Culture Wars And Cultural Democracy Essay Example for Free

Culture Wars And Cultural Democracy Essay Given that culture wars is a conflict of different cultures for example the traditional and the progressive, it is therefore safe to say that it has been present for a long time and will continue to be present for a long time to come. This is because there will always be conflicting cultures based on the various aspects of society like age, background and so on. It is important that people learn to deal with the culture wars for them to be able to live together despite their differences. Culture wars are a social problem and cultural democracy is required to deal with them. The major issues causing the culture wars currently will be discussed expansively and the various ways that they can be dealt with. Cultural democracy will also be discussed and how it will assist tin the future in the culture wars. As time progresses, the way in which the society deals with the cultural differences changes and the concern they have in the society changes with each generation. In the past, religion was a major issue alongside class and race. Although these are still issues of concern, there has been a shift towards other areas (Nolan 1996). Currently there are cultural wars based on politics, different denominations when it comes to religion, technology and its impact on the society, politics and how it deals with the social problems, the media and what should be allowed for general viewing and also the moral values of the people to name but a few. Cultural democracy allows people to practice what they believe in whichever society they are in and hence may tend to be seen as the only solution to the wars that are present in all societies of the world. Religion, technology, gender, media and the morality concept are very interesting and will be discussed in this paper and their role in the present day culture wars. Initially, the religion factor was based on whether one was a protestant or a Roman catholic but it has changed to which denomination one belongs to. However despite the denomination one may belong to, the value of religion has diminished over time especially among the developed countries whereby few people belong to any religion. This has led to bans in certain areas on the use of religion in schools and other public institutions (Zimmerman 2002). Religion is also being used to determine who is a terrorist and who is not especially in America since the bombings that occurred. Since the terrorists were Muslims, anyone belonging to the Islamic faith became a suspect since then. It also determines whether one will get into political office as was demonstrated in the campaign for American presidency with President Barrack Obama having his opponents propagate that he was a Muslim so that he may lose some followers. To avoid losing the seat he had to clearly show that he attends a Christian church and is not a Muslim. When it comes to technology, there is a conflict of how much technology is safe to use and how much is not. The major bone of contention is the issue of privacy since people no longer have privacy because all their data is stored somewhere in government files from medical records to the daily activities. While some people are against so much intrusion in their lives, others argue that it assists in keeping the society safe in view of the increased rate of crime. Although crime would reduce if it were possible to keep constant reliable surveillance, not many people would prefer the safety if it costs them their privacy especially in the homes. The media is another aspect of culture that has been a source of much conflict. When it comes to providing information, the media is the major informant of the society. However, some of the media sources will provide false information or speculated information in order for their form of media to make sales. This is therefore misleading the general population on what is happening in order to make profit. They betray the trust of the people and make the lives of others very difficult if the information provided is about an individual especially the prominent figures. The media especially the television is blamed for the many vices currently in the society. A lot of violence is depicted in the television and the children tend to think it is real and may actually go ahead and imitate what they see with the result being tragic outcomes. Constantly viewing the horrific scenes with blood, fatal wounds and constant death tend to diminish the horror of it thus desensitizing people on such issues. It becomes almost normal for someone to shoot another and wound them without being affected in any way. The media is also used in spreading culture and it usually shows western culture as superior to other cultures (Trend 1997). The younger generation is easily influenced to copy what they see as modern and this more often than not brings about a conflict between them and the older generation. One generation tries to conserve the culture as it has always been while another is trying to imitate what they tend to see as progressive. This disregard of culture brings about much conflict between the two generations. Gender is another important aspect of culture wars. The role of a woman in society in particular has led to a lot of conflict with the changing times and the women liberation. Women were initially supposed to be subject to men and their wishes and do everything to make the men happy. They would stay at home to nurture the family while the men provided everything that was needed and therefore the women were at their mercy. Nowadays, women do not stay in the house waiting for the men to provide and instead go out and get employment from which they earn and provide for the family. This change in roles brings about conflict when a man still expects the woman to play the role of a nurturer and cater to all his needs while the woman has been out working just as hard as the man. The woman in such a situation is therefore expected to play the role of a provider and that of a domesticated worker and nurturer. In other situations it is completely forbidden or the woman to try and take over the role of a man and should stay at home and show a good image of a man who is able to provide for his family. This is not acceptable to a woman who has gone through rigorous education and training to get to where she is and this causes conflict in the society. The final aspect of culture wars to be discussed here is the issue of morality and how it’s meaning changes with time. The most interesting issue her is the same sex marriages and relationships. In most traditional cultures and religions, homosexuality is forbidden and to practice it is going against all laws of nature and society. In present times however, some churches are even conducting wedding ceremonies and appointing church leaders who are homosexuals and this has caused a great division especially in the churches. The homosexuals are busy trying to get accepted in a society that is busy condemning them and their way of life. This causes conflict between the two groups of people that at times leads to physical harm individuals from either side. Cultural democracy therefore is seen as the only way to solve these problems. Taking its meaning to be the acceptance of the differences in culture, (Trend 1997), then it becomes obvious that for all people to be able to live with each other comfortably in the future, cultural democracy has to be embraced. It allows all people to practice what they believe in without fear that they will be punished or criticized for doing so. People are also more accepting to others when others are accepting to them without trying to change their way of life. Since it is impossible to get all the people to think alike especially in America where there are many different cultures represented in the society, there has to be a way that all people are able to live together and accept each other. Cultural diversity is to be celebrated and not ridiculed while attempting to change those from other different cultures. The only way this can occur is by embracing cultural democracy which allows all people to live in harmony while giving each other space to practice the culture that they have embraced. With increased technology that makes it possible for culture to travel far and wide, acceptance is the only way for the future (Nolan 1996). Although the position is that cultural democracy is the only way for the future, there are misgivings about it. As explained by Langa (2004), it started a long time ago and is oftentimes used to mask what is really going on. In the case of gender, very few women are given positions of leadership when compared to the men. People will change according to the situation as was seen during the world wars with women taking up the work of men but when the men came from the war everything was expected to go back to what it was before. Egocentrism is assumed to be ingrained in an individual and thus it is hard to assume that people will just ignore what they have been taught. However since these differences cannot be ignored, the only way that the society will be able to resolve these culture wars is by accepting each others presence without trying to change their way of life. The acceptance allows people to recognize the good in other cultures and appreciate the differences without necessarily trying to imitate or change it. Therefore, the only way for the future is to embrace cultural democracy and by so doing reduce the culture wars because there is no competition of cultures. References 1. Langa H. , 2004, Radical Art: Printmaking and the Left in 1930’s New York, University of California Press, California 2. Nolan J Jr. (ed), 1996, The American Culture Wars: Current Contests and Future Prospects, University of Virginia Press, Virginia 3. Trend D. 1997, Cultural Democracy: Politics, Media, New Technology, State University of New York Press, Albany 4. Zimmerman J. 2002, Whose America: Culture Was in Public Schools, Harvard University Press, Cambridge

