company at Global Economy

Belarus Computer Industry  

The Research and Development of the component base and architecture of the Belarusian computers was done in a Minsk based Research Institute of Computational Techniques. Nowadays the scientific research association “Cybernetics” of the Academy of Sciences of Belarus is probably dealing with these problems. The computers are assembled also in Minsk in BelABM, the main Belarusian PC and main frame computer manufacturer.  

BelABM is now the partner with Compaq and Fujitsu. It manufactures LANs and PCs. BelABM also is the partner with GlobalOne in telecommunications.  

Laser and Optical Industry of Belarus Let’s just list below the major Belarusian optical enterprises: Lida Optical Plant “Optik” is the second largest optical plant in Europe after Carl Zeiss. In the former Soviet Union it was specifically designed as a mass manufacturer of optical elements. Optical elements such as lenses, prisms, flats, etc., are manufactured here. The idea was that the plant would concentrate on optics while further optic-mechanical enterprises would use its product to assemble objectives and other optic-mechanical devices. The plant is capable of mass production of millions and millions of optical elements. Lately they also started to pool optical fibber, do optical coatings, including photo chromic coats. All major optical plants of the former Soviet Union were the customers of this giant.  

Basically, if you are looking for a cheap supplier of big quantities (millions) of high quality glass and quartz optical elements - Lida “Optik” could be the way to go.  

BelOMO is a major optic-mechanical assembly plant of the former USSR and Belarus now. It is the designer and manufacturer of laser, optoelectronic and optic mechanical instruments. Products include topographic and multispectral photographic equipment, photogrammetric devices, laser devices, optoelectronic sighting devices, and medical equipment based on laser systems. It was set up as a manufacturer of high resolution satellite cameras and is still listed in various space war lists. So there are rather high standards of quality here. As far as peaceful applications, it manufactures objectives, photo cameras, etc. Some of the satellite photos of Russian Sovinformsputnik were done on BelOMOs TK-350 satellite topographic camera with 10 meter ground resolution. The enterprise cooperates with Swedish Latronix. German CARL ZEISS has a joint venture with Smarhon Optical Machine Tool Plant. This plant was the SINGLE supplier of ALL optical plants of the former USSR with optical polishing equipment. They also manufacture industrial vacuum measurement sensors/ electronics.  

Minsk Laser Plant. This is an experimental plant that is manufacturing YAG lasers, laser power supplies, and solid state pumped dye lasers with harmonics generators. Established in 1991, manufacturer of laser rods and laser crystals including alexandrite, Ti-sapphire, forsterite and lanthanum beryllate. Their products could be pretty cool. Other Belarusian institutions related to optics/ lasers are the Institute of Applied Physical Problems, the National Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Applied Optics of National Academy of Sciences, “October” Glass Factory, “Optron” Instrument Manufacturing Plant. Generally, Belarusian Laser and Spectroscopy school is pretty strong.  

Horizont. The TV-production Corporation HORIZONT (Minsk) has more than 40 years of experience in the market. Currently they manufacture color TV-sets; modern equipment for cable and satellite television; office furniture. The company has its own considerable production facilities and qualified personnel for the assembling of modern consumer electronics. HORIZONT Corporation is a state enterprise, including 5 plants and the Design-Centre. They cooperate with such known companies as Philips Semiconductor; Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.; Siemens AG; Thomson, and many others. The main reasons why it’s good to deal with HORIZONT are the following: - no customs borders with Russia - the location in the centre of Europe - the permission to found a free economic zone on the base of HORIZONT (release from taxes applies to the partners as well) - the availability of the vacant production capacities and qualified personnel - the availability of the Design-Centre – the prospective designer of the future projects. 

Chemical Industry of Belarus: Belarus has perhaps the most modernized and powerful chemical industry among the CIS states besides Russia. The chemical industry specializes first of all in the processing of Russian oil products going through the pipelines to the west (primarily Germany); synthetic polymers, mineral fertilizers, pharmaceutics, household chemical products.  

Polymer Synthesis in Belarus: Several major Belarusian enterprises are manufacturing polymers, synthetic fibers, polymer film etc. Among such enterprises are “Khimvalakno” (synthetic polyester fibre plant in Grodno); Rudensk plastic manufacturing plant near Miensk; ZIV - Mahilyow Viscose Fibre Plant and “Khimplast” (plastics and polymer manufacturer/ recycler plant) and Mogilev Regenerate Plant (recycling plastic materials).  

Production of Mineral Fertilizers in Belarus: Belarus is the world biggest supplier of potassium mineral fertilizers - the only mineral resource met in abundance in our land. “BelarusKali” is the world’s largest potassium fertilizer manufacturer; “Azot” is a giant enterprise manufacturing nitro-mineral fertilizers and other nitro compounds. It is now a part of the Belarusian Consortium which includes also Khimvolokno, Polymir etc.  

