VPN stands for Virtual Private Network or Virtual Private Networking. - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 27 Words: 8194 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Statistics Essay Did you like this example? Pop Quiz! VPN stands for A.1 VPN stands for Virtual Private Network or Virtual Private Networking. A VPN is a private network in the sense that it carries controlled information, protected by various security mechanisms, between known parties. VPNs are only virtually private, however, because this data actually travels over shared public networks instead of fully dedicated private connections. Introduction I have a strong point of view that MCC has been fostering is dear students from all computing courses since its establishment. With the intention of uplifting the education standard in Computer Technology, MCC has collaborated with NCC of Greenwich College in London to set up the Joint Program of International Diploma in Computer Studies (IDCS). Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "VPN stands for Virtual Private Network or Virtual Private Networking." essay for you Create order I have given my best effort and attention and I also obtained priceless knowledge and experience in developing and implementing the cost-effective VPN extranet infrastructure for National Bank for Rural Development. Overview The construction of the Rural National Development Bank brought great prosperity to an area where previously had tremendous hardship in making monetary transaction. Being in a rural area like this, we cant have hefty load of budgets invest in for the normal operation of the bank. The bank has currently been using Microsoft Windows operating system as client machines and also the network is window-based. The bank wants to create a corporate network infrastructure to connect their agents and branches securely. The bank preferred to use NOS for Ubuntu Linux for they will reduce the overall cost dramatically when compared to Microsoft Server Version. All of these multi-functioned organisations and personnel need to have a medium to communicate for the smooth flow of their work. As the new networking advisor for this project, I have thought out the plan to implement such medium on less costly basis. The aim of this project is to investigate the currently favourable means for building a secure corporate network infrastructure that consists of servers, extranet, preferred form of internet connection and clients. This report will contain recommended methods and a sample of a network security design with a clearly labeled diagram. Also, the source and references of information and excerpts in this report will be acknowledged and can be found at the end of this documentation. Prototype for the Extranet VPN for NBRD There are altogether 500 computers and 100 peripheral devices in the main office bank. There are tens of departments and hundreds of staff ranging from front-office to auditor. VPN actually is a private network for delivering of important data and facts within the organisation via the secure use of the public network like Internet or Wide Area Network. The internet source is coming from ISP which provides high-speed Asynchronous Digital Subscriber Line. The main office is a very sophisticated infrastructure and the daily normal operation of the bank is very much dependant on four servers-VPN Server which is a must in all VPN configured network, Print Server, File Server and Database Server. The computers and peripheral devices are connected from the four servers via multi-purpose switch (to regenerate signals). The outlet of the main office building has router in place for connecting separate logical networks to form an internetwork. And then comes the Gateway to convert Microsoft Ma il to Simple Mail Transport Protocol (SMTP) for transmission over the Internet. Although routers work at the Network layer and can route packets of the same protocol (such as TCP/IP) over networks with dissimilar architectures (such as Ethernet to token ring), gateways can route packets over networks with different protocols. And then comes a firewall. A firewall is a hardware device or software program that inspects packets going into or out of a network or computer and then discards or forwards those packets based on a set of rules. The data then travels on the VPN tunnel by using IPSec Protocol. It is the most popular method for encrypting data as it travels through network media. IPSec works by establishing an association between two communicating devices. An association is formed by two devices authenticating their identities via a preshared key, Kerberos authentication, or digital certificates. Suburban branch has 300 computers and 50 peripheral devices and has varieties of de partments and large numbers of staff for its daily normal operation and performs the same task mentioned above. National Bank for Rural Development has 50 computers and 5 peripheral devices. It also has departments and staffs but it depends on VPN server for its normal operation. Business partners and agents are connected to the VPN via remote access. Brief biography of Ubuntu is an open source (can change the source computer code at your desire) operating system version is upgraded every six months desktop, server and ultimate editions are available Can be used wih wide ranges of computers and hardwares:-(Intel x86 (IBM-compatible PC), AMD64 (Hammer) and PowerPC (Apple iBook and Powerbook, G4 and G5) architectures) Supported by Canonical Ltd. is GNU/Linux (comprises of many programs and most essential one is kernel which is linux in (GNU/Linux) and it combines with other GNU programs to boot up the system) and if an error occurs and the Kernel becomes corrupted, a different copy can then be used instead. debian-based Linux is the system descended from Unix GNU/Linux was put into existence by Free Software Foundation in 1984 is free-of-charge and totally aimed at programmers and developers The first Linux kernel was invented by Finland-national Computer Science student Linus Torvalds Because of its alluring advantages such as being free of charge, compatible with many software programs, not easily hanged or freezed, multi-tasking, and more safer than other OS make Linux more popular among business partners and individual person hide the user from browsing the registry keys that have important information more effective in hindering the spread of viruses and executing of malicious programs and threats Ubuntu can be downloaded from this site: https://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu is compatible with Intel and AMD and the compatibility with hardware parts can be checked in this site: https://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/Hardware-HOWTO/ https://www.linux-laptop.net/ (For laptops) The minimum requirements for Ubuntu 700 MHz x86 processor 384 MB of system memory (RAM) 8 GB of disk space Graphics card capable of 1024768 resolution Sound card A network or Internet connection CD/DVD Drive For visual effects and graphic 1.2 GHz x86 processor 512 MB of system memory (RAM) Supported graphics card Note: the above descriptions are only minimum requirements and better processor and system memory will certainly enhance the performance of Ubuntu. For downloading software for disk partition by using disk management of windows: https://www.partition-tool.com/personal.htm Task 1- 50 Marks Your Bank currently has network client machines based on the Microsoft Windows Operating System. The Bank decides to evaluate the benefits of the open source Linux operating system, preferably the latest Ubuntu Linux distribution version 9.10 server edition (freely downloadable from https://www.ubuntu.com) Evaluate the benefit of Linux operating system as Interoperable and alternative NOS for the company in the form of a feasibility report to include the following: 1.1) The comparative Networking features of Windows and Linux. (10 Marks) Comparative Networking Features of Windows and Linux Windows Operating System Internet Connection Firewall (ICF) acts as a shield from unauthorized access to home networks and computers. It had come with the window installation package and it enables automatically in its default settings when the Network Setup Wizard is run and is compatible with most networks. ICF has manual switch on-off modes which can be done through the Network Connections folder. Wireless LAN provides Ethernet and Wireless Security with its improved standard IEEE 802.1X which has been developed with the combined effort of Microsoft, Wireless LAN dealers and PC dealers. Former version is highly inefficient in lacking security control with a key management system. The IEEE 802.1X is a port-based network access control and can be used with Windows XP via access points. Network Setup Wizard acts as a novice guideline in setting up the network can be utilised to configure the Internet Connection in networked computers, and also network adapters (NIC Card) can be used to enable Internet Connection Firewall (ICF), Network Bridge if appropriate, sharing resources such as files and printers and naming of computers. Network Diagnostics Features Diagnosing network features by using the following tools: The Network Diagnostics Web Page and NetSh helper Network Connections Support Tab Network Connection Repair Link Task Manager Networking Tab Updated Command Line Network Diagnostics Tool Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) A single internet connection from the source computer can be shared to all the other computers in a home or small office network. ICS is enabled in the source computer and gives out all the physical and IP addresses and translates these for all the networked computers in the organisation. Linux Operating System acts as a forbidder for all incoming connections but opens up for outgoing connections. When in high mode, it allows for all outgoing connections and restricts to limited number of high ports for point-to-point applications. When switch to medium mode, still permits outgoing connections, selected applications for incoming ports plus point-to-point application. When change to none mode (get out of my face), it denies all incoming and outgoing connections. Only in the laptop mode, the firewall does activate without giving any alert to an Interface (GUI). Protocols Linux supports IPv6 and SSH but Windows is not. 1.2) Interoperability features of Ubuntu with the existing Microsoft Windows Workstations. (10 Marks) Interoperability refers to the capability of the system ranging from hardware and OS to work in multi-platforms. Windows and Linux are both OS and of x386 architecture. Open Office in Linux which is similar to MS Office in Windows is java based application. All of us know java -based applications will work in any platform. OpenOffice.org can be used to open and save Microsoft Office formats, such as PowerPoint, Word and Excel documents. Ubuntu can share files with Windows with ease, and can connect with current e-mail servers even Microsoft Exchange. Ubuntu support plug-n-play hardware, wireless networking, printing and other graphical and multimedia software. Connecting from Linux to Windows With the use of network, we can control Windows computer from Linux: enable remote administration on the Windows host make sure you reach the computer from your Linux box ping windows_computer connect to the computer rdesktop windows_computer Connecting from Windows to Linux The following can be used to have control over Linux computer from a Windows box: Vnc Xdmcp NX X-Servers for Windows puTTy (command-line only) Exchanging files between Linux and Windows When having two hard disk partitions but running on one OS, in case want to access a Linux partition when running Windows and vice versa, the following can be done: When on a Linux host and want to access a Windows drive Winhost has been assumed as Windows computers hostname in this case (the hostname can be checked by right clicking on My Computer Icon and select Properties). Open the Explorer windows on Windows computer. Right-click on the folder and choose Sharing and security from the drop-down box. Name it share1. Then, on Linux computer, open the file explorer either Konqueror or Nautilus and type smb: //winhost/share1 in the address bar. All the files and folders can be seen in that share. With just double-click, you can open and view them. Want to share When on a Linux computer and want to make the folder accessible on Windows machines over the network, need to run SAMBA service on Linux computer. Right-click on a folder in favourite file explorer like Nautilus and choose Sharing Options. Click and name the share. Nautilus will require a password without prior enabling of the Windows folder sharing and after that install the service. It now requires you to log out and log in again. Windows computer should be available with the share. When on a Windows host and want to access a Linux drive WinSCP is used and SFTP protocol should be chosen. The login procedure and password are same as when log in locally. Firewall should be shut down and openssh service should be installed on Linux computer. Want to share a folder By using normal Windows sharing procedures can share files with Linux. By using samba, the Linux host can access these files. NTFS (New Technology File System) is the Microsoft Window default file system. It is readable as well with Linux and more than 2GB of files can be stored. 