Language Analysis - Smoking in Public Essay Example for Free

Language Analysis Smoking in Public Essay

Causes of Childhood Obesity

Causes of Childhood Obesity Children and Obesity Contents (Jump to) Introduction: Thesis Statement: Analysis of the current situation: Increase in Inactivity: Major problem and treatment issues: Eating Habits: Pricing and unhealthy aspects of food: Lack of outdoor games: Parents Responsibility: Counter measurements: Conclusion: References: Introduction: The obesity in children is a serious contemporary problem that is a major problem at contemporary times and the role of parents in the problem is quite significant and hence the ideas are presented in the report which sheds light upon some minute and accurate causes to the escalation of these problems related to obesity in children, the responsibility of the parents also play a significant role in this domain. The tactical analysis and the outcomes are to be drawn from the facts which actually are the chief causes of the problem. The causes can readily be derived so as to the inactivity that has been the trend in the youth and owing to the present lifestyle that has been one of the main reasons specifically responsible for the decrease of the physical activity. The report hereby encloses the essentials facts that have been brought to the light as per the secondary analysis and library research of the situation regarding the infusion of the obesity rates in children. The causes are hence calibrated under specific categorical heads for the betterment of the understanding and development of a profound concept related to the establishment of findings and the conclusive arguments that are yielded has to be backed up by concrete affirmative arguments. The structure hence is adapted as after the introduction the section of analysis and critical evaluation of the directly related topics and the peripherals of the contextual topic is to be discussed in details followed by a tight and decisive conclusion. Thesis Statement: It has been fabricated so as to develop the role of the parents in which they fail to ensure the proper weight maintenance of their children; the ideas are also obligated by the fact that the lifestyle at present is also the key procedure that inflicts these effects. Secondly the taxation process of food items at contemporary times also causes mismanagement in manufacturing and also the use of cheap and highly fatty ingredients for the food manufactured to keep the costing and the revenue generation balanced. The obesity is one of the most serious problems that not only degrades the health but also aggravates a hefty treatment costs. Thus the idea or the thesis statements are presented. Analysis of the current situation: The section comprises of the critical evaluation of the issue of how obesity is induced in the children in contemporary times, then it also recommends decisive and consequential arguments for the consolidated recommendations to endure this crisis and improve the overall scenario. Thus the following heads are mandated. The privilege in the obesity factors of children had been a serious issue of concern for the world health scenario (Lifshitz, 2008). The section comprises upon the causes for the increase in the level of obesity of the children. The ideas are categorized under the three fundamental root causes that directly results into such a scenario. Increase in Inactivity: Major problem and treatment issues: The growth rate of obesity amongst children had been greatly triggered by the inactivity in the children which has been increased over the past few years of the orientation of the behavior and the lifestyles in the urban areas have mandatorily affected the physical activity of the children. The mental stress caused due to the pressure induced by the academics and the preferences of recreation such as video games and play stations have all the way more contributed to the effective attenuation of the physical activities and hence the ideas are to be mandated for the reverberation of such practices and hence this abrupt and ecstatic increase of lesser physical activity amongst the children have affectively resulted into an increased obesity rates amongst the children the ideas are hence established related to the first cause that is comprehended to be the most critical cause for the increase in obesity factor amongst the children. Moreover the additional hours of watching television als o lands a significant blow to the activity amongst the children and the idea can further be conceptualized regarding the evaluation of the facts that encircle as one of the significant causes of increase in the obese population all over the globe. The annual health report that is published by the World Health Organization explicitly contained that around 25 % of the obese children watch TV or play games for more that 4 to 5 hours a day and has been the victim of obesity. Eating Habits: Pricing and unhealthy aspects of food: The next section highlights the eating habits of the children. The idea is already consolidated that the eating habits has a direct relation to the health of the entire human and children are no exception. The growing popularity of the fast food and sweet desserts among the children are instigating the unhealthy eating habits and the resultant effect for this practice may readily be considered as that of the chief reason behind the abrupt increment in the obesity rates among the children. The idea can further be solidified that the advertisements and the alluring marketing stunts pulled by the fast food franchises and the sweetened food marketers are all the way increasing the urge among the children to consume such food and instigates the unhealthy eating habits. The implications of food and eating habits thereby cause a significant impact that readily catalyzes the obesity rates among the children. The idea for healthy food practice amplification is to be introduced amongst the children an inactive of which has been undertaken by