealing will also determine the future of the software industry. Other factors that affect the industry inclu de hardware theft, which infringes on the privacy of individuals. The software industry has several opportunities for developers. Therefore, it has a bright and promising future. Introduction The software industry has grown tremendously over the past few years. Several corporate and individual developers have emerged, and changed the industry tremendously. People develop software for three main reasons. These include fulfillment of certain business needs, fulfillment of certain user preferences, as well as for personal use (Commander, 2005). The process of developing software involves aspects such as research, development, prototyping, and maintenance. Software theft is one of the challenges facing software developers. It involves copying and subsequent use of software despite existence of copyright protection measures (Buxmann et al, 2012). Software sale is a lucrative business that has a bright future. Users buy, rent, or steal software. Current and future status of software Curre ntly, software development is a very lucrative venture. However, its future is under threat due to piracy. The software industry has become very competitive with the entry of both individual and corporate developers. Currently, many organizations are changing their businesses in order to embrace technology (Whiting, 2004). Technology plays a critical role in helping businesses improve efficiency, and reduce the cost of operation (Commander, 2005). The information technology industry is providing solutions to businesses and organizations by developing software that caters for their needs. For example, Oracle develops business solutions that help businesses improve excellence, reduce costs, and improve risk compliance. This has created high demand for software and stimulated high competition among software developers (Buxmann et al, 2012). The industry has many opportunities because of increasing demands among various users (Whiting, 2004). Therefore, it has a very bright future. It i s possible to make money from the industry by developing software that fulfills the various individual and business needs. Afterwards, developers can either sell or let their creations to users. For example, Microsoft makes an annual income of about $54,270 million from sale of software licenses, technical support, and maintenance.Advertising Looking for report on it? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More There are several advantages of renting software especially for small businesses. It is cost effective compared to buying, and it eliminates the need for in-house technical help form professionals (Pavley, 2013). Finally, software vendors usually provide technical support to individuals and businesses that use them under rental agreements. Software buyers do not enjoy these privileges. They pay for updates and technical support. Software theft Software theft is a common practice that leads to great losses for software developers. R esearch has revealed that 27% of software used in Britain is pirated. Globally, the rate of software piracy stands at 49% (Fitzgerald, 2012). For example, software companies made loses that amounted to $ 18.7 billion in the Asia-Pacific region in 2010. The United States has the lowest level of piracy among all nations. In 2009, its piracy level was 20%. Factors that determine levels of piracy include the strength of piracy protection laws, cultural attitudes, and price of software relative to the income of users (Honick, 2005). Examples of countries with the high levels of piracy include Armenia (93%), Libya (88%), Yemen (89%), Ukraine (83%), Vietnam (85%), Pakistan (84%), Sri Lanka (90%), Zimbabwe (91%), Bangladesh (92%), and China (82%). Examples of countries with low levels include the United States (20%), Germany (27%), the United Kingdom (26%), and Japan (23%). Software theft is both illegal and unethical. Stealing software and hardware Stealing software refers to copying, ille gal use, distribution, or sale of copyright protected software. People steal software because of poor copyright protection legislation, low income, and high software prices (Honick, 2005). Software theft affects both developers and users. Developers lose money and reputation. For example, in 2010, software vendors in Pakistan lost $ 217 million in revenues. On the other hand, users do not get access to technical support from developers. In addition, they do not get access to updates and may buy products with malware agents or viruses (Fitzgerald, 2012). Software theft is preventable by storing license agreements safely and refraining from accessing suspicious websites. Hardware theft involves stealing of computer devices or constituent parts (Honick, 2005). It exposes the privacy of owners because thieves can access private information stored in computers or external devices. Software theft can be prevented by using real time location systems (RTLS) to track the location of computer s, as well as keeping computers in secure rooms and safes (Honick, 2005).Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Renting, buying, or stealing software specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Conclusion The software industry has experienced numerous changes in the last decade. Users have the choice of either buying or renting software. Currently, the industry has many opportunities and experiences high competition. It has a bright future. However, software theft threatens growth in the industry. Software theft involves reproduction, illegal use, distribution, or sale of copyright protected software. It is common in countries such as Pakistan, Zimbabwe, China, and Libya. The United States has the lowest cases of piracy. On the other hand, hardware theft involves stealing of computer devices or parts. It promotes violation of individual’s privacy because many people store personal information in their computers and assoc iated devices. References Buxmann, P., Diefenbach, H., Hess, T. (2012). The Software Industry: Economic  Principles, Strategies, and Perspectives. New York: Springer. Commander, S. (2005). The Software Industry in Emerging Markets. New York: Edward Elgar Publishing. Fitzgerald, B. (2012). Software Piracy: Study Claims 57b Percent of the World Pirates  Software. Web. Honick, R. (2005). Software Piracy Exposed. New York: Syngress. Pavley, J. (2013). Renting, Buying, and Stealing: the Future of Software Applications. Web.Advertising Looking for report on it? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Whiting, R. (2004). Industry Leaders Look to Software’s Future. Web. This report on Renting, buying, or stealing software was written and submitted by user Bast10n to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Using Miscue Analysis to Diagnose Reading Difficulties

Using Miscue Analysis to Diagnose Reading Difficulties Miscue analysis is a means to use a running record for diagnosis to identify students specific difficulties. Not only is the running record a way to identify reading rate and reading accuracy, but it also is a way to assess reading behaviors and identify reading behaviors that need support. A miscue analysis is a great way to get some authentic information about a students reading skills, and a means to identify specific weaknesses. Many screening tools will give you a down and dirty estimate of a childs reading proficiency but provide little useful information for designing appropriate interventions. The Miscues to Look for During a Miscue Analysis CorrectionA common sign of a competent reader, a correction is a miscue that the student corrects in order to make sense of the word in the sentence.   InsertionAn insertion is a word(s) added by the child that is not in the text. OmissionDuring oral reading, the student omits a word that changes the meaning of the sentence. RepetitionThe student repeats a word or portion of the text. ReversalA child will reverse the order of the print or the word. (from instead of form, etc.) SubstitutionInstead of reading the word in the text, a child substitutes a word that may or may not make sense in the passage. What Do the Miscues Tell You? CorrectionThis is good!  We want readers to self-correct. However, is the reader reading too fast? Is the reader miscorrecting accurate reading? If so, the reader often doesnt see himself as a good reader. InsertionDoes the inserted word detract from meaning? If not, it may just mean the reader is making sense but also inserts. The reader may also be reading too fast. If the insertion is something like using finished for finish, this should be addressed. OmissionWhen words are omitted, it may mean weaker visual tracking. Determine if the meaning of the passage is affected or not. If not, omissions can also be the result of not focusing or reading too fast. It may also mean the sight vocabulary is weaker. RepetitionLots of repetition may indicate that the text is too difficult. Sometimes readers repeat when theyre uncertain and will repeat the word(s) to keep the words coming as they regroup.   ReversalWatch for altered meaning. Many reversals happen with young readers with high-frequency words.  It may also indicate that the student has difficulty with scanning the text, left to right. SubstitutionsSometimes a child will use a substitution because they dont understand the word being read. Does the substitution make sense in the passage, is it a logical substitution?  If the substitution does not change the meaning, it is often enough to help the child focus on accuracy, because he/she is reading from meaning, the most important skill.   Creating the Miscue Instrument It is often helpful to have the text copied so you can make notes directly on the text.  A double-spaced copy can be helpful. Create a key for each miscue, and be sure to write the substitution or pre-correction above the word that was miscued so you can identify the pattern later.   Reading A-Z provides assessments with the first books at each reading level that provide both the text (for notes) and columns of each of the miscue types.   Performing a Miscue Analysis Miscue analysis is an important diagnostic tool that should be done every 6 to 8 weeks to give a sense if reading interventions are addressing the students needs.  Making sense of the miscues will help you with the next steps to improve the childs reading. It is worthwhile to have a few questions prepared that let you know about the childs comprehension of the passage read as miscue analysis tends to rely on advising you of the strategies used. Miscue analysis may seem time-consuming initially, however, the more you do, the easier the process gets. Use unfamiliar text, not something the child knows from memory.A miscue analysis will be inaccurate when administered to an emerging reader, but the information may still be of value.Give the student some choice in the reading selection.You will need a quiet place without interruptions, it can be very handy to record the child which provides you with an opportunity to listen to the passage more than once.Photocopy the selection the student will read, use this to record the miscues.Record each miscue. (Use hyphens for skipped words, record each substitution (ie, went for when), use for insertion and record the word(s), circle omitted words, underline repeated words, you may also want to use // for repeated words.

