【Post ten】 What is Cloud Computing?

You must heard of the term called cloud computing.  Do you know what is it and how does it works?  There are so many definitions that can help you to find out what is it? In data centre, cloud computing is an Internet-based super-computing model. Thousands or millions of computers and servers were connected together. Cloud computing is simply a set of pooled computing resources and services delivered over the web. When you diagram the relationships between all the elements it resembles a cloud.

Cloud computing—not to be confused with grid computing, utility computing, or autonomic computing—involves the interaction of several virtualized resources. Those are totally different stuff. Cloud Servers connect and share information based on the level of website traffic among the entire network. Cloud computing is often provided as a service on the Internet. As the form of infrastructure as a service (IaaS), platform as a service (PaaS), or software as a service (SaaS). Cloud computing customers don't need to use their own money to purchase, manage, maintain. And scale the physical infrastructure required to handle the traffic fluctuations.

Instead of having to invest time and money to keep their sites afloat, cloud computing customers simply pay for the resources they use, as they use them. This particular characteristic of cloud computing—its elasticity—means that customers no longer need to predict traffic, but can promote their sites aggressively and spontaneously. Engineering for peak traffic becomes a thing of the past.

【Post nine】How to improve customer service by social media

As the social media become a very mature today, we can use it to improve the customer service. This will not only save money but also will be very effective. Here are some tips for the customer service department. The first one: Tweet to serve the customers. Twitter as a popular social media. Company can Tweet their customer to solve problem. This not only help the company save time and effort but also but also build up global image.  Better customer lead to better brand image. Word-of-mouth will spread among customers.

Second one is to help customers through forums. Create a specific forum for different product. The user can talk about their opinions about this product. This could help R & D in next product. Also, a forum can provide various solutions to a single problem so that the customer can choose the most suitable one. This will be very convenient for customers.

The third one is to serve customers through blog posts. The company can create a blog and post some information or help on the blog to serve customer. A blog post can solve customer puzzled.  Market a product or service and advertise about the new improvements of the company. Also the function of comment can be very helpful. The comment section of the blog provides instant feedback about the product or service. And this can turn the negatives into positives and develop brand image. We can say that Blog is the finest way to create a social customer service strategy.

【Post eight】Facebook buys Instagram

Facebook buys Instagram is the hottest topic in recent weeks. In today’s post we are going to know this incident. As it known to us all, facebook is the largest social media website. So we don't need to explain it. But we need to know, what is Instagram?  First of all, Ingtagram is an app for iphone and Android mobile phone. As the apps describe on the app store pick from one of several gorgeous filtered effects or tilt-shift blur to breathe a new life into your mobile photos.

Transform everyday moments into works of art you'll want to share with friends and family. Share your photos in a simple photo stream with friends to see - and follow your friends' photos with the click of a single button. Every day you open up Instagram, you'll see new photos from your closest friends, and creative people from around the world.  Instagram was only launched in October 2010 and the company is very small but the growing of the company is surprising. This app becomes the top app of 2011. The price of Insragram is $1 billion and the owner of facebook is will to pay $ 1 billion to buy this photo sharing network. We all believe that it's the important milestone for facebook.

 It’s believed that the user of Insragram is part of the reason why Instagram is worth a lot of money. Although the owner of facebook said this action is for the further development of facebook. But some said Instagram is developing so fast, facebook buys it because of fear.

【Post seven】Smart phone App & Business

There is no doubt that smart phone is now a part of people’s life. We can do a lot of thing about it. Especially if you use iphone or Android system, users can experience a lot. These mobile devices making people’s live better. However, it may also help company to do business at the same time. In app store, you can find out a lot of apps that you can use to buy product or service online. As long as you have your VISA card and you have an iphone, you can do some shopping on the iphone while you are working or cooking even studying.

It’s not difficult to find out some popular brands such as Topshop, Riverisland, ASOS and JJB post app on app store. These apps make online shopping much more easily. The first time you use the app, you may need to fill in your personal information and debit card or credit detail. Then the app will show a lot of pictures of products. Now what you need to do is just to have a cup of tea and choose something you like. What’s more? You can even order food through app.