the Kraft food by progressive advertisements and short films. Even as per the statistics it is seen that the food habits are the most important of all causes for obesity in children across the globe. The fast food consumption rates have also hiked owing to the nature of the availability, alluring taste and the lack of time in everyday life as well where the consumption of such oily and sweetened food readily amplifies the obesity quotient among the children. Lack of outdoor games: Parents Responsibility: The revolutionary advents in the technology have provided more alluring options for recreational purposes of the children and hence these days the children are more inclined towards playing games on phones, tablets, PlayStations and computers rather than the conventional outdoor games. The decrease in the safety also prevented the parents from encouraging the children to go out and play. All these had a combined effect upon the child psychology and hence have developed their keen inclination away from the outdoor games that had readily attenuated the daily exercising habits among the children infusing the obesity upon them. The lack of activity at the physical level for the children had been a serious concern of the authors and pediatricians in order to mandate the norms of healthy practices and the technical advancements and the ideal consideration of the fact that the degraded safety and the negative effects upon the children when exposed to the external environment have been acting as proactive reagents for the acceleration of the obesity rates amongst the children. The ideologies are hence to be adapted for the development of the proper tactical measures to initiate the awareness regarding the importance of daily physical activities. The parents are reluctant for this especially of the unsafe neighborhoods and the effects that it may wield upon the young minds and hence the activities for children in these days are restrained by the compelling issues that have been discussed explicitly in this section. Counter measurements: The section lays focus upon the counter measurements of the issues that has proactively aggravated the rates of obesity. The causes are mainly categorized as per the three distinct heads that contains the three chief reasons that has resulted into the obese nature of the children. The inactivity issue can be decreased by proper initiatives from the parents who should be a little strict in restraining the kids from watching television and all. The education system also has to revise the strategies accordingly for the development of the student activity. The ideas can be mandated for holding events necessarily in the domains of sports to enhance the physical activity. The schools should provide the secured environment for the tactical implementation of sports events to encourage physical activity. The idea for the contemplation of the unhealthy food habits can be effectively restricted by proper parenting. The ideas should be incorporated in the children in an attractive manner to develop awareness amongst the children regarding the manifestation of healthy eating habits. The essential nutrients are to be surely incorporated in the diets of the children, calcium and proteins are the most important of all in this context. The proper balanced diet is to be maintained in synch with the age of the child so as to mandate healthy eating habits. The parents should take the children to safe parks for proactive outdoor exposure and thereby ensure the adequate physical activity. Conclusion: On a more health or medical oriented note obesity disrupts the anaerobic respiration giving rise to breathing troubles, which cause disturbed heart condition, high blood pressure and blood sugar levels, (Daniels, et, al 2006). The cause for the obese nature in humans can be of diversified origins, the first being already discussed that are of the genetic implications in an individual that makes one host body tentatively obese. The other causes include the working habits, the food preferences (Kaufmann, Poznanski, and Guggenheim, 1975) such an inclination towards junk food and the development of a lousy habit of poor exercising by the masses, the stress build up may also be an additional cause (Dallman, 2010). Now days, owing to these reasons the obesity factor are one of the most prone prospects of health degradation. Thus the issues are readily needed to be addressed using tactical measurements to cause the realization of a centrally aware global health scenario. References: aappublications. (2014, May 01). Active Healthy Living: Prevention of Childhood Obesity Through Increased Physical Activity. Retrieved from aappublications: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/117/5/1834.full CDC. (2014, December 11). Childhood Obesity Facts. Retrieved from cdc: http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/obesity/facts.htm Kirkpatrick, K. (2014, February 23). 8 Things About You That Increase Your Childs Risk for Obesity and Unhealthy Eating Habits. Retrieved from huffingtonpost: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kristin-kirkpatrick-ms-rd-ld/diet-and-nutrition_b_4827359.html?ir=India Lifshitz, F. (2008). Obesity in children. Journal of clinical research in pediatric endocrinology; http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3005642/. Mitre, N., Lanningham-Foster, L., Foster, R., Levine, J. A. (2010, January 01). Pedometer Accuracy in children: Can we recommend them for our obese population? Retrieved from ncbi: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2678845/ nbcnews. (2005, October 25). Kid Obesity. Retrieved from nbcnews: http://www.nbcnews.com/id/9812095/ns/health-childrens_health/t/poll-lack-exercise-blamed-kid-obesity/ NHLBI. (2014, July 13). What Are Overweight and Obesity? Retrieved from nhlbi: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/obe/ webmd. (2015). Healthy Eating Habits for Your Child. Retrieved from webmd: www.webmd.com/children/guide/kids-healthy-eating-habits