1.3) You need to install Ubuntu on a machine and configure network services for Windows and Linux mainly for file sharing and printing. Necessary screen shots have to be provided. Installation of Ubuntu Server Edition 9.10 During the ongoing installation process of Ubuntu Server Edition, LAMP which is a combination of Linux, Apache, and MySQL and PHP servers can be used instead. It is excluded from the Ubuntu Server Installation Package and can easily be used during the time of installation. The LAMP option does not require individual installation and integration separately of each of these components which can take prolonged period of time and need a help from an expert who is skilled in this particular installation. The overall cost can be greatly reduced due to the enhanced security performance, requiring lesser amount of time to install and any possibility of misconfiguration can be reduced. Flexible installation can be carried out with the Ubuntu Server Cloud computing server as varieties of servers like Mail Server, Open SSH Server, Samba File Server, Print Server, Tomcat Java Server, Virtual Machine Host, Manual Package selection, LAMP and DNS options work jointly with cloud computing node and P ostgreSQL Database options. These versions can be installed by Ubuntu LAMP server. Ubuntu 9.10 (Karmic) Apache 2.2.12 Mysql 5.1.37 PHP 5.2.10 Ubuntu 9.10 (Karmic) LAMP Server Installation is successfully completed and all applications installed will support apache, mysql and php. Ubuntu server 9.10 edition static ip address configuration The command [sudo apt-get install vim-full] can be used to install vim editor TCP/IP utilisation in a corporate or enterprise network needs the devices to be configured in detail, assigned addresses and the destined machines they were assigned need to be kept track of. Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) is used to make this process easier. Through Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol Ubuntu installer has arranged our system to acquire its network settings. But we need to switch it to static IP address by editing setup: Edit/etc/network/interfaces and the detail data of your ip address needs to be entered. For instance, IP address 173.20.9.10 is used in this case. The command [sudo vi/etc/network/interfaces] is entered and the file is saved and exit by using the procedure In vi, ESC, and then ZZ to save and exit. The chief network interface auto eth0 iface eth0 inet static address 173.20.9.10 netmask 255.255.255.0 network 189.18.9.3 broadcast 198.34.8.9 gateway 167.8.2.3 Now the command [sudo/tec/init.d/networking restart] is used to restart network services When DHCP is not in use, manual setting up of DNS servers in resolv.conf file is needed with command [sudo vi/etc/resolv.conf] In resolv.conf file the one similar to below should be added. search domain.com nameserver xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx File Sharing configuration in Ubuntu server 9.10 edition Sharing File by using NFS which is the *nix systems default networking protocol inclusive of Ubuntu Linux. File sharing by using Samba protocol Samba File Sharing Samba client permits easy and smooth networking with Windows-based networks except firewall is in place at the ports. Ubuntu Jaunty comes originally installed with Samba client. Samba server When Samba server is not installed by default, the instructions below can be used to configure a Samba server. In this way, files can be shared seamlessly between windows Samba network computers to other Samba clients. Install Samba with the command [sudo apt-get install samba samba-tools system-config-samba] Samba-tools and system-config-samba are not compulsory Samba settings can be altered by:- Method 1 SystemAdministrationAdvancedSamba This method can only be performed only if system-config-samba is installed Method 2 Needs User Authentication to connect to File Sharing Server and it is highly recommended because of its reliability The instructions below should be carried out to share files on the machine. Current user should be added to Samba by command [sudo smbpasswd- a username] The login username should replace username. Samba config file is opened by command [sudo nano/etc/samba/smb.conf] The directories is to be added at the far end by using the format Path=/home/username/folder_to_be_shared (The username is to be replaced with your own username and folder-to-be_shared with the folder to be shared) CTRL+ X is pressed and later Y to save Samba is restarted by the command[sudo/etc/init.d/samba restart] The format[192.168.x.x] is used to access the folder in Windows Explorer. In this instance, 192.168.x.x is used as a sample IP address and the actual IP address of the server in which folder exists should be replaced. The format[smb://192.168.x.x] should be typed in Konqueror or Nautilus of Linux. In this instance also, 192.168.x.x should be replace with the actual IP address of the server in which the folder exists. In case of bug when sharing in KDEs System Settings panel, erase out any situations concerning with these two lines (case sensitive and msdfs proxy) in /etc/smb.conf. Workgroup changing in Windows network workgroup Change your Windows network Samba workgroup by the command [sudo nano/etc/samba/smb.conf] and search out for this line workgroup= WORKGROUP change the setting according to your LAN workgroups name. Print sharing configuration in Ubuntu server 9.10 edition Printers Many printers can be recognized by the new CUPS interface. The Linux Foundation OpenPrinting database provides instructions to install particular types of unrecognized printers. Printer configuration SystemAdministrationPrintingNew PrinterNew Printer Usually the printer connected and switched on will be detected automatically. My network printer was configured with IP address at 192.168.10.23 and it was correctly installed at socker://192.168.10.23:9100. Through Samba printers on a Windows system and on other networks can be chosen plus directly connected printers. 1.4) Enumerate the various costs associated with the performance, security, support and maintenance of the Ubuntu within the bank. Cost associated with security of the Ubuntu within the bank A Linux-based operating system, Unix-like and open source make the Ubuntu more secure than any other OS. Translation into higher quality code makes it less prone to spyware and viruses than other OS. Rather strict and hyperactive security policy prevents the effects as a result of open ports or misconfigured software. It is truly multiuser operating system with it allowance in users to accomplish their tasks without giving any harm to the system. In Ubuntu, the user never logged in with an administrator account instead log in as a simple user and can change settings concern only with the user but for modifying settings that can somehow affect the system, the user required to type in administrator password. Cost associated with maintenance of the Ubuntu within the bank LTSP thin client technology makes Ubuntu deployment and management simpler and easier. With only a single server, over 50 workstations can be setup, manage and administrate. Ubuntu can therefore reduce the amount of time spend in administrating computers. Ubuntu is and will always be free to obtain, use and upgrade. No license fees or upgrades expenses are cost even if 100 or more machines are to be installed or can install on computers only having specific programs. Ubuntu also assist in saving hardware costs by allowing redeploying older machines as thin clients using LTSP technology. Cost associated with support of Ubuntu within the bank Ubuntu support can be getting from Ubuntu communities. Authors of the Ubuntu can get in touch directly through mailing lists and IRC channels including Ubuntu developers. Wide varieties are support are available, on mailing lists, wiki websites, IRC channels and bug trackers. Canonical who finances Ubuntu development can give help in any paid work. The community at the back of Ubuntu attracts people to the use of operating system. Linux community people are largely ex-Windows users and they have exact feelings the newness of an operating system and they are willing to help. In the Linux environment the best community support is offered by Ubuntu. Cost associated with performance of Ubuntu within the bank Program calls Synaptic offers access to most applications available to Ubuntu and by clicking the program wanted and it will install without needing to accept agreements several times pre-installation. Just select the program and click OK and it is finished. Ubuntu will download the installation files, install them and start the application on its own. That makes Ubuntu easier to install new programs. Ubuntu is fast and does not take up a lot of resources. Performance will not even slow down in prolonged use. Everything will be opened in a short time after clicking the icon and closes immediately when click the icon X. Ubuntu gets update every six months. Everything about Ubuntu is free. Even they will dig their pockets to pay postal charges if you ask them a free copy of the operating system. The software installed is free including all the software that can be downloaded, any help and support is free. Research and produce a comprehensive project plan for the implementation of a VPN within the company. This should include the following: Performance of VPN within the bank VPN has other indirect cost savings advantages over other communications methods such as lesser requirements in training and staff, flexibility and scalability has been greatly increased. The largest benefit to utilising VPNs is money savings. The amount spent will be significantly reduced when compared to dedicated leased line options. Remote users can connect locally to an ISP and tunneling that connection to a VPN device on the destined network. Therefore, reduced technical help is required to install, configure, and manage networking equipment. With the use of a single WAN interface, it can carry out multiple functions so the expenses on WAN equipment installation and maintenance is no longer needed. Organisations can extend their network and capacitate their performance by setting up more accounts to control the increased demand. This will facilitate the answers to market demands or organizational challenges and is also time-saving. Therefore enterprises and corporate organisations can be linked from different locations into the network without the need of complex infrastructure, delays and tremendous expenses in joint with connection across borders. The wide area networking costs are cut down via telecommunication costs. Support of Ubuntu within the bank Technical help resources are sharply reduced with the emergence of VPNs. This is as a result of dependability on one type of Internet protocol (IP) from mobile users to an ISPs POP and security needs are standardised. If taking the help of the service providers to set up VPNs, they will take most of the support tasks for the network. Security of Ubuntu within the bank Fewer networking experts are required to control security features of the VPN as the ISP manages the WAN equipment. Hidden costs associated with distribution of VPN client software. Some adopters are finding that simple tasks not unique to VPNs, such as distributing and installing client software to remote users, pose a bigger challenge than ever imagined. Managing security and authentication systems require realising that complex skill sets not available in-house. Cost-VPN often requires a substantial up-front effort for configuration and software deployment. 