Domino pizza is a company service pizza and deliver to customer’s house. Recently this company launch a app on app store. The customer can order pizza by app. After you chose your food, app will show up small game that you can play to kill time when you waiting for the food. It’s an amazing idea. We have to say that it's such a win-win strategy for customers and company.

【Post six】Social media and Journalism

Social media 2.0 means using web 2.0 technical to spread ideas or communicate among people. As for the concept of Journalism 2.0, it means that the Journalism using web 2.0 technical to publish news. The core of Social media 2.0 and Journalism 2.0 is web 2.0. The idea was first come up in 2004 while Tim O’Reilly Company was having a brains storm. Web 2.0 media is now the most powerful media and it’s changing the history of media. People sharing ideas discuss issue and contribute effort to some topic. The emgament can help to dig out the most valuable information of a certain topic.

 The speed of it is the fastest among all media. The most important thing is that it’s free and the user doesn’t need to spend any money on it. The biggest social media Facebook have 5 000,000,000 user. And the other on Twitter has 91,000,000,000 independent PV. From 2009, it has passed the PV of New York Times and Wall Street Journal. The rise of social media indicates the revolution of the media in its content marketing model and idea. Traditional media join the social media very quickly. NY Times take this opportunity to innovate, carry out a series of strategy to improve.

 

 At the end of 2009, BBC, NY Times have hired the social media editor. Social media can mix up with pictures, video and text. This can come up with connection and meaning. Social media tools can make people learn a lot thing from it. You may even earn your profit from it. Mobile web, Internet and reality can connected perfectly and any devices and system can use it. This brings a lot of business.

【Post five】Google Project Glass

Google Project Glass was launch by Google in April 2012. This glass using augmented reality technology and the function of it just like a smart phone. It can take photos call somebody surf the internet. However, Google Project Glass is not yet sale on the market. But as an evolutional product it already becomes the hottest topic in recent weeks. As we can see in the video, it would not disturb people doing daily stuff while wearing Google Project Glass. So far, it is a perfect combination of augmented reality technology with glass as a high tech product.

The system of this glass is based on Android system which is created by Goolge and now using in a lot of mobile phone. The outlook of Google Project Glass is very stylish and most of the people would define it as a very cool product. The glass can help user do a lot of things without using the hand but use the voice. By using augmented reality technology, the user can see the means on the glass it’s just like adding a more layer on the original image. The system can recognize the voice and doing the stuff that have been told.

The function of it is very attractive. Using the google map the user can see the map inside the glass and the system is with the GPS section. So you can let the glass to guide you while you do not know the road. One more important that is worth to mention is that using the camera inside the glass, you can just taking photos by your voice. It’s quite convenient. All google fans are now waiting the Google Project Glass on sale.

【Post four】 SCRM

As it known to us all, social media make our life different and it make the customer relationship management differ as well. In the past, the opinion of the user or customer just like a voice, after you say it then it’s gone. Nothing would record it. But nowadays, with the help of social media tools such as facebook, linkin and blog customer’s voice is becoming stronger.

User would talk about the products brand service and even the culture of the company on the internet. As a result, the reputation of a company has been posted on the internet. The information og a product, brand, and company image will be save and it will influence the development of the company. That is reason why modern company needs to do SCRM.

Compare to traditional customer relationship management, SCRM is now becoming a trend. Mobile office is more and more popular and with the development of smart phone and ipad. Business people can deal with their business not just in the office but anywhere with the WiFi internet service.

Company may have realized that a company cannot manage their customer because in the revolution customer has become the ‘boss’. Customer almost can know everything about the product from the internet even the after-sale service. Buyers are now the key of the market. What’s more? Customers already sick of the official statement. So the key of social customer relationship is engament. Bring the customer in every part of the business. Listen to them and let them help you. Tread the customere as your parter.

【Post three】 Pinterest

You can easily think that it means Pin + Interest. You can pin something you like on the PinBoard. The website was creating in 2011 but it’s now the most fast growing website as a social media image website.

The Pinterest web page can keep loading pictures for you without change the page. The user can find out more pictures and users can save those pictures and share it with friends. The idea of Pinterest was carry out when Ben Sibermann, the founder, finding the ring for his girl friend. He found many rings but he need to compare and latter he develop Pinterest to put those pictures on the web page.