transistorized paper :: essays research papers

Transistorized   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Transistor became a big hit in the 1940s, which was the main component in the Transistor radio. Everybody wished they owned one, and all the scientists wished they knew how to make one to use for there own profit. John Bardeen, Bill Shockley, and Walter Brittian were three main scientists in the creation of the Transistor. Bill Shockley was born in California, he was an excellent man for thesis’s but could not figure out how to form or create one on his own. Walter Brittian on the other hand was a great scientist that could make basically anything he set his mind too. In 1907 AT&T was losing money because they had nothing big new and exciting to put out on the market to get more customers. They got an idea for an object that could connect people from long distances. The Vacuum Tube was then created for that sole purpose. AT&T knew that the Vacuum Tube wouldn’t make them much money because they could be taken apart and rebuilt by anybody. They the n got the idea to try and invent something else that would be new and exciting to bring in the money. This is when they called upon Bill Shockley, John Bardeen, and Walter Brittian. These three scientists were put to the test to build something innovative. In 1905 Bill Shockley came up with an idea. The scientists worked on this for a while until they figured out that it wouldn’t work so they went back to the brainstorming phase. But Bill Shockley would not let it go so he went back through his notes, and found out that they did not have the right materials to make his idea work. Everyday they worked on his idea and the different materials needed to make it work. In December of 1947 the team came very close to perfecting their invention but there was a problem with the fluids. Shockley went on a break one day but Walter and John stayed back to work. Walter then discovered what the problem was so he worked on fixing it. When he finished with his improvements he tested the inve ntion and it worked. Walter Brittian had then created the first transistor ever. They told Shockley about what they did and how it worked now. Bill was mad because he wanted to either be there when it happened or wanted to figure out what the problem was on his own.

Plato :: essays research papers

Plato was a Greek philosopher during the 4th century BCE. He was born in 427BCE, during the â€Å"Golden Age of Athens.† His birth was three years after the Peloponnesian War began and one year after Pericles died from the plague. Plato was the son of Ariston, a descendant from the last king of Athens and Perictone, a descendant of Solon. Solon was an aristocratic reformer who wrote the constitution that established Athenian democracy. Plato’s family supported Pericles as leader of Athens.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Elected annually as the first citizen of aristocracy , Pericles ruled from 450 BCE until his death in 429 BCE. At the start of the 5th century BCE Athens had become a corrupt democracy. The Aristocratic families who owned the land were fighting the larger majority who were poor. The latter demanded for equal rights and representation. Pericles dominated Greek politics and expanded the Athenian Empire. He assisted in developing building projects that gave jobs to the poor, these building projects included the chief temple to Athena, the Goddess of wisdom. He also supported the strengthening of a political doctrine that was for egalitarianism, equal rights of speech, political equality and material prosperity in trading and industry.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Peloponnesian War pitted the Athenian democracy against the militaristic, authoritarian Spartans. In 404BCE after many years at war, the Athenian government surrendered. The rule of the thirty, a oligarchy of ancient Athens created by Lysander under Spartan auspices, took over the government. The aristocratic leaders conducted a vicious reign of terror. Among these leaders were Charmides (Plato’s uncle) and Critias (Plato’s cousin). The Rule of the thirty was overthrown at Piraeus (now Piraià ©vs) by Thrasybulus in 403BCE. After democracy was being restored and the rule of the thirty brought to an end, the Philosopher Socrates was charged with crimes against the government. His charges included impiety which is speaking against the gods, Athens felt that Socrates was starting a strange cult. He was also charged with corrupting the youth, Socrates was trying to teach morality and ethics to the youth of Athens for he felt that Athenians lost their ethics in the war, but the government interpreted his teaching differently. The Council of 500 served as Socrates' judge and as his jury. Two hundred and eighty-one members of the council voted to convict. They give Socrates a choice between exile and death. Socrates decides death by poison. Socrates read his â€Å"Apology† at his trial which was his defense.