2.1) A brief overview of current VPN technologies (both hardware and software). Components needed with VPNs With the effect of high security performance, VPNs are originally complicated. Typical components needed for an effective VPN include: Gateway devices Routers Dedicated servers Firewalls Client software Public-Key infrastructures (PKI) and associated key-management strategies Hardware-based encryption accelerators X.509 digital certificates Certificate Authority (ies) Directory services Servers with these features: Load balancing Failover Redundancy Network-transport communication mechanisms Typically, VPN components connected to the Internet include these: -Certificate Authority (CA) system -Managed ISP to support remote employees Corporate VPN gateway with these indispensables: -LDAP server -Registration Authority (RA) system Firewalls help in accomplishing three goals: Restrict accessing to certain segment of a network Block services requests that are thought to be insecure or unnecessary Interpret network addresses to conceal real device addresses from other segment of a network and is called Network Address Translation, or NAT VPN evaluation Certificate Authority (CA) support: If youll be handling more than a handful of users who possess digital certificates for authentication, youll need robust support for an external provider of CA services. Logging: If youre requiring information logs from the VPN, can they integrate into your existing logging mechanisms and reporting systems? Selective encryption: If youre thinking about adding a VPN to an existing firewall, you may want to encrypt only certain traffic- or risk bringing your firewall to its knees with an overload of overkill. VPN-management modules: Can you integrate your VPN into your existing enterprise networks monitoring system? If you cant, then how will you monitor its uptime? In your evaluation of VPN gateway products, look for these features: X.509 digital-certificate support LDAP support IPSec-compliant Encryption types supported Performance (Mbps) Maximum number of interfaces Maximum number of connections Quality of Service support Clustering (SMP) support Custom-application support Support for High-Availability (HA) features EAL/ITSEC/TCSEC Level In evaluation of VPN client products, look for these essentials: Thin-client support Fat-client support Network-mapping support Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) support NT Domain logon support 2.2) Design a suitable VPN using appropriate Internet Service Provider (ISP) for the requirements of the bank. 2.3) Identify and list the hardware and software required to implement the banks VPN. The infrastructure of existing network should be supported by a server. A server should serve as a domain controller, DNS server, Certificate authority and DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) server. The next step is to set up a certificate authority. A VPN server should be kept separate for the sole purposes of security threats. A firewall should be placed at the outlet of VPN server to only permit flow of VPN traffic into this server. Two NICs cards are needed to connect to the internet and the private corporate network. Identification of the remote users identity when trying to access the private corporate network is also necessary. The Server operating system comes with RADIUS- Remote Authentication Dial In User Service and IAS- Internet Authentication Service to do authentication process. VPN hardware products also do the authentication process. The Web Server (HTTP server) responds to HTTP requests for HTML pages that it delivers to customer browsers over the Internet. Its the only server that sits in front of the firewall and allows direct controlled access to the public internet. Its on this server you may want to store static Web page content and graphic images. All information processing that the Web server needs from applications or Database servers can only be accessed through the Firewall. Application Servers store, manage, and operate those software components relevant to the business, including Merchant server software, back-office accounting systems, customer information systems, order entry and fulfillment systems. You many opt for multiple application servers as your needs dictate. Any links to other legacy systems (such as mainframe-based systems0 may be made through the application servers as well. Database Servers store your product, purchase, and customer data in addition to all other distributed processing data already in place. They may use Object-Oriented Database Management products, traditional relational database products, or hybrids of the two. Choices of Database Server software include these: Oracle MS SQL Server Sybase DB/2 Informix Firewalls control the access to the internal (back-office) corporate networks. They serve as the mechanism under which the Web server accesses applications and data that is found behind them. These Firewalls will typically run monitoring software to detect and thwart external attacks on the site, and are needed to protect internal corporate networks. Common Firewall services are implemented as routers that sit in between two domains (subnets), and are selective about IP addresses from which it receives packets before it permits their routing to the other domain (subnet). These select IP addresses are considered as trusted hosts. Mainframe systems, If youve got them, can also be useful in the distributed processing environment. All you have to do is use object wrappers (objects that act like miniature shells to preserve existing processing) to keep the work in a familiar form and place, where it may best be suited for operations or data storage. 2.4) Produce a schedule for the implementation of the VPN, detailing the installation of any necessary hardware, network operating system upgrades and associated applications software required. No Task Date 14 Dec 2009 15 Dec 2009 16 Dec 2009 17 Dec 2009 18 Dec 2009 19 Dec 2009 20 Dec 2009 21 Dec 2009 22 Dec 2009 23 Dec 2009 7Jan 2010 8 Jan 2010 9 Jan 2010 10 Jan 2010 19 Jan 2010 20 Jan 2010 21 Jan 2010 25 Jan 2010 26 Jan 2010 27 Jan 2010 30 Jan 2010 31 Jan 2010 1 Doing research and gathering required information (research stage) 2 Suggesting possible layouts of designs 3 Technical and logical assumptions made on the prototypes (Feasibility Study Stage) 4 Setup installation and testing of real-time infrastructure (Project Plan stage) Upgrading current Window based Network and clients machines to Ubuntu Server Edition 9.10, Existing hardware (Servers, workstations), VPN router or switch, Software to manage or create tunnels and Security device such as firewall 5 Operational Support including teamwork ,budgets and other necessary equipments Finalising report with documentation (Presentation Stage) 2.5) Write a section of the report on the responsibilities and level of service required from an ISP in order to implement a successful VPN within the company. Companies are significantly cutting down their networking costs- for equipment, public network services and even personnel upon their trustworthiness on VPNs. Companies use VPNs mostly for the following works: Sending safe e-mails Providing in-touch accessibility to properties and assets by utilising web sites linked to an intranet Sending and receiving of information and forms within personal and business organizations under extranet connectivity Remote access through the use of Internet is enabled to employees and marketing and support representatives in the fields Connecting branch offices from afar to main corporate networks without the use of costly leased communication lines Can be used to send urgent, top-secret data between organisations in a matter of time ISP Responsibilities To use powerful IPSec protocols to create secure tunnels within the IP network, Remote Technical Support (RTS) Is an elementary level of technical support to solve the remote basis problem? This is in use when the customer depends on its own IT experts to cover daily maintenance tasks of the system. On-Site Support (OSS) This support level includes RTS and allows customer to ask for problem solution both hardware and software at their location. Dedicated Technical Support (DTS) Engineer is constantly present at the customer location with the readily to be use RTS and OSS in active. VPN Network System, installation and setup Positioning of active equipment at the client side or at server side VPN hardware and software of High-quality from well-known brand like Cisco Managing system by engineers or client Firewall setting up and its upkeep Controlled services for authentication Connectivity options of great flexibility Service level Agreement (SLA) 24/7 Technical support Network management responsibilities An enterprise network manager who extends a network with VPN technologies must meet a strict set of business needs that include these: Minimized risk- Moving from a dedicated infrastructure to a shared infrastructure that incorporates the Internet as the transport medium presents new security and auditing challenges. While opening the network to unite remote users, suppliers, and partners, you must be able to maintain the integrity of your corporate data resources. Maximum scalability- Rapidly adding mobile users and new business partners means you must be able to expand the network- upgrading your hardware, software, bandwidth, and services- with unprecedented speed and precision. Lowest cost- To benefit from the savings of a shared VPN infrastructure, you must be able to implement new VPN service and support additional network users-without ballooning your operational staff. Highest reliability- Moving to a shared infrastructure presents new challenges in delivering and monitoring the reliability of the network. Cisco points out those network managers must face at least these thorny issues of supporting a VPN: Coordinating the potentially complex range of configuration environments across multiple service providers Ensuring the security and integrity of the network and the corporate resources of the enterprise Delivering-and monitoring-the service levels promised to customers 2.3) Prepare a short report on Network Security covering: a) Trojan horses, Worms, Viruses and the major network security issues. (10 Marks) A computer virus modifies the way a computer functions without the acknowledgement of the user. To be able to name it as a virus, it must be in accordance with these two conditions: Execution is carried out by self. The viral code is mixed maliciously with uninfected file. Replication can be done by self. Replacement of other executable files with a copy of the virus infected file. Desktop computers and network servers both are prone to virus infection. Damaging programs, deleting files or reformatting the hard disk are some of the potential hazards of malicious viruses. Some types of viruses just want to get attention and awareness of users by showing text and multimedia messages. Viruses such as these can even be problems. They occupy memory space usually taken by normal operation. As a consequence, the system often hanged or freezed and the computer seem to be operating without normality. Bugs often attached to viruses can lead to destruction of data and system crashes. Five well-known viruses File infector viruses infect program files especially .com and .exe files. When infected program is run from floppy, hard drive, or from the network they can infect other files. These viruses can reside in memory. If memory gets infected, all the executables that run become will also get infected. Boot sector viruses infect the boot record on floppy disks and hard disks. These viruses attach to the small program to be run at the start-up and start working when the user use the boot disk to boot the operating system of computer. Naturally, they live in memory and are the potential threat to all types of PCs. All floppy disks that are not write-protected will be infected when trying to access the data from the infected computer. Master boot record viruses are also residing in memory and viral infection is in the same way as boot sector viruses. The location of viral code is the main difference between these two. Master boot record is saved in a different location. Windows NT will not boot under infected circumstances. With hard disk formatted with FAT partitions, by booting to DOS and using antivirus software, the virus can usually be removed. If in NTFS boot partition, the system is to be recovered by using the three Windows NT Setup disks. Multipartite viruses infect both boot records and program files. Hard to repair as both areas must be cleaned or