ANOVA Statistics Project Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

ANOVA - Statistics Project Example The results of the test were statistically significant, F(3, 14) = 23.39, p The strength of the relationship between the group of kidneys exposed to varying times of ischemia and % water content was very strong, as the value of R-sq. (83.37%) in Minitab output is very high and close to 1. The group of kidneys exposed to varying times of ischemia accounts for 83% (R-sq, taken from Minitab output) of the variance in % water content. Tukey’s pairwise comparisons showed that the % water content in control group is less compared to 30 min ischemia (95% confidence interval for difference is between 1.96% and 5.13%, taken from Minitab output), 60 min ischemia ((95% confidence interval for difference is between 0.87% and 3.56%) and 120 min ischemia (95% confidence interval for difference is between 2.13% and 5.30%). Fisher’s pairwise comparisons showed that the % water content in control group is less compared to 30 min ischemia (95% confidence interval for difference is between 2.38% and 4.72%, taken from Minitab output), 60 min ischemia ((95% confidence interval for difference is between 1.22% and 3.21%) and 120 min ischemia (95% confidence interval for difference is between 2.55% and 4.88%). Furthermore, the % water content in 60

The most important causes of the Protestant Reformation Essay

The most important causes of the Protestant Reformation - Essay Example One of the most important reasons for Protestant Reformation was religious one. The greed to money, drunkenness and fornication became constant companions for Church representatives. The great degradation of the priesthood's and monks' morality took place. Not all priests kept the vow of celibacy, thus they were engaged in sexual intercourse. Such a phenomena was spread not just among the ordinary priests, but also among the papacy. In addition, corruption in Church was common-spread. Popes skillfully played on the religious feelings of ordinary people taking advantage of their ignorance and lack of knowledge of the Scriptures. That is why the sale of indulgences was introduced on various occasions. Finally, there were some doctrinal reasons for reforms (Hillerbrand, 34). It was caused by Church teaching about salvation, which changed rapidly comparing to the early Christian and biblical views. Instead of preaching the gospel that Jesus Christ atoned for the sins of the people and ga ve them the gift of forgiveness and eternal life through faith, the priesthood introduced the indulgences, using which the enter to the kingdom of God was being sold. In addition, some social and economic reasons for the Reformation existed. While the biblical texts, as well as works of Augustine, various pamphlets, leaflets began to spread widely among intellectuals and ordinary people, the discontent grew, because people, while reading the Word of God and comparing it with what the priests taught, found contradictions.

Interprofessional Practice Social Work

Interprofessional Practice Social Work This essay will outline and explain why inter professional collaborative practice in social work is important. It will also examine key factors that help or hinder effective inter professional collaborative practice. It will explain why it is important that professionals work together and effectively as a team and the consequences that can occur when professionals fail to collaborate successfully. There has been a great deal of political and professional pressures for the development of inter professional collaborative practice. From the late 1990s onwards there were vast amounts of official documents to promote the importance of collaborative working within the health and social care sector. The 1998 social services White Paper Modernising Social Services (DoH, 1998) and The NHS Plan (2000) devoted entire chapters to the subject. It has been argued that inter professional working has advanced further in relation to services for older people than it has in relation to children and families. The Green Paper Every Child Matters (DfES 2003) recognised this and one of the main elements of this paper focused that improved collaboration was required so as not to repeat the tragic events of the Victoria Climbie case (this case will be discussed in further detail later in the essay). Government recognition suggests that many social problems cannot be effectively addressed by any given organisation acting in isolation from others. That is, when professionals work together effectively they provide a better service to the complex needs of the most vulnerable people in society. Inter professional collaborative practice involves complex interactions between a range of different professionals and is when professionals work together as a team to reach mutually negotiated goals through agreed plans. It is a partnership that can be defined as a formal agreement between the different professions who agree to work together in pursuit of common goals. Collaborative is defined as putting that partnership into operation or into practice. It involves the different professions working together and using their own individual skills instead of working in opposite directions to meet the needs of particular service users. It is suggested that when social workers and other professions work collaboratively the service user gets a better deal. Willing participation (Henneman et al, 19 95, cited in Barrett et al, 2005, p.19) and