Thinking Our Anger :: Philosophy Religion Papers

Thinking Our Anger The events of September 11th have occasioned a wide variety of responses, ranging from calls to turn the other cheek, to calls to nuke half the Middle East – and every imaginable shade of opinion in between. At a time when emotions run high, how should we go about deciding on a morally appropriate response? Should we allow ourselves to be guided by our anger, or should we put our anger aside and make an unemotional decision? D. H. Lawrence once wrote: My great religion is a belief in the blood, the flesh, as being wiser than the intellect. We can go wrong in our minds. But what our blood feels and believes and says, is always true. The intellect is only a bit and a bridle. What do I care about knowledge? All I want is to answer to my blood, direct, without fribbling intervention of mind or moral, or what not. At the other extreme, the Roman philosopher Seneca argued that we should never make a decision on the basis of anger – or any other emotion, for that matter. In his treatise On Anger, Seneca maintained that if anger leads us to make the decision we would have made anyway on the basis of cool reason, then anger is superfluous; and if anger leads us to make a different decision from the one we would have made on the basis of cool reason, then anger is pernicious. This disagreement between Lawrence and Seneca conceals an underlying agreement: both writers are assuming an opposition between reason and emotion. The idea of such a bifurcation is challenged by Aristotle. For Aristotle, emotions are part of reason; the rational part of the soul is further divided into the intellectual or commanding part, and the emotional or responsive part. Both parts are rational; and both parts are needed to give us a proper sensitivity to the moral nuances of the situations that confront us. Hence the wise person will be both intellectually rational and emotionally rational. Emotional people whose intellectual side is weak tend to be reluctant to accept reasonable constraints on their behaviour; they are too aggressive and self-assertive for civilized society – too "Celtic," Aristotle thinks. They answer directly to their blood, without fribbling intervention of mind or moral, and much hewing and smiting ensues. But intellectual people whose emotional si de is weak are often too willing