otherwise it will get re-infected. Macro viruses infect data files. Most abundant form of viruses, it is very costly and time consuming to repair. The emergence of Visual Basic in Microsofts Office 97 had brought about the type that also can infect Microsoft Office Word, Excel, and PowerPoint and Access files. Now it is becoming more spreading in other programs. The viral codes are based on the internal programming language which was invented for the ease in performance of some tasks for the user. It can be as many as thousands in existence. Trojan horse Trojan horses are indeed malicious program but they disguise themselves as something which is beneficial to the user. They are not self-replicating. They contain malicious code that when start off can cause theft and loss of data. Trojan horse needs human help in spreading. It will act as a backdoor to the users computer and send important information from the user computer to Internet servers designed by the developer of the virus. These things can result in the performance of the computer becoming too slow or pop-up windows appear unexpectedly and finally can cause a crash to computer. Email attachments are the most common spamming techniques to give out the virus to unsuspecting users. When the user opens the attachment file, the above mentioned task is performed. Chat software is another preferred area for the spread of Trojan horse. It sends a copy of itself to the people in address book via the infected computer. Worms do not need help from host file to spread from system to system. It can stay attached to Word or Excel a document which has the worm macro inside the document. The whole document is worm as it can travel from computer to computer. Basic threats to computer resources Accidental use: misuse of a Web site or Internet service Data destruction: loss of data accidentally or intentionally on Web site or other Internet-based service and the stealing and eavesdropping of data from the Internet and other service whether in encryption or not Interference: diverting data or overloading data so the Web sites or Internet services are derailed or the server crippled. Misrepresentation: creating of false credentials by using a counterfeit Web site to delay traffic for an intended location. Modification: changing incoming or outgoing data of a particular Web-site or service intentionally or accidentally. It is hard to detect when transmitted in large amount. Repudiation: The refusal from the customer or consumer side that they have ever order goods online or received such goods VPNs are a necessity in preventing from becoming a victim due to the following factors: v Threats v Vulnerabilities v Attack methods v Security-control mechanisms Unauthorised altering or downloading: Updating or copying data without acknowledgement from the source Unauthorised disclosure: looking-up data without consent These threats are more prone to happen through the Internet when increasing the number and value of the data and service you offer to your employees and in the case of customers and business partners that goes double. Organised attacks usually have known patterns and arrive through the Internet by different strategies. Five areas are favourites for hackers to attack: Human gullibility: Using false credentials or outright imposture, hackers try to squeeze information out of unwitting or unsuspecting employees. Methods include these gambits: Tricking someone to revealing an ID and password Obtaining access to controlled areas for instance: phone, closets and network concentrators to bug the system Obtaining access to modern phone numbers Stealing authorized users credentials such as badges and security tokens Computer architectures: hackers look for loopholes or back doors into computer systems to gain access. Examples include: Logging on using factory-default IDs Acquiring and utilising passwords system administrators fail to get rid of from servers before product installation More server-configuration principles Make certain that your Application servers and Database servers are running on separate servers that are insulated from both the Internet and from other domains within your organisation. Remove all unnecessary server software that is not specifically for operational purposes. This may include Language compliers Perl libraries Administrative utilities Factory-supplied log-ins and passwords On any open ports not specifically configured for incoming requests, Firewalls should disallow FTP TFTP Telnet Requests Dont operate software such as, FTP, tftp, telnet or e-mail systems on any special-purpose server or Web server hardware. Rather, dedicate a separate system for those uses that you can adequately control. Whenever remote operations (such as telnet and xterm) are needed, make sure the Secured Socket Handler (SSH) and Secure Copy (SCP) are used. Make sure your Web server software is protected against hostile browsers; apply patches to the software as rapidly as possible when you discover and correct new vulnerabilities. As much as possible, set up your servers to provide unique functions and capitalize on the distributed nature of the network. The three-tier client server architecture helps you keep out intruders trying to invade from the dark reaches of the Internet. b) Why there should be a Network security policy in place in all the networked companies. (5 Marks) A VPN can only help to implement a security policy- it cant create one for you. You have some complex decisions to make: Access rights include these: Who has permission to access what? From where, when, how, and how often do you allow access? Access-control rules include these: IP source Destination Packet content Available services VPN management responsibilities include these: Who administers the system? Who administers-and enforces-security? Whos authorised to authorise digital certificates? Who performs Registration Authority (RA) activities? Who administers your users desktop systems? Types and degrees of encryption required can include these: Deciding IPSec settings and options Managing private and public keys, including key-recovery procedures Certificate practices Length of time key material remains active Control over exports of data Authentication requirements include these: Conversion of user IDs and passwords to digital-certificate processing Security-access tokens Smartcards and other forms of employee security VPN endpoints determine where the systems electronic tunnels go: Gateway to gateway Gateway to desktop Desktop to desktop Data and network security Do you have staff specifically assigned to data security? Do staff members participate in regular training programs to keep abreast of technical and legal issues? Do you restrict physical access to computer operations and paper/micrographic files that contain personally identifiable information? Do you have procedures to prevent former employees from gaining access to computers and paper files? Are sensitive files segregated in secure areas or computer systems and available only to qualified persons? Do you have audit procedures and strict penalties in place to prevent telephone fraud and theft of equipment and information? Do all employees follow strict password rules and virus-protection procedures? Are employees required to change passwords often, using foolproof methods? Is encryption used to protect extremely sensitive information (a particularly important measure when transmitting personally-identifiable information over public networks such as the Internet)? Do you regularly conduct systems-penetration tests to determine whether your systems are hacker proof? If your organisation is potentially susceptible to industrial espionage, have you taken extra precautions to guard against leakage of information? Policy controls are a must as reliance on IP networks and VPNs expand. As you migrate your legacy programs and systems to Web-based technology, you face the problems that were solved long ago on large enterprise networks. Given its shortcomings, TCP/IP alone cant meet the demands of these critical and security-minded applications. IP was never designed to priortise traffic based on the nature of the traffic itself. Clearly, if mission-critical applications operate on your VPN without high degrees of network control, performance problems can sound the death knell-negating the reasons for migrating in the first place. If (for example) your corporate extranet is intended for external sales-order processing and fulfillment, youve got trouble if you dont specifically accommodate its traffic pattern. Internal users trying to move large files via FTP, trying to teleconference via the network, or watching video clips of your CEOs corporate briefing could degrade the performance of your revenue-generating applications from the outside. The response: Establish rules and policies that enable you to manage such traffic within the context of the traffic itself. Policies govern decisions about whom and what will get priority over resources- and who and what wont. Youll need rules like these to determine the shifting of business priorities in response to time-of-day constraints: During business hours, youll want established customer traffic to have the highest priority. During non-business hours, bulk file transfers that complete the days order processing may need the highest priority. Summary Best Practices in Network Security One of the side benefits of the Internets growth, with the accompanying reports of computer and network break-ins and computer virus infections, is the increased awareness and acceptance of computer and network security policies, procedures and mechanisms. As our use of computers and networks expands, so does the list of things that can go wrong and ways our organisations can be hurt. Security policy, procedure and proper-use documents give system and network administrators something to fall back on in a crisis, as well as guidance for the mundane but essential day-to-day decisions and actions. They also provide approaches to problems that have been well-thought-out and tested over time. And though there is no magic in them, these policies bring an organisation closer to understanding its computer and network business requirements and risks. At the same time, the policies provide a framework for re-evaluation as requirements and risks change. The work of instituting the best practices for network security can be daunting. The list of tasks seems limitless, and the possible procedural issues appear to touch on every aspect of every employees interaction with the network. The correct framework built on the correct premises makes this easier to accomplish. Premises firmly grounded in reality that takes into account the needs for both usability and security; give us the freedom to thoughtfully and calmly provide the security we need, in a manageable way, while still delivering required services and enabling profitability. But dogma plus information is not enough. At every step, senior management support is critical. From the assignment of responsibilities with authority, to the approval of purchasing, policies and plans, upper management makes or breaks the security program. Aside from the fact that in any organization senior management assigns and delegates authority, it is often the official or unofficial arbitrator should individuals or organisations disagree with policy. The right information, mind-set, and blueprint provide the foundation for security with usability for an enterprise. Recommendation Without security measures and controls in place, data might be subject to an attack. These attacks can be passive, active, network based or Non-Network based attacks. Using the following measures can help to prevent all these attacks: Consult with network experts before actually buying any network devices. This not only can help the organization to choose the right network devices but also to save them a lot of money. Use the latest virus protection software on each computer in the network. Also Anti-virus software should be frequently updated. Use a Firewall such as a network appliance or a personal firewall package. Firewall software should be updated regularly. Also hardware Firewalls should be configured properly. Use the Internet only through Rooter firewalls and Proxies and dont connect the computers directly to broadband. It is also recommended the users such students and staff to be trained and well informed about virus and how to use the system safely. Disable java, JavaScript and ActiveX For web sites, use SSL. Always backup the necessary files, system files and configurations on the network. These measures are the most recommended methods for network security. Using these methods will definitely help to reduce any potential attacks from the Internet. Bibliography Web sites: 1)https://staff.washington.edu/gray/papers/credo.html 2)https://www.ph.utexas.edu/security/network-security.html 3)3https://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/eserver/v1r3s/index.jsp?topic=/iphae_web/networksecurity.htm 4)https://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/eserver/v1r3s/index.jsp?topic=/iphae_web/networksecurity.htm A5) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broadband Books 5) Chris Brenton, 1999Mastering Network Security, US, Sybex inc. William Stallings, 2000, Network Security Essentials, US, Prentice-Halting. 