Lekcja 10
The success story of the Google Company
Google is a company that everyone in this world is familiar with. Google Inc. is a multinational cloud computing, Internet search engine and an advertising corporation. It offers customers many Internet based services and generates most of its profit from advertisements mainly through its Ad Words program. Google was founded by two guys who were attending Stanford University namely Sergey Brin and Larry Page who were referred to as the `Google Guys`. This was at first a private company but was offered to the public in August 2004. Google runs over one million servers in data centers all over the world. Google is known to process over one billion search requests per day. With the rapid growth of Google, they started offering products and merging with other companies which were way beyond their main aim to work as a search engine.
The company offers online products such as Gmail which is an account that users have that can be used to keep in touch with your family and friends. Social networking sites are also a forte that Google has offered its user. Sites like Orkut and the most recent one being Google+. Google also offers applications such as Google Chrome which is a web browser and the Picasa photo organizer which helps in editing pictures.
Google has started to grow both in size and stature. In 1999 the company moved its office to California which at that time was home to many other technology firms. After this step, in the year 2000 Google began selling advertisements which were associated with key words. The keywords were based on a combination of price bids and click through with the bidding starting at a price of 5cents per click. This model that Google used was first started by Goto.com and when this company changed its name to Overture Service they sued Google over copying their ideas. This case was later resolved when Yahoo bought Overture Services and called it Yahoo Search Marketing.
Google has been a great success over the years. Started by 2 Stanford students as a website now we see that Google rules our world and it is impossible for us to go one day without using the search engine Google or any other services that it offers. Some important factors that are behind the success of Google are:
Technology:
Google is a hardware company that has an innovative approach to everything that it does. The technology used by Google is of the highest quality. All their servers are compiled by Google itself, the parts, however, are bought from different manufacturers. Google now operates the world`s largest computer system.
Business Model:
Google has not only perfected the nature of target ads but has taken this to a whole new level. This is now the most effective method to generate revenue and it has made life easier for users and guarantees a better experience when visiting their website. A very important aim for Google is to make sure that the queries that users ask and the results obtained are relevant so that no problem is caused to the user and Google Inc.
Brand:
Google is considered to be the number one brand and the most recognized worldwide. Google is not just a brand but also a verb. When a person hears about someone famous and does not know who he is you always hear him say – „I can’t wait to get home and Google him”. This poses a threat to companies around the world as the reputation that Google has obtained over the years is now protecting the company and gaining clients day by day.
Focuses on the Experience:
The decisions made at Google are solely made on maximizing the experience that users have. The revenue generated comes in at a distant second. Google executives believe that if you make the customers happy and give them what they want then it will automatically generate revenue for you.
Google is known as a company that has an informal corporate culture. It was rated as the best company to work for in 2007 and 2008. Google tends to motivate its employees in a different manner by implementing a new policy of Innovation Time Off. According to this policy, Google engineers are encouraged to spend 20% of their work time on any project or work that interests them. Projects like Gmail, Google News and Ad Sense are all projects that were introduced to the world based on this policy. This shows that if a person is left to do any kind of work that interests him then it will definitely lead to something creative.
There are many factors that have led to the great success of Google. Having technology that focuses on making money as well as guaranteeing customers with a great experience is the reason behind success at Google. The success achieved by Google is not impossible, but is a step by step process which allows you to take one thing at a time and in the end you will reap the rewards.
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Lekcja 11
Is Dubai the world new paradise or total disaster?
Dubai is one of the seven emirates of the United Arab Emirates. Situated towards the south of the Persian Gulf of the Arabian Peninsula, it has the largest population and the second largest land territory after Abu Dhabi. The earliest settlement in Dubai dates back to 1799. It was formally established in the early 19th century. Its geographical location held a lot of importance and made it a very important trading hub by the start of the new century. When in 1966 oil was discovered it marked the start of a new era in the history of Dubai. The oil economy lead to a rapid increase in the number of workers coming into the country and with this the city expanded by 300% and many companies from abroad showed their interest in the oil Dubai had.
The location of Dubai is very important. It shares borders with Abu Dhabi in the south, Sharjah in the northeast and Oman in the southeast. Dubai does not have any natural rivers but it does have an inlet, Dubai Creek. This has been dredged in order to make it deep enough so that large ships can pass through. The Dubai Creek runs throughout the city. Much of the real estate boom is directed towards the west of the Dubai Creek. Port Rashid, Jebel Ali, Business Bay and Palm Jumeirah are located there and are some of the benefits that the Dubai Creek has given to the residents of Dubai.