Belarusian Pharmaceutical Industry: it turns out that Belarusian pharmaceutical industry is not so bad. Some foreigners buy antibiotics in packs when in Belarus. Keep in mind that extremely strict former USSR governmental standards on medicine are still operating. Of course, with the disintegration of the industrial network of the CIS the production has fallen and there is a deficit of medicine now in Belarus. Major enterprises are Mogilev plant of medicine and Mogilev plant of veterinary medicine.  

Household Chemical Products from Belarus: there are several plants involved in production of stuff like shampoo, detergents, etc. for example, Brest Chemical Plant of Household Products.  

The Belarusian Semiconductor Industry - one of the main branches of Belarusian economy. During the USSR times Belarus semiconductor industry was taking care of the mass manufacturing of main-stream semiconductor elements, ICs and computer chips. Belarusian enterprises were mostly oriented on consumer electronics and mid-level ICs. The main Belarusian semiconductor consortium - Research and Production Corporation “Integral” - is in fact the largest in Eastern Europe semiconductor Production Company. In fact it consists of 6 plants and 3 design centers providing complete cycle of production of electronic components. The headquarters of “Integral” are located in Dzerzhinsky Plant. “INTEGRAL” Research and Production Corporation was established in 1971 in Minsk, it was the biggest semiconductor manufacturer in the former USSR, both for national economy and for defense needs.  

At present time the Corporation includes five plants and four R&D centers in different regions of the Republic of Belarus. Under new political and economical conditions, “Integral ” make active efforts for conversion and diversification of the range of their products. By extending and updating the new high technology goods of its own design, “Integral” wants to be useful for its customers and tries to solve the difficult problems of keeping its competitiveness, to gain the access to new markets and receive international recognition.  

Production Association RADIOVOLNA concentrates main attention on production of complicated radio electronic devices and electro technical goods for automobile industry. At present time the association enlarges sale markets of car stereo systems, TV sets, radio receivers generators and accessories for diesel engines, electro technical goods for agriculture and cable TV equipment, aspires to be useful to customers constantly producing now qualitative goods.  

Production association RADIOVOLNA has wide opportunities in: 

- Forming production; 

- Mechanical treatment 

- Plastic processing 

- Electroplating and paint coating 

- Production of complicated technological and non-standard equipment on CHARMILLES TECHNOLOGIES machines.  

One way of describing the function of the office is the administrative back-up for the organisation. Everyone involved in a business operation has to refer to the office from time to time. Even in the first minutes of the day the office comes alive. The salesperson telephones from a customer’s shop to find out some details about prices, or discounts, or delivery dates. A customer telephones to find what has happened to the order he sent in last week. The short-listed applicants for the new Quality Control Manager’s job turn up for their interviews with the Personnel Manager. The company secretary arrives earlier than usual to ask whether the agenda for the Board of Directors’ meeting later in the day has been typed yet. And the office junior brings in the morning mail which he has opened and sorted, and which now needs to be distributed to the various managers. There is a great variety of tasks undertaken in the office and the staff engaged in these operations need to know a great deal about the business. For example, when customers visit the office or telephone, they naturally expect the staff who deal with them to be knowledgeable. They expect their enquiries to be dealt with courteously, promptly and competently. Receptionists may occupy a comparatively lowly position in the organisational hierarchy, but they create the vital first impression which often determines whether we get the order or not.

The importance of the office is obvious. It is the hub of the communications network for the whole organisation. Technology affects the whole of business, not least the office, and the concept of a completely paperless office is beginning to emerge. Already on many executives’ desks there are keyboards or other devices to communicate with the computers which control all the electronic de-vices in the office. Electronic files are replacing conventional filing cabinets, and copying machines are appearing together with a variety of printers able to print anything from letter-quality characters to four-colour diagrams. Telephone systems are now incorporating a host of facilities from an answering service to video-conferencing.

Video-conferencing involves executives separated by hundreds and per-haps thousands of miles, discussing problems face-to-face on television screens. This in turn conjures up the notion of clerical workers performing many of their daily tasks away from the office, so that offices of the future are not only going to be paperless. They are also going to occupy less space, require fewer staff and al-low much shorter working weeks.

These changes will affect a large number of people. The introduction of robotic production lines in factories and new technology in offices will change the way men and women work, and the roles they expect to fulfil. There have al-ready been great changes in the traditional patterns of employment due to new technology, and this seems likely to continue, with implications for both sexes.