7) Fred Halshal, 1992,Data Communication and Computer Network, US, Addison-wesley. 8) Mike James, 1989, Low Cost PC Network, UK, Anchor Press ltd. References https://elias.decus.ch/presentations/ge_19970415_av/TSLD011.HTMGeneric Firewall Functions A straightforward, simple outline of firewall functions, part of a sales presentation for the Alta Vista Firewall. https://www.ukiahsoft.com/securitywp.htmlNetRoad FireWALL White Paper A sales piece for the NetRoad FireWALL from Ukiah Software, Inc., containing a Firewall Primer with excellent descriptions of firewall types. More technical but it defines terms and is well written. Fire in the Hole https://www.infosecuritymag.com/fire.htm An August 1998 article by Edward Skoudis. Written for savvy readers but with lots of good basic information about firewalls and the then-current state of the firewall art. https://mmm.wiwi.hu-berlin.de/IMI/s_firewalls.html Network Security and Firewalls Another good reference, which though highly technical explains more about what those layers are and how security works in each layer. https://www.examcram2.com/articles/article.asp?p=101741seqNum=3rl=1 Resources The following books and Web sites can provide insight into the development of sound security policies and procedures. Books Firewalls and Internet Security: Repelling the Wily Hacker, Bill Cheswick and Steve Bellovin. Addison-Wesley, June 1994 Designing Systems for Internet Commerce, Win Treese and Larry Stewart. Addison-Wesley, 1998 Web Security Sourcebook, Aviel Rubin, Daniel Geer and Marcus Ranum. Wiley Computer Publishing, 1997 Information Warfare and Security, Dorothy Denning. Addison-Wesley, 1999 +Information Security: Policies and Procedures: A Practitioners Reference, Thomas R. Peltier. CRC Press, Auerbach Publications, December 1998 The Information Systems Security Officers Guide: Establishing and Managing an Information Protection Program, Gerald Kovacich. Butterworth-Heinemann, May 1998 Web Sites The SANS Institute, www.sans.org: Security policies, course notes The Computer Security Institute (CSI), www.gocsi.com: Various papers and editorials about security practices and products Project COAST (Computer Operations, Audit and Security Technology), Purdue University, www.cerias.purdue.edu/coast/: Software tools, information archives, research projects Page 62 of 66

Apush Unit 5 Study Guide - 2751 Words

Populists: Grew from the Farmer’s Alliance Free and unlimited coinage of silver and gold at 16:1 ratio Increased circulating medium (no less that $50 per capita) Graduated income tax It was big in the 1890s (major electoral victories) Several members of the House of Representatives and the election of 1 U.S. senator Against monopolies More Democratic government (more control to people) Wanted more direct government action to help the working class Government ownership of railroads, telegraph, and telephone Government subsidies to assist in stabilizing agricultural prices 8 hour work day Direct election of U.S. senators Increased voter power with the use of initiative referendum and recall â€Å"people’s party† 1892 candidate†¦show more content†¦Ferguson: 1896, gave the south permission to discriminate on the basis of color in public places It happened because a â…ž white man refused to give up his seat on an all white railroad car â€Å"Separate but equal† facilities were constitutional under the â€Å"equal protection† clause of the 14th amendment It upheld the Jim Crow laws Cross of Gold Speech: Given by Democrat William Jennings Bryan Bryan was nominated the day after he gave this speech (1996) Pro silver Unlimited coinageShow MoreRelatedEssay on Creating the Constitution 2108 Words   |  9 Pagesdifferent element of the people. The design of the three branches is to show that each of the three branches are equal, no branch is higher than the other, therefore none of the three groups can take control over the others. They should all work as a unit. The Anti-federalists complain that with the new ratification, there is no Bill of Rights, but the Federalists prove that with a list of rights, this can lead to circumstances which could be hazardous (Oracle Education Foundation). If the governmentRead MoreBoyer Dbq Teacher Guide10764 Words   |  44 PagesUsing the DBQ Practice Questions from The Enduring Vision, Sixth Edition A Teachers’ Guide Ray Soderholm Minnetonka High School Minnetonka, Minnesota Using the DBQ Practice Questions from The Enduring Vision, 6th Edition A Teachers’ Guide This guide is intended to suggest some possible ways that students may organize essays related to the document-based questions in the Advanced Placement version of The Enduring Vision, 6th Edition, and to provide teachers with some information on each included

Services and Relationship Marketing Of Woolworths Supermarkets

Question: Discuss about the Services and Relationship Marketing Of Woolworths Supermarkets. Answer: Introduction A Service Organization is a company which mainly aims to get profit from the goods and services they provide to customers. For this report Woolworths Supermarkets has been chosen. Woolworths is an Australian grocery store or supermarket chain which is owned by Woolworths Limited. Alongside Coles, Woolworths forms almost a duopoly in the Australian supermarket section. They specialize in mostly selling groceries (packaged foods, fruit, meat and vegetables) however; they also indulge in selling stationery items, magazines and DVDs (Keith 2012). Woolworths presently has 1000 stores spread across Australia with 968 supermarkets and 19 stores for convenience. The company was first started in September 1924. Now every company has a service blueprint and Woolworths is no different. The blueprint shows the input processes and outputs. Then there are the front and back stage function which focus on the face to face interactions between sales person and customer and also looks into the communication which is not direct. Presenting Woolworths as a blueprint A supermarket essentially is a business enterprise which provides goods and services. It actually does not produce a physical product in such sense. Woolworths too adds value by taking in products from suppliers who are remotely based (Arli et al. 2013). They then assemble them in regional warehouses, and then distribute them to their franchises. The process ends with the selling of the products to the customers. A simple way to put it is that a service blueprint is a process chart which comprises inputs, processes and outputs. Inputs (raw materials) Process (transformation) Outputs (finished goods) Customers. As in case of Woolworths and other service blueprints too it is always made from a customers perspective. The blueprint actually identifies: Customer Actions- which are basically the steps which customers take in the service delivery process. Like in Woolworths the customer buys the product from the store which he uses in everyday life (Berning 2014). Secondly there are the front-stage actions which are the steps taken by employees for face to face encounters while providing service. Like a sales employee coming and suggesting the customer as to what product to pick and why. Then there are backstage actions. These are steps which are non visible usually taken by employees. For example taking an order by phone or customizing an order list via call. There are also support processes which are taken care of by not contact employees, but their actions are always needed to have the services delivered in time. In Woolworths bringing in goods from storehouses require a lot of personal, these types of workers help in the support processes (Calabrese and Corb 2015). Physical evidence also plays an important role in the service blueprints of Woolworths. Woolworths are very particular about these and keep uniforms of staffs, service delivery vans clean and proper. These are usually the tangible elements in the service delivery processes which can change the perception of a customer about the brand chain and therefore special emphasis needs to be given to it always (Post and van der Meer 2015). There also needs to be a line of visibility clearly separating back stage and front stage actions. Now this line of visibility can be further divided into line of interaction which divides service providers actions from that of customer actions. Then there is also the line of internal interaction which serves as a separating line between front office and the back office. The line of implementation comes next which usually separates the support zone and the management zone. Front stage and back stage functions In modern day businesses the interaction between customers and sellers are also a part of commerce. Communication between the customer and the business will always take place irrespective of the goods and services provided by the store (FISK 2013). This report also looks at the processes with regards to Woolworths. This is a supermarket chain basically based in Australia. In general it offers everyday products and services to local consumers. To discuss the organization further with more depth an account of both front and back stage functions will be made. Firstly, the front stage deals with the interactions between the employees at Woolworths and the customers visiting the various centers all around Australia. It starts off actually when a customer enters the supermarket. He or she will in all probability have a list of items written or in the mind the ones that he is suppose to pick (Radnor, Osborne, Kinder and Mutton 2014). He starts off by picking one or two items but more often than not a customer needs the salespersons in the shop to help them pick the right product. This is where the interaction starts. The employee tells the customer about the whereabouts of a certain product and then helps him choose a few from a variety of the same. Suppose the customer needs apple cider vinegar from the store. The sales person asks him as to why does he need it for? He says, that he will have it to reduce weight. Now not all apple cider vinegars can reduce weight therefore the employee helps him pick the right mother vinegar. The employee no t only sells the product but also aids in retention of the customer. Sometimes employees also suggest as to what a customer might be forgetting by looking at the items he has picked in the basket. Also conversing and helping out the customer while the billing process is underway also falls under front stage behavior. The backstage functions are just the opposite. Here the employee and the consumer does not meet face to face but talk via phone or some online medium. These too are important functions as it caters to complaints and queries of the customers. In supermarkets like Woolworths there are always offers that are given to customers and these are ever changing. A customer can call up one particular store and ask what the offers are for the day, the employee across the phone has to answer them properly and correctly. If he fails to do that there are always fears that the store can lose that particular customer (Reason, Lvlie and Flu 2015). Also, the employees over the phone need to address grievances too. Suppose if a customer has brought a particular product and he wants it replaced because of a defect, the employee has to offer him a solution as to how and when he can visit the store and get the job done. Back stage functions also include the online services provided by employees for customers who want to use the web to shop. This is also a kind of interaction but a veiled one. Moments of Truth Every business including Woolworths knows that in order to sustain itself it needs to get into the minds of the customers. Price seemed to be once the determining factor for this but it is quite inadequate too as there