Dubai has gained a lot of importance and Western manufacturers are using its ports in order to transport their goods. This trade route was used during the 1970s and 1980s. It was also considered to be the centre of smuggling trade as there was free trade in gold. Dubai also has free zones for information technology. Dubai Internet City and Dubai Media City combined in one hub which includes organizations such as EMC Corporation, Oracle, Microsoft and IBM. Media organizations like MBC, CNN and Reuters are also part of Dubai Media City.
The government of Dubai later decided that they had to diversify from their trade-based oil-reliant economy to one that focuses on tourism. Dubai`s property market was another way to attract tourism as property prices skyrocketed in the years 2004-2006. Although when the government did a long-term assessment on the property market of Dubai, it showed that properties had lost over 60% of their value. This led to a large scale real estate project which is the reason why Dubai has the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa and other prominent landmarks such as the Emirates Towers, Palm Islands and the most expensive hotel in the world, Burj Al Arab.
Tourism has always been an important part of Dubai’s governmental strategy to maintain the foreign exchange coming into the country. The main lure for tourists are the ancient and modern attractions that Dubai has to offer and the shopping. There are many malls which include the world’s 7th largest mall, Dubai Mall. Dubai is referred to as the ‚shopping capital of the Middle East’. With over 70 shopping malls and the world’s best designers and boutiques available, tourists tend to come here.
Dubai is also well known for its souk districts and the famous dhow cruise. The dhow cruise is a must when you visit Dubai. It’s a wooden boat that carries passengers from one side of the creek to another. This 2hr journey is an amazing trip and will provide memories you will never forget.
The Burj Khalifa is another skyscraper that was opened to the public on January 4th, 2010. The tallest building in the world has been a huge attraction for the residents of Dubai and for tourists. There are many people who have specifically come from abroad in order to see this building. The Dubai Fountain that is part of the Burj Khalifa, is illuminated by over 6000 lights, it has over 50 projected screens and it is an attraction that you have to see at least once in your lifetime.
Dubai has been a huge financial market and graduates not only from Dubai but from all around the world are guaranteed a good job and good starting salary. The only time Dubai had financial trouble was between 2008 and 2009 when there was little or no economic growth and many employees had to be laid off. The foreign debt of Dubai was at $80 billion and they had no way to get the money to pay off the debt.
Despite this problem, Dubai is ranked 44th among the world’s best financial cities and ranked 33rd in terms of purchasing power parity. Dubai has gone past its trouble and is moving ahead with a bang. The Dubai Metro and Burj Khalifa are two prime examples of this. With development on the rise and the growing economy, Dubai is the best place to be and if someone gets such an opportunity, they should definitely take it.
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Lekcja 12
A Little… Trouble
A millionaire dies. A dog inherits 12 million dollars and has to be afraid of murderers for the rest of its life. Another Hollywood movie for children? Oh no, it actually happened in the real life ? it’s a story of Trouble, a dog millionaire.
Trouble was the only thing a millionaire widow Leona Helmsley had a weakness for. The affection Leona had for her pet was so great that before she died she’d willed the dog 12 million dollars. The court reduced the sum by 10 millions, stating that Mrs. Helmsley wasn’t sane at the time of making her will. Who was Trouble to deserve such an inheritance?
Trouble arrived in the Helmsley house in 1997. It was bought by Leona’s assistant in order to help Mrs. Helmsley get over the death of her husband. The dog became Leona’s favorite right away. Therefore, it was spoilt beyond belief ? it was fed cream cheese, caviar, or steamed vegetables with chicken, just to mention a few, had the best groomers, and even appeared in the Helmsley Hotels’ advertising campaign. Trouble got used to its owner’s company so much that it didn’t allow other people to touch her. The fact used to amuse Mrs. Helmsley so much, that she took Trouble everywhere she went.
After Leona’s death in 2007, the majority of her fortune was transferred to the account of Helmsleys’ charity fund. However, 12 million dollars was signed over to a trust fund set up for Trouble. Even after the court’s decision to reduce the dog’s inheritance to 2 million dollars, the money would be enough to take care of the dog for the next 10 years, according to the estimates by the Helmsleys’ spokesman.
However, the highest expenses turned out to be connected with ensuring Trouble’s safety, as the dog began to receive threat letters. Luckily, there were no attempts at its life. 12-year-old Trouble died in December 2010, 2 years after the death of its owner, but the lawyers didn’t reveal the fact until the 7th of June 2011. Also, nobody knows where the pet’s remains were cremated and where the ashes are kept.
Why is it such a closely guarded secret? The dog was never liked much by people who met it. It was aggressive ? it bit the Helmsleys’ housekeeper so many times that she decided to sue them for damages. It used to bite its beloved owner, as well. Still, as it was found out later, its inheritance was bigger than that of Leona’s grandchildren. Can love for a pet really exceed the one you have for your own family?
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