SESSION ONE ASSIGNMENT
Shaji Mitchell
McNeese State University
Sociology 427W, Science, Technology and Society
Stan Weeber
January 22, 2022.
Session One Assignment
1. After looking at the information on top tech trends at CES 2022, identify at least one new type of product that you would like to know more about. What sparked your interest in this product?
The new type of product that I would like to know more about is the new Mercedes EQS. The features of the New Mercedes EQS are what have sparked my interest in this product. For instance, I would like to know more about how the car has been made more aerodynamic. The fact that the car has a solar panel roof also interests me. This is the first car I have heard with a solar cell panel, and I would like to know more about how the solar panel charges the car’s ancillary systems and how long the charge can last.
2. What is Activision Blizzard? Why might this business be an attractive place to work for students graduating from college in the 2020s?
Activision Blizzard is among the most successful standalone interactive entertainment and gaming companies in the world. The company’s headquarters are located in Santa Monica, California. Activision Blizzard is also a member of the Fortune 500 and S&P 500. The company has approximately 50 operations around the world and has hundreds of millions of monthly active users. Employees in Activision Blizzard are well-talented in the technology, media, and entertainment fields.
This business might be an attractive place for students graduating from college in the 2020s since the company creates impressive entertainment and gaming experiences. Also, the business brings various people together with belonging and purpose; thus, it may promote knowledge sharing among graduates.
3. Describe McNeese’s business pitch competition. How do you enter this contest?
McNeese’s business pitch competition is the 10th Annual business pitch competition for SEED Centers open to all Southwest Louisiana residents. There are more than $65,000 prices and in cash awarded to winners and cash prizes of $5,000 awarded to an individual or team winner in every division. McNeese’s business pitch competition’s goal is to increase awareness of the business incubator, SEED Center, and augment the number of employees in the local region. The competition has various divisions, including the technical sector, college students from the five parish area, general business, and local high school students.
Entry and registration to this contest is free of charge. Therefore, interested parties are encouraged to make an online application and send their submissions to enter this contest. Usually, entry submissions may be entered as teams or submissions. Team members must not exceed 4 persons for a single pitch for team submissions. Individuals and teams are allowed to make one submission. The submissions should not exceed 10 pages in length, typed in 12 point font, and double spaced.
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4. Search online and compare recent profits from Google, Apple, and other leading tech firms with those of major media firms and other non-tech industry leaders. What trends can you identify in the data?
Looking at the recent profits data for Google, Apple, and other leading tech corporations, the profits for these companies have been soaring during the COVID-19 pandemic. Leading tech companies have been reporting an increase in profit since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. On the other hand, the profits for non-tech firms seem to have been reduced following the pandemic outbreak, although recently, the curve has started to rise again. Overall, the Coronavirus pandemic seems to have created a positive storm for leading tech companies, unlike non-tech firms, which have suffered immense losses after the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak.
5. Watch the video at AI on Track to Achieving Super Intelligence? – IORMA | Consumer Commerce Centre. Which nations lead in AI and why?
The leading nations in AI are America and China. The leading seven tech companies, including Amazon, Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Tencent, Alibaba, and Baidu, are from these nations, with three being Chinese and four being American. The video has four reasons why China is leading in AI. The first reason is due to its huge and strong Engineering education and many people with fantastic engineering training who are ready, able, and willing to venture into AI. Secondly, China’s economy is very entrepreneurial, which has led to the innovation of new technology and ideas. The third reason China is leading in AI is the availability of vast amounts of data, which is fuel for AI. The fourth reason is that China has strong government support for AI.
6. Look online for lists of young entrepreneurs. How many of these firms are tech firms or heavily rely on technology?
From the available list of young entrepreneurs (retrieved from http://www.retireat21.com/top-young-entrepreneurs), all the top 10 best PEO companies in New York, New Jersey, Illinois, Texas, and California rely heavily on technology. Also, the seven best PEO corporations in Washington, Virginia, and Tennessee rely on technology. Thus, the number of firms that heavily rely on technology is 71. All the companies were founded in 2021, indicating that most recent firms rely heavily on technology.
7. What is strategic positioning?
Strategic positioning refers to a situation where a business starts performing activities that are different from its rivals. It may also refer to performing similar activities but in a different way. Even though it can be easier to replicate the technology, it is important in developing and enabling new approaches to business that are defensibly diverse than competitors and which can be quite hard for other businesses to copy.
8. Examine the FreshDirect Business model and list reasons for its competitive advantage. Would a similar business work in your neighborhood? Why or why not?
One factor that offers FreshDirect a competitive advantage is its strategic location. The company’s distribution center is well-positioned in a densely populated area. The people in the New York City metropolitan area do not have an automobile. Therefore, they shop online, and FreshDirect delivers the groceries. Another factor that contributes to its competitive advantage is its pricing. FreshDirect has an advantage over other stores since it delivers quality products to consumers at affordable prices. Overall, the ease of use, convenience, and affordable pricing of their services contributes to the competitive advantage of FreshDirect. It is very unlikely that a similar business model would work in my neighborhood. This is because people have their own means of transportation, which makes it hard for any company to offer home delivery services as FreshDirect does.
9. Discuss the elements of FreshDirect’s value chain and the technologies that FreshDirect uses to give the firm a competitive advantage. Why is FreshDirect resistant to imitation from incumbent firms? What advantages does FreshDirect have that insulate the firm from serious competition from startups copying its model?
Another factor that contributes to FreshDirect’s competitive advantage is due to the company’s use of technology to create an ultra-efficient model that establishes end-run around stores. The company uses technology to better its customer experience. For example, the storefront of the company, which is a website offering menus, is easy and convenient for the customers. Additionally, AI software coupled with fiber optic cables connecting systems and sensors helps in processes such as verifying orders and baking, and the technology has proven to be 99.9% accurate. The company is resistant to imitation because incumbent firms would be straddled between two models of businesses which are a low-margin storefront and high-margin delivery. The advantage that insulates FreshDirect is its high-quality offering to the consumers, which is made possible by its compressed supply chain. The company has a much longer lead time which other competitors or incumbent companies lack.
10. What are network effects? Name a product or service that has been able to leverage network effects to its advantage.
Network effects refer to the situation where a product or service becomes more valuable when more individuals use it. An example of a product that has been able to leverage this concept is Sony’s play station 2. This type of product experienced both direct and indirect network effects. The indirect effect occurred due to the availability of more games when compared to other rivals’ products. The direct effect occurred when people bought the product because their friends also had a PlayStation so that they could play multi-person games.
11. What is Hello Fresh? Very briefly, how does its business model differ from FreshDirect?
Hello Fresh is a company that offers food delivery services. Specifically, it creates and ships meal kits that are designed for groups of two and four. Its business model differs from the FreshDirect model. Hello Fresh offers monthly subscription services for consumers to receive different meal plans and recipes. On the other hand, FreshDirect provides meal kits with no subscription services.