is a limit up to which a supermarket can cut back its prices. Product differentiation too does not work anymore to attract customers since almost identical products are available elsewhere in the market (Yagil and Medler-Liraz 2013). Therefore businesses have realized that the only way to remain in the mind of the customer is with service differences. A moment of truth occurs usually when the customer comes in contact with the organization in such a manner which gives the customer the opportunity to change his mind set about the organization. Such a moment of truth can occur via the products that Woolworths are offering or the service they are dishing out through their staffs or it can be a combination of both. Instances such as greeting the consumer, promotion of special offers or discounts, handling customer queries and complaints or giving discounts and closing a sale are all related to moments of truth. The moments of truths are therefore a top priority in a supermarket like Woolworths. In todays world which is increasingly becoming service driven with a lot of service providers for each type of product moments of truth have the prime facts that businesses need to keep in mind always. In moments of truth there are always moments of magic or moment of misery. Moments of Magic are the favorable moments of truth (Schuh 2012). These are times when a customer is served in such a manner that it exceeds the expectations. For example, Woolworths is giving away special discount to a customer choosing him as lucky 100th for the day. A moment of magic however; does not mean it has to be extravagant. Even timely and efficient service given by the employees in Woolworths can create a moment of magic for consumers. Then there are moments of miseries. These are particular instances where the customer interaction has resulted in a negative outcome. For example, If a customer has found shop assistants to be inattentive in Woolworths. These lapses can never be fully avoided but if such lapses are handled well then these moments of miseries and turn into moments of magic quite quickly for the consumers. Determinants of customer satisfaction and dissatisfaction There is more to customer satisfactions than only customer service. Even the most pleasant of exchanges with a shop assistant can never make up for bad or faulty products. It is often said that a customer is always right and businesses should always keep in mind this fact (Klaus and Maklan 2013). Satisfying customers might be the toughest job in the world but then also supermarkets like Woolworths are able to secure loyalty of customers which takes more free gifts and discount coupons. First of all it is about quality of a product. If Woolworths sells a lousy product no amount of aggressive PR ormarketing strategies can save it. The product will always create dissatisfaction among consumers. Separation anxiety is another determining factor for customer choices. In any supermarket chain there are a wide variety of same products in different packages. Suppose there is a detergent in Woolworths that a customer wants to buy and there customer service suggesting something else might not work at all (Qiu 2013). It might cause dissatisfaction among the customer therefore the shop assistants should not push sale another product when a customer wants to buy a certain kind. Also with the technological advancements customers nowadays want everything on the internet. If there are no websites or information about a particular store then the management will have a tough time running it successfully. Woolworths have successfully created a website which helps customers choose the products they want to buy, or they can easily see the discounts that are being offered in the shop. Customers are satisfied when they find that a particular product is available and they find the price tag attached with it too. The atmosphere of a supermarket also is an influential factor for customer satisfaction. If the products are arranged in such a way that the customers cannot find what they need, this can lead to dissatisfaction (Rawson, Duncan and Jones 2013). Woolworths, however, have all their counters well arranged with shop assistants readily helping out customers to get their desired products. Then there is also the responsibility of a supermarket like Woolworths to tell the truth about the products and services it offers. Hiding figures, facts and having excessive small prints dont help in customer satisfactions at all. They might buy the wrong product if they do not know what its usage is like. If a company hassles the customers while exchanges or refunds it might too go against them (Jahanshani 2014). If something is wrong with the product and the seller takes responsibility then it impresses the customer and he might come back to make purchases again. The organization also should always look to retain its old customers. When a company like Woolworths keeps a customer it is more profitable than finding some one new. These might be done giving old customers discount coupons which new customers would not get. This also helps in keeping the customer business relationship intact and aids in customer satisfaction. Service quality measurement Researchers have always struggled to find effective ways of measuring quality of services. The most used measure is based on set of five principles which have been voted by customers as the most important for service quality. First of all it concerns tangibles which are the physical appearances of facilities, personnel, equipment, facilities and communication materials. Customers usually remain unsatisfied with the above mentioned things if they are out of order and do not cater to their needs (Orel and Kara 2014). For a brand like Woolworths things always have to be in order, any commotion can lead to customer dissatisfaction. Then it is measured through reliability, which the ability of an organization like Woolworths to perform and deliver services accurately. The other criteria for judgment are responsiveness of the supermarket to attend to customer needs, willingness to help them and provide quick and fast service. Then there is Assurance from the employees and their ability to impart confidence and trust on customers (Urban 2013). Empathy is also o e of the service qualities with which an organization gives individualized attention to its customers. Woolworths does the same by having shopping assistants who help the customers choose the right products by giving them individual attention. These are the five dimensions which are utilized to measure service quality which the gap between what the customers expects for excellence and their actual perception of the service that is rendered. This instrument over a period of time helps businesses who provides service understand customer expectations and the areas that need improvements (Kitapci 2013) utilization of this leads to businesses developing their services in many ways. Service-Recovery and Strategy Plan for Woolworths Service Recovery is a way of converting a previously dissatisfied customer to a one who is loyal to the store and services. Now supermarket brands like Woolworths need to retain customers in order for the business to flourish. A loss of a customer will be an addition of one to one of their rivals. This is an action which the business takes in responding to a failure in service. These are not addressed when the customer complains but these are usually looked into before the dissatisfied customer checks out from the store. A good service recovery helps in having a positive impact on recommendation intention, satisfaction, loyalty, image, trust and word of mouth (Mostafa, Lages and Sksjrvi 2014). Suppose there is a certain product like a frozen meat product that a customer has added to their basket in Woolworths and it is found that product has crossed the expiry date. Without the customer knowing it, the person at the billing can change the product by getting one from the fresh stock. Another problem can be with a customer picking a product with defect. If the shopping assistant knows about it or finds it while checking the products of the customers he should immediately change it instead for the customer asking him to do so. Sometimes manual entrees in the systems for generating bills can cause errors. The person at the service counter can find out where it is incorrect and save the customer from paying more (Zhou 2013). Also if a person has bought a couple of products which the shop assistant things he might have added the other one by mistake, he can highlight the fact and help him save more money. These things give immense satisfaction to customers. Some people even argue that great recovery strategies can increase customer satisfaction to a bigger level than if nothing had gone awry in the first place. This is known as service recovery paradox. Conclusion The above stated strategies and determinants help discuss the issues with Woolworths and address them providing solutions for each. Woolworths is one of the biggest supermarket chains and they put in every effort to see that they do not lose customers. They cater to the needs and demands of the customers by looking into their problems and addressing them at the earliest. These help create a bond between sales persons and customers which help in the customers choosing Woolworths over others. References Arli, V., Dylke, S., Burgess, R., Campus, R. and Soldo, E., 2013. Woolworths Australia and Walmart US: Best practices in supply chain collaboration. Journal of Economics, Business Accountancy Ventura, 16(1). Berning, A., 2014. Sustainable supply chain engagement in a retail environment: the case of Woolworths food suppliers (Doctoral dissertation, Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University). Calabrese, A. and Corb, M., 2015. Design and blueprinting for total quality management implementation in service organisations. Total Quality Management Business Excellence, 26(7-8), pp.719-732. FISK, R.P., 2013. Impression management 26 in services marketing: a dramaturgical perspective. Impression management in the organization, p.427. Jahanshani, A.A., Hajizadeh, G.M.A., Mirdhamadi, S.A., Nawaser, K. and Khaksar, S.M.S., 2014. Study the effects of customer service and product quality on customer satisfaction and loyalty. Keith, S., 2012. Coles, Woolworths and the local. Locale: The Australasian-Pacific Journal of Regional Food Studies, 2, pp.47-81. Kitapci, O., Taylan Dortyol, I., Yaman, Z. and Gulmez, M., 2013. The paths from service quality dimensions to customer loyalty: An application on supermarket customers. Management Research Review, 36(3), pp.239-255. Klaus, P. and Maklan, S., 2013. Towards a better measure of customer experience. Mostafa, R., R. Lages, C. and Sksjrvi, M., 2014. The CURE scale: a multidimensional measure of service recovery strategy. Journal of Services Marketing, 28(4), pp.300-310. Oliver, R.L., 2014. Satisfaction: A behavioral perspective on the consumer. Routledge. Orel, F.D. and Kara, A., 2014. Supermarket self-checkout service quality, customer satisfaction, and loyalty: Empirical evidence from an emerging market. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 21(2), pp.118-129. Post, D. and van der Meer, H., 2015. Organisational blueprints for growth in service firms. On-line Journal Modelling the New Europe, (16), p.105. Qiu, R., 2013. We must rethink service encounters. Radnor, Z., Osborne, S.P., Kinder, T. and Mutton, J., 2014. Operationalizing co-production in public services delivery: The contribution of service blueprinting. Public Management Review, 16(3), pp.402-423. Rawson, A., Duncan, E. and Jones, C., 2013. The truth about customer experience. Harvard Business Review, 91(9), pp.90-98. Reason, B., Lvlie, L. and Flu, M.B., 2015. Service design for business: A practical guide to optimizing the customer experience. John Wiley Sons. Schuh, C., Strohmer, M.F., Easton, S., Scharlach, A. and Scharbert, P., 2012. Moments of Truth. In The CPO (pp. 82-88). Apress. Urban, W., 2013. Perceived quality versus quality of processes: a meta concept of service quality measurement. The Service Industries Journal, 33(2), pp.200-217. Yagil, D. and Medler-Liraz, H., 2013. Moments of truth: Examining transient authenticity and identity in service encounters. Academy of Management Journal, 56(2), pp.473-497. Zhou, Y., Huang, M., SL Tsang, A. and Zhou, N., 2013. Recovery strategy for group service failures: The interaction effects between recovery modes and recovery dimensions. European Journal of Marketing, 47(8), pp.1133-1156.

