Review and evaluation of E-commerce solutions for SMEs Dissertation

Review and evaluation of E-commerce solutions for SMEs - Dissertation Example Apart from that SMEs have been also supported with financial assistance, management training, legislative & policy support, and counselling services. The SME sector of a country is considered as one of the pillars of the economic growth of a country. The statement SMEs are a major source of entrepreneurial skills and creativity and contribute to economic and social cohesion. They hold the key to innovation and are also emerging as global players, by participating in worldwide production and supply chains made by the Deputy Director- General for Enterprise and Industry clearly reflects the importance of SMEs in a country. According to reports SMEs contribute significantly towards the total GDP of a country and are also responsible for generating large number of employment opportunities. The definition of SME however differs from one country to the other. In simple terms the criteria for a company to fall in the category of SMEs differs from one country to the other (Asia Pacific Econo mic Cooperation, 2004). In order to ensure growth of this sector, government as well as the private sector played active roles. There have been several programs in the past initiated by different establishments to ensure growth of SMEs. In addition, adoption of different technologies by the SMEs is also another obvious factor. The latest to this is the implementation of e-commerce technology by several small and medium sized companies. The principal reason behind the implementation of this technology is to drive growth and profitability. However before getting further deep into the study, a brief overview of the e-commerce technology is provided below. ... In order to ensure growth of this sector, government as well as the private sector played active roles. There have been several programs in the past initiated by different establishments to ensure growth of SMEs. In addition, adoption of different technologies by the SMEs is also another obvious factor. The latest to this is the implementation of e-commerce technology by several small and medium sized companies. The principal reason behind the implementation of this technology is to drive growth and profitability. However before getting further deep into the study, a brief overview of the e-commerce technology is provided below. E-Commerce: A Brief Overview Over the past few decades, e-commerce has evolved as one of the fully functional application for carrying out business transaction through electronic medium. During the early days of internet commercialization, the data transmission speed used to be extremely slow. It used to be characterized with the slow dial up connections. At that time, Netscape came into light and changed the scenario of internet browsing. Along with increased data transmission speed, it also succeeded to provide great internet surfing experiences to the user. Thus, several eminent scholars and individuals of the online business industry consider Netscape as the reason for the arrival of this new business dimension. This development has also led to the concept of e-commerce, where people can carry out business transaction over the electronic network. Thus, e-commerce is defined as a system of conducting business activities with the help of internet and other information technologies (Zongqing, 2004). Moreover, considering the current business environments, a number of scholars believe that companies must

Cell Structure, Eukaryotic Cells, Active and Passive Transport Assignment

Cell Structure, Eukaryotic Cells, Active and Passive Transport - Assignment Example Four groups of materials are very important to the cell’s initial and continued functioning. Carbohydrates may be used as part of cellular wall structure, and are a main source of energy for cellular processes such as DNA replication. Different types of carbohydrates include monosaccharides, disaccharides, oligosaccharides, and polysaccharides. The former two are smaller than the latter pair, and are commonly referred to as sugars. Lipids are the major component of cell walls and are also used for energy storage. Lipids play a role in the transfer of information through molecular signaling. Fat, phospholipids, sterols, and waxes are different forms of lipids. Proteins are involved in a large number of cell structures and operations including energy processes, cell immunity, and transportation within the cell. Flagella of prokaryotic cells are made of protein, as are many structures within cell walls that are involved in the cellular signaling process. Nucleic acids like DNA an d RNA contain the genetic information (or instructions) within the cell. In eukaryotic cells the information is tightly packed and stored within the nucleus (allowing for larger amounts of genetic instructions), while it is free within the cytoplasm of prokaryotic cells, often in a circular arrangement. ... It is made largely of protein and houses the ultra condensed genetic material. A porous membrane encloses the nucleus, which is surrounded by organelles known as endoplasmic reticulum (ER). The purposes of ER are many and include protein production as well as cell maintenance. Some of these tubular sheets are covered in ribosomes (rough ER) while others are bare (smooth ER). Ribosomes produce proteins. Vesicles are small enclosures that pinch off from organelles and may contain something. Vesicles from the ER can contain protein and travel to another kind of organelle. Golgi bodies are flat and further process the protein within vesicles from the ER by performing maintenance and repackaging them for redistribution in new vesicles. The specialization of vesicles is a common occurrence within the cell. Lysosomes are specialized vesicles that devour unwanted bodies like broken organelles and viruses. Vacuoles and centrioles are other types of specialized vesicles. Another important orga nelle (not to say that they all aren’t important) is the mitochondrion. This organelle is responsible for generating most of the chemical energy that is used within the cell in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). 3. ATP Active and Passive Transport ATP is a type of nucleotide (a molecule that contains a base and three phosphates) that is used within cells to drive metabolism and other processes (Knowles 877). ATP contains energy in its bonds, and when those bonds are broken during binding with another phosphate the energy is released. This release supports the transport of large molecules across the membrane of a cell. This is known as active transport due to the energy usage. ATP is also important in the encoding of DNA by providing energy for