a high level of motivation (Molyneux, 2001, cited in Barrett et al, p.19) have been stated as vital aspects of effective inter professional collaboration. Social workers have certain ethical obligations to society that they must follow and this comes in the form of The British Association of Social Work (BASW) Code of Ethics and the National Occupational Standards for social workers. The Code of Ethics follow five basic values, Human Dignity and Worth, Social Justice, Service to Humanity, Integrity and Competence whilst the National Occupational Standards outline the standards of conduct and practice to which all social workers should adhere to. Whilst working in collaboration with other professionals, social workers should follow these Codes and Standards to ensure that the best possible outcome is achieved for the service user. In the past inter professional collaborative practice has been difficult with many disadvantages and that this has caused problems between the different professions involved. This has in the past led to catastrophic tragedies as in the case of Victoria Climbie. Shared accountability is important for effective collaboration and all professionals should be accountable. Each profession should support one another, not be seen as self interested and that no one profession is higher than another. Some of the problems that can occur are when there is not a logical distribution of power. Unequal power distribution can be oppressive (Payne, 2000, cited in Barrett et al, 2005, p.23) and can limit participation for some group members. Struggles for power are rooted in professional tradition and social difference. It is believed by some critics of social work that social workers have often been located in settings where they were considered as subordinate to other more established professional g roups (Brewer and Lait, 1980, cited in Wilson et al, 2008, p.401). Traditionally there have been difficulties within the medical profession and Cooke et al, (2001, cited in Barrett et al, 2005, p.23) suggests that general practitioners felt threatened by a redistribution of power and had problems letting go of their traditionally held power base. Social work in the past has been described as a semi profession and similar to nursing and teaching and not comparable to the learned profession of medicine or law as it does not have the required features of those professions (Freidson 1994). Payne (2000 cited in Barrett et al, 2005, p.23) identifies this as peoples capacity to get what they want. Power in inter professional collaborative practice should be shared and distributed and no hierarchy of power should exist. If some professionals see themselves as more powerful than another they are not meeting the needs of the service user. Being territorial and not sharing information and know ledge has long been a problem in inter professional collaborative practice. Molyneux (2001, cited in Barrett et al, 2005, p20) found that professionals who were confident in their own role were able to work flexibly across professional boundaries without feeling jealous or threatened. Professional adulthood was an expression used by Laidler (1991, cited in Barratt et al, 2005, p.20) to describe professionals who were confident in their own role to share information and communicate effectively with other professionals. These professionals do not feel territorial about relinquishing their knowledge and understanding to further enhance good inter professional collaborative practice. Stapleton (1998, cited in Barrett et al, 2005, p.20) suggests that a combination of personal and professional confidence enables individuals to assert their own perspectives and challenge the viewpoints of others. Open and honest communication is a vital and probably one of the most important aspects of inter professional collaborative practice. It requires professionals to take into account each others views, be respectful, dignified and to listen to each other without being highly critical of one another. Constructive criticism needs to be undertaken alongside constructive suggestions and encouragement and should take place at a time when other professionals are receptive. Active listening is an important skill. To be able to recognise and respond to what is being communicated is a fundamental skill. Professionals working collaboratively should demonstrate this verbally and non-verbally to each other. This is greatly helped if all concerned put aside the typical stereotyping of each others professions in order to hear and listen to what the speaker is saying. Keeping good eye contact and having good body language is just as important. It is estimated that approximately two-thirds of communic ation is non-verbal, i.e. something is communicated through body language by a body movement, a posture, an inflection in the voice (Birdwhistell, 1970, cited in Wilson, 2008, p.297). A breakdown in communication and the lack of sharing of information between the professions in the past have been major failings in inter professional collaborative practice for example in high profile child protection inquiries and this has led to tragic consequences. Effective systems of communication and knowing what information should be shared are essential not just between the professions but also between the service users. Trust, mutual respect and support are key features to inter professional collaborative practice. Trust was highlighted by many professionals as one of the most important factors