Television industry is experiencing significant growth Essay Example

Television industry is experiencing significant growth Paper CABLE TV OPERATORS. NTL group ltd. NTL group provides telecommunication and television services, including telephone, cable television and internet access. Its network reaches to 50% of the UK households. NTL is the first company to provide interactive television services which includes offering shopping, banking, gaming and entrainment facilities. Telewest Communications Plc. Telewest is the second largest broadband communications and media group in the UK, providing cable television, telephony and Internet access to around 1. 8 million homes. Flextech Telewests content division is the largest provider of basic channels to the UK pay television market. In May 2002 Telewest introduced enhanced TV programming in time for high-profile events, in conjunction with BBC and Channel 4. During the BBCs coverage of the World Cup, Telewest customers were able to enjoy a number of new interactive features, including a choice of video streams and the ability to listen to the usual commentary, the crowd or the Radio 5 live. Isle of Wight Cable and Telephone Company Ltd. Isle of Wight Cable and Telephone Company is the smallest of the UKs cable operators. We will write a custom essay sample on Television industry is experiencing significant growth specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Television industry is experiencing significant growth specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Television industry is experiencing significant growth specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer It only employs 65 people and has a very limited area of operation: the Isle of Wight. The UK cable TV operators SWOT analysis. Both NTL and Telewest, being involved in the same type of television content distribution, have much in common in their SWOT analysis. Thus the analysis below represents the total cable television segment of the UK television industry. Strengths: The main strength of the UK TV industry cable operators is the versatility of services they offer, including telephone, home banking, video on demand, fast internet connections. They have greater possibilities for interactive television, comparing with BSkyB. Another important strength of the cable operators is that they transmit very quality pictures and offer a wide choice of programming. The later however is still less than that of BSkyB. With cable TV provider you dont have to put a satellite dish on you wall. Weaknesses: One major factor limiting the growth of cable television in the UK is the greater construction costs of the infrastructure: in the UK cable has to be laid underground and the costs of this are very high (Martin 2000 p. 35-36). Cable operators have very little programming of their own. They mostly rely on the programming provided by BSkyB and have to pay for the access to it. The high construction costs and the dependence on BSkyB for programming contribute to the higher level of prices of cable operators, comparing to the satellite service. The UK cable companies have limited possibilities in competition with BSkyB. According to Cable and Broadcasting Act 1984 cable operators not allowed to obtain exclusive rights to certain major national sporting events (Martin 2000, 35-36). Opportunities: As new services such as video on demand, multimedia and fast internet connections become a reality the versatility of the fibre-optic cable networks will become increasingly valuable. The satellite and terrestrial broadcasters will remain dependant on old copper-wire telephone technology for interactivity. In most cases BT will be acting as gatekeeper (Key Note 2002). Advertising, as a source of profit, havent been exploited so far by the cable operators, as they have limited programming. Developing their own content means a new source of profit for cable operators. Moreover they can use the time allocated to them by most program suppliers (aprox. 2 minutes per hour). A merger between Granada and Carlton presents more possibilities for cooperation between the UK content providers and Cable operators, as both parts have been strongly reliant on each other for the content and channels of distribution. This cooperation will give the companies more strength to withstand the satellite TV competition and expand in the market. Threats: The financial health of the cable operators is very dubious. Their net debts are nearly i 20bn. According to the information, provided by Key Note (2002), cable operators receive 50% percent of their revenues from telephone charges. These are, however. decreasing due to constraints by Oftel (the telecommunications regulator). This may present new financial difficulties to the cable operators. The UK digital terrestrial television operators SWOT analysis. The UK DTT operators include BBC, Channel Four, Five and ITV. The main owners of ITV are Granada and Carlton. The current merger between Granada and Carlton, will result in a new company ITV plc. All these companies are vertically integrated, which means that they are both the providers of content and its distributors. However with the development of satellite and cable television, their role as distributors of content becomes limited, as DTT becomes less and less popular. These companies now distribute their content through satellite and cable operators. They play a more important role as content providers now. Information on these companies can be found in The UK television content providers section of this report. BBCs profit comes from the license fee. Other free-to-air operators get their profit from advertising. Strengths: DTT is a free-to-air service, which means that you dont have to buy all the equipment, necessary for receiving cable and satellite service. DTT service is cheaper than that of satellite and cable operators. Weaknesses: Problems with reception may be experienced by subscribers to the DTT service. There is a very limited amount of programming on DTT service, comparing to that of cable and satellite operators. There are strong technical limitations for introducing interactive television. Though DTT service is cheaper, than that of satellite and cable broadcasters, the difference is not big. Monthly license fee is approximately i 9. 7. For just i 12. 50 a month you can subscribe for BSkyB package, which includes 102 channels, including some 90 free-to-air channels. This package will also offer some interactive services and a very high quality picture. Opportunities: The only opportunity for DTT is the extension of market. But it is very doubtful that the digital terrestrial television will be able to withstand the competition from cable and satellite operators, due to the weaknesses, described earlier and the threats (see next paragraph). Threats: The increasing popularity of interactive services presents a big threat for DTT, as most subscribers will go for BSkyB or NTL and Telewest packages. The fragmentation of advertising market means less advertising revenues for Channel Four, Film Four, Five, etc. The increasing competition from satellite and cable operators. The increasing quality and versatility of the content offered by the cable and satellite operators. The UK television content providers. Channel Owner Share Sky One UK Gold Sky Sports 1 ITV 2 CBeeBies UK Style Sky Sports 2 Nickelodeon Hallmark Sky Premier 1 BSkyB UKTV+ BSkyB Carlton (44%), Granada (56%) BBC UKTV+ BSkyB BSkyB (50%), Viacom (50%) Crown Entertainment Ltd. Sky 2. 8% 2. 5% 2. 1% 1. 8% 1. 2% 1. 2% 1. 0% 1. 0% 0. 9% 0. 9% Table 1. UK Multichannel TV: Most popular channels. Adopted from ITC the UK television market overview September 2003. The largest content provider in the UK television industry is currently BBC. The second position is occupied by Granada and the third by Carlton. The upcoming merger between Granada and Carlton will reshape the current situation in the UK TV content production market. BBC and ITV plc. (the new merged company) will occupy about 65% of the total turnover of the UK program supply market, with BBC and ITV plc. responsible for approximately 40% and 25% respectively. Sky is not included here, as much of its content is imported from the US. However, among the UK top ten channels on multichannel television (satellite and cable) the 2003 Sky occupies 5 positions (see table 1). The British Broadcasting Company (BBC). BBC was the first company to start broadcasting in the UK. Today it provides a wide range of programs and services. They include television, radio, national, local, childrens, educational, language and other services for key interest groups. The BBC is financed by a TV license paid by households. It does not have to serve the interests of advertisers, or produce a return for shareholders. The annual color TV license currently costs i 116. The license includes 8 national BBC television channels. ITV plc. ITV plc. will be a result of the merger between Granada Media plc. and Carlton Communications plc. As the merger havent been completed yet, the information in this report is given on Granada and Carlton separately. Granada Media Plc. Granada Media encompasses a range of terrestrial and non-terrestrial television businesses, including Granada Television, 25% of GMTV, 50% London News Network, 10,8% stake in BSkyB, etc. Granada Sky Broadcasting is the companys non-terrestrial joint venture with BskyB, offering various channels as part of the Sky multichannel package. Granada is a leading ITV franchise holder, ahead of Carlton communications. Carlton Communications Plc. Carlton is the second largest ITV franchise holder, accounting for around 40% of income in the commercial terrestrial sector. It has interests in commercial free-to-air and pay-TV content creation and media services. Carlton currently broadcasts to 26 million people. Channel 4. Channel 4 transmits across the whole of the UK, except some parts of Wales which are covered by the Welsh language S4C. It is available on all digital platforms as well as through conventional analogue transmission. It is publicly owned. Unlike the BBC, Channel 4 receives no public funding. It is funded entirely by its own commercial activities. Four gets 66% of its content from independent content providers. Five. Channel Five was established in 1997. It is very much alike Channel 4. It is publicly owned, but receives its profits mainly from advertisement. It is available from DTT, cable and satellite operators. In 2002 Five received 86% of its content from independent content providers. Independent production companies. Independent producers of content currently occupy about 38% of the market. They can distribute their content through BBC, ITV, Channel Four and Five. The proportions of independent producers on BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Five in 2002 were 25%, 30%, 66% and 86% respectively. The problem is that these channels only provide 6. 