Whatever happens as a result of the new technologies, the role of the office will be changed rather than diminished. Most office workers of the future will find themselves seated at multi-function work-stations able to exercise control over routine purchases, sales, market research, production runs and accounting procedures. In other words, we can expect a centralisation of decision-making powers, with the office becoming even more emphatically the very hub of the business.

Speaking about company structure, I’d like to say that there are two main types of it. The first is hierarchical and the second is flat. The hierarchical system or organization is one in which people have different ranks or position, depending on how important they are. Companies with a flat structure are organized in less hierarchical way than traditional companies, with the aim of giving all employees an equal status within the company.

The hierarchical system is characteristic for the majority of the companies. Such system is used by the Philips company. Royal Philips Electronics is managed by the Board of Management, which looks after the general direction and long-term strategy of the Philips group. The President is in the head of the Board of Management. The Supervisory Board supervises the general course of business of the Philips group; makes sure policy is realized and advises the Board of Management. The policy of the company is realized by the Corporate Departments, which consist from different departments, such as Finance, Information Technology, Human Resources Management, Legal Affairs and Communication and Public Relations.

So as we know such organization of the management of this company has made it the world’s biggest electronics company.

International relations are primarily official contacts among the governments of independent countries. Such contacts may be peaceful or warlike and they are very important for the global economy.

Agreement is an arrangement or promise to do something, made by 2 or more people or organizations. A treaty is a formal agreement made by national governments. The agreement may be bilateral (signed by 2 countries) or multilateral (signed by more than 2 countries). Only the official representatives of independent countries may draw up a treaty. Before the agreement can go into effect, it must be approved by the governments of the countries involved. A nation may sign a treaty to promote its own economic interests.

When governments or other bodies wish to reach an agreement they usually organize a visit or hold or have talks, discussions or negotiations. And it’s very important to have special skills doing business worldwide. I have already told about the importance of cross-cultural skills in modern business. And now I’d like to give you some tips. I hope they will help you to understand business etiquette better.

First of all there are some words about greeting in some countries.

Spain:

Initial introductions with Spaniards are always formal: extend a brief but firm handshake, while maintaining eye contact and saying «buenos días» or «buenas tardes» depending on the time of day.

Men will continue to shake hands on all subsequent occasions. Women will embrace and kiss. In the company of friends, it is also common for men to hug or pat each other on the back as well as shaking hands.

France:

Expect to be greeted by a handshake; kissing on the cheeks [across genders] is also common amongst colleagues at work. It is not extended to outsiders and you should not attempt it until your female colleagues have made the initial move.

Germany:

Germans do not expect to be greeted by strangers, even when eye contact has been made, in the office environment.

Firm, brief handshakes at the time of arrival and departure are standard in both business and social relationships. Hugging and kissing on both cheeks are common only among good friends and family members. When arriving and leaving, take the time to shake hands with everyone individually in a group. The simpler American «group wave», for example, will not be appreciated in all but the most casual and familiar gatherings.

I should say that the greeting in United Arab Emirates, Iran and in Turkey does not vary significantly, because they all are Moslem countries.

The standard greeting is «As-salaam alike», [peace be upon you] to which the standard reply is «Wa alaikum as-salam» [and upon you be peace]. On arrival at the reception room, the visitor should stand in the doorway and utter the former of these phrases. Only after receiving the reply is he entitled to enter. In the event of no reply, he may repeat the greeting but continued failure to reply means that he is not welcome.         

If the room is carpeted, the visitor should remove his shoes and leave them outside to avoid bringing in impurities and thereby rendering the carpet ritually unclean for prayer. Once inside the room, he should shake hands with the most senior person first [usually but not invariably the host]. Then, he should make his way around the room in an anti-clockwise direction, shaking hands with each person in turn before taking his seat and joining in the conversation.            

The visitor should not change the subject of conversation except by logical opportunity or invitation. If there are more than fifty or so people in the room or if the seating is inconvenient, there may be consensus permission for him merely to shake hands with the host and wave a greeting to the others.    Once seated, crossing legs is perfectly acceptable, provided one does not direct the sole of the foot to an individual, which is a «go away» gesture.

Japan:

The Japanese greet each other by bowing. A bow can be a way of expressing thanks, saying “I’m sorry” or even asking for a favor.

China:

The Chinese will sometimes nod. Bowing is seldom used except in ceremonies. Handshakes are also popular.

If you visit a school, theater, or other workplace, it is likely that you will be greeted with applause as a sign of welcome. In turn, you should respond by applauding back.

 In Chinese culture, the question «Have you eaten?» or «Where have you been?» is the equivalent to «How are you?» in North America. Simply answer, ‘yes’ or smile and say «thank you».

