The Broadband market in Italy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

The Broadband market in Italy - Research Paper Example In the third quarter of 2008 the broadband market subscribers was approximately 18 percent of the population. Italy has consistently been ranked as one of the countries with the lowest broadband penetration in Europe, the country lacked cable and DSL infrastructure and therefore market penetration was considerably low. The entry of other firms in the industry led into an increase in penetration and in 2005 Italy recorded the highest growth of broadband in Europe. Population growth rates in Italy have been decreasing over the last several years with current rates near zero. Major cities are densely populated and most of the population lives in flats and blocks that make FTTH and DSL more appropriate to provide broadband services. Vigevano(2002) pointed out that there were some barriers to the penetration of broadband in Italy and they included digital divide and lack of competition, this means that in rural area, broadband services were less profitable and therefore majority of the providers concentrated more in urban area. Government has not typically concerned itself with encouraging more s ophisticated use of the internet such as online transactions, and focus on European Computer Driving Licence(ECDL) provided to teachers, government employees, students this leads to increasing the awareness and skills of individuals. Vigevano(2002) points out that there are some barriers to the penetration of broadband in Italy, some of the factors that he highlighted include lack of capital to improve infrastructure, this hinders the growth of broadband in Italy. ... pointed out that there were some barriers to the penetration of broadband in Italy and they included digital divide and lack of competition, this means that in rural area, broadband services were less profitable and therefore majority of the providers concentrated more in urban area. Government has not typically concerned itself with encouraging more sophisticated use of the internet such as online transactions, and focus on European Computer Driving Licence(ECDL) provided to teachers, government employees, students this leads to increasing the awareness and skills of individuals. Vigevano(2002) points out that there are some barriers to the penetration of broadband in Italy, some of the factors that he highlighted include lack of capital to improve infrastructure, this hinders the growth of broadband in Italy. He also pointed out that there are regulatory issues that pose uncertainty regarding rights; another problem is digital divide whereby there is high adoption of broadband in certain area and in others low adoption and therefore firms concentrate only in large cities. According to House (2001) the shape of the S curve depends on the time period and saturation level and that the saturation level is less than 100%, he also states that saturation is driven by both the supply side and demand side, saturation level depends on the appropriateness of the technology and Economies of scale reducing prices increasing level of acceptance to peak. Estimated Level of Saturation The chart below summarises Penetration rate of Broadband in Italy from 2001-2008 Diagram 1: From the chart it is evident that broadband users(households and business) per 100 individuals has gradually increased over the years, it is also evident that in 2001 to 2002 is the introduction

A Stakeholder Framework for Analyzing and Evaluating Corporate Social Essay

A Stakeholder Framework for Analyzing and Evaluating Corporate Social Performance - Essay Example It launched its slogan in the year 2010; â€Å"Tiles for Everyone.† Topps Tiles PLC have 25 percent share in the ceramic tile industry (Topps Tiles, 2012, p. 3). The annual report of the company revealed that in 2010, Topps Tiles PLC has gained 2 percent more marker share that the last year. This company has three segments: a) Topps Tiles PLC retail operations in UK, b) Tile Clearing House (TCH), and c) Topps Tiles floor store business in Holland. So Topps Tiles PLC has 37 TCH and 275 outlets now. Topps Tiles Holdings is a subsidiary of Topps Tiles PLC, UK, which deals in ceramic tiles and wooden floorings. The company has about 1660 employees. Topps Tiles PLC claims to be the number one ceramic tile supplier or retailer. The mission of the company is to offer value and excellent quality products to its customers. The revenue generated in 2011 was ?175.5 million (MarketLine, 2012b, p. 3-4; The Financial Times Ltd, 2012). Products Topps Tiles PLC offers a wide range of flooring options to its customers. Apart from flooring, products for outdoor paving, tools and accessories for setting the tiles or other flooring options are also sold. They also offer online advice services for assisting customers in a better way. Tiles such as ceramic, porcelain, prestige stone, mosaic, etc are sold for not only floors but also for walls, especially in the bathrooms and kitchens. Specific range of kitchen tiles are there to give an energetic feel to the kitchen, so that cooking no more remains a boring job. Apart from the polished tiles, natural stones are also available for flooring to give an old and rustic look to the house. Special styling products like splash backs are also available. Services like designing, styling, and advice for cleaning and maintaining these floorings are also given by special advisors. Geographical Scopes Topps Tiles stores are located mainly in London and the other cities of UK. Though the company is listed and is counted among the top tile b rands, but geography wise Topps Tiles PLC is confined to UK and its neighbouring areas only. Business Model Topps Tiles PLC follows a hybrid business model as it follows both business to business and business to customer form of dealing. Flooring tiles and stones are sold to real estate and construction companies and also to end users or customers who buy for their homes. It is also sold to very small retail companies who conduct business on a small scale basis. Topps Tiles PLC is a company which follows the sole objective of offering the best quality flooring tiles whether the customer is a business house or an individual, who is purchasing small quantity of products. The motto is to offer value for money. STRATEGIC ANALYSIS The functional analytical tools that are utilized to make strategic judgment in order to estimate the attractiveness of the market are: a) PESTLE Analysis, b) Porter’s Five Force Model, c) SWOT Analysis, d) Strategic Group Mapping, d) Stakeholders Analys is, and e) Risk Analysis. Each of these strategic tools or theories has been discussed and their implications with respect to Topps Tiles Plc are explained below: PESTLE Analysis PESTLE ANALYSIS Factors Analysis Political UK being one of the most powerful and flourishing country in the world has a significant role to play in the international business