If we said, Google+ is the wonderland for guys Pinterest is the wonderland for girls. Pinterest is a website based on your interest and user can share pictures through Pinboard to your friends. It’s very surprise to find out that this web site growing up 45% per month. The speed is even faster than Google+. And it become the black horse of social media website in 2011.

【post two】Social Customers

In nowadays business, social customers are changing the way of doing business. The buyer can get a lot of information from the Internet. There many influencers on the Internet. Generally speaking, those influencers have used those products. They posted comment online and those comments can be very important even vital for the rest of the customers who want to buy this product. Because they will read those comments and observe from it. So, it’s very obvious that company must handle these influencers.

It's just like the word-of-mouth spreading among Internet. After entering the web 2.0 ages, the social media and social networking is occupy some part of people’s life especially for digital natives.  Social customers are those people who use your product and will talk about it on the social media tools. For company, it can manage the relationship with social media tools. Because of the Internet, you can easy find out a group of people were previous user and they may be keep using your product. The company can listen advice from those users. And If you find out some people using the similar product or using your competitor’s product it's an opportunity for you to make it become your customer.

This is a huge change. The company and the customer can both benefit from the change. Sometimes, the company will post the latest discount information on the Internet. So customers can know the company's discount information very fast which is a very good news for customers.

【Post one】 Augmented Reality

As the technology developing day by day, Augmented Reality have been come up and used recent years. It’s the high tech that can change the ways people live. Generally speaking, its 3-D virtual objects and integrated into a 3-D real environment in real time. Now, it been used in many areas. There three specific and noticeable characteristics. The first one is combines real and virtual. The second one is interactive in real time. The third one is registered in 3-D. 

This technology used to be far away from people’s daily life. But now it’s using in our daily life. For example augmented reality is now being used in medicine. Augmented reality can help to improve the accuracy while doing the operation.

 Mostly, smart phone are using augmented reality a lot such as iphone and Google Android system. The apps can put information to the map. Whine the users are using the map; use the camera to shot at the building the extra information will be show up such as the name of this building, the address, the contact detail and what service dose it offer. Information like this will be show in 3-D.  

Tea Culture in UK 【PART III】

Now, people in Britain drink tea multiple times a day. As the years passed it became a drink less associated with high society as people of all classes drink tea today which can be enjoyed in many different flavors and ways. What really challenge tea is soda drink because it’s convinces and thirst-quenching. The average soda drink spending is going up and up. However, the average tea spending is reducing day by day. The importance of tea in Britain can also be shown in British language. Along with the increasing demand of tea and the formation of tea culture, it seems that there are considerable tea-related expressions in English. Compared with Chinese tea ceremony, British tea ceremony is less remarkable. 

However, no one can deny that lady like Victoria afternoon tea. Tea drinks and the English tea set make a great contribution to the world tea culture. To enjoy black tea is to experience British unique culture tradition and her hospitality. Exports to New England also declined from 291,899 pounds in 1768 to 151,184 pounds in 1772. When Parliament repealed the Townsend Duties in 1770, it retained the tax on tea as a symbol of the right and power of Parliament to tax the colonies. 

What’s more, there are many phrases which are related to “tea” in English, such as tea cup, teapot, tea cake etc. Over several hundred years, drinking tea becomes a kind of habit and a custom after tea was introduced into Europe and Britain.   Parliament anticipated that the Tea Act would lower tea prices in America and increase profits for the East India Company. British colonists, however, interpreted the Tea Act as an attempt by the British government to force them to accept Parliament's right to tax them.

Tea Culture in UK 【PART II】

The popularity of tea occasioned the furtive export of slips to tea plants from China to British India and its commercial culture there, beginning in 1840. British interests controlled tea production in the subcontinent. Tea, which was an upper-class drink in Europe, became the infusion of every class in Great Britain in the course of the 18th century and has remained. Victoria afternoon tea is an art, simple but not stinginess, flowery but not vulgar. Traditionally, hostesses must use the best room to treat their guests. Actually, the British afternoon tea is particularly paid attention to. First of all, the time for tea is 4:00 pm. 