Dell’s Marketing Strategy

Dell’s marketing strategy In the realm of enterprise IT, Dell is often viewed as having a singular strategy-build and sell products cheaper and more efficiently than competitors, and thereby grow both market share and revenue. While that deceptively simple plan lies at the heart of Dell’s approach for customers, its overall enterprise strategy, like its presence in the enterprise market, it maturing, growing stronger and becoming more complex with each passing year.Dell has crystallized its long-term strategy for business customers in a vision it calls the Scalable Enterprise, which has many similarities with the dynamic computing strategies of its competitors—IBM (On Demand), Hewlett-Packard (Adaptive Enterprise), and so forth. Scalable Enterprise is centered on Dell products, services and alliances—all of which are rooted in industry standards and cloaked in the famous Dell direct model. The company has been promoting and marketing this vision for only a few years, but it has quickly become a focal point for how Dell rationalizes its product and services roadmaps.And it intersects with Dell’s overall view that the industry will continue to leverage clusters of high-performance, industry-standard servers and operating environments, and move away from larger-scale, proprietary systems. More important, the Scalable Enterprise vision also gives Dell a method for speaking with customers about its overall value proposition, and how it can help customers migrate to the long-term dynamic computing vision.Dell’s Services employees, in particular professional services, play a critical role in evangelizing the value of the Scalable Enterprise and in engaging customers in discussions as to how to make the vision real in their IT environments. Dell has never aspired to grow its professional services business to rival those of IBM Global Services (IGS) or the global systems integrators (GSIs). However, the company does recognize th at services are a linchpin for helping customers use Dell products to address both their IT and their business challenges, and convincing them that Dell’s products and solutions are truly enterprise-class.To that end, Dell has refocused its professional services portfolio (and its entire services roster), placing overall customer satisfaction, â€Å"lifecycle† services and the Scalable Enterprise at the core. In this report, I am examining how Dell is trying to leverage professional services to drive its Scalable Enterprise vision. We begin with an overview of how customers view Dell’s Scalable Enterprise vision, based on data from a recently completed Summit Strategies survey.We then briefly review the tenets of the Scalable Enterprise strategy and drill down into Dell’s services portfolio, with a particular focus on professional services and some of Dell’s newer offerings. We conclude with suggestions about steps Dell can take—in particula r with enterprise services partners—to further enhance its professional services strategy and spread its Scalable Enterprise vision throughout the market. We first explored Dell’s services strategy two years ago (see our January 2003 report, Can Dell Find Success in Enterprise Services? ).Then, Dell was still refining its services strategy—particularly, how it would move ahead in enterprise services. At that time, many of Dell’s executives were concerned that customers did not view the company as a strategic enterprise vendor, or thought that Dell lacked enterprise-level expertise for designing and deploying IT environments. What a difference two years can make. We recently asked IT buyers—enterprise and SMB—to identify their most strategic IT vendors, both for overall IT strategy and in a variety of different IT areas, including infrastructure software and implementation and support.As shown in Figure 1, when we asked all respondents how im portant various vendors would be to their organizations’ overall IT strategy during the next three years, Dell ranked fourth (19%) among those vendors identified as most strategic—behind Microsoft (36%), IBM (21%) and Cisco (21%). Dell ranked ahead of Hewlett-Packard (HP), Oracle, Sun Microsystems, SAP, and some global integrators and outsourcers. Another 28% named Dell as one of their top two or three most strategic vendors.In another survey data point, among large enterprise customers (with 1,000 or more employees), Dell ranked as the fifth most strategic vendor (20%), with Oracle moving ahead of Dell. The news was even better for Dell when respondents were asked about strategic vendors for their server and storage strategies during the next three years. Dell came out on top among enterprise customers—ahead of HP, IBM, EMC and Sun (see Figure 2). Dell also outpaced