This is going to be one of the big stories of the year, three huge companies that employ hundreds of thousands of people are on the brink of bankruptcy. The big question is why are they on the brink and why aren't other companies asking for the same thing. I haven't heard of Honda and Toyota looking to the Japanese government for a bailout and yet they are no doubt having similar issues with sales. So what is the real problem with the American Automakers?
Some people will go on about the huge SUV's that were built instead of focusing on smaller more fuel efficient cars. Reliability issues have plagued American cars over the years as well. So are these the only issues and are they really issues anymore? First off General Motors now has some of the most fuel efficient vehicles in at least three market segments and for the last 8 years the reliability issues from what I have read are gone. I personally own a Full Size GM pickup truck, it is the most fuel efficient full size truck on the planet and after 60,000 miles I have had no issues at all with it. I am not here to tell you how great General Motors is, I am not brand loyal and as soon as someone makes a better pickup truck that is more fuel efficient and has better features than the GM I will buy that one. My point is many of these comments just aren't true.
The fact is General Motors sells more cars than every auto maker on the planet except Toyota, so the sales are pretty darn good. Selling cars in this economy as I said before is bad for everyone, the largest Lamborghini dealership on the world which happens to be in California closed its doors last month and filed for bankruptcy. The reality is people aren't buying expensive cars right now.
So if every car maker is feeling the pinch and people are still proportionally buying American cars why are these three huge auto makers on the brink of bankruptcy?
The answer is complicated but there is one area that is so clearly obvious as the main culprit. In both Canada and the United States where a large amount of American cars are built the people that work in these factories on both sides of the border are a part of unions. These unions are incredibly powerful and over the years have made it so that some of these workers are earning $90,000 a year to work on an assembly line. On top of this both the Canadian and American auto unions have managed to get their members unbelievable pension packages. These pensions allow most workers to take retirement at the age of 55 and they are paid huge percentages of their income for the rest of their lives.
This to me is one of the biggest reasons the presidents of these three companies are begging for bailout money and why you don't hear the Japanese or German car companies doing the same? Just this morning the big three went to the unions to ask if they would reduce their pay in order to make the bailout happen, their response was 'never'! Just imagine how sick these people are that they would refuse a pay cut and if they don't accept one they'll most likely be out of jobs.
The requirement for a bailout has less to do with big ugly gas guzzling and unreliable SUV's and more to do with greedy unions that don't look at the big picture!
A domain name -- Shakespeare once asked a simple question: "What's in a name?" This article will attempt to answer the above question as far as your website is concerned. You will discover that quite a lot is at stake when it comes to a name.
A domain name is the name (usually in English) which your site will go by on the internet. This name is associated with an IP address as well, since computers and network infrastructure use these numeric addresses to locate your site -- the domain name primarily purpose is to help humans to find your site.
Surprise! Do you know that having a domain name for your website is not a requirement? In contrary having an IP address is a necessity, since that's how computers will find you on the web. Having only an IP address for your site can make it difficult (to say the least) for web surfers to find your site, however.
During the early development of the internet, domain names were chosen with the goal of making it easier for people to remember the name of your site, because it was important for users to be able to type that name into their web browser. Nowadays thought with search engines, bookmarking and social media being much more useful, it is becoming less important for surfer to memorize a name.
Let me be quick to point out that however, from the standpoint of marketing it is still a good idea to have a memorable domain name for your site, for instance, greatmaps.com is better than fantasticcarstographicofrepresentationandgeographicalfact.com. While they are both descriptive of your business, it's without reasonable doubt that one is far easier to remember than the other.
Remember also that the name you decide on for your site can have a big impact on how much traffic you'll receive and how long this will take to begin. If you have a great website or great products and/or services, the word will get around eventually. Having a good name will make things much easier for you for instance like them or not, Google chose well for their name.