in successful collaboration. When trust is absent professionals may feel uncomfortable and insecure in their role and this in turn can lead to defensive behaviour to counteract their insecurities. Stapleton (1998, cited in Barratt et al, 2005, p.22) suggests that trust develops through repeated positive inter professional experience and develops gradually over a period of time. Trust cannot be gained overnight so it is important for professionals working collaboratively to give one another time for trust to develop. When professionals feel valued, they feel respected. This can be achieved by actively listening to each other and having an insight into one anothers professions. Conflict between the professions can have a huge impact on the different professionals and service users. Loxley (1997, cited in Barrett et al, 2005, p.24) suggests that conflict is interwoven with collaborative practice. To counteract some of the problems associated with conflict it may be beneficial to all concerned to form ground rules. These ground rules could go some way to prevent and help the management of conflict and could include; open discussion and the obligation to be able to give each other honest feedback. Most importantly these ground rules need to benefit all parties involved. A great deal of emphasis is placed on social workers to critically reflect their practice. It literally means that social workers reflect on their practice before, during and after, thinking through tasks carefully. Other professionals may not do this in line with social workers beliefs of critical reflection or in the same way or see that reflection on their own practice is an important aspect of successful inter professional collaborative practice. To illustrate the above points a practice example will now be explained. The inquiry into the death of ten year old Victoria Climbie highlights the disastrous consequences when communication in inter professional collaborative practice fails. This child death case was fraught with communication breakdowns across the range of professionals associated with the case. In Lord Lamings report (2003) he draws attention to and illustrates lack of communication as one of the key issues. Victoria Climbie was failed by a system that was put into place to protect her. Professionals failed in this protection by not communicating with each other or with Victoria herself. One of the criticisms in the Laming Report (2003) was that none of the professionals involved in the case spoke to Victoria about her life or how she was feeling and suggests that even basic service user involvement was absent. There was an opportunity which is highlighted in his report that a social worker missed an opportunity t o communicate with Victoria by deciding not to see or speak to her while she was in hospital. It could be argued that if basic levels of communication with Victoria herself had been implemented, then more could have been achieved to protect her. It was not only a lack of communication with Victoria herself but a lack of communication between the professions that were investigated in the Laming Report (2003). Communication is equally important between the service user and the different professional bodies. Professionals are less effective on their clients behalf if they cannot communicate precisely and persuasively. (Clark, 2000, cited in Trevithick, 2009, p.117). For successful inter professional collaborative practice to work a combination of personal and professional skills are required, together with competent communications skills to enable the different professions to challenge the views of others. Recommendation 37 of the Laming Report (2003) states The training of social work ers must equip them with the confidence to question the opinion of professionals in other agencies when conducting their own assessment of the needs of the child. On at least one occasion, this did not happen when a social worker did not challenge a medical statement which turned out to be professionally incorrect which in turn led to the tragic eventual death of Victoria. Had the social worker challenged the medical opinion in this instance then it could be argued that more efficient communication and less confusion in the case may have saved Victoria. Alan Milburn (Hansard 28 January 2003, column 740, cited in Wilson et al, 2008, p.474), the then Secretary of State commented when introducing the Children Bill in the Commons that Victoria needs services that worked together and that down the years inquiry after inquiry has called for better communication and better co-ordination. Communication lies at the heart of high quality and successful inter professional practice and Victoria is just one case of when there is a lack of communication between the professionals and the devastating consequences that can arise. In conclusion, successful inter professional collaborative practice has many elements and all these different elements require that the different professions adopt them. Although inter professional working practice has been around for many years and is not new, it still needs to be continued, developed and incorporated into the daily work of all professions. When health and social care professionals from different disciplines truly understand each others roles, responsibilities and challenges, the potential of inter professional collaborative practice could be fully realised and many of the barriers alleviated, giving a more successful outcome to the service user.