IBM among small and medium businesses (SMBs), a market that both companies view as a strategic p riority.While these two data points do not directly relate to the robustness of Dell’s services capabilities, they do demonstrate that Dell’s profile as a provider of enterprise-caliber solutions has gone up considerably in the past few years. In addition, when we asked our survey audience to select their most strategic vendor for IT support and implementation services in the next three years, Dell placed fourth among total respondents—again behind Microsoft, Cisco and IBM—and fifth among enterprise respondents.It’s also clear that Dell’s contention that lower-cost, standards based systems can handle IT functions previously reserved for higher-end, proprietary systems is resonating with customers. Also, Dell may benefit from its high-profile consumer business, with familiarity in consumer markets breeding a similar familiarity at the corporate customer level—although there is no conclusive evidence about a linkage. The momentum is hel ping propel Dell and its Scalable Enterprise strategy into a leadership position in enterprise IT environments (see Figure 3).Based on an unwavering belief that IT customers want simplicity, optimization and better management, Dell’s Scalable Enterprise vision encompasses Dell’s mission to standardize core elements of IT datacenters to deliver these capabilities. It emphasized de facto standard products, open standards specifications, customer choice, lifecycle services and the advantages of Dell’s direct model. The Scalable Enterprise encompasses some, but not all, of the characteristics of Summit Strategies’ dynamic computing framework.This framework tightly aligns IT and business goals through the use of new infrastructure components and virtualization capabilities, automated and policy-based service management capabilities, and optimized business processes. Dell is positioning itself to focus on many of the infrastructure hardware elements of dynamic computing—and is bringing in partners to solve the major infrastructure software, management and business process challenges of the dynamic computing equation (although some Dell-developed management capabilities are becoming increasingly strategic for the vendor).IBM and, to a lesser degree HP, talk to customers about their ability to deliver dynamic computing solutions from either the bottom-up (aiming to make the IT infrastructure more flexible and adaptable) or the top-down (analyzing business processes and then changing the underlying infrastructure to better support them). Dell, however, approaches customers with a more narrowly-focused value proposition that stresses a phased approach to drive standards and scalability within an enterprise datacenter—which will lead to better IT support and adaptability for usiness processes over time. In fact Dell believes that its Scalable Enterprise vision will not come to full fruition until 2008, when the company plans to d eliver more automated policy-based capabilities, self-monitoring tools and dynamic resource allocation for heterogeneous systems. Of course IBM, HP and others would say they can provide a greater array of dynamic computing solutions now, and that customers have no need to wait several years to take advantage of them.However Dell believes customers will be more comfortable with their longer-term, phased-in approach that emphasizes standards—and that by leveraging its direct model; customers will see Dell’s approach as more affordable as well. When we profi led Dell’s services business two years ago questions lingered over whether Dell could sustain its services business and how strategic services would play into the company’s future (Scalable Enterprise had not yet been introduced).Today, with services as one of the three main pillars for the Scalable Enterprise strategy, there is little doubt about services’ overall importance to Dell. Services cur rently generate about $4 billion in annual revenue and it is one of the fastest growing parts of the company’s business. In fact professional services revenue has doubled over a two-year period, with significant growth in both the U. S. and overseas markets.As referenced previously, Dell’s services reflect the company’s overall philosophy that customers want more standard, less custom and more lifecycle IT solutions. Dell’s approach has been to slowly expand beyond traditional support services (which still generate the majority of Dell’s services revenue) with more repeatable, higher value-add professional and managed services, both directly and through partners. To address this Dell is attempting to highlight its business-centric expertise in existing and new professional services offerings.