India:

The traditional way of greeting in India is performed by holding your palms together, as in praying, and saying «Namaskar» [nah-mas-kar], with a slight bow. While «Namaskar» are Hindu ways of greeting, they are also accepted among all other communities. Shaking hands is also an acceptable way to greet people, but shaking hands with women is not universally accepted in Indian society.

Now you know how to greet your business partner according to the customs of his country.

I’ like to compare the history of two famous companies “Ford” and “Bic”. At first sight we can say that nothing common could be in the history of these companies, but I’d like to say that there are several common points.

As we know “Ford” company produces cars and it was the first company which began to produce horseless carriages and then cars. And what about the “Bic” company, it was the first in producing disposable products such as ballpoints pens, razors and lighters. Also the profit of these companies is always increasing.

As for differences, as I mentioned these companies are specialized in different products. Besides the “Ford” company was founded earlier then “Bic”, so it was founded in 1903 while the “Bic” company only in 1950. Also “Ford” was founded in America and is considered to be an American company, but the “Bic” company is French one.

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First and foremost, I’d like to say that men and women do things differently. So, it’s difficult to choose from males and females.

But in general I should say that the male approach to business is competitive, direct and confrontational. It’s doesn’t matter what methods they use, success is the only important thing.

The female method is collaborative. Collective action and responsibility are more important than personal achievements.

I think if I need a book- keeper or a worker, whose job is to meet and to talk with people, I’ll choose a female, because women tend to talk about staff problems and personal matters.

And if our company needs, for example, an attorney I’ll choose a male, because males approach to solving problems is to go the hart of the problem. Male behavior can include forceful gestures, for example, banging a fist on the desk for effect. Sometimes it has its results. :)

In conclusion I want to add, if a person is highly skilled, it’s doesn’t matter whether it will be male or female…

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There are some good companies, whose goods I prefer. They are «Benetton», «Sony» and «L’Oreal».

Speaking about «Benetton», I would like to say that it is an Italian company. «Benetton» is known as a very successful clothing manufacture. Nowadays it produces sportswear, which is known as a high quality clothes. It is an interesting fact, that «Benetton» has another trademark called «Sisley», which produces more expensive clothing.

As for «Sony» this company is the world leader in electronics. For example, it produces the Sony Walkman and computer games. Nowadays «Sony» works with musical production. It made the music for the film “Titanic”.

«L’Oreal» is a well-known company, which produces cosmetics. Million women all over the world choose its goods, such as powder, mascara and so on. «L’Oreal» has the slogan “Because I’m worth it”.

I choose the goods of these companies for their quality. It is not the news that all these companies try to attract as many customers as possible and to win their loyalty.

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At the beginning I would like to say that every serious company has own code of practice, or in other words a set of rules for customer care. To my mind it is very important to have a good customer care for any business. Because if the company has good customer care, its clients come back and purchase new goods again. Therefore the company’s profits will be constantly growing. And as a result it will be more competitive. It seems to me that these conditions are guarantee of success.

A good example of such companies is IKEA Business and British Airways. As for the IKEA Business Company it offers a full range of services for customers. Firstly, its good-trained staff can help with everything from individual workstations to planning a complete office. Secondly, its customers can purchase what they want from the special Business catalogue, or from the complete range in the store. As for British Airways company its employees, who make customers unhappy, must apologize in person. The company has a number of items; they are given to customers who are dissatisfied with their service, such as toys, chocolates, calculators and so on.

YOU CAN TAKE A HORSE TO THE WATER

BUT YOU CANNOT MAKE IT DRINK

an English proverb

Have you seen the film «Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl»? If not, you ought to do it, since it’s a wonderful cliff-hanger. I’ve done it for the second time today, because I like Johnny Depp.

It would be very nice to see this film in a movie theatre, but I’ve done it using Crystal Player on my computer. I use Windows XP as absolute majority of my friends, but I don’t use Windows Media Player and they do the same. It’s not because we have a lot of money to buy new licensed software…

A well-known problem in the countries of the former Soviet Union: breach of copyright. You can’t get away from facts. Therefore I have an opportunity to use not only freeware and shareware, but also commercially available software absolutely free of charge.

It’s a notorious fact, that European Union imposed a fine ($ 613, 5 million) on Microsoft Corporation in March. The company includes Windows Media Player in its operating system Windows - it was one of the reasons.

I agree that users, who buy this operating system, have an opportunity to use Windows Player. They don’t want to buy players from other software publishers and Microsoft’s rivals are indignant at it.

But breach of copyright brings advantages for users, who don’t pay for their software, they have freedom in choosing. Fortunately or unfortunately, infraction can be non-punishable…

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What player do you use?

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