Globalisation :: essays research papers

It is argued that globalisation does not necessarily result in the domination and erasure of local cultures but rather engenders a resistance which can take the best of the global and reinforce and revitalise the potency of local cultures. Discuss with reference to the readings and concepts encountered in the subject.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Globalisation does not necessarily result in the domination and erasure of local cultures, is a positive statement one can make from the reading Understanding Globalisation: History and Representation in the Emergence of the World as a Single Place, (Holton 1998). We will be looking at where globalisation comes from, or as far back as we can trace it in history. Globalisation engenders a resistance which can take the best of the global and reinforce and revitalise the potency of local cultures. Also, with looking at the reading mentioned previously and defining the term globalisation one can see that it would be quite the best of the global cultures which are taken and reinforced and revitalised into the local cultures, that is that my understanding of the term ‘global’ in the question is to mean ‘global cultures’. As we all know, it is a simple fact of history which is able to show that global cultures are where the best come from in ord er to revitalise local cultures.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Globalisation is historical, and was present in the vast past of the world. It is through the history that we can see globalisation did exist and took several forms, history, politics, economics, religion, capitalism, social behaviour, modernisation, and imperialism. These were all present in history from the beginning. There was the developing of ‘The West’ which did create dominance of local cultures from those who claimed to be superior. We know that ‘The West’ was a social level of development, which first occurred in Europe. In Hall’s definition of ‘The West’ in, Formations of Modernity, we are told that a society of the west is â€Å"developed, industrialised, urbanized, capitalist, and modern†(p277). These societies were â€Å"a result of historical processes - economic, political, social and cultural†(p277). Therefore, it can be said in broad terms that it is the rising of the west which enables t he west, the globalised nations, to gain dominance and near to total erasure of local cultures. With this rising of the west there is also capitalism and imperialism without a doubt and it is though these elements that there is domination and almost total erasure that occurs.

Eharmnoy Case Study

Introduction eHarmony is an online personal site targeted marriage-minded individuals and offered a unique product, which combined an extensive relationship questionnaire, a patented matching system and a guided communication system. â€Å"eHarmony made its mark in the online dating landscape by establishing its brand as the site for the serious relationship seeker, particularly women†(Gabby). eHarmony is a well established company that â€Å"launched in August 2000 with $3 million in funding and grew into a rumored $100 Million, highly profitable company in less than 5 years†(Gabby). Harmony is one of the first dating sites to succeed in providing good matches. Situational Analysis eHarmony’s existing customers are online users are both men and women that range from the age groups of 18 all the way up to 87, but the fastest growing group right now is men and women ages 35-55. Another fact of Internet data is that regardless of gender, age, or race the majority o f serious Internet daters earn at least 50K per year†(Profilehelper. com). eHarmony is a safe and easy way to date without having to go out. Harmony is an excellent way to explore ones options with an unlimited amount of choices. eHarmony’s competitors are the do yourself site which are, Yahoo! the personals and Match. com. Other competitors consist of Match. com, Chemistry, heterosexual sites, African American sites, faith-based sites and online social networks that are a threat to eHarmony such as Facebook, and MySpace. Consumers of eHarmony look for a site that bases upon personality rather than how an individual looks. eHarmony chooses the perfect match based upon personality traits, which is why consumers truly enjoy this site.The economic conditions that eHarmony faces during these hard economic times is that consumers have to pay a fee to become a member. The fee makes it harder for consumers who are not doing very well during the recession. SWOT |Strengths: |Opp ortunities: | |Memberships |Gay and Lesbian market | |Patent ompatibility test |Divorce | |Advertising formulas |Casual daters | |Guided communications |Global Expansion | | | | | | | | | | |Weaknesses: |Threats: | |Doesn’t offer gay and lesbian services |Online social networks | |eHarmony only operates in the US |Competition | |Lengthy Questionnaire |Free dating services | | | | | | | Strengths Harmony has much strength in its business that are necessary for its success. eHarmony charges a fee to become a member because of their success rate of achieving long-term relationships. There has been an increase in the number of paying members, because eHarmony is confident in recommending matches that result in a high level of marital satisfaction. The compatibilities test, is used to match individuals, based on their personality types. The questionnaire has 250 questions, which takes about 45 minutes to complete. Even though the questionnaire is a lengthy process more tha n 14 million people have completed it in the first