1% of the total content in multichannel homes. The figures for the terrestrial broadcasting are significantly higher, as they provide 74. 9% of content here. However the terrestrial broadcasting in the UK is only responsible for 14% of the UK television industry. Thus, BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Five provide 15. 6% (including the content of independent providers) of the total content in the UK television industry. According to the Broadcasting Act 1990 these companies have to give 25% of their broadcasting time to independent content suppliers. The proportions of independent content suppliers on this channels are currently higher, as it was already noted above. However, if these channels reduce it to the share, stated in the Act, the proportion of the independent producers in the total UK television content will only be 3. 9%. Independent production companies in the UK include: Talk Back Productions, Pearson Television, Jim Henson Productions, Planet 24, etc. The UK TV content providers SWOT analysis. Strengths: The UK content providers offer a big variety of quality content, which is able to compete with BSkyB. Weaknesses: The UK TV content providers are reliant on satellite and cable operators for distribution of their content. They only have control of digital terrestrial television, but this has little popularity today and its share is constantly declining (for more information see DTT SWOT analysis section). The failure of ITV Digital in May 2002 shows just how far behind the established pay-TV operators the traditional free-to-air broadcasters are. They have limited financial resources, comparing with BSkyB, which means that they have limited possibilities of acquiring rights for some content, such as major sporting events. Opportunities: The growth of the UK television market means there will be an increasing demand for quality programming. The merger between Granada and Carlton means they will be able to better compete with the content, provided by BSkyB. An interest of cable operators in the development of their own content presents more opportunities for close cooperation between the UK TV content providers, especially ITV plc. (a result of the merger between Granada and Carlton), and cable companies. This cooperation will give more strength to withstand the competition of BSkyB for both of them. Threats: A significant part of TV content in the UK is provided by BSkyB. Moreover BSkyB is able to distribute its content through both satellite and cable channels of distribution. The merger between Carlton and Granada is a threat to the smaller content providers, as it presents them a new, even stronger competitor. As the number of program hours transmitted continues to rise, the number of people viewing each hour of programming is diminishing. The effect of this is not an increase in average viewing hours; instead, each channel is left with an ever-smaller share of the audience. As a result marketers wont be able to reach a mass audience and will either start using a different medium or demand that the price of advertising airtime is reduced to reflect its reduced reach. The profiles and SWOT analyses of the main companies in the UK TV industry allow to see the complete picture of the current situation in the industry, the trends and forecast the near future. THE CURRENT SITUATION IN THE UK TV INDUSTRY. The current situation in the UK TV industry is characterized by the following facts: There has been significant consolidation in the industry during the last decade and today it is dominated by several large companies, including BSkyB, BBC, ITV plc (the result of merger between Granada and Carlton), NTL and Telewest. BSkyB provides satellite television and has 59% percent in the UK multichannel TV market. It is a vertically integrated company and provides a significant share of the UK TV content. BSkyB is the mast financially healthy company in the UK TV industry. Most of its revenues come from subscription. NTL and Telewest provide cable services and account for the 26% of the market. They have a very limited programming of their own and are largely dependant on BSkyB and other content providers. BBC, Channel Four, Channel Five, Carlton, Granada traditionally broadcast their content through analog and digital terrestrial services. Analog will be stopped by the year 2010. Digital terrestrial is supposed to be a substitute for the analog terrestrial television, but it is rather unpopular now with only 14% of the multichannel television market, thus there is a move of terrestrial broadcasters into the non-terrestrial market. THE MAIN TRENDS IN THE UK TV INDUSTRY. Several trends can be outlined: There is an overall slowdown in the UK economy. There has been significant growth in the industry in the last decade and the growth is continuing (see the forecast of the future section for further details). The popularity of digital television is increasing (for more details see Growth section) while analog services are steadily moving to the end. The popularity of cable and satellite services is increasing, while digital terrestrial television is becoming less and less popular. The popularity of different interactive TV services is increasing. There is a move towards even further consolidation of the industry, which is vividly illustrated by the Granada Carlton merger. There is an audience fragmentation trend in the UK TV advertising market, caused be the increasing amounts of programming. THE FORECAST OF THE FUTURE OF THE UK TV INDUSTRY. Even though the average levels of yearly economy growth in the UK are currently rather slow and there is an overall economic slowdown, this most certainly wont affect the growth of television market in the UK, as consumers have come to rely heavily on multichannel television services for home entertainment. This means that it is unlikely to be discarded as part of domestic cost-cutting. Digital television will finally dislodge the analog service by the year 2010. According to the ITC (September 2003) forecast, the penetration of digital television should reach a figure between the 58% (in the lower scenario) and 78% (in the upper scenario) by the year 2007. The important question to answer, however, is which of the three rival formats satellite, cable and digital terrestrial will be the most successful in the long term. It is extremely difficult to answer that question with any degree of certainty. Digital terrestrial television will experience a number of significant threats. While the popularity of cable and satellite television will be growing, DTT wont be able to offer any competitive advantage. DTT has very limited possibilities in terms of interactive TV. The licence fee is not much cheaper then that of the satellite and cable operators, while the difference in the amount of content and the versatility of the services is obvious. The fact that there is no special equipment needed for receiving its services doesnt give a big advantage to DTT, as other companies offer most of the necessary equipment free. Moreover DTT service (except for BBC, which is funded by licence fee) will be strongly subject to the overall reduction of advertising fees, caused be the fragmentation of the TV advertising audience and the fact that advertisers will be willing to pay less as a result of the slow tempo of the economic growth in the country. The reduction of advertising profit wont strongly affect BSkyB and the cable operators, as cable operators have a very limited amount of their own programming, and BSkyB gets most 70% of its profits from subscriptions. On the contrary, the reduction of advertising profit will cause strong difficulties for independent content providers. The smaller of them are also presented by a threat of the merger between Granada and Carlton, as it will result in even a stronger competitor for them ITV plc. These two factors may lead to even further consolidation of the industry and there is a possibility for new mergers and acquisitions in the independent content production sector. Granada and Carlton, who have already once experienced a failure in with Digital Terrestrial Service, will more likely to concentrate their joined forces on cooperation with cable operators, rather than further development of DTT. Both the cable operators and ITV plc. (the company, resulting from the Granada Carlton merger) are interested in this type of cooperation. The reason for that is that ITV plc. doesnt have its channels of distribution (except for the ineffective and unprofitable Digital Terrestrial Broadcasting) and cable operators have a very limited amount of their own content, which presents the companies with a strong disadvantage towards BSkyB. This cooperation will lead to an increased pace of growth of cable operators. BSkyBs pace of growth will more likely to remain the same for approximately the next 3 years. The current Granada Carlton merger and the possible cooperation between ITV plc. and cable operators wont affect BSkyB much for the first 3 years, as it has many other advantages towards these companies, including the high variety of quality programming, cheap prices, etc. Moreover Granada and Carlton will need time to make use of their merger and the possible cooperation with cable operators. The future of the merger still remains uncertain. Though, according to the information provided by Standard Poors ComStock Inc. the shares of both Carlton and Granada have been rising in price since the merger was approved, their current level is still below the one in May 2002, when ITV digital collapsed. Since then the share prices of both companies have been steadily declining until the October 2003. The current advice by analysts is to hold the shares, rather than sell or buy, which means that the situation is rather uncertain. The advice for those, interested in BSkyBs shares is moderate buy, which means that there is some confidence in the growth of the company. The main disadvantage of BSkyB is little possibility for interactive services. These are however not really popular now, as many of them remain inconvenient (a person, who have ever tried writing an e-mail on the screen of his/her TV using his remote control will unlikely do it again).