In the next place, a tuxedo for the gentlemen and a formal dress for ladies were considered very important in Victorian days. Thirdly, ordinarily, the hostess should wear formal dress and serve the guests in person at the tea party, showing her respect to the visitors. In the past, British people will drink tea at home or go out. Nowadays, people drink tea at home and drink soft drink when going out. Tea bag is wildly used in daily life. This might reduce the spending on leaf tea. Tea bag is very convenient and the customers do love it. The sales of tea bag are booming and in the late 1990s, 80% of tea sells in tea bag rather than leaf tea. 

The tea trade became a major point of contention between Britain and American colonies in 1767. When tea was listed among the Townsend Duties, The no importation movement, which arose in response to the new duties, significantly reduced the quantity of tea entering the colonies. In New York and Philadelphia, the amount of tea imported from England fell from 494,096 pounds in 1768 to just 658 pounds in 1772.

Tea Culture in UK 【PART I】

The popular pleasure gardens of Ranelagh and Vauxhall in London began serving tea around 1730. An evening of dancing and watching fireworks would be capped by tea. The concept caught on, and soon Tea Gardens opened all over Britain. Usually the gardens were opened on Saturday and Sunday, and an afternoon of entertainment and dancing would be highlighted by serving tea. With high tea imports became a large increase in the demand for porcelain. The demand for tea cup, pots and dishes increased to go along with this popular new drink. 

In the mid-eighteen century, between the time of lunch and supper, some women began to eat dessert, drink tea together, which was described as examples among other people. From upper class to civilian society, tea became more and more popular and formed the feature of British tea culture. Unlike Chinese people, British like to drink tea regularly and timely. After working and studying for a long time, they usually stop to rest for 15 to 20 minutes, drink a cup of tea, and eat some dessert. This is Britain’s unchangeable tea break. The British government raised revenue through high import duties and heavy excise taxes on tea. 

Because of extensive smuggling, especially between 1723 and 1745 when taxes were at their highest, there is no way to measure accurately the amount of tea imported by the North American colonies. The illegal trade in tea, much of it from Holland, must have been sizeable, given that almost every ship the British seized or examined for smuggling included tea in its cargo. In 1773, attempts to bring tea into the colonies resulted in a series of "tea parties" in Annapolis, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Charleston. The efforts of revolutionaries to halt the tea trade never fully succeeded, however. In 1775, the British exported 739,569 pounds of tea to the colonies. 

Tea Trade in UK 【Part II 】

The UK tea market has a very history and now it’s well-developed and mature market.  In the past, the spread of the tea drinking in British and It notices that the drink of tea first became a fashion in upper society and then spread to other sections. The new habit of tea drinking soon touched a controversy over the merits and shortcomings of the tea drinking in British society. A notable characteristic of UK tea market is that the market directly link production with marketing. 

Big tea company producing tea and make it into packaging including some tea import from other countries. Big company such as Unilever, Best foods, Premier Foods, Tetley Tea and Twinings share the British tea market fully. UK import leaf tea mostly from Kenya, India and Indonesia. In 2002, the largest supplier is Kenya and second one is India and the third one is Indonesia. Kenya supply 45% of the tea in UK. India supply 14% of the tea in UK and Indonesia supply 10%. The reason why British people like Kenya tea is that the tea produced in Kenya smell good and taste fits British people. In the early 21st century, the tea import is not as prosperous as before. In 1978, the total amount of tea import is just 150,000 ton. This amount is less than the amount during the World War II. 

After that, the total amount of tea import haven’t reach 200,000 ton and it’s just floating around 150,000 ton. The average tea spending is just 2.33 kg. It’s a symbol that the tea spending power is reducing day by day. There are three main reasons why the tea spending is reducing day by day. Firstly is that the competition from coffee and the soft drink. With the development of coffee in Europe, tea becomes less popular. Latter instant coffee is wildly accept by customers because its convenience.

Tea Trade in UK 【Part I】

UK is the world largest country of tea import and tea spending. This country import 200,000 ton tea from other country and it take 25% of world Total trade amount. British people have 300 years history of drinking tea. In 19 century, UK becomes the world largest tea spending country and the main tea trader all around the world. Tea auction market in London is the heart of tea trade all over the world and the price of in auction market is a very important index to the World tea price. 