seven years of eHarmony’s existence. Harmony’s advertising formula was successful because eHarmony was one for the few companies that made off line marketing work and pay for itself. Guided communication is the questionnaire that is done before the matches can communicate directly. This is a strength because it determines if the individuals are a true match for one another. Weaknesses EHarmony’s weaknesses are that it does not offer its single matching services to women seeking women or men seeking men. Giving eHarmony limited resources and the small size of the same sex market the company did not believe it was necessary to enter the market place. Another weakness that eHarmony has is that it does not market in other countries but the US.If eHarmony does not expand to new geographic areas, it could find that its competitors would already take its target segment. Lastly, the personality profile has been abbrevia te from 450 to 250 questions, which takes about 45 minutes to complete. It has been stated in the case study, that men are less likely to complete the questionnaire after starting. This is a weakness because they are ultimately losing costumers from the time consuming questionnaire. Opportunities eHarmony's opportunities are that they have the ability to enter into the gay and lesbian market which is one of the largest niche markets. This market attracts about one tenth  of the Internet traffic of the heterosexual personal sites.With the divorce rate being extremely high, this has led to the older individuals searching for a new soul mate. eHarmony makes it easier for singles to find dates, by saving time since eHarmony does the picking for  the  consumers. eHarmony could create a competitive advantage, by broaden their customer base, and including more casual daters. There are many people interested in casual dating who could benefit from eHarmony’s matching compatibil ities. Even though global expansion has been stated as a weakness we also believe it is an opportunity. Threats Large online social networks such as Facebook and Twitter attract customers though the process of friends encouraging friends to join.This website provide personal information, which persuaded other to talk to one another and potentially date. Online social networks are also attractive to people who are in a long term relationship, and could not join a dating site without jeopardizing their current relationships. With Match being its biggest competitor customer have, a difficult time differentiating between the two. Chemistry one of Match’s sister companies is another competitor that companies that it does not know why eHarmony rejects people. The free dating service has, become an enormous threat to eHarmony because consumers claim that making people pay to join a dating site served as a serious barrier  that  separates  individuals.Assumptions The missing in formation that we believe is not in the case is the following, 1. If the lesbian and gay market where in eHarmony would it affect its current customers. 2. What is the main reason why they don’t have same sex pairing 3. What is holding eHarmony back from expanding overseas. Statement of the Problem The main problem that eHarmony faces is that they only focus on matching men with women and do not focus on same sex paring. According to the Independent Gay Forum, â€Å" A team at the Harvard school of public health reported that 6. 2 percent of men and 3. 6 percent of women reported same sex-partner in the pervious five years.These statistics are extremely high, and it would be in the best interest of eHarmony to focus on this market as well as straight individuals. Alternatives/ Recommendation The statement of problem that could have been avoided by eHarmony is to have a gay and lesbian section. This would attract this market to their website, but they will also still focus on promoting to matching women and men. This website will guarantee a compatible partner whom shares similar backgrounds, goals, values and beliefs among many other valuable characteristic. Implementation eHarmony will implement a gay and lesbian section to their website that guarantees a long lasting relationship. It will use the same format of questionnaires and personality test that eHarmony uses now. This site will lso implement success stories, privacy policy and safety tips to ensure that this is what they truly are looking for. This site will focus on this market segment with out gays and lesbians feeling as if they are being segregated. Control/Evaluation To ensure that eHarmony is achieving what they set out to accomplish they will establish actions to support their goals. eHarmony’s goal is to create a marketing strategy by launching a campaign that focuses on gay and lesbians, to attract them towards the new and upcoming website of eHarmony. By creating awareness tow ards this market, this would increase positive word of mouth, as well new memberships for eHarmony. Harmony will also create a strong bond with these customers to understand their wants and needs. Works Cited Gabby, Nisan. â€Å" » EHarmony Case Study: Offline Advertising the Key to Scale – Startup Review Blog. † Startup Review Blog – Analyzing Web Success. 07 Dec. 2006. Web. 27 Nov. 2011. . Online Dating Profile Writing Help | Online Dating Profile Experts | Profile Helper. com. 2 Jan. 2006. Web. 27 Nov. 2011. . Varnell, Paul. â€Å"More Gays than Lesbians — IGF Culture Watch. † IGF Culture Watch — Forging a Gay Mainstream. 30 Nov. 1999. Web. 27 Nov. 2011. . Warren, Neil C. EHarmony #1 Trusted Singles Online Dating Site – More than Personals. 28 Mar. 2001. Web. 27 Nov. 2011. .