Given that there are literally millions of websites out there, you may not be able to get your first choice for a domain name. You might have to try a few names to find one which you want. Since there are simply so many websites, it is unlikely that you will get your first choice of domain names; but domains do expire, so you may be able to obtain the name you want at a later date if it is not available now.
You can also choose an expired domain names service or software that will search for and alert you whenever a good name becomes available. All you simply do is ask for the domain name you want and when this name becomes available you will be notified and given the opportunity to purchase it. Always remember though that it's good to have a good name but don't fret too much if it's taken.
Here is something to think about, suppose Google as we know it today as a top notch search engine was not performing well, their name would still be short and memorable, but who cares about a non performer and run down company? A good name matters a lot but to be effective the name must be backed up with something remarkable.
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A domain name is the name (usually in English) which your site will go by on the internet. This name is associated with an IP address as well, since computers and network infrastructure use these numeric addresses to locate your site -- the domain name primarily purpose is to help humans to find your site.
Surprise! Do you know that having a domain name for your website is not a requirement? In contrary having an IP address is a necessity, since that's how computers will find you on the web. Having only an IP address for your site can make it difficult (to say the least) for web surfers to find your site, however.
During the early development of the internet, domain names were chosen with the goal of making it easier for people to remember the name of your site, because it was important for users to be able to type that name into their web browser. Nowadays thought with search engines, bookmarking and social media being much more useful, it is becoming less important for surfer to memorize a name.
Let me be quick to point out that however, from the standpoint of marketing it is still a good idea to have a memorable domain name for your site, for instance, greatmaps.com is better than fantasticcarstographicofrepresentationandgeographicalfact.com. While they are both descriptive of your business, it's without reasonable doubt that one is far easier to remember than the other.
Remember also that the name you decide on for your site can have a big impact on how much traffic you'll receive and how long this will take to begin. If you have a great website or great products and/or services, the word will get around eventually. Having a good name will make things much easier for you for instance like them or not, Google chose well for their name.
Given that there are literally millions of websites out there, you may not be able to get your first choice for a domain name. You might have to try a few names to find one which you want. Since there are simply so many websites, it is unlikely that you will get your first choice of domain names; but domains do expire, so you may be able to obtain the name you want at a later date if it is not available now.
You can also choose an expired domain names service or software that will search for and alert you whenever a good name becomes available. All you simply do is ask for the domain name you want and when this name becomes available you will be notified and given the opportunity to purchase it. Always remember though that it's good to have a good name but don't fret too much if it's taken.
Here is something to think about, suppose Google as we know it today as a top notch search engine was not performing well, their name would still be short and memorable, but who cares about a non performer and run down company? A good name matters a lot but to be effective the name must be backed up with something remarkable.
It is no secret that car insurance rates are nothing less than exorbitant these days, and the price seems to be going up every day. There are many different factors which contribute to these prices. There are, in fact, a number of factors which contribute to how much you have to pay as well. Getting to know these qualifying factors is important.
After all, if you plan to drive, then you have to have car insurance no matter what. The price of car insurance can greatly differ depending on what kind of car you buy as well. It costs more to insure a sports car than it does to insure a standard sedan. Similarly, it costs more to insure a brand new car than it does to insure a used car.
Studies and surveys have even shown that it costs significantly less to insure your vehicle when it is either an older model or a used one. New cars are so expensive to insure that it borders on ridiculous. Given the current state of the economy, not many people can afford such a luxury. The premiums for newer cars can seriously do you in financially. This is because of the safety record for new cars, and even how much replacement parts for new models cost.
In fact, these factors - replacement parts, safety records, the car's power, its top speed, et cetera - are what ultimately cause a car to be place in its appropriate insurance group. Usually, you are told the category in which your car classifies when you go to buy it. That is why younger and first time drivers often ultimately purchase smaller cars. They are notoriously cheaper to insure.