India and Sri Lanka are the main countries that UK imports tea from. From 1970s, East Africa is booming its tea trade to UK. There are three ways trading tea in UK. The first one is that producing country sells the tea to UK. After that London Tea Auction sell the tea at auction. Secondly, tea dealer purchase tea from tea producing country. The third one is to purchase tea from tea garden globally. Four largest tea blenders monopolized 80% of the market. In London or Liverpool tea are being packed and sell to the world or to domestic market in UK. During the tea trade business there two very important organizations have to mention. These organizations are helping tea business running smoothly. The first one is UKTA（United Kingdom Tea Association）and the committee was constitute by tea blender, buyer, producer and broker. The function of UKTA is to dealing with the sources of tea and promoting tea and offer legal or technical help to members. The second one is The Tae Council and this organization was set up in 1996. 

The members of the council are some alliance of producing country and some tea blender in UK. Members of producing counties include Sri Lanka, India, and Kenya and so on. The function of this organization is to advertise the benefit of drinking tea and develop tea market in United Kingdom. This council is very important and has positive effect in developing tea market though only two staff working full time in this organization. The Tae Council and UKTA might have overlapped responsibility but two organizations working perfectly together.

Afternoon Tea in England

Anna, the 7th Duchess of Bedford (1788-1861) is thought to have introduced Afternoon Tea to England. Her main meals of breakfast and dinner and a very light luncheon at midday left her a little hungry in the afternoons. She developed the habit of taking an additional meal at 5pm in her rooms at Belvoir Castle.

The Duchess invited her friends to share her afternoon enjoyment of sandwiches, small cakes, tarts and biscuits, all to be partaken with a drink of tea. Afternoon tea began to be served in the same way in all the houses. A first pot of tea was brought from the kitchen to the lady of the house and a second pot left to warm in the lady's room. The hostess would serve the tea to her guests, usually all ladies, and her eldest daughter or a close friend would pass the food amongst the guests.

Soon, the growing middle classes were to imitate the rich and found that tea was an economical way of entertaining several friends. Afternoon tea quickly became the norm.In the early 19 th century, the tea dance became popular and continued to be so until the mid 20 th century. The tea dance normally consisted of a friends and acquaintances coming together to dance, whilst tea and snacks were served at tables around the dance floor. By the late 1880s top hotels in England began to offer afternoon tea in tearooms and tea courts. Served in the late afternoon, Victorian ladies would meet for tea and conversation.

At the beginning of the 1900s, hotels began to host afternoon tea dances.
Afternoon tea is still enjoyed today, although much less frequently. It now comprises a selection of dainty sandwiches, cakes, pastries and scones with jam and cream, all served on a tiered cake stand. Tea is poured from silver teapots into china cups. It is also customary for the scene to be set with good linen, flowers and soft music playing in the background.

Tea Culture in China 【PART III】

The Chinese tea ceremony, also called the Chinese Way of Tea, is a Chinese cultural activity involving the ceremonial preparation and presentation of tea leaf. The manner in which it is performed or the art of its performance is shown in the tea ceremony. Taoism has also been an influence in the development of the tea ceremony. At this time in tea's history, the nature of the beverage and style of tea preparation were quite different from the way we experience tea today. Tea leaves were processed into compressed cakes form. The dried teacake, generally called brick tea was ground in a stone mortar.

Hot water was added to the powdered teacake, or the powdered teacake was boiled in earthenware kettles then consumed as a hot beverage. A YiXing clay teapot Main article: Gongfu tea ceremonyIt makes use of small Yixing teawares teapot of about 100 – 150 ml to enhance the aesthetics, and more importantly "round out" the taste of the tea being brewed. Yixing teapot brewing sides towards the formal, and is used for private enjoyment of the tea as well as for welcoming guests. The following steps are one popular way to brew tea in a form considered to be a kind of art. Depending on the region of China the steps may differ, as will the tools used in the making of tea. 

The ceramic complex at Jingdezhen was managed by able directors during the 18th century and enjoyed court patronage, notably that of the Emperor Qianlng (1736-95). This produced the fine white porcelain, left unpainted with a milky glaze, that came to be known as 'blanc de Chine' in the West and was very popular in Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries. Imperial wares of the 19th and early 20th century have recently begun to enjoy increased favors.