A top car manufacturer recently put out a press release outlining how one of their newer models somehow made it into a cheaper insurance group. This can be attributed to that particular car's safety record and because the parts it uses are significantly more affordable. In this case, the cheaper insurance premiums also means that the people who buy and drive this car may not have to deal with the upcoming changes in road taxes.
Face it, just about everyone wants cheap car insurance. We want insurance which is affordable but effective. The good news on this front is that many insurance companies are now offering more affordable premiums. You simply need to know where to look - and which cars best qualify for cheap insurance.
That is part of the reason so many people are turning to used cars these days. Not only do they cost less to buy, but the insurance premiums are much cheaper as well. In the end, they make for a better investment. Plus, you do not run the risk of losing much money if you later want to upgrade to a newer model.
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After all, if you plan to drive, then you have to have car insurance no matter what. The price of car insurance can greatly differ depending on what kind of car you buy as well. It costs more to insure a sports car than it does to insure a standard sedan. Similarly, it costs more to insure a brand new car than it does to insure a used car.
Studies and surveys have even shown that it costs significantly less to insure your vehicle when it is either an older model or a used one. New cars are so expensive to insure that it borders on ridiculous. Given the current state of the economy, not many people can afford such a luxury. The premiums for newer cars can seriously do you in financially. This is because of the safety record for new cars, and even how much replacement parts for new models cost.
In fact, these factors - replacement parts, safety records, the car's power, its top speed, et cetera - are what ultimately cause a car to be place in its appropriate insurance group. Usually, you are told the category in which your car classifies when you go to buy it. That is why younger and first time drivers often ultimately purchase smaller cars. They are notoriously cheaper to insure.
A top car manufacturer recently put out a press release outlining how one of their newer models somehow made it into a cheaper insurance group. This can be attributed to that particular car's safety record and because the parts it uses are significantly more affordable. In this case, the cheaper insurance premiums also means that the people who buy and drive this car may not have to deal with the upcoming changes in road taxes.
Face it, just about everyone wants cheap car insurance. We want insurance which is affordable but effective. The good news on this front is that many insurance companies are now offering more affordable premiums. You simply need to know where to look - and which cars best qualify for cheap insurance.
That is part of the reason so many people are turning to used cars these days. Not only do they cost less to buy, but the insurance premiums are much cheaper as well. In the end, they make for a better investment. Plus, you do not run the risk of losing much money if you later want to upgrade to a newer model.
The history of Sun Microsystems reveals how important innovation and flexibility are to the success of a company. Innovation allowed Sun to build a company capable of taking the lead in its marker within the first few years of its incorporation and continue to grow dramatically. More importantly, Sun's flexibility and a willingness to adapt to changing environments enabled them to survive the bursting of the dot-com bubble that bankrupted so many tech companies. And both these traits - innovation and flexibility - allowed them to bounce back and recapture an influential presence in computer world.
Sun was incorporated in February 1982 with only four employees. For the next ten years, the company was mainly a hardware vendor selling workstations, but they did that single task quite well. They sold 68000 processor-based workstations running the Unix operating system, and using TCP/IP (now known as the Internet Protocol) at a relatively low cost. Five years later, they were winning the Workstation Wars of the 1980s and took the lead in the market. They maintained this lead into the early 1990s, when they expanded to servers.
The dot-com bubble of the 1990s led to booming business and dramatic growth for Sun Microsystems. New dot-com companies were starting up everywhere, creating a demand for expensive Sun-based server systems to handle high levels of web traffic. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2001, however, it hit Sun hard. Sales for hardware, Sun's primary market, dropped dramatically. No new dot-com companies were starting up and needing new equipment. Existing startup companies didn't need to upgrade their servers - when web traffic failed to meet their expectations, their existing high-end Sun servers could handle the existing load quite well. And as the dot-coms began to go out of business, their equipment was auctioned off, and suddenly companies needing high-end Sun servers could acquire them at a much lower cost than Sun was offering. Finally, Sun was also facing competition from a new server farm strategy that used larger numbers of small, cheap servers running open-source operating systems (primarily Linux) instead of the traditional strategy of small number of expensive, high-end servers like the ones Sun produced. As a result of all these factors, Sun experienced several quarters of steady losses, their stock fell to less than a tenth of its peak value, and Sun was forced to close manufacturing plants and lay off employees.
In addition to massive cost-reduction efforts, Sun managed to weather the recession through flexibility, adopting its competitor's strategies and diversification of it products. Sun developed a powerful but low-cost 64-bit system to compete in the low-end server market. They began to compete in the open-source world by donating 1,600 patents to the global open source community in 2005. Currently, Sun offers an open-source office suite (StarOffice and OpenOffice), an open-source version of Solaris (OpenSolaris), and turned their powerful platform Java system into an open-source project. Finally, they began to diversify their business away from mainly hardware and are competing in the 'Software as a Service' Market. In 2005, they expanded their 3000-CPU server farm used for research and development, and made it available for commercial use, selling processing hours and storage at affordable prices.
Today, Sun Microsystems retains an influential presence in the computing world. Their history demonstrates the importance of innovation and flexibility to a company. Innovation allowed Sun to grow quickly and dominates their market. Their flexibility with their products and willingness to adapt to a changing economic environment allowed them to survive a recession. And both qualities allowed them to bounce back and stay ahead of the volatile and ever-changing tech market.
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Sun was incorporated in February 1982 with only four employees. For the next ten years, the company was mainly a hardware vendor selling workstations, but they did that single task quite well. They sold 68000 processor-based workstations running the Unix operating system, and using TCP/IP (now known as the Internet Protocol) at a relatively low cost. Five years later, they were winning the Workstation Wars of the 1980s and took the lead in the market. They maintained this lead into the early 1990s, when they expanded to servers.
The dot-com bubble of the 1990s led to booming business and dramatic growth for Sun Microsystems. New dot-com companies were starting up everywhere, creating a demand for expensive Sun-based server systems to handle high levels of web traffic. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2001, however, it hit Sun hard. Sales for hardware, Sun's primary market, dropped dramatically. No new dot-com companies were starting up and needing new equipment. Existing startup companies didn't need to upgrade their servers - when web traffic failed to meet their expectations, their existing high-end Sun servers could handle the existing load quite well. And as the dot-coms began to go out of business, their equipment was auctioned off, and suddenly companies needing high-end Sun servers could acquire them at a much lower cost than Sun was offering. Finally, Sun was also facing competition from a new server farm strategy that used larger numbers of small, cheap servers running open-source operating systems (primarily Linux) instead of the traditional strategy of small number of expensive, high-end servers like the ones Sun produced. As a result of all these factors, Sun experienced several quarters of steady losses, their stock fell to less than a tenth of its peak value, and Sun was forced to close manufacturing plants and lay off employees.
In addition to massive cost-reduction efforts, Sun managed to weather the recession through flexibility, adopting its competitor's strategies and diversification of it products. Sun developed a powerful but low-cost 64-bit system to compete in the low-end server market. They began to compete in the open-source world by donating 1,600 patents to the global open source community in 2005. Currently, Sun offers an open-source office suite (StarOffice and OpenOffice), an open-source version of Solaris (OpenSolaris), and turned their powerful platform Java system into an open-source project. Finally, they began to diversify their business away from mainly hardware and are competing in the 'Software as a Service' Market. In 2005, they expanded their 3000-CPU server farm used for research and development, and made it available for commercial use, selling processing hours and storage at affordable prices.
Today, Sun Microsystems retains an influential presence in the computing world. Their history demonstrates the importance of innovation and flexibility to a company. Innovation allowed Sun to grow quickly and dominates their market. Their flexibility with their products and willingness to adapt to a changing economic environment allowed them to survive a recession. And both qualities allowed them to bounce back and stay ahead of the volatile and ever-changing tech market.
